Alcee Hastings

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Well, he offered it now and we didn't accept it. Therefore, perhaps he'll get another chance. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt), with whom I served on the Intelligence Committee for 8 years.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I am very pleased at this time to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Illinois, my good friend, Mr. Davis.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. If we defeat the previous question, I will offer an amendment to the rule to require that immediately after we adopt this resolution, the House will consider H.R. 1519, the Paycheck Fairness Act, introduced by my friend, Ms. DeLauro. And I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this bill. I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Connecticut, my friend, Ms. DeLauro.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from California, my friend, Mr. Miller.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I'm very pleased to yield 1 minute to another of my classmates, the gentlewoman, my good friend from California (Ms. Roybal-Allard).

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, would you advise again how much time remains?

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I'm very pleased at this time to yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky) with whom I served, again I say, on the Intelligence Committee for 8 years.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased at this time to yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), who is my good friend and also has served on these committees for a long time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Tierney) with whom I served on the Intelligence Committee for 8 years.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I would ask of my good friend from Florida whether he intends at this time to have any additional speakers other than himself?

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I'm prepared to close. I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my amendment in the Record, along with extraneous material, immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I do and will urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' and defeat the previous question. But at this time, I will close by saying our future economy, national security, and way of life depend on harnessing the power of scientific advancement, technological progress, and clean energy. And in this respect, America has no peers in the world. These efforts will enable us to reduce our dependence on oil, develop better energy infrastructure, and mitigate the effects of climate change. At the same time, we have to ensure our frontline homeland security resources are adequately funded and sufficiently prepared to meet new challenges. We cannot be distracted by ideological poison pill amendments on abortion. We cannot be dissuaded from making the necessary investments because of false claims that we cannot afford them. And we cannot be so willing to sacrifice our Nation's future prosperity to fund more tax cuts for the wealthiest--and I continue to say, including those of us in Congress, the wealthiest Americans--and more nuclear weapons for the military. These appropriations measures are Congress's best opportunity to set our Nation's priorities and to invest in our economy. Continually defunding these programs is the opposite direction of where we need to go. We must provide the funds necessary to make the advances that will ensure America's continuing global leadership. I urge my colleagues to oppose this rule and to defeat the previous question, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, it is my esteemed privilege to recognize the achievements of Mr. Christopher Dorsey, who serves as the director of the Dillard Center for the Arts Jazz Ensemble. He is the recipient of the 2011 ``Jazzonian'' Excellence in Jazz Education Award. Mr. Dorsey has been leading the Dillard High Jazz Ensemble to the sweet sounds of success in recent years. The Jazz Ensemble took first prize at the ``Swing Central'' jazz competition in Savannah, Georgia in both 2010 and 2011. Also in 2010, they took 2nd place at the ``Essentially Ellington'' Jazz Band Competition. In 2011 and 2012, the Dillard Jazz Ensemble was awarded back-to-back first prize honors at the ``Essentially Ellington'' Jazz Band Competition at Lincoln Center in New York City. Mr. Speaker, I am extremely proud of the success that both Christopher Dorsey and the Dillard Jazz Ensemble have attained under his leadership. I wish him and the program much continued success.