Donald Manzullo

Mr. MANZULLO

Mr. MANZULLO. Mr. Speaker, America's health care system is in need of reform. The families in the congressional district I represent have seen their health premiums consume more and more of their salary. Employers are faced with the difficult decision regarding whether or not they can continue to afford to offer their employees the health coverage they know they need. Many more wish they could offer their employees coverage but the orders just aren't there, not in this economy. Doctors and other health providers have seen their reimbursements decline while their practice costs have risen and their liability insurance premiums have skyrocketed due to those who abuse our lawsuit system. Some doctors have reached the conclusion that they can no longer accept Medicare or Medicaid patients. I have spent my entire tenure in Congress working to reform our health care system to help these families, employers, and health providers. I have worked to pass association health plans so that small businesses can join together with other small businesses from across the country to grow their purchasing power on behalf their employees. I have also supported allowing Americans to obtain health insurance through other larger purchasing pools such as their church denomination, alumni association or other memberships. The Republican Congress twice passed association health plans only to come up short as a result of Democrat opposition in the Senate. I have worked to pass health care options that meet the unique needs of families, such as medical savings accounts, health savings accounts, and flexible spending arrangements. These important initiatives allow families to save for future health needs and have been an important tool for small businesses. However, I have also had to defend these successful plans from assault by those who seek sources of revenue to fund tried-and-failed big government programs. I have worked to pass medical liability reform to reduce the high premiums that are driving doctors and other health providers from practice. Doctors in the district I represent face medical liability premiums three to four times as high as their colleagues just north of the border in Wisconsin as a result of Wisconsin's sensible cap on the third-layer non-economic, punitive awards. The Republican Congress twice passed medical liability reform only to have the reform die in the Senate as a result of Democrat opposition. I have worked to revise the flawed payment formula for doctors who treat Medicare patients to ensure that our seniors continue to have timely access to the most talented medical professionals in our community. I have worked to make sure that none of our health providers are targeted unfairly by government policies or agencies. And I have spent over 75 percent of my time trying to improve the economic climate for the manufacturers and other small businesses back home so that they can not only remain competitive world-wide, but also be able to offer competitive health care benefits for their employees. Today, I support a Republican plan that continues to pursue these important reforms. Rather than punish small businesses with onerous mandates and tax penalties for not offering health coverage, the Republican plan will provide tools for small businesses to pool together, just as larger corporations or labor unions do, to offer health care to their employees at lower prices. The Republican plan would save $54 billion by helping to restore common sense to the legal system and curb defensive medicine by enacting medical liability reforms modeled after the successful state laws of California and Texas. This will dramatically reduce health costs for doctors and patients and will reduce the need for expensive additional tests or procedures that do nothing to improve health status but simply are ordered because of the threats of lawsuits. The Republican plan will lower health insurance premiums for all Americans. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that premiums would be reduced by 10 percent for employees who receive their coverage through their small business employer; 8 percent for those who do not have access to employer-provided coverage; and 3 percent for employees who receive their coverage through a larger business. Families will see their premiums $5,000 lower than the cheapest government run health insurance plan offered by the Democrats. The Republican plan provides options for those with pre-existing conditions or those otherwise unable to afford health insurance through state high risk pool options designed to meet the unique regional needs of local citizens. The Republican plan provides options for young adults to remain on their parents' health plans. The Republican plan promotes innovation in the areas of coverage, technology, and wellness, and prevents government bureaucrats from coming between a doctor and patient. It preserves existing law preventing federal funding from paying for elective abortions. It doesn't raise taxes; it doesn't cut Medicare benefits; it doesn't force anyone into a new government-run health program; and rather than increasing the debt burden on our children and grandchildren, the CBO estimates that the Republican plan will save $68 billion over the next ten years. Unfortunately, the bill offered by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) takes a very different approach. The Pelosi bill is a $1.3 trillion dollar federal government takeover of the entire health care sector. It increases taxes by $766 billion, taken from badly needed capital for operations and loans for small businesses and is estimated to kill 5.5 million jobs. It penalizes employers for not offering and employees for not purchasing the health coverage that a new all-powerful Health Choices Commissioner deems acceptable. It increases the cost of health care for patients and other health consumers through a new 2.5 percent tax on medical equipment, such as wheel chairs. The Pelosi plan cuts $500 billion from Medicare, which will hurt 18,425 seniors from the Congressional district I represent. District hospitals will see their Medicare payments cut by $244.7 million and local skilled nursing facilities will lose $113.4 million. Despite claiming the goal of decreasing health costs, the Democrat bill creates 111 new bureaucracies, commissions, agencies, or offices, necessitating the hiring of thousands of new bureaucrats. These new czars and commissars will micromanage all aspects of Americans' health, including the following from page 1514: ``The Secretary shall establish by regulation standards for determining and disclosing the nutrient content for standard menu items that come in different flavors, varieties, or combinations, but which are listed as a single menu item, such as soft drinks, ice cream, pizza, doughnuts, or children's combination meals, through means determined by the Secretary, including ranges, averages, or other methods.'' This Pelosi bill irresponsibly shifts significant costs to the states by hiking their Medicaid expenses. Most states already face significant existing Medicaid shortfalls as demonstrated by the Medicaid bailout for states contained in the Democrat stimulus bill. The creation of a new government health insurance exchange through which all insurance must be approved and through which all individual insurance must be sold will jeopardize the insurance choices currently enjoyed by over 85 percent of Americans. The creation of a government run health insurance plan coupled with a heavy-fisted regulatory scheme tipped significantly in its favor will further erode the Americans choice of coverage and eventually result in most Americans being forced into a full-blown government run insurance scheme. Further troubling is the inclusion of comparative effectiveness research panels that are utilized in European single-payer systems to ration health care based on cost factors. And despite the CBO's estimate on the significant savings that could be achieved, the Democrat bill not only contains no medical liability reform, but it actually incentivizes states to repeal their existing medical liability laws in exchange for money. In sum, the Pelosi bill will kill jobs, cut Medicare, pile debt on our children, increase health care costs, ration care, and raise taxes. As a result of these and hundreds of other disturbing provisions, I cannot in good conscience vote for the Pelosi government takeover of health care.

