Mike Pence

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois for yielding me this time. I rise today on behalf of Hoosier farmers, dedicated men and women who wake at sunrise and leave their sweat in the fields by sunset. In the year 2000 alone, American farmers benefited from U.S. agricultural exports to China totaling $1.9 billion; and China's ascension into the WTO, expected later this year, is projected to produce an additional $2 billion annually to our Nation's farmers. Mr. Speaker, at a time when most U.S. agricultural commodities are experiencing their lowest prices in decades, stable access to China's markets is critical. Mr. Speaker, according to our best traditions, we are to live as free men but not use our freedom as a coverup for evil. And unlike many in this Chamber, since arriving in Washington I have been a vociferous opponent of the human rights' abuses of the Chinese Government, and I will continue to be. In fact, I recently stood at this very podium and criticized China's incarceration of American troops, American academicians, and its securing of the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing. But, Mr. Speaker, I believe our relationship with China is a complex one, and it can best be described as follows: America's relationship with China should be America with one hand extended in friendship and in trade and with the other hand resting comfortably on the holster of the arsenal of democracy. By empowering the President to offer this extension, we will continue to open Chinese society to foreign investment and expose Chinese citizens to private property, contract, and the rule of law, while we commit ourselves to the necessary rebuilding of the American military with special emphasis on the Asian Pacific Rim. I urge my colleagues not to mix trade and security today. I urge my colleagues to oppose H.J. Res. 50 and allow the President to extend NTR to China for one more year.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, soon after I was appointed the only freshman member of the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics of the Committee on Science, I determined to tour the Kennedy Space Center and witness the launch of a manned mission to space. Just before dawn on Thursday, July 12, I fulfilled that goal and was left not only with a profound sense of appreciation for those who make our space program work, but also with an enhanced sense of pride in being an American. We arrived at Cape Canaveral at midnight in the company of 9-year veteran NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin. On the way to the launch site, our group of seven Members of Congress and their staffs was confronted with the sight of the Shuttle Atlantis, just one mile away. The shuttle and booster rockets stood straight up, steaming in the darkness, illuminated by billion-watt searchlights. With its 18 million pounds of hardware, fuel, and payload, the bright white craft stood, as Astronaut Edward Lu told me that evening, ``creaking and steaming like an animal waiting to leap into space.'' Moments later, shortly after 1 a.m., an attack helicopter appeared, Mr. Speaker, flying low, search lights and guns sweeping the road between the astronauts' residence building and the 1 A launch site. After the gunship completed its reconnaissance, the bus carrying the five brave astronauts of STS-104 sped past our group. With all the enthusiasm of schoolchildren seeing Santa at the Macy's Parade, seven Members of Congress frantically waved as the bus conveying the crew sped past on its way to the launch tower. From the launch area, we traveled to the Apollo Center where the viewing stands were already filled with family members and friends of the crew, anxiously milling about in nervous conversation. We took our seats. With the 4:30 a.m. announcement that we were ``go for launch'' booming over the public address system, the clock began to run. At 5 minutes to launch, the ``Star Spangled Banner'' blared out of the speakers at the viewing stand, and all those in attendance solemnly rose to their feet. Mr. Speaker, the phrase ``the rockets' red glare'' froze in those morning hours in my mind as I listened to our national anthem. I thought of another night sky some 150 years ago by the light of rockets of a different sort when Francis Scott Key penned those magnificent lines about the United States of America. The rocket cleared the tower. Moments after, a burst of light appeared before the gantry way. The moment the main orbiter engines reached the top of the tower, Mr. Speaker, the humid Florida night sky turned as bright as day. The same instant, the sound with all its earthshaking force struck our location like a hurricane. The Earth shook and an explosion of hot air rushed past. I felt as if the wind had been knocked out of me, the sound only becoming louder as the rocket climbed in the early morning sky. Mr. Speaker, it was as though the Earth gave birth to a piece of sun and was sending it home. Atlantis seemed almost lazy in its rate of ascent. As the ship climbed, the light from the rocket which had, at first, shone dimly like the dawn, turned to midday brightness, revealing a blue sky and leaving shadows on the landscape. I turned to look at my wife. Karen stood with wet eyes in that other worldly brilliance. I was nearly overcome with emotion. But there was still serious work to be done. The shuttle climbed, leaving in its wake a sycamore-like column of smoke that seemed a pillar holding heaven itself. When the vehicle jettisoned its temporary booster rockets the crowd broke