Bill Pascrell

Mr. PASCRELL

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I want to state for the record that on September 22, 2011, my vote was not recorded for rollcall vote No. 723. I would like to state for the record that my vote should have been recorded as ``nay'' on rollcall vote No. 723, on providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2401) to require analyses of the cumulative and incremental impacts of certain rules and actions of the Environmental Protection Agency, and for other purposes.

Mr. PASCRELL

Mr. PASCRELL. Look, we're all Americans. We're not Democrats, Republicans. You had 5,000 people evacuated in my district. When you see the damage in small towns and large towns, then you can appreciate it. The President came, the Governor of the State, who is not of my persuasion, came. They saw it firsthand. Homeland Security came. Mr. Fugate from FEMA came. They saw it firsthand. The damage is deep, and it's not going to be taken away and remedied within 2 weeks, 2 months, or 2 years because the ground was so saturated that trees fell without any wind, and are still falling. Now, we are only one of 51 districts affected in 15 States, and we're talking about over 30 million people. And for the first time since I've been a Member of Congress, the other side, your side, wants to make this conditional, the aid, so that we carve out from either this program or that program, which is immaterial at this point, the money to help these very people. The estimates are very clear as to how much this is going to cost, beyond our wildest dreams. We don't stop and ask those folks in Joplin, who had a huge tornado, where 160 people were killed, we don't say, wait till we go and rob Peter in order to respond to your emergency. The fires in Texas--we have never done this on an emergency. This is an absolute disgrace because we're all Americans. We're not Democrats or Republicans. Why didn't we do this, for crying out loud, in 2001 when we went to war? We didn't say, let's take from this program or that program. That was an emergency. We came up with the money and we sure as hell didn't pay for it, did we? And now look where we are economically. We're talking about an emergency in our own country here, in our own neighborhoods. We need both sides to come together, and that's why we formed the coalition of Democrats and Republicans. And Republicans are not going to vote for this either. I'm telling you right now. So why don't we come together. They passed a clean bill in the Senate.

Mr. PASCRELL. This coalition is going to stay strong because America is more important than either party, and we need to help our brothers and sisters who are hurting right now, many that will not return to their homes. They can't. Think about that.

Mr. PASCRELL

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I would like to call your attention to the achievements of an outstanding individual, Sheriff Richard Berdnik, who will be recognized by the Central of Polish Organizations of Passaic, Clifton and Vicinity on Saturday, September 17, 2011. Sheriff Berdnik has been selected as the Contingent's 2011 Marshal and will lead them in the 74th Annual General Kazimierz Pulaski Memorial Parade in New York City on Sunday, October 2, 2011. It is only fitting that he be honored in this, the permanent record of the greatest democracy ever known. Richard has been a true public servant, one whose commitment to excellence and integrity has helped to enhance and protect countless lives. Richard is the son of Bernice and Bazil Berdnik, Polish immigrants who endured the hardship of Stalin's gulags. He is a graduate of both the New Jersey State Police Academy and the prestigious National Academy of the FBI. Sheriff Berdnik's bravery and involvement in the community make him an esteemed individual among his colleagues as well as the citizens he serves. He has been honored with a number of awards; among them The Meritorious Service Medal he received for his quick and efficient response in apprehending criminals. He is also a ``Life Saving'' Medal recipient, having saved the lives of an elderly person and a child from a burning house. Sheriff Berdnik is a member of several professional associations, including the FBI National Academy Associates, the New Jersey Honor Legion of Decorated Officers, the Clifton PBA Local 36 and the Passaic County Chiefs of Police Association. Sheriff Berdnik served as a Police Officer in the City of Clifton for almost 30 years. The knowledge and experience he has acquired has made him not only a great officer, but an outstanding role model to younger police officers. It is his commitment, dedication and ambition that helped him rise through the ranks of the Clifton Police Dept. These same characteristics are what led to his selection as a candidate and his election to the office of Passaic County Sheriff in the November of 2010. As Sheriff, Richard has been a loyal and energetic leader, and has displayed wisdom and courage in situations requiring strong direction. Sheriff Berdnik demonstrated his leadership during the floods of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. He made Passaic County proud when he recently testified in front of the House Committee on Homeland Security about the need for comprehensive legislation to combat the threat from weapons of mass destruction (WMD). More than just being a valued leader in the community and honorable public official, he is a beloved husband and father. Richard and his wife, Monica, have been married for over 25 years and have four children: sons, Ryan and Kevin and daughters, Ashley and Alyssa. Ashley is also being honored by the same organization as their Miss Polonia 2011. The Berdnik Family has consistently displayed some of the highest American ideals, among which are courage, determination, and integrity, and I trust he will continue that legacy. Though the job of a United States Congressman involves much that is rewarding, few experiences compare to meeting, working with and having the honor of recognizing the impressive accomplishments of individuals like Sheriff Richard Berdnik. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join our colleagues, the Central of Polish Organizations, the County of Passaic, the Berdnik family, Richard's colleagues and friends in celebrating the great achievements of my friend, Sheriff Richard Berdnik; recognized tonight for his leadership, his loyal service to the public and his celebration of his heritage.

