Rush Holt

Mr. HOLT

Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6275, the Alternative Minimum Tax Relief Act of 2008. Forty years ago the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) was originally enacted to ensure that wealthiest Americans--like everyone else--paid their fair share of taxes. Prior to the enactment of the AMT, the wealthiest Americans were exploiting loopholes in the tax code to circumvent their societal obligations. However this tax, which was intended for a few hundred of the wealthiest Americans has never been adjusted to account for inflation. Through inflation and tax-rate creep the AMT has become a middle class tax hike. We have been unable to pass a permanent fix to the AMT to prevent middle class Americans from fearing that they will get hit by the AMT every year. More families in Central New Jersey are affected by the AMT than anywhere else in the country. Over 33,000 of my constituents already pay the AMT, under the current law, and an additional 88,000 of my constituents would be subject to the AMT if we do not act to prevent the patch from expiring. American families are already suffering from skyrocketing gas and food prices that they did not build into their family budgets. Compounding this financial burden with an unexpected and undeserved tax hike would hit New Jersey families hard. Yet, that is what will happen if we do not take action today. Mr. Speaker, I have long been concerned with the growing debt that we are passing on to the next generation and have often called for a revision of the AMT that will not increase our national debt. The Alternative Minimum Tax Relief Act of 2008 makes good on our promise to the American people that we will not spend money that Congress does not have. This legislation will offer more than 25 million families relief from the AMT without adding to the deficit. This will be achieved by promoting tax compliance, removing inequities in the tax code, and decreasing government subsidies to oil companies. While I support this legislation, we need a permanent fix to ensure that this tax intended for the wealthiest Americans is not passed down to middle income Americans and do so in a fiscally responsible way.

Mr. HOLT

Mr. HOLT. Madam Speaker, I want to thank Majority Leader Hoyer and Representative Sensenbrenner for introducing the ADA Restoration Act last summer. ``I am a cosponsor of this bill and I am pleased that the House is considering this important legislation. This July will mark the 18th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA. Unfortunately, as testimony before the House Committee on Education and Labor made clear in recent years, the Supreme Court has narrowed the scope of this law and created a new set of barriers for Americans with disabilities. Under this narrow interpretation, individuals with diabetes, heart conditions, epilepsy, mental retardation, cancer, and many other conditions have been denied their rights under the ADA because they are labeled as ``too functional'' to be considered ``disabled.'' This legislation would restore protections for disabled Americans under the ADA and I am pleased that the bill we are considering today is supported by the disability community as well as the business community. This bill will reaffirm the ADA's mandate for the elimination of discrimination on the basis of disability and allow the ADA to reclaim its place among our Nation most important civil rights laws. I am proud that my home State of New Jersey has enacted our own strong protections against employment discrimination or individuals with disabilities. My State's experience belies the claims made by some of the bill's opponents that this legislation is overprotective of individuals with disabilities. In March, I hosted a roundtable discussion in New Jersey with representatives of disability organizations and individuals with disabilities and with representatives from corporate human resources departments. From that discussion, I drew information indicating that the Federal legislation is needed and that it could be implemented effectively. At that discussion I heard from Jack, an employer in my district who was hesitant when approached by the ARC of New Jersey about hiring individuals with disabilities. Yet, today he now says they are some of his best employees. Our Nation has come a long way since the passage of the ADA, from when the halls of Congress were not even accessible to disabled members. But, we have much progress yet to make to ensure that the American dream is truly accessible and available to all Americans.

Mr. HOLT

Mr. HOLT. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6346, The Federal Energy Price Gouging Prevention Act. Today, my constituents in Central New Jersey are paying on average $3.98 at the pump, over a dollar more than they were paying at the beginning of the year. Increases in gas prices have affected every sector of the economy. We are paying $2 more whenever we get a pizza delivered, $10 more for lawn mowing services, $1.70 for shipping packages, an extra penny for every letter that we send, and these are just a few examples of the effects of gas price increases on the economy at large. As American families suffer, oil companies continue to rake in record profits. It is essential that we prevent price gouging, speculation, and profiteering by those who would take advantage of our energy predicament and guard against harm to commuters and struggling families. Current law does not have a mechanism for allowing the investigation and punishment of individuals and corporations that are artificially inflating the price of energy. H.R. 6346 would grant the Federal Trade Commission the authority to investigate and punish those who engage in price gouging. H.R. 6346 would finally provide a clear definition of price gouging so that the FTC can prosecute the worst offenders, specifically those companies with more than $500,000,000 in sales per year. It would strengthen the criminal penalties for price gouging to up to $150 million for corporations, and fines of up to $2 million plus jail sentences of up to 10 years for individuals. Finally, it would redirect the fines assessed to help fund the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Unfortunately, we are seeing examples across the country of unscrupulous individuals taking advantage of consumers during this energy emergency. Last week, New Jersey's Attorney General Anne Milgram released the results of an investigation that uncovered over 350 ticket worthy instances of gasoline price manipulation after a survey of 1,000 gas stations in the state. Among the citations issued were: 62 violations for the pump not accurately measuring fuel, 46 violations for per-gallon prices being different on each side of the pump, 37 violations for fuel grades not posted, 26 violations for inaccurate octane ratings, 19 violations for inaccurate total sale price calculation and 14 violations for multiple price changes in a 24-hour period. States like New Jersey are already taking action to prosecute gas price manipulation on a small scale; however, they do not have the means necessary to prosecute large-scale offenders. It is past time that Congress gives the FTC the tools it needs protect American consumers from these egregious violations at the pump and the legislation before us today takes an important first step towards achieving this goal. Passing H.R. 6346 would help to prevent price gouging and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. However this bill is merely a short term solution to our long term energy needs. There are no easy answers to the fluctuating gas prices. We are paying at the pump today for flawed decisions made years ago. That is why we must work to implement strategies that will lower demand for oil in the long term.

