Jim Davis

Mr. DAVIS of Florida

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. And how much time remains on each side, Mr. Chairman?

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro).

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time. I want to start by clarifying that there is no dispute whatsoever that this is not a debate about tourism. This is not a debate about trade or the embargo. This is a debate about the right of family members to visit each other without government interference. There has been virtually no response to the merits of the issue as to how anybody might defend the indefensible; that is to restrict the ability of family members to see their own. I understand that. If I were opposing this, I would not have anything to say on the merits either. Members cannot defend the indefensible here. The only opposition that has been raised is to call the amendment arrogant, and it is based on a point of view sincerely expressed by the opposition that a few Members of Congress which represent a significant portion of Cuban-Americans in this country ought to essentially have a monopoly on that issue. I respectfully disagree. I personally offer this amendment tonight. I feel compelled to speak. I feel a sense of obligation because I represent roughly 120,000 people who would proudly describe themselves as Hispanic in the Tampa Bay area, many of whom are Cuban, and I feel obliged to present the voice tonight of Simon Rosen and Rufino Blanco, Ignacio and Gloria Menendez and the U.S. Army medic, Carlos Lazo, who was denied the ability on his leave from Iraq to visit his teenage sons in Cuba. What a disgrace. One of the few things that I think we can all agree on here tonight is that life is very cruel for people in Cuba. It is very cruel for families. One of the few sources of support and hope they have is their own flesh and blood, their own family, whether they be in Cuba or in the United States. In Florida, we just went through a supreme test. We have been through three hurricanes. It brought out the worst of Mother Nature, and it brought out the best in Floridians. And the best in Floridians is neighbor helping neighbor and family helping family, a hand extended to offer hope and support. Cuba has just been through two horrific hurricanes. How can we deny to Cuba the support and comfort, the peace of mind of their own flesh and blood which has sustained so many Floridians throughout the southeast who have been affected by this terrible hurricane? This amendment is a test of our humanity. It is a test of who we are. This amendment is a test of whether we truly believe, as I believe we do, as Democrats and Republicans, in the values of family and that the government's job is to support families and not to interfere. Let us adopt the Davis amendment and reaffirm to the Cuban people and people who fled Cuba from this ruthless dictatorship that we are counting on them to support each other, much as we support each other in this country. I urge adoption of the amendment.

Mr. DAVIS of Florida

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Fr. Richard G. Hartnett, S.J., who in his lifetime of service to Jesuit High School earned the respect and loyalty of students, colleagues and Jesuit alumni. Through his more than 60 years of involvement with Jesuit High School, Fr. Hartnett left an indelible mark on the school family. In 1937, Fr. Hartnett, who had been a student at Jesuit, returned to the school after college to teach. In 1940, he left his Alma Mater to attend seminary, but after being ordained as a priest, he came home again to Jesuit High School to teach English, Latin and Religion from 1945 until 1980. Even after his career as a teacher had ended, Fr. Hartnett continued to serve Jesuit High School by working with the alumni department. Throughout the years, Fr. Hartnett's imposing stature and stern disposition matched the high standards to which he held his students; yet he had a soft side that shone through as he shepherded students on to greater things. Many alumni also remember how he spearheaded the annual Penny Drive. Each year, students bring in their spare pennies to benefit Jesuit missions in South America. In 1979, in honor of Fr. Hartnett's continued dedication to Jesuit, the Jesuit High School Alumni Association founded the Father Richard G. Hartnett Golf Classic to raise financial assistance for Jesuit students who cannot afford full tuition. This October marks the 26th anniversary of the fundraiser, which makes the tournament regarded as Tampa's longest running golf charity fundraiser. From now on, the tournament will be called the Fr. Richard G. Hartnett Memorial Golf Classic. Fr. Richard G. Hartnett, S.J. challenged his students to be their very best, and thanks to his guidance, countless Jesuit students are honorably serving their community and our nation in a host of different ways. On behalf of the entire Tampa Bay community, I honor Fr. Richard G. Hartnett, S.J. for his contributions and extend my deepest sympathies to his many loved ones.

