Gene Green

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5613, the Protecting Medicaid Safety Net Act. The rules issued by CMS in August were said to be cost saving measures and a way to reduce waste, fraud, and abuse. If these 7 regulations go into effect Texas would lose $3.4 billion in Federal Medicaid funding over the next 5 years and nationwide cuts to Medicaid funding could total around $50 billion. These regulations attack the core mission of Medicaid by eliminating much needed services for children, the elderly, and the poor. These cuts will also have a devastating impact on state's Medicaid funds; consequently hurting the most vulnerable populations who are helped by the Medicaid safety net. This population accesses services and support care from Medicaid because they cannot access services elsewhere due to costs or restrictions on benefits. If these regulations go into effect, I don't know where the states will find the funds to continue operating programs such as school administrative and transportation services, coverage for rehabilitative services, and outpatient hospital services. Especially since the lack of Medicaid funding will create budget crises in most states as they scramble to pay for services or eliminate them altogether. This bill gives Congress enough time to understand the consequences of these regulations and come up with a solution we all can agree on rather than cutting these necessary services. I am disappointed that the Administration has threatened to veto this bill. This piece of legislation is the result of a lot of hard work on both sides of the aisle. I am particularly upset that the Administration seems to have forgotten once again about its Texas roots. Texas, along with California and New York stand to lose the largest amount of funding from these Medicaid cuts and this is money our states cannot afford to lose. This bill has the support of 2,000 organizations and the National Governors Association. I urge my colleagues to support this bill and stop these cuts.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Madam Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 5715, The Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act of 2008. I would also like to thank Chairman Miller of the Education and Labor Committee and Chairman Hinojosa of the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning and Competitiveness for their work on this important piece of legislation. Getting a college education has never been more important, and this bill will help ensure that students will still have access to the Federal loans they need to pay for college in the coming months. In recent months, uncertainty in the U.S. credit markets has made it difficult for some lenders in the federally guaranteed student loan program to secure the capital needed to finance college loans. Because of this, some lenders have scaled back their lending activity. While no student or college has reported any problems accessing Federal student aid to date, it is important that the Federal Government take steps to ensure that students will continue to have access to funds regardless of what happens in the U.S. credit markets. A viable Federal Family Education Loan Program is extremely important in my home state of Texas. The FFELP participants provide nearly two- thirds of the student financial aid awarded annually to Texas postsecondary education students and parents contrasted to only 56 percent nationally. Our students can now breathe a sigh of relief knowing that there will be liquidity and continued, uninterrupted access to Federal loans thanks to this bill.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the State of Israel on its 60th anniversary and help kick off a series of weekly bipartisan speeches leading up to Israel's 60th anniversary. As cochair of the Democratic Israel Working Group, I want to thank my colleague, Congressman Reynolds, and other members of the Republican Israel Caucus for joining us in this effort to honor and recognize the contributions Israel has made during the last 60 years. I've been to Israel several times and can personally vouch for Israel's contributions to the global community, particularly to agriculture techniques, solar power generation, seawater desalination, academia, telecommunications, and medical technology. In my home State of Texas, we have an economic cooperative agreement with Israel, which is one of the oldest state-to-state relationships in our country. Israel's success in innovative programs constantly serve as ideas for addressing problems facing citizens in Texas. In the last 60 years, Israel has faced many struggles, conflicts with its neighbors, terrorism on its borders and in its neighborhoods, and led peace efforts by leaving Gaza and southern Lebanon only to be attacked from these locations. Despite these struggles, Israel has grown from a state of less than 1 million people in 1948 to a state of over 7 million people committed to promoting human rights, protecting the rule of law, and to open and fair elections. Israel is truly an inspiration to people around the globe. And I would like to again congratulate the Israeli people and join them in celebrating the 60th anniversary of Israel's independence.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Madam Chairman, I rise today to show my support for H.R. 5501, the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008. This important bill will aim to address the devastating effects of AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis on our global community. Numbers from the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS show that since AIDS was identified in 1981, about 65 million people have been infected with HIV and more than 30 million have died from AIDS. These numbers include the figures from 2005 that show more than 2 million of those living with HIV/AIDS were children and the daily infection of an estimated 1,500 children worldwide was due in large part to inadequate access to drugs that prevent the transmission from mother to child. Additionally, programs within the Department of Health and Human Services account for 71 percent of the total amount spent, with the U.S. as the largest single contributor to the Global Fund, an independent foundation dedicated to disbursing new resources in developing countries aimed at combating AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. This bill will further these efforts that we started 5 years ago by raising the United States' contribution to $50 billion over the next 5 years. I am also encouraged that this bill will encourage the development of a TB vaccine. The TB germ is constantly changing and drug resistant strains have been found in 28 countries on 6 continents, including right here in the United States, where it is estimated that 10 to 15 million people in the U.S. have latent TB. These drug resistant forms of TB have severe implications both internationally and domestically. The World Health Organization recently released its new tuberculosis drug resistance surveillance report. The WHO found that the MDR and XDR strains of TB are at their highest levels ever. Both of these strains are far deadlier than normal TB, and are much more difficult and expensive to treat. In fact, the Department of Homeland Security recently identified XDR- TB as an ``emerging threat to the homeland.'' For this reason, we need to devote