Mr. MANZULLO

Mr. MANZULLO. Mr. Speaker, today, we are considering a lot of bills, good bills, to help out small business people. But I find it ironic that at the same time we pass more programs and try to fund what is out there, the same Congress continues to pass, one after the other, job- killing bills. We can start with cap-and-trade that will kill millions and millions of jobs across this country. The largest city in the congressional district I represent, Rockford, Illinois, is close to 17 percent unemployment. One out of four families in Rockford is on public assistance. No news has hit that city in a long time, but the news from Washington is we want to raise your taxes, give you more regulations, and here we are on the eve of passing one of the biggest small business job-killing bills, this massive so-called health care reform bill that will put between 4 and 5 million people out of work, small businesses. There is something wrong in this city that says it wants to help the small business people and turns right around, and the very people that the majority in this Congress say that they want to help, they are hurting, making them bleed with regulation after regulation, tax increase after tax increase, mandate after mandate, penalty after penalty. I was raised in small business. When I was 4, my father bought a small grocery store in the rough-and-tough part of Rockford, Illinois; and he personally grubstaked. That is, he gave credit to thousands of people coming in from the displaced persons camps of Eastern Europe and people coming from Arkansas with the massive crop failures. All we know is small business. He went from the grocery store business into the drive-in restaurant business and the family Italian restaurant business. After awhile, my brother, who ran the restaurant business for 41 years, said, Donnie, all I do is work for the government and for higher insurance premiums. He and the people and the rest of the Frankie Manzullos out there shouldn't have to go to another government agency and beg for help. This city should be recognizing the fact that the best way to help the small business people is not to suck $544 billion in taxes from people working in small businesses. Because, Mr. Speaker, what we are doing here is, by raising taxes on these small business people, this money is going to the government which squanders it, as opposed to the money staying in the private sector, which is used to keep the businesses going, to nurture them, and create more businesses. The city has it all wrong. No wonder the people of America are upset. No wonder there is a revolution going on, with the small businessmen saying, We can't take it anymore. We don't want any more help from Washington. Just leave us alone.

Mr. MANZULLO. Mr. Speaker, there is no irony here. When the Republicans controlled this body, on two different occasions we passed association health plans only to have them fail in the Senate because there weren't 60 votes. And I believe on three different occasions when the Republicans controlled the House of Representatives, we passed meaningful medical liability reform. That wasn't even taken up in the Senate. It wasn't taken up in the Senate, even though the Republicans controlled the Senate because you needed 60 votes to get it through. And we had to fight tooth and nail to eliminate the horrible death tax that destroyed small businesses. In fact, some of the statistics show that three out of four small businesses could not go down beyond three generations because of the confiscatory death tax. And farmers were losing their farms. I know. I practiced law in the country for 22 years, and I was there when one of the family farms had to be sold to pay for death tax. We got those changes through. It was difficult, but we got those changes through. And of course we know what is going to happen now. Neither the White House nor the Democratic leadership is interested in making sure that the death tax stays repealed in this country. These are all job killers for small business people. It doesn't make sense for us to continue to pass bill after bill after bill after bill to laud the efforts of the small business people of this country, to say that without the small businesses--the ones who produce more than 57 percent of all the employees in this country--why is it that they will be the beneficiaries of the lack of capital that is sucked up on $454 billion worth of new taxes--yes, on those, the third wealthiest, if you want to call it that, that make more than $250,000 a year? But instead of paying money in taxes, they would be putting that money back into keeping their businesses going and helping their employees keep their jobs. I have visited hundreds, hundreds of factories across the district that I represent, several parts of Illinois, talking to the people who own these factories, trying to find out what is it that they need so they can continue to be more productive. And what I hear from them is the fact that they want to be left alone by Washington. They look at what this cap-and-trade will do to them--and this is a valid debate, we're talking about helping small business people--but they look at what cap-and-trade will do to the factories, to the productivity, to push more jobs offshore. In fact, we got a call from a national company that has employees all over the country that has a call center, a series of call centers. To keep the jobs in this country, they decided to close the physical facilities and to allow the people to work from home part-time to make those phone calls, to keep the call centers here in America as opposed to being exported overseas. The people from one of these call centers says, If this health bill passes mandating health insurance for part- time employees, it's easy for them, they will close their facilities, and 50,000 more jobs will be exported overseas. This doesn't help the small businesses of this country. What we need is to start retracting these regulations. What we need to do is to start reducing the taxes. What we need to do is to make it easier for people to have the capital.

Mr. MANZULLO

Mr. MANZULLO. Mr. Speaker, we've been advised that the House of Representatives may have only 3 hours of debate on this 1,990-page bill plus, perhaps, another 1,000-page manager's amendment. That comes out to $500 billion an hour which will be spent of the public funds. We should be debating this bill for weeks and months so that the American people know exactly what's in it and so that Members of Congress can be very exact in explaining it to our constituents and so that we can learn how deep and broad this bill is. In fact, there is even a provision which provides for reimbursement to veterinarians. Perhaps it's a mistake in the bill, but that's why we have to read it thoroughly.

Mr. MANZULLO

Mr. MANZULLO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize one of the jewels of northern Illinois, Crusader Community Health of Rockford. Crusader Community Health is a remarkable community-based, not-for- profit health center whose mission is to provide quality, primary health care to people in need in the Rock River Valley. Crusader Community Health systems is part of a network of more than 1,200 federally qualified health centers in the United States serving 18 million people. These centers are doing tremendous work providing care to the medically disenfranchised in this nation. Crusader is the backbone of our regional community's health care safety net, delivering high quality primary and preventive care for over 40,000 patients each year regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. This year, Crusader Community Health is celebrating its 37th anniversary as one of the top community health centers in the nation. Crusader has been lauded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and will soon be featured on the National Medical Report program of National Public Broadcasting for its positive impact on the local community. Nationally, the community health centers program has been recognized by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as one of the most highly effective federal programs in existence. Madam Speaker, I wish to extend my recognition and strong support of Crusader Community Health systems in Rockford, Illinois. Since its founding in 1972, Crusader Community Health has served my fellow citizens in northern Illinois with access to affordable and high quality medical and dental care. I am proud to support Crusader Community Health because I know many of my fellow citizens would be without health care if it were not for the dedication and professional excellence of the staff, board of directors and volunteers associated with this terrific local organization. Crusader is a great example of the effectiveness of the community health center program in this nation. This system of care saves lives and deserves continued public support. I am honored to recognize Crusader Community Health and its personnel here in the United States Congress today.

