Mike Ross

Mr. ROSS

Mr. ROSS. And, I might add, you know a thing or two about that.

Mr. ROSS. We discussed $11.4 billion in cuts to health care for the poor, the disabled, the elderly. Eight out of 10 seniors in nursing homes in Arkansas, my home State. $14.3 billion in cuts to student loans, at a time when I know how many parents feel now, because I have got a child that will soon be going off to college. My wife and I are very blessed. We are very fortunate that we will be okay. We both went to college, we got a good education, we work hard and we will make sure our children get an education. But we are thinking about it and we are concerned about it. I now understand how so many parents across this country lay in bed at night and can't sleep worried about the cost of their child's education, at a time when $14.3 billion has been cut from Federal student loans. $3.7 billion from our farm families at a time of record diesel prices and we just went through a drought. $700 million in cuts to food stamps. It is like this Republican Congress thinks that people are going to wake up tomorrow and not be poor or sick anymore. My wife and I own a small town family pharmacy. I see a lot of people come through our doors that are sick. Never once have I met one that loved being sick. We meet a lot of poor people that come through the doors of our pharmacy in my hometown of Prescott, Arkansas, 3,400 people, where everybody knows everyone. We know a lot of poor people. We see them come through our door. Never once has someone said, I'm proud to be poor. Yet these cuts make it appear as though people in this country are going to wake up tomorrow and not be poor or sick anymore. And now you are telling me on top of these, there is cuts in that bill, the Deficit Reduction Act, that actually adds $20 billion in new debt that cuts our orphans in foster care?

Mr. ROSS. This week's tax cuts. $70 billion this week, mostly to benefit those earning over $400,000 a year, half of it to benefit those earning in income over $1 million a year.

Mr. ROSS. Scrooge-onomics. With that, I will recognize the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cooper).

Mr. ROSS. $2 trillion of our debt today is being held by foreign lenders, foreign governments, foreign central banks. Compare this to only $23 billion in foreign holdings in 1993. The top 10, it is kind of like David Letterman later tonight and his top 10 list. The United States of America, we owe Japan $687.3 billion. We borrow money from them to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy people here in this Nation. China, we owe them $252.2 billion. I know I have got that southern drawl and so I want to make sure everybody understands that I say billion, not million. $252.2 billion. United Kingdom, $182.4 billion. Caribbean banking centers. I had never heard of such. Caribbean banking centers, $102.9 billion. Korea, $61.7 billion. OPEC, and we wonder why gasoline is so high, we have borrowed $54.6 billion from OPEC. Taiwan, $71.8 billion. They are counting on us to defend them if China invades them and we are borrowing money from Taiwan. The gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Tanner), a founder of the Blue Dogs, again he put it best when he said, if China decides to invade Taiwan, we'll have to borrow even more money from China to defend Taiwan. Germany, $63.5 billion. Switzerland, $37.5 billion. And Hong Kong, $48.1 billion. Again, this President, this administration, this Republican Congress, has borrowed more money from foreign lenders in the past 4\1/2\ years than the previous 42 Presidents combined. It is time for accountability. It is time to restore fiscal discipline to our Nation's government. I hope the gentleman from Georgia agrees.

Mr. ROSS. I want to thank the gentleman from Georgia. This is exactly why the 37-member-strong fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition will take to the floor every Tuesday night to discuss with the Members the debt, the deficit, and to hold this administration and this Republican Congress accountable and also offer up our 12 point reform plan for curing our Nation's addiction to deficit spending. Point number one, require a balanced budget. We will be talking more about that and the other 11 points next Tuesday night as members of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition, a group of 37 conservative to moderate Democrats, take to the floor to hold this administration and this Congress accountable for these record deficits and to offer up a solution, including requiring a balanced budget. The Blue Dog Coalition, the poster here, today the U.S. national debt, this morning, when we started this hour, it was $8.121 trillion. In the past 60 minutes, while we have been standing here discussing the crisis at hand in America, the national debt has risen another $41 million. Another $41 million in debt has accumulated in this Nation since we began this discussion here on the floor of the U.S. House 60 minutes ago. That is eight more elementary schools that cannot be built tonight in America simply because that money is going to pay interest on the national debt. This discussion will continue with my colleague and other members of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition next Tuesday night, and I want to thank you for coming and joining me in this debate about accountability and common sense and fiscal responsibility.