out into applause, but NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin would have none of it. His demeanor remained silent and stern. He explained that he did not celebrate launches until 8 minutes and 30 seconds into the launch. At that time the main engine cutoff occurred and the astronauts safely reached orbit. As the light faded and the sky returned to the darkness of night, Atlantis appeared as a red dot disappearing into the Northeast sky. Still visible 160 miles away, we heard the words ``main engine cutoff'' on the public address system. The entire crowd broke into applause, relief and tears. Later that morning I had the honor of speaking to over 100 mission specialists in the Firing Room. I would have called it mission control, but I learned that title belongs in Houston. I made a few comments to those Purdue graduates on hand and then told all the heroes wearing headsets how the words of the national anthem that morning had struck me. I thanked them for their professionalism, for another safe launch, and for the inspiration which their teamwork and their spirit of exploration continues to provide to all Americans. After sharing a meal of beans and cornbread with the crew, which is a traditional post-launch fare at NASA, we boarded a plane to Washington. As I drifted off to sleep, Mr. Speaker, the words of our national anthem rang in my ears, and I became more convinced than ever that the rockets' red glare still gives proof in the air that this is the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I come to the well this morning in strong support of the Community Solutions Act that we will consider shortly today. As our President said just last week, we in Washington cannot make Americans love their neighbors, but we can make resources available to those who have a heart for service, but not a wallet. For too long official Washington has used strict legalism as their excuse for walking by on the other side of the road, denying recognition and assistance to the faith-based institutions who have been making a profound difference in the communities we serve for over 100 years. Mr. Speaker, the Community Solutions Act will bring this era of discrimination to an end. It will empower Americans and institutions of faith by increasing charitable giving through tax deductions, expanding charitable choice to allow religious organizations funds on an equal footing with non-religious institutions and other reforms. Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to vote for H.R. 7 and let a new era of cooperation between public and private organizations that battle poverty and social maladies to begin.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, after surviving the bloodiest battlefield since Gettysburg, a brave platoon of Marines trudged up Mount Suribachi on Sulfur Island with a simple task, to raise the flag above the devastation below. When the flag was raised by Sergeant Mike Strank and his platoon, history records that a thunderous cheer rose from our troops on land and on sea, in foxholes and on stretchers. Hope returned to that field of battle when the American flag began flapping in the wind. It is written that without a vision, the people perish. The flag, Mr. Speaker, was the vision that inspired and rallied our troops at Iwo Jima. The flag is still the vision for all Americans who still cherish those who stood ready to make the necessary sacrifices. Mr. Speaker, by adopting this flag protection amendment, we will raise Old Glory yet again. We will raise her above the decisions of a judiciary wrong on both the law and the history. And in some small way, we will raise the flag above the cynicism of our times, saying to my generation of Americans those most unwelcome of words, ``There are limits.'' To say to my generation of Americans, out of respect for all those who serve beneath it and some who died within the sight of it, that there are boundaries necessary to the survival of freedom. C.S. Lewis said, ``We laugh at honor, and we are shocked to find traitors in our midst.'' Leave us this day to cease to laugh at honor, to elevate to dishonor of our unique national symbol to some sacred right, and let us pass this amendment to restore Old Glory the modest protections of the law that those who venerate her so richly deserve. Vote yes to the resolution and raise the American flag to her Old Glory again.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Reynolds) for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the rule. What could be more fair, Mr. Speaker, than to allow all the changes that Members have requested to be debated and voted in the daylight of public scrutiny on this floor. We are all here because we believe that righteousness exalts a nation, but let us craft a system today that exalts the righteous, brings down the corrupt but does not sacrifice the blood- bought liberties, the freedom of speech of all Americans. I strongly support the rule and I urge its passage.