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of National Foster Care Month, which is observed each May to raise awareness about the challenges that are faced by children in the foster care system. Every year, nearly 30,000 young adults leave the foster care system at the age of 18 without the support of a permanent family. As these young people transition out of the system, they are at a higher risk for unemployment, poor educational opportunities, health issues, increased rates of incarceration, and homelessness. I am honored to be involved in recognizing the tireless efforts of individuals working to improve the foster care system and in shedding light on the needs of foster youth. Approximately 400,000 American children are in need of safe and permanent homes because their own families are facing a crisis and are unable to care for them. The issues faced by young people in the foster care system and those coming out of it deeply concern me. This is why I have been continually involved in raising awareness of issues facing the child welfare system for a number of years. Last month, I was proud to host a stop of the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youths nationwide listening tour where we learned first-hand about the challenges and successes of Florida's child welfare system from government officials, child welfare advocates, as well as current and former foster youth. My membership in the caucus, along with my work with programs such as Angels in Adoption, have made me better aware of not only the problems facing the foster care system, but also the many people who have dedicated their lives to making it better. Mr. Speaker, I am truly proud of the work that is being done in my congressional district, and applaud the efforts of the countless individuals across the Nation working to give foster youth a voice.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Dr. Effie C. Grear, who died on May 16, 2012. Dr. Grear, a widely known and greatly beloved figure in her home town of Belle Glade, Florida and the other communities surrounding Lake Okeechobee, dedicated more than 50 years of her life as an educator. She earned her B.A. in Music Education from West Virginia State University, her M.A. in the same major from The Ohio State University, and her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University. Highlights of her career included organizing the first bands at Florida A&M University High School in Tallahassee and Smith-Brown High School in Arcadia, Florida. She later became Band Director at Lake Shore High School in Belle Glade and then Assistant Principal at that school. After moving to the Assistant Principal position at Glades Central High School, she eventually became Principal in 1976, a position she held until retiring in 1976. Dr. Grear had a long record of community involvement as a member of the Advisory Boards of Glades Central High School's Criminal Justice Academy and the Glades Community Development Corporation, the Florida and National Associations of Secondary School Principals, the Palm Beach County Criminal Justice Commission, and the Association of School Curriculum Development. At the time of her passing, she was serving as a Commissioner on the Health Care District of Palm Beach County and its representative to the Glades General Hospital Advisory Board. Among her many awards and honors are Belle Glade, Florida Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year (1982), Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award from the Urban League of Palm Beach County (1988), Palm Beach County NAACP Community Service Award (1989), and the Florida Association of Women's Clubs Hattie T. Dorah Woman of the Year Award (1990). In 1991, she was named Florida Secondary School Principal of the Year. The following year, Dr. Grear was honored with the Ida S. Baker Distinguished Black Educator Award by the Governor and the Cabinet in Tallahassee. In 2000, the Palm Beach County School Board recognized her long record of service to the boys and girls of the Glades area by naming the athletic field at Glades Central High School after her. That same year, I honored her myself with my Educational Leadership Award for Commitment to Boys and Girls in Palm Beach County, Florida. She was recognized again by Palm Beach Community College in 2004, when they gave her their Community Leadership Award during their annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Observance. Mr. Speaker, Dr. Grear was married to the late William A. Grear, the first African American to serve as a City Commissioner in Belle Glade, Florida. The couple had two children, Rhonda Grear, a Registered Nurse, and William Grear, Jr., a digital technician with Bell South Corporation and former Belle Glade City Commissioner. Dr. Effie Grear enjoyed enormous respect among everyone in the educational field and all those familiar with her devotion to children and her love for her community. She was a good friend and mentor to many and she will be dearly missed.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Dillard Center for the Arts Jazz Ensemble of Fort Lauderdale, Florida for their continued achievements and excellence, in winning of the Essentially Ellington Jazz Band Competition and Festival, for two consecutive years. In addition to these back-to-back championships, the Jazz Ensemble in 2012 also took second place in the ``Essentially Ellington'' competition. Furthermore, they won first place at the ``Swing Central'' jazz competition in Savannah, Georgia in both 2011 and 2010. Unlike many other programs which have ample resources and funding, private donations are scarce to Dillard's Jazz Ensemble. Therefore, these students' achievements go beyond their musical talent but also speak to their dedication to perform and compete through fundraising to support their own program. This resolve proves there are no limits to the creative spirit of Dillard's Jazz Ensemble and there are no limits to the success that these students can achieve. I would like to take this opportunity to honor the 26 members of the band as well as Jazz Ensemble director Christopher Dorsey, all of which have contributed to this program's continued