Mr. ROSS

Mr. ROSS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of James Branyan, a pillar of the Camden, Arkansas community for nearly a half century. Mr. Branyan died on November 3, 2005 at the age of 72 in Camden. James Branyan was born in Glendale, Arkansas on January 15, 1933. A 1950 Glendale High School graduate, Mr. Branyan played basketball for Henderson State University. Following graduation, he moved to Camden in 1956 to manage the Black and White Store. Throughout his impressive career, Mr. Branyan went on to own the Credit Shop, the Downtown Antique Mall, the Starr Fashion Shop, Banks Jewelry, A & H Ready to Wear, Stephens Department Store, Packard's Office Supply, Data Service Center Computer Service, KJWH Radio Station, Robertson Feed Store, Walker and Associates Advertising and Public Relations, and the Good Times Travel Agency. Mr. Branyan had a deep love for the place he called home; he truly believed Camden was ``paradise.'' Mr. Branyan's commitment went far beyond the business community; he was passionate about giving back through community service. Mr. Branyan served as President of the PTA, President of the Ouachita County Red Cross, Chairman of the United Fund Drive, Chairman of the Camden Water Commission, Vice-President of the Chamber of Commerce, and this is simply the tip of Mr. Branyan's exhaustive list of involvement which kept him involved in every aspect of the Camden community. Perhaps Mr. Branyan will be most remembered for his decade of service to the Arkansas Highway Commission from 1973-1983, a prestigious commission which he chaired from 1981-1983. In 1962, Mr. Branyan was named Camden's Young Man of the Year, an award bestowed upon young men for their dedication to community service, and today that award is named in his honor. In 1971, he was named Camden's Man of the Year and in 1991 Arkansas's Retail Merchant of the Year. Mr. Branyan was also an active member of Maul Road Church of Christ, where he served as an elder, Bible school teacher and song leader. Mr. Branyan was a tremendous businessman and led a life dedicated to the betterment of his ``paradise.'' Camden has lost a true friend and economic ambassador. I am honored to have known him and counted him as a friend. Mr. Branyan will be deeply missed, but his spirit and legacy will live on for generations to come throughout the Camden community. My heartfelt condolences go out to his wife, Shirley; their daughters, Cherel Chilton and Rhonda Stuart; and their grandchildren, Lance and James.

Mr. ROSS

Mr. ROSS. Mr. Speaker, I make a point of order.

Mr. ROSS. Mr. Speaker, does the speaker not have to address you and not a group or an individual?

Mr. ROSS. Mr. Speaker, this evening we are here to consider a bill known as the Deficit Reduction Act. And only here in a Republican-led Congress could something be called a deficit reduction act that adds $20 billion in new debt to this Nation's budget. Not only does it add $20 billion in new debt, but it also has nothing to do with paying for disaster relief. It is about cutting programs that matter to our children, our working families and our seniors to the tune of $50 billion. It is about approving $70 billion in new tax cuts. I was not real good in math back in high school, but I think anybody can figure that one out. $50 billion in cuts, $70 billion in new tax cuts equals $20 billion in new debt. And what is being cut? Student aid, $14.3 billion. As the father of a 17-year-old that is approaching college, like so many parents across this country, I am concerned about being able to pay for my child's college education. Parents all over this country tonight are concerned that the Republican leadership are proposing $14 billion in cuts for their children's college education. Medicaid, the health insurance program for the poor, the disabled, the elderly being cut by $11.4 billion. Mr. Speaker, let me tell you about my America. In Arkansas, half the children are on Medicaid. In Arkansas, 8 out of every 10 seniors in nursing homes are on Medicaid. In Arkansas, one out of every five people are on Medicaid, and this Republican-led Congress, tonight, plans to cut Medicaid $11.4 billion. And if that is not enough, they are going to cut agriculture programs $3 billion. My farm families back home in East Arkansas cannot afford these kind of cuts as they simply try to do what they do best, and that is provide a safe and reliable source of food and fiber for America's families. You know, as this debate unfolded tonight, as I was sitting here, I could not help but think about Matthew, chapter 25, verse 40. ``I tell you the truth. Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'' That is what I learned growing up in a little country church just outside of Hope, Arkansas, Midway United Methodist Church. Eight trillion dollars is the Nation's debt under this Republican-led Congress, the largest deficit ever in our Nation's history for a fifth year in a row. In fact, this Republican President and this Republican Congress has borrowed more money from foreign investors and foreign banks in less than 5 years than the previous 42 presidents combined. It is hard now to believe that we had a balanced budget from 1998 to 2001. Contrast that to today, when we are borrowing $907 million a day, sending $188 million a day to Iraq, $33 million a day to Afghanistan. This plan does not reflect America's values. This plan does not reflect my values. Vote no on this and vote yes to the Blue Dog 12-point plan which none of these Members are cosponsoring.

