Tom DeLay

Mr. DeLAY

Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I move to lay the motion on the table.

Mr. DeLAY

Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I offer an amendment in the nature of a substitute.

Mr. DeLAY

Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I move that when the House adjourns this legislative day, it adjourn to meet at noon on Tuesday, November 25, 2003.

Mr. DeLAY

Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I offer a joint resolution (H.J. Res. 80), and ask unanimous consent for its immediate consideration.

Mr. DeLAY

Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the Senate bill (S. 579) to reauthorize the National Transportation Safety Board, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. DeLAY

Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, in honor of Scott Palmer's birthday, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. DeLAY

Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the Senate bill just passed.

Mr. DeLAY

Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, all year the House has taken on major priorities with an eye towards policy, not politics. And all year we have delivered on our promises to the American people. We have funded the liberation of Iraq, and now we are quickly turning the democratization of that nation over to its people. We have reduced the income taxes for every American who pays them, and now the economy is growing and jobs are being created. And now, after a long year of tireless work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle and both sides of Capitol Hill, the House is poised to meet the top two domestic challenges currently facing the American people: the need for improved health care for American seniors and the need for a comprehensive policy to reshape the consumption, delivery, and conservation of energy. Now, in both cases we took the time to get the job done right. For instance, the Medicare bill does so much more than merely provide prescription drugs to American seniors, though that alone, frankly, is a monumental achievement. Instead, it strengthens and improves the underlying program, including competitive reforms that will preserve Medicare solvency and prepare it for the retirement of the baby boom generation. Rather than tacking on a new entitlement to an old one, as some advocated, we took on the fundamental problems of the 40-year-old Medicare system and made it a stronger and more flexible program for its diverse beneficiary base. In other words, we serve Medicare's customers, not its bureaucracies. Mr. Speaker, we brought the same comprehensive approach to the energy mess the American people have been struggling through for over a decade. Our energy solution will increase production of energy and improve its delivery as befitting an Information Age economy. Our energy solution will also reduce America's dependence on foreign oil, create jobs, spur economic growth, and protect against economic downturns. In both cases, Mr. Speaker, the time is right, the bill is good, the need is absolute, and the benefits are immense. This week is why we were elected, to keep our promise and fulfill America's.

Mr. DeLAY

Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, after a very long and important debate, the American people will finally, finally get a comprehensive energy policy worthy of the challenges that they face. Everyone on both sides of the aisle and both sides of the Capitol deserves to be commended for the tireless work that they have put into these last several weeks and, actually, the last 2 years. The gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin) has done an outstanding job. We owe an incredible debt to the gentleman from Louisiana and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton), my friend from Texas, who has worked extremely hard. We appreciate the Senators that have worked on this too. And certainly the staff, all these people have worked to finish this bill, and they have worked to give rise to the occasion and produce a creative, intelligent and comprehensive policy for the American people. The bill addresses a host of issues without losing sight of America's basic need for new, independent, and reliable sources of energy to support our information age economy. Today our economy is poised for a tremendous recovery with incomes rising, companies hiring, and new businesses and jobs being created. But without the energy production and distribution and security provisions outlined in this bill, the growth that we need and deserve will falter. America needs this energy bill. Today we are too dependent on foreign oil. This bill will generate new production of energy within the United States sufficient to reduce that dependence and thereby reduce unsavory regimes' influence over America's economic health. Today we are using an outdated electricity grid whose reliability has been seriously undermined by the major blackout this summer. This bill will establish new reliability standards for that grid and improve the system by which energy can be transported from one part of the country to another. The bill makes unprecedented investments in renewable energies and alternative power sources. So, all told, these reforms will create jobs, spur investment and competition, improve homeland security, and address the long-term energy needs of the American people. Mr. Speaker, America is the greatest engine of freedom, security, and prosperity in the world today. And this bill will provide that engine with the fuel that it needs to lead our Nation and the world into the future. I urge all our Members to support it.

Mr. DeLAY

Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at noon on Monday, November 10, 2003.

Mr. DeLAY

Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, as definite as one can be. But as I mentioned, we will evaluate the workload for that week. If at all possible, we could probably start on Tuesday. But I think Members need to plan that we could very well have votes on Monday night.

Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) for yielding to me. Mr. Speaker, the House will convene on Wednesday of next week at 2 p.m. for legislative business. We will consider several measures under suspension of the rules. A final list of those bills will be sent to the Members' offices by the end of today. Any votes called on these measures will be rolled until 6:30 p.m. On Thursday the House will convene at 10 a.m. for legislative business. We plan to consider the conference report on H.R. 6, the Energy Policy Act of 2003, and the conference report on H.R. 2754, the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2004. Now for the following week, the week of November 17, we expect our first votes to occur after 6:30 p.m. on Monday. We will confirm this schedule early next week as we get a better sense of the workload and timing for completion of the various conference reports. But Members should know that there is a good chance that we would be in session through Saturday, November 22. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I will be glad to answer any questions.

Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I do not anticipate being in next Friday.

Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, as the gentleman knows, we have five conference reports completed. We have three more bills in conference and one more, agriculture, that we could be able to go to conference on next week. It is my understanding that the Senate may attempt to complete additional bills next week. But at some point I would anticipate that the Senate would ask us to consider several of the remaining bills in a larger package. When, and if, they do, we will try to do our best to maximize the House's position based on the bills that the House has already passed. The gentleman knows that the House has passed all 13 of the appropriations bills, and I would hope that whatever process is necessary to wrap up these appropriations measures we would be able to complete them by November 21, thereby not requiring another continuing resolution that week. However, if all that falls apart, obviously we would be considering a continuing resolution in that week.

Mr. DeLAY. I cannot anticipate that right now. Those discussions have not gone on. Actually, people are focused on getting the appropriations process done by November 21.

Mr. DeLAY. I thank the gentleman for yielding. We do not intend to consider that, the tax proposal, next week, but would still like for the House to consider it before the end of this session and before the EU has the opportunity to retaliate against American businesses.

Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I would anticipate that we would follow regular order and the traditions of the House. And a bill that comes from the Committee on Ways and Means is always tightly held in a rule. I cannot anticipate what the Committee on Rules may write at this particular time, but it has been our tradition in this House that at least one substitute or a motion to recommit, or both, have been allowed on bills that come from the Committee on Ways and Means.

Mr. DeLAY. If the gentleman would yield, I hope, and I know, I hope that the Labor-HHS appropriations bill for 2004 would be considered freestanding and on its own. A lot of work has been put into that bill. The conference committee is working as hard as it can to get it out before November 21. And as this House has been working so hard to have all these bills freestanding conference reports so that Members can consider them individually, I would hope that it would be freestanding and the House could vote on it. However, if things fall apart, it could be a candidate for the larger package.

Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman yielding. This is a very complicated bill. It is very extensive. It has taken hours, hundreds of hours of work on staff and Members' parts. The gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas) is trying to put together a proposal that he can submit to the conference committee. Various Members from both sides of the aisle and both sides of the Capitol have been offering him input on this proposal. And based on my conversations with the chairman, his proposal could come very soon, or at least in the next 2 weeks. But I cannot predict for certain when the conference committee will meet to consider this proposal or when the House will vote on the Medicare conference report. I am aware of the anxieties many of the Members feel about the progress of the Medicare legislation, but the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas), chairman of the conference, is working with all of the Members who want to improve the bill in order to craft a final product he can present to all the conferees. We know how important this legislation is to the credibility of this body and to the well-being of American seniors for years to come. So I am sure that you would understand the need not to hurry in this process. And so, that said, the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas) is very close to completing years of work that have been put into this bill and has assured the leadership that he will have a proposal to present to all conferees in the very near future.

