Rosa DeLauro

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, budgets should be plans for the future. They should reflect our values and provide a roadmap to the kind of country we want to be. But this budget provides virtually no plan whatsoever. In an unprecedented sleight-of-hand, this budget only applies any semblance of fiscal responsibility--the so-called ``PAYGO'' rules--to the other body's budget, not this one--exempting, of course, $55 billion in tax cuts for the wealthy. It covers only a single year of budget policy, demonstrating the Republicans' utter lack of commitment to providing the critical resources for defense, homeland security, education, veterans, and other priorities. And, for all intents and purposes, it increases the debt limit for the third time in 3 years. If budgets are roadmaps, this one puts us on a road to nowhere. Deficits do matter, Mr. Speaker. At a time when rising health care costs, and declining wages are squeezing our middle class, deficits do not make our country stronger. They lead to rising interest rates, less business investment and declining homeownership, and make it harder for families to achieve financial security. Deficits are a problem for our children and our children's children. At a time when manufacturing employment, once the foundation of our economy, is at a 53-year low, with many of those jobs having been sent overseas, when hundreds of thousands of Americans are giving up hope looking for work every month, it is time we choose a different course for this country--a responsible course. It is time we act with a shared sense of purpose and responsibility to address the tasks before our country. That is what this budget process should be about, and that is what this budget should do.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to join my colleagues, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel) and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin), in offering this substitute. Correcting this injustice is something Democrats have been advocating for almost a year now. It is almost hard to believe a full year after this Congress passed a $350 billion tax cut bill that gave every millionaire in this country a $93,000 break, deliberately leaving behind 6.5 million families with 12 million children in the process, this majority has finally decided it is time to right the wrong done to these families, so long as something is done for the wealthy in return. During that time, Democrats have come to the floor time and time again imploring this majority to extend the $1,000 child tax credit to those families, a million of whom are military and veterans' families, with 260,000 children of active duty personnel serving today in Afghanistan and in Iraq. We have said that it is a matter of values. Now, when Republicans finally relent, they do so on the condition that families earning as much as $309,000 also get the credit. But they do not do anything about capturing any additional people at that lower wage scale; they will not do that. What it also means is a $3.5 billion problem will now add another $69 billion to an exploding deficit, $87 billion if you count the increased interest payments on the extra debt. To illustrate the profound unfairness of this bill, at the same time that low-income families with two children would get a one-time $300 average tax break under this legislation, two-child families with earnings between $150,000 and $250,000 would receive $20,000 in extra tax breaks over the next 10 years. In my view, particularly at a time when we face deficits as far as the eye can see, it is not only irresponsible; it is immoral. By contrast, our substitute is simple, to the point, and fair. Not only would it extend the $1,000 tax credit to only the low-income families left out of this bill, hard-working, tax-paying families, yes, they are tax-paying families who need it the most; but it is fully paid for, meaning that it will not add to the deficit. Mr. Speaker, it is time that Republicans stop using these families as a bargaining chip for more tax cuts for the wealthy. Do the right thing, support the Rangel-Levin-DeLauro substitute.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to extend my sincere congratulations to the American Lung Association on its 100th anniversary. The Amerlcan people have no better ally in the fight against lung disease, and I am proud to join with the American Lung Association as it commemorates this special occasion. In 1904, a dedicated group of physicians, nurses and volunteers came together and founded the American Lung Association in order to fight for the eradication of tuberculosis. Over the years, the Lung Association has expanded its research, education and advocacy program to address chronic lung disease. Programs like Open Airways For Schools, which is an elementary-school education program that teaches children with asthma how to manage their disease, is just one example of the many ways the American Lung Association has improved the lives of individuals afflicted with lung disease. The Lung Association has also been a strong advocate for pollution control and environmental health. Air pollution can be particularly harmful to individuals who suffer from lung disease, and the Lung Association's annual State of the Air report is nationally recognized for providing an indepth study of air quality across the country. The people of the American Lung Association deserve to be recognized for their invaluable public service. I wish them all the best as they celebrate their first 100 years.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Rangel substitute. Like the underlying bill, the substitute permits up to $500 of unused benefits in the employee's health flexible spending arrangement to be carried forward to the employee's FSA account for the next plan year. However, this substitute does not permit unused benefits to be contributed to an employee's health savings account, which in fact we know to be a tax shelter for the healthy and for the wealthy. This substitute is paid for, which is the principal reason why we have this substitute and why we are opposed to the underlying amendment, not by driving us deeper into debt. How do we pay for it? We eliminate the tax benefits that corporations receive when they reincorporate overseas for the express purposes of avoiding U.S. income taxes. They do not want to pay taxes to the United States of America. These so-called corporate expatriates, they enjoy all of the benefits of corporate citizenship in America. They look like U.S. companies, their stock is principally traded in the United States, and their physical assets are protected by our Armed Forces. They just refuse to pay for the benefits as every other American citizen or other companies do. Countless companies engage in this practice: PriceWaterhouse Coopers Consulting, Accenture, Tyco, Foster Wheeler, the list goes on and on. These companies go to Bermuda, Barbados, the Cayman Islands. These are great vacation spots, particularly for companies who want to live tax free. Many of us have worked for years to end this practice only to be turned back again and again by the Republican leadership which has time and again given their approval to corporations who continue to avoid living up to their obligations as citizens. Two years ago, this House voted overwhelmingly, 318 to 110, to pass an amendment that I offered to the Homeland