Mr. ROSS

Mr. ROSS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia for his insight and wisdom that he has shared with us this evening on this issue, this so-called Republican budget reconciliation bill that they say will be brought up for a vote either some time late Friday night or perhaps early Saturday morning. We know all about that, you know, on the Medicare drug bill, for example, they waited until 3 a.m. They wanted to make sure seniors were fast asleep. And then they held a 15-minute vote open for 3 hours, until they finally got those final two votes they needed to pass it. I challenge the Republican leadership to give us a vote on this in the middle of the day on Friday, when the sun is still up, and let the American people see how democracy should work in this country. I talked about the Blue Dog Coalition having 12 points for budget reform to really get a handle on this debt, to stop deficit spending and to restore common sense and fiscal discipline to our Nation's government. Number one was, require a balanced budget. Number two was, do not let Congress buy on credit. Restore PAYGO, pay-as-you-go rules, to the floor of the United States House, meaning, if you want to spend money on one program, you have got to cut spending on another program. Number three is, put a lid on spending. Ever since I was a small child growing up, I have heard it was the Democrats that spent the money. And yet, you know it is a Democratic President, President Clinton, that gave us the first balanced budget in this country in 40 years, from 1998 through 2001. Then what happened? For the first time in 50 years, the Republicans now control the White House, the House and the Senate, and from 2001 to 2003, total government spending soared by 16 percent. The Blue Dogs propose putting a lid on spending. The Blue Dogs propose holding the line on discretionary spending for the next three fiscal years at 2.1 percent. That is point number three to our 12 point plan for budget reform. With us this evening from the State of Tennessee is one of the founders of the Blue Dog Coalition, former cochair of the organization and a real leader, a founding father for the Blue Dog Coalition, John Tanner from Tennessee. And just to expand on what Mr. Scott from Georgia said, I mean, look, like so many people in this country, many of us in the Blue Dog Coalition, we are sick and tired of all the partisan bickering that goes on in our Nation's Capital. We are not standing here tonight to beat up the Republicans. We are here tonight to try and hold them accountable for this spending and offer up a solution on how we can restore common sense and fiscal discipline to our Nation's government. Like so many people across this country, I am sick and tired of all the partisan bickering that goes on at our Nation's Capitol. It should not be about whether it is a Democratic idea or a Republican idea. It ought to be about is a commonsense idea and does it make sense for the people that send us here to be their voice and their representative. That is what the Blue Dog Coalition is all about, as Mr. Scott indicated. That is why we have earned the respect of so many across this Nation and here on Capitol Hill. At this time, I would like to turn this over to one of the founding fathers of the Blue Dog Coalition, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Tanner).

Mr. ROSS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California for being a part of this this evening. The 12 points to reform this out-of-control Republican leadership that continues to increase our debt and our deficit, point number 2 that the Blue Dogs are offering up to restore common sense and fiscal discipline to our Nation's government: Do not let Congress buy on credit. Under President Clinton, we had the first balanced budget in 40 years. It was largely due to the fact that this House at the time had what is called pay-as-you-go rules in effect, which means if you want to increase spending somewhere or pay for a new program, you have to cut spending somewhere else. It makes sense. That is called pay-as-you- go or PAYGO rules. The Republican leadership has ended the PAYGO rule in this Chamber. Point number 2 of the Blue Dog Coalition: Do not let Congress buy on credit. Restore the pay-as-you-go budgeting concept to the rules of the U.S. House of Representatives. Mr. Speaker, at this time, it gives me real pleasure to introduce a leader in this Congress and a real leader in the Blue Dog Coalition, an outstanding Member, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Scott).

