Nick Lampson

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of order.

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. LAMPSON. I withdraw my reservation, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Chairman, I think the two gentlemen who have spoken on this are making very good points. The EPA, however, has been an underfunded agency, and to take money from one area that has been appropriated is like robbing Peter to pay Paul. And I will give you a good example. The Energy Star program. The Energy Star program is an investment that we have made in the future to help consumers, and the money that we spend on the Energy Star program, for every dollar that we put into it, we get about $10 back, a tremendous investment. So it is an area where government can do something positive and save a great deal of money. What we are trying to do right now is to improve an infrastructure that will give us the ability to have access to cleaner burning fuels, that will give us an access to having a product or products that consumers are demanding, and we do it more safely, more conveniently, and hopefully with less expense. We believe that the bill as it stands is one that provides for the new dollars necessary to make this project one that could be very appropriate for the citizens of this country. And the bill could save consumers somewhere between $5 billion and $30 billion a year, a total of close to $30 billion on a $10 million investment. That is one heck of a return, and it is the opposite of what I believe the gentleman, Mr. Blunt, was talking about a few minutes ago that we want to control the size of government. Government doing good works indeed brings us significant returns. This is an area where there will be a significant return, and we think that new dollars need to go into this program.

Mr. LAMPSON. I yield to the gentleman from Illinois.

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, the gentleman's amendment says specifically ``to be derived from amounts otherwise appropriated to the EPA.'' To me that means we are going to take money from another project to make this one work. That does not work, in my mind. If we are going to have a new investment that we expect a huge return on, we need to put the money into it and make sure that it is a committed project and we believe it is one that will give us a great return.

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Chairman, I would like to comment on the point of order, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Michigan for his amendment and his dedication to what I clearly believe is an important issue, deploying the necessary infrastructure to carry biofuels. However, I find it necessary to support the point of order that this amendment is nongermane because it is beyond the scope of this very narrow research bill and squarely within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Energy and Commerce because it uses the CAFE program as a funding source and essentially is an expansion of the Clean Cities program that was created under legislation coming from that committee. While it is complementary to what we are trying to accomplish today and a subject which is potentially worth exploring elsewhere in this Congress, this is not the proper forum for this amendment, and I would oppose it.

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of order.

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of order.

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Chairman, I would like to comment on my reserved point of order. I would make the point that this amendment is not germane to the committee's substitute made in order under the rule. It would be more appropriate to have it in the Committee on Ways and Means, because there is a tax provision. Again, the amendment concerns matters not within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Science and Technology. I ask for a ruling of the Chair.

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of order.

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Chairman, I would like to comment on my reserved point of order. Mr. Chairman, the amendment is not germane to the committee substitute made in order under the rules. The amendment contains a different subject matter than the intent of H.R. 547.

Mr. LAMPSON. Yes.

