Tom Latham

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and congratulate Brandon Pettit, of Prole, Iowa, who has achieved national recognition for exemplary volunteer service in his community. The 2010 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program recently named Brandon as one of the top youth volunteers in Iowa for his part in the 2009 Warren County Fair's recycling effort. Brandon, upon noticing significant potential to cut down on waste at public events, created and successfully implemented a plastic bottle and aluminum can recycling initiative for the 2009 Warren County Fair. His plan recruited fellow 4-H members to monitor and empty 10 recycling bins strategically placed throughout the fairgrounds. Brandon would then, with the help of his family, proceed to sort, bag, and deliver the used bottles and cans to redemption and recycling centers. Created in 1995, by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards annually honors the most impressive student volunteers in each state and the District of Columbia. This organization strives to impress upon all youth volunteers that their contributions are critically important and highly valued, while inspiring other young individuals to follow their example. Over the past 15 years, the program has become the nation's largest youth recognition effort based solely on community service, and has honored nearly 100,000 young volunteers at the local, state and national level. Madam Speaker, individuals such as Brandon Pettit must be recognized and applauded for their sincere dedication to maintaining a healthy community and for their positive impact on the lives of others. Brandon's actions show that young Americans can--and do--play important roles in our nation, and I am proud to represent him, his family and his fellow volunteers in the United States Congress.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Russ Wiesley for his commitment to improving the educational system in Iowa and for recently being elected as president to the Iowa Association of School Boards' board of directors. The IASB, encompassing 361 school districts, 10 area education agencies and 15 community colleges, is a private, nonprofit organization that serves as a major advocate for Iowa's school system. Born and raised in Cedar Falls, Mr. Wiesley attended the University of Northern Iowa as well as Drake University, earning a degree in pharmacy. Upon graduation, he went on to work in various pharmacies, eventually opening his own. With 13 years of experience on the Waukee school board and six for the IASB, Mr. Wiesley has risen to be a key figure for supporting the development and training of Iowa's students and school administrators. A former Marine and Vietnam War veteran, the leadership role is nothing new to Mr. Wiesley, who has held prominent positions during his time as a member of the Iowa Pharmacists Association, the Dallas County Empowerment Board of Directors, the Urbandale Jaycees, the YMCA, the American Legion, the Waukee Veterans of Foreign Wars, the First Marine Corps Division and 2/1 Associations, the Military Order of the Purple Heart and Waukee United Methodist Church. Madam Speaker, individuals such as Russ Wiesley should be recognized for their sincere dedication to educating our nation and for their devotion to creating a better community. I sincerely appreciate the work that Mr. Wiesley has done and wish him further success in his educational endeavors.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this flawed health care bill.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Boone, Iowa Police Department's Assistant Chief, Mr. Don Anderson, who, with over three decades of law enforcement service to his community, will officially retire on March 1, 2010. Assistant Chief Anderson graduated from Boone High School in 1973 and shortly thereafter joined the United States Army. Following six years of service as a military policeman with the Army, he returned to Boone and joined the police force in July of 1979. After serving six years as a desk officer and taking criminal justice classes at the Des Moines Area Community College Boone Campus, Mr. Anderson became a patrolman. In 1993 he was promoted to captain, and by 2002 Mr. Anderson had ascended to Assistant Chief of the Boone Police Department. In addition to keeping the streets of Boone well protected, Assistant Chief Anderson has been a key figure in various local outreach projects, including the ``Shop with a Cop'' and ``Safety Pup Officer'' programs, which have helped educate the community about law and safety related issues. With his retirement from the Police Department, Assistant Chief Anderson plans on spending more time with his wife, Maria, as well as his children and grandchildren. In true devotion to his community, even in retirement, Assistant Chief Anderson plans to work part-time for the Boone County Attorney's Office. Madam Speaker, it is individuals like Don Anderson who exemplify the dedication and willingness to serve that keep our nation running safe and strong. I sincerely appreciate the work Assistant Chief Anderson has done and I am proud to serve him, his family and his fellow law enforcement colleagues in the United States Congress.