Steven LaTourette

Mr. LaTOURETTE

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. House Concurrent Resolution 106 recognizes and honors America's Jewish community on the occasion of its 350th anniversary. In 1654, 23 Jewish immigrants from Brazil traveled across the sea and landed in North America at New Amsterdam, which eventually became New York City. Over the next few hundred years, millions more Jews from all over the world migrated to the United States in search of a better life. Our Nation is certainly a better place because they have come here. This resolution acknowledges the contributions of Jewish Americans to this great Nation, and I commend the gentleman from my home State of Ohio (Mr. Chabot) for introducing this concurrent resolution. Mr. Speaker, this legislation is a fitting way for this House to commemorate the influence of Jewish Americans on every aspect of life in our great Nation over the last 350 years. I urge all Members to support passage of House Concurrent Resolution 106. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot), the sponsor of the concurrent resolution.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Portman), the other original cosponsor of the legislation.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support the resolution. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTOURETTE

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Con. Res. 270.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H. Con. Res. 270, introduced by the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Rogers), aims to raise awareness about the need to save for higher education expenses. It is increasingly imperative for today's young people to possess college degrees in order to compete in our Nation's workforce. At the same time, the cost of undergraduate college educations continues to rise at a faster rate than inflation. Behind only their own retirements plans and mortgages, parents will probably put more money into their children's college educations than anything else in their lifetimes. This reality can severely limit options for those students and families who have not set aside funds to pay for college. Mr. Speaker, there is hope for parents and students who seek to defray the high costs of higher education. Many tax-deferred investment opportunities, low-interest loans and scholarships can assist with paying for college, and they are available for those who look hard enough. Hopefully, the House's consideration of this resolution will encourage all future college students, and parents of future college students, to fully explore all such options. Mr. Speaker, few things are more valuable to one's career, financial security or happiness than their college education. Unfortunately, few things are more expensive than a college education. It is important that all Americans interested in going to college take the necessary steps to ensure that college is something they can afford. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support H. Con. Res. 270. I want to thank the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Rogers), and urge passage of the bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Porter).

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Rogers), the sponsor of the resolution.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of the resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTOURETTE

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from Florida (Mr. Shaw), the sponsor of this resolution.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I would advise the gentlewoman we have no additional requests for time.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 273) recognizing and congratulating the East Boynton Beach, Florida, Little League team as the 2003 United States Little League Champions.

Mr. LaTOURETTE

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 70) recognizing Inspectors General over the last 25 years in their efforts to prevent and detect waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement, and to promote economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in the Federal Government.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on the joint resolution under consideration.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the distinguished chairman of the Committee on Government Reform, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis), introduced House Joint Resolution 70. This resolution commends inspectors general for the important work that they do to improve the operation of the Federal Government. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Enactment of the Inspector General Act. This 1978 law originally established Offices of Inspectors General in 12 Federal Departments and agencies. This act has since been amended so that today, statutory IGs oversee nearly 60 Federal Departments and agencies. Inspectors general are a valuable resource for Congress and the American people. Through their audits and investigations, they highlight wasteful spending and fraudulent activities and recommend ways to improve the operation of government programs. In fiscal year 2002, IGs made recommendations that saved more than $70 billion. Investigations performed by IG personnel also resulted in more than 10,000 criminal prosecutions. Mr. Speaker, 25 years after the enactment of the IG act, IGs remain important guardians of good government. This resolution salutes their efforts, and I strongly support its adoption. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate and welcome the gentleman from Florida in his new capacity as an ex-officio member of the Committee on Government Reform.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTOURETTE

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1883) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1601-1 Main Street in Jacksonville, Florida, as the ``Eddie Mae Steward Post Office.''

