Rosa DeLauro

Mrs. DeLAURO

Mrs. DeLAURO. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 5 seconds. Mr. Chairman, I would just like to reiterate that there are no public funds involved in this effort. It is the funds, private funds, of the women who serve in our military who serve overseas, no public funding. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Meehan].

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Kentucky [Mr. Ward]. [[Page H 8627]]

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Torkildsen], a cosponsor of the amendment.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York [Mr. Nadler]. (Mr. NADLER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Oregon [Ms. Furse].

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from California [Ms. Pelosi]. (Ms. PELOSI asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New York [Mrs. Lowey]. (Mrs. LOWEY asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California [Ms. Harman]. (Ms. HARMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Colorado [Mrs. Schroeder].

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 3 minutes, 5 seconds. (Ms. DeLAURO asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment as a substitute for the amendment.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, the Republican plan to cut $270 billion from [[Page H 8601]] Medicare to pay for a tax cut for the wealthy will cost seniors $1,000 more a year and will mean that they will lose their choice of doctors. Amazingly, Republicans now say they are only following the Medicare trustees instructions and trying to save the program from insolvency. But, yesterday, the Medicare trustees, themselves, spoke out on the Republican plan. In an editorial published in the Los Angeles Times, the trustees called the Republican Medicare cuts excessive and said those cuts would seriously hurt seniors. And, contrary to Republican claims, the Medicare trustees say that the trust fund is not in a sudden crisis, but has actually improved over the past few years. As the trustees said yesterday: ``The only thing that has really changed is the political needs of those who are hoping to use major Medicare cuts for other purposes.'' As we know, those other purposes are tax cuts for the wealthy.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, the House of Representatives is a House that is in need of repair. After decades of withstanding the heavy reins of special interests, lobbyists and gifts, our House has truly suffered. Our structure is not sound, and this once great institution is in danger of collapse. Today in fact, and my colleague who spoke a minute ago, I would say to him that today, we have an opportunity in this House. We have a historic opportunity to begin to rebuild this institution by passing gift and lobbying reform. I think if there is anything that the American people want to see is that the Congress of the United States begins to live their lives the way working middle-class families in this country have got to live their lives. The American public strongly favors banning gifts from lobbyists to Members of Congress, and so do I. Perks and privileges demean this institution and every single person who serves here. That is not why we were elected to these offices. We are here to do the people's work, and we are well compensated for that. We do not need free vacations, free frequent flyer miles, free gifts, or free meals to sweeten the deal. Those working middle-class families that I talked about a moment ago, they are not getting anything free. They are paying and paying and paying. They are not able to keep their heads above water, and they are frightened to death of what is going to happen to themselves and to their families. For the first time in this country, that American dream is no longer there. Families are concerned that their kids are not going to get the same benefits and the same advantages that they have had. We do need to enforce disclosure by lobbyists. The American people have the right to know what legislation these groups are attempting to influence and how much money they are spending on those efforts. I remind my colleagues that it has been the House that has traditionally led lobbying and gift reform efforts in the Congress. It is high time that we tackle these issues and join our colleagues in the other body in implementing serious gift and lobby reform. Some of us have already instituted a no-gift policy in our offices, because we feel so strongly about this. I can speak from experience; it is not that difficult to just say no to lobbyists. Because the Republican leadership has repeatedly told us that the schedule for this season is full, this vote today will probably be our last chance to pass lobby and gift reform this year. Let us seize the opportunity to limit the influence of special interests on Congress once and for all. Let us take a definitive step to really reforming this institution. So I urge my colleagues today to join me and others who are speaking here this morning to join us in this effort to defeat the previous question on the rule in order that the American people know once and for all that we are serious about repairing this House of Representatives. It is time to shore up these walls, to rebuild this institution. Let it be reflective of the people's interests, and not reflective of the special interests.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, over the August break, I had a chance to meet with my constituents to discuss the Republican plan to cut Medicare in order to finance a tax cut for the wealthy. The people I represent want me to bring a message back to the Republican leadership: Medicare is a trust fund, not a slush fund. Now, I know that my Republican colleagues were also back home trying to sell themselves as the true protectors of Medicare. But, the American public isn't buying this GOP makeover. The public is skeptical about the sketchy GOP plan that claims private insurance companies will offer seniors more for less. With such fantastic claims, it's no wonder that a recent poll found 71 percent of Americans have little trust in the House Republicans to handle Medicare. For 30 years Republicans have wanted to privatize Medicare. In fact, the current majority leader has said that he would have no part of Medicare in a free world. Does that sound like a party that wants to protect Medicare?

