Pete Sessions

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SESSIONS. I appreciate the gentleman, and I would allow him to proceed as just discussed.

Mr. SESSIONS. Madam Speaker, the gentleman and I had previously spoken that I would have a late arrival. I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Roskam).

Mr. SESSIONS. Madam Speaker, in closing I would like to stress that while my friends on the other side of the aisle claim to be protecting consumers with this legislation, they have refused a bill, the opportunity for an amendment in this bill, that would protect all taxpayers from de facto nationalization of our financial system. The American taxpayers deserve the same accountability and transparencies with their dollars that this bill claims to do for consumers. As a Nation, we have real problems, Madam Speaker, and they need to be solved through real solutions. And passing legislation that already exists in Federal statute, I believe, is wasting our time. We need to provide jobs, we need to encourage economic growth, we need to get the investor back into the game and, perhaps most of all, we need to restore America's public faith in their Members of Congress and in this Congress that we are aiming at solving the problems that face this Nation. While I encourage each of my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this structured rule, I would also advise them they need to equally understand the facts of the case, and that would drive them to a ``no'' vote. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SESSIONS. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in memory of Ronald Reagan and his accomplishments as our nation's 40th president. He was a legendary president, skilled actor, and loving husband and father to his family. Today, we pay tribute to a great American, a man who deeply loved this country. In the midst of darkness, Reagan showed no fear--staring down the face of communism and ultimately leading us to victory in the Cold War. He exhibited unprecedented leadership during a period in our history when our economy seemed bleak, our enemies surrounded us, and the fight against Soviet Communism pushed against our ideals of freedom and democracy. Even after an assassination attempt in 1981, Reagan quickly returned to duty with tremendous grace and ease, giving us a mere glimpse of his strength and determination to better our country. Known as the ``Great Communicator,'' Reagan had an amazing gift of connecting with the public, instilling us with a sense of pride as Americans. President Reagan once stated, ``There is no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he doesn't mind who gets the credit.'' Certainly, these words ring loud and true today in the halls of Congress, reminding us that we are merely servants of the American public. I wholeheartedly support today's resolution for the acceptance of a statue of President Reagan to be placed in the U.S. Capitol. Mr. Speaker, I ask my esteemed colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution and in expressing our heartfelt gratitude for Ronald Reagan's service to our great Nation.

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Madam Speaker, I am honored and privileged to recognize Raymond L. Orians in tribute to his lifelong dedication to the collegiate and interfraternal movement, as well as his 25 years of service as the Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of the Pi Kappa International Fraternity. Pi Kappa Alpha is a values-based college fraternity, with more than 200 chapters, 13,000 undergraduate members, and over 235,000 lifetime members. Mr. Orians has spent his entire professional career, which spans more than 40 years, helping to educate college undergraduates and working to advance the North American Interfraternal movement. Most notable has been his involvement with the Fraternity Executives Association, as its president in 1994-1995, and as a mentor to countless other executives and staff members throughout the collegiate world. He was also actively involved as president of the Coalition for Freedom of Association, an action group consisting of several fraternities and sororities and other student organizations, which was successful in helping to secure federal legislation for the right of students to associate freely. This legislation became federal law and remains a source of law vital to the success of all student organizations today in their most critical area of operation, membership recruitment. Mr. Orians has also been a strong advocate within Pi Kappa Alpha for the benefits of membership in the North American college fraternity. He has attended countless meetings as an advocate for their membership and is frequently consulted for his expertise in the field. He has also been a key point-person on the efforts to lobby Congress to pass the Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act, personally walking the halls each year and also making certain that Pi Kappa Alpha is well represented. At Pi Kappa Alpha's 2008 International Convention, Mr. Orians announced that he would be retiring from his post as Executive Vice President & CEO, a position he has held for 25 years. Prior to that, he also served as the chief housing officer for Pi Kappa Alpha for 15 years. In tribute to his service to Pi Kappa Alpha, Mr. Orians was honored with his Fraternity's Loyalty Award in 2004 and Distinguished Achievement Award in 2008. In recognition that he is a true source of inspiration in the pursuit of excellence by undergraduate members and chapters, he will forevermore be the namesake of Pi Kappa Alpha's Chapter Excellence Award. It is awarded annually to the top 10-15% of Pi Kappa Alpha chapters. Mr. Orians' personal and professional achievements throughout his career have been outstanding by every measurement. He presided over the establishment of 67 new Pi Kappa Alpha chapters at institutions of higher learning throughout North America which included more than 100,000 new members being brought into its ranks. Under his leadership, a new Pi Kappa Alpha Memorial Headquarters was constructed and dedicated in 1988, with a new Gold Star Memorial dedicated on August 1, 2008 recognizing those fraternity members who have made the ultimate sacrifice in military service to their country. In addition, the highly successful True Pike program, a values-based educational and leadership program, was created, and the innovative Pike University was established during his tenure, benefiting thousands of undergraduate young men each year. Throughout his career, Mr. Orians has been a tremendous ambassador and advocate for all fraternities. Given his involvement, achievement, and tenure within the Greek movement and within Pi Kappa Alpha, it is an honor for me, as one of his Fraternity brothers and a colleague in the collegiate Greek movement, to acknowledge with gratitude the distinguished career and service of Raymond L. Orians, on this, his final day as Executive Vice President of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity.

