Austin Scott

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. The underlying language of the farm bill simply provides this industry the same opportunity that many other industries have been provided through the checkoff. I share a similar concern with the gentleman who has the amendment. Commerce or the Interior might have been an appropriate place to put this, other than they simply don't have the infrastructure to handle such a program. The infrastructure is already there at the USDA. There are other examples of products outside of agriculture that have been handled there. It simply gives the U.S. stone industry the opportunity to come together with a voluntary payment to support a marketing program to help their industry. Again, it is voluntary. A ``tax,'' by definition, is an involuntary payment to support the government. This is a voluntary payment to support an industry. With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, the industry has simply asked for chance to participate in a no-cost-to-the-taxpayer, voluntary program in which they can use that to help promote their product. I as a conservative think that this is good for some of our small business owners, and I respectfully ask that we oppose the amendment. With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this amendment as well. While we all share the desire to get rid of the fraud, waste and abuse, I think we've reached a delicate balance in the committee with the language that we've done here. This is a competitive grant process. It will improve direct producer- to-consumer market opportunities. I think it's very valuable for our small farmers and our small communities.

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition of this amendment. This current farm bill, the olive oil provision, will simply require that both domestic and imported olive oil will be subject to the same labeling requirements. Let me restate that: the same labeling requirements for domestic and imported olive oil. Americans deserve to know that the product that is advertised on the label is the product that they are buying when they are pulling it off the shelf. As the gentleman from New York stated, it is spot-checked right now. Less than 5 percent of the 98 percent of the oil sold in this country is actually checked as to whether or not it is labeled accurately. U.S. growers and ethical importers have a strong interest in developing this program of cost-effective solutions since you are saving high-quality standards for the consumer.

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 246 I was attending a funeral. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 245, I was at a funeral. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 247 I was attending a funeral. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Madam Chairman, I rise today in support of this FARRM Bill. I, along with many others in this room, have worked on drafting a farm bill that meets the needs of our agricultural producers and consumers. We've taken part in audit hearings and met with producers, grocers, and consumers. We've debated agricultural policy through two midnight- hour markups on a bill that should pass every 5 years. Through all of this, I have gained knowledge of many unnecessary programs and the fraud and abuse that plagues these programs. I also have a newfound appreciation for the FARRM Bill and its value to American citizens. My granddad always said the farm bill is for when times are bad, not when they are good. Several of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle have reasons to vote against the bill. Some say it cuts too much. For others, it doesn't cut enough. Let me be clear. This bill is a good step in the right direction. It will reduce Federal spending. It reduces the fraud, abuse, and waste in many of the government programs that are in the government today. I would like to share a few facts with you. If we don't pass this bill: $40 billion is the amount of money that will be spent on outdated commodity programs that we have cut out of this bill; 11 million is the number of additional acres in conservation programs that would receive a government program that we have cut out of this bill. We have also reduced SNAP payments for about 2 million people who should not qualify for them anyway. Some of the reforms to the nutrition title include: Restrictions in the use of the LIHEAP program; Eliminating lottery winners from qualifying for SNAP benefits; And eliminating State performance bonuses and advertising for the program. As my friend from Texas (Mr. Conaway) has asked: ``Is this a legislative moment or a theater moment?'' Madam Chair, I submit that this is a true legislative moment. During this time, we need to act on the facts. Farmers and families need the certainty of long-term agricultural policies so they can continue to be the cornerstone of our Nation. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. I thank the chairman. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 634, the Business Risk Mitigation and Price Stabilization Act of 2013. And I, too, would like to thank many of the Members on the other side of the aisle, as well as mine, specifically, Mr. McIntyre from North Carolina for his work on the Ag Committee on this piece of legislation. This bill clarifies congressional intent by providing a clear exemption for non-financial end users that qualify for the clearing exception under Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Across the country, consumers and businesses alike are confronted with risks that are associated with their day-to-day operations. To manage these risks, businesses use over-the-counter derivatives to provide price certainty. Consumers, in turn, benefit from these risk- management practices through lower volatility in the day-to-day prices of the goods and services that they purchase. By passing this legislation, Congress is providing a specific exemption from clearing and margin requirements for businesses and individuals who are not financial institutions. This accounts for less than 10 percent of the capital of the derivatives markets. It relieves the burdensome regulations and keeps the U.S. economy moving. This balance protects the consumer while providing a pro-growth environment for business. To further the initial goal, H.R. 634 clarifies Congress' intent of keeping much-needed capital in the U.S. markets, which plays an important role in our country's continued economic growth. I would also like to reiterate the fact that last year Congress passed this same piece of legislation 370-24. For this reason, I ask my colleagues to support H.R. 634, so that businesses and individuals may benefit from the day-to-day risk-management prices that this will provide.

