Patrick McHenry

Mr. McHENRY

Mr. McHENRY. If the gentlewoman will yield, and I thank Congresswoman Blackburn. This is one of the things they always say on the other side, if you cut taxes, you are going to cut revenue to the government. Now, that is absolutely misunderstood. Because as we know, the Bush tax cuts have fueled the economy and government returns, tax returns, the money sent to government because people are working, those things have gone through the roof. And I will yield to the gentleman if he has something to add to that.

Mr. McHENRY. Absolutely.

Mr. McHENRY. If the gentleman will yield.

Mr. McHENRY. Absolutely.

Mr. McHENRY

Mr. McHENRY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and commend the men and women of the Capitol Hill Police Force. I think it is important at this time that Members of Congress step forward to say thank you: thank you for your service, thank you for your sacrifice, thank you for putting so much emphasis on training, and thank you for putting the emphasis on keeping this Capitol building and all the Members and staff and visitors who come here on a frequent basis to be safe, to be secure. I think it is important, with so much attention right now on the Capitol Police Force, that all Members of Congress, Republican and Democrat, unite to say that we support you; we think you are doing an honorable and good job. Mr. Speaker, the statistics show that there are over 1,500 Capitol Police officers, men and women of diverse backgrounds from all over the country, and some from around the world. They come here to save lives, to protect lives. There are over 3 million visitors that come to this historic place that we call our Nation's Capital, both Washington, D.C. and this Capitol building and this complex where we work, where some of us live. But I want to tell you, Mr. Speaker, that with so much attention on the Capitol Police, it is necessary that we look at what they do on a daily basis. It is not always easy, Mr. Speaker, to deal with the public, to see them on a daily basis; for visitors to come in, tourists, staff, Members of Congress; to see them on a daily basis. People aren't always courteous. But what I found out about the Capitol Police officers, these men and women, is that they always will greet you with a smiling face, even when they are having a bad day; that their training is shown through by the way that they have acted over the years that they have been in service here on Capitol Hill. As Members of Congress, we must say thank you: thank you for your sacrifice, thank you for your commitment, thank you for your dedication to our country, because after all, they are here to protect and save lives; and as Members of Congress, we should respect them for their dedication and their training; and we must honor them each and every day that we are here, because they are our colleagues as well here in the Capitol complex. Mr. Speaker, I rise, as I said, to commend and honor the Capitol Police. It is the right thing to do. I think my colleagues should join with me in supporting the resolution that Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart and I filed just this evening to honor them for their work and their service. So I urge my colleagues to join with me on this resolution; and I urge you, Mr. Speaker, to schedule a vote for us, so that we can honor these men and women who work with us each and every day. Thank you to the Capitol Police officers.

Mr. McHENRY

Mr. McHENRY. Mr. Speaker, campaign finance reform is incomplete. So many years ago this House and the Senate passed what was called BCRA, the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, and you know what? It created a glaring loophole that led to the rise in the 527 groups where a half billion dollars flowed through these groups that are not subjected to the Federal Elections Commission laws, rules, and regulations. So this week this House is going to take on the need for clamping down on these rogue groups that funnel campaign money in noncampaign entities. It is important for us, as leaders of this country, to have full disclosure of people that participate in politics. So I am proud that this House is going to do what is right and reform 527s and apply the Federal elections law to them. And that is what this House is going to do. I ask my colleagues on the left, I ask my Democrat colleagues, to join with us and complete the reforms of campaign finance reform.

