Pete Sessions

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, making a further inquiry, are the words ``under God'' part of the Pledge of Allegiance?

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the work of an outstanding individual, the Honorable Ed Pease, former Congressman to the people of the 7th District of Indiana, on the conclusion of his second term as the volunteer International President of the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC). I am proud to have known and worked with Ed Pease in a number of roles as a former colleague, a fellow Eagle Scout and Boy Scout leader, a friend for life and a fraternity brother. Ed Pease graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Indiana University and the Indiana University Law School. After a period of private practice, he was elected to the Indiana State Senate and served for 12 years, where he chaired the Judiciary Committee and was responsible for major reform of the state's criminal justice system. Outside the legislature, Ed worked for Indiana State University in Terre Haute as General Counsel and later became the University's Vice President for Advancement. From 1997 to 2001, I had the pleasure of working alongside Ed Pease in the U.S. House of Representatives, where Ed was considered one of the GOP's rising stars. During his time in Congress, Ed was a valuable member of both the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Judiciary Committee. At the conclusion of the 106th Congress, Ed retired from the House so he could spend more time with his family and friends. His retirement was a loss for this House, for the people of the seventh district of Indiana, and for our country. During his time in Congress, Ed Pease was widely hailed by his peers as a smart, hard working, unassuming Member who cared more about getting the job done than getting credit for his achievements. Mr. Speaker, Ed Pease might have retired from the House in 2001, but he has not retired from a career of selfless public service. It is this second career of volunteer service that I have come to praise today. Throughout his career, regardless of the significant time demands of his professional life, Ed has always made it a priority to serve as a community leader in organizations that build the values and morals of America's young men and women. Ed has a long history of service to the Boy Scouts of America both at the national council level and here in Washington for the National Capitol Area Council. Ed has also been Chairman of the Boy Scouts' National Order of the Arrow Committee. He has been President of the Philmont Staff Association which supports the Philmont Scout Camp in New Mexico, the Boy Scouts of America's premier high-adventure camp that has taught thousands of young men valuable lessons that last a lifetime. Ed Pease's commitment to the moral development of young men has extended past scouting to working with college fraternities, the organizations that build the character and leadership skills of tens of thousands of college men every year. Mr. Speaker, it is Ed's exceptional work for fraternity men nationwide that I rise to recognize today. Ed and I share the bond as brothers of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity. He was initiated into the Delta Xi chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity at Indiana University on February 26, 1971. Ed's membership in Pi Kappa Alpha shapes the values that would direct his career of public service. In 1973, he was named the national fraternity's outstanding undergraduate member before serving on the staff on the national organization. He has a long history as a chapter advisor to Pi Kappa Alpha's Indiana State chapter, and in 1983, Ed Pease was named Pi Kappa Alpha's national chapter advisor of the year. From there, Ed has served in a number of leadership roles at the national level, including four years as National Vice President and two years as National President of Pi Kappa Alpha. Ed is currently serving as the Secretary/Treasurer of the Pi Kappa Alpha Educational Foundation. Ed Pease has not been content to serve just his own brothers for he has had a larger mission of improving the collegiate experience of all men and women who join a college fraternity. For that reason, Ed Pease was elected to the North American Interfraternity Board of Directors in 1995. The NIC is the umbrella group for 66 national fraternities that have 350,000 undergraduate members and 4.2 million living alumni worldwide. In 1999, Ed Pease was elected President of the NIC and served the organization in that capacity for one year. Now Mr. Speaker, it is hard to explain Ed Pease's contribution to the fraternity world without explaining what fraternity life is all about. There are those in today's society who like to belittle the virtue of the college fraternity experience but they don't really understand how important a role these organizations play in positively influencing the development of tomorrow's leaders. The critics hold up the actions of a few people as an indictment of a system that has done much for our nation. Nine million Americans are proud fraternity and sorority alumni and their experiences in these organizations helped them become better students and better citizens of our great nation. While only three percent of the nation's population has been a member of a fraternity or sorority, these organizations are proven leadership laboratories for developing the next generation of American leaders. For proof, you need look no further than this Congress itself, where 110 current Members of the House of Representatives are alumni of fraternities and sororities, as are 45 current Senators. College fraternities and sororities are one of the most successful leadership development programs available to college students today, helping members graduate with the management and interpersonal skills needed to excel in today's society. These fraternities are the nation's largest networks of student volunteers, providing 10 million hours of service a year and preparing members for a lifetime of community involvement. Fraternity housing is the largest not-for-profit housing market outside of the host colleges and universities themselves. The 250,000 students living in