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, adult stem cell research is pro-life, but destroying nascent human beings for research is not pro-life. It is said that facts are stubborn things. Fact No. 1 in this debate, Mr. Speaker, is that Congress outlawed Federal funding of destructive human embryo research in 1996. When the Clinton administration authorized the use of Federal funding for embryo stem cell research, that law became yet another law trampled by the Clinton administration. I pray that President Bush and his administration will not follow suit. Fact No. 2, Mr. Speaker: As Dr. Weldon said, not one medical treatment has been developed from research done on stem cells from human embryos. Virtually every advancement cited today on this floor was accomplished with adult stem cell research. Researchers describe the usefulness of embryonic stem cells as conjecture. The Washington Post today alarmingly reports of the creation of human embryos for the express purpose of their destruction. I implore the President to make the morally right decision regarding embryo stem cell research. The ethics and the law demand that we discontinue Federal funding. The President should do justice, enforce the law, and choose life so that we and our children may live.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a strong advocate of the rule of law and the right to life. That is why I urge the administration to faithfully execute the 1996 law adopted by this Congress prohibiting the use of taxpayer dollars to finance the harvesting of stem cells from human embryos. Just because the last administration tried to trample this law through regulations is no excuse for this administration to fail in its oath to faithfully execute the laws adopted in this Congress. The clear language of the 1996 law, the high principle of the sanctity of human life and the enormous promise of adult stem cell research all argue that this President and this administration should choose life.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me, and I want to add my congratulations to the growing congressional family, to Melissa Putnam for putting up with the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Putnam), and to the happiness. The knowledge that children are a reward from the Lord is something we are pleased to acknowledge, and we send prayers and best wishes, Mr. Speaker, to all of those who share that sentiment.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of the late Mr. Larry L. Grimes, an outstanding citizen and dedicated community leader in southwest Indiana, but most importantly, a dear friend. I join his lovely wife, Nancy, and daughter, Cassie, in expressing our gratitude for his loyal service to the State of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, Larry Grimes left this earth in November of 2000, just hours after his overwhelming election to the Warrick Circuit Court in Warrick County, Indiana. His election was a fitting tribute to the Christian character and servant's attitude that animated his life. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to announce that this past Sunday, June 24, 2001, the town of Newburgh, Indiana held a hose cutting ceremony to dedicate its new fire and EMS stations in the name of Former Fire Chief Larry Grimes. Mr. Speaker, it is written that a good name is more precious than rubies. The good people of Newburgh have put a good name on this new facility. Mr. Speaker, I respectfully ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to this esteemed man and cherished friend who as a family man, an educator, an attorney and a fireman, made southwestern Indiana a better place for his having been there.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and I want to thank him for his hard work and leadership in speeding this crop assistance package to the floor today. Family farmers across Indiana appreciate the gentleman's aggressiveness. Mr. Speaker, by providing $5.5 billion in economic assistance, this farm bill represents a much-needed first step in keeping Congress' promise to America's farmers and ranchers, but it is only a first step. It is said that the sower sows in expectation, and this farm bill fails to meet the expectation of American farmers in at least two respects. First, the assistance level it provides is not sufficient to address the total needs of farmers and ranchers; and, second, the bill's scope is too narrow, leaving many needs completely unaddressed. At a time when real net cash income on the farm is at its lowest level since the Great Depression, it is not time to cut supplemental aid to farmers. Although I urge my colleagues to support this bill as a first step toward helping our Nation's farmers, I am deeply disappointed that this bill leaves out $1 billion in farm aid for only a few short-term benefits.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and I thank my colleague from New Jersey for his outstanding leadership on House Resolution 160, calling on the Government of the People's Republic of China to immediately and unconditionally release Dr. Li Shaomin and other American scholars of Chinese ancestry currently being held in detention. I also would commend the gentleman from California (Mr. Sherman) for his eloquent words today in support of this important resolution. Madam Speaker, the Good Book says that we are to stand with those in prison as though we ourselves were prisoners. In this well of liberty, this well where resides the dreams and hopes and ambitions of freedom- loving people all over the world, today's resolution authored by the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) is an important statement. It is important that this Congress call on the Government of the People's Republic of China to immediately and unconditionally release Dr. Li Shaomin and other American scholars of Chinese ancestry held in detention and that we call today on the President of the United States to continue immediately and urgently working on behalf of their release. The Government of the People's Republic of China, Madam Speaker, has targeted, arrested, and detained several scholars and intellectuals