Phil Gingrey

Mr. GINGREY of Georgia

Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. Well, Mr. Speaker, I thank my gentleman friend from Missouri for giving me the opportunity to join with him and with Representative Thompson of Pennsylvania in this Special Order hour this evening talking about taxes and job creation and the State of the economy. And certainly, as we look at his first slide and the Art Laffer curve referencing, of course, as the top marginal tax rate over the last 40, 60 years, in fact, has gradually decreased, then the amount of revenue has, in turn, increased. And we have seen that, Mr. Speaker. We saw it in 1960 with the Democratic President John F. Kennedy. We certainly saw the same thing occur in 1980 under our great communicator, President Ronald Reagan. The economist Art Laffer, talks about this often, presents it in a very simplified form with his Laffer curve. You know, I think one of the things our colleagues need to understand in regard to the so-called Bush tax cuts, and as Representative Todd Akin has pointed out, Mr. Speaker, it's really been 10 years ago, and so it's a Bush era. But in a time when those lower marginal rates were enacted back in 2001, 2003, we cut the taxes on dividends from a marginal rate to 15 percent, capital gains from 20 percent to 15 percent, even for the low- income earners to 10 percent. I mean, these things had a profound effect, positive effect on revenue. And, of course, when you are faced in an 8-year period of the Bush administration with two wars, the 9/11 attack, the dot-com bubble burst, certainly deficits are going to go up, debts are going to go up, but revenue continued to go up. That's something that I think people need to understand to put it in the proper context. Certainly, as we continue this discussion this evening, I want to close my opening remarks, if you will, by saying this President, President Obama, I am very encouraged by the coming together with the Republican leadership in regard to deciding what is best for this country, what could best stimulate the economy, put people back to work, not have another November unemployment rate of 9.8 percent and over 14.5 million people unemployed--and not only unemployed but, Mr. Speaker, over 40 percent of them unemployed more than 6 months. So this is why the President, thank God, has been, it seems to be, trying to moderate his position. To say to a Republican leadership, I do agree. You have maybe dragged me crying and screaming to the alter of sanity in regard to fiscal policy, but we cannot, in a recession with these kinds of unemployment rates and this number of people unemployed for this prolonged period of time, we can't raise taxes on anybody, and we are not going to do that. And I thank God that the President kind of sold the wisdom--I mean, he has said many times in the past, elections have consequences. Indeed, I think he knows now that on November 2 the American people have spoken, and he is coming our way. I can only hope that the Democratic leadership and the rank-and-file membership of the Democratic Party will listen to him and will listen to Vice President Biden as they come over here and plead with this Democratic majority that it is time to get on board and to moderate, not for the sake of the next election, but for the sake of this and the next generation.

Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. If the gentleman from Missouri would yield, and I thank him very much. I am going to ask him to give me permission to speak and to shift gears just a little bit. I know we're talking about the economy, and that's the main point of the Special Order hour this evening. But we had another vote this afternoon that was pretty important as well, barely passed on the House floor maybe an hour or so ago, the so-called DREAM Act.

Mr. GINGREY of Georgia

Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to--and I know the gentleman from Louisiana and the gentleman from Georgia know this--to remind my colleagues, that cut to Medicare that Dr. Fleming is talking about, Mr. Speaker, is $528 billion over 10 years. It's about a 10 to 12 percent a year cut annualized, and it includes cutting Medicare Advantage $160 billion. It includes hospital cuts, cuts to hospice-- that organization that takes care of people that are dying of cancer-- cuts to nursing homes, home health cuts. But again, it's kind of embarrassing almost to see these television ads, Mr. Speaker, about Medicare, or get some flier, some glossy flier in the mail--those of us who are on Medicare--touting the benefits that ObamaCare has brought to the program and how it's going to make it so much better, and yet it cuts $528 billion out of the program. I agree with the gentleman from Louisiana, and I yield back to him.

Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, and I thank the gentleman from Louisiana. And my colleague from Georgia may want some last few seconds of comments, and I yield to him.

Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. If the gentleman will yield to me just for a second.

Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. I thank my colleague. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time--in fact, I will yield back to Dr. Fleming because I would, on this poster, again, that's here for my colleagues to peruse, this first item, the individual mandate--Mr. Speaker, there are probably 12 different line items, bullet points on these next two posters. We may not have time to get to all of them tonight, but we will continue this in another hour. But I want to hear what my colleagues have to say about individual mandate, employer mandate. Dr. Broun has already talked about the Medicaid expansion, but the cuts in Medicare? So I will yield to my colleague from Louisiana.

Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. If the gentleman will yield?

Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. Dr. Broun, thank you. Your four commonsense solutions are great. Keep that poster handy, we may want to refer back to that. We are going to get into the subject of Republican priority No. 3, and that is on my poster to my left, attack key components of ObamaCare until the bill can be repealed. So in the next 15-20 minutes or so, we will be talking about some of these key components of ObamaCare that we can legislatively attack. I am going to yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Fleming) to begin that discussion or any other comments that he wants to make before we get into that.

Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. Reclaiming my time just for a second from Dr. Broun. Dr. Broun, if you don't mind holding that poster up again because I wanted to enter, Mr. Speaker, into a colloquy with the gentleman, my colleague from Georgia. In the four points on his poster, addressing that first one, allowing individuals to deduct 100 percent of health care expenses, including the expense to purchase health insurance--whether it's first dollar sickness coverage or long-term care, which people, when they get our age, need to start thinking about. But under current law, and I want my colleagues to correct me if I'm wrong on this, but I think under current law, an individual in filing their tax return if they itemize their deductions, they can only deduct health care expenses that are more than 7.5 percent of their adjusted gross income. And hardly anybody reaches that threshold. And I think what Dr. Broun, Mr. Speaker, is suggesting in regard to this change in the IRS Code--of course this would have to come through the House Ways and Means Committee--but what a novel and a great idea that he and Mr. Shadegg and Mr. Dent have proposed during this Congress. I am refreshed to know that Dr. Broun will introduce this bill in the 112th Congress, but the point he was making is not only that bullet point, Mr. Speaker, but on his poster, the three others with regard to purchasing health insurance across State lines for an individual, for a group of individuals sometimes referred to as an association, to be able to avoid, Mr. Speaker, the mandates that so many States have passed in regard to what a health insurance policy has to cover. Every time you add a little mandate, a little test here, a little test there, then the cost of the cheapest health insurance in the individual State goes up. So that is why this idea of someone who needs a policy in Georgia being able to go online and see what is offered in Louisiana, as an example, is a great idea. What Dr. Broun was saying, we had some ideas. We are the party of K- N-O-W, he likes to say, not the party of N-O; and President Obama knows that. And the Democratic majority knew that, knows that. And they ignored it; and as a result, they are soon to become, at least in this body, the Democratic minority. I yield to Dr. Broun for other comments before I call on Dr. Fleming.

Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. If the gentleman will segue back to me, I'll yield additional time to Dr. Broun. I just wanted to comment, Mr. Speaker, on Representative Fleming's last remark in regard to the medical liability reform that he and I have worked very hard on. In fact, this is my fourth term; and every year that I've been here--even before Dr. Fleming and Dr. Broun joined us and joined the House GOP Doctors Caucus--I have introduced medical liability reform legislation, sometimes referred to as ``tort reform.'' I won't go into the details of it; but, basically, it is a fair and balanced approach for people who are hurt by practice below the standard of care, whether it's by the physician, the hospital or by anybody associated or affiliated with their care, who would certainly have to answer for that. These people would have an opportunity to have their redress of grievances. So, when we say ``tort reform,'' we don't mean taking away anybody's individual rights. I will tell my colleague that the incoming chairman of the Judiciary Committee in the House, Representative Lamar Smith, has already informed me that he will be having hearings on our legislation, Representative Fleming, and on other pieces of legislation regarding this type of reform that the CBO says very conservatively would save $54 billion over 10 years. The RAND Corporation says it would save more than that on an annual basis. So I did want to let my colleague know that hope is on the way, and we will continue to work hard on either our legislation or on anybody's legislation. Maybe, Mr. Speaker, one of our colleagues who is on the Democratic side of the aisle would like to work with us in a bipartisan way. Maybe they've got an even better idea in regard to that. I would like to yield back to the gentleman from Georgia (Dr. Broun).

Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, thank you for your patience as we tried to get our act together here this evening, not realizing of course that here it is almost Christmastime, that our pages have all gone home. It reminds me of what a great, great job these young men and women do for the Members in so many ways, not the least of which is of course helping during these Special Order hours. But, Mr. Speaker, thank you for your patience. I want to of course thank my leadership on the Republican side for allowing me and my colleagues in the House GOP Doctors Caucus to lead this Special Order for the next hour. And we are going to do that, Mr. Speaker, on health care and on the recently passed--I say ``recently''; 10 months ago, March of this year--the passage of ObamaCare, now, I know, formally referred to as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. But this is a piece of legislation, Mr. Speaker, that the American people, at the 60 percent plurality level, opposed and have remained here 10 months later, as certainly was seen in the results of the election on November 2. The American people felt that this was something that was forced upon them against their wishes, although they had a 2-year period of time to let not just our Democratic majority and President Obama, but every Member of Congress in both the House and the Senate understand not only that they were opposed to this bill but why they were opposed to it. And, in fact, during this campaign, our Republican Party made a pledge to America on many things, not the least of which, of course, was to repeal this bill, this 2,400-page monstrosity that has done hardly any of the things that President Obama had hoped, wished, promised that it would effect. So we said to the American people, you give us an opportunity, you give us an opportunity to elect, to choose, to have John Boehner as the next Speaker of the House and give the Republicans an opportunity to lead, that we will repeal this bill. So, Mr. Speaker, this evening I am very proud, as the cochairman with my colleague from Pennsylvania, Dr. Tim Murphy, to chair the House GOP Doctors Caucus. There are about 11 current active members. That includes medical doctors, psychologists, dentists, people that were involved in health care before they came to this body as a profession. And I am telling you, I think most of our colleagues know, Mr. Speaker, that the number of years of clinical experience among this group is something like 350 years. Several of us have got a little gray hair around the temples. But I think we have served a great purpose for our colleagues on both sides of the aisle to make sure that everyone understands from a health care perspective what this bill has done, the harmful effect that it's had--harmful effect on individuals, harmful effect on the practice and profession of medicine, harmful effect on companies across this country. We will talk about that tonight, the burden that is placed on small business men and women trying to abide by these provisions of ObamaCare. Last but not least, of course, Mr. Speaker, the harmful effects that it's had on the entire Nation in regard to our economy, the lack of recovery, the joblessness rate. The unemployment numbers came out just this past November, 9.8 percent, creeping a little higher, not getting better, despite a trillion dollar stimulus package, which hasn't saved jobs. But this bill, and the reason we were so opposed to its passage even 2 years ago when it was first introduced in the Energy and Commerce Committee in the House, was Members on our side of the aisle understood very clearly that the number one priority for this country was to put people back to work, to jump-start this economy. And yet we spent literally 2 years, these first 2 years of President Obama's administration, on passing-- trying to pass an energy bill. Thank God, Mr. Speaker, in my perspective, it did not pass, the so-called ominous cap-and-trade, which would have increased the energy costs for every family in this country approximately $3,000 a year. Thank goodness this bill, after passing in the House, became bogged down in the Senate. And hopefully, it will remain there quietly dying. But unfortunately, ObamaCare did pass, and the economy is no better. We just got our priorities a little bit backwards. But I am pleased to say that a couple of our colleagues in the GOP Doctors Caucus, House GOP Doctors Caucus are with me tonight to discuss this issue: Congressman John Fleming, a family doctor from Shreveport, Louisiana, and Congressman Paul Broun, my colleague from Georgia, also a family practice doctor. I will call on them. I am going to defer to them as much time as they want to take, Mr. Speaker. We will basically have a colloquy and talk about some of these issues tonight in regard to ObamaCare and what we Republicans, the new Republican majority in the next Congress, the 112th Congress, have pledged to the American people that we will do. Our pledge was to repeal this bill. And first and foremost, we are going to make every effort to be faithful to our pledge and to try to repeal this bill. Understanding, of course, and I think the American people do understand this, that President Obama is the President, and he will be President for the next 2 years. The Democrats do have a continuing majority in the United States Senate, and they will have for the next 2 years. So while we feel very confident that we can lead the charge, the House GOP Doctors Caucus lead the effort of repeal in this body, the House of Representatives, we will succeed in doing that and fulfill our pledge to America and make every effort to do the same thing in the Senate, although we know that we don't have the votes. But maybe we can persuade some of our Democratic colleagues, especially some of those that are up for reelection in 2012, Mr. Speaker, to understand finally, at long last, what the American people said on November 2. Then, of course, the hurdle of getting a bill passed, a repeal bill passed, by President Obama. He has the veto pen, there is no question about that. But, you know, hope springs eternal. I think the negotiations with the Republican leaders a couple of days ago in regard to keeping the tax rates the same for every American taxpayer for the next 2 years sheds a little light on maybe the President's attitude of working with the heretofore minority and soon-to-be majority in the House and kind of moderate his stance on some of these things. Because, as the President himself said, Mr. Speaker, elections have consequences. And this election on November 2 certainly would tell President Obama that people do not like this bill and they want it repealed. So maybe he won't veto. But in the likely event that either we are not able to get the bill of repeal passed through the Senate, or if we do, that President Obama, indeed, would use his veto pen, then, of course, the options that we have are a couple that I want to talk about. I know my colleagues will get into that as well. But there are so many provisions in this bill that we will have the opportunity in this House to defund, to absolutely pull the plug on some of this spending so that this bill will not go forward. And, again, in the meantime, there are a number of parts of the bill that we will have individual pieces of legislation that will strip that away. And these are the things, Mr. Speaker, that we will be talking about tonight. I would like, at this time, to call on my colleague from Louisiana, Representative John Fleming.

Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. Dr. Fleming, thank you for being with us this evening. Before I defer to my colleague from Georgia, Dr. Paul Broun, I just wanted to mention something, Mr. Speaker, that Congressman Fleming just said in regard to the taxes, the tax situation that we have and hopefully the compromise, obviously, the compromise worked out between President Obama, his administration, and the Republican leadership in the House and the Senate. All of that has to be approved, Mr. Speaker, as you know, by the entire Senate and by this entire House before it becomes law. I hope that we will be able to do that before we leave here for any kind of a break, even a Christmas break. But as part of that compromise, there is to be this cut in the payroll tax for a full year to literally cut the employee portion of the Social Security payroll tax from 6.2 percent down to 4.2 percent. I think, Mr. Speaker, that's a good thing, just as keeping the tax rates that currently exist, and have for almost the last 10 years, to keep them all in place, not to raise any, especially not on the job creators, the small business men and women, the so-called rich. But the ironic thing about this, my colleagues, is in this bill, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, ObamaCare, it called for raising the payroll tax, for raising the payroll tax on Medicare for anybody that makes above a certain dollar amount of income, by 3.7 percent. That is going into effect right now, by 3.7 percent, to increase the payroll tax. And that's why, Mr. Speaker, we're here on the floor tonight as representative of our leadership to try to point out some of these things and say, gosh, you know, that really makes no sense at all to say that we need to cut payroll taxes and we're going to do it on Social Security for the next year for everybody. No matter what their income might be, we're going to cut it by a third, in fact. And then on this bill to raise the Medicare taxation 3.7 percent, it doesn't make a lot of sense--as a lot of things about this bill don't make a lot of sense. Before I call on Dr. Broun again, I want my colleagues to look at the easel to my left, to your right, on the number one priority, as I mentioned at the outset, our Republican priority and our Pledge to America is to repeal and replace ObamaCare. Now, on this second slide, and I talked a little bit about that--and we'll get into that as the hour progresses--but priority number two, in the event that we're not able to repeal because we just don't have the votes or that President Obama uses bad judgment and vetoes our repeal bill, we're going to have the opportunity--and Dr. Broun will talk about this--to defund certain provisions in this bill. And with that, I'll yield to my colleague from Athens, Georgia, and my great friend, Dr. Paul Broun.

Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I have put up an additional poster that I want to call my colleagues' attention to in regard to this very important point that Dr. Broun is discussing. So far, 34 States and the District of Columbia have had to cut funding for K-12 education, which is 5 years old--kindergarten--through the 12th grade. Mr. Speaker, we all know that education has always been near and dear to the hearts of our Democratic colleagues. It is near and dear to the hearts of, hopefully, all of us on both sides of the aisle; but it has been a signature issue for the current majority Democratic Party. In doing something like this, in putting a Medicaid expansion mandate on the States, all of which have a constitutional requirement to balance their budgets, they can't just print money. Treasury Secretary Geithner and chairman of the Federal Reserve Bernanke want us to come up with another $600 billion worth of money. They can't do that. They have to balance their budgets. So, if they have to expand Medicaid because of this requirement that Dr. Broun and Dr. Fleming are talking about, what do they do? They cut money for public defenders, first responders or education. It's just so counterproductive and counterintuitive. Thirty-four States already, plus the District of Columbia, have had to cut that funding. I yield back to my colleague.

Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. If the gentleman will yield back to me for maybe a concluding remark. And yes, the gentleman, Mr. Speaker, has brought up the ``R'' word, ``rationing,'' and that's exactly what we're talking about with regard to all of these bureaus and boards and agencies, I don't know, something like 40--I wish I had brought that chart with me--but comparative effectiveness is research, is Medicare, payment board--this new board, IPAB. These things are going to lead to rationing. And the folks, Mr. Speaker, that we are most concerned about are our precious senior citizens, our parents, our grandparents, who are the ones that we fear, because of this legislation, are going to get pushed under the bus. Mr. Speaker, thank you very much. And as I predicted, we wouldn't get to all the bullet points that we wanted to discuss, but this colloquy, this Special Order is to be continued. And I yield back.

Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. With regard to the last comment that the gentleman made with regard to preexisting conditions, and Dr. Broun referenced it on his four commonsense solutions, in regard to those high-risk pools that the States can create, can set up, can say to health insurance companies, whether it is the Blues or Aetna or Cigna or smaller companies, there are literally 3,000 health insurance companies across the country offering policies, not these big, huge mega-companies, but to say to the ones that are doing business in your State, to have to abide by a requirement of a State insurance commissioner or a Governor of a State, like our Governor-elect in Georgia, Nathan Deal, who spent 18 years in this body and left here as chairman of the Health Subcommittee on Energy and Commerce, these Governors know. We will get into a little bit of their concern about the Medicaid expansion in a few minutes, but they know. Like Representative Fleming was saying, these high-risk pools can be set up in States, and we won't spend $6 billion of the taxpayers' money doing it. And that won't even be enough with the Federal bureaucracy trying to run these high-risk pools. I appreciate that, and I yield back to the gentleman. If you want to engage in a colloquy with Dr. Broun, certainly he may want to ask you about that as well.

Mr. GINGREY of Georgia

Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of the 50th anniversary of The Center for Family Resources. Founded in 1960, founders Fred Bentley, Sr., Howard Ector, and Harry Holliday envisioned a better way to combine six existing emergency assistance organizations in Cobb County under one roof. Families repeatedly faced limited access to affordable transportation, childcare and housing, as well as a lack of education and training to secure and maintain employment. The organization determined the removal of those barriers was the real key to breaking the cycle of poverty. Cobb Family Resources has grown from a small emergency aid agency to a multi-function human services organization, serving both generations of the family to develop personal responsibility and a self-sufficient lifestyle. Today, it serves as an average of 10,000 individuals each year. Records also indicate more than 400,000 individuals have been served by CFR since 1960. Madam Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring the Center for Family Resources.

