Bill Shuster

Mr. SHUSTER

Mr. SHUSTER. I thank both of you gentleman for joining me tonight.

Mr. SHUSTER

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the great contribution Coach Dick Hoak has made to professional athletics, the game of football, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the people of western Pennsylvania. Coach Dick Hoak recently announced his retirement from the Steelers' organization on January 1 of this year. As he ends an impressive career, Dick Hoak can look back on his 45 years of history as part of the Steelers' organization. This is an unprecedented run and a shining example of consistency in a business best known for its instability rather than longevity with one team. The first 10 of Dick Hoak's 45-year tenure with the Steelers were not spent on the sidelines but, instead, on the playing field. Dick Hoak was drafted by the Steelers in 1961, after an impressive high school career in football, basketball, and baseball that included a WPIAL football championship, and a single-game scoring record of 39 points and playing 4 years for Joe Paterno's Penn State Nittany Lions, where he led the team to a Liberty Bowl victory and was named the MVP. Throughout his playing career with the Steelers, Dick Hoak time and time again showed he was a talented athlete and a dedicated teammate. He led his team in rushing three times and today is the fifth ranked rusher in Steeler history, with 3,965 yards rushing. Dick Hoak also accumulated an impressive 146 receptions, 33 touchdowns, and a Pro Bowl appearance. For many players, the culmination of such an impressive record would have been enough on which to end a career. However, Dick Hoak, his commitment to Pittsburgh and the Steelers would not end there. Only one year after retiring from the National Football League, Dick Hoak turned down an assistant coaching job at the University of Pittsburgh and rejoined the Steelers' organization, this time as an assistant coach under Hall of Fame Coach Chuck Noll. During this time, Coach Hoak coached the running backs, including the great Franco Harris, through four Super Bowl victories, a championship legacy he would later recapture under Coach Bill Cowher. Under Dick Hoak's leadership as an assistant coach, the Steelers dominated the league in rushing yardage. Over the 15 seasons Dick Hoak coached for Bill Cowher alone, the Steelers rushed for over 30,000 yards and led the league in rushing three of those 15 seasons. His excellent coaching also added in no small part to the Steelers' Super Bowl win last year. The Super Bowl win not only capped Dick Hoak's career; it made Hoak one of three people in the Steelers' organization, and possibly the only coach in NFL history, to have six Super Bowl appearances and five Super Bowl rings with one NFL team. Throughout his accomplished career in football, Dick Hoak never let Pennsylvania out of his thoughts. Of course, over his long career, Coach Hoak was offered positions away from his home State. However, his commitment to create a stable environment for his family, and his undying loyalty to his team and the owners of the Steelers, the Rooney family, kept him in Pennsylvania. He never left to accept an offensive coordinator's job with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; he never left the Rooney family to coach the USFL's Pittsburgh Maulers. Coach Hoak put his family first and remained devoted, loyal, and committed to his team in western Pennsylvania. Coach Hoak was born in Jeanette, Pennsylvania, and continues to live in nearby Greensburg in a house he has owned since his early days in coaching. His commitment to the Pittsburgh Steelers gave his family stability and western Pennsylvania a steady hand at the helm of a winning offense. Now that his storied career with the Steelers is behind him, Dick Hoak can look forward to another winning team: his family. I know his wife, Lynn, his children Kelly, Katie and Rich, and his seven grandchildren, including my nephews Michael, Jonathan, and Daniel Shuster, are happy to have more time with their Pap-Pap. Dick Hoak represents the best attributes of sportsmanship, hard work, and commitment. Those are the values that translate from the football field to everyday life, and he embodied them with class. Not only that, Dick Hoak represents the American Dream. He is an American success story who shows if you work hard enough and remain dedicated to your goals, you can succeed beyond what you thought possible, into excellence and legend. I am happy to say congratulations on a great career, and thank you for being there when we needed you, Coach Hoak.

