Bobby Rush

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Welton I. Taylor, Ph.D. A distinguished scientist, WWII liaison pilot, and civil rights advocate, Dr. Taylor died in Chicago on November 1, 2012, just 11 days shy of his 93rd birthday. Born November 12, 1919, in Birmingham, Alabama, to Frederick Enslen Taylor and Cora Lee Brewer, Taylor was still an infant when his family fled to Chicago as a result of an ultimatum his mother received from the Ku Klux Klan. Throughout Dr. Taylor's life, the story of his family's trauma fueled his desire to succeed in every endeavor and to fight racism wherever he found it. Graduating from DuSable High School as class Valedictorian in 1937, Dr. Taylor attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign thanks to scholarships from the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. In his senior year he became the first black cadet in the University of Illinois' Advanced ROTC Field Artillery Unit. He graduated in 1941 with an A.B. in Bacteriology and a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Field Artillery. Only 28 days after following orders to report for active duty at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Taylor became the first black field artillery officer in the history of the post. Taylor had always dreamt of becoming a pilot, however, and when a flight instructor at the Lawton, Oklahoma airfield offered to teach him, he jumped at the chance. Taylor took lessons during his off-duty hours and was rewarded when the Army subsequently sent him to the Second Army Air Force's Pittsburg, Kansas flight school to become a Field Artillery liaison pilot. Taylor was eventually deployed to the South Pacific with the all-black 596th Field Artillery Battalion, 93rd Infantry Division and flew liaison and reconnaissance missions in the South Pacific until the end of World War II. During his 5\1/2\ years of service, Taylor boldly challenged institutional racism in the Army at every turn--most notably protesting the Army's discriminatory practices regarding the admission of black officers to the officers' clubs. Taylor suffered numerous racial affronts during active duty, but still joined the Illinois National Guard Reserves at the end of the war, rising to the rank of Major before resigning his commission in 1952. Upon his return stateside, Taylor married his longtime girlfriend, Jayne Kemp Taylor, a graduate of Howard University. The couple entered the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign shortly thereafter to pursue their graduate degrees where Taylor earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Bacteriology on the G.I. Bill. While on campus, the couple teamed with white veterans and their wives to force the integration of local restaurants, movie theaters, and swimming pools. Champaign-Urbana was changed forever by their efforts, and when the Taylors returned to Chicago after graduation, they continued their civil rights activism. They became one of the first black families to integrate the Chatham neighborhood on Chicago's South Side and Dr. Taylor played an active role in civic life. He served as President of the Chatham Avalon Park Community Council, founded the Episcopal Society for Cultural and Racial Unity, and received the Brotherhood Award of the National Conference of Christians and Jews. As a scientist, Dr. Taylor had a remarkable career spanning close to fifty years. He taught microbiology at the medical schools of both the University of Illinois and Northwestern University, did ground-breaking research on bacteriological contamination in the nation's food supply, helped France and Britain eradicate Salmonella in their imported foods, became microbiologist-in-chief at Chicago's Children's Memorial Hospital, and served as consulting microbiologist to Resurrection Hospital and eleven other hospitals in the Chicago area. He earned four patents, published forty articles in scientific journals (becoming the first black editor of several of them), and developed a product adopted by the Food & Drug Administration, which is still used today by microbiology laboratories the world over to certify foods Salmonella- free. In 1985, the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta named a bacterium Enterobacter taylorae in honor of Dr. Taylor and a British colleague. Following the death of his wife, Jayne, in 2005, Dr. Taylor joined the Chicago ``DODO'' Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. to once again pursue his lifelong passion: flying. Always one of the organization's most vocal and articulate supporters, Taylor helped fellow pilots introduce inner-city children to the joys and challenges of flight. He lectured extensively to corporate, civic, and academic groups across the Midwest and spoke passionately about the triumphs and frustrations faced by the Tuskegee Airmen and other black servicemen during World War II. Taylor received the Congressional Gold Medal with the Tuskegee Airmen in Washington, DC in 2006. Fully committed to educating succeeding generations, Dr. Taylor published his long-awaited memoir and history, Two Steps from Glory, in July of 2012. He proudly unveiled it at the huge air show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin (EAA Airventure), just days before being diagnosed with the cancer that took his life. Dr. Taylor is survived by his daughters, Karyn and Shelley, by his nephew, Herbert Wallace, and his niece, Frances Austin. On behalf of my wife Carolyn and the constituents of Illinois' First Congressional District, I extend my condolences to Dr. Taylor's family and I want for them to know that they are in our thoughts and prayers.

