Phil Gingrey

Mr. GINGREY

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter).

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter), the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn).

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Davis).

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker I yield 2\3/4\ minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston).

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Drake).

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to reiterate that this amendment to the resolution basically says, ``Resolved, that it is the sense of the House of Representatives that the deployment of United States forces in Iraq be terminated immediately.'' It does not reference any Member whatsoever. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen).

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this amendment does not attack any Member of this body. This amendment follows the rules of decorum of this body. The gentleman from the other side just listed a litany of complaints in regard to Iraq. Members on his side of the aisle even have what is known as the ``Out of Iraq Caucus.'' I do not know if the gentleman from Massachusetts is a part of that membership or not, but we have, this side of the aisle, have heard repeatedly from Members on their side of the aisle, and not just one high-profile ranking member with strong defense credentials. Oh, no. No. We have heard every night of the first session of the 109th Congress from the 30-something Group, several Members on their side of the aisle, pounding this President, coming within an inch or less, Mr. Speaker, of accusing the President of lying, of out and out lying, repeatedly accusing the President of misleading the public about Iraq, demanding the immediate pullout of our troops. Mr. Speaker, they are going to have the opportunity today on the floor of this House to vote yes or no, do they want us to immediately pull our troops out of Iraq, and that is all this amendment is about. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GINGREY. The amendment would basically say, ``A resolution relating to United States forces in Iraq.''

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, in response to the gentleman from Massachusetts, yes, we will have an amendment to the rule, which I will present at the end of the debate.

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 563 waives clause 6(a) of rule XIII that requires a two-thirds vote to consider a rule on the same day it is reported from the Rules Committee against certain resolutions reported from the Rules Committee; applies a waiver to any special rule reported on the legislative day of November 18, 2005 providing for consideration or disposition of any of the following measures: First, a bill or a joint resolution making general appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2006, any amendment thereto, or any conference report thereon; second, a conference report to accompany the bill H.R. 3199, to extend and modify authorities needed to combat terrorism and for other purposes; third, a bill or a joint resolution relating to flood insurance; and finally, fourth, a bill to provide for reconciliation pursuant to section 201 of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 563 that the Rules Committee reported in order to ensure that we are able to complete the work of the American people in a timely and a proper manner before the Congress adjourns for Thanksgiving. In the following week, Members from both sides of the aisle will return to their districts to spend Thanksgiving with their families and with their constituents. However, before doing so, there remains important work to be done; and, Mr. Speaker, this rule will ensure that it gets done. From making appropriations that keep this government running to ensuring that law enforcement has the tools it needs to keep this country safe, to insuring Americans against floods, to finally strengthening the economy while cutting the budget, this rule gives the House an opportunity to move forward on an important legislative agenda, though difficult choices have and will continue to have to be made for the sake of the American people, and for the sake of an agenda of which all Americans can be proud. Mr. Speaker, I want to encourage all of my colleagues to support this resolution and the underlying legislation for which it provides. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. The gentleman on the other side complained about not having enough time to discuss this resolution. We will have a minimum, Mr. Speaker, of 3 hours. We are debating right now the same-day rule. Then we will debate the rule on House Resolution 571 and then have the debate on the resolution itself. So there will be plenty of time for Members on both sides of the aisle to express their opinions on this hugely important issue. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Tiahrt).

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 563 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 15 seconds to the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter).

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter).

Mr. GINGREY. I have no more speakers. I reserve the balance of my time for the purpose of closing.

Mr. GINGREY

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I would like to close this morning by saluting those men and women who so proudly and bravely serve our country. Their sacrifices and their families' sacrifices are beyond the average American's comprehension. We must acknowledge that without these individuals, the rest of us could not enjoy the freedoms we so often discuss in this Chamber. The appropriation conference report that will be passed today should stand as a ``thank you'' to those who have worn the uniform of our Nation. Some will say the bill does not provide enough for those who are veterans of military service. Well, in a way, Mr. Speaker, I would agree with that. I honestly do not believe we can ever do enough to support our military men and women. They deserve so much more than we will ever be able to afford to give. It is truly an unbalanced relationship. They sacrifice everything for our liberties. We can only repay a small portion of that debt. So, Mr. Speaker, I will finish my remarks simply by saying thank you to our troops, thank you to our veterans, and may God bless you and keep you safe. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. House Resolution 564 waives all points of order against the conference report and against its consideration, and it provides that the conference report shall be considered as read. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 564 and the underlying conference report for H.R. 2528, the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2006. Today, this House has the opportunity to pass a conference report that will provide $45.4 billion to fund the very important needs of our servicemen and women, our veterans, and our military infrastructure. This conference report provides an all-inclusive look at the programs that are related to the quality of life of those who currently serve America in the armed forces, their families, and those men and women who have sacrificed so much for our freedom in the past. Mr. Speaker, by providing $45.4 billion, this conference report actually marks an increase of $3.1 billion from fiscal year 2005, and it is an increase of $300,000 from the President's request. The bill funds the Department of Veterans Affairs at $22.5 billion, $1.7 billion above the fiscal year 2005 enacted level, and $575 million above the 2006 budget request by the President. Particularly important is the funding for veterans' medical services that includes for the very first time $2.2 billion strictly allocated for specialty mental health care on top of a doubling for funding of mental health research. Mr. Speaker, I should note that over the past 2 years, funding for veterans medical care has increased by 18 percent. Let me repeat: Funding for veterans medical care has increased over the past 2 years by 18 percent. The conference provides a particular victory for veterans back home in northwest Georgia, my district, and across the Nation. This bill does not, and I repeat, does not, contain any new fees for veterans medical services or prescription drugs. This conference report provides $6.2 billion for military construction, $5.1 billion for Active Duty construction, and $1.1 billion for Reserve components. Mr. Speaker, I will conclude my statement by acknowledging Subcommittee Chairman Walsh and Chairman Lewis for their overall vision and dedication to completing this bill, both here in the House and in the conference, for the sake of our servicemen and women, past and present. Mr. Speaker, I look forward to this debate. I encourage my colleagues to support the rule and the underlying conference report. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 564 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. GINGREY