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, the President made a pledge to Americans: If you elect me and you like your current health care, you'll be able to keep it. The reality today is that nearly 7 million people are set to lose their employer-sponsored health insurance when the President's health care law goes into full effect. On January 1, many Americans will be forced into an exchange program that has not even been set up. Nancy Pelosi promised the American people Congress must pass the bill so you can find out what's in it. The Democratic-controlled House passed the bill almost 4 years ago. They didn't know what was in the bill then, and they don't know what to do now. We're less than 7 months away from many Americans being forced into exchanges. Yet they don't know what options are available to them. What we do know is that consumers are already looking at sharp premium increases. The very people who were promised the most, those young people under the age of 29, are expected to get increases somewhere in the range of 200 percent. This is unacceptable, Mr. Speaker. Most Americans operate under a budget. Americans need to know what the increases in their health care costs will be and what plan options are available. Americans need to know the effects that this legislation will have on their lives, and they need to know now. The administration has had 4 years to figure this out, and the only thing they've figured out is that they don't know what to do.

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentleman from Georgia for allowing me a few minutes to speak on this issue. I rise today in support of the Collins-Scott amendment, which requires that any funds received from the sale of helium will be used to pay down our country's debt. I'm sure many of my colleagues would agree when I say our country's deficit is one of the top problems that we face. In fact, if we continue on this path, by the time my 13-year-old son is a freshman in college, this country will be paying more interest on the debt than we spend on national defense. I understand this problem cannot be solved with one swift move; however, if we are not able to make reasonable changes to policies and allow additional revenue to reduce our debt, our children and grandchildren will not be given the chance to continue this country's greatness. Due to the importance of protecting our children and grandchildren, we should support this amendment. It puts us one step closer to addressing our country's biggest problem. For this reason, I ask my colleagues to support this amendment.

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to remove Representative Joe Wilson from H.R. 1202.

