Jerry Kleczka

Mr. KLECZKA

Mr. KLECZKA. I thank the ranking member of the Rules Committee for yielding me the time. Mr. Speaker, what I would like to do is first of all talk about the rule, since we are on the rule, for a brief time, and then we will talk about some other things. We were not accused, but it was noted at the Rules Committee yesterday that the Democrats who were there asking for a substitute amendment were very animated and there was pounding and clapping, and one of the Republican senior Members made note of that. My response was that for the Democrats to get an opportunity to offer a substitute amendment comes so infrequently and is so rare that we thought if we did a lot of animation, we would have a rule that would provide for a substitute amendment. I want to thank the gentleman because it worked.

Mr. KLECZKA. Does the gentlewoman mean to tell me that she is going to be asked to vote on a major, major piece of legislation today and she has never read what she is voting on?

Mr. KLECZKA. Mr. Speaker, shortly the gentlewoman will be asked and 434 other Members of Congress will be asked to vote for and to approve 88 waivers for this welfare plan. Has she had an opportunity or has her office received a copy of these waivers?

Mr. KLECZKA. Mr. Speaker, will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. KLECZKA

Mr. KLECZKA. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Albert Anness of Waukesha, WI, served as a congressional page in the House of Representatives during the first session of the 81st Congress. His experience as a page was the beginning of a lifetime of political involvement and activism. Recently, Mr. Anness wrote a particularly touching vignette about a unique and special moment during his service as a page. Below is his story, which I think we will all find very interesting. Chance Meeting (By Albert R. Anness, House Democratic Page, Spring 1949) In the story I am about to tell, I was alone. The only footsteps were mine; no human voice was within earshot. Solitude was my only companion. It was past mid-afternoon as I passed through the Rotunda of the Capitol and neared the House of Representatives. The statue of Will Rogers stood gazing down upon the House Chambers. The large doors by which President Truman had recently entered to deliver his State of the Union message were now closed. The House Chambers were quiet and dark. I don't remember why I was in the Capitol Building that afternoon. The House stood in adjournment and besides being assigned to the Ways and Means Committee, I had no floor duties. I was probably running some long forgotten errand. Turning left, I began walking down the corridor toward the Democratic cloakroom door. I was heading for the underground passage returning to the New House Office Building. Walking down the corridor I recall the sunlight streaming thru, the large window was beginning to lose its brilliance as evening began its resolute march to darkness. As I neared the cloakroom entrance, my solitude was broken by the arrival upon the scene of the only other participant in my story, Congressman Joseph W. Martin of Massachusetts. The Democratic cloakroom door opened and out he stepped. This was a little surprising, because, at the time, he was the Republican Minority Leader. In a corridor usually bustling with activity, Congressman Martin and I were totally alone. He was a friendly man of medium height with jet black hair that belied his age in the mid-sixties. Congressman Martin was also the last Republican Speaker of the United States House of Representatives until Newt Gingrich, forty-six years later in 1995. We barely had said hello, when he stumbled and began falling down the cloakroom stairs. If I had not been passing at that precise moment, he would have had a very nasty fall on the marble floor. As it happened, he fell harmlessly into my arms escaping injury. Congressman Martin thanked me and went on his way. This happened more than forty-six years ago, but it will forever remain indelibly in my memory.

Mr. KLECZKA

Mr. KLECZKA. I cannot speak for the President, but I as a Member of this body have a right to know and the gentleman is not affording that right. Smile, very funny.

