Virginia Foxx

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I do want to talk a little bit more about this issue of the Constitution and the problem that we're having again right now with our not adhering to our responsibilities in this Congress. Article I, again, is what gives power to the Congress. There's nowhere in the Constitution where the President has the power to do what we should be doing right now, which is opening up the supply of oil and gas for the people of this country. We have that power. Day after day, night after night, members of the other party come to the floor and blame our sitting President for every ill in this country. Unfortunately, we simply cannot pass off our responsibilities for the things we should be doing and blame them all on the sitting President. My guess is he's going to be blamed over and over and over for probably a long period of time for those things. But the American people are smarter than that. They know that the Congress itself has the responsibility for doing many of the things that we do not do, and again, the bill yesterday is an example of that. We had a great opportunity to pass a bill yesterday that would have created more American energy, but my colleagues on the other side don't seem to be in favor of more American energy. They seem to be anti- American energy, just as many other things that they support seem to be anti-American power and anti-American control. We can completely eliminate our dependence on foreign sources of oil, and we should be doing that, but we aren't doing that. I urge the American people to pay attention to who is in charge of the Congress right now and say to your Members on the other side, we want you to bring real bills, not sham bills, not illusory bills, but real bills to the floor to be voted on. I reserve the balance of my time. Parliamentary Inquiry

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I very much appreciate the comments by both of our colleagues from New Jersey, and I am very grateful for the leadership that Congressman Garrett has given to us in the Constitution Caucus. I want to say that, as I've said before, I often speak to school groups, and when I do, I always make sure that I use the Constitution as my beginning point. And one of the things that I talk about is the fact that the article I, which enumerates the power of the Congress, is not an accident. The Framers of the Constitution, the Founders of this country, wanted the majority of the power to remain within the elected bodies, and particularly in the House of Representatives, which is elected every 2 years, and we're known as the people's House. I want to say that I agree with my colleague from New Jersey (Mr. Garrett) that one of the major problems that exists in this Congress now is the fact that we seem to have ignored amendment 10 of the Constitution, which says, ``The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.'' I think that one of the reasons some of our colleagues believe that we've abrogated our responsibilities of oversight to the executive branch, which the Framers never expected to be very powerful, is that we have become engaged in way too many things in this Congress and we can't stick to our knitting. We don't look after the things that we should be looking after because we're doing the things that the States should be doing and that the people should be doing, and if we would adhere to the Constitution, we could do a much better job of what we came here to do or at least what many of us came here to do. So I would say that the problem is within the Congress itself because we don't leave enough time to do the things that we should be doing and that are given to us by the Constitution, and we get involved in doing things that the States should be doing and the people themselves should be doing. And certainly, the bill last night that was passed on this floor is an excellent example of that, and I thank my colleague for bringing it up as an excellent example. I reserve the balance of our time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to my distinguished colleague from the State of New Jersey and the author of this resolution, Mr. Garrett.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, it is truly an honor to be able to be here today and speak on the anniversary of our Constitution. On this day, 221 years ago, the Constitution of the United States was signed in Philadelphia. Today we honor the hard work and commitment of the 42 delegates to that Constitutional Convention. In retrospect, the accomplishment of those delegates continues to grow and sets a bar for legislative effectiveness for nations all over the world to try to equal. When I go out and talk to school groups about serving in Congress, I always use the Constitution as my point of reference, and I try to point out to them what a radical idea this entire country is and was. At the time that we sought our independence from Great Britain, no people in the world had ever sought to set themselves up in the way our government did. The Constitution is the basis of all that has helped make us and keep us great. The Constitution signed that day contained only 4,400 words. It is the oldest and shortest written Constitution of any major government in the world. Yet in those few words, the framers laid out a plan for self-government which has insured American liberty, adapted to technological and cultural changes, and expanded civil liberty in this Nation over the past two centuries. I also point out to those school children that in my opinion the most important words written, outside the Bible, are the words ``We the People'' which begin the preamble to the