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the House Republican standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information. Bill Number: H.R. 3326--Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2010 Project Name: Aircraft Evaluation Readiness Initiative (AERI) Provided: $2,400,000 Account: Research, Development, Test and Evaluation--Air Force Recipient: Iowa State University Recipient's Street Address: 1750 Beardshear Hall, Ames, IA 50011-2035 Description: This project would continue a program to address a range of aircraft inspection needs to help extend the life of the aging Air Force fleet, as part of a partnership between the Center for Nondestructive Evaluation at Iowa State University and the Air Force Materials Laboratory at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. Bill Number: H.R. 3326--Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2010 Project Name: Galfenol Energy Harvesting Amount Provided: $2,800,000 Account: Research, Development, Test and Evaluation--Army Recipient: ETREMA Products, Inc. Recipient's Street Address: 2500 North Loop Drive, Ames, Iowa 50010 Description: The US Navy has a goal of reducing crew sizes, moving toward all-electric designs and increasing survivability of its vessels. A key strategy is the use of remote sensors to monitor areas and functions of a ship normally covered directly by personnel. The objective of the project is to develop this technology. Magnetostrictive materials like Galfenol offer a unique capability to harvest stray energy from routine ship vibrations and other sources which can power these sensors and the wireless radios used to transmit the data. Remote sensors would communicate information to a central processing station using a wireless network and thereby avoid adding the weight and complexity of additional wiring. An important benefit is the increased survivability of such a vessel in the event of an emergency or attack. By decentralizing command and control functions of a vessel through virtual control centers, damage to any one section of a vessel can be circumvented.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the service of Intelligence Specialist First Class Petty Officer James Kenneth Brown, and to express my appreciation for his dedication and commitment to his country. For the past 20 years, Petty Officer Brown has served faithfully and honorably around the globe. He first enlisted in the United States Navy in August 1989 through the delayed entry program and proceeded to Recruit Training Command in June of 1990 in Great Lakes, Ill. In 1990, he participated in Desert Storm and Desert Shield earning the Combat Action ribbon. Petty Officer Brown then became the first Seaman onboard USS Nassau to earn the Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist Pin in 1993. Later in the same year, he joined the Navy Marine Intelligence Training Command to become an Intelligence Specialist. In 1994, he participated in Operation Southern Watch and operations in Kosovo. Petty Officer Brown reported to the USS Carl Vinson as the Leading Petty Officer of Multi-Sensor Interpretation Branch in December 1999. Two years later, the USS Carl Vinson launched the first attack of the Global War on Terrorism into Afghanistan in response to 9/11. His second deployment on the USS Carl Vinson was off the Korean Peninsula and included the FOAL EAGLE and TANDUM THRUST exercises. In 2004, Petty Officer Brown took orders to the Chief of Naval Operations--Intelligence Plot and worked in National Military Joint Intelligence Center in the Pentagon. Three years later he reported to the USS Cole for a tour as the Assistant Destroyer Squadron Twenty-Two Intelligence Officer. In 2008, Petty Officer Brown transferred to Joint Forces Transformational Command, where he worked as an Intelligence Analyst rewriting and providing critical insight for limited distributed intelligence products. In December 2008, he reported to U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo as his last duty station in the United States Navy. He is currently serving as the Leading Petty Officer and the Special Security Officer for the Naval Station and Tenant Commands. During his service, Petty Officer Brown also furthered his education and earned numerous recognitions and awards for his dedicated service. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Intelligence Studies from the Joint Military Intelligence College in 2004 and earned Post Graduate Certificate in Intelligence in 2007 from the National Defense Intelligence College. He also earned the Joint Service Achievement Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (second award), Combat Action ribbon, Good Conduct Medal (sixth award), NATO Medal for Yugoslavia, Joint Staff Identification Badge along with several unit and campaign awards. I congratulate Petty Officer Brown for his many years of loyalty and service to our great nation. It is an immense honor to represent First Class Petty Officer Brown in the United States Congress, and I wish him and his wife Nichole a happy retirement from the United States Navy and all the best in their future endeavors.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Sergeant Rick Lampe on the occasion of his retirement from the Iowa State Patrol. For the last 35 years, Sgt. Lampe has served Iowa faithfully and honorably. He first served four years with the sheriff's office in Waverly, Iowa before serving 31 years with the Iowa State Patrol. In 1979, he began his career with the Iowa State Patrol in Ogden, Iowa, where he plans to enjoy his retirement. Six and a half years ago, Sgt. Lampe was promoted to sergeant. Since 1993, he has provided security for Senator Chuck Grassley's biannual Ambassador's Tour across Iowa. Sgt. Lampe and his wife, Julie, have raised two sons, Nate and Nick and are blessed with three grandchildren. Times have certainly changed during Sgt. Lampe's time in the Iowa State Patrol, even in the past ten years. In 1999, Sgt. Lampe's six county district had 47 officers working the area. Today there are only 26 officers working the same area. When he began, patrol officers did not spend significant time in training, but now nearly half of a patrol officer's time is training. There also have been many technological advances such as in-car computers that have helped simplify parts of the job throughout the years. Sgt. Lampe's bravery and dedication in the Iowa State Patrol goes above and beyond what we are asked of as citizens of this country and has earned him the respect of his peers. I commend Sgt. Rick Lampe for his many years of loyalty and outstanding service in protecting Iowans and serving his community. It has been an immense honor to represent Sgt. Lampe in Congress, and I know that my colleagues in the United Stated Congress join me in wishing him all the best as he embarks on this new journey.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to yield 1 minute to the minority leader of the House, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner).

