Gerald Connolly

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Madam Speaker, the bill proposed last night by the House Republicans set us up to fail and risk a catastrophic default. Today's gimmick is more of the same. But to win over the crowd calling for default, House Republican leadership would now make the disaster even more likely by including a constitutional amendment likely requiring a three-fifths vote to avoid any future default. As our Republican colleagues sadly demonstrated yesterday, that threshold will be impossible to meet today and in the future. Their blind adherence to the demands of the default caucus stands in sharp contrast to the desire of most Americans who, according to every poll, are demanding a balanced compromise. This bill is a blatant, cynical exercise in raw political muscle and nothing more. To the House Republicans bent on turning our Founding Fathers into deadbeat dads, I would respond using Speaker Boehner's own words from last year: Hell no, you can't.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. I thank the gentlelady. Bond rating houses have already predicted that if we have a short- term fix to the debt ceiling here in the House today, we risk the downgrading of the creditworthiness of this country. Now, the GOP has proved itself fundamentally ill-suited to governance on this issue. They were for a big deal before they were against it, they were against a short-term fix before they were for it, and at least two walkouts from negotiations they asked for. They can't accept a ``yes'' from the United States Senate getting what they wanted in the proposal: $2.2 trillion in cuts, no revenue, and a fix through 2012, providing the very certainty just in the last campaign cycle they preached about forever. So why would they insist on this plan, a short-term fix that actually cuts less spending? Speaker Boehner said, ``to make sure the Democrats don't prevail in the Senate or at the White House.'' That simple. And that cynical. It is no coincidence that the Republicans chose the clip from ``The Town.'' The topic has Ben Affleck talking about, ``We're going to harm some people.'' And his colleague jumps up and says, ``Whose car are we going to use?'' Reportedly, in the Republican caucus, somebody jumped up and said, ``I'll drive the car.'' I'm afraid that's true. They're willing to drive the car to harm some people today. Though what they forgot to tell their caucus was that that scene is about a group of people plotting a crime. And that's what it will be today if we pass this seductively simple, short-term plan that will hurt America and hurt America's families.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I've heard many of my Republican friends claim that providing the private sector with certainty and then getting out of its way is one of the ways Congress spurs economic recovery. Unfortunately, Speaker Boehner's plan does neither of those two things. It delays a catastrophic default only for a short time, keeping this crisis going before requiring the same charade in 6 months time. If House Republicans are so unwilling to consider compromise today, if they eschew the bipartisan compromise that's proposed under Simpson Bowles, the Biden Group, and the bipartisan Gang of Six, why should the American people have any faith that when they come back in 6 months they will be more willing to compromise? Where the Boehner plan fails, the Senate proposal provides economic certainty to the American economy through 2012, while protecting Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security from the drastic cuts the Boehner plan envisions. And according to the CBO, the Senate plan's $2.2 trillion in deficit reduction is more than double the Boehner plan of $915 billion. The American people have spoken, Mr. Speaker, in poll after poll, on our phones, in our emails and at our offices. Get a bipartisan compromise now.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Nancy Mercer and Jill Egle, co-executive directors of The Arc of Northern Virginia, for their tremendous work on behalf of the disabled in our community. As my colleagues know, The Arc is a leading advocacy and service organization for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, serving more than 7,000 families in Northern Virginia alone. I am sad to share that after 5 years of collaboration, Nancy and Jill have decided to move on, but they have left The Arc stronger than ever. Under Nancy and Jill's leadership, the local Arc staff, volunteers and community partners have been successful in promoting and protecting the rights of people of all abilities to live comfortably in the community. One of The Arc's primary missions is to provide full inclusion for intellectually and developmentally disabled individuals in all aspects of the community. Through their combined efforts, The Arc has been expanded its advocacy efforts to become one of the strongest grassroots organizations in the Commonwealth. They spearheaded the formation of the Virginia Ability Alliance, creating a more unified voice for people with disabilities. Thanks to the compelling public awareness campaign, ``A Life Like Yours . . . Take a Walk in Our Shoes,'' Nancy and Jill helped hammer home the message that community support is essential for The Arc to succeed. With the resulting increase in community and financial support, The Arc has been able to help more people with disabilities live comfortably within our community. Their voice also is being heard by state and national policy