Mr. HOLT

Mr. HOLT. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman of the Judiciary Committee for yielding me time to speak about this. Unfortunately, the negotiators who brought this bill to the floor bought into the flawed assumptions of the Bush administration that because we live in a dangerous world, we must now redefine the fourth amendment and thus the fundamental relationship between the government and its people. If this bill becomes law, it will perhaps be the only lasting legacy of the Bush-Cheney administration's overhaul of national security policy, a congressionally blessed distortion of congressional checks and balances. It permits massive warrantless surveillance in the absence of any standard for defining how communications of innocent Americans will be protected; a fishing expedition approach to intelligence collection that we know will not make Americans more safe. Its court review provisions are weak and narrowly defined. I know some of those who negotiated this bill say that some court review is better than no court review. That is only true if the judge's hands aren't tied in the review process. They are in this bill. There is a fundamental American principle that those who search, seize, intercept and detain should not be the ones who decide who are the bad guys.

Mr. HOLT

Mr. HOLT. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Anne Clark Martindell, former American Ambassador to New Zealand and New Jersey State Senator, who died last week at the age of 93. Her lifetime of public service is worth honoring here, because she was not only an outstanding public servant, a generous benefactor of good causes, and a talented and gracious woman, but she proved that it's never too late to show your mettle, to be your best self and to use your ability and drive to make the world a better place. Born into a family of means in 1914, Anne Clark lived a comfortable and sheltered life. She attended private schools and entered Smith College in 1932. She took to higher education immediately and decided that she would go on to law school. When she told this to her father, who by the way was a prominent attorney who later became a Federal Judge, he demanded that she leave school, because ``no man would want to marry an educated woman''! Anne returned to Princeton, married George C. Scott, Jr. shortly thereafter and the couple had a daughter and two sons. This marriage ended in divorce and she later married Jackson Martindell, publisher of Who's Who. This marriage produced another son, Roger Martindell, who carries on the tradition of community service as a member of the Princeton Borough governing body, and is my friend and neighbor. The dormant seed of her desire to make a difference, to do more, to participate in the betterment of the community, came alive--was fertilized--by her strong opposition to the conditions surrounding our involvement in the Vietnam War. When Anne Martindell's brother, the journalist Blair Clark, become Eugene McCarthy's campaign manager in 1968, she began to raise money for the campaign in New Jersey and was selected as a delegate to the tumultuous 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago. Anne Martindell liked to say she never did anything real until she was in her 50's. She was 54 years of age when she began her political career. On her return home from the convention, where she had been recognized as one with the ability to clearly articulate her strong opinions and to fearlessly champion what was, at that convention an unpopular point of view, she was asked to serve as Vice Chair of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee. The (always) female Vice Chair of the party was considered at that time a mere figurehead, but that was not Anne Martindell's style. She is legendary for having arrived at a meeting of the male power brokers where she was told she wasn't welcome, because they used salty language that she wouldn't like. ``I don't give a blank (here insert your favorite 4 letter word) what kind of language you use'', she said, ``I'm coming in.'' Anne Martindell was asked to run for State Senate in 1973, in what had been traditionally a Republican district. She won the election, making her one of the first women to serve in New Jersey's upper house. It was a very different world when Anne Martindell went to the New Jersey legislature (an example of which was that women were so little thought of in the Legislature, that there still were only men's rooms in both Chambers and caucus rooms--the women legislators used the public facilities). Although fathers did not still think higher education would spoil their daughters' chances at marriage, there was still a lot to be done to support and increase women's participation in community life. She worked on primarily women's issues, education, and the environment. She served as Chair of the Education Committee and a member of the powerful Appropriations Committee. As Chair of the Budget Subcommittee for Higher Education, she sponsored a law to increase loans for higher education. She wanted to make it more available to those who didn't have the means, but had the desire and thirst for more learning. She understood that very well. She also continued to show her feisty side by introducing a resolution stating that it was the sense of the New Jersey Senate that enough evidence was available to institute impeachment of the President and that Congress ought to get on with it. She was a Carter delegate to the 1976 Democratic National Convention and campaigned vigorously for him in New Jersey. After his election, she left her Senate seat and became director of the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), part of the State Department's Agency for International Development. In 1979 she was nominated for the ambassadorship to New Zealand and Western Samoa and served in that capacity until 1981. She was the first female ambassador to New Zealand and once again ran into some resistance, but her political instincts, coupled with grace and charm, endeared her to the people and she in turn treated them with respect and affection. It was in New Zealand that she met the man she called ``the love of my life''--the New Zealand painter Sir Tosswell Wollaston and they remained close until his death in 1998. Last year, at the age of 92, she returned to Auckland, New Zealand to attend a meeting of the Partnership Forum and was greeted with great warmth. The American Ambassador in New Zealand has hailed her this week as one whose legacy as Ambassador lives on in the hearts of the people. But then, Anne Martindell was always doing extraordinary things. And she didn't like to leave things undone. So it was no surprise to her friends when a decade ago she re-enrolled at Smith College, attended classes, studied with students who could have been her great- grandchildren, and graduated in 2002 at the age of 87. In honor of her outstanding life and work, she got her undergraduate degree along with an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree. Poetic justice, don't you think? Annie Martindell is mourned by her family: daughter, Margery Luther of Ann Arbor Michigan, sons, George C. Scott III of Richmond, Virginia; David C. Scott of Princeton, and Roger Martindell, 9 grandchildren, 6 great grandchildren and a brother, J. William Clark of Great Barrington Massachusetts. She is also mourned by her many friends in Princeton, and throughout New Jersey, and across the broad swath of lives she has touched. Anne Martindell was on a book signing tour for her new book--the appropriate title of which is Never Too Late--when she was stricken with her last illness. It breaks my heart to think she will never get a chance to autograph my copy. I will miss her phone calls with good advice, her strong opinions on current events, and her ease of friendship. Anne Clark Martindell has taught us all a valuable lesson about opportunities and readiness to recognize a call to action whenever it appears in our lives. And it is never too late to take that message to heart.

