Gene Green

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I thank my colleague, the gentleman from Texas, for yielding time to me. Mr. Chairman, the concern I have about this amendment is the way it is drawn and the actual application when it is out in the schools. This amendment, I think, could create a violation of the Constitution, specifically the 5th and 14th amendments, and the equal protection. I think it sets up a good equal protection argument, that it gives the States the ability to decide, whether it is in Texas or California, New Mexico or Arizona. It think we would see that come back to the Supreme Court, and they would probably rule the same way they did on an earlier Texas case. The amendment would give the power of Congress to the States to decide whether they could deny that education to the children of illegals. Mr. Chairman, the other concern I have is the procedure in the amendment. Again, I am trying to bring what we do on the floor down into what is going to happen into the Houston Independent School District, or the Alvin District, or any of the districts in the country. A child may be a citizen, but their parents may be illegal. What is the procedure in this amendment to the affidavit that is going to be signed? Are the parents going to sign? That that child is entitled to an education because that child is a citizen, even though the parents may not be here legally. I think there are so many questions about this amendment that cause us concern. It would place an enormous burden on our educational system. Mr. Chairman, we want teachers to be teaching. We want to take away some of the paperwork that is being required, not just by Federal law, but by State and local rules, and we want teachers to be teaching. What this amendment sets up is that our teachers would be doing more administrative work than they should be. We want them to be teaching those children, because those are the problems we have with public education. The education is done in the classroom, and that is where it should be. We do not punish our small children by taking away their ability to get education. Mr. Chairman, I thank my colleague for yielding time to me.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the Republican majority's assault on public education continues. A few days ago, Republican members of the Economic and Educational Opportunities Committee charged that the Federal Government administers 760 education programs, and yet, test scores in math, reading, and science continue to fall. This outrageous statement is typical of the Republican attack on public education and needs to be corrected. Most of the programs listed have absolutely noting to do with student achievement. The Republican definition of ``education programs'' include: FBI advanced police training, disaster assistance, radiation control, and coal miners respiratory impairment treatment. The FBI advance police training program was never intended to raise math, reading, and science test scores of our school children. Instead of offering constructive solutions, the House Republicans have proposed the largest cuts in education funding in our Nation's history. If Republicans are serious about securing a better future for our children, then they need to reevaluate their efforts to deny title I assistance; to eliminate Goals 2000; and to slash funding for safe and drug-free schools. It's time to end the hypocrisy and put our money where our mouth is in education.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, yesterday 27 House Republicans sent a letter to Chairman Livingston asking that the House include additional funds for education. I want to commend our Republican colleagues who believe, as I do, that these massive cuts in education will affect the future of our children. Education is not a waste. It is not pork. And our young people are not expendable resources. On the contrary, education is the key to our children's future and the key to our country's future success. Cutting our commitment to education is the equivalent of declaring war on ourselves. One need only look at our world competitors and see who is lengthening the school year, raising their standards and improving the product of their school system and adding money to education funding rather then cutting it. I ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to consider what we are doing in our education system, both in terms of funding and also the message we are sending to our Nation's children. We hear so much about providing a better future for our children and grandchildren. It is time to put our money where our mouth is.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is great to follow my colleague, the gentleman from Arizona, when he talks about ineffective government programs. Last week I had an opportunity to attend an honor society induction at Marshall Middle School in North Side Houston. Over 50 hard-working, very bright young Americans were inducted into the National Honor Society, and it was a moving ceremony. It illustrated the success of public education. Mr. Speaker, this school and its feeder elementary schools stand to lose teachers, face larger school classes, and would be denied extra help in reading and writing if the majority Republicans continue to insist on their extreme education cuts. Even though the U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly to restore vital funding in education and job training, the House Republicans are still wedded to their bill that makes serious cutbacks in education. Mr. Speaker, let me point out that chart that is a layoff notice to the teachers and local school students. Schools are now making their budgets for next year. That layoff notice will say, ``I regret to inform you because of massive Federal budget cuts we are going to cut education funding in your district,'' so teachers will be laid off and class size will be higher. Mr. Speaker, let us stop these extreme budget cuts.