Rosa DeLauro

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, today at the Headquarters of the 1st Battalion, 33rd Field Artillery of the United States Army in Bamberg, Germany many have gathered to pay tribute to a true hero and a New Haven, Connecticut native, Lieutenant Geoffrey Cheney Ferris. Today, the actions of Lieutenant Ferris will be memorialized with the dedication of the Headquarters in his honor. I am proud to stand today to join the members of the 33rd Field Artillery Regiment in paying tribute to Lieutenant Ferris, who made the ultimate sacrifice in defending our nation during World War II. On the morning of May 6, 1943, Lieutenant Ferris, an artillery observer, reported to Company E, 26th Infantry during an assault of a strongly held enemy position in Dj El Deba, Tunisia. As an artillery observer, Lieutenant Ferris' duties included securing observation posts from which artillery strikes on the enemy could be called. In the breaking light of the morning, Lieutenant Ferris determined it impossible for a suitable observation post to be secured in the area occupied by Company E, and--as described by his commanding officer and others--with extreme disregard for his own safety advanced alone in front of Company E to establish an observation post. Determined and unyielding, Lieutenant Ferris advanced over an area of several hundred yards beyond the closest of infantrymen and was just short of an excellent observation post when he was mortally wounded by enemy fire. Lieutenant Ferris' heroic attempt to advance his fellow soldiers was recognized by our nation with the award of the Distinguished Service Cross--the second highest award for valor and heroism in action which can be bestowed. Today, his former company, the ``Golden Lions'' of the 1st Battalion, 33rd Field Artillery again pay tribute to Lieutenant Ferris' memory and selfless sacrifice with the dedication of their headquarters in his honor. It is my honor and privilege to rise today to join the 33rd Field Artillery, Governor John Rowland of Connecticut, and all of those who have gathered to recognize Lieutenant Geoffrey Cheney Ferris--one of Connecticut's sons--for his unparalleled courage and distinguished service in the United States Army. I am proud to present this statement and a flag which has been flown over the United States Capitol to be displayed at the Battalion Headquarters. Lieutenant Ferris is a true American hero whose story and legacy of heroism is sure to inspire generations to come.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, this legislation would authorize $312 million for several programs that seek to prevent child abuse, expand adoption opportunities, assist abandoned infants, and prevent family violence; good goals, good values, good measures. Child abuse is an important issue. It has many, many manifestations. It is attributable to many causes, including, and let me just mention, there is a pending issue in this body, a piece of unfinished business that pertains to our Nation's children; and, if you will, our delaying on this issue directly abuses American children. What we need to do is to restore the child tax credit to the 6.5 million families this Republican leadership continues to leave behind. That is child abuse. The families of 12 million children generally earn minimum wage. They are tax-paying families. They deserve tax relief like every other family. They have bills to pay, mouths to feed, children to care for, just like every other family. And with the economy stuck in a rut, they cannot go to bed at night knowing whether their job will even be there for them the week after next. These families pay taxes. They make between $10,500 and $26,600 a year. They pay taxes, payroll taxes, sales taxes, excise taxes, property taxes. And they pay a greater share of their income in taxes than Enron did; and for the last 5 years, I say to my colleagues, Enron paid zero taxes. There are lots of individuals who are getting the benefit of $93,000 worth of tax cuts every year, those who are the 184,000 millionaires in this country. I will bet some of them have not paid all of the taxes that they were supposed to have been paying all of these years. That is why what this House needs to do is to take up the other body's child tax credit legislation, legislation that was denied a simple up or down vote in the House of Representatives. Let me be clear. The majority has said that these 6.5 million families are not their priority. What they tried to do last week is, in essence, they passed a bill here which would kill the opportunity for the $3.5 billion to address this issue and it would be taken care of. I would just quote the Committee on Ways and Means chairman. He says he is going to be heavily focused on a different issue and that they would be surprised if a conference between the House and Senate could begin this week. They are going to kill this piece of legislation because they do not really care about the 6.5 million families or the 12 million children. Mr. Speaker, let us do the right thing. Let us address this issue. Let us end this kind of child abuse.