Mr. LATHAM. Mr. Speaker, it's my pleasure to yield 5 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis), ranking member of the full committee.

Mr. LATHAM. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf). (Mr. WOLF asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LATHAM. I yield myself another 30 seconds. I told the Rules Committee yesterday this is a bittersweet time. The THUD conference is completed, and that in itself is an accomplishment. There's a lot of good policy in the Transportation-HUD conference bill, but this package with all of the six bills piled together is about $390 billion and five appropriations bills too large. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LATHAM. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is available on each side?

Mr. LATHAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much times as I may consume. I don't know if the gentleman has more speakers, but I'm planning on closing. I just want to thank the staff, on both sides. Our subcommittee does an outstanding job working together, and I'm just very, very proud of the work that they've done and the kind of commitment they've shown, and just want to say thank you for the professionalism that they have exhibited throughout this whole process. Mr. Speaker, I'm going to oppose this for various reasons. Number one, the fact that this $450 billion bill is a 14 percent increase in spending over last year. At a time when people are hurting, we cannot afford this kind of additional debt that's being put on the taxpayers, on the families at home. Realizing that in the last 2 years, discretionary spending in this House of Representatives has increased now, 85 percent; 85 percent more money, discretionary money, being spent today than just 2 years ago. Does anybody at home have 85 percent more money today than what they had 2 years ago? Is it responsible in any way, shape or form to have that kind of an increase? The gentleman from Massachusetts--and I appreciate his professionalism--made the case, basically, for me before. We held down spending previously. And this explosion that we've seen just throughout the budget is simply wrong. We cannot sustain it, and it is about the next generations. I've got four grandchildren. They're going to pay this bill, and their children are going to pay this bill, and it simply is not fair. It's generational theft, and we've got to finally hold the line as far as spending in this Congress and find some kind of sanity around here. With that, again, I would hope that everyone would vote ``no.'' We could get some reality. We could separate these bills, have them done correctly and in a responsible way. And just one other thing in closing. I want to, again, thank Chairman Olver for being a very good friend, his professionalism, and someone that I really admire. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LATHAM. At this point, I would be proud to give 3 minutes to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Tiahrt).

Mr. LATHAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Wamp).

Mr. LATHAM. Mr. Speaker, first of all, I want to thank the gentleman for recognizing the fact that we were fiscally responsible before and that to catch up in 2 years by spending 85 percent more, by increasing spending by 85 percent, is truly more than catching up, I would say. I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Emerson).

Mr. LATHAM. At this time, it is my privilege to yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Granger).

Mr. LATHAM. Mr. Speaker, just one comment. I think it's interesting to note the gentleman talked about that we are finally getting the Military Construction bill done, VA funding. The last two bills that we are funding are Defense, which will be 80 days out from the start of the new fiscal year, the Military Construction-VA bill. But if you remember back with the schedule, the very first bill that was passed and signed into law was to fund Congress itself. We took care of ourselves here first and the military was the very, very last. I think that is very unfortunate. I am now pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette).