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1883 was introduced by our esteemed colleague, the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Corrine Brown), which designates this postal facility in Jacksonville, Florida, as the Eddie Mae Steward Post Office. All Members of the Florida State delegation have cosponsored the legislation as is required by the rules of our committee. Eddie Mae Steward lived nearly her entire life in Duval County, Florida. She became an institution in that area. After graduating from Douglas Anderson High School and Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, she began a life of public activism. Ms. Steward became the first female president of the local NAACP chapter in Jacksonville and rose to the level of Florida State president of the NAACP. Naming this post office after her in Jacksonville would be a wonderful tribute to her life of philanthropy. Mr. Speaker, Eddie Mae Steward sadly passed away in March of 2001 at the age of 61. The gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Corrine Brown) introduced identical legislation to 1883 last year, and it passed the House, but not the Senate, before the end of the 107th Congress. With today's passage by the House, we would hope that H.R. 1883 can be presented to the President for his signature before the end of this Congress. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I would advise the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Watson) that we have no additional speakers. I am prepared to yield back when she is.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTOURETTE

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Paula Edwards, a fellow resident of Ohio on her recent election to the Board of Directors of the National Association of Federal Credit Unions (NAFCU). Ms. Edwards, the President and CEO of Nationwide Federal Credit Union located in Columbus, Ohio, was elected as a regional director, representing the States of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Ms. Edwards has been associated with Nationwide FCU for more than 25 years. Ms. Edwards joined Nationwide FCU as the Operations Manager in 1975. Since that time, Ms. Edwards has served as the Services Manager for Nationwide's mutual fund operation, Nationwide Investing Foundation, she has served on the Nationwide FCU board of directors, including a three-year stint as chairwoman, and in 1989 she took over her current position as President and CEO of Nationwide FCU. In addition, Ms. Edwards is active in a number of other activities including holding positions on the Corporate One FCU Board and Executive Committee. She is the Chair of Consumer Credit Counseling for the Midwest and she also serves on the Public Service Credit Union Strategic Advisory Group. During her 25 years of service in the credit union community Ms. Edwards has made the financial literacy of her members a priority. In addition, Ms. Edwards has worked hard to build the credit union movement into what it is today; a healthy, competitive alternative to other financial institutions. As a board member of NAFCU, she has distinguished herself as a leader in the only national trade association that exclusively represents the interests of America's federal credit unions, and I have no doubt that Ms. Edwards will serve NAFCU members as well as she has served her own credit union members. Again, I would like to congratulate Ms. Edwards on her new position and wish her the best of luck in this new role.

