John Larson

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5351, the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2008. I commend the Speaker and the Ways and Means committee for their tireless efforts on behalf of this important legislation. We are at a crucial point in the United States in the development of our alternative energy economy. We are at a point where, without our support, these industries could either grow and prosper or be sent overseas. This bill represents an important step to ensure that alternative energy technologies like windmills and fuel cells are manufactured in Connecticut, not China and in Indiana, not India. Tax credits for alternative energy technologies are crucial to these industries across the United States, and particularly in Connecticut. Connecticut has become a leader in the alternative energy field, particularly in the area of fuel cell technology. We have succeeded as a result of investment in research and development, partnerships between the industry and the state and federal government and the ingenuity and talented workforce in the state. The impact of the fuel cell industry on Connecticut's economy has been powerful. The Connecticut fuel cell industry has created over 2,000 jobs statewide and generates $29 million in tax revenues to the state annually. The Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2008 strengthens and extends the tax credits for investment in fuel cell technology for 8 years, providing much needed certainty to the industry. It also extends the production tax credit for alternative energy technologies like wind, solar and geothermal energy. In a recent New York Times article, a reporter traveled to small towns in Texas that people had all but given up on because of their faltering economies. These same towns are now experiencing a rebirth because the wind industry is bringing jobs back to their community. This is the impact this important legislation can have on towns throughout the Nation and why I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5351.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and pay tribute to one of the oldest and greatest civil rights organizations in our country's history. The NAACP has served for nearly a century to provide help for those who cannot help themselves, to provide justice for the wronged, and to give a voice to the disenfranchised. Though the group formed to fight for equality for minorities and the disadvantaged, the NAACP has vigilantly stood guard for all Americans so that the basic rights of none are infringed upon. In 1909, six great Americans, Ida Wells-Barnett, W.E.B. DuBois, Henry Moscowitz, Mary White Ovington, Oswald Garrison Villiard, and William English Walling, banded together to produce the ``Call to National Action.'' This founding document of the NAACP laid out the organization's goals--to protect the rights guaranteed by the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution. From their ever-present task to preserve these rights to the fight to put an end to lynching, the great victory over segregation won in 1954's Brown v. Board of Education, and their continuing crusade to protect civil rights, the NAACP has been an inimitable champion of the cause of equality and social justice in our Nation. Today, under the leadership of Chairman Julian Bond, the organization has grown to over 2,200 branches with over 500,000 members nationwide. Connecticut is very grateful for the work that the NAACP has done in the State. Headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut and led by chapter president Scot X. Esdaile, the Connecticut NAACP has been a great advocate for civil rights in the State. The Connecticut NAACP has been a valuable partner in local efforts to ensure civil rights. Our chapter has worked to ensure that minorities are represented in all levels of government as important legislative decisions are being made. The group worked with other local organizations to develop a talent bank of highly qualified minority candidates to fill senior-level positions in the State and combat any discrimination that might exist. The local NAACP has also worked tirelessly with the seven members of the Connecticut Congressional delegation to ensure that our Federal Government secures the blessings of liberty for all. I am proud to have a 95 percent rating from the NAACP. It remains a prevalent voice in the State and a standard-bearer of the principles of equality and justice. Mr. Speaker, I believe we can honor the work of the NAACP best by continuing to work for the noble cause for which the organization exists: to protect the rights of all persons and eliminate hatred and racial discrimination. I extend to the NAACP my best wishes for a happy 99th anniversary and I commend and thank them for a century of service.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of this most important month of February, deemed as Black History Month. Let us join with the rest of the Nation in highlighting the significant contributions that African Americans have made to our great Nation, while celebrating this year's theme of ``Carter G. Woodson and the Origin of Multiculturalism.'' Throughout this noteworthy month, we all should take a moment to reflect on the fact that February was designated to make a national appeal to Americans to make note of the tremendous role that African Americans have played in the development and advancement of our country's rich history. February embraces the birthdays of two distinguished Americans--Frederick Douglas and Abraham Lincoln--whose contributions to our society are immeasurable. Let us remember that not only are we honoring Black history; we are celebrating all of our history, American history. This month we should remember the legacy of the illustrious Harlem Renaissance and the contributions this period had in shaping America's cultural heritage. African American writers Langston Hughes, Richard Wright, Ralph Ellison, James Baldwin, and Toni Morrison have now become major voices in American Literature. Military achievements, not only by the Tuskegee Airmen, the 54th Regiment from