of Chinese ancestry with ties to the United States, including, as astonishingly as it may seem, two United States citizens and three permanent residents of the United States of America. According to the Department of State's 2000 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices in China and international human rights organizations, the Government of the PRC has, quote, ``continued to commit widespread and well- documented human rights abuses in violation of internationally accepted norms. Targeting of intellectuals and scholars for harassment, arbitrary arrest, detention and criminal charges has created a chilling effect on the nascent freedom of expression which has begun to take hold within the People's Republic of China.'' Dr. Li Shaomin is a United States citizen, Madam Speaker, and a scholar who has been detained by the Government of the PRC for more than 100 days. He was formally charged with spying for Taiwan on May 15, 2001. Dr. Li has been deprived of his basic human rights by arbitrary arrest and detention and has not, as the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) stated with passion, even been allowed to contact his wife and child or his attorney or been offered even the most rudimentary due-process rights which, while not secured and vouchsafed for the citizens of China, certainly ought to be respected for the citizens of the United States of America within the geographic boundaries of China. Accordingly, this resolution, Madam Speaker, does in fact condemn and deplore the continued detention of Dr. Li, of Dr. Gao Zhan and other scholars detained on false charges by the Government of China, calls for their immediate release, deplores the lack of due process and urges the Government of the PRC to consider carefully the implications to its broader relationship with the United States through this detainment and coercion of American citizens and citizens of Chinese descent. We need look no further, Madam Speaker, than the cover of The Washington Post today, which speaks about China's concern about U.S. actions affecting our long-term relationship. Madam Speaker, I would say it is time for China to begin to worry how its actions against American citizens will affect the relationship of this body to that government. I close again with that challenge, that quote, from two millennia ago that we ought to stand with those that are in prison, Madam Speaker, as though we ourselves were prisoners. We in this Congress should stand today strongly for House Resolution 160 and call on the government of the People's Republic of China to make this small step toward liberty.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time. I rise humbly today in support of H.R. 1668 to establish an Adams Memorial Foundation. I speak with profound gratitude to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer), a family man and my colleague, for his sincere promotion and presentation of this ideal, and the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Hefley) for their promotion of this important work. So many have spoken so eloquently, Madam Speaker, today about the reasons for a memorial to the second President of the United States of America. I would rather reflect on the significance of the day 1 week from today that John Adams, the second President, made possible, July 2, 1776. That is when the Colossus of Independence stepped into the breach and stepped onto the floor of the then Congress of the United States and drew upon his profound Christian faith and drew upon his courage and education, defended liberty and the notion of independence. Thomas Jefferson would later write that, on that day, ``His power of thought and expression moved us from our seats.'' He went on to say of John Adams' role in the creation of the Declaration of Independence that ``no man better merited than Mr. John Adams to hold a most conspicuous place in its design, he was the pillar of its support on the floor of Congress. It is a blessed advocate and defender against the multifarious assaults it encountered. With the British floating in innumerable ships off the coast of Boston, it was the courage and faith and conviction of John Adams more than any other man on July 2, 1776, who began the process that wrought our independence, that wrought the freedom to have the debate on this floor every day.'' As we stand 1 week from the celebration on that particular day of days, July 2, 1776, I commend the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer), the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Hefley) and all those to support this amendment. It is time that we remember the Colossus of Independence, John Adams.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Madam Speaker, as a proud Hoosier representing proud 4-H'ers across Indiana, and as a former 4-H'er myself, I am proud to stand in favor of S. 657 to authorize funding for the National 4-H Program Centennial Initiative. I want to thank the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas), the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Clayton) and the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Ganske) for their seminal work on this project, and for their efforts to raise the national profile of 4-H through this study. Madam Speaker, think of it: 50 States, 3,000 counties, and just as many county fairs, 4-H is making a difference in the lives of America's youth. In the year 2002, 4-H will celebrate 100 years of having fun and making a difference for kids in both rural areas and, in increasing measure, in urban areas around