resources to stopping this disease and developing a new vaccine is the first step. This is not a partisan issue. Some of my colleagues might ask why an AIDS reauthorization bill should be the vehicle for doing this; there is a very simple reason. TB is the number one infectious killer among people living with HIV/AIDS, and accounts for up to half of HIV/AIDS deaths in some parts of Africa. If we do not address TB in a systematic way and work to develop a vaccine, then much of the progress that we have made on addressing HIV/ AIDS globally will be undone. Studies also show that the 10-year economic benefits of a TB vaccine that was only 75 percent effective could result in an estimated savings of $25 billion dollars. There is no denying that this is a significant amount. Our current TB vaccine, BCG, is more than 85 years old and is not compatible against pulmonary TB, which accounts for most TB cases. This legislation is a good start in our critical battle against TB. Finally, I am happy to see that this bill will encourage public-private partnerships in combating these diseases. The Baylor Pediatric AIDS Initiative has been working in Africa for several years, and the government should work with this and similar programs to leverage the expertise that they can provide. I support these strong health initiatives across the globe and I encourage my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and colleagues. Today I rise to honor a hardworking labor leader, Cesar Chavez, who founded the United Farm Workers Union and dedicated his life to promote nonviolence through boycotts and strikes that would protect farm workers from the dangers of pesticides, low wages, and the denial of fair and free elections. I met Cesar Chavez in the 1970s when he came to organize farm workers in Texas. I was a young Texas State Representative and was inspired by his leadership then and as he inspires people today in this century. Cesar Estrada Chavez was born on March 31, 1927, in Yuma, Arizona. It was 10 years later in 1937 that like many other migrant families, his parents lost their farm and their home. This was a hardship that led them to join thousands of other migrant farmer workers to toil in the California fields. In 1944 Cesar Chavez enlisted in the U.S. Navy where he served and fought for the United States in the Pacific during World War II. He later married Helen Fabela and fathered eight children. Although Cesar Chavez was not able to complete high school because his family required his helping hands in the California fields, he not only endured the hardships of migrant working conditions but experienced the injustices that he later made into a personal crusade for the migrant farm workers. His personal struggles as a migrant farm worker led him to find a nonviolent way to help Hispanic farm workers. In the 1950s, Cesar quietly began to study and work for the better working conditions of migrant workers. His persistent struggle to help Hispanics led him to organize the National Farm Worker group in Fresno, California. Cesar Chavez was one of the first Hispanic activists that begun what was a series of boycotts and strikes against California grape growers. Most notably, he called a boycott against Schenley Industries, a major California grape producer. His series of boycotts and strikes caused a national awareness that provoked the late Senate Robert F. Kennedy to criticize local officials after uncovering strike-breaking practices against farm workers. The National Farm Workers Union later reached a groundbreaking settlement with Schenley Industries that marked the first contract ever signed for farm workers in the United States. This was a monumental achievement that the United Farm Workers would not have been able to accomplish without the hard work and determination of this courageous individual. As the struggle to protect farm workers continued, Cesar Chavez even sacrificed his health several times by fasting. He saw his fight as a personal fight to end the terrible suffering of the farm workers and their children. Cesar Chavez worked tirelessly to improve the lives of America's farm workers by securing their rights to organize and bargain collectively for fair working conditions. Chavez showed us that together we can make a safe and prosperous America with a strong and vibrant economy--an America with good jobs and good pay. Fifteen years after his passing, his life's work and legacy continues to inspire millions.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Israel on its 60th anniversary of independence on May 14, 2008. Since Israel's birth it has been a beacon of inspiration and hope for oppressed people all across the globe, and Israel has continued to flourish by striving for peace and prosperity even in the face of the violence that has tormented it since its declaration of independence. Israel and the United States have been close friends and allies for the past 60 years. Our relations have evolved from an initial American policy of sympathy and support for the creation of a Jewish homeland in 1948 to a key partnership based on common economic interests, common security interests, and most of all, common values. We must continue to cultivate this relationship. For the last 60 years, Israel has also been a leader in technology and innovation as they have helped lead the way in science, technology, medical, and agricultural breakthroughs. I applaud Israel for these efforts. I have been fortunate enough to have had the privilege to visit Israel on several occasions, and have seen the struggles Israelis face daily. However, I have also seen their perseverance and determination to create a peaceful and prosperous state and this gives me hope for future peace in the region. I would again like to congratulate Israel on 60 years of freedom and independence and I look forward to many more years of working together.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Jewish Herald-Voice on their 100th anniversary on April 20, 2008. The Jewish Herald-Voice is the longest continuously running Jewish newspaper in the Southwest and one of the oldest in the country. Founded in 1908 as The Jewish Herald by local printer Edgar Goldberg, the Jewish Herald-Voice has continued through the dedication of 3 owners. Through its pages, the Jewish Herald-Voice connects the community to important causes, large and small, calling its readers to action, and especially by connecting its readers to issues affecting Jewish communities around the world. Over the past several decades, the Jewish Herald-Voice has been recognized for excellence in journalism and in design by the Texas Press, the Texas Gulf Coast Press, the Houston Press Club, and American Jewish Press associations. For its community service, the Jewish Herald-Voice and its owners, Joe and Jeanne Samuels, have been honored by a plethora of Jewish organizations, both local and international. One 100 years ago, Edgar Goldberg envisioned a newspaper that would reach everyone in Houston's diverse Jewish community, crossing denominations, transcending organizational boundaries and providing a platform for every Jewish citizen, regardless of affiliation. For 35 years, Joe and Jeanne Samuels, with their dedicated and talented writers and staff, have successfully continued the founder's dream and kept the promise of being ``the voice'' of the Jewish community of Greater Houston and the Texas Gulf Coast. Joe and Jeanne Samuels are great Americans, personal friends, and serve our community well. Madam Speaker, I would like to congratulate the Jewish Herald-Voice for their 100-year tradition of service to the Jewish community and the city of Houston.