Thad McCotter

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. In these dire economic times, Mr. Speaker, I try to remind my colleagues that, when Washington is talking, Michigan is listening because, again, we are living your nightmare now. Last week, the House passed what I believe to be a $1 trillion fiscal obscenity at taxpayers' expense and at the expense of the unemployeds' hope, but you need not take my word for it because, again, Michigan was listening, and when I had the chance to talk to a gentleman named Greg from Milford, this is what he said about the supposed stimulus bill. Greg said, ``I worked for a company that just lost 700 jobs nationwide, and the stimulus package just amazes me, that Congress is trying to push this thing through--the $600 million and everything going on, things that are not going to stimulate the economy. I have enough money to last a month.'' At this point, Greg's voice started to break. ``Try telling your kids at the dinner table that you just lost your job. It is devastating when you tell your daughter you cannot even buy her a school yearbook because you just do not have the money. You have got money that you were going to spend on something just to let your kids celebrate something that you did, and now that is going to go to the grocery store because you cannot do otherwise or you are going to try to pay your house bill,'' and again, Greg paused. ``When we are sending money overseas to pay for abortions for people who are not even in this country, we are not supporting our own people. They need to change it. I am just one person. They do not listen. If we can have everybody call them and just say, 'We have got to do something different. We cannot throw this money in the garbage. What can we do?''' That was Greg's view of a bill that was intended to help him and his struggling family. When Greg was listening to what Washington was saying as it passed the, quote/unquote, stimulus bill, he heard about billions for national parks, about the hundreds of millions for artists, about the smoking secession programs, and about the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases. When this bill was explained back down in Michigan, here is what Greg heard. He heard that, if you are a hiker who is artistic, who is trying to quit smoking and who is trying to avoid STDs, the House Democrats' bill was for you. If you were in a manufacturing State and you had just lost your job and you were worried about your family, like Greg, you fared far more poorly. I just want Greg to know that we are listening out here, that when the $1 trillion stimulus bill that will not help him came to the House floor, the entire House Republican minority and 11 Intrepid Democrats said no. They recognized that this would not help him, that it would not help his family and that it would not help any American family that is struggling in straits such as his. That is why House Republicans responded to President Obama's proposal for bipartisanship early on and produced a package that would have created twice the jobs at half the cost, and this is why we will continue to work in as bipartisan a fashion as is allowed in this Chamber to do what is right for Greg and for his family and for all American families in these very dire times.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor and acknowledge the Kensington Valley Community Credit Union, a financial institution based in Highland, Michigan, upon the 50th anniversary of the Credit Union's establishment. Founded on January 29, 1959 as the Huron Valley Schools Employees Credit Union, the Kensington Valley Community Credit Union has grown substantially since its first 200 members. Originally a small, member- run institution, the Credit Union expanded its membership opportunities in 1985 to school district retirees, parents of students in the school district, credit union employees, and immediate family members. In 1996 the Credit Union further expanded its services to add students in the school district, family members, and persons age 55 receiving retirement benefits. Importantly, as a service to its community, from 1995 to 1999 the Credit Union operated the first student run elementary savers club program at all eleven elementary schools within the Huron Valley School district. The Kensington Valley Community Credit Union has become a landmark in the community it serves by providing important financial services to its members. On February 16, 2000, with 4,500 members, over $16 million in assets, and 12 employees, the Credit Union moved into an expanded facility on the same property it originally purchased 20 years ago. Madam Speaker, the Kensington Valley Community Credit Union has had a long and distinguished history in the Detroit area community. I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Kensington Valley Community Credit Union on its 50th anniversary and honoring the institution's devoted service to the community and our country.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. We in Michigan in my community are listening to this debate very closely. We are listening very closely because one of the things that we are painfully aware of is how our Nation does not want to see double digit unemployment, does not want to see families lose their homes, their jobs and their nest eggs. We are listening very closely because in Michigan we are living your nightmare now: 10.6 percent unemployment, foreclosures skyrocketing, people's nest eggs eroding. And in Michigan, they were heartened by President Obama's request to work with the Republican minority. It was a request he did not have to make. Legislation can pass this Chamber without a single Republican vote. And yet in raising the tone, the tenor, the decorum in Washington, he reached out to House Republicans, and we responded by putting forward our solutions. Do we expect the President or even the Democratic majority to accept all of them? No, that would be unfair on our part. But what would be equally unfair is for them not to be fairly considered at all by the Democratic majority. We believe that there is merit in our proposal as it provides twice the jobs at half the cost. It could be incorporated into a responsible bill within President Obama's framework that he laid out for a temporary stimulus package. The three elements were a sane, humane strengthening of the social safety net, tax relief for working families and small businesses, and accelerated, responsible infrastructure that would have a permanent benefit to the economy as we worked on the deeper, underlying problems. What we have before us today, unfortunately, is a missed opportunity. It is an opportunity I hope we will get to rectify should the legislation come back because at the present time this legislation is not an immediate economic growth stimulus. It is, in fact, a wasteful government spending bill. We can do better together. I trust we will because as the families in my community understand, Congress cannot continue governing like gamblers in the hole spending other people's money. We will have to make difficult decisions, but we will have to do them together.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. Madam Speaker, today, I rise in recognition of Hostelling International USA's 75 years of service to intercultural understanding and youth travel. Founded in 1934, Hostelling International USA is a nonprofit organization promoting hostels and related programs in our nation, so our youth may experience the personal enrichment of foreign and domestic travel. Throughout the world, interest in hostel stays has increased to the point where, now, nearly 1 million travelers stay at hostels every year. Established in 1943, the Michigan Council of Hostelling International USA endures as a resource providing exciting programs to Michigan's youth. These programs, known as ``Opening Doors, Opening Minds'', facilitate student's experiences of our nation and the world. The Michigan Council also conducts travel workshops in local libraries to encourage adults and youth alike to expand their knowledge and understanding through travel. I congratulate Hostelling International USA for their 75 years of service and for their continued commitment to opening doors for our nation's youth.