Constitution, because, again, that was a radical notion in those days. The delegates who gathered in Philadelphia faced a daunting task. The Nation had already experienced failure in the form of the Articles of Confederation which did little to unify the States into a coherent national unit. So the question was certainly an open one: Could these delegates, who came from every corner of the Nation and every walk of life, find a new way to create a functioning, unified nation while still respecting the rights and needs of each individual region and State? They succeeded beyond their wildest expectations. The form of government developed by these delegates wasn't perfect, but the foundation they laid sustained us through wars and times of internal tumult. The question for all Americans today is, what can we learn from the accomplishment of the framers of our Constitution? Certainly they taught us there's no shame in contending forcefully for your convictions. But they also taught us that the discipline of respect for your adversary and the virtue of understanding how and when to strike the best compromise possible are the foundations of civil discourse. These are lessons every American would do well to remember. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I thought I had been addressing my comments to the Speaker. I want to say, again, that I thank the gentlemen from New Jersey for bringing this resolution, H. Res. 1356, to the Congress today to vote on. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.'' I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support the passage of H.R. 6772, and yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of this bill designating the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1717 Orange Avenue in Fort Pierce, Florida, as the CeeCee Ross Lyles Post Office Building. Born and raised in Fort Pierce, CeeCee Ross Lyles was a role model in her community. She worked several jobs to support her family and still found time to volunteer at a local Christian women's shelter. For 6 years Lyles served at the Fort Pierce Police Department. During that time she became known for her willingness to tackle fleeing criminals, worked her way up to detective, and was up for a promotion to sergeant. In October 2000, Lyles saw a chance to pursue a lifelong dream and left the Fort Pierce Police Department. Through employment with United Airlines as a flight attendant, Lyles found new experiences and opportunities to travel. Sadly, her life ended less than a year later, on September 11, 2001. Lyles was among the heroic crew on United Flight 93, which, along with the passengers on board that day, overtook the terrorists and prevented them from completing their diabolical plot. Ultimately, the plane crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killing the 44 people on board, but saving an untold number of American lives, including, perhaps, many of us as that plane almost certainly was headed for this building. Moments before the plane went down, Lyles called her husband and prayed for her family, herself and everyone aboard the plane. CeeCee Ross Lyles was a loving wife and mother and a devoted member of her community whose life was cut short by the tragic events on September 11, 2001. I urge my colleagues to support this bill in her memory. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, all of my family were Yankee fans. My father and uncles and all of the family were strong Yankee fans. They were born and raised in New York City. They were Yankee fans and certainly Mickey Mantle fans. I know they would be pleased to see me presenting this bill on the floor today. But I know they also would be upset with me if I did not talk about the problems we are facing in this country related to gas prices because most of my family, as they got older, moved out of New York City and moved out into rural areas, where they didn't have access any longer to mass transit as they had had when they lived in New York City, and depended on having automobiles and having to drive and pay for gasoline. What we are seeing now in this country is a very big burden on people who live in rural areas such as my district where most of the people are without access to mass transit. I want to talk a little bit about the failure of the Democrats in charge of this Congress for not doing anything to bring down the price of gasoline. Speaker Pelosi in 2006 promised that the Democrats had a commonsense plan to bring down the price of gasoline. We haven't seen that commonsense plan. The bill that passed yesterday was a sham and an illusion. It was a way to simply give cover to Democrats who are in tough reelection situations. I think it is a real shame. Not only are we hurting people who live in rural areas, but we are hurting the baseball fans who would like to be able to go to baseball games and be able to celebrate this wonderful game we are talking about when we honor Mickey Mantle. One of the things that was wrong with the bill that passed, there was nothing there to be able to stop all of the legal challenges by radical environmental groups that are blocking or significantly delaying oil leases and production. We now know from having done some investigation that radical environmentalists are challenging every single lease that is being awarded to be able to bring more gas and oil online. In February 2008, the administration issued 487 leases in the Chukchi Sea sale 193, and every single one of those has been challenged under the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act. In addition, for 2007-2012, there was a 5-year OCS leasing program, and every single one of those leases has been challenged. There are 748 leases