Steve Kagen

Mr. KAGEN

Mr. KAGEN. By working together, we will.

Mr. KAGEN

Mr. KAGEN. Madam Speaker, as we see with Representative Davis, in any instant a spark turns cool. The State of Wisconsin and the city of Crandon are in mourning today over the tragic loss of seven of their beloved children whose lives were lost in a violent outrage following a young lovers' quarrel. Lost forever, but never to be forgotten, will be these beloved children, so dearly treasured by all who knew and loved them: Jordanne Murray, Katrina McCorkle, Leanna Thomas, Aaron Smith, Bradley Schultz, Lindsey Stahl, and Tyler Peterson. On behalf of all people in northeast Wisconsin and beyond, please know that we share your grief. And to all family and friends of those who remain on this saddest of days, we mourn with you. For some things there can never be a reason why. I ask for a moment of silence.

Mr. KAGEN

Mr. KAGEN. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague. Madam Speaker, Green Bay, Wisconsin, the Green Bay Packers and quarterback Brett Favre have a great deal in common. They're hardworking, dedicated to the community and believe in competing with, not against, one another to bring out the very best performance possible for each and every athlete and every time on the field. Today, the United States House of Representatives offers its praise to Brett Favre, to his family, to the Green Bay Packers and to the people of Wisconsin who together own the most storied team in professional sports. In fact, the Green Bay Packers, unlike any other corporate entity in America, can never be offshored because the team is owned by the people living in Green Bay and Wisconsin. There are three things our Nation can learn from the success of Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers. First, the team competes with one another to bring out the very best performance from every athlete. Secondly, Brett, like successful Olympic speed skating champions that I've come to know, does his personal best every single day, in practice and on the field. If one does one's personal best each and every day, no one can criticize you. And lastly, the two words that form our American competitive spirit: ``move up.'' Don't settle for second place. Shoot for the gold and settle for the silver, but at all times, never, never stop trying to move up. And remember, we know from our experiences that everybody falls. We all have failures. But it's not how far you fall; it's how high you bounce back. Compete with one another. Do your personal best every day and move up. These three ideas tell the story of the Green Bay Packers and their quarterback Brett Favre. They reflect the spirit of the people in both Wisconsin and in Mississippi, and they will continue to be lived out by Brett Favre during his career in professional sports and beyond. I ask my colleagues to join with me in recognizing the accomplishments of the Green Bay Packers, the hardworking people of Green Bay and the people of Wisconsin and our future Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre. If I may read the resolution, which reads, H. Res. 697, ``Commending Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre for establishing a National Football League record for most career touchdown passes, and for other purposes. ``Whereas on September 30, 2007, Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre established a National Football League (NFL) record by throwing his 421st touchdown pass; ``Whereas in addition to the career touchdown mark, Brett Favre also holds the NFL record for greatest number of wins by a starting quarterback and the NFL record for playing in the most consecutive games as a starting quarterback; ``Whereas Brett Favre is the only 3-time winner of the NFL's Most Valuable Player Award; ``Whereas Brett Favre's 16 consecutive years of dedicated service with the Green Bay Packers has enhanced the lives of the people of Northeast Wisconsin and exemplified the Wisconsin work ethic; ``Whereas Brett Favre's contributions to his community have extended beyond the football field; ``Whereas Brett Favre was born in Gulfport, Mississippi, was raised in Kiln, Mississippi, and attended the University of Southern Mississippi; ``Whereas Brett Favre's loyalties to his home State of Mississippi and adopted State of Wisconsin are reflected in his participation in and organization of numerous charitable activities in those States, including the Brett Favre Fourward Foundation, the Special Olympics, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America; ``Whereas the Brett Favre Fourward Foundation aids disadvantaged children in Wisconsin and Mississippi and has raised more than $1,000,000 for people affected by Hurricane Katrina in Mississippi; ``Whereas Brett Favre and his wife, Deanna Favre, co-founded the Deanna Favre Hope Foundation, which provides assistance to women in need affected by breast cancer; and ``Whereas Brett Favre has demonstrated that hard work and single- mindedness of purpose can bring success, and epitomizes the words of NFL Hall of Fame Coach Vince Lombardi: `People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defenses, or the problems of modern society.': Now, therefore, be it ``Resolved, That the House of Representatives-- ``(1) commends Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre for establishing a National Football League record for most career touchdown passes; ``(2) recognizes Brett Favre for his outstanding community service in Wisconsin and Mississippi and his 16 consecutive years of dedicated service with the Green Bay Packers, a community-owned organization; and ``(3) directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to transmit a copy of this resolution to Brett Favre, to the Green Bay Packers organization, and to the Commissioner of the National Football League.''

