Gene Green

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this resolution. Not because it is good practice for us to continue increasing the national debt limit, but because for the first time since it expired under the previous administration, we are making PAYGO a statutory requirement. In addition to other efforts by the Obama administration and Congress, PAYGO requirements will help us get our financial house back in order from the mess that was handed to us by the previous administration. After two wars, and tax cuts that were not paid for, the $5.6 trillion dollar surplus we experienced in 2000 turned into a $1.3 trillion deficit. In the 1990s, the Clinton administration turned the deficits accumulated in the two previous presidencies into record surpluses. One of the key tools in this transformation was the PAYGO rule, which required Congress to find savings for the dollars it spent. Unfortunately, after President Clinton left office, the next administration and Congress regularly waived PAYGO rules and ultimately allow them to expire in 2002. After waiving and allowing these rules to expire, we saw the surplus built by the Clinton administration vanish, and deficit spending resume--spending that will have to be repaid by our children and grandchildren. A New York Times analysis attributes 90% of that deficit to the economic downturn, Bush administration policies, and the extension of those policies. According to that analysis, only 7% of the deficit is attributable to the Economic Recovery Act passed early last year, which economists largely agree was a necessary emergency response to this recession. Madam Speaker, this is just good policy. For eight years, under the previous administration, we saw deficit spending spiral out of control. Now many of those responsible for that spending are criticizing the majority and the current administration for its spending policies, complaining that it is piling up debt for the next generation. Today those individuals have a chance to vote for legislation that ensures any future programs are paid for, and reestablish the rules that led to control in government spending and budget surpluses in the 1990s. I am an original cosponsor of the PAYGO legislation that passed the House last July, and I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill to set our nation back on a path to sustainable spending policies that will ensure we do not have to continue increasing the debt limit indefinitely.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 1009, which honors the seven Americans who died in the bombing that took place in Khost, Afghanistan on December 30, 2009, and the families of those patriots for their service and their sacrifice to our country. These men and women were on the front lines of the battle against terrorism and worked tirelessly on a daily basis for the safety of the American and Afghanistan people. Their absence will be greatly felt throughout the intelligence community. In 2008, I had the opportunity to visit Khost with the 101st Airborne Division of the U.S. Army along with a Texas Reserve Unit based in Pasadena, Texas in our district. There, I saw these men and women working under harsh conditions, away from their loved ones, and in the face of great risks. Our entire nation owes a great debt to all the men and women working to protect our country and stabilize Afghanistan. Again, I would like to express my deepest condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of those killed in the bombings and also offer my support and hope for a full recovery to the other six Americans who were wounded in this tragic bombing.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2194, the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act of 2009. Since the U.S. first placed sanctions on commercial relations with Iran in 1996, the Iranian government has not only failed to comply with its international obligations, but has further intensified its efforts to develop nuclear weapons. Most recently, Iran has rejected demands from the International Atomic Energy Agency to halt construction of a previously undisclosed uranium enrichment facility near Qom. It has also announced plans to build ten additional enrichment facilities. While I fully support the President's efforts to engage the Iranian government diplomatically, Congress must show Iran that failure to reach an agreement will not be without consequence. H.R. 2194 facilitates this goal by weakening Iran's energy sector, which the Iranian government relies on for 80 percent of its revenue. This legislation specifically targets Iran's petroleum refining industry due to its heavy reliance on foreign assistance and trade. The choice for Iran will be either to meet the demands of the international community or risk diplomatic and economic isolation. The risk of nuclear weapons proliferation and its accompanied threat to regional stability in the Middle East lends increased urgency to passing this legislation. I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 2194 and supply the President with the tools he needs for reaching a diplomatic solution with Iran.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to show my support for H.R. 4213, the Tax Extenders Package that includes several critical extensions important to Texas. The package will extend through 2010 the $1 per gallon credit for producing biodiesel and the $1 per gallon credit for producing diesel from biomass, which is especially important to my district as it is home to the struggling biodiesel industry. Texas is the leading producer of biodiesel in the nation. The industry supported up to 8,600 jobs in the State and over 50,000 jobs in the U.S. in the past year. It is both fiscally and environmentally responsible to extend these tax credits and to promote the development of biodiesel here at home. The biodiesel excise tax credit enables biodiesel to remain price competitive with conventional diesel. Without the prompt extension of the tax credits before they expire on December 31, 2009, we risk reducing the domestic production of low carbon, renewable energy sources that help our nation to significantly reduce carbon emissions, as well as our dependence on foreign oil. The biodiesel industry has already been forced to close several plants and is operating at about 20 percent capacity due in large part to the weak economy. A retroactive extension of the credit after December 31, 2009 could further exacerbate the industry's job losses, and place this important industry in a precarious position. I appreciate the bipartisan support of the following Texas members who recently joined me in sending a letter to House Leadership supporting the biodiesel tax extension: Al Green, Chet Edwards, Silvestre Reyes, Solomon Ortiz, Ruben Hinojosa, Henry Cuellar, Ciro Rodriguez, Charlie Gonzalez, and Joe Barton. This support exemplifies the importance of protecting the biodiesel industry for the nation and for Texans. It is imperative that we move forward expeditiously to extend the biodiesel and renewable diesel excise tax credits to protect American jobs and to help our nation move towards a clean energy future.