fraternity housing today at 8,000 chapter houses nationwide have an unparalleled opportunity to live and work together on a daily basis with students from different cultures, religions and life experiences. Fraternities are now the largest, most visible, and most active values-based organizations on college campuses today. The men and women who are fraternity members today learn how to incorporate the principles and values of their organization into their daily lives to form the moral foundation for their future actions. In 2002, the NIC was undergoing some dramatic and fundamental restructuring of its Board of Directors, with an eye on improving its ability to serve its student and alumni members. In need of a leader with a steady hand and an outstanding vision for the future, the NIC turned to Ed Pease who was re-elected President. In the past two years, the NIC has undergone some major changes that better position it to advocate for and enforce higher standards for the men who join its fraternal organizations. As part of that change, Ed Pease has focused the NIC's efforts on asking Congress to help college fraternities provide a better experience for their members. Ed's focus has been on issues such as freedom of association, membership standards, infrastructure improvements, tax law, leadership development, and scholastic excellence. He has helped restart the Congressional Fraternal Caucus, an organization I am proud to chair, along with Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones. Through Ed Pease's efforts and outreach to his former colleagues, the Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act has been introduced and sponsored by 65 members of the House and 15 members of the Senate. Last September, this House included the Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act as part of the Charitable Giving Act of 2003 that passed with overwhelming bipartisan support. If that bill becomes law, it will allow all student associations on college campuses to use a private market approach to upgrade and replace their facilities in the future, thus making it possible for these student groups to continue to thrive for decades to come. These initiatives are so typical of Ed and his accomplishments in the public arena over the past 30 years: He creates lasting legacies that leave institutions better than he found them. Mr. Speaker, I would like to share with you some representative remarks from Ed's peers in the fraternity world, for they show how deeply he is respected for his work on behalf of college students everywhere. Ray Orians is the Executive Vice President of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity, of which Ed Pease and I are members. Ray Orians says ``Ed Pease personifies leadership with integrity. Ed's favorite role in the fraternal world, despite his many achievements, was that of chapter advisor, for it was in that position where he could be a respected and influential teacher who is constantly rewarded by his students' accolades and responses well into life.'' Jon Williamson is the Executive Vice President of the North American Interfraternity Council and has worked closely with Ed Pease for several years. He describes Ed Pease as a dignified, articulate consensus builder who ``sees his goal as a servant leader with the ultimate goal the greater good of the college student and he envisions the college fraternity as the vehicle to accomplish that.'' Mr. Speaker, at the end of April, Mr. Jim Estes of Kappa Alpha Order will be sworn in as the new National President of the North American Interfraternity Conference. I welcome Mr. Estes and look forward to the opportunity to work with him to improve the fraternal experience for today's college students. But as I welcome Mr. Estes to his new position of responsibility, I ask this chamber to join me in recognizing our friend and former colleague Ed Pease for his outstanding decades of service to the college fraternity world. I know he will continue to be an active and visible part of the fraternity movement in the future, but now is the moment to thank Ed Pease for his dedication, his vision and his selflessness in leading the fraternal community to better days.

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Gary Engebretson, as he retires from his position as president of the Contract Services Association of America (CSA)--a position he has held for 17 years. Gary came to CSA in 1987, with a background in electrical engineering and a love of politics. While working as an electrical contractor, he became involved in Iowa's Republican Party, where he eventually became one of the state leaders. He moved on to the Veteran's Administration, getting his first real taste for public policy that would stick with him for the rest of his career. That was followed by a lengthy stint at the Republican National Committee, as Chief of Staff and Executive Assistant. Moving from there to a Texas-based oil company, Gary met a then unknown, budding Texas politician just beginning his foray into politics, that of George W. Bush. Like our president, Gary, too, had a run at political office. Luckily for CSA, he lost. Under Gary's leadership, CSA has taken an active role in our legislative process, supporting the Federal Activities Inventory Reform Act (which I sponsored), and, more recently, the Service Acquisition Reform Act (SARA) that became law last Fall. Gary also has given CSA a real presence in agency circles, too; for example, by signing partnering agreements with the Naval Facilities Command and the Army's Training and Doctrination and Forces commands, and developing a close relationship with the Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division and the agency Labor Advisors. As the successes in D.C. grew, so did CSA's reputation within the industry. Under Gary's leadership, the size of the membership has grown, and CSA has become the ``go-to'' association for the Government services contracting industry. Whether Gary's longevity in Washington is ultimately due to his penchant to be a straight shooter or just that he's a nice guy, his golden reputation in D.C. has made CSA the strong presence that it now enjoys. I want to extend my best wishes to Gary and his wife Lara on their new phase of life.