Mr. KAGEN

Mr. KAGEN. Mr. Speaker, what kind of Nation are we, and is anyone really listening? We have over 47 million citizens in this country going without health care coverage; 47 million citizens have zero, and they've been left behind. Why? They don't have the money. They simply don't have the money to be able to afford the impossible cost of health care today. People cannot afford to pay for their pills; they cannot afford to pay their doctor bills or their hospital tests or their cancer treatments. These treatments now are out of their reach. And why? It's simple. They don't have the money. And what kind of Nation are we when, in my home State of Wisconsin, in Shawano County, 19 out of 20 families filing for bankruptcy recently did so only because they couldn't afford their health care bills. We need a uniquely American solution to this crisis, and we need it now because my patients and my constituents cannot hold their breath any longer. Mr. Speaker, what kind of Nation are we? Let's agree right here and right now that we need to come together in a bipartisan way and help to begin to solve this national disgrace. My constituents are listening tonight, and so are yours. Let's end this national nightmare and guarantee access to affordable care for every citizen. Now, we're very fortunate to have a Democratic majority in the United States today. We're fortunate because we have the SCHIP bill that will be coming back to the House floor on the 18th of this month, that's one week from this Thursday. We're hoping to get enough votes to override President Bush's recent veto of this essential piece of health care legislation. The SCHIP bill is a State-run program. There have been a great number of misrepresentations about what it really is, and tonight for a few moments I would like to review with you what the SCHIP bill really is all about. It's a State-run, private program. It's aimed and focused at the poorest working families. It will cost $3.50 every day to ensure a child, $3.50 a day. Compare that to the millions and millions and billions of dollars we're spending in the sands of Iraq, $3 billion per week, nearly $400 million a day, and $3.50 to guarantee access for a child to see their pediatrician or their family practitioner. What kind of a Nation are we to say no to that? The eligible people will be those who are in the low-income group. Low-income is three times the Federal poverty level. People who earn $50,000 or $55,000 a year simply don't have the money to spend on health insurance policies, which are now averaging $12,000 to $14,000 every year. It will cover up to 10.8 million children in our country. But don't take my word for it about health care. These are cards I've received from my constituents in Wisconsin. Joe from Hazelhurst writes, ``I am more likely to die because I can't afford the medical care needed than I am in danger of being killed by terrorists. Fix this, please.'' He's not a child, but he needs our help today. Megan and Eric from Appleton, Wisconsin, ``We are a young family with four kids, 6, 3 and twins age 5 months. Our insurance is out of control. Our family earns about $38,000 a year, and we pay $520-plus each month to have health insurance. Our country needs to make affordable health care a priority.'' And what about Pat from Green Bay, Wisconsin. ``Health care issues are critical. We need to develop a plan to help the elderly and the uninsurable.'' For too long, insurance companies have been allowed to discriminate against citizens. Why? For their own personal and individual corporate profits. For too long, our insurance companies have been able to deny people access to affordable care because of a preexisting condition. We haven't addressed that yet, but we will and we must. Allan from Green Bay writes, ``Universal health care. I need affordable medical insurance.'' Rhonda, from Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, ``Our middle-class income cannot support the increase in medical premiums, copays and deductibles. What will be done for the middle class?'' The SCHIP bill is a great start. It's aimed at ensuring the children of our Nation, those who are most at risk of going without, become healthy once again. What kind of Nation are we if we don't care for our own children? Our children, after all, we are dependent on their future. I thank you for listening.

