Bob Etheridge

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the legacy of a North Carolina institution. Louisburg College, the oldest two-year church affiliated, co-educational college in the nation, has filled a niche in North Carolina's system of higher education. As the only residential junior college in the state, the institution provides an excellent introduction to the collegiate life for college freshmen and sophomores. Louisburg College offers a premier beginning to successful academic and professional achievement. For 220 years the college has impacted lives and fulfilled its mission: Louisburg College is committed to offering a supportive community that nurtures young men and women intellectually, culturally, socially, physically, and spiritually. Louisburg College had its beginning in the period that witnessed the emergence of America as an independent nation, the birth of the Methodist Church in America, and the establishment of Franklin County, North Carolina, and the town of Louisburg. Having evolved from three earlier institutions, Franklin Male Academy, Louisburg Female Academy, and Louisburg Female College. The roots of Louis burg College trace back to the early years of the town of Louisburg, the county seat of Franklin County. Founded in 1779, during the American Revolution, the county was named in honor of Benjamin Franklin and the town in honor of King Louis XVI of France. Franklin Male Academy opened on January 1, 1805, under the direction of Yale graduate Matthew Dickinson. Franklin Male Academy prospered in its early years and soon had an enrollment of ninety students. The second stage in the evolution of Louisburg College began on December 27, 1814, when the state legislature ratified an act chartering the Louisburg Female Academy. By August 1815, Louisburg Female Academy was operating under the guidance of Harriet Partridge. The third stage of the evolution of Louisburg College began in January 1855, when the state legislature authorized the transfer of property by the trustees of Louisburg Female Academy to the directors of Louisburg Female College Company. By August 1857, Louisburg College opened under the management of Professor James P. Nelson. The female college continued to operate during the Civil War under presidents C.C. Andrews (1860-1861) and James Southgate, Jr. (1862-1865) After the war, about 500 Union soldiers camped in the college and male academy groves during May and June of 1865. After the college opened and closed several times the 1870s and 1880s, S.D. Bagley became president in 1889. Matthew S. Davis, who had previously served twenty-five years as principal of the Male Academy, became president of the Female College in 1896 and held the office until his death in 1906. He was succeeded by his daughter, Mary Davis Allen, who was President until 1917. At the beginning of the twentieth century, a number of significant changes took place. The institution became known as Louisburg College, and the college became officially linked to the Methodist Church. Washington Duke had acquired ownership of the college property in the 1890s. After his death, his son Benjamin N. Duke presented the property to the North Carolina Conference of the Methodist Church. The Reverend Armour David Wilcox, former minister of the Louisburg Methodist Church, served as president of the college from 1931 to 1937. Louisburg College became co-educational in 1931, and student enrollment immediately increased. By the end of World War II, institutional debts had been paid and in 1952, Louisburg College was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. During the 1986-87 school year, Louisburg college held a Bicentennial Celebration in recognition of its unique two-hundred-year heritage. The first college flag was designed and displayed during the celebration, and the first published history of the college, Louisburg College Echoes, was issued in 1988. Dr. C. Edward Brown, Jr. served as interim president in 1992, and Dr. Ronald I. May was president of Louisburg College from January 1993 through May 1998. Dr. Brown again assumed the interim presidency in June 1998. Dr. Rosemary Gillett-Karam become the twenty-fourth president of Louisburg College in December of 1998. Dr. Reginald Ponder assumed the presidency in 2002. Louisburg College has contributed significantly to the growth and development of NC and the enrichment of countless of its citizens. I urge the U.S. House of Representatives to join me in commending this outstanding institution.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution to commemorate the sixth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on America. Though it has been six years since that fateful day, time cannot diminish the memories of those lost. Six years ago tomorrow, America was struck by an unspeakable tragedy that shook the foundations of our society and changed our Nation forever. On September 11, 2001, we saw the very face of evil. And on that day and every day since, we have felt the heartbeat of America. The people of this country responded as never before, and our government also responded. We have been reminded of the service and sacrifice of Americans who are ordinary and extraordinary at the same time. Americans from all comers of our country and in North Carolina have given of themselves to help the victims' families. Our neighbors and friends have been deployed to Afghanistan and elsewhere to fight for our freedom. Our police officers, firefighters, EMS and other first responders have shown selfless devotion every day on our streets and in our communities. I applaud all of those who are serving or who have served in defense of America and our interests. They have responded with professionalism, precision and when needed, force, to root out the cowardly perpetrators and protect Americans and our interests both here and abroad. Let us continue to pray for the safe return of those who are still in harm's way and honor and thank those who have given their lives. We also must honor those thousands of innocent people who lost their lives that day and remember the bravery and sacrifice of the fire fighters, law enforcement officers and rescue worked who worked feverishly to save them, some of whom still suffer ill effects from that effort. Though somewhat eased by the passage of time, the grief of a nation still smolders. I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for this resolution.