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. When the House last met in December, in the dying days of the 110th Congress, thanks to the leadership of the Speaker and of the chairman of Financial Services and of the people of this body, we sent a rescue package for the auto industry over to the Senate. Unfortunately, the Senate did not allow it to come up for a vote. Fortunately, President Bush and the administration offered and extended a bridge loan to the auto industry to keep the hardworking men and women employed and to keep America's manufacturing sector vital. We did not rejoice. We understand that restructuring is necessary and that it will be painful. It will intensify and it will continue, but we also vow to do what we need to do to ensure that America keeps its engine of prosperity and its arsenal of democracy. We will prove the doubters wrong.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor and acknowledge the remarkable life and legacy of Antonio Rugiero, Sr. upon his passing at the age of 70. Antonio was born in San Giovanni Fiore, Calabria, Italy on June 18, 1938. He attended the Peitra Fitta Monasteri in Cosenza, Italy and later completed his college business degree. In 1960, he arrived in America and two years later borrowed $2,000 to begin his pursuit of the American dream. With his funds, a small pizzeria named Roman Village Restaurant was born. With his incredible commitment to make his business a success, Papa Rugiero created a thriving business. His sons carried on Antonio's tradition of excellent food and premier service by opening Antonio's Cucina Italiana, named after their father. Four restaurants later, it is clear that Antonio's family has created a legacy. Antonio Rugiero, Sr. was a man deeply involved in the Detroit area community. He never hesitated to sponsor local events, such as kid's hockey teams, baseball and football teams. Along with supporting his wonderful family, Antonio was a community leader in contributing to charitable causes including Dearborn Heights Spirit Fest, the Feast of Saint Antonio, Dine Out Detroit, Breast Cancer Awareness, Diabetes Foundation and numerous others. On October 19, 2008, Antonio passed away. A beloved husband, father, and grandfather, he is survived by his loving wife, Enrica, four sons Patrick Attilio, Mark Luigi, Robert Attilio, and Anthony Rugiero, Jr., and ten grandchildren. Madam Speaker, Antonio Rugiero, Sr. was a man of great respect, a successful entrepreneur, and a loving husband and father. Today, as we bid him farewell, I ask my colleagues to join me in mourning his passing and honoring his lifetime of contribution to our community.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. I thank the chairman. I rise in support of the same-day rule. It has been an anxious holiday season in Michigan and the Midwest in the auto industry and the manufacturing sector. They have seen Congress perform its rightful oversight over their request for a bridge loan from the taxpayers of the United States. And today, after due deliberation, I think it is appropriate that we have a vote on this legislation, because behind all the statistics and all the talk of bankruptcies are hard-working people who deserve to know an answer to a fundamental question: Does the Congress of the United States care about them?

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. Mr. Speaker, just two quick points, one is the funding was already brought up by the ranking member of Financial Services. We will hear a lot from my side of the aisle about how much money we are saving the taxpayers. I would remind those who voted to appropriate this into the low- interest energy loans to help cover the unfunded CAFE mandate that that appropriation is gone. It is either going to go to help the auto industry survive a liquidity crisis, or it will be expended elsewhere. There is no savings there. Secondly, I would like to remind everyone in the room that your love for the taxpayers should also extend to the hardworking men and women, be they white collar or blue collar that work in the auto industry in the United States, that work in the manufacturing sector in the United States, and whose social costs, through a cavalier and calloused approach to bankruptcy, will be borne by the very taxpayers of the United States, except there will be one difference, they will be out of work and will no longer be taxpayers.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. I come from Michigan. I was born in Detroit. Wherever you go in the world, people know two things about Detroit. They know we make cars and they know we make music, Motown. And so when we find ourselves in difficult situations, it is not unusual for us to refer to music to help keep our lucidity and our balance to come through the tough times. As I listen to the debate on the auto industry, in many ways I'm reminded of Bob Seger's song where he says: To the IRS I'm another file. I'm just a statistic on a sheet. I feel like a number. I'm not a number. I'm a man. We've heard a lot of talk about the policy undergirding this bill. There are good arguments on both sides, but I live with the people who will be affected by it. There have been those who have said bankruptcy is an option. Many people have said bankruptcy is a preferred option. I suppose bankruptcy is an option for those who it is not an option for. Why? Because those who like bankruptcy should first impose bankruptcy upon themselves and to see how their family feels when their future has been foreclosed, when they have no job, when they have no hope, when they believe that they have been forgotten because they are a number. We can talk about the small businesses. We have small businesses in Michigan, and they rely on manufacturing jobs in the auto industry to stay in business, because the ripple effect is not a ripple effect. It is a tsunami effect. For one manufacturing job, you will lose 7 to 10 others, and we in Michigan have felt this pain. Oh, we have felt this pain, and we have seen the cost of the restructuring that so many here seem oblivious to. But again, we're numbers, I guess, in Michigan. We're statistics. We're involved in systems. We've been devoid of souls evidently at least by the opinion-makers and looters that have now watched the restructuring that so many of us on both sides of the aisle have watched for years. But we're from Michigan. We did not complain. We kept our nose to the grindstone. We gritted our teeth. We suffered and endured. We endured as businesses closed, as white collar and blue collar jobs were lost. We endured as retirees worried about what would happen to their hard- earned lifetime of benefits, those legacy costs so many are so willing to shave, our senior citizens' lifetimes of hard work. They played by the rules, which bankruptcy would change. We've heard a lot about the quality gap. We have heard a lot about the cost. I guess we should make less to be like everybody else. It's not a very attractive option for real people, but if you're a number, if you're a statistic on a sheet, this makes perfect sense. It's very logical. It's very logical unless you start to worry about the person behind the statistic, the person who will get to look amongst their Christmas cards for a layoff notice, the ones who have already had an anxious Thanksgiving as we performed our due diligence upon the executives and President Gettelfinger of the UAW and had them come in and testify. We asked them how they got here. We asked them why they were in a restructuring now, again, as if the last several years had never happened. And I think they were productive meetings in the end. It brought us here to a bill that we believe can protect taxpayers and can help an industry that has been restructuring continue to survive. And if a bridge loan is passed, will we be happy in Detroit? Will we be happy in manufacturing throughout America? No. And it's not because it's not the money we wanted. It's because we know a painful restructuring will continue if this bridge loan is approved. You see, to me, this is not abstract. My son Neal, my oldest son, turned 14, he looked at me and said, hey, Dad, I know what I want to be when I grow up. I said, well, as long as it is not a Congressman, I'm okay with that, whatever it is. And he looked at me, and he said I want to be an automotive engineer. And because of the restructuring in the auto industry, because of the pain that we've had and because of the reality that our children leave us for better climates economically and otherwise, I didn't have the heart to tell my son that the likelihood of him achieving his dream of being an automotive engineer would be foreclosed to him. And there are so many other children that grow up loving cars, who want to have that experience, and it's not just the children. It is