Pete Sessions

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. In fact, I do.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Tampa, Florida (Mr. Jolly).

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica), a member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Mr. SESSIONS. I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman.

Mr. SESSIONS. We are now through with our speakers, and I am prepared to close.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. I do want to thank the gentlewoman from New York, the ranking member of the Rules Committee, my dear friend, who presided over a very long hearing yesterday, where we went through, in a meticulous fashion, the understanding of why this committee, who this committee might comprise itself of, and what their mission would be. We intervened into this process as a result of a real problem, Mr. Speaker. We have intervened in this process because the administration and the standing committees here in the House of Representatives were unable to quickly and thoroughly accomplish their goal of providing not only proper oversight, but getting a fair and transparent answer back. Hiding the ball is one thing; deception is another. This administration has gone out of their way. They have lawyered up to make sure that they could, I think, mislead Congress. Well, they would make sure that we really could never get involved in anything but a goo ball, and then they would try and explain themselves in such a way that they would blame our insistence upon getting the truth as a political witch-hunt. Mr. Speaker, that must mean there is a witch somewhere. And I don't have any clue what that answer is. What I will tell you is this: we must get to the bottom of this without it being a political witch-hunt. So yesterday, I meticulously went through with the committee an understanding, and I stated three important parts of what this resolution is about: a select committee is authorized and directed to conduct a full and complete investigation and study; and to issue a final report and its findings to the House regarding all policies, decisions, and activities that contributed to the attack on the United States facilities in Benghazi, Libya, on September 11, 2012, as well as those that affected the ability of the United States to prepare for these attacks; and number three, in particular, that information related to lessons learned from the attack and executive branch activities and efforts to protect the United States facilities and personnel must be understood. Mr. Speaker, John Boehner, the Speaker of the House, has announced that the gentleman from South Carolina, a distinguished Federal prosecutor, a reliable person who serves in this body, is not the least bit interested in the political outcome. In fact, he is interested, because I know him and know him well, in doing the things which are under the charge that we at the Rules Committee and that this House today, I believe, will give him, that he will well and faithfully discharge those duties that have been given to him as the chairman of this select committee. And I believe that the Speaker of the House has met with former Speaker Pelosi, now the minority leader, to ask the minority leader to please offer him the names of those five personnel, Members of Congress, who might represent the Democrats, or the minority in this case, an opportunity to be a full and forthwith member of this committee. It is our intent that these 12 people will work together, not apart, that they will work with a mandate that is clear and that provides them the necessary information and the discretion to the full extent of the law. It is also understood by this that these members of this select committee need to be met forthwith by the administration of the United States of America, and that is the office and the executive branch of the Presidency. It is a full request that I would make at this time for the American people to understand that we are asking this administration to lay down their sword, to lay down those things which have been impediments to properly providing transparency and things that are information that would allow us to get to the bottom of this. We have heard over and over how people accepted that the buck stopped there and they took full responsibility. In accepting full responsibility, we have not learned enough about what those mistakes were if they are willing to accept the responsibility. This is not going to be wished away, Mr. Speaker. Our young chairman, Trey Gowdy, will not whitewash this investigation. Our committee is not empowered just to go off and fritter away the time. They will be serious members of this body. I look forward to finding out who former Speaker Pelosi, minority leader, appoints to the committee. I will be intensely interested to see who Speaker Boehner appoints. And I would bet that they will represent the very best from this body, that they will be young men and young women who have been in and a part of understanding how to carefully look for the facts of the case and not an inch beyond, how to ask questions that are fair and those that represent the very best of only learning the truth and not an inch more. I have confidence that this House of Representatives, through the leadership of Mr. Gowdy, will bring not only excellence, but will stand as a model of how the House of Representatives should conduct itself when they have a problem with an administration, whether it be Republican or Democrat. I will predict today that those people that former Speaker Pelosi brings to the table and that we bring to the table will be prepared to do exactly that. Mr. Speaker, with that, I know I am ending my time. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that H. Res. 567 be modified in the manner I have placed at the desk.