Security Act that would have prohibited corporate expatriates from receiving Federal contracts from the Department of Homeland Security. The other body followed suit; unanimously, I may add. Even the President spoke out in favor of ending this practice. But in the dark of night, this Republican leadership gutted the amendment, a bipartisan amendment, defying the will of the President and both Chambers of the Congress. Now that contracting ban is, for all intents and purposes, meaningless. What happens is we have a company that goes offshore, pays no taxes, takes jobs and technology with them, and then what they want to do is to be considered for millions and billions of dollars in taxpayer dollars from the Department of Energy, the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security; that is what is happening, but they pay no taxes in the United States of America. With this substitute we say, no more. At a time when we have brave men and women putting their lives on the line across the world, we will put patriotism before profit. And some of those companies that we are talking about are reaping the benefits today in Iraq while our young men and women are dying in Iraq. At a time when we have seen the greatest fiscal reversal in this country, a $5.6 trillion surplus has become a $3 trillion deficit, we are saying with this amendment that we have a moral obligation to pay our bills and not pass them on to our children and our children's children. Mr. Speaker, I support this substitute. It is the right thing to do. It is the responsible thing to do. Support the Rangel substitute.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Then it is even more poignant.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, all Americans were shocked by what we saw at the Abu Ghraib prison. The abuse of Iraqi prisoners offends our values as human beings and as Americans. I am deeply disturbed by the administration's handling of this issue. A 3-month-old investigation has only now come to light. Some are questioning whether we may have lost control of civilian contractors who fall outside of the military chain of command. But there is something equally as alarming about this news, the discovery that unregulated private contractors are interrogating prisoners in Iraq on behalf of the Coalition Provisional Authority. This now becomes a question of accountability. In the fog of war, it is not only our military but also private companies deciding whom to deploy, whom to carry out operations, and how those people are vetted. There is almost no congressional oversight, civil regulation, or military law that governs them. By contracting out these critical tasks to civilian contractors who fall outside of the chain of command, there is no quality assurance, and there is questionable accountability. The Secretary of Defense has been inattentive and perhaps negligent at great cost to our reputation and our security, and the call for the Secretary of Defense resignation is growing stronger day by day. At the very least, the Republican leadership in this House should convene bipartisan, bicameral congressional hearings to examine this urgent matter. This reminds us that before we win the hearts and the minds of the Iraqis in this effort, we must win something else, trust, the trust of the American people.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I would just say to the gentleman that I think the report in terms of Members of Congress, the people's House, that we have in fact been kept in the dark. There may have been some who have known about it. I listened to General Myers.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, the alternative minimum tax, AMT, is a huge and growing burden on a middle class that is already burdened by a tough economy and the loss of 2.6 million private sector jobs. Originally designed to make sure everyone paid their fair share by limiting excessive tax shelters for wealthy families, the AMT has become a tax penalty for families with children who live in high-tax States. By 2010, 30 million Americans will be faced with minimum tax liability, as compared to about 3 million today and 1 million in 1999. Everyone in this chamber agrees that something must be done to ease this burden on the middle class. And let me make clear--Democrats have a long track record of supporting real tax relief for the middle class. Unfortunately, this bill represents a band-aid approach to what has been deemed by the IRS's National Taxpayer Advocate as the Nation's top tax problem. Under the Republican bill, 1 million families would still be paying the AMT. A two-income family with four children in a high-tax State would be hit by the alternative minimum tax even if their income is only $95,000. And their bill would extend AMT relief for just 1 year-- meaning taxes on millions of middle class families will go right back up in 2006. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that a true fix of the AMT would cost $376 billion over 10 years. But Republicans have refused to step back on their tax cuts for the wealthy, which have created a $3 trillion deficit, in order to pay for this essential middle class tax relief. Today Democrats bring to the House floor a true solution to the AMT problem. The Democratic substitute completely exempts married couple families with incomes under $250,000 from the alternative minimum tax, providing tax relief to more than 10 million families, particularly those with children in high-tax States. Compared to the Republican bill, it provides more relief to 1 million additional families. And, the Democratic plan is fully paid for by cracking down on corporate tax shelters. As nearly two-thirds of corporations paid no tax at all in 2000, this is an important step to ensuring that corporations pay their fair share while relieving middle class families from the unfair burden of the alternative minimum tax. The middle class does not benefit by adding to our already ballooning budget deficit and further threatening economic growth. I urge my colleagues to support true AMT tax relief for middle class families, without adding to the budget deficit, by supporting the Democratic plan.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio for yielding me this time. I thank the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Simmons) for introducing this resolution. It is truly an honor for us to be here today, and it is an honor for us to be talking about the Connecticut Huskies, about men and women and their unbelievable demonstration of prowess and camaraderie on the basketball court. These are the teams that made the champion season. With the first sweep of the NCAA basketball championships in the same year, both the men and women were successful. The same college, they have made history, and in the process, they have inspired legions of young people to aspire to their excellence and to their remarkable example of teamwork. The people of Connecticut are tremendously proud of their Huskies. Our women's team has now won three straight national titles, four in 5 years and a remarkable 18 straight NCAA tournament games. Through it all, they have been led by Diana Taurasi, a three-time All-American, twice named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four, once the National Player of the Year, and now the first overall pick by the Phoenix Mercury in this year's WNBA draft. A fellow daughter of Italian