Mr. KAGEN

Mr. KAGEN. Mr. Speaker, my constituents in Northeast Wisconsin and countless others across this Nation are hurting because of the current mortgage crisis. The fact is many homeowners are increasingly unable to make monthly payments or sell their homes in the middle of a national housing slump. The number of national foreclosure filings reported last month more than doubled from a year ago. For these reasons, I rise in support of H.R. 3648. We need to provide tax relief to homeowners who face foreclosures on their homes.

Mr. KAGEN

Mr. KAGEN. I look at it as an investment. The children are our future. If we don't invest in our children's health, if we don't invest in their education, this Nation has no future. So we must make important decisions based on our values. We must invest in our children. In Wisconsin, 95,000 children and 110,000 adults are covered by SCHIP. We could enroll an additional 37,800 children with the authorization with a President who will sign a bill instead of vetoing a bill. I believe we need a President who will work with us in a bipartisan way, a real uniter so we can take that step forward and build a healthier Nation for all of us in these United States. I can't agree more with you. This is not government-run health care; it is not even close. It is an investment in our next generation, the generation we are going to come to depend on as we age.

Mr. KAGEN. Most people I know in Wisconsin are hardworking and they are just trying to get through the day, just like us. We are trying to get through the day and get our rest in. But this is a time for our country to raise up and ask questions, to find out about the conscience of America, and really ask the question about what kind of Nation we are and in which direction we are going to turn. If we stay on this divisive path, this path of partisan politics, we are not going to be able to solve any of these complex problems we face, whether it is war and peace or health and disease. If we stay on the path that the President has put us on with his veto, it is an expensive path. He is asking our children and their caregivers and parents to take them to the emergency room and not to their doctor. The President is asking us to take a path not towards prevention, to prevent illness and to prevent the big bill that is coming, but he is taking us down the road that leads to an end we don't want to be on. It's a path we cannot afford to take. We have taken a path, a wrong path, that led us into Iraq. It may lead us into a recession yet to come that no American citizen can afford. It will at some point in time raise our taxes, depreciate the value of our dollar and create inflation in this country because we haven't paid for a dime of our involvement in Iraq yet. We borrowed the money from China, and it is our next generation, this generation of children that won't be healthy, that won't be working. We understand it makes sense. If you are working, you earn money and you pay taxes. We can lower people's taxes by having a healthy generation of children. It is just that simple. If our Republican colleagues would understand, if it is just about money, we are going to save you money. Give our children, the children who are most in need, an opportunity to see their physicians and their nurse practitioners. Give them an opportunity to be healthy. They will get the education they need, and we will pay less in taxes and we will all be better off for it. What can people do? The first thing they have to do is believe. People must truly believe there is hope. I do believe our class, our class of 2006 is America's hope. It is America's hope for a different direction, a positive change and a new direction. I think by our being here tonight, by staying overtime and having this conversation with one another, hopefully the American people are listening to it and they will begin to have faith and hope that there is going to be a positive change. And I hope that the President is listening, if not to us, he should listen to the American people. I will share with you one other constituent's thoughts. Donna Killian: ``Our country desperately needs health care reform. In this very wealthy country, there should be no one denied good health care because of a lack of insurance or income. I, myself, am disabled and 54 years old. I am disabled due to excruciating, chronic pain all over my body. If something happened to my husband, then I would be uninsurable.'' What kind of Nation are we when Donna has to be concerned about this, when every single American understands they could be next? Lose their insurance, get sick, and lose your house. As I stand here tonight, as my colleagues know, I respectfully declined my health care coverage when I came here. I wanted to make a statement that until each and every American has that same opportunity to make a selection of health care coverage, I didn't feel it was right for me to accept something that everyone back home was not also offered. I think this Congress has to consider health care a crisis. It is a national nightmare. We should consider health care access more like hunger. If every Member of Congress was hungry, we would solve this problem in a week. If every single Member of Congress had no coverage, with the bills you can get in the emergency room or if you get cancer, we would solve this problem in several weeks. Again, I come back to believing in hope. I do believe that we will have an opportunity to take this Nation in a different direction, a positive change. My only hope is that it happens sooner than later. But mark my words, it may not occur until we paint the White House door a different color, from red to blue.