Mr. SHUSTER

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, it is certainly an honor to be here on the House floor, and it is a great opportunity to follow the Blue Dogs tonight, that coalition on the Democratic side that are talking about fiscal responsibility, because that is what I want to also talk about tonight. It is an extremely important issue. It is a pocketbook issue. And one I didn't hear mentioned too frequently by my friends in the Blue Dog Coalition has to deal with taxes and what we are responsible for here in Washington, which is spending, and also making sure we are not reaching too deep in the pockets of the American people and spending their money. Quite frankly, Mr. Speaker, I am very concerned that the American people are unaware of what is going to happen here in Congress in the next 4 years. There is a countdown. The countdown begins. It is 1,452 days, and we will see over that period of time the tax cuts that we put in place as a Republican majority, they will expire. So the American people, over the next 4 years, will see a $200 billion tax increase, money that will be taken out of their pockets. The Democratic majority doesn't even have to act. They can just run out the clock. I am not sure the American people realize that, that if the Democrats don't act to extend these tax breaks, that they will see this $200 billion tax increase occur, as I said between today and January 1, 2011. As I said, I appreciate the Blue Dogs coming here and talking about fiscal responsibility, but unless they act and they join with the Republicans to see these extended, that is what the American people face. What do these tax cuts mean? They mean that over the last 4 years we have seen 7.2 million jobs created in this country because of those tax cuts. Just in the month of December, 167,000 jobs were created in this country. The unemployment rate in this country is down to 4.5 percent. That is the lowest average it has been in four decades, and that is directly attributable to the tax cuts that we passed over the last 4, 5, or 6 years in this Congress. Again, if we don't extend them, if we don't do the responsible thing and let the American people keep more of their money, there will be dollars taken out of their pockets. Now, what has happened with those tax cuts is that the American people have gotten to keep more of their hard-earned dollars. The American people, from Pennsylvania, to Arkansas, to California, to Arizona get to keep their money in their pockets and get to decide how that money is going to be spent. It is not going to be spent in Washington by bureaucrats. When you get $2,000 or $4,000 more in your pocket a year because of these tax cuts, you decide whether you will use it as a downpayment on a car, save the money for your children's college education, or buy a new washer and dryer or refrigerator for your home. These are the things the American people want to be able to purchase, and they can do it with these tax cuts. As I said, I am very, very concerned that we are going to see this $200 billion tax increase if we don't move forward to expand that. We had four major tax relief packages since 2001. We cut taxes on the American taxpayer in every walk of life. Across the board, every American has benefited by this. We eliminated the marriage penalty tax. We stopped penalizing people in this country for being married. We should be encouraging that in America: marriage. We doubled the child tax credit from $500 to $1,000. If we don't act to extend that, that will be cut in half over the next 4 years. We removed 10.6 million low-income Americans from paying taxes all together. People are not paying taxes because we lowered those tax rates. We lowered tax rates on our small businesses and employers. I know every single district in this country has numerous small businesses. It is the backbone of the American economy. And we have cut taxes for those people in small business, and they have been able to take that money and reinvest it in their businesses and their employees. I know full well because before I came to Congress I didn't serve in the State legislature, I wasn't a trial attorney, I was a small business owner, and I worked to employ between 30 and 40 people. I know what it is like to meet a payroll, and I know what that burden is like to have to pay crushing taxes. I know what it is like to make sure my bills are being paid every month. So as a small business owner, I know firsthand. As a family man, as a father of two children, and a daughter that will go to Penn State University next year, I know it is important to save for college. Every American wants to save money to help their children get educated. As I said, I think it is extremely important that we here in Congress act responsibly to keep those tax cuts in place and there is record revenue coming into Congress. I hope that the Democrats will take a lesson from history, from one of their own, Jack Kennedy, in the 1960s. President Kennedy did the right thing. He cut taxes. What happened? Revenues increased to the government. What happened in 1980, when Ronald Reagan did the same thing? He cut taxes and revenues increased to the Federal Government. And we did that again in 2001 and 2003. And what happened? History has repeated itself. Revenues are at the highest levels that they have ever been to the Federal Government. So once again, I am absolutely committed, and we are going to be coming to the House floor week after week talking to the American people, reminding them that if the Democrats do not act, do not aggressively pursue the extension of these taxes that the American people will be penalized. And I think that here in this next hour I am going to be joined by many of my colleagues who want to stand up and talk about this. And the folks coming down to the floor, most of them, if not all of them, are former small business owners or still own small businesses and have families and raised families, so they can talk to the issues that we are here talking about tonight: what it means to get $2,000 more a year in your pocket, or $4,000 or $5,000, or have lower tax rates, if you are running a business. I will now invite some of my colleagues up, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Davis). I yield to him.

