Jeb Hensarling

Mr. HENSARLING

Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to honor Mrs. Susie Quinn for her outstanding commitment and service to the city of Rowlett, TX. Mrs. Quinn has been Rowlett's City Secretary for the past 3 years and was recently recognized for excellence in her profession. In June, she was named Municipal Clerk of the Year by North Texas Municipal Clerk's Association. Mrs. Quinn was the City Secretary of Eastland, TX, and later the City Secretary of Tye, TX, before joining the City of Rowlett in 2002. Mrs. Quinn is a Texas Registered Municipal Clerk, a position that requires intensive and continual training to achieve and maintain certification. She has been a member of the North Texas Municipal Clerks Association, NTMCA, for 6 years, where she currently serves as Treasurer. Mrs. Quinn was honored at the NTMCA Bluebonnet Chapter's 10th Anniversary banquet, where city representatives Mayor Shane Johnson, Council Member Becky Sebastian, then Acting City Manager George Harris and others were on hand to commend her outstanding work. Mrs. Quinn is a positive example of an effective public servant working to make her community and her country a better place to live. Mrs. Quinn, on behalf of all of the constituents of the Fifth Congressional District of Texas, especially those in Rowlett, I would like to extend our most sincere thanks for a job well done.

Mr. HENSARLING

Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to recognize the City of Garland as well as the organizers and participants of the Garland Wellness Initiative pilot program. This innovative new program encourages healthy lifestyles and physical fitness in an effort to offset rising healthcare costs. For several months, 30 participants have undergone physical exams, blood tests, and met weekly to discuss eating habits, nutrition, exercise, and preventative healthcare options. As a whole, the group lost over 700 pounds and several applicants were able to reduce or eliminate diabetes and hypertension medications. The group reported significant reductions in their sugar consumption and a large portion felt an overall increase in energy. The Wellness Initiative pilot program proved to be a cost-efficient way to advocate healthy lifestyle choices. Participants in the program were able to see savings in their medical care drop by approximately $400 per person. Today, I also want to provide special recognition to two outstanding individuals, Rick French, the Benefit Manager for the City's Human Resource Risk Management Department, and Marcia Upson, a family nurse practitioner, who came together to create the Garland Wellness Initiative and helped make the pilot program such a tremendous success.