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. I would like to thank the vice Chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee for yielding to me. Mr. Speaker, this resolution discusses type 1 diabetes, which is typically the early onset of juvenile diabetes in some of us, but it does sometimes affect older children. Type 1 diabetes is a chronic, genetically determined, and debilitating disease caused by an autoimmune attack that destroys the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas, and it affects every organ system. As many as 3 million Americans suffer from type 1 diabetes, with more than 15,000 children being diagnosed with the disease annually. Diabetes is one of the most costly chronic diseases, costing the United States economy more than $174 billion annually in direct and indirect health care costs. On average, individuals with diabetes pay $13,000 in annual health care costs compared to $2,600 for individuals without diabetes. Insulin treats but does not cure this potentially deadly disease nor does it prevent the complications of diabetes, which include blindness, heart attacks, kidney failure, strokes, nerve damage, and amputations. Diabetes is also the leading cause of legal blindness in working-age adults, and nearly all of type 1 diabetes patients exhibit some degree of eye disease after living with diabetes for 15 to 20 years. A special diabetes program was created that provides significant support to the Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network, which is a nationwide network involving 163 clinical sites in 43 States, in order to address the number of individuals diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and to find a cure. The National Institutes of Health has established six goal areas to guide type 1 diabetes research, which are focused on the reduction, prevention, and cure of type 1 diabetes and its complications. The National Institutes of Health devoted $433 million in fiscal year 2009 for type 1 diabetes research. Congress currently provides $150 million annually, through fiscal year 2011, for the Special Statutory Funding Program for type 1 diabetes research. Promising advances have been made in determining root causes of the disease, and finding a cure will depend on funded research initiatives and on training the next generation of diabetes researchers. Congress can do more to advance the research on type 1 diabetes. This resolution calls for the doubling of annual NIH funding to meet leading researchers' estimates of funding needed to meet NIH's six goals related to type 1 diabetes. I am pleased to sponsor this resolution with the 101 other Members who are calling for research funding to find a cure for type 1 diabetes. I want to thank all of my cosponsors, including both of my colleagues--the vice Chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Congresswoman Capps; and also Congressman Terry from Nebraska, who is also, like I said, a cosponsor of the resolution. Hopefully, our national health care plan will actually help those who have either type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes to make sure they can go see physicians when they need to.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support for H.R. 3791, the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2009, introduced by my good friend Representative Harry Mitchell. H.R. 3791 will reauthorize the FIRE Grants programs--comprised of the Assistance to Firefighter Grant, AFG, program and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response, SAFER, grant program--to ensure that our local firefighters have the tools and resources they need to keep us safe and secure. Since 2001, the Fire Grants Programs have provided more than $5 billion in support to local fire departments across the Nation, $190 million of which has gone to support Texas fire departments. H.R. 3791 provides a 5-year reauthorization of $1 billion per year for the AFG and $1.194 billion for the SAFER programs. The AFG program was created to address concerns that local budgets were unable to handle the mounting responsibilities allocated to the fire service by providing funds to local fire departments to purchase equipment, vehicles, and training. The SAFER program assists fire departments in hiring quality personnel and ensuring that volunteers meet the required safety standards. Funding through these programs has been a valuable tools in helping local fire departments provide emergency response services to their communities. The changes made to the AFG and SAFER programs in H.R. 3791 will improve these programs by allowing funding to be used for certain volunteer emergency medical services organizations and for building inspector certifications. I want to thank Representative Mitchell for his hard work in crafting this legislation which reflects bipartisan cooperation and is supported by the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the International Association of Fire Fighters, the National Volunteer Fire Council, the National Fire Protection Association, and the Congressional Fire Services Institute. All fire departments, including those in our congressional district in Texas, strive to provide a superior level of emergency service that continually improves the quality of life, health and safety of our residents, and I am proud to support legislation that will ensure that they can achieve those goals.