Mr. DAVIS of Florida

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Ann Grace Smith, a Tampa Bay native who before losing her own battle with Lou Gehrig's Disease last month, helped countless other ALS patients through their own struggles with this disease. Ann had been a University of Florida graduate, accountant, dedicated wife and mother of two before she was diagnosed with ALS. Then, at a time when she was facing her greatest personal challenge, she devoted her energy to helping others. While struggling with ALS herself, Ann helped found the ALS Association Florida Chapter in Tampa. Throughout her 19 year illness, she served on the board of directors, helping to build up the chapter and its services to our community. Always able to see the big picture, Ann recognized the need to support not only ALS patients, but also their caregivers. She worked to provide respite relief for caregivers to relieve the stress and burden on those providing constant care for loved ones. On behalf of the entire Tampa Bay community, I honor Ann for her selfless dedication to serving others, and I extend my deepest sympathies to her loving husband David, her family and friends. Ann was a true inspiration.

Mr. DAVIS of Florida

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Stanley W. Rosenkranz, a remarkably accomplished and generous citizen whose dedication to his profession, faith and family earned him the respect of the Tampa Bay community. Stanley always strived for excellence. After becoming a CPA and serving in the Army, he went on to graduate Cum Laude from the University of Florida Law School and first in his class from the New York University's Masters in Law, LLM program. Stanley was extremely supportive of the University of Florida, and its football team, through all his years. Stanley practiced law in Tampa for over 40 years and earned the high respect of his colleagues in the Bar. He was Of Counsel with Akerman, Senterfitt and a partner at Shear, Newman, Hahn & Rosenkranz, PA for 15 years, 10 of which he was president of the firm. Stanley was named to Best Lawyers in America for the 20 years of the publication's existence. Teaching and mentoring were two other areas in which Stanley excelled. He formerly taught in the graduate LLM Tax program at the University of Florida. Stanley was currently an adjunct professor in Tax at the Stetson College of Law and also had taught Business Law and accounting at the University of Tampa. However, Stanley always made time to serve others. Stanley was active in Tampa's Jewish community, serving as president of Congregation Schaarai Zedek, president of the Tampa Jewish Federation, president of the Southeast Region of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) and a member of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of URJ. He also served on the boards of Florida Blood Services and the Children's Home and contributed as a leader of many other civic and charitable causes. Stanley's family and friends will remember him for all of these things, his rare personal qualities and so much more. On behalf of the Tampa Bay community, I honor Stanley for his service and shining example to us all and send my deepest sympathies to his loved ones.

Mr. DAVIS of Florida

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and I respectfully disagree with the distinguished chairman of the subcommittee. I think this is a human rights issue. This is not an issue about whether the embargo is going to stand with Cuba. This is a more fundamental issue about the human rights of Cuban- Americans living in the United States: in my home, the Tampa Bay area of the State of Florida, throughout the country, and their families who have been left behind in Cuba. As the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Flake) alluded to, under the new restrictions that have been announced by the State Department that have taken effect, we now as a country prohibit Cuban-Americans from sending to their own family members, soap, toothpaste, or underwear. Those will no longer be allowed to be mailed by family members in the United States to their families in Cuba. On top of that, these regulations specifically prohibit United States citizens from sending anything to family members other than their mother, father, brother, or sister. In other words, if you had a cousin or an aunt or uncle in Cuba that you care about and are trying to help, under this rule which has now taken effect, you can no longer send to them medicine or food or medical supplies. This is tragic. This is absurd. This is unforgivable. This is something that we should not countenance as a House. This is not a policy we ever would have adopted as a Congress. There are a few things that I believe people on both sides of this amendment agree upon: first, that the conditions under the horrific Fidel Castro regime are insufferable for Cubans and their families living down there; secondly, that for years, this government has done very little to help their people and will continue to do very little. We can also agree that one of the few sources of hope and comfort that families in Cuba have is the hope that their own family members will try to help them. I know from visiting Cuba 18 months ago with the gentleman from Arizona (Chairman Kolbe), I saw for myself the horrific, intolerable, unmerciful conditions this regime has inflicted on its own people. There are people walking around without adequate clothing, without adequate food, without adequate medical supplies. Now, we are telling those people that we are going to take away one of the last sources of hope and support they have: their own family members who are trying to assist them by mailing to them food, medicine, clothing, toothpaste, soap. I represent a lot of people who work very hard so they can set aside money to buy the things that we take for granted every day in our own homes; and they mail it, they used to mail it to their family members, their aunts, their uncles, their cousins, their parents, their children. They can no longer do so under these regulations that are not in development; these regulations are in effect. This is having an impact today on the lives of people here in the United States and in Cuba who are hanging on for dear life. We all know there are times in our lives where the only person you can count on to help you is your own family because the government lets you down, other people cannot or will not help you. This is one of those times in the horrific history of Cuba where family members are there. They are the only thing that is there to keep people alive, to keep them healthy, to keep them from starving; and we as a government have stepped in, through a rule that was developed very quickly without a lot of public discussion and debate, and we have cut off that family support. This is not who we are as a country. This is not what we stand for. These are not our values. They are also not the values of these people in Cuba who are fighting to maintain their dignity and their health. We should adopt the Flake-Davis-Delahunt-Emerson amendment. We should repeal these rules. This is a mistake. I urge my colleagues to adopt the amendment.

