Kendrick Meek

Mr. MEEK of Florida

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Just very quickly, Mr. Speaker, I know we have a minute left, I just want to say this, that it is important that we thank the Democratic leader and the Democratic leadership for allowing us to be here tonight. Mr. Ryan, the web site that you gave out, www.housedemocrats.gov/ 30Something, all of the charts you have seen here tonight and throughout the week, the Members can pull that down off of the website, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. MEEK of Florida

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Well, that was set forth by the Republican Congress. Many Democrats on this side, the super majority, voted against that measure. Furthermore, this Government agency has found that even during this 5-month period that seniors were given the wrong information from the White House, the recommendation to go on those websites and call these numbers, the wrong information was given on the plan. But better yet, they are still held responsible to this date. That is going to happen on Monday. And they will be penalized from this point on.

Mr. MEEK of Florida

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Also, Mr. Ryan, I want to share with the Members, Mr. Speaker, that all of the charts tonight will be on that Web site, on the 30 Something front page. Also, I would like to share with the Members that Ranking Member George Miller and also U.S. Senator Dick Durbin put forth a proposal to reverse the raid on student loans. Earlier this year, as you know, $12 billion was cut out of the Federal student loan program in order to help finance tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans. This proposal will roll that back and cut in half interest rates from 6.8 percent to 3.4 percent. And it has to be done sooner rather than later. If not, it will be a financial burden after July 1 for so many kids that want to go to college. They will actually qualify, but kids will be priced out and not be able to make it to college. Of course, this wouldn't be a discussion if the Democrats were in control, but we hope that we can work in a bipartisan way to change that. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank all of my colleagues who joined us here tonight on the floor and thank the Democratic leadership for the hour.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. I just have something to share, but I am willing to yield to my colleagues. Mr. Delahunt, I know that you had, you had your glasses out, I know that you wanted to share something with us.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. He says more, right?

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I cannot help but take this rubber stamp out. How did we get to where we are right now? It is not because of good policy making. It was not good policy making. It was because the Republican Congress, Mr. Speaker, has said, Mr. President, whatever you want, regardless of how bad it may make our fiscal situation in this country, we are willing to endorse it. Today, in the Washington Post, folks want to talk about, if they think Mr. Delahunt just came up with these numbers, go on to Washingtonpost.com and they are right here, as it relates to what you will get if this budget passes the way the Republican administration wants it to pass. And I think it is important that people realize that it is not the people that you send here to Washington, D.C., to represent you; it is the White House. Still, the Republican Congress is saying, even at low approval ratings, Mr. President, we are with you all the way. Whatever you want, we are willing to rubber-stamp it and we are willing to follow your lead, even if it is in the wrong direction, even if gas prices are higher now, even if we are borrowing record breaking, we are making history in borrowing $1.05 trillion and counting from foreign nations, that is okay. Even if it comes down to us defending a special oil deal, and then we had it turn around on you, but even at the beginning, allowing it to happen, we are with you all the way. Mr. President, whatever you say, we are going to rubber-stamp it. So I think it is important, when you think of this Republican majority, Mr. Speaker, and I think when a number of our Members look in the mirror, especially on the other side of the aisle, a rubber stamp has to be somewhere in the background because that is what has happened, and that is what has got us in the situation that we are in now, and the American people see it, crystal clear. This is not a Democratic issue. I am going to yield to you in one second. This is not a Democratic issue. You can't blame the Democrats on what the present situation is. Mr. Speaker, I always say that bipartisanship is based on the leadership of the institution. The leadership of the institution has not allowed bipartisanship in policy-making, in the financial situation, or even making sure that we just work in harmony here on the major issues. That has not happened, and that is the reason why, Mr. Delahunt, Mr. Ryan, and Ms. Wasserman Schultz, the American people are hanging the failures of fiscal responsibility around the neck of the Republican majority and the White House, because they are in the same boat and they are rubber-stamping one another as they carry this country into further debt. I yield.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Number 7?

