Steny Hoyer

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that it may be in order at any time on Wednesday, April 30, 2008, for the Speaker to declare a recess, subject to the call of the Chair, for the purpose of receiving in joint meeting His Excellency Bertie Ahern, Prime Minister of Ireland.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. I would just say we are in agreement.

Mr. HOYER. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I think the good news is that certainly on the farm bill, Mr. Peterson indicates that progress is being made. As you know, we extended it to May 2 to give the conference committee a little more time. They have been working at it very diligently. It's difficult. There were substantial differences, not so much partisan differences, but substantial differences between the two Houses. The Democrats and Republicans, frankly, on both sides of the issues. We believe that progress is being made. I am hopeful that we can, in the next week, have a conference report on the farm bill on the floor. I am hopeful. I am not predicting that, but I am hopeful. As to the budget, I think progress is being made there as well. There are some thorny issues. We are very committed to PAYGO. You mentioned PAYGO as it relates to the GI bill. We are committed to PAYGO. I was very pleased to hear that some of your members want to make sure that the veterans bill is paid for. The war costs, which we believe the veterans benefit are a part of, are not paid for, as you know, in the President's proposal. But with respect to the third conference, the higher education bill, let me see if I have a note here. We are also making progress, it says, on the higher education conference. But it is likely, according to the chairman, that we will need a short-term extension next week because apparently they are not sure that they will get it finished by next week. So we may need an extension. If so, we will bring one to the floor. I presume that will be in agreement with both the ranking member and the chairman.

Mr. HOYER. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I will tell the gentleman that very definitely it's being discussed. We believe this is a cost of war. We have over 4,000 families who have lost husbands, wives, brothers and sisters. We have over 30,000 severely injured. Obviously, the GI bill for those who came home from World War II and Korea had very good benefits that were helpful to them. Unfortunately, particularly with respect to our Guard and Reserve, that is not the case. Jim Webb, the former Secretary of the Navy, now the Senator from Virginia, as you know, has introduced a bill. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin on this side has also introduced a bill. Others have introduced legislation trying to make sure that the veterans who are coming home from Iraq that have been deployed for long periods of time, have had their lives very substantially disrupted, their families' lives disrupted, fighting for their country, that this is a cost of war. We are trying to address this, and the gentleman is correct, there is discussion about, as a cost of war, having this proceed to the President perhaps on the supplemental. That is under discussion. That decision has not been made. But it's certainly very high on our priority list to take care of these veterans that have come home and give them the kind of benefits that we think they are due as great patriots who have sacrificed for our country.

Mr. HOYER. I appreciate the gentleman yielding. Our intent obviously, as I said, is to pass this bill. Obviously we are considering the best way to do so, giving every Member an opportunity to vote as they see fit on various component parts of the supplemental, and we are considering how best to do that. I understand, certainly, the committee's concern, having served on that committee for about 24 years, and having considered a number of supplementals. As a member of that committee, I understand that concern. But I will tell the gentleman that we are trying to proceed in a way that will facilitate the passage of this bill to the Senate and hopefully transmittal to the President prior to the Memorial Day break.

Mr. HOYER. Yes.

Mr. HOYER. Yes.

