Sue Myrick

Mrs. MYRICK

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Smith).

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mrs. MYRICK

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, on March 11, 2004, Charlotte, NC, lost a hero, Chris Hill. Chris was originally from California, but located to Charlotte in recent years. He had already served four years in the Army when he decided to re-enlist. His wife, Cheryl Hill, said Chris was determined to go to Iraq last year: ``He just couldn't stand the fact that this was going on and he wasn't doing anything about it,'' she said. ``He wanted to help.'' Chris re-enlisted in April and went to Iraq in the fall. He was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division based in Ft. Riley, Kansas. Chris' friends and family will remember a man who was outgoing and fun and loved to sing. He even had his own karaoke machine, and he never turned down a chance to imitate Elvis Presley. After moving to North Carolina to be near his wife's family, Chris was saved in a Baptist church. His brother-in-law, Rick Cope, a Christian songwriter, has written a song for his niece called ``Praying for You: Cierra's Song.'' Rick said, ``(We) wanted his daughter to know that he's there when she rides her bike. He's there when she gets married. He's there in spirit.'' Christopher Kenneth Hill was buried with full military honors. He was awarded a Purple Heart and Bronze Star for bravery. He was survived by his wife, and his daughter Cierra who is 14 months old. Chris will be missed, but we will never forget his sacrifice for our freedoms.

Mrs. MYRICK

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Ohio for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of not only this rule but the underlying bill, because as the economy continues to improve, it is important that we as Congress continue to help to provide incentives for those Americans who are still looking for work. I spend the majority of my time in my district working on economic development and job creation. This is the Ninth District of North Carolina, and providing worker re-employment accounts is a phenomenal tool that the folks in our district and, of course, all across the country can use to help them get back to work. As we have already heard this morning, these accounts are flexible, and that is the key. Flexibility is so important, because the workers can use the money for career counseling, for transportation, child care, job training, or housing assistance. Wherever the need may be, they can use that money. If they find employment within 13 weeks, they get to keep the balance of the account as a bonus. It is important to the American people to know that we have not lost sight of the fact that there are still a lot of them out there looking for work and that times have been tough. We have been hit particularly hard in my district because of all of the textile jobs lost over the last few years. So it is very important, again, for my district, for the State of North Carolina, and other areas that are experiencing the same problems that we pass this bill. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this rule and ``yes'' on the underlying bill.

Mrs. MYRICK

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. MYRICK. Yes, I do object.

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Linder), a member of the Committee on Rules.

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne).

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter), the chairman of the committee.