in the Chukchi-Beaufort Seas which have been challenged. What Republicans wanted to do, and we had absolutely no opportunity to be able to do so, was to bring amendments to these bills, another promise broken by the Democrats in charge of the Congress. We were told when the Democrats took over that we would be in the most open, most bipartisan Congress in the history of the Congress. All bills would be brought through committee, all bills would be allowed to be amended on the floor. So far that has been a hollow promise. The so- called energy bill that was passed yesterday was never brought to committee. It should have been assigned to about eight different committees. It didn't go to a single one. It was brought straight to the floor under a closed rule and no amendments were allowed. Had we been allowed to offer amendments, one of the things we would have done would have been to offer an amendment that would have allowed for lawsuits to be filed. We don't want to stop the judicial process. However, we think that it should be done in a way that will expedite these leases. We keep hearing from the Democrats that the oil companies have millions of acres under lease that they are not doing. The reason is their good friends, the trial lawyers and the radical environmentalists, are stopping the leases from being exercised by bringing lawsuit after lawsuit after lawsuit. We must stop this if we are going to help the American people and bring down the price of gasoline. The Democrats cannot run away from their responsibility of being in charge of the Congress and denying the opportunities that should be presented to the American people to see the price of gasoline come down. So while we are here today honoring Mickey Mantle, honoring the American pastime of baseball, Democrats have to take responsibility for denying people the opportunity to go to their baseball games and do other things they would like to do because they are responsible for the price of gasoline having doubled in the 20 months they have been in charge of the Congress. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of S. 171, to rename the post office in Commerce, Oklahoma, for the town's most famous citizen, Mickey Charles Mantle. Mickey Mantle was a true American hero. He was an outfielder for the New York Yankees, a first-ballot Hall of Famer with 536 career home runs. When he hit them, they flew. He hit the longest home run ever at the old Yankee Stadium--it hit the top facade in right field--and the longest ever at Washington's old Griffith Stadium and at Detroit's old Tiger Stadium. The term ``tape- measure home run'' was invented when the Yankees' traveling secretary used a tape to measure the Griffith Stadium blast at 565 feet. Named for Mickey Cochrane, another baseball Hall of Famer--Mantle often joked that he was glad his father didn't know Cochrane's real first name was Gordon--the Mick was a three-sport star at Commerce High. A New York Yankees' scout who came to see a teammate play in a semipro game saw Mantle hit titanic home runs from both sides of the plate and tried to sign him on the spot, only to find that he was still 16, still in high school, and ineligible for pro ball. The scout told Mickey he would return the day he graduated from high school, and he did. Four years later the Mick was in right field in Yankee Stadium, and Joe DiMaggio was patrolling center field. Both took off to run down a scorched liner to right field. As they arrived at the ball, DiMaggio called off Mantle. Mantle tried to stop, but caught his cleats in a sprinkler head. He went down ``like he was shot,'' said one observer. In many ways, this blazing fast, preternaturally powerful athlete was never the same. He went on to win a Triple Crown in 1956, claim three American League Most Valuable Player awards, make 16 All-Star teams and win seven world championships. He still holds the records for most home runs, RBIs, runs, walks, extra-base hits and total bases in the World Series. As great as he was, the question that dogs his legacy is, what if? What if he had stayed healthy? What if he had never contracted osteomyelitis, a crippling bone disease in high school? What if he had never been plagued by other diseases and injuries, including alcoholism? He is number 17 on the list of the greatest 100 players of all time. Where might he have ended up otherwise? Who in baseball history might today be considered above him? The Mick was not a great businessman, and many of the ventures he funded with his top salaries for the Yankees proved unsuccessful. But he made another fortune in the memorabilia market. His signature and artifacts fetched sums second only to those of Babe Ruth. Why? He moved with a breathtaking grace. He was that rarest of commodities, the fastest and most powerful guy on the team. Moreover, he smiled. He connected with fans. He looked like he was having fun. Even though he was as far culturally from a New Yorker as he could be, the Yankee faithful embraced him. He later teamed with fellow Oklahoman and Yankee Bobby Murcer to raise money for victims of the Oklahoma City bombing. He led an imperfect life, but he did what he could to redeem himself. He went into treatment and later turned to faith to deal with his increasing infirmities. When he died on August 13, 1995, in Dallas, Bob Costas, the famous sportscaster, gave his eulogy. Costas described him as ``a fragile hero to whom we had an emotional attachment so strong and lasting that it defied logic. In his last year of his life, Mickey Mantle, always so hard on himself, finally came to accept and appreciate the distinction between a role model and a hero. The first, he often was not. The second, he always will be.'' Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 4233 West Hillsboro Boulevard Coconut Creek, Florida, as the Army SPC Daniel Agami Post Office Building. United States Army Specialist Daniel J. Agami was, in the words of his grandmother, ``the best of the best.'' He was much more than a soldier. He was a leader, a selfless patriot, and a joyous young man with a huge heart. Born in Ohio, Daniel moved with his family to south Florida when he was 4. He attended the Hebrew Academy Community School and Coconut Creek High School and was in college when he decided he was meant for a higher purpose. Without consulting friends or family, Daniel answered his calling and enlisted in the Army. Daniel brought the Army more than service and bravery. He brought his good humor, his tremendous heart and the moral conviction that he served something far greater than himself. Affectionately known by his fellow soldiers as ``GI Jew,'' he strove constantly to improve the lives of those around him. When he was not educating his fellow soldiers about his religion, he was serving as a mentor to orphaned children in Iraq. In the words of his father, ``He had 10,000 friends, and 10,000 friends thinking he was their best friend.'' On June 21, 2007, Daniel Agami was killed while on patrol in Baghdad. He was only 25. More than 1,000 people attended his funeral. He was posthumously promoted to specialist, and his parents were presented with a number of medals, including the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and the Good Conduct Medal. Daniel died defending his core belief that America fights for the freedom and survival of the entire world. As one friend recalled, ``He had said that if, God forbid, anything happened to him, this is where he belonged.'' A loving son, brother, grandson and friend, Daniel Agami will be missed, and not just by those 10,000 best friends, but by all Americans who cherish freedom and courage and honor. I urge my colleagues to support this bill so that the life of this courageous young man and all that he stood for will not soon be forgotten. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support the passage of H.R. 6338, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms FOXX

Ms FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support the passage of H.R. 6229. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to my distinguished colleague, the gentleman from the Indiana (Mr. Pence). (Mr. PENCE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6229, to rename the post office in North St. Paul, Minnesota, in honor of former Mayor William ``Bill'' Sandberg. Mayor Sandberg died April 20 at the age of 76 after serving for more than 30 years as mayor of his beloved hometown. He graduated in 1950 from North St. Paul High School where he played football and hockey and from the University of Minnesota in 1954 with a degree in mortuary science. After serving his country in the Army, Mayor Sandberg returned to North St. Paul and became a director at his family's business, the Sandberg Funeral Home. He became mayor in 1978 and began a career known for character, personality, fairness and decorum. Described by fellow members of the City Council as a ``problem solver who could get people to think in different ways,'' he made a point of never coming into a meeting with his mind made up. He also made a point of putting people at ease when they came to testify before the council and for keeping debates focused on the issues at hand, not personalities. This openness, this credibility, this unflinching optimism brought citizens together even when his ideas didn't enjoy universal support. Among his greatest legacies will be his insistence that Highway 36 run through the center of North St. Paul. Some feared the increased traffic would bring nothing but pollution and gridlock. But Mayor Sandberg insisted that thousands of commuters would visit the city's downtown area who otherwise never would know it existed. This championing of all things North St. Paul permeated everything the mayor did. He considered attendance at local high school hockey games and Chamber of Commerce meetings as important as attending council meetings. He encouraged others to participate in council activities and worked tirelessly to connect citizens to their government. The city already has begun to honor its beloved former mayor by renaming a bridge in his honor. Let us join in this celebration of an exemplary public servant, support this resolution and rename the local post office in his honor. Mr. Speaker, with that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I urge all Members to support the passage of H.R. 6681, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise this afternoon to pay tribute to a remarkable American and true hero, Army Specialist Jacob Michael Lowell, from New Lenox, Illinois. It was June 2, 2007, and he was on his first patrol of his first tour in Afghanistan with the 173rd Airborne Brigade, working as a gunner when his Humvee was ambushed. To the surprise of no one who knew him, Jacob moved immediately to protect his comrades but was shot and killed. Jacob Michael Lowell was 22. Madam Speaker, it is appropriate that we rename the post office in his home town in his honor. It will serve as a reminder to those who loved him of his courage and to those who come after him of his character and dedication to his country and fellow citizens. Army Specialist Lowell was a 2003 graduate of Lincoln-Way Central High School where he played on the offensive line for the school's football team. He was one of those ``110 percent guys'' who always gave all he had and more. From there, he went to college at Saint Xavier University and from there, in 2005, he enlisted in the Army. He was assigned to the 173rd Airborne in Vicenzia, Italy. It was there he learned to love to jump form planes. He would call home to Illinois and tell his friends and family when and where he would take his next jump. He was a man who loved doing his job, serving his country and protecting the freedom we hold dear. And that's why I urge all members to support this resolution. Madam Speaker, we are here this afternoon to pay tribute to a remarkable American and true hero, Army Specialist Jacob Michael Lowell from New Lenox, Illinois. And to do that, I yield such time as he may consume to my distinguished colleague from the State of Illinois, the author of this bill, Mr. Weller.