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3961, the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act of 2009. This important piece of legislation will repeal the 21 percent physician payment cut, which is scheduled to go into effect on January 1 and replace it with a 1.2 percent increase for next year. It has been over a decade since the physician fee schedule was put in place to help control increases in Medicare payments to physicians. The Medicare program reimburses physicians who treat seniors using a complex formula that is based on a number of factors. Unfortunately, payments for physician services matched the SGR and expenditure targets for only the first 5 years. Since then, the actual expenditures have exceeded the target by so much that the system is no longer realistic. As we have learned in recent years the formula reduces payments to physicians when the economy goes down--a time when doctors are least able to absorb the extra costs. These payment reductions have caused many physicians to hold off on accepting new Medicare patients, withdraw from the program, or retire altogether. In areas like mine that rely heavily on Medicare and Medicaid, we probably will not be in a situation where doctors stop taking Medicare. Rather, we will see access problems created by gap from physician retirements that is not filled by new crops of doctors willing to take Medicare patients. If we reach that point, Medicare will have failed in its mission to provide equality in access to health care for our senior citizens. We passed H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act a couple of weeks ago, but we cannot successfully implement health care reform if we do not reimburse our physicians correctly. It is time for Congress to intervene and revamp the SGR formula and pass H.R. 3961.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Members, recently this House passed by 220-215 the historic health care reform bill, H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act. This legislation will have profound impact on the uninsured children in our country. In 2008, an estimated 64.1 percent of all children in the Nation had private coverage, 28.3 percent had public coverage, and 9.9 percent were uninsured. But in Texas, we have 1.5 million children uninsured, giving us the distinction of having the highest number of uninsured children in the country. This is largely due to the State's refusal to fund State matching funds for the Children's Health Insurance Program, or CHIP. In 2008, 26.8 percent of the children in our district were uninsured, the third highest for uninsured children in the Nation. H.R. 3962 provides sliding scale subsidies to families with incomes of up to 400 percent of the poverty line, which would not be dependent upon State budget decisions, as in the case of SCHIP. Funding for the affordability credits would not be capped and would rise automatically when needed. We have an obligation to provide health benefits to our children and H.R. 3962 will ensure that all plans provide an essential benefits package that includes comprehensive benefits such as vision, hearing and dental care for children as well as well-baby and well-child care.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act. This is a momentous day like that day in 1935 when Social Security was created and also like that day in 1965 when Medicare was passed. We are in desperate need of health care reform. Health insurance premiums are growing three times as fast as wages; and, last year, more than half of Americans postponed medical care or skipped their medications because they couldn't afford them. The 29th District in Texas, which I represent, has the highest number of uninsured individuals in the country as 40 percent of the residents are uninsured. If enacted, H.R. 3962 will provide coverage to 96 percent of all Americans and to 230,000 currently uninsured residents in our district. It will also improve the employer-based coverage for 217,000 residents in our district. H.R. 3962 will give individuals the ability to access quality, affordable health insurance. They will no longer be denied coverage for preexisting conditions, and their coverage will not be capped or dropped when they are sick. The bill ensures no more co-pays for preventative care, no more yearly caps for what insurance companies will cover, and it provides premium subsidies for those who need it. This is not government controlled medicine--individuals will be able to choose their own insurance plan and their physician. This bill ensures individuals will be able to have access to primary and preventive care services so they will be able to see a doctor before they are sick, and be able to access quality medical services. H.R. 3962 will rein in rising health costs for American families and small businesses--introducing competition that will drive premiums down, capping out-of-pocket spending. The time for health reform has come and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 3962 not only for my constituents, but for all Americans.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, a lot of us think we represent the people. With unemployment now over 10 percent, the second biggest issue if you don't have a job is that you don't have health care. We have a lot of problems in our country, unemployment and health care, and hopefully Congress will take that. We made a step early in the year with a stimulus bill to try and create jobs. It hasn't done what we wanted. We need to do something, but we also need to deal with health care. Let me take the last part of my time to say our country lost 12 brave soldiers yesterday at Fort Hood, Texas. They were prepared to be deployed to defend our country. I think that is what this House ought to be thinking about today, those families and those soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of national health reform to help relieve the economic burden of rising health costs on small businesses. Nationwide, 25 percent of the uninsured, 11 million people, are employees of firms with less than 25 workers. Because they lack bargaining leverage, some small businesses pay 18 percent more than larger businesses with the same health insurance. If H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care Act for America, is enacted, small businesses will be able to find affordable health insurance coverage in the health insurance exchange. Under the legislation, businesses with up to 100 employees will be able to join the health insurance exchange, benefiting from group rates and a greater choice of insurers. There are 16,600 small businesses in the district I represent that will be able to join that health insurance exchange. H.R. 3962 will allow small businesses with 25 employees or less and average wages of less than $40,000 to qualify for tax credits up to 50 percent of the cost of providing health insurance. There are 14,600 small businesses in our Texas district that will qualify for these credits. That's why it's important we pass health care.