Mr. ROSS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Tennessee, one of the Founding Fathers of the Blue Dog Coalition, for sharing with us this evening his thoughts on this issue. He is so right: Our Nation, just on this debt, our Nation is spending nearly a half a billion dollars a day. Our Nation is spending nearly a half a billion dollars every 24 hours, simply paying interest on the national debt. Our Nation is spending nearly a half a billion dollars, that is with a B, nearly a half a billion dollars a day simply paying interest on the national debt. A half a billion dollars, how much is that? We could build 100 brand- new elementary schools every single day in America simply with the interest we are paying on the national debt. I have Interstate 49 and Interstate 69 and Interstate 530 under construction in my congressional district. Give me about a week's worth of interest on the national debt and I could finish all three of them. So projects and priorities in this country will continue to go unmet as long as we have this $8.53 trillion debt hanging over our heads that is growing every day. That is the debt. The other part of this the gentleman from Tennessee was talking about is the deficit. Our Nation is borrowing $907 million every single day. We are sending $188 million every day to Iraq and $33 million every day to Afghanistan. At a time when America is at war, the Republican leaders in this Congress are proposing an additional $70 billion in tax cuts. Never in the history of this Nation has America cut taxes when it is at war. And not only are we at war, but we are also coming off the most costly natural disaster in our Nation's history; and they are proposing $50 billion in cuts. Mr. Tanner talked about how this is an American issue, and he is right. It is also an issue that as a father concerns me. Cutting student loans at a time when so many of us have children getting ready to go off to college; cutting Medicaid, health insurance for the poorest among us so we can pay for tax cuts for those earning over $400,000 a year, these are not the kinds of values I was taught growing up at the Midway United Methodist Church just outside Prescott, Arkansas. Mr. Tanner mentioned how we have so much money that is being borrowed to run our government from foreigners. We owe Japan $714.9 billion; China, $191.1 billion; the United Kingdom, $152.5 billion; the Caribbean Banking Center, $76.2 billion; Korea, $69.3 billion; OPEC nations, and we wonder by gasoline is so high, OPEC nations, we have borrowed as a Nation $66.6 billion from them. The list goes on and on. In fact, we have borrowed, this administration has borrowed more money from foreign governments and foreign banks in less than 5 years than the previous 42 Presidents combined. It is time to restore common sense and fiscal discipline to our Nation's government. Also joining us this evening is a relatively new Member of Congress, a new member to the Blue Dog Coalition in her second term, someone who has really made her mark here in Washington as a fiscal conservative, someone who speaks with a lot of credibility on this issue, and that is the gentlewoman from South Dakota (Ms. Herseth).

Mr. ROSS. Out of these $50 billion in cuts, and Mr. Chandler from Kentucky hit the nail on the head when he pointed out that they are talking about cutting spending $50 billion, but they are really increasing spending. That is true because they are proposing $70 billion in tax cuts, $50 billion in cuts in spending which leaves $20 billion not paid for but which will have to be borrowed from foreign banks and foreign governments to fund this tax cut to those earning over $400,000 a year. Out of the $50 billion in cuts, nearly $8 billion of the $14.3 billion in student loan cuts fall directly on students and parents. I am beginning to really understand this because I have a daughter who is 17 and a son who is 13, both getting ready before too long to go off to college. Like every other parent in America, I spend a lot of time these days thinking I wish I had started saving sooner, and I wish I had saved enough to be able to provide for them the way I want to, and I will find a way to do it. We all do as parents, but at a time when parents are struggling to meet the needs of college tuition, the Republican leadership is proposing $14.3 billion in cuts to student loans. The CBO, not some Democrat or Republican organization, the Congressional Budget Office, has estimated that under the Republican bill there are nearly $8 billion in new charges to students and families that will raise the cost of student loans. The cost to the average student borrower will be increased by $5,800.