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Ryan, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, it takes $53 to fill up an F-10 pickup truck. I mean, we have folks that are doing this on the credit card, Mr. Speaker, and guess what, after a couple of months of that, $50-some-odd, some folks' average balance that they have is $1,200 on a credit card. Soon they are not going to be able to do that, and they are going to be in the same situation this country is in, in debt.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. The Saudi king.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to come before the House once again. I would like to thank my colleagues, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and also my good friends from the great State of Massachusetts, Mr. Bill Delahunt. I am so glad Mr. Delahunt is here. We were talking earlier. I had to chuckle there for a minute because Mr. Delahunt always takes the opportunity and the privilege to share with us the printed word, and it is good to have him here. Mr. Ryan will be joining us a little later, Mr. Speaker. If I could just take a moment here, Mr. Speaker, to let the Members know that the great debate took place here on this floor, a number of amendments were proposed, to make sure that we pass a budget that is just and fair for every American. But I must bring to the Members' attention, because I think Members do not realize what is happening, or if they do realize what is happening, I want to make sure that it is in the Record that they know. We talk about debt a lot in our 30 Something Working Group, and talking about debt and doing something about debt are two different things. The Republican majority continues to spend in a record-breaking way that is bankrupting this country and changing the philosophy of this country, which is pay-as-you-go. Democrats, we are the only party in this House that can say that we balanced the budget. We have actually done it. We have actually had surpluses as far as the eye can see. Republicans can only talk about, well, we would like to cut it in half and we would like to cut it back a quarter or what have you; but I just want to make sure that folks understand that there was an article written on Tuesday of this week entitled, Another Possible Bump to the Debt Ceiling, $2.7 trillion budget plan pending before the House would raise the Federal debt ceiling by nearly 10 trillion less than 2 months after the Congress last raised the Federal debt borrowing limit. The provision is buried on page 121 of a 151-page blueprint. It serves as the backdrop for congressional action this week. I think it is important, Mr. Speaker, and I usually have my letters here from the Secretary of the Treasury, but I think it is important that the American people and the Members of this House understand that what they are doing to this country, record-breaking debt. I just want to make sure before we start off, and then I am going to be kind of quiet here tonight because I know that we have a lot to share. It is almost too much to share, Mr. Speaker, but I just want to share this with the Members one more time. We are talking about who are we borrowing from. We are borrowing from Japan at $682.8 billion; China, $249.8 billion; the UK, $223.2 billion; the Caribbean, $115.3 billion; Taiwan, $71.3 billion; OPEC nations, including Saudi Arabia and a number of nations that we have issues with, $67.8 billion; Germany, $65.7 billion; Korea, $66.5 billion; Canada, $53.8 billion and climbing. If we do not stop this Republican majority from continuing to raise this debt ceiling and burying it within the Federal budget on what they believe their Members have to vote for, and this budget vote has been postponed and postponed and postponed, not because, Mr. Speaker, the Republican majority did not have time to deal with it; they just did not want to do to their constituents what the majority wants them to do. As long as we are here and we have breath in our bodies, we are going to share with the Members of this House that we will not allow this to be a ``back room with the lights off in the middle of the night'' proposition for the American people that they do not have any choices in, but the special interests do. I just in closing, again, history making, this is not the Kendrick Meek report, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Bill Delahunt or Tim Ryan report. This is facts, not fiction. The U.S. Department of the Treasury backs this up: $1.01 trillion borrowed in 224 years, since 1776 to the year 2000, versus $1.05 trillion that was borrowed from 2001 to 2005 and counting from the President and the Republican majority Congress. We are saying that we want to pay as we go. We are saying that we want to make sure that we are fiscally responsible. And we are saying that we are not going to allow the Republican majority to be able to have these countries look at America in a different way than they were prior to this administration and prior to this Republican Congress. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz).

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Delahunt, that is the reason why we know it made number 6 on this chart. We want to make sure that we know it went to number 5. I want to make sure we believe in third-party validators here. I just pulled this out of my notebook here because I want to make sure while we are talking about this, Mr. Speaker, Washington Post, November 16, 2005, page 1, White House documents showed that executives from big oil companies met with Vice President Dick Cheney, Energy Task Force 2001, something long suspected by environmentalists but denied recently as of November, 2005. Last week, industry officials testified before Congress. The document obtained this week by the Washington Post shows that officials from Exxon Mobil Corporation, Conoco, before the merger with Phillips, Shell Oil Company, and BP of America met in a White House complex with Cheney aides who were developing a national energy policy, parts of which became law, and parts which are still being debated.