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. I thank my colleague. First of all, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2868. I represent the largest petrochemical complex in the country. These chemical facilities contribute much to our economy and way of life and the employ thousands of workers in high-paying, quality jobs. These chemical facilities have invested $8 billion in security improvements since 2001 and are fully complying with DHS' Chemical Facilities Antiterrorism Standards, or CFATS, that has not been fully implemented. These dedicated chemical employees, as well as the communities around them, deserve the best security standards possible to prevent another unthinkable act of terrorism on U.S. soil. When this bill was originally introduced, I had some concerns about it. Working with both Chairman Waxman and Subcommittee Chairman Eddie Markey along with industry and labor officials, we made a number of changes in here and I would like to summarize some of them. We worked with the Chair to include new language to clarify that the Coast Guard would be the main entity enforcing the requirements similar to the maritime security facilities; provide an explicit consultative role for the Coast Guard if the DHS Secretary considers IST for a maritime security facility; ensure maritime security facilities would not perform additional background security requirements other than under CFATS; and identify the TWIC credential that is being used to satisfy CFATS would also satisfy this bill. That's what's so important. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 2868, the Chemical and Water Security Act, a bill to protect chemical facilities and drinking water and wastewater systems across the country. The Houston Ship Channel I represent is home to the largest petrochemical complex in the country. These chemical facilities contribute much to our economy and way of life and employ thousands of workers in high-paying, quality jobs. Chemical facilities have already invested nearly $8 billion in security improvements since 2001 and are fully complying with DHS' Chemical Facilities Antiterrorism Standards, or CFATS, which are not yet fully implemented. These dedicated chemical employees, as well as the communities that surround these facilities, deserve the best security standards possible to prevent another unthinkable act of terrorism on U.S. soil. As introduced, I had several concerns with H.R. 2868 that were mostly addressed in the final bill by working with Chairman Henry Waxman, Subcommittee Chairman Ed Markey, and industry and labor representatives. First, granting the DHS Secretary authority to mandate a facility to perform a ``method to reduce a consequence of a terrorist attack''--or IST--raises questions as to whether, or how, to involve government agencies like DHS that have few, if any, process safety experts, chemical engineers and other qualified staff. We worked to include a fair and transparent technical appeals process in H.R. 2868 that requires DHS to examine such decisions with facility representatives as well as with experts knowledgeable in the fields of process safety, engineering, and chemistry. In addition, the scope of affected facilities nationwide potentially subject to IST requirements was substantially reduced by focusing exclusively on chemical facilities in populated areas subject to a release threat, and DHS may not mandate IST if it were not feasible or if the facility would no longer be able to continue operations at its location. Second, H.R. 2868 as introduced created unnecessary duplication with existing regulations for chemical facilities already regulated under the Maritime Transportation Security Act, or MTSA. We worked with the Chairmen to include new language to clarify that the Coast Guard will be the main entity enforcing the requirements of this act for MTSA facilities; provide an explicit consultative role for the Coast Guard if the DHS Secretary considers mandating IST on a MTSA facility; ensure MTSA facilities would not have to perform additional background security requirements under CFATS; and identify the TWIC credential as being able to satisfy the CFATS requirements in the bill. Third, workers were not afforded a robust redress process in the case of any adverse decisions made due to the personnel surety requirements in the legislation. We worked to include a ``Reconsideration Process'' by which workers could petition DHS to make a determination as to whether the worker poses an actual terrorist security risk, as well as included annual reports to Congress assessing much needed background check and redress process data. Fourth, the civil suit provisions could have unnecessarily disclosed sensitive security information for facilities. Revised language was included to permit affected citizens the ability to compel agency action on CFATS and provide an avenue for citizens to report facilities in potential violation of the bill's requirements while safeguarding sensitive information. No private right of action is permitted against private companies. Finally, the original bill failed to streamline the regulation of both drinking water and wastewater facilities and lacked an appeals process for water systems subjected to IST decisions. H.R. 2868 now places EPA in charge of regulating both drinking water and wastewater facilities and includes an appeals process for water systems to ensure a fair and open hearing on any IST decisions made by the State or EPA. H.R. 2868 is far from perfect, but it includes substantial compromises to permanently extend chemical and water security regulations while reducing duplicative regulatory standards, increasing worker protections, and providing important safeguards to chemical facilities and water systems. I want to again thank Chairman Waxman and Subcommittee Chairman Markey for working with me and other Members to improve this legislation.