Mr. HENSARLING

Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding, and I especially thank her for her leadership. Retirement security and saving Social Security is truly a critical issue in America. To me, this is much more than a simple congressional debate; this is a debate that I take very personally. Mr. Speaker, my parents are in their seventies. Social Security is part of their retirement, a very important part of their retirement security, and not only as a United States Congressman, but as a son, I am committed to ensuring that they receive every single dollar that Social Security says that they will receive. I have a moral obligation to my parents, and I know everybody in Congress feels that same obligation. But not only do I feel I have a moral obligation to my parents, I am also a father. I have a 3\1/2\-year-old daughter. I have a 22-month-old son. Social Security as we know it will not be there for them unless we act. I can understand how different people in this body can have different solutions to the problems that we are facing in Social Security, but I cannot believe those who would simply deny the existence of the problem. Mr. Speaker, I guess the challenge is, because too often in this town we are looking to the next election and we are not looking to the next generation. I guess there is some good news, and we are talking about it tonight. Social Security is still running a surplus today. That is good news. Those who are on Social Security, those who will soon be on Social Security, they are going to be in fine shape, Mr. Speaker. But it is those future generations, it is for everybody in America who may have that 3\1/2\-year-old daughter, that 22-month-old son, for whom we have to do something. Now, as much as we would like in Congress to repeal the laws of demographics, we simply cannot do it. We cannot deny the fact that when Social Security was first created, you had almost 50 workers paying into the system for every one person taking out of the system. Now, Mr. Speaker, we are down to only 3 and a third workers, 3 and a third workers paying into a system for every one that is taking out. Very soon, we are going to be down to 2 workers paying into the system for every one. Another demographic trend that we cannot outlaw, it is great for seniors, not too good for Social Security, is the average life span in America is increasing. When Social Security was first created, the average life span of an American was 60 years of age. I mean, their name was called on the roll up yonder before they ever saw one penny of their retirement. That is what many Americans faced. Well, thanks to the marvels of modern medicine, which my colleague, the gentleman from Georgia (Dr. Gingrey) knows a lot about, the average life span of an American today is 77 years of age. So we have more and more retirees, we have fewer and fewer workers, and those retirees are living longer and longer and longer, and the system simply cannot handle that. I mean, right now the cost of doing nothing is tremendous. We are looking right now at a shortfall in Social Security of $10.4 trillion. Now, I am not sure if anybody in America can really conceptualize or grasp this figure of $10.4 trillion, trillion with a T. But I did a little math and what that means, Mr. Speaker, is if we wanted to try to solve the problem of Social Security for future generations and solve it today, every American would have to write a check out for $34,000; a family of four over $125,000, to try to solve the problem today. Now, what happens if we do nothing? And unfortunately, many of our colleagues on the other side of the aisle are part of the school of thought that we should do nothing. Well, if you look very closely at what the Social Security law says today, what current law says, what it really says is that my children are going to face an automatic benefit cut of probably over a third. Now, when I go to town hall meetings in my congressional district back in Texas and ask how many people are on Social Security and maybe half of them raise their hands, I ask, how many of you would be willing to take a third cut of our Social Security benefits? Not one hand goes up. And then I ask, well, how about your grandchildren? Do you mind if they have their benefits cut by a third? Not a single hand goes up. Current law says, when the trust fund is exhausted, there will be an automatic benefit cut, and it can approach one-third. Mr. Speaker, that is just not fair. I mean, this is an issue of generational fairness. I would love for us to solve the problem of Social Security tonight. Every day we put it off, it is costing the American people an extra $200 million. We are kicking that can down the road, because too many people are looking at that next election and not the next generation. So as much as I would like to solve the problem tonight, I know perhaps that is not realistic. But surely, Mr. Speaker, surely we can agree that the trust funds in Social Security ought to be dedicated to Social Security. But that is not the case. Forty-nine different times Congress has taken that money, and they spend it for something else. Now, sometimes they spend it for really good things. They spend it on Kevlar vests for our troops in Iraq. Maybe they spend it to help guarantee a student loan. Maybe they help a low-income person get into their first home. But more often than not, they also spend it on wheelchairs for Medicare that cost five times as much as those in the VA. They spend it on $800,000 outhouses in Iowa, and the toilet does not even flush. They spend it on studies of how and why college students decorate their dorm, and the list goes on and on and on. There is a spending problem in Washington, D.C., Mr. Speaker, and we need to make sure that the Social Security trust funds are solely dedicated to Social Security. And so, fortunately, a number of our colleagues came up with an idea. They call them GROW accounts, and it is a very, very simple idea. It says, take the remaining Social Security surpluses, and we think maybe we have about 12 years left before Social Security begins to go bankrupt. If the tidal wave of red ink only gets larger and larger and larger, let us at least save the surpluses we have and let us get it out of Washington because Washington has been taking that money and spending it on something else. Let us get it into your account, an account with your name on it, something that you own. And, Mr. Speaker, a lot of people in America do not realize that they do not own their own Social Security. Several Supreme Court cases have ruled you do not own your own Social Security. So this is a very simple idea. Surely, we in Congress can at least agree on this one small baby step, to try to keep the security in Social Security. Let us take these remaining surpluses, let us put them into an account that you own, that Congress cannot spend, that bureaucrats cannot take away. You own it, something that you can leave to your family. Put it in a very safe investment, put it into a T-Bill. Now, I do not know how anybody, Mr. Speaker, can call this a risky proposition, but they do. Let me tell you what is really risky. What is really risky is Americans leaving their retirement security here in Washington, D.C. when the trust fund has been raided 49 different times. Mr. Speaker, there have been 20 different tax increases on Social Security, 20 different tax increases. And every time that the taxes are increased, your rate of return goes down. And that is important because we are losing the security out of Social Security. Now, my grandparents, who are deceased, who were born about 1900, they got about a 12 percent rate of return on their Social Security. That was a great rate of return. My parents, who I alluded to earlier this evening, they were born in roughly 1930. They are getting about a 4\1/2\ percent rate of return on their Social Security, and that is not bad. My generation, represented by those born roughly 1960, we are going to get about 2\1/2\ percent rate of return on our Social Security. That is barely keeping pace with inflation. And my children, my children, my 3\1/2\-year-old daughter, my 22-month-old son, Mr. Speaker, they are going to get a negative rate of return. They are going to put more money into Social Security than they take out. Mr. Speaker, that is not fair. That is where the risk is. The risk is doing nothing. The risk is leaving our Social Security here. There have been multiple benefit cuts in Social Security. We cannot have the trust fund raided. The tax increases, the benefit cuts, the declining rates of return, the no ownership rights. Surely we can agree on this modest step forward of setting up these GROW accounts so that Americans can count on that Social Security so the trust fund cannot be raided and we can have personal accounts with your name on it. And, Mr. Speaker, that would be one positive step that we could take in this body to help save Social Security for future generations.

Mr. HENSARLING

Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Speaker, the Democrats' witch-hunt of the week is aimed at my friend Karl Rove. I have had the pleasure of knowing Karl for over 20 years. I believe he is a man of honesty and integrity who loves his country and serves it well. He was also a key player in the President's reelection and clearly Democrats want revenge. Based solely upon their partisan interpretation of selected press reports, some Democrats are now calling for his resignation. Mr. Speaker, if trial by headline is the standard in the Nation's capital, I have some other headlines I would be happy to share, and we know that they suggest that some Democrats may have been involved in illegal activities. Yet I do not hear my Democrat colleagues calling for their resignations. Let us abide by the American standard that all are innocent until proven guilty. Democrats should end their trial by headline, their character assassination, and their constant Bush bashing. Instead, I hope that they will choose to work with Republicans on a bipartisan basis to save Social Security, win the war on terror, and create more jobs for American workers.