Mr. PASCRELL

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, yesterday our Nation commemorated the tenth anniversary of one of the darkest days in our history. On September 11th, 2001, we were attacked by foreign terrorists who claimed the lives of 2,977 Americans, including 411 of our Nation's bravest first responders. We mark this occasion not only by remembering those that were lost that day, but also by recognizing the incredible displays of heroism, courage and selflessness that we witnessed. On this day, more so than any other day of the year, we must put away our partisan differences and come together as Americans for the good of our country. There are many lessons we have learned from the attacks, and much works remains, not only to secure our country, but to repay the debt to those who sacrificed so much on that day and those that followed. We must be committed to defending our Nation from another attack. Protecting our citizens must be the number one priority of all public servants, and we must never lose sight of this mission. We must be committed as a Nation to stand behind our country's first responders. The heroic cops, firefighters and other emergency personnel who lost their lives on 9/11 should not just merely be commemorated, but in fact their memories should spur us towards making our Nation stronger and safer. The Eighth Congressional District is only 20 miles from Ground Zero, and I was honored this weekend to attend several ceremonies commemorating the occasion. One ceremony took place at the September 11th Memorial at the Eagle Rock Reservation in Essex County, which overlooks the Manhattan skyline, and was where many of my constituents gathered after the attacks to bear witness to the tragedy. Many of the wounds of September 11th will heal over time, but we will never forget the heroism we witnessed, the lessons we learned, and the redemption the American people earned through our own strength. In closing I would like to enter into the Record the names of the forty Americans from my district that lost their lives on September 11th, 2001. We will continue to pray for those we have lost but also hold our heads up high to meet the challenges that are still to come. Cesar A. Alviar, 60 John E. Bulaga Jr., 35 John A. Candela, 42 Lt. Robert D. Cirri, 39 Robert J. Coll Jr., 35 Michael L. Collins, 38 Caleb Arron Dack, 39 Luke A. Dudek, 50 Antoinette Duger, 44 John Ernst (Jack) Eichler, 69 Edgar H. Emery Jr., 45 William J. Erwin, 30 Christopher Faughnan, 37 Harvey J. Gardner III, 35 Barry H. Glick, 55 Emeric J. Harvey, 56 Zuhtu Ibis, 25 Donald T. Jones, 39 Howard L. Kestenbaum, 56 Dorota Kopiczko 26 Franco Lalama, 45 David S. Lee, 37 Kenneth P. Lira, 28 Ming-Hao Liu, 41 Joseph P. McDonald, 43 Craig D. Montano, 38 Robert M. Murach, 45 Edward C. Murphy, 42 Catherine A. Nardella, 40 Ehtesham U. Raja, 28 Stephen Louis Roach, 36 Leo A. Roberts, 44 Marsha A. Rodriguez, 41 Linda Rosenbaum, 41 Daniel Rosetti, 32 Norman Rossinow, 39 John P. Skala, 31 Jennifer M. Tino, 29 Francis Joseph Trombino, 68 Jorge Velazquez, 47