Mr. HOLT

Mr. HOLT. Madam Speaker, I rise today as a cosponsor of H. Res. 1237, a resolution recognizing the importance of the Juneteenth anniversary celebrations held nationwide on June 19th. On that date 145 years ago, Union forces led by General Gordon Granger arrived at Galveston, Texas, bringing news of the Confederate surrender and enforcing, after two- and-half long years, the Emancipation Proclamation. Americans across the country commemorate this day with celebrations, discussions, and family picnics. In my own state of New Jersey, Juneteenth is celebrated at churches, community centers, and family gatherings across the state. This day marks a time for people to come together, enjoy the company of friends and family, and reflect on the past. It is a time of somber tribute to the struggles of slavery conjoined with a cheerful and celebratory attitude towards the future and the opportunities afforded by that great proclamation. I strongly support H. Res. 1237, which recognizes the significance of the Juneteenth anniversary and proclaims the sense of Congress that history should be regarded as a means for understanding the past and solving the challenges of the future. I rise to honor the celebration, and to honor the myriad contributions that African-Americans have made to American society and culture in the years before and since. African- Americans have honored this country with their service and dedication as inventors, teachers, artists, musicians, first responders, soldiers, doctors, and statesmen and countless other professions. They rose from the bonds of servitude and yet, facing discrimination at every step, have continued to persevere. The longevity of the Juneteenth celebration is an enduring testament to the strength of these Americans in the face of tremendous adversity and bears witness to the virtue of celebrating diversity. I must also rise today to recognize the obstacles that still face us. Juneteenth evokes reflection on a dark chapter in our Nation's history, and reinforces that which we already know: the struggle for equality is far from over. The joyous celebration of the emancipation of the slaves of Galveston, followed by decades of inequality under Jim Crow, serves to remind us all of the need to remain committed to our original principles and the belief in liberty and justice for all. While our history has at times failed to live up to these founding ideals, it is important that we remember our past. So that we may better ourselves and our country, we must bear closely the lessons of history as we strive for progress. Today, Juneteenth is the longest-running celebration of the end of slavery in the United States. Its durability alone illustrates its significance. For that reason, Madam Speaker, and for all the reasons above, I hope that my colleagues will join me in supporting H. Res. 1237.