Massachusetts, and the 29th Regiment from Connecticut, but by other courageous Black soldiers, have helped to create the gallant Armed Forces of this country. In this month, let us all work together to ensure a positive future for the 40.2 million African Americans who contribute to this Nation on a daily basis. In my home State of Connecticut, we make note of Hartford's Black governors who oversaw the region from 1755 to 1800; fearless Connecticut abolitionists James Mars and J.W.C. Pennington who petitioned Connecticut's legislature regarding voting and social rights for blacks in the 1840s and 50s; and of course the survivors of the Amistad slave ship, who spent days seated in a Hartford courtroom awaiting their fate by a U.S. circuit court judge. Through relics such as the Old State House, Mark Twain House, Harriet Beecher Stowe House, the Connecticut freedom trails, and the Amistad Center for Arts and Culture, we are paying homage to the extraordinary African Americans who have resided in our State. Mr. Speaker, this year during Black History Month, I urge my colleagues and this Nation to remember all of the African Americans who have helped to weave the historical tapestry of America. I urge us all to realize the service, dedication and courage that have emerged throughout the decades. This year, let us truly celebrate Black History as a part of us all. Like our motto says, E Pluribus Unum, Out of many we are one. We are a great Nation formed by the contribution of many, and this month we celebrate one of those outstanding groups.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Chairman, as a cosponsor of the New England Scenic Trail Designation Act, I rise in strong support of this very important bill. Connecticut is proud to be home to part of the Metacomet-Monadnock- Mattabesett Trail System, a beautiful nature trail that runs 190 miles from Massachusetts through Connecticut to the Long Island Sound. First established in 1931, the 700-mile long Blue-Blazed trail network in Connecticut join the Metacomet-Monadnock trail system in Massachusetts, a trail laid in the late 1950s. The trail is a vital part of the natural beauty and recreational activity of the First Congressional District of Connecticut, as well as the other parts of the state and neighboring Massachusetts. This distinctive trail passes through one of the most densely populated parts of the country--2 million people live within 10 miles of the trail. In 2001, the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection designated the Metacomet Ridge System--part of the trail system--as an official state greenway. The ridge system contains a ``spine'' of traprock ridges, providing a habitat for various types of plants and animals. These living things that call the ridge home and add to its beauty are not protected from residential development pressures, and while seventeen towns in Connecticut have signed a compact to work towards protecting the ridge system the trail merits Federal protection. In December of 2002, the President signed the Metacomet-Monadnock- Mattabesett Trail Study Act into law, which directed the National Park Service to study the trail to determine if the Metacomet-Monadnock- Mattabesett Trail should be included in the National Trail System. In April of 2006, the study recommended its inclusion. This legislation before us today urges the implementation of the study's recommendations, while protecting land owners. The bill protects the trail system against encroachment by residential growth, but prohibits the government from seizing private land through eminent domain. Mr. Chairman, designation of the New England Scenic Trail would be an important step towards preserving the 190-mile long trail and its natural and recreational value for years to come. I urge my colleagues to join me in ensuring the environmental preservation of the Metacomet- Monadnock-Mattabesett Trail by supporting the underlying bill.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Arizona for his leadership, and I rise in strong support of this legislation. But I especially want to commend Congressman Olver for his dedication and hard work. I think most people in this Chamber recognize John Olver as somewhat of an academician and someone who certainly knows the workings of the Appropriations Committee, but few probably know that he's an avid hiker. And next to Henry David Thoreau, from Massachusetts, probably is as close and akin to nature as anyone in the United States Congress. And so this is something that he has worked on a long period of time, at least since I've been in the United States Congress, and I want to commend him for his hard work, and especially commend Chris Murphy from Connecticut as well for his work in this district. I'm proud to say that this trail runs all the way through from Massachusetts to the Sound, and the Governor of the State of Connecticut has fully endorsed this matter, and it impacts the communities in my district of East Granby, Bloomfield, West Hartford, Southington, Berlin, Middleton. More than 2 million people, as you've heard other members come to the floor and enumerate, are going to be fortunate enough to share the values that we derive from going out and hiking and being able to be part of this unbelievable MMM Trail that will be provided for our constituents and citizens. So I stand in strong support of this bill and thank Mr. Olver again, and again, kudos to Chris Murphy for his hard work making sure that this came to the floor.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, at this time, I would like to prevail upon the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Perlmutter) for 1 minute.