immigrants, Diana Taurasi will be remembered as one of the best players in the history of women's basketball. But their 70-to-61 victory over the Tennessee Lady Vols was without question a team effort. And the Tennessee Lady Vols are an outstanding women's basketball team. Diana scored 17 points, Jessica Moore and Ann Strother scored 14 points, Barbara Turner another 12 points, in addition to nine rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two blocks. And Derby, Connecticut's own Maria Conlon had seven points, knocking down four straight foul shots in the final minutes to seal the victory. It is no wonder she was called by ``Sports Illustrated'' not only a ``terrific shooter,'' but someone who ``gives hope to every woman everywhere.'' To the Huskies, Maria brought her own brand of quiet but steady leadership. In every respect this was a team championship, making our Huskies an inspiration to young girls everywhere. And I may add that the Huskies have once again illustrated for us the results of Congress's commitment, through Title IX, that when given the resources, women are just as talented and as exciting to watch as any men's team out there, and if the Members do not believe, believe ESPN.Com's Pages 2 column, which called the UConn women's basketball team the very best sports team in the world right now. We have come to expect this sort of success from the women's Huskies team, but the performances by the men's team in their one point win over Duke in the Final Four and their 82-73 victory over Georgia Tech for their second NCAA championship were equally as dominating. In fact, since the tournament bracket expanded to 64 teams in 1985, UConn became just the third school to win multiple championships. It was another inspiring story, this one led by the son of Nigerian immigrants. Emeka Okafor was the obvious selection for the tournament's Most Outstanding Player award, scoring 24 points and hauling in 15 rebounds in the title game. And by graduating a year early to enter the NBA draft, but doing so with a degree in finance, Okafor's efforts remind us how excellence in academics and athletics often go hand in hand. No wonder he is now first college basketball star ever awarded a personal locker in the Basketball Hall of Fame at the end of his collegiate career. Two remarkable stories, two historic teams, but one indomitable spirit. I want to congratulate the Huskies and their coaches on their championship wins, their incredible seasons, and their inspirational teamwork and commitment. They have earned our recognition and our respect. Way to go, Huskies.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this bill. No one in this body believes that the ``marriage penalty'' is fair. No one believes that if you are married, you should have to pay more taxes than if you were single or filing separately. But that is not the debate we are having today, regardless of what the majority says. The trust is, we are debating whether Congress should continue to finance tax cuts out of Social Security and Medicare. The budget deficit this year is already more than half a trillion dollars. A 10-year budget outlook once projected to have a surplus of $5.6 trillion is now a deficit of more than $4 trillion. The passage of this bill will only make matters worse. Americans believe in responsibility. Our values tell us that when you pass tax cuts, you have to pay for them. But this Republican marriage penalty bill will cost $96 billion over the next 10 years--none of it paid for. These are not the Democrats' numbers--they are from the non- partisan Joint Committee on Taxation. And that is only the beginning, with the majority expecting to take up more tax bills in the coming weeks. All equally expensive--none of them paid for, threatening economic growth, ballooning interest rates, and costing us jobs. This is in addition to a Republican budget that rejects pay-as-you-go rules that Alan Greenspan says are essential if we are to continue our tentative economic recovery. What became of the Republican Party that preached fiscal discipline and responsibility? By contrast, the Democratic plan would provide more than twice as much tax relief without threatening economic growth. It would help middle-class families and ensure that tax relief from marriage penalty is not reduced by the Alternative Minimum Tax, as it is under the Republican bill. And above all, it would be paid for. Reject this bill and support the Democratic substitute.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, today marks the national commemoration of Holocaust Remembrance Day. Today the Congress will stop to remember the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust. That dark time in history taught us lessons which we must always remember, and which must guide our future. We know the depths to which humanity can descend; we know how millions of people can embrace evil; and we know that it must never happen again. Indeed, from that terrible moment in history, the world took up a battle cry against bigotry and hatred: ``Never again.'' As the world's only superpower, it is our responsibility to make that statement an element of our foreign policy. The United States must be ever vigilant in preventing genocide, as we did in Kosovo. We must be willing to stand up quickly and forcefully to the ideology of hate, wherever we find it. We must be vigilant at home, as well. This vigilance requires us to tell the story of the Holocaust to each other and to our children. We owe nothing less to the survivors and to the brave men who fought to liberate the Ghettos and the death camps. We also owe this debt to the men and women who, in the midst of Holocaust, stood out as some of humanity's brightest lights: Raoul Wallenberg and Per Anger provided nearly 100,000 Hungarian Jews with fake passports and other tools to escape Nazi persecution. Oskar Schindler's employment of Polish Jews spared thousands from death. In Denmark, entire fishing communities helped ferry almost 90 percent of Denmark's Jews to safety in Sweden. These stories must be told. On this day when the Congress stops to remember the six million people slaughtered in the Holocaust, I hope that we also recall these incredible stories of courage and of the good that humanity can achieve, even in the midst of unspeakable horror.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, December 1968, John Kerry gets wounded in the arm. He is awarded the Purple Heart. February 1969, Kerry is wounded again, shrapnel in the left thigh. He is awarded a second Purple Heart. February 28, 1969, pursues a Viet Cong fighter, kills him and retrieves a rocket launcher, awarded a Silver Star. March 1969, a mine detonates the boat, wounding him in the right arm. He is awarded a third Purple Heart. He is also awarded a Bronze Star for saving a crew member. As my colleagues have pointed out, Republicans came to this floor today to attack John Kerry's military record. Shame on them. John Kerry honors our men and our women in uniform. He honors the principles upon which this great Nation was founded. There are those who serve in the Republican side of this aisle who would do well to take heed and give honor to someone who served so well this great country of ours.