the parents, the parents who work in the industry, white collar, blue collar, and my Republican friends, it is not just the white collar we must worry about. I have a very interesting experience when I talk to people on my side of the aisle about UAW and their concessions. Give credit where credit is due. They've been a partner with the big three in making painful concessions. I hope one thing yet will suffice. I once spent a freezing winter morning in front of the glass house at the Ford Company corporate headquarters in Dearborn. All those employees, those UAW members that people say don't want to work, come to work and don't want to perform, don't care about their quality of performance, I will tell you what. They stood out in 0-degree temperatures to keep the Wixom plant in my district open. That's how badly they wanted to work. That's how much they cared about the production of those cars. That's how much they loved their families. For those who think we've not been restructuring, the Wixom plant was closed as part of a Ford Motor Company restructuring. How many more people that want to work will be precluded because we did not give them the opportunity? We hear that the auto industry has brought it on itself. Well, that's what Washington does. Washington makes bad decisions and blames the victim. And we're not going through the painful litany of how Washington has not been as helpful as it could be, but let us suffice to say that throughout the entire restructuring process that we have endured and know will continue, we did not come here with our hand out, did we? We did not ask the Federal Government to take over all the health care of the employees. We did not ask the Federal Government to keep the Wixom plant open. We did not ask the Federal Government to do anything but leave us alone while we continued our painful restructuring and gritted our teeth and kept our nose to the grindstone. And now, circumstances outside of our control have led us to the point where we have to be here or there will be no domestic auto industry in the United States, and there will be no manufacturing base in the United States, and this at a time when it has been pointed out the taxpayers that work in the auto industry are watching the people at AIG talk about $4 million per person bonuses after they have been bailed out to the tune of roughly $40 billion in this last round of their dollars. But then again, when you're a statistic, when you're a number, those things don't really matter for the people who have to make the decisions. We come here to make decisions as best we can in public policy, but the overriding goal is to serve the people that those policies affect, and in my mind, the failure of sound policies here at least gives us the chance to give these people to survive, to keep a manufacturing sector in place in the United States, and to let these working families continue to endure and grit their teeth and keep their nose to the grindstone and work and hope for the best. Because if we do not, we will be confirming that they are statistics, they are numbers, that they are worthy of bankruptcy because that's what makes economic sense, if not moral and societal sense. And to close, I remember very well coming home after the Thanksgiving break after we had the auto industry in, and I was driving past the Jefferson plant.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor and acknowledge The Honorable Marilyn Massengill, Plymouth Township Clerk, upon her retirement from the government of Plymouth Township after thirty-nine years of dedicated service. Throughout her life, Marilyn has striven to better our community. Mrs. Massengill graduated from Plymouth High School in 1952 and went on to work in several township departments. She began her dedicated career in June, 1969 when she was hired to work in the Building Department before advancing to the Planning Department and then the Clerk's Office. Marilyn was first elected Plymouth Township Clerk in 1992, re- elected in 1996 and again in 2000. She received official recognition as a Certified Municiple Clerk in 1995 by the International Institute of Municipal Clerks following completion of specialized training. Marilyn has participated in multiple associations during her committed service to Plymouth Township, including; The First United Methodist Church, Plymouth Business and Professional Women's Club, BPW, Wayne County Clerk's Association, International Institute of Municipal Clerks, Plymouth Study Club, and as a Charter Member of the Plymouth Canton Kiwanis Breakfast Club. Despite her numerous accomplishments and community activities, Marilyn remains most proud of her four children, all of whom attended and graduated from the Plymouth Canton Community School District, and her eight grandchildren. Madam Speaker, after over 30 tireless years, Clerk Massengill will be retiring from her position of Plymouth Township Clerk. As she enters the next phase of her life, she leaves behind a legacy of leadership, integrity, and devotion to the citizens of Michigan. Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Honorable Marilyn Massengill, upon her retirement and recognizing her years of loyal service to our community and our country.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. Madam Speaker, today I rise to place into the Record a letter from Ambassador Audrius Bruzga of Lithuania regarding House Concurrent Resolution 255. Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania to the United States of America, Washington, DC, September 29, 2008. Congressman Thaddeus McCotter, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Congressman: I am aware that on September 25, 2008 the United States House of Representatives passed the House Concurrent Resolution 255: Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the United States commitment to preservation of religious and cultural sites and condemning instances where sites are desecrated. I write to express my astonishment and utter surprise that such a Resolution was submited for vote at the time when the process of finding a solution to the issue of the former Snipiskes Jewish cemetery is at its final stages and all the interested parties are in agreement of the necessary steps and actions. You may well be aware that on June 25 through July 5 geophysical investigation was carried out by a contractor company from Israel Geotec on 14 chosen areas. Alongside with the geophysical investigation, archeological investigation was carried out by the Lithuanian Cultural Heritage Department. On September 22nd, based on the results of the said investigations the Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Petras Vaitiekunas, Head of the Government working group for the preservation of the former Jewish cemetery in Snipiskes, presented recommendations to the Government of Lithuania on further steps regarding the preservation of the former Snipiskes cemetery. One of the recommendations of the working group is for the competent Lithuanian institutions--Vilnius City Municipality, Governor Administration of Vilnius County, the Ministry of Culture--with the participation of the representatives from the Jewish community and the owners of the territory of former cemetery--to organize an open international competition for the monumentalization of the former Snipiskes Jewish cemetery site. Furthermore, the former Jewish cemetery in Snipiskes has gained legal protection in compliance with the decision of the Department of Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture. The Register of Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Lithuania guaranties the permanent preservation of the former cemetery site. During the whole process, the Lithuanian Government has demonstrated commitment to resolving the controversy over former Jewish cemetery in Snipiskes by involving Lithuanian and international experts, historians, geophysical survey experts, cartographers and archeologists, and International Jewish communities, as well as allocating appropriate resources for research and analyses. The Government of Lithuania has worked closely and will continue to work with the representatives of the Committee for the Preservation of Jewish Cemeteries in Europe and with other Jewish organizations, in search of a mutually acceptable solution. Mr. Congressman, Jewish culture, history, sacred sites and traditions are part of Lithuania's national heritage. Sadly, during the period of Nazi and Soviet occupations (1940-1991) much of this has been lost or decimated. It takes time and painstaking efforts to undo the damage. Allow me to assure you that the Government is committed to the preservation of all of the cultural heritage in Lithuania and is doing so in a manner which is consistent with rule of law and justice. It is disappointing when this is not appreciated by the colleagues in the U.S. Lithuania and the United States are close allies. We share the freedom agenda and we stand together in defence of our shared values. I am certain that we will continue to cherish our strong bonds of partnership. I avail myself of this opportunity to renew to you the assurances of my highest consideration. Yours sincerely, Audrius Bruzga, Ambassador.