Mr. MEEK of Florida

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to pay tribute to Dr. Charlie Powell Albury of Miami, Florida on her installation as the 40th Imperial Commandress of the Imperial Court, Daughters of Isis, Prince Hall Affiliated. On Saturday, May 13, 2006 this great leader will be honored at the Signature Grand Ballroom in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida by friends and members of the organization to mark the assumption of her new responsibilities. She came up through the ranks of this 25,000-member charitable organization since she joined it in 1970. It has now grown to 226 Shrine Temples and 200 Courts of the Daughters of Isis, who serve as its women's auxiliary. Various temples and courts abound throughout the continental United States, Canada, Germany, Italy, England, Spain, Japan, Korea, Guam, Thailand, Panama and the Bahamas. The group that Dr. Albury will spearhead is both a charitable and social organization whose members have long been dedicated to fostering civic, economic and educational development. Formally organized on August 24, 1910, the Court's Daughters of Isis stresses the development of leaders while encouraging health awareness among youth and adults and the establishment of a network of services for the disabled and senior citizens. The group also recognizes and celebrates the historic achievements of African-American women who have exerted great influence and served as exemplary models for generations of leaders in communities throughout the world. One of its better-known projects targets teenage mothers, high school and college students, who participate in ongoing activities for educational opportunities and career planning. While its programs are focused on education and academic scholarships, the Imperial Court also ensures health education and mentoring for the leaders of tomorrow through the donation of book bags and school supplies for adopted schools and future members of the Daughters of Isis. Its many members have become permanent fixtures in volunteering their time and effort during the annual College Fund/ United Negro College Fund Scholarship Campaigns, Health and Medical Research, American Cancer Society, Mental Retardation, the NAACP and other nationwide efforts benefiting various communities. Consistent with its philosophy of stewardship, this organization has supported many underprivileged people throughout the world. Dr. Albury served for almost 28 years both as an appointed and elected national officer. She is truly a social-service pioneer and leader, for she has buttressed a rejuvenation of the Imperial Court's Daughters of Isis. For her indefatigable work, she has been cited in the Book of Life of the Black Archives Foundation and in the ``Who's Who in the South and Southwest, as well as in the World.'' Accolades from professional, civic, religious and governmental agencies are both numerous, and well-deserved. With Dr. Charlie Powell Albury's formal inauguration this Saturday, I join her countless admirers, and colleagues and members of her Imperial Court's Daughters of Isis, in celebrating this historic event. I commend her courageous vision and pragmatic approach to helping others, for she and the organization she leads evokes in simple but noble terms our spirit of hope and optimism in the great American spirit.

