Ed Perlmutter

Mr. PERLMUTTER

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Larson, and I want to thank the leadership on both sides of the aisle for working together, for the give and take that's gone into this bill. I rise in support, but I do recognize the complaints that Mr. Campbell raised in connection with this bill and this package. This is a short-term fix to some long-term fundamental economic problems that we have in the country, but it gives us a chance now to focus mid term and long term on strategies and investments that will strengthen our families and our Nation. These are strategies and investments that will call for sacrifice on the part of the Nation, as well as each one of us as individuals. We will get a chance now, I hope, in future packages to look at the infrastructure of this Nation in energy and transportation, but this today will give the shot in the arm this country needs and give us a chance to really plan for the future.

Mr. PERLMUTTER

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois. I rise today to pay tribute and say thank you to a Colorado icon and an American hero, Felix Sparks, with H.R. 4240. Sparks, who recently passed away at the age of 90, lived an extraordinary life that exemplified public service and devotion to one's country. A Texas native raised in Arizona, Felix Sparks was a part of our ``Greatest Generation'' who answered our Nation's call to duty during the Second World War. Described as a ``soldier's soldier,'' he would endure over 500 days of combat and partake in three of the most important events that would define modern history. The Battle of Reipertswiller, the Battle at the Caves of Anzio, and the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp. One story in particular that I would like to call to your attention which attests to the character of Felix Sparks occurred during the Battle of Reipertswiller, a battle in which 158 enlisted soldiers were killed, 300 men were wounded, and another 426 were captured over a course of only 3 days. After finding his unit under siege and trapped in enemy territory, Sparks, then a lieutenant colonel, refused to leave behind three of his men who lay incapacitated in the open battlefield. Facing near-certain death, he courageously left his tank and raced, on foot, directly into the close-range crosshairs of the German gunners to rescue those soldiers. With only a holstered pistol in tow, he would drag each of his wounded comrades, one by one, to safety. A personal account of this series of events was uncovered in the memoirs of a German SS officer who had commanded his gunner not to fire on Sparks. The memoir read: ``Those of us witnessing the scene, whether nearby or more distant, instinctively felt there was no honor to be won by firing on this death-defying act of comradeship.'' Sparks also cheated death a year earlier at the Battle of the Caves of Anzio in Italy, where he would be only one of two men in his company to survive. Sparks was part of the first Allied force to witness the horrors and atrocities of the Dachau concentration camp on the discovery of 39 rail cars packed with some 2,000 Holocaust victims. In all, 30,000 prisoners were liberated from Dachau by the Allied Forces; and for the rest of his life, Sparks would continue to speak out at Holocaust remembrance ceremonies. Based on his experiences at Dachau, Felix was tireless in his efforts to refute those shameless individuals who try to rewrite history and claim the Holocaust and Dachau never occurred. He'd say: ``Tell that to my face'' in a shout and in a voice that indicated he'd been there and saw it personally. For his service during World War II, he was awarded a Silver Star and two Purple Hearts after being severely wounded on the battlefield. He would continue his military service with the National Guard until his retirement as a brigadier general in 1977. And upon his return from the war, enamored with stories from his men about their hometowns in the Rocky Mountains, Felix and his wife settled in Colorado. There, the Sparks family would grow to include four children, six grandchildren, and seven great grandchildren. He would earn his law degree from the University of Colorado and become a Colorado district attorney. Renowned for his commanding speaking ability, Felix would then go on to become the youngest supreme court justice in Colorado's history at just 38 years of age. He would preside over several of the most prolific and high profile cases in our State's history. After his service on our State's highest court, Sparks, an expert in water law, would serve for over two decades as the director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board. He would write some of the most influential and important groundwater laws that have continued to serve our State for decades thereafter. I came to know Felix during my days in the Colorado senate after he had testified in my committee with regard to an anti-gun violence measure following the tragic death of his grandchild from a drive-by shooting. His passion and his words live with me to this day. And he was so well respected for his honesty and straightforward testimony. It is also important to note, after returning home from the war, Felix would continue to personally reach out to console the families of his men and promise them he would never forget. Mr. Speaker, one of the main reasons I bring this bill to the floor today is so this promise that Felix Sparks made to the families of his men can live on for generations. This bill pays tribute to Felix's men in the 157th Infantry Regiment of the 45th Infantry Division of the United States Army, whose motto since the Spanish-American War has been ``Eager for Duty.'' Our Nation can never adequately repay and give thanks to these individuals for their sacrifices in the battles against tyranny, in the battles for our Nation's freedom. It is my hope the renaming of the Lakewood post office for Felix Sparks will inspire future generations to find a calling in public service. This bill also pays tribute to Mary Sparks and the Sparks family, who meant so much to Felix and to our community. In closing, I wish to thank each of my colleagues in the Colorado delegation for joining me in bidding a fond farewell to a man who meant so much to our State and to our Nation. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 4240 to rename the Lakewood post office in Felix Sparks' honor.

