Jim Jordan

Mr. JORDAN of Ohio

Mr. JORDAN of Ohio. Yes, because, look, the other approach hasn't worked and hasn't worked in recent history. This bailout fever, as the gentleman from Colorado alluded to, this bailout fever that's grabbed Washington, we know that doesn't work. We have seen what's happened with the trillions of dollars we have spent. There are all kinds of reasons we shouldn't continue down this road. So we know that doesn't work. What we do know works is letting families, letting taxpayers, letting small business owners keep more of their money investing back in their business and helping our economy.

Mr. JORDAN of Ohio. I think it is important to also understand the gravity of this. Not only the bailouts haven't worked, but we have to understand how much in debt we are. We are getting into unprecedented levels of national debt.

Mr. JORDAN of Ohio. As we have done in the last 2 years.

Mr. JORDAN of Ohio. The month of November, we ran the largest single monthly deficit in history, $164 billion for one month. This is serious.

Mr. JORDAN of Ohio. It didn't cost that much.

Mr. JORDAN of Ohio. It is unprecedented. There are several reasons why we shouldn't go down this bailout road, I call it this bailout fever that has grabbed Washington. First and foremost, once you start, it is hard to stop. Everybody gets in line. We have seen it. Every single business now has their hand out. We had the governors and mayors that people talked about earlier this evening. The second reason, as the gentleman from Louisiana pointed out, it doesn't work. We have seen what happened with the first $350 billion in the TARP program. The third reason, the most compelling reason in my judgment, it is immoral. It is wrong to do this to our kids and grandkids. It is wrong to saddle this kind of debt to our children and grandchildren, future generations of Americans. One of the things that makes this country special, that made America great, is the concept that parents make sacrifices for their kids so that they have life a little better than they did, and they in turn do it for the next generation and they in turn do it for the next, and we get to be the greatest country that there ever was. The fourth reason is it is unfair. And I think we miss this sometimes. It is unfair that taxpayers bail out certain businesses. And the small business owner back home, he is not going to get help, she is not going to get help to run that small business. More importantly, for those industries that are getting help from the government, that are getting help from the taxpayers, it is unfair to their competitors within that same industry who don't get help. So there are all kinds of reasons why we shouldn't do this, but chief among them, chief among them is the idea that it is wrong to saddle future generations of Americans with this kind of debt. I have said many times to folks back home, who is going to bail out the bailout?

Mr. JORDAN of Ohio

Mr. JORDAN of Ohio. Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Republican Conference standards on earmarks, I submit the following information regarding a project included at my request in H.R. 2638, the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act of 2009: Requesting Member: Congressman Jim Jordan. (OH-04). Bill: H.R. 2638. Account: Army Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E)-- Combat Vehicle and Automotive Advanced Technology. Requesting entity: Joint Systems Manufacturing Center, 1161 Buckeye Road, Lima, OH. Project title: N-STEP-Enabled Manufacturing Cell for Future Combat Systems. Description: With Federal assistance in fiscal years 2005 and 2006, the Government-owned Joint Systems Manufacturing Center in Lima, OH, developed a friction appurtenance welding cell to automate the many hundreds of individual welds required in large combat vehicle manufacturing. The $2.4 million included in H.R. 2638 will help perfect this technology for current and Future Combat Systems production, reducing the cost to the Government for vehicle procurement.

Mr. JORDAN of Ohio

Mr. JORDAN of Ohio. I thank the gentleman for yielding. And I'll be real brief. I appreciate you putting this together. And I just wanted to say congratulations and thank you to our three retirees for all your years of outstanding public service. And you know, I've only had the privilege of serving with these three individuals for 20 months, but each of them, in their own way have been helpful to me. Friendship is there, and I appreciate that. And I really appreciate Congressman Hobson, who used to be my congressman, used to have Champaign County for several years. But his help in so many ways, in particular, navigating the defense appropriations process has been extremely helpful. So congratulations; my best to each and every one of you. And thank you again for what you've done for the Buckeye State and for our country.

