Steny Hoyer

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to inquire of the majority leader the schedule for the week to come. I will say at the beginning when the majority leader got up to ask unanimous consent, I thought maybe something had happened and he was going to ask unanimous consent to have me give him the schedule. But hope springs eternal.

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for that information. With respect to the two appropriation bills that the gentleman has listed, the Homeland Security and the Interior, does the gentleman expect them to come on an open rule to the floor?

Mr. HOYER. And again, reclaiming my time, would it be the gentleman's expectation either that the substitute would be made in order, amendments may not be as a Committee on Ways and Means tax bill, but what we are reading, of course, is that there will be many extraneous or some extraneous provisions in the bill unrelated to direct tax consequences of FSC; can the gentleman tell us whether he is expecting at this point in time to provide for either amendments and/or a substitute? I yield to my friend.

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman. Mr. Speaker, it is not our intention to go into further discussions at this time with reference to the schedule. The substance of the legislation, that will be left for weeks to come. But this week is set aside to honor our former President, Ronald Reagan, and certainly we intend to participate with the majority in doing just that.

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman. The FSC bill is also listed for the floor next week. Again, I think that bill will clearly not go to committee; but let me ask the gentleman first, is it the gentleman's expectation that the FSC bill will be marked up in committee?

Mr. HOYER. I yield to the gentleman from Texas.

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, with respect to the appropriation bills, two are listed for next week, Interior and Homeland Security. Does the gentleman think it is possible that we will get to the Defense bill next week, or not?

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I thank the gentleman. I would hope that perhaps we could, particularly in light of the fact that these bills, although they are component parts, as I understand, of the larger energy bill that passed the House, but because they are not going to be considered in committee, that there would be some more flexibility as to the possibility of amendments in that regard. The gentleman did not answer, because perhaps he does not know at this point in time. Is it our expectation that the energy bills the gentleman referenced would be sent to the Senate separately as individual bills, or would the rule bundle them at the end? I yield to the gentleman from Texas.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Stenholm) for yielding me this time. I am particularly pleased that the gentleman from Texas is managing the time, because I think if Ronald Reagan were here, he would say, Charles Stenholm was one of those who stood with me on principle, who believed that we needed to get this country moving, and believed that we needed to have sound policy; and Charles Stenholm stood with me. And as the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas) just related, for Ronald Reagan the concrete cracked again, frankly, when he viewed the program adopted and thought that perhaps some changes needed to be made. Mr. Speaker, like every Member of this House, I offer my sincere condolences to the family and friends of former President Reagan, particularly, of course, his beloved wife, Nancy, and his children. What a wonderful example Nancy Reagan set for our country. Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan clearly loved one another deeply and cared for one another, and Nancy Reagan has shown extraordinary courage and fidelity not only throughout the course of their marriage but particularly in the course of Ronald Reagan's final illness. Mr. Speaker, Ronald Reagan loved this Nation and served it with distinction; and he will ever be remembered for his humor, his grace, his irrepressible optimism which mirrored the American spirit and buoyed it in periods of difficulty. The last decade, when this man who had lived life with such physical vigor slowly slipped away, was an especially cruel blow. However, let us be comforted today that he has been summoned to a far better place. Having been elected to Congress just 4 months after he took office, and just 6 weeks after an assassin's bullet nearly claimed his life, I had a front-row seat during President Reagan's 8 years in Washington. He was a man I both liked and respected. I liked him for his warmth and for the respect that he accorded others, and I respected him for the honesty of his convictions and the intellectual integrity that he displayed in pursuing them. After signing into law what was then the largest tax cut in American history in 1981, President Reagan had the fortitude to face fiscal reality, just as the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas) reflected upon. His policies caused yawning deficits and spiraling debt, consequences that he subsequently tried to address, although not as successfully as I am sure he would have hoped. Without question, Ronald Reagan held strong ideological beliefs. But one of his real strengths was his willingness to put pragmatism above ideology, to make sure that his country had programs that were working. I also remember him as a person who early in life committed to equality and justice for all, and later in life to the success of freedom and democracy around the world. I believed he was right in that endeavor, and like the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis), supported his efforts to build up our defenses, to deploy those Persian and cruise missiles, to, yes, even provide for multiple warheads on the MX missile, and say to the Soviet Union, if you want to compete, we are prepared to compete; but we would rather seek peace together. And he had the courage to build up, and he had the courage to make peace. While Democrats disagreed with and strongly opposed much of his domestic agenda, our political differences never hardened into paralyzing personal animosity on his side or on ours. We were blessed by the fact that we were led by two great Irishmen, Ronald Reagan and Tip O'Neill. They were friends. And they had a third friend, his name was Michel, Bob Michel, an extraordinary leader of this House. And they, together, believed that country was more important than partisanship and party. For the most part, they worked together. On those matters that they disagreed on, they took their own separate ways. But when they could agree, they did. The Social Security reform of 1983 was probably the most stark example of that cooperative spirit. It was good for the country, it was good for Social Security, and they came together, worked together, and succeeded together. That was due in great measure to the leadership styles and personalities of President Reagan and Speaker O'Neill. These two men, the most powerful political figures in our Nation in the 1980s, one a Republican, the other a Democrat, demonstrated to all Americans that our elected leaders could disagree politically without being disagreeable personalities or personally. They reminded all of us that cynicism and mean-spiritedness are inimical to American democracy, and that our real adversaries lie beyond our shores, not here. The surest tribute that we can pay to Ronald Reagan today is to commit ourselves to recapture the generosity of spirit that always guided him. In a very real way, Ronald Reagan's life was the embodiment of the American Dream. Both President Reagan and President Clinton, like Harry Truman, gave credence to the promise that in America neither privileged birth nor economic advantage is necessary to enable one to become the President of the United States of America. It was, for them, and for millions to follow their example, the land of opportunity. President Reagan's leadership renewed the conviction that the future would be better, better than the past, and that America's best days were still ahead. That is a philosophy that all of us should embrace and convey to our fellow citizens. I believe it is the case, Ronald Reagan believed it was the case, and may God bless his soul and comfort his beloved wife, Nancy.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. I thank the gentleman for that information. The FSC bill, there has been a lot of talk about the FSC bill. Can the leader tell me when we might anticipate a FSC bill being on the floor or being marked up in committee?