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Jane Ramsey. She is a long-time Chicago area resident who has worked for three decades as a community leader for social and economic justice. Jane Ramsey is retiring this year from her current position as the President of the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, JCUA. She had been the Council's Assistant Executive Director from April 1979 and was named its Executive Director in 1982. JCUA combats poverty, racism and anti-Semitism in partnership with Chicago's diverse communities. Guided by prophetic Jewish principles, JCUA pursues social and economic justice for Chicago's most vulnerable neighborhoods by promoting a vision of empowering communities from within. Her leadership of over 30 years has helped enable the JCUA to become one of Chicago's most active and important organizations speaking on behalf of human and civil rights issues. Jane Ramsey led the JCUA in an effort to combat racism facing mayoral candidate Harold Washington. Further, when Chicago Housing Authority residents were fighting to ensure that their rights were honored when the City of Chicago tore down its highrise public housing buildings, the JCUA organized a coalition of religious and civil rights groups to work for the tenants. When Chicago's Muslim community became the target of hate crimes after September 11, 2001, the JCUA formed the Jewish- Muslim Community Building Initiative. Jane Ramsey has also served on numerous boards including the Justice Coalition of Greater Chicago, Chicago Coalition to Protect Public Housing, Ethics Coalition, KAM Isaiah Israel Congregation, Women in Charge; and as commissioner for Private Industry Council (PIC), the Women's Commission of the City of Chicago, and the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism. She is currently a board member of CAN-TV, the Leadership Greater Chicago Fellows Association, and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Jane Ramsey. She is truly worthy of recognition by this august body, the U.S. House of Representatives.

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. First of all, I want to commend Mr. Waxman and thank him for leading us on the subcommittee in such a profound and effective way, leading the minority on the subcommittee and also on the full committee. Mr. Chairman, this is much to-do about nothing. As a matter of fact, I would strongly urge the members of this committee and the members of the majority side of the committee to get on their feet and apologize to the American people for this waste of time, energy, and resources because this piece of legislation that we have before us is legislation that doesn't solve any of the American people's problems, that doesn't acknowledge any of their concerns, and that certainly doesn't speak to the pain that they are suffering day to day, moment by moment, week by week as we stand here posturing solely for a few political points in the November election. I would ask the Members of this body to refer to comments made just about 30 days ago in USA Today. It was an article dated August 15, 2012, entitled, ``This Congress could be least productive since 1947.'' The authors analyzed records of the U.S. House's Clerk's Office and determined that, in 2012, a measly 2 percent of the close to 4,000 bills introduced by Members of the 112th Congress became law--that 2 percent of 4,000 bills actually became law. We are not proud of these figures. I want to quote from this article: These statistics make the 112th Congress, covering 2011- 2012, the least productive 2-year gathering on Capitol Hill since the end of World War II. Not even the 80th Congress, which President Truman called the ``do-nothing Congress'' in 1948, passed as few laws as the current one, records show. Mr. Chairman, here we go again. It's another charade, another empty gesture, another misguided approach, another insensitive response to the pain and the plight of the problems of the American people. Here we go again. On this floor today is another prime example for the American people of why this has been the least effective Congress in over 60 years. After taking the last 6 weeks off, we come back into session here in Washington, D.C., for a pathetic 8 days total in the month of September. And what are we doing? Instead of working on bipartisan legislation to create jobs and put Americans back to work, my Republican colleagues--you men and women on the other side--come back here to Washington and bring to this floor yet one more ill-conceived, unwanted, and unnecessary messaging bill, its only purpose being to gather some political advantages over the Obama administration. Shame on you. We need to apologize to the American people. This no- more-innovation bill is not a serious piece of legislation.