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Woodrow Wilson High School which will celebrate its eightieth anniversary on April 25, 2009. Since its founding, Woodrow has always been a special part of Dallas. This historic high school was designed by famed Dallas architect Mark Lemmon. To honor its namesake, the school's cornerstone included a piece of wedding cake from Jesse Wilson Sayre, President Woodrow Wilson's daughter. Over the course of its history, Woodrow has educated thousands of bright individuals, nurturing their talent while providing them with a wonderful learning environment as well as many fond memories. In 2006 and 2008, Woodrow made it to Newsweek's list of America's Top Public High Schools. It is also the only public high school in the United States proudly hailed as the alma maters of two Heisman Trophy winners: Davey O'Brien and Tim Brown. Other notable alumni include legendary real estate developer Trammell Crow, Congressman Sam Johnson, Congressman Jim Collins, Texas Attorney General Jim Maddox, Chief Justice Tom Phillips of the Texas Supreme Court, civic leader Ruth Sharp Altshuler, and seven Dallas area mayors. As Woodrow celebrates eighty years, I know it will continue to be a beacon of academic excellence in Dallas. I ask my colleagues to join me in offering our heartiest congratulations to the faculty, staff, students, and alumni of Woodrow Wilson High School.

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and commend the honorable service and devotion to duty of our men and women of the United States Armed Services. These men and women in uniform have put themselves in harms way--many having given the ultimate sacrifice--in defense of freedom and liberty at home and abroad. I would like to take this opportunity to extend my utmost thanks and appreciation to their selfless service and to wish them all the best in the years to come. As part of this recognition, I would like to thank the military spouses who spend weeks and months without their significant others, often having to raise families on their own. My appreciation also goes out to the parents, family members and communities who provide support for the soldier and their family during these trying times. I would also like to extend my condolences and appreciation to the American Gold Star Mothers who have lost a son or daughter while serving our great country. These women are too counted as heroes for our country. In addition to our active duty soldiers, I would like to thank our veterans, Reservists and Military Academy personnel. These individuals are the past, present and future of what protects American values each day. May all those who are involved with the Armed Services know the support of a grateful nation.

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a true Dallas icon and a legendary woman that has changed the real estate industry, Ebby Halliday Acers. She celebrates her ninety-eighth birthday on March 9th. Ebby first arrived in Dallas in 1938 and soon after owned and ran her own boutique called Ebby's Hats. After being approached by a developer in 1945, Ebby went from selling hats to selling houses. Together with her beloved husband, Maurice Acers, Ebby Halliday Realtors was founded. The company's inventory began with fifty-two houses on the old Walnut Hill Golf Course in North Dallas, but has steadily grown year after year into one of the most successful and widely recognized real estate firms in the country. Aside from her entrepreneurial spirit, her success can be attributed to the great care and attention she gives to her employees and agents as well as her buyers. This personal touch includes nurturing talent as well as meeting with new employees, making them feel welcomed. Over the course of her career she has received numerous awards such as the Horatio Alger Award in 2005 and the Visionary Award from Foundation Fighting Blindness and the Linz Award in 2008. Aside from her professional achievements, Ebby is also known for her philanthropic spirit. She has generously given of her time and effort in addition to monetary contributions. Many nonprofit organizations and causes such as St. Paul Medical Center, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas and the Communities Foundation of Texas have benefitted greatly from her love for and dedication to her community. There is no doubt that the great City of Dallas is a better place because of her. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in expressing our heartiest congratulations to Ebby as she celebrates her ninety-eighth birthday. I wish Ebby many more years of health, happiness, and prosperity. May we all strive to have the same generosity and dedication that she exemplifies.