makers. The Arc of Northern Virginia helped lead a statewide campaign to eradicate use of the degrading ``R'' word in Virginia's State Code. They worked with community partners to launch a successful Get Out the Vote campaign that buoyed the participation rate of disabled voters in the 2008 Presidential election, and they recently have used their influence in the international arena to educate representatives from Russia, China, and Korea on the necessity of improving the rights of the disabled globally. It has been my pleasure to work with both Nancy and Jill, and I have a personal relationship with each of them. As Chairman of the Fairfax Board of Supervisors, I always looked forward to Jill's expert testimony. She successfully raised the level of public discourse on the struggles of the developmentally disabled in Northern Virginia. Nancy's desire to better the lives of those affected by intellectual disability also has been inspiring. She will continue her mission this August as the President and CEO of the PHILLIPS program, an organization dedicated to furthering the lives of the developmentally disabled throughout the National Capital Region. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the invaluable work of Nancy Mercer and Jill Egle to improve the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and wishing them continued success in their future pursuits. While their presence will be missed at The Arc, we are glad to know their influence will continue to be felt in our community.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. I thank my colleague and my friend from Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this rule, and I rise in opposition on substantive grounds. The Rules Committee approved for our consideration here on the floor every germane amendment but one, the Markey-Connolly amendment, which would have required a simple certification that the bulk of this oil to be transported by this proposed pipeline be for and designated for domestic consumption. We hear a lot of rhetoric about the need to expand American production and/or access to secure oil to lessen our dependence on foreign suppliers. That, indeed, is a noble goal. It's one in which I share, but not at any price, and I don't want to be sold a pig in a poke. The fact that the Rules Committee would not put that amendment on this floor, going into content rather than procedure, finding it germane but still not allowing a fair debate and its consideration on this floor, I think gives the lie to the intent behind the extension of this pipeline. This oil is not for domestic consumption; this oil is for foreign export. It has very little to do with domestic oil supply or it might have very little to do with domestic oil supply. A simple requirement that the preponderance of it be for domestic supply I think would have made prudent domestic policy and I think would have allowed a fair and interesting debate here on the floor of the House as to what the real intention of this pipeline is. So I say to the American public, I urge you not to be fooled by propositions from the other side that this is going to be good for American consumers. This is going to be good for Chinese consumers.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Madam Chair, this bill is a charade. It purports to increase oil production in America, yet it would direct construction of a pipeline designed to export oil. There is already one Keystone pipeline from the tar sands of Alberta into America. That pipeline terminates in Oklahoma and supplies America with oil derived from tar sands. If the Republicans wanted to bring a bill to the floor that would increase domestic access to this oil, then it would support it. In fact, Mr. Markey and I introduced an amendment to ensure that oil from the Keystone pipeline would benefit American consumers, and it wasn't allowed on the floor. The Republican leadership wouldn't even let this amendment come for debate. They claim this pipeline will deliver oil to America but have used a backdoor procedural trick to block debate on it. The amendment Mr. Markey and I introduced was the only germane amendment which was blocked by the Rules Committee. Why? Because it gives lie to the real intent of this bill: oil for export, not for domestic consumption. Our amendment met all of the parliamentary tests necessary to come to the floor and didn't increase spending. All it would have done was ensure that Keystone pipeline oil would flow to America rather than China, Cuba, or some other country. The fact that the Republicans blocked this simple amendment shows that the bill before us today isn't about energy security or gas prices but about oil company profits and exports. It isn't surprising that leadership would put Big Oil profits ahead of consumers. This is the same caucus that is driving our Nation toward default while they refuse to close tax loopholes for oil companies. This is the same Republican caucus that gutted the Clean Air and Clean Water Act earlier this week with three dozen policy riders in the Interior and Environment appropriations act; the same Republicans that slashed funding for the Commodities Futures Trading Commission, our cops on the beat to stop oil speculation; the same Republicans who opposed using the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to burst the speculative bubble in prices, that marches in lockstep with big oil companies since they took over the House majority; and today they're attempting to pass legislation that would take gas from America and send it overseas. We're being given a false proposition in this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to oppose it.