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this important legislation to reduce the costs of college for low-income and middle class families. I urge my colleagues to join me in voting to pass it. As the first member of my family to graduate from college, I know firsthand that affordable access to higher education is the key to the American Dream for working families. My life's work has been to improve educational opportunities for all because education is the key to the future. Education levels the playing field and empowers every individual willing to work hard the ability to make the most of his or her God-given talents. This legislation will make a real difference to make college more affordable without raising taxes while maintaining budget discipline. Specifically, this bill will cut in half the interest rate on federally subsidized Stafford Loans over the next five years, from 6.8 percent to 3.4 percent. Under this conference report, the average North Carolina student starting school in 2007 will save $2,200 throughout the life of the loan, and the average N.C. student starting school in 2001 will save $4,270. This legislation also will raise the maximum value of the Pell Grant scholarship by $1,090 by 2012. The bill will help ensure a highly qualified teacher in every classroom by providing upfront tuition assistance to qualified undergraduate students who commit to teaching in public schools in high-poverty communities or high-need subject areas. It will encourage public service by providing public servants loan forgiveness after ten years of public service for military servicemembers, first responders, nurses, educators, and others. Finally, this legislation will make historic new investments in minority-serving institutions and encourage state and philanthropic participation in college retention and financing to increase the number of first generation and low-income college students. I want to congratulate Chairman Miller for this accomplishment and thank him and his great staff, including Gabriella Gomez, Denise Forte and Mark Zuckerman, for working with me to ensure that the bill does not unintentionally harm North Carolina's nonprofit lending agency. I am pleased the President has committed to signing this bill into law, and I encourage all my colleagues to vote for it.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to H.R. 1908, Patent Reform Act of 2007. While I recognize the need for some reform of the United States' patent process, I believe we must proceed carefully and with the goal of improvement for the many stakeholders affected by the patent system. We should continue to work towards an efficient system that issues high-quality patents and places reasonable limits on patent challenges. Although there are some provisions in H.R. 1908 that could prove beneficial, this far-reaching bill could do serious harm to many of the important employers in my district. North Carolina benefits greatly from its strong university system. Institutions including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University in my district serve as engines for research and innovation that help to drive the state's economy. In addition, the 2nd Congressional District of North Carolina contains a number of pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology companies that provide thousands of jobs and are helping to transform our economy. Along with many of the traditional manufacturing companies in North Carolina, the lifeblood of these institutions is the value of the patents they hold. These entities have expressed opposition to any measure that would weaken their patent portfolios. H.R. 1908 in its current form would endanger the value of their patents and harm their ability to continue fueling our economy. Our patent system has long been a wonderful tool that has helped to foster innovation and reward American ingenuity. Patents, and their value and validity, serve as the backbone for thousands of companies and help form the basis of our economy. Congress should continue to work to reform the system in a way that benefits all of the varied interests that keep our economy strong. I hope the conference committee on H.R. 1908 can correct its shortcomings so I can support and Congress can enact comprehensive reform of our patent process.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Matt and Jennifer Allen on the birth of their child, Dyan Wade Allen. Dyan was born on Tuesday, August 7, 2007, and weighed 6 pounds and 12 ounces. My wife Faye joins me in wishing Matt and Jennifer great happiness upon this new addition to their family. As the father of three, I know the joy and pride that Matt and Jennifer feel at this special time. Children remind us of the incredible miracle of life, and they keep us young-at-heart. Every day, they show us a new way to view the world. I know the Allens look forward to the changes and challenges that their new son will bring to their lives while taking pleasure in the many rewards they are sure to receive as they watch him grow. I welcome young Dyan into the world and wish Matt and Jennifer all the best as they raise him.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor the 250th birthday of Marquis de Lafayette. Fayetteville, NC, was named for Lafayette in 1783. It was the first town in America to be named for him and the only one visited by him on his tour of the United States in 1825. Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette, was born in Auvergne, France, on September 6, 1757. Although an aristocrat, Gilbert Lafayette became enamored of the American fight for independence. In 1777, at the age of 19, flaunting convention and royal edicts, he used his own funds to purchase and outfit a ship and sailed to America. He joined the American forces and became a lifelong friend of General George Washington. His enthusiasm for the cause of liberty and his courage in battle won him the admiration and friendship of soldiers, officers, and statesmen. The youngest major general in the American army, Lafayette made a significant contribution to the defeat of the British forces under General Lord Charles Cornwallis at the Battle of Yorktown, VA, in 1781. Lafayette also accomplished much as a diplomat, persuading the Governors of independent colonies to provide food and supplies to a poorly clothed and starving Continental Army. He lobbied vigorously with the French court for more troops and ships for the American cause. The commitments he secured from France ultimately forced England to sue for peace. Lafayette returned to France and continued his campaign for liberty. His involvement in the French Revolution caused his persecution by radicals on both sides. Imprisoned for 5 years in Prussia and Austria, his fame brought worldwide pressure for his release. As Lafayette's popularity grew, his views on liberty, religious tolerance, and the abolition of slavery became widespread. Lafayette's popularity in America culminated with President Monroe issuing an invitation in 1824 for the general to visit the young country and witness the development of this experiment in democracy. His status as one of the last surviving members of the revolutionary leadership gave communities a reason to host elaborate receptions, dances, and ceremonies in his honor. Madam Speaker, in 1825, the citizens of Fayetteville, NC, were honored by a 2-day visit from the famous French proponent of liberty, Marquis de Lafayette. In a speech of welcome, Judge John D. Toomer proclaimed, ``Never, never can we forget the youthful stranger who, in the darkest hour of adversity, so generously flew to our succour, and so gallantly fought the battle of freedom.'' Marquis de Lafayette was a man who fought for our great Nation and left his mark on North Carolina, America, and the world.