Mr. SHUSTER. I thank the gentleman. The last point you make, we talked about it earlier, I think Mr. Davis brought it up, they decreased the number of Members of the House that had to vote in favor, three-fifths down to a simple majority. It seems pretty clear to me what they are doing. Over the last 4 or 5 years, 6 years since I have been in Congress, I haven't seen a budget proposal by the other side that hasn't increased spending significantly, and there are some estimates that in these first 100 hours the proposals that they are putting forth over the next several years are something to the effect of an $800 billion increase in spending. Again I think it is quite clear what the Democrats intend to do. We need to stay together as Republicans and join together with the Blue Dogs to fight that.

Mr. SHUSTER. That is like 20 million Americans, or something like that.

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield time to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Neugebauer), who again comes from a business background, somebody who has raised a family and brings a businessman's common sense here to the legislative process.

Mr. SHUSTER. I thank the gentleman from Texas. And when you talk, I think a lot of folks here in Congress, I think, forget about the stories that you talk about, the plumber who starts out with a truck and all of a sudden he has enough business, he buys two trucks, then three trucks. And that is what small business in America has been doing over the last couple of decades. That is where most of the jobs are created in this country, in small business by that plumber or that person who has an idea that works hard and puts together a plan and goes to the bank and borrows some money. And I know when I first went into business back in 1990, I bought an existing business, borrowed a lot of money, went into debt, worked hard. And something that I learned in college in accounting is that cash and profits aren't the same thing. And a lot of people, I think they say, and I realized that lesson, I learned it in accounting, but it really didn't make an impact on me until my first year I had a profit in business and thought, oh my goodness. We had a great year. And then I realized that I had to pay this tax bill, but all my cash was tied up in my inventory and improving the physical plant and doing things to make business continue to grow. But I didn't have the cash. So I had to keep the debt up; had to figure out how to get that money to pay taxes. So it really puts a tremendous burden on small business when you have a high tax burden. And, as you pointed out, American business, small business, is really the backbone of this country. So I appreciate the fact that you are another small business owner and that you, like myself, didn't serve in the legislature before, and you bring that perspective of a small business owner, of a business owner of someone that has been out there meeting payrolls and creating jobs in this economy. It is now my pleasure to yield to another great Texan, Mr. Conaway, from Texas, who is the resident CPA in the House tonight. So I am sure we can learn a few lessons from him. So with that, Mr. Conaway, thank you.

Mr. SHUSTER. But I would ask the gentleman at some point to talk about cash flow and the difference between profit and cash because that is an awakening process.

Mr. SHUSTER. I want to thank the gentleman from Texas. I think you bring up a very good point on the spending side. As you know, as an accountant, anybody that has been in business, two sides to the income statements, there is revenues and costs. Costs are important. You have to control your costs. You can't spend more than you bring in. Of course, we have done that over the last couple of years, because we are at war, we have seen a recession. But the revenue side is equally important, and there are two ways to do it in the Federal Government. We have found that you can increase taxes, which gives you increased revenue for a while, but eventually the economy turns down, and then revenues go down; or you can do as Jack Kennedy, President Kennedy, did in 1960, Ronald Reagan did in the 1980s and we did in the early 2000s, we cut taxes and revenues grew. There are record levels of revenue coming into the Federal Government. Don't listen to Bill Shuster about how it works when you cut taxes. Look at the record, look at the history record, and you will see it is quite clear. You mentioned the death tax, yes. The gentleman has another point to make.