Mr. MANZULLO

Mr. MANZULLO. Madam Speaker, it is my distinct honor to take this opportunity to recognize a heroic resident of the 16th District of Illinois, Matthew Polnow of Rockford. Mr. Polnow works for the U.S. Postal Service and is a member of the National Association of Letter Carriers. On June 11, 2008, as he was delivering mail on his postal route, Carrier Polnow witnessed a crushing three-vehicle accident. In a matter of seconds, he ran to the first car, checking to make sure that the occupants were not injured. Then he went on to the second vehicle, a truck, where fortunately no one needed assistance. Carrier Polnow continued to the third vehicle, a van used to transport handicapped and wheelchair-bound individuals, which was beginning to burn. The driver's airbag had deployed, and the driver alerted Carrier Polnow to a handicapped passenger still inside the smoke-filled van. With smoke continuing to circulate and flames erupting from the engine, Carrier Polnow went to work. He managed to free the side door that had been jammed by a ramp. Maneuvering the ramp into place, he unhooked the restraining belts and dragged the wheelchair--and the now terrified woman passenger--from the vehicle. Once free from the smoke, Carrier Polnow located the controls on the chair and engaged them to move the woman to safety. Acts of bravery and fortitude such as this should not go unnoticed. Carrier Polnow's heroism has led him to be recognized by the National Association of Letter Carriers with the National Central Hero Award. I am privileged and humbled to represent great constituents like Carrier Polnow, and I wanted to take this brief opportunity today, Madam Speaker, to let my colleagues know of his great act of courage.

Mr. MANZULLO

Mr. MANZULLO. Madam Speaker, it is my distinct honor to take this opportunity to recognize a heroic resident of the 16th District of Illinois, Matthew Polnow of Rockford. Mr. Polnow works for the U.S. Postal Service and is a member of the National Association of Letter Carriers. On June 11, 2008, as he was delivering mail on his postal route, Carrier Polnow witnessed a crushing three-vehicle accident. In a matter of seconds, he ran to the first car, checking to make sure that the occupants were not injured. Then he went on to the second vehicle, a truck, where fortunately no one needed assistance. Carrier Polnow continued to the third vehicle, a van used to transport handicapped and wheelchair-bound individuals, which was beginning to burn. The driver's airbag had deployed, and the driver alerted Carrier Polnow to a handicapped passenger still inside the smoke-filled van. With smoke continuing to circulate and flames erupting from the engine, Carrier Polnow went to work. He managed to free the side door that had been jammed by a ramp. Maneuvering the ramp into place, he unhooked the restraining belts and dragged the wheelchair-- and the now terrified woman passenger--from the vehicle. Once free from the smoke, Carrier Polnow located the controls on the chair and engaged them to move the woman to safety. Acts of bravery and fortitude such as this should not go unnoticed. Carrier Polnow's heroism has led him to be recognized by the National Association of Letter Carriers with the National Central Hero Award. I am privileged and humbled to represent great constituents like Carrier Polnow, and I wanted to take this brief opportunity today, Madam Speaker, to let my colleagues know of his great act of courage.

Mr. MANZULLO

Mr. MANZULLO. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding the two earmarks I secured as part of H.R. 3326, Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2010 My first request, totaling $4 million, will come from the Air Force Research and Development Appropriations account (RDT&E) under Budget Line Title ``Aerospace Propulsion'' for the Thermal and Energy Management for Aerospace (THEMA) II program. This program will enable improved performance and range for the next air vehicles while making key steps towards national environmental and domestic energy goals. The initiative is comprised of discrete technology, system optimization and integration elements that provide the enabling foundation for future air vehicles and capabilities. The basic and applied research to be performed under the THEMA II initiative is necessary to ensure that the technologies needed for high power, high performance, cost effective, energy efficient secondary power thermal and energy management systems are ready and available as these future vehicles and vehicle capabilities are developed and matured. Previously, THEMA received $3.5 million in FY 2008. The entity to receive funding for the THEMA II program is the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Power Division at Wright-Paterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, for a ``plus-up'' of an already existing contract competitively won by Hamilton-Sundstrand, a division of United Technologies Company, located at 4747 Harrison Avenue in Rockford, Illinois, 61125. My second request, totaling $2 million, will come from the Army RDT&E Appropriation Account under the Budget Line Title ``Combat Vehicle & Automotive Advanced Technology'' for the Fuel System Component Technology Research program at Northern Illinois University (NIU). NIU, under the current Rapid Optimization of Commercial Knowledge (ROCK) program, has worked with a number of small companies in the Rockford, Illinois area to develop new products for improved processing of precision small parts as well as parts fabricated out of titanium. The Fuel System Component Manufacturing Technology Improvement program will have NIU work with small manufacturers in Rockford to develop improved manufacturing processes for fuel handling and similar components to enable more affordable, longer lasting lighter weight components for new and retrofit applications. The program will enable the cost- effective production of precision fuel-fluidic system components in small quantities such as are needed for replacement parts or typical military small order quantities. These manufacturing technologies will also enable higher fuel efficiency engines in vehicles ranging from trucks and cars to railroad locomotives all the way to aircraft turbines. The entity to receive funding for the Fuel System Component Manufacturing Technology Improvement program is Northern Illinois University located at 1120 East Diehl Road in Naperville, Illinois 60563. Madam Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to thank the Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Representative David Obey, and the Ranking Minority Member, Representative Jerry Lewis, and the Chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, Representative John Murtha, and the Ranking Minority Member, Representative C.W. Bill Young, for working with me in a bipartisan manner to include these two critical requests in this spending bill.