Mr. LATHAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 5 minutes. Mr. Speaker, I first want to thank Chairman Olver for his kind words and his leadership this year. The gentleman from Massachusetts truly is a gentleman. And I appreciate very much the work that he has done. He has very artfully negotiated a good conference report for the House. Those of you who know John Olver know that he puts a great deal of effort and thought into this bill and to the issues in the transportation and housing worlds. In fact, sometimes you feel like he has gone a little bit too far into the weeds, but his dedication is to be admired. It is all the more unfortunate that we are here today under these circumstances. Instead of presenting a Transportation-HUD conference report, Chairman Olver is forced to carry five other bills with him, bills that should be considered on their own as conference reports. The Transportation-HUD bill, like all appropriations bills, was considered under a closed rule in the name of expediency. The Transportation-HUD bill passed the floor of the House in July. The Senate even passed the bill. That was on September 17. The Senate, apparently the body that can't get their work done on time, managed to do it at that time under an open amendment process. They even actually got to offer amendments on the bill, which is something we didn't get to do here in the House. Realistically, we could have and should have been able to bring the Transportation-HUD conference report to the floor by the end of the fiscal year. Instead, here we are today 3 months into the fiscal year, 3 months after the Senate passed its bill in an omnibus today. The Transportation-HUD is not alone in this situation. The MilCon- Veterans bill was also considered and passed by both bodies. MilCon-VA should be a stand-alone conference report. Commerce, Justice, Science actually had a conference meeting noticed up, but that got yanked. The CJS should be a stand-alone bill. Instead, it also got stuck in this omnibus. Three other bills--the Foreign Operations bill, the Financial Services bill, and even the Labor-HHS bill, Mr. Obey's own bill-- weren't considered in the Senate and are buried in this package. Members of this House should be aware you voted against this type of a package on Tuesday. The House voted to adopt a motion to instruct that said no extraneous matters may be added to the Transportation-HUD conference report. Instead, against the wishes of the House, we've added five bills to this conference report. I regret very much that I am unable to support this bill. It's my first year on this bill and I have enjoyed, obviously, working with the chairman. The issues are interesting and our subcommittee members are really engaged and bring a variety of experiences to the table. However, the price tag on this bill is simply too high. Mr. Lewis offered an amendment, very reasonable, to have the spending levels proposed by Congress at the 2010 level, everything but Defense and Veterans, at 2 percent over last year. We spent a lot of money last year, so a 2 percent increase over last year would really be quite generous. However, when we finish the 2010 bills, the Democrats will have increased government spending by 85 percent, 85 percent over the last 2 years. You tell me one American family that has 85 percent more in 2009. I can tell you none of my constituents have an additional 85 percent to spend this year. And they sure don't have the funds to pay for the tax increases that will be needed to pay for this or the debt that the other party is dumping on our taxpayers. Another issue I think the Members need to be aware of in this package, despite our earlier efforts, the Justice Department has issued an opinion that the government will still give funds to ACORN. Let me say that again. We will still be funding ACORN under this bill and their existing contracts. Federal funds will still flow. I had an amendment in conference to substitute new language to get at this issue, as I think all of us were under the impression that ACORN was cut off for good. That's what we were told. However, the Justice Department has another view, and the agencies at least in the HUD area will still cut checks to ACORN.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I would like to take a moment to remember a woman from Iowa who personified the courage and spirit of a working mother and Member of the United States Military. TereseAnn Lynch was killed on November 11, 2009, due to an act of domestic violence. TereseAnn, 30, was a mother of an 8-month-old son. As a member of the Iowa Air National Guard for more than a decade, she served tours of duty in Iraq, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia working as a weapons specialist. Most recently, TereseAnn served her country with honor providing aid in the Iraq War as a technical sergeant. She was also an active and committed employee at the Department of Human Services in Iowa where she provided help to young children and mothers trying to recover lost child support payments. On behalf of my family, and the United States Congress, I would like to extend my condolences to her family, friends, and loved ones. TereseAnn embodied the character and values of a servicewoman and loving mother. A tragedy like this is a painful reminder of the frequency of domestic violence cases. Domestic violence is a willful act of abuse that results in many reactions such as fear, anger, depression, and even death. In the U.S., an estimated 1.3 million women are victims of physical assault by an intimate partner each year. In Iowa over the past decade, domestic violence has affected nearly 6,000 women annually and 1,200 men. Structured to fight the battle against domestic violence, the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV) is an organization established to reach out and help Iowans with domestic violence issues. With 28 direct service programs across the state, the coalition offers counseling and community outreach. The ICADV institutes a 24-hour statewide hotline for those needing help. The phone number is 1-800-942-0333. Domestic violence is a horrific act that no one should have to deal with, and it is my hope that the resources and help available will offer guidance and aid to those affected.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. I thank the gentleman from California for the time. Mr. Speaker, I hear all of this talk about the past. If I remember a little bit of the past, recently, somebody ran on the idea of ``change you can believe in.'' Is this the kind of change that people were talking about, to continue the same type of efforts in the House here that are so bad as far as what was in the past? I am very, very disturbed today that we bring a rule to the floor 5 months after this bill has passed the floor of the House and 3 months after it has passed the Senate. Now, today, almost 3 months into the new fiscal year, we finally bring the Transportation-HUD bill to the floor. Why? Why wait? This bill has been done for months and months. The frustration, I think, that a lot of us have on both sides of the aisle is there is no reason that this bill should not have been completed other than for the fact that they wanted to use it as it is being used today, which is as a vehicle to carry other bills that maybe could not stand on their own and because the work hasn't been done; but anyone who talks about some kind of delay tactic when you have an 80- vote margin in the House and a supermajority in the Senate is simply beyond having any kind of rational argument today. Mr. Speaker, I will tell you, a couple of days ago, I had a motion to instruct conferees--and this is why I think everyone should oppose this rule. I had a motion which said that we would have, as conferees on this bill, 72 hours to look at what is in those 2,500 pages which are being dumped on us today. We were given 30 minutes. When the bill was completed and we were in conference, we had gotten the opportunity for 30 minutes, which is after the House had voted to give us 72 hours to study what is in that bill. Also, the House voted, and a sizable majority said, that we should take this bill by itself rather than have these other five bills added onto it. Again, totally ignored. So here we are today with almost a $500 billion bill which we had 30 minutes to look at. Just as one example of why it is important to have a chance to look at something like this, there was a provision airdropped that no one knew about. I asked about it in conference. No one knew the answer to it. It is one which is a huge safety issue on transportation. Airdropped into this conference report just before our conference convened was a special exemption for the State of Vermont to have 98,000-pound trucks travel on interstate highways.