Mr. LAMPSON. I do not.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 which was signed by the President in August of 2005, included four directed spending programs that will each make a significant positive contribution to the security and reliability of the energy supply and infrastructure of this Nation. The Energy Policy Act authorized these programs with full funding so that they could be implemented as soon as possible. It should be made clear that it is the intent of the Continuing Resolution to remove any impediments that may have arisen to the timely implementation of the four Energy Policy Act provisions-- Section 105, the Energy Saving Performance Contracts; Section 384, Coastal Impact Assistance; Section 999, Ultra-deepwater and Unconventional Onshore Natural Gas and Other Petroleum Research and Development; and Section 1211, Electric Reliability Organization. These programs were clearly authorized and directly funded by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and should be fully funded and implemented immediately.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Madam Speaker, I stand here today to pay tribute to the life of Chief Ernest Mendoza. Chief Mendoza was a dedicated public servant, whose spirit and drive impacted the lives of all of those he encountered. On January 19th Chief Mendoza was on his way home from work when he was killed by a drunk driver. His sudden and tragic death has brought sadness and sorrow not only to his family but also to the students and staff of the Needville Independent School District and the communities of Fort Bend and Wharton Counties. This 54-year-old father of seven was a Christian and military veteran who led an honorable life. As a part of the Needville Independent School District Police for the past 10 years, and a law enforcement officer for 25, Chief Mendoza's drive and passion for public safety touched many of his fellow officers on the police force. Students and teachers in Fort Bend County will always remember his welcoming smile and that he protected them with care. His family has established The Ernest Mendoza Law Enforcement Scholarship Fund in his honor. This fund is representative of the commitment and sacrifice which characterized Chief Mendoza's years of service, his character, and integrity. In death, as in life, he and his family continue to be dedicated to educating our Nation's youth in safe and adequate public schools. My sincerest condolences go to the family, friends, and colleagues of Chief Ernest Mendoza. May God provide peace and comfort to his loved ones, and to those he protected. I ask you, Madam Speaker, to join me in honoring Chief Mendoza and his family by entering his name and legacy into the Congressional Record.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Madam Speaker, when I last served in Congress, I made it my mission to discuss missing and exploited children at every opportunity, and I rise today to bring attention to the hundreds of thousands of children who go missing annually and to the thousands of children who go missing every day. Pedro Maldonado is just one of those children. Pedro is missing from Camden, New Jersey. He is 17 years old and was last seen on September 14, last year. At that time he was 5'11" and weighed 180 pounds. He is biracial, white and Hispanic, and has black hair and brown eyes. Pedro has a scar above his right eye and may still be seen in the local area. He may still be in the Camden area and is considered ``endangered missing.'' Madam Speaker, I ask that anyone who is watching this proceeding, especially if they are in New Jersey or New York, take a moment, look at Pedro's picture to see if you recognize him, and anyone having information should contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST or the Camden City Police Department at 856-757-7400. Madam Speaker, it is time we bring our missing children home.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Madam Speaker, like many of my colleagues have mentioned today, my brothers and sisters and I were the grandchildren of immigrants who barely knew English, and the first in our family to go to college. Although my mother was only able to attend school through the 5th grade, she instilled in us the importance of an education. My mother led by example, receiving her GED on her 80th birthday, and all six of us received at least one college degree. And we all worked our way through college, I myself swept floors. She wanted us to have a better life, to be able to provide for our families without constantly worrying and living paycheck to paycheck. And we have all led successful and happy lives thanks to her encouragement and strong will. But this Nation has lost sight of the importance of an education. We have allowed our education system to fall to the wayside, and put our citizens at a disadvantage--when they try to move up the career ladder, and when our Nation competes on a global level. We have failed our constituents when we fail to not only provide access to education, but when we fail to encourage our young people to dream and to achieve. America is now 39th in the world in math and science. As a former physical science teacher and the current representative for Houston's Johnson Space Center I find this simply unacceptable. During the Apollo years, our Nation united behind a vision, and backed that vision with proper resources, in turn inspiring millions of children to go into these fields. The technological and medical advances that followed continue to benefit our Nation and the world. We have lost our vision. Our commitment to education and our position as a global leader. Now is the time to repair the foundation that our country is based on--equality. It has long been said that education is the great equalizer. In recent years, millions of working and middle-class families have been left behind as college tuition has skyrocketed and student loan interest rates have risen sharply. By taking this important first step--making college more affordable and accessible for all Americans--we are showing our Nation's young adults that we are dedicated to their future. We will not make it to Mars, grow new hearts in Petri dishes, or develop new fuels without a renewed commitment to education. A commitment to education should include all types of post-high school programs. We must encourage young adults to attend vocational schools as well as universities. Those who work as skilled laborers, such as mechanics and electricians, keep our society running and deserve encouragement and aid as well. This bill, H.R. 6, The College Student Relief Act of 2007, is a fiscally responsible measure that meets our new pay-go requirements. It will ease the burden students and families bear as they strive to improve their situations and contribute to our Nation's economy, but not increase the burden on taxpayers. This is not merely a win-win situation; this is a win-surplus. Our country will benefit immensely both globally and locally through a renewed commitment to education. Our students deserve the best. They are our future, and by cutting student loan interest rates and expanding access to higher education we are ensuring our Nation's future.