Virginia Foxx

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to my colleague from Iowa (Mr. King).

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday, June 12, a vicious cluster of tornadoes ripped through the Midwest ending lives and destroying homes in Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas, and Iowa. Though the storms devastated families everywhere they touched down, one storm in particular that touched down at the Little Sioux Scout Ranch in Loess Hills, Iowa, wounded the heart of our Nation a little more. And in a moment, I will recognize some of our colleagues who were directly involved and are here to share their thoughts on this tragedy. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of our time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I now yield to my colleague from Nebraska (Mr. Terry) such time as he may consume.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to my colleague from Iowa (Mr. Latham).

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, from our darkest trials, Americans consistently display their true heroism. The horrible events on the night of June 11 were no different. No one is surprised to learn that the Scouts themselves displayed leadership skills and composure in the face of danger above and beyond their years. Had these courageous young men not lived up to their motto, ``Always Be Prepared,'' it is likely that this tragedy would have been magnified. I pray that all involved with Scouting will be inspired by the examples of the Scouting community shown through this tragedy, and that our benevolent God grant a sense of peace to all those affected by the tragedy. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support the passage of H. Res. 1263. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this legislation will make a number of changes to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, legislation enacted in 1972 to govern the operations, expenditures, and report requirements of advisory committees established to help Federal agencies on policy and other issues. Specifically, this legislation would further increase the disclosure requirements for advisory committees and minimize the use of political affiliations in making appointments to advisory committees. Today over 1,000 Federal advisory committees are involved in making key decisions that affect everyone's life on vital issues such as health care, civil rights, and national security. Increasing transparency and public involvement are essential to having a free and open process. In strengthening the disclosure and transparency requirements of Federal advisory committees, however, we must be careful not to hinder the process by which the President and other executive branch agencies receive expert advice from these committees. I am cautiously optimistic this legislation strikes a balance between these two priorities, but I trust the majority will continue to work with us as H.R. 5687 moves forward to make sure we do not impose any unnecessary burden upon advisory committees or their members. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, my constituents, almost every single one, want to know what Congress is doing to lower the gas prices. Here is part of a letter from Matthew, a Boy Scout, from Winston-Salem, North Carolina: The problem I'm talking about how the gas prices are so high. If gas prices keep going up, we won't be able to go on vacation, we won't be able to go to the grocery store, we won't be able to go to church. This is completely unacceptable for my constituents and also unacceptable for the constituents represented by my friends on the other side of the aisle. Unfortunately, it's because of the out-of- touch Democrat leadership that Congress has done nothing to combat record gas prices. Democrats pledged to deliver low gas prices well before they even took control of Congress promising a ``commonsense'' plan to lower gas prices. And here we are with national gas prices at $4 a gallon. While Democrats only offer more of the same--broken promises in tax increases--House Republicans are committed to pursuing solutions that will help alleviate the pain at the pump and grow the American economy.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. I thank my colleague from Texas for giving me this time. Even in western North Carolina we have figured out that this is a technology that needs to be done, turning coal into liquid fuel. Bixby Energy, which is located in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, has found a way to heat coal and turn it into natural gas, and there is no pollution and no detriment to the environment. We all know how the price of airline tickets is going up tremendously. I had visits last week from USAir saying they're going to go out of business if we don't do something about the cost of fuel. And the Republicans have brought in many, many ideas about how we can do this. We simply have got to address the issue of the cost of fuel because it is threatening families, it is threatening industries, and it is doing great harm to our economy. So I'm here to support this bill, but also to say that the Democratic majority must pay attention to the issue of fuel and the cost of that fuel.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. The legacy of gospel music is an American art form that continues to uplift and comfort people throughout this country and world. Therefore, I ask my colleagues to join me in support of this resolution in recognition of this national treasure. Gospel music is a cultural and international art form that fosters an outpouring of deep spiritual beliefs. It has developed over the years in the United States but its blend of diverse cultures and music styles give us songs that transcend borders and beliefs. It is a fitting tribute to this uniquely American music that September be designated as Gospel Music Heritage Month as it has touched millions of people throughout the world. It has been enjoyed in many different mediums such as books, television and motion pictures which has increased the enjoyment for many in varied cultural venues. The style of gospel music has expanded from its roots to include Urban, Christian Country and Southern Gospel further broadening the appeal of this music to more people. The Gospel Music Channel has played an important role in bringing the diverse types of gospel music to many fans. Some of the music greats such as Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Ray Charles, Buddy Holly, Alan Jackson and even Elvis Presley are among the many recording artists that have their roots in gospel music and have recorded significant gospel music albums. Their ability to bring their personal inspiration from gospel music to their millions of fans with varied musical styles is another tribute to this wonderful music genre. The legacy of gospel music is an American art form that continues to uplift and comfort people throughout this country and world. Therefore, I ask my colleagues to join me in support of this resolution in recognition of this national treasure. