Mike Pence

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. I thank the gentlewoman from Minnesota, and would recognize the gentlewoman from North Carolina, Virginia Foxx, one of the most passionate, eloquent advocates of American energy independence in the Congress.

Mr. PENCE. I thank the gentleman for Georgia and all my colleagues who are here and those that offered to come here. I just say from my heart, and I have been passionate on the floor tonight, but it's a passion that is borne of a desire to solve this problem. But seeing a bill 290 pages long dropped on to the floor of this Congress less than 24 hours before it is to be debated does not represent a serious effort to bring about bipartisan compromise in this Congress. My colleagues of goodwill know this. The truth is the American people want this Congress to come together in an open, fair debate and take and develop a comprehensive energy strategy that says yes to conservation, yes to solar, yes to wind, yes to nuclear, yes to greater fuel efficiently standards, and takes a bipartisan vote to lift the moratorium and let the American people have access to our vast domestic reserves on the Outer Continental Shelf and in Alaska. Wherever those votes fall, let the cards fall where they may. But that's the process the American people want to see happen, and that is the basis upon which we can build a long-term strategy to achieve American energy independence. We have just begun this battle. It will continue tomorrow.

Mr. PENCE. I thank the gentleman from Texas very much for those thoughtful insights. The gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Broun) is recognized for 1 minute.

Mr. PENCE. I thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina for her passion and candor. If I can yield to each of our last two speakers, then we will be able to clear the baffles. I think those that might be looking in, Mr. Speaker, can sense the frustration, not of the opposite political party, not of a frustrated minority, but what you are hearing here is the frustration of public men and women that know the American people are hurting. Seniors, small business owners, family farmers, school systems are struggling under the weight of record gasoline and diesel prices, and we ought not to be on this floor playing politics with this issue. We ought to be compromising. We ought to throw open the windows, open the blinds, have the debate, take the votes and let the cards fall where they may. That is mostly certainly not what is happening this week. I yield to the distinguished gentleman from Texas on the Energy and Commerce Committee, Mr. Burgess.

Mr. PENCE. I would speculate 748.

Mr. PENCE. I thank the gentleman from Arizona for his extraordinary insight on this issue. It really does beg the question, Mr. Speaker, for anybody looking in. This is the Democrat energy bill. It was filed we think about 30 minutes ago. It is 290 pages long, so I can't speak with authority about what is in it, because I haven't had a chance to read it. But what we know is not in it is any expedited litigation reform that would prevent environmental organizations or radical, leftist groups from tying up our domestic oil reserves in the courts, as they are doing in existing leasing areas. Also what is not in it is any revenues at all to drill in that 50 miles out to 100 miles out. Mr. Speaker, if you think we are suggesting that that is more important than it really is, I would quote to you Democrat Senator Mary Landrieu, who in her hometown newspaper this weekend urged House Democrats to oppose the House Democrat bill. Democrat Senator Mary Landrieu said because the bill offered the States no money to drill off their shores, that it was ``dead on arrival in the Senate.'' She said, ``It most certainly won't see the light of day in the Senate.'' So as I prepare to yield to the distinguished gentlewoman from Minnesota, no one wants to see a bipartisan compromise on comprehensive energy legislation more than me. I spent a good chunk of my August recess talking in a darkened chamber. I would love to see the Congress come together this week and figure it out and share all the credit. But it has to be a serious effort to say yes to solar, yes to wind, yes to nuclear, yes to conservation, and it has to be a serious effort to say yes to giving the American people more access to American oil. And when one hears the gentleman from Arizona and one hears people like the Democrat Senator from Louisiana, one comes to the conclusion this is not a serious effort to give the American people more access to American oil. I yield to the gentlewoman from Minnesota, Michele Bachmann.

Mr. PENCE. I yield to the gentleman from Georgia.