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a teaching legend at St. Mark's School of Texas. I am proud to represent St. Mark's in Congress. I am very familiar with the high excellence of education that St. Mark's provides to young men as my oldest son currently attends St. Mark's, and one of my staffers is also an alumnus of the school. St. Mark's would not be nearly as successful an institution if it weren't for the scholarly teaching of Thomas S. Adams. Tom Adams is celebrating his 40th year of teaching at St. Mark's, and I honor him for his four decades of service to the school and the countless young men that have benefited from his teaching and insight. Tom Adams currently serves as the Cecil and Ida Green Master Teaching Chair in History. He has held this position since 1980, and he has served as the Senior Master of the faculty from 1997-2002. Tom currently teaches U.S. History, Art History, and Modern World History. In addition to his distinguished teaching in the classroom, Tom has coached the St. Mark's baseball team to twelve Southwest Preparatory Conference (SPC) Championships. In addition to his success with the baseball team, Coach Adams led the St. Mark's basketball team to six SPC Championships. Tom Adams was appointed to the St. Mark's faculty on July 1, 1961 after receiving his B.A. from Princeton University and his M.A. from Harvard University. Adams is a lasting icon at St. Mark's, and I admire him for continuing to teach even after reaching his 40-year milestone. I wish Tom Adams, and the St. Mark's community all the best.

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. I yield to the gentleman from Massachusetts.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from Massachusetts does raise many very important points including that the distinguished chairman, former chairman, of the banking committee did appear before the Committee on Rules last night. The gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Leach) is a very valuable and important and thoughtful member of our conference. The fact of the matter is the Committee on Rules has, in our own judgment, a lot of things which we consider on a regular basis, and some of those things do deal with whether a person chose to have a vote in the committee of jurisdiction or not. The fact of the matter is that the gentleman did not request a vote in the committee of jurisdiction that he came from. And we felt like that in the interests of us moving things on the floor, that it would be best in this circumstance to let the committee of jurisdiction speak on that matter. They chose not to; the gentleman chose not to. We do not always feel that bringing it to the floor is the correct place.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Duluth, Georgia (Mr. Linder), from the Committee on Rules.

Mr. SESSIONS. Reclaiming my time, Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his comments, and as part of that same openness to the gentleman from Davenport, Iowa, I yield 8 minutes to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Leach), the former chairman of the Committee on Financial Services, or perhaps it was the Committee on Banking and Financial Services at that time.

Mr. SESSIONS. I yield to the gentleman from Massachusetts.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I would stand to be corrected, Mr. Speaker, but as I recall the testimony last night in the Committee on Rules, it was that the chairman of the Committee on Financial Services said that he had no problem making the amendment of the gentleman from Iowa in order, but would defer to the Committee on Rules to make that decision. And, in fact, we did.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), my friend, pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time is yielded for the purposes of debate only. The resolution before us is a structured rule providing 1 hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Financial Services. The rule waives all points of order against consideration of the bill. However, the only Budget Act waiver granted in this rule is for section 302(f). It also provides that the substitute amendment provided by the Committee on Financial Services and the Committee on the Judiciary is considered as read as an original bill for the purpose of amendment. This rule also waives all points of order against consideration of the substitute, however, the only Budget Act waiver granted in this rule is for section 302(f). It makes in order only those amendments printed in the Committee on Rules report accompanying the resolution. These amendments shall be considered as read, and may only be considered in the order printed in the report, may only be offered by the Member designated in the report, and shall be debatable for the time specified in the report equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent; not to be subject to amendment and not to be subject to a demand for a division of the question in the whole House or in the Committee of the Whole. Finally, this rule waives all points of order against the amendments printed in the report and provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to introduce the rule for H.R. 1375, the Financial Services Regulatory Relief Act. This bill is commonsense legislation that will diminish or eliminate outdated statutory banking provisions to reduce the regulatory compliance burden faced by our Nation's financial institutions to improve their productivity, as well as to make necessary technical correction to current statutes. America's banking laws are full of outdated and burdensome regulations, some dating back to the Great Depression, that have long outlived