Mr. MEEK of Florida

Mr. MEEK of Florida. That is what this country is suffering from right now, a back-room deal, and the American people are paying for it.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. I am going to yield to Mr. Delahunt, but first, well, that kills the whole thing. When you are doing a back-room deal, you do not come out under the lights. You do not share how we should mold policy in front of the public. You do a back-room deal.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, once again, it is an honor to address the House; and, as you know, we are here once again with our 30-Something Working Group. I am so glad to be joined here tonight by my good friend and colleague, Mr. Bill Delahunt, who is part of the something of the 30- Somethings. I will be joining him soon come September. Also, Mr. Ryan from the great State of Ohio has joined us tonight; and others will be joining us as we work on the issues that the American people really care about. As you know, here in the 30-Something Working Group, Mr. Speaker, we come to the floor to not only share with the Members but also with the American people on what is going on here under the Capitol dome and also what is not going on. I think the whole reason why we come to the floor is to be able to share not only what Democrats are doing here under the dome. Sometimes we are able, when we are lucky, Mr. Speaker, to get some Members on the Republican side of the aisle to come and work on some of the issues that we are working on, issues that we care about not as Democrats but as Members of Congress, what we should be doing to make sure we spend the taxpayers' dollars wisely. This is happening time after time again as we look at this whole issue of price gouging, as we look at oil prices. On the Democratic side of the aisle, not 2 months ago, not 3 months ago, not even 4 months ago, but last year the Democrats on this floor, and prior to last year, have had amendment after amendment shot down by the Republican majority who have been hand in hand with the oil companies that have been standing with them and making sure that they had a bill, an energy bill, that they felt comfortable with, from the beginning to the end, to the well-documented strategy meetings in the White House with the Vice President. And this is not what I am saying. This is what the news reports have said, and this is what the White House has admitted to and oil companies have admitted to, that they had an opportunity to sit down and outline the energy policy in this country that would benefit them. When we had legislation on the floor that we will be pointing out here tonight, third-party validators out of the Congressional Record that talked about it time after time, when we had real price gouging legislation on this floor, not because our bills were able to make it to the floor but in the forms of amendment, the Republicans shot it down on partisan votes time after time. I am talking about criminal penalties for oil companies when they gouge Americans, fines up to $3 million when they are caught gouging Americans. But the Republican majority shot it down on a partisan vote. But before I yield to Mr. Delahunt, I just want to say once again I would like to thank our Democratic leadership for allowing us to have this hour once again on the floor like we do almost every night or every night, sometimes twice a night, when we have the opportunity to come to the floor, Mr. Speaker: our democratic leader, Ms. Nancy Pelosi; also our whip, Mr. Steny Hoyer; Mr. Jim Clyburn, who is our chairman; and Mr. Larson, who is our vice chairman; and all the Democratic ranking members and other folks that work every day, Mr. Delahunt, and you know, offering amendments in committees. Like Mr. Ryan and I just left our Armed Services Committee, offering amendments that would not only help our men and women in uniform but the American people in general. I will be happy to yield to Mr. Delahunt at this time.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Ryan.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. We have a couple of minutes left.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Ryan, Mr. Delahunt, I did jot down a couple of notes here before we came to the floor. Mr. Speaker, I just want to share a little bit with the Members of the facts, not fiction. I am not a Member with a conspiracy theory, but I am here to say that we know that Republicans, I am going to point out where they, Mr. Delahunt, have blocked Democratic efforts to deal with the price gouging situation. Now they are running for political cover and scrambling to join Democrats. That is actually an article in the Washington Post from May of 2006. The Democratic ideas about energy independence, conservation and efficiency that benefits all of Americans, they are now trying to pick up those ideas and trying to run with them. But it is not a good faith effort, because the oil industry will not allow them to do so. We know about the Vice President Cheney's secret energy task force/working group with big oil to write the Bush- Cheney and Republican Congress energy plan. That was in the Washington Post, Mr. Speaker, in case the Members want to get a copy of it, 11-16-05. Bush-Cheney and the Republican colleagues gave their backing to big oil, $20 million in royalty fees for drilling. That is the New York Times, 2-14-06. Also the New York Times, 3-29-06. You can get these articles if you want to read up on them. Last year, $9.5 billion in subsidies in last year's energy bill went to the oil companies. $9.5 billion. $16 billion first quarter profits for the top three oil companies. That is the Washington Post, 4-28-06. Record CEO salary pack packages. Look this up if you want to. This is not the Kendrick Meek report. This is what is being reported on ABC News, 4-14-06. Big oil companies have given to Bush-Cheney and Republicans more than $20 million in campaign contributions. Congressional Daily a.m., that is 4-28-06. I will be happy to share this, and this will be on the Web site later. More than $70 million to Bush and his Republican colleagues since 2000. Republican Daily, a.m., that is the local magazine here that is printed here in the Capitol, 4-28-06. Eighty-four percent of big oil and gas campaign contributions went to Republicans in the last 24 months, Congressional Daily a.m., 4-28-06. This is not put out by the Democratic Party or the DNC or any of these groups. These are news organizations that are just reporting on what is going on here in the Capitol. Bush-Cheney got more than $2.6 million in '04 from the oil companies, Congressional Daily a.m. 4-28-06. The cost of corruption to the American people, when you talk about this kind of influence that is going on here, this unprecedented giveaway to the big oil companies, $3 per gallon, the oil price doubled since 2001. Almost $75 per barrel of oil, up from $44 a year ago. That was reported on 5-3-06. I think it is also important, I just want to point out, when folks talk about, okay, you are reporting news that we might have already read, Republicans voted against the tough penalties we talked about and price gouging, $100 million on corporations, as well as up to $1 million in fines or 10 years in prison or both for individuals. That was CQ vote 500, H.R. 3402, 9-28-05. Republicans