Mr. PENCE. Thank you, Congressman Carter. The gentleman from Texas just made reference to what I have in my hand, which is the bill, Mr. Speaker. It was filed just a few short moments ago. We will be debating it tomorrow because what is known as the Rules Committee is meeting tonight to outline the parameters of debate. And it looks like some of us are going to be up late. It's 290 pages. And for those who might be looking in, you're looking realtime at what passes for legislating in the Democrat majority in Congress. It's 290 pages filed tonight. And we're voting on it tomorrow. And I assume the committee is meeting tonight and can move quickly because there will be apparently no, if any, amendments allowed. Now let me say before I yield to the distinguished gentleman from Arizona on this issue, when I said earlier that this legislation locks off permanently 80 percent of our domestic oil and natural gas reserves on the Outer Continental Shelf, let me explain that to you because I have confirmed it now in the bill. This bill permits leasing and drilling for oil between 50 and 100 miles if States opt in. Of course it offers absolutely no revenues to the States for opting in the way that current law does with States along the gulf coast and the way that the Republican bill offers States, I think 39 percent of revenues go to States. And 10 percent goes to the Federal Government in the Republican bill, and then 50 percent of the revenue goes into developing new alternative energy strategies. But when I say that it permanently locks it off, there is no drilling here permitted between the current 3-mile threshold and 50 miles. None whatsoever. It's banned permanently. And to give you an idea of what kind of resources we're talking about, eastern seaboard 3.8 billion barrels estimated, 3.7 billion in the eastern gulf of Mexico, 11 billion barrels in the Pacific coast. And most experts say most of it's between 3 and 50 miles. The Speaker of the House called plans to drill a hoax. And I'm not in the name- calling business, but the American people should know that this so- called energy bill which includes so-called drilling actually bans the American people from the overwhelming majority of our domestic reserves on the Outer Continental Shelf forever. Let me yield to the gentleman from Arizona, John Shadegg, for 5 minutes.

Mr. PENCE. I thank the Policy Committee chairman for his remarks. I am informed, Mr. Speaker, that I stand corrected; that the legislation that I said had not been filed was filed during my opening remarks. And so anyone looking in should be aware that at 9:45 p.m. Eastern tonight, or thereabouts, the Democrat majority's plan for achieving energy independence in the 21st century was filed. We do not know the contents of the bill; we do not know the length of the bill. We are attempting to receive a copy of it and will attempt to report on that as much as we can before we adjourn tonight. The Secretary of the Republican Conference, the distinguished gentleman from Texas, John Carter, is recognized for 5 minutes.

Mr. PENCE. Reclaiming my time, and I thank the gentleman from Arizona and the gentleman from Georgia. And in the few minutes that I'm going to take before I yield to my colleagues, Mr. Speaker, if anyone senses a bit of incredulity in our voices, it is borne of profound frustration, the profound frustration that the American people are hurting. And they don't want backroom deals coming to the floor of this Congress; they want a fair and open debate that lets the Congress work its will and develop a bipartisan strategy that achieves energy independence in the 21st century. We cannot do that in 24 hours. We cannot do that with backroom deals that are done in the dead of night with no amendments allowed on the floor, one-size-fits-all. That smacks more of politics than the kind of bipartisan accomplishment that the American people expect from the people's House. Now let me give a few details about what we know about the bill that has not yet even been filed in the Congress and could be voted on the day after tomorrow. The Democrat energy bill. Let me just give you 10 ways the Democrat energy bill fails the American people. The Democrats' energy bill, number one, permanently locks up 80 percent of American oil reserves on the Outer Continental Shelf; 80 percent. If it passes intact, 80 percent of our reserves will be off limits forever. Number two, the Democrats' ``no energy'' bill, as we know it now, permanently locks up more than a trillion barrels of oil from oil shale in the inner mountain West. Number three, the Democrats' ``no energy'' bill permanently locks up more than 10 billion barrels of oil on Alaska's remote North Slope, an area where energy production and wildlife have been safely coexisting for decades. Number four, the Democrats' ``no energy'' bill blocks more nuclear power production, efficient, less costly production than nations like France have been using for decades. Number five, the Democrats' ``no energy'' bill does nothing to construct new clean coal energy production. Six, there is an enormous tax increase in the Democrat energy bill, something they've been talking about ever since they took over the Congress, raising taxes on oil companies. Well, after the holocaust that struck with Hurricane Ike and Hurricane Gustav and Katrina a few years hence, the American people know we need more refineries in this country. Congress passed tax breaks for oil companies to encourage the construction of more refineries, and they want to repeal those breaks and now raise taxes more. I've got to tell you, the biggest laugh line I have in eastern Indiana is when I look at people at town hall meetings and at town squares and I say, who among you thinks