their usefulness. To address the problem of outdated rules and the rapidly advancing and highly competitive financial services industry, in 2001, Committee on Financial Services chairman, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Oxley), asked the State and Federal regulators of our Nation's financial institutions to provide him with a list of regulations that they believed have outlived their usefulness. The regulators answered the chairman's call, along with the rest of the financial services community, providing the chairman with a number of suggestions that, when enacted, will benefit consumers and regulators alike by lowering the cost of transacting financial services. This wide-ranging list of proposals affecting banks, savings associations, and credit unions was first passed by the committee as H.R. 3951, but unfortunately the 107th Congress expired before it could be considered on the House floor. The bill that is being considered on the floor today is a new and updated version of that original legislation and remains true to the original vision of providing regulatory relief in financial services that the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Oxley) and the bill's chief sponsor, the gentlewoman from West Virginia (Mrs. Capito) had when they began this process more than 3 years ago. This legislation accomplishes a number of important things, and in the interest of time I will only mention a few. For instance, for banks, H.R. 1375 removes the prohibition on national and State banks from expanding across State lines by opening branches. It eliminates unnecessary and costly reporting requirements on banks regarding lending to bank officials; and it streamlines bank merger application regulatory requirements. For savings associations, the bill removes lending limits on small business and auto loans, and increases the limit on their business loans. It gives these institutions parity with banks with respect to broker-dealer and investment adviser SEC registration requirements; and it gives thrifts the same authority as national and State banks to make investments primarily designated to promote community development. For credit unions, the bill expands the investment authority of Federal credit unions. It increases the general limit on the term of Federal credit union loans from 12 to 15 years, and it eases restrictions on voluntary mergers between healthy credit unions. Finally, for the Federal financial regulatory agencies, the bill provides agencies with the discretion to adjust the examination cycle for insured depository institutions to use agency resources in the most efficient manner. It modernizes agency recordkeeping requirements to allow the use of optically-imaged or computer-scanned images. It clarifies that agencies may suspend or prohibit individuals charged with certain crimes from participation in the affairs of any depository institution and not only institutions for which that individual is associated. By fixing these and many other technical and outdated problems, H.R. 1375 will allow financial institutions to devote more resources to the business of lending to consumers and less to the compliance with outdated and unneeded regulations. Reducing these regulatory burdens will lower the cost of credit for consumers and help our economy to grow and to provide more jobs even more quickly. And while there are a number of things that Congress still needs to accomplish, like creating a uniform and cutting-edge national privacy standard for consumers, this legislation is a great step in the right direction. It will make all of our country's financial institutions more efficient, while balancing the additional regulatory burden they face each day as a result of the USA PATRIOT Act, and it will help our banks, savings associations, and credit unions to focus their compliance efforts on combating money laundering and terrorist financing, not on wasteful and duplicative regulations. I strongly support this rule and the underlying legislation, and I urge my colleagues to do so. I would like to congratulate the members of the Committee on Financial Services who have made great contributions to this bill, including the chairman, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Oxley), the gentlewoman from West Virginia (Mrs. Capito), the ranking member, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank), the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Toomey), and the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus). These are the people who have helped to bring this bill to the floor today. I am proud of what they have done. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 566 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, as a matter of fact, the gentleman is correct. But there are circumstances many times related to how close a vote is, whether it is controversial; there are a number of things which identify that as what we might call or term a jump ball. It is important at various times for the Committee on Rules to look at and to weigh those things which we believe are important to the efficiency of the use of this time on the floor. In this case, we made a determination as to what we were going to do. We have made 3 Democrat amendments in order, we have made 2 Republican amendments and a manager's amendment in order. I believe that the time which we took yesterday in the Committee on Rules was appropriately done by the young chairman of the Committee on Rules, the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier), and I am very proud of what we have done. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this rule and the underlying legislation.