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor and acknowledge the heroes of the 630th Tank Destroyer Battalion upon their 32nd reunion. Activated on December 15, 1941 at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, the 630th Tank Destroyer Battalion; often called the ``Fightingest,'' distinguished itself in battle during World War II. On July 24, 1944, the Battalion landed on Omaha Beach in Normandy, France and was attached to the 28th Infantry Division XIX Corps. The men of the 630th Tank Destroyer Battalion fought valiantly in the European Theater during the war. From December 15, 1944 and December 31, 1944 the Battalion participated in actions against enemy forces in some of the most difficult operations known to warfare. The Battalion bravely liberated France, Luxembourg, and Belgium and provided critical support to allied victory in the Battle of the Bulge; proving the resistance and stamina of the American soldier was unbreakable. The heroism of the 630th Tank Destroyer Battalion was undoubtedly critical in bringing victory and peace to Europe. Tragically, many of these heroes never returned home, however their memory will live on forever in the hearts and minds of those they left behind. Beginning in 1963, and annually since 1992, the veterans and their families have reunited thus growing into an extended family of friends. Madam Speaker, the soldiers of the 630th Tank Destroyer Battalion are heroes and champions of American freedom. As we recognize the outstanding contribution these veterans and those lost in battle have made for the cause of freedom, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring their many years of selfless service to their community and our country.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. Mr. Speaker, we have confronted the first financial panic of the ``New Global Economy''--an economy spawned by the fall of the Berlin Wall--and the precedent we set will affect our prosperity, liberty, and posterity for generations. Unconscionably, we have rushed to misjudgment and approved a $700 billion Wall Street bailout the American people know is intrinsically unfair to them. This truth is self-evident in how, initially, an exiting President and his Treasury Secretary incited a panic amongst our people and the world, all to compel a compliant Congress to deliver upon this demand: ``Main Street must bail out Wall Street, or how the people will suffer.'' Justly, the people's House voiced the will of the sovereign people and refused. Recalcitrant, the administration zealously intensified its attempt to shift $700 billion worth of consequences from Wall Street onto Main Street and pronounced a new ransom dictum: ``No bailout for Wall Street, no tax relief for Main Street, and how the people will suffer.'' To this demand, the Congress capitulated. The saddest part of this immorality play is how the people will suffer regardless, and they know it. Working Americans, whose well-deserved tax relief must never be predicated upon rewarding others' misdeeds, understand this self- described, short-term stabilization bill cannot claim with certainty to attain its professed intent, let alone solve the new global economy's latest structural dysfunctions. Worse, as a multitude of economists and entrepreneurs prove, this bailout bill will reinflate the bubble by $700 billion and thereby only delay our day of economic reckoning. It cannot be otherwise because the bailout bill's central economic construct is patently and grossly unfair to Americans. Succinctly: Congress will buy ``toxic assets'' with your money that private investors won't buy with their own money. What a deal for you. Therefore, belying the ludicrous claims, this bailout is designed to save Wall Street, not Main Street. It is small wonder Americans rejected this odious proposal, and equally unfathomable how Congress ultimately approved it. In the aftermath, a deeper truth emerges from the ruins. In setting a new economic precedent during this pregnant moment fraught with consequence, we also face a transcendent choice between two competing visions for our Nation's future: Global materialism versus American traditionalism; ``creative destruction'' versus ``innovative restoration''; Wall Street versus Main Street. In the tumultuous transition from our humane American traditions into an insane global age, we viscerally glean the evolving forces dwarfing our mortal power to protect the cherished realms of faith, family, community and country, while in each heart beats the murmur of Yeats: ``Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold. Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, the blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere the ceremony of innocence is drowned. The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity. Surely some revelation is at hand.'' From this Congress, Americans sought reassurance their representative institutions remained vibrant and sufficient to shelter and steer our Nation through the amoral global flood tide's enveloping chaos. We have answered them today. In voting ``yea,'' you have not solely chosen Wall Street over Main Street, you have chosen the big over the beautiful, the giant over the gentle, the great over the good. And this decision now shapes our destiny. This being the case, we bailout opponents must grudgingly admit a tinge of envy for its supporters. Tonight, you will go to sleep praying you are right; we will go to sleep praying we are wrong, while in each breast the murmur returns. Now the future beckons from its ominous shadows, and through the impending gloaming we can but glimpse how the people will suffer. As breaks that nightmarish day, let us arise and combine to transcend the insanity of our age, forge a humane global economy, and restore our American home to a God blessed land of hope, devotion and dreams.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor and acknowledge Ethan Joseph Winslow Monaghan, a hero, upon earning the Boy Scouts of America National Heroism Medal for Lifesaving. Ethan Monaghan, of Plymouth, Michigan, a nine-year-old and first year Webelos Cub Scout saved his younger brother's life on August 23, 2007. Five-year-old Steven D. Monaghan II had flipped off an inflatable pool tube into five feet of water. Too short to touch the bottom and unable to swim, Steven started to scream for help before going under the water. Ethan heard the cries of help and bravely dove into the pool, wrapped his arms around Steven's waist, and pulled his head above the water. Ethan, also unable to touch the bottom of the pool, was able to swim his brother over to adults. Thankfully, Steven did not require mouth-to-mouth resuscitation or other medical attention because of Ethan's rapid response and instinct. Although Ethan has never received any formal lifesaving training, the skills he learned as a Cub Scout helped to avert a tragedy. Subsequent to a thorough review of his actions by the Detroit Area Council of Boy Scouts, Ethan was presented the Boy Scouts of America National Heroism Medal for Lifesaving, which, on average, fewer than three hundred boys receive a year. To his brother, Steven, and parents Dr. and Mrs. Steven and Audrey Monaghan, Ethan will be a triumphant hero for years to come. Madam Speaker, Ethan Joseph Winslow Monaghan should be recognized for his courage, determination, and selfless action. I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Ethan Monaghan for obtaining the Boy Scouts of America National Heroism Medal for Lifesaving and honoring Ethan's devotion to his community and our country.