Mr. GINGREY of Georgia

Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a proud cosponsor of H. Res. 1740, which recognizes and honors the National Guard on the occasion of its 374th anniversary. I would also like to thank Congressman Latta for offering this resolution and for his recognition of this important aspect of our Armed Forces. The National Guard is America's oldest military component dating back to 1636 when colonial militias--comprised of ordinary citizens--would put aside their occupations to defend their fellow countrymen and towns from hostile attacks. From their service in the Revolutionary War where they stood their ground during the opening shots at Lexington Green and Concord Bridge to most recently valiantly fighting in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Guard has participated in every major American conflict. All Guardsmen are combat-trained, and while abroad they serve in combat missions, build schools and hospitals, and train local peacekeepers. In 1824, the 2nd Battalion, 11th Regiment, New York Artillery became the first military organization in the United States to adopt the title ``National Guard.'' During the Mexican War, more than 70 percent of the total manpower effort was from citizen-soldiers, and in the Spanish- American War, over 160,000 National Guardsmen volunteered for active duty on behalf of their country. As evidenced throughout history, the Guard has always been there in our time of need. Guard troops comprise more than 40 percent of the manpower for the U.S. in World War I, 300,000 Guardsmen participated in World War II, 183,000 in the Korean War, 23,000 in the Vietnam War, and 70,000 in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Finally, since the September 11, 2001 attacks, hundreds of thousands of Guardsmen have and continue to serve in combating terrorism at home and abroad. Mr. Speaker, while the National Guard has certainly had an impressive track record of keeping our nation safe at home and throughout the world, they also support our countrymen when they are endangered by storms, floods, fires, and other disasters. Every state in the United States utilizes the National Guard for disaster assistance, and when Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf of Mexico, over 50,000 Guardsmen were deployed to aid in clean-up and restoration efforts. I am particularly honored to have the Georgia National Guard headquartered in Georgia's 11th Congressional District, which I have proudly represented for 8 years. In 2005, the Naval Air Station-Atlanta was closed by the Base Closure and Realignment Commission, and on September 29, 2009, the Georgia National Guard took control of that facility adjacent to Dobbins Air Force Base. The Georgia Guardsmen have always served with integrity and have been there for our State during times of need. I would also like to congratulate Major General William Nesbitt--who has a decorated career in the National Guard--for being reappointed as the Adjutant General of the Georgia National Guard by my good friend and former colleague in the House of Representatives, Governor-Elect Nathan Deal. Mr. Speaker, it is truly a privilege to recognize the 374 years of service of the National Guard on behalf of our country, but we must take a moment to honor the men and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice on the battlefield keeping the citizens of this great Nation safe. I want to say a gracious thank you to these brave individuals for their service and thank their families for bearing the great cost of a loved one so that America can be a better place. We will never forget these heroes, and we will always honor and admire their sacrifice. The National Guard has and always will be an icon of the United States Armed Services, and I am very proud of the job these men and women continue to do at home and around the world.

Mr. GINGREY of Georgia

Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. I thank the gentleman. Madam Speaker, in conclusion, now is not the time to increase the bureaucratic maze in Washington but to rein in the overlapping, redundant policies that have made the Federal Government so large. We must reduce spending and diligently work towards a more efficient and more effective government that can live within its means. I urge my colleagues to oppose the bill.

Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from California for yielding. Since the stimulus passed in February of 2009, the private sector has shed over 3.2 million jobs, and our national unemployment rate now stands at a staggering 9.5 percent. With the rest of America struggling to make ends meet, it is unconscionable that my Democratic colleagues think that we should give yet another perk to Federal employees. By requiring Federal agencies to duplicate an existing law, and allowing them to spend a fourth of their time out of the office and on a mobile work site, H.R. 1722 will cost the taxpayers another $30 million while promoting an even more inefficient Federal workforce. Madam Speaker, this is now the third time the House will consider this legislation. When H.R. 1722 initially failed to pass under suspension of the rules in May, the Democratic majority brought it up again under a closed rule in July. It was only then that my Republican colleagues and I had the opportunity to amend this bill through a successful motion to recommit which made a number of improvements to this legislation. However, as H.R. 1722 was considered in the Senate, this motion to recommit was completely dismantled. A provision that required an agency to certify to the Office of Personnel Management that the agency's telework program will save money, rather than increasing spending, was stripped from the bill. Furthermore, Madam Speaker, a provision that would prohibit Federal employees with seriously delinquent tax debts from teleworking was removed. A third item required employees of the Executive Office of the President to copy their official e-mail accounts on any business communications that are made on personal e-mail and social media accounts. This would ensure that Federal employees are actually working instead of socializing on official time. Unfortunately, this requirement is now gone. Finally, Madam Speaker, I am most disappointed that the provision included in the House-passed version of H.R. 1722, that would have prohibited Federal employees from engaging in union recruiting or collective bargaining activities while teleworking on official, taxpayer-funded time, has been removed by the Senate Democrats. OPM reported that in fiscal year 2008 alone, nearly 3 million official time hours were used in collective bargaining or arbitration of grievances against an employer. It equates to over $120 million of tax money spent on union activities, Madam Speaker. That's irresponsible to use these dollars for nonrelated official duties while on official time. Madam Speaker, the motion to recommit was necessary to save precious tax dollars and ensure the integrity of the Federal workforce. How will we obtain the trust of the American people who are struggling every day in this economy if we allow Federal employees to participate in union activities while on official time, give them benefits when they're delinquent on their taxes, and increase spending in Federal agencies trying to make this flawed teleworking system work?