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor one of my Academy appointees that has truly distinguished himself at the U.S. Air Force Academy. 2nd Lt. Chris Ayoub of Richardson, Texas. Chris was recently honored last week as the U.S. Air Force Cadet of the Year. The Air Force Cadet of the Year Award was established by the Air Squadron of the United Kingdom to recognize the best cadet in a United States Air Force Commissioning Program. The British Air Squadron is a private organization comprised of British citizens who wish to pay tribute to the U.S. military for the support it has provided to the United Kingdom over the years. 2nd Lt. Ayoub is the fourth recipient of the Air Force Cadet of the Year Award. The Honorable James Roche, Secretary of the Air Force; General John P. Jumper, Air Force Chief of Staff and native Texan; General Michael ``Buzz'' Moseley, Air Force Vice Chief of Staff and native Texan; Royal Air Force Air Commodore Jerry J. Witts, British Air Attache and Assistant Defence Attache; and the Honorable Christopher Sharples, Air Squadron of the United Kingdom, were on hand for the presentation of the award at the Pentagon on Thursday, March 4, 2004. I was honored to see Chris receive his award at the Pentagon last Thursday, and to be with him for his visit to the White House. President Bush congratulated 2nd Lt. Ayoub on this prestigious and well-deserved award. I salute Chris for his commitment to serve the country and the U.S. Air Force, as I know that this will be the first of many accomplishments during his tenure of service.

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. My amendment is a simple contribution to this bill that I believe will bring some additional accountability and enforcement to the FCC's current process of handling broadcasting complaints and proposed violation of FCC rules. My amendment to this legislation would give the General Accounting Office 1 year to study and report back to Congress on the number of complaints concerning the broadcasting of obscenity, indecency, and profane material to the Federal Communications Commission; the number of such complaints that result in final agency actions by the commission; the length of time taken by the commission in responding to such complaints; what mechanisms the commission has established to proceed, investigate, and respond to such complaints; and whether such complaints to the commission are adequately informed by the commission of their responses to those complainants. I believe that this amendment will help this body to conform with third-party data and the relevant facts and figures that the FCC is doing its utmost to carry out the intent of the important legislation that we are considering today. The Upton legislation will crack down on indecent over-the-air broadcasts and will bring much-needed accountability to our public airwaves. Last year, there were over 240,000 complaints against 375 programs, but the FCC issued only three notices of proposed violations. I believe that Congress should get more information about what the FCC is doing to help us perform an important oversight function over the FCC's action and its accountability to the American public. I would like to thank the gentleman from Michigan (Chairman Upton), the gentleman from Texas (Chairman Barton), and the gentleman from California (Chairman Dreier) for their important work and leadership in bringing this legislation to the floor today. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment to allow the GAO to gain more information from the FCC about how they are handling complaints that they receive on indecent material. Mr. Chairman, I would simply ask that we include this amendment, and I ask for its immediate consideration. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney), the chairman of the Committee on House Administration.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, this House has, in the 8 years I have served in it had debate after debate, hours on the floor, to make sure that we discuss the issues that are of relevance and important to the American public, but these same things also take place, the debates, in our committee system, and committees hold hearings. Committees go around the country to hear testimony from people about issues like obesity, like prescription drugs, like health care, that are important to the American public and to our health and to our safety. Mr. Speaker, these issues about obesity and about what the answer would be, we hear from the trial lawyers that they want to open up the floodgates, and we hear from people who are engaged from the nutritional side talking about how better labeling would be good or how food that is served to our children should be leaner and have less fat. We have heard from people like Dr. Kenneth Cooper from Dallas, Texas, talk about how our children need more physical fitness and to be more active. All of these things have contributed to a part of what this bill is about. Mr. Speaker, I will include in the Record at this point the testimony of Dr. Gerard Musante, who is the founder of the Structure House, before the Senate Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts on October 16. Testimony of Dr. Gerard Musante Good afternoon, Chairman Sessions and Honorable members of the Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts. I am Dr. Gerard J. Musante and I appreciate the opportunity to appear before you today. I have been called here to share my expertise and educated opinion on the importance of personal responsibility in food consumption in the United States. This lesson is one I have been learning about and teaching for more than 30 years to those who battle moderate to morbid obesity--a lesson that emphasizes the criticality of taking responsibility for one's own food choices. I am testifying before you today because I am concerned about the direction in which today's obesity discourse is headed. We cannot continue to blame any one industry or any one restaurant for the nation's obesity epidemic. Instead, we must work together as a nation to address this complex issue, and the first step is to put the responsibility back into the hands of individuals. As a clinical psychologist with training at Duke University Medical Center and