Mr. McHENRY

Mr. McHENRY. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to speak about 527s. 527s are groups, shadowy groups, that work outside of campaign finance disclosure laws. They work outside of our campaign finance reforms that we passed just a few years ago. They are groups that do not disclose their donors in the way that other traditional campaign groups do. They are groups that have unlimited contributions. They are groups that come in and perhaps target members in different races or candidates in different races, yet they do not actually say who they are. So today I want to say that as a conservative and as a Member of this House what I am fighting for is openness and full disclosure and allowing sunshine on this political process that we as Americans grow to trust. Look, in 527s last year, in the 2004 campaign cycle, there is $370 million. $370 million, Mr. Speaker, that flowed through these groups outside of campaign disclosure. These groups can come in and do all sorts of campaigning, but yet they do not have to disclose like a campaign would. So the voters do not know who is working, who is out there putting this information out. $370 million, Mr. Speaker, flowed through 527s. That is more than both the Kerry and Bush campaigns combined spent on the Presidential election. This was done outside of campaign disclosure. Over one-fifth of the $370 million funded through 527s came from four individuals; one-fifth of the $370 million, four individuals. So much for taking big money out of politics, which is what my colleagues on the left wanted to do through campaign finance reform and many active in politics wanted to do. So much for taking big money out. We created a loophole that 527s are allowed to use, or have taken advantage of, I should say. Over 80 percent of 527 donors gave at least a quarter of a million dollars. Think about that. That is truly big money in politics, Mr. Speaker. Forty-six individuals gave at least a million dollars to 527 groups. That is even bigger money. So we have created a two-tier system in campaign finance: one where people have to disclose; another where they shadow a group's act. Look, the biggest big daddy of them all for 527s was a billionaire, what I like to call the Daddy Warbucks of the Democrat Party, George Soros, the Daddy Warbucks of the Democrat Party. He is pumping wads of cash into 527s to influence elections for his left wing agenda. Soros is one of the richest men in the world. He spent $18 million on campaign finance reform to root out big money in politics. How hypocritical is that? He spent all that money for campaign finance reform, yet once campaign finance reform is passed, what does he do? He pumps wads of cash, millions, tens of millions of dollars to those shadowy 527 groups. Fortune Magazine called him the world's angriest billionaire. He is without a doubt the most powerful Democrat in the country right now. He has a far left agenda and you cannot move any farther left to him until you go down south to Havana, to be honest with you. Soros is an example of liberal lunacy, and it goes to the heart of what my colleagues on the left have been articulating, which is a culture of hypocrisy. A culture of hypocrisy, Mr. Speaker, that we need to take on as the majority in the House. As a Republican and as a conservative, I am going to point out the culture of hypocrisy that the 527 groups that the left wing in this body are taking advantage of. That is why I think we need to come forward with true campaign finance reform, make the 527 groups accountable and disclose to the American people who their donors are and abide by the same rules and regulations that all campaign groups must abide by. The original intent from the Democrats was to root out big money in politics. They said not just a few years ago, not but just a few years ago, `` . . . money that threatens to drown out the voice of the average voter of average means, money that creates the appearance that a wealthy few have a disproportionate say over public policy.'' Yet today, Mr. Speaker, the Democrats and the left in this body are more beholden than ever to big money politics and 527 groups and we will reform this liberal lunacy.

Mr. McHENRY

Mr. McHENRY. Mr. Speaker, I thank you for yielding. I will tell you what we are trying to do is reform reform. Unintended consequences of laws are something that we as Americans deal with all the time, and the Federal election code has numerous unintended consequences as Congressman Cantor mentioned, and what we are trying to do is make fairness reign within the Federal Election Code. There was a glaring omission with 527s, and what we are saying is, do not exempt these groups from Federal election laws. It is very simple, very basic, 527 fairness. We want to allow 527s to participate just like PACs participate, but they should disclose like PACs and like campaigns and abide by the same laws, rules and regulations. I am so happy that we are going to come forward with legislation that does that, that ensures fairness and a level playing field for all Americans and all the people that want to participate in elections and make their views and their voices heard. Because as I said before, Big Daddy Warbucks of the Democrat party, George Soros, he certainly does not abide by the rules and regulations that all average Americans have to abide by when it comes to funding elections. So let us make sure that the Daddy Warbucks George Soros, the Big Daddy Warbucks of the Democrat party, of the leftist agenda, has to abide by the same rules and regulations that all Americans do. It is a matter of fairness and good government and reform.

