Kevin McCarthy

Mr. McCARTHY of California

Mr. McCARTHY of California. Gladly.

Mr. McCARTHY of California. I thank the gentleman. One thing I would say as we continue forward, if I could just finish with this discussion, if it is your intention to close down and continue to have a preprinting, is there a number in the gentleman's mind that he could tell this side of the aisle that the Republicans would be able to have a number of amendments just to have a check and balance for the American people when we talk about the billions of dollars that will be spent in these appropriation bills, even though we're being denied the amount of time that we can debate it? I yield to my friend.

Mr. McCARTHY of California. Gladly, to my friend.

Mr. McCARTHY of California. If I may just finish, the one thing I was asking for was really for the American people to be able to see it, be able to read it and be able to understand it.

Mr. McCARTHY of California. It was the motion to instruct. And one thing I would say----

Mr. McCARTHY of California

Mr. McCARTHY of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support S. 614, a bill to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the Women Airforce Service Pilots, and to honor all the Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASP, especially three who live in Lancaster, California in my district. Flora Belle Reece, Irma ``Babe'' Story, and Marguerite ``Ty'' Killen are perfect examples of why this intrepid group of women deserve the honor they are receiving today. I was privileged to join the Mojave Chamber of Commerce in honoring these three women at a special May 11th luncheon. It was a pleasure to recognize these three amazing pilots who dedicated themselves to a dangerous mission when their country needed them. Flora Belle Reece learned to fly before she could drive so she could join the WASP. Reece primarily flew the AT-6, but also the PT-19, PT- 17, BT-13, and B-26, and she often tested aircraft that had been repaired. She was assigned to Foster Field, Texas, and there she discovered an affinity for the P-38 Lightning, often visiting with the aircraft's crew chief; she was able to fly in one in 2004 during a commemorative flight. Irma ``Babe'' Story grew up in the Antelope Valley with her brother, Tom, hanging out at the local airport running errands, and eventually learning to fly at Antelope Valley College. Story received her pilot's license at the age of 19 in June 1941, and worked at Lockheed's Vega aircraft factory in Burbank until joining the WASP program in 1943. She flew the AT-6 and Cessna UC-78, and later the B-26. Marguerite ``Ty'' Killen learned to fly as a 15-year-old in high school and received her commercial and flight instructor ratings when she was 19. Killen was a student at the University of Arizona when she found out that the WASP age requirement was dropped to 19, and so she signed up for WASP training and graduated in August 1944. She flew a variety of aircraft, including the Stearman PT-17, AT-6 advanced trainer, Beechcraft AT-11, the Vultee BT-13, and was a copilot in a B- 24. These women, and all those who stepped up to serve when their country needed them, are deserving of our thanks and admiration. I am pleased to support this legislation to recognize their efforts with a Congressional Gold Medal.

Mr. McCARTHY of California

Mr. McCARTHY of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 411, a resolution I introduced that honors the goals and ideals of the Intermediate Space Challenge at the Mojave Air and Space Port located in my district in Mojave, California. Mojave Air and Space Port has a long history of firsts, from Burt and Dick Rutan's collaboration on the Voyager around-the-world flight in 1986 to 2004's flight of SpaceShipOne, the first privately funded manned spacecraft. Nearby are Edwards Air Force Base and China Lake Naval Weapons Center, which are cutting-edge research and testing facilities that are continuing to push the envelope. In fact, when I visit the National Air and Space Museum here in Washington, D.C., I feel at home. There are so many aircraft from my district, like SpaceShipOne, Voyager, Chuck Yeager's Glamorous Glennis that broke the sound barrier, and the X-15, which, incidentally, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the X-15's first flight yesterday. The Intermediate Space Challenge started in 2005 under the direction of Marie Walker. Marie is the CEO of Fiberset, a Mojave company that manufactures composite products and components. She saw an opportunity in and around Mojave to bring together fourth, fifth and sixth-grade students with aerospace leaders to educate them and inspire them to become the next generation of aerospace pioneers. I am proud to recognize their hard work on this fifth anniversary year of the program, and I appreciate being able to participate. Marie Walker and all those who have been instrumental in organizing and executing the Intermediate Space Challenge recognized the opportunities to grab the attention of our students through the Intermediate Space Challenge and get them interested in science and engineering. Students work in teams to write an essay, create a banner, and then build and design a rocket. They get assistance from high school students as mentors, so the program engages students from multiple age groups. The teams of fourth, fifth and sixth-graders then compete both on rocket performance and on a team spirit. Paralleling the X-Prize's requirement for a privately funded manned spacecraft to go up into space twice in two weeks, students' rockets make two flights. During the course of the events, the students hear from special guest speakers. Students have heard from aviation pioneers Burt and Dick Rutan and the SpaceShipOne astronauts in past years. Through the words and actions of these real, live aerospace heroes, students can see that the opportunities are limitless. I appreciate the support of Chairman Miller and Ranking Member McKeon, who are also original cosponsors, and my colleague Jim Costa, who has always been supportive of the activities at the Mojave Air and Space Port. Congratulations to all the students who have participated in this event. I look forward to many more years of successful student rocket launches, and with that, I am proud to support and bring this resolution to the floor.