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Madam Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 3221, the New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security, and Consumer Protection Act; and H.R. 2776, the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2007. As forward thinking as this legislation is Madam Chairman, it is by no means a perfect bill. This legislation contains a Renewable Portfolio Standard for investor-owned electric companies that I voted against, and remain opposed to as I believe it places an unfair burden on my state of North Carolina and the other Southeastern states. It is my hope that this RPS can be corrected in conference so that certain states are not placed with the burden of funding initiatives in other states. These two pieces of legislation truly represent a new direction in our nation's energy policy. This legislation will move the United States toward greater energy independence and security by developing innovative new technologies, reducing carbon emissions, creating green jobs, protecting consumers, increasing clean renewable energy production, and modernizing our energy infrastructure. H.R. 3221 provides incentives that will increase research and development in clean energy technologies, raise efficiency standards for appliances and lighting, and direct the Federal Government to become a leader in reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. H.R. 2771 will expand tax incentives and bonds for renewable energy, energy efficiency and renewable fuels as well as incentives for consumers to purchase plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and energy efficient appliances. This legislation will put our nation on a path towards energy independence, it will strengthen national security, grow our economy, and create new jobs. It does so by investing in the future, in new energy technologies and innovation. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 1927, a temporary bill to renew the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978, FISA, to provide procedures for authorizing certain acquisitions of foreign intelligence information. As a member of the Committee on Homeland Security, I know that the recent National Intelligence Estimate contains a stark warning about our vulnerability to terrorist attacks. S. 1927 intends to fill an intelligence gap that exists in the original FISA law and due in part to a recent court ruling regarding the surveillance of foreign suspects. S. 1927 seeks to make clear the procedures for obtaining warrants for the surveillance of domestic and foreign terrorist suspects. Reform in the intelligence-gathering arena is particularly necessary as the worlds of technology and communications rapidly change. Clearer laws and boundaries enable our intelligence agencies to respond swiftly against terror suspects. Although I believe in providing our intelligence agencies with the necessary tools to protect our Nation from terrorism, I am also concerned that we do so without limiting Americans' liberties and rights to privacy. Because of the seriousness of the threats we face, we cannot delay in giving needed direction to our intelligence agencies. However, I share many of my colleagues' concerns with this bill. While S. 1927 includes a provision to sunset in 6 months, I support Speaker Pelosi's call to the House Committee on the Judiciary and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence to revisit this issue as soon as possible when Congress reconvenes. Congress should continue to work to find a balance between protecting our Nation, and protecting the freedoms that have made our Nation great.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor the life of Dr. Norman Adrian Wiggins, who died August 1, 2007. In his passing I lost a good friend, Campbell University lost her Chancellor, North Carolina lost one of its most outstanding citizens and a man who was instrumental in his community, county, and State. A native of Burlington, North Carolina, Dr. Wiggins was a veteran of World War II, where he served in the United States Marine Corps. After returning from his service to our Nation, he began his educational pilgrimage and earned the Associate of Arts degree from Campbell Junior College, the Bachelor of Arts degree from Wake Forest College, the Bachelor of Laws degree from the Wake Forest College School of Law and the Master of Law and Doctor of the Science of Law from Columbia University School of Law. On June 6, 1967, Dr. Wiggins became the 3rd president of Campbell College and immediately began piloting a new course for the institution. It would lead to the establishment of one of the most outstanding trust management programs in the Nation, an award-winning and nationally recognized Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC), and the establishment of five professional schools--the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law, the Lundy-Fetterman School of Business, the School of Education, the School of Pharmacy and the Divinity School. He also led in the College's move to university status in 1979. Under Dr. Wiggins' leadership, Campbell's educational programs were extended beyond the Buies Creek campus as the University was among the first private schools to offer extended education opportunities to military installations, including Fort Bragg, Pope Air Force Base, New River Air Base and Camp Lejeune. Dr. Wiggins' most notable international venture was the creation of the partnership between Campbell University and Tunku Abdul Rahman College in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a partnership that has lasted more than twenty-five years. Dr. Wiggins was a devoted Christian; he served North Carolina Baptists at the State and national levels. He was one of only two Baptist college presidents to serve as president of the North Carolina Baptist State Convention. He also served as president of the Southern Baptist Sunday School Board and the National Fellowship of Men. In May 2003, following a thirty-six year tenure as president of Campbell University, Dr. Wiggins retired. In recognition of his exemplary service, the Board of Trustees named Dr. Wiggins Chancellor of the University. Dr. Wiggins is survived by his wife Millie Wiggins. Madam Speaker, Dr. Wiggins had a commitment to excellence in everything he did, and he had a way of bringing out excellence in everyone around him. That commitment is evident in all aspects of Campbell University. Under Dr. Wiggins' leadership Campbell experienced unprecedented growth in facilities, dollars and quality. The number of students' lives he changed in a positive way is immeasurable. Campbell University, Harnett County and the entire State of North Carolina are better in countless ways because of the efforts of Dr. Wiggins.