Mr. HOYER. I thank the Republican whip. On Monday, the House is not in session. On Tuesday, the House will meet at 12:30 p.m. for morning hour and 2 p.m. for legislative business. On Wednesday and Thursday, the House will meet at 10 a.m. for legislative business. On Friday, no votes are expected. We will consider several bills under suspension of the rules. The final list of suspension bills, as usual, will be announced by the close of business tomorrow. We will consider H.R. 493, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, and H.R. 5522, the Combustible Dust Explosion and Fire Prevention Act. Finally, Members should note that on Wednesday, the Prime Minister of Ireland, The Honorable Bertie Ahern, will address a joint meeting of the House and Senate.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns tomorrow, it adjourn to meet at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday next for morning-hour debate.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the business in order under the Calendar Wednesday rule be dispensed with on Wednesday next.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I quote: ``Somehow or other their faces seemed different from those of ordinary men.'' Winston Churchill wrote those words about volunteers who risked their lives defusing bombs in wartime. I imagine that he saw in their faces the constant strain of knowing that their smallest movements over the bomb could mean the difference between life and death. I imagine that he saw in the lines and creases the evidence of the burden they carried for their comrades; and, deeper still, some indefinable quality that made them willing to take that burden on again and again. Mr. Speaker, I never met Technical Sergeant Tony Capra. But underneath all the marks of strain and stress, I am sure I could have seen there his love for his family: His wife, Angie; his five children, Mark, Victoria, Jared, Shawn, and Adrianna; his 11 brothers and sisters; his mother and his father. Last week I had the opportunity to talk to his father about the loss of his son in Iraq as he disabled an IED and it exploded. Obviously, he saved scores of others, and paid the ultimate price. His dad, as one would imagine, was extraordinarily sad, but also exceptionally proud of the duty his son had performed. I am sure I could have seen in his devotion to our Armed Forces an absolute commitment to their mission, to his duty, to his country. Sergeant Tony Capra, 31 years of age, died on April 9th in Iraq. He was an Air Force Ordnance Technician based in Indian Head City, Maryland, in my district, an expert diffuser of improvised explosive devices. Quoting from the report about him, his ``keen eye for details, astounding memory, and courage without measure,'' in the words of his commanding officer, as I have said, saved countless lives. But in the middle of an Iraqi road, not far from Balad Air Force Base, an explosion took his life. Sergeant Capra was on his fourth tour in Iraq. When he could have rested at home, he volunteered to return to work, to work against explosive devices designed to maim and kill his fellow soldiers, as well as innocent Iraqi men and women, and, yes, too many children. He placed his body in harm's way. He laid his life down for others. He died in our country's service and was posthumously awarded a second Bronze Star. But this great Nation owes him a debt far beyond its power to repay. It is because of the bravery and sacrifice of American patriots like Tony Capra that a dangerous dictator no longer menaces his own people and the world, and that 25 million human beings who were oppressed for a quarter of a century are currently struggling to establish a democratic government that answers to its own people, that stands for freedom, and respects the rule of law. That was Tony Capra's vision. That is why he served his country so well. I hope, in time, that Tony's unwavering patriotism and courage gives some comfort to his family. I know it does. But, today, there is so little we can say to soften this blow. As his young brother James said shortly after his death, ``It's like a puzzle. Our family is not complete without all the pieces together.'' Memories of Tony are all that can be put in his place, and I know how insufficient they must seem right now. But my sincere hope for you, the family and friends of Sergeant Capra, is that those memories will turn in time from a source of grief to a well of comfort; that you will be consoled by the loving and devoted way he lived, and the fearless way he died in the service of others. Let me end with this thought. We often speak in abstractions in this Chamber. We use words like ``supplemental,'' ``counterinsurgency,'' ``redeployment.'' But behind each of these words is a young life like Sergeant Capra's. More than 4,000 Americans, like Tony Capra, have paid the ultimate price, have given the ultimate sacrifice for our Nation in Iraq and Afghanistan. They bear the burden of the decisions we make here almost every day. And we have a responsibility, indeed, we have a moral obligation, to never forget the Tony Capras and the 4,000 others whom we have lost. Mr. Speaker, may God bless Tony Capra, a man of courage, patriotism, valor and commitment, and may He console and strengthen those who grieve his loss.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Madam Speaker, today we commemorate one of the most tragic chapters in human history: the Armenian genocide, whose 93rd anniversary is marked today. From 1915 to 1923, officials of the Ottoman Empire carried out a systematic campaign of massacres and forced deportations of Armenians from their homeland. All told, 1.5 million innocent men, women and children were murdered in this genocide, and 500,000 became refugees and displaced persons. And sadly, we see this pattern--of genocide--repeating itself today. It is no coincidence that on this very day of commemoration, the news from Darfur grows only worse. While the world's worst humanitarian and human rights crisis continues to unfold, the regime in Khartoum continues to stymie the implementation of a peacekeeping force, and the peace process has ground to a halt. From the U.N. come frightening new figures--300,000 dead and the vast majority of the region's population, 4.27 million out of 6 million, now ``seriously affected'' by the conflict. Clearly, patterns repeat themselves. Which is all the more reason why, in commemorating the 20th century's first genocide, one cannot help but feel compelled to redouble our efforts to resolve the 21st century's first genocide--that of Darfur. The Genocide Convention speaks not only of addressing genocide after it has happened--but also of preventing genocide. This day of commemoration should remind us all that we have a responsibility not only to honor the victims of genocide and their families, not only a responsibility to the past, but to the future. In the face of continuing genocide, we have a responsibility for action--not apathy. In a July 24, 1915 cable, American Consul Leslie Davis said of the genocide of Armenians, ``I do not believe there has ever been a massacre in the history of the world so general and thorough as that which is now being perpetrated in this region or that a more fiendish, diabolical scheme has ever been conceived by the mind of man.'' Today, those words strike us not only as tragic--but as outdated. The troubled 20th century showed us, again and again and again, that the mind of man is more than capable of such diabolical schemes. Today, burdened by the memory of those crimes, we remember and rededicate. Today we return to the origin of genocide, and we honor the dead. Let us find in their memory not only grief, but new resolution-- to speedily end today's atrocities, to prevent those of tomorrow, and to punish all those who would attempt or carry out evil on such a scale.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. I am only going to play the game just so far.