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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. I am here on the floor tonight to set the record straight about false claims that Democrats are peddling as a ``use it or lose it'' hoax. With American families and small businesses continuing to feel the pain at the pump, House Democrats have begun offering a series of hollow bills that will do nothing to reduce gas prices. Today's bill, purportedly meant to address price gouging, serves no purpose other than to provide political cover to Democrats who continue to divide the will of the American people who are calling on Congress to increase the supply of American energy. In fact, today's bill is a rehashed version of a similar price gouging bill passed by the House last year. Still to come in this week's series of no energy bills, the Democrats' ``use it or lose it'' hoax, with no facts to back up their desperate rhetoric, Democratic leaders continue to make misleading and inaccurate claims with the hope of confusing the American people. Following are some of the most prevalent examples. Myth. If the American people want increased production of American energy, Congress must force energy companies to use their leased Federal lands to produce oil or lose those leases. Here's the fact. Use it or lose it is already the law of the land. As a matter of fact, in a bipartisan vote, Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Hoyer, and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rahall each voted for it in 1992. Under the law, Federal energy leaseholders already must produce oil or natural gas within 5 to 10 years after drilling on the land begins, and the Secretary of the Interior has the power to cancel the lease if the energy company fails to comply. If Representatives Pelosi, Hoyer, and Rahall all had voted for ``use it or lose it'' 16 years ago, then why are they so insistent on forcing another vote on the exact same concept this year? Could it be because they have no meaningful plan of their own to bring down gas prices? Another myth. Oil companies are sitting on 68 million acres of Federal lands without drilling for oil or gas on any of it. This is another false claim, which has become one of the Democrats' top talking points, but they can't back it up with any facts. Energy companies already are actively exploring their currently leased lands to find oil or gas. Once they determine that oil or gas is present, only then can they actually begin drilling. The entire process can take years. As the Independent American Association of Petroleum Geologists noted in a letter to House leaders yesterday, oil and natural gas exploration is not simple and it is not easy. It requires geological ingenuity, advanced technologies, and the time to do the job right. It also requires access to areas where exploration ideas can be tested. The greater the number of areas available for exploration, the higher the chance of finding oil and natural gas traps. In other words, energy companies cannot be expected to drill on every acre of land every single day, and the Democrats know it. Another myth: 4.8 million barrels of oil per day and 44.7 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day may be ``extrapolated'' from the oil companies' unused federally-leased lands. In fact, no Democrat, not Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Hoyer, Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel, and not Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick Rahall can explain where they got those figures. In fact, Democrats have refused to respond to a written request from Natural Resources Committee Republicans for this information. Did they just make it up? Mr. Speaker, we know that what will help this problem and our country, the ``Pelosi premium,'' which has driven up gas prices to over $4 a gallon, is to increase the supply. We must increase the supply in order to meet the demand. The Democrats act as though they have repealed the law of supply and demand, the most basic law of economics. They can do a lot of things, Mr. Speaker, but they can't repeal the law of supply and demand. What they have to face up to is the fact that we need additional supply. Republicans have offered commonsense solutions to this issue. We have many plans and many bills out there that would increase the supply and relieve the burden on working Americans. Democrats need to understand that. They need to stop trying to fool the American people with their hoaxes on use-it-or-lose-it, and help us put together a plan to bring greater supply to the American people and give them some relief.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague from Missouri for his excellent presentation on this resolution. I also commend my colleague, Mr. Wamp from Tennessee, for introducing the resolution and am sorry that a scheduling conflict has prevented his being here to speak. I urge my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 195.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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 yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution designating June 30 as National Corvette Day. In the early 1950s, General Motors' chief designer, Harley J. Earl, began ruminating about a sports car that would cost about the same as an American sedan, the ``poor man's supercar.'' With GIs returning from service during World War II sporting stylish European sports cars, GM wanted to develop an American competitor. At the 1953 Motorama, GM debuted their new supercar, the Corvette. Less refined than European counterparts, but nevertheless a visible portrayal of the American psyche, the Corvette captured American hearts, and the first one rolled off the line in Flint, Michigan on June 30, 1953. As we honor the 100th anniversary of General Motors, it is only fitting that we honor one of their most successful creations. Over the years, the Corvette has become an American icon and source of national pride. Never straying from its roots, the Vette has a long history of melding exceptional handling and brutal amounts of engine power into an affordable package. Driven by celebrities, national heroes, superheroes, and average citizens, including many in the Fifth District of North Carolina, the Corvette is America. Built in our heartland at the Bowling Green, Kentucky plant for the heart of our country, we rise today to honor this legendary icon of the highways. With that, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. I yield back the balance of my time.