Mr. SHUSTER. That is a great point. It is great to have people like you in Congress to bring that common sense and know what it is like, and what really happens when prices go up and taxes go up and the response you get from people. You also mentioned that January 1, 2011, the death tax expires. You also have the capital gains tax will expire January 1, 2009. The taxes on dividends will increase January 1, 2009. I think it is record numbers of American people that have investments in the stock market through their mutual funds. Over 60 percent of America has invested. Folks that are getting dividends from those investments are going to be taxed at higher rates. We are going to again lose the child credit that will be cut in half over the next couple of years, the marriage tax, the penalty will be put back in place. Low-income taxpayers will go from that 10 percent tax bracket up to 15 percent tax bracket if we don't act. Just to remind the American people that are watching tonight, it is 14,052 days in the countdown for the Democrat tax increase. They don't have to act. All they have to do is sit on the clock, run out the clock. When it runs out, we are going to see over the next 4 years a $200 billion tax increase. Another thing you mentioned about job increases, I saw over the last 6 years, one of the sectors in the economy that saw one of the larger increases percentage-wise in jobs was the government, and over 4 percent increase in government jobs. You know, we see that in other sectors of our economy. We have seen many of them increase double digits, but that is one that was discouraging to me to see the Federal Government, when we were at these times when we were trying to cut spending. We need to cut some of that and curtail some of these government jobs.

Mr. SHUSTER. I thank the gentleman from Tennessee and would just point out that, as the gentleman said, he is a father, and I understand that he was a hospital manager before he started his own business. So he knows firsthand what it is like to be out there meeting a payroll, facing the tax burden of this country. So I really appreciate not only that you are here in Congress and you bring a commonsense, a small business owner's perspective to the legislative process, but you are here tonight talking about these issues that are going to be vital to not only people in Tennessee and Pennsylvania but across this country. Every American is concerned about their tax bill. It was interesting, the Blue Dogs were down here talking this evening earlier and they said America voted for a change. America did vote for a change, I believe. But I don't believe that I heard anybody in America, at least not in my congressional district in Pennsylvania, or across Pennsylvania, who said they wanted to vote for higher taxes. I am very concerned. As you mentioned, they changed the rules. We had the rules in place where we had to have a three-fifths majority to pass tax increases. They have reduced that to a simple majority. That obviously means they need only 218 votes. The Blue Dogs were talking tonight there are between 40 and 50 members of the Blue Dogs. I hope they hang with us as we try to push the agenda to keep the American taxpayers, keep the American people with those tax cuts in place. Again, Mr. Davis, thank you very much for coming down tonight.

Mr. SHUSTER. I thank the gentleman. It is discouraging to see the Blue Dogs here tonight. I think most of them, if not every single one of them, voted for that program. They were talking about fiscal responsibility tonight; they have no idea how much it is going to cost. It is going to be a big cost. They all know that. But it is my pleasure to yield to the gentleman from Georgia, Dr. Phil Gingrey, who I know is an old pro at these Special Orders and does a great job. It is something that I think a lot of Americans, myself included, as I was growing up, we tried to put this group together as we talked. We wanted small business people, people from the business background, to be on the floor. When you introduce a guy, Dr. Phil Gingrey, and say he is a physician, a lot of Americans like myself in my younger days didn't realize a physician is a small business owner. He is a man or a woman who is running a practice. You call them patients, but they are customers. But it is a practice, and it is a business. You have to meet a bottom line, and you have to do what many do, the plumber, the car dealer or the computer business operator, you are meeting that bottom line and making sure it is profitable.

Mr. SHUSTER. I would like to recognize the gentleman from Tennessee.

Mr. SHUSTER. I thank the gentleman. And as you pointed out, the PAYGO rules, the decrease from a three-fifths majority to a simple majority to pass tax increases, that should make every American sit up and say, my goodness, the Democrats do plan on raising taxes. But if they still aren't sure about it, I have got just a couple of quotes here. The incoming chairman of the Ways and Means Committee told Bloomberg News that he cannot think of one of the tax cuts passed under President George Bush that merits renewal. He also told the Congressional Daily when he was asked whether he considered tax increases across the income spectrum, and his quote was, ``No question about it.'' He said, ``Everything has to be on the table.'' ``Everything'' would mean repealing the 10 percent low income tax bracket, the child tax credit I talked about, the marriage penalty, all of which was passed in 2001 and, of course, the death tax. And my good friend from Texas knows full well what it is going to do to a lot of business owners on Main Street. We are not talking about Wall Street, we are talking about Main Street America and in the farms of the Midwest. So with that, I yield to my good friend from Texas.