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to the previous question, and I urge my colleague to vote against the previous question so that the gift and lobbying reform language can be added to this legislation. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle are very fond these days of talking about how responsive they are to the American public. I will tell the Members, go to any town hall, go to any group of Americans these days, working middle-class families. The American public strongly favors banning gifts from lobbyists to Members of Congress, and they are right, because it is the perks and the privileges that demean this institution, and every single person who serves here. That is not what we were elected to do, or why we were elected to this body. We are here to do the people's business, and we are well compensated for that. We do not need free vacations, free frequent flier miles, free gifts, or free meals to sweeten the deal. Let me say that working middle-class families are getting nothing for free. They are paying every single day for everything, and they are working darned hard for it. Let us understand what their lives are about. They are getting a glimpse of what some Members of this body's lives are about in accepting free gifts from lobbyists and their influence every single day. We do need to enforce disclosure by the lobbyists. The American people have a right to know how much these groups are spending in order to influence legislation in this body. It is high time that we tackled these issues and join our colleagues in the other body in implementing serious gift and lobby reform. The Republican leadership has repeatedly told us that the schedule for this session is full, so that the vote today, Mr. Speaker, is probably our last chance to pass lobby and gift reform this year. Let us seize the opportunity to limit the influence of special interests. Let us defeat the previous question. Let us once and for all tell the American people that we are serious about reform. Let this body reflect the interests of the people and not the special interests.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, on Sunday, August 13, I have the pleasure of joining in the dedication ceremony of a monument in the town of Milford honoring all who served in World War II. This is a particularly fitting tribute as we mark the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II. The five-figure statute depicts the selfless service of our Armed Forces exhibited while defending American interests in the Second World War. It is dedicated to the men and women who fought for our country on land, at sea, or in the air during this global conflict. The creators of this memorial have broken new ground by including a woman as one of the figures in the statue. It is recognition long overdue for the women who served our country in World War II. I applaud the hard work over the last 3 years of many members of our community whose vision and efforts brought this World War II monument to Milford. I especially would like to thank the president of the World War II Memorial Monument Committee William Moffet, and codirectors of the World War II Monument Dedication Committee Daniel Meisenheimer and former Mayor Alan Jepson. These three spearheaded efforts to build the monument and brought the community together to raise the needed funds by holding dances, selling T-shirts, and soliciting contributions. Their exemplary efforts are recognized and appreciated by the citizens of Milford, the State of Connecticut, and all who remember the men and women who served our country a half-century ago. This memorial dedication ceremony is timely in that it is 1 day before the 50th anniversary of the Connecticut General Assembly's declaration of the end of this terrible conflict. This month, we remember V-J Day and the end of World War II in 1945. My father, Ted DeLauro, was an Army veteran and instilled in me the lasting knowledge that the values of freedom and democracy that shape our country are protected and preserved by American servicemen and women. These men and women answered World War II's call and I am honored to take part in such a significant display of gratitude to them. This World War II monument serves as a constant reminder that our Armed Forces have a long and proud history, and that all who served in World War II demonstrated outstanding courage, dedication, and service.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the Markey- Shays amendment to protect Americans from unaffordable cable rate increases. Cable rates hit home with consumers in Connecticut and across the country. That is why the only bill Congress passed over President Bush's veto was the 1992 Cable Act to keep TV rates down. Now is not the time to backtrack on that progress. We would all like to see competition pushing cable rates down, but the telecommunications bill before us will remove protections against price increases before there is any guarantee of competition. Under this bill, every time you hit the clicker, it might as well sound like a cash register recording the higher costs viewers will face. Consumer groups estimate that this bill will raise rates for popular channels such as CNN and ESPN by an average of $5 per month. The Markey-Shays amendment will protect television viewers from unreasonable rate increases until there truly is competition in the cable TV market. The amendment will also retain important safeguard that protect the right of consumers to protest unreasonable rate hikes. I urge my colleagues to support the Markey-Shays amendment so that hard-working Americans will not be priced out of the growing information age.