successes. Members of Dillard's Jazz Ensemble are: Liza Honorat, Shanice Richards, Ben Stocker, Christian Cummings, Markus Howell, Demonn Sands, Johnathan Hainsworth, Kirby Fellis, Cameron Fegers, Jordan Davis, Sam Gellerstein, Max Boiko, Christian Dorsey, Anthony Hervey, Bryan McCall, Armando Zamora, Zach Auslander, Anthony Morrison, Zach McKinney, Charlie Steiner, Sydney Henry, Russell Hall, Sean Blair, Jake Ricke, Akeem Green, and Eric German. Dillard High School was founded in the early twentieth century with funds from noted philanthropist James Hardy Dillard. The music program at Dillard High School gained fame when the legendary Julian ``Cannonball'' Adderley served as an instructor of applied music in the 1940s. To this day, the school still focuses on the performing arts and music, serving as a Performing Arts and Technology magnet school in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Both Mr. Dillard and Mr. Adderley would be very proud to see the accomplishments of the program today. Mr. Speaker, I am extremely proud of these young musicians. I wish them all the best in their future endeavors, and wish Dillard's jazz program continued success. It is an honor to give the Dillard Center for the Arts Jazz Ensemble the recognition it rightly deserves.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am truly honored to recognize the second inauguration of President Ma Ying-jeou, which will take place on May 20, 2012. I join with the people of Taiwan in celebrating this historic occasion. Since the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, the United States and Taiwan have focused on creating a harmonious bilateral relationship. While our two countries have continued to share strong relations, we have been able to further strengthen our ties under President Ma's leadership. I am pleased to note several positive developments that taken place over the course of President Ma's first term, including being recognized by the World Health Organization as an observer to the World Health Assembly. This important recognition has given Taiwan an avenue in which to address the health issues affecting its country. Furthermore, the United States has increased trade relations with Taiwan, and U.S. agricultural and food products now account for over 30 percent of Taiwan's agricultural imports. These gains could not have been achieved independently, and such positive outcomes would not be possible without the collaboration and cooperation of President Ma's government. Mr. Speaker, again I want to congratulate President Ma on his second term in office. I look forward to continuing my work with the President and his government to ensure a peaceful and prosperous Taiwan.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my disappointment that this House is once again considering a short-term extension to the National Flood Insurance Program. It has been nearly ten years since the program was last reauthorized, and the need for reauthorization has only grown more pressing. While a lapse in the program would be detrimental to countless homeowners, the program cannot continue to be sustained through a patchwork of short- term extensions. Last July, the House of Representatives passed a long-term extension of the program with broad bipartisan support. Shortly after, the Senate Banking Committee reported its own reauthorization which is now simply gathering dust in the Senate. With the start of hurricane season only weeks away, now is not the time for the Senate's typical complacency. Floods affect every state in the Union, and all Americans deserve the comfort of knowing they will be able to continue to benefit from the security that the National Flood Insurance Program has provided homeowners and lending institutions since 1968. This program must be modernized and reformed to meet the realities of American homeowners and taxpayers. I urge my Senate colleagues to swiftly bring their reauthorization bill to the floor so that we can finally move a long-term reauthorization forward.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of my dear friend Ruth Tinsman. Mrs. Tinsman, beloved wife of the late Jerry Tinsman, passed away on April 28, 2012, at the age of 81. My thoughts and prayers go out to her family and friends at this most difficult time. She is survived by her daughters Katheline Tinsman and Leann Tinsman, sister Patricia O'Rork, three grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. It was a pleasure to work with Mrs. Tinsman when she served as my District Administrator from the time I first assumed office in 1993 until September 2001. Ruth was a hard-working professional with strong morals and values, impeccable work ethic, an undeniable compassion for others, in addition to a warm and loving personality. Prior to joining my office, Mrs. Tinsman was a Congressional Aide for Congressman William Lehman of Florida for 10 years. ``Ruth was great with people and my father's constituency. She always looked out for his best interest,'' said William Lehman, Jr., son of the late Congressman Lehman. Mrs. Tinsman has devoted her life to helping others in her community. As a resident of the City of Hialeah, Florida for over 50 years, she worked tirelessly to improve the quality of life and well-being of all. Mrs. Tinsman has served as a dedicated and loyal member of the Hialeah Housing Authority Board of Commissioners since January 9, 1990. On November 18, 1999, she was elected Chairperson of the Board of Commissioners, which she served on for 10 years. The Ruth A. Tinsman Pavilion, an elderly development facility, was built and named after her in 1996 to honor her work and dedication to the community. Additionally, Mrs. Tinsman served on the board of Citrus Health Network, as well as President of ``Kids in Dade Society,'' developing programs to educate and keep children safe. Mr. Speaker, Mrs. Ruth Tinsman will be remembered in South Florida for her love of and dedication to her community. Her legacy of care and compassion will live on for generations to come in the lives she has touched. Ruth was a dear friend and I am truly honored to have known her. She will be missed.