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of national comprehensive health care reform for all Americans. Since its creation under the direction of President Lyndon Johnson, Medicare has proved to be one of the great success stories of the Federal Government. We want to improve the solvency of the program to ensure our seniors today continue to enjoy the program and that our children will be able to collect Medicare benefits in the future. H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, does not endanger traditional Medicare, but it does immediately improve the program. Currently, there are 56,000 Medicare beneficiaries in the 29th Congressional District in Texas that I represent. H.R. 3962 improves their Medicare benefits by providing free preventative and wellness care, improving primary and coordinated care, improving nursing home quality, and strengthening the Medicare Trust Fund. Each year, 4,400 seniors in our district hit the doughnut hole and are forced to pay for drug costs despite having part D coverage. This legislation will provide these seniors with immediate relief, covering the first $500 of doughnut hole costs next year, cutting brand-name drug costs in the doughnut hole by 50 percent, and completely eliminating the doughnut hole by 2019. Mr. Speaker, that's why we need H.R. 3962, to improve health care for our seniors and all Americans.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of national health care reform. The 29th District in Texas, which I represent, has one of the highest numbers of uninsured individuals in our country, where nearly 40 percent of the residents are uninsured. Last week, the melded House version of the health care bill was reintroduced as H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act. H.R. 3962 creates a national health care exchange in which individuals and small businesses can purchase health insurance plans for themselves and employees. Our goal is to build on the system of employer-based health care coverage that 60 percent of Americans currently enjoy and allow those who have employer-based insurance to keep that coverage. If enacted, H.R. 3962 will provide insurance coverage to 230,000 currently uninsured residents in our district and improve the employer- based coverage for 217,000 residents. Under this legislation, 177,000 households would qualify for affordability credits to purchase health insurance. In our district, 16,600 small businesses would be able to obtain health insurance for their employees, and 14,600 small businesses will qualify for tax credits to help them offset the cost of obtaining health care. That's why we need national health care reform.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 783, which recognizes Hispanic Heritage Month and celebrates the vast contributions of Hispanic-Americans to the strength and culture of the United States. In 1968, President Lyndon Johnson introduced Hispanic Heritage Week, which was later expanded to Hispanic Heritage Month in 1988 by President Ronald Reagan. This year, Americans commemorated the history of Hispanic-Americans and their numerous contributions to our country from September 15, 2009, to October 15, 2009. The estimated Hispanic population of the United States as of July 1, 2008, was 46.9 million. Hispanic-Americans constitute 15 percent of the Nation's total population, comprise 62.2 percent of my district in Houston, Texas, and are the fastest-growing minority group in the United States. Their contributions to our society are evident in many areas including the arts, architecture, literature, military, and our government. In congratulate all Hispanic-Americans on their rich history and culture, and recognize Hispanic Heritage Month as an important time to commemorate the great achievements and contributions of Hispanic- Americans to the United States. As a cosponsor of this important resolution, I urge my colleagues to support its passage.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the conference report on H.R. 2996, the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for FY2010. This legislation provides a 17 percent increase over FY09 levels for critical programs that protect our public health and environment. Among other provisions, the legislation provides $605 million for the Superfund program which will assist sites across the country clean up hazardous substances, including potentially the San Jacinto River Waste Pits site. It also provides $3 million to fund four new centers of excellence to study toxin and chemical impacts on children. Madam Speaker, I would also like to highlight two important projects I requested funding for in this bill, but unfortunately, did not receive mention in the final conference report. The first is the Mickey Leland National Urban Air Toxics Research Center to continue air quality public health research on air toxics in urban areas as directed by the. U.S. Congress. The Center is a 501(c)(3) institution authorized by Congress in the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. The individual FY2010 Interior and Environment Appropriations bills approved by both the House and Senate included language recognizing the significant contributions made by the Center in the understanding of the human health effects due to exposure to air toxics. Further, the House legislation encouraged EPA to consider allocating funding for the Center in EPA's budget. The EPA has gone through a deliberative process during the past four months to review the qualifications and research contributions to-date made by the Center and as a result, has recommended that funding for the Center be included in the agency's FY2011 budget. Funding air toxics research through the Center is consistent with the congressional intent and supports the Administration's stated objective of expanding research and efforts to address the human health effects of air toxics. I am concerned the final conference report did not reaffirm the importance of the Center's work to our country. Americans want to know whether they are at risk from pollutants in the air that they breathe. People who live near sources of air toxics such as major roadways, industrial facilities, or small businesses, are often especially concerned about their risk. The Center is conducting The Houston Exposure to Air Toxics Study, HEATS, which is an ongoing project designed to study the relationship between personal exposures--the air