Mr. McCARTHY of California

Mr. McCARTHY of California. Mr. Speaker, during final consideration of H.R. 31, I inadvertently voted ``yea'' on rollcall 297. I intended to vote ``nay.''

Mr. McCARTHY of California

Mr. McCARTHY of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a leading small business in our community, Dewar's Family Candy and Ice Cream Parlor, which is celebrating 100 years of operation in Bakersfield, California this weekend. James H. Dewar started this family business in 1909 with a belief in quality ingredients no matter the cost. He felt that his customers should get the same quality every time they tasted a Dewar's chew, and they have been for the past 100 years. Dewar's is original from the bottom up; they still grind their own nuts, and make their own ice cream, ice milk, and peanut butter. The same recipes are being used by the current keepers of the legacy, Michael Dewar and Heather Dewar Cook, grandchildren of James Dewar. I have been going to Dewar's my whole life, and particularly enjoyed a quick trip to Dewar's after school when I attended Bakersfield High School down the street. My children, Connor and Meghan, join my wife Judy and me in enjoying Dewar's on a regular basis in the same old- fashioned ice cream parlor we enjoyed in our youth. I always order a George's Special--that combination of homemade vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce and banana in a milkshake that cannot be beat. Dewar's chews are popular snacks in my office, and a wonderful way to share a little piece of Bakersfield. Dewar's is a keystone of our small business community that measures success in its loyalty from generations of local customers. I thank Dewar's for its 100 years of tasty service to the people of Bakersfield and wish them the very best in its next 100 years.

Mr. McCARTHY of California

Mr. McCARTHY of California. Reclaiming my time, I appreciate that. And when I look at bipartisanship, I look at the biggest bills that have transferred through this House in such a short amount of time. Just yesterday, on the 100-day anniversary, on the budget that would double the debt in less than 5 years and triple it in 10, the bipartisan vote, unfortunately, was a number of Democrats--17--joining with all the Republicans and saying there was a better way, and no. I think the American people would like to see another version, such as when you saw the stimulus bill. Unfortunately, the bipartisanship was a direction that we wanted to have another way to go. It is unfortunate that you would find only one party voting ``yes'' when you had both parties saying ``no.'' So in areas that I think we can really come together, where the President has laid out that he wants to find ways that we can eliminate waste and duplication, we have our hand out, we want to work with you. And so I just ask you one more time, is there an opportunity--and I know you've talked about bipartisanship. We will provide a list to the President. We will provide a list to you as well. Could we bring that to the floor within the next 3 weeks before we go on the Memorial Day recess and show the American people that we are very serious about eliminating waste, fraud, and duplication? I yield to the gentleman.

Mr. McCARTHY of California. I appreciate you bringing up bipartisanship. Yesterday was the hundredth day of our new President, and one of our big goals together was to work in a bipartisan way and forge that effort, and as everybody knows in this House, unfortunately that did not take place. And it is regrettable. But Republicans on this side want to make sure that we do forge in a bipartisan matter, and I would like to bring up a few items that we could work together on. I will tell you--and I was very proud at the very beginning of this session when we, the minority, the Republicans, invited the President to our conference, and we actually had a very good discussion about the stimulus bill. It was unfortunate that a bill was introduced while he was talking to us and was not able to be bipartisan in that nature. But I was wondering about a couple of items that we could work closely together. Recently, the President came forward and asked his Cabinet to find $100 million in waste and abuse and duplication, and this is a place that I know we can all work together. I know our leadership, Mr. Boehner and Mr. Cantor, personally talked to the President. The President asked us to produce a list. I would ask our good friend from Georgia if the House Democrats would be willing to work with the Republicans to bring something to the floor before this May recess where we could eliminate waste, fraud and duplication and actually save the taxpayers and America. And I yield back.