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. I thank my colleague from Illinois for yielding this time. I certainly am in very, very strong support of this resolution. I think that it is very important that we pass this bill, goals and ideals of National Adoption Month. I, too, have seen the impact of children having to be in foster care for long periods of time. And as a grandparent of two and reminded on a constant basis of the fragility of children, and particularly their self-concept and how they interact with other people and their need to be in loving homes, with parents who really want them and make them feel accepted and help them succeed from birth through adulthood, it makes a huge difference in the life of a child to be in a stable environment instead of being moved from foster home to foster home. I admire tremendously the people who open their homes and open their hearts to children who are not their birth children, and I commend them for being willing to do that and want us to pass this resolution and acknowledge those people. But I think one of the most important things that we could do for all families in this country, not just those who are good foster parents, not just those who open their homes to become adoptive parents, but those who are struggling every day with their own children, is to do what we possibly can to bring down the price of gasoline and fuel oil. We are facing a major problem in this country. Families are facing major problems in this country because of the high price of gasoline. I received a letter from a Boy Scout recently who said to me, ``I'm afraid we're going to not be able to continue to go to church on Sundays because of the high price of gasoline.'' Those are the kinds of things that tear at any person's heart because you know that that's coming from the heart of a child who has heard his parents talking about how the high price of gasoline is affecting their family, and it's certainly affecting everyone in this country. And yet we have a do-nothing Congress that has not been willing to take up that issue. I am, again, very happy that we're dealing with talking about the needs of foster parents, talking about promoting adoptions. However, what we could be doing is some real action to bring down the price of gasoline and truly, truly help American families. Instead, when given the options of doing that, this Democrat majority refuses to do it. What they do is they bring up sham bills, bills that are hoaxes and illusions to the American people and say, well, yes, we have been asked all summer long to drill, to create more supply, and then they bring up bills that don't do that, that in fact make it more of a problem to be able to create additional supply. And that's what happened on this floor yesterday. We started out last year by trying to compare the promises that were made by the Speaker--who was then minority leader--and the majority leader in terms of the promises that they made and what they were doing. Well, all along the way it's been promises made, promises broken. They said they would have the most open, most bipartisan Congress ever in the history of this country, and what do they do? They start out immediately by bringing bills to the floor that haven't gone to committee and that are not allowed to be amended. They continue to do that. They did that again yesterday. The bill that they brought up did not go through the committee structure. In fact, I read the bill last night, and I meant to count how many committees but there must have been eight or 10 committees that this bill was supposed to go through. It went through none of them. It was written in the Speaker's office. Nobody got a chance to see it until about 12 hours before we were going to vote on it. It was 290 pages long. It was brought to the floor with no opportunity to amend it. The Republicans had one opportunity to have an impact on the bill, and that was in a motion to recommit. And in that motion to recommit, we offered a bipartisan bill, a bill called the Peterson-Abercrombie bill put together by Democrats and Republicans, and we offered that as an option to the bill that was being brought up because the bill that was voted on last night is going to lock up over 90 percent of the oil reserves off the coasts of this country and put them out of reach for us permanently. And I want to talk about how it's not been only the people in charge of this Congress--the Speaker and the majority leader, they're the ones who are in charge; they've broken every promise that they have made. They even promised in 2006 that we would have a commonsense energy plan that would bring down the price of gasoline. Well, we've been here almost 2 years. Not until last night did we get a bill, and we know that's not going to bring down the price of gas--but even the rank-and- file Democrats who promised their constituents that they would vote for bills, even sponsored bills, that they then would