Mr. KAGEN. I want to thank you for the opportunity, Mr. Speaker, for sharing with the American people what's happening here in their House, the House of Representatives. I would remind everyone here on the floor and at home that we are all in this together. As the poorest among us go, so go we all. We have an obligation to care for all those who are in need right here and right now, and by working together I'm absolutely convinced we have the opportunity to change America, but we can't do it without the people's help. They should call their Representatives. They should e-mail and write, but bear in mind, we have writing that's slow mail. Send an e-mail. Call your local Congressperson. Express yourself. Your voice will be heard. It is our duty to listen to the American people. That is exactly what we've been doing, and their voice has been heard tonight in the House of Representatives. We must stand up and fight for the health care for our children on whose future we depend.

Mr. KAGEN. Together, we will.

Mr. KAGEN. Thank you, Mr. Ellison, and thank you, Ms. Clarke. This is a very difficult hour to be with you. I cannot tell you how much it hurts me, how much it hurts the children of Wisconsin, of New York State, of Minnesota, and all the children throughout the country who don't know yet that their President has left them behind, that the President has turned away from children in need. What we are talking about is the difference between seeing a physician and gaining access to good health and not. Those children that don't get health care don't get well. When you are sick in school, you cannot learn. You cannot progress. You cannot move up into the middle class. This bill, the SCHIP bill, and the veto by this President, a President who no longer represents traditional American values, he does not represent our values, this is a stark contrast between the two parties today. It really asks the question, whose side are we on? I am a Democrat. I am proud to be a Democrat. We are on the side of people who are in need. It is the role of government, isn't it, to care for those who are in need? Not just Hubert Humphrey. It goes back 2,000, 5,000 years, into all of our cultures, into all of our religious beliefs, into all that we hold spiritually sacred. We must care for those who are in need. The SCHIP bill has been lied about by many politicians. Some have said it's going to cover illegals. That's a lie. There are no illegal human beings, no illegal citizens covered in SCHIP. It does not cover rich people. Ninety percent of people that would be covered by the SCHIP bill have incomes below $41,000. Folks, the average cost of health care in this country is 12 to 14 grand per year. If you make $40,000, you can't afford health insurance today. You mentioned, Ms. Clarke, $3.50 a day. What are we spending in the religious civil war in Iraq, $400 million a day? $3.50 versus $400 million. The American people get it. When I go back home to Wisconsin, I am just as frustrated as our electorate. People believe their elected officials are not listening to them. We are listening. We understand your frustration. We feel it in our heart, as well. This is a veto that must be overturned. When I was running for Congress, when I left my medical practice, I left my medical practice because 30 percent of the time I would write a prescription, but my patients either couldn't afford the medication or it wasn't covered on the insurance company's list, or they simply couldn't get it. They didn't have the money. So I ran for Congress. During my trails across the district, I had a 15-minute conversation set aside for a Native American activist. That conversation lasted 2\1/ 2\ hours. It took me 2 weeks to recover. But she taught me that it is politicians who determine who lives and who dies. It is politicians, in this House, that will determine who has access to health care and who does not. It is politicians that will take us to war based on lies and deceptions. We are the people's voice here. If you would allow me to take a moment, I would like to express the viewpoint of some of the people I represent. Chris Dion in Marinette wrote to me and said, ``I am a single person but can't afford medical insurance unless it has a very high deductible. Then it is still expensive. I have many medical problems and cancer runs in my family. But I can't afford tests or treatments because I don't meet requirements for free checkups.'' Her story is one of millions. Forty-seven million don't have any coverage at all. The SCHIP bill makes fiscal sense. It is paid for. It doesn't raise taxes on anyone who isn't smoking. It is responsible. It is morally responsible to care for those who are in need. In my opinion, the President's veto of this bill is morally unacceptable not just to me, not just to me as a physician, but as a husband, as a father, as a Congressman. It is unacceptable to every citizen everywhere in this country who has a human heart. I think we have to work hard with our colleagues in a bipartisan manner to care for those who are in need. We can do it with the SCHIP bill that we created here in this House, the People's House.