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. I have read the regulations.

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. If the gentleman would yield, I would be happy to answer his question.

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Because under the regulations, if you are trying to send something down to your cousins, to your aunts----

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. I just want to further respond to the gentleman's comments because I agree, we need to be clear on the facts. We will disagree on the policy. The rule specifically states that if you are sending something to a spouse, a child, a parent or a grandparent, you can send down food and medicine. But if you are sending something to an aunt, uncle or cousin, you cannot, and that is what the regulations say. And with respect to anybody in your family, you are prohibited from sending down soap, toothpaste or clothes. So I think that sets the record straight.

Mr. DAVIS of Florida

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I want to first start by thanking the gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo), chairman of the Committee on Resources, for working with me and others to clarify that the language in this bill is not intended to alter the existing law and the moratorium as far as drilling for oil and gas in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and other protected areas. Having said that, I want to join the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall) in urging a negative vote on this bill. This bill has as a stated goal to speed up the permitting process with respect to alternative energy projects, and it certainly is a worthy goal. None of us should be afraid of trying to find better ways to have a system that is quicker, more efficient, and less bureaucratic. However, I think the bill fails to achieve that goal. If this bill had gone to the committee, and if the bill fails here and in the Senate, hopefully it will come back to committee this Congress or next, I think Members could sit down and try to work through these details; but instead, we have a bill that really guts much of the NEPA, the National Environmental Protection Act. This bill would stop forcing Federal agencies to consider alternatives which might be more environmentally benign in my State, Florida, or others, in judging a particular project. This law is intended to provide a voice like Florida to participate in a decision that balances the interest of the State against our energy needs and other Federal considerations. If the State does not have a voice in this discussion, then it is not a legitimate discussion. I know my Governor, Jeb Bush, has said limiting the comment period from 45 days to 20 days deprives my State of the voice it needs to have in this conversation about environmental impact. We need to find a way to make sure the State can still be heard. By eliminating the alternative considerations, we have also limited the States' ability to comment on how to balance renewable energy needs with the details of how to site something, where to site it, and how to construct it. There is a way to have a balanced, fair debate on how to make the National Environmental Protection Act a better law where State and Federal Government can work better together; but this is not the way to do it today, and I urge a negative vote on the bill.

Mr. DAVIS of Florida

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am here with the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Putnam) on behalf of several representatives from the Tampa Bay area to add a few words of pride and satisfaction at this remarkable achievement. Yes, we heard that right. A Florida hockey team in the Tampa Bay area is taking the Stanley Cup home, a truly remarkable feat. The Tampa Bay area is also considered the lightning capital of the world. Not many people know that. And this victory in the Stanley Cup confirms that we are a capital of the world now in hockey because of the Tampa Bay Lightning. In just 12 seasons, this team has succeeded after 23 games in a playoff series in 2 months in winning the Stanley Cup. I would like to also highlight some of the remarkable individual feats that the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Putnam) alluded to: the sensational saves of goalie Nicolai Khabibulin to maintain a one-goal lead in one of the key games; the work of Dave Andreychuk, who was mentioned, he played for 22 years, waited this long to win the Stanley Cup, setting a tie in terms of the longest amount of service before winning the Stanley Cup; Brad Richards, the MVP of the Stanley Cup playoffs with 12 goals and 14 assists; the scoring touch of Ruslan Fedotenko, who scored both goals in Game 7 against Calgary; Martin St. Louie, who is only 5 foot 9 inches tall, but makes up for that with tremendous height and heart, scored the thrilling goal in the second overtime in Game 6 with Calgary. Many of these players I mentioned and others received awards. Our Coach Tortorella was honored with the Jack Adams Award as the National Hockey League's coach of the year based on this record. There are many teams that have played in the NHL far longer than the Tampa Bay Lightning who have yet to obtain the Stanley Cup. That is what makes this victory all the sweeter. I would just close by saying that the Tampa Bay Lightning did not just win the Stanley Cup. They won with class, with style, with grace, which I might add is hard to do sometimes in the fiercely competitive world of hockey. They reflected on the outside what all of us in the Tampa Bay area knew was on the inside, that we represent a community with a lot of heart, a lot of determination, a lot of perseverance, and I want to join the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Putnam) and other representatives in the Tampa Bay area in congratulating the owner, Bill Davidson; the general manager, Jay Feaster; the coach; the players; the entire Lightning organization; and all the fans of Tampa Bay for a job well done.