not vote on. I want to mention some of those and quote them. Many of them also say they want to stimulate the economy, but almost every single one of them voted against this bipartisan bill authored by Representatives John Peterson of Pennsylvania and Neil Abercrombie from Hawaii. Mr. Peterson is a Republican; Mr. Abercrombie is a Democrat. Their bill would lower gas prices on behalf of working families and small businesses. There were 24 Democrats who were cosponsors of the Peterson- Abercrombie bill who voted against that bill last night after they said they would vote for it. Many of them promised their constituents that they would vote for it. And I want to give some examples of that. Representative Nancy Boyda, Democrat from Kansas, who was a cosponsor of the Peterson-Abercrombie bill, voted against it when given an opportunity. However, earlier in the month, she issued a press release that promised that she would work to get this bill passed. She said, ``I have been working with a large, bipartisan group of Representatives to develop a comprehensive, commonsense energy bill. Our [Peterson- Abercrombie] bill would provide sorely needed relief for Kansas families. It will help create energy independence for America and millions of jobs to help stabilize our struggling economy.'' Representative Nancy Boyda, Democrat, Kansas, press release, 9/04/08. She issued that press release and then voted against the very same bill she had told her constituents she was working to get passed. Representative Baron Hill, Democrat of Indiana, a cosponsor of the Peterson-Abercrombie bill, once said, ``I hope this bipartisan bill will indeed be brought to the floor.'' But when given a chance, he voted against it. Again, in a press release dated August 14, 2008, he said, ``I hope this bipartisan bill will indeed be brought to the floor for a vote when we return to Washington in September.'' Hill said, ``It would provide immediate relief, while also bolstering development of new energy sources in order to move this country closer to energy independence.'' Again, Representative Baron Hill, Democrat, Indiana, press release August 14, 2008. These press releases show that what the press here in Washington is reporting is that the bill that was brought up last night by the Democrats was only brought up to provide cover for Democrats who are in vulnerable seats this fall. There was never any intention of that bill becoming law. They wanted to give them a chance to say they voted for drilling when in fact the bill doesn't provide for additional gas and oil. It's never going to be passed by the Senate. The Senators, even Democratic Senators, have said the bill is dead on arrival in the Senate. Another Democrat who was a cosponsor of the Peterson-Abercrombie bill who also voted against it was Representative Steve Kagen, Democrat from Wisconsin. Here is a quote from the Herald Times in Wisconsin, 9/13/08. ``Kagen, who signed onto the bill Tuesday, said the Abercrombie-Peterson bill 'really is a comprehensive energy policy and a roadmap forward. That bill has the balance in investing in renewable sources. It raises royalty (fees) from those who are drilling and it doesn't limit drilling to four or five States,' Kagen said.'' The headline on that story was ``Congress Sitting on An Energy Hot Seat.'' Speaker Pelosi has said over and over again that they're going to create an energy strategy that's going to make it look like vulnerable Democrats are voting on real energy reform without actually doing it. She stated that herself. But they went a step further than that. These people cosponsored a bill and pledged to support it and then voted against it when given a chance to do it. Madam Speaker, I would like to include in the Congressional Record today the list of all 24 Democrats who were for this bill before they were against it. Again, yesterday, though, the House Democrats in charge denied Republicans the opportunity to a full debate, an honest vote on the American Energy Act, the Republican bill that does do all of the above to help working families and small businesses dealing with record fuel costs. But this fight is not over. We are going to continue to bring this message to the American people. It's important that the American people know that the Democrats are in charge, they are the ones responsible for the high gas prices, and I hope the American people will hold them responsible this fall. Speaker Pelosi and her leadership team have made no bones about their elaborate strategy of making it look like vulnerable Democrats are voting on real energy reform without actually doing it. But these Democrats took it a step further: They cosponsored a bill and pledged to support it and then rejected it when given an up-or-down vote. Here is a list of all 24 Democrats who were for it before they were against it: Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-HI), Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-GA), Rep. Dan Boren (D-OK), Rep. Nancy Boyda (D-KS), Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA), Rep. Bud Cramer (D-AL), Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Rep. Artur Davis (D-AL), Rep. Lincoln Davis (D-TN), Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN), Rep. Gene Green (D-TX), Rep. Phil Hare (D-IL), Rep. Baron Hill (D-IN), Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX), Rep. William Jefferson (D- LA), Rep. Steve Kagen (D-WI), Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D-PA), Rep. Charlie Melancon (D-LA), Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-PA), Rep. Solomon Ortiz (D-TX), Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN), Rep. Ciro Rodriguez (D-TX), Rep. Mike Ross (D-AR).