Mr. HOLT

Mr. HOLT. Madam Speaker, I regret that the House is taking up a supplemental funding measure for the war in Iraq without tying that funding to a withdrawal requirement. I was in Iraq last month and had the chance to speak at length with General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker about the situation in that country. There is no disputing that our casualties are down, and that is due in no small part to General Petraeus's revised military approach to the conflict. But the purpose of the surge wasn't simply to reduce our casualties; it was to give the Iraqis time to resolve their political differences via dialogue, not car bombs. That has not happened, and there is no reason to believe it will happen. Indeed, the only thing Iraq's warring factions seem to agree on these days is that they oppose permanent U.S. bases in Iraq. This no-strings-attached funding measure will only make matters worse, which is why I cannot support it. I am pleased to be able to support the new GI Bill. For the first time in over 60 years, our returning veterans will have a truly robust educational benefit waiting for them. We all know how successful the original GI Bill was and how much it contributed to fueling our country's economic and social progress it the decades after World War II. We need to make that kind of investment in our people once again. No one can dispute our veterans have earned it and no one can dispute the long term benefits our society will reap from implementing a new GI Bill. I look forward to seeing it become law. This bill also provides a desperately needed 13-week extension of unemployment benefits for people who are struggling to find work in this tough economy. Since last year, the number of Americans seeking employment has swelled by 800,000 while the economy has lost 260,000 jobs. In addition, the legislation blocks the implementation of dangerous Medicaid regulations that the Bush administration has issued which would cut $20 billion from Medicaid. I oppose these regulations and will continue to fight to protect the Medicaid program and the millions of Americans who rely on it for access to health care services. Finally, the $400 million in funding for science included in the bill represents a downpayment in our continued effort to provide a robust investment for science, research and development, and innovation. By making a strong investment, we will support research that will help contribute to the Nation's long term economic growth.

Mr. HOLT

Mr. HOLT. Madam Speaker, I was unable to be present for votes on June 9 or 10. For the information of my constituents and my colleagues, I want the Record to reflect how I would have voted on the following votes I missed. On rollcall 388, on H. Res. 1255 expressing support for designation of June 2008 as National Safety Month, I would have voted ``yes.'' On rollcall 389, on H. Res. 1243 expressing the immeasurable contributions of fathers in healthy development of children, supporting responsible fatherhood, and encouraging greater involvement of fathers in the lives of their children, especially on Father's Day, I would have voted ``yes.'' On rollcall 390, on H. Res. 127 recognizing and celebrating the 50th anniversary of the entry of Alaska into the Union as the 49th State, I would have voted ``yes.'' On rollcall 391, ordering the previous question on H. Res. 1253, I would have voted ``yes.'' On rollcall 392, on agreeing to H. Res. 1253 the rule providing for consideration of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act for 2008, H.R. 6003, I would have voted ``yes.'' On rollcall 393, on H.R. 6028 the Merida Initiative to Combat Illicit Narcotics and Reduce Organized Crime Authorization Act, I would have voted ``yes.'' On rollcall 394, on H. Res. 1063 marking the 225th anniversary of the treaty of Paris of 1783, which ended the Revolutionary War, I would have voted ``yes.'' On rollcall 395, on H. Con. Res. 318 supporting the goals and ideals of the International Year of Sanitation, I would have voted ``yes.'' On rollcall 396, on H. Con Res. 336 honoring the sacrifices and contributions made by disabled American veterans, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. HOLT

Mr. HOLT. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 6003, the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008, legislation that would authorize $14.9 billion in funding for Amtrak over the next 5 years. Rail service has integrated small communities with large cities across the country providing opportunity for economic expansion, increased mobility, and environmentally sound transit. Since Amtrak was founded in 1971, our country has benefited from organized, reliable and safe service to individuals commuting to and from work and individuals using rail service for extended travel. With the skyrocketing costs of airline flights and gas prices at over $4 a gallon, individuals are relying more and more on rail service. It is no exaggeration to say that rail service is the lifeline from which New Jersey's state economy draws nourishment. Our region's employers--small, medium, and large--depend upon an integrated rail operation to enable many of their employees to get to and from work. Clients, potential clients, and business partners use the train to come to New Jersey. Our local entrepreneurs use Amtrak to pitch their ideas and sell their products outside of our home state. For the last 12 years, Amtrak has been suffering from a lack of federal support and for the last 6 years it has been operating without Congressional authorization. In order to keep from going out of business, Amtrak was forced to delay necessary repairs and security improvements, freeze the salaries of its employees, rescind on employee pensions and go billions of dollars into debt. The legislation before us today would authorize the funding necessary to improve Amtrak's operations throughout the country and bring our country's rail service into the 21st Century. H.R. 6003 authorizes $14.9 billion for Amtrak over the next 5 years. $4.3 billion of which would be used for capital grants to help Amtrak afford to make necessary repairs and upgrades to the Northeast Corridor. It would also allow Amtrak to procure new rolling stock, rehabilitate existing bridges, as well as make additional capital improvements and maintenance over its entire network. As a regular Amtrak rider, I appreciate the professionalism and service that customers enjoy every day. Amtrak's hard working employees, including the over 1,300 employed in New Jersey, have continued to provide high quality service despite Amtrak's payroll freezes and pension problems. The Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act would provide Amtrak with $3 billion in operating grants, which would help Amtrak make good on its promises to these employees. A portion of these funds would be used to pay employees salaries, health costs, and overtime pay. It would also help Amtrak pay for increasing fuel costs, facilities, maintenance and train operations. This legislation would also create a new State Capital Grant program to provide grants for States for intercity passenger rail capital projects. In New Jersey the demand for public transportation has skyrocketed, with NJ Transit providing 900,000 trips per weekday on its trains, buses and light-rail vehicles. H.R. 6003 would authorize over $2.5 billion in grants to states over the next 5 years to help organizations like NJ Transit pay for the capital costs of facilities and the equipment necessary to provide new or improved intercity passenger rail. The Passenger Rail Investment Reauthorization Act would provide $1.7 billion annually to help Amtrak pay off the debt it incurred when Congress drastically cut its funding in 2000 and 2001. Amtrak has aggressively targeted this debt, paying down $600 million from 2002 through 2007. This bill would help Amtrak take further steps to reduce its debt, and allow Amtrak to focus its resources on improving existing services and making additional capital and operational improvements. H.R. 6003 would bring American passenger rail into the 21st century, authorizing $1.7 billion for the construction of eleven high-speed rail network spanning the entire Nation. The first of which would be a high- speed rail corridor between Washington, D.C. and New York City. Countries like France, England and Japan have greatly improved the experience of commuters through the utilization of high speed corridors. This would lead to more efficient public transportation and help the over 1.5 million New Jerseyans who use Amtrak spend less time commuting and more time at home with their families. Supporting public transportation especially passenger rail, should be a crucial element of our national effort to slow the rate of global climate change and reduce our dependence on foreign fuels. Passenger rail consumes 21 percent less energy per passenger mile than automobiles and 17 percent less than airplanes. It releases half the amount of greenhouse gases per passenger mile as both air and car travel. The continued operation of Amtrak is an essential component of easing traffic congestion, reducing wear and tear on roads, protecting our environment and preserving open space in New Jersey and across the country. Rail service is a fundamental component of our Nation's continually growing transportation system, and Amtrak has demonstrated the capacity of integrated rail service to expand economic opportunity, commuter options, and make vital contributions to the fabric of our communities. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6003.