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor J.L. Long Middle School in Dallas, Texas which will be celebrating its 75th anniversary on April 2, 2009. Initially established as the second junior high school in Dallas, J.L. Long first opened its doors to 550 students in 1933. Over the course of its history, this school has educated thousands of bright young minds, providing them with a firm foundation for success. In 2006, its student body expanded to include sixth graders. The J.L. Long science team was named state champion in the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 school years while the math team consistently placed in the top six in the state for the past several years. Aside from its many academic accomplishments, J.L. Long Middle School boasts an impressive history and record of parental involvement. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) Depression Mural by Olin Travis is proudly displayed in their library and in 2004 the school was designated as a Dallas Historical Landmark. The PTA Board has been recognized for generously contributing over 8,500 volunteer service hours. J.L. Long Middle School's commitment to education and character building will help these individuals grow up to become mature, responsible citizens and our next generation of great leaders. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating J.L. Long Middle on seventy five years of academic achievement. I wish them many more years of success.

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to proudly recognize the soccer team at Ursuline Academy of Dallas on winning the prestigious TAPPS 5A State Championship title for the 19th consecutive year. At the Mata Stadium in San Antonio, Ursuline and Nolan Catholic High School of Fort Worth battled for the State Championship title for the eighth consecutive year. In this final game, Ursuline successfully defended its title with a score of 2 to 1. Both goals were scored in the first half by Sophie Campise. Led by Head Coach Jamie Cantrell, these young ladies committed themselves to a tradition of winning and dedicated countless hours practicing to hone their ability to perform as a team. This prestigious title of State Champion speaks loudly of their discipline and hard work. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in expressing our heartiest congratulations to the members of the soccer team for their well deserved victory. I wish them all the best in their future endeavors.