Mr. LATHAM. Now, maybe this is okay. Maybe it's fine. This is exactly why we should have time to look at it. I know there are a lot of States which would like to have their weights increased. Certainly, this is a safety issue in many parts of the country, so to have someone airdrop a provision of that importance into a bill like this is simply outrageous. There was no debate. No one knew a thing about it. Even the people who were in charge of the bill could not explain the provision when I asked, What is this under that section? Why is this language in there as it is? It had absolutely no debate. No one knew what it was. Please vote against this rule. Let's get a decent bill on the floor.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate and congratulate Louise Johnson on the occasion of her 100th birthday on December 24th, 2009. Louise was born in Esmund, South Dakota in 1909. While growing up in South Dakota, she met and married Lars Vierson Teigland, and the two moved to Iowa in 1939, happily raising two sons, Lowell and Owen, who later served in the U.S. Army. After Lars passed away she married Haakin Johnson, who she also spent many happy years with. Louise has lived on and managed the family farm in Emmetsburg, Iowa for forty-four years until November of this year when she moved to Lakeside Nursing Home. She's enjoyed being a member of the Emmetsburg flower club, collecting dolls, making corn husk dolls and being passionate about politics. There have been many changes that have occurred during the past one hundred years. Since Louise's birth we have revolutionized air travel and walked on the moon. We have invented the television and the Internet. We have fought in wars overseas, seen the rise and fall of Soviet communism and the birth of new democracies. Louise has also seen the leadership of eighteen United States Presidents and twenty-three Governors of Iowa. In her lifetime the population of the United States has more than tripled. I congratulate Louise Johnson for reaching this milestone of a birthday. I am extremely honored to represent Louise in Congress and I wish her happiness and health in her future years.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate Steven and Julie Karber of Jefferson, Iowa, on being named the winners of the ``Gary Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award.'' This award recognizes Iowa livestock farmers who dedicate themselves not only to their professions and their community, but also to caring for the environment. The state of Iowa is celebrating the Karber's achievements, but I feel that we in the U.S. House of Representatives should also recognize and commend the valuable professional and social contributions of Iowa's livestock farmers. Steve and Julie raise sheep in the Jefferson area of my district, but Steve is also an M.D. with an active practice. When the Karbers aren't promoting the sheep industry or handling the day to day demands of being a physician, they are actively supporting the local 4-H and are involved in other community organizations. I commend Steve and Julie for their many years of loyalty and service to Iowa and to our country. It is an immense honor to represent them in Congress, and I know they will continue to serve as role models of the values of community service in this Country.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, while I appreciate the chairman reciting history, also you should look at fiscal year 2006 when every bill was passed individually, signed into law in regular order with an open, free process. And so I think that is a model that we should all be looking for, and hopefully that would be the case. And there's no reason to put all of these bills together. And certainly there's no reason that we shouldn't have enough time to look at--it's about a half a trillion dollars of spending--to have 72 hours to finally look at the bill. Again, Madam Speaker, there really is no controversy here. This is a simple motion to instruct, directing the committee to, number one, keep the THUD bill clean and within its scope of the conference, and, number two, to allow the conference agreement to be available to conferees 72 hours in advance of final passage. I ask for a ``yes'' vote. I reserve the balance of my time.