people breathe as they go about their daily activities--and fixed site monitored concentrations of air toxics by measuring personal, residential indoor, and outdoor concentrations. Federal support for the Center is critical to ensure this research continues and I hope to continue working with the chairman, EPA, and OMB to get funding for this research in the budget as Congress intended when it created the Center. We also sought funding funding for a 6-year Capital Improvement Project that will rehabilitate and upgrade the city of Baytown, Texas's wastewater and water infrastructure to comply with federal and state regulations, maintain its condition and reliability and save costs. The city has implemented an asset management program to assess equipment condition, optimize work practices and ensure funding remains in place to sustain infrastructure improvements over time. The funding we requested under the State and Tribal Assistance Grant would help rehabilitate portions of the Central District Wastewater Treatment Plant to include elevation of redesign of critical components to reduce the storm surge impacts suffered during Hurricane Ike. These include the influent lift station, blower building, administration/ laboratory building, and grit removal process. The internal piping needs to be replaced to improve energy and operating efficiency, along with the chlorine contact basin and plant pumping/transfer systems. Installation of post-storm emergency power systems are also a part of this effort. This is an important project to help Baytown recover from damage caused by Hurricane Ike, and overall to upgrade their wastewater system, and I look forward to working the Chair as we move forward to find assistance for this project. I also want to express some reservation and guidance to EPA as it works to carry out a study in the bill ``on the relationship between hydraulic fracturing and drinking water, using a credible approach that relies on the best available science, as well as independent sources of information.'' I understand the concerns and desire to adequately protect the environment when developing our domestic resources. Hydraulic fracturing is a well-tested technology that has been used to develop energy for over 60 years. First used in 1947, hydraulic fracturing has become a standard practice for improving the process of natural energy extraction. The practice involves the pumping of fluid into wells at high pressure to create fractures in rock formations that allow for complete production of oil. Hydraulic fracturing is responsible for about 30 percent of our domestic recoverable oil and natural gas. About 90 percent of currently operating wells use this technology. Hydraulic fracturing, as used to produce natural gas from shale formations, has created new opportunities for clean energy and employment without causing environmental damage. Recent studies on fracturing conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2004 found no confirmed evidence of contamination of drinking water. The study concluded that the injection of hydraulic fracturing fluids poses ``little or no threat'' to humans or the environment, EPA. The EPA did not find a single incident of the contamination of drinking water wells by hydraulic fracturing fluid injection. Just like EPA's prior study, the new study in H.R. 2996 should be conducted using a systematic, scientific approach that assures transparency, validity and accuracy. The study should be based on accepted quality assurance guidelines in order to ensure that the information on which the study is based is of sufficient quality to support the study's conclusions. It should be properly peer-reviewed by qualified experts in accordance with standard practices, and should also draw on the expertise of those both inside and outside the Federal Government who can contribute relevant information to a high quality study. These contributors should include the Department of Energy and the U.S. Geological Survey as well as the state regulators who have many years of experience with hydraulic fracturing. This study should eventually be made available for review and comment by interested members of the public prior to being finalized. At the same time, since we have already studied hydraulic fracturing, it would be prudent for any proposed study to fully take into account other studies that have already been undertaken by Federal or State governmental agencies, councils, commissions or advisory committees. For example, given the significant effort associated with the Agency's prior 2004 study, it would certainly be prudent to fully consider this study in undertaking any further examination of hydraulic fracturing. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the study should be based on well-recognized principles of risk assessment to determine whether there is any realistic risk that individuals may be exposed to substances used in the hydraulic fracturing process at levels that could possibly be considered harmful. Madam Speaker, I believe that a targeted study of hydraulic fracturing is the most efficient way to use our resources to accomplish the goals of this study. We need to continue to develop our domestic energy resources, including clean-burning natural gas. A focused approach to the study will allow us to address concerns about hydraulic fracturing while facilitating the continued use of this critical technology.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, after World War II when our parents and, in some cases, our grandparents returned from victory, our country stayed to rebuild the countries of our former enemies and our friends. Each of these countries, with our help, established a national health care plan for their people. Our country did not since huge numbers of Americans at that time received health care through their employers. That is not true today. My Texas district has the highest number of uninsured adults under 65 in the country. We need a national health care plan for all Americans. If you have Medicare or employer-based insurance, that's great. Next week, let's do what we did after World War II for our enemies and our friends. Let's provide national health care for all Americans.