Mr. HENSARLING

Mr. HENSARLING. Madam Speaker, I have done at least 30.

Mr. HENSARLING. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me, and I especially appreciate his leadership on this issue. Tens of millions of Americans, future generations, are going to have their retirement security threatened unless we do something and do something today. Every day that we postpone trying to help save and reform Social Security it is costing us an extra $200 million. The time to act is now. Madam Speaker, for me this is much more than one's average congressional debate. This is something I take very, very seriously and very personally. I take it personally because my parents are in their 70s. Now, Social Security is an important part of their retirement security. They worked very hard their whole lives to earn that Social Security, and nobody has a plan that will take their Social Security away. As their son, as a Congressman, I am dedicated to making sure that my parents and every one of that generation gets every penny of Social Security that they have earned. I have a sacred obligation to my parents. I have another sacred obligation. I have a 3\1/2\-year-old daughter and a 22-month-old son. And if we do not do something and do something today, Social Security as we know it will not be there for my children. We are rapidly approaching the point where we are going to lose the security from Social Security. My colleague from Arizona, who is a great leader on this issue, and everyone should appreciate his helping coauthor the GROW account legislation, he very ably laid out for the American people, Madam Speaker, the challenges we are facing in Social Security. As much as Congress would like to, we cannot repeal the laws of demographics. So Social Security, as it was envisioned, took money from current workers to pay for current retirees. Now, that worked very well 50 years ago when we might have had 40 workers paying into a system for every one retiree. But that is not true today. Instead, we are down to 3\1/3\ workers now supporting every retiree, and we are rapidly on the road to having only two workers support every retiree. So we have this phenomena of having more and more retirees and fewer and fewer workers paying into the system. Another challenge we have in Social Security, as far as demographics is concerned, is great news for seniors; it is just not particularly good news for the Social Security System. When Social Security was first created, the average life-span of an American worker was 60 years of age. You could not even draw your retirement until 65. Many folks had their name called on the roll up yonder before they could ever get a penny of retirement. Well, now, thanks to the marvels of modern medicine and technology, the average life-span of an American worker has increased to 77. So, again, Madam Speaker, we have more and more retirees that are living longer and longer and fewer and fewer workers supporting them. And that is putting an incredible financial pressure on the system. Something else it is doing is it is eroding the security in Social Security. Look at the amount of money people paid into a system versus what they took out. My grandparents, who are decreased, were born roughly in 1900. They received about a 12 percent rate of return on their Social Security. That is great. My parents, who were born in the late 1920s and early 1930s respectively, they receive about a 4 percent rate of return on their Social Security. Not bad. People in my generation, represented by those who were born in roughly 1960, we are getting about 2\1/2\ percent rate on our Social Security. That will barely cover the rate of inflation. And my children, who I spoke about earlier, they are due to receive a negative rate of return. Madam Speaker, that is absolutely unfair. We need to do something, and we need to do something today. But something as big as reforming Social Security needs to be done on a bipartisan basis. I wish we could be joined by Members on the other side of the aisle who would come in and work with us on a bipartisan basis to try to do something about Social Security. Members cannot deny the underlying demographic challenges in this program. Right now the Government Accountability Office, the Social Security trustees, and any agency that has looked at the problem says that the unfunded liability of Social Security is now $10.4 trillion. Nobody in America knows how much money that is, but to try to bring it down to a level we understand, that means every man, woman and child in America, to try to solve the long-term fiscal instability of this program, would have to write a $30,000 check out today to try to solve that problem. Surely that is not going to happen. For those who continue to deny the problem, as so many of our colleagues on the other side of the aisle do, right now it is written in the current law that if we do not act, if we do nothing, if we ignore this problem, in 2042, there will be an automatic benefit cut of almost one-third. Madam Speaker, I may not be here in 2042, but I hope and I pray that my children will be, and for generational fairness we need to do something. What the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Shadegg) has laid out is a simple plan and a very simple first step. I am surprised it is even debatable in this body. But for years and years and years the Social Security surplus has been taken by Congresses, and I will admit both Republicans and Democrats. They have taken the surplus and spent it on other areas of government. They have spent it on Medicare wheelchairs that cost five times as much as what they did at the VA. They spent it on $2 million studies of the sexual habits of older men, and that is a study I do not even care to know what the results said. The list goes on and on and on. That money needs to be dedicated to Social Security and nothing else. Those on the other side of the aisle said wait a second, this is very risky to create personal accounts for the Social Security surplus. Madam Speaker, what is really risky is for Americans to leave their retirement security in the hands of Washington politicians and bureaucrats. The Social Security trust fund has been raided over 49 different times. Congress has just stepped in and spent that money on something else. There have been over 20 tax increases in the Social Security system. Every time you are getting the same benefits but your taxes go up, your rate of return goes down. We are losing that security out of Social Security. There have been multiple benefit cuts. For example, the taxation of Social Security benefits that took place in the early 1980s. Also, very importantly, that the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Shadegg) pointed out, right now we have no ownership rights in our Social Security. None whatsoever. There have been several Supreme Court cases to tell us that we do not own our Social Security. So this is a very simple plan. We know we do have some remaining years of surplus: 10, 11, 12 years of surplus remaining. Let us take that. Let us dedicate that to Social Security and let us get it out of Washington and put it into an account with your name on it that you own and that can be inherited and passed on, something that Washington cannot waste. What a simple proposition, and I am just saddened this is even debatable at this time. I hope anyone who is listening to this debate will let their voice be heard. We need to enact our grow accounts. We need to keep the security in Social Security for future generations.