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to rise today to join residents of New Haven who have gathered today to celebrate the long and distinguished career of Chief Melvin H. Wearing who is retiring after thirty-five years of dedicated service to the New Haven Police Department. As an advocate, a community leader, and a friend, Mel Wearing has dedicated his career to the betterment of this region. Chief Wearing joined the Department as a patrolman in 1968, and through hard work and perseverance he worked his way up through the ranks. As a Sergeant, he was the commanding officer of the Narcotics Enforcement Unit and while a Lieutenant served as the Chief of Detectives for the Investigative Services Unit. He would go on to become the first African-American to serve as the Assistant Chief of Police and, in 1997, was sworn in as New Haven's first African-American Chief of Police. Throughout his career, Chief Wearing has demonstrated a unique commitment to the Department, the City, and the families of New Haven-- a dedication which is reflected in the myriad of honors, commendations, and awards which have been presented to him throughout his tenure. Chief Wearing was a leader in working with children traumatized by violence. He was a founding member of the Yale Child Study Center's Child Development/Community Policing Program (CDCP), and he spent countless hours teaching others how to deal with children and families who were exposed to violent crime. Chief Wearing's involvement with this project helped it to become a national and international model for community based policing. Under Chief Wearing's leadership, the Department has been recognized locally, nationally and internationally. The New England Community- Police Partnership, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the International Association of Chiefs of Police are just a few of the agencies and organizations that have honored Chief Wearing and the Department for their work here in New Haven. He was twice asked to address audiences at the White House on children exposed to violent crime, he was the featured speaker at the 1999 National Summit on Children Exposed to Violence, and he co-authored the important book ``The Police-Mental Health Partnership: A Community-Based Response to Urban Violence.'' Chief Wearing is clearly one of the most respected law enforcement officials in the country. New Haven has certainly been fortunate to have him call our city home for so many years. For all of his good work and many invaluable contributions to our community. I am proud to rise today to join his wife, Tina; his children, Tracy, Melvin, Jackie, and Sharon; his grandchildren Marcus and Maurice; and many others to extend my heart-felt congratulations to Chief Melvin H. Wearing as he celebrates his retirement. His is a legacy that will inspire many generations to come. And I hope he accepts my very best wishes to him and his family for many more years of health and happiness.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to join the many family, friends, and community members who have gathered to honor one of Connecticut's true living treasures, and my dear friend, Zena Tempkin, as she celebrates her 80th birthday. Born in England, Zena moved to the United States at a young age. Growing up in Detroit and attending college in Atlanta, Zena and her husband, Is, made Connecticut their home following World War II. For as long as many of us can remember, Zena has been a driving force in Connecticut's political arena. A woman ahead of her time, Zena served as a State Representative in Connecticut's General Assembly from 1959 to 1962. She served as a delegate in two national conventions and has served as a political advisor to some of Connecticut's most influential elected officials including former Senator Abraham Ribicoff and former Governor Ella T. Grasso. Her unwavering energy and dedication has made her a true friend to many of those in Connecticut who have run and served in public office. I consider myself fortunate to have benefited from her wisdom and counsel, both when I worked for Senator Christopher Dodd and later in my own run for elected office. Her friendship has been invaluable and she has, and continues to be, an inspiration and role model for me. Even more than her contributions in the political arena, Zena has long been an active member of her community. Our communities would not be the same without volunteers whose efforts and compassion are dedicated to improving the lives of others. Throughout her life she has dedicated countless hours to a variety of service organizations and has helped to shape our community. When you consider that she is also the mother of three, was an active member of her family business, and, at one time, a small business owner herself--Zena truly sets a standard for public service that we should all strive to achieve. Connecticut has been fortunate to have someone like Zena working so hard on our behalf. She has left an indelible mark on our community and a legacy that is sure to inspire generations to come. I am honored to rise today to join her husband, Is; her children; Bruce, Alan, and Nan; and all of those who have gathered today to extend my very best wishes to Zena Temkin on her 80th birthday. Congratulations and warmest wishes for many more years of health and happiness.