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information for publication regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 1105 FY 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act. Requesting Member: Congressman Pete Sessions Bill Number: H.R. 1105 Account: Department of Justice, OJP Byrne Discretionary Grants Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Phoenix House Address of Requesting Entity: 2345 Regan Street, Dallas, Texas, 75219 Description of Request: I have received an earmark of $500,000 to expand the service delivery system for the increasing number of Dallas area adolescents who are seeking drug treatment. Dallas has been identified by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) as one of the communities hit hardest by the problem of drug abuse among our nation's youth, and the ONDCP has recognized Dallas as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. The impact of alcohol and drug abuse has been well documented in terms of financial costs to federal, state, and local governments. North Texas, especially Dallas, is experiencing an epidemic of the use of `cheese,' a mixture of black tar heroin and over-the-counter drugs a very dangerous and highly addictive combination. Requesting Member: Congressman Pete Sessions Bill Number: H.R. 1105 Account: Department of Justice, COPS Law Enforcement Technology Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Dallas County Sheriff's Department Address of Requesting Entity: 133 North Industrial Blvd., Dallas, Texas 75207 Description of Request: I have received an earmark of $100,000 to update the AFIS system for the Dallas County Sheriff's Department. The Dallas County Sheriff's Department books approximately 400 people every 24 hours. The current system is slow and is susceptible to error and misidentifications. A biometric ``2-fingerlook-up system'' is needed in order to process arrestees accurately and effectively. Dallas County Sheriff's Department needs to update its AFIS system, AFIX Tracker. These upgrades will provide each of the surrounding agencies the ability to search the Dallas County database. Dallas County will also have the ability to search databases maintained in the surrounding counties, including Parker County, Collin County and Denton County. The outcome of this regional database approach will be to dramatically increase the efficiency and hit rate of the Dallas County Sheriff's Department's AFIX Tracker AFIS system. Requesting Member: Congressman Pete Sessions Bill Number: H.R. 1105 Account: Corps of Engineers, Construction Legal Name of Requesting Entity: City of Dallas Address of Requesting Entity: 1500 Manila 4EN, Dallas, Texas 75201 Description of Request: I have received an earmark of $13,000,000 for the Dallas Floodway Extension (DFE). This request is for continuation construction funding of the Dallas Floodway Extension (DFE). It is a joint effort between the City of Dallas and the Army Corps of Engineers consisting of a ``chain of wetlands'' and a system of protective levees. The flood control improvements will reduce flooding for 12,500 structures in the Central Business District and area neighborhoods permitting balanced growth. The DFE builds on prior flood protection efforts undertaken by the City to protect low-income neighborhoods and the primary wastewater treatment plant that serves 75% of Dallas's needs. The proposed improvements will increase the level of protection of the Dallas Floodway levee system to the Standard Project Flood or 800-year event. Features will include 5.5 miles of levee construction, 170 acres of wetlands development and 1,179 acres of land preservation. The main objective of this project is to provide improved flood protection for the full length of the Trinity River Corridor in Dallas in a way that supports the achievement of environmental, recreational, mobility and economic development goals. Requesting Member: Congressman Pete Sessions Bill Number: H.R. 1105 Account: Department of Energy, Office of Science Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Southern Methodist University Address of Requesting Entity: 6425 Boaz, Room 205, Dallas, Texas 75275 Description of Request: I received an earmark of $951,500 for the Advanced Parallel Processing Center (APPC) at Southern Methodist University. The Advanced Parallel Processing Center (APPC) is a ``super computer'' that will allow significant contribution in computationally intensive areas of research at SMU and other north Texas academic institutions. This center will allow the North Texas university community to access state of the art parallel computing resources. SMU is participating in the ATLAS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The APPC will allow SMU to analyze the data collected from ATLAS. APPC will benefit the study of high energy physics, statistical modeling of functional MRI data collected from veterans suffering from Gulf War Syndrome, problems in cancer chemotherapy, logistics for the banking industry, network design for the telecommunications industry, and applications of energy conservation and nanotechnology. The United States must continue to lead the world in science research in order to remain globally competitive and to attract the best and the brightest scholars. Requesting Member: Congressman Pete Sessions Bill Number: H.R. 1105 Account: Federal Highway Administration, TCSP Legal Name of Requesting Entity: City of Irving Address of Requesting Entity: 825 West Irving Blvd. Irving, Texas 75060 Description of Request: I received an earmark for $380,000 for the City of Irving's Irving Boulevard Corridor Enhancement Project, which includes Story Road and Irving Boulevard, Highway 356. The Corridor is in need of structural enhancements that include a bridge and the enclosure of an open drainage channel for pedestrian and vehicle traffic. These enhancements will reduce congestion and make multi- functional use of space. The corridor is of critical importance to the region because it runs east to west and connects to the Dallas Fort Worth Airport. Requesting Member: Congressman Pete Sessions Bill Number: H.R. 1105 Account: Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Southern Methodist University, Southwestern Consortium for Anti-Infectives and Virological Research Address of Requesting Entity: 6425 Boaz, Room 205, Dallas, TX 75275 Description of Request: I received an earmark of $381,000 for Southern Methodist University who is teaming with several other Texas universities and medical centers to establish a premiere collaborative Center of Excellence that would unite leading regional HIV/AIDS and infectious disease researchers and clinical scientists for the development of new therapies against drug-resistant viral infections of high medical and socioeconomic importance. One of the goals of this consortium in developing new therapies against drug-resistant viral infections is to expand the role of viral-based gene therapy in modern molecular medicine for the treatment of terminal health disparities, such as malignant CNS tumors in children. The requested support would be to provide state-of-the-art infrastructure for NIH-supported research programs in the Southwest (TX-NM) with national and international collaborations. Requesting Member: Congressman Pete Sessions Bill Number: H.R. 1105 Account: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Health Legal Name of Requesting Entity: The University of Texas Systems, Brain Health and Repair Project Address of Requesting Entity: 2200 West Mockingbird Lane, Dallas TX 75325 Description of Request: I received an earmark of $381,000 for the Brain Health and Repair Project at the University of Texas at Dallas which involves a unique multi-disciplinary collaboration among a talented team of scientists with expertise ranging from cognitive neuroscience, neurology, biomedical engineering, brain imaging, to those advancing brain repair treatments. The Brain Health and Repair Project takes a comprehensive approach to address some of the most pressing public health issues related to brain health. New evidence from brain science reveals that more can be done to prevent and detect injuries, as well as to repair the brain than modem medicine thought possible only a few years ago. UT Dallas has the largest number of cognitive brain scientists in Texas with specific expertise focused on advancing sensitive measurements of lasting impact of Traumatic Brain Injury on cognition, social, and brain function and developing effective methods to repair the brain given appropriate type, levels and intensity of stimulation.

