Phil English

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor the life of former Pennsylvania State Senator and personal friend, Bob Kusse who passed this February. Bob Kusse was born in Rochester, New York in 1918, and attended the Universities of Rochester and Buffalo. Despite his New York roots however, this man dedicated the rest of his adult life to serving the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Bob Kusse served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1972 to 1977. He was elected to the State Senate in a special election in May 1977. I had the great pleasure of working for Senator Kusse from 1981 until the Senator's retirement in 1984. Senator Kusse was one of the toughest, most principled voices in the Pennsylvania State Senate. He was a remarkable advocate of improving the state's transportation system as well as the state's business climate. He was a committed conservative who was always ready to make tough decisions and make Pennsylvania attractive for new job creation. Senator Kusse presided at a critical time and over efforts to rebuild the states' roads and bridges, expand its turnpike and put its mass transit systems on a sound footing. As a top fiscal conservative, he was a uniquely credible spokesman to join with Transportation Secretary Larsen and push for much needed revenues to fix Pennsylvania's transportation system. Senator Kusse brought a rare integrity and wonderful outspokenness to the House, and later, the Senate. Bob Kusse was a self-made man who loved his community and his family, and had a marvelous love of learning that culminated in his seeking his Bachelor's degree, in his seventies, at Edinboro University after his retirement from the Pennsylvania State Senate. He was wonderful mentor and a truly marvelous public servant. I hope my colleagues will join me in commemorating the life of Senator Bob Kusse.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, today I rise to congratulate the members of the Harrisville Lions Club as they celebrate their 60th Anniversary this year. For over half a century, the Harrisville Lions Club has been dedicated to helping the less fortunate. As a Lions Club, the organization is part of the world's largest service organization with over 1.3 million members worldwide. They have provided aid for those in need, whether it is helping local residents obtain eyeglasses or assisting families after disasters. The Club has been involved in several children's programs, including supporting a camp for local blind children and sponsoring a drug poster program aimed to raise awareness among elementary students of the problems associated with drug use. I commend Harrisville club president, Lion Connie Rider, for her leadership and dedication to the organization. I'd also like to recognize Lion Leroy Montgomery, who at the age of 99, remains a very active member of the Harrisville Lions Club. I applaud Mr. Montgomery for his lifetime of dedication to helping the less fortunate in his community. His efforts have certainly not gone unnoticed. I hope my colleagues will join me at this time in recognizing the accomplishments of these individuals as well as all of the other members of the Harrisville Lions Club. Congratulations on 60 years of service.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, this amendment would add a section at the end of the bill to express a sense of Congress that the Corporation for National and Community Service should attempt to coordinate the recruiting and assignment procedures of their various programs to allow senior citizens and their grandchildren to share volunteer opportunities and be assigned to the same geographic areas during their period of service. I would note, Mr. Chairman, Marian McQuade, the founder of National Grandparents Day and a homemaker from Fayette County, West Virginia, held as one of her primary motivations of her advocacy for a National Grandparents Day, persuading the grandchildren to tap the wisdom and heritage of their grandparents. This amendment builds on the principles that evolved into National Grandparents Day by creating more opportunities to build bridges on an intergenerational basis and strengthen the family structure. This amendment will honor grandparents and enhance the bond between grandparents and grandchildren while encouraging a lifetime of community service. It seems somehow fundamental that AmeriCorps and Senior Corps work together to bring grandparents and grandchildren together to share memorable and rewarding experiences of community service together, strengthen bonds of family, and make the lives of fellow citizens brighter. I urge my colleagues to join me in passing this amendment today. This is a remedy for many of the pressures that we feel today on families, it's an attempt to unite generations, and it's an attempt to better coordinate two very important programs in the interest of fostering stronger families. Mr. Chairman, I would retain the balance of my time.