Mr. JORDAN of Ohio

Mr. JORDAN of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I rise to commend to the House the memory of Mr. Milton H. Weyer, Jr., on his passing of May 29, 2008. A lifelong Ohioan, Milton was born in Findlay on April 19, 1947. He led a life dedicated to service and helping others, serving for 4 years in the Air Force and for 27 years at Hanco as an emergency medical technician. His legacy of selflessness is fondly remembered by all those in his community and by those whose lives he touched. Milton is survived by his wife Suzanne; his 5 children, Milton III, Marcus, Mallory, Drew, and Samantha; his siblings Bob, Donnie, Dave, Ray, and Charlotte; as well as 11 grandchildren. I ask my colleagues to remember the Weyer family in their prayers and to honor all of those who provide service to their communities and to our Nation.

Mr. JORDAN of Ohio

Mr. JORDAN of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to commend Dr. Howard Koch of Lima, OH, to the House of Representatives as Ohio's 2008 Outstanding Older Worker. Eighty-four years young, Dr. Koch performed general dentistry for 45 years. After selling his practice, he has continued to perform denture work for the past 12 years. About his life's work, Dr. Koch stated, ``Work--it's not really work. I like what I do and when you like what you do, it's not work.'' Dr. Koch has many accomplishments to his name from his distinguished career. In the 1960s, he co-chaired a committee to have fluoride added to Lima's water supply. He also made the first mouthguards for area football players. He has served as president of the Northwest Ohio Dental Association. Though Dr. Koch has enjoyed a wonderful career, he did not always intend to be a dentist. He served as a bombardier during World War II and attained the rank of Second Lieutenant. He originally planned to be a teacher after serving in the military but changed his mind and entered the field of dentistry. Though he keeps busy with his denture practice, Dr. Koch enjoys spending his free time cooking and baking homemade bread. He also enjoys dabbling in photography. He and his wife Patricia have been married for 63 years. Madam Speaker, I take great pride today in recognizing Ohio's 2008 Outstanding Older Worker, Dr. Howard Koch.

Mr. JORDAN of Ohio

Mr. JORDAN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, America is the greatest Nation in history with the greatest economy in history, a $14 trillion annual economy. To remain the number one economy, we need a real energy plan, not a sham. To help families across this country, we need a real energy plan, not a sham. Here is the Democrat plan: no real offshore drilling; no drilling in ANWR; no nuclear power; no lawsuit abuse reform; no revenue sharing with the States. But you know what is in the plan, tax increases. Think about that. At a time when we want our economy to grow, they are raising taxes. At a time when we need more oil, they are going to tax the very people who produce the oil. This is a terrible plan. It doesn't help our economy stay number one. It won't help American families, and that is why we should vote ``no'' on the Democrat plan and support the Republican plan that does the right things for our country.

Mr. JORDAN of Ohio

Mr. JORDAN of Ohio. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to H.R. 6842, and in support of the Childers amendment, I support the amendment for three reasons, first it's just basic respect for the second amendment. The founders got it right when they put the second amendment right after the first. Our founders understood how important this principle was in ensuring our basic freedoms in a constitutional republic. I want to support the Childers amendment also for the fact that it respects the Supreme Court decision in the Heller case. This bill, in its current form, would allow for restrictions and regulations to be imposed that run contrary to the expressed opinion in that court decision. When given the chance to implement commonsense legislation that protects the second amendment rights and respected the Supreme Court, the D.C. City Council instead enacted an emergency bill, completely in defiance of the Court, that banned most semiautomatic pistols, the firearm most often used by families to defend themselves. They banned operable firearms in the home, requiring an individual to assemble and load and fire them only after an attack is under way and instituted costly and intrusive and convoluted registration process. Finally, the last reason, I think, that the Childers amendment makes so much sense, is it's just good common sense. As the individual from Indiana pointed out, criminals aren't stupid, they are just bad. Bad guys aren't dumb, they are just bad, and here is the dynamic that is at work. If you have a bad guy, a bad guy out there on the street trying to figure out which home he is going to rob some night, and there are two adjacent properties side by side. In one driveway is a pickup truck with a gun rack and a bumper sticker that says, ``I love the NRA'' and ``Palin for President.'' In the very next driveway, you have a Volkswagen with a Greenpeace bumper sticker and, respectfully, ``Waxman for President'' bumper sticker as well, which place do you think he is going to target for a crime? That's the dynamics that is at work here. Criminals now have to stop and think, as previous speakers have pointed out, about this family may, in fact, be now able to exercise their second amendment rights to protect themselves, their family and their property. That's the basic fundamental constitutional right we want to protect with the Childers amendment. That's why I oppose the underlying bill and support the amendment.

