John Sullivan

Mr. SULLIVAN

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

Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of this measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SULLIVAN

Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Kentucky for all his hard work on this very important issue. I have only been in Congress for about 4 months. When I was campaigning, I would go door to door. One of the biggest issues I heard from seniors was about Social Security, people living on fixed incomes, maybe had a small pension, but it was about prescription drugs. One lady that did not live too far from me, I remember going to her house. She said that she got about $900 a month from Social Security and her husband had passed away, he had a small pension from the railroad, and she was paying $1,000 a month for prescription drugs. Luckily she had a son that had an okay job and was helping her out. We need to change that. Over the recess, this last recess we had, I went home and visited many senior centers in Tulsa and the surrounding areas. After meeting with thousands of seniors, it became clear that prescription drugs is definitely needed. It is a simple fact that every senior should have access to the prescription drugs they need. Yet we know that ``simple'' is not always synonymous with ``easy.'' I firmly believe that it is important to pass legislation that will not just last for 10 years like the Democrat plan, but for generations and future generations to come. Therefore, as this body of Congress debates legislation, we must be responsible. The bill must be fiscally achievable this year, next year and for years to come. We must not fail our seniors today, tomorrow or 50 years from now. The legislation that has been introduced by the House Republicans provides a guideline that accomplishes these goals by offering coverage on a voluntary basis to all seniors. Most seniors pay between $1,800 and $1,900 per year on their prescriptions. This bill will cover the majority of seniors' costs, including 80 percent of the first $1,000 after a deductible and 50 percent on the next $1,000. This plan is workable, this plan is simple, and this plan is right for American seniors. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this commonsense approach to ensuring our seniors have the prescription drug coverage they need and deserve. I would like to again thank the gentleman for Kentucky for all his hard work.

Mr. SULLIVAN. A lot of women are outliving men, too. You hear a lot of that at these meetings as well. A lot of times, too, they say, Well, John, we have heard this a lot about prescription drugs and we know you can't just give drugs to everybody. We want a plan that you can actually do. I have told them that we passed a budget, we put the money in this budget to accomplish this goal, and we can get this done in this Congress. This is not pie in the sky; this is a doable plan that we can accomplish this session of Congress. We all know that the President has said that he wants this done, he wants it on his desk, he will sign this bill. So it will be a travesty if this does not pass.

Mr. SULLIVAN

Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for hers as well. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne). I liked what he had to say. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer H. Res. 442, to honor fathers on Father's Day and commend them for enhancing the lives of their children. Fathers play a critical role in the development of our youth. In addition to traditionally being the head of the household, these men must serve as both spiritual leaders and protectors of their families. Millions of men throughout this country effectively execute these duties each day. Their children, in return, learn to be confident and productive citizens. Our active fathers rarely get the recognition they deserve. Many understand that they must not only raise a child physically, but must also meet the emotional needs of their kids. Above all, dads must instill a sense of morality and spirituality in the hearts of their children. Every child deserves the love and attention of their father. This is a simple fact. But we know that simple is not always synonymous with easy. In the chaotic and increasingly busy world, it is important to understand and, more important, to demonstrate that children are their fathers' number one priority. My children, Tommy, Meredith and Sidney, are my number one priority. The children of today are the promise of tomorrow. With that in mind, the role of our fathers must be to continue to raise a Nation of leaders. We must teach our children to have a sense of optimism about the future and what lies ahead. Their generation will be better than ours. It will build on our wisdom to produce a bright and prosperous world. Mr. Speaker, tonight I ask my colleagues to join me as we renew our commitment to being good parents. I especially call upon fathers throughout the country to instill those values that will change the lives of children. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important piece of legislation.

Mr. SULLIVAN

Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to voice my voice for the Permanent Death Tax Repeal Act and against the Democrat substitute. Last spring, Congress passed the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001. This act provided $1.35 trillion in tax relief over the next 10 years. The death tax passed last year will be phased out over the next 9 years and will disappear completely in the 10th year. This means after December 31, 2010, the death tax will return in full, beginning January 1, 2011. In other words, if this bill is not enacted, families who lose a loved one on December 31, 2010, will pay no death tax; but families who lose a loved one on the next day will pay a massive death tax, as high as 60 percent in some cases. The death tax is perhaps the most morally reprehensible tax levied by the Federal Government. The death tax is the number one reason small business and minority- owned businesses and family farms are broken up and sold to large corporations, destroying thousands of jobs in the process. The Democrat substitute amendment would establish a fixed $3 million exemption equivalent that is not indexed for inflation. The relative value of the exemption equivalent will decrease over time as a result of inflation and more families will be subjected to the effects of the death tax. The substitute amendment eliminates the benefits of the graduated estate tax rates. The entire estate above the $3 million exemption equivalent will be taxed at 50 percent. That does not appear to sound like sound tax policy. We must vote down the Democrat substitute, pass the permanent death repeal, and guarantee the relief that we promised last spring.

