Alcee Hastings

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I thank you very much, my good friend from Georgia. ``Wordsmithology'' must run in the family, Pope, as I listened to John offer his congratulatory remarks from a cousin. Madam Speaker, I rise to offer my sincere gratitude and appreciation for Pope Barrow, who, on today, announced his resignation as the sixth legislative counsel for the House of Representatives. Pope has rendered a great service to his country throughout his 40-year career, working his way from a law assistant in 1968 to his current position, which he obtained by appointment by then Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich in 1997. I don't know how many bills he's drafted since 1968. He probably doesn't know either, but I can tell you that a great many of our Nation's laws on matters from clean air to taxes, to war powers, to crime, owe much of their language to him. Although his may not be a household name, all of our lives in this great country have been and continue to be impacted by his efforts. As an aside, I came in direct contact with Pope in seeking additional space for his good offices, and thanks to Speaker Pelosi and her staff, we had a modicum of success. And I said to Pope today, I knew the need for space because, as a young lawyer, I worked in cramped quarters, and I certainly felt that the people who do the people's business here in drafting legislation deserved appropriate space. And I would hope that we continue those efforts to make sure that they are comfortable. Madam Speaker, it's hard not to understand Pope's commendable dedication to congressional work; indeed, it runs in his family. Several of his relatives have served in the House and Senate, going back to the early 19th century when his great, great, great grandfather, Wilson Lumpkin, served the State of Georgia as a Representative, Senator and Governor. And of course, Pope's cousin, is the gentleman from Georgia's 12th Congressional District, my good friend, John Barrow. Pope and his staff's steadfast commitment to impartiality, practicality, and parsimony in the drafting of laws have been of great benefit to me over the years, and I am sure that all of our colleagues in the House feel the same. I, as they, have always been able to count on the Office of the Legislative Counsel to ably assist us and our staffs in carefully drafting policies to minimize confusion and maximize the benefits of intended legislation. I looked, during his tenure, to his staff and his staff's guidance, and they never disappointed. Madam Speaker, while the House of Representatives is losing a devoted member of our body, one who will be sorely missed, I have a sneaking suspicion that while Pope pursues his passion for white-water kayaking, and I heard the Dean of the House say and traveling seas and other activities, his thoughts may only occasionally turn to us here. Nevertheless, I hope that he will visit us often and soon. We thank Pope for his service and wish him all the best in the next chapter of his life. He leaves an iconic legacy for his successor, whom I compliment, along with our colleague, Ms. Sandra Strokoff. And I urge the passage of this legislation for a gentleman who may have labored in the shadows of this institution but cast a long shadow of his own over the legislation that many of us have provided for our constituents. Thank you, Madam Speaker. Good luck, Pope.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

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

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, as a co-sponsor of H. Con. Res. 135, I rise in strong support of this resolution directing the Architect of the Capitol to place a marker in Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center which acknowledges the role that slave labor played in the construction of the United States Capitol. African Americans throughout the world continue to make remarkable contributions to their communities every single day. We must not disregard the hands that worked and the feet that toiled to build our Nation's Capitol. We must honor the contributions of the slaves who helped build this magnificent structure. Mr. Speaker, when we look to the hands that shape and built this city, particularly this Capitol, we should no longer hang our heads in shame of slavery, but instead celebrate the people who are so often forgotten. We should appreciate and acknowledge the thousands of unnamed men and women who built this structure representing democracy, liberty, and freedom. Just last month, my colleagues in the Senate approved a resolution that apologized for the enslavement and racial segregation of African Americans. As the legislative branch, we have officially acknowledged the institution that barred hundreds of thousands from freedom, and with this resolution, we can begin to celebrate those slaves that physically helped to create this country. The Capitol Visitor Center sees almost 3 million visitors annually. As they walk the halls and admire the architecture and statues, marveling at the rich history and stories that accompany them throughout the building, it is our responsibility to ensure that all slaves who helped build the Capitol have their stories told. In the Capitol Visitor Center, Emancipation Hall was named to help acknowledge the work of the slaves who toiled over the work of the Capitol and we must ensure that their stories are told for generations to come. Mr. Speaker, I express my unwavering support for this resolution and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce a resolution recognizing Europe's Black population and expressing solidarity with their struggle. Last year, on April 29, 2008, I chaired the U.S. Helsinki Commission hearing entitled, ``The State of (In)visible Black Europe: Race, Rights, and Politics'' which focused on the more than 7 million people who make up Europe's Black or Afro-descendant population. Despite their numerous contributions to European society, like African-Americans here, many Black Europeans face the daily challenges of racism and discrimination. This includes being the targets of violent hate crimes, many of which have resulted in death. Existing inequalities in education, housing, and