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, my mother was an extraordinary woman. There is no doubt that Medicare helped her live the last of her 94 years with dignity and mostly independence. However, despite having one son as a doctor, one as a pharmaceutical executive and one as a Member of Congress, our family still struggled to meet her needs. As a Member of this body, I felt helpless and almost ashamed to know that there are millions more like her forced to decide between food and medicine each month. I am proud now to be a part of this inspired and honest effort to make a difference in the lives America's elderly and disabled. Although mother is gone now, I can still make a difference for her sister, my 91-year-old Aunt Mary. She fell into the part D doughnut hole and paid thousands of dollars a month for her medications. It is an outrage that my aunt and millions of Americans are paying record prices while drug companies are reporting record profits. Giving Medicare the ability to negotiate drug prices is a monumental first step. I hope it is just the beginning of expanding every American's access to quality and affordable health care. I urge you all to think of your mothers and aunts when you cast your vote for H.R. 4. Do this for every one of your constituents who has to decide between meals and medicine and show America that we are all dedicated to a new direction.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlelady for yielding time. I am awfully proud to be standing here again in the midst of this distinguished body representing the people of the 22nd Congressional District of Texas. A wave of change rushed across America since I left office, a wave that carried me back here to Washington, D.C., and I couldn't be prouder to vote today on the very first day of the 110th Congress to reform the rules and code of ethics by which this body operates; rules that were abused and tore Texas and this country apart, and a code of ethics that was disregarded and caused the American people to lose confidence in us, their representatives. We can't afford to wait another day to restore the trust and hope to those who sent us here to represent them. It is not about moving to the left or to the right, but about moving this country forward. And now is the time to start working together by reaching across the aisle that we allow to divide us. It is time to conduct the people's business openly and honestly in the light of day. I urge all of you, my distinguished colleagues, to join together in supporting these vital reforms. This is the first step toward restoring pride in our democracy, and that means restoring fiscal responsibility. Passing our massive debt on to our kids and grandkids is not a legacy we want to leave. Those who elect us are our employers, and we must be diligent in spending their hard-earned money which they entrust to us. The number of earmarks alone increased nearly 400 percent and spending doubled over the last decade. We must all make an effort, Republicans and Democrats alike, to trim the fat from the budget. We can once again have a balanced budget, fund important initiatives and be diligent in our oversight of agencies of government, all without raising taxes. I am proud to cast one of my first votes in the 110th Congress in favor of pay-as-you-go rules and aggressive reform of the earmark process so that we can return to a government truly of, by, and for the people. I am honored to be back in this Chamber. I am proud that this Congress is starting off on the right foot with the best interests of every American on our minds, and I am proud to ask all of my colleagues to support this significant package of rules, H. Res. 5 and 6.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, after serving in the People's House for the past eight years, and having the honor of being the voice of Southeast Texas in Congress, I now finally have time to reflect on the accomplishments I've been able to achieve. These are goals that came both from my personal service, and from the work I've been able to do to make the communities within Texas's 9th Congressional District a better place to live. None of the things I have done would have been accomplished without a true team effort. The local communities, through their leaders, were able to build a communications network that allowed my work here to reflect the needs and interests of the people within the 9th Congressional District. It's been an honor to do that and we did so successfully. Some of those successes include my work on transportation issues. As southeast Texas's only Member of the House Transportation Committee, I'm especially proud of being able to help bring hundreds of millions of dollars to the region to create jobs and improve the area infrastructure. This includes the work I did to prevent coastal erosion, where I was able to help initiate studies by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to determine what's causing erosion along upper Texas coast, and how we can slow or stop the loss of protected wetlands, and the potential adverse impact on sports and commercial fishing activities, which impacts the livelihood of many southeast Texans. We were also able to do a great deal of work to improve highways, airports and airways, waterways, and railways, all of which are important and have provided a better quality of life and economic development opportunities for my constituents. The salt water barrier on the Neches River, which allows for the deepening and widening of Sabine Neches Ship Channel, will further strengthen our waterways while also protecting the Big Thicket National Forest. These activities will also further improve and strengthen the area's petrochemical industry, an important part of both the southeast Texas and national economies, and an industry that provides thousands of good, solid jobs for hard- working Texas families. I am also proud of my work on the House Science Committee, and to serve as the ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics. My primary work was to promote development of space, and I also introduced the Space Exploration Act in the beginning of my third term. The goals of this initiative were picked up by the President and set before this Nation as a national initiative, which gives me great deal of pride. NASA needs a larger, important vision to work on, and my proposals always had this concern in mind. We need to continue seeing a growth in civilian space exploration and research. Such activity has the exciting potential of increasing our advances in medicine, technology, education, and the overall positive growth of our great nation. We must always emphasize research and development of science and mathematics, and I can think