the United States of America. The grant authorized by this legislation for the Secretary of Agriculture will not only provide the opportunity to study strategies for youth development, but as the gentleman from Oklahoma stated, it will require a report to the President. It will require leadership in 4-H, both public and private, to think clearly about the next 100 years of youth development in 4-H. Madam Speaker, $5 million may not seem like a lot of money in this town, but all across America $5 million is very serious money. It gives us a genuine opportunity to assist 4-H in developing new strategies to face the new horizons for America's youth increasingly beset by distractions of a destructive nature that lead them down a path of unproductive lives. Madam Speaker, 4-H is fun. But as the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Ganske) stated so eloquently, it is much more than just fun. It is head, heart, hands and health. It is teaching the habits of good living to young boys and girls across America. Madam Speaker, 4-H makes a difference, and so I stand in strong support and urge all of my colleagues to support this bill to authorize funding for the National 4-H Program Centennial Initiative.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. Mr. Chairman, I come to the well this evening to support the efforts of my good friends, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Toomey), the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Flake), and the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Tancredo), in their efforts to restore the FEMA rescission and to find suitable offsets for the nonveterans, nondefense-related appropriations found in this supplemental bill. In the few minutes that I have, Mr. Chairman, let me just say that I believe this measure and this amendment is about putting our house in order. It is not, as some Members have suggested, restoring the cut. It is not even a reduction, Mr. Chairman. It is just a slightly smaller increase. I think tonight of all nights, in the wake of the largest tax cut in a generation, particularly the members in my party ought to remember not the victory of this time, or the victory of 20 years ago, but we ought to remember the mistakes of 20 years ago. We ought to remember the last time we cut taxes across-the-board for all Americans that we in this Congress and even in my own party filed to marry that with fiscal restraint, with fiscal responsibility. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of this amendment, for the sole reason that history is a teacher. We will either learn from it or we will be cursed to repeat it.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. I especially appreciate the leadership of the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Thornberry) for bringing this important resolution to honor the service of our National Guard heroes who have served our country so ably in Bosnia. I also thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins) for his efforts. Madam Speaker, I have a particular interest in this resolution, and I am pleased to be a cosponsor because I am fortunate enough to represent Indiana's Atterbury National Guard base and Armed Forces Training Center at Atterbury. This facility has played an important role in preparing our reserve forces for deployment to the Bosnian theater. I am very proud of the work they do there. In fact, Madam Speaker, the training facilities at Atterbury are the finest light fighting training site east of Mississippi, to hear them tell it. This distinction is deserved praise given the role they have played in getting our troops ready for service in Bosnia. Since 1996, Hoosier National Guardsmen have had a continuous representation in Bosnia. Next spring, the 76th Separate Infantry Brigade will also be deployed in Bosnia. The newest mission amounts to nearly 300 infantry soldiers from all over the State of Indiana. In addition to plain old home State pride for the work our National Guard personnel have done and are doing in Bosnia, it is with deep respect that I call attention to the preparation that is under way presently for the largest mobilization of Indiana's National Guard since World War II. In the spring of 2004, the 38th Infantry Division Headquarters, based in east central Indiana, will deploy to Bosnia to run the Task Force Eagle Headquarters there and supervise all U.S. military operations. Hopefully, this 2004 mission will be the supervising of the final leg of our mission in that region. For all the work that our men and women in the National Guard have done and will do in the future, Madam Speaker, I know I speak for all of my constituents in Indiana when I say, ``Well done, good and faithful servants,'' and I thank them for all they have done to help secure relative peace and stability in the region. House Concurrent Resolution 154 is a well-deserved tribute.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Madam Speaker, I rise today because I am outraged. I am outraged that Americans are paying in some places in Indiana upwards to $2 a gallon for gasoline. Families across this country are being hurt by the fluctuating cost of fueling their cars. Stopping at the pump is no longer a routine function. We have heard of sticker shock, Madam Speaker. Now we have been introduced this summer to pump sticker shock. For years our colleagues in the other party have been actively working against opening new refineries and other methods of increasing the domestic supply of oil and gasoline. They have tried to demonize the oil industry of late and place the blame for rising costs squarely on the shoulders of executives and CEOs. Their political ploys have cost American drivers millions at the pump and have increased our reliance on foreign oil to such an extent that 60 percent of our oil comes from abroad. Madam Speaker, I am happy to say that our President is leading on increased energy independence and the Republican majority in this body stands with him to end the day of pump shock in this summer and in the months ahead for American families.