Mr. PASCRELL

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 20th Anniversary of the Republic of Macedonia's independence. On September 8, 1991, the Republic of Macedonia declared its independence--becoming the only nation to peacefully secede from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In the twenty years since its independence, the Republic of Macedonia has transformed itself into a modern democratic nation that shares the core values of freedom, democracy, and the rule of law with the United States of America. These great strides have put the Republic of Macedonia on the road to full membership in the European Union and NATO. As Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said last year, ``The United States is committed to promoting Macedonia's membership in NATO and the European Union, and we will continue to help strengthen Macedonia's democratic institutions in cooperation with your leaders and civil society.'' The United States of America and the Republic of Macedonia enjoy a cooperative relationship across a range of economic, cultural, military, and social issues. As the fourth largest contributor per capita in the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan Macedonia has become one of the United States' strongest allies against transnational terrorism. This partnership is lasting and important. Macedonians have made an impact in the United States, as there are over half a million people of Macedonian heritage in this country. They dedicate their knowledge and skills to public service industries, science, and the arts. I am proud to represent many Macedonians in New Jersey's Eighth Congressional District. I congratulate the people of the Republic of Macedonia on the 20th anniversary of their country's independence and join the Macedonian- American community in my district and across the United States in celebrating this important occasion.

Mr. PASCRELL

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I have the greatest amount of respect for the chairman of our committee, the Ways and Means Committee. But I think you're wrong on what you're trying to do today. Do you remember May 31 of this year, Mr. Chairman? We took a vote May 31. In fact, we took a vote on raising the debt limit. The vote was based upon a resolution introduced in this House by the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee; and he said when he introduced the piece of legislation on this floor that he hoped it would fail. He said we're not going to get enough votes to get this done. And so he set out to undermine his own resolution. Now JFK said: I do not shrink from this responsibility; I welcome it. I welcome my responsibility today and what I have to do. I'm going to have a pleasure to vote ``no'' because I know what has happened since May 31, a day of infamy. So we'll make it known that the bill couldn't pass so the American people understand that. The American people don't want us to tell them what they need or what they want. They should tell us what they need and what they want. We think we know, and most of the time we don't know on either side of the aisle. They're choosing to extend the state of political and economic turmoil another 6 months in this bill. We want to go through the holidays doing this back and forth? Won't that be sweet. We'll make people think we're working. It has been over 200 days and still not one piece of job legislation from the majority on this floor. Decades of the majority's policies exploded the deficit. You know what the cause of it is. The cost of just the Bush tax cuts will be 40 percent of the Federal debt by 2019. And when you add in the two wars, it'll be 47 percent. Who are we kidding here? The Republican budget bill this year added $6 trillion to the national debt. I rest my case. Live up to your responsibilities. That's what the American people want us to do.

Mr. PASCRELL

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong opposition to the underlying bill H.R. 2584, a bill which irresponsibly slashes funding for many of our Nation's most important environmental and infrastructure programs. If it's passed, the overall legislation would cause grave harm to the health and safety of our communities and in addition removes protections for our wildlife and environment. I'll take a few issues at hand. Clean water infrastructure. Ensuring our families have clean water is under attack in this bill. It cuts 55 percent, almost $1 billion, from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. This program enables the States to invest in much-needed repairs and improvements to aging water infrastructure. Mr. Chairman, an estimated 25 percent of all treated water in the United States of America is lost due to leakage from water systems that are in disrepair--25 percent of the water that's already been treated. What a waste of money in supposedly an austere Congress. We're facing a $500 billion funding gap to bring aging water and wastewater infrastructure back to par. Our pipes are literally crumbling beneath our feet, out of sight, out of mind until the next major water main break disrupts our lives and our towns. This investment in water infrastructure has the potential to generate thousands and thousands of American jobs since every $1 billion in infrastructure investment supports 28,500 jobs. Second issue: air quality. The bill that's before us takes us further backwards to an era where polluters poisoned our atmosphere at will by preventing the EPA from implementing two important air quality rules-- the power plant air toxics rule and the transport rule, irresponsibly putting the health of our communities at risk. We're going backward instead of forward. Air pollution disproportionately impacts the urban areas in my district, such as Paterson, New Jersey, where we see much higher incidences of asthma and other respiratory ailments due to the concentrations of harmful pollutants. It is terrible. Go to our hospitals. It is out of control not just in Paterson, New Jersey, but across the United States. These pollutants can become lodged in the tissues of the lungs and interfere with the respiratory system. This needs to be controlled. And the National Park Service itself, referred to in the last debate, this proposed legislation would cripple the operation of the National Park Service. This service takes care of our parks. We fought for this, all of us, Democrats, Republicans in whatever State it was in this Union. They want to slash this by $409 million from the President's request. Our national parks are visited by 275 million people each year. They come from all over the world to appreciate our country's natural and historic wonders. In my district, the Park Service is hard at work on the Great Falls National Historic Park right in my home city of Paterson, the only historic park in the entire Nation that has aesthetic value as well as historical importance, as it was the first industrial city of the United States. The investment we make in our parks pays for itself many times over in economic development in the surrounding areas and the enjoyment and education they provide to Americans of all ages. We must ensure that the Park Service has the resources they require to ensure that parks all over the country are properly operating. How about the arts and humanities in this legislation? Besides the huge cited cuts to our health, infrastructure, and environment, the bill before us drastically cuts funding to the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. As a former teacher, as a member of the Congressional Arts Caucus, as many of us are, I have seen firsthand the positive impact that arts and humanities education has on the success of our students. In my district, as a result of the economic crisis, many schools have been forced to cut back on arts programs and to lay off arts teachers. They're the first to go. In conclusion, I would say, Mr. Chairman, that this legislation leaves a lot to be desired. We are seeing our colleagues on the other side of the aisle attempting to legislate through the appropriations process, selectively imposing deep cuts to programs which their special interest constituencies don't approve of. The draconian cuts in this bill are truly unacceptable, and I urge my colleagues to join me in opposing it. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PASCRELL