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. I yield to the gentleman from California.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. I move to strike the last word.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Well, congratulations. This is probably the most radical anti-environment bill that the House of Representatives has ever considered. It cuts open space funding to the lowest level in a half a century. It opens the Grand Canyon to uranium mining. It denies the existence of climate change and eliminates funding for Federal agencies to monitor and adapt to it. It contains more than three dozen anti-environment policy riders that eviscerate the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and other landmark environmental statutes. The bill desecrates the legacy of Teddy Roosevelt and a long line of bipartisan conservation leaders while it also endangers public health. The Republican majority claims to be concerned about spending, but this reckless bill will impose billions of dollars, Mr. Chairman, of health care costs on Americans by increasing the incidence of asthma, emphysema, heart attacks, and even premature death. This anti- environmental bill will increase health care costs by up to $539 billion according to the Congressional Research Service. Since Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP are responsible for 33.9 percent of total health care costs, this Republican bill will cost taxpayers some $179 billion more. In addition, it will cause more than 60,000 premature deaths, 20 million lost days of work, and 36,800 additional heart attacks in America. This bill eliminates funding for critical and conservation priorities, completely defunding the Forest Legacy program. It defunds the Chesapeake Bay Restoration program. It blocks Environmental Protection Agency implementation of public health standards for particulate, lead, greenhouse gas and other pollutants. It allows the unregulated destruction of one of America's two most biodiverse regions, southern Appalachia, by repealing Clean Water Act standards to protect streams from mountaintop removal. It imperils the cleanliness of public drinking water by allowing unregulated disposal of coal, waste, and pesticides, and casts into regulatory purgatory developers and others seeking clarity of Clean Water Act regulations. The Republican majority seems to be living in an alternative reality. As Americans face unprecedented drought in the Southwest, record floods in the Mississippi basin, record heat here in eastern and midwestern cities, accelerating sea level rises, and other symptoms of global warming, this bill blocks funding even to monitor global warming. Not only do the Republicans deny the existence of global warming, apparently, they have even blocked funding to monitor its impacts. This reckless policy rider doesn't just endanger polar bears, coral reefs, and countless other species and ecosystems; it endangers American infrastructure from the Norfolk Naval Base to the Jefferson Memorial. It endangers public health by increasing smog pollution and heat- related deaths, as we've seen from the recent heat wave that swept across the east and midwest United States, setting record temperatures here in Washington, D.C., Newark, and other cities across this eastern seaboard. I urge my colleagues to reject this reckless legislation that defunds critical public lands programs, eviscerates 40 years of bipartisan environmental standards, and desecrates the memory of Teddy Roosevelt. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Who are you kidding? Cut, slash, and burn. You bypassed your own rules to bring it to the floor. You say it protects Medicare. It destroys Medicare. You say you're protecting jobs. You'll cost hundreds of thousands of jobs if this ever saw the light of day in law. It disinvests in education, R&D, and infrastructure in this country. That equals unilateral disarmament when it comes to global competition and innovation, and we might as well hand it over to our competition in Brazil, China, and India. Shame on you. I urge the defeat of this phony bill. Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I would be remiss if I failed to note the irony of the legislation before us today. After 7 months of ranting and raving about the lack of regulatory certainty which causes economic stagnation, the Republican majority is now attempting to pass a bill which would replace a clear, predictable, national clean water standard with an utterly unpredictable patchwork of State standards. Chaos does not federalism make, nor is one State's ability to sully a downstream State's waters consistent with the commerce clause of the United States Constitution. This legislation, with the Orwellian title the Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act, would endanger watersheds all across America, including the precious Chesapeake Bay in our region here in the National Capital Region. As my colleagues are aware, the bay watershed encompasses six States and the District of Columbia. Logically, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Association, the U.S. Geological Survey, and other agencies work in tandem with States throughout the watershed to reduce pollution entering the bay. Since watersheds do not correspond easily to State lines, this kind of interagency cooperation is essential and efficient to