Mr. DAVIS of Florida

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Spratt) for yielding me this time. One of the statistics that I think is beyond dispute here is the Federal debt now totals $7 trillion. And if you break that down by every person living in the United States, it is $24,000 a person. A few brave, moderate Republicans in the House stood for a central proposition that the American people expect us to live by, that is, Democrats, Republicans and Independents, and it is pay as you go. Do not cut taxes, do not spend, do not drive this massive Federal debt up further unless you can find a way to offset the tax cut or spending. Tonight, the Republican majority in this House entirely repudiates that proposition over the objections of independent-minded Republicans in the House and Senate. There will be no pay-as-you-go. Instead, we will be adopting an historic debt ceiling in excess of $7 trillion. How abysmal. What reckless fiscal responsibility. It is the Democrats standing on the floor of the House tonight fighting for fiscal responsibility. This is what taxpayers and citizens throughout the country expect. And I would urge the moderate Republicans in the U.S. House to reject this budget resolution. Join your comrades in the Senate and let us restore fiscal responsibility.

Mr. DAVIS of Florida

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, this week is National Minority Cancer Awareness Week. This national campaign was initiated by Congress in 1987 to heighten awareness of the unequal hardship of cancer borne by racial and ethnic minority populations and other medically underserved communities. Despite all the progress that has been made in the battle against cancer a disproportionate burden of cancer continues to plague a number of populations. For instance: African-American men have the highest rate of prostate cancer in the world and the lowest rate of survival. The head of the American Cancer Society, Charles J. McDonald, MD, says: ``Black men in America are 1.5 times more likely to develop prostate cancer and are 2 to 3 times more likely to die of the disease than white men.'' Cancer is the leading cause of death for Asian American women. Even controlling for poverty level, African American, American Indian, Alaskan Native, Asian American and Pacific Islander men all have a lower 5-year survival rate than non-Hispanic white males. The consequences of inadequate access to preventive services and early detection are that diseases like cancer are more often diagnosed at later stages when the severity is likely to be greater and options for treatment, as well as the odds of survival, are decreased. The American Cancer Society urges more education about all forms of cancer and stronger involvement of community grassroots organizations, particularly in underserved minority communities, to engage in advocacy and in education and patient support initiatives. I urge us all to heed the recommendations of the American Cancer Society because the future of America as a whole will be influenced substantially by our success in improving the health of minorities and other medically underserved populations.

Mr. DAVIS of Florida

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Reverend Lacy R. Harwell Sr., a man who faithfully dedicated his life to serving his family, his congregation, his community and his country. The City of St. Petersburg was blessed with Rev. Harwell's talents starting in 1969 when he came to serve as senior pastor at Maximo Presbyterian Church. For a quarter of a century, Rev. Harwell guided his congregation and ministered to the poor and downtrodden. Rev. Harwell worked to establish substance abuse programs in the community. As a member of the board of Bayfront Medical Center, he fought for better health care services for the poor. As St. Petersburg struggled with racial conflicts, Rev. Harwell worked to unify the community. In the 1970s, after the Pinellas County School Board ordered the busing of school children to further integrate public schools, Rev. Harwell, who served on the School Board's Bi- racial Committee, called a special meeting of his congregation to encourage parents to support public education and to refrain from pulling their students out of the schools. Rev. Harwell ministered to his community in countless other ways. He was a chaplain and student government adviser at the University of Florida, a charter member of the Community Alliance, and he served on the boards of trustees for Eckerd College, St. Petersburg Junior College and the Presbytery of Southwest Florida. In 1986, the local chapter of the National Conference of Christians and Jews honored Rev. Harwell for his ``strong commitment to interfaith service and community involvement.'' Before entering the ministry, Rev. Harwell served his country in the U.S. Coast Guard and then as a chaplain in the U.S. Naval Reserve. By the time he retired as a Captain in 1986, he had earned the USNR American Defense Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, and the USCG Commendation Medal. The citizens of St. Petersburg, as well as Philadelphia, where Rev. Harwell had also ministered, were very fortunate to have him as a devoted servant. On behalf of our community, I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to Rev. Harwell's family.