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and I rise in strong support of H.R. 1088. Mr. Speaker, a rose by any other name is still a rose, and government fees are nothing more than government taxes. When the fees that are designed to be drawn from the system to pay for the costs of that system exceed the cost, they are simply and plainly excessive taxes. The vision of the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Oxley), expressed in H.R. 1088, is the right vision for America. It represents an enormous savings to taxpayers. According to the CBO, this bill will save taxpayers, which are the investors who pay the fees, an estimated $1.5 billion in 2002 alone and $8.9 billion from 2002 to 2006. It is time, in these uncertain days of instability and unpredictability in our stock market in America, to say yes to those Americans that invest in America; and I rise, therefore, in strong support of 1088 and say let us reduce the fees that are nothing more than taxes.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of the late Mr. Fred Wenger, an outstanding citizen and dedicated community leader in Delaware County, Indiana for three decades. I join his lovely wife Karen and three children in expressing gratitude for his loyal service as an Indiana State Representative. Mr. Speaker, ask everyone in the Indiana General Assembly about the legacy of Mr. Wenger and they will unanimously refer to his gentle soul. He was dedicated to building strong constituent relationships and stronger Christian values. Mr. Wenger's powerful faith influenced all of his work at the State House. He routinely voted his conscious for each of his three years in office. His passion for public service made him an inspiration to all of his colleagues. He is not only deeply regarded, but also deeply loved. Mr. Speaker, I respectfully ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to this respected man who helped make selected communities of east central Indiana the pleasant places they are today. Indiana will miss Mr. Fred Wenger.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. I thank the gentleman from Florida for yielding me this time and for his leadership on this issue. Mr. Speaker, the United States Department of State released a statement on Friday to report that the National Islamic Front government of Sudan launched a series of aerial bombings in southern Sudan 1 week ago. These attacks clearly targeted civilian areas, an act Khartoum pledged not to do only 2 weeks prior to the bombings. Mr. Speaker, while the Sudan Peace Act condemns human rights violations by all sides of this four-decade-old conflict, it is important to note that it recognizes that the NIF government bears the greatest responsibility for the violations. The NIF has continually blocked humanitarian relief efforts and apparently now bombs civilian areas. Mr. Speaker, it is important that the American people know that the heart of this conflict has deep religious origins. As the gentlewoman from Texas said only moments ago, last year the State Department designated Sudan as a country of particular concern because the NIF commits what is commonly believed to be the world's worst acts of religious persecution. As a Christian, Mr. Speaker, it particularly grieves me to report that the worst of these acts of persecutions are against Christian believers in Sudan. Christian southern Sudanese are sexually abused, beaten and forced into religious conversion. Matthias Akabd was arrested in January of 1995 along with his wife and his infant son. They have not been heard from since. The Akabd family is merely one example of tens of thousands of persecuted Christians in southern Sudan who are discriminated against, stripped of their freedom, enslaved, imprisoned, tortured and even killed. As the Good Book says, Mr. Speaker, ``Remember those who are in prison as if we were their fellow prisoners and those who are mistreated as if we ourselves were suffering.'' Mr. Speaker, by supporting the Sudan Peace Act, the Congress will do much today to fulfill this noble commission.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained at the funeral of a good friend and former Indiana State Representative, Mr. Fred Wenger. Had I have been present for rollcall Nos. 156 and 157, I would have voted as follows: On rollcall No. 156--``yea''; on rollcall No. 157-- ``yea.''