Mr. SULLIVAN

Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to discuss the importance of prescrition drugs to seniors. I have talked to the seniors in my district about this, and I can tell you from my experience that this is of utmost importance to them. And it should be of utmost importance to us too. I am honored to be a part of the Speaker's Prescription Drug Action Team, working to achieve the best benefit possible for our seniors. It is important that we provide prescription drug coverage for today's seniors while shoring up Medicare at the same time. The two go hand in hand. Unfortunately, Medicare is built around formulas that are outdated. We have a big job ahead of us, but it is one of the most important pieces of legislation to come before this body. We have to update Medicare at the same time we provide prescription drug coverage, so that both remain sound now and into the future. But let's be clear about the prescription drug benefit: our seniors need coverage and they need it now, not later. We must act immediately to give them coverage such as 25% off the top of the first $1000 they spend. Their monthly premium and yearly deductible have got to be as low as we can get them, so that those living on a fixed income can afford their medications without worrying about whether or not they can afford food. And they have to be able to count on catastrophic coverage. No senior should have to decide between prescription drugs and food, or prescription drugs and turning on the air conditioner in the middle of a brutal Oklahoma summer. That's just not fair. Our parents, and grandparents, deserve better than that. That's why I'm so excited to be on the Speaker's team, to help advise him on the concerns facing today's seniors. We have to be realistic about how we structure the plan, but the bottom line is that: seniors must be able to afford their prescriptions. I hope that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle would agree. This is our goal, and one we should reach across the aisle on, to help seniors. We must create policy, not politics. We must provide worthwhile prescription drug coverage for our parents and grandparents, and we must do it immediately.

Mr. SULLIVAN

Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. Speaker, I stand before you to strongly encourage my colleagues to support this bill. Six years ago the Members of this body united to pass a bill that revolutionized the lives of welfare recipients. In the 6 years since the passing of that legislation America has witnessed a huge decline in welfare dependence. We must build upon those successes and create new ways for people to become independent and move from welfare to jobs. This bill is about three things: Compassion, work and marriage. Compassion means encouraging work, which leads to dignity, self-respect and self-sufficiency. Compassion also means focusing on marriage as a key part of the battle against poverty. Compassion in the context of welfare reform means that in the past 6 years over 3 million children have been lifted out of the depth of poverty. Now that is compassion. It also means independence. By focusing on work we not only help reduce caseloads but build people up to be productive members of our society. This bill directs funding from programs that encourage healthy stable marriages. These programs include pre-marital education and counseling as well as research so we find more and more ways to make shaky marriages solid again for the sake of both the parents and the children. It also promotes responsible fatherhood, helping men in particular be responsible, respectable models for children. The House must finish its work it started 6 years ago. We must ensure that success of welfare reform by passing this bill. We must have an opportunity to help people work and give them self-dignity in the process. I believe this legislation will bring genuine improvement in the lives of Americans who are dependent on welfare. I urge my colleagues to support this measure.

Mr. SULLIVAN

Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. Chairman, I thank my colleague from Kansas for yielding me this time, and I rise in opposition to this amendment. As a reminder, the same amendment has been rejected by the House six times previously. I receive letters from my constituents, current retired servicemen and women about their concerns over services through the military health care system and the budget crunch it is facing. The men and women of our Armed Forces face enough medical concerns already, including preparing for serious threats like biological and chemical weapon attacks, without turning them into abortion clinics. Adding unnecessary mandates to the current doctors and nurses would be a disservice. The primary mission of the military medical service system is to maintain the health of the military personnel. The system is designed to keep military personnel healthy so they can carry out their missions. In support of those in uniform, the military medical system also provides, where space is available, health care services to dependents of active-duty servicemembers and retirees and their dependents. These duties are enough to keep the system busy without adding unnecessary duties. Another reminder: for the 3 years abortions were allowed at military facilities under the Clinton administration, military physicians refused to perform them, forcing the Clinton administration to hire civilians to perform abortions.

Mr. SULLIVAN

Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. Speaker, due to official business concerning water quality issues in my Congressional district, I missed rollcall votes 122 and 123. Had I been present I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall 122 the motion to recommit and ``yea'' on rollcall 123 final passage.

