Marcy Kaptur

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I want to say that I am not going to vote for this bill because I cannot even find the bill. I went down to the Clerk's office just now because I was told that is where the only copy of the bill was. In fact, I was told that it was filed at the Government Printing Office at 4:15 this morning. So then we call over to the Committee on Ways and Means. I said, I will run over to the Committee on Ways and Means and get the bill. I call over to the Committee on Ways and Means, and they said, we have only got the sections that deal with our committee. We have got Social Security, we have got Medicare, we have got Medicaid. I said, let us take a look and see if it is up in the Committee on Rules. They said, no, the Committee on Rules does not have the bill. Maybe there is one copy down on the floor, maybe the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Moakley], maybe the gentleman from New York [Mr. Solomon] have that copy. Then I said, well, let us go to the web site. So we went to Thomas.loc.gov. Guess what? The bill is not on the web site. I am not elected by the gentleman from New York [Mr. Solomon]. I am not elected by the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Moakley]. I am elected by the people of the Ninth Congressional District of Ohio. I cannot get a bill, and I do not want to listen to the gentleman from South Carolina [Mr. Spratt] because he did not elect me. The people back in Ohio elected me. To bring this kind of a bill to the floor today and tomorrow, what is the rush? Are we afraid the American people might actually know what is in this bill and would not want us to vote on this until September when we have had a chance to study the bill? What is the rush? I can see a fast ball when it comes.

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I would love to know why the Clerk's office did not know what site it was at?

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the Pombo amendment because I truly do not believe that this is a matter for our Committee on Appropriations. I am opposed to the amendment of the gentleman from California that redesignates Galt, CA, as an urban community rather than a rural community. I remain concerned about the purpose of this language and the unintended consequences that may result. The town council of Galt has not voted to ask the Congress for repeal of its eligibility for rural housing assistance. There is no official resolution asking us to do this. And in fact even if they had, the appropriations bill is not the proper place in order to consider this. In addition, Mr. Chairman, the current Federal statutes do not force any town to take rural housing assistance. It is optional if they wish to seek it. So why would any Member wish to lift this designation from their town? Finally, it is our understanding that many low-income families seeking to invest their own sweat equity in helping to build their own homes will lose that opportunity in Galt as a result of this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I have continued to strongly oppose this amendment. This addresses a local matter in which this Congress, certainly the Committee on Appropriations, should not intervene. Why should the Federal Government set a separate policy affecting one community that sets a terrible precedent for other communities to appeal to the Committee on Appropriations for special treatment to resolve their local issues. It is simply not our job to do that. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Kennedy], the ranking member on the Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity, and urge a ``no'' vote on the Pombo amendment.

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minute to the gentleman from North Carolina [Mr. Price]. (Mr. PRICE of North Carolina asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Kentucky [Mr. Baesler].

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I yield 45 seconds to the distinguished gentleman from North Dakota [Mr. Pomeroy].

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I wanted to say to the gentleman how impressed I am and our Members are on the manner in which you conducted yourself on this issue. I think the citizens of the State of Washington are extremely well represented, and I want to thank the gentleman for the manner in which he has operated in order to bring his concerns to the Department.

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from North Carolina [Mr. McIntyre]. (Mr. McINTYRE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from North Carolina [Mrs. Clayton]. (Mrs. CLAYTON asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Georgia [Mr. Bishop].

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Virginia [Mr. Sisisky]. (Mr. SISISKY asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Florida [Mrs. Meek].

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from North Carolina [Mr. Etheridge]. (Mr. ETHERIDGE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Virginia [Mr. Goode]. (Mr. GOODE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina [Mr. Hefner]. (Mr. HEFNER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I ask the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Ewing] if he would yield one half of his time to me and that I be allowed to further yield time.

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Hawaii [Mrs. Mink].

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Stenholm], the distinguished ranking member of the authorizing Committee on Agriculture. (Mr. STENHOLM asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Bonior], our distinguished leader.

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentleman's constructive work in trying to assure that these regional offices actually serve a useful purpose, and would add my support to the gentleman's request for an inquiry to make sure that the offices themselves are not new nor unnecessary levels of bureaucracy which could complicate our efforts to assist farmers and meet our goals of conservation.

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Hawaii [Mr. Abercrombie]. (Mr. ABERCROMBIE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)