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the conference report for the America COMPETES Act. I am pleased that the new Democratic majority in Congress is providing this new direction for our country. As an active member of the New Democratic Coalition, I support this bill that will help ensure our Nation's global economic competitiveness through investment in math, science, engineering, and technological education and a renewed commitment to basic research. As a former member of the House Committee on Science, I have worked for years working with the committee to get here. I want to thank them for this piece of legislation. I want to congratulate Chairman Bart Gordon and Ranking Member Ralph Hall and the staff of the Science Committee for their hard work in producing this outstanding product. As a former State school chief now serving in Congress, I am pleased that this bill will invest in 25,000 new teachers through professional development, Summer Institute training, graduate education assistance, and NSF scholarships. The bill also broadens the participation of minorities and women in science and engineering fields at all levels from kindergarten to advanced researchers. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the conference report on H.R. 2272, the America COMPETES Act. I am pleased that the new Democratic Majority in Congress is providing a new direction for our country. As an active Member of the New Democrats' Coalition, I support this bill that will help ensure our nation's global economic competitiveness through investment in math, science, engineering, and technology education and a renewed commitment to basic research. As a former Member of the House Committee on Science, I have worked for many years to pass legislation to encourage innovators and develop the most valuable workforce in the world. I want to congratulate Chairman Bart Gordon and Ranking Member Ralph Hall and the staff of the Science Committee for their hard work in producing this outstanding product. As the only former state schools chief serving in Congress, I am pleased that this bill will invest in 25,000 new teachers through professional development, summer training institutes, graduate education assistance, and NSF scholarships. The bill also broadens the participation of minorities and women in science and engineering fields at all levels from kindergarten students to advanced researchers. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the authors of this legislation for their success on this fine product, and I urge my colleagues to join me in voting to pass it.

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the conference report on H.R. 2272, the Americn Competes Act. I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for it. I am pleased that the new Democratic Majority in Congress is providing a new direction for our country through common sense legislation. As an active Member of the New Democrats' Coalition, I support this bill that will help ensure our nation's global economic competitiveness through investment in math, science, engineering, and technology education and a renewed commitment to basic research. The conference report on H.R. 2272 is a bipartisan measure to implement an Innovation Agenda boldly responds to the global economic challenges identified in the 2005 National Academy of Science report, ``Rising Above the Gathering Storm.'' As a former member of the House Committee on Science, I have worked for many years to pass legislation to encourage innovators and develop the most valuable workforce in the world. I want to congratulate Chairman Bart Gordon and Ranking Member Ralph Hall and the staff of the Science Committee for their hard work in producing this outstanding product. As the only former state schools chief serving in Congress, I am pleased that this bill will invest in 25,000 new teachers through professional development, summer training institutes, graduate education assistance, and National Science Foundation scholarships. It ensures more highly qualified teachers in the classroom, in the fields of mathematics, science, engineering, technology and critical foreign languages. H.R. 2272 establishes a public-private partnership with the business community and institutions of higher education to develop efforts to educate and train mathematicians, scientists and engineers to meet the workforce demands of the business community. The bill expands access to Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate classes and increases the number of qualified AP/IB teachers. The conference report enhances the ability of states to build more competitive workforces to meet the challenges of recruiting and retaining students in innovative fields. The bill also broadens the participation of minorities and women in science and engineering fields at all levels from kindergarten students to advanced researchers. The bill focuses on small business innovation by doubling funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership and creates a new Technology Innovation Program for small and medium-sized companies. Finally, this legislation creates a ground-breaking initiative, the Advanced Research Projects for Energy (ARPA-E), modeled after DARPA that has brought us such innovations as the Internet, to provide talent and resources for high-risk, high-reward energy and research and technology development, and to help attract investment for the next generation of revolutionary technologies. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the authors of this legislation for their success on this fine product, and I urge my colleagues to join me in voting to pass it.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. I thank my friend for yielding. Mr. Chairman, my friend from Arizona has already made a statement why this earmark ought to stay in here. It really is making a difference for the industry, and it's employing people. I rise in strong opposition to this amendment. The funding for this wood utilization grant helps fund the Wood Machining and Tooling Research Program, as you have just heard. Part of it is really on the campus of NC State University, a land grant university. It has been matched more than dollar for dollar, every Federal dollar by private dollar. This is not a giveaway program but, rather, one that has been designed to work to make the Southeastern furniture industry more competitive, as you have heard, in the global economy. This research program investigates and solves problems related to manufacturing tools used in the wood machining and manufacturing operations. Other than Wood Machining and Tooling Research Program, there is no other Federal research program to support U.S. wood manufacturing and tooling companies who are competing with low-wage jobs on the other side of the world with other countries. It is only right to invest in the industries we have remaining in our rural parts of this country when outsourcing these industries overseas has hurt States all across America. I strongly urge my colleagues to vote against this amendment.