Mr. KAGEN. I am just as frustrated as you and the American people. Where are you going to run and hide on this vote? There will be no place to run and no place to hide. You have to show your cards. Whose side are you on? Are you on the side of physicians and nurses who want access to their patients and their patients who want access to their doctors and nurses? Whose side are you on? We do not sit in the boardrooms, we are not the CEOs of insurance companies, but we are representative of peoples' voices. You quoted some Republican Senators. I will go back home again and quote someone who writes to me, Jean, from Appleton: ``What is it with this country? Health care for the rich and those in government; the rest can just die or try and live with broken bones and illness.'' Or Mary Anderson: ``Health care issues, affordability is destroying my family and our financial stability.'' I agree with you, we have to do more. We have done our job. We have created a bill that is fiscally responsible, it is socially progressive, it is the morally acceptable thing to do. That bill went to the Senate. It came back without caring for our senior citizens. It got chopped off. We have here before the House an opportunity in the next several days to have a discussion with the American people about what kind of Nation we are. What kind of Nation turns away from its children who are most in need? Mr. Speaker, now let's just mention something so that people listening understand about the eligibility factor. If you have got a family income that's below 300 percent of the Federal poverty level, you will qualify for this SCHIP program. All of the resources in this program will go to the poorest, the poorest working families. These are the people that need a boost. These are the people that need a lift up. These are the people who need a humane Congress, a Senate and a House to move this bill back to the President. Let's give President Bush another chance to think this one all the way through. My friend, my colleagues, many times I have asked myself: Are we really thinking these problems all the way through? Are we really using the best judgment? Because it really does matter who your mayor is, who your Congressman is, and it really does matter who the President, the next President is. Why? Because judgment, good judgment must be used in everything we are doing. Otherwise, it could be a catastrophe.

Mr. KAGEN. The reality is that it takes doctors and nurses to get into the room to get health care done. If you don't have a doctor and a nurse in the room, you don't have health care. And to get a child into a room, you need a parent. That is why in Wisconsin, by expanding in this State grant money, the State of Wisconsin sought to increase the enrollment of those children who are eligible, and thereby they covered the mother of these children who are close to poverty. By mothers being covered, the enrollment went up. It went up because they brought their children in. I have practiced medicine for over 30 years, and I will tell you, I never saw a kid in the office unless the mother or one of the caregivers was there. So if you are going to get a child to a doctor, you have to include, in my opinion, the parent. But this overarching theme is really about values. When the President vetoed this bill, it was a reflection of his values. And how you and your homes spend your money, your hard-earned money, is a reflection of your family values. How our Nation spends its money is a reflection of our national values. And there I come back to the $3.50 a day for a child and the $400 million a day making war and occupying Iraq.

Mr. KAGEN. I thank my colleague, and some have said you ain't going nowhere; there's more work to be done.

Mr. KAGEN

Mr. KAGEN. Madam Speaker, this morning President Bush said ``no'' to 95,000 children in Wisconsin and to millions more across the Nation. His veto of the SCHIP bill is morally unacceptable. It is unacceptable to me as a father, as a husband, and as a physician. And to everyone living in Wisconsin and across this Nation who has a human heart. What kind of Nation are we when a President turns away a child in need? And what kind of Nation will we become if we remain on this partisan path? My friends, this administration no longer represents our traditional American values, for no one anywhere in these United States believes we should abandon children in need. We need a President who believes in children and taking care of ordinary people and the needs of our children, our senior citizens, and the needs of America first. Madam Speaker, today, right here and right now, we must begin to work together and build a better future for all of us, especially our children on whose future we depend.