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of one of my constituents, Dal Sanders, National President of The Society of American Magicians, to recognize magic as an art. The art of magic has been around for centuries and is intended to entertain audiences with the staging of tricks and creating seemingly impossible illusions. Throughout its history, magic has grown to show innovative and creative ways to delight and engage audiences worldwide. It takes a great deal of dedication and a strong work ethic to devote the practice time necessary to master this art. I would specifically like to take this opportunity to recognize the world's oldest magic organization, The Society of American Magicians, SAM. Since its founding in 1902, The SAM has attempted to elevate and advance the art of magic by promoting an environment for magicians worldwide to come together and share their passion. The SAM members follow in the footsteps of renowned magicians Harry Houdini and Howard Thurston, who each served as national president of The SAM, and Harry Blackstone, Jr., and David Copperfield, who both have served as The SAM ambassadors. Mr. Speaker, I ask my esteemed colleagues to join me in recognizing the art of magic.

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Alaska, the former chairman of the committee. I also want to thank the gentleman Ralph Hall and the gentleman Sam Johnson, also from north Texas, that joined with me in this important bill. I want to thank my friends on the Democratic side, in particular Mr. DeFazio, for his not only effort and understanding, but an effort in making sure that water resources all across this country, the needs of the people, are understood. Mr. Speaker, we are under increased problems all across this country, distressed because of the lack of water. We have lots of areas of the country that are undergoing tremendous changes, and that means that local people have to make accommodations; but that also means that, many times, they have to work with the Federal Government, in this case, through the U.S. Corps of Engineers. I would like to also thank the U.S. Corps of Engineers and the North Texas Municipal Water District for their hard work on this important issue. The opportunity for us to resolve this issue means that 1.5 million north Texans who need to make sure that they have adequate, safe, and good water resources, that we can continue a plan in north Texas that we agreed to. We agree this is the right thing to do. We also agree that we are after the good Lord to help us out with some rain; but in the meantime, the Lord also says those that help themselves, that that is the right way to do it. We are trying to work together. Today, as Mr. Hall has said, it is an opportunity to see Republicans and Democrats, those people in Washington who have come to represent the American people, many of us just for our own district, but all of us working together can work to resolve differences and problems that sometimes occur back home for the benefit of so many other people. Today, I want to thank the chairman of the committee, Doc Hastings, for carefully reviewing, understanding, looking at what we are trying to do, and making sure that, if we showed up with a bill that had been well vetted back home where we had agreement, where we knew what we were talking about and tried to make it as narrow as was necessary, but large enough to handle the issue, that we could move forward with this. This is the kind of leadership in Washington, D.C., quite honestly, that we need, where we are challenged back home appropriately, where we have to bring our ideas to Washington, where we have to, in essence, think with each other, and then come up with a good plan. This is true of not just Republicans and Democrats in this instance, but also true of the Corps of Engineers. I want to thank the administration for their help in this effort. Many times, people can jump in the way of a great idea to help people. In this case, it didn't happen. I am in full support of H.R. 4032 as it stands tonight. Many people in north Texas will perhaps not even know what we are doing, but this will be a sigh of relief for those who do know what we are doing this week and head into the very, very difficult summer months. This way, people can plan forward and do the right thing. I want to thank Mr. Young for not only allowing me to be on the floor today, but for him scheduling time to have a bunch of Texans come and plead their case. It is my hope this Congress, this House of Representatives, will in fact support and agree to this.

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, tonight Republicans from the Ways and Means Committee, from the Agriculture Committee, and from the Rules Committee intend to speak with the American people and to you, Mr. Speaker, about the importance of trade and trade policies, the implications of growing jobs in not just America, but also our world role where we work with other Nations to ensure that the benefits and the great things that we not only create here in the United States but also use as trading elements around the world, that each of these issues will be thoughtfully discussed and appropriately given an item of what I believe is encouragement as this United States Congress moves forward into its last few months of this second session. We believe that trade is important. We believe that as the United States continues to grow in its respect for others, that we share intellectual property, but expect the same back from others. We trade with our partners around the globe with an expectation of not only a good product but also an even playing field as we deal with others around the world. General Leave