Mr. McHENRY. This goes right to my point. Somebody calls you and says they are with Working America or they say they are with Mom and Apple Pie, and yet this other person is very hateful. That is their message. It is always a negative message. There is nothing inspiring about it. It does not talk to the greater good. It talks to really the base elements of our society and of human beings. Look, what I am for is allowing groups to participate who are honest and straightforward. I know, I know, Mr. Speaker, I know that is a laughable thing in politics. Honest, forthright, openness. Oh, goodness. I guess just as a new Member of Congress I still want to embrace those things, somebody who is not so focused on Washington. I am focused on my constituents. I want to make sure they get the information they need, that they have the ability to discern for themselves what is right and what is wrong and where we should go as a country. Congressman Price, I appreciate you using a specific example because that allows the American people to hear, to hear what is happening all across America with this big interest liberal left wing money flowing into politics through unregulated, undisclosable means outside of our Federal election laws. That is wrong. And so what we need to get back to is openness and full disclosure and to make all groups abide by the same laws, that we do not have a two-tier system. I do not think it is right in any form in our society to have two groups, lower-class citizens, upper-class citizens, big money billionaires who play by different rules than you or I as average Americans. And so it is important that we have a unified system for Federal election laws that say you must disclose, you must be honest. And that is why as Congressman Cantor, our chief deputy whip, said, who is a great leader on this issue, we will bring a bill to the floor next week and it will bring all these rogue 527 groups like the Daddy Warbucks of the Democratic Party, George Soros, who is funding left and right, left and right, we are going to bring this bill to the floor and say that these groups must abide by our Federal election laws. We cannot have rogue groups in this country.

Mr. McHENRY. What group do they say they are with?

Mr. McHENRY. Congressman Price, do they leave a telephone number?

Mr. McHENRY. Congressman Price, I know you mentioned the telephone calls. Some of us get annoyed by these answer machine messages. Some people get annoyed by these recorded messages. Even when telemarketers are at the other end of the line. I for one agree with my constituents on that. But it is important at the end of that telephone call to actually know where it is coming from and who paid for it. Under section 527 of the IRS code, these groups don't even disclose that. They don't have to. They don't have to say who is paying for these phone calls. They have to say who they are from. As a Member of Congress, I have an obligation to communicate with my constituents. So when I make phone calls to them, I disclose that it is coming from the Congressman Patrick McHenry office and if they have a problem they can call me back at this number if they want to be taken off the list or they don't want to be contacted. You can't do that with 527s. I don't know, Congressman Price, if you recall reading about, or Congressman Cantor, I don't know if you recall reading about a 527 group in one State who hired felons, known felons, folks with criminal records, to go out and knock on doors to campaign. It is absolutely frightening when you see these shady groups hiring shady people to be out in our communities. It is very frightening and the power that you see with $80 million coming from just four people to influence elections. At the very least we want to know what their agenda is, what they are arguing for. What we should be engaged in is more disclosure.

Mr. McHENRY. Absolutely. I appreciate you putting up something visible for people to see. George Soros. What is his agenda? He is one of the greatest leftists this side of Havana and he is trying to influence elections for his left-wing agenda. I think it is important for the American people to be engaged in elections. But you should not allow billionaires to go in and buy elections. You shouldn't allow billionaires to go in, through undisclosed means, and influence elections. You see Peter Lewis. You see Herbert and Marian Sandler. You see Stephen Bing, a huge Hollywood producer. You have Hollywood money flowing through undisclosed means to influence elections. My agenda, Congressman Price, just like yours, is full disclosure. I think that is important. My version of campaign finance reform is maybe akin to what yours would be, Congressman Price, and that is to allow full, open, public transparency of campaigns and allow them to be financed so that the American people can see who is financing them. We shouldn't limit that financing. Until we have that in America, through honesty in Federal elections law, we must level the playing field until we get to that point.