Mr. PASCRELL. First of all, I want to thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for all he has gone through in the last couple of years so that people understand that we do need some regulation. Now today, my friends on the other side--and I mean that--the stock market hit its highest point since 2008. Isn't that wonderful? And yet we are at 9.2 percent unemployment. Well, I looked at the Treasuries. They're doing very fine. They're doing well. But Main Street isn't; and that's what consumer protection is all about, Main Street. No question about it. We don't want to go back. We don't want to go back to 2007 and 2008. Why? Because the conditions that led to the mess we have now, we don't want those conditions to exist now, and that's what we've been trying to correct, particularly over the last 2 years. Now, here's the consensus, whether you are a European financial person or someone in the United States, here's the consensus: Dodd- Frank puts us more on a level playing field with regard to capital reserve, with regard to too big to fail. Regardless of what we are talking about, we are oceans ahead of our European partners and our allies in addressing these issues because we're addressing the causes of the financial meltdown in the United States and in foreign allies. And if it wasn't for the gentleman from Massachusetts, and the gentleman from Connecticut at the other end of the building, we wouldn't be where we are today, and we'd be saying: Let's go back; we want things to be like they were in 2007 and 2008. Well, things were not good.

Mr. PASCRELL. In a book by James Stewart, ``How False Statements Are Undermining America,'' he zeroes in on the Madoff situation which became a poster child. No one else has been really brought before us. No one else has really suffered for the pain they provided to the middle class and to Main Street people. We don't want to go back. We want different rules, and regulations do have a part in it. And the person who is struggling day in and day out needs our help. They don't need it. It doesn't matter who the President nominated, you'll turn it down. It's this bureau you want to destroy, not the nominee.

Mr. PASCRELL

Mr. PASCRELL. Madam Speaker, today, July 19th, I unavoidably missed two rollcall votes. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall vote No. 603, On Ordering the Previous Question on H. Res. 355. Additionally, had I been present I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 604, On Agreeing to H. Res. 355.