rejected that. They rejected another one where we came back with even tougher penalties, up to $3 million with the same penalties, vote 517, H.R. 3893, and that was 10-7-05. It goes on with other votes they rejected. Another one on 10-7-05. We tried it time after time again, Mr. Speaker. The Republican majority has blocked these measures that we have tried to put forth. There is no question, Mr. Delahunt, if we were in the majority, we wouldn't be on the floor talking about what was blocked. We will be on the floor talking about what we passed. Maybe just maybe, Mr. Ryan and Ms. Wasserman Schultz, that question of price gouging, the question of preying on the backs of the American people who are just trying to drive their kids to school, trying to go to work, trying to be a part of the American dream, small businesses are scratching their heads saying, do we have to go up on a per-unit cost in the hardware store because of the fuel prices? Maybe just maybe it would not be a discussion if this special interest did not have the Republican majority blocking for them and legislating on their behalf. So when we see those letters that are written by the Republican majority in the House or the Senate to the President saying, well, maybe we need to do this, and maybe we need to do that. People that do not have power write those kind of letters, not the individuals that are in power. I am going back to your point, Mr. Delahunt, because you are saying if you are in charge, I am not talking about if you just picked up power last year. I am talking about double digit years, a majority in this House, a Republican President that has been in office since 2000. Now it is 2006. Because I guarantee you, if this was 2002, Mr. Delahunt, they would be talking about, well, this is Bill Clinton's fault. But they cannot say it with a straight face. So I am going back to your original point, Mr. Delahunt. And I know you have a couple of articles to share with us tonight. I am really looking forward to those articles because I think it is important that we continue to bring out the third party validators. I think that is the reason why, Mr. Speaker, that the 30 Something Working Group, we get the nod from people here in this Capitol, be it Republican, Democrats or Independents who work here. They are saying, we appreciate, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, what you all do on the floor, of sharing with folks of what is happening here in this Capitol building. Because I can tell you that at no other time in the history of this country did we have the kind of over spending, the borrowing, the reach of the private sector into this great country, this democracy of ours, and having the kind of influence that they have and having this lady here, who is just trying to make her way out of nowhere, putting gas in her tank. She is probably squeezing the pump saying, I cannot go over $30 because I am already outside of my budget. Meanwhile, there are folks running around here with suits being driven in black limos with $4 million pension plans, $150,000 a day in a pension plan. And then we got folks out in Mr. Ryan's district that are being laid off that do not even know if they are going to have a pension when it is all over.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Delahunt, you know what they have done? Anything the President said he wanted, they rubber-stamped it. Anything that the oil industry said that they wanted, they rubber-stamped it. Any problem where the American people says, why is the card stacked against me policy-wise, whether it be health care, whether it be prescriptions, what have you, they have rubber-stamped it. If you watched The Today Show just this morning, Mr. Delahunt, Mr. Ryan, Matt Lauer had the CEO of ExxonMobil on. Let me give credit to the CEO of ExxonMobil, because the other oil companies would not comment. One of the questions was, do you feel that the Republican majority in the Congress have turn-coated on you now? Have they switched on you now? Now they are running politically scared. Now they are willing to take windfall profits away from you. Now they are willing to go forth on price gouging legislation. Do you think they turned on you? The ExxonMobil CEO never answered the question. But it is very obvious, like you said, they are in charge. It is almost like the old saying, ``the buck stops here.'' The Republican majority doesn't want to admit to that now. Now they are writing letters saying, maybe we need to do this and maybe we need to do that. But these are the same individuals, our colleagues on the majority side of the aisle, that put all of this in motion. Now they are trying to act like they had nothing to do with it. ``Oh, my God, the oil prices are horrendous. We need to do something about it.'' They were a part of making it happen. Mr. Ryan, since we are talking about The Today Show, we don't want to even get into what happened with Tim Russert effort this past weekend about the oil prices and individuals admitting the reasons why they are where they are. I would say this: If we were in charge, if we were in charge, Mr. Speaker, there would be a line outside of this door of Republican Members of Congress coming to the floor saying what the Democrats are not doing. Now, on oil and gas, we tried to correct this situation long ago. The question of price gouging, or can we investigate oil companies or not, would not even be on the table, because we would have price gouging legislation on the books that are criminal, that are criminal, and have $3 million fines. Right now, individuals investing in oil companies, they are getting paid. They are getting their money. Meanwhile, the headlines in the Today, this was actually Wednesday, today, May 3, here is this lady thinking about how much she can pump in. I guarantee you she cannot even fill her tank up, because the gas prices are so high. So I am going to go through what I said last week. If you are a Republican and you are the head of the Republican club, or whatever it may be in your local community, you have to have a problem with this. If you are a Republican, you have to have a problem with the record- breaking borrowing we are taking out from foreign countries. You have to have a problem with the hand-in-hand relationship this administration and Republican Congress has had with big oil. You have to have a major problem with it. Independents, I know that you are just done with this Republican majority.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. If Mr. Delahunt would take Mr. Ryan's responsibility, and give the Web site to the Members, please.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Delahunt. Your contributions tonight have been well-noted, and I want to tell you that it is a pleasure being here on the floor with you and Mr. Ryan and Ms. Wasserman Schultz once again. Mr. Speaker, we would like to let not only the Members of the House but definitely the Democratic leadership echo the message that has been given out here tonight. We are ready to lead, we are ready to work in a bipartisan way in putting this country back on the track, heading in the right direction, making sure that our children have a great future, making sure that small businesses are able provide jobs and making sure that families can afford health care.