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Texas, a bright young member of the Republican Conference, Jeb Hensarling.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I stand in strong opposition to this closed rule. And Mr. Speaker, let me say this, that the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), my colleague and friend, has had a chance to sit here and blame George Bush for what was entirely this body's responsibility. I think that's an awkward position for anybody to be in, to blame the President of the United States for what we have done or what we will do. The gentleman from Massachusetts quite plainly said that George Bush and Republicans tried to hide the real costs of the war and did not put it in fiscal terms to where it came out for the budget where we would all understand it and tried to hide it. Well, let me just say this, that we just passed an $800 billion plus emergency spending bill that did exactly the same thing that he was saying George Bush did, Republicans did, about not being honest about what the real facts of the case are, hiding the budget money. Mr. Speaker, the bottom line is that we're here today to debate a bill that was ready to go last June, and people are blaming George Bush for our inability to get that on the floor. And I think that that's just not true. The bottom line is that this body decided, through the Democrat leadership, that they didn't want to move the bill forward because there was an election. And if there had been an election where tens of billions, hundreds of billions of dollars more would be passed by this Congress, then the American people would have seen that. Instead, they waited until after the election. So I rise today in strong opposition to this completely closed rule, and to the ill-conceived underlying legislation. Week after week my friends on the other side of the aisle continue to bulldoze their massive spending bills on the floor of the House of Representatives, with no Republican input and no regular order, in this Congress. This is the third time in a little over a month that I've managed a rule in this 111th Congress where my Democratic colleagues have had no hearings, no markups and allowed no amendments by Republicans. Senator Harry Reid yesterday was quoted as saying that he is going to allow Republicans and Democrats to offer amendments in the Senate. So why won't Speaker Pelosi allow Members of this House the same privilege? In an effort to encourage the Democratic leadership to uphold their promise to the American people of being the most open, honest and ethical Congress, I think, and our Republican leadership believes, that we should hold hearings and be held accountable for what we do, including Republican feedback and amendments. In a letter dated the 5th of this month, Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Hoyer were asked if they would immediately post the text of the omnibus and all of the earmark and spending projects included. Yet, once again, our friends, the Democrats, have posted the text of this massive spending bill, which holds nine of the remaining 12 appropriations bills, only a day and a half before the vote. And yet our letter states that ``in the midst of a severe recession, taxpayers should have a right to read and see each provision of this legislation.'' Taxpayers elected each and every one of us. We should be able to ``evaluate the merit of each dollar of government spending that their children and grandchildren will be required to fund.'' I think Americans deserve better. Last week I had the opportunity, when I was back home for the break, to speak to many constituents back in Texas, and they are growing increasingly upset and concerned with the amount of massive spending that this Democratic majority is pursuing. Last week President Obama signed a $792 billion stimulus package into law that consisted of over $500 billion in new spending. This week, my friends and our colleagues, the Democrats, are at it again. Now we're discussing a $410 billion omnibus for a fiscal year that we're almost halfway through. The legislation we're discussing today is actually an increase of 8.3 percent over the 2008 fiscal year funding, which is more than $32 billion. The omnibus appropriations bill contains funding for many of the same agencies and programs that just received funds in the stimulus bill. Therefore, to uncover the true level of spending for these programs this year, the funding levels of both bills should and must be combined. The combined FY 2009 funding for agencies, including the omnibus and the stimulus, is $680 billion--$301 billion more than these programs received in 2008--for a combined 80 percent spending increase this year, an 80 percent increase in spending this year alone. Mr. Speaker, this week, the President held a fiscal responsibility summit that was attended by Republicans and Democrats. How can the President take my Democrat colleagues seriously when they spend another $410 billion after the $792 billion stimulus? There is nothing fiscally responsible regarding designating $1.2 trillion in spending in just 2 weeks. American families and small businesses are making sacrifices across this country and are cutting expenses due to tough economic times. Yet this Democratic majority continues to spend like there is no problem at all. Worse yet, we are taking a bill that was completely marked up last year and are assuming that those same needs are needed now. Republicans welcome President Obama's call for fiscal responsibility, and we are willing to make the hard choices necessary to bring fiscal responsibility to Washington. Republican leadership has called for a spending freeze, and in a letter to Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Hoyer, this past Monday, we did exactly that. At a time of deficits, a freeze would allow the Federal Government to continue functioning at current levels, just like we have been doing for the past 6 months, while showing the commitment to the American people that we, as Members of Congress, are taking this crisis very seriously. Mr. Speaker, this Congress must do better than this to prevent the enormous growth of Federal spending from encroaching on the family budgets of Americans. I oppose this rule and the underlying legislation as it is currently drafted. Congress of the United States, Washington, DC, February 5, 2009. Hon. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, U.S. Capitol, Washington, DC. Hon. Steny Hoyer, Majority Leader, House of Representatives, U.S. Capitol, Washington, DC. Madam Speaker and Majority Leader Hoyer: Many weeks ago, you scheduled this week to consider the Fiscal Year 2009 omnibus spending bill. Now that you have announced that consideration will be delayed until after the President's Day recess, we remain troubled that the text of the bill has not been made available to the public and are concerned about the apparent precedent being established with massive spending bills in the 111th Congress. We urge you to make the text of the bill and explanatory statement available to all by posting it on-line and heeding President Obama's call for more transparency in government. In the face of the highest deficit in our Nation's history, the Majority has asked the American taxpayers to fund nearly $1.5 trillion in new government spending in just four short weeks. And yet now the Majority plans to spend hundreds of billions more without yet sharing the content of the bill with Republican Members or the public. In the midst of a severe recession, taxpayers have a right to see each provision of this legislation and evaluate the merit of each dollar of government spending their children and grandchildren are being required to fund. Recent experience has demonstrated that transparency, scrutiny, and regular order are essential tools for crafting effective and prudent legislation. Vast spending bills that have been rushed through the House. such as the so-called ``stimulus,'' were hastily considered without adequate input from both sides of the aisle--and the American taxpayer is worse off for it. Without regular order and sufficient time to examine this legislation how can the American people and Members of Congress know where the $500 billion will be spent? What will the funding increases be for the final six months of fiscal year 2009? Sadly, if the Majority refuses to release at least the text of the omnibus, none of these questions will be answered before the House votes to add hundreds of billions more to the deficit. Again, we urge you to make the text of the omnibus spending bill and explanatory statement available to the public immediately, allowing all sides to judge the merit of each taxpayer dollar spent. Sincerely, Representatives John Boehner; Mike Pence; Cathy McMorris Rodgers; Pete Sessions; David Dreier; Eric Cantor; Thaddeus McCotter; John Carter; Roy Blunt; Kevin McCarthy.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I would like to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Miami and from the Rules Committee (Mr. Lincoln Diaz-Balart).