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to discuss an issue that touches the lives of every senior in this country and want to thank my colleague from Minnesota, Mr. Gutknecht, for his leadership in the fight to lower the cost of prescription drugs. The single greatest failure in the Medicare prescription drug bill that passed this Congress last fall--and there were many--was its refusal to do anything about the one issue that affects seniors most-- price. With the cost of the 50 most frequently used medicines by seniors rising by nearly three-and-a-half times the rate of inflation, how any prescription drug bill could fail to address this concern is, frankly, beyond me. High health care prices are eroding the living standards of our middle-class families. In the last few weeks, we have learned who the real losers were in this Medicare bill: the American people--current and future retirees. First, we learned that the true cost of the legislation was fully a third higher than Members of Congress and the public had been told-- that it would cost the taxpayers $535 billion instead of the $395 bill previously reported. I say ``reported'' because we also recently learned that the Medicare actuary Richard Foster, a 31-year career public servant, was threatened with dismissal by his superiors in the Administration last year when he discovered that the cost of the bill far exceeded what had been publicly acknowledged. And this was before the 3-hour vote held here on this floor. And last week, we learned that the program will be bankrupt sooner than previously estimated. According to the Medicare trustees' report, Medicare's finances have, quote, ``taken a major turn for the worse.'' The report predicted the program will be bankrupt by 2019, instead of 2026, as had been previously estimated. According to last Tuesday's Washington Post, since the program was created in the 1960s, never before has Medicare lurched seven years closer to insolvency in one year. All this flies in the face of what the Republican leadership and President Bush himself said as the bill was being debated by Congress. The President said that any Medicare prescription drug legislation that came to his desk must, quote, ``strengthen the program's long-term financial security.'' And the Speaker of this body said that the final bill, quote, ``made Medicare more sustainable'' and would ``change the paradigm of health care in this country.'' Well, Mr. Speaker, the Medicare law may have changed the paradigm of health care in this country, but it was decidedly not for the better. As a point of fact, the trustees report tells us that the law was the primary reason that Medicare--and the health care of our senior propulation--will be less secure. Combined with an advertising campaign promoting the law that even the nonpartisan General Accounting Office found to have ``notable weaknesses and other omissions,'' it is fair to say these recent developments have seriously undermined public trust in the Medicare program and its ability to provide care for our seniors. This Congress has a moral responsibility to honor our contract with the seniors of this country--a contract that says after a lifetime of hard work, raising families, and doing the right thing, that seniors deserve the dignity of a secure retirement. That begins with restoring public confidence in the Medicare program--one of the twin pillars of our retirement security safety net and the embodiment of our country's shared values. That begins with improving the program's financial health for real. The first step would be a simple one--giving ordinary Americans the opportunity to reimport drugs from some countries, a choice millions are already making on their own, out of desperation. Legalizing reimportation is something Congress ought to have included in the bill last fall. This one provision would save Americans $600 billion in the next decade--savings passed directly onto the consumer. We know reimportation is a safe and feasible option. In 2001, U.S. drug companies themselves reimported $14.7 billion worth of brand-name medications from their overseas plants. In fact, according to incoming FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford, for less money than the administration is spending on its advertisements to spin the truth about the recently passed Medicare bill, the FDA could set up a program to safely reimport drugs from Canada. With that knowledge, this body overwhelmingly passed legislation by a vote of 243 to 186 that would allow for the safe importation of drugs. But instead of adopting our legislation, the final bill that passed the House and Senate contained no provisions to hold down the cost of drugs at all. And by tying the premium seniors will pay to cost, seniors' out of pocket costs will continue to rise. Mr. Speaker, with the baby boom generation set to retire at the end of the decade, it is critical that Congress act now to protect the quality and the solvency of the Medicare system. That starts with bringing down costs, including giving the Secretary of HHS the power to negotiate lower prices with the pharmaceutical industry, just like they do at the VA. But legalizing reimportation and giving seniors access to international markets is something this body supports, and it should be the first step. It should be law. Again, I want to thank my colleague from Minnesota for this opportunity. Let's do the right thing.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chairman, only 3 years ago, our country had created 22 million new jobs and had a projected surplus of $5.6 trillion. But since that time, 3 million private sector jobs have vanished, and we have seen a $9.3 trillion fiscal reversal. Manufacturing employment, once the foundation of our economy, is now at a 53-year low, with many of those jobs having been sent overseas. Last month, nearly 400,000 Americans simply gave up hope looking for work altogether. The Republicans tout their tax cuts as a job-creation plan. If ever there was a wake-up call that it is time to change course, this is it. In my State of Connecticut, more than 83,000 citizens are currently out of work because they were laid off by their employer, because their jobs have been outsourced, because their company has gone out of business, or because they were forced into early retirement. And thanks to the Republicans' refusal to extend unemployment benefits, nearly 1,000 Connecticut workers continue to lose their benefits every week. Despite predictions that 125,000 jobs would be created, last month only 21,000 jobs were actually added to the national economy, none in the private sector. So we ask for our constituents and for the country, What course will the administration and the Republican majority take now? Have they learned from three rounds of unbalanced and unproductive tax cuts for the very wealthiest? Will they continue with policies that shift the tax burden from corporations to their employees? Will they continue with the economic policies and defending the corporate loopholes that encourage jobs to be outsourced and companies to be moved overseas? And will they continue with policies that explode the deficit? From what I see in the underlying Republican bill, the basic answer is no change in direction. The Spratt substitute not only extends unemployment insurance for millions of long-term unemployed, it calls for a manufacturing tax credit to create good jobs here at home. It invests in small business loans, job training, and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program. By turning aside the Republican budgets and supporting the Spratt substitute, Congress can embrace an idea that our society can act with a shared sense of purpose and responsibility to address the tasks before our country. That is what this budget process should be about, and that is what we should do.