Mr. HOLT. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for this amendment and for yielding me time. He is very diligent in looking after the concerns of the people of his area in Pennsylvania, and in this amendment, I must say it also benefits--would benefit the people of New Jersey as well. When you look at the numbers where Amtrak is setting record highs for numbers of users--25 million users last year--and look at how in New Jersey the State rail system is breaking ridership records for the 6th straight year with over 900,000 trips per weekday on its trains, buses, and light rails, and you match that with the increased costs of commuting by internal combustion cars, it should be apparent that Amtrak should do everything it can to attract riders on these underused routes; and that is exactly what the Murphy-Schwartz-Holt amendment seeks to do. It would require Amtrak to re-examine the service cuts that it's made at two stations to see if it would be feasible to increase services at those stations. They can do this through service and pricing. I hear from my constituents about this. One constituent, John, who commutes from Princeton Junction, summed it up by saying Amtrak seems to be driving customers away. It has negative effects, including increased automobile traffic and consequences on the environment. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I thank Mr. Murphy for preparing it.

Mr. HOLT

Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, a budget is a moral document that demonstrates our values and priorities. I want to congratulate Chairman Spratt for again bringing forth a budget that represents values of which we can be proud. This budget would make real investments in education, hometown security, veterans' programs, healthcare, and research and development while bringing the budget back to surplus by 2012. I am pleased that this Fiscal Year 2009 budget continues to follow the pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) principle that the House restored at the start of the 110th Congress. This ensures that every new dollar of spending is offset and will not worsen the deficit. Although the budget resolution does not set the taxes or appropriation money, it does lay out the plan for the coming years to spend money and to raise revenues. The budget would require the Ways and Means Committee to find the savings required to prevent millions of new Americans from having to pay the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), which has slowly morphed into a middle-class tax hike. More families in Central New Jersey are affected by the AMT than anywhere else in the country. Last year, Congress prevented nearly 23 million Americans, including more than 88,000 in the 12th Congressional District, from paying the AMT in 2008. Without action on this issue even more Americans would be affected by the AMT in the future. With the price of oil now over $130 a barrel, this budget would make a significant investment in our Nation's energy future by providing $7.7 billion for renewable energy, energy efficiency, and other energy programs. This is $2.8 billion--or 55 percent--more than the Fiscal Year 2008 budget. In doing so, the budget would reject the President's budget cuts to energy efficiency and renewable energy programs, and instead invest $2 billion in new programs to create ``green collar jobs.'' Mr. Speaker, this budget honors our commitment to our Nation's children by investing in education. The budget would provide $8.4 billion above the President's request--new funding that could support vital programs like Head Start, special education, school improvement programs, and Title 1. The budget also would help make college more affordable and accessible for students in New Jersey and throughout the country by increasing funding that could support Pell grants, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, and programs that broaden access to Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Facing difficult and uncertain economic times, this budget would invest in job creation and job training. In addition to investing in programs to create ``green collar jobs,'' we reject the President's cuts to Community Development Block Grants and his proposal to eliminate four job training programs. We also look to a long-term economic growth strategy, one that invests in science and research and development. This budget would support our Innovation Agenda by increasing funding for the America COMPETES Act, which authorized robust funding for research at the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy's Office of Science. Our budget also addresses the fact that our Nation has more Americans than ever living without health insurance, including over nine million children. We would include funding to provide up to $50 billion for children's health insurance. This would help insure millions of children. Likewise, our budget recognizes the importance of Medicaid and Medicare and would reject the President's harmful proposal to cut Medicaid by $94 billion and Medicare by $479 billion over ten years. Mr. Speaker, I'm proud of this budget's commitment to making America more safe and secure. Notably, we would provide additional funding to implement the 9/11 commission recommendations, including required 100 percent screening for shipping and air cargo. We would also place a greater emphasis on funding nuclear nonproliferation programs, one of the most severe threats to our security. Additionally, we would restore funding for vital first responder programs, including the State Homeland Security Grant Program (cut $705 million), Firefighter Assistance Grants (cut $463 million), Byrne Justice Assistance Grants (eliminated all formula funding), and COPS (cut $599 million). This budget continues our commitment to fully fund veterans' health care by providing $48.2 billion for 2009, which is $4.9 billion (11.4 percent) more than the 2008 level. In fact, it would provide $3.3 billion more than the President's budget for 2009 and $39 billion more over five years. Consistent with past practice, the President's budget actually cuts funding after the first year. This budget also would allow the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to treat 5.8 million patients in 2009, including an estimated 333,275 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, many of whom suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries, or blast-related injuries. Additionally, the budget rejects the health care fee increases imposed by the President's budget, which total $2.3 billion over five years, including a new enrollment fee and pharmaceutical co-payment increases. Finally, this budget increases funding to speed disability claims processing, so that VA can continue to reduce its backlog. I would like to recognize the budget's impact on voting reform. Implementing a nationwide requirement for independently auditable, and audited, vote counts is a priority of mine. As such, I was deeply disappointed that the President's budget made no request for funding under Title II of the Help America Vote Act. Approximately $560 million of the funding authorized under that Title remains unappropriated, and jurisdictions across the country could use that funding to improve the accuracy, integrity and security of their voting systems, as well as improve the administration of elections generally. Additionally, I was disappointed to see that the President requested only half of what remains authorized to fund disability access grants to ensure polling place accessibility. As we continue to debate the budget, we should address these budget shortfalls. Mr. Speaker, this budget reflects values for which we can be proud. We reject cuts to important healthcare, education, veterans, and national security programs while maintaining our commitment to fiscal responsibility. By adopting this budget and supporting the designated funding levels throughout the appropriations process, we would be investing in priorities important to our future.

Mr. HOLT

Mr. HOLT. Quite simply, the reason gasoline prices are so high today--of course there is international speculation--is there's demand from other countries; there's the falling value of the dollar. Principally, it is because, in past decades, we failed to wean ourselves from fossil fuels. We have failed to make the investment in research and development that would make that possible. You're talking about drilling in Alaska.

Mr. HOLT. If I may continue.

Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution and commend my colleague, Eddie Bernice Johnson, for introducing it and the chairman of the Science Committee for bringing it forward. This resolution expresses the sense of Congress that increasing American capabilities in science, mathematics, and technology education should be a national priority. And I must say, I hope Members on the other side of this aisle will avoid distracting us with red herrings across the trail and debating other diverting matters such as drilling and digging in the United States and stick to this topic which is of critical importance. Since first coming to Congress almost a decade ago, I stressed the need for a new major national effort to improve science, mathematics, and technology education. I'm a product of the science revolution in the United States that occurred following the launch of Sputnik in 1957. And today, as this resolution notes, we must recommit ourselves to creating a new generation of scientists, engineers, and mathematicians, and just as important, indeed more important, we need to build a general public that is literate and comfortable with science, math, technology. I would ask at this point to include in the Record a copy of a recent op-ed essay entitled ``Put a Little Science in Your Life'' by Brian Greene, professor of physics at Columbia and author of The Elegant Universe. He discusses the importance of science in everyone's lives, not just scientists. [From the New York Times, June 1, 2008] Put a Little Science in Your Life (By Brian Greene) A couple of years ago I received a letter from an American soldier in Iraq. The letter began by saying that, as we've all become painfully aware, serving on the front lines is physically exhausting and emotionally debilitating. But the reason for his writing was to tell me that in that hostile and lonely environment, a book I'd written had become a kind of lifeline. As the book is about science--one that traces physicists' search for nature's deepest laws--the soldier's letter might strike you as, well, odd. But it's not. Rather, it speaks to the powerful role science can play in giving life context and meaning. At the same time, the soldier's letter emphasized something I've increasingly come to believe: our educational system fails to teach science in a way that allows students to integrate it into their lives. Allow me a moment to explain. When we consider the ubiquity of cellphones, iPods, personal computers and the Internet, it's easy to see how science (and the technology to which it leads) is woven into the fabric of our day-to-day activities. When we benefit from CT scanners, M.R.I. devices, pacemakers and arterial stents, we can immediately appreciate how science affects the quality of our lives. When we assess the state of the world, and identify looming challenges like climate change, global pandemics, security threats and diminishing resources, we don't hesitate in turning to science to gauge the problems and find solutions. And when we look at the wealth of opportunities hovering on the horizon--stem cells, genomic sequencing, personalized medicine, longevity research, nanoscience, brain-machine interface, quantum computers, space technology--we realize how crucial it is to cultivate a general public that can engage with scientific issues; there's simply no other way that as a society we will be prepared to make informed decisions on a range of issues that will shape the future. These are the standard--and enormously important--reasons many would give in explaining why science matters. But here's the thing. The reason science really matters runs deeper still. Science is a way of life. Science is a perspective. Science is the process that takes us from confusion to understanding in a manner that's precise, predictive and reliable--a transformation, for those lucky enough to experience it, that is empowering and emotional. To be able to think through and grasp explanations--for everything from why the sky is blue to how life formed on earth--not because they are declared dogma but rather because they reveal patterns confirmed by experiment and observation, is one of the most precious of human experiences. As a practicing scientist, I know this from my own work and study. But I also know that you don't have to be a scientist for science to be transformative. I've seen children's eyes light up as I've told them about black holes and the Big Bang. I've spoken with high school dropouts who've stumbled on popular science books about the human genome project, and then returned to school with newfound purpose. And in that letter from Iraq, the soldier told me how learning about relativity and quantum physics in the dusty and dangerous environs of greater Baghdad kept him going because it revealed a deeper reality of which we're all a part. It's striking that science is still widely viewed as merely a subject one studies in the classroom or an isolated body of largely esoteric knowledge that sometimes shows up in the ``real'' world in the form of technological or medical advances. In reality, science is a language of hope and inspiration, providing discoveries that fire the imagination and instill a sense of connection to our lives and our world. If science isn't your strong suit--and for many it's not-- this side of science is something you may have rarely if ever experienced. I've spoken with so many people over the years whose encounters with science in school left them thinking of it as cold, distant and intimidating. They happily use the innovations that science makes possible, but feel that the science itself is just not relevant to their lives. What a shame. Like a life without