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my strong opposition to the decision earlier this week by the Bush administration to roll back protection for over 14 million acres of pristine forestland in the Tongass and Chugach National Forests in Alaska, the crown jewels of our national forest system. In its most blatant example of catering to corporate special interests to date, the administration has once again put its wealthy contributors before the health and safety of our environments. Whether it comes to the stewardship of our precious forestlands, it appears the administration's priority is the timber industry, first and foremost, not the taxpayers or the environment. This decision, which was the result of a settlement with the State of Alaska, was made despite over 2.2 million comments and 600 public meetings and hearings on the roadless policy, the vast majority in support of protecting the Tongass and the Chugach, which is home to America's last great rainforest. Just as damaging, the decision will allow individual States to seek additional exemptions, eroding national protections for 58.5 million acres of pristine national forests in 39 States. I urge my colleagues to support the legislation that I have introduced, the Alaska Rainforest Protection Act, and the Inslee- Boehlert National Forest Roadless Area Conservation Act.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, to hear the Republicans tell it, you might think that they were bringing this bill to the floor to extend the child tax credit to the families of 12 million children. One might think that they believe that 6.5 million families, including more than 200,000 military families, deserve the child tax credit. Where were they when they stole, when the Republicans stole the child tax credit in the dead of night from these hard-working families? For that matter, where were they when I offered an amendment back in March in the Committee on the Budget to extend this credit to those families and they all voted ``no,'' families who earn between $10,500 and $26,625. Yes, they pay taxes: payroll taxes, sales taxes, property taxes, excise taxes. Where was the compassion from my Republican colleagues when these families needed them? It was the Republican majority leader not 2 days ago who said he had more important things to do. I will tell my colleagues where that compassion was. It was with Enron and all of the corporations who avoid paying taxes by relocating overseas and taking American jobs with them. You want to talk about welfare? That is welfare on a grand scale. Enron paid no taxes the last 4 out of 5 years, a disgrace; and they just ate away and took away people's pensions, and nobody in this House on the other side of the aisle is willing to do anything about that. Now the Republicans hold hostage responsible legislation, overwhelmingly passed in the other body 94 to 2. And why? Because they want to use these families as a bargaining chip in their endless, endless quest to cut taxes for only the wealthiest Americans, driving our country deeper and deeper in debt. Let us consider the other body's legislation. The White House wants to do it. Today the Republicans bring to the floor this irresponsible $82 billion bill. It is cynical, and it is designed to fail in the other body and to prevent these families from receiving the tax relief that they need. And to see more cynicism about this, most families are going to receive their tax credit on July 1. Mr. Speaker, these families, these families, military families as well, have got to claim the tax credit next April. They cannot get it now when everyone else is going to. They do not deserve this. They are hard-working. They pay taxes. Let us give them a chance. Pass an honest child tax credit bill.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on this rule. This bill reauthorizes $58.9 billion over 4 years for the activities of the Federal Aviation Administration, including the grant program to local airports. It also increases the number of flights at Washington's Reagan National Airport, prohibits air traffic controllers from being privatized and allows airports to use some of their Federal grant resources to install explosive detection systems for checked luggage. Funding our aviation infrastructure is an important component of ensuring the safety of the American public. But I would like to talk about another issue of great importance, and that is extending the child tax credit to the 6.5 million American families who were left out of the Republican tax bill, 200,000 of those military families while their spouse is at war. After the furor that erupted during the last 2 weeks over the Republicans' secret elimination of the child tax credit for the families of 12 million children, after the other body passed legislation to undo that wrong, late yesterday comes word from this House that this House has finally decided to act. But instead of accepting a simple extending of this tax cut to the taxpaying families who need it most, those who were left out of the package, the Republicans use the opportunity to try to pass another round of irresponsible tax cuts. With the Thomas bill, what the Republicans are doing is very simple. They are holding 12 million children hostage. As I said yesterday, for them, extending the child tax credit to low-wage families who earn between $10,500 and $26,625 is simply part of a deal. They would use these 12 million children as a bargaining chip in their never-ending quest to cut taxes for only the wealthiest Americans. But that is not what providing tax relief to these 6.5 million families should be about. Helping these families is a matter of fairness, equity and economic justice. They work hard. They pay nearly 8 percent of their incomes in payroll taxes and in sales taxes. Yes, they pay taxes, unlike Enron which