Mr. LaTOURETTE

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Chairman, I thank both the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Oxley) and the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus) for their very kind words. Mr. Chairman, when I travel back to Ohio, I have to admit that folks up there are not telling me how important it is that we reauthorize the Fair Credit Reporting Act. They are not telling me how this legislation helped them drive home the new minivan the same day they went to the dealership, or how the convenience of the national credit granting system allowed them to charge a trip with the kids to Disneyland on their MasterCard. What is ironic, Mr. Chairman, is that this lack of interest from the average American consumer demonstrates to me very clearly that the amendments the Congress passed in 1996 to create the national credit system that we all take for granted today is working exceptionally well and it is a perfect illustration of why we need to support this legislation. The bill before us today not only makes that system of the national standard for our country, but it also, as has been mentioned, tackles the problem of identity theft. During the committee's extensive hearing process on this legislation, we heard from a number of experts on the issue. We also heard from a number of victims. One of them came from my hometown, a woman by the name of Maureen Mitchell. And it was the severity of Maureen's case that inspired me to work with my friend, the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Hooley), who has really been dogged in the pursuit of this part of the legislation for years, and my hat's off to the gentlewoman from Oregon. It was the severity of that case, and, basically, she and her husband had their identities stolen, and they racked up $100,000 in bills. In Chicago, the thieves went and got $45,000 in loans in the span of 2 hours, and they were horrified to learn that they were the ``proud owners'' of two sport utility vehicles that they, of course, did not purchase. Anytime the Congress debates the issue of preempting State law, we have to question whether or not the Federal Government knows better than the States on how to pass a law that affects our citizens. When the question relates to access to credit and identity theft, I strongly believe the answer is in this legislation. Creating a set of uniform national standards will benefit people across the economic spectrum and is the perfect vehicle to fight the crime of identity theft. I would urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to think of all the times we take for granted the ability to gain fast access to credit in our day-to-day activities. As a parent, it was terrifying when my daughter got her first credit card in the mail. But when that envelope arrived and she proudly stuck that piece of plastic in her wallet, she began building a credit history that will one day allow her to buy a home or take that vacation to Disneyland. Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank very much the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Oxley), the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank), and the gentleman from Alabama (Chairman Bachus) for this nice piece of legislation. Mr. Chairman, when I travel back home to Madison, Ohio, I'll admit it--the folks up there aren't telling me how important reauthorizing the Fair Credit Reporting Act is to them. They're not telling me how this legislation helped them drive a new minivan home the same day they went to the dealership, or how the convenience of our national credit granting system allowed them to charge a trip with the kids to Disneyland on their Matercard. What's ironic, Mr. Chairman, is that this lack of interest from average American consumers demonstrates to me very clearly that the amendments Congress passed in 1996 to create the national credit system that we all take for granted today is working exceptionally well, and is a perfect illustration of why we need to support this legislation. The bill before us today not only makes that system the national standard for our country, but also tackles the issue of identity theft. During the Committee's extensive hearing process on this legislation, we heard from a number of experts on this issue, and we also heard the testimony of a number of victims, one of whom--Maureen Mitchell--is from my hometown. The severity of Maureen's case is what inspired me in the 106th Congress to work with my friend Congresswoman Darleen Hooley to draft what have now become the critical ID theft provisions in the bill before us today. To give you some idea of the enormity and extent of the Mitchell family's identity theft saga, all told, Maureen and her husband Ray have been victimized to the tune of well over $100,000. Their identities have been used to apply in a two-hour period for $45,000 worth of personal loans at three different banks in Chicago. And they are the ``owners'' of two luxury Sport Utility Vehicles that they never purchased. Any time Congress debates the issue of pre-empting State law, we have to question whether or not the Federal Government knows better than the States how to pass a law that affects our citizens. When the question relates to access to credit and identity theft, I strongly believe that the answer is in this legislation: creating a set of uniform national standards will benefit people across the economic spectrum, and is the perfect vehicle to fight the crime of identity theft. That said, it would be wrong of us to tie consumers and industry down with very specific operating guidelines and regulations. It would be foolish to believe that there is one cure-all that will completely prevent cases of identity theft, but with the options and flexibility provided by this legislation, consumers, creditors, and law enforcement will be able to stay ahead of the identity thieves as they find new technologies and methods of carrying out this crime. Again, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to consider all the times we take for granted the ability to get fast access to credit in our day-to-day activities. As a parent, yes, it was a terrifying thing when my oldest daughter got her first credit card. But what that envelope arrived in the mail and she proudly stuck that piece of plastic in her wallet, she began building a credit history that will one day allow her to buy a home and take that vacation to Disneyland with her family. With the Fair Credit Reporting Act set to expire at the end of the year, this Congress is in a unique position to have a tremendous impact on every American consumer. If we do not act today and support this legislation, we will be denying future generations of Americans the same financial luxuries we have all enjoyed for the last eight years. Finally, I would like to thank Chairman Oxley and Subcommittee Chairman Bachus for their strong leadership on this legislation.

Mr. LaTOURETTE

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, on a gratifying endorsement of my oratorical skills, the Chairman of the full committee has asked that I ask unanimous consent that in the engrossment of the bill, H.R. 2622, the Clerk be authorized to correct section numbers, punctuation, and cross references and to make such other technical and conforming changes as may be necessary to reflect the actions of the House.

Mr. LaTOURETTE

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I congratulate the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Carson) for shepherding this bill to the floor and its expected passage today. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.