Mr. DeLAY. After consulting with the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin), I am confident that the House will be able to take up this conference report next week; and if we go forward with that schedule, I can assure the gentleman that the language of the conference report will be circulated sometime on Monday so that the conferees will have the opportunity to review it before the conference committee completes its business. This schedule should also allow plenty of time for all Members of the House to review the conference report before it is scheduled. As the gentleman also knows, the conference is a long time coming. There was a full conference formal meeting on September 5. All Members were invited and I think all Members attended. But I would like to point out to the gentleman, Mr. Speaker, that in House committees alone there have been 80 public hearings, 11 markups and 224 amendments considered on this bill. And since 2001 the House has dedicated 5 legislative days to debating the energy bill on the floor with 39 amendments considered. Since 2002, the energy conferees have held nine public meetings to debate the comprehensive national energy bill for a total of 24 hours and 47 minutes. And in 2003 alone, Republican and Democratic energy conference staff have met no less than 10 times for more than 48 hours of discussions. And, ultimately, the decision on whether or not there will be additional conference committees does not lie in the House because the Senate is chairing the conference. And should there be an additional meeting, I can assure the gentleman that all the Members on the House side of that conference will be invited to attend.

Mr. DeLAY. If the gentleman will yield, I just have to say to the gentleman, I know the gentleman is trying to change the process of the House. We are not operating any differently than this House has always operated. Every Member that wants to have input on this bill can find ways to have input. It has been expressed time and time again by the leadership on your side of the aisle and others that they do not want this bill. They want a different kind of bill and a different approach. You have had that opportunity in presenting that approach and in presenting an alternative and a substitute for the will of the House, and the gentleman made a grand attempt to do that. He failed. He did not have the votes to do it. In that process we went to conference committee. Those Members that are willing to work with, instead of obstruct, the process of getting a Medicare bill to this floor have been consulted on both sides of the aisle by many different people, not just the chairman of the conference committee. So the process is open and available to those who are willing to work with us and be constructive and productive in getting a bill so that the House can vote on it. That is the way this place works. It is the way it has always worked.

Mr. DeLAY. If the gentleman will yield, my recollection is completely different than yours. I can remember serving in the minority, too, and having the same frustrations that you have had. It is part of the frustrations of being in the minority. As the gentleman understands, we are not operating in this regard any differently than the gentleman operated when you were in the majority. You work with people that want to get a bill. You do not waste a lot of time with people that do not want a bill. And then you give everybody the opportunity through the Rules of the House to participate either in the full committee, formal conference committee meetings or here on the floor of the House, and certainly ultimately expressing themselves with their vote.

Mr. DeLAY

Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the business in order under the Calendar Wednesday rule be dispensed with on Wednesday next.

Mr. DeLAY

Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns on Monday, November 10, 2003, it adjourn to meet at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, November 12, 2003.

Mr. DeLAY

Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, 2 days ago in Iraq, the United States lost 16 soldiers in a missile attack on an Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter. Twenty more American servicemen and women were wounded. All on board were headed to Baghdad, on the way to the airport and a well-deserved break from combat service. Today, we all mourn their loss and offer our heartfelt prayers for the victims and, most especially, their families. But, Mr. Speaker, we will not run. The United States will stay in Iraq, along with our coalition partners, until the work there is done. Until innocent Iraqis are no longer threatened by thuggish holdovers from the old regime; until state-sponsored murderers from neighboring counties no longer enter Iraq to terrorize its people; until the citizens of Iraq have a democratic government to set their own course among the free nations of the Earth; and until the nexus of the weapons of mass destruction, international terrorism, and outlaw regimes can no longer threaten the United States from Iraq. These things, these long overdue and wonderful things, are going to happen. Let there be no mistaking in this or any capital around the globe, justice is coming to the Middle East with hope and freedom riding close behind. We all have always known that delivering these basic human rights to a region unfamiliar with them will be hard, but that is our mission, and one worth the sacrifice. Just as it has been since we began debating the removal of Saddam Hussein from Iraq, this war remains a test of America's moral leadership in the world. Are we serious about destroying international terrorism? Are we serious about holding outlaw regimes accountable for their sponsorship of it? Are we resolved to see our mission through to the end, despite the disproportionate costs and risks we must assume? And finally, is human freedom worth fighting for? The answers to all of these, of course, is yes. And so we will not run. No matter how perilous our journey, we will stand and fight and humanity will win. Iraq will be free. Terrorism will fall. Evil will be turned back. And the Chinook 16, Mr. Speaker, will not have died in vain.