Mr. HOYER. All right, that is the Arctic Coastal Plan Domestic Energy Security and Abandoned Mine Lands Reclamation Reform Act?

Mr. HOYER. So the gentleman is taking segments out of that bill to put in separate pieces of legislation?

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for that information. Let me clarify: Have some of these bills passed in perhaps the larger energy bill? Is that what the gentleman is saying?

Mr. HOYER. I thank my friend for that information. First, if I can ask the leader, there are not bill numbers on the energy packages to which the gentleman referred. Have these bills been introduced, are there going to be hearings held on them, have hearings been held on them, will they be considered by committee? Can the gentleman fill us in on some of that information?

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the leader for his information.

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for that information. As the gentleman knows, I am sure both sides of the aisle feel that is a critical piece of legislation, in light of the deficits that are confronting us, as to how we can get those under control. I know there are differences of opinion on that, but I know on our side of the aisle we believe that that is a very important step for us to take in light of the budget deficits. Lastly, Mr. Leader, if I can ask the leader, it was I think tentatively believed that we would be meeting next Friday. In light of the accommodation on the FSC or jobs bill, would Members be correct in thinking that Friday of next week may not be a legislative day?

Mr. HOYER. Actually, I meant are they overseas or here in America?

Mr. HOYER. I see what the gentleman is saying. It is one and the same. Where are those jobs, Mr. Leader?

Mr. HOYER. You say the jobs bill; the American Jobs Creation Act?

Mr. HOYER. I thank the leader. I want to, on behalf of the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel), state our appreciation for that consideration. It is my understanding the gentleman is going to Normandy with the Speaker and they will not return until approximately 5 or so Tuesday afternoon, so that meeting at 6 o'clock would have been difficult. We appreciate the consideration that has been given.

Mr. HOYER. I thank the gentleman for that information. Hopefully we will have an opportunity so that our Members, certainly on the committees of jurisdiction on the minority side, will have an opportunity to review them and advise our side of the aisle at least their views on those, in light of the fact they are not going to be considered in committee and some will be on suspension. Others will go to the Committee on Rules?

Mr. HOYER. I thank the gentleman. The gentleman anticipates some of these may be introduced today. When would Members be able to have copies of these bills to review, and have these bills been reviewed by the minority on the committees of jurisdiction?