music, art or literature, a life without science is bereft of something that gives experience a rich and otherwise inaccessible dimension. It's one thing to go outside on a crisp, clear night and marvel at a sky full of stars. It's another to marvel not only at the spectacle but to recognize that those stars are the result of exceedingly ordered conditions 13.7 billion years ago at the moment of the Big Bang. It's another still to understand how those stars act as nuclear furnaces that supply the universe with carbon, oxygen and nitrogen, the raw material of life as we know it. And it's yet another level of experience to realize that those stars account for less than 4 percent of what's out there--the rest being of an unknown composition, so-called dark matter and energy, which researchers are now vigorously trying to divine. As every parent knows, children begin life as uninhibited, unabashed explorers of the unknown. From the time we can walk and talk, we want to know what things are and how they work-- we begin life as little scientists. But most of us quickly lose our intrinsic scientific passion. And it's a profound loss. A great many studies have focused on this problem, identifying important opportunities for improving science education. Recommendations have ranged from increasing the level of training for science teachers to curriculum reforms. But most of these studies (and their suggestions) avoid an overarching systemic issue: in teaching our students, we continually fail to activate rich opportunities for revealing the breathtaking vistas opened up by science, and instead focus on the need to gain competency with science's underlying technical details. In fact, many students I've spoken to have little sense of the big questions those technical details collectively try to answer: Where did the universe come from? How did life originate? How does the brain give rise to consciousness? Like a music curriculum that requires its students to practice scales while rarely if ever inspiring them by playing the great masterpieces, this way of teaching science squanders the chance to make students sit up in their chairs and say, ``Wow, that's science?'' In physics, just to give a sense of the raw material that's available to be leveraged, the most revolutionary of advances have happened in the last 100 years--special relativity, general relativity, quantum mechanics--a symphony of discoveries that changed our conception of reality. More recently, the last 10 years have witnessed an upheaval in our understanding of the universe's composition, yielding a wholly new prediction for what the cosmos will be like in the far future. These are paradigm-shaking developments. But rare is the high school class, and rarer still is the middle school class, in which these breakthroughs are introduced. It's much the same story in classes for biology, chemistry and mathematics. At the root of this pedagogical approach is a firm belief in the vertical nature of science: you must master A before moving on to B. When A happened a few hundred years ago, it's a long climb to the modern era. Certainly, when it comes to teaching the technicalities--solving this equation, balancing that reaction, grasping the discrete parts of the cell--the verticality of science is unassailable. But science is so much more than its technical details. And with careful attention to presentation, cutting-edge insights and discoveries can be clearly and faithfully communicated to students independent of those details; in fact, those insights and discoveries are precisely the ones that can drive a young student to want to learn the details. We rob science education of life when we focus solely on results and seek to train students to solve problems and recite facts without a commensurate emphasis on transporting them out beyond the stars. Science is the greatest of all adventure stories, one that's been unfolding for thousands of years as we have sought to understand ourselves and our surroundings. Science needs to be taught to the young and communicated to the mature in a manner that captures this drama. We must embark on a cultural shift that places science in its rightful place alongside music, art and literature as an indispensable part of what makes life worth living. It's the birthright of every child, it's a necessity for every adult, to look out on the world, as the soldier in Iraq did, and see that the wonder of the cosmos transcends everything that divides us. There is no denying that America is losing ground and global competitiveness to countries that are making the necessary investments in education and research and development. We owe our current economic strength, our current national security, our current quality of life, to the investments of past generations. However, the Federal Government has failed to fund adequately research, development, and innovation. Investment in these areas ensures that American people will continue to benefit from opportunities of the rapidly growing global economy and its inherent foundations. In August of 2007, this body passed into law, as my colleague from Texas pointed out, a comprehensive competitiveness package, the America COMPETES Act, which was based on disturbing findings of the National Academies' report, ``Rising Above the Gathering Storm,'' that our Nation is severely underinvesting in engineering and the physical sciences. Unfortunately, the fiscal year 2008 budget fell short of the required goal. Without taking a bold, different approach in this year's appropriation cycle, Congress will be delivering a blow to our future economic security and competitiveness. I thank gentlelady for introducing this legislation. I hope we pay heed.