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this important topic of this Special Order.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight because we want and need to understand more about the implications of trade, a pro-trade growth agenda, and the opportunities that lie before not just the American people but the United States House of Representatives to further understand this key and critical issue that is a part of job creation for the American people. Expanding trade throughout the globe creates economic growth and good-paying jobs here at home. Trade works because it allows America to be globally efficient and to compete all around the globe trading our products for others. And when America competes, I believe America wins, and the world is a better place. History shows that allowing greater access to a global marketplace for American exports has always been a powerful engine for economic growth and job creation. Trade provides new opportunities for businesses and spurs innovation and entrepreneurs. Opening our market to world imports also helps increase the purchasing power of American consumers. I believe there is a balance here, and it is part of this balance and the miracle of having a pro- growth trade agreement which we Republicans wish to speak about tonight. Mr. Speaker, I would first like to welcome a young man who sits on the Ways and Means Committee, a relatively new Member, a second term Member, from Indiana. Todd Young represents not only an opportunity for him to bring forth ideas from the heartland of America, but also his expertise as a member of the United States military, ideas about world affairs, and most of all about jobs in America. I would defer to the gentleman at this time, Mr. Young.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for discussing not only the impact in Indiana, but with the knowledge that Indiana, in fact, is really a microcosm of what this country really looks like, where you come from a strong manufacturing base, you come from a strong base of agriculture, you come from a strong base of the heartland of this country that wants and needs to be economically viable; and by growing jobs, which means that you can continue to pay for your schools, you can continue to pay for your roads and bridges, but more importantly, I believe, an innovative opportunity where you are allowed to compete around the globe with your ideas, your products, and your services. I applaud the gentleman not only for his service to the United States military, but I applaud you for your service to the people of Indiana, as you have served us so ably during your tenure here in Congress, and a hearty congratulations. I thank the gentleman very much. Mr. Speaker, we continue to have Republicans who have not only a background in agriculture, in understanding the United States military, which is the world, the world we live in, how America has neighbors and partners all around the world; but also, we continue to have people who come, once again, from the heartland of this country who see firsthand how important trade is. They come from agricultural areas, they come from areas that have strong natural resources and reserves that are, I am sure, God-given, but an opportunity for us as Americans to benefit by virtue of living in the greatest Nation in the world. One of those people that sits on our trade team and is perhaps one of the most active and thoughtful members is a young woman from South Dakota. Congresswoman Kristi Noem has just returned from a trip that she took representing the United States Congress. I would defer to the gentlewoman now for her discussion on not only TPP Japan, but also agriculture and the things which she represents so well.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Noem very much for not only taking time to come here and speak with us, but in particular the references that you make to your home State, a State which you represent so proudly and which you not only carry the flag of South Dakota with you, but really on behalf of all Americans that live not just in rural areas, but who, every single day, get up and go to work to make this country stronger, to take our products and services and goods overseas to make sure that the agriculture products are clean and the very best products available. I think one of the most interesting things that you said was really the point which we do understand, and that is the world thirsts for American-made products. The world understands firsthand how important your industry--your agricultural industry is in South Dakota and throughout the Midwest, the very best of not only beef--I did include Texas in there, I hope-- but the very best of agricultural products that go around the world and then, as you travel to see people, thirst for those products.

Mr. SESSIONS. I thank the gentlewoman. Perhaps more important than that is that you build a friendship between groups of people who really not only share cities, where we have sister cities that grow up and are born of each other, but it is a merging together of America to make us closer with the rest of the world and then our values of not only the rule of law, of intellectual property, but also, I think, of the thing of which we know most--trade policies. A tariff is a tax, and we are reducing taxes, or tariffs, and taxes--costs--on people for products, goods and services and food. That is where I believe agricultural products from America will be king around the world.

Mr. SESSIONS. I want to thank the gentlewoman for taking the time to join us tonight. We are also joined by a young man who, from the very beginning of his time here, was described by his Governor as one of the brightest young men in Minnesota. Erik Paulsen is a young man who came to the United States Congress as a seasoned and experienced thoughtmaker but also as a person who understood the global implications of Minnesota, whether it be with medical products and devices that are made or whether it be with other agricultural products. I yield at this time to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Paulsen), the gentleman from the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Paulsen, I want you to stick around for just another minute because I really want to engage you in speaking about exactly what you just said. We know TPA is that process--Trade Promotion Authority--whereby Congress gives authority to the President of the United States. Then, once that is done, the President and the trade ambassador go to the world, and there are two different processes which have been started now: one in Asia and one, essentially, that is in Europe. These really offer America a chance to become a better and a bigger player in the world and to even get a better deal in working so that the consumers of the world get a better opportunity. Is that really the way you see this working?