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Res. 572.

Mr. GINGREY

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to encourage seniors across America to learn about Medicare part D, the new voluntary prescription drug benefit available to all seniors. Tuesday marked the first day seniors could enroll in Medicare part D. Enrollment continues through May 15, 2006, and coverage begins January 1, 2006. Finally, seniors in our communities will have better access to the medication they need to stay well. Seniors can sign up today by calling 1-800-MEDICARE or by visiting the Web site www.medicare.gov. Seniors who want to sign up should have several pieces of information on hand: a list of the medications they are currently taking; information about any prescription drug coverage they may currently have, be it employer, union or a Medigap policy; the name and address of a local pharmacy they will use to fill prescriptions; the out-of-pocket amount they spend on prescription drugs each year; finally, seniors should have their Medicare enrollment information readily available. As a physician, I know that providing our seniors with prescription drug coverage will be beneficial to their health and to their wallets. I am glad Medicare now works to prevent disease as well as treat it.

Mr. GINGREY

Mr. GINGREY. Well, as usual, the gentleman is right on target. And I think it is important that we remember that the plan, typically, if I could describe a typical plan for the typical senior, would be about a $30 a month premium, would be a $250 deductible, would be a 25 percent copay, that is, the senior has to pay 25 percent of the cost of the prescription drugs after the 250 out of pocket, up to a total of $2,250. Then there is this issue of the hole in the doughnut, or the gap, where any cost above $2,250, up to about $5,100, is 100 percent on the back of the senior. A lot of people have been concerned about that. They tend to forget, though, that above that you have this catastrophic coverage. If you have spent in any one year on Medicare part D prescription drugs, if you have spent more than $3,600 out of your pocket, then anything above that is covered at the 95 percent level. And, really, there are situations like that. Maybe for some seniors today before they sign up for this program, they already know that they are spending $3,600 or more, maybe $6,000 a year on prescription drugs. Now, they very well may want to choose a plan. This slide that I have in front of me now sort of goes over that, talks about the premium and the deductible and the gap in the coverage. Well, seniors can choose. They can literally, if they want, particularly, and I would recommend this, if they are on a number of drugs already and they have high costs already and they know that, then they may want to pick a plan that the monthly premium is a little bit higher than the average of 25 or $30, maybe it is $50 a month. But it does not have any gap in the coverage. Those plans are available, and that information of course is what they will obtain from the Web site. I know we are getting close to the exhaustion of our time, and I wanted to call again on my colleague from Pennsylvania to see if he had any closing remarks before we wrap up this hour. And I want to, before I run out of time, express my appreciation to Mr. Carter, to Mr. Murphy, and Mr. Burgess for joining us during this hour.

Mr. GINGREY. I thank my colleagues. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I yield back whatever remaining time we have and look forward to the next session.

Mr. GINGREY. If the gentleman will yield, Mr. Murphy hit the nail, I think, right on the head. And as we talk about this, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Carter) is still with us. He may want to weigh in and share some of his thoughts on this subject. But there is no question that this program has the potential to significantly lower prices across the board, maybe not just for our seniors, but to everybody for some of these heretofore very expensive pharmaceutical drugs. And we anticipate that this program, and again, we talked about participation level. Remember, I said at the outset of the hour that Medicare part D, that other optional part of Medicare, probably got a 98 percent participation rate because it is such a good deal. We will not have that higher participation rate with the part D because many of our seniors already have prescription drug coverage. We mentioned some of those categories. But this program, we anticipate across the board about a 50 percent savings, maybe 11 or $1,200 a year on average, and that of course includes people that are low-income. It includes people that are high-income; but on average, we anticipate, is that not right, Mr. Carter, about a 50 percent reduction.