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, this amendment creates a sense of the Congress that the Corporation for National and Community Service should make the maximum effort possible to coordinate with the National Endowment for the Humanities to provide opportunities for young people enrolled in national and community service programs to collect oral histories from senior citizens in the communities that they serve. As cochairman of the Congressional Humanities Caucus, I have been actively advocating policies and programs to raise awareness of the role of history, literature, languages, and other humanities in Americans' lives. As we all know, studying our history, our culture, and our heritage can help provide a framework to guide our decisions as we confront challenging issues facing us now and into the future. It also gives us a national memory. If we look back to the experience during World War II when the Federal Government employed many writers to do histories of local communities that now have become an important resource to us, recognizing that we are at a time when our greatest generation is now moving on and the opportunity to consult them could very well be lost in the near future, this is an opportunity that we must seize. As we all know, studying our history, our culture, and our heritage can be an important part of our future defining of who we are. We not only learn from museums and books, but we also learn from those who have lived in the past. For that reason, I think it's important for our youth to reach out to our knowledgeable elders who have lived through tougher times, who have fought and seen wars, and who have seen the transformation of America. Close to 1,000 World War II veterans die each day. Many have never spoken of their experiences. During a time in their lives where many are lonely and yearning for an opportunity to have an exchange, this creates an opportunity for us to capture those memories and institutionalize them. To carry on the American tradition and living history, I urge the support of my colleagues for this amendment today. Mr. Chairman, I retain the balance of my time.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this amendment, which I think will go a long way to giving our next generation a sense of what our fathers and our forefathers have faced. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, the freedom of the United States has depended on the courage of men and women in uniform for over 200 years. Our veterans, having served as a member of the greatest military in the world, can be assured that they have the appreciation and admiration of millions of Americans. The experience gained from the U.S. military is without a doubt invaluable, and I applaud our veterans for the courage and the commitment that they have demonstrated consistently while serving our country. With that said, I would like to offer this amendment, which will provide a valuable service to our veteran population while giving young volunteers an opportunity to be exposed to some of these American heroes that have allowed us to exercise our everyday freedoms. Specifically, my amendment would require the Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service to work with the Disabled American Veterans organization to provide opportunities for young people to serve as drivers in the DAV transportation network. This new service will certainly help ease the burden on veterans throughout the country, especially in communities like mine and in yours, Mr. Chairman, in rural areas where we have many veterans who have a challenge getting the service that they need from our brick and mortar VA institutions, give them easy and convenient transportation to doctor appointments, physical therapy, and routine checkups. Mr. Chairman, at a time when America's veterans are facing increased challenges regarding health care coverage and full access to the benefits that they have earned, Congress ought to embrace commonsense policies that will help ensure our veterans get the care they need and deserve. In my part of Pennsylvania, Mr. Chairman, it has been a challenge to drum up the volunteers to provide driver service for many of our VA participants and clients. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this initiative that will help fill that gap and encourage more of our young people to volunteer to help some of our aging veterans and some of our younger veterans who happen to live a distance away from the institution that serves them. Mr. Chairman, I retain the balance of my time.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, let me just say in response to the gentlelady, I am most grateful for her support, and I am most grateful for her open-mindedness. Seeing the excellent work that she has done working on a bipartisan basis, and I want to also thank my colleague from Pennsylvania on this very important reauthorization. I am most grateful to them for their open-mindedness to some small refinements on what I think is a reauthorization of an enormously important program. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, today I rise to congratulate the members of the Harrisville Lions Club as they celebrate their 60th anniversary this year. For over half a century, the Harrisville Lions Club has been dedicated to helping the less fortunate. As a Lions Club, the organization is part of the world's largest service organization with over 1.3 million members worldwide. They have provided aid for those in need, whether it is helping local residents obtain eyeglasses or assisting families after disasters. The Club has been involved in several children's programs, including supporting a camp for local blind children and sponsoring a drug poster program aimed to raise awareness among elementary students of the problems associated with drug use. I commend Harrisville club president, Lion Connie Rider, for her leadership and dedication to the organization. I'd also like to recognize Lion Leroy Montgomery, who at the age of 99, remains a very active member of the Harrisville Lions Club. I applaud Mr. Montgomery for his lifetime of dedication to helping the less fortunate in his community. His efforts have certainly not gone unnoticed. I hope my colleagues will join me at this time in recognizing the accomplishments of these individuals as well as all of the other members of the Harrisville Lions Club. Congratulations on 60 years of service.