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to the Coburn amendment. Mr. Chairman, we do not need any more studies in this area. No longer can we question that violence and sex that is on TV harms our children and weakens the moral strength of this Nation. Our kids are just not prepared for what is on the airwaves these days. We have all heard the refrain, ``Don't control what is on my TV. Let parents decide what their children can watch.'' That is exactly what the V-chip will do, allow parents to decide. Parents have got to be in the position to direct their children, to reinforce the right values, and the V-chip promotes family values, and it does it without infringing and impinging on first amendment rights. The sweeping telecommunications bill before us touches nearly every single aspect of our communications landscape, but will fail to address parents' number 1 concern, and that is protecting their children from harmful programming. Give the power and strength back to parents. Vote down the Coburn amendment and vote for the Markey-Burton amendment.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to this bill. This is a mean-spirited attack on the elderly, working families, and our Nation's children. Nowhere is this assault more evident, than with the bill's total elimination of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which provides life saving assistance to low-income families and seniors. It is an outrage that this Congress would take the heat away from our seniors to give a cool $20,000 tax break to the Nation's most wealthy. The draconian and heartless action of the committee to eliminate all funding for the Low income Home Energy Assistance Program jeopardizes the health and safety of millions of Americans who rely on these funds to heat and cool their homes. In my home State of Connecticut, nearly 70,000 households benefit from $27 million in home energy assistance. In my district alone, nearly 13,000 households benefit. Marie Brown of Wallingford is one of the many people in my district who depend on energy assistance to heat her home in the winter. It gets very cold in Connecticut. Marie's $500 a month budget isn't enough to pay her home heating bills after she has paid rent, medical costs and other expenses. Marie calls home energy assistance ``a blessing,'' and says that ``this is the best thing they have ever done, especially for the elderly.'' Eliminating energy assistance would force Marie and other seniors on fixed incomes make choices they shouldn't have to make-- choices between home heating and necessities such as food or medicine. If energy assistance is eliminated, what are we going to say to Marie Brown and the millions of families who depend on this program? I do not want to tell them that to ensure people have adequate shelter is no longer a priority for Congress and that tax breaks for the Nation's wealthy are a more pressing concern. I will not carry that message. It is unconscionable that low-income seniors and working families in extreme need would be swept aside so that Republicans can offer the wealthy an unnecessary tax break. Just last month, the Nation experienced an unusually harsh heat wave, which caused the deaths of 400 people in Chicago. The Governor of Illinois was able to offer the citizens of his State emergency energy assistance to prevent future fatalities. Under this bill, Governors across the Nation would not have those emergency resources, and just possibly more men and women would die. Energy assistance is truly life- saving assistance and we have an obligation to provide it to people in need. I urge my colleagues to stand by working families and the elderly. Support amendments to restore energy assistance to millions of seniors and working families, whose survival should be our No. 1 priority.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to this legislation which attacks children, seniors and working families to pay for a tax cut for the wealthy. I call it the American Dream Destruction Act. The American Dream promises our people that if you work hard, if you play by the rules, this country will provide you with opportunity and with security. This bill betrays that promise. It betrays the promise of educational opportunity by cutting funding for education, from Head Start to safe and drug-free schools. It betrays the promise of opportunity for our workers by cutting crucial health and safety protections that help them on their job, and by cutting retraining, and that help could be provided to them if they lose that job. This bill also betrays the promise of security for our seniors by cutting energy assistance and nutrition programs that help seniors to pay for their heating bills and to stay healthy. Mr. Chairman, my colleagues from across the aisle say that they are only making these cuts to balance the budget. They would like you to believe that this is a shared sacrifice with a noble purpose. But folks, this is not a shared sacrifice, and there is nothing noble in asking our most vulnerable citizens to pay for a tax break for the wealthiest citizens. There is nothing noble in that. It is amoral. The American people want us to cut waste, but unneeded tax subsidies to giant corporations are wasteful. Taxpayer-funded advertising for multinational corporations is waste. Special tax loopholes for billionaire expatriates are waste. The Republican leaders in this House can never seem to find waste in any program that helps their wealthy campaign contributors; they can only find waste in programs that help the working families of this Nation. Mr. Chairman, balancing the budget is about making choices. This bill makes bad choices, choices that will hurt children, hurt seniors, and hurt working families, all to fund a tax cut to the wealthiest Americans. Vote against this bill.