Mr. SESSIONS. In continuing our dialogue here--and I appreciate the gentleman's taking time to do this--American-made products, whether they be manufacturing, whether they be medical instruments, whether they be pharmaceuticals, all have to go through a really pretty stringent viewpoint from a perspective of regulators, who look at things that we have in our marketplace and, certainly, that travel across State lines; but once these products and services are made available and become generally available in the United States and once people learn how to use them, we create a thirst for the rest of the world to be able to buy our products. There is a figure that we deal with--and I know the gentleman is a strong, strong supporter of our trade working group. Essentially, 38 percent of what we manufacture and build--our output here in the United States--is something that gets into a trading partnership one way or another. Almost 40 percent of the output of the United States is based one way or another off trade, of our making sure the rest of the world gets a chance to get those products also, which lowers prices in our country on a per-unit basis. Perhaps more importantly, it keeps our jobs here in the United States. That has got to be good for somebody from Minnesota.

Mr. SESSIONS. In continuing our dialogue, the gentleman sits on this awesome and the most powerful committee here, the Ways and Means Committee. The committee on a regular basis hears from people in the United States who do a lot of business overseas, and one of the things which they talk about is intellectual property--the rule of law and following contracts to make sure that what you agreed to is equally agreed to by the others. Would you mind taking just a minute to talk with us tonight about the importance of intellectual property, how the world can capture this idea and how it can, in fact, increase not only the value of products but make sure that the product which is actually bought and sold is the real product as is the company that stands behind it.

Mr. SESSIONS. I guess, lastly, what I would like to do is engage the gentleman on really a broader perspective, and that really is the idea of American exceptionalism; how we have the greatest military in the world, our United States military; men and women, working together all around the globe to make sure that really there is fairness; and that our friends and neighbors and allies have an opportunity to live in a free world, as part of this process, American exceptionalism, where we are able to go and compete anywhere with our goods and products and services and to let the world have that advantage. Would you mind taking just a second and speaking specifically about American exceptionalism?