Mr. DAVIS of Florida

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Circuit Judge Robert J. Simms, a dedicated public servant, whose sudden death has left his Hillsborough County colleagues and our entire community in shock and mourning. Judge Simms presided over a host of high-profile civil, criminal and family law cases during his time on the bench, but whether the cases were closely watched or obscure, Judge Simms always strived to do his best and skillfully upheld the highest standards of justice. A University of South Florida and Stetson College of Law graduate, Judge Simms worked as a prosecutor for the Pinellas-Pasco and Hillsborough State Attorney offices, then as a criminal defense lawyer before being elected in 1990. He had been reelected to the bench in 2002. Judge Simms served both on the Judicial Liaison Committee for the Hillsborough County Bar Association and as an adjunct professor for the paralegal program at Hillsborough Community College. However, Judge Simms' colleagues will remember him best for his patient, unassuming and kind demeanor on and off the bench. He was a judge's judge and a powerful example to all who knew him. On behalf of the Hillsborough County community, I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to Judge Simms' family. His dedication to service and justice will leave a lasting impression on our community and those who strive to serve justice as well as he did.

Mr. DAVIS of Florida

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Buster Agliano, an Ybor City icon, who recently lost his battle with cancer. Buster was a well loved fixture in the Ybor community. His family- owned seafood market, S. Agliano and Sons Fish Co., remained open for business long after other shops had abandoned the Latin Quarter to make way for bars and nightclubs. The market, founded in 1915 by Buster's grandfather, had since turned its focus to wholesale business, but Buster always kept the front case stocked for his loyal customers, and he will be fondly remembered for offering his seafood on credit to those facing hard times. Buster could have sold his business for a hefty profit long ago, but Buster would never have sold out his customers and community to cash in for himself. Buster's fish market was equally well known for the political debates that played out in the front of the shop. Everyone who was anyone in Tampa's political scene would join in Buster's informal gatherings to talk shop. In Tampa's political world, Buster was enormously respected as a source of advice and counsel, and as a result, local politicians always sought his support. Buster was easy to love and easy to respect. His warmth always shone through his generosity, his love of family, his dedication to serving his community and his persistent positive attitude. I am honored to have called Buster my friend. On behalf of the entire Tampa Bay community, I extend my deepest sympathies to Buster's family. Buster's legacy in Ybor City and in our hearts will not be forgotten. He was one of a kind, and everyone who called Buster his or her friend is a better person for having known him.

Mr. DAVIS of Florida

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me. Let me elaborate on some of the points that the gentleman has raised about the outsourcing issue that we are experiencing throughout the country, in Washington State and my home State of Florida. Forrester Research, Inc., has predicted that American employers will move over 3.3 million white collar service jobs amounting to about $136 billion in wages overseas over the next 15 years. There are clearly sectors of our economy that are among the most vulnerable. About 14 million jobs, or 11 percent of the U.S. total that have been identified at risk, are jobs that involve telephone call centers, computer operator, data entry operators, business and financial support, parallel and legal assistants, diagnostic support services, and finally, accounting, bookkeeping and payroll. This is a phenomenon which we are experiencing right now throughout the country, Democrats, Republicans, Independents. There is no nobody who will escape this. The question is, how will we deal with it? We have to be honest. We cannot bring a lot of these jobs back. We can offer the Trade Adjustment Act, which the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Smith) has introduced with a growing number of Members of Congress, Democrats and hopefully Republicans, that will provide support for people who are displaced by trade or outsourcing. But what we really need to do, as was mentioned earlier, is try to get to this problem at the source. We cannot promise anybody that having the highest level of education will guarantee them that they will not be competing against somebody from another country, but what we can guarantee to them is the best fighting chance they have of protecting themselves and their family. We will be debating, hopefully, in this Congress changes in the tax law that assure that the United States taxpayer is not subsidizing companies to go overseas and to compete against the domestic workforce. But at the end of the day, our best weapon is the American worker and his or her job skills and work ethic. One of the areas that we should be emphasizing as a Congress to deal with the problem of encouraging more students to enter math and science and engineering, as was mentioned earlier, is to attract more teachers into those fields. There are ideas that abound in congressional districts and communities around the country, and it is the job of Congress and Washington to provide the funds to the community colleges, to the school districts, to the private sector, the not-for-profit sector that will come together for the good of the communities and attract people into the teaching profession and create the kinds of programs that will work in individual communities. In every community in this country, there is an enormous amount of graduate school education that is occurring in these fields, math, science and engineering; yet the painful fact is that the vast majority of students that are entering these programs now are students who are entering here from other countries and helping us build bridges with those countries that are important; but ultimately many of these students are choosing to return to their homes and to benefit their own economies. We need to be getting more of our students into these graduate courses to become professors, to become inventors, to become some of the best forward-thinking engineers for the next generation of this country. Ultimately, what we also need to focus on is a way for Congress, Democrats and Republicans, to write a tax credit that will provide an incentive to employers to invest in their workers. Not just to meet the needs of the employer, but to provide a lifetime of learning, to provide trainability for a worker, so that as more competition is experienced from other countries, that worker is able to adapt through additional training, whether they are doing it on their own or going back to a college, university, community college or vocational training, so, again, our workers have a fighting chance, they have the tools they need and the ability they need to sharpen those tools, to broaden their job skills, to compete in this increasingly global economy. This is a time where Democrats and Republicans in Congress should be coming together trying to find solutions in education and job training to help our workers face this onslaught of competition from overseas. The agenda from the President and from this Congress so far has been to simply provide tax cuts that have gone to the most affluent Americans in this country. It is time for us to acknowledge as competition heats up in the global economy that is not a solution for most of the people in this country who want to work, who want to succeed, who are prepared to go back to school, who are prepared to do some additional job training, but want us to support them, to help them do that. So I hope that there will be other Members that will come to the floor here in the days ahead and join us in trying to identify how we write a bill that provides a constructive, positive agenda with confidence in the work ethic and the skills of the American worker, to help us ultimately succeed, as we have done throughout the history of this country.