Mr. ROSS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Kentucky for his words this evening. He reminds me, growing up at the Midway Methodist Church just outside of Prescott, I heard many a sermon about being a good steward. When I came to Congress, it did not take me long to reflect back on not only the values I learned growing up, being the son of public school educators, but also I started thinking back to those sermons I heard growing up about being a good steward. I think it is important. As Members of Congress, I think we have a duty and a responsibility and an obligation to be a good steward of the public's money. I thank the gentleman from Kentucky for joining us this evening. I mentioned that the Blue Dog Coalition has a 12-point plan for curing our Nation's deficit spending. Throughout the evening, we are going to bring some of them up. Let me point out that number one is to require a balanced budget. At the Ross household in Prescott, Arkansas, we have to have a balanced budget in our family. The family pharmacy my wife and I own, we have to have a balanced budget. For 10 years I was serving in the State Senate in Arkansas, one of 49 States that requires a balanced budget. Blue Dog Coalition members believe that we, as a Nation, should have a balanced budget, and that is one of our 12 points requiring a balanced budget. At this time I would like to yield to the co-chair of the Blue Dog Coalition, the gentleman from California (Mr. Cardoza).

Mr. ROSS. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to visit with the Members of this body about the national debt. I am one of 37 members of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition, 37 Members of Congress from all over these United States who share a common concern, and that is the amount of our national debt and the amount of our national deficit as it continues to rise each day. As visitors walk the Halls of the House office buildings, they will occasionally spot one of these posters, which clearly marks that it is a Blue Dog member. What we are trying to do with the American people, as members of the Blue Dog Coalition, is point out that the U.S. national debt today is $8.053 trillion and some change. If we were to divide the national debt today by the 292 million people that live in America, including the children born today, everyone in America would have to write a check for $27,000 to pay off this national debt. This is a tragedy. And it is time we restore some common sense and fiscal discipline to our Nation's government. There are some within the Republican leadership that are trying to make us think that that is what they are trying to do, and what I mean by that is this week, we are going to be voting on what they call a budget reconciliation package. The Republican leadership is going to talk about how it is $53.9 billion in reduced spending. That sounds good. What they do not tell us is what programs are going to be cut. They will try to convince us that these cuts are happening to pay for the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. They will try to convince us that these cuts are being made to pay for the war in Iraq. Not so. These cuts are being proposed by the Republican leadership in this Congress to help offset $70 billion in new tax cuts, new tax cuts that are being proposed in the aftermath of the most costly natural disaster in our Nation's history and, yes, at a time when America is at war, tax cuts that benefit those earning over $400,000 a year. How are they going to pay for that? By cutting Federal student loans $14 billion; by cutting Medicaid, the only health insurance plan for the poor, the disabled, and the elderly, by $11.9 billion; by reducing child support enforcement, $5 billion; by cutting our farm families, $3.7 billion. Mr. Speaker, it is time we restore some common sense and fiscal discipline to our Nation's government. And we can do it and we can do it in a humane way, and we can do it in a way that reflects our values, which reminds me of Matthew, chapter 25, verse 40: ``I tell you the truth. Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me.'' Do we really want to cut Medicaid, health insurance for the poor, the disabled, the elderly; student loans for our children; farm programs including school lunch programs and food stamps to pay for tax cuts for those earning over $400,000 a year? I can tell the Members that does not reflect the kind of values I learned growing up at Midway United Methodist Church just outside of Prescott, Arkansas. So tonight we want to visit with the Members of this body and talk about why this budget reconciliation bill is bad. We want to address this. And here to do it with me are some of my colleagues in the Blue Dog Coalition. Not only will people find us tonight being critical of cutting programs for the most vulnerable people in America, but they will also find us offering up a solution, an alternative, what we refer to as our 12-point budget plan. And I am pleased to have a number of Blue Dogs join me tonight, including the co-chairman of the Blue Dog Coalition, Dennis Cardoza; Stephanie Herseth of South Dakota; David Scott of Georgia; and Ben Chandler of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Chandler).

Mr. ROSS. Mr. Speaker, members of the Blue Dog Coalition have come tonight, not only to point out our Nation's debt and deficit, but to offer a solution with our 12-point plan. We look forward to other opportunity in the future to further discuss our 12-point plan for meaningful budget reform.