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of a resolution offered by a fellow Texan, Congresswoman Granger, recognizing the month of March as Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. There are few diagnoses that strike more fear into Americans than being diagnosed with cancer. More than 10 million Americans currently live with cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 1.4 million new cancer cases will be diagnosed this year. In the United States, colorectal cancer is the fourth most common cancer in men and women. If it is caught early, it is often curable. Regular colorectal cancer screening or testing is one of the best ways to prevent colorectal cancer. Once abnormal cells start to grow, it takes approximately 10 to 15 years to develop into colorectal cancer. Regular colorectal cancer screening can prevent colorectal cancer altogether because some polyps and growths are identified and removed before they turn into cancer. Screening can also result in finding colorectal cancer early, when it is highly curable. Houston's MD Anderson Cancer Center is located near my district so I have seen the effectiveness of research and treatments that have come from investment in cancer research programs. However, the easiest way to prevent, treat, and recover from cancer is to find it early. That is why recognizing the month of March as Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month is important. Letting people know that they should be regularly tested for colorectal cancer is the first step in saving lives. I want to thank my colleague, Representative Granger, and urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall Nos. 145 and 146, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to show my support for H. Res. 1024. This resolution recognizes the 187th anniversary of the independence of Greece and celebrates Greek and American democracy. On March 25, 1821, Greece declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire, and the United States and Greece have had a longstanding relationship ever since. The Greek community is particularly active in our own country. Greece shares our democratic values and principles and has been an important ally to the United States, particularly since World War I. As the most senior EU and NATO country in their region, they serve as a great role model for democracy, stability, and security for other countries in their region. I look forward to continued bilateral relations and friendship with Greece as we work together to address the issues in Southeast Europe.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to explain my absence from votes cast on March 4, 2008. I was in Houston for the Texas primary election. On rollcall vote No. 88, to approve H.R. 1143, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.'' On rollcall vote No. 89, to approve H.R. 1311, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.'' On rollcall vote No. 90, to approve H.R. 816, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, Sunday, March 2, 2008, marked Texas Independence Day. 172 years ago that day, the Texas Declaration of Independence was ratified by the Convention of 1836 at Washington- on-the-Brazos. Driven by the same spirit of freedom that drove the patriots of the American Revolution to throw off the shackles of tyranny and oppression, the Texas Declaration of Independence was produced, literally, overnight. Its urgency was crucial, because while it was being prepared, the Alamo in San Antonio was under siege by Santa Anna's army of Mexico. Immediately upon the assemblage of the Convention of 1836 on March 1, a committee of five of its delegates was appointed to draft the document. The committee worked long into the night to prepare the declaration. It was briefly reviewed, then adopted by the delegates of the convention the following day. The declaration was an announcement to the world that all Texans would fight to protect their rights. The declaration stated that they would no longer live under the dictatorship of Santa Anna or a government that had been ``forcibly changed, without their consent, from a restricted federative republic, composed of sovereign states, to a consolidated central military despotism.'' It spoke of the numerous injustices inflicted upon the settlers of the state then known as Coahuila y Tejas: the elimination of the state's legislative body; the denial of religious freedom; the elimination of the civil justice system; and the confiscation of firearms, this last one being the most intolerable, particularly among Texans. The declaration stated that Texas was `a free, sovereign, and independent republic . . . fully invested with all the rights and attributes' that belong to independent nations; and a declaration that they `fearlessly and confidently' committed their decision to `the Supreme Arbiter of the destinies of nations.' The Texan Army was ready to defend itself from the oppression of Santa Anna and his army. Outnumbered by the vastly larger Mexican army, approximately 200 Texans and Tejanos under the leadership of Lt. Colonel William Barrett Travis and Tennessee Congressman David Crockett made their stand in the defense of Texas at an old Spanish mission known as the Alamo. They bravely held their position for 13 days, enduring wave after wave of attack, and on the morning of March 6, 1836, they made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom as they were killed in action defending Texas at the Alamo. Two weeks later on March 27, 1836 Colonel James W. Fannin and 300 men under his command were massacred by Santa Anna's army at Goliad. The sacrifices made at the Alamo and Goliad would not be forgotten as they became the battle cry of the Texan Army: ``Remember the Alamo. Remember Goliad!'' On April 21, 1836 a much smaller Texan Army led by General Sam Houston launched a surprise attack on the much larger Mexican force at San Jacinto. After only 18 minutes the Battle of San Jacinto was over, and Texas had won its independence. That battle is memorialized along the San Jacinto River with the San Jacinto Monument in Baytown, Texas in the 29th district, the district I represent. Texas Independence Day is important to all Americans because the events show that the brotherhood of freedom can be stronger than the brotherhood of ethnicity or nationality, as Tejanos proved at Gonzalez, Bexar, Goliad, the Alamo, along the banks of the San Jacinto River, and in the government of the Republic of Texas. People sometimes wonder what makes Texas and Texans so different, and I believe part of that answer is that the desire for freedom that gave us the first Texas Independence Day is still alive today. Madam Speaker, I hope that Congress and this whole country join all Texans in honoring these brave men who stood up for liberty and freedom 172 years ago. God Bless Texas and God Bless America.