Mr. JIM DAVIS of Florida

Mr. JIM DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Chairman, our debate this afternoon is in part over our disagreement about the best way to address the ever growing debt and now record deficit. Despite the many differences enumerated this afternoon there are certain truths which must direct our decisions: The Federal debt now tops over 7 trillion dollars. This amounts to over $24,000 worth of debt per U.S. resident. That's an awesome burden to place on the backs of our children. This year, U.S. taxpayers will waste $156 billion on interest payments on the federal debt--money that should have helped support our troops in the field, students in the classroom and seniors relying on Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. And as this deficit spirals out of control, our government's excessive borrowing will deal a blow to our economy by forcing up interest rates for small businesses, homebuyers and students who rely on loans. Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan has highlighted the risks of sustained deficits saying, ``History suggests that an abandonment of fiscal discipline will eventually push up interest rates, crowd out capital spending, lower productivity growth, and force harder choices upon us in the future.'' The U.S. federal deficit is now among the highest in the industrialized world, and our debt level is fast approaching those of other major industrial countries. With the federal debt now close to 40 percent of the Gross Domestic Product, deficits will likely put pressure on the U.S. dollar. As a member of the New Democrat Coalition I have supported a fiscally responsible deficit reduction plan to balance the budget in 10 years, suspend recent tax cuts for the top two tiers of earners, eliminate corporate tax loopholes, prioritize spending and revive budget enforcement mechanisms, such as the Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) provisions which Senate Democrats and Republicans passed to force the government to live within its means. The Senate plan sent alarms through this chamber last week because the Senate Budget Resolution includes genuine Pay-As-You-Go provisions that can bring fiscal responsibility to the budget. The House Budget Committee's version betrays the budgetary spirit of Pay-As-You-Go because it enforces budgetary constraints on entitlement programs but not tax cuts. Tell me Mr. Chairman how this unbalanced approach to the budget will eventually lead to a balanced budget. The President visited my district a few weeks ago and during a speech about the economy never once did he mention the $7 trillion dollar debt or the record deficit this country now faces. Never once did he mention the potential for harm and devastation that rising interest rates pose for small businesses and exporters in my district. And not once did he mention any one of the 2.6 million jobs lost throughout the country since 2000. We cannot continue to ignore the implications of our fiscal irresponsibility. By failing to mention these concerns, the President has forgone all responsibility for addressing them. So in closing, I urge my colleagues to take up the responsibility thrown off by our leadership. Defeat the Republican House Budget Resolution because it fails to implement meaningful budgetary mechanisms that will bring this budget into balance. Mr. SANDLIN. Mr. Chairman, the House Republicans should be ashamed for once again producing a budget that assaults the health needs of our most vulnerable citizens. In their annual attempt to slash needed programs and funding the end result is clear--the safety net for our Nation's health care will deteriorate and people will surely suffer. With the economy in shambles and job opportunities plummeting, American families are struggling to stay afloat right now. I can not stand by and allow our Congress to abandon our Nation's families' need for assistance with basic health care. We already are in a crisis situation with over 43.6 million people uninsured nationwide. In my home State of Texas, over 26 percent of our citizens, nearly 5 million people are without health care. The House Republican budget decimates Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program SCHIP. It requires a $2.2 billion cut in Medicaid funding, which will compromise the well being of over 500 million children, their parents, seniors, and disabled individuals. This comes at a time when States are already in fiscal crisis, resulting in nearly every State cutting their own Medicaid program by slashing eligibility, cutting benefits, raising copayments and reducing provider payments. Republicans have also tried to quietly allow $1 billion in SCHIP funding to expire on September 30, despite the critical need to allocate that money towards its intended purpose of providing heath care to needy children. Prior Federal and State cuts to Medicaid and SCHIP have already caused irreparable harm to families in Texas. Since SCHIP cuts in Texas took place last September 1, enrollment for kids has dropped from over 507,000 children to 399,000. For those children fortunate to retain some health coverage, they have had to endure the loss of all dental, vision, and hospice benefits. How can this be considered acceptable? How can our Federal legislators stand by and recommend cuts that will compound this problem? It is a travesty that Republicans believe it is OK to harm children under the guise of fiscal discipline. Children aren't the only citizens whose healthcare is sacrificed under the Republican budget though--our Nation's veterans are also dishonored with these cuts to their earned benefits. Every major veterans service organization, including the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Vietnam Veterans of America, and Paralyzed Veterans of America has decried the now chronic under funding of their health care, stating the Republican Budget is an insult tot heir military service, and the health problems often caused by this service. Veterans need our support now--to offer a budget that doesn't even keep pace with inflation is illogical. We came to Congress with a commitment to represent the basic needs of American families. Now is the time to exercise fiscal discipline in a common sense way--by rejecting tax cuts for wealthy corporations in favor of sustaining and improving the health care of Americans in need. It is simply a question of priorities--a question of choices. The Democrats' budget answers this call from veterans, seniors and children. The Republican budget doesn't. I know which budget my constituents in East Texas want me to vote for. It is a clear choice-- it is the right thing to do.