Mr. ROSS. I want to thank the gentlewoman from South Dakota (Ms. Herseth) for her comments this evening, and I can assure you I join you in opposing cuts to student aid programs. I join you in opposing cuts to Medicaid, health insurance for the poor, for the disabled and the elderly. I join you in opposing cuts to child support enforcement, and I join you in opposing $3.4 billion cuts to agricultural programs, including $844 million to food stamps, the elimination of school lunches and breakfast benefits for 40,000 children, $1 billion in cuts to farm commodity programs, and, yes, $1 billion in cuts to rural development conservation and energy programs. The gentlewoman from South Dakota is a real leader on the House Agriculture Committee. I want to thank her for standing up and fighting those cuts in that committee. I promised you we would go over the 12 points to the Blue Dog budget reform. The gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Scott) is still here with me, and we are going to try to get through these before we run out of time. Quickly, number four, require agencies, these are our solutions, how we fix the problem, restore common sense, fiscal discipline to our Nation's government. Require agencies to put their fiscal year houses in order. According to the Government Accounting Office, not some political party group, according to the Government Accounting Office, 16 of 23 major Federal agencies cannot issue a simple audit of their books. Worse, the Federal Government cannot account for $24.5 billion it spent in 2003. The Blue Dog proposal is simple, put a budget freeze for any Federal agency that cannot properly balance its books. Number five, make Congress tell taxpayers how much they are spending. Number six, set aside a rainy day fund. Number seven, do not hide votes to raise the debt limit. If the gentleman would continue with a list, I think you have number 8 through 12 of the Blue Dog plan for a meaningful budget reform.

Mr. ROSS. We were glad to have you.

Mr. ROSS

Mr. ROSS. Madam Speaker, for the first time in about 50 years, the Republicans control the White House, the House, and the Senate. So let us look at the real state of the union and what they have given us: $8 trillion in debt. In fact, this Nation is borrowing $907 million a day, $188 million a day going to Iraq, $33 million a day going to Afghanistan. In fact, this President and this Republican Congress have borrowed more money from foreigners in the past 5 years than the previous 42 Presidents combined. And all this before the hurricane season. Now they are proposing in tomorrow's budget reconciliation cutting Medicaid $12 billion, cutting food stamps and farm programs $3.7 billion, cutting student loans $14.3 billion. And for what? To pay for another $70 billion in tax cuts for those earning over $400,000 a year. Madam Speaker, these are not my priorities. These are not America's priorities. These are not the kinds of conservative, small-town values that I was raised on and still believe in.

Mr. ROSS

Mr. ROSS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of a close personal friend of mine, Perry Campbell, the most prominent figure in the hospitality business in Hope, Arkansas for more than 50 years. He passed away on October 10, 2005 at a Texarkana hospital at the age of 77. Perry led a life committed to public service. He was the namesake, a founding member, and eventually the mayor of Perrytown. He was founding member of Providence Memorial Baptist Church in Perrytown, a member of the Board of Directors of Hope-Hempstead County Chamber of Commerce and its 1994 Citizen of the Year, one of the founders of Hempstead County Ambulance Service and Perrytown Volunteer Fire Department. He also served on the Life Word Board and the Clinton Birthplace Foundation Board. A successful entrepreneur, Perry began his business career as the proprietor of a single truck stop and eventually became the owner of Western Sizzlin' Restaurant, Dos Locos Gringos Restaurant, Best Western Motel and a Holiday Inn Express in Hope. Perry understood more than most the importance of changing with the times and his adaptability placed him in a league of his own. Western Sizzlin' Restaurant recently celebrated its 20th anniversary on Perry's 77th birthday, a day declared `Perry Campbell Day!' by the City of Hope. Some of my earliest and fondest memories growing up just outside of Hope are going to Perry's truck stop for dinner on Saturday nights with my parents. It was a genuine weekend treat. Back then, and up until a few months before Perry's death, part of the dining experience was seeing Perry at Western Sizzlin' as he would always make it a point to visit your table to ensure you were pleased with your meal. Perry understood the importance of the personal touch in the restaurant business. For many people, Perry was the embodiment of the hospitality industry. Perhaps his most shining moment was when Perry was inducted into the Arkansas Hospitality Association Hall of Fame in 1996, after serving on the Arkansas Lodging Association Board and as its President from 1993-1994. He also received the Golden Key Award in 1995. Perry was an exceptionally driven man with an entrepreneurial spirit second to none. He had an extraordinarily generous spirit, but never desired public recognition for his many contributions to the community. My heartfelt condolences go out to Perry's family, business associates, and the many people who join me in counting him as a friend. I have lost a true friend and will miss him, but his legacy will live on in Perrytown, Hope, and Arkansas for generations to come.