Mr. RUSH. My Republican colleagues, you know full well that this bill would never become law. It would die before it even gets to the front door of the Senate. Yet here we are in front of the cameras hoping to score more political points before we head into this fall election. As the ranking member of the Energy and Power Subcommittee, which is where this horrendous excuse for legislation originated, I must confess, unfortunately, that the subcommittee and the Energy and Commerce Committee as a whole have certainly contributed to the do- nothing, accomplished-nothing label for this 112th Congress. With over 30 hearings and over a dozen subcommittee and full committee hearings on bills that have originated from the Energy and Power Subcommittee, Congress has enacted one piece of legislation. We've had 30 hearings and one piece of legislation, and that is part of our record. While this would be a sad and pitiful record at any time, it is even more egregious when you look at all of the extreme weather events that have occurred in this past year and is a reminder of why the work of the Energy and Power Subcommittee, the Energy and Commerce Committee, and this Congress overall is so necessary and so important.

Mr. RUSH. This past summer, two-thirds of the country experienced severe drought, causing crops to wither and spurring the earliest corn harvest in 25 years. At the same time, the water levels in four of the five Great Lakes has plummeted due to high evaporation rates and insufficient rainfall. While America burns, House Republicans twiddle their thumbs and have brought messaging bills to the floor of the Congress instead of working in a bipartisan fashion to address the real issues facing the American people. It is past time for this Congress, it is past time for my Republican colleagues to get serious with the business of governing and not just voting on political posturing legislation to express their displeasure over President Obama. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this piece of legislation

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my friend and colleague and the Dean of the Illinois Delegation, Congressman Jerry Costello. Congressman Costello has been a fixture of these halls since his arrival in 1988. Since my own arrival to Congress in 1993, I have known Jerry Costello to be a kind, diligent, and caring public servant for the people of Illinois and the United States. Whether working towards FAA reauthorization, creating local jobs, or saving Scott Air Force Base from closure, Jerry Costello has shaped and improved Southwestern Illinois. I will miss Jerry Costello's collegiality and his leadership. Just because he is departing Congress does not mean there is not much work left for him to do. I look forward to seeing what the next chapter of his life brings and, on behalf of my wife, Carolyn, myself, and the people of the First Congressional District of Illinois, I wish him well on his journey. Congratulations, Jerry!