Mr. McHENRY. Thank you, Congressman Price, and thank you for your leadership in the Official Truth Squad. I think it is important that we come to the House floor and articulate our views and our agenda for the American people as Republicans, as conservatives, and as Members of Congress. Today I think it is important that we bring up a pressing issue dealing with 527 groups. My colleague from Georgia has done a very good job of outlining what 527 groups are, what they do, how they operate. The one thing he points out in his chart there is that funding is dominated by a few wealthy donors, unlimited giving is alive and well. Let's just go back a few years. Our colleagues on the left, the Democrat Party, said that big money is a corrupting influence in politics. And so you had men like George Soros, one of the richest men in the world, a multibillionaire, George Soros, who I like to call the Daddy Warbucks of the Democrat Party, he spent $18 million to root out big money in politics. Think about that. That is liberal lunacy at its worst, or I guess I should say at its best. He wanted to root out the corrupting influence of very large donors. That is what he was quoted as saying, to root out issue advocacy phone calls, TV ads, radio ads. This last election cycle, he spent $27 million, wrote a check for $27 million to different 527 groups to do exactly what he wanted to ban through campaign finance reform. Liberal lunacy, hypocrisy. It is a culture of hypocrisy that we are fighting on the left. Let's look at the facts and figures. $370 million flowed through 527 groups. $370 million. That is more than President Bush and Senator Kerry spent on the presidential election. This flowed through unregulated, undisclosed means. So voters didn't have the opportunity to know who these 527 groups are, who their donors are, what their true agenda is. And so it is important that we bring out and bring to light the need for 527 reform so that we can have accountability and transparency, two things that my colleague from Georgia has been talking about extensively. We are going to point out the culture of hypocrisy on the left. Really at the heart of it is their reliance on a few billionaires to spend money through unregulated means to go out and influence elections. It is very deceptive to the voters. I think it is very unbecoming of who we are as a democracy. But I also want to say, Congressman Price, that I think our philosophy is similar. We believe that freedom works and that free and full disclosure is important to the nature of campaign financing. That is what we are trying to push with 527 reform.

Mr. McHENRY

Mr. McHENRY. Mr. Speaker, it is often said that America is a nation of immigrants, but there is also another important point, not to be ignored. America is a nation of laws. We are increasing border security, and security is very important in this day and age, in this tough world that we live in. We are increasing border security by constructing fences, bolstering our border patrols and escalating our surveillance capabilities. It is of first and most importance to our Nation that we step up and halt this mass influx of foreign trespassers known as illegal immigrants. To grant amnesty to these trespassers is to say: You crossed our border illegally, you broke our laws, and now we are rewarding you with U.S. citizenship. Congratulations. That is absolutely the wrong way to go. A guest worker program is nothing more than amnesty wearing make-up. It is easier to look at, but it is still ugly underneath. For legal immigrants, we must replace our outdated bureaucratic procedures with updated technology. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services currently processes 7 million immigration applications in our country every year. They do it using Windows 95 and paper printouts. This system is obviously and absolutely flawed. We need to fix the process for immigrants to come here legally. That is why I introduced the Comprehensive Immigration DATA Act, H.R. 4412, to modernize the immigration application process by creating a Federal, computerized database that more efficiently and effectively tracks immigrants applying for visas or for U.S. citizenship. It is time that we step up in terms of our governmental policy, to make sure our government bureaucrats here in Washington are being responsive to our Nation's needs and to be accountable. The best way we can do that is by giving them the technology to do their jobs, and that is what I am trying to achieve with this bill. It is good in terms of policy for legal immigrants. It is the right thing to protect our borders, and it is good for our national security. Mr. Speaker, it is progress that we need to make as a country.

Mr. McHENRY

Mr. McHENRY. Mr. Speaker, what we have today is more liberal lunacy. Billionaires like the Daddy Warbucks of the Democratic Party, George Soros, are pushing their left-wing agenda by funneling hundreds of millions of dollars through shady organizations called 527 groups. Section 527 groups operate outside of campaign finance laws by spending hundreds of millions of dollars on ads and partisan voter recruitment efforts with no oversight and no accountability. Mr. Speaker, $370 million flowed through 527 groups in the last campaign election cycle, and this is outside of campaign disclosure. So much for taking big money out of politics. Over one-fifth of the $370 million channeled through 527s came from four individuals. This is money laundering on a scale that would make even Tony Soprano blush. Mr. Speaker, it is time that we close this loophole on 527s and open transparent and accountable campaigns to the American people.