employment remain a problem and racial profiling is a norm. Few Black Europeans are in leadership positions and political participation is also limited for many, providing obstacles for addressing these problems. In an effort to raise public awareness of these issues at the national and international level, the Black European Women's Council (BEWC) was launched on September 9, 2008 at the European Union's headquarters. More than 130 Black women from across Europe came to ``insist on the recognition and inclusion of Black Europeans economically, politically, and culturally.'' This resolution supports BEWC's fight for equality and urges European governments to implement anti-discrimination legislation and other plans of action, including a fund for victims incapacitated as a result of a hate crime. Given the history of our own country, an increase in transatlantic cooperative efforts between our government and European governments, U.S. and European based civil rights groups, and within the private sector would also provide useful partnerships and assistance in combating racism and discrimination abroad and at home. This resolution therefore also calls on the U.S. Government to increase support for public and private sector initiatives focused on combating racism and discrimination in Europe as part of our efforts to support global human rights. It is for this reason that on April 15-16, 2009, I also co-hosted the ``Black European Summit: Transatlantic Dialogue on Political Inclusion'' at the European Parliament in Brussels with Black and other European minority parliamentarians to exchange information on the roles of racial and ethnic minority policymakers in developing and supporting policies and initiatives to address racism, discrimination, and inequality. As I continue to work on these initiatives, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this Resolution Recognizing Black Europeans and encourage them to review the statements and submissions from the Helsinki Commission's Black Europe Hearing at www.csce.gov.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce a resolution recognizing the first ``Black European Summit: Transatlantic Dialogue on Political Inclusion'' and ensuing Brussels Declaration. The Black European Summit (BES) was held in Brussels, Belgium at the European Parliament on April 15th and 16th. The historic 2-day Summit brought together political and intellectual minority leaders from the United States and Europe to exchange information on the roles of racial and ethnic minority policymakers in developing and supporting policies and initiatives to address racism, discrimination, and inequality. The event was hosted and organized by myself, Harlem Desir, Member of the European Parliament; Joe Frans, President of the United Nations Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent and a former Swedish Parliamentarian; Claude Moraes, Member of the European Parliament and President of the European Parliament All Party Group on Anti-Racism and Diversity; and Glyn Ford, former Member of the European Parliament. Participants included Parliamentarians, Congressional representatives, local and nationally elected officials, academics, representatives from European and international institutions, civil society, the private sector, and media from Black and other minority backgrounds. During the Summit we exchanged information and best practices on addressing structural barriers that impact minority political participation, including implementing initiatives that address racism and discrimination. Like in the United States, it was noted that despite the numerous contributions of minorities to European society, minorities still face the daily challenges of racism and discrimination. This includes being the targets of violent hate crimes, many of which in recent years have resulted in death. Existing inequalities in education, housing, and employment remain a problem and racial profiling is often a norm. Obstacles for addressing these problems, include the lack of minorities in leadership positions and the rise of racist and xenophobic political parties seeking to implement non-inclusive policies. Summit participants committed to addressing these issues by adopting the Brussels Declaration, which calls for: (1) concrete action to assist ethnic and racial minorities in obtaining full access to participation in the political sphere and relevant areas of decision making, especially in the development and implementation of policy initiatives to address racial and ethnic discrimination and inequality; and (2) to support future opportunities to exchange and share perspectives in these areas through a sustained transatlantic dialogue. As I continue to work on these initiatives, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this Resolution Recognizing both the Black European Summit and Brussels Declaration and encourage them to review the statements and submissions from the Helsinki Commission's Black Europe and Racism in the 21st Century Hearings at www.csce.gov and recently introduced Resolution on Black Europeans. Additionally, I would like to submit the following background materials on the Brussels Declaration and Black Europeans for the official record. Black European Summit--Transatlantic Dialogue on Political Inclusion Brussels Declaration Preamble We, as members of the public, private, and voluntary sectors from Europe and the United States of America convening in Brussels, Belgium from the 15 to 16 of April for the Black European Summit: Transatlantic Dialogue on Political Inclusion, draw attention to the need for coordinated strategies to address racism and discrimination; We recognize the democratic, multi-ethnic and multi-racial nature of our countries' diverse societies; We reaffirm the principles of equal rights and self- determination of peoples and recalling that all individuals are born equal in dignity and rights; We remain concerned that the political and legal systems in some of our societies do not reflect the racial and ethnic diversity within our societies, which then contributes to the continuation of racism and discrimination; We recognize that the full access of racial and ethnic minorities to participate in the