restore America's largest estuary. H.R. 2018 would unravel that partnership, balkanizing water policy and undermining bay restoration. I have drafted a simple amendment, Mr. Chairman, to exempt watersheds like the Chesapeake Bay from this bill by limiting the bill's jurisdiction to watersheds which do not receive Federal aid for watershed restoration and related activities. This amendment would allow critical efforts, such as the restoration of the bay, Long Island Sound, the Great Lakes, Puget Sound, Gulf of Mexico, San Francisco Bay, and other great waters to continue. It would acknowledge the undeniable fact that water does not stop when it reaches the State line. This amendment is important because these great waters are an integral part of our American heritage. The Chesapeake Bay was where John Smith arrived and founded Jamestown. The first colonial exploration of Virginia, also by John Smith, used the bay to explore the rivers of Virginia and Maryland. The Chesapeake is home to the French blockade of the British Navy, which enabled George Washington to have victory at Yorktown and a successful conclusion to the Revolutionary War. For 200 years the Chesapeake Bay was one of America's most productive fisheries, fueling the growth of coastal communities such as Alexandria, Norfolk, and Baltimore, as well as an indigenous fleet of boats such as the skipjacks, deadrises, and bugeyes. Unfortunately, development and overfishing wiped out many of the fisheries that were once so productive. When John Smith arrived in the bay, his crew had neglected to bring fishing line, but they were able to pull fish out of the bay by scooping them out of the water. Smith wrote that the oysters on the bay floor lay thick as stones and were so prolific that these filter feeders cleaned the entire volume of the bay daily. The shad runs up the James, Rappahannock, and Potomac Rivers were so immense that colonial observers noted it would have been possible to walk all the way from the James from Richmond to Manchester on the backs of fish without ever touching water. These fish were so large and powerful that, when caught, they actually shook the first Manchester Bridge on its piers. Of course, the bay is part of a much larger watershed now that is as historic ecologically as the bay is itself. To restore this great water body, many Federal agencies have been working in partnership with States, localities, and landowners. As written, H.R. 2018 would rupture that partnership, effectively giving any one State veto authority over the region's restoration efforts. My simple amendment would protect our ability to keep working together as a region to restore the bay. This regional effort was first started at the Federal level by a Republican, my old friend, Republican U.S. Senator Charles ``Mac'' Mathias of Maryland. To the extent we are making progress today, it's a result of the partnership between Virginia, whose general assembly is investing over $100 million annually in private land conservation, a Republican-led initiative that was expanded under a Democratic Governor. Let us not turn our backs on this 30-year partnership. I ask for your support for this commonsense amendment to continue the improvements to America's largest and most historic estuary, as well as our Nation's other great waters. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Chair, for the last seven months this nation's economy has stagnated while the Republican majority has passed a litany of bills repealing environmental standards on behalf of oil and coal companies. Today we have another anti-environment bill before the House, predictably mis-named, in the finest Orwellian tradition, the ``Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act.'' This bill is a case study in irony: After seven months of blaming economic malaise on regulatory ``uncertainty,'' this bill would eliminate predictable and consistent national clean water standards in favor of an uncertain state-based patchwork of regulations. This bill would be more appropriately titled the ``Consistency is the Hobgoblin of Small Minds Act,'' because its elimination of any regulatory certainty flies in the face of seven months of Republican rhetoric. On the other hand, as an assault on the environment which benefits Republican campaign donors, it is utterly consistent with the majority's modus operandi. The majority claims to support an ``all of the above'' energy strategy, and that is accurate if we accept the Republican premise that coal and oil constitute the totality of America's energy portfolio. After passing countless bills to repeal clean air and water regulations for oil companies, this bill is focused on repealing clean water standards for the coal and mining industry. My colleagues who are not from Virginia, West Virginia, or Kentucky may not be familiar with the ravages of mountaintop removal, and if they aren't I would encourage them to look at a satellite photo of our region before they vote for this bill. Following Bush Administration abrogation of its responsibility to administer the Clean Water Act, destruction of the Southern Appalachian mountains has accelerated. For example, Wise County, Virginia has had 25 percent of its land area obliterated by mountaintop removal: According to the Nature Conservancy, Southwest Virginia is one of the two most biodiverse regions in America, along with Hawaii. Mountaintop removal is eliminating that region's biodiversity very efficiently. What used to be extraordinarily productive mountains in my state now