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 85 I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Thank you, Mr. Westmoreland. I certainly enjoyed serving with you in the Georgia House where we balanced the budget on an annual basis and made cuts certainly much larger than this on a percentage basis. Quite honestly, we did it on an annual or a semiannual basis when we were there. I want to point out one thing that you talked about that's not being talked about much here, and that is that the total cut that we're talking about is a little less than 2.5 percent of Federal spending. The problem with the sequester is not that it's an unreasonable amount that's being cut; it's where it's being cut from. So here we are less than 48 hours from the President's sequester, our Commander in Chief's sequester, that's going to go into effect and set into place $1.2 trillion over the course, ladies and gentlemen, of 10 years. That's one of the things that needs to be pointed out. It's not $1.2 trillion over the course of this year; it's over 10 years. So you're talking about $100 billion a year out of a little better than a $3 trillion annual budget. Of this cut that our Commander in Chief has insisted on, over half of that is going to come from national defense and our men and women in uniform and our civilian workforce and taking its toll on them. Our Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta, I thought did a great job when he actually explained it as hollowing out our military. He told the truth about that and just what the Commander in Chief's budget reductions were going to do to our military. Obviously, we have a new Secretary of Defense coming in now, and I can't help but wonder if Secretary Panetta speaking out about what those cuts were going to do to the military isn't one of the things that maybe led to his replacement. On October 22--just to give you a couple of specifics--in his campaign for election as our Nation's Commander in Chief, the President promised that his sequestration ``would not happen.'' The President, the Commander in Chief, promised that it would not happen. He went to great lengths to assure Americans that are working in our military and on our military bases, our civilian workforce--I represent Robins Air Force Base--he told them this will not happen. He told our defense contractors to not comply with the law and actually issue the notices that were required under the law that furloughs and layoffs may be coming. I personally think it was politically motivated, but that's just a personal stance of mine, Mr. Speaker. On February 6, I asked the President for a solution. I sent a letter. I've got the letter right here. I'm sure that somebody at the White House got it. We have never gotten any response from any letter that we have sent to the White House as a Member of Congress. We simply asked him to give us a written proposal on what he would do given his choice of having it exactly his way and replacing the sequester. Again, no response, no action. On February 15, he came to our State, Georgia, and didn't go to any of our military installations. We have seven major military installations and over a dozen major military communities in the State of Georgia. He went to a county and he talked about expanding the role of the Federal Government in public education as we were approaching the sequester. The men and women at Robins Air Force Base and the other bases were left wondering what was going to happen to their paycheck. He did not even address the issue while he was in Georgia with our seven major military installations and our 12 major military communities. Mr. Speaker, I didn't vote for the sequester, but what I'll tell you is I'm reminded of what Teddy Roosevelt said when I look at the national debt and the things we're facing right now: The best thing to do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing is nothing. We have to cut Federal spending or we're going to rob the next generation of Americans of the American Dream. So I would say that here we are as a House having passed two separate bills to undo the President's sequester and 48 hours prior to the sequester going into action, and all we've heard from the President is just words. He hasn't had the guts to put a proposal in writing before this House for the American people to see. Here we are, Mr. Speaker, at the 11th hour with no action from the President, no response to my letter or any other Member's letter, to my knowledge, no plan to Congress, no plan to America. He's just a President, a Commander in Chief that's willing to let this happen to our military. Half the cuts are coming from our military. What kind of Commander in Chief do we have? Congressman, I appreciate the opportunity to speak today and thank you so much for doing this. House of Representatives, Washington, DC, February 6, 2013. Dear President Obama: As the representative of the Eighth Congressional District of Georgia, home to Robins and Moody Air Force Bases and a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I am very concerned about the impact that sequestration will have on our national security. As you are aware, on March 1, 2013, $500 billion in defense cuts will go into effect unless a law is enacted to prevent it. According to many of our nation's top military leaders, the indiscriminate cuts caused by sequestration would hollow out our forces and severely degrade our military capabilities. On October 22, 2012, you promised that ``sequestration will not happen.'' You went to great lengths to reassure Americans that you would work to prevent it, and you even urged defense contractors not to issue layoff notifications required under law. Given your role as our nation's Commander in Chief, I believe that you share my concern over a hollowed military force. However, without your leadership I am fearful that a solution will not be reached. We in the House of Representatives passed several bills during the 112th Congress, including H.R. 3662 and H.R. 5652, that would repeal the sequester. Based on your statements, you do not support these bills, yet have offered no alternative. Furthermore, representatives from your Administration were highly ambiguous in explaining your plan for preventing sequestration cuts. In a hearing on August 1, 2012 Acting OMB Director Zients testified that your plan to address sequestration was your 2013 budget proposal. Yet this is not a real proposal Congress could act upon, and your budget did not receive a single vote in either the House or the Senate. We are running low on time to address sequestration and your administration's lack of meaningful action is concerning to many of my constituents. I urge you to take a more active role in resolving these senseless cuts to our national defense. I look forward to your response and to reviewing a detailed and concrete proposal that Congress can act on so that we can cooperate in a bipartisan manner to resolve sequestration. Sincerely, Austin Scott, Member of Congress.

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. What I want to remind the people of is that this House has twice passed legislation to repeal the sequester. The Senate has not done anything. Quite honestly, they have just chosen not to do their job over there. The President has yet to give us a written proposal. But this House, the people's House, twice voted to repeal the sequester with responsible spending cuts.

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am honored today to recognize a man who has served his country, created hundreds of new jobs in my district and is a loyal father and husband of over 50 years. I am proud to say he is one of my constituents and would like to thank him for a lifetime of dedication and commitment to his country. Edward D. Northrop, Jr., graduated from Virginia Military Institute in 1962. He then served 20 years in the United States Army from 1962- 1982, graduating from both Airborne and Ranger schools. He served 2 tours in Vietnam in the 4th Infantry Division, serving for the Red Warriors, C Company and as HHQ Company Commander. During this time, he received many awards, including the Combat Infantry Badge, Silver Star and Army Commendation Medal for Heroism. Ed retired as a LTC in 1982. Later that year, Ed became a Burger King Franchisee and currently owns six locations--four of which are in my district--employing 180 Georgians. Due to his commitment to excellence, Ed has achieved some of the highest volumes of any Burger King restaurateur in the Southeast. He also is committed to serving the franchisee community through his work with the National Franchisee Association, NFA. Through NFA, Ed has served as President of the New South Coalition of Burger King Franchisees, on the NFA Board of Directors and on NFA's Government Relations Committee for over sixteen years. Ed is also very active in his local church and served on the vestry multiple years. He is also involved in local adopt a school programs as well as the Special Olympics program. On behalf of Georgia's Eighth Congressional District, thank you, Ed, for your unwavering commitment to your country, your family and the NFA. We are proud to call you one of our own.