Mr. MEEK of Florida

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor today to announce that last Friday a bipartisan coalition of 20 State senators, all 14 Democrats and 6 Republicans State senators, came together to protect the people of the State of Florida as it relates to smaller class sizes. The people of Florida in 2002 voted and approved class size limits in Florida to make sure that the State pays for smaller class sizes and not local districts. Floridians said three things: Public education is a high priority, classrooms packed with students are unacceptable, and that Floridians want tax dollars to provide a quality education for all of Florida's children. But some State officials tried to undercut that decision made by the voters for Florida's children. Today, I want to enter the names of those senators and those State representatives that put forth their vote to make sure that we protect those that are in public education now in the State of Florida and those that are yet unborn. They should be commended and their names placed into the Congressional Record for future generations. State Senators Nancy Argenziano, Dave Aronberg, Larcenia Bullard, Walter Campbell, Jr., M. Mandy Dawson, Paula Dockery, Rodolfo Garcia, Jr., Steven Geller, Anthony Hill, Dennis Jones, Ron Klein, Alfred Lawson, Jr., Evelyn Lynn, Gwen Margolis, Les Miller, Nan Rich, Gary Siplin, Rod Smith, Alex Villalobos, and Frederica Wilson. State Representatives Bruce Atone, Loranne Ausley, Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall, Kim Berfield, Mary Brandenburg, Phillip Brutus, Susan Bucher, Edward Buller, Faye Culp, Joyce Cusack, Terry L. Fields, Anne M. Gannon, Dan Gelber, Audrey Gibson, Kenneth Gottlieb, Ron Greenstein, Bob Henriquez, Wilbert Holloway, Ed Homan, and Arthenia Joyner. State Representatives Charles Justice, Will Kendrick, Marcello Llorente, Richard Machek, Matthew Meadows, Frank Peterman, Juan-Carlos Planas, Ari Porth, John Quinones, Curtis Richardson, Julio Robiana, Yolly Roberson, Timothy Ryan, Franklin Sands, John Seiler, Irving Slosberg, Christopher Smith, Eleanor Sobel, Dwight Stansel, Priscilla Taylor, and Shelley Vana.

Mr. MEEK of Florida

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join with my colleagues and with my constituents in solemn recognition of Yom Hashoah, a special day on which we mourn the millions of Jews who perished at the hands of Nazi Germany and remember the horrific tragedy of the Holocaust. This day commemorates the uprising in the Warsaw Ghetto, in April of 1943, and the selfless bravery of hundreds of everyday men and women who fought courageously against a troop of thousands of Nazi soldiers. This day fomented the resistance movement in ghettos throughout Europe, and it is the inspiration for the National Commemoration of the Days of Remembrance each year in the United States. This day has special significance for Jews, the main target of Nazi atrocities. I have many constituents who are Holocaust survivors, and many more who lost friends, relatives and loved ones. We mourn their loss, and honor their memory and the memory of the 6 million Jews whose lives were so cruelly, wantonly and prematurely ended. We will never forget them, and what happened to them. At the same time, we must recognize that the same forces that brought about the Holocaust continue to exist in the world today. We have seen it in Kosovo and Rwanda, we continue to see it in Darfur. Let us therefore honor the innocent victims by recommitting ourselves to fighting ignorance, bigotry, hatred and, perhaps most important, ``inaction by people of good will.''

Mr. MEEK of Florida

Mr. MEEK of Florida. And buy duct tape.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Ryan, it is not personal, it is just business. That is the bottom line. Madam Speaker, I would kind of, when I walk through the halls of Congress, walk along the walls if I felt that we were coming to the floor, saying things that just were not true. But the sad part, Madam Speaker and Members, that everything that we are sharing with you is a fact, not fiction. It is sad. Like I was saying to Mr. Ryan, if I was a political consultant, I would say, wow, do you mean to tell me not only do we have to work with the fact that Americans do not have health care, small businesses cannot afford to buy health care, we owe foreign countries money that we have never owed them before in the history of the country? We don't have a plan in Iraq as it relates to a leave-alone coalition in Iraq? We have troops dying every day. Do you mean States that are red States and blue States are suing us at the same time for the underfunding and the mandates that we put on them of Leave No Child Left Behind Act? You mean White House individuals are outing CIA agents that might, some of this outing might have gone as high as the highest office of the land maybe? Do you mean to tell me that individuals, contractors, have no-bid contracts in war and in natural disasters, without accountability, and American taxpayer dollars are being spent without anyone having any real concern on the Republican side?