that by raising taxes on oil companies you will lessen the price of gasoline at the pump? It's a laugh-out-loud line, but it's what passes for the Democrats' energy policy. Quickly then. The Democrats' ``no energy'' bill, as we know it, permanently prevents Federal agencies from using alternative sources of fuel. It increases electricity costs on families, seniors and small businesses through new heavy-handed electricity mandates. It includes plans for exactly zero new refineries as I mentioned before. And it ultimately defies the will of the American people who want this Congress to work together, who want this Congress to take an up-or-down vote on lifting the moratorium on offshore drilling, who want this Congress to bring all-of-the-above strategies--wind, solar, nuclear-- and vote them up or down. But instead, we get a backroom deal, brought, soon to be, I assume, in the dead of night with no opportunity or meaningful opportunity for debate or amendment. With that, I'm pleased to yield to the Policy chairman of the Republican Conference. Thaddeus McCotter of Michigan is a colleague who spent more time on this floor during the August recess than any single Member of Congress. And I yield to him to speak about this legislation and its flaws.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation and yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6503, the Missing Alzheimer's Disease Patient Alert Program Reauthorization of 2008, and I would ask unanimous consent to yield the balance of the time on our side to a member of our conference who, while not a member of the Judiciary Committee of the House, Congressman Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania is a man who possesses a Ph.D. in psychology, has a deep personal interest and background in this area and it seems to us to be altogether fitting if he'd carry our support for this important and bipartisan legislation. So by unanimous consent, I would like to yield the balance of our time to Mr. Murphy to carry that legislation.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Madam Speaker, almost 6 weeks ago this House adjourned for a 5-week paid vacation. A year and a half had passed, and the Democrat leadership remained, up to that moment, steadfast on one issue and one issue only--there would never be a vote on the House floor that gave the American people more access to American oil through domestic drilling. House Republicans refused to go quietly. We held this floor for 5 weeks, demanding that, in the wake of this 21st-century energy crisis, Congress come together in a bipartisan way and develop a comprehensive energy bill that said yes to conservation, yes to alternative sources of energy, and yes to more domestic drilling. And now, although we don't have the language yet, there is word that there is a Democrat bill coming to the floor that includes more domestic drilling. I rise to commend my Republican colleagues who fought for the right of the American people to debate, having access to their own resources, and I say to my colleagues, bring your bill to the floor. We'll bring our bill to the floor. Make it an open debate. Let us cast the votes, and let us lay forward a blueprint for energy independence in the 21st century as the bipartisan accomplishment of this Congress.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, 5 weeks ago, Democrats adjourned this Congress for a 5-week paid vacation without ever giving the bipartisan majority in this House that supports comprehensive energy legislation and includes more drilling a vote. But House Republicans never left. Republicans stayed here on the House floor because we know the American people are hurting. Senior citizens, school systems, working families, small businesses and family farmers are struggling under the weight of high gasoline prices. In fact, the American people know the high cost of energy is costing American jobs. And so now today along comes the latest iteration of a Democrat energy bill. And as Congress awaits the unveiling of their latest effort, a plea to Speaker Pelosi and the House Democrats: No gimmicks, no fig leaves, no half measures. The American people won't stand for it. The Democratic leadership must allow the bipartisan majority in this Congress that supports more drilling, more conservation, more alternatives, a fair up-or-down vote and debate. Speaker Pelosi, respectfully, you can turn off the lights on the House floor, you can shut off the microphones, but you cannot silence the majority of the American people that want a comprehensive bill and want to drill here, drill more, drill now.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Madam Speaker, I rise to thank the Rotary Club of Muncie, Indiana for their invaluable service to the residents of my hometown of Columbus, Indiana following catastrophic flooding that city experienced in early June. ``The Power of One,'' by Tom Farris was published in the Muncie Star Press on August 10, 2008. The article outlines the tremendous support provided by the Muncie Rotary Club and the leadership they provided in the early clean-up efforts. Tom Farris writes: Often when we think of Rotary relief and assistance programs, we picture people in need halfway around the globe or the worldwide eradication of polio. However, the summertime flooding, which has been labeled a once-in- several-hundred-years disaster, caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damages in Indiana and proved that those in need can be as close as several counties away. Congressman Mike Pence visited the Muncie Rotary Club on June 17 to provide an update on what had been going on in Washington. But since he had been back in Indiana visiting the flood-ravaged areas of his