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, we are getting dangerously close to default, and simply put, there is the wrong way to run the finances of our great Nation. Congress' failure to raise the debt ceiling will have immediate and devastating effects. The U.S. credit rating will be ruined; Social Security checks on which 43 million senior citizens rely will bounce. Benefits for over 37 million of our Nation's veterans will not be allocated. Pensions for 4 million civilian and military retirees are at risk. Mr. Speaker, this is craziness. This is deja vu back to the days of holding the Government hostage to force acceptance of a balanced budget plan that the American people have rejected. Now the Republicans are trying it all over again, except this time the hostage is our Nation's full faith and credit, 43 million senior citizens, 3 million veterans, and 4 million civilian and military retirees. When will they learn? Waiting until the last minute and insisting on including provisions that have nothing to do with the debt limit is the height of irresponsibility, and my friends on the other side of the aisle should be ashamed. It is time we pass a clean debt ceiling bill and get on about the Nation's business. Shame on coming this close to defaulting on our Nation's obligations.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, during the recess I attended an education forum in conjunction with the Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education Gerald Tirozzi and Democratic leader Dick Gephardt at Travis Elementary School in my district in Houston, TX. With the uncertainty over funding levels for elementary and secondary education programs and the likelihood of deep budget cuts, schools all across our country are having a difficult time planning for next year and may even be forced to lay off teachers. The immediate result could be fewer teachers, larger classes, and a decline in the quality of education. We heard from teachers, parents, school administrators, police officers, as well as church officials, who are scared to death that their children will not be getting the proper preparation they need to compete and win in the new global marketplace. We all believe in a balanced budget, deficit reduction, and cutting bureaucracy, but we all agreed that cutting education programs is the wrong way to achieve these goals. How can we make America stronger if we are not willing to invest in the future of America, with our young people's education? Mr. Speaker, drastic cuts in title I, Goals 2000, the Safe and Drug Free Schools, and all other educational programs will cause irreparable harm not just to students in Travis Elementary in my district but students all across the country and Texas. It is wrong, and we should not do it.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the House is on the verge of leaving town before addressing the problem of our debt limit. Instead of working to raise the debt limit and protecting the full faith and credit of the United States, the Republican majority has spent the past few months in a game of brinkmanship with the White House. For awhile it was: Give us what we want or we will close down the Government. Now it is: Give us what we want or we will default on our debt. I urge all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to resist this approach. It will reduce the public opinion of Congress even further, and it has real and adverse consequences. The main point of raising the debt ceiling is to pay our current obligations, to pay those Treasury billholders and to pay those U.S. savings bond purchasers. It is not about increasing our future spending. I have cosponsored a resolution to keep the House in session until it considers a clean bill on the debt ceiling, and I urge my colleagues to support it. I have also signed a resolution asking our Republican leaders to let a clean debt ceiling bill come to the floor. We must pass a clean debt ceiling bill to send a message to the world that we will keep our word and pay our bills. Do not default on America.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, my colleague, the gentleman from Texas, pointed to the cuts in bilingual education. But let me go down the list of the cuts. I agree with our ranking member, we have to pass this, but some of the cuts, 25 percent for Education 2000: Title I gets 17 percent, safe and drug-free schools, a 25-percent cut. That is what we are talking about. We are up against the wall because these programs cannot function, and yet they are taking a 25-percent cut because the majority is cutting education funding that 80 percent of the people in our country support.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, you can tell how big Texas is. My colleague is from Dallas and Plano, and I am from Houston, and we do have a difference of opinion once in a while. Mr. Speaker, the President last night reminded us that we are all Americans and Americans are the best when we work together. On the balanced budget, both parties have put forth plans that achieve a balanced budget by the year 2002. Right now we have enough cuts that we agree on to give the public the balanced budget they want. We can make meaningful reforms in health care so that our citizens can change jobs and not lose their insurance, and we can also protect Medicare and education funding without tax cuts to have that balanced budget. The President was right on mark when he warned us not to play politics with the full faith and credit of the United States. The public wants us to address the issues of lost jobs, conditions in our schools and the kind of country we leave for our children, and as the President said, we have to do it together. It is time we find that common ground for all of us Americans.