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise reluctantly in opposition to the Children's Health and Medicare Preservation Act. I fully support the goals of this legislation--to provide healthcare to millions of uninsured children, to improve Medicare benefits for our seniors, and to help rural areas provide healthcare. Unfortunately, however, I cannot support legislation that unfairly impacts the second district and all of North Carolina with the burdens of this cost. I have been a long-time supporter of the State Children's Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP, and I am proud that the Budget Committee on which I serve authorized the increase reflected in this bill. I support reauthorizing and strengthening SCHIP, without which nearly six million children will lose access to healthcare. In North Carolina, NC Health Choice provides cost-effective and high-quality health services to 250,000 at-risk children. An additional 180,000 uninsured children in North Carolina are eligible for coverage, and the $50 billion in the budget I helped write would enable more of these children to be covered. It is also vital that we enable physicians to provide health services, in SCHIP, Medicaid, .and in Medicare. This legislation implements a 2-year fix that enables doctors to continue their participation in the program without going bankrupt. Without this fix, North Carolina physicians will lose $460 million for the care of elderly and disabled patients over the next 2 years, and face a 1.6 percent geographic cut above the baseline reductions in other parts of the country. I appreciate Medicare physicians who have made many sacrifices to continue to cover the Medicare population, and without a fix this year doctors may start dropping out and refuse to see Medicare patients. We must maintain our commitment to universal coverage for our Nation's seniors and people with disabilities. This legislation takes a positive step in that direction. There are many other positive provisions in this legislation: fixes that strengthen the Medicare Trust Fund, provide more access to preventative care, and provide lower premiums for many seniors; extensions for important rural health care initiatives that ensure access to care for people across the country, especially in the second district of North Carolina; support for the Special Diabetes Programs, which provide essential funding for research and innovative diabetes prevention activities for thousands of children in communities throughout the country; provides parity for mental health coverage under Medicare; the list goes on and on. I understand what these improvements mean to the people of North Carolina, and I wholeheartedly support them. These provisions have a cost, however, and as important as these priorities are we also must value the principle of fairness. I do not support smoking, and I have never smoked, but this bill is not fair to those who grow or use tobacco. The cigarette tax is regressive; falling hardest on those who can least afford it. Although it is a national tax, it also unevenly impacts the country, with North Carolina and a few other states footing the bill for the benefits the CHAMP Act seeks to deliver. North Carolina's citizens pay over four percent of the costs of this legislation while receiving about two percent of the benefit. Researchers at North Carolina State University estimate that North Carolina's economy would lose at least $540 million a year through the tax's indirect impact as well. North Carolina's tobacco farmers grow a legal crop. These hard working farm families have suffered greatly from transformations in the global economy. Because my district is the second largest tobacco producing district in the country, H.R. 3162 disproportionately affects my constituents who work hard to be able to pay their bills and provide a better life for their children. This just doesn't pass the fairness test. Mr. Speaker, I wish I could support this bill for all of its laudable goals. I join with my colleagues in my desire to provide healthcare for children, strengthen Medicare and protect it from privatization, and improve health services for rural communities, diabetes patients, and others. When we are able to do so without placing undue burden on North Carolina's farmers and low-income families, I will gladly vote in favor of doing so. With the current funding mechanism, however, I cannot support this bill.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of S. 1, the Honest Leadership, Open Government Act of 2007. I urge my colleagues to join me in voting in favor of it to clean up the culture of corruption in Washington. The first order of business in the 110th Congress has been to restore honesty and integrity to the U.S. House of Representatives. On the first day of the new Congress, we imposed tough new rules on Members of Congress to ban gifts from lobbyists, end the abuses connected to lobbyist-funded congressional travel, require full transparency and end the abuse of special interest earmarks, to ensure this Congress upholds the highest ethical standards. S. 1 will now bring unprecedented transparency and accountability to lobbyists' activities. For the first time, lobbyists who collect campaign checks for Members of Congress must report this practice. Members of Congress will also be required to disclose if more than $15,000 in campaign contributions was collected on his or her behalf by a lobbyist. Lobbyists will be required to disclose contributions to Members' charities, events honoring Members, contributions intended to pay the cost of a meeting and contributions to Presidential Library Funds. Lobbyists will now be required to file disclosure reports quarterly rather than semi-annually. The bill will establish an online, searchable public database of these lobbyist disclosure reports. In addition, this legislation increases criminal and civil penalties for violating the Lobby Disclose Act to $200,000 and five years in prison. We have added additional restrictions on Members of Congress by requiring sitting Members to disclose job negotiations for post- Congressional employment and to recuse themselves if there is a conflict of interest. We will also establish an online, searchable public database of Members' travel and personal financial disclosure forms. The ongoing corruption scandals in the U.S. House and Senate anger me because they threaten the bonds between the American people and their elected leaders. Therefore, I am very pleased that this bill denies pension benefits to those Members of Congress convicted of corruption while serving the American people. I have always believed that public office is a public trust, and I work every day to live up to the trust the people of North Carolina's Second Congressional District have placed in me. I urge my colleagues to vote for a new direction and to support honest leadership and an open government.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. I thank the gentleman for his leadership. Mr. Chairman, as you've heard, this commodity has already taken a major hit, a major change in the whole list of that commodity. It is really unfair to single out cotton. I agree with the gentleman from Colorado; we have done some things in conservation and wish we could have done more and wish we had more money. You have already heard how we have been strapped for cash, but the truth is this amendment is unfair. And I will oppose the gentleman's amendment, and I would encourage my colleagues to oppose it as well. We will continue to work with him as the bill moves forward to try and help, but it is absolutely unfair, once we have reached this very delicate balance within the bill, to reach in and single out one commodity that has already been hit harder in terms of cuts than any other commodity within all of the commodity titles.