Mr. PERLMUTTER

Mr. PERLMUTTER. I thank my friend from Iowa and my friends who have shared today because you have talked about just fundamental values of what makes America great, whether they are biblical or just precepts of our Constitution. I am going to step back and just be a little more businesslike about this. These gentlemen, these servicemen and women were tortured, harmed, beaten, bashed, broken. They brought a claim against Saddam Hussein and his regime, and they had, that regime had assets. Those assets were here in the United States of America. They have a claim against those assets. We are not making a claim against U.S. assets. We are not making a claim, they are not making a claim against the new regime's assets, but the old regime. Now, they have a claim. They can't just turn it back. They were hurt. They were tortured. They should be compensated. That's the bottom line here. Now, if the President has chosen to say you cannot sue the old regime, you don't have a claim against the old regime, then there should be other compensation due to these gentlemen for the torture that they have suffered.

Mr. PERLMUTTER

Mr. PERLMUTTER. I thank the chairman. I thank the chairwoman for bringing this bill. And Congresswoman Capito and I are part of this energy efficiency task force. And I know that she has strong feelings toward building in an energy-efficient, sustainable way. We have a big difference of opinion as to property rights on this one. And it's unusual, here in this instance, the Federal Government is the owner and the financer of these projects. It has the right, as any property owner does, as any owner does, to say how it wants its building built. And that's what's done within this proposal, within this bill, and that is to build these units in a green fashion. And so that, I think, is appropriate. It is an appropriate exercise of ownership to say we want these to be green. And the people of the United States of America in this last election said we have to be more energy conscious. We have to figure out a change to how we power this Nation and how we consume energy, and this is where we get started as a Federal Government. Now, one of the things we've talked about is the flexibility within the bill as to the standards to be used. We use the words ``substantially equivalent.'' And if, in fact, HUD or EPA or the Department of Energy is being recalcitrant, isn't following through on developing substantially equivalent standards, you can bet that our side of the aisle will work with you and the various Departments to make sure they get off their fannies and they do develop some substantially equivalent standards so that there is flexibility. This is a good bill. This is a bad amendment. I urge a ``no'' vote.

Mr. PERLMUTTER

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Thank you, Mr. Yarmuth. It's great to be standing on the floor with gentlemen who have been elected by the people in 2006 to change the way this Nation is being run, and to provide the hope that we need to deal with the problems you've outlined. And we can do this, we know we can do this. This is a time where we change the focus from the wealthiest 1 percent to the hardworking people of middle America. This is the time for hardworking Americans. And we're going to provide, based on this stimulus package, a package of different approaches to help middle Americans, hardworking Americans, we're going to provide them with refunds so that there will be some money in their pocket, not just in the pocket of the wealthiest 1 percent, but in the pockets of everyone across America. Ronald Reagan used to talk about trickle down. Well, that's not how the economy works, it works trickle up. It's a flood up. If people in the middle have money, they spend it, and that will generate all sorts of new business in America. We're also going to provide stimuli that will create many new jobs, whether it's in the energy sector. We can improve how we're dealing with health care and increase jobs there. But this is a time when we really are going to change how Washington is conducting business. The President would like us just to focus on the wealthiest. He would like us just to keep things the same. We're not doing that. We're here to provide hope to people and change so that people in their everyday lives know that they've got folks here who were elected to fight for them. And we are going to change things by providing a whole new approach to the economy this year. We hope to provide a package that will be $100 billion, that's about 10 months in Iraq, that's nothing, where we can help this country really get on a solid footing economically, and then for the long-term future, really develop a whole new energy system that will provide thousands and thousands and thousands of jobs across this country, as well as revamp our health care system that has become such a drag on the economy. This is a time when we have to look very hard and be realistic about the problems that face us. But when America really turns its attention to something, it changes the future. And that's what this Congress is going to do. That's our job. That's why we were sent here was to change the future and to provide hope to people. With that, I would like to turn this over to my friend from Wisconsin, Steven Kagen. And with that, sir, would you let us know what you think of this stimulus package that the Speaker is talking about.