the last 4 out of 5 years paid no taxes to this government, or those companies who go offshore for the direct purpose of paying no taxes and yet they are in line for very, very big tax cuts. As the White House said without equivocation the other day, the House of Representatives needs to right this wrong. It needs to do so without complication, and it needs to do so immediately without holding hostage 12 million children. That is the right thing to do. This is why we were elected to this job. This issue is such a violation of all that we hold dear and believe. This issue is not about partisan politics. This is about what we hold dear, what the values of each and every one of us who serves in this body is about. It is about our individual character. It is also about our national character. The people of the United States of America believe that there has been a violation here of folks who are hardworking people, who pay their taxes, who were told and were supposed to have been signed into law that they were going to get a tax credit for their children, pulled out in the dead of night, money stolen from them. It is an immoral act and we have the moral obligation in this body to move quickly to what the Senate did, not with any bargaining chip to hold these 12 million children hostage, or their families, but to do what the President has asked, without equivocation, do what the Senate did, do it without complication, do it immediately. Let us right this wrong. Let us give these families what they rightfully have earned. Twelve million children are waiting.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, I think the gentleman from Massachusetts has laid out the case very effectively. The underlying bill here is critically important. The underlying bill also deals with airport workers whose interests are tied up with the child tax credit issue, as well, and the importance of doing what we said we were going to do. It is not a question of bargaining for putting back what was rightfully the child tax credit to these 6.5 million families, to these 12 million children. That is the only issue that we were trying to address, very simply. It seems to me that what the Senate did is perfectly acceptable and it can be done. And I asked the question last week of the majority leader as well, will you accept the Senate language if it comes over here? The Senate language is here. We can do this, we can move quickly, and we can do it without holding hostage 12 million children. It is just not quid pro quo. It is not, as I said earlier, for political advantage. It is about doing what is the right thing. That is all we are asking. The President has said, do it. Take the Senate language; make it happen. When people of well-meaning in every part of the government, whether it is the House, the other body, the executive branch, want to come together to try to address these 12 million children, these 6.5 million families, who pay taxes, it would just seem to me that we could do it quickly in this body without any hesitation. What we want to do is be able to provide the opportunity for these people to get the same benefit 25 million other people are going to get on July 1. Why should they not be the beneficiaries of a tax cut to allow them to put food on their table? It is easy. Let us get it done, and let us just try to take aside all of the extraneous matter. Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise again to discuss extending the Child Tax Credit to the families that need it most. This morning I came to the House floor to again call on my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to pass the legislation to give these 6.5 million taxpaying families what they have rightfully earned. The other body has passed a bill. The President has said the House should take it up and he will sign it. Why is the Republican leadership so reluctant to lift a finger to help people who work, people who pay taxes, people who have children? Republicans pass tax cut after tax cut for the wealthiest Americans, and then they cut out the families of 12 million children, families that pay a greater percent of their incomes, 8 percent of their income in taxes; more than Enron did in the last 4 out of the last 5 years. They paid no taxes. Now we hear the Republican leadership wants something in exchange. As I said this morning, there is always a deal with these people. It has nothing to do with values or fairness. It is all about taking care of their own. It is all about taking care of Enron, WorldCom, and Tyco. Mr. Speaker, let us stop playing games. It is time for the House to take the other body's legislation. Let us help 6.5 million families share in the benefits of this tax cut. It is the right thing to do.