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from North Dakota (Mr. Pomeroy).

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Chairman, as chairman of the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management, we have already held three hearings this year. The chairman has indicated that the committee is going to hold more hearings. We are going to look into this deeper. I think that's appropriate. To make this kind of change on the floor of the House at the 11th hour is unfair to the farmers of America. I oppose the gentleman's amendment and would ask the Members of this body to do the same. Let it go back to the committee so we will have the opportunity to do it at committee level where it should be done.

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Chairman, I claim time in opposition and yield the customary 2\1/2\ minutes to the ranking member from Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Scott), a member of the committee.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, later this morning the House will take up the farm bill, H.R. 2419, and let me just share a couple of quotes, one from the American Farm Bureau: ``The farm bill is one of our highest priorities. We understand there may be a motion to recommit the bill back to the House Committee on Agriculture. We urge you to oppose this amendment. Without the additional almost $4 billion in offsets, we cannot adequately fund the nutrition needs in the farm bill.'' This is signed by the president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. And from 24 different commodity groups that affect labor and commodities in America: ``Dear Members of Congress, we support both the underlying farm bill and the additional nutrition spending which gives rise to the need for an offset. For that reason we appreciate the efforts of Members of Congress who have attempted to identify that offset and we would encourage those who are concerned about the offset identified by the Committee on Ways and Means to support H.R. 2419 despite those concerns. ``In any event, we urge the House to move expeditiously to pass H.R. 2419. We remain hopeful that the long congressional tradition of passing farm bills on a bipartisan fashion will not be broken.'' And it is signed by 24 groups from the American Soybean Association through the U.S. Rice Producers Association. American Soybean Association American Sugar Alliance Arkansas Rice Growers Association Missouri Rice Research and Merchandising Council National Association of Wheat Growers National Barley Growers Association National Cotton Council National Farmers Organization National Farmers Union National Sorghum Producers National Sunflower Association North Carolina Peanut Growers Association Oklahoma Peanut Commission Panhandle Peanut Growers Association South Carolina Peanut Growers Association Southern Peanut Farmers Federation Texas Peanut Producers Association Texas Peanut Producers Board Western Peanut Growers United Egg Producers USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council USA Rice Federation US Canola Association US Rice Producers Association

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Chairman, I recognize the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) for 1 minute.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this conference report, the Implementation of the Recommendations of the Bipartisan 9/11 Commission, and commend the chairman, Mr. Thompson, and the ranking member, Mr. King, for their hard work. We would not be here today had it not been for their diligence and hard work and the leadership of our committee. And certainly, as has already been said today, Congress cannot wait for another attack like 9/11 to take the steps to protect our Nation from terrorists, and I thank them for their efforts. This legislation improves homeland security. It empowers our communities to respond to threats, and it enhances interoperable communications and begins to restore America's moral leadership in the world. Homeland security begins with hometown security, and local funding provided by this bill makes our entire Nation more secure. Specifically, the bill provides States with more than $3 billion over 5 years to provide all hazardous preparation and response assistance. Mr. Speaker, as a former State school chief in North Carolina, and a proud member of the Homeland Security Committee, I am particularly proud that this bill specifically strengthens school security. The legislation emphasizes the need for resources to protect our school children and plan for emergency response for our schools. And it contains a provision that I offered directing the Department of Homeland Security to study this related to school buses and school transportation. Just last week, the National Intelligence Estimate gave us a stark warning that we cannot afford to be complacent in the face of rising Islamic extremism and threat of terrorist violence. Mr. Speaker, the American people want bipartisan action and I commend this report. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this Conference Report to H.R. 1, and I urge all my colleagues to join me in voting to pass this vitally important legislation to implement the recommendations of the bipartisan 9/11 Commission. In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy of 9/11, our Federal, State, and local governments worked to improve preparedness and our security. The work that we have done since then has made our country safer, but there is much more yet to do. Keeping all Americans safe must be the top priority of the government. Congress cannot wait for another attack to take steps to protect our nation from terrorism. The legislation that I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting today improves homeland security, empowers our communities to prepare for and respond to all threats, and begins to restore America's moral leadership throughout the world. It reflects bipartisan work on the part on the part of this Congress and implements many of the recommendations of the bipartisan 9/11 Commission. These provisions will make our Nation stronger and safer. The bill fixes grant programs for first responders, and takes all- hazards risk-based approach to our homeland security spending. It will provide critical funding and equipment to our communities to implement