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I've always believed as a Nation we should wean ourselves from our dependence on fossil fuels and invest in the energy of the future. However, I also believe we must promote the technologies of tomorrow in a way that will benefit, not harm, our constituents and our long-term energy security. Today, the House is making its fourth attempt this Congress to pass a renewable energy tax package, H.R. 5351. I supported the first attempt last January, H.R. 6, even though I feared it could reduce incentives for domestic production. Every House package since includes a new or different combination of revenue raisers that target the energy industry and extract billions more than prior versions. If Congress singles out one industry for billions of dollars, you cannot go back for more and expect enough gasoline for our cars and fuel to heat and cool our homes. Compared to the original H.R. 6, H.R. 5351 includes $17.6 billion in new taxes on the energy industry. That's an increase of over $10 billion in just 1 year. House debates on these measures have been filled with misinformation and unwillingness to review the facts. If Congress took a moment to inject objective analysis in the debate, we could see that the profit margins of energy industries are in line with and, in many cases, below that of other industries. For every dollar of sales in the third quarter of 2007, the oil and natural gas industry earned 7.6 cents in profit margin, compared to 21.6 cents for the beverage and tobacco industry, 18.8 cents for the pharmaceutical industry, 14.6 cents for the electrical equipment industry, and 14.5 cents for the computer equipment industry. Again, nationwide, all manufacturing companies, excluding the struggling automotive industry, earned 9.2 cents per dollar of sales, as compared to energy that was 7.6. So there may be great profits in it, but there are also great profits in other corporations. So are the profits of the energy industry disproportionate with most U.S. industries? Clearly the answer is no. If you evaluate industry tax contributions, we would see that companies are paying more than their fair share and growing the numbers in the coffers of State, Federal and local governments. In 2006 the effective tax rate for the top energy companies was 37 percent, more than the top corporate tax rate of 35 percent. Between 2004 and 2006, the total current income taxes paid by the 27 top energy companies nearly doubled, nearly doubled in 2 years, growing from $44 billion to $81 billion. So we do have a progressive tax, and it has doubled with the profits. Recently, the amount that ExxonMobil, a frequent target of criticism, paid in U.S. taxes actually exceeded their U.S. earnings by $18.7 billion. So ExxonMobil is paying a lot of taxes. And I'm not so sure that ExxonMobil or Chevron or ConocoPhillips, or any of the energy industry, if they pay more taxes in this bill, that it will actually not go back to the bottom line that we're already paying at the pump, or to pay to heat and cool our homes. I wish I could tell you they're going to take it out of their profits, but they're not required to do that. They could just raise prices, and so we'll see even more price increases. Despite these figures, no industry is as heavily scrutinized as America's oil and natural gas companies. That's probably because most of the production in our country comes from Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Alaska. Most States don't want it. But they always want their lights to be turned on and their cars to be filled up. What's most concerning is we continue to move tax packages that target this industry and expect different results. The Senate has twice failed to reach cloture on these provisions, and the President continues to issue veto threats. We're debating press releases and not actually legislating. We did legislate last January and we had a tax package that passed this House with only four negative democratic votes. But since then we've had problems with it. It's time we get serious about our renewable energy and conservation policy. Let's put rhetoric aside for a moment and find a way to move forward on a renewable energy package that can actually become law without jeopardizing our energy security. Mr. Speaker, I have always believed that as a Nation we should wean ourselves from our dependence on fossil fuels and invest in the energy of the future. However, I also believe we must promote the technologies of tomorrow in a way that will benefit, not harm, our constituents and our long term energy security. Today, the House will make its fourth attempt this Congress to pass a renewable energy tax package with H.R. 5351. I supported the first attempt in January of last year--H.R. 6--even though I feared it could reduce incentives for domestic production. Every House package since includes a new or different combination of revenue raisers that target the energy industry and extract billions more than prior versions. If Congress singles out one industry for billions of dollars, you cannot go back for more and expect enough gasoline in our cars and fuel to heat and cool our homes. Compared to the original H.R. 6, H.R. 5351 includes $17.6 billion in new energy taxes on U.S. companies. That's an increase of over $10 billion in 1 year. House debates on these measures are filled with misinformation and an unwillingness to review the facts. If Congress took a moment to inject objective analysis into this debate, we would see that the profit margins of energy companies are in line with, and in many cases, below that of other industries. For every dollar of sales in the third quarter of 2007, the oil and natural gas industry earned 7.6 cents in profit margin. Compare this to the: 21.6 cents earned by the beverage and tobacco industry; 18.8 cents for the pharmaceutical industry; 14.6 cents for the electrical equipment industry; and 14.5 cents for the computer equipment industry. Nationwide, all manufacturing companies--excluding the struggling automotive industry--earned 9.2 cents per dollar of sales. So are the profit margins of the energy industry disproportionate from most U.S. industries? Clearly, the answer is ``no.'' If we evaluate industry tax contributions, we would see that companies are paying more than their fair share and growing the coffers of Federal, State, and local governments. In 2006 the effective tax rate for the top energy companies was 37 percent, more than the top U.S. corporate income tax rate of 35 percent. Between 2004 and 2006, the total current income taxes paid by the top 27 energy companies nearly doubled, growing from $44 billion to over $81 billion. Recently, the amount that ExxonMobil, a frequent target of criticism, paid in U.S. taxes actually exceeded their U.S. earnings by $18.7 billion. That's right. They paid more in U.S. taxes than they earned in the U.S. Despite these figures, no industry is as heavily scrutinized as America's oil and natural gas companies. What's most concerning is that we continue to move tax packages that target the energy industry and expect different results. The Senate has failed twice to reach cloture on these provisions and the President continues to issue veto threats. This is debating press releases and not legislation. It's time to get serious about our renewable energy and conservation policy. Let's put rhetoric aside for one moment and find a way forward to support a renewable energy package that can actually become law and won't jeopardize our energy security. Our Nation and our constituents deserve that opportunity.