Mr. MANZULLO

Mr. MANZULLO. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding the two earmarks I secured as part of H.R. 3288, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 My first request, totaling $750,000, will come from the Transportation & Community & System Preservation account of the Federal Highway Administration to widen Rakow Road in McHenry County, Illinois. This road project will help relieve traffic congestion by adding capacity to Rakow Road between Ackman Road to Illinois Route 31 within the City of Crystal Lake and the Village of Lake-in-the-Hills by adding two or three through lanes in each direction and adequate turn lanes at the intersections. Rakow Road is designated by the Illinois Department of Transportation as a Strategic Regional Arterial (SRA) and is also part of the National Highway System. McHenry County is still one of the fastest growing counties in Illinois and continues to experience severe traffic congestion. Federal funding is continued to be needed in order to help address the regional transportation congestion in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. The McHenry County government has also passed a bond program that raises $50 million to be dedicated to local road improvements such as the Rakow Road widening project to match state and federal investments. Previously, this project received $570,000 in Fiscal Year 2009. The entity to receive funding for the Rakow Road widening project is the County of McHenry, Illinois located at 2200 Seminary Avenue in Woodstock, Illinois 60098. My second request, totaling $500,000, will come from the Economic Development Initiative account at the Department of Housing and Urban Development Date (HUD) for the City of Rockford, Illinois, for various public infrastructure improvements in the West Side neighborhood. Rockford, Illinois is experiencing one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation, which reached 14.5 percent in May. To address this problem, the local government of the City of Rockford plans to make improvements to public infrastructure (roads, sewer, storm-water, and water) to the west side of the city to support improvements to an area designated for commercial development. There is a great need for federal funding assistance to help develop the infrastructure in this area of the city of Rockford in order to attract and support new commercial and industrial employers. The City is also committing funding to this project as well as attracting significant private investment. This project will not only benefit the west side of the City of Rockford but the entire northern Illinois area by attracting more employers to Rockford. The entity to receive funding for the Rockford West Side Economic Development Initiative is the City of Rockford, Illinois, located at 425 East State Street in Rockford, Illinois 61104. Madam Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to thank the Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Representative David Obey, and the Ranking Minority Member, Representative Jerry Lewis, and the Chairman of the Transportation & Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, Representative John Olver, and the Ranking Minority Member, Representative Tom Latham, for working with me in a bipartisan manner to include these two critical requests in this spending bill.

Mr. MANZULLO

Mr. MANZULLO. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding the three earmarks I secured as part of H.R. 3293, Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010. My first request, totaling $250,000, will come from the Fund for the Improvement of Secondary Education (FIPSE) within the Higher Education account at the Department of Education for Rockford College in Rockford, Illinois to modernize classrooms, library resources, and science laboratories with technology to significantly enhance student learning. The 2000 Census shows the Rockford area lagging significantly behind the rest of the State of Illinois in the numbers of residents with a four year higher education degree. The City of Rockford also has one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation, reaching 15.2 percent in June--a level not seen since 1983. Rockford College is one of the oldest and most prestigious private liberal arts colleges in the United States. The College is working to be more competitive in the marketplace by improving teaching and learning while also equipping students with the skills needed for tomorrow's workplace. Continued federal funding is needed to prevent the loss of this treasure by helping to upgrade antiquated classrooms and labs at Rockford College and convert them to modern smart classrooms as part of their long-term modernization program. The College will continue to seek matches from other sources including state and local governments as well as private donors. The funds would be used to add fiber infrastructure; modernize library resources with technology and collaborative teaching environments; equip science laboratories and a computer classroom to significantly enhance student learning; and a classroom-use optimization tool in the registrar's office to automate the management of limited classroom resources. Rockford College has received funding in the past for similar initiatives ($195,000 in Fiscal Year '08 and $238,000 in Fiscal Year '09). The entity to receive funding for the classroom, library, and laboratory upgrades is Rockford College located at 5050 East State Street in Rockford, Illinois 61108. My second request, totaling $100,000, will come from the Higher Education account at the Department of Education for the Special Education District of McHenry County, Illinois to help fund the Pathways Program to meet the needs of students with intellectual disabilities. The Pathways Program in McHenry County helps students with intellectual disabilities including individuals on the autism spectrum to achieve career and technical education training at McHenry County College. This federal funding will assist all McHenry County schools as well as help McHenry County College meet the needs of an underserved student population. The program will address crucial education goals to close the gap for preparing young adults with intellectual disabilities, including those on the autism spectrum, with the necessary vocational skills for living independently. This investment will save federal, state and local government tax dollars by enabling this population to live independently and develop the work skills necessary to support themselves. The entity to receive funding is the Special Education District of McHenry County, located at 1200 Claussen Drive, Woodstock, Illinois 60098. My final request, totaling $250,000, will come from the Construction and Modernization of Health Facilities and Services account under the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to help complete building the National Center for Rural Health Professions at the University of Illinois, College of Medicine in Rockford, Illinois. To achieve the goals of training more physicians for rural service, a state-wide program was created in 1993 by the College of Medicine in Rockford involving approximately 30 rural hospitals and communities. The Rural Medical Education Program (RMED) has since been nationally recognized as one of the most innovative rural health medicine programs. The National Center for Rural Health Professions at the University of Illinois, College of Medicine in Rockford, will build on this success by serving as a national rural health education resource for medical colleges and rural communities across the nation. The Center will conduct research, develop curricula, implement and evaluate rural medical and health care education models, provide consultation to other medical colleges, and study trends in rural health related to health professional training needs. Medical colleges throughout the U.S. can use the research findings and curriculum models to implement training for rural health professionals to practice in medically under-served rural areas in their respective states. The College of Medicine has raised $4 million in private funds toward this $32 million expansion project. Another $14 million has been committed by the University of Illinois, and the university will also receive state funding to help complete the project. This project has received federal funding in the past ($238,000 in Fiscal Year '09) because of the potential national reach of this program. The entity to receive funding is the University of Illinois College of Medicine, Rockford Campus, located at 1601 Parkview Avenue in Rockford, Illinois 61107. Madam Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to thank the Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Representative David Obey, and the Ranking Minority Member, Representative Jerry Lewis, and the Ranking Minority Member of the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee, Representative Todd Tiahrt, for working with me in a bipartisan manner to include these three critical requests in this spending bill.