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Wayne L. Nelson, who died on April 30, 2012. Mr. Nelson was a deeply committed environmentalist. Throughout his life, he fought tenaciously for the protection of Florida's ecosystems. He always had a special concern for Lake Okeechobee, which is the seventh largest freshwater lake in the United States and the largest in the State of Florida. Mr. Nelson was widely respected by everyone of like mind who knew of his love for Florida's natural resources. Younger environmentalists trusted him for his knowledge and learned much from his advice. An avid angler with a passion for conservation, Mr. Nelson founded Fishermen Against the Destruction of the Environment (FADE) as well as Clean Lake Environment and Recreation (CLEAR). Additionally, he was an active member of Greenpeace and Public Citizens. Mr. Speaker, Wayne Nelson left a fine legacy of caring for our environment and teaching younger generations all that he knew. Wherever he went, he spread awareness of the importance of saving the earth, and he will be greatly missed by family, friends and everyone in the environmental community. My thoughts are with Mr. Nelson's loved ones during this most difficult time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the 150th anniversary of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Founded by President Lincoln in 1862 as ``the People's Department,'' the USDA has helped modernize and advance American agriculture to the point where Americans now enjoy a safe and abundant food supply at a cost of less than ten percent of their disposable income. The USDA has been critical in protecting the farmers and ranchers who are the stewards of our land and essential to ensuring that our nation maintains an independent and secure food supply. Over the course of its 150 years, the USDA has repeatedly been vital in solving the many agricultural challenges facing our nation. For example, a rapidly declining pollinating species population currently threatens the sustainability of our agriculture across the country. With one out of every three bites of food we eat the result of the intervention of pollinators like birds, bats, bees, and butterflies, the USDA has taken a lead role in addressing this looming disaster through programs like the Agricultural Research Service's research on the cause and treatment of Colony Collapse Disorder. The importance of the USDA is reflected in the fact that without pollinators, our country would not be able to grow food. The USDA also does much more than just work with our local agriculture. It is a key player in addressing the changing needs of agriculture across the globe. The world's population is estimated to be nine billion people by 2050. Consequently, the world will need to produce more food in the next 50 years than has been produced during the past 10,000 years combined. The USDA, America's farmers, ranchers, and research scientists will answer this challenge together through programs such as Food for Progress, McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition, the USDA National Hunger Clearinghouse, and the Norman Borlaug Commemorative Research Initiative. One hundred and fifty years ago, President Lincoln recognized the potential of America's farmers to resourcefully cultivate our land to provide an ample food supply. Today, we must use the same innovative spirit in approaching agricultural production. By supporting USDA programs and initiatives, we are able to link research and scientific innovations to effective adaptations in order to successfully address the food security needs of our country. I am pleased to honor our country's farmers and ranchers, and acknowledge the work of the USDA on this historic occasion.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the heroic actions of Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish citizen and diplomat, who, together with other courageous individuals, helped 100,000 Hungarian Jews escape Nazi authorities during World War II. As we continue to honor the memories of all those who suffered and perished during the Holocaust, we cannot forget the extraordinary men and women who risked their very own lives to take a stand against injustice and save their fellow man. This year marks the centennial of Wallenberg's birth, and although his ultimate fate remains unknown, we must ensure that this and future generations know of his great deeds. Wallenberg was born on August 4, 1912 in Lidingo, Sweden, to a prominent Lutheran family. He studied architecture at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and graduated with honors in 1935. The following year, Wallenberg went to work at a bank in Haifa, Palestine, and was deeply moved by the stories of Jews