Mr. ROSS

Mr. ROSS. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from South Carolina for taking this Special Order this evening; and as whip of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition, I rise this evening to share in the dialogue and to talk about the financial condition of our Nation's government. The Blue Dog Coalition aims to restore common sense and fiscal discipline to the way we operate our government. Madam Speaker, our Nation today is $7.990 trillion, nearly $8 trillion, in debt. Put that another way, our Nation today is spending $160 billion a year simply paying interest on the national debt. That is about $500 million a day. In fact, it is $13 billion per month, it is $444 million per day, it is $18 million an hour, it is $308,000 a minute. Or put another way, our Nation is spending $5,100 every second simply paying interest on the national debt. In fact, if every person in America wrote a check to pay off the national debt, the amount each person would owe, including the children born today, would be $26,000. It is hard to believe now that we had a balanced budget from 1998 to 2001, because now this administration, this Republican Congress, has given us the largest budget deficit ever in our Nation's history for a fifth year in a row. In 2001, the deficit was $128 billion; in 2002, it was $157 billion; in 2003, $377 billion; 2004, $412 billion; and in 2005, it went to $427 billion. That does not include the money that is borrowed from Social Security. No wonder this Republican Congress would not give me a hearing or a vote on my bill that basically said that politicians in Washington should keep their hands off the Social Security Trust Fund. In fact, if it were not for the money being borrowed from the Social Security Trust Fund, the deficit would have been $567 billion last year. Many American citizens, I know the citizens in Arkansas' Fourth Congressional District, are asking me where all this money is coming from that we are borrowing. We have borrowed $700 billion from Japan, $250 billion from China, and $76.2 billion from the Caribbean Banking Center. I had never heard of such. In fact, 45 percent of our deficit is being funded by foreign investors. In the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, we are faced with the very important question of how are we going to pay for the rebuilding efforts. I find it interesting that these questions are not asked when we talk about paying for the war in Iraq. Just a few short months ago, $82 billion was passed in emergency supplemental appropriations. In fact, we spend $188 million every day in Iraq and $33 million every day in Afghanistan. In a time of war, in the aftermath of our Nation's most costly natural disaster in our history, the Republican majority in Congress and this administration are still proposing another $106 billion in new tax cuts. That is wrong. It is morally wrong. There is a lot of talk these days about values. I can tell you that those are not the kinds of values that I was raised on and still believe in. This Republican-controlled Congress claims these additional budget cuts are to pay for Katrina. Over $62.3 billion has been allocated for hurricane relief efforts. However, budget reconciliation is not applicable to emergency supplemental funding. We recently passed $82 billion in emergency supplemental appropriations for Iraq. Where was the talk of reconciling the budget then? It is clear these budget cuts are not aimed at offsetting the cost of the devastating hurricanes, but rather at partially offsetting $106 billion in new tax cuts. The Republican-controlled Congress is proposing to slash programs such as Medicaid, food stamps, student loans and other programs that would directly and adversely impact the poor, the disabled, and the elderly. And those cuts, Madam Speaker, are wrong. It is about priorities. And this Republican Congress believes it is more important to fund tax cuts for those earning over $400,000 a year than to fund programs that benefit the poor, the disabled, and the elderly. I would like to wrap up my remarks by sharing with you a paragraph from a letter that I received just today from the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA. It is signed by a number of organizations. Some of them you will recognize, like the National Baptist Convention USA, the National Missionary Baptist Convention of America, the Presbyterian Church, and the United Methodist Church. If I may read from that letter as my closing: ``The role of government is to protect its people and work for the common good. This is not the time for the budget reconciliation process to create greater hardships for those who are already experiencing greater suffering. To do so is not only unjust; it is a sin. It violates all the fundamental Christian principles of loving thy neighbor, caring for the poor, and showing mercy. As religious leaders, this violation is unacceptable to us.'' And to the gentleman from South Carolina, I would say that this violation is unacceptable to me as well.