Mr. KAGEN

Mr. KAGEN. Mr. Speaker, what kind of Nation are we? And is anyone really listening? Forty-seven million citizens have no health care coverage at all. Zero. And the costs, the costs for care are simply impossible to pay. People cannot afford to pay for their pills, for their doctor bills, for their hospital tests and treatments. They can't even afford their cancer treatments. And why? It's simple. They don't have the money. And what kind of Nation are we when, in Shawano County in Wisconsin at the courthouse, 19 out of 20 families going bankrupt do so because they can't pay their medical bills? We need a uniquely American solution to this crisis and we need it now because my patients can't hold their breath any longer. Mr. Speaker what kind of Nation are we? Let's all agree here, right now and right here to change this situation. This is a national disgrace. My constituents are listening and so are yours. Let's end this national nightmare and guarantee access to affordable care for everyone everywhere in these United States.

Mr. KAGEN

Mr. KAGEN. Mr. Speaker, the vote we will cast today will ask a simple question: Whose side are you on? Are you on the side of the millions of children who lack access to health care? Are you on the side of families who are working hard, but still cannot afford the cost of health insurance today in America? Are you on the side of the American people who demand, who demand that this Congress find a solution to the impossible costs for health care across the country? Or are you on the side of powerful special interests? The bill before us will cover nearly 38,000 additional uninsured children in Wisconsin, and I'm on their side. Whose side are you on? The American people will remember tonight, how you cast your vote. That question tonight will be answered in your vote, and tonight will answer the needs of those who need us the most, and that's our Nation's children, for they are our future. Vote ``yes.''

Mr. KAGEN

Mr. KAGEN. Madam Speaker, how many ears must we have before we can hear people cry? Last week, the Census Bureau informed us that more Americans than ever before in our Nation's history are going without access to health care; 46 million, 46 million citizens have no health care coverage. But this national nightmare is measured best not in numbers, but in human lives. Families across Wisconsin are going bankrupt because they can't afford their medical bills. Teenagers across the country will go blind because they do not have access to the care they need for their diabetes. Congress doesn't need a census report to feel people's pain. And as Members of Congress, we must not wait for yet another census report before we act. It is our duty and our moral responsibility to act now. People in Wisconsin and everywhere else in America demand we establish universal access to affordable care for every citizen, and working together, we will.

Mr. KAGEN

Mr. KAGEN. Mr. Speaker, our Nation has faced many challenges in our history, and none more serious or deadly than our battle against violent extremists. Make no mistake, we must do whatever it takes to defend America and keep hostilities from our shores. We must be tough and we must be smart. We have the tough part right, and now more than ever we must be smart. The bill now before the House asks the American people to give up our Fourth amendment rights--without firing a single shot--even when the facts reveal we already have laws to allow intelligence agencies to protect all of us. The Senate-sponsored bills trades our Fourth amendment rights for a false promise of security. It pretends to offer our people the reassurance that the current Attorney General--a man few believe to be honorable or honest--will exercise good judgment in defending all of us. Our Nation has lost faith in this administration's competence, and has lost faith in the ability of President Bush to understand and obey the rule of law. Having lost our faith in this President, we must not lose our constitutional rights as well. We must defend our Nation, and we can continue to do so under the rule of law.

Mr. KAGEN

Mr. KAGEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3311, and let's build that bridge together. This is an emergency resolution, to repair and reconstruct a functionally obsolete bridge, the I-35, which spanned two peoples, brought two peoples together, across a divide. And much in the same way, isn't it time that we begin to work together here in Congress? And by working together we will not just build a bridge across a divide but build a bridge between the parties which some in our land may feel are also functionally obsolete. Here in Congress we can build a bridge together, and while we're at it, let's build a better Nation together as well. Because it's not about the party you're in, it's about doing the Nation's business and building a Nation for all of us.

Mr. KAGEN

Mr. KAGEN. Mr. Speaker, last November, people in Wisconsin and all across America asked for a positive change and a new direction, and the Democratically led 110th Congress has delivered. We have been working hard to build a better nation by forcing Congress to be fiscally responsible, by increasing the minimum wage, and enhancing our security with the enactment of the 9/11 Commission recommendations. We've cut costs for higher education. We've increased veterans' benefits, and in Wisconsin, we saved SeniorCare, the best prescription drug plan in America. And yesterday, we passed legislation to guarantee access to health care for our elders and for those among us who need it most, our children. And next, forward-thinking Democrats will guide us towards energy independence and confront global climate change. There is hope again all across America. We are headed in a positive and fiscally responsible direction.