who had escaped Nazi persecution in Germany. After returning to Sweden, he became associated with Koloman Lauer, a Hungarian Jew who owned an import and export firm. Wallenberg traveled freely through Germany, Nazi-occupied France, and Hungary, where he witnessed the plight of European Jews firsthand. On March 19, 1944, Hitler invaded Hungary and began a massive deportation of Hungary's estimated 700,000 Jews to the concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. Earlier that year, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt established the War Refugee Board in order to help Jews and other groups persecuted by the Nazi and Axis powers. Working together with the Swedish government and prominent Swedish Jews, including Lauer, the War Refugee Board sought to send a special envoy to Budapest to rescue as many Hungarian Jews as possible. Wallenberg, then only 31 years old, was appointed first secretary at the Swedish Legation in Budapest with full diplomatic privileges and the financial support of the War Refugee Board. Wallenberg used all means necessary to protect Jews from the German and Hungarian authorities, employing several hundred Jews under the protection of the Swedish Legation, redesigning the so-called ``Schutzpass,'' and securing approximately 15,000 such protective passes. On October 15, 1944, the fascist Arrow Cross Party seized power in Hungary and installed a pro-Nazi regime that terrorized, deported, and murdered tens of thousands of people. Still, Wallenberg remained in Budapest to continue his efforts and established ``Swedish Houses,'' which served as places of refuge for over 25,000 Jews. On November 20, 1944, Adolph Eichmann began the ``death marches,'' the deportation of thousands of starving and tortured Jews by foot along the 125-mile-long road between Budapest and the Austrian border. Wallenberg directly confronted German soldiers along the way in order to provide protective passes, food, and medicine to Jews. In January 1945, he saved the remaining Jews living in Budapest's largest ghetto from massacre with the help of Pal Szalay, an Arrow Cross senior official. When the Russian army arrived in Budapest on January 17, 1945, Wallenberg disappeared after being taken into Soviet custody. He was reportedly imprisoned in Lubyanka prison in Moscow, and died on July 19, 1947 from a heart attack. However, reports from former Soviet prisoners as recent as 1981 suggest that Wallenberg may have survived after 1947, and his fate remains shrouded in mystery to this day. He has since become the subject of numerous humanitarian honors, including that of Yad Vashem's ``Righteous among the Nations;'' has been named an honorary citizen of the United States, Canada, and Israel; and has been memorialized through countless monuments, statues, works of art, social institutions, and street names around the world. Mr. Speaker, Raoul Wallenberg and his colleagues in the Swedish Legation saved at least 100,000 Jews in Hungary from extermination, including the late Congressman Tom Lantos and his wife Annette. As we celebrate the centennial of Wallenberg's birth, let his story inspire and embolden our ongoing efforts to bring an end to discrimination and hate-inspired violence in our communities through greater leadership and cooperation among all peoples.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. And, again, I thank my friend and colleague, Mr. Woodall, for yielding me the customary 30 minutes. I also appreciated his comments about the fact that we are borrowing from the next generation. I gather that the previous generation borrowed from us. I don't know when the borrowing stops, but at least that seems to be the way of the world until we get to a point where we can be self-sustaining, as rightly we should be. This rule provides for consideration of Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations for fiscal year 2013. Many of my Republican colleagues have been patting themselves on the back for the open rule associated with this bill. They claim that this effort demonstrates transparency and their commitment to regular order. Putting aside for the moment whether a single open rule in 304 days makes for an open legislation process, the fact is that now the Republicans are using this rule to correct a mistake they made in their previous effort to deem and pass the Ryan budget. It seems, Mr. Speaker, that the deem and pass didn't work the first time around. It was supposed to break the spending agreement made by my friends in the Republican Party in the Budget Control Act, but they bungled that effort a couple weeks ago and now have to try to go back on their word. It seems to me that if you're going to break an agreement that you made in good faith, you ought to get it right the first time. Doing this twice just calls attention to what little regard there is for bipartisan cooperation and agreement. I heard my colleague, Mr. Woodall, comment about this coming out of the subcommittee and the committee by voice vote, and there is no disagreement in that regard. I guess to some that is to be a commendable effort. But he also suggested that we may very well, if we were to choose, carry this on voice vote. I would disabuse him of that notion. That is not going to happen. The deem and pass was wrong the first time around, and it's still wrong the second time around--and shouldn't have been placed in here--and it will be wrong the third, fourth, and however many