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Mr. Speaker, I think we have got again to realize and understand why the people sent us here to change America, to change the way Washington runs, and they want us to look out for middle America, hardworking people. They want us to look out in the short term, the mid term, and the long term. And in the short term, you talked about it. We want to provide in a bipartisan way, working with our friends on the other side and with the administration, real relief to millions of people across America. And you described it as timely, targeted, and temporary. Relief that gets right into people's pockets where they can then buy those necessities, whether it's a washer or they have got to fix the sink or whatever it might be, because people, even those that don't run into terrible problems as you described, are having a heck of a time making ends meet. They're working 40 hours. They're working 60 hours. But if there is one bump in the road, a kid who has to have braces or any little thing just sets you back, because everybody is that close, as energy prices go up, as tuition goes up, as health care costs go up. So our job is to give them some relief. And when we do that, that will help the economy as a whole. Then we have the mid term and long term, the trade policies. But for me in my area, which is primarily the suburbs of Denver, it is middle America. It is right down the middle politically. It is right down the middle financially. It's not rich. It's not poor. It's not Democrat or Republican. It is right down the middle as an independent kind of an area. And they are expecting of us to turn the attention to them, to middle America, and not just the wealthiest people. And when we do that, we're going to change the face of this Nation again. John Yarmuth was talking about the fact that as we have improved productivity, the worker, the average guy, hasn't seen the benefit of that, but it's been more of the owner. And that's okay, too, that the owner sees some benefit, but it should be shared across the board, because at the end of the day you have this disparity between the rich and the poor continue to grow, and that's not healthy for any country. This country has thrived and progressed because of the middle class, because of the hardworking people in the middle. So we have long-term strategies, which would be investments in energy, rebuilding our infrastructure. The speaker comes from the city where we had the bridge collapse. We have too many roads, too many things that have to be repaired in this country, and it is time for us to turn our investments to this country, and lots of jobs will be developed as a response to that. I yield to my friend from Kentucky.

Mr. PERLMUTTER. I just would like to close. I think our friend from Minneapolis, Mr. Ellison, used the right word; the economic stimulus is a spark. It will help those people who really can use it just make the ends meet that week. Once that happens, that moves an economy as millions of people in unison do that. So we have a chance to really change the way this economy is headed, we have a real chance to change the focus from the wealthiest 1 percent to the people who are working so hard every day across America. Those people that make this country so wonderful, so great. I am just glad that the folks from Wheat Ridge and Lakewood and Arvada and Golden and Brighton and Commerce City and Aurora and a number of other places in my District gave me the chance to come here and help make that change. I think that they are looking for change, and they are looking for hope, and we are going to deliver that. With that, I will turn it back to the president of our class, the eminent Mr. Walz.

Mr. PERLMUTTER

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, today I rise to commend my friend Peter Groff on his historic achievement of becoming the first African American State Senate President in Colorado's history. Senator Groff becomes only the third African American Senate President in U.S. history. This momentous accomplishment is well-deserved. Senator Groff is one of the most honorable, bright, and deliberate individuals I have ever had the pleasure to serve with. He embodies statesmanship and has earned the trust and esteem of his colleagues on both sides of the aisle. Senator Groff's courageous and visionary approach to governing can be summed up in his own words: ``To be bigger than the politics of the moment.'' I find it fitting that the man nicknamed ``the conscience of the Colorado Senate'' would be the first in our State's history to shatter this once seemingly impenetrable glass ceiling. In closing, the Honorable Shirley Chisholm once said, ``I don't measure America by its achievement, but by its potential.'' I can think of no better person to help Colorado achieve its potential than Peter Groff. He will serve Colorado with honor and distinction.