Mr. ROSS

Mr. ROSS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Judge Paul X. Williams, Jr. Judge Williams passed away after a tragic struggle with cancer on October 3, 2005 in Booneville, Arkansas at the age of 67. After graduating from the University of Arkansas Law School, Judge Williams moved to Booneville and carried on the legacy of his father, dedicating his life to the law. Shortly after moving to Booneville, he was appointed Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for South Logan County. In 1975, he was elected to his first of two terms as the Prosecuting Attorney for the 15th Judicial District. In 1979, Judge Williams was named the City Attorney of Booneville and continued to serve in this capacity until 1990, when he was elected to the District Bench, a post he served until his death. Judge Williams was a member of the First Baptist Church in Booneville, and well known throughout the community as a man deeply dedicated to his family, an avid golfer, and a terrific chef. My condolences go out to his wife, Dottie; their daughters Jane, Charlotte and Natalie; his mother Elizabeth; his two sisters, two brothers and his grandson, Rane. Judge Williams will be deeply missed in Logan County and throughout Arkansas.

Mr. ROSS

Mr. ROSS. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Chicago for yielding me this time. Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3853, legislation which would designate the postal facility in Parkdale, Arkansas, which is located in Arkansas' Fourth Congressional District, the ``Willie Vaughn Post Office.'' This bill has the unanimous support of the Parkdale City Council and its mayor, and I would like to personally thank them for their help with this: Mayor Glenda Wells, and to the City Council, Louis Mitchell, Mark Hawkins, Paula Files, and Evora Parker. Willie Vaughn, known to friends and family as ``Uncle Dude,'' spent most of his life giving back to this small town located near the Ashley and Chicot County line in southeast Arkansas, just a few miles north of Louisiana. Mr. Vaughn is an active member of his local church, helping not only to build the church but also serving in many leadership positions over the years. I can think of no person more deserving of this prestigious honor than Willie Vaughn. Mr. Vaughn embodies the definition of ``giving back to your community.'' At 101 years of age, Mr. Vaughn has spent a lifetime, or one might say over a century, working to improve Parkdale through dedication to the CME Church, as a civil rights leader working to remove racial barriers, lending an ear to friends and family throughout the community, throughout southeast Arkansas, and, yes, throughout America. He did so as a school bus driver, as a farmer, as a devoted husband and father. It is evident that Mr. Vaughn's commitment and dedication to his church, to civil justice, and to community service has made a lasting impact on the Parkdale community and its people. Willie Vaughn has served as a role model to many young people who grew up in this small town of 377 people, people like the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis), who now resides in Chicago but grew up in Parkdale, people like the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis), who have gone on to do great things all across America because of the way their lives were shaped and influenced by Mr. Willie Vaughn. The Willie Vaughn Post Office will stand for decades and generations to come as a testament to Mr. Vaughn's life and the influence, the impact he has made on so many people from all across this great country that spent a little bit of time growing up in that southeast Arkansas community that we call the town of Parkdale.

Mr. ROSS

Mr. ROSS. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I welcome my hometown pastor from the First United Methodist Church in Prescott, Arkansas to the United States House of Representatives, the Reverend David Kassos, and his wife, Donna. Each and every week I travel to our Nation's capital to represent the people of Arkansas's Fourth Congressional District and this great country. Each and every weekend I travel home to Prescott, a small town of about 3,600 people, and worship with my family at the Methodist church I have called home for much of my life. It is this church, where my father grew up and where my children are being raised, that keeps me grounded and instills in me the small town values I was raised on and still believe in. It is the lessons that I learn from this church that help guide me in the decisions I make in the United States Congress. My faith is profoundly important to me, and Reverend Kassos is not only my spiritual advisor, he is my friend and he is my fishing buddy. It is a tremendous honor to have him serve as our chaplain today in the United States House of Representatives.