of no better way to achieve this than through our future in space. Child safety legislation has also been a top priority from my first days in Congress. My biggest success was the creation of the Congressional Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children, which I founded following the tragic death of a young girl, Laura Kate Smither, in the Friendswood part of the 9th Congressional District. We passed legislation that created the Cybercrime Center, passed many bills like the Amber Alert program, and introduced the Bring Our Children Home Act in the 106th and 107th Congresses, and this year that bill received a hearing by the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House International Relations Committee. I'm very proud of our efforts to reach out to countries around the world for children of parents of dual nationalities. I wrote and delivered a resolution regarding the development of a best practices guide on the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, which was a further step in encouraging compliance with international treaties and allies. One of the most important accomplishments of the Caucus is raising awareness with law enforcement and communities nationwide on the issues of child safety and Internet safety. I hope to see this good work continue in future Congresses, as the bipartisan cooperation and spirit with the Caucus always led me to believe that Members of both parties can find common ground on many problems facing our country. With last year's creation of the Senate caucus on child safety, I know this issue will continue to receive that important attention even after my last day here. I also want to thank my hard-working staff both in Texas and Washington, who fought hard and effectively served the people of southeast Texas. These talented and diligent individuals supported me on every level, and made it possible for me to have one of the most effective constituent services operations of any Member's office. My staff assisted numerous constituents with getting issues resolved with Social Security and disability, Veterans Affairs benefits, and immigration cases. It truly is wonderful to support retired Americans, new Americans, and Americans who have proudly served in the armed forces to protect our freedoms. I am so proud of all that my staff has done for the people of southeast Texas, and know that they will all go on to wonderful and bright professional futures. I also want to thank my family for their support and, of course and most importantly, their willingness to let me take the time to fight for our communities. I appreciate their love and support of my efforts so much, for without them none of what I did in Congress would have been possible. We come from a family of teachers, with my wife teaching special education at Vincent Middle School in Beaumont. Both my daughters are trained teachers as well; Hillary, who's currently not teaching because of her family and children, and Stephanie who's a 6th grade math teacher also in Beaumont. Our family understands what education means to all of us and our opportunities, and as a family we have made a commitment to help other families have easier access to educational opportunities. In closing, let me say that this is not an ending to my public service. I've spent the last 34 years of my life doing things to make my communities better--my goal now is to help all citizens of our country, particularly those who I represent in southeast Texas, to focus on issues that impact us daily, and to see what all of us can do to make our communities better places to live. So as I say my final words on the House floor, let me echo the words of one of our country's greatest leaders, Attorney General Robert Kennedy, who said, ``It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and . . . those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.'' Thank you, and God bless.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. I will support the bill, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher). It has been a pleasure working with him and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert) and on the Committee on Science and on the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics. Actually, it has been a tremendous pleasure working with the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar) on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure as well. These things, hopefully, will be able, these concerns, will be able to be addressed if this makes it back into the next session of Congress. I do want to speak in support of H.R. 5382, a bill to promote the development of the emerging commercial human space flight industry. I was an original co-sponsor of an earlier version of this bill, H.R. 3752, which passed earlier this year and we have already heard spoken about. While the idea of a commercial human space flight industry might have seemed like science fiction, like a science fiction dream even a few years ago, the recent successful flights of Burt Rutan's Spaceship One show that the dream may be truly moving toward reality. So the basic purpose of H.R. 5382 is to establish a framework for regulating the emerging commercial human space flight industry. The Committee on Science has heard ample testimony that such a framework is needed if the companies are to make their plans and attract needed investment capital. At the same time, Congress needs to ensure that safety is protected as this new industry emerges. One of the challenges in developing this legislation has been in striking an appropriate balance between encouraging innovation and providing sufficient safety regulation of this emerging industry. In that regard, our discussions with the Senate have led to language that clarifies that we care about both the growth of new industry and the protection of the crews and the passengers of these new vehicles. Mr. Speaker, when we debated the original version of this bill on the floor earlier this year, I agreed with those who believed that there were still some areas that could be improved on. While there are always further improvements that can be made, I think that our subsequent discussions with the Senate have led to a solid piece of legislation. I think that the legislation before us represents the most feasible compromise possible in this session of Congress. If it makes it into the next session of Congress for discussion again, I hope that we will work in as bipartisan a manner as we possibly can so we can address all of the concerns of all of our Members so it will be moved forward to provide a good framework for regulation. I want to commend, again, my friend, the gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher), for his persistence and initiative on this issue. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5382.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I ask to claim the time of the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton).