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to this budget that continues the same failed economic policies that have moved our record surpluses to record deficits in record time. Its single-minded focus is on tax policies that benefit the wealthy at the expense of everyone else. Let me give one example of the misguided tax priorities that guide this budget. More than 25 million families received a $400-per-child increase in the child tax credit last year. However, during final negotiations of the tax legislation passed by this Congress, the families of approximately 12 million children were excluded from this increased credit. Among the families who did not receive the acceleration of the tax credit are 250,000 men and women who today continue to fight and die in Iraq and in Afghanistan. The 20 million children who did not receive the full increase, including 12 million who did not receive any increase at all, did not because their families, they were told, do not pay enough in income taxes to receive the credit. But yet these families pay taxes: payroll taxes, State and local taxes, sale taxes, all of which place a far heavier burden on those with the lowest income. Unlike the Republican budget, the Democratic substitute would right this injustice. In addition to being the right thing to do for families, this cut would stimulate our economy. Only about a quarter of the $300 rebate from the last tax cut was put back into the economy. Giving tax cuts to families who would spend the money immediately would be the best stimulus we could give our economy right now. Mr. Chairman, it does come down to priorities. By supporting the Republican budget, we continue down the same path of failed economic policy developed with misguided values and priorities; and by supporting the Spratt substitute and extending the child tax credit to these 6.5 million families, we draw upon our Nation's shared values. We act with a shared sense of purpose and responsibility that helps us to address the most important tasks before this country. That should be the goal in this budget. That is what this institution should aspire to do.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chairman, I rise against the Republican budget because it does not accelerate the child tax credit for 250,000 men and women who are fighting and dying in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, all of us in this chamber are united in our commitment to support our troops in Iraq. It is that commitment that creates a strong presumption in my own mind on any resolution that recognizes their honorable goals, their services to country and their need for best support possible. Along with my Democratic colleagues, we would also rush to sponsor and support a resolution that highlighted the crimes of Saddam Hussein. There was never any disagreement in this Chamber on the evil he represented and we all applaud our troops for bringing him to justice. They did the job they were asked to do and more. But I pause on supporting this resolution on two counts. This war has not brought greater stability to the area. It has not enhanced America's leadership position or created stronger alliances. While our soldiers have fought with honor--even as we speak here--the administration failed to support their efforts with a plan to win the peace, bring stability or share the burden and risk. We still wait for the President to speak honestly with the American people about the failed intelligence estimates and the reasons for the rush to war. America remains isolated, which is itself a risk to our security and our troops. This resolution is silent on these questions and the leadership will not allow them to be addressed. There is no commitment to ensuring that our troops have the best protection equipment available, no commitment to getting wounded troops the best health care as quickly as possible. There is no mention of the heroic contributions our reserve troops have provided or the very serious challenges that lie ahead in Iraq. Any resolution honoring and supporting our troops would express these sentiments. What I find most egregious is that at the very moment we debate this resolution, the Budget Committee is considering a budget that omits funding for many of our most pressing priorities in Iraq. During consideration of this budget, the majority has turned aside efforts to increase our commitment to health care for reservists, for military housing programs and to educate military schoolchildren. At a time when we have families of troops searching the Internet to buy body armor for their loved ones in Iraq because this Congress has failed to provide it for them, that is the very least we should be doing for these brave men and women. Had Democrats been allowed the elemental rights of a minority, we would have incorporated language that made clear Congress's first obligation was to provide our troops in Iraq with the security and the best equipment available. To be frank, the hypocrisy of this Congress in offering this resolution but not the actual support, tempts me to fight back and protest on behalf of our men and women in Iraq and in the reserves. But stronger in my heart is an appreciation for our troops that keep us free. I cast my vote for those words in the resolution and express my personal exception to the majority's maneuvering that has diminished their resolution and our work. Fortunately, we will have more opportunities to express our views about our postwar policy in Iraq and failure to genuinely support our military and veterans.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, public health officials have been sounding an alarm in recent years about America's growing obesity epidemic. By 2000, almost two-thirds of adults were overweight or obese, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that 40 percent of adults will be obese by 2010, if trends go unchanged. In the past 20 years, the percentage of children who are overweight has doubled from 7 to 15 percent, while the percentage of adolescents who are overweight has almost tripled. Recent studies have found that more than 34 percent of adults are overweight, about 31 percent are obese, and both children and adults are consuming significantly more calories today than they did just 30 years ago. The personal costs of this epidemic include shorter lifespan due to increases in heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, some types of cancer and diabetes. The costs to society are immense and growing; CDC estimates that obesity-related medical costs reached a record total of $75 billion in 2003, $39 billion of which is borne by taxpayers via Medicare and Medicaid. Among the best tools yet developed to fight obesity is the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (or EFNEP), which is operated by the USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (or CSREES). Now celebrating its 35th year of service, EFNEP operates in nearly 800 counties in all 50 states and the U.S. territories. EFNEP's mission is to help low-income families and youth improve their diet quality and stretch their food dollar, skills which directly affect obesity. By making positive changes in