Mr. KAGEN

Mr. KAGEN. Madam Speaker, this is a great day for our Nation's children. This is a great day for our seniors and their doctors. For, today, we will begin the necessary process of guaranteeing access to affordable care for the people who need it most, our children and elders. And this is a great day for the House of Representatives as well, for we are beginning to solve our Nation's most important domestic crisis, access to affordable health care for every citizen. The CHAMP Act begins to allow for the practice of medicine that really believes in prevention. We will finally provide dental and mental coverage for our kids. With this bill, we are being fiscally responsible and socially progressive, just like America; and I am proud to serve in a Congress that finally pays for its bills. Today, we are shifting money away from overpaid insurance companies to benefit children and seniors. We are bringing down costs for the 80 percent of all Medicare patients who are now paying too much for their premiums. In my home State of Wisconsin, an additional 81,000 children will acquire coverage. I was honored to work with the committee chairmen, Chairman Rangel and Chairman Dingell, to ensure that there will be an express lane to enroll kids who are already in similar programs and eliminate the late fee for those who signed up late who are in need. People in America can see, the Democratic majority will leave ``No Patient Left Behind.''

Mr. KAGEN

Mr. KAGEN. Mr. Speaker, this rule asks a very simple question of all of us: Whose side are you on? Do you stand with overseas corporations who exploit American tax loopholes, or do you stand with American farm families who pay their fair share every day? Whose side are you on? Let me point out where I and my Democratic colleagues stand: We stand with American farm families who plant, who grow and who harvest everything we eat. We stand with those most in need. We also support a strong nutrition program. We stand with our Nation's children, and are providing them with access to fresh fruits and vegetables. We stand with local agricultural businesses connecting local farmers to their communities to bring their products to market. And we stand for responsible reforms to our Nation's agriculture policy. The question is simple: Whose side are you on? We do not sit in the boardrooms. We do not represent corporations who take advantage of loopholes in our tax codes that even the Bush administration and the Treasury Department have said need to be plugged. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this rule.

Mr. KAGEN

Mr. KAGEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues from Oregon and Florida. I appreciate their support on this important resolution. I rise today in support of House Resolution 421, to honor the first American women to participate in the United States space program. Known as the Mercury 13, they were extremely accomplished pilots and aviators and were selected from a pool of women to become astronauts. Conducted in secret at the Lovelace Clinic in Albuquerque, New Mexico, they excelled in the same physical and psychological tests as the male candidates for astronautic school did, the Mercury 7. Although many of these women outshined and outperformed their male counterparts, they were never allowed to fly into space. The prejudice of the day grounded their mission before they could reach the stars, but it did not ground their dreams. In 1961, just before their final phase of training at the Naval Aviation Center in Pensacola, Florida, the Mercury 13 women received notice that the program had been canceled. Twenty-two years later, NASA sent our first American woman into space, Sally Ride. In these past decades, the groundbreaking achievements of the Mercury 13 women have often been overlooked. Author Martha Ackmann wrote this about the Mercury 13 and their quest for flying into space: ``While the Mercury 13 did not get their shot at space--at least not yet-- they refused to let someone else trim their dreams. They fought for what they wanted, what they believed in, and spoke out against discrimination.'' The Mercury 13 women, as already stated, were Jerrie Cobb, Gene Nora Jessen, Wally Funk, Irene Leverton, Myrtle ``K'' Cagle, Jane Hart, Jerri Truhill, Rhea Hurrle Woltman, Sarah Ratley, Bernice ``B'' Steadman, Jean Hixson, Jan Dietrich, and Marion Dietrich. I had the honor of meeting several of these very tough and spirited women at the University of Wisconsin in Oshkosh in a commencement ceremony, and I was privileged and honored to present to the Mercury 13 women an honorary degree, an honorary doctorate. Today, I have the extreme privilege to honor these phenomenal and extraordinary women on the floor of the United States House of Representatives. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and their pioneering spirit that has advanced the rights of women everywhere. As these Mercury 13 women have demonstrated, the sky is not the limit.