Mr. KLECZKA. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will continue to yield, let us talk about for a moment what we are doing here. The legislature passed a bill called W-2 in the Wisconsin legislature some 6, 8 weeks ago. About 5 weeks ago, the Governor signed the bill, and it has taken him 6 weeks, 5 weeks to come to Washington, DC to request the waivers to implement this piece of legislation. When the Republicans in the House talk about a waiver, know full well it is not a single waiver. It is 75 separate waivers doing everything from eliminating the fair hearing, which is currently provided for under the law, to making provisions for those working in Wisconsin to work at a subminimum wage. I happen to do a radio show with my colleague, the gentleman from Wisconsin [Mr. Petri], and we discussed this very same issue last Friday. At that point in time, I had before me a list of 42 of those waivers, and they are from soup to nuts. They are lengthy and some are complicated, but they are 42. Now our Governor comes to town, has a press conference at the Press Club and all of a sudden enlightens this person from Wisconsin that magically there are now 75 waivers. So what we are going to be asked to do on Tuesday is to grant carte blanche all 75 waivers. I as one Member from Wisconsin, which does have some interest in this subject matter, do not even know what the 30 have to do, do not know anything about the 30. But I should also state that I have received numerous letters in my office from very, very interested Wisconsinites who do not know what the 75 waivers are, either, and have requested the Secretary of Health and Social Services and those in charge around here to provide for a 30-day public comment period. They want to be heard. Something very unheard of in this new Congress, the public wants to be heard. I think the people from Wisconsin who this will directly affect have a right to approach this government and say I do not like number 75, I like 68. Why are we rushing this through on a day when Congress is not going to be here? I will say there is not a Member, there is not one of nine of us, there is not any of the nine of us from Wisconsin who knows anything about these waivers, including the author of the bill. I asked him to give me a feel for one, two, three, four, five. He does not know. He has not seen them. At least I saw 42 of them and raised questions on 2 of those items. Mr. Speaker, my colleagues are going to be asked to rubber stamp 75 major waivers for welfare in the State of Wisconsin. There are not any of my colleagues, including ourselves, who will know what we are doing. Is that how to run a Congress, Mr. Minority Whip?

Mr. KLECZKA. Mr. Speaker, would the majority leader give the Members of the body some feel as to what these waivers include? I am told that there are 75 separate waivers. Could the majority leader possible share with the Members what some of them might be?

Mr. KLECZKA. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will continue to yield, since the gentleman from Wisconsin [Mr. Neumann] is going to be the author of the bill, maybe he could relate to and enlighten some of the Members here as to maybe 3 or 4 or maybe 5 of the 75 waivers. Could he share that with us?

Mr. KLECZKA

Mr. KLECZKA. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. KLECZKA. Mr. Speaker, I think what is at issue here is under current law there is a 30-day comment period. Those members of the public who are interested in the proposal can come forward to either support or to oppose. In my office, I have received numerous letters and petitions from residents of the State of Wisconsin who watched the bill pass the State legislature, watched the Governor sign it, and now they want to have their say as to whether or not these 75, not 1, but 75 waivers, should be granted. Mr. Speaker, they run from soup to nuts. Even if the President supports this, and I cannot speak for him, nor can he speak for me, regardless, the law would still provide that 30 days will be used for a comment period, and then the President can decide and the Secretary of HHS and everyone else. So that is what we are asking be done here. This is being foisted upon us on a day when the Congress is not in session. We have six bills up when Congress is not in session, this is the seventh, which has not even been printed yet. The purported offeror, the gentleman from Racine, Kenosha, he himself, when asked on the floor tonight, did not know himself what the waivers were all about. He is being used as some kind of pawn here. It is really sad what is going on. The only thing we are asking is let us let the people of Wisconsin, on an issue that greatly affects them, be heard. That is what they are asking me to provide for them. Mr. Speaker, this resolution, this action, cuts off the 30 days.

Mr. KLECZKA

Mr. KLECZKA. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today in tribute to Mr. John M. Rupcich, the 1996 Oak Creek Citizen of the Year. Mr. Rupcich, the chief executive officer of NDC, Inc., has given generously of his time and many talents over the years to enhance the lives of all who live and work in Oak Creek, WI. As a successful and well-respected businessman in our community, John has lent many a hand to the area's nonprofit and service organizations, for the betterment of their clients and the public at large. Mr. Rupcich, who was one of the driving forces behind the planning and construction of the beautiful, new Oak Creek Community Center, will be honored, very fittingly, at a recognition dinner at the community center on June 7. I look forward to joining John's many friends, business associates, and his family in paying tribute to him that evening.