Mr. PERLMUTTER

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Mr. Speaker, President Bush has to get out of the White House a little more often so that he can see firsthand how average Americans are struggling to make ends meet during this holiday season. Over the past 7 years, the President has presided over an economy in which the poverty rate has gone up and household incomes have gone down. The average family is making less today than they did last year, while at the same time, everyday costs for food, home heating oil, gas, college tuition and health care skyrocket out of control. Former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan voiced concern this weekend that the economy may be heading into a recession early next year. Despite all of these warnings, President Bush stood before the American people and proclaimed that the American economy was strong and pointed to the tax cuts of his first term as a reason for this strong economy. Well, the President needs a reality check. It is time for the President to recognize that the struggles of average working families are here to stay and he needs to check them out. Together, we can address those concerns, and we wish to work with him.

Mr. PERLMUTTER

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Thank you, Mr. McNerney, and I want to thank Mr. Hall. All of you are supporting this particular resolution, and it is one that is apropos for our time right now. We need to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and the National Renewable Energy Lab, NREL, which is about three blocks from my house, is the leading organization in the world for developing energy efficiency technologies and renewable energy technologies. Today, I rise to honor and commend that laboratory, which is the premier in the country. In 1977 the Solar Energy Research Institute opened and was designated a national laboratory of the Department of Energy. In 1991, President George Bush changed the institute's name to the National Renewable Energy Lab, which I will call NREL. NREL is the principal research laboratory for the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and also provides research expertise for the Office of Science. Changing our energy policy and developing a new direction for energy was and is a high priority for Americans across the country. We must reduce our dependency on foreign oil and we must increase our supply of renewable energy. We cannot afford the status quo any longer. Leadership in the House on both sides of the aisle has shown this understanding for the increase in renewable energy and energy efficiency across the country, and for the first time in a long time this Congress passed a budgetary increase to the Office of Energy Efficiency and to the Office of Science so that NREL can continue its vital and important research and development in these particular areas. NREL has advanced our national energy goals by developing innovative ways to change the way we power our homes and businesses and fuel our cars. They have developed competitions for solar cars and energy efficient homes. In fact, many times the races have ended here in Washington, DC, and we have had on the mall these competitions among our colleges and brightest kids as to how to make our buildings more energy efficient. NREL has worked to develop biomass, solar, wind, geothermal, hydrogen, and the list goes on, types of renewable energy, and it has worked on both renewable energy for buildings, as I said, as well as renewable fuels for vehicles. Now more than ever we must seek ways to increase production of renewable energy and make our country more energy efficient, and NREL is helping to do just that. By seeking and creating avenues to develop renewable energy and improve our energy efficiency, we can strengthen our national security, protect our environment, and create thousands and thousands of new jobs. I commend NREL on its work for the past 30 years, and I look forward to their work in the next 30 years. I thank the 1,200 current employees and the past employees who helped make NREL the leader that it is today. I thank the gentleman from Texas and the gentleman from California as well as the Speaker for helping me with this bill and commending this laboratory for the good work that it does.

Mr. PERLMUTTER

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman for yielding to me, and I thank the chairman for being willing to work on this particular amendment to zero in on the major players who, in a repeated fashion, time after time, show by pattern and practice an abuse of this predatory lending policy. I do want to reiterate something that Mr. Blumenauer said. I want to congratulate the ranking member and Mrs. Biggert and Mrs. Capito and a number of the others on the Republican side of the aisle, along with the sponsors of this bill, for working and refining and developing a bill that will deal with the problems that we have seen of predatory lending and subprime loans that have hurt a lot of the people in this country and our financial system. I also intend to work with the chairman on the eviction piece, the rental piece of this, so we don't harm the single-family, owner- occupied system of FHA and VA-type loans.