Mr. SHUSTER. I thank the gentleman from Tennessee. Our time is running out, but I want to just talk about a real world experience. There is a family, Mr. and Mrs. Smith living in my hometown of Hollidaysburg or maybe even Youngstown, Ohio, or a small town in Florida or California; that person, Mr. and Mrs. Smith making $40,000 combined income, if these tax cuts are allowed to expire, they are going to pay about $2,100 more in taxes a year. And there are some people in this country who may think that $2,100 isn't a lot of money; but for that family struggling in Youngstown, Ohio, $2,100 a year, if you put $2,100 in the bank every year, at 5 percent interest return on that $2,100 and you invested it every year for 10 years, that turns into over $30,000. That is a good nest egg for that family to put their son or daughter through college or pay a good chunk of that if you are going to a great State school. So these things are serious, they are real life, and I just want to thank all the Members who came down here tonight who come from, whether it is a home care business, as Mr. Davis, or CPA or Mr. Neugebauer being a builder and a developer, myself running an automobile dealership, people just like us all across America that have to be concerned about what is going to happen here in the next 2 years. And all Americans need to understand that they have to talk to their Members of Congress and put the pressure on them to make sure that these tax cuts stay in place so that the American people can keep more of their hardearned dollars in their pockets and they can spend it as they see fit and not send it here to Washington, D.C. to be spent by faceless, nameless bureaucrats in many of these agencies.

Mr. SHUSTER

Mr. SHUSTER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a true giant in the transportation community and a dedicated servant of the citizens of Pennsylvania, Larry King. After more than 30 years of service, Mr. King will be retiring from Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDot) later this month. While Larry's retirement is certainly well deserved and will provide him with more time to spend with his wife Betty and their family, all of Pennsylvania will feel the impact of his departure. Larry joined PennDot in 1969 and has served in a variety of positions with a special focus on planning and programming. In 1991, Mr. King was appointed to serve as Deputy Secretary of Planning. In that role, he was responsible for overseeing the statewide planning process, maintaining the Commonwealth's 12 year plan and the management the state's highway and bridge program which consist of a yearly budget of roughly $1.25 billion. Additionally, Larry was charged with the difficult task of ensuring that projects moved forward in a timely and cost efficient manner. In his time at PennDot, Larry has been a tremendous resource for members of the Pennsylvania Congressional delegation. He never hesitated to share his expertise with Members or our staff. When Congress took up the historic Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), it was Larry's counsel that Members sought in their effort to ensure that Pennsylvania received its fair share of highway and transit funding. I think we all can agree that Pennsylvania certainly benefitted from his counsel. Larry not only possesses an intimate knowledge of the federal process, he also holds a true passion for improving transportation within the Commonwealth. Indeed, I remain convinced that there is not a road in Pennsylvania on which Larry King has not traveled. For more than 30 years, Larry has remained dedicated to serving the citizens of Pennsylvania and the Commonwealth has benefitted exponentially from his service. The numerous projects that have moved forward under his watchful eye will greatly benefit not only Pennsylvanians, but all who travel through the Commonwealth. While we all wish Larry all the best in his retirement, we must also let him know how much he will be missed. Thank you, Larry, for your many years of service and your friendship.

Mr. SHUSTER

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Altoona Curve Baseball Club of Altoona, Pennsylvania, for winning the Minor League Baseball's 2006 John H. Johnson President's Trophy. This award, given annually since 1974, is the highest honor given by Minor League Baseball each year to one of their 176 member clubs for being the top franchise in the league. This award is Minor League Baseball's equivalent of college football's Heisman Trophy. The President's Trophy was presented to the Altoona Curve on December 7, at Minor League Baseball's annual awards banquet. The presentation of the John H. Johnson President's Trophy marks the third occasion that the Altoona Curve Baseball Club has received one of Minor League Baseball's most important awards. In the last two years, the Altoona Curve has also received the Larry MacPhail Promotional Trophy, as well as Baseball America's Bob Freitas Award. The Curve Club is just the 11th franchise to have received all 3 awards, and is also the first team to receive these awards in just 3 year's time. The Altoona Curve's commitment to the communities of central and western Pennsylvania has been impressive from day one. In the short 8 years since their establishment in 1999, The Altoona Curve has certainly become a significant and positive part of our region's identity. Living up to their slogan as ``Everybody's Hometown Team'', the Altoona Curve's accomplishments will surely make them a great part of the memories of the three million fans who have cheered for them at the Blair County Ballpark. Next year, the Altoona Curve will open their season on April 12, 2007, to do what they do best--play ball.