individual and family behavior regarding healthy food choices, physical activity, and stretching the family food dollar, EFNEP participants can combat obesity and improve their health. Studies show that people who are most ``food insecure''--meaning those who are vulnerable to running out of food or missing meals because they cannot afford the cost--are disproportionately obese and overweight. EFNEP targets these very audiences: low-income youth and low-income families with young children. Through a series of lessons and activities, taught in peer-to-peer fashion by paraprofessionals and volunteers who come from the same populations the program is trying to reach, EFNEP relies on a tried-and-true learning process that brings about dramatic results. Changes in diets to include more fruits and vegetables and dairy foods have been shown to lower the incidence of obesity and the risk of many chronic diseases. EFNEP has demonstrated remarkable success in increasing the consumption of these key foods. According to evaluation data, after participating in EFNEP, the adults consume 1.7 more servings of fruits and vegetables and a one-half additional serving of dairy foods, compared to their intake levels when they started EFNEP; 93 percent of the adult participants make a positive improvement in at least one food group. Approximately 600,000 people each year--roughly 75 percent of them children--participate in the EFNEP program, gaining new skills in food preparation, shopping, storage, safety, and sanitation. They learn how to better manage their food budgets and related resources such as Food Stamps. Youth topics may also include fitness, avoidance of substance abuse and other health-related issues. EFNEP's hands-on, learn-by-doing approach allows the participants to acquire the practical skills necessary to make positive changes in behavior. The results are clear and heartening. For example, EFNEP's evaluation and reporting system showed that among program graduates in 2002: 88 percent improved in nutrition practices such as making healthy food choices, reading nutrition labels and having children eat breakfast; 83 percent improved in food resource practices such as meal planning and budgeting; 67 percent improved in food safety practices such as storing and thawing foods correctly; 51 percent now offer five fruits and vegetables to their families each day; and 41 percent now routinely eat low-fat foods instead of fat-rich foods. Studies in several states found that EFNEP is a solid investment of federal dollars. According to the studies, every dollar invested in EFNEP reduced health care costs by $10.64 in Virginia, $8.82 in a group of Midwestern states, $8.03 in Iowa, and $3.63 in Oregon. In spite of these successes, the fiscal year 2004 Agriculture Appropriations bill reduced funding to 33 programs administered by CSREES by 10 percent each. EFNEP was one of those programs. Even in the short time since that appropriations bill was enacted in late January, we have already heard about the adverse impact the cuts are having on EFNEP. In community after community, extension offices are laying off EFNEP staff, thereby limiting the reach of the program. Just to offer a few examples, the 10 percent cuts to EFNEP mean that: In Maryland 375 currently enrolled families will not be served, and another 3,000 eligible individuals will not receive nutrition education; In Colorado bilingual nutrition education serving low-income Hispanic families will be cut by 400 people; In Tennessee 14 staff positions must be cut, and EFNEP programs in seven counties will be lost, forcing a large reduction from the 3,600 persons served on average; In Florida EFNEP youth contacts will be decreased by about 1,600 adult and 100 youth participants; In Ohio EFNEP will suffer major staff cuts, which will force it to give up on many of the 7,000 parents and 21,000 youth it reaches every year; In Michigan EFNEP will reach up to 600 fewer families; And in my own state of Connecticut, 150 families and about 350 youth will not be served in both Hartford and Bridgeport, 2 of the 10 poorest cities in the country, as well as in Danbury, a city with many immigrant groups that are in need of nutrition education. At a time when the need for EFNEP is greatest, financial support for the program from Congress has waned. This will only squander some of the significant gains EFNEP has already made in hundreds of communities around the country. And this penny-wise solution to short-term budget challenges will come back to haunt us in the long-run as the Federal Government's share of health costs--driven by the obesity epidemic-- continue to rise. With a relatively small investment, we can stem the tide of obesity in this country. That is why for 2005, I hope we can increase funding for this critical program. I respectfully urge my colleagues to seize this opportunity and do what is right.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, only with this Republican leadership would an effort to promote personal responsibility begin with allowing companies to be irresponsible without accountability. Unless the public be confused that the Republicans are actually concerned with doing something about the obesity epidemic in this country that we have heard so much about, this legislation has little to do with preventing what the Centers for Disease Control yesterday said will be this Nation's leading cause of preventable deaths by next year. Rather, by shielding manufacturers, distributors, and food sellers from liability, this bill is the next installment in the majority's series of tort reform bills in disguise, attempting to give yet another industry open-ended protection so irresponsible conduct is not punished or held accountable. But that should not distract us from discussing the very real problem of obesity in this country. Obesity affects nearly 65 percent of adults. The rates are rising. The problem is even more pressing for teens, teenage obesity rates tripling in the last 20 years. All told, obesity costs the Nation $117 billion a year in health care and related costs, the single largest drain or our Nation's health care system. Obesity leads to diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, stroke and arthritis, conditions the CDC says will kill a half million people every year by 2005. No one here is under the illusion that there is a one-step solution to reducing obesity. With ads encouraging us to eat too much of the wrong kinds of foods, neighborhoods designed for driving and not walking, restaurants serving ever-increasing portion sizes, McDonalds' announcement this week notwithstanding, slowing the obesity epidemic will take a multifaceted effort. And Congress has an obligation to engage itself in that effort. There are countless other steps we could take that would support Americans' efforts to eat well, maintain a healthy weight, such as getting junk food out of schools, strengthening the Centers for Disease Control nutrition and physical activity division, fully funding CDC's VERB campaign, which promotes physical activity in young people. With legislation I have introduced, the Meal Education and Labeling Act, we could strike a real blow at frivolous litigation aimed at restaurants and at the same time we can actually do something about obesity. It addresses one of leading causes of the rise in obesity rates and that is the fact that people are eating out more frequently. Today, we