The University of Tennessee, I have worked for more than 30 years with thousands of obese patients. I have dedicated my career to helping Americans fight obesity. My personal road, which included the loss and maintenance of 50 of my own pounds, began when I undertook the study of obesity as a faculty member in the Department of Psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center. There, I began developing an evidenced-based, cognitive-behavioral approach to weight loss and lifestyle change. I continue to serve Duke University Medical Center as a Consulting Professor in the Department of Psychiatry. Since the early 1970's, I have published research studies on obesity and have made presentations at conferences regarding obesity and the psychological aspects of weight management. Today, I continue my work at Structure House--a residential weight loss facility in Durham, North Carolina--where participants come from around the country and the world to learn about managing their relationship with food. Participants lose significant amounts of weight while both improving various medical parameters and learning how to control and take responsibility for their own food choices. Our significant experience at Structure House has provided us with a unique understanding of the national obesity epidemic. Some of the lessons I teach my patients are examples of how we can encourage Americans to take personal responsibility for health and weight maintenance. As I tell my participants, managing a healthy lifestyle and a healthy weight certainly are not easy to do. Controlling an obesity or weight problem takes steadfast dedication, training and self-awareness. Therefore, I give my patients the tools they need to eventually make healthy food choices as we best know it. Nutrition classes, psychological understanding of their relationship with food, physical fitness training and education are tools that Structure House participants learn, enabling them to make sensible food choices. As you know, the obesity rates in this country are alarming. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recognized obesity and general lack of physical fitness as the nation's fastest- growing health threat. Approximately 127 million adults in the United States are overweight, 60 million are obese and 9 million are severely obese. The country's childhood obesity rates are on a similar course to its adult rates, as well as increases in type II diabetes. Fortunately Americans are finally recognizing the problem. Unfortunately, many are taking the wrong approaches to combating this issue. Lawsuits are pointing fingers at the food industry in an attempt to curb the nation's obesity epidemic. These lawsuits do nothing but enable consumers to feel powerless in a battle for maintaining one's own personal health. The truth is, we as consumers have control over the food choices we make, and we must issue our better judgment when making these decisions. Negative lifestyle choices cause obesity, not a trip to a fast food restaurant or a cookie high in trans fat. Certainly we live in a litigious society. Our understanding of psychological issues tells us that when people feel frustrated and powerless, they lash out and seek reasons for their perceived failure. They feel the victim and look for the deep pockets to pay. Unfortunately, this has become part of our culture, but the issue is far too comprehensive to lay blame on any single food marketer or manufacturer. These industries should not be demonized for providing goods and services demanded by our society. Rather than assigning blame, we need to work together toward dealing effectively with obesity on a national level. Furthermore, if we were to start with one industry, where would we stop? For example, a recent article in the Harvard Law Review suggests that there is a link between obesity and ``preference manipulation,'' which means advertising. Should we consider suing the field of advertising next? Should we do away with all advertising and all food commercials at half time? We need to understand that this is a multi-faceted problem and there are many influences that play a part. While our parents, our environment, social and psychological factors all impact our food choices, can we blame them for our own poor decisions as it relates to our personal health and weight? For example, a recent study presented at the American Psychological Association conference showed that when parents change how the whole family eats and offer children wholesome rewards for not being couch potatoes, obese children shed pounds quickly. Should we bring lawsuits against parents that don't provide this proper direction? Similarly, Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston recently reported in ``Pediatrics'' that children who diet may actually gain weight in the long run, perhaps because of metabolic changes, but also likely because they resort to binge eating as a result of the dieting. Do we sue the parent for permitting their children to diet? From an environmental standpoint, there are still more outside influences that could be erroneously blamed for the nation's obesity epidemic. The Center for Disease Control has found that there is a direct correlation between television watching and obesity among children. The more TV watched, the more likely the children would be overweight. Should we sue the television industry, the networks, cable, the television manufacturers or the parents that permit this? And now we have internet surfing and computer games. Where does it stop? School systems are eliminating required physical education-- are we to also sue the school systems that do not require these courses? Throw social influences into the mix and we have a whole new set of causes for obesity. Another recent study in ``Appetite'' indicated that social norms can affect quantitative ratings of internal states such as hunger. This means that other people's hunger levels around us can affect our own eating habits. Are we to blame the individuals who are eating in our presence for our own weight problems? As evidenced in these studies, we cannot blame any one influencing factor for the obesity epidemic that plagues our nation. Through working with obese patients, I have learned that the worst thing one