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, welcome back. I am glad to welcome our folks back to the kinder and gentler Congress after that first 1-minute. Mr. Speaker, if you think you remember hearing congressional Republicans saying all they wanted was a CBO-scored 7-year balanced budget, your memory is not failing you. Here is what they said: Our House budget chairman. ``Frankly, we don't ask for a lot. We ask for nothing more than a commitment to do this in a 7-year period.'' Our colleague from Idaho. ``We have no hidden agenda. The only thing we are asking for is a 7-year balanced budget using CBO numbers.'' A colleague from New York. ``All we have asked the President of the United States with all his tremendous resources at his hands to do likewise, to come up with those numbers reflecting his own priorities to balance the budget in 7 years using real numbers. That is all we have asked for.'' Now they want more. They want their balanced budget bill. They want to include deep cuts in Medicare needs, education needs, and the environment in order to fund a massive tax break, or no bill at all. The President sent a 7-year balanced budget 2 weeks ago with CBO numbers. But that is not good enough because that is not what their priorities are. They want to hurt seniors and hurt education funding.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I think it is appropriate I follow my colleague, the gentleman from New Mexico [Mr. Schiff], when he talks about the President not submitting this CBO 7-year, and I have heard that now for a month. But the Republican side has not submitted a 7-year CBO budget that protects Medicare, protects Medicaid, and protects education. Now negotiations are a two-way street. We have heard for a month that the President has not done something. Well, neither have they. I am going to support this CR today, and this rule, but it only recognizes part of the problem. Federal employees go back to work to process passports, pay for senior citizen nutrition, open the national parks, and veterans' compensation. I am glad they finally recognized the need to do that, but we still do not have--the EPA will not be able to clean up Superfund. Medicaid grants to our States, since they want to block grant to the States, but yet they are not even giving what money is supposed to be there now, and also law enforcement functions. They continue to talk about the need to have a balanced budget, but they are not willing to pay Government contractors, people who are now contracting with the Government to--this resolution does not help those Government contractors. We need to go much further, but this is better than nothing.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, enough is enough. I have sat here and listened to my Republican colleagues from Georgia and from the panhandle of Florida talk about what they really want in a budget. Maybe they need to call home and ask how many of their seniors are not being able to apply for Social Security or how many of their veterans are not getting the health care they need or being able to apply for veterans' pensions. The Federal employees are not the only ones that are hurting. In Houston we have thousands of people who are hurting. The passport office, we have 10,000 applications for passports, and they expect to grow by a thousand a week, that are not being issued. That is hurting business people who want to go overseas and sell our products. The Meals on Wheels program in Houston, I was interested to hear my colleague from Missouri talk about they are delivering them today, and they are in Houston. They say they only have enough money for another week or the 3,500 meals in Houston will not be delivered for seniors. The VA medical center, as of today, is only supplying, the contractor is only supplying for the VA medical center on an as-needed basis, so veterans are not getting the health care they have earned in supporting our country. There is absolutely no reason to keep the Federal Government closed because they cannot get what they want in negotiations. Let us continue the negotiations. Let us also continue for the folks who are paying the bill.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from New Jersey for, one, requesting this hour, but also getting a lot of diverse Members that are Democrats. But we are diverse. We are from all parts of the country: Florida, New York, Oregon, Texas and New Jersey, and tonight we are talking about the Department of the Interior concerns and the shutdown and also the EPA. We share and we will talk about the lack of funding for the Medicare suppliers. My own VA hospital in Houston, they are running out of supplies tomorrow just like they are in Oregon. We are not serving the veterans by keeping the Government closed. What I think is ironic, the extremists, they think they are hurting Democrats or bureaucrats. They are hurting a lot of people. The people who are veterans who are not getting those services and the senior citizens who want to apply for Social Security and cannot apply for it. I had a townhall meeting in Houston and I had a senior citizen with an appeal on his Social Security check. He thinks they misfigured. The appeal here in Maryland is shut down. We do not know when he is going to get some redress or at least an answer on it. Tonight I want to talk a little bit about the Department of Interior and what is happening all over the country, because a few years ago I had the opportunity, in fact I took my kids and we went to Yellowstone in Wyoming and we could not go into Yellowstone in 1985 or 1986 because of the fires. They closed the park. That was a natural disaster. Mr. Speaker, what we are experiencing now with our National Parks and with our veterans and health care is an unnatural disaster, an unnatural crisis to paraphrase my colleague from Oregon, that has been created by the Republican Majority to force tax cuts that nobody has asked for. Sure, all of us would like a tax cut. But the first priority ought to be to balance the budget. Let me talk about the 383,000 people that visit our National Parks that are closed. In California, Yosemite, that is not represented by a Democrat by any means, has asked for assistance from the Governor of California, who could not do anything. Yosemite and Mariposa County asked for State disaster assistance, but the Governor of California, who was a Republican presidential candidate, said he could not