district, he focused on the extensive damage he had observed in many parts of eastern Indiana, especially severe in the Columbus area . . . While the Congressman spoke to us, a banner in the Indiana Room at Minnetrista proclaimed the theme ``The Power of One.'' Within 24 hours, ``The Power of One'' was well underway to connect the Muncie Rotary Club to flood victims in Columbus, thanks to Muncie Rotarian Gay Nation, the Club's then incoming chairman for community service. Gay is well- known for taking a project and putting her mind and heart into it for dramatic results. She contacted the Columbus Sunrise and Noon Rotary Clubs to offer help and by the following Tuesday, four work trips were planned--July 12, 19, 26 and Aug. 2--so Muncie Rotary Club members could volunteer to assist in Columbus. Gay learned bottled water was in great demand, so she clipped coupons from the Sunday edition of The Star Press, contacted retailers and Rotary began accepting donations to purchase water and cleaning supplies. Plus Rotarians began contacting other organizations to make them aware of the needs and to connect them to the relief efforts. Members of the Muncie Rotary Club participating in the Columbus area flood relief efforts included: Doug Bakken, Marlin Creasy, Roni Johnson, Gay Nation, Jim Needham, Pat Garofolo, Lois Rockhill, Bob Gortner, Loyal Cutforth, Leslie Anderson and Ray Montagno, along with Bill Green, a neighbor of Gay Nation. Tom Kosar from the Muncie Sunrise Rotary Club collected funds for the purchase of 28 cases of water. Columbus Sunrise Rotary Club members assisting with the relief efforts included: Jodi Engelstad (president), Charles Dewey, Mike Ferree, Paula Ferree, Don Harvey, Cindy Greene, Owen Hungerford, Lyn Morgan, Kara Steele, Celeste Racette, Jill Shedd, Mary Tucker, Lacretia Ulery, Bia Carasco (an exchange student from Brazil) and David ``Mac'' McCorry, president of the Columbus Noon Rotary Club. Additional donors to the project include Muncie Sunrise Rotary Club, which donated 28 cases of water; Lynette Freeman of Cardinal Greenway, more 111 gallons of water, plus 28 cases of water and soda; Mary Alice Hatten, CVS store manager, personally donated two large coolers and 10 cases of water; K-Mart store manager Joetta Roysden donated three large coolers and allowed Rotary to purchase 10 cases of water at a great discount, plus Rotarians donated over $750 to a matching fund to provide a new $3,000 camera for Columbus Regional Hospital. In total, Rotary delivered 2,280 bottles of water. Never underestimate ``The Power of One'' in getting people engaged to assist neighbors in need--or people they don't even know. Although the flood devastation in the Columbus area didn't receive great media attention, people were hurting and the need for help was real. I think Rotary's Flood Relief Efforts provide a perfect illustration of the Rotary motto ``Service Above Self.'' I commend each of the individuals mentioned in this article, and extend my deepest gratitude to this dedicated group of volunteers who went out of their way to help fellow Hoosiers in need.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Madam Speaker, I rise to thank the Noon Rotary Club of Muncie, Indiana for their invaluable service to the residents of my hometown of Columbus, Indiana following catastrophic flooding that city experienced in early June. An article published in the Columbus Republic on July 25, 2008 outlined the tremendous support this group provided: Three Saturdays ago, carloads of Muncie Rotarians descended on Eastside Community Center, determined to help prepare and deliver meals to survivors and volunteers. They've been coming back ever since. ``This Muncie group is awesome,'' said Celeste Racette, a member of the Columbus Sunrise Rotary Club who worked with the Delaware County group in coordinating the volunteer effort. ``They not only helped prepare and deliver meals but they have kept coming back and they even set the folks at Eastside up with Gleaner's Food Bank out of Indianapolis to deliver a week's supply of food.'' They'll need it. Lenore Hollowell, who is coordinating the meal delivery program Eastside initiated in the early hours of the flood recovery, said Thursday that the group is averaging 550 meal deliveries each day. The article continues: The Muncie group offered more than just helping hands. The Rotarians who arrived on the first Saturday and immediately were sent to devastated areas with prepared meals were welcomed warmly but also given guidance for future visits. ``If people didn't want the lunches, they definitely wanted the water,'' Celeste said. ``That need was discovered on their first trip. On the next trip the Muncie group brought down 40 cases of water, four coolers and endless bags of ice so that we could hand out cold bottled water along with the meals.'' While the Muncie group was in Columbus, one of its members struck up a conversation with Lenore Hollowell about additional sources of food. Gleaner's Food Bank in Indianapolis was mentioned and within the space of hours, e-mails were being traded back and forth setting up the delivery of a week's supplies. ``The delivery ran the gamut from eight cases of yams to two cases of mop handles . . . from three cases of chocolate chip cookies to four pallets of bottled water . . . there were even 1,200 prepared meals from Federal Emergency Management Agency.'' The Noon Rotary Club of Muncie will likely make their final visit to Columbus on August 2. I want to extend my deepest gratitude to this dedicated group of volunteers who went out of their way to help Hoosiers in need.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Madam Speaker, pursuant to clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal.