Mr. GINGREY of Georgia

Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1648, which recognizes the goals and ideals of National Adoption Day and National Adoption Month. I would also like to thank Chairman Oberstar for introducing this resolution and for his recognition of this important issue. As a practicing OB/GYN physician for nearly 30 years before being elected to Congress, I have seen first hand the life-changing role of adoption services for families and children all across the Nation. Adoption and foster care are extraordinary means for child survivability. In fact, 45 percent of Americans believe that children are placed in foster care due to some form of juvenile delinquency, but the unfortunate reality is that these children are primarily victims of abuse or neglect. For so many of these youth, the care they receive in foster homes and adoption agencies provides them the only home they ever know. Sadly, year after year, we see thousands of children ``age out'' of foster care and enter adulthood. Mr. Speaker, every child in this Nation and around the world deserves a loving family that will take care of them and provide for their basic needs. I applaud the many organizations across the United States that tirelessly strive to provide a home for foster care children and offer them a temporary place to live until they are placed in a permanent home. With local adoption agencies and foster homes doing their part, we must also do ours. I am proud that this body has voted to provide significant tax credits to families adopting children with special needs. Today there are over 423,000 children in the United States foster care system, and 114,000 of these young individuals are waiting for a loving family to adopt them. The vast majority of these youth are victims of abandonment, abuse, or neglect, and they are in dire need of a family that will provide a home so that they can grow into successful adults. Mr. Speaker, families that adopt should also be recognized for their commitment to improving the lives of children through the expansion and strengthening of their own families. These families come from all walks of life, but what ties them together is an abounding love for the neglected and the happiness that their new families enjoy after adoption. Their noble actions in caring for our youth are a public service--but more importantly--an act of service and humility in love for humanity. Mr. Speaker, this resolution recognizes and honors the foster care and adoption agencies around the Nation that provide our youth with a sense of hope and a future. I support and congratulate all of these agencies and families in their honorable endeavors, and charge them to continue their efforts into the future. I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. GINGREY of Georgia

Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Bartow County Commissioner, Clarence Brown. His dedication to Bartow County and to the 11th District of Georgia has earned him the well- deserved honor of having a new conference center in Bartow County named after him. Commissioner Brown has earned this great honor for a number of reasons--mostly because he has spent much of his life as a selfless servant to Bartow County. He has developed sustainable growth management plans while perpetuating Bartow's commitment to environmental stewardship. He has also brought a new college campus to Bartow County, and he has established local partnerships with national non-profit organizations while expanding recreation facilities throughout the county. Madam Speaker, Commissioner Brown has touched and enriched the Bartow community in a number of lasting ways. I would like to congratulate Commissioner Brown on his accomplishments.

Mr. GINGREY of Georgia

Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I would like to recognize the First Baptist Church of Cedartown, Georgia for their 175th anniversary. First Baptist was built in 1835 and has been a landmark in my district for many years. The church gives back to the community through different programs which include scholarships for aspiring ministry students, financial assistance to the disadvantaged, providing volunteers and food for the local food pantry, and sponsoring a support group for those who have lost a spouse--just to name a few. First Baptist and its members provide immeasurable aid to those most in need in Cedartown, and for that I know the community is most grateful. First Baptist's charity work also reaches far outside of Georgia--the church has maintained its leadership in missions by sponsoring individual missionaries in Germany and the Middle East. Madam Speaker, I am extremely proud of First Baptist's accomplishments, and I would like to ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating them on their 175th anniversary.

Mr. GINGREY of Georgia

Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of a long-time friend, Mr. V. Hawley Smith who is celebrating his ninetieth birthday this month in La Grange, Georgia. For as long as I have known him, Mr. Smith has been tirelessly devoted to his community, church, and family. Throughout the years, he has served Troup County in many different positions, and I'd like to mention a few that I know are most important to him. Mr. Smith was the first elected Chairman of the Troup County Board of Commissioners, and he remained in that position for twelve years. He helped to shape many other organizations like The Georgia Heart Clinic, West Georgia Tech Foundation, Troup County Chapter of the American Red Cross, and West Georgia Youth Council--just to name a few. Notably, Mr. Smith is the longest continuous member of the Optimist Club in the State of Georgia, and he is still active today. He also served as President of the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia, Chairman of the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority, Vice-Chairman of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, and Vice President of the Citizens and Southern National Bank. The list of leadership positions is nearly a page long, which is a testament to how much Mr. Smith cares for his community. He has likewise given countless hours to First United Methodist Church of LaGrange--where he was as a member of the Building Committee, the Board of Stewards and served as the Treasurer and Trustee. His kindness and willingness to help others also led him to become the Director of The Harbor Incorporated, a home for the Christian rehabilitation of alcoholics. He was married to Ercil Trussell Smith for fifty-four years until her death in 1996. They have three children, seven grandchildren, and eight great grandchildren, all of whom he is extremely proud. A constant family man, Mr. Smith has always tried to provide the best educational environment for his children, whether that meant serving as the Neighborhood Commissioner for the Boy Scouts or working on the Board of Trustees for Rosemont Elementary School. Madam Speaker, as you can see, Mr. Smith is a compassionate and selfless father, husband, and community member. I want to wish him a very happy ninetieth birthday and thank him for his unwavering service to both Troup County and the great State of Georgia.