Mr. KLECZKA

Mr. KLECZKA. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today in tribute to August G. Erdmann, fire chief, city of Milwaukee, who will soon retire after serving the Department for 32 years, the last seven as chief. Chief Erdmann, a life-long resident of Milwaukee, graduated from Custer High School and earned an associate degree in fire science from the Milwaukee Area Technical College. Throughout this distinguished career, Chief Erdmann has served on the board of directors of the American Red Cross and the Foundation for the Milwaukee Fire Education Center Survive Alive House, the latter which strives to educate the public, especially our youth, about fire safety. His leadership on the Emergency Planning Committee and the State of Wisconsin Hazardous Materials Regional Response Team is to be commended. Chief Erdmann also served as the chairperson of the Combined Giving Campaign, soliciting contributions to local charities, and has provided direction and leadership to make financial resources available for the Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial. Chief Erdmann's retirement, as you can certainly see by his involvement in many projects, will undoubtedly leave a void at the Milwaukee Fire Department and in our community as a whole. However, his retirement will also now allow him to spend well-deserved time with his wife, Nancy, their children, and grandchildren. Best wishes, August, and on behalf of the citizens of Milwaukee, whom you have protected and served so diligently over your long career, thanks for a job well done.

Mr. KLECZKA

Mr. KLECZKA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute and offer my congratulations to Ms. Kimberly Abler of Milwaukee for receiving the 1996 Time Warner National Teacher Award, an honor shared only by 15 other teachers in the country. Ms. Abler, an art specialist at Tippecanoe School for the Humanities in Milwaukee, was recognized for her innovative use of cable television as an educational tool in the classroom. The entry submitted by Ms. Abler and her co-educator, Ms. Jane Borden, was designed to help second grade students connect historical events to their present lives. This program, titled ``Harriet Tubman Freedom Tour,'' is part of the Cable in the Classroom series of educational shows provided as a public service of the cable industry. As we move into the information age, it is exciting to see such creativity and initiative in embracing new technology to educate our Nation's youth. I commend Ms. Abler on her achievement and send my sincere appreciation for her dedication to shaping young minds.

Mr. KLECZKA

Mr. KLECZKA. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise today to commemorate the grand opening and dedication of the building which houses the Les Aspin Center for Government, a Marquette University program with a now permanent base in Washington, DC. Beginning as a single Marquette University student internship in 1987, the Les Aspin Center for Government is now a permanent presence in our Nation's Capitol, with world-wide studies and exchange programs, offering a hands-on approach to Government service and possible career opportunities. Throughout his distinguished career, from 11 terms as Congressman from Wisconsin's First Congressional District to his dedicated service as U.S. Secretary of Defense, Les Aspin was a statesman in the truest sense of the word, oftentimes putting the needs and concerns of this country, and of all Americans, above his own. With this in mind, I challenge the Les Aspin Center for Government, in particular, and Marquette University, as a whole, to educate, prepare, and train its young scholars in the true meaning of statesmanship, following the grand example of Les Aspin. It is also with sadness that I stand before you today, Mr. Speaker. Just as Les Aspin began his professional career at Marquette University as an economics professor, he also completed his career at the university, dying unexpectedly shortly after accepting a new and exciting position as a distinguished professor of international policy. It is therefore quite fitting that the Aspin family and Marquette University has chosen to rename the center in his memory. I only wish he were here with us to join in the festivities.

Mr. KLECZKA

Mr. KLECZKA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of raising the minimum wage. The minimum wage is a critical earnings floor for the working men and women of our Nation. I have supported the necessary periodic increase in the minimum wage since I was first elected to Congress, introducing my own bill for this purpose in 1986. In 1989, I voted in favor of adjusting the minimum wage to its current level of $4.25. It is abundantly clear that $4.25 is no longer an adequate minimum wage. Since 1991, the wage has lost $0.50 in value. An individual working full time at this rate makes less than $9,000 per year--not nearly enough to support a family. Even the proposed increase of $0.90 over 2 years will only compensate for half the value lost in inflation during the 1980's. However, it is a critical step. Nearly 12 million workers across our Nation are working for minimum wage. Of these, close to 75 percent are over 20 years of age. Fifty- eight percent of these adults are women, many of them single mothers. In Wisconsin alone, about 9 percent of our workforce--over 200,000 people--is earning less than $5.15 per hour. This is simply not sustainable. If we are going to reform welfare, cut the earned income tax credit, and reduce other benefits for the poor, we must guarantee them a livable wage. We cannot cut all the legs off the table and then wonder why it does not stand. The minimum wage is a crucial safety net for the working poor, ensuring that we do not return to the sweatshops of the past, where unscrupulous employers preyed upon the desperate. I would also like to express my opposition to the Goodling amendments, which represent nothing more than a cynical attempt to scuttle the minimum wage increase. The first of these amendments would discriminate against new hires and tipped employees, two of the groups most likely to be earning the minimum wage. These provisions would allow employers to pay subminimum wage levels to these workers. The second Goodling amendment would exempt small businesses with less than $500,000 in gross annual sales from minimum wage laws. This would effectively excuse two-thirds of all American businesses, employing over 10 million workers, from providing a modest wage floor. This is outrageous. I hope our colleagues in the Senate will recognize these provisions for the cynical ploy they are and reject them outright. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues in the strongest possible terms to vote in favor of increasing the minimum wage.