Mr. SESSIONS. Well, I am just most impressed with not only your thoughtful consideration and your hard work, but really the things which I see that you bring to the table are words and ideas on a regular basis; that is you talk about we need to make sure that we have a stable environment where good decisions can be made, instead of in a vacuum, they can be made on the fly and, secondly, growth. One of the things which I read on a regular basis, a young man named Peter Roff, who is with U.S. News and World Report, and he talks about how growth is important. You have to grow your economy. You have to go and continue in the hunt, so to speak, to make sure that more and more people not only buy your products, but the next generation of those products come out also. I want to thank the gentleman for his thoughtful leadership, where you come to the meetings and you have a real thoughtful handle on stability, making sure business knows what the rules are, making sure we build great neighbors and have good contracts and have great relationships, and then the generation and the next generation of goods and services where we can make things even better for the next generation. I want to thank you very much for being here tonight. I know that you want to get back to the office and call your family and tell them the exciting Special Order that you were a part of tonight. I am sure your wife will be very, very excited about that, Congressman Paulsen. Mr. Speaker, we have had an opportunity tonight to speak, Members of Congress who come really from the heartland, we have had people come from Indiana, South Dakota, and Minnesota. Well, I am a Texan, so I guess I would call myself from the heartland of this great Nation also, at least from the center of the country. As we talk about what we are attempting to do, I think that it is important for you to know, Mr. Speaker, that the things which you have led our Congress in trying to perform, the strong leadership of John Boehner from the very top, in trying to say that we need to grow our economy, that part of that job creation comes as a result of trade agreement. So that is why we are here tonight, to talk openly with Members of Congress and you, Mr. Speaker, about the need for America to understand why we must pass Trade Promotion Authority, TPA. TPA is a mechanism. That is all it is. It is a mechanism to begin the starting point whereby we give the administration, whether they be Republican or Democrat, but we give the President its marching orders in developing trade agreements. We say to the President of the United States that we believe that growing our economy, we believe that having trade agreements, we believe that having agreements that make things so much easier and better for us not only to make sure that agricultural products, that other markets become available to us, but that we also understand that, as we engage in this, not only do we want to grow our own marketplace, but the world has an opportunity to reduce the taxes, the trade barriers that are on, many times, their products and services because American products weren't available. Perhaps we could talk about receiving products that they have back into our country and the consumer being a winner. We have to worry about environmental protection. Here in the United States, we believe that we are trying to be responsible in what we do, not only in production manufacturing, our day-to-day energy needs, but I think we also see where we could share many products that we have in the United States, notwithstanding we have seen many industries--energy industries selling our products and services overseas. We talk about intellectual property. Intellectual property is not hard to understand. It is the opportunity to make sure that, if you have an agreement--and it might be because you have something that you have gotten as a patent, it could be a scientific citation that the world, when they are going to use that product, service, or that idea, that they give respect to not only making a payment, if that is required, or supporting the standard as required by rule of law. Market access, market access is so important. It is important that we have an opportunity to make sure that the goods and services, which we present to another country as we enter their ports of entry or to their customs, that our products and services are to the highest standard that they would be, based upon a contract or an agreement as we enter those countries. We would want to make sure that our products and services were not held at bay by that foreign nation because of some perception about our product or because they were trying to protect their home product, their home base. It opens up markets and gives us market access. Physical goods, to make sure that we would be able to reduce tariffs on all sorts of products, whether it be clothing, whether it be manufacturing, whether it be pharmaceuticals, we need to make sure that the products which are passed are timely and fairly handled, not only in these two different types of trade agreements, but that it is a good deal for the American person who wishes to go sell, whether it be an agricultural good or a physical good that may be manufactured in this country. Lastly, services, services which I think America has not only excelled at, but been able to make sure that we are able to promulgate effective ways of doing business, to where people can continue to have a great product and make that product even better--the second, third, and fourth generation of products that would be sold and available with the protections under intellectual property and rule of law. Mr. Speaker, that is what we are talking about, the marketplace of the world becoming open to American goods and services and America and its consumers gaining that benefit also. So TPA ensures that Congress promulgates itself more fully by incorporating ahead of time discussions with the administration. You heard the gentlewoman from South Dakota say that she had a discussion with the trade negotiators, and she negotiated with them and said: Here is my understanding about what I think is in America's best interest. She didn't say what was in South Dakota's best interest. She didn't say what was in her own personal interest. She looked at a more global perspective and said: I think, in looking at this agreement, this is a piece, a part of what should be included. And that, Mr. Speaker, is also why this administration, when they do consult with us--and Ambassador Froman does come up on the Hill on a regular basis, and we should remember that he is an active, intelligent, thoughtful man who is not just learning his job, but learning the nuances about how he protects America and goes across the world and negotiates what is in our best interest; what was a good deal for others, our trading partners, to make sure that they will want to take up the goods and services, the exchange, the ideas, the tough things that come from these trade negotiations. So this topic is timely because these two major trade agreements are on the horizon. The world is speaking about TTIP, and it is speaking about TPP. The United States is currently negotiating TPP, the Trans- Pacific Partnership. The discussions that take place in Asia are all about how we can form better, longer-lasting partnerships, whereby the people of their countries and the people of the United States of America better themselves, lowering taxes, getting new products and services, and having a chance to make sure that we become friends in the process. TPP is comprehensive, and it is ambitious, and it covers really an active and growing Asia-Pacific region. As you think about it, Mr. Speaker, you will recall from your days in the United States Army and your service as a member of the military, where you went and were a part of other countries that desperately wanted and needed not only goods and services, but really the tranquility of America and what we would bring to them, the exceptionalism that we can pass on to these other people to make their life better. It will bring together 12 countries on both sides of the Pacific Ocean in hopes of tracking and putting traditional trade barriers away and overcoming those and giving a chance to where we can make sure that the consumer becomes king. The TPP would cover 40 percent of all global output. It would ensure that participating countries conduct business, really just as we do, in an open, thoughtful, transparent way; and we would make sure that we reduce tariffs, regulations, while respecting intellectual property. Meanwhile--and we have heard more about this, the European Union, through TTIP, it would create a trade agreement that literally encompasses about half of the global wealth in the world. In other words, we would be doing business with a region that is larger than the United States of America. We would be trying to ship our goods and services and do business with half of the world's wealth, open markets that would allow them an opportunity to have American-made products. Currently, $2.7 billion is traded daily between the United States and the EU, which is about 30 percent of world trade. We think creating this historic opportunity would mean that we can grow that amount of trade, grow our ability here in the United States to not only have more output and employ more people, but to pay for the next generation of products and services to where they continue to meet the needs of others, not just here in the United States. So combined, these two agreements would give American businesses and consumers, we believe, unprecedented access to global markets. That is why the Republican Party and its members are on the floor tonight, members of the Ways and Means Committee, members of the Agriculture Committee, and at least one member of the great Rules Committee. I, as chairman, have an opportunity, as a result of the chance to have jurisdictional elements in this, to be firsthand at these discussions where we can push and talk about how important trade is and these basic agreements to empower and work with all parts of the United States government. Obviously, our great young chairman of the Ways and Means Committee is very much up to this task, and Dave Camp has been leading not only America with an understanding about what is in our best interest, but how we have growth, how we move forward, and that is exactly what TPA is all about. So, Mr. Speaker, I will tell you that we have a plan. We have ideas which we not only well understand, but what we are trying to make sure is that we understand that 38 million jobs are supported by trade--38 million American workers--and that in 2012 our goods and services supported an extra 9.8 million jobs as a result of the growth. These are all important ideas, Mr. Speaker. They are ideas that move our country, they move countries forward, but at the same time giving us new goods and services that on a per unit basis can drop because we are sharing them with the rest of the world. Mr. Speaker, I would like for you to know that Members of this United States Congress, both Republicans and Democrats, support members of the United States military, as you served your country so ably. We give thanks and pause every single day to not only the freedoms that we have, but to know that young men like you who have served our military and come back home and married and have beautiful young babies and represent a future in this country to where we believe that there is no problem bigger than a solution, but that by working together, having stability under rule of law, intellectual property, and growth, that we can continue to lead the world through American exceptionalism and the world can have an opportunity to have that little part of America, whether it be a great steak from Texas or South Dakota or perhaps jeans manufactured somewhere here in the United States or, if lucky enough, something from the great State of Ohio that said, ``Made in America.'' Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Neugebauer, thank you for inviting the Texas delegation and our friends from New Mexico to come and honor our dear friend, Kent Hance, tonight. Kent Hance, as you have heard the stories, he is not just a living legend, he is a man who served not just the State of Texas but our great Nation with honor and distinction. Kent Hance, as chancellor of Texas Tech, has done the same thing for thousands of young people who came not only to Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas, for a great education, he helped make their experiences and their education even better. As Randy Neugebauer knows as the Member of Congress from the 19th Congressional District of Texas, the high plains of Texas offers a unique opportunity not only for the kind of people who live there, the kinds of circumstances as God rolls thunder and sandstorms and rainstorms across Texas, but it provides the kind of unique experiences that people who live there love it. They love where they are from, and it builds the kind of person who has spirit and opportunity, but who sees themselves not just as a proud Texan but as an American, and Kent Hance truly has lived up to that. There has been a discussion tonight about Susie, Kent's beloved Susie, this beautiful young woman who, albeit from Dallas, Texas, who was stolen away by the marauding Kent Hance and taken up to Lubbock, Texas; and we still miss Susie as she lives in Lubbock and enjoys her life there with the girls. But I want you to know, Mr. Speaker, that tonight the Texas delegation and so many others are here on the floor to talk about the life and times of a young man who came to Congress, who served the State of Texas, his Nation, and has now served in providing education that is superior second to none, building not just a medical school that is second to none, but a law school and an undergraduate degree, engineering and other areas that have made Texas Tech not just on the map literally, but has made it better because of his personal commitment to excellence. So I want to join the Texas delegation and Chairman Neugebauer tonight as we give a big Texas salute and a thank-you to the gentleman from Lubbock, Texas, the gentleman Kent Hance.