Mr. GINGREY of Georgia

Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to one of Georgia's coaching greats, Charles V. ``Charlie'' Davidson. Coach Davidson spent his football coaching career as the head coach at Washington-Wilkes High School and at the Darlington School in Rome, Georgia. From 1952 to 1970, Coach Davidson led the Washington-Wilkes Tigers football team to four state championships. During his career, he won more games than any coach in the history of both schools. Coach Davidson's outstanding career includes 244 wins, 92 losses, and 14 ties. At the time of his retirement, he was the sixth winningest coach in the history of Georgia high school football. This impressive record earned him numerous honors and awards, including induction into the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2005. Madam Speaker, I want to congratulate Coach Davidson on his remarkable career and join Washington-Wilkes High School in honoring him as they dedicate Charlie Davidson Field at Tiger Stadium tomorrow evening. I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing Coach Charlie Davidson.

Mr. GINGREY of Georgia

Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5152, the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park Boundary Adjustment Act of 2010. As the author of this legislation, I appreciate the work of the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Natural Resources Committee--Mr. Rahall from West Virginia and Mr. Hastings from Washington--for working in a bipartisan manner to bring this bill to the House floor today. The Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park was first authorized as a unit of the National Park System within the National Park Service on June 26, 1935. This park preserves the area surrounding the location of the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, which took place in June of 1864. This battle was the last major battle of Union General William T. Sherman's campaign to capture Atlanta during the Civil War. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5152 will adjust the boundary of the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park to include approximately 8 acres which contain the historic Wallis House and Harriston Hill. The Wallis House is one of the few remaining structures from the battle and adds significant historical significance to the park. Currently, the park focuses on Confederate positions and strategy. With the addition of these 8 acres, the park will now include important strategic positions of the Union. In fact, Union General O.O. Howard used the Wallis House as his headquarters during the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, and General Sherman was stationed at the Wallis House during the preceding Battle of Kolb's Farm. Additionally, Harriston Hill--which is adjacent to the Wallis House--was used as signaling position by General Howard and offers a picturesque view of the valley leading to the top of Kennesaw Mountain where Confederate troops were positioned. Mr. Speaker, adding these 8 acres to the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park would only enhance a visitor's experience at the park by providing critical information about the positions of both Union and Confederate troops during the battle. Most importantly, adding the 8 acres to the park will have no cost to the American taxpayers. H.R. 5152 only authorizes the National Park Service to acquire the land in question from willing landowners by donation or exchange only. The 8 acres that will be added to the park has already been purchased by Cobb County and the Cobb Land Trust for the purposes of donating it to the National Park Service. This legislation is the culmination of years of hard work and commitment by the National Park Service, the Cobb Land Trust, the Georgia Civil War Commission, and the Cobb County Government. Specifically, I want to commend the Superintendent of the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park--Stanley Bond--and the park's Chief Ranger--Lloyd Morris--for their service to the park and this expansion. I also want to thank Cobb County Commissioner Helen Goreham--who represents the Park, the Wallis House, and Harriston Hill--for coming to Washington to testify on behalf of this legislation before the Natural Resources Committee. Mr. Speaker, as a long time resident of Cobb County, I can personally attest to the historical significance and beauty of the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. This park--which is second only to Gettysburg National Battlefield Park in terms of annual visitors out of all of the Civil War parks--is important to the local community and the preservation of our national heritage. I believe that H.R. 5152 only adds to the significance of the park and will enhance the experience of visitors for years to come. I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 5152.