Mr. McHENRY

Mr. McHENRY. Madam Speaker, a once great party left with nothing, nothing but a nifty little slogan, and that slogan is, ``We can do better.'' Madam Speaker, that is the Democrat Party here in Washington, DC. It was announced in the press in October that they were going to come out with their great agenda in November. November came and went, they had nothing. In January they said, that is going to be the time we are going to lay out our agenda, our positive agenda for America. January came and went. Twice more they set dates to roll out their agenda, but nothing. They got nothing except this nifty little phrase, ``We can do better.'' It is a sad state of affairs when they have no agenda, no ideas. All they have is negative attacks, partisan attacks here in Washington. We need more, and we, the Republicans, can do better.

Mr. McHENRY

Mr. McHENRY. Mr. Chairman, on rollcall No. 60 I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.'' Amendment Offered by Ms. Velazquez

Mr. McHENRY

Mr. McHENRY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to applaud the Supreme Court for upholding the Solomon amendment, which permits the withholding of Federal funds from colleges that close their doors to military recruiters. This case is a glaring indictment of our liberal influence within our colleges and institutions of higher learning, these spineless liberals who speak of the concept of allowing differing points of view, but in reality they oppose it. Look no further than one of our Nation's most liberal colleges, Yale University. Last year, it admitted a Taliban spokesman as a special student, even as Yale Law School was suing in Federal Court to ban U.S. military recruiters from its campus. As Americans, we should be appalled with this seditious behavior and hold these liberals accountable for their actions. Mr. Speaker, the Supreme Court's verdict last week is a victory for common sense and for the protection of our country against liberal lunacy.

Mr. McHENRY

Mr. McHENRY. Mr. Speaker, Rutherford County, in the 10th district of North Carolina, will be swearing in a new Sheriff on December 30th of this year. I would like to recognize and congratulate the extremely qualified Chief Deputy C. Philip Byers on becoming Sheriff of Rutherford County. Sheriff-elect Byers has 15 years of law enforcement experience under his belt, and has faithfully served the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office for the past 4 years as the Chief Deputy. Having degrees from Appalachian State University and Western Carolina University, he was a teacher and a business owner before deciding to serve his community as a police officer. In addition, his wife Sheila is dedicated to serving the community through the North Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Services, a state agency that educates and trains disabled and developmentally challenged persons to obtain meaningful jobs. Mr. Speaker, Sheriff-elect Byers has a superb record as an officer of the law, and is dedicated to making Rutherford County a safe and peaceful place in which to live. Combating the methamphetamine epidemic is a perfect example of his leadership for the county. He is an excellent choice for this position, and I congratulate him on this great honor. I thank Sheriff-elect Byers and his wife Sheila for their dedication to the community and look forward to his service as Sheriff of Rutherford County.

Mr. McHENRY

Mr. McHENRY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Florida for yielding me this time. Ladies and gentlemen, I say Merry Christmas to you. We are presenting you a budget that the American people can be proud of. To the Democrats, I say, happy holidays. But I will tell you, ladies and gentlemen of the House, my colleagues, what we are doing here is right for the American people. My colleague from New York asks, have we touched everyone in America? Well, yes. If you live in a $2 million house, you will not qualify for aid to the poor. Under this budget, we pass that reform; that if you live in a million dollar house, if you live in a $2 million house, if, heaven forbid, you live in a $10 million house, you would not be eligible for Medicare. You would not be eligible for the government paying for your nursing home. That is the type of reform that we have in this budget. It is the right thing to do. Beyond that, if you are a student in college today, if you are a student in college today, you will be eligible for that student loan next year under this budget. You will be eligible for that same loan you got today. The only difference would be that the Federal Government would not be paying that loan giver, that company that provides the loan, we would not be paying them 9.5 percent interest. We would go back to a market-based interest, which we all know is somewhere around 5 percent today. That alone would save $13 billion over 5 years. So, ladies and gentlemen of the House, if you vote for this motion to instruct, you are voting against reform; you are voting against savings; you are voting against positive changes that will help more Americans. And it is the right thing to do. Look, Mr. Speaker, this motion to instruct is something that Mr. Grinch would be proud of. So, ladies and gentlemen, I bid you merry Christmas, and ask that you vote against this motion to instruct and vote for our conservative, realistic, reform-based budget. Merry Christmas to all.