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Madam Speaker, I recognize why we are here and so do Members of this body, and the reason why is because, if you look at the pathway of the Democratic Party, which is what our colleagues are arguing for today, it is a pathway not only to destruction, but insolvency for the United States of America, up to and including Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and our ability to pay for the things that this great Nation needs. Last night in the Rules Committee, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Woodall), who is our representative to the Budget Committee, spent hours not only in understanding, talking, and debating these issues, but in making sure that he brought back a product that was worthy of the sale to the American people by the House of Representatives today. The gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Woodall) is taking time to describe how, really, there are two different pathways that we could go down. Now, I am aware that we also made in order five other opportunities, opportunities where there are groups of people, Members who came to the Rules Committee upstairs, talked forthrightly about what was in their bills, and they were very proud of saying they wanted to raise taxes by trillions of dollars; they wanted to blame the ills and woes on a balanced budget and America doing something that was about solvency and a good future. Here, we are on the floor today to talk about the pathways. One pathway where we can sustain what we do is called the Ryan budget. The chairman of the Budget Committee, Paul Ryan, thoughtfully and carefully--I think artfully--came and spoke about how we need to make sure that we continue to grow jobs in this country. The alternative to that was higher taxes and putting more off on the American people to not only have to work harder for what they would earn, but less take-home pay. We argued forthrightly about putting us on a pathway with our budget to where we could look at the energy resources of America, providing us with those opportunities to develop jobs and more revenue for the country. Our friends on the Democratic side want to tax oil by billions of dollars, raising the price of energy. We forthrightly understand this, and we get it. We have seen energy prices double at the pump by President Obama and the Democrat leadership. We have seen food double in price. No wonder it is difficult for average Americans to make ends meet. We have seen the Democrat Party, through their budget and through the actual laws that they have passed, diminish not only hours of work-- which was the debate of the last few weeks about whether we would diminish the 40-hour workweek in favor of a 30-hour workweek. There are two different pathways, two different directions we could go, taxing and spending, blaming people who have jobs, blaming millionaires and billionaires for the woes of America. Ladies and gentlemen, I would submit to you today that it is the people who are innovative and creative and do well in life that create jobs and opportunities for this country, but they will quit doing so if we really tax them out of existence, if we do what the Democrats want to do and move to the pathway that means that America does not have a brighter future. We will do exactly what we have seen is happening in Greece, in Iceland, and in France, where the brightest and the best of those people have given up on their countries because they cannot make a go of it. Quite honestly, the Republican Party is proud of what we are doing. We are talking about how important it is to be careful and cautious, to make sure we can sustain what we do, to make sure that our promise to America's seniors on Medicare and Social Security is taken care of, not to go and make promises that we know we cannot fulfill. On the other side, they turn right around and say: let's just go tax business, let's go tax energy, let's go tax people, those rich people. Ladies and gentlemen, that is how you kill the goose that lays the golden egg. I have worked hard and never missed a day of work in 36 years. I am not one of those people that they want to pick on, but I say thank goodness that we have entrepreneurs in our country who have chosen to make America home, who have chosen to employ American workers, and what the Democrat Party wants to do with their budget is to throw us all out of work and make us beholden to them. Parliamentary Inquiries