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 648 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, for purposes of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Frost), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purposes of debate only. Yesterday, the Committee on Rules met and granted a structured rule for H.R. 4200, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005. The rule provides for 2 hours of general debate equally divided between the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Armed Services. The rule waives all points of order against consideration of the bill. Finally, the rule allows that the Chairman of the Committee of the Whole may recognize for consideration any amendment printed in the report of the Committee on Rules out of the order printed, but not sooner than 1 hour after the chairman of the Committee on Armed Services or a designee announces from the floor a request to that effect. H.R. 4200 comes at a particularly crucial time for our Nation's Armed Forces. The Iraqi conflict and our continuing war on terrorism have brought a renewed and proper focus to national defense. This legislation addresses the needs of a Nation at war on multiple fronts. It contains $422.2 billion for the Department of Defense, DOD, and the national security programs of the Department of Energy, DOE. It also provides an additional $25 billion in emergency budget authority to partially cover the projected costs of continuing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The primary focus of this legislation is protecting our troops on the battlefield. Our men and women in uniform depend on having the necessary systems and equipment to be successful in accomplishing their mission. Many of us have been concerned about the lack of armor available for our Humvees and other trucks. This bill addresses that concern by providing $829.6 million for production of up-armored Humvees. This improved ballistic Humvee will protect our soldiers from antipersonnel, armor-piercing munitions and improvised explosive devices. These are most commonly referred to as IEDs when we hear news reports. It also provides $358.2 million for vehicle add-on armor kits for the Army's truck fleet. Most importantly, it gives the military new authorities to speed critical weapons and equipment to the troops in the battlefield. In the near future, the outcome of our war against terror depends on the courage of our personnel who are on the front lines. We owe so much to our men and women in uniform, and their success in Iraq and Afghanistan is a testimony to their bravery, training, and equipment and their commitment to defend our freedoms. It is the means by which we meet our commitment to provide them a decent quality of life with an across-the-board 3.5 percent pay increase for military personnel. We need pay to sustain the commitment and professionalism of America's all-volunteer armed services and the families that support them. It increases the limit on hardship duty pay from $300 to $750 per month. It makes permanent the increased rate for imminent danger pay from $150 to $225 a month and more than doubles the rate for the family separation allowance from $100 to $250 per month. Our soldiers also need to know that while they are deployed, we are praying for them and their safe return. I was told by a soldier in my district that the most important thing to a soldier who is serving overseas was knowing that their family is being taken care of and supported and they are safe at home. If these men and women are willing to lay down their lives for us, then the least we can do for them is to pray for them and to take care of their families while they are gone. For this purpose, I have created a Web site. It is Honoring Heroes.com. It is a one-stop-shopping resource where folks can go to learn about supporting our troops and their families at home. On the site visitors will find links and resources to help support the families of our men and women who are overseas. And as we approach Memorial Day, one can also find on the Web site a list of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice during the war in Iraq. We must always remember them. I commend the gentleman from California (Chairman Hunter) and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton), the ranking member, for crafting this legislation that will really, truly strengthen America's military. It proposes the largest increase in military end strength in decades by increasing the active duty Army by 30,000 personnel and the Marine Corps by 9,000. Even before Operation Iraqi Freedom, the global war on terrorism, and the commitment to homeland security, the Armed Forces had insufficient manpower for existing wartime and peacetime requirements. Now more than anytime in our Nation's history, we are relying on these men and women who so faithfully serve our country in the National Guard. H.R. 4200 contains language that will help us to continue to provide strong support for our National Guard. In my State of North Carolina, universities and community organizations will be coming together to help develop a comprehensive program to effectively support these soldiers. The bill recognizes the importance of this program and provides language to help integrate the National Program for Citizen Soldier support with the Defense Department's ongoing effort to support our men and women in uniform. The bill also recognizes the importance of our Nation's continued development of advanced weaponry and technology. Included in this bill is the support of further exploration of the use of lithium batteries on the battlefield. Finding a safe, cost-effective, and portable energy source for our men and women in the Armed Forces should be a top priority of the Department of Defense. I am pleased to see this year's bill addresses the need for our military to develop new and powerful alternative energy sources. However, there is one amendment the Committee on Rules made in order that I strongly oppose, the Davis of California amendment. It would allow abortions on our military bases overseas. Military treatment centers, which are dedicated to healing and nurturing life, should not be forced to facilitate the taking of the most innocent human life, the child in the womb. For the past 7 years, the House has voted to keep abortion on demand out of military medical facilities, and I urge my colleagues to stay on this course and vote against this amendment. That said, this is a fair rule. So let us pass the rule and pass the underlying defense authorization bill. At the end of the day, we will be making our homeland safer and we will be supporting our sons and daughters who are serving us in the military. We will be preparing for war, thereby ensuring victory. And at this crucial time in our history, this bill is most important. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Saxton).

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I would just like to note for clarification, there have been press people coming and going ever since we have been doing this rule. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter), the distinguished chairman of this committee, who has done a phenomenal job in putting this bill together.

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I would just like to respond to the gentleman that I am not sure when he testified, but other than having a lunch appointment and voting on the floor, I was in that hearing the whole time; and I would also like to say, there is a total of 9\1/2\ hours of debate on this bill. It is not just 2 hours. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Saxton).

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I reserve my time.

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Goss), the chairman of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. (Mr. GOSS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter), the chairman of the committee.