Mr. McCARTHY of California. Does the gentleman believe that the Card Check bill would come to the House before it moves in the Senate? I yield.

Mr. McCARTHY of California. If I might just further ask another question of inquiry to my friend from Atlanta. The Card Check bill has been out there for quite some time. Knowing the number of cosponsors on the majority side, do you envision that coming up in the near future? And I yield.

Mr. McCARTHY of California. Well, reclaiming my time, I thank the gentleman. And I will tell you, $100 million, when I look at the budget being passed, in a few short years I think of my children and America paying $1 billion in interest a day. I know the American people care as much about their children as I care about mine, and we do not want that to continue. So I take your hand being out to us in bipartisanship, and I look forward to working with you that we can eliminate waste. I look forward that we can come together with this President and bring it to the floor before Memorial Day. I think there is a way we can reach for greatness; there is a way that we can come together. Another area that I think we can work well together on is trade. House Republicans stand ready to work with this President. This President has signaled his desire to have a vote on the Panama trade agreement and to begin moving forward with the Colombia free trade. I even know the leadership on the majority side, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, during the last recess he traveled to Panama, he traveled to Colombia. So my question to the House Democrats, would there be an opportunity to have a vote before the July 4 recess on the Panama trade agreement that the President asked to have? I yield.

Mr. McCARTHY of California. I thank the gentleman. Knowing the debate that we had a week ago with all of the hearings in Energy and Commerce and knowing what the schedule said that this week would be the markup of the cap-and-trade bill but this week being canceled in the markup, does the gentleman see Energy and Commerce bringing up cap-and-trade or that coming to the floor within the next 3 weeks before we go on recess? I yield to the gentleman from Georgia.

Mr. McCARTHY of California. Reclaiming my time, if I could just clarify one last time, do you envision having benchmarks in this supplemental bill knowing in the past term the desire of the majority to have benchmarks? I yield.

Mr. McCARTHY of California. So it is your intention, the majority's, not to have any non-war funding in the supplemental?

Mr. McCARTHY of California. Reclaiming my time, if I may further ask, is it your intention to put any non-war spending in this supplemental bill? And I yield.

Mr. McCARTHY of California. Reclaiming my time, if I may elaborate with the gentleman from Georgia. You said a war supplemental. I would wonder, would there be any benchmarks in this bill, and would there be any non-war-related spending in this bill as well?

Mr. McCARTHY of California. Reclaiming my time, if I may ask my colleague, knowing that Congress is in session only for 3 more weeks before we break for Memorial Day and having just heard next week's schedule, I wondered if my colleague might elaborate on the last 2 weeks in May what we would be expecting in the House. I yield to the gentleman.

Mr. McCARTHY of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield to my good friend and gentleman from Atlanta, Georgia, for the purpose of announcing next week's schedule.

Mr. McCARTHY of California. So in the next 3 weeks do you not see Energy and Commerce bringing up or bringing to the floor a cap-and- trade bill? I yield.

Mr. McCARTHY of California. Reclaiming my time, I thank the gentleman. Because when I sit back and I think of the time of the President going to Peoria, going to Caterpillar, and I listened to those individuals that work there and I listened to their Representative, Congressman Aaron Schock, when he sat there and talked to them and they said the number of tractors they would sell, that the actual tariffs would be brought down automatically as soon as these trade agreements go forward. But when you think of America, where we continue to lose jobs and we are thinking about job creation and small business, these trade agreements are nothing but a benefit to America, we want to work with you. And I just ask the gentleman, I appreciate his willingness to work with us, but could we do this by July 4? The President has signaled that he would like that done. Does the gentleman believe we can have it done by July 4? I yield to the gentleman.

Mr. McCARTHY of California. Reclaiming my time, I was very hopeful in the last term that we could have gotten these done, knowing that the recession that we moved into and the number of jobs that are being laid off, even in my own State, knowing the double-digit unemployment, that anything we can do, especially when it has been sitting on the table, been negotiating, and it is a positive agreement for America, the job creation, that we should come together. The President has signaled. The Republicans are saying, we are there. We want to help him. We want to pass this. We are asking the majority party to join with us. I will yield for a final comment from the gentleman.

Mr. McCARTHY of California. Reclaiming my time, we just wrapped up 100 days, and I think America is going to look to, what does America look like 100 days from now, 200 more days, 300 more days? Today we talked about numerous different bills, from trade agreements that create jobs, from eliminating waste, lowering the deficit. Those are areas that we stand ready to work with this President and work with this majority party. So I thank you for the time that you spent, and I thank you for your answers. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.