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate Dr. Nicholas Neupauer for his appointment as the 8th president of Butler County Community College, BC3. Throughout his career, Dr. Neupauer has established himself as a leader in higher education. For the past 8 years he has worked at BC3, serving as vice president for academic affairs from 2004 to 2007 and as dean for humanities and social sciences from 1999 to 2004. As vice president, Dr. Neupauer coordinated articulations and dual enrollments with three institutions as part of the LindenPointe project in addition to bringing five degree completion partners to Butler's main campus. As dean, he was instrumental in the development of the Praxis Preparation program, which has helped more than 3,000 students and attained a remarkable 95 percent passing rate since its introduction. Prior to his arrival at BC3, he chaired the Communication Department at Marist College where he created a sports communication degree and was recognized by the Office of Special Services for his efforts for students with disabilities. Dr. Neupauer's contributions to Pennsylvania's Third Congressional District go beyond those made as an administrator and professor. Dr. Neupauer participates in many service activities, including United Way Day of Caring, Pittsburgh Area K-16 Council, and Butler P.M. Rotary. In the 2003-2004 school year, he was named an ``Outstanding Service and Community Achievement'' recipient for administrators at BC3. I hope my colleagues will join me in congratulating Dr. Nicholas Neupauer and wishing him the best of luck in his new position as president of Butler County Community College. Pennsylvania's Third Congressional District is fortunate to have such a dedicated person to educate our youth and develop the future leaders of our district, State and Nation.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I would first like to yield myself 30 seconds to clear the record. It has been intimated here that somehow Hugo Chavez's CITGO does not get a special break, and yet the definition in the bill, I think, clearly excludes it. Basically this bill would repeal the special domestic manufacturing deduction for major integrated oil companies, but under the strict definition included, CITGO is not defined as a major integrated oil company since it does not produce crude oil itself. Based on this, CITGO would continue to receive the domestic manufacturing deduction while a number of U.S.-based companies will not. With that I will retain the balance of my time but yield 3 minutes to a very distinguished member of the Energy and Commerce Committee and ranking member of the Energy and Air Quality Subcommittee, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton).

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, it is now my privilege to yield 2 minutes to a distinguished member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, the gentlelady from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn).

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Shays) for a unanimous consent request. (Mr. SHAYS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. I am in its current form.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 15 seconds simply to point out to the other gentleman that some of the provisions that he cited were actually originally written into the law during Republican Congresses when we were in the majority and when we were fighting against their opposition to pursue these important conservation measures. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to a distinguished member of the Ways and Means Committee, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Brady).

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, it was Ralph Waldo Emerson who once wrote that a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. Mr. Speaker, our friends on the other side of the aisle have today trumpeted forward an energy bill which they claim will promote America's energy independence. As the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee noted, this is a serious issue. But for those of you who are inclined to actually keep track of these things, this is actually the fourth time that the majority has advanced this particular flawed proposal in one form or another. That to me is a foolish consistency, or just like a broken record, this bill clearly is not playing with the American people. We fear that it will harm consumers, both individual consumers and companies, and it will also hurt the competitive position of the American economy. At a time when that economy is teetering on the lip of a recession and we are passing through this Chamber stimulus legislation, Washington ought to think twice before we go forward with a bill like this instead of embracing an energy policy that meets the needs of our economy now and that anticipates the challenges of the future. It is clear today that the majority have not chosen this necessary path. In reality, Mr. Speaker, our friends on the other side of the aisle have presented the House Chamber with a placebo that will ultimately reduce domestic energy production, will punish American energy companies that do what we want them to, and that is invest their profits in exploration here at home, will encourage greater dependence on foreign oil, and will potentially damage America's manufacturing base. This bill is not a serious solution. It is ``energy policy-lite,'' and it is clearly intended to appeal more to the blogosphere than to market forces. The Democrat solution to America's energy crisis is to single out what they claim are the five largest oil and gas producers