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mrs. MYRICK

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the members of the Republican Study Committee (RSC) to express our sincere gratitude and best wishes to Neil Bradley. Neil, who has served as Executive Director of the RSC since January 2000, was recently asked by the House Majority Whip to serve as his Policy Director. As the members and staff of the RSC prepare to wish Neil well in his new position, we wanted to take a moment to reflect upon his outstanding service to our organization and to thank him for it. For those who may be unaware, the Republican Study Committee is a group of Republicans organized for the purpose of advancing a conservative economic and social agenda in the House of Representatives. The group is dedicated to a limited government, a strong national defense, the protection of individual and property rights, and the preservation of traditional family values. Although these values are shared in the abstract by a majority of my colleagues, it is necessary that we measure what is produced through the deal- making and political give-and-take that permeates this institution against the ideals we were elected to uphold. The RSC plays an invaluable role in seeking to ensure that all legislation that moves through this body reflects and respects these fundamental values. Over the past four and a half years, the RSC's efforts have been tremendously improved because of the service of Neil Bradley as the group's Executive Director. Neil is a committed and principled conservative. He is a tireless and effective advocate for the RSC's objectives. And, as anyone who has worked with or against him will readily acknowledge, Neil is a master of House procedure, especially the federal budget process. Mr. Speaker, Neil has served the RSC with integrity and distinction. We will miss him greatly, but are glad that he will be working for our shared values in a position of influence within the House Leadership. As his friends and colleagues know, Neil's emails always conclude with some quotation from a famous conservative political thinker or office holder that is relevant to the policy fight of the day. Many of the quotes come from Neil's political hero, former President Ronald Reagan. I thought it would be fitting to close with some words from the great leader. In 1989, in his farewell address to the Nation, Reagan said the following to the officials and staff that served in his Administration: [A]s I walk off into the city streets, a final word to the men and women of the Reagan revolution, the men and women across America who for 8 years did the work that brought America back. My friends: We did it. We weren't just marking time. We made a difference. Mr. Speaker, Neil Bradley has spent 4 and a half years working passionately for the Republican Study Committee, for the House of Representatives, and for America. He was not just marking time. He made a difference. On behalf of the RSC, I thank him for his service and wish him well in his new endeavor.

Mrs. MYRICK

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Hastings) for yielding me this time. I rise today in strong support of both the rule and the underlying resolution. I believe most Americans, as I was, were extremely upset by the images they saw on television of prisoner abuse in Iraq, and the horrific actions just defy everything that America stands for and Americans stand for: goodness, decency, fairness, compassion. The perpetrators of these dastardly deeds must be swiftly brought to justice and severely punished for their actions. America and our allies liberated Iraq from a despot. Mr. Speaker, our soldiers are very sincerely over there helping to restore basic services to Iraq and make life for the Iraqi people much better, and they are doing it at serious risk to their own lives. A few sick people in the military have set back our efforts for peace in the Mideast and around the world for who knows how long. They have destroyed all of the good relationships our soldiers and others have established in Iraq. And the majority of our service men and women are very good, decent, patriotic Americans, very honorable. So we must not allow these actions by a few to overshadow the goodness of the majority of Americans or of our soldiers, or the effort to win the war on terror. We cannot close the book on terror until we close this chapter on Iraq.

Mrs. MYRICK

Mrs. MYRICK. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to have my name removed as a cosponsor of H.R. 898, the Lumbee Recognition Act.

Mrs. MYRICK

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 607 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. On Tuesday, the Committee on Rules met and granted a modified closed rule for the Marriage Penalty Relief Act. H.R. 4181 amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to permanently extend the increased standard deduction and the 15 percent individual income tax rate bracket expansion for married taxpayers filing joint returns. It will also make permanent the increase in the phase-out of the earned income credit for joint filers. Before 2001, the Tax Code penalized many married couples by forcing them to pay higher taxes just because they were married. The 2001 tax relief bill, enacted by President Bush, brought fairness to the Tax Code by phasing out these penalties. This law increased the standard deduction in the 15 percent tax bracket for married couples to twice as much for individuals. The relief was accelerated in the tax relief that was signed into law last year. Thirty-five million couples currently benefit from the elimination of the marriage penalty. However, this relief will be reduced next year and will expire in 2010, and we cannot let that happen. Unless the relief is extended, 27 million married couples will face an average tax increase of $300 in 2005, and over 35 million will see a tax increase of more than $700 starting in 2011. H.R. 4181 ensures that the marriage penalty relief is not reduced next year and that it stays in the law permanently. We all know our economy is starting to rebound. Businesses are beginning to hire workers again, and Americans are starting to spend their money with more confidence. If we do not eliminate the marriage tax penalty and prevent other tax increases, our economy might slow down and prevent job creation. Married working couples will be able to use this tax relief to benefit their families, which always helps the economy. They will be able to spend this money to improve their home or buy something they want, like a new washing machine or a new TV; and the more money they spend, the more jobs they will help create for their neighbors and friends. This is what the bill is all about. The most important thing we can do today is revitalize our economy here at home, and we do this by eliminating the marriage penalty tax. To that end, I urge my colleagues to support the rule and the underlying bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.