state homeland security plans, protect mass transportation, and enable first responders to communicate with each other during a terrorist attack or other emergencies. It improves intelligence and information sharing among agencies, and ensures a unified response to all threats. Homeland security begins with hometown security, and these local resources make our entire nation more secure. Specifically, the bill provides states more than $3 billion over 5 years to provide all hazards preparation and response assistance. Others have spoken about the provisions that provide 100 percent scanning of cargo, prevent the proliferation of WMD, and advance our democratic values--these are vital and important provisions we can all be proud of. As the former State schools superintendent in North Carolina, and North Carolina's only member of the Homeland Security Committee, I am particularly proud of the fact that the legislation emphasizes. the need for resources to protect our school children and plan for emergency response at our schools. It also contains my provision directing the Department of Homeland Security to study risks related to school buses and other school transportation. These details are evidence of the comprehensive nature of this bill, which preserves and strengthens our national response to all threats to homeland security. Just last week, the new National Intelligence Estimate gave us a stark warning that we can not afford to be complacent in the face of rising Islamic extremism and the threat of terrorist violence. This legislation continues Congress' commitment to keeping America safe. Mr. Speaker, the American people want bipartisan action to provide real solutions for a safe and secure country, and I urge my colleagues to join me in voting to approve this conference report.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Chairman, I stand in opposition to the gentleman's amendment and move to strike the last word.

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Thank you. For many of my colleagues this is just another earmark. For me this is somewhat personal because the first job that I ever held right out of high school before I went to college was in a textile plant. That was when they were plentiful in North Carolina and really across the Southeast. Hard work, in a lot of cases it was dirty work, but it was honorable work, and it made a difference in people's lives. The National Textile Center, or NTC, as you have already heard, really is a national initiative. It's not a localized project. It's a project that has already made a difference. It will continue to make a difference. And as you have heard, it's a consortium of eight leading textile research universities. One of those is in my State. Actually one of the universities happens to be in my district, an outstanding university, North Carolina State University. But each of these States making a contribution, or the universities in these States. They're working to advance every aspect of the textile industry, from fiber production to marketing, through research, education, and, more importantly, industrial partnerships. That's the kind of thing we ought to be promoting here. We ought to be about getting people to work together. That's what this is about. Yet we have an amendment that says, no, we don't want you to work together. We'd just as soon you have those silos. We argue on this floor daily about knocking down silos and getting people to work together. The National Textile Center was established really to achieve that one goal, but three others: It was to develop new materials, innovative and improved manufacturing procedures and integrated systems essential to the success of a modern fiber, fabric and fabricated products manufacturing enterprise. Secondly, to provide trained personnel. It's important today as the industry changes to have people who can affect the new industry, because it is a high-tech industry today, and to develop those industrial partnerships and technology transfer mechanisms. And, finally, to strengthen the Nation's textile research and education efforts. Just yesterday I had a large manufacturer of textiles in my office. Twenty-four plants. He closed one in the western part of North Carolina. Now, for some people that might not make a difference, but for about 300 people that lost their jobs, that's trauma. Their lives have been changed. This is a way we can help that situation. We've lost our shoe industry overseas. Much of our textiles have gone. We are now about trying to reclaim some of it. Now in its 14th year of activity, the center has made numerous contributions to its constituents, helping to keep the textile industry economically viable by providing a knowledge-based, competitive, cutting-edge opportunity. It enjoys widespread industry support and a partnership across the States. As has been stated already, this industry is still alive. Six hundred thousand workers in America are still employed in the textile industry, contributing nearly $60 billion to the national gross domestic product on an annual basis. Research has already provided, as you have heard, uniforms and opportunities for our first responders. They're in the process in a broader sense of creating fabrics that are self- decontaminating to protect against biological and chemical hazards. These are things we ought to be doing. And, yes, we ought to be doing them in a way that we work together so that at multiple universities and the bright minds we have across this country today can work together to make a difference. I oppose the gentleman's amendment, and I ask this body to defeat it resoundingly.