can do is to blame an outside force to get themselves ``off the hook,'' to say it's not their fault, and that they are a victim. To do this can bring about feelings of helplessness and then resignation. Directing blame or causality outside of oneself allows the individual not to accept responsibility and perhaps even to feel helpless and hopeless. ``The dog ate my homework'' and ``the devil made me do it'' allows the individual not to take serious steps toward correction because they believe these steps are not within their power. We must take personal responsibility for our choices. What does it mean to take personal responsibility for food consumption? it means making food choices that are not detrimental to your health, and not blaming others for the choices we make. Ultimately, Americans generally become obese by taking in more calories than they expend. But certainly there are an increasing number of reasons why Americans are doing so producing rising obesity rates. Some individuals lack self-awareness and overindulge in food ever more so because of psychological reasons. Others do not devote enough time to physical activity, which becomes increasingly difficult to do in our society. Others lack education or awareness as it relates to nutrition and/or physical activity particularly in view of lessened exposure to this information. And still others may have a more efficient metabolism or hormonal deficiencies. In short, honorable members of the Subcommittee, there is yet much to learn about this problem. Congress has rightly recognized the danger of allowing Americans to continue blaming others for the obesity epidemic. It is imperative that we prevent lawsuits from being filed against any industry for answering consumer demands. The fact that we are addressing the issue here today is a step in the right direction. No industry is to blame and should not be charged with solving America's obesity problem. Rather than pointing fingers, we should be working together on a national level to address the importance of personal responsibility in food consumption. The people who come to Structure House have a unique opportunity to learn these lessons, but they are only a select few. These lessons need to be encouraged on a national level, from an early age--in schools, homes and through national legislation that prevents passing this responsibility onto the food or other related industries. In closing, I'd like to highlight the fact that personal responsibility is one of the key components that I teach my patients in their battle against obesity. This approach has allowed me to empower more than 10,000 Americans to embrace improved health. I urge you to consider how this type of approach could affect the obesity epidemic on a national level. By encouraging Americans to take personal responsibility for their health by limiting frivolous lawsuits against the food industry, we can put the power back into the hands of the consumers. This is a critical first step on the road toward addressing our nation's complex obesity epidemic. For years, I have seen presidents call for ``economic summits.'' I urge that we consider an ``obesity summit.'' Let me suggest instead of demonizing industries that we bring everyone to the table--representatives in the health care industry, advertising, restaurants, Hollywood, school systems, parent groups, the soft drink industry, and the bottling industry. Instead of squandering resources in defending needless lawsuits by pointing fingers, let's make everyone part of the solution. Let us encourage a national obesity summit where all the players are asked to come to the table and pledge their considerable resources toward creating a national mind set toward solving this problem. That would be in the interest of the American people. I feel privileged to be a part of the Subcommittee's efforts. I want to thank you for allowing me to testify here before you today and I will now be glad to answer any questions. Mr. Speaker, let me tell my colleagues what he said. He is a gentleman who has worked for 30 years on obesity in this country, and he said, ``Through working with obese patients, I have learned that the worst thing one can do is to blame an outside force to get themselves `off the hook,' to say it's not their fault, and that they are a victim. Congress has rightly recognized the danger of allowing Americans to continue blaming others for the obesity epidemic. It is imperative that we prevent lawsuits from being filed against any industry for answering consumer demands. The fact that we are addressing the issue here today is a step in the right direction.'' Mr. Speaker, I will tell my colleagues that the Republican House and the Republican Senate are addressing the issues. We are doing those things that not only Members find of interest to people back home, but also in the interest of what is the right thing for America to do. I feel like what we are doing today is right in line with what all 50 States have and that is a law that says we will not take these fast food restaurants to task, to go and have a lawsuit against them, and the Federal Government, we, as members of Congress, are going to affirm that, to avoid a problem before it becomes one. We have been warned about the problems. We are trying to do aggressive things and the right thing for it. I support this rule. I support this underlying legislation, and I think that it will win overwhelmingly because this is the best answer.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Orlando, Florida (Mr. Keller), the original sponsor of the bill.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 552 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman would yield, the answer is no.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. SESSIONS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks, and include extraneous material.)

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, a good number of Members of Congress spend a lot of time trying to promote health and fitness and worthiness, and one of those Members is with us today. He is the chairman of the Committee on Rules, from San Dimas, California. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier). (Mr. DREIER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)