Betty McCollum

Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota

Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, in 2001 the newly elected President George W. Bush visited St. Paul to announce his vision of energy independence to the American people. Unfortunately, the President's vision of limitless domestic petroleum exploration, natural resource exploitation and consumption are becoming a reality. Today, tragically, House Republicans expand the Bush agenda of tax cuts for the energy industry, dependence on foreign oil and destruction of our environment. With only two percent of world oil reserves, the U.S. will never be able to produce enough petroleum to be self-sufficient. America needs a comprehensive energy policy that prioritizes incentives for efficiency, conservation, alternative energy sources. Our nation needs to invest in the development of the next generation fuel sources like fuel cells, hydrogen power and home grown Minnesota fuels like ethanol. A major commitment and investment in these advancements has the potential to create a revolutionary transformation of the global economy, liberate our nation from our addiction to oil from Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, and start the environmental healing that will keep our planet alive. Unfortunately, H.R. 6 fails to even attempt to meet these goals and in fact undermines them. Instead, the Republican energy bill spends 93 percent of the $8.1 billion in tax incentives it provides to oil and coal companies. The same companies that are already making huge profits from the skyrocketing gas prices our families are paying to heat our homes and put gas in our cars. The President doesn't even believe these companies need incentives. At a recent speech to the American Society of Newspaper Editors, President Bush said, ``I will tell you with $55 oil, we don't need incentives for oil and gas companies to explore. There are plenty of incentives. What we need is to put a strategy in place that will help this country over time become less dependent.'' This Republican bill wastes enormous amounts of taxpayer money and it contributes to the destruction of our environment. It tramples the `polluter pays' principle and forces the American people to pick up the $29 billion cost to clean up the mess created by MTBE--the mess that is contaminating the drinking water of tens of millions of Americans. It's an outrageous abuse of power to let these MTBE polluters off the hook and force a billion dollar unfunded mandate onto our counties and cities. There were amendments that would have improved this bill, which I voted for, but they were defeated by Republican majorities. These amendments intended to protect our environment and our families while providing for responsible policies to advance a sustainable energy future for our nation. It is with great disappointment that my colleagues and I who have visited the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge were unable to stop the majority party's obsession with destroying this pristine wilderness by allowing oil drilling. I also supported an amendment to stop MTBE producers from passing the $29 billion cost of cleaning up their pollution to the U.S. taxpayer. I also voted for an amendment to increase fuel-efficiency standards for our cars and trucks, saving billions of barrels of oil and improving our nation's air quality. Each of these amendments failed because policy makers with a vision of a sustainable U.S. energy policy lost out to special interests determined to create larger corporate profits, but only after they receive the billions of dollars of corporate welfare benefits this Republican bill provides them. Our nation cannot sustain its addiction to petroleum consumption. Incentives for efficiency, conservation and alternative energy sources combined with responsible leadership from the White House and Congress are all required if the U.S. is to lead the world in energy self sufficiency, rather than leading the world in energy dependency.

Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota

Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, whether you are from Minnesota or Mozambique, Kansas or the Congo--we all want good health for our children and ourselves. We all want the opportunity to be free from want and the hope that tomorrow will be a beautiful day, maybe even better than today. Sadly, for millions of families across the African continent, good health, opportunity and hope are all needlessly diminished or extinguished by malaria. Now I'm from Minnesota so I know a lot about cold winters and just as much about mosquito filled summers, but in Minnesota our mosquitoes annoy us--they don't make us sick and they don't kill our children. The human misery and economic destruction caused by malaria in Africa is a reality that must change. And we have the tools to slow malaria's destruction--bed nets, improved sanitation, improved drug treatments, appropriate pesticide use and a committed global partnership to provide resources and to help strengthen national health systems to fight malaria as well as tuberculosis and HIV infection. Every year across the African continent more than one million babies, toddlers and children under five years old die from malaria. This unimaginable number of children dying last year alone is equal to every single child under 15 years of age in my state of Minnesota. One million African children dying in a single year from a preventable disease is beyond comprehension, but in fact it is reality and it is a reality that can and must be changed. For those of us who are moms and dads, we know small children burning with fever don't scream, they whimper almost silently and they stare into your eyes looking for help. Their voices are not heard. More than a million African moms stare back into their children's eyes equally helpless. And tragically they watch them die from a disease that can be prevented, treated and defeated, if, if the world comes together with the resources, the determination and the urgency to defeat malaria. Today we need to hear those one million tiny voices. Today we need to look back into the eyes of a million mothers with our compassion and our commitment. The leadership of the United States, along with other donor nations, when partnered with the Global Fund, the United Nations, W.H.O., UNICEF, along with health ministries and health workers across Africa-- if we stand together--can transform the helplessness faced by millions of moms into the promise of surviving, thriving children and healthier families. I am proud of the commitment Congress, the White House and the American people have made and will continue to make to overcome malaria and the suffering and poverty it causes. But there is much more work to be done. On-going American leadership and strong global partnerships are needed for Africa's leaders, health workers and citizens to successfully control malaria. So, as we commemorate Africa Malaria Day, let me conclude by paying tribute to our partners--the partners we must not forget. They are the heroes who struggle against malaria everyday. They are the community health workers and midwives, the doctors and nurses, the lab technicians and pharmacists. They work in village health centers, urban hospitals and rural clinics and they are saving lives, often times under very, very difficult conditions. And together--as partners--their work along with our support, our commitment and a collective sense of urgency--we can save lives, keep families healthier and keep entire communities free from malaria's misery.

Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota

Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to S. 256, a bill to modify our Nation's bankruptcy system. I strongly support holding individuals responsible for paying debts they can reasonably afford. Our banks, credit unions, and other responsible financial institutions should not have to foot the bill for the individuals who take advantage of the system to intentionally avoid their debts. Efforts to curb the number of bankruptcies filed each year, which strain our responsible financial institutions and their ability to provide low-cost services to consumers should be pursued and supported. But the fact is that millions of Americans face difficult and real financial circumstances that are caused by a personal or family healthcare crisis, unemployment, drastic changes in life situations, such as divorce and family death, and even military service. This legislation makes life much more difficult for hard working families who are already in crisis. Bankruptcy attorneys from Minnesota whom I have spoken with share my concerns. They believe this bill will be particularly harmful to working families, especially those headed by single parents. Custodial parents will have a more difficult time collecting child support by diverting more of a debtor's money to creditors and allowing other non- child support debts to survive bankruptcy. This bill will also make it easier for landlords to evict families who are in bankruptcy from their homes sending parents and their children on to the streets. This bill strips the authority of bankruptcy judges to consider the special circumstances of working families who have found themselves in overwhelming debt. While there has been much rhetoric regarding personal responsibility heard on the floor of the House, the bill completely fails to address consumer abuses by the credit card industry. Instead, this bill rewards irresponsible credit card companies who deceive consumers and target vulnerable families with questionable business practices and reckless lending. College students and individuals with already heavy debt loads are especially vulnerable to questionable marketing practices that offer easy credit at low rates that later increase to as much as 20 or 30 percent. Individuals must be responsible, but credit card companies must be held accountable for irresponsible business practices as well. While credit card companies reap the benefits of this bill, about 50 percent of all families who are forced to file for bankruptcy do so because of expensive medical bills. In another 40 percent of circumstances, a person has suffered a death in the family, lost their job, or have recently divorced their spouse. Almost all who file for bankruptcy do so as a last resort and have other compounding financial challenges. Over 60 percent of bankruptcy filers have gone without medical care. Fifty percent have been unable to fill needed prescriptions. One-third have had their utilities turned off. Twenty- one percent have gone without food. Numerous amendments that would have made this bill more balanced were rejected by the House Judiciary Committee. These include amendments that would have closed loopholes for millionaires, protected service members and veterans from means testing in bankruptcy, discouraged predatory lending practices, exempted debtors from means testing if their financial situations were caused by identity theft, limited the amount of interest that can be charged on any extension of credit to 30 percent, and, among several others, exempted debtors whose financial problems were caused by serious medical problems from means testing. We must do something to curb the number of personal bankruptcies that strain our banks, credit unions, and responsible financial institutions. But we must not do so at the expense of children receiving court-ordered child support, our veterans, and college students and others lured by easy, high-interest credit.

Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota

Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of working women across America and in support of the Paycheck Fairness Act. Every April, supporters of equal pay mark our progress on this issue by noting the time of year in which women's wages ``catch up'' to the wages paid to men from the previous year. Although we have made great strides in women's equality, women still earn $.76 for each dollar that men earn. In my home state of Minnesota, that number is $.72. In real terms, this means that women and their families are being shortchanged thousands of dollars a year. Minnesota women have the highest labor force participation in the nation and educational attainment continues to grow. With this remarkable increase in women's participation in the economy, more and more families are reliant on women's paychecks to make ends meet. If we are serious about ensuring fairness for all, about leaving no child behind, and about helping families achieve financial stability now and in the future, then Congress must act to address this significant wage gap. For this reason, I am proud to be a cosponsor of the Paycheck Fairness Act. This bill will take concrete steps to eliminate gender- based wage discrimination. It will provide for enhanced outreach and training programs for employers, allow employees to share salary information, and give women the opportunity to sue for punitive damages under the Equal Pay Act. It is my hope that the Administration and the Republican leadership will make a serious effort to address this discrimination this Congress. Along with wage disparity, we must continue to focus on issues of work place safety, equal treatment, and career advancement. As a woman, a mother, and a Member of Congress, I will continue to fight for equal pay, quality health care, safe work environments, and education opportunities for girls and women to ensure that they can pursue the American dream.

Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota

Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 8, the Republican Estate Tax bill. This legislation is further evidence of Republican's chronic addiction to digging deeper into debt. At a time when we face a deficit of over $400 billion, Republicans today chose to pass a bill that will cost Americans another $290 billion-- with the cost growing to nearly a trillion dollars after 10 years. This vote comes less than a month after the Majority supported a budget that will slash funding from education and from our firefighters, police, and veterans. This is a clear statement of the majority's priority which is to put corporations and the very rich ahead of our families and communities. Another rarely discussed provision of the Republican bill is the repeal of ``step-up in basis'', which will result in an increase in capital gains taxes and additional compliance burdens for many estates. This means that more families, businesses and family farms will have an increased tax liability rather than receive any benefit from this repeal. I support the Democratic alternative, the Certain and Immediate Estate Tax Relief Act, which would take effect next year and exempt 99.7 percent of families and businesses from this tax for a third of the cost of the Republican proposal. In fact, if this substitute is adopted, all but 71 Minnesota families, 11 North Dakota families, and 5 South Dakota families will be exempted from the estate tax. Permanent repeal of the estate tax benefits only the very wealthiest in our society while endangering our long-term economic stability and the solvency of Social Security and Medicare. It is my hope that Congress and the Administration will end this reckless spending and return us to common-sense, responsible public policy that makes the health, education and safety of American families our top priority.

Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota

Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Clerk read the entire resolution into the Record.

Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, could I inquire how much time is left on this side.

Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 126, and I want to thank my colleague from Minnesota for bringing this resolution to the floor. Our hearts have been with the Red Lake Band of Chippewa over the past month, and I want to express my deepest sympathies to the families and friends who lost loved ones on March 21. I also wish a speedy recovery to those who still remain in the hospital. I would like our opening statement to come from the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Peterson). He represents the Red Lake in Congress and has introduced this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Peterson).

Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Sabo).

Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume. Mr. Speaker, I would like to use the words of the Red Lake Band of the Chippewa, and I quote from a document that they shared with us today: ``The Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians is experiencing the worst crisis in our history. Throughout this ordeal, our law enforcement officers, teachers, students, medical personnel, our people have acted with great courage and honor. Our people are strong, our children are strong, and our hope is strong. ``Our greatest hope is that you, our President, Senators, and Representatives and Department officials, will be our partners as we undertake the task of making these essential improvements towards a better way of life for the people of Red Lake.'' Mr. Speaker, 1 month ago a disturbed young man took the lives of nine people on the Red Lake Reservation, and then he took his own. This violent act devastated the Red Lake community, and once again tragically demonstrates to all of America how violence can happen by our children, against our children and educators, and it can happen anywhere at any time. This tragedy, along with other school shootings that have occurred over the past several years leave no question that we still have much work to do in addressing the needs of our youth in this country. Too many of our children are in crisis, unable to find the help that they need from either families or communities. As policymakers, we have a responsibility to invest the resources, and more importantly, the attention into the lives of our young people and in their families' lives as well before tragedy occurs. All Americans and Minnesotans extend our prayers, our condolences, and support for the families of the Red Lake Nation as they heal and rebuild their community. I would like to close with just once again saying that this resolution deserves our support. The Red Lake Band of Chippewa have our deepest condolences at this time of enormous grief. Our prayers are with you. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time

Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar).