Mr. PENCE. Madam Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Yesterday, by one vote, the House voted to adjourn as soon as today for the August recess. This means Congress is about to take a 5-week vacation without even taking a vote on bipartisan measures that would lessen our dependence on foreign oil by allowing more domestic drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf. Mr. Speaker, the American people won't get a vacation from high gasoline prices, so Congress shouldn't take a vacation until we vote to lessen our dependence on foreign oil. If the Speaker won't keep the House in session to allow this vote, I urge President Bush to call an immediate energy special session of Congress. Under article II, section 3 of the Constitution, the President has the power, quote, on extraordinary occasions to convene the Congress. If $4 a gallon of gas isn't an extraordinary occasion that demands action by the Congress, I don't know what is. The Congress should stay in session and do its job and give the bipartisan pro-drilling majority a vote. And, Mr. President, if this Congress tries to leave town without voting on more drilling, use your constitutional authority, bring them back and make them work.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Madam Speaker, the American people deserve more access to American oil. And now that the President has lifted the ban on offshore drilling, Congress must not adjourn until the American people get a vote on more domestic drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf. In a day when some in this body say it is their duty to ``save the planet,'' I prefer the words of Daniel Webster that are chiseled on the wall behind me. He said a century ago, ``Let us develop the resources of our land, call forth its powers.'' And so I add to my colleagues, let us develop the resources of our land. Let us give the American people more access to American oil. Americans won't get a vacation from high gas prices, so Congress should not take a vacation until we vote to lessen our dependence on foreign oil. Madam Speaker, do not adjourn this Congress until we give the bipartisan, pro-drilling majority a vote on more access to our oil reserves.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. I thank the gentleman for yielding; thank him for his strong moral leadership on this issue. And I want to commend the ranking member and the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee for having the moral courage to bring this resolution to the House before Congress adjourns. It is important that we speak truth to power. And with the 2008 Olympics in Beijing about to begin, it is important that the people of the United States be heard on our ideals, as athletes from around the globe and global media descend on China. It is important that we say, as the late Tom Lantos, chairman of this committee, said in a hearing last year, a few months before his death, ``China is a police state.'' I personally believe that the selection of China as the site of the 2008 Olympic Games was a historic error. The Olympics is a symbol of the human spirit, and in that regard, a symbol of human freedom. And this police state, therefore, is precisely the wrong venue for a celebration of human dignity and the human spirit. And so I commend to my colleagues support for H. Res. 1370. I am particularly grateful for the call on the government of the People's Republic of China to end abuses of human rights, to release those imprisoned for political and religious expression, and also challenging China to honor its commitment to freedom of the press of foreign reporters. But I must say, while there is much talk in the media today about the crowd of smog hanging over Beijing as these games approach, let me say from my heart, the real cloud over the Beijing Olympics is the horror of forced abortion. And therefore, I am especially grateful to Congressman Chris Smith, from whom we just heard, for adding an important amendment to this resolution noting that, whereas the Chinese government limits most women to having one child and strictly controls the reproductive lives of Chinese citizens by systematic means that include mandatory monitoring of women's reproductive cycles, mandatory sterilization and contraception, mandatory birth permits, coercive fines for failure to comply and the like, that this legislation will call on Congress to--excuse me--call on the People's Republic of China to immediately end the practice of forced abortion. And make no mistake about it, China's policy requires that unpermitted babies be aborted. Article 25 of the Henan Province Population and Family Planning Regulations reads: ``Under any of the following conditions, necessary remedial measures shall be taken and pregnancy terminated under the guidance of family planning technical service workers: Pregnancy out of wedlock, pregnancy without a certificate, or where the party already has one child.'' In the committee, Madam Speaker, we heard the most horrific stories of these so-called family planning technical service workers literally breaking into homes, dragging women in their ninth month of pregnancies off to clinics, forcing abortions on them and, in one case after another, going to horrific means to ensure that the newly born child's life had been completely snuffed out. There is not time in this debate to recount those instances, but they are legion in China, and they are the result of heartbreak among tens of millions of that country of good and decent people. And so I commend the chairman of this committee, Mr. Berman, for his leadership. I commend Mr. Chabot for his leadership, and especially the gentleman from New Jersey, a leading voice for the sanctity of life in the United States of America, for ensuring that this legislation, this resolution comes before the Olympics, that we speak truth to power to the People's Republic of China; that here in the United States of America, the people of this country will say, with one voice, we believe in freedom and we believe in life, and we reject the policy of forced abortion in China, and urge them to do likewise at this time.