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 59, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 68, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, on rollcall Nos. 43, 44, and 45, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4848. This legislation is an extension of the Mental Health Parity Act of 1996. This bill requires that annual and lifetime dollar limits for mental health treatment under group health plans offering mental health coverage be no less than that for physical illnesses. Mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the U.S. for individuals between the ages of 15-44. In fact, 54 million Americans currently suffer from mental illness. Unfortunately, the stigma of mental illness prevents millions of Americans from receiving the health care they need. Arbitrary limits on insurance benefits also serve as a significant barrier to many Americans seeking help. The original Mental Health Parity Act of 1996 was an important first step toward mental health parity and mandated that annual and lifetime limits in mental health coverage be equal to those applied to medical and surgical benefits. While I support this bill, I strongly believe that we must pass H.R. 1424, the Paul Wellstone Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2007. The scientific community has long told us that mental illness and substance abuse are biologically-based, and the Surgeon General recognized that fact in the 1999 Surgeon General's report. The sad reality, however, is that the health insurance market still does not provide true parity to mental health and substance abuse coverage. Individuals who struggle with mental illness or substance abuse have no guarantee they'll get the treatment they need--even if they have health insurance. Mental illness and substance abuse are serious issues for many Americans who too often do not receive the appropriate treatment. Twenty-six million Americans struggle with substance abuse addictions. I hope that we will recognize the struggles that individuals with substance abuse addictions face in seeking treatment. I strongly support H.R. 4848 and hope that we will build on this piece of legislation by considering H.R. 1424, the Paul Wellstone Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2007 sometime this session.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague and both the Government Reform Committee and Rules Committee for allowing this resolution to be considered today. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting it. The Dynamo soccer team arrived in Houston just 2 years ago, and in the team's first two seasons, they won back-to-back MLS Cups. The Dynamo are the first team to do so in over a decade and have immediately drawn a huge fan base in Houston for their success. Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear has guided the team to 26 wins, 20 draws, and 16 losses in its first two seasons in Houston. The Cup win this season came over the New England Revolution, the same team the Dynamo defeated in 2006 to win their first MLS Cup and the 2007 match to an attendance of merely 40,000. The 2007 Cup win was a come-from- behind victory in which Dwayne De Rosario assisted on the tying goal to Joseph Ngwenya, and scored the winning goal to take home the most valuable player honors from the match. The Dynamo managed to accomplish this without the most valuable player from their 2006 Cup win, Brian Ching, who was sidelined with an injury. Texas and Houston have a long history of being a football State and town, but I first learned about soccer when I was in college playing goalie just during college sports. My two children grew up playing soccer in the 1980s when they were young in Houston. Over the years, I watched soccer grow not only in the suburbs but also in the very inner city, and you can hardly have a flat field, flat surface, without having soccer goals put up. Today in our district and throughout the Houston area, countless numbers of children have played and become soccer fans, and the Dynamos' success since arriving in Houston greatly increased the interest in the game. Four of the Dynamo stars, Brad Davis, Eddie Robinson, Ricardo Clark, and Stuart Holden, have been selected for the U.S. Men's National Team roster that will face Team Mexico at Reliant Stadium tonight in Houston. This is the most players of any club represented on our national team, and it includes the Houston native, Stuart Holden, who played his high school soccer in Houston. The U.S.-Mexico soccer rivalry is one of the biggest matches the team plays and always draws enormous crowds and a large television following. We wish the players luck tonight in their match and congratulate the Dynamos on their past success and look forward to their continued success in 2008. Again, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution congratulating the Houston Dynamos on their 2007 Major League Soccer Cup victory.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to explain my absence from votes cast on January 22, 2008. I was in Houston meeting with constituents at a townhall meeting our office scheduled prior to knowing votes would take place last night. On rollcall vote No. 19, to approve H.R. 4211, had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.'' On rollcall vote No. 20, to approve H. Res. 866, had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, I thank our Chair of the committee for allowing me to speak. Sitting here, waiting in line and listening, I am amazed at the rhetoric I hear. We had Members from our minority side talk about we have to worry about saving for the stimulus next week, and we want to vote for that. But it is amazing they want to save money from the SCHIP program to pay for a stimulus, and at the same time they don't worry about paying for the billions of dollars a month that we are spending in Iraq. It is amazing how frugal they are when they want to be. Madam Speaker, the President's veto of the children's health care bill once again shows it is playing politics rather than embracing an opportunity to fix a system that is in need of repair. The reason we are here is over 10 years ago this House and Senate and the President at that time signed the bill. The issue was we need to cover the children first. Instead of signing this piece of legislation into law, President Bush twice vetoed a bill to provide insurance coverage to 10 million low-income American children of working parents. The administration's reason for this veto just doesn't stand up. No Federal funding will be spent on undocumented immigrants in this bill. If they are, they are on the State's, the State of Texas or whoever else, to pay for it if they allow illegal immigrants on the CHIP plan. In 1 year, childless adults are taken off the SCHIP program, even though this administration issued waivers to allow them to be on it. Only lowest income children are covered, with a prohibition on coverage for over 300 percent of poverty, and still the President vetoed it. We continue to spend billions of dollars a month in Iraq, and we can't even cover the lowest income children. Energy costs are up. Everything is up. Our economy is weakening, and the number of unemployed and uninsured in this country are rising. Let's at least cover the children with health care. Let's vote to override this misguided veto.