Mr. KAGEN

Mr. KAGEN. Mr. Speaker, as your Congressman, I'd like to share with you the difficult reality our Nation faces in the religious civil war in Iraq. The truth is things are bad in Iraq and getting worse--with no end in sight. After 4 years of conflict, with more than 3,400 courageous American soldiers dead--and counting--with more than 650,000 civilians killed, and after spending billions and billions of our hard-earned tax dollars on private no-bid contractors, the Iraqi government is still not standing up to help themselves. I was shocked to learn that \1/3\ of the elected Iraqi government does not even live in Iraq--they live in London, England--even as our own children are being killed in their centuries-old religious civil war. And their parliament, well, in the middle of a war--they're about to take a 2-month vacation--even as our children continue to make the ultimate sacrifice. Unfortunately, today's vote cannot, and will not, end this war, because we do not have enough democratic votes to overcome the president's veto. And make no mistake--Iraq is President Bush's war-- and he is the only one, today, who can stop it. The current commander of our forces in Iraq told Congress the civil war in Iraq cannot be won militarily--it can only end with a political solution, not a military one. I have been working hard to find a way home for our troops, and I have supported every effort to improve the safety and readiness of our soldiers, to guarantee they receive expert medical care when they come home, to increase their pay, and to deploy our forces away from Iraq-- and back after al Qaeda. But, the President vetoed, or threatened to veto, all of our attempts to support our troops. In my opinion, the President is unable to see and hear the realities on the ground in Iraq. Plainly put, Congress cannot follow a President with poor judgement--period. Enough is enough. I have been listening to many Wisconsin veterans at the American Legion, the veterans of foreign wars, and to parents and grandparents of fallen soldiers. Military veterans from Appleton to Green Bay, from Ashwaubenon to Pulaski, and from Waupaca, Clintonville, Shawano and Marinette have shared their feelings with me. Please, just for a moment, listen to their heartfelt thoughts: ``We need to get our boys home.'' ``We went in with not enough troops.'' ``It is just like Vietnam.'' ``This war can never be won--we don't belong there.'' ``We all back our troops--but not this dumb policy.'' ``Our President has a complete disregard for humanity.'' ``We need a President who really believes in diplomacy.'' ``The President will not listen to ordinary people, and he does not understand when he is wrong.'' Today, I voted to support our troops by protecting them from a President who cannot understand reality. I support our troops, but not this failed policy. Finally, allow me to share with you the pain of a grandmother whose grandson perished in Iraq: ``Oh, Steve. It is so hard to talk about. He was such a bright young man. He wanted a college education and was going to use the money he was being paid to go to school. Where is this war getting us? We got Saddam. Let's bring our military home. I have another grandson ready to go over to Iraq. Let the higher-ups send their kids to Iraq. I don't want to see it happen to anyone else. Enough is enough.'' And remember this: The vote today was not about ending the Iraqi civil war. it was about supporting our troops by protecting them from a President who cannot understand reality. Congress cannot continue to give a loaded gun to a President with poor judgement. I will always support our troops, but not this failed policy. I believe there is a better way to do things in America. By working together, we will find it as we build a better and more secure nation for all of us. Thank you for listening, and God Bless America.

Mr. KAGEN

Mr. KAGEN. Mr. Speaker, yesterday in my hometown of Appleton, Wisconsin, the price for a gallon of gas hit $3.45. Since President Bush assumed office, the price for gas has nearly doubled. Higher prices for gas punish all Americans, punish small businesses, students, senior citizens, farmers, and even our local, State and Federal Governments as well. Everybody is asking, why? Why did the price at the pump go up even when the cost per barrel went down? The most likely answer is price gouging somewhere along the supply line, from the oil company to the refinery to the speculators in the options markets who buy and hold the oil for only a nanosecond. People everywhere want answers, and here is what we can do. Today the House will consider the Federal Price Gouging Prevention Act. And along with Congressman Stupak and Congressman Rush and others, we will put a cop back on the block. What we need is effective and active oversight, not hide-and-seek politics. Let's take this step together in the right direction. This bill defines what price gouging is. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1252.