Jim Ramstad

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the revised economic recovery bill. The inclusion of the mental health parity bill, major tax relief and bank deposit, FDIC, insurance increases caused me to reconsider my position and I believe there's too much at stake to let the legislation fail. The revised bill is a recovery bill for the economy and a recovery bill for millions of Americans suffering the ravages of mental illness and addiction. This revised legislation will also protect 22 million middle-income taxpayers from the enormous tax increases of the Alternative Minimum Tax, AMT. Madam Speaker, the revised bill also extends research and development tax credits to create jobs and renewable energy credits to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. The revised bill also includes higher education deductions and child credits to help families and students. Also, the revised bill increases bank deposit insurance limits, FDIC, to $250,000 to protect depositors and help small businesses that need credit. Madam Speaker, I will vote for the revised economic recovery plan to help Minnesota's working families, seniors and small businesses during this historic crisis in our economy. The credit crisis is real, and it's destroying jobs, retirement savings and the American dream.

Mr. RAMSTAD. Madam Speaker, it was an amazing turn of events that made the treatment parity legislation Patrick Kennedy and I introduced, H.R. 1424, the vehicle for one of the most far-reaching bills considered in our lifetime. This legislation is a rescue bill for the U.S. economy and a rescue bill for the millions of Americans suffering from mental illness and addiction. It will also prevent a devastating tax increase on middle- income families and job creators at a time our families and economy cannot afford more blows. This vote will mean the end of 12 long years of fighting for treatment parity for mental illness and addiction. This is not just another public policy issue: It's a matter of life or death for 54 million Americans suffering the ravages of mental illness and 26 million suffering from chemical addiction. Last year alone, more than 30,000 Americans committed suicide from untreated depression and 150,000 Americans died as the direct result of chemical addiction. On top of the tragic loss of lives, untreated addiction and mental illness cost our economy over $550 billion a year. I'm alive and sober today only because of the access I had to treatment following my last alcoholic blackout on July 31, 1981, when I woke up in a jail cell in Sioux Falls, SD. I'm living proof that treatment works and recovery is possible. But far too many people in our country don't have the same access to treatment that I and other Members of Congress have had. A major barrier for thousands of Americans is insurance discrimination against people in health plans who need treatment for mental illness or chemical addiction. The legislation we are passing today will end this discrimination by prohibiting health insurers from placing discriminatory restrictions on treatment for people with mental illness or addiction. No more inflated deductibles or copayments that don't apply to physical diseases. No more limited treatment stays that don't apply to physical diseases. No more discrimination against people with mental illness or chemical addiction. The ``Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act'' simply provides equal treatment for diseases of the brain and the body. Providing treatment equity is not only the right thing to do; it's also the cost-effective thing to do. All the empirical data, including major actuarial studies, show that equity for mental health and addiction treatment will save literally billions of dollars nationally. At the same time, it will not raise premiums more than two- tenths of 1 percent, according to the Congressional Budget Office. In other words, for less than the price of a cheap cup of coffee per month, millions of people could receive treatment for chemical addiction and mental illness. Madam Speaker, Rep. Patrick Kennedy and I have traveled the country from one end to the other--holding 14 field hearings on the critical need for treatment parity. We heard literally hundreds of stories of human suffering, broken families, tragic deaths, ruined careers and shattered dreams--all because of insurance companies not providing access to adequate treatment for mental illness and addiction. We will change that today. Madam Speaker, it's time to end the discrimination against people who need treatment for mental illness and addiction. It's time to prohibit health insurers from placing discriminatory barriers to treatment. It's time to join the coalition of insurance companies and business groups that support parity because they know it's cost-effective and saves health care dollars. It's time to make this bipartisan legislation the law of the land. The people of America cannot afford to wait any longer for Congress to act.