Mr. MANZULLO

Mr. MANZULLO. Madam Speaker, on Monday, July 20, 2009, I was unable to return to Washington in time to vote because of flight delays at O'Hare International Airport. If I was here, I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall No. 593, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 594, and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 595.

Mr. MANZULLO

Mr. MANZULLO. Mr. Chair, as with many bills debated in Congress, the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2010 (H.R. 3170) contained some good and some bad provisions. This spending bill funds many important functions of the federal government, including the Department of the Treasury (one of the first four original Cabinet agencies created by the new U.S. government in 1789) and various smaller agencies that are involved in the financial services industry such as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the Small Business Administration (SBA). In addition, H.R. 3170 funds the Executive Office of the President, the Judiciary (the Third Branch of federal government), and the District of Columbia. As an original co-sponsor of the Automobile Dealer Economic Rights Restoration Act of 2009 (H.R. 2743), I was extremely pleased that House Committee Appropriations Committee Chairman, David Obey, and the House Democratic leadership agreed, in a bipartisan fashion, to adopt and protect an amendment offered by my good friend and colleague, Representative Steve LaTourette of Ohio. The LaTourette amendment essentially inserted the language contained in H.R. 2743 into H.R. 3170. The LaTourette amendment would restore the status quo ante for automobile dealerships that were callously terminated by General Motors and Chrysler during their bankruptcy proceedings in blatant disregard to the dealership's contractual rights, state franchise laws, and just plain human decency. Normally, the Rules of the House prohibit the inclusion of language that changes statutory law on spending bills. But because the situation faces automobile dealers is such an exigent circumstance, I agreed with the House leadership that the LaTourette provision should be an exception to the regular rules governing the debate on appropriations bills. I strongly support the retention of the LaTourette amendment throughout the rest of the legislative process. However, when confronted with many other provisions in H.R. 3170, I could not vote in support of the overall bill. Unfortunately, the House Democratic leadership prevented the consideration of other amendments that could have corrected the major flaws in other parts of this legislation. H.R. 3170 continues the pattern in almost every other appropriations bill in spending well over the rate of inflation. The rest of the nation is expected to reign in their pocketbooks during times of economic uncertainty; yet the federal government keeps on spending. Specifically, H.R. 3170 proposes to spend $1.5 billion in Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 or 6.4 percent over the FY 2009 funding level. One of those new spending priorities in H.R. 3170 is to restore a federal loan subsidy in the SBA's 7(a) guaranteed business lending program, costing $80 million a year. When I was Chairman of the House Small Business Committee, I was proud of my work to finally restore stability and predictability to the 7(a) program by removing it from the uncertainties of the annual appropriations process. In the past, the 7(a) program temporarily closed and then re-opened with severe restrictions on several occasions because Congress did not pass the annual spending bill covering the SBA account by the start of the new fiscal year (October 1st). The funding from the previous fiscal year simply ran out. After the annual federal subsidy was removed in 2004, more small businesses were helped by the 7(a) program, growing from a $9.5 billion loan program serving 72,000 small businesses a year in 2004 to a $13.5 billion program serving nearly 93,000 small businesses a year by the time I left the chairmanship in 2007. This was accomplished by a slight adjustment in the fees charged to the users of the 7(a) program. This fee adjustment resulted in an average additional $10 a month increase in the loan repayment. In addition, the SBA received $375 million in the so-called ``economic stimulus'' package last February for a federal small business loan subsidy in order to lower fees and increase the government guarantee rate. These funds have yet to be fully expended and are expected to last well into FY 2010. There was no need to pile another $80 million on top of the money the SBA already has received for this purpose. In addition, H.R. 3170 reverses a decade-old policy that restricts all public funds to pay for abortions in the District of Colombia. I am amazed that in spite all the rhetoric to encourage people who are pro- choice and pro-life to work together in a spirit of cooperation to lower the number of abortions in this nation, the Democratic-controlled House reinstates a public subsidy that will only encourage more abortions to be performed in the nation's capital. H.R. 3170 also removes ban on legalizing medical marijuana in the District of Colombia. It also gradually eliminates the D.C. school voucher experiment by prohibiting new enrollees from participating in a school choice option in one of the worst public school systems in the nation. Thus, I regretfully decided to vote against H.R. 3170, notwithstanding my strong support for the LaTourette provision to restore the rights of terminated automobile dealers, because of the overspending in the bill and the new publicly-financed incentive to encourage more abortions in the nation's capital.

Mr. MANZULLO

Mr. MANZULLO. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding the earmark I secured as part of H.R. 3170, Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2010. My request, totaling $100,000, will come from the Small Business Administration's (SBA) Salaries and Expenses account for the River District Association to develop and recruit small businesses in the downtown River District in Rockford, Illinois. The aim of this Small Business Development Initiative is to create an environment that encourages new small business development, enhances the growth of existing small businesses, and creates sustainable jobs for downtown Rockford, the second largest city in Illinois. The downtown area still faces significant challenges with numerous vacant buildings, blighted areas, and lagging private investment in Rockford's urban core. This problem has grown more acute in recent months with the unemployment rate in Rockford reaching 14.5 percent in May, one of the highest rates in the nation. The initiative will consist of market knowledge research, business growth strategies, and a cooperative marketing campaign centered on encouraging people to patronize businesses in downtown Rockford. The entity to receive funding for this project is the River District Association located at 127 North Wyman Street, Rockford, Illinois, 61110. Madam Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to thank the Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Representative David Obey, and the Ranking Minority Member, Representative Jerry Lewis, and the Chairman of the Financial Services Appropriations Subcommittee, Representative Jose Serrano, and the Ranking Minority Member, Representative Jo Ann Emerson, for working with me in a bipartisan manner to include this critical request in this spending bill.