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Culberson) for his passionate and eloquent remarks today, as ever. The Good Book tells us, oh, how the mighty have fallen, Mr. Speaker. And today, for the first time in a generation, the President of the United States has sundered a portion of the mighty and onerous Internal Revenue Code, a sundering entirely, for all of history, it is my hope, that onerous tax that wages war on small businesses and family farms, the inheritance tax, the estate tax, most notably remembered and hopefully forgotten, to be the death tax. Mr. Speaker, I was pleased and honored as a new Member of Congress to join President Bush this morning as he signed a historic tax cut bill into law. On a personal note, Mr. Speaker, today is my 42nd birthday, and it made it all the more sweet to stand in that place of places, the White House, with the 43rd President of the United States of America and take upon myself a gift not only for my birthday, but for all Americans, the gift of tax relief that President Bush signed today. I truly believe that the tax relief signed into law today will stimulate our economy by reducing the heavy income tax burden on American workers. By signing this bill into law, the President increases the per-child tax credit by doubling it, reduces tax rates for all taxpayers. This is a President who is committed, as he said today, to a Tax Code that does not pick winners and losers; it is tax relief for all taxpayers. The President and this Congress also courageously took on and defeated the marriage penalty and ended that onerous death tax. As layoffs in my home State of Indiana will attest, even a headline in my hometown of Columbus, Indiana, this last weekend read, there have been nearly 2,500 layoffs in east central Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I have been saying to my colleagues since I arrived in Washington, D.C. that this town seems more than happy to debate whether or not we will some day be in a recession. Mr. Speaker, in east central Indiana, we are already in a recession. Families are hurting, and I believe that this economy has been suffering under 8 years of increased taxes and regulatory red tape. By signing this tax cut into law today, President Bush has begun to put our economy back on the right track. President Bush's tax plan will help working people, small businesses, and family farmers recover from this economic malaise, and it will begin to set free those struggling under the oppressive burden of high taxes. Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, once said, ``We need true tax reform that will at least make a start toward restoring for our children the American dream, that wealth is denied to no one, that each individual has the right to fly as high as his strength and his ability or her ability will take them.'' Like the tax cuts of the 1980s, today's tax relief package will allow our economy to take wing, as Ronald Reagan envisioned. This means families will be better equipped to save for their children's education, a down payment on a home, to pay off mounting credit card debt, to put a few dollars away to pay for their children's education and for college. And even to save, Mr. Speaker, for their own retirement. By lifting the tax burden, as President Bush did today, signing the measure that the Republican Congress passed into law, we are continuing efforts to do no less than to renew the American dream. It is my erstwhile hope that the signing of this tax cut into law is only the beginning of a new era of fiscal responsibility in Washington, D.C. With the President's tax-cutting leadership, Congress has passed an increased child tax credit, rate reductions for all taxpayers, a marriage penalty relief bill, and Death Tax Elimination Act all in one measure. This is a historic day. This is a historic accomplishment, Mr. Speaker. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Today, we put the ax to the root of the Internal Revenue Code as it wages war on the American dream. Let this not be the final battle, but let it be the beginning of our battle until we are done renewing the American dream for all the American people.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I come to the well of the House today to call my colleagues' attention to the recent military maneuvers by the People's Republic of China and the People's Liberation Army that appear to threaten Taiwan. The PLA's response to nearly every political development seems to be to increase its military posture. I wonder, Mr. Speaker, what is the People's Republic of China afraid of. To my knowledge during the modern era, there has never been a credible threat to the security of mainland China. The amphibious military training maneuvers currently underway are similar to 1996 exercises that resulted in a missile launch aimed at the Taiwan Straits. You may recall that the U.S. responded to that launch by deploying an aircraft carrier to the region. Now, as then, the United States is committed to stability in the region. The threatening nature of these recent maneuvers and their proximity to Taiwan challenges the territorial stability of the island and long- term peace of the region. It is written that it is for freedom that He set us free. Let China hear that in this Congress we will stand with those who will stand for liberty. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in monitoring the conduct of the Chinese military in the coming weeks.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Otter) for yielding me this time. Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my friend and colleague, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Buyer), for his leadership on this measure and the balance of the Indiana delegation for their efforts in designating the Kokomo Post Office in honor of Congressman Bud Hillis. Madam Speaker, many Hoosiers might be deserving of this honor, but few are more deserving than Congressman Hillis. His career and distinguished record of public service testify to his dedication to the United States and the State of Indiana. As a member of this Chamber, he was instrumental in saving thousands of Hoosier jobs through the Chrysler bailout, and his membership on the Committee on Armed Services ensured that Indiana's sons and daughters who served in the military were well equipped to face the threats across the world. Madam Speaker, on a personal note, as a young candidate during my first bid for Congress in 1988, I looked at the service and the career and the integrity of Congressman Bud Hillis, and I pledged to myself then that if ever elected to serve in this body, it would be my purpose to serve as a man of integrity and commitment, to serve as did Congressman Bud Hillis. Thirteen years later, Congressman Hillis still stands as an example for all of us who seek to be men and women of integrity in the United States House of Representatives. It is said that a good name is more precious than rubies. Madam Speaker, I believe I speak for every Member of the Indiana delegation when I say we are proud to put the good name of a great Hoosier Congressman, Bud Hillis, on the Post Office on South Webster Street in Kokomo, Indiana.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Madam Speaker, today we stand on the brink of an awesome opportunity, the opportunity to lift the burden of taxes off families, small businesses and family farms, the opportunity to pass the largest tax cut package in over 20 years. We have a moral obligation to act on this opportunity and remove Uncle Sam's hand out of the pockets of hard-working men and women. Under the current tax system, Madam Speaker, the average dual-earner family will pay more than $26,000 in taxes to the government. This equals out to be the first five months of their annual salary. This is more than the family will spend on food, clothing and shelter combined. Madam Speaker, we often talk about the progress we have made. Yet, according to the Washington-based tax foundation, taxes at all levels now consume 39 percent of the average dual-earners' family income. This is more than the amount that serfs were obligated to pay to their mid- evil lords. This, simply put, is wrong. As we enter into the final stages of the bill's passage that is being debated in conference committee today, I implore the Congress to stand firm in our commitment to working families. The House bill was a great start, but it is the bare minimum of what we can and should accomplish. The decision to scale back tax relief over the next 10 years means that less than 25 percent of the surplus will be returned to taxpayers. Therefore, it is not only important, but imperative that we lower marginal rates on income if we are to improve the economy's lagging performance. It does not matter how you look at it, Madam Speaker; the tax burden is excessive and tax rates are too high. Now is the time for across- the-board reductions in the rate of taxation. While some argue that a 3.5 percent reduction in the top tax rate is adequate for what ails our economy, history tells another story. Woodrow Wilson once said, ``The Congress might well consider whether the higher rates of income and profit taxes can in peace times be effectively productive of revenue, and whether they may not, on the contrary, be destructive of the business activity and productive of waste and inefficiency. There is a point at which, in peace times high rates of income and profit taxes discourage energy, remove the incentive to new enterprise, encourage extravagant expenditures and produce industrial stagnation with consequent unemployment and other attendant evils.'' Woodrow Wilson was right. During the 1920s, Wilson's leadership led to massive tax rate reductions. Amazingly, revenues actually increased. This is a fact that continues to resurface throughout the taxation history of this country. The tax cuts which President John F. Kennedy passed in the 1960s ignited a huge economic expansion. The economy grew by more than 40 percent and tax revenues climbed by more than 62 percent. The effects of the Reagan tax cuts, Madam Speaker, were just as impressive. The economy was pulled out of a severe downturn and a 7 year economic boom of record growth took its place. During the 1980s, the goal of tax reformers on the left and the right was to reduce marginal rates as much as possible. At the beginning of the 1980s, the top marginal income tax rate was 70 percent; by the end it had fallen to just 28 percent. Support for low marginal tax rates was so widespread that virtually every major nation followed the United States and cut marginal tax rates in the 1980s. The reasoning behind this phenomenon is simple: If history has taught us anything, it is that a high top rate reduction seldom produces much revenue. The principal effect is to make higher taxes on the poor and the middle class more palpable. In fact, because of inflation and real growth in the economy, in just a few years tax rates originally imposed on the rich often apply to those with middle incomes. The rich, meanwhile, often evade higher rates by making increased use of deductions and other legal tax shelters. In short, Madam Speaker, higher rates tend to encourage the government to add new deductions to the already too-complex Tax Code. Tax relief, Madam Speaker, could not be a more bipartisan issue. President Franklin Roosevelt warned of an increase in rates when he said, ``Taxes are paid in the sweat of every man who labors because they are a burden on production and are paid through production. If those taxes are excessive,'' President Roosevelt said, ``they are reflected in idle factories, in tax-sold farms, in hordes of hungry people trampling the streets and seeking jobs in vain.'' Madam Speaker, we must pass this tax relief for all Americans.