Mr. JORDAN of Ohio

Mr. JORDAN of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in strong support of this important resolution. Today we pause to remember nearly 3,000 who were killed, and thousands more who were injured, on that fateful morning 7 years ago. We remember the unspeakable evil we saw that morning, the terror that confronted us on our own shores. But we also remember the heroism of countless ordinary Americans who did extraordinary things that tragic day and in the weeks and months that followed. Like the firefighters, paramedics, police officers, and other first responders who rushed into crumbling burning buildings, risking and giving their lives to do their duty and to save others, and, of course, the millions of Americans who gathered in church to pray, in communities centers and schools to organize relief for victims, and lined up around the corners to give blood. When evil confronted America that day, we did not flinch, we did not back down, and we did not surrender. In the 7 years that have passed since that day, our Nation has remained on offense against the threat of radical Islamic extremism. It is a struggle that will define our generation and shape the next American century. We did not choose this battle, but we will meet it, as Americans always have, and we must be victorious. I would again like to express my gratitude to the United States Armed Forces. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines have answered the call of their country in her hour of need. They and their families have made countless sacrifices. Over 4,500 have given what President Lincoln called the fullest measure of devotion to their country. As long as this threat exists and Americans troops are deployed in harm's way, they must have the full support of this Congress. On this day when we look back and remember, let us gain strength from the examples of bravery and courage we have seen over the last 7 years. We must honor the legacy of the fallen and stand united against the continued threats to our country. I ask my colleagues to join me in renewing our commitment to these principles that have made us the home of the brave and will continue to keep us the home of the free.

Mr. JORDAN of Ohio

Mr. JORDAN of Ohio. One of the arguments we hear is just what the gentleman brought up, it is going to take 8 to 10 years to bring this production. We forget about the fact that, as you indicated, ANWR is only 70, 75 miles away from the existing pipeline. We have already got that infrastructure in place. And as the gentleman indicated earlier, it used to be 2 million barrels a day moving through that pipeline. Today it is 700,000. If it gets to a certain level, it drops to a certain low level, it becomes physically, the feasibility physically is just not there to continue to maintain it. And frankly, from an economic standpoint, there needs to be a certain volume of oil moving through that every day. This place is right next door, 75 miles away. And the infrastructure is in place. It will take a lot less time to get that oil to market and help every single family.

Mr. JORDAN of Ohio. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. JORDAN of Ohio. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. JORDAN of Ohio. I thank the gentleman for putting this hour together. I thank the folks who are participating and those who were able to go on our trip when we went to, we were up in ANWR, up in Alaska to see. You know, the thing I just feel so strongly about is, Americans realize we live in the greatest country ever. But they are frustrated. They are frustrated by the fact that this Congress, if you saw the news yesterday, this Congress has run the largest deficit in history. $482 billion is the projected deficit this year. They are frustrated that this Congress won't act on increasing the supply of energy, won't act on drilling more offshore, drilling more in Alaska, won't act on bringing down the price at the pump, bringing down the price of energy, won't act on those things that are necessary to help every single family across this country. A few months ago, in our district, I had the opportunity to be in one of our Federal judge's courtroom for the ceremony where new Americans take the oath of citizenship. And I don't know if you have ever had a chance to participate in those ceremonies, Madam Speaker, but when you get an opportunity, it is an emotional experience to watch these, in my case, it was 36 new Americans, raise their hand, take the oath and become an American citizen. And when they completed that oath, the smile on their face, when they now realized that they were a citizen of the greatest country in the world, it is special to see. And frankly, those Americans, those new Americans, as all Americans, deserve better from their Congress. The idea that we are going to leave here without taking an up or down vote on increasing supply on drilling offshore, on drilling in ANWR, is just wrong, and they deserve better. One of the things that we learned that the gentleman from California has pointed out in some of his comments and remarks, when we were in Alaska, I will just be frank with you. If ever there was a place that we should be producing oil, it is in ANWR. Alaska is a beautiful State, except in ANWR where we were. When you went and looked across that area, this was a desolate, barren place that has over 10 billion barrels of oil waiting to be brought to production, waiting to be helping with our supply needs, waiting to be helping with the price at the pump that families are paying, and it is just something that we need to go do. And as the gentleman points out, technology is our friend in this area. The footprint needed now on the surface to go down and get a much larger area subsurface is so small, and we can do it in an environmentally safe way. I thought it was interesting, and my colleagues will recall this as well who were on the trip, that we flew over ANWR in propeller planes, prop planes, so we were flying pretty low to the ground. When we flew over ANWR I didn't see any wildlife. I am sure it was there, but I just thought it was sort of ironic and somewhat of a coincidence. We didn't see it. As I told the press, we didn't see caribou, we didn't see, you know, polar bears. We didn't see Bambi. We didn't see it. What we saw was a barren, desolate place which, as I said, has over 10 billion barrels of oil that needed to be brought to market. But when we were on the ground, as the gentleman from California pointed out, in the Prudhoe Bay area, in that production are, where we have been taking oil out of the ground, bringing it to market for 30 years, when we were on the ground there in that area, at the pipeline itself, mile marker 0, pump station Number 1, we saw the caribou. They were right there. In fact, we saw one caribou trotting across the airport runway where we landed the plane as we flew into the Prudhoe Bay area. So the idea that we can produce this in a way that is going to be friendly to wildlife, it is already there. We saw proof of that firsthand. This is something we need to do. As I said, the American people get it, and the fact that their Congress doesn't is frustrating. It is frustrating them. It is frustrating for those of us who want to drill more, who want this legislation to pass so we can get started on bringing down the price right away. They get it. And I am confident what is going to happen over the August recess, you know, is there is an old line in politics that most politicians don't see the light; they feel the heat. And I think when some of these Members go back home, they are not just going to feel the heat from the August summer weather, they are going to feel the heat from families and constituents back home who tell them, we need to drill; we need to go get more supply. The American people get it. It is time that this Democrat-led Congress get it. I am still confident we can get a vote on this before the election, hopefully, when we come back in September, and we are going to continue to push on that. And with that I would yield back to my good friend, the gentleman from California.