Mr. MANZULLO

Mr. MANZULLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the rule. There were several germane amendments submitted--including amendments by Congressmen Markey and Gingrey--that would have corrected a fatal flaw in this legislation. The bill sets the precedent to redefine what it means to be a small business by allowing large business interests to take advantage of a small business program. I am not disparaging the venture capital industry. It's extremely important. It plays a great part and a vital role in our economy because venture capitalists fill a vacuum that banks simply cannot touch. Banks generally do not lend money for long-range research projects that are based on little collateral. However, because venture capitalists generally do not get involved in first-stage seed investment--the equivalent of Phase I funding in the SBIR program-- efforts to dramatically expand the SBIR program to VC-owned firms will come at the expense of the truly small independent inventor looking for the first phase of feasibility funding. According to the latest data from the Small Business Administration, venture capitalists funded only 237 startup or seed investment deals for $894 million in the entire United States in 2005. In contrast, the SBIR program funded 6,010 startup or seed investment deals for $1.86 billion in 2005. In addition, the venture capitalist seed deals were primarily concentrated in just five States--California, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and New York--but SBIR awards were more dispersed geographically throughout every State in America.

Mr. MANZULLO. That's the problem, Mr. Speaker, because the bill comes up as a small business bill, but the language has been changed to allow these large venture capitalist firms to displace funding which was designated for small businesses for years. I chaired the Small Business Committee for 6 years; and year after year this issue came up as to what size company should be involved in getting this type of grant. It just does not make sense to now expand the definition of small business to include many of these venture capital firms; and that's why without the protections of the Markey amendment or the Gingrey amendment, funding designed for small businesses simply will go away. So I would urge the House to oppose the rule and to vote against the bill.

Mr. MANZULLO. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. MANZULLO. The bill clearly shows that a VC couldn't own a majority of a company that gets an SBIR grant, but the majority of the stakeholders in the majority-owned company have to be individuals. It still allows the big VC companies to come in and displace the money that otherwise would go to small businesses. Venture capitalists do tremendous work; but certainly not in this situation, where the money gets diverted from the big companies to the little guys.

Mr. MANZULLO. When I chaired the Small Business Committee, I had a steady trail of VCs coming to my office wanting to change the law, pleading poverty. And I asked one gentleman, What's your net worth? He said $40 million, and the meeting ended. The problem with this bill is that it will crowd out the little guys, for whom it was originally intended. And the decision that was correctly made by the judge, that these are very special set-asides-- 2.5 percent are designed for the little guys, and the big guys can go after the 97.5 percent--and what little crumbs are left for the little guys will be eaten away by allowing the VCs to come in under the proposed changes. That's my concern with this, and that's based upon 6 years of people lobbying me to change the bill, and I refused to do that when I chaired the Small Business Committee.

Mr. MANZULLO

Mr. MANZULLO. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding the earmark I secured as part of H.R. 2996, Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010. My request, totaling $280,000, will come from the Surveys, Investigations & Research account at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for the Groundwater and Stormwater Protection program in McHenry County, Illinois. The funding would be used to accelerate work on studies associated with the implementation of McHenry County's Groundwater Protection Program. McHenry County is continuing to experience rapid population growth and there is a critical need to plan for the future. The county's program is working to address the protection of groundwater resources, stormwater drainage and detention, stream and wetland protection, and sustainable growth all into a single program. Ongoing and future development poses serious challenges because of the reduction of the land's ability to absorb precipitation and the continuing pressure to develop flood prone areas. The McHenry County government has already invested over $615,000 of local resources in studying local groundwater resources and stormwater investigations. The local USGS entity to receive funding for this request is the Illinois Water Science Center at 1201 West University Avenue, Suite 100, in Urbana, Illinois 61801, who will work in partnership with McHenry County to implement this initiative. Madam Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to thank the Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Representative David Obey, and the Ranking Minority Member, Representative Jerry Lewis, and the Chairman of the Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, Representative Norm Dicks, and the Ranking Minority Member, Representative Mike Simpson, for working with me in a bipartisan manner to include this critical request in this spending bill.