Mr. PASCRELL

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, ``The Cut, Cap, and Balance Act'' shows yet again how out of step the Majority is with the needs and concerns of ordinary Americans. With over 9 percent unemployment, Congress should focus on growing the economy, lowering unemployment and reducing our deficit. We can achieve this economic growth through a fiscal policy that invests in our future, creates broad based economic growth and shares the burden of debt reduction. Instead, we are debating an ideologically extreme policy that makes the Majority's budget's treatment of seniors, the middle class and our children look balanced. This bill caps spending at 18 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a level not seen since 1966, when seniors made up 9 percent of the population, not the 13 percent they make up today. In 1966, the average cost of medical care was $1,500 a year, not the $8,200 that it is today, and almost no Americans were enrolled in Medicare, whereas over 46 million seniors are enrolled today. Even more disturbing, the bill holds an increase in the debt ceiling hostage to the passage of a so-called ``Balanced Budget Amendment.'' This Balanced Budget Amendment is more radical than those that have been considered by Congress in the past. Unbelievably, it would require a supermajority in both houses of Congress to raise revenues. However, you would only need a simple majority to cut taxes on the wealthy and multi-national corporations and slash government programs that our most vulnerable citizens rely on. What type of priorities do we have when we change the Constitution to make it easier to cut Medicare and Social Security, and nearly impossible to end the tax breaks for special interests groups like the oil industry? We are at a place in our history where the concentration of wealth at the very top has only been matched at the time immediately prior to the Great Depression. This bill will not only continue this trend, but it will act as a catalyst where the people who already have so much, will be given so much more. And if one thinks that the Balanced Budget Amendment is sound fiscal policy, they would be sorely mistaken. One only has to look at many of the states who have Balanced Budget Amendments on the books to see what happens when you amend your Constitution to promote ideology and politics over common sense fiscal solutions. The budget priorities enshrined in this legislation have been soundly rejected by the American people, who have also made it clear that they want Congress to come together and solve our fiscal problems and to stop political posturing. We need to be serious in our attempts to right our fiscal ship, but this Majority is asking our seniors, our children and our middle class workers to take on all the sacrifice while asking nothing of the wealthiest amongst us. I therefore urge my colleagues to reject this legislation.

Mr. PASCRELL

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I unavoidably missed two rollcall votes. Had I been present I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall vote No. 601 on passage of H.R. 33--To amend the Securities Act of 1933 to specify when certain securities issued in connection with church plans are treated as exempted securities for purposes of that Act. Additionally, had I been present I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall vote No. 602, on approving the Journal.

Mr. PASCRELL

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to Title V of the Energy and Water Appropriations bill. Two months ago, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood visited New York to announce that $450 million rejected by the State of Florida would be used for Amtrak high-speed railway improvements in the State of New Jersey. To paraphrase a long time champion of Amtrak, who currently serves as our nation's Vice President, this was definitely a big deal. This needed funding is going to increase the speed and efficiency of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor (NEC) in New Jersey. Specifically, funding has been designated to improve the railroad's infrastructure between New Brunswick and Trenton, allowing for train speeds to be increased from 130 miles per hour, to 160 miles per hour, through improvements to NEC power system, signals, track, and catenaries. As anyone who has ridden on an Acela train during a hot day, or sat on a stagnant train during all too frequent power issues, knows that infrastructure improvements are very necessary for this busy stretch of railroad. Residents throughout the northeast, including thousands of New Jersey commuters riding New Jersey Transit, will be able to have a more efficient ride with most with a stronger, faster, and more consistent Northeast Corridor. New Jersey contractors, along with construction and rail laborers, are looking forward to getting to work on this needed project. I know that the people of New Jersey thought that this announcement was a done deal. That is why I joined their surprise when I learned the Appropriations Committee had decided to divert New Jersey's needed resources and redirect this funding for disaster relief for Mississippi and Missouri River flood events. I strongly support providing emergency disaster relief. I have great respect for my neighbor to the west, the Chairman of the Energy and Water Subcommittee. His intentions to help Americans who have been flooded out of homes and businesses are certainly laudable. We are both extremely sympathetic to flood relief as our adjoining districts have significant flooding problems that require federal assistance to resolve. But it is short sighted to take away funding for high-speed rail for this purpose. As China zooms past us at 250 miles per hour, our nation putters along with a transportation system that cannot keep up with growing population and demand. Coming off of another month with anemic job growth, we simply cannot afford to pull funding that would create good paying planning and construction jobs thatNew Jersey sorely needs. I urge the Committee to find a new offset for this emergency funding. And at the same time, I urge the Department of Transportation to obligate their rail funds quickly, so that we can get past this charade and get this important high speed rail funding out to bid.

Mr. PASCRELL

Mr. PASCRELL. I yield to the gentleman from Florida.