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend my fellow colleagues in the House for their leadership, for their vision, and for their votes today to strengthen the U.S.-Africa economic and trade relations. Passage of H.R. 5986 will also solidify the U.S. long-term investment in Africa. I want to commend my colleagues for voting to extend AGOA, the African Growth and Opportunity Act. And I would also like to applaud all of those advocates who worked tirelessly to pass H.R. 5986, the long overdue extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, AGOA, including the third-country fabric provision as a part of AGOA. This third-country fabric provision will enable eligible countries in sub-Saharan Africa to ship thousands of goods to the United States without paying import duties. This provision, which has been set to expire this September, on September 30, waives the duties on clothing from most AGOA countries, even if the yarn or fabric is made in a ``third country,'' such as China, South Korea, or Vietnam. With passage of this important legislation, sewing jobs for hundreds of thousands of African workers will be protected and also created. The first beneficiaries for this bill will be the women of Africa, because about 70 to 80 percent of the workers in these burgeoning apparel and textile industries are women. Mr. Speaker, when women are working, families are fed and stability is a result. I am so pleased, Mr. Speaker, that once again AGOA will become the law and that the President will sign this law in the near future. The Death of Ghanaian President John Atta Mills Next, Mr. Speaker, I stand in the House well today to send my deepest sympathies, the sympathies of the people of the First Congressional District of Illinois, and to send our prayers to the Ghanaian people and to the family of the recently departed President John Atta Mills, the late president of Ghana. His death is a terrible loss not only for Ghana and its people, but for the entire world. Mr. Speaker, President Atta Mills was a tremendous leader. He solidified the foundation for peace and prosperity in the nation of Ghana, creating confidence in the Ghanaian political, socioeconomic system that led to massive foreign direct investments in Ghana, which resulted in the creation of millions of jobs for the Ghanaian people. He will be greatly missed. I also want to congratulate His Excellency, Mr. John Dramani Mahama, the new leader of Ghana. Mr. Speaker, the peaceful transition of power in Ghana clearly demonstrates that Ghana has embarked into an unwavering path and process for democracy and the democratic principles we all hold near and dear. Within hours of the passing away of the President, late President John Atta Mills, the Vice President was sworn in as the new President. The political violence that we witnessed after the passing of President Umaru Yar'Adua of Nigeria and President Bingu wa Mutharika of Malawi simply did not occur. This, Mr. Speaker, is evidence, sheer evidence that Ghana's democratic institutions are viable and are getting much stronger day by day. This just did not happen. It took strong leadership from previous Presidents of Ghana in order to lay the right foundation for this smooth transition of power in Ghana over the last week. People like former President Jerry Rawlings, who was elected in 1996. And lest we not forget Mr. Rawlings' party lost with a narrow margin, but he didn't try to fight and hold back the willful decision of the Ghanaian people. He conceded the election without any controversy. I also commend former President John Kufuor for his strong stance in support of the Ghanaian democratic march, the principles, and the democratic values that we cherish here in the United States. It is for these reasons that I stand here today to commend the Ghanaian people, the Ghanaian leadership, and the Ghanaian institutions for their stable, forward-thinking, and mature leadership. I commend them all this evening. Niger Delta Crisis Mr. Speaker, on my final note before this body, I rise today to also urge this Congress to pass H. Con. Res. 121, a resolution to save the Niger Delta region, which is located in Nigeria. Over the last few years and months, a lot has been said and a lot has been written about the Niger Delta crisis that is occurring right now in Nigeria as we speak. Just about a year ago, the United Nations Environment Program released a report, a startling report, a report calling for an urgent response to reverse the environmental destruction and devastation in the Ogoniland region of the Niger Delta wetlands. That report again was startling, intense, and accurate. It also called for the establishment of a $1 billion cleanup fund to finance the restoration and the cleanup of the Niger Delta region. Mr. Speaker, to give you some perspective on the scope of the destruction and on the devastation, it is estimated that the cleanup of the Niger Delta could take as many as 30 years to complete. Of course, Mr. Speaker, strong voices have begun to emerge and strong actions have taken place to do more to publicize these environmental atrocities. Just recently, I watched a movie directed by a brilliant Nigerian- born filmmaker whose name is Jeta Amata. It was a movie titled ``Black November: Struggle for the Niger Delta.'' This movie raises the awareness of the tragedy of the Niger Delta and the Niger region. ``Black November,'' the movie, is based upon the true story of the people of the Niger Delta, the communities in the Niger Delta that suffer extreme environmental degradation and extreme poverty in this oil-rich Niger Delta region. Mr. Speaker, the people of this Nation, we cannot, the American people cannot remain indifferent to the struggle of the people of the Niger region, the Niger Delta, as they struggle to clean up the pollution created by mostly American and other Western oil and petroleum companies. Most of the Niger Delta's 31 million people live on less than $1 a day, although this region is the very backbone of Nigeria's economy, with oil and gas extraction accounting for over 97 percent of Nigeria's foreign exchange revenues. The Niger Delta region, which consists of nine states, makes up about 12 percent of Nigeria's total land mass, and it is one of the world's 10 most important wetlands and coastal marine ecosystems. Mr. Speaker, the social unrest, the criminality, illegal oil trade, the bunkering, and the general corruption have hindered oil and gas investment and production, as well as the Niger Delta region's development. Mr. Speaker, these numbers are alarming. The World Conservation Union and the representatives from the Nigerian federal government and the Nigerian