Mr. HENSARLING. Madam Speaker, it could not be more simple and I cannot believe that at least in my district in Texas that 99 percent of my constituents would not want to embrace that idea. Such a simple idea that number one, Social Security ought to be used for Social Security, pure and simple. Second of all, you know own it. Washington cannot take it away. Social Security is used for Social Security, and you own it and Washington cannot take it away. That is what the GROW account is all about. There is nothing more to it. It is that simple, yet it is that important. Again, I think we need to emphasize for those soon-to-be retired, we will be running surpluses. These people will be okay, but it is future generations. That is the challenge that we face now. Too many people in this town care about the next election and not the next generation. We could ignore this problem if we wanted to for 5, 10, 12 years, but how do you look yourself in the mirror and know that you have set the Nation on a course to cut your children and grandchildren's Social Security by a full third or to raise their taxes by 43 percent. That is why it is so important that we start the GROW accounts, dedicate Social Security to Social Security, and let taxpayers own it, not Washington.

Mr. HENSARLING. Madam Speaker, it is a very simple idea and they have been told for years that money is in the trust fund. In a technical legalistic sense maybe it is in the trust fund, but in any practical sense it is not. That money has been taken away and an IOU left in its place. That is like a person writing an IOU to themself. The only way that IOU can be redeemed is by raising taxes on the American people. People who are entering the job force today, if we do not do something to try to make up that IOU, their payroll taxes are going to have to be increased 43 percent and what is that going to do to younger families and job creation in America.

Mr. HENSARLING. Madam Speaker, I think it is one of the most violent reactions I have ever seen at a town hall meeting, particularly when seniors realize they have worked and paid into this system, and for decades, Congress has taken that money and spent it on big government. They wanted it stopped today.

Mr. HENSARLING

Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Speaker, thanks to President Bush's economic growth plan passed by Republicans in Congress, I am very pleased to relay even more good news about America's expanding economy, growing jobs gains, and shrinking Federal deficit. First, our economy grew at 3.8 percent in the first quarter. This is the 14th consecutive quarter of growth and one of the strongest growth performances in years. Secondly, a recent Congressional Budget Office report shows yet another decline in the Federal deficit due to this economic growth. The deficit is down about $100 billion. More good news. The unemployment rate has now declined to 5 percent, the lowest level since that tragic day on 9/11. Over the last 2 years, more than 3.7 million new jobs for the future have been created in America. These encouraging reports show once again that the tax relief for families and small businesses which President Bush and the Republican Congress passed is paying dividends: more jobs, higher incomes, and a lower deficit.

Mr. HENSARLING

Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Speaker, as a former small businessman, I rise today in support of H.R. 742 and Republican efforts to reduce the regulatory burden on small businesses, the job engine in this country. The Federal regulatory burden is strangling small business in America. The estimated total regulatory burden in America is now approaching $1 trillion a year. If we could only save 1 percent of that amount, if that could be returned to the marketplace, that would be enough money to provide capital for 400,000 new small businesses. Or it could pay the annual salaries for over a quarter million of our American workers. Furthermore, according to the SBA, small businesses that employ fewer than 20 workers pay almost $7,000 each year in regulatory cost for every employee. Instead of using these funds to create new jobs or pay higher salaries or fund expanded health care benefits, small business owners are increasingly being forced to spend much of it complying with mind-numbing, inflexible, expensive, draconian and all too often just plain dumb Federal regulations. H.R. 742 will make a difference in a small way in helping level the playing field for small businesses. It would require OSHA to better assess the merits of a case before it brings unnecessary enforcement actions to court against small businesses. This act will simply help small business owners to recover attorneys' fees if the owner successfully challenges a dubious OSHA citation. And there have been a number. Let us remember, OSHA does not always get it right. These are the folks who alleged that some workers face death or serious physical harm from lifting the top of a sandwich cookie from one assembly line and putting it on the bottom of the cookie on another. Give me a break. Mr. Speaker, this is a matter of fairness. It is a matter of common sense and American jobs. I urge all of my colleagues to support small business owners and the millions of Americans they employ by voting in favor of H.R. 742.