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I rise to associate myself with the remarks of our distinguished Republican leader, Mr. Boehner, and thank him for the large role that he played in putting this package together. As he said in his remarks, the comity that exists in this Chamber today is warming. President Roosevelt used to say that what we need in this Nation is the warm courage of national unity. And it's great to see, on a day like today, that we can all pull together. I think, again, Mr. Bachus and Mr. Frank deserve an awful lot of credit as well. And to my distinguished colleague from Massachusetts, whose eloquence is only superceded by his wit and understanding of the parliamentary process, he continues to amaze. But in getting philosophical, my grandfather, Nolan, would say, in explaining the difference in the free market system, one thing has to apply, and that's Peter Finley Dunn's reminder to ``trust everyone, but cut the cards.'' And I think in coming together today, that's what we've seen is a cutting of the cards. But as we all know, this wouldn't have happened without the great work of the distinguished chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Charlie Rangel, and again, the distinguished gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. McCrery). So, we're sad to see him leave, but the partnership that the two of them have had, as I've said earlier, exemplifies how the Chamber and how committees should conduct themselves. Madam Speaker, Speaker Pelosi deserves so much credit for this, for first reaching out to the President, and then working hand in glove with Mr. Boehner to make sure that we were able to bring this important legislation to the floor today. As Mr. Rangel has outlined and Mr. Hoyer as well, we made sure that this was simplistic in its approach to get money out in a timely, targeted, and temporary manner. And I believe that we have been able to achieve those goals. We further recognize, however, that we have a rendezvous with reality, and the Ways and Means Committee and Mr. Rangel are prepared, as we move forward in this session and into the next, to make sure that we're addressing the long-term concerns that we know this economy faces. With that, again, I would like to thank the staffs of the respective committees who have worked tirelessly to make sure that this legislation was able to come to the floor in as speedy a manner as it possibly can and can only pray to God that the other body acts in as timely and targeted and temporary fashion as we have demonstrated here.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, at this time it is an honor to call upon the distinguished gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran) for 1\1/2\ minutes.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, it is now my high honor to call upon the chairman of the Select Revenue Committee for the Ways and Means Committee, the distinguished gentleman from Springfield, Massachusetts (Mr. Neal) for 2 minutes.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, at this time, I would like to recognize the gentlewoman from New Hampshire (Ms. Shea-Porter) for 1 minute.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, it is my honor and privilege to introduce the person in Congress who knows more about article I in the Constitution than anyone else, the distinguished gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Yarmuth) for 1 minute.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, at this time I yield the distinguished lady from Texas, Sheila Jackson-Lee, 1 minute.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. I thank the chairman for those generous remarks. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commend Speaker Pelosi and commend Leader Boehner for working together to bring this package before us and working in conjunction with the President. Speaker Pelosi, I think, was correct in reaching out to the President first through letter and then, of course, by making sure that we could bring to fruition this important package. It wouldn't happen, though, without the leadership of Charlie Rangel and Jim McCrery, who have epitomized in this Chamber what working together is all about and the productive results that can come from that. I am so pleased and honored to see that this package reaches out to 35 million people, 35 million Americans who would otherwise never know the benefits of a stimulus package and debunks once and for all the myth that they do not pay taxes. They pay the most regressive of taxes. And, therefore, this is money that will help stimulate this economy immediately. And, again, I commend the leadership for coming up with this progressive approach. We also recognize that there is much more that needs to be done as well. Again, I want to commend our chairman, Charlie Rangel, for recognizing the kind of long-term stimulus that we're going to need. President Roosevelt said of another generation they had a ``rendezvous with destiny.'' For America today what Mr. Rangel understands and recognizes is that we have a rendezvous with reality. It's a reality that people face every day when they stare across the kitchen table and look at their spouses and understand what's happening to our economy. When you look at the national debt, when you look at the trade imbalance, when you look at personal credit card debt, when you look at the college tuition debt that people are experiencing, that's what's happening with this middle-class crunch. That's why long- term investment in infrastructure is so important. And, again, I commend Mr. Rangel and the entire body for pursuing it.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Yes, we would be prepared to close at this time. I don't know whether the gentleman from Massachusetts is going to close as well. So, with that, we would reserve the balance of our time and be prepared to close.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. That is correct.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to yield to a distinguished member of the Ways and Means Committee, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett) for 2 minutes.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, at this time, I am honored to recognize the preeminent authority on smart growth in the Congress, and I dare say this Nation, the gentleman from Oregon, a distinguished member of the Ways and Means Committee, Mr. Blumenauer, for 2 minutes.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I would also like to yield 1 minute as well to the distinguished lady from New York.