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 729, which expresses the sense of Congress that a day be designated to honor America's firefighters who have made enormous sacrifices through loss of life and limb in their service to protect our communities. There are over 1 million firefighters in the U.S., and each time they respond to an emergency, they risk their own personal safety to help others. Each year, roughly 100 firefighters die in the line of duty. The City of Houston has one of the largest fire departments in the country with almost 4,000 firefighters and about 100 fire stations. Since the modern-day Houston Fire Department was formed, over 60 firefighters have lost their lives in the line of duty. Two of these died this year alone. It is therefore imperative that we take this moment to show our appreciation for the services they provide and the sacrifices that so many have made. As a cosponsor of this resolution, I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 729, which calls for the President to formally commemorate these brave men and women by designating a National Firefighters Memorial Day.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of national comprehensive health care reform for all Americans. Our district has the highest number of uninsured adults in the Nation. Since 1965, Medicare has proven to be one of the great success stories of the Federal Government. It is the second most popular government-run program behind Social Security. That's why I strongly support national health care reform that includes the national public option similar to Medicare. Some of our Republican colleagues have been quick to say that H.R. 3200, America's Affordable Health Care Choices Act, endangers traditional Medicare and eliminates the Medicare Advantage program. These assertions are not true. The fact is that H.R. 3200 does not use funds from the Medicare trust fund to pay for reform. Instead, it eliminates waste and fraud within the Medicare program and abolishes the infamous doughnut hole that was created under a Republican Congress in 2003 on the prescription drug plan and strengthens the financial health of Medicare. In 2003, a Republican Congress created the Medicare Advantage program, and insurance companies have been benefiting ever since.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of a national health care plan that provides comprehensive health care for every American. Three House committees had many public hearings and public votes on the bill, H.R. 3200. Democrats are using the same public rules that the Republicans used when they were in charge. They just don't like them because they don't have the majority now. We have so many people uninsured in our country. My own district has the highest uninsured in the country of people who have private insurance--35 percent of our district has private health care, and over 40 percent is uninsured because they can't afford it or their employers don't provide it. We've given private insurance companies plenty of time to cover the 39 million U.S. citizens who don't have health care, but they can't do it because they can't make a profit on someone like that. So that's why we need a public option. H.R. 3200 will help that. We will have health care for everyone.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I have to admit that I've never heard someone quote Herbert Hoover as being so bad and President Obama as being so good. We have to remember that Herbert Hoover was actually a Republican. Mr. Speaker, am I supposed to have the floor or do the Republicans have it part time?

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Madam Chair, I rise in strong support of this bill and urge my colleagues to join me in supporting it. The 29th District of Texas that I represent encompasses the Port of Houston--the largest port in the country per foreign tonnage. It drives economic activity in the region, and is home to one of the largest petro-chemical complexes in the world. Because of this, security on the waterway is critical, and the Coast Guard has been exceptional in providing that security. Last month a 458-foot motor vessel Chemical Supplier collided with a barge near Brady's Island, close to the Interstate 610 bridge. The Unified Command, led by the Coast Guard responded mitigating the oil spill, preventing further damage and minimizing disruption, and traffic was moving on the waterway again within three days. Again, yesterday, a tanker ship collided with a supply vessel offshore Texas, about 40 miles southeast of Galveston, spilling 18,000 gallons of fuel oil into the Gulf of Mexico. The Coast Guard responded, contained the spill, and began cleanup later in the day with a DC-3 airplane dropping dispersants on the spill. This bill is a strong bill, that provides the Coast Guard with the resources they need to meet the security and environmental demands they are tasked with. The measure authorizes programs of the Coast Guard in FY 2010, and makes a number of changes dealing with acquisition systems, including the troubled Deepwater program to replace aging equipment, as well as changes to the leadership structure and career development. It requires the Coast Guard to set new regulations on marine and fishing safety, establishes marine safety as a Coast Guard function, and guarantees mariners the right of self-defense if under attack. The measure also increases penalties for knowingly bringing illegal aliens into the United States, and creates new penalties for ships under U.S. jurisdiction that do not comply. As amended this bill will clarify existing law to ensure that the U.S. Coast Guard can continue to delegate the review and inspection of offshore facilities to the American Bureau of Shipping. Since the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, the United States Government has partnered with the Bureau to enhance safety and protect the environment. This partnership has been inadvertently jeopardized by a recent unrelated court case. Passage of the bill will continue today's high levels of offshore safety, ensure offshore projects are not delayed, and protect the jobs of hard working Americans. Madam Chair, I again thank the Committee for their work on this bill and strongly urge my colleagues to join me in supporting it.