political sphere and relevant areas of decision making at the levels of national, regional, and locally elected government appropriate to each nation is critical to combating racism and inequality and ensuring our democratic societies; We therefore note the need for concrete strategies to: increase the representation and influence of racial and ethnic minority policymakers; jointly seek solutions to racial and ethnic minorities increased participation in decision-making in the development and implementation of policy initiatives to address discrimination and inequality; and support opportunities to exchange and share perspectives in these areas through the continuance of a transatlantic dialogue to realize these goals. We today resolve that we will endeavor to enact initiatives to eradicate racial and ethnic discrimination through: Continuing a transatlantic dialogue that: includes cultural exchanges between American and European racial and ethnic minority groups, including youth; focuses on the development of opportunities for racial and ethnic minority political leadership and participation in the policymaking process; and fosters the exchange of information on best practices to implement and enforce antidiscrimination measures and achieve racial equality; Joining forces over the coming months to develop common goals and objectives in each of our decision-making bodies to recognize Europe's Black and racial and ethnic minority populations for their historical and present-day contributions and acknowledge past injustices; Promoting racial and ethnic minority participation at all levels of national, regional, and local government through the education of civil and political rights, including the legislative process and advocacy of legislative issues relevant to racial and ethnic minority communities, development of targeted professional development and hiring strategies, increased youth and community outreach, and self- organization and other empowerment initiatives; Reaffirming our continued cooperation and commitment to work with our governments, international institutions, civil society, private sector, and other partners to improve institutions so that they are fully participatory and reflect the democratic principles of equality, justice, and celebration of the strengths of our countries' diversity. As Europe Veers Right, Minority Parliamentarians Counter Washington--With far-right and anti-immigrant parties making worrying advances in recent elections across Europe, minority lawmakers and leaders called today for the political process to be more inclusive of minorities. Following April's ``Black European Summit: Transatlantic Dialogue on Political Inclusion'' in Brussels, Belgium, minority political and intellectual leaders today adopted a declaration calling for increased efforts to include racial and ethnic minorities in the political process. (Please find attached a copy of the Brussels Declaration). I was very pleased to have the opportunity to work on these initiatives with my European colleagues,'' said U.S. Congressman and Helsinki Commission Co-Chairman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL). ``Whether speaking about voting and civil rights, increasing minority elected officials and diversity in policy staff, or responding to discriminatory policies, we have common issues. While I have been able to share the many successes we have had in the United States in terms of minority political participation, most recently evidenced by President Obama, one need only look at the lack of diversity in the U.S. Senate and staff in Congressional offices and many government agencies to know that we can be doing more. It is one reason I fully support this transatlantic declaration.'' ``Despite the global significance of President Obama's historic election, the reality is that our elected leadership does not reflect the diversity of origins of people in our nations'' said Summit co-organizer Harlem Desir, Member of the European Parliament (MEP). ``This has contributed to a lack of inclusion of minorities in the planning and implementation of the very policies that impact us. Despite some successes, the overall results of recent elections are simply further evidence that we must do more to ensure the representation of the diversity of our society.'' ``In Britain we had never elected fascists in a national election until now. Whilst in the past there have been far- right MEPs from other countries, such as France, this election saw new groups gaining seats across Europe, and thus a worrying threshold has been crossed,'' said Summit co- organizer and President of the European Parliament All Party Group on Anti-Racism and Diversity, Claude Moraes MEP. ``We will have to tackle the pernicious growth of far-right racist parties head-on, at both the grass-roots and parliamentary levels, and an integral part of this lies in encouraging the full inclusion of minorities in the political process.'' U.S. Helsinki Commissioner Congressman G.K. Butterfield (D- NC), a former Judge known for his work supporting voting rights, who participated in the Summit, added, ``it is clear by the outcome of the European elections that too few people are taking part in the political process at a potentially great risk to democracy. As I have learned from my work in the U.S., it is critical to remedy this situation rather than preserve a status quo that repeatedly elects lawmakers who do not represent the diverse interests of the population.'' ``These concerns for minority representation are exactly why we adopted the Brussels Declaration,'' said Summit co- organizer Joe Frans, Vice President of the United Nations Working Group on Experts of People of African Descent. ``The declaration calls for the full and equal participation of non-White citizens of Europe with African, migrant, and other backgrounds in our countries' democracies. With more racist, xenophobic, and anti-Muslim parties making political gains, immigration and anti-discrimination policies are going to be further scrutinized, which will impact how persons of different races, ethnicities, and religions, are viewed and treated. Implementation of the Brussels declaration in this current climate is of the utmost importance.''