Mr. PERLMUTTER

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Mr. Chairman, I support this bill, and I appreciate the work that my friend Mr. Watt has performed. But with respect to this amendment, I have to oppose this amendment. One of the things that Mrs. Biggert talked about was five principles that she saw in this bill. There is also a sixth principle of real estate and financing, and that is certainty. And what I fear is by making this the greater of actual damages or triple damages, triple being the amount of money that the mortgage originator made, at least he can figure out what that is. Actual damages really does just set the prelude for a lawsuit or a major controversy. So I support this bill. I don't support the amendment. And I am going to urge a ``no'' vote on the amendment.

Mr. PERLMUTTER

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Carole Haas for her service to our community. When Carole Haas read a newspaper report about a young mother who left her baby in a dumpster, she vowed to make a difference. With four young children at home, she opened Bridgeway in 1986 to support young pregnant women. The facility provides shelter, counseling, life skill classes and complete support for young women age 16 to 21 during and after pregnancy. The residents must either attend school or hold a job. For the first 15 years, Ms. Haas managed all the residents herself. She now has the help of a staff. Carole Haas continues to dedicate herself to overseeing what has grown to be a thriving, sustainable non- profit that has assisted 525 young women. As the founder and director of Bridgeway, Ms. Haas has devoted her life to providing compassion, love and support to young pregnant women during a highly vulnerable time in their lives.

Mr. PERLMUTTER

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Clarene Shelley for her service to our community. When Lakewood's first mayor swore Clarene Shelley into the Lakewood Department of Public Safety in 1972, she became the department's first female agent. When she retired, she held the position of division chief of the city of Lakewood Police Department. Upon graduation from the Denver Police Academy, Clarene Shelley was assigned to the Investigations Division, where she made her mark by working cases of family abuse, child abuse and juvenile crime. As a sergeant, she developed investigative procedures for child abuse cases that were adopted by all of the agencies in Jefferson County. In 1989, the American Association of University Women named her ``Police Woman of the Year,'' a title that she was awarded several times. Ms. Shelley's leadership was instrumental in developing better methods of recruiting, hiring and training. She trained thousands of people in the academy, the FBI, hospitals and many other organizations. She also began Lakewood's first Youth Police Academy and headed the Jefferson County Officer Involved Shooting Investigations Team. It's said Clarene Shelley was at her best when helping others: offering support, giving sound advice, and celebrating the successes of those she mentored.

Mr. PERLMUTTER

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Irma Wyhs for her service to our community. For half a century, as a writer, historian and citizen advocate Irma Wyhs has been showing how deeply she cares about her community. She is admired for her adeptness at advising, encouraging, cajoling, and publicizing community leaders and their organizations. Clear Creek Living History Museum, which Irma founded, exemplifies her tenacious spirit. Ms. Wyhs has left her imprint on many other establishments in our community, such as the Foothills Art Center where she was the first director and the Golden Pioneer Museum. Irma Wyhs has written for numerous publications, including the history page of the Golden Transcript. Currently she is writing articles for the Fence Post about Zebulon Pike and his descendents to mark the 200th anniversary of his exploration of the Southwest.

Mr. PERLMUTTER

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Katherine Redmond for her service to our community. Kathy Redmond was the first person to use Title IX as a remedy for rape by an athlete in a higher education institution. Her Title IX case against the University of Nebraska and the rape perpetrators was settled in 1997. Shortly afterwards, she formed the National Coalition Against Violent Athletes. Kathy has forged herself as a national expert in athlete violence and response, and counseled more than 250 women affected by athlete violence. Intent upon eradicating the problem, she has started INTERCEPT, a 3-day violence prevention and response program for athletes. Kathy volunteers for the First Judicial District attorney's office diversion program teaching victim empathy to men in the program. She has also authored and lobbied rape shield legislation.