Mr. HOYER. I presume that will be part of our debate, Mr. Leader. Mr. Leader, lastly, the budget enforcement bill, is that going to be on the calendar at any time soon?

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I take this time for the purpose of asking the majority leader about the schedule for the week to come. I yield to my friend, the majority leader, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay).

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I thank all of you for participating in this program. It is important for America that you do so. You have gotten, obviously, something from this program, perhaps a great deal, but, in my opinion, America is getting more from this program. The gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee), who has served on this board for longer than any other Member and with whom I served on the board for a short period of time, observed that you have been given a unique privilege, an insight into democracy that few Americans get. They see us on C-SPAN, they read about us in the newspaper, they see short clips, the 30 seconds or the 15 seconds, but you know better than almost all of your colleagues, your peers, that that 30-second clip is not necessarily the truth of what happens. You have seen firsthand the dedication of Members. You have seen firsthand, as the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee) pointed out, and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus) has as well, that those of us who have the great honor and privilege of serving here are just like you but a little older. You are all different. You have different points of view. I am sure you have had discussions about some of the issues that you have heard debated on this floor. You have seen that in your own peer group that you differ, and that, in fact, probably each of you reflects to some degree some of the sentiment expressed on this floor and you agree with that. And you will find the gal sitting next to you say that, no, I do not agree with that; I think X was right and not Y. That is the glory of our democracy, that we have created an institution in which the different points of view can come together and be discussed and be debated. You have seen that sometimes that debate becomes relatively heated and passionate, and it is because the issues discussed on this floor are very important and impact on all of us, but on you particularly, because you will live longer under the policies that we adopt today than the rest of us, at least on average. You have been given a special opportunity, and I would hope that you would feel that that comes with a particular responsibility. One of the concerns that those of us who are older have is that those of you who are younger do not participate in very high levels, at least in percentages, of impacting on the decisions we make in our democracy. The way most citizens impact on those decisions is, obviously, through voting in elections. Young people, as all of you know, do not vote at a very high percentage. That is of concern. I want to read you something that was said by an Englishman. He said, ``We live in an age when to be young and to be indifferent can be no longer synonymous.'' Think of that. ``To be young and indifferent,'' he said, can no longer be synonymous. We must prepare for the coming hour. The claims of the future are represented by suffering millions; and the youth of a nation are the trustees of prosperity.'' That was said by a gentleman who was the Prime Minister of Great Britain, Benjamin Disraeli. He said that in 1845. It is true today. It is true, in fact, as, again, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee) pointed out, in every generation. We had a dedication to perhaps some of your grandfathers, the World War II Memorial, and perhaps your grandmothers as well who were called by Tom Brokaw the Greatest Generation. But, in fact, as Roosevelt indicated and as the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee) pointed out, every generation is called upon to make its contribution. In some generations, the challenge is greater than it is in others. In World War II, we lost 60 million people in the world. 60 million. 407,000 Americans killed in that war. We are engaged in another war today in your generation and in my generation, a war on terrorism. It calls upon a lot of young people and some middle-aged people, your parents' age, perhaps, in the Reserve or National Guard, to be deployed overseas, to confront those who would undermine our democracy and our security and our safety. And very soon, very, very soon, you will be called upon to be on the front line, perhaps not overseas but here certainly. So I would ask you to take from this House, from this well and this room that we call the People's House, to which one can only come by election, we just had a debate on that this week that you will recall, and I hope that you will go back and you will talk to your friends, perhaps your brothers and your sisters, your schoolmates, your peers, and tell them what you have seen. My experience has been that when I was president of the Maryland Senate, and we had a page program there, was that invariably those who were pages in the Senate, and my experience has been here with pages who have served in this House, that you leave with a more positive view than when you came. That does not mean that you have a rose-colored version of the House of Representatives. It is, after all, peopled by, as I said, people like you, with some strengths, some weaknesses, some faults and some extraordinarily good points. So I urge all of you to return to your schools, return to your homes, return to your communities and spread the word about the fact that democracy works, that your participation makes a difference, and that in the final analysis, if democracy is to work well, if it is to work as our Founding Fathers conceived it, it will be because we all participate. Good luck and God bless you. Thank you very much for your service.