resemble a moonscape of man-made plateaus and valleys filled in with rubble. The purpose of this bill is to prevent Clean Water Act regulation of those ``valley fills'' which mining companies use to dispose of former mountains. Valley fills should be a clear violation of the Clean Water Act, and under the Obama Administration the EPA and Army Corps have finally begun to comply with the law and regulate them. This legislation would block that federal regulation which is necessary to protect life and property in Southwest Virginia and other parts of Appalachia. This legislation would have other negative consequences beyond destroying one of America's greatest and most threatened regions. It is written in such a broad manner that it could allow unregulated destruction of intermittent and ephemeral streams, lakes and prairie potholes, and subterranean waters such as those that are common in places like Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. I strongly encourage my colleagues to reject this legislation.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Let me say to my friend who is managing on the majority side, I spent 14 years in local government. We don't consider the Federal involvement in cleaning up the bay an undue burden. We actually consider it a partnership that has paid off big time, and we need more of it. Support the Connolly Amendment to H.R. 2018 Protect these Great Waters: Great Lakes, Chesapeake Bay, Long Island Sound, South Florida/Everglades, Mississippi River Basin, San Francisco Bay, Gulf of Mexico, Lake Champlain, Puget Sound, Casco Bay (ME), New Hampshire Estuaries, Massachusetts Bays, Buzzards Bay, Narragansett Bay, Peconic Estuary, New York/NJ Harbor, Bernegat Bay, Delaware Inland Bays, Maryland Coastal Bays, Southeast Coast, Albermarle-Pamlico Sound, Indian River Lagoon, Gulf Coast, Charlotte Harbor, Sarasota Bay, Tampa Bay, Mobile Bay, Bataraia-Terrebonne Estuary, Galveston Bay, Coastal Bend Bay, West Coast, Lower Columbia River, Tillamook Bay, Morro Bay Dear Colleague, many of us have worked in collaboration with partners at the state and local level to protect great waters like the Chesapeake Bay, Great Lakes, Everglades, Lake Champlain, Long Island Sound, San Francisco Bay, Puget Sound, Mississippi Basin, and the Gulf of Mexico. I have drafted a simple amendment to exempt these watersheds and others that receive federal restoration funding from H.R. 2018. This amendment would allow critical efforts such as restoration to continue in acknowledgement of the undeniable fact that water does not stop when it reaches a state line. A more complete list of watersheds that would be protected by this amendment can be found at the end of this letter. This amendment is important because these great waters are an integral part of our American heritage. The Chesapeake Bay, for example, was where John Smith arrived and founded Jamestown. The first colonial exploration of Virginia, also by John Smith, used the Bay to explore the rivers of Virginia and Maryland. The Chesapeake is home to the French blockade of the British Navy, which enabled George Washington's victory at Yorktown and a successful conclusion to the Revolutionary War. For two hundred years the Chesapeake was one of America's most productive fisheries, fueling the growth of coastal communities such as Alexandria, Norfolk, and Baltimore, as well as an indigenous fleet of boats such as the Skipjacks, Deadrises, and Bugeyes. Unfortunately, development and overfishing wiped out many of the fisheries that were once so productive. When John Smith arrived in the Bay, his crew had neglected to bring fishing line, but they were able to pull fish out of the Bay by scooping them out of the water with frying pans. Smith wrote that the oysters on the Bay floor ``lay thick as stones'' and were so prolific that these filter feeders cleaned the whole volume of the Bay daily. The shad runs up the James, Rappahannock, and Potomac were so immense that colonial observers noted it would have been possible to walk across the James from Richmond to Manchester on the backs of fish without ever touching water. These fish were so large and powerful that, when caught, they shook the first Manchester Bridge on its moorings. Of course, the Bay is part of a much larger watershed that is as historic and ecologically valuable as the Bay itself. To restore this great water body many federal agencies have been working in partnership with states, localities, and land owners. As written, H.R. 2018 would rupture that partnership, effectively giving any one state veto authority over the region's Bay restoration efforts. This important amendment would protect our ability to keep working together as a region to restore the Bay and other great waters across America. Please support this amendment and contact zack.fields@mail.house.gov (3-3122) with any questions. Sincerely, Gerald E. Connolly, 11th District, Virginia. Watersheds and States that would be protected from H.R. 2018: Great Lakes--NY, PA, OH, IL, IN, MN, WI, MI Chesapeake Bay--NY, PA, MD, DE, VA, WV Long Island Sound--CT, NY, RI South Florida/Everglades--FL Mississippi River Basin--MN, ND, SD, WY, CO, NM, TX, OK,