Mr. PERLMUTTER

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Ding-Wen Hsu for her service to our community. Ms. Ding-Wen Hsu enriches both the economic and cultural well-being of our community. She is cofounder and majority shareholder of Pacific Western Technologies Ltd., one of the fastest growing companies in Colorado. She is also a founder of the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival and actively involved in her family foundation, the International Multi-Cultural Institute. As a national fellow of the Asian Pacific American Women's Leadership Institute, she attended a training program that focused on self- discovery. ``I discovered that I need to lead and make a difference,'' Ding-Wen comments. ``I feel very fortunate that I got to live in two very different cultures. I felt I should use my gift.'' She does so primarily through her community endeavors. The Colorado Dragon Boat Festival, for example, offers a unique cultural experience that builds awareness, knowledge and understanding among the diverse Asian communities. The mission of the International Multi-Cultural Institute is to promote harmony, eliminate prejudice and discrimination, combat community deterioration, and defend human and civil rights.

Mr. PERLMUTTER

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Sylvia Brockner for her service to our community. Wildlife, nature, and open spaces are the focus of Sylvia Brockner's community leadership. ``Anytime I help save land, I'm pleased,'' she states. ``It's a legacy for future generations.'' Sylvia Brockner brought with her the conservation and naturalist leadership expertise she honed as chairperson of the Western New York Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. She was instrumental in organizing the Mountain Area Land Trust, which she likens to a local Nature Conservancy. A lifelong bird watcher, she helped establish the annual Christmas Bird Count, and in 1978 she and her husband founded the local Audubon Society. Sylvia successfully lobbied the Army Corps of Engineers to protect the wetlands at Evergreen Lake. She also helped convince JeffCo Open Space to preserve Lair O'The Bear Park in Bear Creek Canyon. For 30 years, she has written and illustrated the Canyon Courier's weekly feature about nature, instilling her passion in her readers.

Mr. PERLMUTTER

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Hannah Hayes for her service to our community. Hannah Hayes is deeply dedicated to helping people restore their lives to a healthy creative balance through oriental medicine. In 1993, she and her husband Donn started Oriental Herb Company, known as OHCO, in Evergreen. Cold Snap, Eye Ching and all their other products are created by Donn, who is an acupuncturist with extensive training in Chinese herbology. Ms. Hayes runs all facets of operating the business, from manufacturing to marketing and shipping. Hannah Hayes enthusiastically teaches others about the benefits of listening to their bodies, evaluating their lifestyles, and exploring ways to live healthy balanced lives. Ms. Hayes remarks, ``It's rewarding when a customer calls and has had some incredible insight about how to customize our general formulas into their own particular needs.'' Hannah Hayes teaches creative balance through Chamber of Commerce gatherings, presentations at health food stores, and a column in the local weekly.

Mr. PERLMUTTER

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Dawn Gifford Engle for her service to our community. Eleven years ago, Dawn Gifford Engle and her husband cofounded PeaceJam, which coordinates educational programs to inspire young people to provide peaceful solutions to the root causes of violence and suffering in the world. So far, half a million young people from the United States to East Timor have created and implemented 300,000 community projects. Dawn is committed to increase the number of young people inspired by PeaceJam to one billion by the year 2016. In 2006, the Arvada resident brought the world to Denver when the PeaceJam Foundation celebrated its 10th anniversary here. The Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and other Nobel Peace Prize Laureates attended the program.

Mr. PERLMUTTER

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 1074, I was unavoidably delayed in a meeting and did not get to the floor in time to vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. PERLMUTTER

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, this weekend and next Monday we will honor those who have served this Nation on the front line of freedom and democracy. This Veterans Day, the Democratic-led Congress is working to honor our troops, military families, and veterans with quality-health care. Today, the House will give final approval to a veterans funding bill that provides the largest increase for veterans in the 77-year history of the VA, and I hear our friends on the other side of the aisle complaining that that's 8 weeks overdue. Well, they had 12 years to do this and they chose not to. Over the last decade, while the number of veterans has doubled, our Nation's investment in their health care needs has simply not been enough. Unlike the President, this new Democratic Congress vowed to fulfill our promise to our veterans; and, today, we will pass a final veterans funding bill that has been endorsed by all major veterans groups. This new Democratic Congress has also made major strides in addressing the military health care crisis and the inadequacies of the disability system brought to light by the Walter Reed scandal. Madam Speaker, as Veterans Day approaches, our Nation's veterans and military families should know that the promises that have been made to them will be fulfilled.