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the motion be amended to report back to the House forthwith.

Mr. HOYER. Ladies and gentlemen of the House, the American public know this game. The gentlelady, the chairman of the Small Business Committee, has just made it clear. Gas prices were $1.46 when President Bush took over the White House, when the Republicans took over the House, when the Senate was taken over by the Republicans. Gas prices are now $3.51. Two oil men reside in the White House and in the vice presidency. Nothing, of course, is your fault, because we have been here, after all, for 14 months. We, of course, have had most of that which we have wanted to pass on economics vetoed by the President. But what we wanted to pass on energy, we agreed with the President and worked on an energy package to get us to independence. Now I want to talk to my side. We know this is a game. We know this is pure politics. We know there wants to be a 30-second ad to say somehow we voted against bringing gas prices down. That is patently absurd, and the American people are too smart for that. The American people are too smart. I urge my colleagues on my side; I don't know that I will get any votes on this side, but this is a game, and it is a game that has gone on for too long. I asked for unanimous consent, but Mr. Price knows this is a game so he wouldn't give me unanimous consent to include this in the bill and pass it this very night. That is not what you want to do. You want a political ad. So I am asking everybody on my side--the House wanted to be in order, I heard from over there. I am asking everybody on my side not to play this game, because it will never end. Don't play this game. Don't fool the American public. This is about sending this bill back to committee. It will take weeks to bring it back. The small business community deserves this bill. Support this bill. Reject this cynical political maneuver on this floor tonight.