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to oppose the Bush administration's $700 billion bailout plan for Wall Street firms and banks. The administration's bailout plan imposes great risk to taxpayers and no guarantee of success. Because this bill was considered in such haste, without adequate hearings or debate, nobody knows what this complex financial scheme will produce so the final cost to taxpayers is uncertain. Four hundred of the Nation's top economists signed a petition to Congress objecting to the bailout plan, as they are skeptical of the Federal Government buying up toxic mortgage-backed assets from banks and hoping the benefits trickle down from Wall Street to Main Street. According to these economists, the long-term effects of this financial scheme--higher inflation, a weakened dollar and a greater National debt--will outweigh any short-term stabilization of the credit markets. Rather than providing $700 billion of taxpayer money to buy frozen mortgage assets to solve the current problem, Congress should adopt the plan to insure mortgage-backed securities through payment of insurance premiums by the holders of these assets. I urge my colleagues to oppose this bailout.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Madam Speaker, I rise today as a proud member of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus to congratulate Taiwan on its 97th National Day on October 10th. The people of Taiwan have many reasons to celebrate and be proud of their country. Having elected President Ma Ying-jeou, the Taiwanese have returned the KMT party back to power, thereby effectively passing Huntington's ``two-turnover test of democratic consolidation.'' By successfully transitioning from one party to another and back to the original party, the people of Taiwan have proven their democracy is flourishing. Today, Taiwan is a vibrant democracy with a strong market economy thanks to its strong ties with the United States. Under the new Ma administration, Taiwan will only seek to fortify these ties and continue to prosper as a nation. Mr. Speaker, I would also be remiss if I didn't take this opportunity to push for the 111th Congress to pass a Free Trade Agreement with Taiwan. Taiwan is the United States' ninth largest trading partner, with trade flows between the two totaling $64.6 billion last year. A Free Trade Agreement would expand trade and improve economic growth, provide enhanced opportunities for U.S. businesses and support an important democratic ally in a strategic region. It is time we put our differences aside and passed this legislation which is long overdue.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Madam Speaker, I rise today as a proud member of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus to congratulate Taiwan on its 97th National Day on October 10. The people of Taiwan have many reasons to celebrate and be proud of their country. Having elected President Ma Ying-jeou, the Taiwanese have returned the KMT party back to power, thereby effectively passing Huntington's ``two-turnover test of democratic consolidation.'' By successfully transitioning from one party to another and back to the original party, the people of Taiwan have proven their democracy is flourishing. Today, Taiwan is a vibrant democracy with a strong market economy thanks to its strong ties with the United States. Under the new Ma administration, Taiwan will only seek to fortify these ties and continue to prosper as a nation. Madam Speaker, I would also be remiss if I didn't take this opportunity to push for the 111th Congress to pass a Free Trade Agreement with Taiwan. Taiwan is the United States' ninth largest trading partner, with trade flows between the two totaling $64.6 billion last year. A Free Trade Agreement expand trade and improve economic growth, provide enhanced opportunities for U.S. businesses and support an important democratic ally in a strategic region. It is time we put our differences aside and pass this legislation which is long overdue.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, having no further speakers, I would be happy to yield back my time, and I look forward to Mr. Lewis' closing.