Mr. JORDAN of Ohio. I just want to ask the gentleman a question. He comes from Louisiana. Isn't it true that the oil production facilities offshore in your State in the gulf that during Katrina, that terrible disaster that hit our country, hit your State so hard, but isn't it true those production facilities withstood that hurricane and there was no spill, no environmental hazard whatsoever during that entire storm?

Mr. JORDAN of Ohio. Today in the Budget Committee we had a hearing today where we were talking about the increased price in food. We had two economists that were a part of the panel, and I asked them how much--you think about the fact that every commodity price is up. I asked them, I said, How much of all of these other commodity prices, the price being driven up, is attributable to the price of fuel? And they couldn't give a percentage, but they said it's a lot. And it's not just a lot. When you think about the farmer and the fact that his input costs and just putting diesel in the tractor to plant the crops and harvest and cultivate the crops, but it's all our distribution. You have got to move all of these products that my friend from Tennessee listed, that my friend from Georgia talked about in agriculture. You have got to move them across this country. Fuel drives up every single other commodity price, and that's why, again, it highlights and underscores the fact that we have got to pass legislation that allows us to get more supply.

Mr. JORDAN of Ohio

Mr. JORDAN of Ohio. I thank the gentleman. Madam Speaker, I rise to join my colleagues today in opposition to taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood, and I particularly want to thank Congressman Smith for his long-time leadership on this most important issue, as well as Mr. Pence for his introduction of the legislation that will do just what we've been talking about this evening. Let me just reiterate a few of the numbers that the gentlelady from Minnesota pointed out. Planned Parenthood had over $1 billion in revenue last year, $115 million in profit, $952 million in net assets. That's bad enough, I mean, that they're using our tax dollars to fund a practice that is wrong, that is immoral. But add to it this fact--and I want to cite and the gentlelady did this as well--cite The Wall Street Journal article where Planned Parenthood talks about the fact that they're going to raise $10 million to fund their political action committee. So to just put it into plain language, think about what's going on here in this practice. Planned Parenthood is using your tax dollars to raise more money to run against your candidate to elect someone who will give them more tax dollars. Stated even more simply, using your tax money to run against you and run against the candidates you want to support, those pro-life candidates. That's what they're doing. They want to keep electing people that will keep this process going forward. This is just wrong, and it should stop. And the gentleman from Texas was so right when he talks about those pregnancy resource centers, those crisis pregnancy centers out there who are doing the bake sales. Our church, we help support one where they give each family a bottle and you fill it up with coins and you stuff a few dollars, raising money just any way they can to protect human life because they understand it's sacred. They understand it's precious. Contrast that with this practice that we see here that Planned Parenthood engages in, and frankly, contrast it with what the previous speaker just said. The wisdom and the vision the Founders had when they started this place, when they started the greatest country in history, the Founding statement: ``We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.'' I think it's interesting to note the order the Founders placed the rights they chose to mention. Can you pursue happiness? Can you pursue your goals, your dreams, those things that have meaning and significance to you and your family if you first don't have liberty, if you first don't have freedom? And can you ever experience true liberty, true freedom, if government doesn't protect your most fundamental right, your right to life? That's what this legislation is about. It's about protecting that most sacred, that most precious, that most fundamental right that the Founders understood was central to what we call this thing America. And that's why I'm pleased to support my colleagues in this legislation this evening. I appreciate the work of the gentlelady from Minnesota and, of course, Congressman Smith and the entire Pro-Life Caucus.