Mr. HENSARLING

Mr. HENSARLING. Madam Speaker, above the Speaker's chair in the people's house are boldly written the words ``In God we trust.'' God. We, the House of Representatives, acknowledge God and have for over 200 years. Why should it be any other way? Our Declaration of Independence states that we are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights. Thomas Jefferson wrote, ``Can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a belief in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God?'' Now, Madam Speaker, the Supreme Court has ruled that we Texans can gaze upon the Ten Commandments at our statehouse, but the people of Kentucky cannot gaze upon them in their courthouses. This is not helpful. The establishment clause of our Constitution was written to ensure that the State respects all religions, not to declare hostility upon each. We can and must acknowledge God in public life and in a way that equally respects the Muslim, the Jew, the Christian, the Buddhist, and all people of faith. For when we do, God will continue to bless America.

Mr. HENSARLING

Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Speaker, on June 17, the following Members were inadvertently added as cosponsors of H.R. 2646: the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Brown), the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Camp), the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Hefley), the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas), the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Thornberry), the gentleman from Montana (Mr. Rehberg), the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster), the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton), and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Keller). I ask unanimous consent to have their names removed as cosponsors of H.R. 2646 at this time.

Mr. HENSARLING

Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to commemorate two significant anniversaries of Rotary International. On February 23, 2005, Rotary International celebrated its 100th anniversary. From its humble roots in Chicago, Illinois, Rotary International has grown into a worldwide organization of business and professional leaders whose mission is to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world. Since 1943, Rotary International has distributed more than $1.1 billion to combat Polio, promote cultural exchanges, and encourage community service. I also want to provide special recognition to an important member of this outstanding organization, the Rotary Club of Canton, Texas, for their twelve years of service to Van Zandt County. Throughout its twelve year history, the Canton Rotary Club has achieved great successes in carrying out the mission of Rotary International. In past years, the Canton Rotary Club has raised money to provide scholarships to local students and sponsored programs to improve area literacy. In addition, the Canton Rotary Club has been active in Rotary International's Polio Plus program. Through these actions, the Rotary Club of Canton, Texas, has exemplified the values of service and charity that lie at the heart of American society. As the congressional representative of the members of this outstanding organization, it is my distinct pleasure to be able to honor them today on the floor of the United States House of Representatives.

Mr. HENSARLING

Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to honor the Alto Lady Jackets track team who won the Texas 2A High School Track Championship on May 14, 2005. For the third time in three years, the Lady Jackets went down to Austin and returned home with the State Championship trophy. I would like to recognize teammates Tiffany Hart, Angelitha Dickerson, Monique Hackney, Tashekia Mitchell, Kindal Baugh, Taneshia Pope, Tiffany Griffin, Margo Kahla, and Coaches Mildred Brown and Shanequa Redd. The outstanding team performance of the Alto Lady Jackets was highlighted by gold medals in the 800 and 16,000-meter relays and a silver medal in the 400-meter relay. Additionally Monique Hackney took gold in the long jump, setting a new class 2A record in the process. As the congressional representative of the families, coaches, and supporters of the Alto Lady Jackets, it is my pleasure to recognize their tremendous victory and outstanding season. This is an accomplishment that these young women will remember for the rest of their lives.

Mr. HENSARLING

Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Speaker, today, I would like to honor the memory of John Rex de Vlaming, Jr. who passed away earlier this year at the age of 85. A distinguished Navy veteran of World War II, John was instrumental in organizing and planning the Kaufman County Veteran's Memorial Park currently under construction in Kaufman. John was a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and the American Legion, serving as the Post Commander of the Kaufman VFW from 1976-1978, and later as Post Commander of the American Legion, Hamlet P. Jones Post #165 from 1981-1986. In 1990, John earned the Meritorious Service Award from the American Legion, and in 1997, he was recognized by the VFW for his 55 years of membership. President Calvin Coolidge once said, ``The nation which forgets its defenders will itself be forgotten.'' As a veteran, John understood that better than most Americans, and throughout his life he did his very best to ensure that our nation never forgets the sacrifices that our soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen made to defend our freedom. As the Congressional representative for the Fifth District of Texas, today I would like to honor the life of John Rex de Vlaming, Jr. and the outstanding work he did on behalf of our nation's veterans.

Mr. HENSARLING

Mr. HENSARLING. Madam Speaker, 2 years ago this month, I rose to express my outrage with Democrats over their treatment of my fellow Texan, Supreme Court Justice Priscilla Owen. Today, due to Democrats' continued obstruction, Justice Owen, a highly qualified nominee from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, is still being denied a simple up- or-down vote in the Senate. Madam Speaker, despite unanimously receiving the highest possible rating of the American Bar Association, despite the strong, bipartisan support of several former Texas Supreme Court Justices and 15 past presidents of the State Bar of Texas, Texas Supreme Court Justice Priscilla Owen has still not received a simple up-or-down vote for 4 years. For 4 years, Senate Democrats have worked to obstruct our Constitution. When Republicans were in power during President Clinton's term, no judicial nominee was ever deprived of a vote due to a filibuster. Now, after 200 years of American history, Democrats want to unilaterally change the rules. Madam Speaker, Justice Owen has a right to get a vote on her nomination. Basic fairness dictates it, as does our Constitution.