Mr. HOYER. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. I thank my friend of some 45 years for his observations. There are a lot of my very dear friends for a long time in this chamber. Israel is America's friend for a very long time. Mr. Speaker, it is fitting today that Members of both sides of the aisle, almost in unanimity, join to recognize the founding of our Nation's steadfast friend and ally, the State of Israel, to reconfirm the special bond that exists between our two Nations, and to reiterate that the support for Israel in this Congress is bipartisan, overwhelming, stronger than ever, and continuing to grow. On May 14, 1948, the day on which the British mandate for Palestine expired, the people of Israel proclaimed the sovereign and independent State of Israel. And 11 minutes later the United States, at the direction of President Harry S. Truman, recognized the establishment of this new state. President Truman observed, at that time, and I quote, ``I had faith in Israel before it was established, I have faith in it now. I believe that it has a glorious future before it, not just another sovereign nation, but an embodiment of the great ideals of our civilization.'' So said President Harry Truman, May 14, 1948, 11 minutes after the declaration of sovereignty of the State of Israel. An embodiment of the great ideals of our civilization. I believe that to be the fact, and because I believe that to be the fact, I believe it is absolutely essential that those who uphold those ideals pledge their support and defense of Israel against those who would undermine, not only the nation, but the idea of the civilization that Truman said it represents. Mr. Speaker, over the ensuing 6 decades, it has become increasingly clear that Israel's success is not only a strategic imperative for the United States, but a moral imperative as well. Ours is a relationship of principle and conscience, of shared values and common aspirations, of peace and opportunity and a mutual commitment to freedom and democracy. The United States and Israel are nations of immigrants. We are safe havens for the oppressed. The Statue of Liberty lifts her lamp beside the golden door, ``Send these, the poor, the homeless, tempest tossed to me,'' it says. That is what Israel has said to millions of Jews, and others as well, black and white. We are partners with Israel for peace, and we are united in fighting against terrorism. Few people on Earth have been subjected to more bigotry, violence and discrimination than have the Jewish people, and no people are more in need, in my view, of a sovereign, secure homeland to provide safe haven and to protect identity. That is why the Balfour Resolution was passed in 1918. That is why, in 1948, the world looked on the creation of Israel as an imperative. David Ben-Gurion once remarked: ``The security of Israel is,'' he said, and I quote, ``a question of the survival, not only of the people of Israel, but of the Jewish people the world over.'' History has taught us that is true. Throughout the last 60 years, Israel has been an island of freedom in a sea of despair and an absence of democracy. It has been vilified, threatened and attacked. My colleagues have set forth those facts. And yet, it has prevailed, indeed, prospered, just as it will prevail and prosper today and tomorrow and every day thereafter. When we talk of Israel, we inevitably acknowledge her courage in the face of those who seek her destruction. But let us also acknowledge that over the last 60 years, the Israeli people have established a vibrant, pluralistic, democratic political system that includes freedom of speech, association, religion, a vigorous free press, free, fair and open elections, the rule of law, and an independent judiciary. Furthermore, Israel has developed an advanced entrepreneurial economy, and is among the world's leaders in the high tech industry. Mr. Speaker, as Mr. Berman observed, over the last 5 years I've had the opportunity to take a tenth of the Congress, actually more than a tenth of the Congress to Israel, congressional delegations, which have gone to see where we invest our money and where we have committed our security pledge. And what the Members saw was a reflection, really, in many respects, of America and themselves, people who love their country, people who want to live in peace and freedom, and people who want their children to have even greater opportunities and safety. As our allies in Israel celebrate their 60th anniversary in just a few weeks, let us honor their determination to fulfill the vision of Zionism's founding father, Theodore Herzl. Through courage and will, Israel was born and the dream of generations was made real, and it will endure. It will endure with our support, with our encouragement, and with our commitment. I want to congratulate the citizens of Israel and the entire Jewish community, not only in the United States, but throughout the world, who have enabled Israel to survive. Congratulations. Happy birthday. We remain a loyal, steadfast and unswerving ally in your quest for a better life, not just for your people, but, as Truman observed, for civilization as well.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Those are my thoughts; my thoughts and my hope. I think that lame duck sessions, in my experience, have not been particularly productive, particularly when you are going to have a change of administration. Whether it is Senator McCain, Senator Clinton or Senator Obama, we are going to have a change of administration. I expressed it as a hope, and we are going to work toward not having a lame duck session. Let me go back and answer your question. I think we had a week delay on the supplemental, and I think the week of May 5 is the week we are looking at for the supplemental. As you know, I said the last week in April, the first week in May. That is the first full week in May, so I guess I am still accurate. We are on for that week hopefully on the supplemental, which will be timely in accomplishing the objective of getting dollars in time before the depletion of the funds that have already been appropriated. With respect to the appropriations process, obviously I will be discussing with Mr. Obey and with Mr. Spratt, if we fail to pass a budget, we have to give the Appropriations Committee a figure to mark to. My thought would be that we will do as we have done in years past, deem that the House budget will be the numbers to which they will mark. But we have not made that decision at this point in time.

Mr. HOYER. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I still anticipate that. With reference to the gentleman's question regarding the number of bills, based upon the comments of Mr. Murtha, I have not talked to him personally but that have been reported, it is my understanding that he is thinking of one bill, not both an Afghanistan and an Iraq. The problem is while there is, I think, pretty universal support for the effort in Afghanistan as being critical to our fight on terrorism, there is more disagreement on the Iraq component and what we ought to be doing there. But the way the budget is structured, it would be very difficult to consider them discretely, Afghanistan and Iraq. So it is my understanding that Mr. Murtha has recommended and intends to pursue it as one bill.