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, freedom is not the business of the Republican Party or the Democratic Party alone. It is not the business of liberals or conservatives alone. Freedom is the work of every American and every Member of Congress. It was in that spirit that 3 years ago, I authored the Free Flow of Information Act with my colleague Congressman Rick Boucher from Virginia. The bill provides a qualified privilege to shield confidential sources from disclosure except in cases where national security or classified information is at issue. Last year, the House proved that freedom is not an issue alone in the province of the left or the right by passing the measure with an overwhelming bipartisan vote. Last week, the Washington Post and Washington Times proved the same. Newspapers with great liberal and conservative traditions alike have endorsed this vital legislation. We learned this morning that the Senate may consider the Free Flow of Information Act as soon as tomorrow, and so I respectfully rise to encourage our colleagues in the other body to remember, freedom is not the business of Republicans or Democrats, liberals or conservatives. Freedom is the work of every American and every Member Congress. I urge my Senate colleagues to do like the House did, come together in a bipartisan manner and put this stitch in a tear in the first amendment, freedom of the press.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5501, the Tom Lantos and Henry Hyde Global AIDS bill. As Congresswoman Barbara Lee just eloquently stated, it is poignant to those of us who knew these two great legislators to see the important expansion of this legislation occur after both of them have gone home to be with the Lord. But I can think of no better tribute to these men of character and vision and compassion than this legislation. I commend Chairman Berman and Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen for their strong leadership. I also want to commend my colleague, Chris Smith, for his yeoman's work in preserving a delicate balance of this bill. Also Mr. Speaker, let me publicly acknowledge the work of our President, George W. Bush. Mr. President, because of your moral leadership and compassion, Africa will never be the same, and history will record your work. The Bible tells us, ``To whom much is given much is expected.'' I believe the United States has a moral obligation to lead the world in confronting the pandemic of HIV/AIDS. The dimensions of this crisis are truly staggering. The HIV/AIDS pandemic has infected more than 60 million people worldwide, killed more than 25 million, a number that grows grievously every day by nearly 9,000. HIV/AIDS has orphaned some 14 million children. And today, 70 percent of the people in the world with HIV/AIDS reside in Africa. More startling, if current infection rates continue, new epicenters for the disease are likely to arise out of India, China and eastern Europe. The threat this pandemic poses to our security is real. If not addressed, this plague will continue to undermine the stability of nations throughout the third world, leaving behind collapsing economies, tragedy, and desperation, which we all know is a breeding ground for extremist violence and terrorism. This is truly a global crisis. And because the United States of America can render timely assistance, I believe we must. You know, every so often in this place we have the opportunity to do something, not just for the American people, but for humanity, and this is such a time. And this global AIDS bill seeks to address this crisis not only by providing medicine and health care to those in need, but also by providing funding resources for evidence-based programs that have been successful in preventing infection. It's imperative, I believe, that we not only send our resources, but that we send them in a manner that is consistent with our values. We cannot send billions of dollars to Africa without sending values-based safeguards and techniques that work to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS by changing behavior, and this current version of the global AIDS bill includes those safeguards. It was essential that we preserve these prevention methods that focus on behavioral change, and that we continue to work with faith-based, nongovernmental organizations that promote programs, including the ABC model, which has produced such undeniable results. But as a conservative let me say, as we tend to the suffering abroad, we also have to figure out how to pay for it. The Federal budget, I believe, is filled with opportunities to responsibly fund this program, and I look forward to finding the right priorities to do just that. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5501, the ``Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde Global AIDS Bill.'' The Bible tells us, `to whom much is given, much is expected,'' and I believe the United States has a moral obligation to lead the world in confronting the pandemic of HIV/AIDS. The dimensions of this crisis are truly staggering. The HIV/AIDS pandemic has infected more than 60 million people worldwide. It has killed more than 25 million, a number which grows grievously every day by more than 8,500. HIV/AIDS has orphaned some 14 million children. And today, 70 percent of the people in the world with HIV/AIDS reside in Africa. Within that continent there are entire countries where more than one- third of the adult population is infected. More startling, if current infection rates continue, new epicenters for the disease are likely to arise out of India, China and Eastern Europe, with numbers that could surpass Africa in a few short years. And the threat that this pandemic poses to our security is also real. If not addressed, this