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, as I reflect on my time as a member of this great institution, my most important concern is to leave the House of Representatives a better place than when I started. Unfortunately, the House faces a grave moral crisis, and we have already heard other Members speak, within the last few speakers, of these morals that we have brought to bear. Two weeks have barely passed since election day and, the majority party has just perpetrated one of the biggest hypocrisies that this institution and, more importantly, our Nation has seen. Today, just as the Washington Post reported that it would and just as our nightly news reported that it did, the majority amended its own leadership structure, if we can believe it, to allow a Member under felony criminal indictment to hold a position of leadership in this body. The majority party campaigned on its alleged moral values agenda, but when they got back to Washington, moral values flew right out the window. I am sorely disappointed to see the majority so quickly and so arrogantly turn its back on its biggest promise to America. The proposed leadership rule change is a flagrant and despicable insult to the American public and is firm evidence that the majority party's moral compass is permanently off center. Indeed, this rule was adopted by the majority in 1993 as an effort to bring accountability to this House's leadership structure, and rightly so. Our elected leaders must be of the highest, utmost moral fiber, and I dare anyone to disagree with that notion. Now, the majority finds it politically inconvenient to hold congressional leaders accountable and wants to allow Members facing felony criminal charges to continue tarnishing this institution. What sort of moral value does the majority exhibit by allowing those under criminal investigation to infiltrate our highest leadership posts? Can our children ever truly understand moral clarity when the majority allows those facing criminal felony indictments to rule the roost? Has the majority lost so much control of its own moral balance by rewarding Members facing felony criminal indictments with the perquisites of leadership? Clearly, the majority is struggling, and unsuccessfully at that, to find its own moral balance. The majority is verbally tap dancing around this issue, claiming incredulously that State court criminal indictments carry less weight than Federal court criminal indictments. Instead of supporting State prosecutors, the law enforcement officers who protect our communities against waves of criminal behavior, the majority has attacked them as partisan hacks with hidden agendas. What sort of moral values does the majority display by declaring local law enforcement efforts irrelevant? Would any of us tell our children to ignore the safety warnings given by our brave police officers, firefighters and other law enforcement figures? For the safety of our Nation, I pray not. Mr. Speaker, the law is the law, period. If you are suspected of breaking it, then you are the subject of a criminal indictment. This is a simple, basic and fundamental moral lesson anyone can faithfully recite, yet one the majority apparently does not understand. The Congress is not the place to play fast and loose with the principles of moral clarity nor should any majority exploit its own internal rules and structure for crass political purposes. When we make excuses to allow anyone under felony indictment to lead Congress, we set ourselves down a slippery slope of immoral activity and scheming. These are not the type of morals and values that the voters thought they were voting for on election day; nor should the majority so brazenly embrace this foundation of corruption. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. The majority talked about moral values on the campaign trail but clearly blanked on their empty promise once back in Washington. The majority is not about morals. It is not about values but one thing and one thing only, protecting their majority at any or all costs. Shame, shame on this House of Representatives and the majority for caring more about protecting their majority than about promoting true moral values for the American people.