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on this rule. This bill requires U.S. credit card companies and other financial entities to develop reasonable policies and procedures to identify and block financial transactions made in connection with unlawful Internet gambling. Online gambling can have a severe impact on family life. It can be done anonymously easily from someone's home and requires little more than a computer and a credit card. We know the dangers of online gambling: lost savings, excessive debt, bankruptcies, foreclosed mortgages. This is an important issue that we discuss today. Equally important as an issue is the restoration by the House of the child tax credit to 6.5 million families that have been in fact left behind, families of 12 million children which are taxpaying families, Mr. Speaker, who deserve tax relief. They have bills to pay, mouths to feed, children to take care of. With the economy continuing its slide downward, they do not know where their jobs will be the week after next. Let me be clear: as has been indicated, these families do pay taxes. They pay payroll taxes, sales taxes. They may not know week to week whether their next paycheck is forthcoming; but they know that if it does, that 8 percent will come off the top on the first dollar earned. So we should not be kind of lulled or fooled into thinking that these families do not pay any taxes, because they pay a greater share of their income in taxes than a corporation like Enron did in 4 of the last 5 years. Just because these families do not have a powerful lobby, we must be their lobby in this institution. We must lobby for their hard-earned money and not take it from them. Before we consider bills like the Internet gambling bill, this House should take up the other body's child tax credit legislation. The White House has said that the House should take up this bill, and if we do, that the President will sign our bill. This is not a partisan issue; this is an issue of values, of character. Each individual, those of us who serve in this marvelous institution, come here to do the right thing. This reflects doing the right thing, and also it reflects what our national character is all about. That is why, Mr. Speaker, though I support this underlying bill, I also support the motion for the House to take from the Speaker's table, agree to, and pass the Senate amendment on the child tax credit. It is time the House votes to extend the full $1,000 tax credit to the families of 12 million children, just like 25 million other families in America. Quite simply, it is the right thing to do. We should meet that July 1 deadline when others will be getting their tax cut.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to again discuss an issue of great concern to American families. I am talking about extending the child tax credit to families that need it most. A few weeks ago, this body passed a $350 billion tax cut bill that gave every millionaire in this country a $93,000 tax break. It made sure every corporation still had the right to avoid paying taxes by relocating overseas and taking American jobs with it. But the bill shorted 6.5 million low-income families who pay taxes and who are most in need. These families earn between $10,500 and $26,625 annually. Out of a $350 billion bill, the President and Republicans in charge of this body could not find $3.5 billion, 1 percent, for the poorest American families. I tried to address this problem back on March 12 in the Committee on the Budget, but my amendment to extend this tax credit to those families was turned aside on a party-line vote. And then when it seemed that the Democrats had successfully included that provision in the larger tax package during the conference, the Republicans secretly eliminated it in the dead of night. Last week Democrats, united and resolute, said that that was not enough, that these 6.5 million families deserve this tax cut because they worked every bit as hard as the 25 million other families that will be receiving their tax refund in the mail next month. They pay almost 8 percent of their income in payroll taxes or sales taxes. And last week the Senate restored the child tax credit to these hard- working families; and just yesterday the President's spokesperson called on the House to take up that legislation, but our colleagues on other side of the aisle just do not get it. They do not see the urgency in helping the 12 million children left behind by their tax bill. The majority whip said yesterday that he did not know if the House would act on the other body's bill. As if that were not bad enough, the Chair of the Republican Study Committee said in this morning's Congress Daily, if the House is going to take up this legislation that the Republicans should get something in exchange. It is always a deal with these people. It is as if there were no families who are trying to put food on their table or clothes on their children's backs. All they care about is taking care of their own people, like the Enrons who paid no taxes in 4 of the last 5 years. It was another colleague on the other side of the aisle who said one must pay an income tax in order to earn a tax credit. That is the way it works. But she did not care about Enron who paid no taxes the last 4 out of 5 years. For Republicans it is all about the deal. It is not about the fundamental values of fairness or of taking care of people. It is about the deal, what do we get in return. We have passed three tax bills that benefit the wealthy in this last 3 years, but we have done nothing to help people that need it the most. It is high time the House of Representatives did its job. I commend the President for setting aside the quest for a deal and urging the House to take up this bill, which the other body passed by an overwhelming margin. We must restore what was stolen in the dead of night, and if we do not act soon, the families of these 12 million children will not be receiving the tax credit in the mail this July 1 like the other 25 million families. Now is the time for action.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. . . .