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor Ed Vollenweider, a community leader, and World War II hero, and mourn him upon his passing at age 87. Born in Chicago, Illinois in 1921, the son of Swiss immigrants, Ed Vollenweider grew up on a small dairy farm in New Glarus, Wisconsin. Ed joined the U.S. Air Force and became a successful B-26 bomber pilot garnering 72 missions in the European theater of World War II. One of the many B-26 planes he flew, Flak Bait, now rests in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. After his tour of duty ended, he briefly attended the University of Minnesota where he met and married Gloria Boehmke. Ed and Gloria owned and operated Larsen's Teal Lake Resort in Hayward, Wisconsin from 1947 to 1950. Sadly, in 1986 after 39 years of marriage, Ed's wife, Gloria passed away. In 1965, along with two partners, Ed opened the Detroiter Truckstop in Woodhaven, Michigan, where he served as President and CEO. For 43 years, the Detroiter Truckstop became an institution and landmark of southeast Michigan. Ed was also an active board member of the National Association of Truck Stop Operators, Michigan Trucking Association, Grosse Ile Golf and Country Club, and the National Rifle Association. Tragically, Ed passed away on September 28, 2008 and will be cherished as a devoted husband and father. To his wife, Faith, to his sons Edward and Billy, sisters Ruth Esser and Hulda Wesner; and to everyone who knew and loved him, Ed was a dedicated member of his community who will be truly missed. Madam Speaker, during his lifetime, Ed Vollenweider enriched the lives of everyone around him by exhibiting courage, leadership, and spirit. As we bid farewell to this outstanding individual, I ask my colleagues to join me in mourning his passing and honoring his many years of loyal service to his community and our country.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor the life of Shirley Demmer and applaud Bill Demmer's establishment of the Shirley Dudek Demmer Summer Chair of Research at the Brain Aneurysm Foundation. In 1952, Shirley was born in Detroit, Michigan to a homemaker and a General Motors automotive worker. She grew up in a modest neighborhood with five siblings. Tragically, at age 13, Shirley lost her mother to what was thought to be a stroke, but was later confirmed to be a ruptured brain aneurysm. After the passing of her mother, Shirley had to grow up fast. In 1975, she met her future husband Bill, with whom she would share 30 wonderful years of marriage. In 1978, the Demmers moved to Northville, Michigan, and raised their three children. Shirley was active in her community, involved in philanthropic efforts especially in the area of violence against women. Bill became Chairman of the North American International Auto Show. At 50, Shirley decided to accomplish one of her life's goals and complete her bachelors degree. In 2007, she graduated with highest honors from Madonna University with a degree in sociology. Soon thereafter, Shirley applied and was accepted into the University of Michigan's Gender Studies graduate program. Unfortunately, she never had a chance to earn her graduate degree. Sadly, Shirley Demmer died in November 2007. Shirley was a person of extreme warmth and caring. She touched the lives of many people in her community, and she is sorely missed. After her passing, Bill sought to learn everything possible about brain aneurysms. He found the incidence of brain aneurysms are often partly genetic and his mother-in-law had probably died from a ruptured brain aneurysm. Consequently, he ensured their children and Shirley's siblings were screened for brain aneurysms. Thanks to these screenings, Shirley's sister Nancy was found to have a brain aneurysm and underwent a successful craniotomy to save her life. In addition, her husband Bill provided a grant to establish the Shirley Dudek Demmer Chair of Research at the Brain Aneurysm Foundation to promote early detection of brain aneurysms. Fortunately, today there is a greater awareness of brain aneurysms and the danger they pose to Americans. Through the efforts of people like Bill Demmer and organizations like the Brain Aneurysm Foundation, our nation's leaders have become involved in efforts to promote brain aneurysm awareness. For on September 26, 2008, Representative Patrick Tiberi (OH) introduced H. Res. 1511, which would express support for designation of the month of September as ``National Brain Aneurysm Awareness Month''. Madam Speaker, today, as we remember the life of Shirley Demmer, I ask my colleagues to join me in mourning her passing and applauding the establishment of the Shirley Dudek Demmer Chair of Research.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. I rise today not to change anyone's mind, but to express to my constituents my reasons for opposing this bill. There will always be time and pretext enough for people to compromise their principles and put forward poor public policy that may in the short run be popular, but in the wrong run will be detrimental to the long-term interests of the American people. We learn this through history. In the 1832 bank panics, Andrew Jackson had the question of whether he would remove the Bank of the United States' charter. The people in the bank did not like that. They threatened the prosperity of the American people. In the middle of the panic, Andrew Jackson looked at these bankers and he said, ``There are no necessary evils in government. The Treasury to you, gentlemen, is closed.'' This was an act of courage on the part of President Jackson, because he understood what was at stake was not merely an ephemeral prosperity or a panic caused by the very people with their handout. Andrew Jackson understood this was about majoritarian rule; it was about the faith in the people's representative institutions and those who inhabit the seats in which they are entrusted. Today we are in a global financial bank panic. It is the first of our global economy. We are seeing a leveraged bailout of the United States Treasury. In the end, these interests that want your money are threatening your prosperity, and the choice you face is this: You will lose potentially your prosperity for a short period of time at the expense of your long-term liberty. Once the Federal Government has got you to take that risk and pass it on to you as a ``moral hazard,'' they will be in the marketplace. And as the free market is diminished, your freedom itself is diminished, and as your Congress does not stand up to these and put forward a better plan that truly protects the taxpayers, that truly has the long-term interests of the United States at heart, you will be in jeopardy of losing both your prosperity and your liberty. The choice is stark, and it was put forward in the book by Dostoevsky. In ``The Brothers Karamazov,'' the grand inquisitor came to Jesus and he said, ``If you wish to subject the people, give them miracle, mystery and authority; but above all, give them bread.'' It has always been the temptation in a crisis especially to sacrifice liberty for short-term promises of prosperity, and it was no mistake that during the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution the slogan was ``peace, land and bread.'' Today you are being asked to choose between bread and freedom. I suggest that the people on Main Street have said that they prefer their freedom, and I am with them.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor and acknowledge Miss Allison Schmitt upon her achievement of the Bronze Medal in the Women's 4x200 Meter Freestyle Relay in the 2008 Summer Olympics. Allison Schmitt was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on June 7, 1990. At the age of 9, she began her swimming career with the Plymouth Canton Cruiser in Canton, MI. Allison then went on to join the Ann Arbor Swim Club at the age of 12. During her high school career, Allison swam Varsity all four years she attended Canton High, and was also acknowledged by her team as the MVP all four years. During her time at Canton High School, Allison was named All-State a total of eight times, two per year of attendance, and was named Michigan High School Swimmer of the Year in 2006. In her senior year, Allison was Canton High's Swim Team Captain. Allison is a ten time All-American athlete and holds two Michigan State High School records. In December of 2007, Allison began training with Club Wolverine's High Performance Group, under Coach Bob Bowman. In January 2008, Allison graduated from Canton High School to train for the Olympic trials. On July 2, 2008, Allison made the USA Olympic team and subsequently achieved a national age group record in the 200 meter freestyle. On August 14, 2008, the United States Women's 4x200 meter Freestyle Relay team consisting of Allison Schmitt, Natalie Coughlin, Caroline Burckle, and Katie Hoff broke the American record and swam the relay in 7:46.33, achieving a third place finish and a bronze medal. Madam Speaker, today, I ask my colleagues to join me in wishing Allison every success as she attends the University of Georgia, where she will continue her swimming career during the fall of 2008; and in congratulating and thanking Miss Allison Schmitt upon her winning the bronze medal as a member of the United States Women's 4x200 Freestyle Relay Team for making us all so proud.