plague will continue to undermine the stability of nations throughout the third world, leaving behind collapsing economies and tragedy and desperation--a breeding ground for extremist violence and terrorism. This is truly a global crisis and because the United States can render timely assistance, I believe we must. You know, every so often in this place, we have the opportunity to do something for humanity and serve the American people--and this is such a time. I thank Chairman Berman and Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen for their strong leadership. I commend my colleague, Mr. Chris Smith, in particular for his yeoman's work on carefully preserving the delicate balance of this legislation. And I'd also like to publicly acknowledge the work of our President, George W. Bush. Mr. President, because of your moral leadership and compassion, Africa will never be the same, and history will record your work. And this Global AIDS bill seeks to address the crisis, not only by providing medicine and health care to those in need, but also by providing funding resources for evidence-based programs that have been successful in preventing infection. It is imperative, I believe, that we not only send our resources but also that we send them in a manner that is consistent with our values. We cannot send billions of dollars to Africa without sending values-based safeguards and techniques that work to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS by changing behavior. Within the current version the Global AIDS bill that the Senate recently passed, these pivotal provisions exist in the form of a requirement to provide `balanced funding for prevention activities for sexual transmission of HIV/AIDS,' and to ensure that abstinence and faithfulness programs `are implemented and funded in a meaningful and equitable way.' This is enforced by requiring the Global AIDS Coordinator to report to the appropriate Congressional committee if funding for abstinence, delay of sexual debut, monogamy, or fidelity programs drops below 50 percent of the total sexual prevention program funding. It was essential that we preserve prevention methods that focus on behavioral change, and that we work with faith-based and non- governmental organizations at the local level, in particular through the ABC Model, which has produced undeniable results. As we tend to the suffering, through, we always have to figure out how we're going to pay for it. The federal budget, I believe, is packed with wasteful and bloated programs, which could supply more than enough opportunities to cover the cost of the Lantos/Hyde Global AIDS bill. When it comes time to fund this program in the appropriations process, I believe Congress should make the hard choices necessary to ensure that this global health crisis does not become a crisis of debt for our children and grandchildren. I believe it is possible to be both responsible to our fiscal constraints while being obedient to our moral calling. The greatest of all human rights is the right to live. America is a nation of great wealth--wealth of resources, but more importantly, a wealth of compassion. The history of the world is filled with telling moments regarding the character of a people. Sometimes we are witness to mankind's great inhumanities. Other times we marvel at the beauty of mankind's selfless acts of compassion, when we rise above politics and raise up those in dire need. Let this be such a day. I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this legislation.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Well, back in Indiana, Hoosier families are hurting. Pain at the pump is harming the vitality of our families, our family farms, and small businesses, and the time has come for Congress to act. Madam Speaker, we've heard from many of our Democrat colleagues that the answer is to go deeper into our Strategic Petroleum Reserve. I believe the answer is to go deeper into the reserves that are in the Outer Continental Shelf, in Alaska, and in the Gulf of Mexico. The American people know the only way to lessen our dependence on foreign oil is to lessen our dependence on foreign oil by giving the American people more access to American oil. I joined all my Indiana colleagues this past Monday at a press conference in Hoosier State urging you, Madam Speaker, to bring to this floor a vote on allowing American oil companies access to the Outer Continental Shelf. The President's lifted his executive ban. Now the only thing standing in between the American people and more access to American oil is one up-or-down vote on the floor of the Congress. I urge you respectfully, Madam Speaker, bring the bill to the floor to allow the American people access to the reserves in this Outer Continental Shelf, and that bill will pass. If Congress is allowed to work its will, America will vote to drill.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, the American housing market is in turmoil and homeowners are anxious. And let me say from the heart I believe Congress is right to act decisively to cure what ails our housing markets. But with the American Housing Rescue and Foreclosure Prevention Act, the cure may be worse than the disease. H.R. 3221 increases the national debt by $800 billion, and it raises taxes on the very entities that we say we are trying to help, putting the money in the pockets of special interests and politically motivated groups. In a time of crushing national debt and rising deficits, we're considering a package that would give a blank check to the administration for bailing out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac at a time when the Chairman of the Federal Reserve and regulators of those entities insist they're solvent and fiscally sound. The most troubling part to me is that whatever we do for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, we shouldn't be raising taxes on them. This legislation includes a 4.2 percent tax of basis points for each dollar of unpaid principal balance of total new business purchases. In plain language, CBO estimates that 4.2 basis points could equal a slush fund of $710 million for 2009, $9 billion over 10 years that could go to organizations like ACORN and the National Council of La Raza, which, in addition to being involved in legitimate pro-housing programs, are also unquestionably involved in political mobilization, voter turnout, registration, and the like. Congress can do better than H.R. 3221 to quell the anxious housing markets that beset our Nation today. The American people deserve a housing bill without corporate bailouts, without tax increases, without slush funds for politically motivated organizations. The American people deserve better than the American Housing Rescue and Foreclosure Prevention Act, and I urge my colleagues to join me in opposition to this legislation.