Mr. SHUSTER

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, as the new co-chairman of the Azerbaijan Caucus, it is a privilege to join with my good friend, the gentleman from Texas and fellow co-chairman Solomon Ortiz, to welcome to Washington, DC, the first lady of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva. We welcome Mrs. Aliyeva as a member of the Azerbaijan parliament-- Milli Majlis--and as chairperson of the United States-Azerbaijan Inter- Parliamentary Working Group. This week, Mrs. Aliyeva and a delegation of parliamentarians from Azerbaijan are meeting with Members of Congress and administration offices to further reinforce understanding of Azerbaijan and encourage dialogue between Congress and the Milli Majlis. Members of the parliamentary delegation include: Gultakin Haciyeva, New Azerbaijan Party; Ganira Pashayeva, Independent; Evda Abramov, Independent; Malahat Hasanova, New Azerbaijan Party; and Ali Huseynov, New Azerbaijan Party. Also part of the delegation is Deputy Foreign Minister Hafiz Pashayev, a former abassador from the Republic of Azerbaijan to the United States. We thank our distinguished colleagues for their visit and encourage continued support of the Inter-Parliamentary Working Group and coordination with the Republic of Azerbaijan, one of our important strategic allies.

Mr. SHUSTER

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Clint Bolte of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, who has been named ``2006 Citizen of the Year'' by the Borough Council and the Waters Award Committee. This distinguished award is given annually, in memory of the late Donald ``Mike'' Waters, to the person who most exemplifies the efforts and achievements in community service once performed by Waters throughout his lifetime. The ``Citizen of the Year'' award was presented to Clint, a local businessman and principal of C. Clint Bolte and Associates, by Mr. Waters' widow, Jenny, and son, Don. They remarked that Clint has ``carried on Waters' tradition of community service,'' just as Clint and Mr. Waters did while co-chairing a community spring cleanup campaign together some years ago. While accepting the honor on September 18, 2006, Clint said that the award was ``very much a surprise,'' and that he was incredibly grateful for the recognition. Clint also remarked that the late ``Mike'' Waters was ``very much an individual of extraordinary faith who loved his family and was passionate about his community.'' Clint Bolte, himself, has contributed endlessly to the betterment of the Chambersburg community, and Franklin County as a whole. Clint has worked through organizations such as the Chambersburg Club, the Rotary Foundation, the United Way, and the YMCA. To cite each individual accomplishment and contribution that Clint has been a part of would be nearly impossible. His involvement in the community over the years has been immeasurable. Jenny Waters may have put it best, speaking about Clint Bolte, saying that he has selflessly dedicated himself to the Chambersburg community ``just like `Mike' did.''

Mr. SHUSTER

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Virginia M. Day of Altoona, Pennsylvania, who will receive the 2006 John Riley Human Relations Service Award on October 25, 2006. This distinguished honor is awarded annually by the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission ``to the person who has performed outstanding and meritorious service to [the] community through personal efforts by enhancing the dignity and worth of its citizens.'' This award is given in memory of the late Big John Riley, who dedicated his time and efforts for the advancement of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission. Just as Big John Riley gave to the community during his time, Virginia Day too works tirelessly, in various capacities. As the Manager of Evergreen Manors, since 1983, Virginia has been working hard for companies like Improved Dwellings for Altoona, Inc. She has also been involved with organizations such as the YMCA, the Altoona Housing Authority, the City of Altoona with Community Education and Training Agency, and ENCORE court advocates for youth. Through her efforts, Virginia has helped improve the lives of the citizens of the Altoona community. To cite each individual accomplishment and contribution that Virginia has been a part of would be nearly impossible. Her involvement in the community over the years has been immeasurable and certainly in the spirit of the late Big John Riley. Miss Virginia Day has selflessly dedicated herself to the Altoona area, and we are all very grateful for her effort toward positive enrichment of the community, as she has certainly deserved this distinguished honor.