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of S. 1793, the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009. Since its establishment in 1990, the Ryan White CARE Act has delivered vital funding to States and urban areas with large numbers of individual living with the AIDS virus. In Texas, the number of individuals living with HIV and AIDS increased in the last 10 years. Texas has one of the largest HIV and AIDS populations in the country and we rely heavily on Ryan White dollars to provide quality life-prolonging care to Texans living with HIV and AIDS. We currently have two Eligible Metropolitan Areas and 3 Transitional Grant Areas under Ryan White CARE Act in our State. Houston is currently the eighth largest Eligible Metropolitan Area in the Nation, with 10,000 individuals living with AIDS and Ryan White funding helped to provide critical health care and support services to more than 18,000 individuals in Houston in 2006. In my community in Harris County, our Hospital District utilizes more than $26 million each year to coordinate essential health care and support services for more than 21,000 individuals in our community living with HIV and AIDS. The importance of this program cannot be overestimated; without CARE Act funds, many Americans living with HIV and AIDS would have no other source for treatment. The Senate passed their version of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009 on Monday and I am pleased we were able to work out a bipartisan and bicameral resolution which is reflected in this bill. Without this vital legislation, millions of individuals would lose their HIV and AIDS treatment and support services. I am pleased we worked swiftly to send this to the President.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 138, which honors the George Bush Intercontinental Airport for its 40 years of outstanding service to the residents of Houston, TX, and to travelers from around the world. Since it first opened in 1969, Bush Intercontinental Airport has transported over 700,000,000 passengers to more than 170 U.S. and international destinations, making it one of the largest airports in the world. This, in turn, has generated tremendous economic benefits for the greater Houston area. Travelers to the region account for more than $20 billion in annual sales. The airport also employs over 30,000 Houston-area residents and has created over 120,000 additional jobs in local industries. Many of these employees live in our district. Bush Intercontinental Airport has likewise served as a hub for cargo shipments to the U.S. and Latin America. For four years in a row, the airport has received Air Cargo World's ``Air Cargo Excellence Award'' for its facilities. It now handles more than 300,000 tons of freight annually, and this figure continues to grow. In November, the airport plans to open a new import facility for perishable freight, which will expand business in temperature and time-sensitive products. Together with the Port of Houston, Bush Intercontinental Airport has helped to make Houston a truly international city and one of the leading ports of entry and export in the country. It serves as a model of success in international travel and shipping, and this level of accomplishment should be acknowledged. I urge my colleagues to support House Concurrent Resolution 138 recognizing the 40th anniversary of George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, I submit the following article. [From the Washington Post, Sept. 28, 2009] The FCC's Heavy Hand In a speech at the Brookings Institution last week, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski promised that his agency's plan for regulating Internet service providers (ISPs) will be ``fair, transparent, fact- based and data-driven.'' That's nice. But Mr. Genachowski failed to convincingly answer the most important question of all: Is this intervention necessary? Mr. Genachowski claims to have seen ``breaks and cracks'' in the Internet that threaten to change the ``fundamental architecture of openness.'' He and other proponents of federal involvement cite a handful of cases they say prove that, left to their own devices, ISPs such as Comcast Corp. and AT&T will choke the free flow of information and technology. One example alluded to by the chairman: Comcast's blocking an application by BitTorrent that would allow peer- to-peer video sharing. Yet that conflict was ultimately resolved by the two companies--without FCC intervention-- after Comcast's alleged bad behavior was exposed by a blogger. Mr. Genachowski offered two proposals to combat alleged ISP misconduct. One should be embraced, the other shelved. Mr. Genachowski is right to insist that ISPs be candid with the agency and the public about network management practices. Such disclosures are necessary, Mr. Genachowski asserted correctly, to ``give consumers the confidence of knowing that they're getting the service they've paid for'' and ``enable innovators to make their offerings work effectively over the Internet.'' Transparency should go a long way toward allaying the concerns of those who fear ISP manipulation of markets. It also puts in doubt the need for Mr. Genachowski's second, dubious offering. Aptly dubbed an ``immodest proposal'' by the Free State Foundation's Randolph J. May, the FCC would prohibit ISPs from ``discriminating against'' different applications. Mr. Genachowski explains it this way: ISPs ``cannot block or degrade lawful traffic over their networks, or pick winners by favoring some content or applications over others in the connection to subscribers' homes.'' In short, ISPs, which have poured billions of dollars into building infrastructure, would have little control--if any--over the kinds of information and technology flowing through their pipes. In a slight concession, Mr. Genachowski said that the commission would consider whether to allow ISPs to offer ``managed services in limited circumstances''; this approach could allow ISPs to create a two-track delivery system--one for routine traffic, the other for applications that use exorbitant amounts of bandwidth. But unneeded regulation could still interfere with their ability to manage bandwidth- hogging applications that can hamper service, especially during peak times. Mr. Genachowski claims that the FCC ``will do as much as we need to do, and no more, to ensure that the Internet remains an unfettered platform for competition, creativity and entrepreneurial activity.'' He will advance this goal by insisting on transparency; he will jeopardize it--and stifle further investments by ISPs--with attempts to micromanage what has been a vibrant and well-functioning marketplace.