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Marc Scarbrough of Woodbridge, Va., for his participation in the People to People World Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. People to People offers young leaders the opportunity to grow educationally while exposing them to new cultures. Founded in 1956 under the auspices of the Eisenhower Administration, People to People has continuously enjoyed Presidential support for its mission of instilling our nation's next generation of leaders with the international experience they will need to succeed in an increasingly global society and economy. Marc's acceptance to the program is no small accomplishment. Academically selective, the program is built for the brightest students in the nation. From June 30-July 6, Marc participated in numerous educational activities in the Washington, D.C., area, all of which were focused on leadership development. Marc and his fellow participants gained access to areas of American government rarely seen at such a young age, and that experience will serve him well in his studies. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Marc Scarbrough and wishing him continued success in the future.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Joshua Layog of Montclair, Virginia, for his participation in the People to People World Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. People to People offers young leaders the opportunity to grow educationally while exposing them to new cultures. Founded in 1956 under the auspices of the Eisenhower Administration, People to People has continuously enjoyed Presidential support for its mission of instilling our nation's next generation of leaders with the international experience they will need to succeed in an increasingly global society and economy. Joshua's acceptance to the program is no small accomplishment. Academically selective, the program is built for the brightest students in the nation. From June 20-24, Joshua participated in numerous educational activities in the Washington, D.C., area, all of which were focused on leadership development. Joshua and his fellow participants gained access to areas of American government rarely seen at such a young age, and that experience will serve him well in his studies. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Joshua Layog and wishing him continued success in the future.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Lauren Chang of Burke, Va., for her participation in the People to People World Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. People to People offers young leaders the opportunity to grow educationally while exposing them to new cultures. Founded in 1956 under the auspices of the Eisenhower Administration, People to People has continuously enjoyed Presidential support for its mission of instilling our nation's next generation of leaders with the international experience they will need to succeed in an increasingly global society and economy. Lauren's acceptance to the program is no small accomplishment. Academically selective, the program is built for the brightest students in the nation. From June 30-July 6, Lauren participated in numerous educational activities in the Washington, D.C., area, all of which were focused on leadership development. Lauren and her fellow participants gained access to areas of American government rarely seen at such a young age, and that experience will serve her well in her studies. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Lauren Chang and wishing her continued success in the future.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Madam Speaker, we are 2 short weeks away from defaulting on American debt, which would devastate our economy and plunge this country, if not the global economy, into a steep recession. We are engaged in three overseas wars as part of the broader struggle to defeat terrorism. Century-old autocracies are crumbling in the Middle East. Extreme drought is destroying farmers' livelihoods across the Southeast, Texas, and Oklahoma, while floods of biblical proportions inundate the upper Midwest. Unprecedented tornadoes have killed hundreds of people in Missouri, Alabama, and Virginia, while the melting of glaciers and polar ice continues to accelerate. Meanwhile, our economy stagnates for lack of any new congressional action to expedite growth. In response to these existential threats at home and once-in-a- lifetime opportunities for democracy abroad, the Republican leadership has brought to the floor a bill to repeal a nonexistent ban on incandescent light bulbs passed by a Republican Congress and signed by a Republican President, President Bush. That's right, light bulbs. Connoisseurs of Internet hearsay are aware that Tea Party conspiracy theorists think President Obama is trying to outlaw the incandescent light bulb even though President Bush signed that law into enactment. Cooler heads, such as representatives of every major light bulb manufacturer in America, from Philips to Johnson Controls, actually support the light bulb efficiency standards because they provide a competitive advantage for American manufacturers relative to their Chinese competitors, who produce shoddy, light-inefficient bulbs. Who knew that the Tea Party contained so many Manchurian sympathizers who have hidden their proto-internationalist agenda beneath the folds of the Don't Tread on Me flag? As we have heard, those who would repeal the light bulb efficiency standards believe we are ``taxed enough already.'' Apparently the lowest Federal tax burden in 60 years has left these zealots with extra disposable income, and they want to spend it on inefficient light bulbs. In fact, repeal of the light bulb standards would give Americans the liberty to spend $85 extra per year on light bulbs to produce no additional light. It's hard to understand how ideologues