Mr. HENSARLING

Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the exceptional achievements of Dr. James Terry, Superintendent of the Mesquite Independent School District. On January 10th of this year, Dr. Terry announced his intention to retire at the end of the school year bringing a close to his long and distinguished career as an educator. For the past 42 years, his students have been at the heart of each of his decisions. Dr. Terry has been a strong role model and exceptional educator for the children of east Texas as both a teacher and administrator. The students, parents, and teachers of the Mesquite Independent School District will greatly miss his leadership and educational vision. Although his career has steered him through both Beaumont and Dallas, Dr. Terry and his wife Frances Louise Gilbert quickly settled in their eventual home of Mesquite, Texas. His first assignment in Mesquite was as a math teacher, but before long he moved into a variety of administrative positions before assuming the responsibility of Superintendent in July of 2001. Along the way, he amassed a trophy case of awards including the 1999 Administrator of the Year Award from the Texas Professional Educators and also earned the Golden Deeds for Education Award in 2004. Dr. Terry, who received his undergraduate, masters, and a doctorate degree from East Texas State University in Commerce, Texas, has always believed that proper education required a hands-on approach. Upon assuming the role of superintendent, he immediately set out to visit each of the 42 schools in his district to share his plans and vision for the upcoming school year. Since that time, he has always made it a priority to spend some time at each of the schools and with the more than 34,000 students for which he is responsible. On top of his numerous accomplishments in the classroom and in the superintendent's office, Dr. Terry has also demonstrated his commitment to public education through his membership and leadership roles in several educational organizations. Over the course of his career, he has served on the President's Education Advisory Council for the Texas A&M University System and in the Regents' Initiative for Excellence in Education through Texas A&M--Commerce. In addition, he was a member of the Executive Council of the East Texas School Study and has served as president of the North Central Texas Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development. As the Congressman for the Fifth District of Texas, I am pleased today to recognize my friend, Dr. James Terry for his many years of public service and for the outstanding contributions he has made to make his community and his country a better place. Dr. Terry, on behalf of all of the constituents of the Fifth District, especially those in Mesquite, I would like to extend our most sincere thanks and praise for a job well done.

Mr. HENSARLING

Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of his many loyal listeners in the Dallas-Forth Worth and the Fifth Congressional District of Texas, today I would like to honor my friend, Mr. Ron Chapman, for his many years of outstanding broadcasting and community involvement. With his wit, wisdom, and welcome voice, Ron Chapman has helped wake up, inform, and entertain millions of North Texans for the past 45 years. Ron Chapman came to Dallas in 1959 and began working for KLIF-AM. In 1965, he joined WFAA-TV and for 2 years he hosted the teen dance show Sump'n Else! In the late 1960's, Ron helped bring KVIL to the top of the ratings as both the morning host and program director. Although he left KVIL in 2000, he did not go far. Ever true to his Dallas audience he moved to KVIL's sister station, KLUV-FM. There his morning show continued to consistently rank in the top 10. Ron Chapman earned the very first National Association of Broadcaster's Marconi Award for Personality of the Year in 1989. As a testament to the quality of his work and his commitment to excellence in broadcasting, Ron Chapman was also inducted into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame in 2004. One of his radio colleagues described Ron as ``the benchmark'' of what morning radio should be, and I am sure his many listeners agree. Ron Chapman is more than just a radio personality, to the people of North Texas, he is our friend. As the Congressman for the Fifth Congressional District, and as one of his many loyal fans, it is my distinct pleasure to honor Ron Chapman today in the United States House of Representatives. Ron, many thanks for all that you have done over your distinguished broadcasting career. You will be fondly remembered and you will be deeply missed on the airwaves by the people of Dallas.

Mr. HENSARLING

Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to honor the Van Vandals boy's basketball team who won the Texas 3A High School Basketball Championship on March 11, 2005. In their first trip to the state finals in 63 years, the Vandals beat Graham High School to return home with the state championship trophy. The victory capped off an outstanding season for the Vandals with an impressive record of 38-2. I would like to recognize teammates Grant McMillan, Kacey McCauley, Cory Foster, Beau Garland, Marcus Brown, Cody Huffman, Dalvin Davis, Duncan McFarland, Brandon Roberts, Chris Gossett, Andrew Thompson, Kenny Ghormley, Jeramie Calhoun, Wade Mackey, as well as Head Coach Jerry Cassell and Assistant Coaches Jeff Hutchins and Rick Jones. As the congressional representative of the families, coaches, and supporters of the Van Vandals, it is my pleasure to recognize their tremendous victory and outstanding season. This is an accomplishment that these young men will remember for the rest of their lives.