spend about half of our food dollars at restaurants. In 1970, Americans spent just 26 percent of their food dollars on restaurant meals. Children eat almost twice as many calories when they eat at a restaurant as they do when they eat at home. The Meal Education Labeling Act would extend nutrition labeling beyond packaged foods that you find at your grocery store to include foods at fast-food and other chain restaurants. It would do it by requiring fast-food and chain restaurants, that is, companies with 20 or more restaurants under the same trade name, not mom and pop restaurants, they would have to list calories, saturated plus trans fats, and sodium on printed menus and calories on menu boards. But most importantly, it would give consumers the necessary nutritional information to make healthy choices for themselves. You might think that Americans do not want to be bothered with additional information they supposedly already know, but the evidence suggests otherwise. Not only do three-quarters of American adults report using the food labels on a regular basis that they find on packaged foods in the grocery stores, but 48 percent say the nutrition information on those labels has caused them to change their minds about what they buy. Giving people the information that they need to make informed decisions about what they eat is the kind of approach that this body should be taking today in addressing obesity. We may avoid litigation if we move in this direction. That is a real step toward helping encourage personal responsibility in food consumption. It can be done in a way that protects industry, does not hurt our mom and pop restaurants. Instead, as we have seen countless times before, this majority has chosen again to use a very important public health issue to pursue a narrow and a completely unrelated political agenda. Mr. Speaker, we should do something about obesity in this country, but this bill is not the way to go about it.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to join the many family and friends who have gathered to extend my very best wishes to a man whose lifetime of accomplishments are a true reflection of what a business and community leader should be--Herbert Kurz--as he celebrates his 84th birthday. He has dedicated both his professional and personal life to the betterment of his community and to the promotion of equality for all Americans. Herb once told me his faith was in human beings and he has spent a lifetime honoring that faith. His success, both as a businessman and activist, has been based on this mantra and through his good work he has made a real difference in the lives of many. Chairman and CEO of Presidential Life Insurance Company of Nyack, New York, Herb has combined a shrewd business sense and responsible business conscience to make his business successful and achieve national renown. Honored at the White House Conference on Corporate Citizenship in 1996, Presidential Life has long been known for its commitment to hiring both women and minorities. When he started his business forty years ago, Herb made it a practice to give the first chance at a position to a qualified minority person. In a time when women and minorities had difficulty in securing a place in the business world, Herb opened the doors of opportunity to hundreds--a practice which he continues today. In addition to his role in building a business that is open-minded in its employment and conservative in its protection of its shareholders investments, Herb's true passion has been as a community leader and social activist. It is a passion that began in his teenage years when he helped organize a union of hotel and restaurant workers in the Catskills and was re-invigorated upon his return from his service in the United States Air Force during World War II when a very personal experience changed his life. Herb's uncle, Frederic Ewen, was a popular professor of English at Brooklyn College. Professor Ewen's commitment to the freedom of thought, as well as his political activism during the 1930s, led to his becoming a victim of the academic witch-hunts of the McCarthy Era. When he refused to cooperate with the House UnAmerican Activities Committee in 1952, Professor Ewen was forced to resign his position and was subsequently blacklisted. It was his uncle's tragic experience that led Herb to become one of our nation's leading philanthropists in support of civil liberties. In fact, just four years ago, he established the Frederic Ewen Academic Freedom Collection at New York University. The collection, the first of its kind in the United States, focuses on the rights of teachers and research workers to investigate their subjects of expertise without fear of reprimand or dismissal and the right to provide students and the entire academic community with knowledge and information pertaining to any controversial social, economic, or political issue without interference or penalty. Herb has spent over half his life making a difference in the lives of others. Whether supporting the arts, speaking out against bigotry, enhancing a community hospital for the entire community, or channeling his anger at government corruption into electoral action, Herb's compassion and leadership have left an indelible mark on his community and our nation. For his endless contributions and uncompromising spirit, I am proud to stand today to join his wife, Edythe; his children, Leonard and Ellen; his grandchildren Tommy and Sophie, family and friends to pay tribute to my dear friend, Herbert Kurz. Happy 84th birthday!

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to join the many gathered to pay tribute to an outstanding member of our community, Susan Booth, as she is honored by the Devon Rotary and named a Paul Harris fellow. The Paul Harris fellow recognition was created in memory of Paul Harris, the founder of Rotary, as a way to show appreciation for contributions to the foundation's charitable and educational program. Every Paul Harris fellow receives a pin, medallion and a certificate when he or she becomes a fellow, identifying the recipient as an advocate of the foundation's goals of world peace and international understanding. The commitment and dedication that Susan has demonstrated is indeed a reflection of all that the Rotary stands for. It is wonderful to see her work so proudly recognized by her community. Founder of the Archway Foundation, Susan has spent nearly 15 years collecting donations to feed and clothe homeless children in Romania. Inspired by a television program about Romanian orphans abandoned when communism collapsed, Susan, a railroad conductor on a commuter train between Connecticut and New York's Grand Central Station, switched to night shifts so that she could earn a master's degree in social work. Upon completing her degree, Susan went to Bucharest on a week's vacation in search of these Romanian orphans who were living in sewers and abandoned buildings. With only a short list of contacts, Susan was fortunate to find an individual who knew where to look. ``In that sewer, I found my life's work,'' she has said. Indeed, she has dedicated countless hours to her mission. Operating out of her own home and a post office box, Susan collects clothing and donations and has been awarded hundreds of thousands in charitable grants. Through her hard work and the generosity of her contributors, Archway has been able to purchase two small homes in Romania as well as employ several Romanians. One of the homes is used as a soup kitchen from which volunteers take food out to hundreds of homeless children every week and provide groceries to squatter families who take refuge in abandoned buildings. It is not often that you find an individual with such dedication and commitment. Susan's good work has touched the lives of thousands of needy children. More importantly, she has inspired countless numbers of people to donate their time and energy to provide one of life's most precious gifts: hope. I am proud to stand today to join the Devon Rotary and the many family and friends who have gathered this evening in extending my sincere thanks and heart-felt congratulations to Susan Booth as she is named a Paul Harris fellow. Yours is a legacy that is sure to continue to inspire generations to come.