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding. I also wish to take this moment to thank him for his strength of character and his depth of intellect and leadership on this issue. It has been said if you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there. Unfortunately, we find ourselves in such a situation, as America finds itself amidst a potential economic meltdown of its financial sector. Right now, the U.S. Congress is being asked to vote upon the Paulson- Bush-Obama-McConnell-Pelosi-Reid plan. I myself will be up front and say I think it is a disastrous policy that House Republicans should continue to resist. What we are asking Americans to do, quite simply, is to send money to the very people who caused this problem and expect them to fix it. If I can put this in the simplest terms that even I could understand, we have a liquidity crisis in our financial markets. That means that private investors are standing on the sidelines. They do not want to put their money into purchasing toxic assets. What they are now doing is asking Congress to put your money into purchasing toxic assets, and, if you do not, then these private investors have promised to wreak havoc upon your personal savings, upon your credit ratings, upon your financial existence. And for what sin? For not giving them $700 billion to fix the problem that they caused. House Republicans have stood against this. We have consistently tried to keep ahead of the crisis atmosphere, and we have succeeded. What we instead offered is a responsible position that protects the taxpayers, that puts private recapitalization first, so that Wall Street can bail itself out of its mess before going to the taxpayers, and putting an appropriate backstop in place. Now, we have been reviled for our principled opposition to what we believe is an extortion of taxpayers' precious resources. For this we have been condemned in the liberal media. For this we have been condemned by the majority Democratic Party in this House. We have been condemned by the Democratic majority in the Senate. We have been condemned by our own Republican President and his Secretary of the Treasury and the Federal Reserve Board Chairman. In fact, I think we have recently reached the height of the disapprobation heaped upon us when earlier the Speaker of the House, in response to our refusal to spend $700 billion of taxpayer money on this problem, we were labeled ``unpatriotic.'' I suppose this should not surprise us the least bit. We had earlier heard from the Democratic vice presidential nominee, Senator Biden, that Republicans, because we would not raise your taxes, were also unpatriotic. Now, there has been some debate whether there is a new Democratic Party in America. If I may link these two statements to disprove that notion, according to Senator Biden and Speaker Pelosi, if you do not support raising the American people's taxes and spending $700 billion of it on Wall Street, you are unpatriotic. I disagree with this assessment, and I trust that the American people do. In fact, in many ways it tends to point out the politics that are being played here. The reality is, as has been shown so often in the past, the Republican Party in Congress is the minority party. In the House of Representatives especially, the minority has acute pangs, because we do not have the power to obstruct a single thing the majority wants to get done. Let me draw a quick comparison. When we were debating increasing American energy production to help our constituents and ease their pain at the pump by increasing supply, we were denied a bipartisan vote on an all-of-the-above energy strategy. Today, in the debate to bail out Wall Street, we see the Speaker demanding a bipartisan vote to bail them out. The dichotomy proves the point that if this Democratic majority truly believes, as does their Speaker and Senator Obama and others, in President Bush's plan, yes, I know that sounds dysfunctional, but these are the times in which we live, they would then take it upon themselves to do one of two things: They would run us over; or instead they would choose the prudent course, to work with us. Today they are beginning to show signs they may work with us. But, unfortunately, the political games continue. We continue to hear now, in addition to being unpatriotic and obstructive, which is impossible as the minority party in the House, we continue to hear that if we resist an arbitrary Sunday midnight deadline, we, who cannot stop this bill from being passed, are going to cause the meltdown of the American and the global economy. We instead as House Republicans are going to do what you sent us here to do, which is guard your money with which you have entrusted us. What we are going to do is reject arbitrary deadlines, for two very critical reasons important to the American people. One is we will have no rush to misjudgment, whereby a bad bill is passed for the sake of meeting an artificial deadline that winds up being either passed into law or being forced into a no vote defeat in this House, the result of which could be the very economic meltdown we are trying to prevent. The other alternative is if prudent consultation with Republicans and Democrats continue and we pass the arbitrary deadline, if investors' expectations are raised improperly and irresponsibly, if we do the right thing and take a prudent course with this legislation towards a pro-taxpayer outcome, the economic meltdown may still occur. This is why House Republicans refuse to put a deadline on these economic negotiations, which are of critical interest to the American people, the same way we opposed putting artificial deadlines on our troops in Iraq. One is dedicated to preserving the prosperity of the American people, just as the other was dedicated to preserving the liberty of the American people by expanding it to the Iraqis. We have failed to do so in the past in our negotiations with the Democratic Party to make it clear that we have learned our lesson. We will not legislate defeat, either of our troops or of the American taxpayer, and we will continue to stand strong in their defense. Why is this critically important? If one looks at the lessons of history, we see critical times where decisions are made that affect future generations. This is such a time. This is the first economic panic of the global economy. The precedent that we set as your servants in Congress will be followed for decades to come. If we are rushed into this by a market bent upon getting their billions from taxpayers, we will set a precedent that we will rue. If we take our time and have prudent, responsible progress towards a pro- taxpayer result, such as embodied in the Cantor-Ryan plan, we will have done our job, not only for the crisis of the present, but for future generations to come. This is why today I say I have never been more proud to be a House Republican, because in many ways the more you are reviled for not abandoning the hard-working, responsible American people, for not abrogating their trust in you to protect their tax dollars and their futures, we wear it as a badge of honor, because that is precisely what we were elected to do as the party of Lincoln, as the party of Reagan. And I have a history lesson as I conclude for the party of Andrew Jackson. Andrew Jackson stood tall for the working people of America in the face of every rich special interest that this Nation had. When they demanded a Bank of the United States and got a servile Congress to pass it for them, he vetoed it, not once but twice, because he knew that the best way America could grow was from families, communities and neighborhoods, not from a centralized Bank of the United States. Today we face a centralized shadow bank of the United States on Wall Street, and this is precisely the forces that we are standing up to for the responsible, hard-working people of America. And when Andrew Jackson for the second time vetoed a charter for the Bank of the United States, he said something that I would ask every Democrat in this Chamber to remember: ``There are no necessary evils in government.'' So that when this Democratic majority brings a bill to the floor, make sure that you believe in it; because if you do not believe in it and you do not vote for it, or you do, do not go home and tell your constituents that this was a necessary evil to get through this time. And we as Republicans on our part will always remember the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson: ``If one man plant himself upon his convictions and then abide, the whole huge world will come around to him.'' We will stand our ground, backed by principle and the American people, and we will do our duty. I yield back to the gentleman from New Jersey.