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. I thank the chairman for his hard work, and really on both sides of the aisle, for all the Members who put in long hours, who traveled across this country and listened to farmers and commodity groups speak. Madam Chairman, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2419. It's an important piece of legislation. Madam Chairman, this has been a long process. In the early part of the year, our Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management continued to hold hearings. We listened to groups. All the groups came, they talked, they made their recommendations. The message we heard from farmers was that they like the basic framework that was created under the 2002 farm bill. Not only did we preserve that framework, but we made improvements so that the safety net worked more effectively. And yes, as a result of the farm bill in 2002, we saved money, which meant that we had a greater challenge. We maintained the three-legged stool that supports farmers through direct payments, counter-cyclical payments, and marketing loan benefits. We adjusted loan rates and target prices to achieve a rebalancing between commodities that was long overdue. We included several improvements to the cotton marketing loan program to make it more reflective of current market realities and values, as well as corrected problems in the program that we experienced since the elimination of the Step 2 program. We also provided assistance to the textile industry to enhance their competitiveness and help keep those jobs here at home. This could be called not only an Ag bill; it's a jobs bill, as well as a national defense bill, because we use it for food and fiber to feed our people. I'm also proud that we're also providing farmers with the opportunity to experiment with revenue-based counter-cyclical programs. While most producers are satisfied with the current counter-cyclical program, some farmers are interested in the revenue-based approach. Providing farmers with the option to choose between these two types of counter-cyclical programs allows them to make the best economic decision for their families. This revenue counter-cyclical program will also provide us with better insight into how the program works so we can determine if it is a better model for future farm bills. H.R. 2419 contains Rural Development programs that will better facilitate the financing of essential rural infrastructures like public water and waste disposal systems. It establishes grant and loan programs for rural healthcare facilities. It will improve access to broadband telecommunications services in rural areas. The Bill also expands funding for a host of conservation programs, including the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Maintaining the 60 percent share of EQIP funding for livestock is extremely important to North Carolina's poultry and pork producers. As a representative from one of the most agriculturally diverse states in the Nation, and a member of the Horticulture and Organic Agriculture Subcommittee, I am particularly pleased that we are providing, for the first time ever, mandatory dollars for programs that benefit fruit and vegetable producers as well as the ever growing organic agriculture industry. For our tobacco farmers who have been trying to get into specialty crop production since the buyout, these new programs will support the industry through projects in research, marketing, education, pest and disease management, production, and food safety. We are strengthening the nutrition title through extra money for the Emergency Food Assistance Program; raising the minimum benefit for Food Stamps, which hasn't been done since 1977; and eliminating cap on dependent care, which opens up the program to more working families. We are reforming crop insurance to provide better coverage for organic producers; expanding data mining to root out waste, fraud, and abuse; and providing an extra option for producers to obtain supplemental area-based crop insurance in addition to their current revenue or yield policies. We have accomplished all this, and so much more. But we did it with a responsible budget. Operating under the Pay As You GO (PAYGO) requirements has posed difficult challenges for the Agriculture Committee, but I believe we have managed to preserve for farmers a sound safety net that provides extra protections, while staying within our budget. In addition to my service on the Agriculture Committee, I serve on the House Budget Committee. Yesterday, we had a hearing with the Director of the Congressional Budget Office and the Comptroller General of the United States. They testified about the budget calamity this Administration and the previous Republican Majority have left this country in. A calamity which made the job of passing a farm bill that much harder this year. According to their testimony, were it not for the policies of this Administration and its Republican allies in Congress, the federal budget would be in balance today. Yet the Republican priorities are so out of whack that today, one of the fastest growing segments of the federal budget is interest on the national debt. And most of that debt is financed by foreign countries like China who may not always have America's best interests at heart. It was a Democratic Congress that restored fiscal discipline to the federal budget through PAYGO rules, and this Farm Bill responsibly adheres to those rules. I thank the Chairman for his hard work on moving this bill to this point, and I urge my colleagues to support farm families, support feeding children, support moving to renewable fuels, and vote for H.R. 2419.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Madam Chairman, I rise in opposition to the Kind-Flake amendment. The sponsors of this amendment like to argue that passage of the amendment would help pave the way for new trade agreements. That is naive thinking. Our trade negotiators are engaged in WTO trade talks in a bid to open up foreign markets for U.S. agriculture products and reduce, if not eliminate, trade distorting foreign subsides. The cuts in the farm safety net that the Kind-Flake amendment impose are tantamount to unilateral disarmament. During the Cold War, we would never have cut our military strength without first extracting similar if not greater reductions from the Soviets. We should do no less in today's trade negotiations. Cutting our farm support will not lead to a WTO agreement. As the current negotiations have shown, any time the United States gives a little on its trade position, our trading partners ask us to give more. Trying to create a farm bill that will please a WTO negotiator from another country is the wrong approach. The farm bill is for helping U.S. farmers. Who supports the Kind-Flake amendment, groups who mistakenly believe that unilateral cuts will spark a trade deal. Who opposes the Kind-Flake amendment, farm and commodity groups across the nation. When it comes to farm policy, I am going to stand with the farmers. I urge my colleagues to oppose the Kind-Flake amendment.