Mr. SESSIONS. Madam Speaker, I recognize that I need to hold some classes up at the Rules Committee so that Members have a better opportunity to understand more about the rules of the House and about how we operate on the floor. The facts of the case are very simple. The Rules Committee last night made in order anything that was a complete substitute or an opportunity to have their bill heard last night. We do not take on what might be one single issue or literally an amendment. The process that we are trying to follow here today is one that is happening because, for 4 years, the Democratic Party had the Speaker of the House, the Senate Majority Leader, and the President of the United States, and they did not do for 4 years what they are asking us to do today. And all these shiny objects swirling around do not fool the American people. They want to raise taxes, raise spending, and blame someone rather than coming to the table and working together.

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Chair, as chair of the Committee on Rules, I submit my exchange of letters with the chair of the Committee on the Budget regarding the provisions that warranted a referral of H.R. 1874 to the Committee on Rules. Committee on Rules, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, August 27, 2013. Hon. Paul Ryan, Chairman, Committee on the Budget, Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Ryan: On June 19, 2013, the Committee on the Budget ordered reported H.R. 1874, the Pro-Growth Budgeting Act of 2013. As you know, the Committee on Rules was granted an additional referral upon the bill's introduction pursuant to the Committee's jurisdiction under rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives over the rules of the House and special orders of business. Because of your willingness to consult with my committee regarding this matter, I will waive consideration of the bill by the Rules Committee. By agreeing to waive its consideration of the bill, the Rules Committee does not waive its jurisdiction over H.R. 1874. In addition, the Committee on Rules reserves its authority to seek conferees on any provisions of the bill that are within its jurisdiction during any House-Senate conference that may be convened on this legislation. I ask your commitment to support any request by the Committee on Rules for conferees on H.R. 1874 or related legislation. I request that you include this letter and your response as part the Congressional Record during consideration of the legislation on the House floor. Thank you for your attention to these matters. Sincerely, Pete Sessions.