Conservation Foundation calculated in 2006 that up to 1.5 million tons of oil had been spilled in the Niger Delta over the last 50 years--1.5 million tons. That is 50 times, that's right, 50 times, Mr. Speaker, the pollution released in the Exxon Valdez tanker disaster in Alaska a few years ago. This pollution, this oil spill, this devastation has severely limited the local inhabitants' access to clean water and has largely destroyed the fishing stock that the majority of the delta inhabitants depended on to make their daily living. A result also has been that illegal oil and gas refineries have become a source of income for these poor people who have unfortunately diverted their activities from fisheries destroyed by the oil spills. Illicit oil trade and illegal refineries are booming, and they are consequently threatening the economy, the security, and the environment of this very vital region in the world. Mr. Speaker, more importantly or just as importantly, in too many of the communities in the Niger region, people drink water from wells that are contaminated with benzene, which is a known carcinogen. They drink this water, which has been estimated to be 900 times above the level that the World Health Organization uses as its guideline, 900 times above the standards set by the World Health Organization. Since 2010, Nigeria has become one of our main strategic partners on the continent of Africa. This nation, Nigeria, is our Nation's second- leading trading partner behind Great Britain. Mr. Speaker, these and other facts mean that the struggle of the people of the Niger Delta-- the struggle of the Nigerian people--is also the struggle of the American people. Mr. Speaker, the destiny of the two economies, the Nigerian economy and the American economy, are interconnected, interrelated, and intertwined. We cannot, and I emphasize, this Nation cannot afford to stay indifferent to the struggles of the people of the Niger Delta and the cleanup of the pollution that has been devastating this region for over the past 50 years. The struggle of the people of the Niger Delta is indeed our struggle, the struggle of the American people. I have led, and with cosigners, have introduced H. Con. Res 121 to urge all the stakeholders in the Niger oil and gas industry to come together, to work together, to collaborate together, and to address collectively the environmental impact of the oil and gas production in the Niger Delta. I must say, Mr. Speaker, that we should commend this Congress--and I certainly commend President Goodluck Jonathan for presenting the new Petroleum Industry Bill, the PIB, to the Nigerian Parliament, which has the support of all the stakeholders and has the input of all of the stakeholders. I also want to commend President Goodluck Jonathan for announcing the creation of the Hydro-Carbon Pollution Restoration Project, HYPREP, to look into the Ogoni land degradation, destruction, and devastation from the aforementioned oil spills. I applaud President Goodluck Jonathan for taking these initiatives. These are very important, critical first steps. It is my hope that all of the affected stakeholders will again come and meet again soon and collaborate strongly together to make the cleanup and rebuilding of the Niger region become a success story that the world will admire and that the world will celebrate. The new energy regulatory framework that's being created must be fair, it must be transparent, and it must create an appropriate avenue for the economic empowerment for local Niger Delta communities affected by the industry, including the women and the youth. Mr. Speaker, we cannot stand by. We must assist in this effort. The clock is ticking. We must support the people of the Niger Delta. With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the ranking member on the Energy and Commerce Committee and let him know how much I appreciate not only his leadership on other issues, but particularly his leadership on this issue here. Mr. Speaker, I stand here astounded, amazed, and bemused at the remarks of the past speaker. You know, he wants the American people to be convinced that fly ash is as healthy to them as it can be and that they should, in fact, maybe go out and go to their local drugstore and ask for a bottle of fly ash so they can sprinkle it over their dinner meal as they would maybe a salad dressing. I don't think that the American people would be pleased with that. Mr. Speaker, I stand in strong opposition to this motion to instruct. At a time when we are facing historic levels of joblessness in communities around the country, in the African American communities and other minority communities, Republicans are playing chicken with the transportation bill, which is intended to provide American jobs and repair our aging infrastructure. It is not to further the contamination of the water supplies, the air supplies in our most vulnerable communities, so why don't we stop the charade. Why don't we stop the asthmatic assault on the most vulnerable segments, the most vulnerable communities in our Nation. This motion to instruct contains a deadly and dangerous provision that would only allow more poison, more disease, and more death from one of our Nation's biggest waste products--the deadly, cancerous coal ash that's under discussion today. Coal ash, I want to remind you, is a waste leftover after thousands of tons of coal are burned at coal-fired power plants, and it is laden from top to bottom with toxins such as mercury, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and lead. These are pollutants that cause cancer, that cause organ disease, breathing problems, neurological damage, developmental problems, and even the final problem, which is death. Mr. Speaker, title V of H.R. 4348 gives companies an unprecedented ability to pollute under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, even though the EPA, the Environmental Protection Agency, found some coal ash ponds pose a 1-in-50 risk of cancer related to residents drinking arsenic-contaminated water, a risk that is 2,000 times the EPA's regulatory goal. Dangerous coal ash disposal affects thousands of U.S. communities, but research informs us that income and race remain strong predictors of the amount of pollution that Americans face. The majority of coal ash is disposed in grossly inadequate dumpsites, which are primarily located in low-income communities, disproportionately impacting those who are least equipped to respond to water contamination and the onslaught of toxic dust in the air. Mr. Speaker, low-income citizens are more likely to rely on groundwater supplies and less likely to have access to medical insurance and health care.