help. It is just atrocious what is happening. The Forest Service that operates our campgrounds and monuments and visitors centers, not just here in Washington, because I have a group of students coming next week from a junior high in my district. It is the first time a lot of those youngsters will be able to come to their capital, and it is going to be closed to them. Mr. Speaker, it is unreasonable what they are trying to do because they do not have the votes in Congress to override a presidential veto to accept the cuts that they want to do in education funding and health care. In Houston, we have a petrochemical complex and there are EPA sites that are not being staffed now because of the shutdown. That is why I know the gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Pallone] asked for the time tonight. The other point is that the EPA is not only not enforcing the Superfund sites, but the non-Superfund civil environmental enforcement actions have been stopped, costing us $3 million a day. I always hear from my colleagues on the Republican side saying that no business can run like the Federal Government, and they are right. No business can have $5 trillion deficits. But also you do not get your income just because you want to cut the budget. We should balance the budget first. That is the first priority, and then we are going to have to make some tough decisions. But, Mr. Speaker, we should not give $200 billion in tax cuts before we balance the budget. We should not cut health care for seniors and investment in our future for both job training and the children who are the ones who are going to be paying those taxes tomorrow. We should not cut environmental to make sure that we have a cleaner tomorrow by saying we are going to cut that now. That is what they are doing. That is why they have not been able to pass them, and we saw today they could not pass a bill that would override a presidential veto. Even though there were lots of things in those bills that I wanted to vote for, I could not take the cuts that they were going to do in those programs. It is the same way with VA-HUD and NASA. In Houston, we have the Manned NASA Space Center. We have those employees who are furloughed right now. Tomorrow there will be a picket out in front asking, ``Why are NASA employees being furloughed?'' That was passed here by overwhelming votes, the efforts, and yet they are furloughing those employees that are, quote, nonemergency. Mr. Speaker, it is a tragedy that is happening, but it is a tragedy that was in the making by the Speaker. And earlier this year I had some Republican freshmen tell me they said they were elected to come up here and close it down. I want to congratulate those 73 Republican freshmen. They are successful. They closed down Pearl Harbor for veterans who want to go out there. They closed down Yosemite and Yellowstone and the monuments, and they are effectively closing down my VA hospital. If that is what they want to do, then they are successful.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, this chart shows the headlines in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and the Washington Post this morning. They cut straight to the chase. One reads ``GOP rebellion scuttles accord on the budget talks.'' Another reads ``House Republicans derail budget talks.'' The other one from the Wall Street Journal says ``The Republicans are revolting.'' They should read that Republicans keep government closed to give tax cuts for the few. It appears as though there is a group that will not compromise and insists on holding not only government workers, but Social Security applicants hostage in keeping the Government shut down until they accept their harmful budget cuts and ill-advised budget-busting tax cuts for the few. I am committed to balancing the budget, and I am also here to say I am committed to senior citizens, children, police officers, veterans, teachers, and students, and I will not sacrifice them to balance our budget. We should remain committed to balancing the budget over 7 years, and doing so in a way that protects the priorities of Medicare, Medicaid, crime fighting, and education. Balancing the budget is not an agreement to do on Christmas eve. It is something you have to do all year.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am glad to follow the last speaker, because I hope we would put our cards on the table, and if the other side would do it and say, OK, let us take that tax cut off the table, $245 billion, $200 billion, we would not have to be worried about keeping the checks going to our veterans or veterans' widows. I had the opportunity tonight to talk to a widow of a veteran. She said she could not pay for her food, she could not pay for her utilities unless her check is there, and I am glad we are at least dealing with that. The reason we are here though is because this bill, the VA-HUD bill, was rejected by this Congress I do not know how many times because of the 20-percent cut in HUD, cuts in veterans' programs, cuts in lots of programs, and that is why we are here tonight on a stopgap measure. I hope we pass this, but let us remember the reason we are here is because the majority could not pass these bills by October 1, not because the President vetoed it, because they could not pass them, and now they are having to take care of it on this. I would hope we would take care of our veterans, but I hope we would also be able to take care of those who need housing.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. It is not my bill, but I would support limiting it to the waste of the three States.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Again, I do not know. I would think the rule would allow that amendment to be considered, but the State legislature and the State of Texas would be the one that would actually vote on that. Again, I do not have any fear about the State legislature dealing with this issue because I worked on it then.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. I gave the gentleman the right answer, did I not?