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Illinois. I think what we need to be doing here today is continuing to alert the American people to what is not happening in terms of dealing with the energy situation in the United States. Last night, House Democrats rejected any efforts on behalf of the Republicans to pass bipartisan energy legislation. They rejected our efforts to do that and they rammed through a sham, hoax, illusory, no- energy bill that falls way short of the all-of-the-above solution that the American people are demanding. The bill passed by a vote of 236-189, and that should tell the American people how much opposition there was to this no-energy bill. Even Democrats have indicated that this was the wrong bill. Senator Mary Landrieu has said that the bill is going to be dead on arrival in the Senate. So we know this was simply a vote, as has been publicized in Congressional Quarterly and other publications here in Washington, that was simply a cover for Democrats who are running for reelection. Representative Gene Green said, ``I do not believe our bill goes far enough to address America's energy needs.'' Even they admit that what was done last night did not respond to the needs of the American people. We are going to continue to discuss this on this floor and even after the Congress adjourns. We also should point out that from the first of August until the end of December, this Democrat-controlled Congress plans to work 14 days. While Americans are facing the highest energy prices they have ever faced in this country, the Democrat-controlled Congress plans to be in session and work for 14 days in a 5-month period of time. That is shameless. That is unacceptable. We need to be helping the American people by bringing down the price of gasoline. We can do that. Republicans have a bill that will do that. We even would support the bipartisan bill that we introduced last night, but that isn't good enough. All they want is a cover for their Members to go back home and say we voted to drill for more energy. That's not true. By not revenue sharing, they're stealing money from the States who would opt in to do this.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to praise the people of Ashe County, North Carolina, for their strong support for our men and women in uniform. Any time there is an opportunity to honor our active military and our veterans, such as Memorial Day or Veterans Day, the folks in Ashe County show their support in the strongest way possible. But on August 23rd of this year, Ashe County hosted its Armed Forces Tribute and showed what a remarkable place Ashe County is and how remarkable the people there are. This event was a fitting way to honor our country's brave veterans and those who are serving around the world to keep our Nation safe. True to the organizers' goal for the event, it was a time to reflect on the sacrifices of those who willingly put their lives on the line for the cause of freedom. It made me proud once again to be an American and proud to represent the fine people of Ashe County who made this special time possible. The Armed Forces Tribute was broadcast worldwide to military personnel by the military's Pentagon Channel and aired across the State of North Carolina on public television's UNC-TV. The use of technology that day in this small county in western North Carolina was phenomenal. It was a proud day in Ashe County for those who serve our Nation. The tribute was filled with memorable moments of honoring those who serve and have served in our military. Lieutenant General Thomas F. Metz gave a stirring speech that will not soon be forgotten. North Carolina's own 82nd Airborne parachuted from the skies over Ashe County, not once but twice during the celebration. And participants were even connected via satellite to our troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Indeed, family members came from all over the United States to be able to talk electronically with their member serving in the military overseas. And once again we heard the extremely articulate men and women serving in the military describe their experiences and their positive outlook on what is happening in Iraq in particular, and all of us were extremely pleased to hear that. Were it not for the generous spirit of patriotism and volunteerism of the people of the High Country, this event would not have been possible. I would like to thank everyone who gave their time and their money to ensure the success of the Armed Forces Tribute. But there is someone who deserves special thanks and recognition for the passion and dedication she brings to make this tribute happen. Vicky Moody, president of the Jefferson, North Carolina, Rotary Club, once again brought the people of Ashe County together to pull off a spectacular salute to our troops and led her fellow Rotarians, who served as volunteers for this event, in the cause. Thank you, Vicky, for your work and your love of country and our military men and women. Thank you, Jefferson Rotarians, for all of the work, effort and money that you put into making this a wonderful event. It is always fitting to honor those who put their lives on the line for our Nation and make tremendous sacrifices for our freedom, and today is no exception. Thank you to our veterans, their families, and to the patriotic Americans like Vicky Moody and Ashe County who stand behind our active duty military as they defend the front lines of the fight for liberty. May God continue to bless you, and may God continue to bless the United States of America.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, this is indeed the do-nothing Congress. The Speaker of the House and the majority leader in 2006 made many, many promises. Among them was to bring down the price of gasoline, to have the most open Congress in the history of the Congress, to have the most bipartisan Congress. Every single one of those promises has been broken, and broken many, many times. It is important that the American public understand that the Democrats are in charge of this Congress. The Democrats have the capability of bringing up a bill to allow us to vote to bring down the price of gasoline. But the bill they are going to bring up today is bogus, a sham, an illusion, a charade. All of those words that have been used are appropriate. The Democrats are proving that they are anti-American energy. Republicans are pro-American energy. Republicans want to increase the supply. We want to increase our efforts at conservation. We want to increase alternatives. The Democrats are totally out of touch with the American people. From August 1 until the end of December, they plan to work 14 days for the American public.