Doc Hastings

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Brady), a member of the Committee on Ways and Means.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Flake).

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 15 seconds to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Ryan).

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 15 seconds. Mr. Speaker, I want to emphasize what is being said here, and I suspect we will hear it over and over and over, regarding Social Security. But the fact of the matter is, this bill will not affect any benefits paid out now or in the future to any recipient of Social Security. That needs to be emphasized over and over and over. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne)

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pence). (Mr. PENCE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 15 seconds to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Ryan), a cosponsor of the bill.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Brown).

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Hulshof), the author of the bill,

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Shadegg).

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions), a member of the Committee on Rules.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier), the chairman of the Committee on Rules. (Mr. DREIER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 390 provides for a motion offered by the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means or his designee that the House concur in the Senate amendment with the amendment printed in the report of the Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution. The rule waives all points of order against consideration of the motion to concur in the Senate amendment with an amendment. It provides one hour of debate in the House, equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking member of the Committee on Ways and Means. Finally, the rule provides that the previous question shall be considered as ordered on the motion to final adoption without intervening motion or demand for division of the question. Mr. Speaker, upon adoption of this resolution, it shall be in order to take from the Speaker's table the bill, H.R. 586, the Fairness on Foster Care Families Act of 2001. This measure was passed by the House on May 15, 2001 by a vote of 420-0, and would amend the Internal Revenue Code to provide that the exclusion from gross income for foster care payments shall also apply to payments by qualified placement agencies. The motion to be offered by the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means would modify H.R. 586 in a number of ways. First, it would make permanent the tax reductions passed by Congress last year by repealing Title IX of H.R. 1836, the Economic Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001, which ``sunsets'' tax relief provisions after 2010. The motion also contains a provision providing further protection for the Social Security and Medicare trust funds. Finally, the measure assists taxpayers by reforming the penalty and interest sections of the Internal Revenue Code, providing new safeguards against unfair IRS collection procedures, and increasing the confidentiality of taxpayer information. Mr. Speaker, it is imperative that the House act without delay to pass these important changes in our tax law. The need to make permanent the tax reductions passed last year is particularly acute. If we fail to pass this legislation, Americans will lose tax relief on January 1, 2011. On that date, if we fail to act: New, lower individual tax rates will disappear; the new $1,000 per child tax credit will be cut to $500; significant reductions in the marriage penalty would end; the annual IRA contributions would be cut from $5,000 to $2,000; the death tax would be resurrected; and contribution limits for education IRAs would be cut from $2,000 to $500; and, finally, greater deductibility of student interest loans would end. Mr. Speaker, the American people have waited far too long for this much-waited relief to have it snatched away because Congress failed to act. Accordingly, I urge my colleagues to support both the rule and the underlying measure. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hall), 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. HASTINGS of Washington asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 390 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the rule and the underlying legislation. As a member of the Committee on Rules and the Committee on the Budget, I congratulate the gentleman from California (Chairman Dreier) on a fair rule, for allowing for open debate, and for the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Nussle) for producing a wartime budget that recognizes the need to secure our homeland, win the war on terror, and bolster our economy. By providing record increases in defense spending, providing for greater intelligence networking and funding antiterrorism measures, our budget takes a comprehensive approach to winning the war on terror. By including funds for aviation security, defending against biological attacks, and securing America's borders, our budget makes homeland defense our highest priority. By allowing American taxpayers to keep $66 billion more of their own money during the next 5 years through economic stimulus tax relief, our budget helps stabilize and secure our economy. Mr. Speaker, there has been much discussion lately about the important of a balanced budget. I have always been a strong proponent of balanced budgets; but even proponents of proposals for balanced budget constitutional amendments like we addressed several years ago, those allow flexibilities when emergencies occur. Surely this time of national emergency, war and economic distress more than justifies temporary budget flexibility. Mr. Speaker, I would like to highlight four aspects of this resolution which are of particular interest to my area of the Pacific Northwest: First, as chairman of the House Nuclear Cleanup Caucus, I am pleased that the Committee on the Budget has included my provision to set the Department of Energy's nuclear cleanup budget at $6.7 billion for next year, and a total of $1.1 billion to be available to fully implement the Department of Energy's accelerated cleanup effort. Second, by including bipartisan language authored by myself and the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Hooley), our budget highlights local fish recovery efforts in the Pacific Northwest. People in central Washington and throughout the region are dedicated to ensuring the survival of our salmon. It is crucial that the Federal Government and Pacific Northwest residents continue to work together to address the entire range of factors impacting fish populations. Further, this budget serves our growers and farmers by fully providing for the expansion of the Market Access Program included in the House farm bill. Funding for this program will more than double from $90 million to $200 million in order to open new markets and expand trade opportunities for American agricultural products. Finally, the budget resolution provides $700 million in additional borrowing authority for the Bonneville Power Administration. This additional borrowing authority is supported on a bipartisan basis by all Members from the Pacific Northwest. This increase will be used to assist the BPA in upgrading and building transmission lines that are urgently needed. I am pleased that this resolution fully funds the President's request for additional borrowing authority. Accordingly, I urge my colleagues to vote for the rule and the underlying resolution.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind Members because there is a lot of concern on both sides of the aisle regarding the unemployment benefits for those who were adversely harmed by what happened on September 11 and because of the economy, we intend to take that up and we will take that up; and I just wanted to remind my colleagues of that.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Montana (Mr. Rehberg).

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Otter).

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen), the distinguished chairman of the Committee on Resources. (Mr. HANSEN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 353 is an open rule waiving all points of order against the consideration of H. Con. Res. 275, a sense of the Congress regarding hunting seasons for migratory mourning doves. The rule provides one hour of general debate to be equally divided between the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Resources. The rule waives all points of order against the consideration of the concurrent resolution. The rule also authorizes the Chairman of the Committee of the Whole to accord priority recognition to Members who have preprinted their amendments in the Congressional Record. Finally, Mr. Speaker, the rule provides for one motion to recommit, with or without instructions. Mr. Speaker, H. Con. Res. 275 is a sense of the Congress introduced by the distinguished chairman of the Committee on Resources, the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen), and it expresses the sense of Congress that, one, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 should be modified to allow for mourning dove hunting during the last week in August in areas north of 37 degrees north latitude; two, that the United States should begin discussions with the appropriate parties to ensure that all Americans have an opportunity to harvest migratory mourning doves in an equitable manner; and, three, that hunters and wildlife management agencies in the States north of 37 degrees latitude should support an earlier opening date for the mourning dove season. Mr. Speaker, H. Con. Res. 275 was reported by unanimous consent of the Committee on Resources on February 27, 2002. Accordingly, Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support both the rule, H. Res. 353, and the underlying bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hall), 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. HASTINGS of Washington asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 353 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I tend to be an optimistic person, and I believe that three times is a charm. We have been in a recession, we found out after the fact, since last March. It seems to me if we are going to get out of a recession in a comprehensive way, we need a comprehensive plan. We cannot be putting Band-Aids on every aspect of our economy. What has not been said at all in this debate today, notwithstanding the fact that the other side has said that the stimulus package is dead, there were two members of the majority party in the other body that were chairmen, and they said maybe we ought to relook at a stimulus package. I am optimistic that the third time is a charm in this case, and I urge the Members to vote for the previous question and the rule and the underlying bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and move the previous question on the resolution.