Dave Obey

Mr. OBEY

Mr. OBEY. I wrote the legislation, every word of that.

Mr. OBEY. You are asking what?

Mr. OBEY. How much time do I have remaining, Mr. Chairman?

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition.

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 25 seconds to the gentlewoman from New York [Mrs. Maloney].

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 25 seconds to the gentleman from New York [Mr. Nadler]. (Mr. NADLER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 10 seconds. Mr. Chairman, I do not think any Member of the Congress needs to sit here and take lectures from any Member of Congress about how we deal with our own children. I think every Member of this House trusts their children before they trust another Member of Congress.

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, let me simply say on this side of the aisle I will be willing to accept the gentleman's amendment. I think it is a good public interest amendment.

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from California [Mr. Waxman].

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Let me simply say I am of a mixed mind on this amendment. The gentleman and I had a conversation earlier today, as he knows, and I indicated at that time that because he had described his amendment to me as being one which made clear that this was a matter of choice for workers, I told him I thought I would have no objection. The language is somewhat different than I had expected. I would have no problem accepting the amendment, provided that we understand that in conference I want to make sure of two things. No. 1, that the language is sufficiently clear so that we know that it is a worker choice being exercised here. And second, I would simply note that when asphalt is being used on road surfaces, I am told that its temperature can exceed 300 degrees, and it can cause severe burns when it sticks to skin. So I reserve the right in conference to make certain that if workers are making a choice, it will be an informed one. But having said that, I would withdraw my objection and accept the amendment.

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Colorado [Mr. Skaggs].

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, may I inquire how much time each party has remaining?

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to one of the coauthors of the amendment, the gentlewoman from New York [Mrs. Lowey].

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 2 minutes. Mr. Chairman, this amendment is very simple. The Istook amendment would prohibit title X services to minors unless they have written parental consent or a court order acting as parental consent. The Obey- Greenwood-Lowey substitute would prohibit funds unless the entity encourages consultation with family members. Mr. Chairman, I want to be very clear. I do not believe teenagers should engage in sex until they are married. That may make me old- fashioned but that is what I happen to believe. But I also recognize the world in which we all live. The United States has the highest rate of teen pregnancy of any industrialized country in the world. This committee had an opportunity to fund the President's teen pregnancy prevention plan in this bill. It chose not to do so. Now, unless we are careful, we will make what services there are remaining to prevent teenage pregnancies even more difficult to obtain. When minors delay diagnosis and treatment, especially in cases of sexually transmitted diseases or HIV, their health, their future fertility and life can be put at risk. Kids ought to be encouraged to talk with their parents, but we also ought to be careful that, in the process of trying to encourage that, we do not increase health risk to the general public and that we do not in the process invite more abortions that are performed because of careless pregnancies. That is what this amendment tries to do. It tries to establish a careful bipartisan balance between two justifiably strong moral concerns in this society. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent that 8 minutes of my 15 minutes be given to the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Greenwood].

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment as a substitute for the amendment.

Mr. OBEY. Yes, I do, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. OBEY. I yield to the gentleman from New York.

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I take the time to simply make the statement that I do not intend to oppose the gentleman's amendment, but I am still concerned. I do not want to put any impediment in the way of persons who are dying of painful diseases and who can find some relief from pain from the use of marijuana in a medically prescribed way. I reserve the right in conference to make certain that we are not, from the floor of the House where everybody is healthy and comfortable, causing problems for people who are sick or are in pain.

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I claim the 2\1/2\ minutes in opposition.

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, with that understanding, I withdraw my objection and would accept the amendment.

Mr. OBEY

Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote and, pending that, I make the point of order that a quorum is not present.