Mr. SHUSTER

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Rogers for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this legislation, in particular the FEMA reforms. It was a tremendous effort by many, and I want to extend my personal thanks to Chairman Rogers, Chairman Don Young, Chairman Davis, Chairman King and Chairman Reichert. This was truly a collaborative effort, and I think we have some important reforms for FEMA here today. FEMA was once one of the most well-respected organizations in the Federal Government, but Hurricane Katrina demonstrated how badly FEMA declined in just 3 years at DHS. I had the privilege to serve on the Katrina Committee that did the investigation and we laid out five principles for reforming FEMA: The President has to be involved in big disasters; there must be a clear chain of command; preparedness must be put back into FEMA; FEMA's capabilities must be restored and enhanced; and, finally, we need an all-hazard approach to disasters. While I believe that pulling FEMA out of DHS is the best way to embrace these principles, I recognize that it is not the only way. These principles served as a foundation for the compromise we consider today. This bill fixes and improves FEMA. With the leadership, authority and resources necessary to respond effectively to the next disaster. FEMA can once again be a model Federal agency. The American people deserve nothing less. Before I close, I would like to thank the Emergency Management Subcommittee staff who worked very long hours on this important legislation: Dan Matthews, Jennifer Hall and Hugh Carroll, and also Liz Megginson from the full committee. They did a great job, and I want to thank them. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to support this legislation. Prior to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was one of the most well respected organizations in the Federal government. Hurricane Katrina illustrated how badly FEMA had declined in less than three short years. I want to thank Chairman Young for his leadership and his oversight efforts over the years to ensure that FEMA would remain a model Federal agency. Through his leadership on this bill, I believe FEMA will not only return to its former status, but out perform the FEMA we used to know. I had the honor of serving on the House Katrina Committee under Chairman Davis. He deserves tremendous credit for leading the investigation. He made a commitment to follow the facts wherever they took us, and he uncovered a surprising record of actions and neglect that undermined our Nation's disaster preparedness. Without his leadership, we would not be here today. There have been a lot of complaints that the House has not consolidated jurisdiction over the DHS into one committee. Today, I can tell you that it is a good thing that jurisdiction over DHS does not reside with one committee. This bill balances the need to prepare for a terrorist attack with all of the other hazards we face. The Transportation Committee has decades of experience with emergency management. The Homeland Security Committee brings real expertise on terrorism matters. Between these two committees, we came up with a good product. I would like to thank Chairman King and Chairman Reichert. This comprehensive reform could not have been possible without their support, vast knowledge of preparedness issues, and strong desire for reform. After the Katrina Committee Investigation, we laid out 5 principles for reforming FEMA. First, Presidential involvement and professional disaster advice are essential. Second, effective response requires a clear chain of command. Third, the four elements of emergency management need to be closely integrated and managed, particularly preparedness and response functions. Fourth, FEMA's essential response capabilities must be restored and enhanced. And fifth, the tension between the nation's all-hazards emergency management system and terrorism preparedness must be resolved. While my personal opinion is that pulling FEMA out of DHS is the best way to embrace these principles, I recognize that it is not the only way. These five principles served as a foundation for this compromise, which helped us achieve comprehensive reform. This legislation elevates the Administrator to the Deputy Secretary level and provides that the Administrator will report directly to the Secretary. It directs the Administrator to serve as the principal advisor to the President, the Homeland Security Council, and the Secretary of Homeland Security for all matters relating to emergency management and permits the President to designate the Administrator as a member of the Cabinet in the event of natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters. Additionally, the Administrator is given explicit responsibility for managing all disasters. Furthermore, I am proud that this bill clarifies the chain of command during the Federal response to natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters by providing that the Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO) is in charge. The bill also prohibits the Principal Federal Official (PFO) from directing or replacing the incident command structure at an incident and limits the PFO's authority over Federal and State officials, including the FCO. Additionally, this legislation returns all grants, training, and preparedness programs to FEMA, restoring the nexus between emergency preparedness and response. These grants and programs include the emergency management performance grant program, fire grants, terrorism preparedness grants, the radiological emergency preparedness program, the chemical stockpile emergency preparedness program, and the metropolitan medical response system. This bill increases FEMA's response capabilities through a variety of tools. Through this legislation FEMA will establish robust Regional Offices, Regional Advisory Councils, and multi-agency Regional Strike Teams to ensure effective coordination and integration of regional preparedness, protection, response, mitigation, and recovery activities with State, local, and tribal governments, emergency response providers, emergency managers, and other stakeholders. Additionally, the Administrator is provided a number of tools for rebuilding FEMA's professional and reserve workforces through the use of a strategic human capital plan, recruitment and retention bonuses, and professional development and education. Finally, this bill establishes an all hazard national preparedness goal and system for bringing direction, professional expertise, and accountability to federal, state, and local preparedness activities. This bill puts FEMA back together again and gives FEMA the tools and authority to do its job. With the leadership, authority, and resources necessary to respond effectively to the next disaster, FEMA can once again be a model agency within the Federal Government.