Mr. MANZULLO

Mr. MANZULLO. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to the Rule. I offered a commonsense amendment to strike the International Climate Change Adaptation program and the allocation of emission allowances to this program. We don't need to establish yet another foreign assistance program that is not only redundant but will actually hurt American manufacturers. This legislation calls for the U.S. to transfer to developing nations a portion of America's emission allowances so that these nations can continue to pollute. By giving away additional allowances this legislation will put America's manufacturers at an even worse competitive footing than ever before. This is another incentive to encourage American manufacturers to leave this country. And, this initiative will not reduce emissions. According to an article in yesterday's Washington Times, David Bookbinder, chief climate counsel to the Sierra Club, said, ``emissions could actually stay the same or increase domestically because companies could choose to buy permits instead of investing in technology to make their operations cleaner.'' I ask unanimous consent to insert the full article into the Record. Plus, this Rule prohibits a debate on some other commonsense amendments. My fellow Illinoisan, Representative Judy Biggert, had a responsible amendment to strike the federalization of local building codes and replace it with positive incentives to encourage federal, state, and local governments to move towards green building codes. Even the liberal Washington Post editorialized against this provision in the bill. I ask unanimous consent to insert this editorial into the Record. This amendment was defeated 3 to 7 in the Rules Committee last night. The Rule also prohibits a debate on an amendment offered by Representative David Roe of Tennessee to waive this bill until the U.S. reaches an agreement with China and India on greenhouse gas reductions. Again, this sensible amendment was defeated by a vote of 3 to 7 in the Rules Committee last night. This is atrocious. We are only fooling ourselves if we think we're doing something to save the planet when all we're doing is transferring our manufacturing jobs and our pollution problems to China, India, and other developing nations. This bill will not lower global emissions of greenhouse gasses. The Roe amendment would have prevented this mistake. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the rule and ``no'' on the final ``cap and tax'' bill. [From the Washington Times, June 25, 2009] Climate Bill Gives Billions to Foreign Foliage (By Amanda DeBard) If a tree falls in Brazil, it will, in fact, be heard in the U.S.--at least if a little-noticed provision in the pending climate-change bill in Congress becomes law. As part of the far-reaching climate bill, the House is set to vote Friday on a plan to pay companies billions of dollars not to chop down trees around the world, as a way to reduce global warming. The provision, called ``offsets,'' has been attacked by both environmentalists and business groups as ineffective and poorly designed. Critics contend it would send scarce federal dollars overseas to plant trees when subsidies are needed at home, while the purported ecological benefits would be difficult to quantify. The offsets ``would be a transfer of wealth overseas,'' said William Kovacs, vice president for environmental affairs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the official fiscal scorekeeper on Capitol Hill, has not offered an estimate on how much the offset plan would cost, but the liberal Center for American Progress says it will be pricey. ``The international offsets market is not a huge or cheap market,'' said Joseph Romm, a climate expert at the center. ``By 2020, the U.S. could be spending $4 billion on international offsets.'' Supporters of the legislation counter that the plan recognizes the need to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions to curb global warming--in the United States and beyond. Supporting ways to keep trees alive or plant new trees, wherever those trees are located, helps the effort, they say. Under the program, the government would reward domestic and international companies that perform approved ``green'' actions with certificates, called permits. Those companies could, in turn, sell the permits to other companies that emit greenhouse gases. The permits would be, in effect, licenses to pollute--and potentially very valuable. The heart of the climate plan would require major polluters to purchase the permits if they want to pollute above a certain level, controlling overall emissions through a market that is called ``cap-and-trade.'' Under the provision to be voted on in the House, the ``green'' companies could sell their offset permits to companies that need them because they are unable to, reduce their own emissions as fast as the government would like. But critics from both the political left and right see problems. ``You have to ask yourself, what is the purpose of this provision? Because it won't actually reduce emissions,'' said David Bookbinder, chief climate counsel to the Sierra Club, the environmental advocacy group. Mr. Bookbinder said emissions could actually stay the same or increase domestically because companies could choose to buy permits instead of invest in technology to make their operations cleaner. Kenneth P. Green, a climate specialist at the conservative American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, said keeping track of which projects would be eligible for inclusion is another flaw in the plan. ``Who is responsible if there's a fire that burns down a [green] project? Will those just be wasted offsets?'' he asked. Mr. Green and others say the bill's offset provisions, are too vague and leave unanswered too many questions about which projects will qualify for the offsets and how many offsets would be offered for a given project. ``The key with offsets is ensuring that they generate`credible' emission reductions,'' said Evan Juska, North America senior policy manager for the Climate Group, which advises governments and business how to move to a low- carbon economy. Mr. Juska said the bill, as written, ``leaves much of it to be determined by the administrator after the program is enacted.'' While tree stands are a large absorber of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, they may not be the only projects that qualify for offsets. Companies that erect wind farms, install solar panels, invest in devices that trap the methane gas in landfills, use less fertilizer, or upgrade equipment at their refineries and power plants might also be eligible for offsets. The bill would only allow 2 billion tons, or about 30 percent, of carbon-dioxide emissions to be offset a year through the so-called ``green'' actions. Half of the qualifying projects must be domestic and half must be overseas, but the bill includes the option to award more offsets to international projects if not enough domestic projects are available. The CBO projects that the thousands of firms subject to the cap-and-trade program would utilize 230 million tons of domestic offsets and 190 million tons of international offsets in 2012, the year the legislation is proposed to take effect, instead of reducing their emissions levels.

Mr. MANZULLO

Mr. MANZULLO. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information for regarding the earmark I secured as part of H.R. 2892, Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2010. My request, totaling $350,000, will come from the Predisaster Mitigation account at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, within the Department of Homeland Security, DHS, for the County of DeKalb, Illinois. This request will assist in the permanent relocation of the residents who currently live in the Evergreen Village mobile home park to protect them from future floods along the southeast branch of the Kishwaukee River. Severe storms and flooding have hit DeKalb County, Illinois, four times over the past 40 years, causing extensive property damage. Evergreen Village, which is located in an unincorporated area of DeKalb County, has been severely affected by flooding. Evergreen Village is a 19.9-acre, 130-unit mobile home park, just east of Sycamore, Illinois, and located in the southeast branch of the Kishwaukee River floodway. During major flood events, DeKalb County must evacuate Evergreen Village, which imposes high costs on the county and the residents of Evergreen Village. DeKalb County has examined alternatives to mitigate this issue, including the construction of a levee, and concluded that the relocation and acquisition of Evergreen Village is the only viable option for protecting residents from future floods. The acquisition would involve the purchase of the mobile homes, the 19.69 acre parcel of land, three permanent buildings, and the relocation of the residents. While most residents of Evergreen Village own their mobile homes, they are nevertheless technically renters on the land they currently occupy. Thus, under the Uniform Relocation Act, URA, these mobile home owners cannot receive full relocation assistance given to other owners of primary residences in similarly situated circumstances. Factoring in the approximate appraised $30,000 cost for each mobile home and land acquisition in Evergreen Village, DeKalb County estimates that the total cost of the relocation effort will be $6.781 million. State and local resources will contribute more than the minimum matching Federal requirement to complete the project. The entity to receive funding for the Evergreen Village relocation project is the County of DeKalb, Illinois, which is located at 200 North Main Street in Sycamore, Illinois 60178. Madam Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to thank the Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Representative David Obey, and the Ranking Minority Member, Representative Jerry Lewis, and the Chairman of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, Representative David Price, and the Ranking Minority Member, Representative Hal Rogers, for working with me in a bipartisan manner to include this critical request in this spending bill.