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, may I also clarify that should the authorization bill pass with this provision on post- acute guidelines that the Department then has the needed amount of $1 million to really accomplish this objective which we have. Mr. Chairman, I would request, as usual, your deepest cooperation. And no one has done more for our troops than you.

Mr. PASCRELL. I would like to ask the gentleman from Florida, Mr. Chairman, to engage in a colloquy on the need for traumatic brain injury funding for post-acute guidelines for our returning troops. Mr. Chairman, it is my understanding that medical treatment guidelines for post-acute rehabilitation of moderate and severe TBI do not exist today. Recognizing this, Mr. Platts from Pennsylvania and Ms. Giffords from Arizona included an amendment in the National Defense Authorization for fiscal year 2012 that would require the Department of Defense to implement post-acute treatment guidelines for traumatic brain injury. This provision was supported by the cochairs of the Brain Injury Task Force--myself, Mr. Platts, bipartisan. It is my hope that the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences be able to begin the project as soon as possible. Over the years, the TBI Task Force has addressed many gaps for our servicemembers. I now yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Platts).

Mr. PASCRELL. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield to my brother, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Platts).

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time. Amendment No. 61 Offered by Ms. Foxx

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. PASCRELL. I yield to the gentleman from Florida.

Mr. PASCRELL

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Chairman, I believe we are broke, but we're morally broke, that's how we're broke. Let's be straight here. What's our vision for America? That's got to be the barometer. What do we want this country to be in the future? We can say we certainly don't want it to be fiscally broke, but no one comes to this well with clean hands. This is something we should be sitting down and talking about together, how can we solve America's problems. So what's our vision? It may be a balanced budget, our vision; I could support that. It may be cutting waste and fraud; well, that sounds good, we should all be supporting that. It may be to get Americans back to work. Over 14 million are still unemployed. And the underemployed. It may be to halt the loss of our homes like we did on the Western frontier 150 years ago when people worked together to end those foreclosures. My vision does not include hurting our most vulnerable children and seniors just to make a point. You heard the gentleman from Maryland talk earlier about how little this means in bringing down the deficit for 1 year or 10 years. We've got our priorities screwed up. So yes, we want a balanced budget. Isn't it interesting that the last President who balanced the budget was a Democratic President? Yes, we want business investment. And isn't it interesting that in the past four decades the only President that reached over a 10 percent increase in business investment was a Democratic President? Bill Clinton; almost three times more than Ronald Reagan. Check your facts. We need a fact check here, a fact check. The last 4 years, the number of children affected has grown from 12.4 million to 17 million. Have we no responsibility for that? In my district, 109,000 constituents suffer from food insecurity, only half of whom are eligible for Federal food aid programs. What do the other half do? Yet, here we are discussing cuts. And I understand neither party is privy to virtue on these issues, but you cannot tell me we can't rise above if we have a vision of America that encompasses everyone, not just some and not just the few. The long-term effects of a child struggling with hunger does not add up to any real savings. If a child is hungry, he cannot learn. A child who can't learn will not succeed in school. A child without an education will have difficulty finding a job. We know the records of those who are unemployed. And the records of how many years they are in school are greatly and essentially connected to how many years they have in school, and that tells you how many people are unemployed. The children affected by these cuts that you're talking about in the Agriculture bill are our future. If they go hungry today, they will not be ready for tomorrow. I simply disagree, with all due respect, with the other side's logic behind these cuts. It's shortsighted, and we cannot simply cut the safety net while people are still in that net--seniors, children, the working poor. It doesn't make sense. What have we become as a Nation? We're not asking for handouts or giveaways. We are talking about people who are working, and many of them are poor. There are many of those, and it took a Republican President to recognize it. The Earned Income Tax Credit was something that your side created. So who would yet take away the incentive for people to keep working? The cuts that you have proposed to the Food and Drug Administration in this bill are $572 million below the President's request. This means fewer inspectors and fewer inspections, plain and simple. Oh, I forgot. That's the idea in this age of anti-regulation. So what we do want to do is go back to 2008. Let's go back to where we were. I say no. I say we are better than that--we are better than 2008--and if we work together, we can get over that hump. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PASCRELL. I move to strike the last word.

Mr. PASCRELL

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.