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend Mr. Manuel Escontrias on announcing his retirement from Exxon-Mobil, after 38 years of service. Mr. Escontrias, a long time Baytonian, served his community for 6 years as a District 3 city councilman, 6 years as a Goose Creek school board trustee and as a Lee College regent for 1 year. Mr. Escontrias holds a bachelor's degree in science from Texas A&M and a master's degree from Pepperdine University. In 1968, Mr. Escontrias went to work for the Exxon-Mobil Chemical Plant as the first Hispanic engineer at the Baytown complex. In the 1980s, while with Exxon-Mobil, Mr. Escontrias helped develop and build the Exxon Coal Liquefaction Plant (ECLP), was involved in the biggest expansion in the company's history, and was part of the Exxon- Mobil Process/Risk Management Group. Through his 40 years as a Baytonian, Mr. Escontrias has been involved with many local groups including the United Way, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Lakewood Civic Association, and many more. For his involvement in the community, Mr. Escontrias was awarded the Henry B. Gonzalez Leadership Award. And so it is with great pleasure that I recognize Mr. Manuel Escontrias, for his service to Exxon-Mobil and the city of Baytown, and I congratulate him on the announcement of his retirement.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. I thank my colleague from the Rules Committee for allowing me to speak. I have to admit, it is not very often I follow my colleague from Massachusetts and support a lot of what he said. The legislation before us today is the result of almost a year of hard work and negotiation to compromise by the new majority to produce an energy bill that helps address the serious concern of climate change in our Nation. For the first time in over 30 years, Democrats increase the fuel economy standards by 40 percent, as well as increase energy efficiency requirements and promote research and development of alternative sources of energy. Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Hoyer and Chairman Dingell deserve special praise for their work in crafting this historic legislation. Almost as important as what is included is what is not included. H.R. 6 omitted provisions from the previous energy bills that I feared could raise the cost of energy for consumers, including a Federal renewable electricity standard, new taxes on the energy industry outside of those carefully negotiated in the original H.R. 6 from January of this year that could tilt the competitive playing field against U.S. companies, and provisions that could hamper domestic oil and natural gas production. These changes are commendable and represent a more balanced proposal which I support. What was unfortunately omitted was the opportunity to create a balanced energy policy that invests in our energy future without ignoring America's energy needs today. Energy security cannot be achieved by alternative energy and conservation alone. The Energy Information Administration predicts that natural gas, oil, and coal will comprise approximately the same share of our total energy supply in 2030 as they did in 2005, even with new investments in renewable sources of energy. Comprehensive energy legislation must be enacted that will increase America's domestic energy supply, particularly clean-burning natural gas which will play a critical role in reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. What's also lacking was the debate on renewable fuel standards, RFS, a provision not moved through the regular process of the House and that lacks a clear mechanism to reduce the mandate prior to taking effect in the case of environmental challenges, technological, feasibility or supply issues, or other adverse consequences. There is no shortage of literature detailing the negative environmental impacts of corn-based ethanol, its questionable greenhouse gas emission reductions, its reduced fuel efficiency, and its effect on food and energy prices. I hope in a few years down the road we don't find ourselves asking whether the supposed cure for our oil addiction is not worse than the disease. In closing, I believe as Democrats we can craft a sensible energy policy that actually enhances our energy security. I hope our House leadership will continue to try to work with Democrats and Republicans together to address America's need to produce additional domestic energy, both conventional and renewable, and to ensure the reliability and affordability of our Nation's critical energy supplies. [From the Houston Chronicle, Dec. 8, 2007] Energy Policy The energy bill passed by the U.S. House last week is more a political statement than a blueprint for U.S. energy policy. Titled the Energy Independence and Security Act, it misses many chances to attain those goals. The bill's best feature is the requirement that automakers have a fleet average of 35 miles per gallon. The measure's proponents say the higher mileage standard would save the United States 1.1 million barrels of oil per day--about half of what the country imports from the Persian Gulf. With populations and demand for energy growing, more efficient cars and SUVs are essential. The bill's reliance on the use of ethanol to cut crude imports is suspect, however. Most ethanol here is made from corn. The present mandate for gasoline blenders to use ethanol has driven up food prices, but the nation hasn't enjoyed a significant net gain in energy. The bill aims to force the development of efficient cellulosic ethanol, but the technology might be slow in coming. If House Democrats wanted to increase use of efficiently made ethanol, they would eliminate the tariff on imported ethanol made from sugar cane. A requirement that utilities produce 15 percent of their electricity from renewable sources is arbitrary and does not suit every locality, but it would prompt market solutions. Texas, one of the leading producers of wind power, has a 5 percent renewable requirement, and the state's economy and consumers have benefited. President Bush has voiced objection to the bill's new taxes applied to the oil industry, and he has good reason. Does it make sense to raise the tax burden on the companies that produce and distribute the energy the nation's prosperity rests on? The oil industry should be taxed as near as possible in the same manner as other corporations. If Congress wanted to increase domestic oil and gas production, as it should, it would allow responsible drilling on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. There is no reason the Gulf of Mexico should bear the strain of providing the nation's only offshore energy. Perhaps one day the Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate will agree on a compromise that would enhance efficiency and the nation's energy supply. For that to happen, both parties must decide policy based on the common good rather than on narrow competing interests. Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my friend from Louisiana for allowing me to speak. Mr. Speaker, there is no question this is a historic day. This bill will substantially increase fuel economy standards for the first time in over 20 years, increase energy efficiency requirements, and promote research and development of alternative sources. These are all worthy accomplishments, and the efforts of Chairman Dingell should be commended. The only opportunity this Congress missed was to create a balanced energy policy that invests in our energy future without ignoring America's energy needs today. I believe as Democrats, we could have crafted a sensible energy policy that actually enhances our energy security, but that would require bringing all Democrats to the table, including those of us who represent districts that produce energy needed to heat our homes, fuel our vehicles, and generate our economic prosperity. While some improvements from the previous bill, H.R. 3221, have been made, new additions that have not been thoroughly debated have been included and could have a negative impact on the cost of energy in our area. For that reason, I must vote against the legislation and hope that we can instead vote on an energy bill that is focused on provisions we can agree on, such as a bill to increase CAFE standards, energy efficiency standards, and that would actually increase energy security in the United States. I am particularly disappointed in the lack of discussion on the renewable fuel standard, RFS, which was not included in our House bill and was not moved through any regular process in the House of Representatives. It is premature to consider expanding the RFS until our current one is fully implemented, and we run the risk of negative environmental impacts, questionable greenhouse gas emissions, and increased food and energy prices with a focus on corn-based ethanol. A sensible approach would have been to require RFS to include, prior to taking effect, a clear mechanism to reduce the mandate in case the environmental challenges, technological, or feasibility of supply issues, or projected food price increases were impacted. This bill includes tax provisions outside of those carefully negotiated earlier in H.R. 6 that actually tilt the competitive playing field for global energy resources against U.S.-based oil and gas companies and discourage the expansion of natural gas distribution systems. There has been an effort to moderate some of the tax provisions passed early in August, particularly by retaining current deduction levels under section 199 for our Nation's independent producers. I am glad that happened, but I am concerned with the impact on my constituents and their electricity bills with a Federal renewable electricity standard, the RES. Under a one-size-fits-all mandate, Texas utilities may be forced to make payments to the Federal Government to meet a 20 percent target or a 15 percent target, or 11 percent, now we hear it is 11 percent, ultimately driving up costs for the utility, the electricity users. I wish Congress would capitalize on this historic moment and actually make it to where we could pass an energy bill that would be bipartisan. We could instead have a more sensible bill that focused on the provisions we all agree on, increase CAFE standards and energy standards, and that would meet with Senate and Presidential approval. Mr. Speaker, there is no question this is a truly historic day for Congress. This bill will substantially increase fuel economy standards for the first time in over 20 years, increase energy efficiency requirements, and promote research and development of alternative sources of energy. These are all worthy accomplishments and the efforts of the Chairman should be commended. The only opportunity this Congress missed, Mr. Speaker, was to create a balanced energy policy that invests in our energy future without ignoring America's energy needs today. I believe as Democrats we can craft sensible-energy policy that actually enhances our energy security, but that would require bringing all Democrats to the table, including those of us who represent Districts that produce the energy needed to heat our homes, fuel our vehicles, and generate our economic prosperity. I believe that day will come, but after reviewing some of the proposals contained in this legislation, it is clear we have a long way to go. While some improvements from H.R. 3221 have been made, new additions that have not been thoroughly debated by this House and that could have a negative impact on the cost of energy have been included. For that reason, I must regrettably vote against this legislation and hope that we instead vote on an energy bill that is focused on the provisions we can all agree on--such as a bill to increase CAFE and energy efficiency standards--and that will actually increase the energy security of the United States. Renewable Fuel Standard I am particularly disappointed in the lack of discussion and debate with various stakeholders when crafting the expanded Renewable-Fuel Standard, RFS, which was not included in the House-passed bill, was not considered by the Energy and Commerce Committee, and was not moved through the regular process of the House of Representatives. It's premature to consider expanding the RFS before our current one is even fully-implemented, and we run the risk of ultimately shifting the nation's dependency on petroleum to another fuel that's costly, less efficient, and many unintended consequences. There is no shortage of literature detailing the negative environmental impacts of corn- based ethanol, including soil erosion, herbicide and insecticide pollution, aquifer depletion, and loss and degradation of wildlife habitat. Its effect on greenhouse gas emissions are questionable, and many studies find that the amount of energy needed to produce ethanol is roughly equal to the amount of energy obtained from its combustion. The biggest loser in the blind push for ethanol is the American consumer. I come from a low-income area in Texas where families struggle to make ends meet. When you account for the increased cost of transporting ethanol, its reduced fuel efficiency, and higher food prices due to increased corn demand, all our constituents will take a substantial hit to their pocketbooks. Even with this, I had hoped to sit down with different RFS stakeholders to find a reasonable solution to address these concerns. A sensible approach would have been to require the RFS to include--prior to taking effect--a clear mechanism to reduce the mandate in the case of environmental challenges, infrastructure bottlenecks, technological, feasibility or supply issues, projected food price increases, adverse weather conditions, harm to livestock producers, or other adverse consequences. Such evaluations could be repeated on a periodic basis to ensure these conditions do not materialize. Unfortunately, this idea did not have the opportunity for an open discussion and debate. If this Congress supports this expansion, I hope we at least understand the energy requirements we'll need to meet the mandate. Most of the energy used to produce ethanol comes from natural gas or electricity. A Congressional Research Service report concluded that an increase in corn ethanol to 15 billion gallons would require an increase in natural gas consumption, ultimately substituting energy demand from one fossil fuel to another. I have always believed clean-burning natural gas will play a critical role in addressing our nation's energy needs; I just hope we remember the important role natural gas will play in this RFS mandate as we debate future proposals affecting domestic natural gas supply. Tax Repeals Next, I believe we cannot keep taxing American's energy industry and expect to have adequate supplies of energy. This bill includes tax provisions outside of those carefully negotiated in H.R. 6 that could actually tilt the competitive playing field for global energy resources against U.S. based oil and gas companies and discourage the expansion of