Mr. McHENRY

Mr. McHENRY. Mr. Speaker, in recognition of their new building dedication on November 20, 2005, I commend Hickory First Assembly of God for their committed service to communities locally and globally for almost 50 years. The first small group of faithful believers set the standard for selfless service that church members today still honor and follow. Pastor Brian Campbell, the devoted pastoral staff, and a team of church members have worked together to plan a new space with additional seating in the sanctuary and more room for fellowship in the foyer, offices and nurseries. The expansions are part of Hickory First Assembly's efforts to continue the mission of Acts 1:8, which says ``But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' Locally, the church reaches out to those in need by organizing teams to serve in the community. Nationally, church teams ministered in the Gulf Coast region after Hurricane Katrina; And internationally members actively participate in foreign missions through financial giving and traveling with groups to different countries in need. As Christians, we are called to do great things for God. Living in a free nation, we have the privilege to practice our faith and make a difference in the lives of others. Truly a gateway church, Hickory First Assembly demonstrates a positive influence on the community by consistently communicating and living out biblical values.

Mr. McHENRY

Mr. McHENRY. Mr. Speaker, the only con game we have here in the House this evening is from the other side of the aisle. We have cons and cons. Have I made my point? Have I made my point? Do we hear enough hypocrisy from the left on this budget? Do we hear enough shouts and screams about how we are hurting people? What we are trying to do is save future generations from mountains and mountains upon mountains of debt. And what we are trying to do is reform the budget. The only con has been perpetrated through rhetoric here on the House floor, Mr. Speaker. The deception is saying that we should do nothing, that we should allow our government to continue on this massive growth rate that 40 years of Democrat control provided this country. I think it is wrong to leave future generations in debt. I think it is right to step forward and reform much-needed programs in this country to ensure that Medicaid is available to future generations, that student loans are available to young people. We must reform these programs to make sure they are available in the future. Not to look the other way, not to provide more tax increases, not to provide for a larger, more intrusive government. Let us stop the con, Mr. Speaker. Let us provide for budget reform and reconciliation. I thank the gentleman for this moment to ensure that no future cons are provided here tonight.

Mr. McHENRY

Mr. McHENRY. Mr. Speaker, Congress will soon debate much-needed immigration reforms. One of the most pressing matters is the sad state of technology used to process immigration case files. The U.S. Customs and Immigration Service uses paper printouts to process over 7 million applications per year. To address this glaring deficiency, I am introducing the Comprehensive Immigration Data and Technology Accountability Act. This legislation will do three things. First, it will create a database that allows real-time access to pending casework and move to a fully electronic system. Second, the database will be linked to Federal law enforcement agencies, reducing the number of illegal immigrants released into our communities. Third, the legislation sets deadlines for the planning, implementation, and review of the new database. It is past time that we used the fee-based immigration system to upgrade technology and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our application process. It is the right thing to do for Americans, and it is the right thing to do for those coming to America.

Mr. McHENRY

Mr. McHENRY. Mr. Speaker, in recognition of the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church on November 13, 2005, I commend Burke Community Bible Church and Pastor David Doster, New Day Christian Church and Pastor George Logan, and First Hmong Baptist Church and Pastor Nhia Yee Her for gathering in worship and prayer on behalf of Christians around the world who are persecuted for their faith. Hebrews 13:3 says, ``Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.'' This day of prayer is an opportunity to live that verse, and to remember that prayer changes things. Today we place a special focus on their situation, and we need to continue to remember and pray for those being persecuted, those involved in the persecution, and those that choose to ignore it. With over 100,000 United States churches representing nearly every denomination taking part in this day of remembrance and prayer, I urge the country to remember those believers who are suffering because of their faith. As Christians living in a free nation, we often take our freedoms for granted. Remembering those who can not worship in freedom should cause us to thank God for His blessings to us, and compel us to live out our faith in every single aspect of our lives.