for a tax increase. The fact is, Mr. Speaker, this legislation is not likely to impact oil producers' profits in any way, shape, or form. It is also not limited to the five largest producers, as they claim. The one thing you can be sure that this bill will do is raise prices at the pump for American consumers and create a looming sense of uncertainty which will compound the forces increasing prices today in the marketplace. Furthermore, it creates disincentives that will erode the supply of domestic natural gas and oil and increase our country's energy imports. While H.R. 5351 not only forces our country to become more dependent on foreign oil, it will also force America's working families to bear the brunt of increased energy costs. The effects of high gas prices will ripple through the economy, increasing prices on everything from electronics to school supplies. H.R. 5351 is also, I am afraid, an assault against America's manufacturing base. Using nearly one-third of the Nation's energy both as fuel and feedstock, energy production is the very heart of American manufacturing. With such an energy-intensive sector, raising energy prices will make domestic manufacturers less competitive in the world market, forcing more of our good-paying manufacturing jobs to go overseas. Mr. Speaker, I have long advocated for a comprehensive energy plan that will reduce our dependence on foreign oil and increase Americans' access to clean, affordable, and dependable energy for their cars, their homes, and their businesses. Yet, here again, Mr. Speaker, this bill is moving in the wrong direction. It throws effective incentives for producing renewable energy out the window and replaces them with backward and broken provisions. In this bill, the wind credit gets a substantial modification that will dramatically reduce its effectiveness for some of its most successful consumers. This will eliminate a critical incentive to increase renewable energy sources, one that has worked. Mr. Speaker, this version of the Democrats' energy bill is also in an odd way hostile to domestic not only economic interests, but I would argue foreign policy interests. This bill raises taxes on American oil producers while cutting a break for the Venezuelan state-owned oil company, CITGO. In effect, Mr. Speaker, this legislation will take away incentives that have proven to bolster domestic energy production right here at home, while giving more American dollars to, I guess we would call him a tin horn leftist dictator who has threatened to sever Venezuelan energy supplies destined to the United States. Clearly, America's best interests are not in the heart of this plan. This bill further repeals the domestic manufacturing deduction for domestic oil and gas companies, but allows all other oil and gas companies to receive a 6 percent deduction. This creates a situation whereby foreign-owned companies can claim the U.S. domestic manufacturing deduction, but certain U.S. employers can't. H.R. 5351 is simply not the answer. It wasn't in any of its three previous incarnations, and it isn't today. This legislation threatens America's investment, threatens Americans' jobs, threatens the American economy, and puts the consumer at a disadvantage. Mr. Speaker, I urge that we defeat this here today. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time is remaining on both sides.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California and a senior member of the Ways and Means committee, Mr. Herger.

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield 6\1/2\ minutes to a distinguished member of the Ways and Means Committee, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Ryan).

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, today I rise to recognize the accomplishments of the Erie Chapter of the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants. This year, the members of this organization celebrate their 50th anniversary. After splitting from the Northwest Chapter of the PICPA, 21 founding members held the first meeting of the Erie Chapter on January 31, 1958. From those first 21 CPAs, the chapter has grown to a membership of more than 320, including members working in public accounting, industry, financial services, healthcare, non-profit, government and education. While the Erie Chapter has the second smallest membership in the State, its members are clearly among the best and the brightest within their industry. In fact, two of the Chapter's members have served as president of the PICPA, while seven others have served as vice president and four have served as State representatives on the national council. The chapter's contributions to the Erie community go far beyond the professional realm. Chapter members donate thousands of hours to local charitable organizations serving on boards of directors, finance committees, and as volunteer staff, among others. The chapter has promoted participation in community events, including local blood drives, Hooked on Books, and CelebrateErie. Chapter members regularly speak at local schools on financial literacy and career. The chapter sponsors scholarships open to students in accounting at the local colleges and universities and has made significant contributions to the statewide scholarship program administered by the PICPA. The Erie Chapter is a diverse group of individuals united by their dedication to serving their clients, employers, and community with integrity, promoting financial literacy and advancing the profession by the maintenance of high ethical standards. I hope my colleagues will join me at this time in recognizing the efforts of the Erie Chapter of the PICPA and in congratulating its 50 years of service.