natural gas distribution systems. This increase in new taxes targeted at the U.S. energy industry could reduce our Nation's energy security by discouraging new domestic oil and gas production and new investments in refinery capacity. I am pleased, however, by the effort made to moderate some of the tax provisions from H.R. 3221, particularly by retaining the current deduction levels under Section 199 for our Nation's independent producers. While it is fundamentally unfair to treat energy companies differently than other companies under the manufacturers tax credit, at least this provision does not also punish independent producers which develop 90 percent of domestic oil and natural gas wells. Renewable Electricity Standard Finally, I am concerned with the impact on my constituents' electricity bills with a federal Renewable Electricity Standard, or RES. I am proud to come from a State that has an impressive RES that meets the needs of our region. Unlike most state RES plans, which are based on a specific percentage of sales, the Texas RES plan has a fixed statewide renewable capacity requirement of 5,880 megawatts, MW, by 2015, which would represent about 5 percent of the State's energy capacity. This isn't a question of whether or not we should encourage states to produce more electricity from renewable sources--we should. The question is whether a one-size-fits-all Federal mandate, as contained in this legislation, is the best way to accomplish this goal. In order to meet a 15 percent Federal RES by 2020, Texas utilities may be forced to make payments to the Federal Government to meet this mandate, ultimately driving up energy costs for all electricity users. Closing In closing, I wish that Congress would capitalize on this historic moment and move forward with an energy bill that unites all sides of the Caucus. We could have instead moved a more sensible bill that focused on the provisions we all agree on--like increased CAFE and energy efficiency standards--which would meet Senate approval and be signed by the President. I hope this opportunity to move consensus- based legislation is not squandered for the sake of a simple sound bite or press release. As we move forward in this Congress, I hope the House of Representatives will actually address America's need to produce additional domestic energy, both conventional and renewable, to ensure the reliability and affordability of our nation's critical energy supplies.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend Ms. Prissy Grace, who has represented members of the National Association of Letter Carriers, on announcing her retirement. Ms. Grace was born in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1943, and started with the Humble Post Office in 1973. The National Association of Letter Carriers has recognized her dedication by electing her as a union steward, the first woman Member of the Year, the first woman full-time officer, in 1983, and the first woman president of their union, in 1998, and again in 2002. She was truly a pioneer and blazed a trail that women will be following for generations to come. Ms. Grace once forced a postmaster, who belonged to the Klu Klux Klan, to integrate his station. She defended workers who refused to work in unsafe and dangerous conditions. She worked to turn a credit union, in receivership, into one of the strongest financial institutions in the State. In many other ways, too numerous to list here, she has improved the life of all the postal workers and their families in the Houston area. Her decades of service have generated the respect and admiration of the union members and Post Office management. Not only was she a tireless defender of postal workers, but as a single mother, she raised three children who each went on to graduate from college. If ever an individual embodied the ideals of family values, freedom and feminism, she is this individual. She is also a good friend of my family and of working people in our country. And so it is with great pleasure that I recognize Ms. Prissy Grace, for her distinguished service to the National Association of Letter Carriers, and I congratulate her on announcing her retirement.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, I support this effort to override the President's veto of the fiscal year 2008 appropriations bill funding the Departments of Labor, HHS, and Education. After years of too little attention to our important domestic programs, this legislation makes important investments in our health care and education programs. Several years of flat funding and small increases have resulted in funding reductions for the health, education and labor programs that Americans rely on every day. I am pleased that the bill provides the National Institutes of Health with a 4-percent increase over current funding levels. The $30 billion in this legislation will help expand our nation's commitment to life- saving medical research, much of which is performed in my back yard at the Baylor College of Medicine, the MD Anderson Cancer Center and many other impressive research facilities located in the Texas Medical Center. I also support the legislation's $225 million increase for the Health Centers program. I know the administration supports this program, but by vetoing this bill, the President puts in jeopardy our goal to expand the program to a level that will provide 30 million Americans with a health care home. H.R. 3043 also provides $200,000 in funding for Gateway to Care, for the Community Health Center Technology Improvement Program. Gateway to Care is the community health care access collaborative in Harris County. Gateway to Care will utilize this funding to help coordinate the deployment of health information technology among the county's health care clinics. This funding will allow Gateway to Care to offer technical support to the developing health centers in Harris Co. during the implementation of a common Management Information System. Additionally, this funding will allow Gateway to Care staff to lead workforce development and training activities at health centers to utilize technology to improve the business management and health care delivery in area health centers. In this bill, the appropriators also generously dedicated $415,000 in equipment funding for the Harris County Hospital District's Diabetes Program. This project would help the Harris County Hospital District procure the necessary equipment to establish a Diabetes Program, which will provide comprehensive diabetes care in an appropriate setting for a multi-ethnic, indigent population. The interdisciplinary program will include an outpatient referral center, diabetes specialists, educators, nurses, nutritionists, social workers, case managers and specialist services related to the screening and treatment of diabetes complications. Houston is the only large city in the U.S. without a single comprehensive diabetes program, which is why this funding is so important to our community. The establishment the diabetes program at the Harris County Hospital District would improve health outcomes for its 40,000 patients with diabetes. I want to thank the Appropriations Committee for all of their hard work on this bill. This piece of legislation provides critical and necessary funding for programs that all of our districts need. Madam Speaker, I again urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this veto override.