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker it is with great pleasure that I rise today to extend my sincere congratulations to Congregation Sinai of West Haven, Connecticut as they celebrate their seventy-fifth anniversary. Today's celebration marks a tremendous milestone in the Congregation's history and I am proud to join them in commemorating this special occasion. Houses of worship play a vital role in our communities--providing a haven for those in search of comfort as well as a place to build and strengthen the bonds of fellowship. In addition to catering to the cultural and spiritual needs of West Haven's Jewish community, the contributions made by both the organization and its members are innumerable. Throughout its seventy-five year history, Congregation Sinai has been an active member of the West Haven community--touching the lives of many. Founded in 1929 by ten families as the West Haven Jewish Community Center, Congregation Sinai has grown to become a leading synagogue in the Greater New Haven area--providing spiritual leadership and working diligently for the betterment of their community. From annual blood drives and spiritual programs to sponsoring local political debates and charity fundraising events, the members of Congregation Sinai have truly helped to shape their community. Working with the West Haven Clergy Association, the Congregation's leaders have worked diligently to promote brotherhood and understanding between groups of varying religious backgrounds. Members donate their time and energies to a variety of causes and the Congregation has opened its doors to youth and other community groups--offering them a place to meet so that they too can make a difference in the community. Through their endless compassion and generosity, Congregation Sinai and its membership have left an indelible mark on the City of West Haven. I am proud to rise today to extend my sincere congratulations and very best wishes to Congregation Sinai as they celebrate their seventy-fifth anniversary. Mazel Tov!

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of this amendment. Today the House must once again come together to provide relief to America's unemployed. Much like a year ago, the President says that the economy is improving, but those words are cold comfort to those who have not only lost their jobs but also their unemployment benefits in recent weeks. It is always the same story with this administration--the recovery is right around the corner. We have been hearing that now going on 3 years. Already this month, 375,000 unemployed Americans have exhausted their state benefits. In my State alone, nearly 26,000 people will have neither a paycheck nor extended unemployment insurance benefits. That is the second highest number of workers who have exhausted their benefits on record. These folks have been left with no job or assistance and believe me--they are struggling to provide for their families this winter. This amendment extends unemployment benefits for workers for another 6 months retroactively to December 20th, when Congress failed to act before adjournment. Of course, we learned last month that only 1,000 new jobs had been created--despite administration estimates that said a quarter million new jobs would be created that month. Mr. Chairman, this majority acts as if unemployment benefits were some kind of handout--welfare for working families. But their inability to find work is hardly due to a lack of trying. If anything, it is due to the failed economic policy of this administration, which promised a million-and-a-half new jobs with its last round of tax cuts. That those jobs have not materialized seems apparent to everyone but them. Mr. Chairman, this amendment is the least we can do. Too many families were left out in the cold this holiday season due to the Republicans' refusal to address this issue. This amendment is not enough, but it is better than nothing, which until now is all this majority has supported.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to pay tribute to one of the most respected houses of worship in the city of New Haven, Beulah Heights First Pentecostal Church. This year marked the 80th anniversary of this tremendous church, throughout which time the leadership and its members have left an indelible mark on our community. Originally called the Beulah Heights Mission, the ministry was founded in 1923 by Walter and Rosa Andrews. In its humble beginnings, the church was located in a converted storefront and boasted a modest membership. Over the years and through the changes in leadership, the ministry steadily grew and eventually found a permanent home on Orchard Street. Over the course of its history, the Beulah Heights Pentecostal Church has developed a reputation as a leader in the religious community. Through its leadership and the commitment and enthusiasm of its membership, the Beulah Heights Church has made a real difference in the lives of many. Our churches play a vital role in our communities, providing people with a place to turn for comfort when they are most in need. By strengthening the bonds of faith, the Beulah Heights First Pentecostal Church gives its members a place to find their spiritual center and to solidify and support their values. The members of the Beulah Heights First Pentecostal Church have also given much to the city of New Haven. Throughout the years, as their membership grew, so did their commitment to the enrichment of our community, transforming neighborhoods one block at a time. Currently headed by Bishop Theodore Brooks, a man whom I am proud to call my friend, Beulah Heights Church has taken on a great mission of neighborhood revitalization. It has erected an educational wing which is utilized by the New Haven Board of Education for its Urban Youth Elementary School for troubled youth. Founded by Bishop Brooks in 1994, its development subsidiary, Beulah Land Development Corporation, is responsible for the construction of 20 units of affordable housing and 12 units of supportive housing for senior citizens. Through these and other projects, they are bringing renewed security and stability to this neighborhood. I have every confidence that they will continue to do great things for the Dixwell neighborhood of New Haven. In the last 8 decades, the Beulah Heights Pentecostal Church and its membership have made invaluable contributions of the city of New Haven, changing the face of our great city. I am proud to stand today and extend my very best wishes to them as they mark this milestone in their history. Happy 80th anniversary!