in this House can suggest imposing $85 per year on their constituents in order to buy light bulbs which consume more electricity than necessary. Those who are baffled by Republican support for this anachronistic incandescent bulb tax may want to refer to the legislative record of the House over the last 7 months. The Republican Party has deviated so far from its historic support for conservation that it now supports legislation that would allow air and water pollution with impunity. The new Republican Caucus supports legislation like the BULB Act, which we dealt with last night, and retrogresses to the time of Thomas Edison and the invention of the light bulb. These Republicans sound like flat earthers, and they must really mean it when they call themselves originalists. This entire situation would be humorous but for the gravity of the threat our Nation faces, from climate change to the debt puzzle, or the opportunities that we will forgo in the Middle East because this House is distracted by a paranoid attack on light bulbs.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, 27 weeks the Republicans have been in charge of this House, and they have not brought a single jobs bill to the floor. Instead, House leadership has set its eyes on dogmatically asserting its goals of repealing health care reform and dismantling even the most basic of environmental regulations. Republicans have brought us so far down the path of mass deregulation that even the most basic safeguards are under threat. They have brought forth insipid legislation to repeal bulb efficiency standards and are still fighting against essential clean water regulation. The reality is that both of these efforts will kill jobs and hurt innovation, but the Republicans seem perfectly comfortable in sticking to the rhetoric of anti-regulation regardless of whom it harms. We have gone so far down this path that the anti-tax dogma of the House majority is now bringing debt ceiling negotiations to a terrible, terrible brink of catastrophe. They would rather preserve tax breaks for their corporate jet and oil companies than compromise on a plan that will benefit the middle class of America by better distributing that tax burden. It's wrong. Let's come to the table.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Alexander Hornaday, a 2011 People to People World Leadership Forum participant. Alexander has been identified by his educators for his academic excellence, leadership potential and exemplary citizenship to participate in the People to People World Leadership Forum in Washington, D.C. This leadership forum allows students to participate in daily educational activities in Washington, D.C., as well as the surrounding areas. The program allows participants to make friends with young leaders from all over the world with a focus on leadership development. At the end of the program, participants receive a certificate of completion. Alexander is a student at West Springfield High school in Springfield, Virginia. He has been active in his school and community on issues regarding agriculture and environment. It is inspiring to see young people who are interested in educational and developmental experiences such as these. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing this remarkable achievement by Alexander Hornaday and wishing him continued success in his further pursuits.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Chair, the Republican Energy and Water Appropriations Act would take American energy policy back to the 19th century. It slashes funding for solar, advanced vehicles, building efficiency, biomass, home weatherization, advanced energy research, and loan guarantees for renewable energy. Incredibly, as gas prices remain high the Republicans gut funding for fuel efficient automobiles. These cuts would be devastating for domestic manufacturers of renewable energy and energy efficiency technology, as well as our domestic auto industry. Consider the magnitude of these cuts: $97 million cut in solar funding, helping Chinese solar manufacturers at the expense of American producers; $46 million cut in fuel efficient vehicles, hurting consumers at the pump while putting American auto producers at a competitive disadvantage; $61 million cut in building efficiency, which will expose consumers to rising electricity prices; $33 million cut in biomass research, crippling a critical domestic industry which supports the timber industry and diversifies our electric generation portfolio; $141 million cut in home weatherization funding, an 81 percent cut in a program which saves consumers money by reducing their electric bills; $80 million cut for Advanced Research Projects Agency--Energy (ARPA- E), a 44 percent cut in critical clean energy research; $1 billion cut in High Speed Rail money, punishing commuters in congested regions like the Washington-Boston corridor; $43 million cut in science research, hurting American competitiveness. In addition to attacking domestic manufacturing, clean energy production, and efficiency programs, the Republicans have inserted policy riders to advance a radical anti-environmental agenda at the expense of Americans' public health. Their rider would block the Army Corps of Engineers and Environmental Protection Agency from implementing the Clean Water Act in accordance with guidance from those agencies. Following a decade of regulatory uncertainty following a Supreme Court decision, the Obama administration issued guidance to help landowners comply with the Clean Water