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. Madam Speaker, before I was elected to Congress, we used to hear--and unfortunately with some justification--that when faced with a crisis, Members of Congress would invariably soil themselves, throw money at the problem, and hoped it went away. Unfortunately, in these dysfunctional economic times, we find that this process has continued. As American families face a potential meltdown of the financial sector, we have seen what I believe to be an inappropriate response starting with this administration. From the time that we were informed that a potential financial meltdown was going to occur, the separate, equal branch of governance, which is the United States Congress, was told that we had but one alternative, and that if we did not pass it quickly in the time period specified by the executive branch, that our economy would be severely damaged. It has been my opinion that we were elected to serve in this Congress by the sovereign people of the United States, to make important decisions on their behalf, to do it with our due diligence and our devotion that it's due, and to come up with a positive solution to their situation. Last night, as I watched the President of the United States explain his view of this, I was struck by the fact that again we were told that if we did not give unlimited amounts of money, up to $700 billion, and unlimited powers--with lack of adequate oversight--to the executive branch, that we were failing in our due diligence and responsibilities to the American people. I heard the President of the United States say that if we do not support what they put forward as the only alternative to this crisis, we do not understand the need to act. That statement is false. We understand the need to act. We heard from the President of the United States that if we did not support his plan and the Paulson plan, that we did not care about American families. That statement is false. We care very much about American families. What we did not hear was a recognition that a three-page document that gives to the Treasury Secretary and the Chairman of the Federal Reserve unlimited powers--the likes of which Stalin and Mao killed people for--was not an acceptable response to give to this separate, equal branch of government. Today, we are told that House Republicans are standing in the way of a $700 billion use of your tax dollars to bail out the very people who caused this problem. Guilty as charged. House Republicans believe that there is an alternative. The administration tells us that their first, last, only resort is to go to the taxpayers and bail out Wall Street. We fundamentally disagree with this. What we believe should happen is Wall Street should bail out Wall Street. House Republicans believe that the toxic assets that are clogging up our economy should first attempt to be recapitalized by the people sitting on the sidelines with their money waiting for you, the taxpayer, to be fleeced and put it in so they are confident that the market will work. This is not making the market work. I heard from the President last night that the free market has failed. The free market has not failed. The free market is correcting from the bad deeds of actors within that market. It is the government that is trying to interfere in the market for political purposes. We cannot reinflate the bubble to save the American economy. What we need to do is be responsible and lay forward a private recapitalization plan with appropriate backstop that first and foremost protects the innocent, namely the taxpayers. The people who on Main Street invested and saved and had good credit their entire lives should not be asked to go back in and help the cowboy capitalists who shot themselves in the foot. House Republicans understand this. Just as we understand the need to act quickly, we also understand the need to act appropriately. This is not an attempt to engage in an argument with the President. I have admiration for the President. And I have supported the President, as have House Republicans, when he has been correct. But he is in error now. House Republicans stood and supported the Petraeus surge so our troops would have victory in Iraq. Today House Republicans oppose the Paulson splurge so that we can have prosperity in America over the long run. And make no mistake. We understand the gravity of this situation. But we will not engage in a rush to judgment that destroys the possibilities of a free market and prosperity for American families for decades to come. We will not walk out of this room after a forced vote, waving a piece of paper in our hands and claiming ``peace in our time.'' We will do the job we were entrusted. And we will get the job done.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor and acknowledge the Western Wayne Youth Traveling Classic (WWYTC) League, upon the 25th anniversary of its establishment. Now celebrating its 25th year, the Western Wayne Traveling Classic is a junior bowling league. Since its inception, over one thousand young bowlers have been enriched by the program. Importantly, more than thirty thousand dollars in scholarships have been awarded to bowlers through the WWYTC, substantially contributing to the education opportunities of Detroit area youth. The WWYTC has become a beloved area institution of Canton, Westland, and the Wayne County area in general. Relationships are built and young people given activities that keep them occupied constructively. In the past quarter century, a marriage has resulted from young people meeting in league competition, and the first child of a first generation WWYTC youth has now become a member of the WWYTC. This league has produced world bowling hall of fame members like Lisa Bishop, and become a well-known fixture of the Wayne County area. From 1983 to the present, its founder, Harold Winters has served as the Executive Director of the Western Wayne Youth Traveling Classic League. His initiative began a league which enabled youth in the area to compete, learn about sportsmanship, and constructively participate in their community. Before the league's founding in 1983, there were no classic bowling leagues in the Western Wayne County area. This league created an opportunity for young bowlers to learn the fundamentals of the sport and compete in a fun and family oriented environment. Madam Speaker, over the years, the Western Wayne Youth Traveling Classic has been a beloved feature of the Wayne County area. Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in applauding the spirit represented by this league, and the benefits it has brought to our community.