more times around there are, in spite of open rules, if you put it in it, until the Republicans have repudiated every last promise they made. If breaking the Budget Control Act agreement wasn't enough, the Republican majority is also using this rule to silence Members on the upcoming reconciliation legislation being considered by this body later this week. Rather than using regular order--and I stick a tack in that to compliment my colleague on the Rules Committee, who does believe and has made it manifestly clear that he believes in regular order--but rather than using regular order to debate the merits of breaking their promises, Republicans are imposing martial law to prevent Members from properly considering the legislation and having their say. Forcing same-day consideration--that's what we mean when we say ``martial law''--of the legislation simply reinforces the majority's intent to use this legislation for partisan gain. Instead of working with Democrats on a bipartisan process, Republicans want to jeopardize funding for essential government programs so they can both go back on their agreements and force the House to consider the legislation sight unseen. This is an unfortunate situation because Democrats would have been pleased to support this open rule. Had the Republicans followed regular order, Democrats would support this rule; and I, for one, would argue that we should do so by voice if it had been that way. If the Budget Committee Democrats end up taking the entire 3 days that they are entitled to under the rules of the House before they finish their views, we could consider the reconciliation bill on Monday instead of Thursday. This is no way to run a budget process and no way to conduct the business of the House. I'd be amused at the Republicans' failed efforts here, Mr. Speaker, except that I'm dismayed to point out that millions of Americans depend on the programs considered under the appropriations process. An agreement was made with the Budget Control Act, and under the agreement the Republicans promised certain levels of funding for essential programs. That funding is now in jeopardy because the majority wants to spend time trying to go back on what they promised. Let me remind this body that the House and Senate both passed the Budget Control Act. The Senate has not passed the Ryan budget. And deeming and passing does nothing but force this body, as I say all the time, to pretend that the budget, as offered, is in effect. As I said in the Rules Committee when the Republicans tried to do this the first time around, if we're going to pass legislation that pretends things exist, then I guess we don't need either the Senate or the President of the United States since we can just pretend that the laws have passed when, in fact, they have not. I don't have my copy of ``I'm Just a Bill,'' and my colleague wasn't here when I read it in committee at one point in time, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't mention that the way to pass legislation is to first pass one agreement and then try twice to pretend it never happened. I don't know what that looks like in a cartoon version, but probably less like ``Schoolhouse Rock'' and more like Wile E. Coyote falling straight off a cliff, because if we're going to get out of the business of reality and into the business of pretending, let's just pretend that every American has a job, that every student can go to college, and that no child goes to bed hungry. Let's pretend that the billions we wasted on unnecessary wars were, instead, actually invested right here in the United States of America. Let's pretend that Thanksgiving is in June and Christmas is in July and the election season is over and the deficit is gone. And since we've now pretended that everything is fine in our great country, let's go tell all of the unemployed, the middle class, the hungry and the poor that their problems aren't real. Or better yet, let's just pretend those people don't exist, because that's exactly what I believe the majority's budget does. Rather than using the power of the Federal budget to lead this country into a new era of economic growth, Republicans want to cut taxes for those that are wealthy among us, including those of us that serve in the House of Representatives, cut services for everyone else, and then feel like they've set the country on the right track. Instead of spending our time debating the merits of the appropriations legislation before us, we're, again, trying to convince the majority to stick with the promises they made in the first place. Rather than uniting in bipartisan fashion to support an open and transparent legislative process, Republicans are using partisan gimmickry to silence debate. Rather than debating this legislation under the Budget Control Act, we have to debate whether the Republican majority should even have to keep their promises. And rather than considering whether the inadequate levels of funding in this legislation, particularly in certain arenas--let me use one: the COPS program that I thought it was wrong when Democrats cut that program, and I think it's wrong now that Republicans are talking about less money for a program that all of us know is desperately needed in our various communities. We have to consider doing more for struggling Americans, and we have to consider whether we ought to be cutting even more, as my colleagues would have it. I reserve the balance of my time. General Leave