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chairman, I rise to strong opposition to this assault on working men and women made to pay for a tax cut for the wealthy. This bill doesn't just pull the rug out from under American workers, it pulls out the entire floor. The deepest cut is made in crucial worker training and education programs that help displaced workers get back into the workforce. That cut is shortsighted and wrongheaded. The American people are this country's greatest asset as we try to compete in a global economy. But, this bill puts people dead last. It puts working families dead last. It says--if you lose your job, you're on your own. I know about the need for worker retraining. I live in a State that has lost more than 200,000 jobs over the last several years. Many of those jobs have been lost because of the defense build down. Many of those jobs aren't coming back. And, the bad news just keeps coming for my State. We now face a plant closure at the AlliedSignal tank engine plant in Stratford, CT, in my district. The decision by the Army to close this facility will mean that we lose another 1,400 jobs. These workers in Connecticut, and workers like them all across the country, need our help. Defense workers aren't looking for a handout. They're looking for a helping hand. After years of working to maintain our country's strong national defense, these workers are now being told that their skills are no longer needed. Their work helped us win the cold war, but now they are the ones being left in the cold. The Republican leaders in this House say they are cutting across the board in order to balance the budget. They want us to believe that this is a shared sacrifice for a noble purpose. But, this sacrifice is not shared and it is not noble. There is nothing noble in asking people who are out of work to pay for a tax cut for the wealthiest Americans. Mr. Chairman, we have an obligation to help our displaced defense workers. We have an obligation to provide them with the training and education they need to get back on their feet. This bill fails our obligation to defense workers and that's why I will oppose it.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the Greenwood amendment and opposition to the Smith substitute. The Greenwood amendment would protect access to safe and affordable health care for women by restoring vital family planning funding. Low-income and uninsured working women of all ages depend on the basic health care and family planning services provided by community clinics. These clinics rely on Federal funds. Without community clinics, millions of women would be denied access to potentially life- saving services such as screening for breast cancer, cervical cancer, hypertension, pap smears, and routine clinical exams. For many women, especially young women, community clinics are their only source for basic health care. This debate is not about choice. Current law clearly states that no title X funds may be used for abortions. It is about women's health. Combat the Republican attack on women's health; support the Greenwood amendment to help women in need.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring a strong and devoted woman, Ms. Linda Galligan-Roy. Ms. Roy serves as a role model for each of us seeking to improve ourself and our community. As a young widow battling a drug addiction, Ms. Roy has stood firm in the face of challenge. She has set difficult goals and has accomplished them through hard work and untiring dedication. Dubbed the ``Concrete Queen,'' Ms. Roy excels in the male-dominated field of construction work. While building houses, Ms. Roy breaks down the barriers women face in society. Her passion makes her strong and her determination makes her capable. Ms. Roy has overcome tremendous personal challenges in addition to her professional success. At age 15, her mother's death forced her to leave school and enter the working world to help her father care for her younger siblings. Today she continues to demonstrate zestful spirit and strength: recovering from her dependency on drugs, she aspires to be a writer and plans to enroll in college. Ms. Roy not only hopes and strives to better herself but also to share what she has learned with others. She has written about many of her life experiences, from her love of construction work to the devastating effect that drugs had on her life. In a piece entitled ``A Knock on the Window,'' she describes the horror of substance addiction with vivid reality. As she expressed in a letter to me, her goal is to stop at least one person from developing a drug addiction. I admire and salute both her selflessness and its potential. It is people like Ms. Roy who are leading the way for other women and men who seek new opportunities. Her perseverance is inspirational; she leads by example. Mr. Speaker, I know the sacrifices and commitment necessary to accomplish all that this woman has, and I ask you to join with me in honoring Ms. Linda Galligan-Roy.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of lifting the arms embargo on Bosnia. Lifting the arms embargo is not something we should take lightly. But we cannot continue to allow innocent civilians to be killed, tortured, raped, and herded out of what have been called safe havens. What kind of safe haven allows the slaughter of innocents? The arms embargo was put in place to prevent weapons from entering the former Yugoslavia. But it has not worked each night on the news, we can witness the atrocities being committed by the well-armed Serbs. The Serbs have slaughtered men, women and children. The survivors have been forced out of their homes so that the Serbs may realize their appalling goal of an ethnically pure Serbia. The international community has not been able to defend the Bosnian, and through the arms embargo, the international community has not accorded the Bosnians their fundemental right to defend themselves. We must not continue down the same path that has led to ethnic cleansing, rape, murder, and torture. In Bosnia the battle lines may change daily but the line between right and wrong does not move. It is wrong for the Serbs to slaughter a defenseless people and it is wrong for the United States to stand by and watch. Lift the arms embargo. Allow the Bosnians to defend themselves.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the ranking member of the House Ethics Committee sharply criticized the committee's slow progress on investigating the numerous charges against Speaker Gingrich. The ranking member of the committee has charged that the committee had delayed votes, run a sloppy investigation, and was unprepared to question Speaker Gingrich when he appeared before the committee, yesterday. The House Ethics Committee's so-called investigation into the charges against Speaker Gingrich is beginning to smell like a coverup. It is time to hand this case over to an outside counsel who can investigate these serious allegations in a nonpartisan and thorough fashion.