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, title V of H.R. 4348 fails to protect communities and their drinking water from toxic coal ash or from another messy spill like the disaster that occurred in Kingston, Tennessee, in 2008. Mr. Speaker, let me conclude by saying that my State alone produces 4.4 million tons of coal ash annually, and at least 19 coal ash dumpsites have contaminated local water supplies. Additionally, each and every day a steam-fired steamship, the SS Badger, dumps 4 tons of coal ash into Lake Michigan, my beloved city of Chicago's primary water supply system. I urge all of my colleagues to vote against the motion to instruct.

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Chairman, since the beginning of the 112th Congress, we have held over 30 Energy and Power Subcommittee and joint subcommittee hearings. We have held over a dozen subcommittee and full committee markups, and including H.R. 4480, which we will vote on today, we have had 10 bills that originated from the Energy and Power Subcommittee that have been voted on by the full House. Yet, Mr. Chairman, from all of that time and all that effort, the Energy and Power Subcommittee has produced exactly one substantive bill. Let me repeat: only one substantive, significant bill, the Pipeline Safety Reauthorization Act, the only one that has actually become law. Mr. Chairman, instead of focusing our efforts on trying to create the clean energy jobs of the 21st century, the majority party has spent the past 18 months lobbing partisan attacks against the EPA and the Clean Air Act in order to appease Big Oil and some of the more extreme constituencies that the Republican Party represents. Mr. Chairman, most Americans would like to see us utilizing our time working in a bipartisan manner to address critical issues, such as access to jobs, clean air, and clean water, less dependence on foreign oil, enhanced energy-efficiency measures, and an increased reliance on the cleaner and renewable energy sources of the future. Instead, here we are again debating yet another bill that would continue the concerted effort by the majority party to weaken the authority of the EPA and to delegitimize the Agency's regulations as job killers. Mr. Chairman, with just a little over 20 days remaining before the August recess, we should be focusing our limited time on legislation that will create jobs and move America forward toward a smarter energy future that is less vulnerable to the whims of the world oil market. However, nothing in this bill accomplishes that. The most offensive provision of this bill, the Gasoline Regulations Act, would fundamentally change a cornerstone of public health law, the Clean Air Act, and I ask my colleagues: Why, to what end? This bill will not create any jobs but, rather, would block EPA rules to make the fuel we put into our cars cleaner. This bill would also block rules that would cut toxic air pollution from refineries. This bill blocks the EPA from requiring new refineries from cutting carbon pollution that causes climate change, and it even blocks the agency from revising the national air quality standard for ozone to reflect the best-available science and medical evidence about how much ozone is safe to breathe without serious health effects. Mr. Chairman, one truth remains, and that truth is that H.R. 4480 isn't really about jobs, isn't really about lowering gasoline prices. It is about an excuse to push a profoundly anti-environmental agenda and provide oil companies with more items from their election year wish list. Oppose this bill because it would strike at the heart of the Clean Air Act and would not provide any tangible benefits to the American people. I urge all of my colleagues to oppose it as well. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to my friend, the gentlewoman from my home State of Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky).

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Doyle), a fine member of the subcommittee and a distinguished member of the full committee.

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Chairman, I intend to close, so I will reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer).

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Garamendi).

Mr. RUSH. I yield another 30 seconds to the gentleman.

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Chairman, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Maryland.

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Chairman, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Chairman, I yield 4 minutes to one of the most remarkable leaders that this Congress has ever seen, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).

Mr. RUSH. I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Chairman, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining on this side?

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen).

Mr. RUSH. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RUSH. I yield myself such time as I may consume. There is widespread opposition to the Republican oil-above-all bill. The Obama administration opposes the Republican bill. Its Statement of Administration Policy says: The administration strongly opposes H.R. 4480, which would undermine the Nation's energy security, roll back policies that support the continued growth of safe and responsible energy production in the United States, discourage environmental analysis and civic engagement in Federal decisionmaking, and impede progress on important Clean Air Act rules to protect the health of American families. If the President were presented with H.R. 4480, his senior advisers would recommend that he veto the bill. Numerous public health organizations oppose this bill, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and various others. Mr. Chair, this bill is nonsensical and is another bill in a long list of Big Oil giveaways pushed by the most anti-environmental House in the history of our Nation. I yield back the balance of my time.