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my deepest condolences to the Red Lake Nation of northern Minnesota for the profound tragedy that took place on March 21, 2005. On that day a young man killed nine people on the Red Lake Reservation and then he killed himself. This extreme violence shatters our own sense of security because we all know it can happen anywhere at any time. All Americans and all Minnesotans extend our prayers, condolences, and support for the families of the Red Lake Nation as they heal and rebuild their community. Violence, untreated mental illness, the epidemic of alcohol and drug abuse, and the ubiquitous availability to guns are all scourges. They are potentially contributing factors to an environment throughout our nation in which rational problem solving is all too often replaced with irrational destruction and death. We will never know why this young man was driven to enter his own school and embark on a campaign of murder. We only know the outcome; the painful consequences and the bewildering agony of families and a community torn apart. As adults we have a responsibility to our children. We must listen to them, talk to them, and look for the warning signs. We must work together as a community to ensure their basic needs are met because even parents who are doing all they can still need assistance. In this country, violence surrounds our children, our families, and our communities. Violence is a plague which is promoted, glorified, and condoned in popular culture through movies, music, video games, and the endless television news cycle. It is a disease that is killing our children in our streets and in our schools and it must be stopped. The shooting at Red Lake is another tragic episode that is no longer rare or abnormal. It is now all too commonplace and we are not nearly as shocked by such tragedy as we once were. Sadly, Red Lake is another example of this very tragic trend. And as Red Lake knows all too well, our nation's children are at risk and America needs to be hearing their voices, investing in their future, and supporting their very real needs.

Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota

Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to recognize and remember the life of Pope John Paul II. The world mourns the passing of Pope John Paul II and the great void he leaves behind as a force for good in the world. Pope John Paul inspired peoples of all faiths in every corner of the globe by his living example of faith, justice, peace and love. His twenty-six years as the Holy Father transformed the Roman Catholic Church and revitalized the more than one billion Roman Catholics around the world. Pope John Paul worked tirelessly to advance human dignity, social justice and peace. His powerful presence helped to defeat communism in his home country of Poland and contributed to the fall of the Soviet Union. The Pope urged his fellow Catholics in Poland to support Lech Walesa and the Solidarity movement in a peaceful and non-violent campaign that eventually led to Solidarity's successful victory in Poland's first post-communist election. Pope John Paul was a great champion and advocate for the poor, the sick and the forgotten, particularly in the developing world. He loved children, and often appeared to take great joy from speaking to and meeting with young people. Pope John Paul traveled the globe inviting and mobilizing young people to a life of faith and to stand in support of the rights of those less fortunate than themselves. The life of Pope John Paul II has been a blessing for Catholics and people of all faiths. His moral and spiritual leadership of the Roman Catholic Church and for all mankind make his life an example for all of us. Let us honor the life of John Paul and express our humble gratitude for the service, sacrifice and prayers he shared with all of us until the hour of his death.

Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota

Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Chairman, all Americans stand united in support of our troops. However, President Bush has no strategy for success in Iraq. Therefore, I rise in opposition to the Emergency Wartime Supplemental Appropriation (H.R. 1268) and my vote today is a vote of no confidence in this Administration's ad hoc Iraq policy. Tragically, more than 1,500 American troops have been killed in Iraq and there is no end in sight to this war. The President's ``coalition of the willing'' is dissolving as Italy and the Netherlands become the most recent countries deciding to withdraw their troops from Iraq. The U.S. continues to bear the enormous burden of this conflict militarily and financially. With this $75 billion, as well as the $25 billion approved earlier this year, we have now spent $250 billion in Iraq. Most outrageous is the fact that not $1 of the more than $200 billion spent on this war has been paid for. Congress has now borrowed over $250 billion from foreign countries like Saudi Arabia, China and Japan. Every dollar plus interest will be paid for by the men and women who are fighting as well as their children. There are some real emergencies funded in this bill. I support U.S. assistance for tsunami relief and recovery as well as for peacekeeping operations, emergency funds and food aid to the Darfur region of Sudan. The generous assistance of the American people in these two serious crises is saving lives and having a tremendous impact. This administration's failures of leadership in Iraq demands extensive Congressional oversight and accountability, not another blank check. The current policy is unsustainable. If Americans are to continue to bear the burden of securing and rebuilding Iraq, rather than approving a blank check, we deserve a plan for success and an exit strategy for America's troops.

Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota

Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to H. Con. Res. 95, the Republican Budget Resolution, and in support of the Democratic Substitute offered by Mr. Spratt. The Republican budget does not reflect the priorities of our Nation or my Minnesota constituents and will almost certainly have a negative impact on America's families. This legislation reduces support for law enforcement, fire fighters and local units of government. It fails to meet our commitment to our veterans--at a time when we are asking more and more of our military and their families. Even the Republicans' most creative use of accounting gimmicks and phony projections still yields a record federal budget deficit, makes no allowance for the President's plan for Social Security, and fails to include the Iraq war in the budget--which is currently costing taxpayers $5 billion a month. This budget eliminates opportunities for our children to be successful, including vocational education programs, safe and drug free schools, and Even Start. Republicans continue to underfund No Child Left Behind and college loan programs that provide access to higher education for millions of Americans. The budget proposes to make deep cuts in Medicaid--a proposal that will hurt low-income families, the elderly and disabled, health care workers and our hospitals. These health care cuts will also create severe budget difficulties for our states and have been strongly opposed by a bipartisan group of governors. The Republican budget slashes funding for clean water programs, farm conservation measures and funding for brownfields development. In fact, the proposal put forward by the Majority inflicts so much burden on average families that it has been called `unjust' by a broad religious coalition and was opposed by the major veterans organizations. If the federal budget is a document that reflects the values of President Bush and the Republicans in Congress then this budget is not only `unjust' but void of mainstream American values. I want fiscally responsibility, not larger deficits. My constituents demand a common sense budget that returns our nation to sound fiscal decision making and balances the budget within seven years using common sense, pay-as-you-go budgeting like every family does. We need to put family priorities first by maintaining strong national security, strengthening education, protecting veterans' health care and ensuring families are economically secure. For these reasons I strongly support the Democratic budget, a common sense alternative to the dangerous and irresponsible Republican plan. This Congress must make a real effort, as proposed by the Democrats, to reduce the deficit rather than allow it to grow and remain a burden for the next generation. We need to be honest about the cost of the war in Iraq, rather than continue to pass so-called ``emergency'' supplemental appropriations as we did earlier this week. And we need to put families first. The President and House Republicans choose tax breaks for corporations over students and veterans' as their top priority. The Democratic substitute restores fiscal discipline and reduces the deficit while protecting the services our families depend upon, keeping our communities and economy strong. I am proud to support the Democratic substitute and I will continue to fight to ensure our families priorities are the priorities of Congress.

Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota

Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Education and Workforce and the International Relations committees, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 122, Mr. Holt's resolution to support and encourage the study of languages in the United States. The promotion and expansion of language studies will ensure our nation's ability to compete in a global marketplace of the 21st Century. The United States needs a skilled workforce in government, national security, the scientific community and business who possess the language and cross-cultural skills to successfully engage our global community. While colleges and universities across the U.S. provide for the study of languages and employ teachers and scholars in specialized languages, they have not had the resources or the incentives to recruit, retain, and graduate students in specialized languages at a rate equal to the demand. We need more students to study languages for the strength of our economy and for the security of U.S. interests here at home and abroad. The federal government provides incentives for the study of math, science, and engineering because we have recognized the value of encouraging strong graduation rates in those areas. We should have the same recognition for the value that foreign language proficiency adds to other professional degrees. At the University of Minnesota, between July 1, 2003 and June 30, 2004, while fourteen bachelor's degrees in East Asian languages were conferred, zero Masters and PhDs in East Asian languages were conferred. During the same time, zero degrees in Arabic languages were conferred at any level. And, zero degrees were conferred in South Asian languages at either the bachelor's or advanced degree levels. In contrast, Chinese students as well as men and women from countries in the Middle East, India, and across the globe come, to the United States to study math, engineering, biology, and medicine--in English-- their second or even third language. How many Americans have the ability or incentive to live in China and obtain an advanced understanding of the Chinese language? In Japan? In South Korea? The learning gap between the U.S. and countries in Europe and Asia is widening in math and science. Language acquisition is an essential component of our nation retaining our competitive edge. I commend Mr. Holt for his leadership on this important issue and, again, offer my strong support.

Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota

Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I was disappointed to learn that President Bush has nominated the architect of the ongoing war of Iraq, Mr. Paul Wolfowitz, to head the World Bank. The nominee's intimate relationship with the Iraq policy's gravest failures, phony intelligence, torture, contractor corruption, and incompetent planning, makes his nomination extremely disturbing. Mr. Wolfowitz may be qualified as an expert in conducting preemptive war, but he is far from qualified to battle global poverty, overcome the AIDS pandemic or to promote gender equity, all World Bank priorities. The world community deserves a development expert to champion the World Bank's mission of fighting poverty, a leader who can rally the world's support. To enhance America's reputation in the world, to ensure that future success of the World Bank and to build a better future for the world's poorest citizens, I urge the World Bank's board of directors to reject this nomination.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, while I rise in support of this resolution, I do so with serious concerns. Torture is a crime and a vile human rights abuse. Syria should be condemned in the strongest possible terms for committing acts of torture against detainees and prisoners. This is why I support the resolution. Yet, the fact that our government has sent detainees to Syria knowing that these individuals would be tortured and abused is morally repugnant and violates international, as well as U.S., law. The practice of extraordinary rendition--our government's practice of outsourcing torture to countries like Syria must also be condemned, repudiated and immediately ordered stopped by President Bush. Human Rights Watch, which is frequently cited as an authoritative source in this resolution, has stated that the U.S. policy of ``denouncing torture in Syria, and then handing over prisoners to Syrian torturers sends the ultimate mixed message.'' Syria is a notorious violator of human rights that should be condemned. The hypocrisy of our government using Syrian torturers as a subcontractor to immorally and illegally commit human rights abuses is shamefully absent from this resolution.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the so-called class action fairness bill. This legislation will close the courthouse doors to thousands seeking justice. The bill we are considering today pushes almost all class actions into the federal courts and away from state jurisdiction. It is no secret that federal courts are generally less willing to consider complex civil litigation than state courts. They face incredible backlogs with hundreds of criminal drug cases and immigration cases. Federalizing class actions causes delays in getting relief for injured consumers. Instead of fixing the current system, this legislation is only making it more difficult and time-consuming for Americans with legitimate complaints to have their day in court. Class actions are a critical way for people, particularly those without the resources to battle large corporations, to seek redress from companies for fraudulent behavior, defective products and employment discrimination. A strong class-action system is particularly important given the emergence of evidence proving corporate wrongdoing in recent years. This bill will give banks, credit card companies, insurers, HMOs, drug manufacturers and other big businesses a green light to defraud and deceive consumers without fear of being held accountable. Most troubling, this bill deprives Americans of an important forum--in many cases their only forum--for remedying genuine wrongs. I support strengthening our class action system and reducing fraud, which is why I voted for a substitute bill. This legislation would ensure that people injured or discriminated against could still get the justice they deserve while making adjustments needed to reduce abuse in the class action system. The substitute puts an end to ``coupon settlements'' and court shopping. It keeps our class action system accessible and effective by carving out civil rights and worker rights cases. It protects cases brought by state attorney's general. Lastly, it asks the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts to report back to Congress on how the new law is working. The substitute is a real improvement in our legal system that will ensure the protection and justice promised to individuals, families and businesses by our Constitution.

Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota

Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to H.R. 27, the so-called Job Training Improvement Act of 2005. Millions of Americans are unemployed today and finding it harder to get a job. According to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, job seekers in Minnesota still out-number unfilled jobs by two-to-one. Unfortunately, H.R. 27 does nothing to put people back to work. It doesn't shorten the lists of people waiting to use the resources at my one stops. It won't meet the needs of the approximately 8,000 Minnesota youth who can't get WIA job-related services every year. Instead, this bill unravels the very programs that ensure these workers have the skills and training they need to find high paying, long-term jobs. H.R. 27 eliminates targeted programs designed to help both dislocated workers and unemployed adults find a job. It block grants dedicated assistance forcing low-income workers and welfare recipients to compete with dislocated workers for the same limited federal resources. This bill eliminates dedicated funding for job search services, like Minnesota's Job Bank, which assists thousands of Minnesotans. This funding supports a rapid response system that meets the immediate needs of workers affected by mass layoffs. These changes threaten to break apart Minnesota's statewide workforce development system at the very time when these services are needed most to help unemployed workers find jobs. In addition, H.R. 27 does nothing to ensure that these limited funds are used for training. It allows governors to take money away from adult education and veterans' job programs and use it to cover bureaucratic costs. Sadly, it also restricts youth funding to out-of- school youth. This will devastate the Building Lives Program, which Ramsey County uses to provide job training services to troubled teens during school hours. Most concerning, however, is that this bill repeals basic civil rights protections for employees of job training programs by allowing organizations that receive Federal job-training funds to discriminate on the basis of religion. I speak as a person who was brought up by a Lutheran mother and a Catholic father. I remember when my mother went to church to see her little girl receive her first communion and wasn't made to feel welcome. I don't want to go back to those days. I don't want the children I represent to know how it feels to be kept from fulfilling their dreams or meet their potential because someone doesn't like the church, mosque or synagogue you attend. Yet, this bill leads our country in that direction. Mr. Chairman, I strongly believe that we must strengthen our workforce investment system to help Minnesotans get back to work. H.R. 27, however, fails to meet that goal and at the same time encourages rolling back civil rights protections. I urge my colleagues to reject this bill today.

Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota

Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, this week we celebrate the 44th anniversary of the Peace Corps and the service of current and return Peace Corps volunteers. Today 7,700 Americans of all ages, including 38 volunteers from my congressional district, are serving our Nation and advancing the cause of peace in cities, towns, and villages in 72 countries around the world. As we all know, with service also comes sacrifice. So as we celebrate this Peace Corps success, I would like to remember a young Minnesota Peace Corps volunteer, Melissa Mosvick, who died in a bus accident last November while serving our Nation in Morocco. Her service and sacrifice are also honored. Nearly 180,000 Americans have served our Nation as Peace Corps volunteers these past 44 years. The service and commitment of all Peace Corps volunteers to our Nation and the world is truly a very special gift all Americans can celebrate.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in opposition of H.R. 418, the REAL ID Act. This bill adds unnecessary burdens to the asylum process and unfunded mandates on state governments. My home state of Minnesota has an ever-increasing population of new Americans. As is true across the country, thousands of my constituents fled religious discrimination, abuse, torture and religious persecution abroad. The United States is a beacon of hope for those around the world seeking safety, freedom and equality. It is vital that we remain that way. The asylum provisions in H.R. 418 impose an undue burden on those immigrants fleeing persecution, torture, and other human rights abuses around the world. The bill would require the asylum seeker to show documentation of their torture. This would reverse years of precedent that allow a credible testimony to be proof of their case. It is outrageous to think that the human rights abusers abroad will provide proof of their crime to ensure an asylum-seeker can prove their case to immigration officials in the United States. This bill will also place an unnecessary, unfunded mandate on states, most of whom are already facing budget challenges due to cuts in federal funding. Driver's license laws are the responsibility of state governments. Minnesota is on the forefront of developing secure identification for its citizens. Not more than 2 months ago, my state unveiled a new driver's license that is among the most secure licenses in the country. However, even with Minnesota's innovation, this bill would require a monumental effort on the part of the state to comply with the law, which is an unfunded mandate that ties the hands of state government. I will continue to uphold my oath of office to preserve and protect our Constitution and the safety of our nation. No one wants terrorists to enter the United States, but this bill is not the answer to that problem. We must streamline and strengthen our immigration process, but we cannot do so at the expense of the abused, the tortured, and the persecuted.