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, the Constitution of the United States provides that Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech or of the press. These two rights form the bedrock of our democracy by ensuring the free flow of information to the American people. Sadly, today, the free and independent press in America is under fire. In recent years, more than 40 journalists have been subpoenaed, questioned or held in contempt for failure to reveal their confidential sources. For a journalist, maintaining an assurance of confidentiality to a source is sometimes the only way to bring forward news of great consequence to the Nation. Being forced to reveal a source chills reporting of the news, and, thereby, restricts the free flow of information to the public. Now, not long ago, a reporter's assurance of confidentiality was unquestioned. That assurance led to sources that willingly provided information to journalists who brought forward news of enormous consequence to the Nation. One thinks of Watergate, recent stories of misfeasance at Walter Reed Army medical center, and even the abuse of steroids in major league baseball. All of these stories never would have come to the light, stories great and small, were it not for confidential sources and the dogged persistence of a free and independent press. As a conservative who believes in a limited government, I believe the only check on government power in real time is a free and independent press. A free press ensures the flow of information to the public, and in this time of scandals and rumors of scandals and corruption in high places, such information is needed now more than ever to hold those in power to account. In order to maintain our free and independent press, I authored the Free Flow of Information Act with Congressman Rick Boucher of Virginia several years ago. This bill is also known as a Federal media shield statute. It provides a qualified privilege of confidentiality to journalists, which enables them to shield sources from disclosure in certain situations. Now, the bill is not about protecting reporters, it's about protecting the public's right to know. We introduced the bill in May of 2007, and on October 16 of last year, it passed in this House of Representatives by an overwhelming and bipartisan margin of 398-21. I was especially pleased to earn the support of Republican and Democratic leadership, the chairman and ranking members of the Intelligence and Armed Services Committee, and many other leaders throughout the House of Representatives. The bill received wide bipartisan support because of measures we added to specifically address very real and legitimate concerns about how a privilege for journalists could impact national security. The Federal Government, as we know, is tasked with a tremendous responsibility of protecting the Nation. We must always put national security in the forefront of our consideration. The Free Flow of Information Act does just that. Well, with news that the United States Senate may be taking up a version of this legislation as soon as next week, I wanted to rise to speak about the bill and what some of its critics may say. Critics of the bill will point always to concerns about national security. But our version of the bill only provides a qualified privilege, meaning that disclosure of a source's identity may be required in certain situations. The foremost of those situations, of course, is when the Nation's security is placed at risk. The bill permits compelled disclosure to prevent or identify the perpetrator of an act of terrorism against the United States or its allies, to prevent significant or specified harm to national security, or, in cases that involved the unauthorized disclosure of classified information that caused or will cause significant or articulable harm to national security. In such cases, a judge will be able to determine whether the public interest, in compelling disclosure of a source, outweighs the public interest in gathering or disseminating news or information. Overall, I sincerely believe the bill strikes a reasonable balance between the public's right to know and the fair administration of justice. In striking that balance, the version of the legislation that passed this House puts national security first. Long ago Thomas Jefferson warned, ``Our liberty cannot be guarded but by the freedom of the press, nor that limited without danger of losing it.'' Jefferson's words hold true today. The passage of the Free Flow of Information Act in this Congress is necessary not only to explicitly and fully provide for the freedom and press of our Nation, but also to protect our liberty for future generations of Americans. With the extraordinary bipartisan support of my colleagues in the House of Representatives, and support in the United States Senate, which includes both major party candidates for President of the United States, it is my hope that the United States Senate will take up the Free Flow of Information Act and report it next week with a strong bipartisan affirmation.