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield for a question?

Ms. DeLAURO. I just want to ask the gentleman if he will yield for a quick question.

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

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. And since I could not get the gentleman from Texas to answer a simple question for me, maybe I can pose a question to his colleagues and see if we can get an answer. It appears in fact that the Senate has come to some agreement; that the Senate has said on a bipartisan basis that we need to address the fact that 12 million children were left out of the equation; that they were supposed to be able to have the benefit of a $400 tax credit, these 6.5 million families. The Senate has come to an agreement with about a $10 billion package. I want to get an answer from the Republican side of the aisle as to whether or not they will bring up the Senate package for us to be able to deliberate and help those 12 million children and those 6.5 million households. The Senate has done it; we ought to be able to do it here and to address that issue. If we can, we would like to get an answer to that question.

Ms. DeLAURO. I understand.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to discuss the very real concerns of the Zuni tribe and its children. This bill would provide critical access to the Little Colorado River Basin to allow the Zuni Indian Tribe acquisition of surface water rights and development of groundwater. The acquisition of water rights and associated lands are vital to the Zuni Indian Tribe's future economic development; and, along those same lines, the child tax credit is critical in helping low-income families, including Zunis, achieve some level of economic security. This bill secures tribal rights to assured water supplies for present and future generations, while at the same time providing for the sound management of an increasingly scarce resource. Because of the importance and sacredness all forms and sources of water, all prayers and songs of the three major components of the Zuni religion contain language asking for rain and snow to ensure that all crops have enough water to finish their life paths to provide sustenance for their Zuni children. Likewise, enduring access to the child tax credit will help Zuni families provide economic sustenance to their children. By now, the whole Nation knows what happened 2 weeks ago. They know that a tax credit which would have helped nearly 12 million children from 6.5 million low-income families, including Zuni families, was secretly eliminated by the administration and the gentleman from Texas' (Mr. DeLay) Republican majority. These families, these Zuni families earn between $10,500 and $26,625 per year, families who really need this tax cut and, yes, they do pay taxes and they are important. The gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay) said we have more important matters. These Zuni children are important. In Arizona, 138,000 families with children, 21 percent of the families in the State, are not helped by the child tax credit increase because of the Republicans' last-minute actions. 403,000 Arizona children would be eligible if the child tax credit were made fully refundable, with an additional $259,000 million in credit going to families in the State. This House ought to be about the working families in this country, those who are Zunis and those who are not. We promised them a child tax credit, and this majority removed it to provide the opportunity for $93,000 in tax cuts to the richest 184,000 millionaires in the country.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on a matter of urgent concern. Today we put the House on notice that business as usual will stop until this body restores tax relief for millions of working low- income Americans. We act and we speak out today because of a simple act of treachery: Congress taking from hard-working poor people to give to the rich, an act that abandoned millions of families and their children, 12 million children, and a tax bill that will cost $1 trillion over the next decade, that will give 184,000 millionaires a tax break of $93,000. The administration and this Republican majority could not find $3.5 billion to help one out of every six children. These millionaires must somehow have greater moral value than the working poor, people who are scheduled to get nothing in this bill. Mr. Speaker, this is the most unconscionable legislation ever passed in this body with no economic justification and no moral justification; and we are through doing business as usual in this body until this gets fixed.