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials into the Record.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to my friend, the gentlelady from North Carolina, Dr. Foxx. All time yielded during consideration of the rule is for debate only. General Leave

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution H. Res. 559 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. The gentleman's time has expired, but I can answer what he asked, and I can also tell him I don't have time to yield. We began in the Rules Committee with me asking the previous speaker whether or not his side had offered a time agreement. He looked at me as if I was talking about something that was foreign. What I knew, and what I believe the leadership knew on both sides of the aisle, was that for a protracted period of time the distinguished chairman of the Appropriations Committee and the majority leader have been meeting with their counterparts in the minority with reference to time agreements. Now, I sat here when that bill began its debate and the first question out of Mr. Obey's mouth to Mr. Lewis, the distinguished ranking member of the committee, the first question out of his mouth was whether or not they were going to be able to get a time agreement, and Mr. Lewis' reply was that he could not give that assurance. So for somebody to come down here and talk about whether or not the Democrats tried to get a time agreement and then to spend time yesterday agreeing on nothing and accepting no more than foolishness on the House of Representatives, whether it was history making or not, is just plain absurdity. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I yield the gentleman an additional minute in the hopes that he will yield to the gentlewoman from Florida at some point.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, after that speaker, I find it necessary to correct him with regard to a portion of his screed. Please know that in the process that he referenced one of our Members, who is a subcommittee Chair of Appropriations, the committee Chair, Mr. Obey, handled the matter, when the Member referred to by the previous speaker recused himself. And on the floor, when the matter was brought here, the committee Chair handled that matter. Now, I heard that gentleman talk about shenanigans. Let me tell you something, Mr. Speaker. What happened in the House of Representatives yesterday--and I've only been here 17 years--but the dean of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dingell, was down here this morning for a 1- minute and spoke of the disgrace that took place yesterday. And someone would come in here and talk about shenanigans? What was that yesterday? How could we possibly have gotten about the business of dealing with the Nation's business when repeatedly what we saw was people coming in here delaying the process? I have been here 17 years. We cast 54 votes yesterday. We spent more time casting votes on nonsense than we did on any substance that was being sought. Now enough already. People have a right to their views. They have a right to their political shots. But the Rules Committee operates this body. And if they want the business of the American people done, then they wouldn't conduct the kind of shenanigans that they conducted yesterday. I'm very pleased to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz), the chairwoman of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee, which I thought was what we were here to talk about.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I would inquire of my friend from North Carolina if she has any additional speakers. I will be our last speaker.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 5 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt), with whom I serve on the Select Committee on Intelligence.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 2918, the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act for 2010, under a structured rule. Mr. Speaker, the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act provides $3.7 billion for key investments in the legislative branch, not including Senate-related items for fiscal year 2010, including funding for the Architect of the Capitol, the Congressional Budget Office, the Government Printing Office, the Capitol Police, and the Open World Program. This bill provides a pragmatic and fiscally responsible approach to funding our legislative branch. Actually, spending is increased only by 7 percent, less than half of the 15 percent increase requested. The funding provided in this legislation will help us do our jobs better and faster. It increases funding for the Congressional Budget Office by $1 million, making it easier for Members to obtain PAYGO analysis of their proposals, a vital service, given our need for responsible government spending. This bill also allocates funds for a complete overhaul of the House of Representatives' antiquated voting system, which, after 33 years of good use, has become increasingly unreliable. Further, this measure increases the Members Representational Allowance to ensure that we're able to adequately serve our districts, and increases our funding of standing and select committees by 3 percent to accommodate the increased legislative and oversight workload typically seen in the second session. These funds will provide us with the resources necessary to carry out the sweeping legislative initiatives of President Obama and Democrats in Congress and to better retain our most experienced and talented staff. In addition, this bill will also help protect and preserve the Capitol complex, both from physical decay, and from the security risks it obviously faces in this post-9/11 world. It includes $60 million to establish a Historic Buildings Revitalization Trust Fund in order to more evenly spread out the cost of large-scale historic building projects within the Capitol complex, including the repair of the iconic Capitol dome and the revitalization of the 100-year-old Cannon House Building. It also provides an increase in funding of 6 percent for the Capitol Police--and if I had my way, that would be more--who work day and night to ensure that the U.S. Capitol complex is secure for not only Members of Congress, but for our staffs and the millions of visitors that come through each year. Finally, this appropriations bill helps make the work of the legislative branch more accessible to people throughout our Nation and across the globe. I'm encouraged through this bill. The Appropriations Committee has helped to ensure that all visitors touring the U.S. Capitol have equal and adequate access, whether they be part of a tour led by our talented CVC tour guides or by our hardworking staff and interns. Additionally, this bill increases funding by $40 million for the Library of Congress, an institution which not only provides a vital resource to Congress, but also preserves a universal collection of knowledge, history, and creativity for current and future generations. $15 million of these funds will help modernize the Library's information technology infrastructure to make the library and its unique resources more widely available to Congress and the broader public. Mr. Speaker, this Legislative Branch Appropriations bill strikes a pragmatic balance between the growing demands upon this Congress and the legislative branch, and the economic realities this Nation is facing. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I shall not use all that time, but I do yield myself such time as I may require. Mr. Speaker, I've heard so much revisionist history put forward here, not the least of which just came from the distinguished colleague of mine from North Carolina, with reference to previous periods having to do with whether or not the minority requested time agreements. One thing I've done since I've been in the House of Representatives is spend a lot of time on the floor of the House of Representatives. And that isn't looking to cause any praise to be directed to me. It became, over time, a part of my responsibilities that I assigned to myself to kind of know what was going on in this institution. During that same period of time when Mr. Obey was the ranking member of the Appropriations Committee, I have been on this floor when Mr. Obey has requested time agreements when a bill is in progress and have participated in the discussions regarding it when the majority said no. So to come here and say that you always allowed for time agreements is just simply not the case. The other thing that is ignored is the fact that the majority and the minority meet with regularity. I rather suspect that what's going on here, with nobody having said a word to me about it, is that there has been a little bit of a strategy by my friends on the other side to ensure, among other things, that they will slow down the process and that we will not be able to get the business of the people done. The greatest evidence of that was the transpiration of events here yesterday. Now, another gentleman here spoke, my friend from Iowa, with reference to the Rules Committee being upstairs in a small place. That's where it was when I got here, that's where it is now, and I rather suspect when he and I leave, that's where it will be. But to suggest that the media does not cover the Rules Committee evidently ignores the fact that everything that we say is transcribed by these people that are reporters, who we overwork and abuse well on into nights when we could have been saving taxpayers money by letting them get about their business and all of the staff related around here that this legislative branch is about. All of what we do is recorded. In addition to that, no reporter is refused to be there, and C-SPAN often chooses to cover the Rules Committee dependent upon whether or not there is a matter of substance that they would want to cover. Now, my friends on the other side have had 12 years of rulemaking. I served on the Rules Committee in the minority a lot of that time. During that period of time, you didn't regulate financial services. You didn't provide a sensible health care plan. You didn't give our children what was needed. You said what you were going to do is leave no child behind. And you did not only leave children behind; in certain places in this country you lost them and couldn't find them. Our parks, our environment deteriorated and were plundered and abused and used in a way that was beyond the pale, and yet we come in here and talk about spending. What would you say to all of the people that work in a bank that got saved? They're Americans. What would you say to all of the people in the financial services and on Wall Street that found themselves employed? They're Americans. What would you say to the automobile industry employees and their directors that have their limited jobs saved and too many gone because of mistakes that were made by government and industry? What would you say to those working people? They're Americans. You're telling me that when we spend money, we are not spending that money in a way that's helping America. What do you say to your communities like mine that are finding themselves in the position of having to cut services with regularity and it usually starts with the poor and the disabled? They're Americans. And somewhere along the line, I would ask you the question, what would you have this President that's been in office now nearly 5 months not do? Would you have him not do health care? Would you have him not do anything about climate change? Would you have him not do anything about the fact that you didn't regulate the industries that needed to be regulated appropriately during the time that you were in the majority? Mr. Speaker, the resolution that we are here on provides for consideration of the legislative branch appropriations. We've heard the measures, and all will be able to see that this bill provides a pragmatic and fiscally responsible approach to funding this legislative branch. Footnote right there: the fine young people that work with us. When I came here I was permitted, as every Member, to have 18 full-time staffers, and I haven't always had 18 full-time staffers. But from 1992 until now, it's been that many staffers with an increase in the workload. Now, some of you all don't pay these young people well enough and you know it, and you need to pay attention to that. And if you do get an increase, give it to the children that work with you and you might have a better-run office. The funding provided in this legislation will help us do our jobs better, faster, and it increases funding for the Congressional Budget Office that we continue to use, rightly so. Particularly, the pay-goers need their analysis done. Mr. Speaker, I will stop now by saying that this appropriations bill helps make the work of the legislative branch more accessible to people throughout our Nation and the globe. I'm encouraged that through the bill, the Appropriations Committee has helped to ensure that all visitors touring this Capitol have equal and adequate access to this facility. With that in mind, I just urge my friends to remember that while they are making up their history, there are some of us that remember it well, and I can assure you that the things that I have said can be documented from that record. I would hope that we would know that this bill honors our history and prepares us for the future. It invests in the preservation and protection of the Capitol complex and makes more efficient, more accessible the opportunities for the people that we serve. With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution. Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, how much time do I have remaining?