Mr. HOYER. I thank the gentleman for yielding. My hope is sooner rather than later. However, as the gentleman knows, we are having, as is so often the case, difficulty reaching agreement with the Senate, mainly because the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee has a very close vote structure there, as you know, and so he is trying to figure out the votes in the Senate on a budget. As is too often the case, one of the issues is whether we pay for things that we are doing. The House feels strongly about that issue, and I think the chairman of the Budget Committee in the Senate feels strongly about that issue, but he is not sure that he can get the votes. That is the discussion. There is some discrepancy, not much, between the figures, and we are hopeful that we can get a budget conference committee done. As soon as a conference committee is done, we will report it to the floor. If that is next week, it will be on the floor next week. I am in regular communication with Mr. Spratt, the chairman of the Budget Committee, and he is working at it.

Mr. HOYER. As you know because we have had an opportunity to discuss it, I have essentially been coordinating this issue on our side with Mr. Reyes and Mr. Conyers, and also working with Mr. Rockefeller. And you and I had a meeting with Senator Bond, the ranking member on the Republican side. I am hopeful that we can have a proposition passed through the House and hopefully by the Senate by the Memorial Day break. That is my time frame. I am working toward that. I have meetings tomorrow with respect to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. I am going to have meetings this afternoon, and I had meetings yesterday. I am giving it a lot of attention, with others as well. As you know, we met briefly. I would reiterate to you that when I have some better fix on where I think the Senate is willing to go or where we are willing to go and where we can reach agreement, I want to discuss it with you because I am hopeful that we can work together to try to make that happen.

Mr. HOYER. I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank him for his words about Lou Costantino. All of us will miss Lou. He was a wonderful, good, human being who loved this institution and showed great affection to all of our Members. On Monday, the House is not in session. On Tuesday, the House will meet at 12:30 p.m. for morning hour and 2 p.m. for legislative business. On Wednesday and Thursday, the House will meet at 10 a.m. for legislative business. On Friday, no votes are expected in the House. We will consider several bills under suspension of the rules, including an important bill from the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, H.R. 5712, Close the Contractor Fraud Loophole Act. A final list of suspension bills will be announced by the close of business tomorrow. In addition, Mr. Whip, we will consider H.R. 5819, a bill to improve the Small Business Innovation Research Program and the Small Business Technology Transfer Program, and H.R. 2830, the Coast Guard authorization bill.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Madam Speaker, today, as millions of Americans prepare to file their Federal income tax returns by midnight, many will be confounded, confused and, yes, perhaps even cranky because of our unbelievably complicated tax code, and, I don't think there's a person in this body who will blame them. Our tax code is a maze of complexity that creates confusion and, yes, unfairness. In fact, between 2001 and 2006--when our Republican colleagues controlled the Congress and the White House--they added more than 10,000 pages to the Internal Revenue Code and regulations. It now takes people an average of 34 hours to complete a 1040 long form. It's no wonder that 62 percent of Americans rely on a tax professional to prepare their returns. The Democratic majority has been focused for years on making our Tax Code fairer and simpler--and doing so in a fiscally responsible way, but this issue also demands Presidential leadership. We know that from experience. The last real tax reform occurred 22 years ago when President Reagan and Dan Rostenkowski, then Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, came together to streamline our Tax Code. When a new President takes office in January 2009, I believe that this should be an issue near the top of the agenda--particularly an effort to reform the dreaded alternative minimum tax. Today, we will consider the ``Taxpayer Assistance and Simplification Act,'' which makes small, but important reforms to our Tax Code. Among other things, this bill will: Strengthen taxpayer protections from identity theft and tax fraud; Expand assistance for low-income taxpayers; Close tax loopholes that allow Government contractors to set up sham companies in foreign jurisdictions to avoid paying Social Security and Medicare taxes; and End the private collection of Federal income taxes. Just this morning, the Washington Post reported that the Internal Revenue Service expects to lose more than $37 million by using private debt collectors to pursue tax scofflaws. That's right--private companies hired to collect tax revenue that the IRS does not have the resources to pursue actually cost the Federal Government--i.e., taxpayers--more than they bring in. Furthermore, let me say that there clearly is something wrong with our Tax Code when the costs of noncompliance--the so-called ``tax gap''--is an estimated $345 billion a year. The reality is, this tax gap is only going to be narrowed and closed when we get serious about real tax reform. Until that day, Mr. Speaker, we must do what we can to make our tax laws fairer and simpler. This legislation is an important step in that regard. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote for this bill, and, in the months ahead, to come together--like we did in 1986-- in support of real tax reform.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. May I use this podium?