Mr. HOLT. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. HOLT. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. HOLT. If the gentleman would yield.

Mr. HOLT. It's the wrong argument. We are here to talk about the future that we will get from investment in research and development.

Mr. HOLT. If the gentleman will yield.

Mr. HOLT. We will not get out of this problem by doing more of the same that we have been doing.

Mr. HOLT

Mr. HOLT. Madam Chairman, I thank Mr. Kildee. And to my friend from California, I would say if we wanted to use this time for a discussion of both fiscal responsibility and which side of the aisle has done better with respect to individuals with disabilities and title I, boy, that's an argument that we would gladly take on. But that's not the topic here. The topic here is the green schools program, and energy costs are the second highest operating expenditure for schools after personnel costs. The two gentlemen from California were talking about how this is wasteful spending. I'll tell you what's wasteful. About a third of those $8 billion annually that schools spend on energy could be saved. What this legislation does, it provides help for local schools and States to invest in energy-saving design and technology, which will provide not only better learning conditions but save billions of dollars. So this actually is beneficial from a fiscal point of view, as well as an educational point of view.

Mr. HOLT. I thank the gentleman. And I thank him and Chairman Miller for incorporating parts of my ``Green Schools'' bill in this legislation. I just wanted to make two more points, that under this bill States must develop a database of energy usage in public school facilities. I'm really pleased that this includes language that requires schools to report on their carbon footprints. Also, we've included a provision to ensure that veteran-owned businesses receive the same contracting preferences as minority and women-owned businesses. As the war continues to swell the veteran population, it's our duty to help to ensure that returning soldiers have jobs to return to. This is good legislation. I urge its passage. I thank the gentleman for putting together such good legislation.

Mr. HOLT

Mr. HOLT. Mr. Chairman, I thank my friend from Massachusetts for, once again, asking me to join him in the effort to refocus our military spending priorities toward more useful purposes. You know, one of the craziest ideas I've ever heard is that we should deploy this missile defense system as a way to test it. It should be tested before it's deployed. And I can tell you, even if it worked, it would never be so reliable that we would think of it as leak-proof, that it would actually change our strategy. So it just becomes another expense. And simple strategic analysis tells us that a provocative yet permeable defense is destabilizing, and really leads to reduced security for all. What we do here is provide over $600 million for the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, much more in keeping with the real threat that faces us, and money for the Second Line of Defense Initiative and other programs aimed at nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction. We would also provide $100 million for the care and support of wounded soldiers and their families, and $300 million more to address the National Guard and Reserve shortfalls, especially for homeland security activities. This is a commonsense amendment. I urge its adoption.

Mr. HOLT

Mr. HOLT. Mr. Chairman, I thank Mrs. Tauscher for her wise leadership. Mr. Chairman, this amendment is unwise and, at the very least, premature. Existing Department of Energy Reports and reports from outside consultants, such as the JASON group, have made it clear that our existing nuclear weapons will be viable for decades. It makes no sense to begin construction of a new generation of nuclear weapons. It is not necessary, and worse, it would be harmful to our security. In light of our efforts to convince other countries to abstain from pursuing nuclear weapons, a pressing, indeed critical, national need for our security to persuade other countries to abstain going forward with Reliable Replacement Warhead programs would not make sense. It was defunded last year by the Appropriations Committee largely for some of these reasons I have outlined. Finally, the United States has not recently conducted a comprehensive review of its nuclear posture, and no construction of new nuclear weapons or major alterations of the DOE lab complexes should be made until such a review is completed. Accordingly, I urge my colleagues to oppose the Pearce amendment.

Mr. HOLT

Mr. HOLT. Madam Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.