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 yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, as the proud granddaughter of Italian immigrants, I am always proud to recognize the achievements of Italian Americans. I also want to say how grateful North Carolina is for the work that was done by Mr. Mondavi and others in creating an appetite for fine wine in this country. The Fifth District of North Carolina, the district that I represent, has, in the last couple of years, been granted two appellations, the Yadkin Valley and Swan Creek appellations, and we hope some day that those appellations will be spoken of in the same way that the Napa Valley and other appellations are spoken of currently in our country and around the world. I commend the resolution to my colleagues and urge its approval. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to my esteemed colleague from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte).

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, as we reflect on the last 100 years of JMU's history, I want to talk a little bit about a very dark time in our history, the tenure of former President Carter. During Carter's administration, the Nation suffered from oil shortages. These shortages led to record high gas prices that ultimately persuaded the President to turn to the American public for answers. Following a Camp David summit on energy, he addressed the country saying, ``We can't go on consuming 40 percent more energy than we produce. When we import oil, we are also importing inflation plus unemployment.'' ``We have got to use what we have. The Middle East has only 5 percent of the world's energy, but the United States has 24 percent.'' And this one, which President Carter thought was one of the most vivid statements. ``Our neck is stretched over the fence and OPEC has the knife.'' It is truly frightening how technology has advanced since 1977, yet here we are today faced with the same issues that this Democratic Congress refuses to address. When it comes to energy production, while our global competitors are pursuing 21st century technologies, America is stuck in the 1970s. On electricity production alone, for example, just to keep up with the new demand, by 2030 the United States must build 747 new coal plants, 52 new nuclear plants, 2,000 new hydroelectric generators, and add 13,000 new megawatts of renewable power. The dire need to increase domestic oil and gas production is no different, yet the Democratic majority refuses to lead. Republicans are committed to a comprehensive energy reform policy that will increase the supply of American-made energy, improve energy efficiency and encourage investment in groundbreaking research and advance alternative and renewable energy technologies. With 21st century technologies and the strictest standards in the world, America can and must produce more of our own energy right here at home and protect our environment at the same time. I wonder what President James Madison would think of the situation we find ourselves in, and wonder if he would agree with many people who have compared the views of the 2008 presumptive nominee of the Democrat Party with President Carter and the failed policies of his administration. I call on the Democratic leadership to bring forth the proposals that Republicans have made that will help solve the problems, and not put America through what we went through in the 1970s all over again. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of House Concurrent Resolution 2, expressing the sense of the Congress that schools in the United States should honor the contributions of individuals from the territories of the United States by including such contributions in the teaching of the United States history. Scholars say that teaching history to children has many important lifelong benefits. History provides them with identity. Studying history improves their decision-making and judgment. History highlights models of good and responsible citizenship. History also teaches students how to learn from the mistakes of societies' past. History helps them understand change and societal development, and it provides a context from which to understand others. Students today need to be engaged in substantive historical content. Only through curriculum that provides solid, exciting historical narratives and working with materials firsthand will students grasp the essential events of American history and proficiently comprehend the crucial issues of modern society. Included in our schools' history curriculum should be a look at the contributions of individuals from the territory of the United States. From revolutionary times through the second World War, these territories have played significant roles in American history. Individuals who lived in U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Midway Islands, the Mariana Islands, and American Samoa have all contributed to the history and cultural fabric of our country in unique ways. As such, the stories of their accomplishments and challenges should be passed down to our young people and included when we talk about the rich history of this great country. I ask my colleagues to support this resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I don't have any additional speakers, but I have some additional comments.

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I went over the list of differences in ways that Republicans have suggested that Americans become energy independent from foreign sources of oil. I want to give a summary of those now. I have stated that the gap has been as much as 97 percent of House Republicans supporting increasing refinery capacity, and 96 percent Democrats opposing increased refinery capacity. The summary of all of the issues I have outlined was 91 percent of House Republicans have historically voted to increase the production of American made oil and gas, while on average 86 percent of House Democrats have historically voted against increasing the production of American made oil and gas. My interest and the interest of other Republicans is in keeping this country as the greatest country in the world and ending our dependence on foreign oil. I call on the Democratic majority to join with Republicans in taking action toward this goal. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, today I want to congratulate the people of Jonesville, North Carolina on the completion of their new town hall. Jonesville's new town hall will serve both as a government center and the hub for the town's tourism outreach efforts. While I was unable to attend the grand opening event this past Friday due to Congress being in session, congratulations are in order for everyone in Jonesville who helped make this important project a success. I want to praise Mayor Lindbergh Swain for his leadership and also the people at USDA Rural Development for their help in securing critical financing for the new town hall. This town hall, which replaces the town's more than half century old town hall, promises not only to give the town a new government seat but also to bolster the local tourist economy. Tourism is a growing segment of the local economy in Yadkin and surrounding counties, and this new facility is a wise investment in drawing new tourist dollars to Jonesville. I applaud Jonesville for its forward thinking mindset, and hope to visit the new town hall in the coming weeks.