Mr. JORDAN of Ohio

Mr. JORDAN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. JORDAN of Ohio. In its present form, I am.

Mr. JORDAN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I offer a motion to recommit.

Mr. JORDAN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I offer this motion to recommit with instructions. This motion to recommit is simple and straightforward, one of these important issues that I think we can all agree on, and, frankly, an issue I would have brought as an amendment in committee if I had thought about the idea then. It says that people who are not compliant with their court-ordered child support arrangements, deadbeat dads, are not eligible for the expanded Federal benefits included in the bill. This motion sends a clear message to the American people that we have respect for their hard-earned tax dollars they send to Washington, DC. The underlying bill, however, sends a far different message about the priorities of the majority party in Congress. Think about it: American families are paying more than $4 a gallon for gasoline, but are we acting to bring more energy to this country? America faces unprecedented terrorist threats from abroad, but are we renewing legislation to help better secure the homeland? Are we addressing out-of-control Federal spending? Are we acting to better secure our borders? We are approaching a $10 trillion national debt, a problem that threatens our Nation's economic future, but are we cutting spending or reforming the out-of-control earmark process? Here is what Congress is doing, Mr. Speaker. Congress is spending its time and energy on H.R. 5781, a bill to give Federal bureaucrats, including deadbeat dads, a new handout, a vast expansion to the already generous benefits package they receive at the expense of the American taxpayer, at the expense of every single American family. That is our priority? That is our answer to $4 gasoline, expanding benefits to Washington bureaucrats and deadbeat dads? I ask you, Mr. Speaker, what will you tell the folks about back home? What will you tell the folks who are worried about the economy, worried about higher taxes on the horizon, worried about paying more than $4 a gallon for gasoline for the rest of the summer? Will you tell them not to worry, that their problems belong on the back burner? That the priority of their Member of Congress is to take their tax dollars and expand the benefits package of deadbeat dads in the Federal workplace? Will you tell them that these deadbeat dads, who already receive among the richest benefit packages in the Nation, are more deserving of relief than law-abiding families and taxpayers of your district who are paying $4 a gallon for gasoline? Mr. Speaker, like most issues, the people get it. The American people know what the priorities of Congress should be. Millions of them have signed petitions and communicated to our offices that we need to focus on their priorities. They know our priorities should not be giving deadbeat dads a new taxpayer-funded benefit. They know we should adopt this motion to recommit and move on with the important business facing our Nation. Mr. Speaker, there is another old line that I think is appropriate. ``Most politicians don't see the light; they feel the heat.'' With $4 gasoline, possibly headed for $5 this summer, can you handle the heat you will feel back home once your constituents find out that your priority is to lend a hand to deadbeat dads, or will you see the light and join me in supporting this motion to recommit? Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. JORDAN of Ohio

Mr. JORDAN of Ohio. Madam Speaker, the Democrat Congress doesn't get it. We have got terrorists who want to do us harm, and we have yet to pass the FISA law. We have troops on the battlefield, and we have yet to pass the supplemental to get them the resources they need to do their job. We have got a $10 trillion national debt, and yet the budget that was passed 3 weeks ago contains record levels of spending and the largest tax increase in history. Of course, we have got $4 a gallon gasoline and still no up or down vote on energy, expanding energy exploration. We need to drill, we need to drill now. It's time to stop talking and start doing.