Mr. SHUSTER

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Fire Chief Reynold ``Renny'' Santone, Jr. of the Altoona Fire Department, in Altoona, Pennsylvania, who has been named ``Person of the Year'' by the Blair Bedford Central Labor Council. The distinguished fire chief was nominated for the award by his fellow members of the fire department. Chief Santone, marking 41 years of protecting the Altoona Area, was recently presented with this distinguished award at the Labor Council's annual awards dinner. This award honors people like Santone ``who work for a living and who are well respected and well-loved'' for their contributions to employees, co-workers and the community, said the Blair Bedford Central Labor Council's President Robert Kurtz, while delivering remarks at the event. President Kurtz commended Fire Chief Santone, saying that he is ``not a paper chief'' who distances himself from his firefighters, but that ``he's out there in the trenches with them.'' Chief Santone joined ranks with the Altoona Fire Department in 1965, and looking back on the day he joined the force, said: ``They hired me on April Fool's Day. What I was really waiting for was the red International Association of Fire Fighters sticker--to me that means I was a real professional firefighter.'' Chief Santone has certainly proved his abilities as a firefighter in the Altoona Area. Fifteen years after joining the department, Firefighter Reynold Santone was named fire chief in 1984. Today, he leads the department's 4 fire stations and a standing staff of 13 on call firefighters. Chief Santone remarked, ``I've always known what I've wanted to do and where I wanted to be,'' saying that he expects to retire from the same station on Washington Avenue that he joined in 1965. Fire Chief Reynold ``Renny'' Santone, Jr.'s dedication to the protection of our local community, and its citizens, is admirable. We hope that others will follow in his footsteps and serve our community with the same pride and honor as Chief Santone has done for the past 41 years.

Mr. SHUSTER

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 5546, introduced by Representative Bob Inglis of South Carolina, designates the United States Courthouse to be constructed in Greenville, South Carolina, as the Carroll A. Campbell, Jr. Federal Courthouse. The bill honors former South Carolina Governor and U.S. Congressman Carroll A. Campbell, Jr. In 1970, Governor Campbell's political career began with his election to the South Carolina House of Representatives, and later served in the South Carolina Senate. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1979 until his election as Governor in 1986. As Governor of South Carolina, Campbell coordinated his State's response to Hurricane Hugo and lured large industry to the State. After two terms in office, Governor Campbell was prevented from seeking a third term by term limits. In 2001, at the relatively young age of 61, Governor Campbell was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Governor Campbell passed away after a severe heart attack on December 7, 2005. This is a fitting tribute to a dedicated public servant and a former Member of this Chamber. I support this legislation and encourage all my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SHUSTER

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on H.R. 4981, as amended; H.R. 6051, as amended, H.R. 1556; H.R. 5546, as amended; H.R. 5606; H.R. 5026; and H.R. 2322.

Mr. SHUSTER

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 2322, introduced by Representative Lloyd Doggett, designates the Federal building located in McAllen, Texas, as the Kika de la Garza Federal Building. The bill honors former Congressman Kika de la Garza from Texas, who served in the U.S. House of Representatives for 32 years. Congressman de la Garza started his career of civil service early when he enlisted in the U.S. Navy at age 17. After his military service, he earned a law degree from St. Mary's University in San Antonio. Following law school, he was elected to the Texas House of Representatives, where he served for six consecutive terms. Representative de la Garza was elected in 1964 to the U.S. House of Representatives. During his 32 years of service in Washington, de la Garza accomplished countless goals and participated in a number of historic events, including the creation of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. This bill is a fitting tribute to former Representative de la Garza. I support this legislation, and encourage my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.