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Louisiana. At this time, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from New York City, Mr. Serrano, who is loved dearly by her citizens. Only Roberto Clemente is respected more in his great City of New York. (Mr. SERRANO asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, it is my honor to now prevail upon the distinguished gentlelady from Nevada (Ms. Berkley) for 2 minutes.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, throughout the month of January, we observe National Mentoring Month, which calls to attention the importance of fostering positive, helping relationships with our youth. I rise today to recognize the importance of mentoring to the vitality of our Nation. According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, there are 3 million mentors in the United States. While impressive at first glance, the reality is, there are far more young people in need of the caring support of an adult mentor that go without one--over 14 million youths across the Nation are still in need of a mentoring relationship. I would like to commend the many community-based organizations in the Greater Hartford region, in my own State of Connecticut that provide mentoring services and youth focused programs like the Community Renewal Team, Hartford Communities that Care, Mi Casa Family Services and Education Center and Our Piece of the Pie. These groups partner with local, State and non-profit organizations to ensure the positive development of the young people in my district. Madam Speaker, on behalf of the many youths in need of encouragement and support, the many adults who are engaged in mentoring activities, and the organizations that work tirelessly to close the mentoring gap, I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking mentors across the country and recognizing National Mentoring Month.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and pay tribute to the significant accomplishments and contributions of the great Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who fought tirelessly throughout his life against injustices not only towards African- Americans, but for all members of society, in order to promote community amongst all citizens. As the Nation takes pause on Monday to honor the late Martin Luther King, Jr., we will remember the portrait of his life. Americans across the country will reflect on how the great Dr. King dedicated his life to making this Nation a more tolerant place. We will remember his critical role in the Civil Rights Movement--the Montgomery Bus Boycott, his involvement in the formation of the Southern Christian Leadership Coalition, his arrest in Birmingham, the march on Washington, his outspoken stance on the war in Vietnam--a collection of heroic acts that forged change in this great Nation. As we reflect, we must remember this great leader's words that he delivered 40 years ago, ``If any of you are around when I have to meet my day . . . Tell them not to mention that I have a Nobel Peace Prize, that isn't important. Tell them not to mention that I have three or four hundred other awards, that's not important. I'd like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King Jr. tried to give his life serving others . . . I'd like for somebody to say that day, that Martin Luther King Jr. tried to love somebody. I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity.'' Though these statements spoke to the memory he wanted us to have of him at the time of his death, these words still linger as we consider his beginnings. We can still remember his humble outlook on life. We are truly saddened each time we hear these words, yet we can be grateful for his presence, even for such a short time. As we remember his legacy, it is important to realize the work of Dr. King is not complete. He dedicated his life to serving others and humanity. He believed in nonviolence. He believed in the greater good of mankind. What would Dr. King say about the violence plaguing cities across the country, in cities like Hartford, in my home State of Connecticut? Our children are growing up in war zones. Families are being devastated and a generation is lost. Madam Speaker, this year on Martin Luther King Day, I urge my colleagues and this Nation to remember Dr. King and his message of nonviolence. I urge all of us to realize his work of service and compassion to humanity. This year, let us truly remember Dr. King the way he asked--let us bring his message of compassion and nonviolence to our city streets.

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. I thank the gentlelady from Ohio. And I also join in commending and thanking Mr. Rangel and Mr. Neal for their efforts in making sure that this legislation came to the floor. Let me further associate myself with the remarks of the distinguished gentlelady from Ohio. By the end of next year, 2 million foreclosures will occur in this country. That's 2 million people and families whose lives and finances will be uprooted, 2 million communities affected. That's why it was so important for this committee to act. We should not add to their burden. We have to make sure that we preserve the American Dream for them. The Ways and Means Committee reacted swiftly and reasonably to this crisis and said what we could do was make it easier for those who get a raw deal or are having a hard time. We could start by not making them have to pay taxes on money they will never see. And that is the beauty of this bill. Also contained in this bill is a provision that helps firefighters and first responders. It wasn't lost on Mr. Rangel, or Mr. Neal either, that it wasn't the FBI or the CIA or the armed services who responded at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, or the fields of Pennsylvania. It was volunteer firefighters. But the IRS, in its wisdom, chooses to treat income that they receive from their county, their State or their communities in terms of rebates on property tax or other equipment as ordinary income. That is flat-out wrong. And again, I commend the leadership for making sure that we address these issues.