Mr. PERLMUTTER

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the rule for H.R. 2262 and the underlying legislation in hopes of reforming the 1872 Mining Law. Chairman Rahall has been working toward this goal for many years, and I have tremendous respect for the expertise and dedication he has brought to this effort. I offer this support, though, with some reservations about the bill. I favor cleaning up abandoned old mines, and we have more than our fair share in Colorado. And we need funding to achieve this worthwhile goal. But I am concerned that generating this revenue by an 8 percent royalty may defeat the purpose of the bill. If mining moves offshore, which some economists tell us could happen, we won't have any mining from which to collect the royalties. And I'm also concerned about the thousands of jobs, of high-paying manufacturing jobs, that are generated by mining. We need to reform this old law. It's way overdue. I reiterate my support for this legislation, which has many, many positive attributes and is a good step towards reforming the law. But let's be sure we don't create one problem while we are solving another. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. PERLMUTTER

Mr. PERLMUTTER. And I thank my friend from Florida. This is a place where the Democrats and Republicans have come together to look after kids from hardworking families across this country. This is not something that is just given out, and it doesn't make any fiscal sense or anything else. This is for people coming from hardworking families where the kids don't have insurance. And instead of going to the doctors, which is the most fiscally prudent way for a kid to be treated, they have to go to the emergency room, and at the emergency room, then, we, the taxpayers, pick up the bill. It's the most expensive form of medical care we could have. So it makes utter sense that we provide insurance to 10 million kids across this country from hardworking families so that they don't have to go to the emergency room, so they can go to their doctor, get proper treatment. But that just doesn't seem to be acceptable to the President of the United States. Here we are wanting to bring change. We promised our constituents that we were going to change the way this Nation's being run, and one of those places is providing insurance in a prudent fashion for kids from hardworking families. But we have a President who wants the status quo, does not want to assist the hardworking people in the middle, and those are the folks that make up my district. It's not a rich district. It's not poor. Financially, it's right down the middle and people are struggling. And one of the first things to go when you're putting food on the table is insurance. And we want to make sure that 10 million kids have that insurance in this country. We passed it once; we passed it twice. This President says he's going to veto it again. He's about the status quo. He calls himself prudent fiscally, a fiscal conservative. Just the opposite, ladies and gentlemen, just the opposite. So my friends, you know, we came here to change the direction of this Nation. We passed a stem cell bill which would have provided relief to millions of people across this country or hope for them who have debilitating diseases. We passed the SCHIP bill for 10 million kids. But this President, he doesn't want change. He wants things as usual. He wants Washington to run as usual. We are going to keep knocking on his door until we change the direction of this Nation. And I'm happy to be part of a class that is going to fight every day to do the right thing for our constituents and for the future of this Nation. And with that, I'll yield back to my friends from Florida or Minnesota or New Hampshire, although he's not my friend, because I lost a bet on the Boston Red Sox game. But I would yield back to my friends.

Mr. PERLMUTTER

Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Department of Energy (DOE) on the groundbreaking of their Research Support Facility (RSF) on October 30, 2007. The Research Support Facility will be an important building for the DOE and NREL. The building will house several hundred DOE and NREL staff in over 200,000 usable square feet without sacrificing high priority special spaces. The building will include shared spaces to assist in optimizing human performance, enhancing creativity and recruiting the workforce of tomorrow. The RSF is designed to meet the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) ``Platinum'' rating as defined by the U.S. Green Building Council. The building will be a shining example of sustainable high-performance design. It will demonstrate the integration of high performance design features and practices, showcase technology advances, and capture the public's imagination for renewable and energy efficient technologies. Investing in and expanding the National Renewable Energy Laboratory is good for national security, good for the climate and good for jobs. I am honored to have the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the future Research Support Facility in the 7th Congressional District.