Mr. SULLIVAN

Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton) for yielding me the time. Mr. Speaker, I am here tonight to raise some very important issues and shed light on the importance of abstinence education. Some would say we are sending a mixed message with both abstinence education and sex education. To say kids are hearing two messages which are confusing and that one should go away is absurd. Do we tell them if they are going to drink and drive to make sure they wear a seat belt? Do we tell them if they are going to use potentially deadly inhalers that they should sniff slowly? No. We know that drinking and driving is wrong, period. We know that inhaling potentially deadly substances is wrong, period. In my opinion, sex ed or the just-in-case message is the cause of confusion for kids. Just as we expect kids not to drink and drive, because of the dangers they pose to themselves and others, we should teach them to be safe, truly safe, and have self-confidence in themselves without looking for their self-worth in physical activity that may put themselves and others at risk. Just as we expect them to excel at their studies, we should expect them to excel in making wise choices for themselves. I believe this is truly compassionate conservatism. I know that certain behaviors will affect children adversely, and to work towards helping them understand how to act and why it is important in their own lives. What are the risks of not staying abstinent? STD, out-of-wedlock births, abortion, and physical and emotional injury. Here are some facts to consider. In the 1960s, the dominant diseases related to sexual activity were syphilis and gonorrhea. Today they are incurable viral diseases. Approximately 6 percent of adolescent females tested at family planning clinics are infected with Chlamydia, which leads to the scarring of the fallopian tubes and is the fastest growing cause of infertility, and the National Institutes on Health Workshop on the Scientific Evidence of Condom Effectiveness for STD Prevention reported that there is no evidence that condoms reduce the sexual transmission of HPV, and no evidence that condom use reduces the risk for transmission of herpes. In 1995, the year before we enacted welfare reform, 66 percent of families with children headed by a single parent were living in poverty. Living in a single-parent family approximately doubles the likelihood that a child will become a high school dropout. Is this the legacy we should be teaching kids to pass to their children? No. I think we should teach children to act responsibly. I want to tell my colleagues about a great program in my district, KEEP. KEEP teaches kids outside the school setting how to build solid relationships and avoid peer pressure that might lead them down the road of sexual promiscuity. They help kids understand rules and boundaries necessary in relationships so that unplanned pregnancies can be avoided, and they do it in such a way as to make kids think, to answer questions and understand consequences, not just preach to them. I commend them for their work and I firmly believe this approach is the correct one. Kids need to think through things before they take actions that may affect them adversely later in life. One of the greatest tragedies of our days is not just that our babies are having babies, but that our young daughters are often taking the lives of their unborn children through abortion. Studies are beginning to show a link between breast cancer and abortion. Our young girls must be taught this, must know what the possibilities are when they choose to have sex outside of marriage and choose to have an abortion. The psychological consequences of abortion are well known, even to women who have abortions, and the physical consequences range from the inability to conceive later to serious medical emergencies which threaten the life of the woman. Abstinence teaches self-respect and gives a path for kids to follow that does not lead them down a path like this. There are consequences of early sexual activity, emotional, psychological injury. Sexually active youth live with anxiety about the possibilities of unwanted pregnancy or contracting a devastating sexually transmitted disease. As the quotes we read from young people participating in abstinence programs unfortunately indicate, becoming sexually active makes young people vulnerable to emotional and psychological injury. Many young girls report experiencing regret or guilt after their initial sexual experience. So let us review. Abstinence education teaches kids to avoid STDs, to avoid unplanned pregnancies, to avoid going down the path that leads towards abortion, to avoid the possibility of physical or emotional scars, towards self- confidence, and it gives the States the flexibility to decide which programs to fund. It is a win-win situation all around, and I hope my colleagues in the House will support a strong abstinence education definition and continued funding for strong abstinence education programs.

Mr. SULLIVAN

Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to voice my support for the immigration reform bill before the House this week. I commend the Committee on the Judiciary and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner), the chairman of that committee, and the House Republican leadership for this legislation, the Immigration Reform and Accountability Act. It is absolutely critical that we completely restructure the INS, one of the most inefficient government agencies. The continual ineptitude was only brought to the public knowledge by the events of September 11. I believe the final straw was March 11 when two of the terrorist hijackers received paperwork showing that their student visas had been approved. These visa approvals came well after the two would-be hijackers had completed their training course. While this shocked many, this level of ineptitude has gone on for years in the INS. INS blames the delays on antiquated, inaccurate and untimely and inefficient paper-based processing systems, while I believe the problem lies with the antiquated, inaccurate and untimely INS. The management structure, the authority structure, the technology all need a comprehensive overhaul, which is exactly what is before us with the Immigration Reform and Accountability Act. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this measure.