Mr. HENSARLING

Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Speaker, today, I would like to recognize the outstanding achievement of Amanda Blakely of Crandall, Texas, who was recently named the winner of the 37th Annual Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award. Amanda, who is a graduating senior from Crandall High School is the High School Print Winner for her work, ``Ms. Mary and the Big Blue House.'' Her work takes readers into the home of foster parents Mike and Mary Brooks through moving interviews with three teenagers who have been placed in their care by the Texas Children's Protective Services. The Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards honor outstanding reporting of problems of the disadvantaged. RFK Journalism Award winners have covered such diverse issues as child abuse, juvenile crime, bank redlining and discrimination against people living with AIDS. Past winners of this prestigious award include Diane Sawyer of ABC, The Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, National Public Radio, and CBS's ``60 Minutes.'' This is the second major national journalism award for Amanda. In November 2003, Bob Scheiffer presented Amanda with the Ryan White Foundation National Journalist Award at the Journalism Educators Association Convention in Washington, DC. Amanda has also received national honors from the Los Angeles Times in August of 2004. Award-winning work and journalism must run in Amanda's genes. In 1988, her late grandmother, Jannette Cox, of Athens, Texas, was honored by both the Texas House and Senate as well as by United States Congressman Jim Chapman for her work with the Athens Creative Center. Amanda's grandfather, John H. Cox, now a journalist for the Cedar Creek Pilot, once was assigned to cover former Texas Governor, now President, George W. Bush for the Jacksonville Daily Progress. As Congressman for the Fifth Congressional District of Texas, I would like to recognize Amanda and congratulate her grandparents, along with her parents Gerald and Lynda Blakely, for her outstanding accomplishment.

Mr. HENSARLING

Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 1185, the Federal Deposit Insurance Reform Act of 2005. As a member of the Financial Services Committee, I want to thank Chairman Oxley and Subcommittee Chairman Bachus for their work on this legislation and for acting quickly in this new Congress to address this matter of importance to banks and depositors alike. This legislation, which passed by a vote of 411-11 in the 108th Congress, will help to create a more stable, fair, and secure banking system. By combining the Banking Insurance Fund and the Savings Association Insurance Fund into one single fund, the risk that a couple of large institutions could fail and impair each fund is greatly reduced. Merging these funds will help to increase fairness in our banking system by eliminating the possibility that two institutions of similar sizes could essentially be paying different premiums. Furthermore, the merged fund will make reporting and accounting less burdensome for both the institutions and the FDIC. Our deposit insurance system plays a vital role in our economic security. This legislation will give the FDIC the necessary flexibility to respond to varying economic conditions, allowing them to properly price premiums to reflect risk. By eliminating the 23 basis point premium ``rate cliff' required under current law, more institutions will have more capital to invest in our economy. Although I support the majority of provisions of H.R. 1185, I do want to take this time to express my concerns with Section 3 of this legislation. This section of the bill would increase a financial institution's insurance limit for individual accounts from $100,000 to $130,000. Section 3 also doubles the coverage for retirement accounts to $260,000 and increases the coverage limit for municipal accounts to $2 million or 80 percent of any deposits over $130,000. I believe that arbitrarily increasing these limits will unnecessarily expose American taxpayers to the increased hazards associated with shifting risk from private institutions to the federal government. Further, such a provision is likely to decrease a depositor's concern for the financial well being of their bank while at the same time diminishing market discipline. It is my hope that these factors are given full consideration should H.R. 1185 be considered in conference with the Senate. Mr. Chairman, FDIC Chairman Powell stated in his testimony to the Financial Services Committee on March 17, 2005, that H.R. 1185 gives Congress an ``opportunity to remedy flaws in the deposit insurance system before those flaws cause actual damage either to the banking industry or our economy as a whole.'' As a member of that committee, I am glad to see this body act so expeditiously on this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to vote for H.R. 1185.

Mr. HENSARLING

Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Chairman, today the House of Representatives approved the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (H.R. 6). I supported this bill because our nation needs to take positive steps towards ending our nation's dangerous dependence on foreign sources of energy. This bill helps by allowing America to better utilize sources of energy that we possess right here at home. Furthermore, by streamlining the regulations governing domestic and off-shore energy production and repealing current restrictions on the ability of people to invest in electricity, H.R. 6 increases our energy security and makes certain that our economy will continue to have access to the energy that is necessary for growth. Unfortunately, despite its strengths, H.R. 6 also contains a number of provisions that I believe are unnecessary at best, and detrimental to the American taxpayer at worst. This bill contains dozens of newly authorized programs, including programs to acquire scooters and Segways. Although I believe there is a role for the government in helping develop cleaner sources of energy, the country currently faces an oncoming fiscal tsunami. To that end, I believe that we need to exercise extreme caution with the money entrusted to us by the American people. Additionally, while H.R. 6 undoubtedly contains vital provisions aimed at improving energy efficiency, conservation, and development of alternative fuel sources, I am concerned that many of the tax incentives used to achieve these purposes will lead to the government picking winners and losers in the marketplace. In light of high gas prices, I believe there are already numerous incentives for energy users to develop ways to conserve and use energy more efficiently. Furthermore, high energy prices can also be a powerful driver of innovation for alternative, renewable fuels. Any producer who can develop an alternative fuel that is as efficient, reliable, and at least as cost-effective as gasoline could make tremendous profits in the energy market, even without government encouragement. I congratulate Chairman Joe Barton on crafting a bill that makes our nation safer and less dependent on foreign energy. His leadership and commitment to passing this needed legislation should be commended. H.R. 6 will make energy in this country more affordable, increase our energy security, and help Americans use energy in ways that are increasingly environmentally friendly. It is my hope that when we go to conference with the Senate, our conferees will remember the importance of promoting competition and innovation, while protecting taxpayers.