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I would like to yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman, the ranking member of Natural Resources, the gentleman from Pasco, Washington (Mr. Hastings).

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Indiana.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hensarling).

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I would also remind the gentleman that for 6 of those 8 years, Republicans controlled this House of Representatives, and the economy was great because we didn't try and run the investor out on the terms of what's fair for the American people. Once we had tax increases yelled about every day on this floor of this House of Representatives, the investor got it. So we've got a lot of fairness under the terms that my friends, the Democrats, wanted. And that is where it's called massive unemployment and economic chaos. Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Hamilton, New Jersey (Mr. Smith).

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I would like to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kirk).

Mr. SESSIONS. I give the gentleman an additional minute.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I would like to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Augusta, Georgia, Dr. Paul Broun.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I would like to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman, Mr. Flake, had it right this morning when he said this bill is heavy, and it is. And this is the bill that we're getting ready to pass, hundreds of billions of more dollars that will be taken from the American people that we're borrowing this money. Just last week, we passed a bill that was twice this size, all borrowed money. This is a bill that, by and large, was put together last June and ready to go. We are now 5 full months through the fiscal year, and yet we decided to go ahead and do the exact same bill in the remaining 7 months; 8 percent increase if we had 12 months, now we've got 7 months left. All borrowed time, all borrowed money off of a system that now, months later, is under greater distress. The American family, the American taxpayer, American business, even investors to this great country, like China--as we've heard the gentleman, Mr. Kirk, talk about--the investors, people who will pay for this debt, are growing weary of bigger and bigger government, of more and more spending. And I do recognize that we disagree with each other on the floor based upon party lines, but at some point there has to be a reality check. And the reality check is that, since we decided to wait almost half a year, why not cut it in half? Makes sense to me. Perhaps that's common sense; perhaps it's just political shenanigans. But, Mr. Speaker, here we are today with 7 months remaining and we're going to cram down an 8.5 percent increase. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.