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Most assuredly. I would ask that you and I look at the Record when these proceedings conclude. And I can assure you that what Mr. OBEY asked Mr. Lewis was whether or not they could get a time agreement. I was sitting here----

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. We urgently need to fix health care. Every day Americans worry not simply about getting well, but whether they can afford to get well. Millions more wonder if they can afford routine care to stay well. Premiums have doubled over the last 9 years, three times faster than wages, and the average American family already pays an extra $1,000 in premiums every year for a broken system that supports 46 million or more uninsured Americans. We have the most expensive health care system in the world. We spend almost 50 percent more per person on health care than the next most costly nation, but we are no healthier for it. We need a uniquely American solution that builds on the best of what works--to foster competition among private plans and provide patients with quality care, ensure that every American child is covered, invest in prevention and wellness to help every American live longer and healthier lives, and ensure that doctors and nurses get the information they need to provide you with the best individualized care. Never again will coverage be denied if you allow that we go forward with this plan. Never again will one have to make a life or job decision based on coverage. Never will anyone have to let your family suffer financial catastrophe or bankruptcy. ``No'' is not the answer.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I thank my good friend from Florida. In my capacity as the cochairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, I would like to engage in a colloquy with the gentlewoman from Florida regarding a chronic problem faced by the commission, and that is, access to appropriate space for public hearings, briefings and other events.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. That is correct. I appreciate the Chair's support and look forward to working with her and others to fix this problem.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Fulfillment of the commission's congressional mandate requires the convening of public hearings and briefings as well as sustained engagement with visiting delegations of senior foreign government officials, including parliamentarians and representatives of nongovernmental organizations. When Congress established the commission, there were 35 countries that were part of the Helsinki Process. Today that number has grown to 56. Additionally, the commission has paid increasing attention to developments in OSCE partner countries, including Afghanistan, Egypt, Jordan, and Israel, among others. The commission's increased workload has led to an increased number of public events as well as meetings with foreign dignitaries.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Presidential Commission to Study the Culture and Glorification of Violence in America Act. This bill will establish a commission tasked with not only studying the culture of violence in our country, but also the factors that contribute to this culture and the actions that can be taken to mitigate its effects. Members of this Commission will determine what connections exist between violence and access to firearms, psychological stress, and economic despair. They will further examine what role schools can play in preventing violence and propose possible solutions to address the glorification of violence in the United States. Madam Speaker, we have become a society that places violence and aggression above hard work and acts of kindness. Sadly, children today admire gangsters instead of teachers. They would rather be thugs and drug lords than doctors and philanthropists. They measure the strength of their character by the size of their gun and not by their generosity toward others. The American Academy of Pediatrics has found that prolonged exposure to violence in the media can increase acceptance of violence as an appropriate means of solving problems. It can glamorize weapons as sources of personal power and can contribute to aggressive behavior. It is, therefore no surprise that in 2007 alone, there were over 1.4 million serious violent crimes in America. In 2006, the Federal Government spent $36.2 billion on criminal justice and local governments spent over three times that amount. Worst of all however, teens and young adults experience the highest rates of violent crime. It is clear that we must make an effort to raise our children to recognize that violence is nothing more than the physical manifestation of fear and desperation. However, our society's glorification of violence has become so ingrained in our culture that it has become seemingly impossible to reverse. Madam Speaker, it is our collective responsibility to create a society that values respect toward our fellow citizens. This legislation is simply a small step toward addressing what has become a destructive parasite upon the future of our country. By learning how the media and society promote violence and examining ways in which we can address this most pressing dilemma, it is my hope that we can stem the tide of violence and crime in America so that subsequent generations can live in a more peaceful nation. I ask for my colleagues' support and urge the swift consideration of this bill.