Mr. SULLIVAN

Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. Speaker, one of my commitments as a Member of Congress is to protect the rights of the traditional family. The family is the building block of society and parents must have the ability to know where their children are going and be able to protect them. I am a proud cosponsor of this bill. It prohibits transporting an individual under the age of 18 across State lines to obtain an abortion. It is wrong that a child can legally be taken across State lines without parents' or guardian's knowledge for an abortion. A medical procedure of this magnitude with such serious implications for physical health of the girl and moral and emotional fabric of the entire family must be a family decision. Young girls today are exposed to many forces but the forces that should have the most strength in their lives, both morally and legally, should be their parents, not the government and not strangers. I have seen the phone book ads marketing out-of-state abortions and safe abortions to minors. It is truly sickening to think that my daughters may grow up to one day be told by the abortion industry that abortions are as easy to receive and as safe as taking candy. I have heard the doomsday tales of children afraid to tell their parents they are pregnant but nothing could possibly be scarier for these young girls than having someone they barely know escort them to a place they have never been to have major surgery that ends a life. Opponents of this bill are saying a parent can know where their child is except when she is receiving an abortion. That makes no sense whatsoever. Whose child is it, anyway? By passing the Child Custody Protection Act, Congress will take a clear stand against the notion that the U.S. Constitution confers a right upon strangers to take one's minor daughter across State lines for a secret abortion even when State law specifically requires the involvement of a parent or judge in the daughter's abortion decision. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. SULLIVAN

Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. Speaker, I stand before you to strongly encourage renewed debate on welfare reform. It is imperative to all Americans that the institution of welfare is reformed and repaired in order for those who need real assistance to get help from the government they need. I am excited about welfare reform legislation that will begin genuine improvement in the lives of underprivileged Americans. Six years ago Members of this body united to pass a bill that revolutionized the lives of welfare recipients. In the 6 years since the passing of that legislation, America has witnessed a huge decline in welfare dependence. In fact, the numbers show that individuals receiving cash assistance has dropped by 56 percent. In the past 6 years, over 3 million children have been lifted from the depths of poverty. Former welfare recipients and their children are achieving their independence from welfare. We have taken a step in the right direction, but we have only scratched the surface. The House must finish the work we started 6 years ago. We must stay determined to ensure the success of welfare reform moving forward. We cannot undermine the reforms we have taken by expecting the needed changes to happen on their own. We cannot rest, and I ask my colleagues to continue to support the call for reauthorization of welfare reform.

Mr. SULLIVAN

Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Iowa for yielding to me. Social Security is one of our Nation's most successful anti-poverty and retirement programs. Currently, 45 million seniors, their spouses, and their dependents receive Social Security benefits. The strength and viability of this program is a priority for all Members of Congress, Republican, Democrat, and Independent alike. Our Democrat colleagues, however, claim that this budget will somehow endanger Social Security and erode the ability of the Social Security trust fund to pay benefits. Mr. Chairman, it is my understanding that this budget will not have any impact on the status of the Social Security trust funds whatsoever; is that correct?

Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. Chairman, if the gentleman will continue to yield, is it true that under this budget the Social Security trust funds continue to grow throughout the 5-year budget horizon?

Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. Chairman, it is my understanding that this budget provides full funding for Social Security benefits and cost of living adjustments for all recipients; is that correct?

Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman guarantee me that my grandmother, Katherine Boudreau, will continue to receive her Social Security benefits next month and the months to come for the rest of her life? Also, will the gentleman guarantee me that my constituent, Daisy Burris, with the AARP of Tulsa and the people she represents, will receive her Social Security benefits in the next month and the years to come?

Mr. SULLIVAN

Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. Speaker, I am so honored to be here today. I would like to thank the Members for their warm welcome they have extended to me. I wish to take a moment to acknowledge my family, my wife, Judy; my son, Tommy; and daughters, Meredith and Sydney; my mother, Mag Sullivan; and mother- and father-in-law, Mary Ann and Tom Beck; also, my mentor, Mayor of Tulsa, Bob LaFortune, who is here, former Mayor of Tulsa; and Art Rubin, who is up there as well; and all of the wonderful friends and family who have accompanied me from Oklahoma to show their support today. I have a great neighborhood, too, one of the old-fashioned neighborhoods. I have got a lot of my neighbors that have come, and it is great. Our kids run and play together and go in each other's houses, and they came as well. I am also pleased to be joined by Oklahoma's two extraordinary Senators, Jim Inhofe, who as a Member of this body ably represented the first district of Oklahoma; and Don Nickles, the assistant Republican leader of the Senate. I would also like to take a moment to thank former Congressman Steve Largent, who recently departed Congress to run for Governor of Oklahoma. I wish him the best in his new endeavor. Mr. Speaker, I am truly humbled to become a Member of this honorable body. This day has been a lifelong dream of mine, and I pledge today to continue to fight for the constituents of the first district of Oklahoma, for Oklahoma values. I look forward to the great friendships that will be formed in these hallowed halls and to working together in advancing the prosperity and promise of this great Nation. I would like to say a special thanks to my father who got me started in politics, and I know he is looking down on me and he is happy that his son got elected to the Congress.