Mr. KLECZKA

Mr. KLECZKA. Mr. Speaker, we have heard a lot about studies today. Let me give my colleagues the benefit of my own study. Years past, I owned a small business. We employed up to eight people. They all received the minimum wage. Those who were with us longer received much more. We paid the Social Security tax, unemployment insurance, the workmen's compensation. At the end of the day, we still made a profit, in fact paid off the business in record time. So, all the woes we are hearing today, I know from personal experience, are not necessarily true. My Republican friends and their inconsistency boggles my mind. On one hand we are told, if we increase the minimum wage, poor people in the country are going to lose food stamps, they are going to lose earned income tax credit. On the other hand, these same Republicans are for cutting food stamps. Last year they tried to take $20 billion out of earned income tax credit. So to the poor I say: You just cannot win for losing with the Republicans. It is amazing. Last, let me encourage my friends like the gentleman from California [Mr. Riggs], the author of the amendment, when it comes time for the Goodling amendments, I ask you to join me in opposing them. We can see ourselves this afternoon raising the minimum wage on one hand and talking it away with two amendments on the other hand.

Mr. KLECZKA

Mr. KLECZKA. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the Sabo substitute, the President's balanced budget. This plan brings the budget into balance by the year 2002 by providing $523.4 billion in total deficit reduction over the next 6 years, including cuts of $265 billion from entitlement spending alone. The President's plan--like the Republican budget--brings us to balance by 2002, but unlike the GOP plan, it does not require that our seniors, education, and environmental protection bear a disproportionate share of the burden for deficit reduction. For instance, while the President's plan would maintain direct student loans, as used by 2.5 million students in 1,400 schools nationwide, the Republican plan would eliminate them altogether. The Republican plan also eliminates the AmeriCorps national and community service program. Overall, the GOP plan would provide $60.6 billion less for elementary, secondary, and higher education and training than the President's plan. Likewise, the President's plan demonstrates a commitment to clean air and water while the Republican plan provides $13 billion less on protection and cleanup of our environment. And, the Republican Medicare reductions mirror those proposed in last year's budget while the President proposes real reform that protects seniors and the solvency of the Medicare trust fund. However, I want to express my serious reservations over the fact that this budget resolution, as well as the Republican plan, assumes a reduction in the Consumer Price Index [CPI], the standard used to calculate the cost-of-living adjustments for various programs including Social Security. The alternatives before us today assume that the Bureau of Labor Statistics [BLS] will reduce the CPI by 0.2 percent in 1998 and 0.4 percent in 2000. There is no requirement that Congress review or approve this change. Although last year I successfully amended legislation to require that Congress must review and vote on such changes, my amendment to the Labor appropriations bill was dropped in the final product. Additionally, I want to express my reservations about the tax cuts contained in the President's budget. With our Nation facing a debt of over $5 trillion, I do not support tax cuts at this time. Any savings should be applied to deficit reduction. Despite these concerns, which will be addressed in more detail in later bills, the President's budget plan is sound deficit reduction. It brings our budget into balance while maintaining our commitment to education, environmental protection, seniors, and our communities.