Mr. MANZULLO

Mr. MANZULLO. Madam Speaker, on Monday, June 15, 2009, I was unable to return to Washington in time to vote because of airplane mechanical problems. If I was here, I would have voted ``yea'' on Rollcall No. 336, ``yea'' on Rollcall No. 337, ``no'' on Rollcall No. 338, because while the bill has a noble goal, the legislation imposes yet another federal mandate on local schools, and ``yea'' on Rollcall No. 339.

Mr. MANZULLO

Mr. MANZULLO. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding the two earmarks I secured as part of H.R. 2847, Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010. My first request, totaling $250,000, will come from the Community Oriented Policing Services technology account at the Department of Justice for the City of Rockford, Illinois to acquire a new Records Management System and new crime fighting software for their police department to assist them in identifying, deploying, and effectively apprehending criminals. A major component of Rockford's crime reduction strategy has been to utilize technology to improve productivity and deploy resources in the most strategic and efficient manner possible. This leveraging of technology will be a force multiplier for the City and will help to reduce the crime rate in local neighborhoods. Rockford, and the surrounding areas of Winnebago County, has long struggled with high per capita crime rates. While crime has recently fallen in Rockford, too many people still do not feel safe in their own neighborhoods and dare not cross into someone else's part of town. Plus, with the decline in the national economy and the local unemployment rate in Rockford reaching 14.5 percent, higher crime rates may soon remerge. This funding is needed to help the Rockford police use modern technology to help them confront the next challenges in law enforcement. The entity to receive this funding is the City of Rockford located at 425 East State Street in Rockford, Illinois 61104. My second request, totaling $250,000, will also come from the Community Oriented Policing Services technology account at the Department of Justice for the Office of the Sheriff of Winnebago County, Illinois to purchase new modern, interoperable mobile radios to improve communications among multiple law enforcement agencies in several counties along Illinois-Wisconsin border. The radios currently in use by the Sheriff's Department operate on older technology that the manufacturer no longer supports replacement parts. Having new communications equipment will allow their field operations units to have direct communications within their agency, as well as other law enforcement agencies within Winnebago County and adjoining counties in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. This request will help fulfill the Congressional mandate to have communications interoperability among first responders. The entity to receive this funding is the Office of the Sheriff of Winnebago County located at 650 West State Street in Rockford, Illinois, 61102. Madam Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to thank the Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Representative David Obey, and the Ranking Minority Member, Representative Jerry Lewis, and the Chairman of the CJS Appropriations Subcommittee, Representative Alan Mollohan, and the Ranking Minority Member, Representative Frank Wolf, for working with me in a bipartisan manner to include these two critical law enforcement requests in this spending bill.

Mr. MANZULLO

Mr. MANZULLO. Mr. Speaker, in less than 48 hours the doors of hundreds of GMC dealers across the Nation and Chevy dealers will be closed. General Motors, now a State-owned enterprise with 60 percent of the stock belonging to the American people and with the directors appointed by the Auto Task Force, capriciously, willfully, unjustly sent out letters to so many of their GM dealers terminating their dealerships at end of this week, dealers who had been asked, in many cases, a few years before to invest millions of dollars of their own in order to promote the GM brand and dealers whose families go back three and four generations, some 85 to 90 years of continuous ownership of service to the community, and their doors will be shut by GM as a result of a letter. And the letter has completely changed the rules as to why they should stay open. Dealerships that are profitable, dealerships that add to the community, dealerships that pump billions of dollars into State and local sales tax coffers, closed by a letter, without explanation. How outrageous. So outrageous that the majority leader of the House of Representatives, Steny Hoyer, whom I joined in a press conference just a few hours ago, made these statements: ``Two Sundays ago, I was on a telephone call with the folks at the White House who are helping to make our policy with respect to this, and I asked them this: `What money does it save the manufacturer, General Motors or Chrysler, if you shut down the dealership?' The answer: Zero, zero, zero.'' This is the official answer from the Auto Task Force to the majority leader of the United States House of Representatives. We sent letters to General Motors, we sent letters to the Auto Task Force, and all we get is silence. The destruction of a family business after 90 years does not deserve silence in America. It deserves the outrage of America saying, How dare you close down these dealerships when it cost you no money to keep them open? We asked General Motors and Chrysler, tell us the reasons why you're doing it. And do you know what they say? It's to lessen competition. That means Americans have less choice. That means prices get higher. And isn't it ironic that the American taxpayer, who has paid $60 billion to keep open these companies, now will see his local dealership closed because the guys at GM want to lessen competition. What's good for General Motors isn't good for America today. A bill introduced by several Marylanders, including Chris Van Hollen and Frank Kratovil, H.R. 2743, solves the problem. We need that bill to pass by some miracle before Friday.

Mr. MANZULLO

Mr. MANZULLO. Madam Speaker, this bill will spur auto sales and revitalize our manufacturing sector. Without a strong manufacturing sector, we will not have an economic recovery. While I would have preferred a simple $5,000 voucher for any new car purchase, Congresswoman Betty Sutton moved this bipartisan bill so it really stimulates the economy because it sets the chain of supply into motion. It gets people back to work in our factories. If the first-time home buyer tax credit for $8,000 is working to spur the housing market, just think what this will do for the auto industry. Stimulating sales is the only way to get the auto industry back on its feet--not further top-down infusions of money from the top. The bill gets the American people involved because it's bottom-up. It sets the fire of manufacturing. It gets us going again. And even if somebody does not want to buy an automobile, this person will still indirectly benefit from the positive ripple effect. Look what happens when 1 million automobiles are sold in America today. The Caliber--proudly built in the 16th Congressional District of Illinois, along with the two smaller Jeeps--the sale of 1 million automobiles in this country means 60,000 people go back to work, $1.4 billion is returned in sales tax to the State and local governments, $750 million in Federal taxes is paid by the workers and savings of unemployment, COBRA, food stamps and job training of almost $3 billion. This bill almost pays for itself. But the beauty of it is the fact that it returns the supply chain. It gets people working again. It gets the economy moving again. Instead of communities having to come to Washington looking for money, the money gets restocked simply because of the payment of the taxes. Vote for H.R. 2751. This is a real stimulus.