Mr. JIM DAVIS of Florida

Mr. JIM DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Harold Reddick, a pioneer in Tampa Bay's civil rights community, who leaves behind a legacy of fighting for a better life for all Floridians. Following in the footsteps of his father, Harold started his career as a porter for Pullman Co., and went on to serve the Tampa chapter of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. But Harold was born to lead-- he was constantly breaking boundaries in his battle for equal rights. In the early 1940's, traveling all the way to Chicago to plan a march on Washington, Harold fought to open federal government and defense jobs to black workers. Harold shook up Tampa Bay's establishment by attempting to-register in the local White Municipal Primary, and he was arrested for trying to patronize an all-white drive-in theater. A former vice president of the Tampa area chapter of the NAACP and strong supporter of the Montgomery Improvement Association, which helped to organize the Montgomery bus boycott, Harold was not afraid to challenge the old rules. He never let intimidation or violence get in his way. After leaving the railroad industry, Harold went on to fight for the poor and unemployed. Working for the AFL-CIO's Human Resources Development Institute, Harold helped the less fortunate get back on their feet. As vice president of the local branch of the A. Philip Randolph Institute, the senior constituency group of the AFL-CIO, and as a member of the Florida Silver-Haired Legislature, Harold was an advocate for seniors. And Harold fought for the young as well, serving on various advisory committees to the Hillsborough County School Board, alongside his wife, Doris, a school board member. Like so many public officials in our community, I had the good fortune to call Harold my friend. I could always count on him for his candid and constructive counsel. Until his last breath, Harold never stopped helping everyone he knew be the best that they could be and helping our community be the best it could be. Harold Reddick fought for all of us, and thanks to him, our community is stronger. On behalf of the Tampa Bay area, I would like to extend my deepest sympathy to Harold's family and friends. Harold's legacy will not soon be forgotten.