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. Madam Speaker, today I rise to place into the Record an article by Dr. Phyllis Zagano, Senior Research Associate-in-Residence at Hofstra University concerning Catholic teaching on human life. [From the 2008 Religion News Service] Commentary: Catholics Dems and Bishops in for a Bumpy Ride (By Phyllis Zagano) House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is clearly confused about Catholic teaching on life issues. On NBC's ``Meet the Press,'' Tom Brokaw asked her: ``When does life begin?'' She answered, ``We don't know.'' Pelosi said ``that as an ardent, practicing Catholic,'' this is an issue she's studied for a long time. ``And what I know is, over the centuries, the doctors of the church have not been able to make that definition.'' Pelosi is wrong, and some Catholic bishops have tried to correct the record. I don't think the Democrats are worried. A few years ago I rode the New York-to-Washington shuttle with a prominent politician who is a Catholic and a Democrat. He said that U.S. bishops collectively squandered their moral authority with the priest pederasty scandal. Whether for so- called ``liberal'' or ``conservative'' causes, he said, Catholic bishops are the political touch of death. No one listens to them. Including, it seems, Catholic-educated Pelosi. While the bishops try to straighten out Pelosi, who confuses medieval discussions about ``ensoulment'' with historical teachings on abortion, the Democrats are trying to sound like they are both for and against abortion. Brokaw backed Pelosi into a theological corner by playing part of a televised interview in which California Pastor Rick Warren asked Sen. Barack Obama (and, later, Sen. John McCain), ``At what point does a baby get human rights?'' Catholicism calls that two questions: First, is the embryo human life? Second, when does the embryo become a person? Obama addressed both questions. He said ``If you believe that life begins at conception . . . then I can't argue with you.'' He also basically said deciding when the embryo becomes a person was above his paygrade. After seeing the Warren-Obama replay, Pelosi muddled Brokaw's question. She said--incorrectly--that the church only decided human life begins at conception ``like maybe 50 years'' ago. Wrong, Madame Speaker. ``The Didache'' (the teachings of the apostles collected a generation after Christ) says, ``You shall not procure an abortion, nor destroy a newborn child.'' Several church fathers--from Tertullian to St. Jerome--and the apostolic constitutions all forbade abortion. Some, however, confused matters by talking about ensoulment, asking when the human being became a human person. The ensoulment debate seems stuck in Pelosi's memory, and could be what she was talking about. She said St. Augustine thought ensoulment occurred about 30 days after conception. But trying to figure out ensoulment only leads to debate over whether abortion is merely similar to murder (killing a human being) or actually equal to murder (killing a human person). No one knows for sure when the developing human being becomes a person with a soul. It might be at conception, or it might not. So Christianity, with other religions, has historically forbidden abortion in the face of this dilemma because the human being is always potentially a human person. The earliest fertilized egg is not a future banana or frog. It is human life. What's fascinating is that Sens. Joe Biden and John McCain agree that life begins at conception. And although neither expects (or possibly wants) help from the bishops, McCain has the most to gain by Pelosi's misstep. Pelosi is at best misinformed, and has misinformed a nation. The Catholic bishops will try to counter her bad information. And Catholic politicians, who have increasingly ignored a lot of Catholic teaching, don't seem to think that what the bishops say will make any difference. Seatbelts, everybody. It's going to be a bumpy ride.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor and acknowledge Harold Winters, founder of the Western Wayne Youth Travelling Classic League, upon the 25th anniversary of its establishment. Born in 1939, Harold grew up in Detroit, Michigan, graduating from Redford High in 1956. He moved to Canton in 1971, and is married to Maria Winters. Harold worked for Ford Motor Company for 32 years, retiring in 1997. For 48 years, Harold Winters has shown exceptional dedication to being involved in his community. A 36 year member of Divine Savior Catholic Church, he has acted as an advocate and counselor, regularly sending inspirational messages to encourage people of all ages. During the 1970s, Harold helped raise funds for efforts to combat muscular dystrophy. Harold remains a lifelong member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks and a member of the Friends of Charter Township of Canton Library. From 1983 to the present, Harold has served as the Executive Director of the Western Wayne Youth Travelling Classic League. His initiative began a league which enabled youth in the area to compete, learn about sportsmanship, and be involved in their communities in a constructive way. Furthermore, the league has generously provided more than 30,000 dollars in scholarships to young athletes since its inception. Madam Speaker, over the years, Harold has served his community selflessly and acted as the inspiration for the Western Wayne Youth Travelling Classic. His service has spanned forty years and influenced his community in numerous ways. Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Harold Winters' public spirit, dedication, and service to his community.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. I've long thought that civics should be taught as earnestly as possible in our schools. Yesterday, we saw the spectacle of a Democratic House sham energy bill being passed out of here and lauded as if the problem had been solved. The problem is no one had consulted with the Democratic Senate, which had declared it dead on arrival. Now, for a bill to become law, it must pass both Chambers and be signed by the President of the United States. Only in that way can meaningful American energy security and independence be secured. That is why I have introduced House Concurrent Resolution 417 that says that it is the sense of this Congress that we will not adjourn until meaningful energy legislation has been passed into law to help the American people through this difficult time. Now, again, I have to do this because there seem to be some who think that simply passing a sham energy bill for political cover out of this body is going to help any American struggling at the pump. It will not. Let them put your money where their mouth is and stay here until they get the job done.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. The joys of a segue. It's right in this time to concede that despite Republicans over the course of August talking about the Democratic majority taking a 5-week paid vacation, that we do recognize when this institution has acted with due alacrity. Today we have before us the opportunity to name North Platte, Nebraska, Rail Town USA. We could not have done so at a better time, because jumping into the competition for the coveted title of Rail Town USA is Washington, D.C. This week we have seen a bill drafted in the dead of night, sent to this floor and rubber-stamped by the Democratic majority and proclaimed to solve America's energy crisis. This is as unfortunate as it is injurious. America has an energy crisis. It also has representative institutions who seek to deal with this problem, so the processes put forward, so that the voices of our constituents could be heard, so that true compromise could be found. And yet in Rail Town Washington, what have we seen as a result? A sham energy bill sent to a Democratic Senate by a Democratic House, and a pronunciation from a Democratic Senator herself was that the bill was dead on arrival. What we do today is important to recognize Rail Town USA. But as the gentlelady pointed out, what Americans can do and the challenges they can transcend acting together is what truly makes North Platte, Nebraska, Rail Town USA, because it shows what, in a time of crisis, people coming together for the common good, sincerely and earnestly, putting forth the effort can accomplish. We could well learn and emulate their efforts. And yet we do not. In this time where Americans are suffering, they should expect no less from their servants in Congress than to do this. Because to do anything else is to diminish not only ourselves as your servants, if that were possible in this Democratic Congress, but it diminishes the institution itself as a beacon of representative democracy for all the world. Critically, I think we can change this. I think there is still time that we could learn from the people of North Platte, Nebraska, and their worthy history, that we still have time to come together. And if we do not come together before this Congress adjourns, a relatively short period of time, I suggest we make a commitment to each other, like the people of North Platte, Nebraska. Let us tell the American people that until this energy crisis of our time is solved, until their servants in the United States Congress come together on a truly bipartisan bill that can be signed into law and relieve your pain at the pump and guarantee American energy and security, we will stay here. We will serve the full time that you elected us to work in this Chamber on your behalf. Because to leave here and go play politics while the American people suffer is not worthy of this institution, and it is certainly not worthy of the example set forward by the people of North Platte, Nebraska, Rail Town USA.