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I would say to the gentleman that that was the intent when we voted for it in the State of Texas in the legislature; and as a Member of Congress, I would agree to that. I am glad my colleague brought this up. If that would get my colleague from El Paso on board, I would be more than happy to support that amendment that would limit it to only those three States.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the rule and the bill, H.R. 558, the Texas low-level radioactive waste disposal compact. Low-level waste is a by-product of many industrial and medical activities that contribute to our economy in Texas and also enhance our lives. For example, it is not in my district but it serves my community, our hospitals in the city of Houston and around the State are national leaders in health care and medical research, and we have this low-level waste now literally on the property of the hospitals because they have to have someplace to put it. We have an agreement now with two other States, and that is why H.R. 558 is so important. Responsible management of this waste that the hospitals produce include clothing, the laboratory supplies, and paper requiring permanent disposal in a site specifically designed for that purpose. The States of Texas, Maine, and Vermont have all agreed to proceed with this compact which, by law, Congress must approve; however, the implementation and site selection is a State matter. And I believe the States who sign this compact should be allowed to proceed with it. I know in Texas, Mr. Speaker, we have done that. Governor McKernan of Maine signed the compact in 1993 and the Maine voters approved it by referendum later that year. Governor Dean in Vermont in April 1994. In Texas, both the previous Governor, Governor Anne Richards, and current Governor Bush also strongly supported this compact. In fact, in 1991, as the State senator representing part of the Harris County area in Houston, I supported the compact as a State senator. This law allows us to maintain control over this issue for the States and just simply allows the process to go forward. We cannot continue to stick our head in the sand and say we do not have a place for this. By allowing this compact it would allow the State of Texas, a large geographic State with a great deal of urban area that produces this low-level waste, a place to store it other than the urban areas that is close to all of our homes. Again, Mr. Speaker, we need this because our hospitals and our medical centers are contributing to it and they need to have someplace that is the least affected environment for it. That is why, Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the rule and also in support of H.R. 558.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. I yield to the gentleman from Texas, who, frankly, he and I served in the State legislature together, but not in the 1990's, because he was in Congress then.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the reason we are here today is to talk about the comparisons between what the Republicans want to have in their budget and what the President wants. The President has agreed to a 7-year budget using CBO numbers, but the reason we cannot come to an agreement is because of the tax cuts that the Republicans want to have before they really get to the 7-year balanced budget. The Republican budget not only wants to provide tax cuts but they want to slow growth in, their terminology, Medicare by forcing seniors into managed care that they opposed last year in President Clinton's health care plan, raise the premiums, cut doctor and hospital reimbursements, and cut senior citizen health care. I have a letter I received today from a senior citizen in my district who may very well decide to use managed health care right now, but that is her choice. Under the Republican budget, she will be forced to do it because she cannot afford the $100 extra that it is going to cost her on her supplemental policy. The other difference is the education cuts. The Republican budget over the 7 years will cut Federal funding for education just like the rescissions bill earlier this year cut schools in my district. It is wrong to cut Medicare and education to provide tax cuts.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, congratulations on being named man of the year. The Speaker has had an impact on our country, but has the Speaker's impact been good? The poll that accompanies this article, ``The Man of the Year'' article, appears to demonstrate that the American people do not believe the impact has been good. ``Which descriptions apply to the Speaker,'' asked the poll. Listen to this. Only 24 percent described the man of the year as someone they could trust. Only 26 percent describe him as someone they would be proud to have as a leader in Congress. Even worse, 63 percent described the Speaker as too extreme in his views. The Speaker has had a impact. He has had an impact on the country, but I hope and pray that cutting Medicare, cutting education funding, and cutting crime fighting funding to finance a tax break for the wealthy is not the way to become Time magazine's ``Man of the Year.'' nor do I believe that shutting down the Government twice to win concessions from the President, concessions which include severe cuts in Medicare, Medicaid, education, and crime fighting, while simultaneously providing extreme tax breaks before we balance the budget, is the most upstanding way to become ``Man of the Year.''

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the stage is set for another Government shutdown tomorrow night. That means that citizens will not be able to apply for Social Security or veterans' benefits. We find ourselves in this situation because the congressional Republicans have not sent a continuing resolution to the President. They are manufacturing another crisis because the President will not cut Medicare and education the way the Republicans want him to. This poster was given to me by a constituent of mine, a small businessman in the Houston Heights area of Houston, that he is worried about what is happening up here, and obviously he is a fan of the Speaker when he says the rich get richer, we see the end of a great Nation in Godnewtzilla. What he is worried about is we are seeing the destruction of our country by cutting most seniors and the education for our children, and yet he wants to make sure that he can earn his living as a small business person in Houston. Mr. Speaker, this crisis is contrived, and it is taking place because the Republican leadership has not been able to get their own appropriation bills to the President.