Act. This guidance replaced a confusing patchwork of lower level court decisions and produced the regulatory certainty that Republicans claim to support. This rider demonstrates that the Republicans are not actually interested in regulatory ``certainty;'' they are simply opposed to any and all environmental and public health regulations. Since they know they can't win a public debate about these public health standards, they are trying to sneak in a rider to an appropriations bill to block the regulations. American entrepreneurs developed the solar panel and more sophisticated wind turbines, yet China and Germany are far ahead of American wind and solar production. The Obama administration requested funding increases for renewable energy so America can compete and produce clean energy generation domestically, but the Republican budget would actually slash clean energy funding. Just as the American auto industry is recovering as a result of the Obama Administration's intervention, this Republican appropriations bill would gut advanced vehicle and vehicle efficiency funding. We need to produce more efficient vehicles and advanced hybrid vehicles here in America. The American auto industry declined in the 1970s and 1980s as foreign competitors produced more efficient, technologically advanced vehicles. We cannot afford to give up market share again by surrendering to foreign auto producers. This Republican appropriations bill is not an isolated attack on American clean energy production and industrial competitiveness. The same Republicans have already passed legislation in the House-- thankfully not the Senate--to repeal the Clean Air Act and block vehicle efficiency standards in the future. Never in the history of American politics has one of our great political parties been so blind to opportunities of the future and determined to repeat failures of the past. We have a real opportunity to boost American manufacturing of clean energy and advanced vehicles. Just as a result of the Recovery Act we went from producing 2 percent to 40 percent of advanced batteries. We cannot allow this Republican appropriations bill to reverse that progress and cripple American industrial competitiveness.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, the fiscal year 2012 Energy and Water Appropriations Act is an assault on any rational, scientific basis for public policy. It would decimate American manufacturing, impoverish American consumers, and allow polluters to sully our water with impunity. At a time when the American economy is stuck in neutral, while China and Germany are accelerating their production of clean energy and advanced vehicles, this bill would take America back to the 19th century standards of unbridled industrial predation without public oversight or regulation. Mr. Peters of Michigan and I drafted a simple amendment to fix one, among many, problems in this bill. Mr. Peters has been a leader of efforts to restore our auto industry, and I appreciate his cosponsorship of this amendment. It would simply restore some of the funding cut from the Vehicle Technologies program with a funding offset providing by eliminating an increase in corporate welfare for the fossil fuel industry. This amendment would maintain the same level of funding as was provided in this fiscal year's Energy and Water appropriations bill. The Vehicle Technologies program is a critical part of our efforts to revive American manufacturing and the automobile industry. It is a job generator. Five years ago, our auto industry was on its deathbed, with two major manufacturers facing bankruptcy. Fortunately, President Obama intervened and provided temporary assistance both to General Motors and Chrysler, most of which has already been repaid. Today, these domestic manufacturers are growing again, with positive domestic economic benefits for auto dealers and parts suppliers all across America. Unfortunately, this Energy and Water appropriations bill would reverse this progress by gutting important vehicle research funding. The Vehicle Technologies program is a success story in boosting domestic manufacturing of cleaner cars that save consumers money at the pump. It is reducing the cost of advanced lithium ion batteries, which are in all hybrid vehicles on the road in America. This program has helped deploy 48 battery manufacturing projects all across the United States with the goal of reducing hybrid vehicle engine costs by 35 percent. Hybrid vehicles are an important part of our domestic manufacturing base and provide direct quality of life benefits in suburban regions with high levels of smog pollution, such as here in the Nation's capital. The Advanced Vehicle Technologies program also is helping to deploy electric vehicles, including the new Chevy Volt. Finally, Mr. Chairman, this program has accelerated deployment of hybrid-electric diesel buses, improving transit service and air quality in communities throughout the country like my own in Fairfax County, Virginia. We cannot allow a hemorrhaging of technology and manufacturing jobs to foreign competition while unemployment grows in America. The Republicans seem to believe that corporate welfare for oil companies will help the economy, but we tried that during the previous administration and it did not work. We need to focus on rebuilding the technologies of the future right here in America, and the Vehicle Technologies Program is a part of that effort. I ask for favorable consideration of this amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.