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me the time. This bill will provide critical access to the Little Colorado River Basin to allow the Zuni Indian tribe acquisition of surface water rights and development of ground water. The acquisition of water rights and associated lands are vital to the Zuni Indian tribe's future economic development. Along those same lines, the child tax credit is critical in helping low-income families achieve some level of economic security. This bill secures tribal rights to assure water supplies for present and future generations, while at the same time providing for sound management of an increasingly scarce resource. Because of the importance and the sacredness of all forms and sources of water, all prayers and songs of the three major components of the Zuni religion contain language asking for rain and snow to ensure that all crops have enough water to finish their life pass, to provide sustenance for their Zuni children. Likewise, ensuring access to the child tax credit will help Zuni families to provide economic sustenance to their children. In Arizona, 138,000 families with children, 21 percent of families in the State, are not helped by the child tax credit increase because of the Republicans last-minute actions; 403,000 Arizona children, including Zuni children, would be eligible if the child tax credit were made fully refundable, with an additional $259 million in credits going to families in that State. The children of military personnel, Zunis who have served in our military, their children are going to be left behind. We cannot in good conscience debate a bill here today that does not take into consideration the economics of the issues of the Zuni tribe, their water rights, their religious rights, their economic rights. It is about the economic security of working families, of low-income wage earners in this country, that we debate here today: water rights, economic rights, child tax credit. Point Of Order

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I believe that the constant nexus has been made and that bridge has been kept. I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 2286 that would fix this terrible injustice.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, I rise to discuss an issue of great concern to America's families, an issue of equity and financial security. Only a few weeks ago, Congress passed a tax bill with an official cost of $350 billion. The real cost, after accounting for budget gimmicks and the expiring provisions, which will almost certainly be extended, will actually exceed $1 trillion. During that debate, some of us discussed the inequity of the tax cuts, that the vast majority of these benefits went to families who quite simply did not need this tax cut. People who earn in excess of $1 million per year will receive a $93,000 tax break. As much as I believe the body of this bill was misguided, there was one provision in the bill that I supported wholeheartedly. That was the provision which allowed low-income working families to receive the child tax credit, which was increased from $600 to $1,000 per year. After we fought hard, the majority agreed to make that $400 increase refundable for those who did not earn enough to pay $400 in income taxes, though they pay other taxes, like payroll taxes. This one provision alone would have assisted the families of nearly 12 million children. So it was with shock and disappointment that we learned that the refundability provision had been quietly stripped out of the bill at the 11th hour. In a $350 billion bill, this one provision to help nearly 12 million children of the poorest Americans would have cost $3.5 billion, 1 percent of the entire tax package. These are families with incomes between $10,500 and $26,625, families who really need this tax cut. But it was removed from the bill in the dead of night. This one action speaks volumes about the priorities of the Republican leadership who claim to ``leave no child behind.'' But no matter how you slice it, this bill left almost 12 million children behind. It shows what one writer today called ``outright hostility towards America's poor and working classes.'' It did not have to be this way. There was bipartisan support for increasing the child tax credit, making it available to the families that need it most, that is, the families that earn too little to pay income taxes. And, I will repeat, these families do pay taxes; they pay payroll taxes. In fact, Members of both parties fought for the refundability provision after it was left out of President Bush's original plan. Now exposed for having effectively abandoned these families and their children, the White House disingenuously says that the President would have signed this provision into law had it been in the legislation, as if the White House had not been involved in the drafting of the final bill and had no responsibility for removing it. Vice President Cheney was the one who brokered the final deal with Congressional negotiators before he cast the tie-breaking vote in the Senate. He was the White House's lead negotiator, ``The Deal Closer,'' as this week's Congressional Quarterly Weekly calls him on its cover. The deal closer on Capitol Hill, Cheney is the President's right hand and the fractious GOP's trusted broker. In fact, Senator Grassley went so far as to say, ``Without Dick Cheney's intervention, there would not be a bill.'' So to suggest this provision was dropped without his input or approval is, frankly, not believable. It is interesting to track the evolution of excuses coming from the other side. First they argue that the limits on the overall size of the tax cut set by Members of the Senate require that something