Mr. KLECZKA

Mr. KLECZKA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my most sincere congratulations to David Guetzkow, who was named the Wisconsin Boys & Girls Clubs' ``1996 Youth of the Year.'' David is an exemplary young man very deserving of this distinguished award. David has been an active member of the Irving J. Seher Boys & Girls Club for 11 years. He has demonstrated his leadership and commitment through activities sponsored by the Seher Club, as well as the Milwaukee Trade and Technical High School which he attends. Club projects like Adopt-A-Highway on South 27th Street in Milwaukee and the graffiti removal project instilled a sense of community pride in David. At Milwaukee Trade and Technical High, David has excelled in both academic and extracurricular areas. While maintaining a 3.5 grade point average, he has made time to tutor other students, serve as captain of the volleyball and basketball teams, and quarterback of the football team, and will be inducted into the National Honor Society this fall. In receiving this honor, David performed exceptionally in all eight categories judged: service to the club, community service, home and family, school performance, spirituality, essay writing, interview skills, and public speaking. He speaks highly of the values and direction the Boys and Girls Club has provided throughout his youth. So, I send my best wishes to David Guetzkow as he heads to the midwest regional competition in June. His parents, Jeanne and Joel, are no doubt proud of their son. I share in their pride and believe that with young people like David, our society indeed has a very bright future.

Mr. KLECZKA

Mr. KLECZKA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my friend, Dr. Richard Boxer who will be honored by Lubavitch House of Wisconsin on Tuesday, June 18, 1996. In honoring Dr. Richard Boxer, Rick, as he is known to his friends, Lubavtich of Wisconsin is paying tribute to a man who has done so much for the community he loves. He is a man who truly is dedicated to the well-being of others not only in our community, but throughout this country. Rick is an outstanding doctor, and in 1995 was appointed by President Clinton to the National Cancer Advisory Board, and the National Institutes of Health. He also serves as a senior adviser for health care for the 1996 Clinton-Gore national campaign and was named best urologist in Milwaukee in 1987, 1991, and once again in 1996. Throughout his career, Rick has published many articles, lectured around the world, won several awards, and still found time to raise a family with his wife Barbara. His dedication to serving others transcends medicine. Lubavitch programs have helped many people throughout the years by providing to those in need. Its educational commitment, children and youth programs, counseling, and shelter services have been of great importance to our community. Rick has supported Lubavtich and its programs as they aim not only to help those in need, but also to boost awareness and pride in Milwaukee's Jewish community. Lubavitch of Wisconsin has made a wise choice in honoring Dr. Rick Boxer at their annual Lubavitch celebration. Rick, his wife Barbara, and their children should all feel a sense of pride in receiving this recognition. Congratulations, Rick, this is an honor that is well deserved.

Mr. KLECZKA

Mr. KLECZKA. Mr. Speaker, I would like to express my serious reservations about the elimination of the service coordinators authorization under H.R. 2406, the U.S. Housing Act. The service coordinators program was established in 1992 in response to a desperate need in our Nation's public housing. At that time, elderly and disabled residents were being placed into public housing together. The differences between the needs and lifestyles of these two populations were leading to fear and distrust. In a few cases, violence even broke out. To help ease these tensions and ensure that all residents were receiving the medical, psychological, social and other services they needed, we developed the service coordinators program. When the grant was first announced, competition for these funds was intense. Cities all across the Nation recognized that this program would allow them to address resident issues in a coordinated, comprehensive manner. This program has accomplished a tremendous amount at a very low cost. In my hometown of Milwaukee, there has been a sea change in the atmosphere at public housing complexes where service coordinators were sent. Our local paper, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, reported that originally, ``the only older people living in Milwaukee's public housing towers were those who had no other options.'' However, after service coordinators were established, ``Within months, the social workers and nurses * * * had made major inroads in easing tensions, helping residents get to know one another and linking those who were sick or abusing alcohol or drugs to the help they needed.'' I am deeply concerned that the block grant established under H.R. 2406 will force housing authorities to make difficult funding choices that will result in the elimination of service coordinators. Too often, social services cannot compete against needs like housing repairs and operating costs. It would be truly tragic if the programs we have made is erased simply because the funding stream is eliminated. We know what the problem has been, and we have designed a solution that works. It troubles me deeply that this bill may effectively destroy that solution, and all the hard-won advancements in mixed population housing. Mr. Speaker, if service coordinators are eliminated, I will be watching closely to determine whether the sort of backsliding I have described occurs in the future. It if does, you may be certain that I will propose reinstating this critical program.