Mr. DAVIS of Florida

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Robinson High School Principal Kevin McCarthy, who tragically passed away this week at the age of 39. Kevin's dedication to excellence and passion for serving his students, faculty and Robinson High School family will be sorely missed. After earning two masters degrees and a doctorate, Kevin chose to become a science teacher in 1989. In 1997, he came to Tampa to serve as the science department head at Blake High School. Kevin's ambition, enthusiasm and record of success served him well in the Hillsborough County School District. He progressed from department head to assistant principal for student affairs at Wharton High School and assistant principal for curriculum at King High School before he became principal at Robinson. Along the way, he touched the lives of countless students, faculty and parents and left his mark on the schools in which he served. At Robinson, with his love of science, he helped create the MacDill Aeronautical Academy, which gives students the chance to engage in hands-on aerospace training and offers internship opportunities at MacDill Air Force Base. When gunshots at Rembrant Garden apartments, adjacent to Robinson's campus, threatened the safety of students, Kevin spearheaded community meetings including local law enforcement and Tampa housing officials to address the problem. Just three months later, a plan was in place to tear down Rembrant apartments to make way for a new, safer complex. The Robinson family, however, will most likely remember Kevin's leadership in helping the campus come to grips with the death of Lance Cpl. Andrew Aviles, a Robinson High School graduate who was killed in Iraq. Kevin McCarthy was what every school district in America needs--a rising star who sets high expectations for students and faculty and has the talent to help them to meet those goals. All of us who got to know him and work with him were and continue to be inspired by his integrity, energy and intense focus on his students. Kevin was one-of- a-kind and will undoubtably influence countless others to follow his example in serving the community in many ways. On behalf of the Tampa Bay community, I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to his family.

Mr. DAVIS of Florida

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I agree with the previous speaker that the citizens of this country need and deserve a forward-thinking energy policy, although the bill before us fails miserably in that regard. This bill is ultimately a waste of taxpayer's money and a waste of the consumer's dollar. The bill was tainted by the fact that it was developed by a small group of people under private circumstances, and ultimately the bill was finished in that fashion. This was not just about Democrats and Republicans, it was ultimately about shutting out the public and, as a result, giving the private interests here in Washington a greater hand in the writing of this bill. As a result, we as a country will suffer. There are legitimate aspects of this bill that the chairman worked hard to put in there. I support the tax incentives for more deep water drilling in the central and western Gulf of Mexico. I commend the chairman in ultimately keeping his word and not pursuing the moratorium in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. But the sum result of this bill is that we, as taxpayers, we as consumers, are by way of subsidies and by way of tax breaks in excess of $23 billion, simply paying industries to do what they were already doing, what they already would have to do to earn a profit. Let me just cite to you one example. This bill includes a massive, unprecedented mandate of the use of ethanol strictly to enrich certain companies, certain parts of the country at the expense of consumers throughout the Nation. The EPA and a staff white paper study some time ago estimated that this mandate could increase by as much as 15 cents per gallon today's ethanol prices. This is simply one example of the painful price we, as consumers, will pay at the pump as a result of a reckless bill that is a waste of money and a missed opportunity to develop a forward-thinking energy policy that could have moved this country forward.

Mr. DAVIS of Florida

Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Perkins T. Shelton, a relentless fighter for equal rights and equal representation. Perkins Shelton came to St. Petersburg thirty years ago and was a driving force in our community ever since. A leader in the St. Petersburg branch of the NAACP, he was elected secretary of the branch at the age of 88. Mr. Shelton was a mentor to numerous black leaders in the community and was a constant voice encouraging blacks to become active in the political process. Most notably, Perkins Shelton left an indelible mark on our voting system. After successfully fighting to replace Florida's multi-member legislative districts with single-member districts, Mr. Shelton worked to obtain equal representation in Pinellas County. A driving force for fair representation for all voters, Mr. Shelton was a leader in securing four single-member district representatives on the Pinellas County Commission. An advocate of continuing education, Mr. Shelton went back to school to become a paralegal, specializing in elder law. Working for Gulf Coast Legal Services, he fought discrimination against the elderly. Mr. Shelton never gave up the fight--he was even writing letters on behalf of the St. Petersburg Commission on Aging at age 91. Mr. Shelton was a Walter Mondale delegate to the 1984 Democratic National Convention. He served on the Environmental Development Commission, Housing Authority and Fair Housing Board and was a chairman of the legislative committee of the St. Petersburg Council on Human Relations. In 1988, the City of St. Petersburg gave Mr. Shelton a Senior Hall of Fame Award in honor of all his contributions to our community. St. Petersburg is undoubtably a better place to live thanks to Perkins Shelton. On behalf of our community, I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to Mr. Shelton's family. His impact will not be forgotten.