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers.

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I first want to thank my friend, my brother and my chairman--Mr. Lewis--who represents the absolute best in public service and who is truly the conscience of the Congress. I'm just grateful for his friendship and for the privilege of working with him for the past 18 years. Mr. Speaker, the legislation before us addresses a very serious situation in America's prisons--rampant tax fraud. I'm deeply grateful to Chairman Lewis for being an original cosponsor of this legislation and for helping me get this crucial legislation on the suspension calendar and here to the floor today. When I chaired the Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee in the last Congress, Mr. Speaker, we held a hearing that featured an inmate from our Federal prison system. He was known as inmate Dole, a prisoner from South Carolina who single-handedly swindled taxpayers out of $3.5 million by filing fraudulent tax returns. That's right, Mr. Speaker, $3.5 million of outrageous tax fraud committed by a prisoner while he was behind bars, while incarcerated in a Federal prison. The hearing revealed that this was no isolated incident. There is massive tax fraud going on within the walls of our Nation's prisons. In fact, the IRS reports that 15 percent of all tax fraud committed in America is committed by prison inmates, 15 percent. As we all agree here, tax fraud in any form is unacceptable and illegal, obviously, but it's particularly outrageous when it's committed by prison inmates who are supposed to be paying their debt to society and not bilking taxpayers. While the IRS is able to catch some of it, far too much inmate tax fraud falls through the cracks. Unfortunately, the IRS is prohibited by law from sharing information with prison officials, information that would allow them to take action to punish and to stop this fraud from going on in their prison facilities right under their noses. So, in other words, Mr. Speaker, Federal law enforcement is effectively blocked from pursuing these cases because of the ban on information sharing. Well, this legislation that I have introduced and have brought here today, the Inmate Tax Fraud Prevention Act, would allow the IRS to reveal information on tax fraud to the Federal Bureau of Prisons and to compile statistics on tax fraud in each and every Federal and State prison. The authority for the IRS to disclose tax fraud information sunsets in 3 years, and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration will issue a report, so in 3 years, Congress can determine whether the program should be renewed and whether other changes should be implemented. Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, let me just say that it's obviously time to protect honest taxpayers from this blatant, outrageous fraud that's being committed by prison inmates. I urge my colleagues to protect this commonsense, bipartisan legislation that will protect the taxpayers. Support the Inmate Tax Fraud Prevention Act because the taxpayers of America deserve nothing less. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, tough economic times are especially tough for America's charitable community. They face increasing demands for services from people in need, and the investments that foundations make in order to grow their endowments have eroded significantly due to market turmoil. Last year on behalf of the Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee, Chairman Lewis requested comments on the implementation of charitable reforms contained in the 2006 Pension Protection Act. The bill before us responds to many of the concerns that were raised by the charitable community. Specifically, the bill has seven provisions aimed at relieving burdens on charities and on foundations: Funds advised by certain public charities and government entities would not be treated as donor advised funds. Certain scholarships given from donor advised funds would not be considered a taxable distribution. Thirdly, a special written acknowledgment requirement for charitable contributions to donor advised funds would be repealed. Fourth, supporting organizations would be allowed to pay reasonable compensation to substantial contributors for the services that they perform without the payment being considered an excess benefit. Also, certain long-standing Type III organizations with no recent major or living donors would be exempt from payout and excess business holding requirements. In addition, Mr. Speaker, contributions from Indian tribal governments would be treated the same as contributions from States for purposes of determining whether an organization is a public charity or a private foundation. Finally, the IRS would be allowed to institute electronic filing for charities that file at least five information returns each year. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to cosponsor Chairman Lewis' legislation, grateful for his leadership of the Oversight Subcommittee and his friendship over the years. His leadership as chairman of our subcommittee has been thoughtful and bipartisan inclusive. For that I am very grateful. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 7083, the Charity Enhancement Act to provide relief to America's charitable community. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I rise today to inform the House about earmarks that were included in H.R. 2638, The Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009. Here is a brief description of my requests: Humanetics Corporation, 10400 Viking Drive, Suite 1000, Eden Prairie, MN 55344--$800,000 from the DHP account, to the Humanetics Corporation for Pharmacological Countermeasures to Ionizing Radiation. This research project is in the final phases of a public/private effort to develop orally administered drugs that will prevent harm and decrease casualties caused by exposure to ionizing radiation resulting from a terrorist attack or nuclear incident. Funding Plan: Development Items FY09--Single dose, dose escalation, safety study: $1,000,000; Pilot Study #1: $500,000; Pilot Study #2: $500,000; Pilot Study #3: $500,000; Safety Study in Humans at Highest Dose: $5,000,000; and Pivotal Study (IM): $2,000,000. Minnesota National Guard, 20 West 12th Street, St. Paul, MN 55155-- $2,000,000 from the OM account, to the Minnesota National Guard for their Minnesota Beyond Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program. The program provides a comprehensive approach that insures deploying members and their families are prepared for the challenges for mobilization, receive access to support and resources during their mobilization and receive vital reintegration training. Funding Plan--IDT Travel: $1,390,000; ITOs: $150,000; Materials: $60,000; Mil Orders: $50,000; Daycare: $5,000; Food: $65,000; and Contracts: $275,000. Eaton Corporation 14615 Loan Oak Road, Eden Prairie, MN 55344: $2,000,000 from the RDTE account, to Eaton Corporation for their Advanced Digital Hydraulic Hybrid Drive System. This is a multi-phase program designed in collaboration with the U.S. Army NAC to develop a production-intent hybrid hydraulic tactical wheeled vehicle. Eaton has begun successful preliminary work on Phase I and the funds received will go to beginning Phase II. Funding Plan: 20 percent--$400,000--Advanced component testing--Full Authority Pump Motor demonstration. 20 percent--$400,000--System Testing--Lab scale test for insertion of advanced technologies. 10 percent--$200,000--Materials--Full Authority Pump Motor & Next Generation Accumulators: 50 percent--$1,000,000--Labor--Design to develop a retrofit system, Next generation accumulators proof of concept, Develop detailed vehicle model, Develop supervisory control architecture, Develop preliminary controls software. Third Wave Systems, 7900 West 78th Street, Eden Prairie, MN 55439-- $800,000 from the RDTE account, to Third Wave Systems for their Advanced Modeling Technology for Large Structure Titanium Machining Initiative. The funding will complete the three year effort to develop the current titanium machining technology for structures and components of Manned Ground Vehicles. Parallel finite element software development for Large Structures (FCS Manned Ground Vehicles)--$400,000. Development and integration with tool path optimization software for large design models--$300,000. Subscale production demonstration--$50,000. Production validation (machining demonstration) on actual FCS components--$50,000. Ll-Identity Solutions, 5705 West Old Shakopee Road, Suite 100, Bloomington, MN 55437--$1,600,000 from the RDTE account to Ll for Biometric Terrorist Watch-List Data Base Management Development. The Terrorist Watch-List will provide operational enhancements and technology improvements to biometrics-based identification tracking and analysis capabilities in order to ensure real-time actionable intelligence to the war fighter, as well as to the broader community combating terrorism. Technical Capability #1: Interoperability of Enterprise Data Sharing--Develop system design: $225,000; Develop web-based applications & schema: $265,000; Develop architecture for data sharing: $250,000; and Develop proof of concept: $260,000. Technical Capability #2: Enhancing Mobile Collection & Field ID Capabilities--Explore engineering trade space $65,000; Preliminary hardware design: $250,000; Software development: $225,000; Integration: $160,000; and Other Direct Costs: $300,000. Technical Capability #3: Next Generation Algorithms for Face & Iris at a Distance: Algorithm research: $480,000; Software development: $200,000; Small form factor algorithm conversion research: $prototype development: $90,000; and Other Direct Costs: $30,000.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I just want to thank all of those who have brought us to this point here today. As one who's worked on this legislation for 12 long years, it's truly been a team effort. I want to thank all of the organizations, all of the individuals, too many to mention here today, but I want to thank particularly David Wellstone and Allan Garrity from Senator Wellstone's staff who have kept the legacy of Paul Wellstone alive in terms of moving this mental health and addiction treatment parity legislation. I also want to thank the 274 bipartisan cosponsors of the current bill. I want to thank the leadership of Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Hoyer, because without their leadership we wouldn't be here today about to pass mental health parity. I want to thank the distinguished chairmen of the full committees and the subcommittees and the other side of the aisle whose cooperation has been incredibly positive and helpful; and without their support, every one of you, without your support we wouldn't be here today as well. I want to thank the leadership and the tireless efforts of my friend from Rhode Island, the chief cosponsor, Patrick Kennedy, who has worked so hard on this legislation from the minute he was sworn in as a Member of the House. I want to thank all the staff from the full committees, the three full committees of jurisdiction, as well as the three subcommittees of jurisdiction. And I particularly want to thank Karin Hope, my legislative director, who has worked on this legislation day and night for all 12 years that we've worked together. Let me just wrap it up, Mr. Speaker, by saying that it's time for Congress to deal with America's number 1 public health problem. It's time for Congress to outlaw discrimination in treatment against people with mental illness and chemical addiction. It's time for Congress to pass mental health and chemical addiction treatment parity. I yield back.

Mr. RAMSTAD. I yield an additional minute to the gentleman, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. RAMSTAD. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RAMSTAD. I yield the gentlelady an additional minute.

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RAMSTAD. Are there speakers remaining?

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, who has the right to close?

Mr. RAMSTAD. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.