Mr. HENSARLING

Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Speaker, today, I would like to congratulate the Trinity Valley Community College (TVCC) Cardinal Cheerleaders for their recent victory in the National Cheerleaders Association Junior College Division Championship in Daytona Beach, Florida. The Cardinal Cheerleaders posted an impressive score of 9.04 in the final round, earning TVCC their eighth national cheerleading title, the team's third since 2001. On behalf of the Fifth Congressional District of Texas, I would like to extend my congratulations to all of the members of the TVCC Cheerleading team including: Kolan Lynch, Amber Trahan, Dreekus Burton, Eric Mahame, Loren Taylor, Kynan Downs, Jacqueline Vogel, Andy Cessac, Erica Weems, Charles Gilbert, Kyle McCall, Courtney Pike, Danny Ogura, Jennifer Tacker, Adam Yeatts, Lindsey Gonzales, Jesse Salas, Drew Clements, Megan Centeno, Dion Bagby, Wendy Hall, Kyle Fowler, Roxann Wylie, and Greg Smalley. I would also like to congratulate their coach, Lucy Strom, on their tremendous victory. The Cardinal Cheerleaders exemplify the hard work and team spirit of TVCC's student body and the institution's continuing commitment to excellence.

Mr. HENSARLING

Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in very strong support of this conference report. And I also want to congratulate the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Nussle), the chairman of the Budget Committee, who I know is on the floor now. Mr. Speaker, I believe he probably has the most difficult job that one has in the United States House of Representatives; and that is, each one of us, 435 of us, have opinions about how much money we should take from American families and spend in government, and once we get that money what should we spend it on. And certainly I have my opinions. I believe we need to do more to protect the family budget from the Federal budget. And at the same time there are some categories of government I wish we could spend more money on. I believe that there is still more we could do in policing our border, more we can do in veterans health care. But I strongly support this budget for several reasons. Number one, a budget is a whole lot more than just numbers. It is more than just an accounting green eye-shade function. It is about priorities. It is about vision. This is a budget that provides for the common defense. This is a budget that helps us fight and win this war on terror. It is a budget that promotes economic growth. Under this Republican administration's economic policies, we have come out of the recession. We have created 3 million jobs. We are giving Americans jobs and growth and hope and opportunity. And this budget protects that. And perhaps also, very important and very historic, this budget provides for something we call reconciliation. Now, in Washington terms, that is kind of an insider baseball term. But what it means is we start the process to reform our entitlement spending. Now, why is that important? Our friends on the other side of the aisle are always talking about how, for some reason, their budget is fiscally responsible and ours is not. But right now we have Medicare; over the next decade it is growing to grow at 9 percent a year. Medicaid is going to grow at almost 8 percent a year. Social Security is growing at 5\1/2\ percent a year. The General Accounting Office tells us that if we do not reform these programs, that we are on a glide path to where our children and our grandchildren will have to see their taxes increased 2\1/2\ times. This is fiscally responsible? Sure. We can balance the budget in 2040. All we do is we leave spending on automatic pilot, and we raise taxes on our children and grandchildren 2\1/2\ times. Mr. Speaker, I see nothing fiscally responsible in that approach. And this is why I am a strong supporter of this. And I believe we must start the process of reform. Our children and grandchildren are facing this legacy, this sea, this tsunami of red ink. There is a question of generational fairness here. And Mr. Speaker, many of us in this Chamber know that we can get better retirement security at a lesser cost. We can get better health care at a lesser cost if we just have different policies. I mean, right now we know, we know that if we will embrace real Social Security personal accounts with real assets that owners can work and have a nest egg, that they can get more, greater retirement security than what present Social Security is promising and cannot deliver. Now, our friends on the other side of the aisle will find fault in this budget in a couple of ways. And I have been listening to the debate. They say tax relief is why we have these massive budget deficits. Well, unfortunately, they have not looked at the latest Treasury reports. We have actually cut marginal rates. And guess what? We have more tax revenue because people have incentives to go opt and create new small businesses and to expand and to hire new people. Again, look at the facts. The facts are indisputable. We have cut marginal tax rates, and we increase more tax revenue. But say that we believe in their theory, that tax relief is actually part of the problem. Say tax relief was just a line item that said the office of widget control. Well, if you look very closely at what this budget does, it provides $16.6 billion in tax relief versus $2.5 trillion in spending. That is less than 1 percent. So somehow less than 1 percent of the Federal budget supposed to cause all these problems? I do not think so. In this case, tax relief has proven to be part of the deficit solution, not the deficit problem. And when it comes to the deficit, the deficit is really a symptom. It is spending that is the disease. And without real reform, without real reconciliation, we do not get it, Mr. Speaker, and this is why I am so strongly in favor of this budget resolution. And once again I congratulate our great chairman, the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Nussle) for the work he has done.