had to go. But if they wanted the child tax credit to survive, there were any number of provisions the Vice President could have insisted upon substituting in its place. If the majority had wanted, they could have easily paid for the provision by lowering the top tax bracket to 35.3 percent instead of 35 percent, or cracked down on the offshore tax havens for companies like Enron. No, these are the special interests that are their strongest supporters. When that excuse failed, the President's spokesman said they never intended to give tax relief to those families. He said only taxpayers could get tax relief, despite the fact that these families, like every other family, pay over 7 percent of their income in payroll taxes. So, let us not fool ourselves; the White House and the Republican majority knew exactly what they were doing when they dropped this provision in the final bill. This sort of reckless, shameful disregard for working people in this country is becoming a pattern with this administration. In addition to the nearly 12 million children left out of this bill, when you include the 8 million kids that were kept from benefiting from any increase in the child tax credit, you end up with 20 million children who have been utterly and totally ignored by this President and his economic policies. This is about values. The character of this issue raises questions about the values that this majority has and the underlying policy of their budget and economic policies. It is wrong, and we are going to turn it around.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, this giveaway to the wealthiest taxpayers will not create jobs, nor will it reduce the highest rate of unemployment in a decade. It will not provide our stagnant economy with any stimulus. For the taxpayer, it will not reduce their tax liability. In fact, State taxes and property taxes are increasing because of this reckless plan. Today, States are in the midst of the worst fiscal crisis in 60 years trying to close a budget shortfall of $100 billion. States have been forced to not only increase taxes but release prisoners, shut down libraries, and cut back health benefits. In my State of Connecticut, Governor John Rowland, a Republican, has already approved an increase in the State's income tax rate. Passage of this tax cut means cutting education by $9 billion to give a tax cut to those who earn over $375,000. It means cutting Social Security to pay for a tax cut for those who earn over $375,000. Under this plan, households with incomes of over $1 million receive an average tax cut of $93,000. What you would do is you would starve this government of the revenue that it needs to carry its commitments out to the American people. It is insidious, it is wrong, shameful, reckless, and irresponsible.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett).

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this bill. It has been a year and a half since the collapse of Enron, a year since the collapse of WorldCom. What has this body done to protect the pensions of American workers? Nothing. We have indeed passed legislation, but legislation that fails to allow employees the right to fully diversify their stock, legislation that fails to hold executives who are fiduciaries in the pension plan accountable if they violate the law. Executives like Ken Lay. Legislation that allows employers to give the same conflicted financial advice the Republicans tried to push on the American workers before the Enron scandal broke. With this bill we head down the same road. Xerox, Georgia Pacific, Bank of Boston already have switched from traditional defined benefit plans to cash balance pension plans that leave older employees with their pensions slashed up to 50 percent. This bill would actually make it easier for more companies to adopt such practices. It would make it easier for companies like Motorola to put another $38 million into the retirement funds of their executives while they contribute not one cent to their workers' already underfunded pension funds. Quite frankly, this bill does absolutely nothing to limit runaway executive compensation or protect employees from these unfair benefit cuts. It is obvious to everyone but this Republican majority that our pension rules do not do enough to protect helpless employees. It does not protect them from being locked out of their pension plans while their life savings go down the drain or protect them from venal executives who would take their money and run. The majority seems to think that this is somehow acceptable behavior. You tell the folks in Westbrook, Connecticut, people who lost $2 million from their pension plan. I met with these men and women. We worked to win back their hard-earned retirement savings. This is about what this kind of reckless behavior does to a family that is struggling to pay a mortgage, to pay for their children's college education fund. No one should have to go through what families have been put through. There is a Democratic substitute today. We have an opportunity to protect the working men and women in this country. Vote against this flawed Republican bill, and vote for the Democratic substitute.