Mr. KLECZKA

Mr. KLECZKA. Mr. Speaker, today, in honor of Mother's Day, I am introducing a bill to improve health protections for new mothers and their babies. We have all heard the stories from mothers we represent about the difficulties and tragedies that can result from a too-early hospital discharge after childbirth. Providers concur that the first few days after delivery are critical to both the mother's and the infant's health. The Newborns' and Mothers' Health Protection Act removes insurance mandates that restrict the length of postpartum care mothers and infants receive. The bill requires that health plans provide up to 48 hours of coverage for normal delivery, and 96 hours for caesarean section--the accepted recommendations of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Academy of Pediatrics. The proposal is designed to ensure that post-delivery care is based on the unique characteristics of each mother and her newborn child. Like the Bradley-Kassebaum bill that overwhelmingly passed the Senate Labor Committee, this legislation would return the length of stay decision to mothers and their health care providers. The bill does not impose a mandate, but rather, removes one, giving doctors more flexibility in meeting the needs of their patients. All 15 Democratic Members of the Ways and Means Committee have joined me in introducing this important legislation. It is my hope that my Republican colleagues will join us in a bipartisan effort to pass these vital protections for newborns and their mothers.

Mr. KLECZKA

Mr. KLECZKA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my retiring colleague and friend, the Honorable Sam Gibbons of Florida. Sam and I have served together on the Ways and Means Committee since 1993. Though I have only had the privilege of working closely with him for the last 3 of his 34 years in Congress, I have quickly come to value his hard work and dedication. The committee has benefited greatly from his years of experience working on behalf of economic growth and fairness for all Americans. Even in the early days of his congressional career, Representative Gibbons was a tireless champion of efforts to help the poorest among us. It was under his leadership and guidance that antipoverty initiatives such as Head Start were successfully steered through the House. In his more recent service as acting chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, he committed himself to efforts to ensure that all Americans would have good health care. In this, the 104th Congress, he has continued this long tradition of leadership as ranking member and leader of the Democrats on my committee. I know that my Ways and Means colleagues and I will certainly miss Sam Gibbons. His leadership, companionship, good humor, and fierce commitment to what he believes is right make him a valued ally whose presence will be sorely missed.

Mr. KLECZKA

Mr. KLECZKA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my friend Prof. Donald Pienkos on receiving the Pulaski Council of Milwaukee's 1996 Polish Heritage Award. I can think of few people who have dedicated so much of their time, talents, and energy to the study and promotion of our Polish-American heritage. Professor Pienkos, through his outstanding work as a scholar, educator, author, and activist has done much to ensure that the life- long efforts of those members of our Polish-American community who have gone before us will be long remembered. Professor Pienkos is the author of several books including ``PNA: Centennial History of the Polish National Alliance,'' ``One Hundred Years Young: A History of the Polish Falcons of America,'' and ``For Your Efforts on Poland's Behalf.'' These outstanding works provide us with a detailed and lasting account of the Polish-American peoples' ongoing efforts to improve the quality of life for Poles in the United States and in Poland. As a professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee, Donald Pienkos has dedicated his professional career to the study and teaching of Eastern European politics and government. Throughout the whirlwind of change which has taken place in Eastern Europe during recent years, Professor Pienkos has served as an invaluable source of information and insight not only to the students of UWM, but to our entire community. Donald Pienkos also plays an active and leading role in a number of Polish-American organizations and has helped to shape the course and direction which these organizations have taken. Don has served as a national director of the Polish National Alliance and is also past president of the Wisconsin State Division of the Polish American Congress. Through his involvement in organizations such as these, Professor Pienkos has worked hard to ensure that our Nation's rich Polish-American heritage will remain alive and vibrant for years to come. Mr. Speaker, I commend Don Pienkos on his worthwhile and outstanding work and congratulate him on receiving the 1996 Polish Heritage Award. I wish him continued success for years to come. Sto Lat!

Mr. KLECZKA

Mr. KLECZKA. Well, Mr. Speaker, it seems surprising to me that the gentleman from California, who serves on the Committee on Rules, was supporting a provision although he supported pulling it out of this resolution. If I had known that was the opinion of the chair of the committee, I surely would have tried to object to adoption of the rule, which we have just adopted in the House, and called for a roll call to see if we could not retain that in this short-term CR. It seems it is an important issue, which I think we have to address before the end of the session, because it will just keep floating around out there. And, naturally, it is looking for a vehicle to be attached to because as a stand-alone, chances are it will not come before us. So I am very disappointed to hear it will not be a part of the product that we will be addressing probably tomorrow. I thank the gentleman for yielding.