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am honored today to recognize Bill Barrs as this year's 2013 Dodge County Rotary Farmer of the Year. It is certainly an honor that he richly deserves for his role in Georgia's agricultural community. A native of Laurens County, Bill attended Abraham Baldwin College where he majored in plant science. After graduation, he worked with the Griffin Warehouse until he began his farming operation in 2003. Since then, his farming operation has grown to 800 acres with cotton and peanuts as his primary row crops--two vital products of Georgia agriculture industry. He also cuts and sells quality hay from more than 150 acres of grassland. Married with two children, Bill and his family are active members of Mt. Carmel Baptist Church. Mr. Speaker, please join me, on behalf of the great people of Georgia's Eighth Congressional District, in recognizing Bill for his service to our community and our State.

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, please join me in wishing the city of Warner Robins, Georgia a very happy 70th birthday. It is appropriate at this milestone to reflect and celebrate their rich history and heritage. From the days when the community was known as York. Growing to the tiny hamlet of Wellston, Warner Robins was born in 1943 with a population of no more than 75 residents. Little more than a train stop, the city became a boom town. From those early slow growing days, none foresaw nor heard the echoes of winged giants which would reverberate through their skies with the birth of Robins Air Force Base. Together the city and military community formed a renowned partnership unlike any in our great country. From World War II to today's global conflicts, the men and women of robins AFB have been an essential ingredient in our U.S. Air Force's ability to provide airpower for freedom around the world. That spirit of patriotism is reflected in the Warner Robins city motto ``Every day in middle Georgia is Armed Forces Appreciation Day''--not just words, but a creed spoken and lived every day in Warner Robins by its government and citizens. That constant theme throughout the years has been a mainstay of Team Robins. Staying ready when our nation was least ready has been the challenge of Robins to play a critical role in repair and supply, and the city to be work force ready. Warner Robins is proud to be home to a world class U.S. air force installation like Robins Air Force Base. Likewise, the city's award winning education system and college presence, outstanding athletics and sports facility, renowned museum of aviation, and unique southern hospitality make Warner Robins--known as Georgia's international city--a great place to live, work, play and retire. We extend wishes to all the citizens of Warner Robins for seventy more years of excellence.

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring note to the fact that for the fourth time in 5 years, President Obama is, once again, late in delivering his budget to Congress and the citizens of America. Americans throughout this country tell me over and over again that our national debt is unacceptable. They tell me it is holding America back from achieving economic prosperity and robbing their children of the American Dream. They tell me it's time for Washington to pass a budget. The President has turned a deaf ear to the pleas of these Americans. He has been asked to take this country's economy seriously. He chooses instead to spend his time in other countries, taking family vacations, and playing countless games of golf. Hardworking taxpayers know that work must come before play, Mr. President. That is the practice of millions of taxpaying Americans who must foot the bill for Presidential vacations while they forfeit their own vacations due to the uncertainty in the economy. While the President crisscrosses the world avoiding Americans' top priorities, back at home Americans are nervous. Every year that our country goes without a budget, the national debt skyrockets, the uncertainty for American businesses grows and, with that, unemployment goes up. Without a Federal budget, businessowners cannot plan. They cannot plan for the President's new regulations or his unforeseen tax increases; and, therefore, it is all the more difficult for them to expand their businesses and create jobs in America. To add to the uncertainty, the President's proposed sequestration is set to take effect this March. Despite his promise--his promise--to the American people that it would never actually happen, the President has yet to take any steps to undo this harmful measure. He has shown absolute indifference to the millions of Americans whose livelihoods would be severely impacted by his sequestration. House Republicans have twice passed legislation to replace the President's sequester with commonsense reforms that would reduce spending and preserve and strengthen our safety net for future generations and ensure our national defense. This week, the House will not only renew our commitment to the American people to pass a budget, but it will be a responsible budget that will balance. It will be one that will aim to grow the economy, drive down unemployment, expand opportunity and prosperity for the private sector, and ensure that America maintains its leading role in the world as a strong national defender. Americans can do this. We just need a President to put work before play.

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Article VI: ``All debts contracted and engagements entered into, before the adoption of this Constitution, shall be as valid against the United States under this Constitution, as under the Confederation. ``This Constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof; and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land; and the judges in every State shall be bound thereby, anything in the Constitution or laws of any State to the contrary notwithstanding. ``The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the members of the several State legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by oath or affirmation to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.''

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, ladies and gentlemen of America, every day that I'm on the floor, I can't help but be reminded that facts are a stubborn thing, and I simply want to talk to you about the facts today. You see, the President and the Democratic leadership spent the last 4 years blaming George Bush for driving our economy into the ditch. Now, as President Obama drives our economy towards the fiscal cliff, I'd like to share with you some remarks, remind you, remarks that he made during his Fiscal Responsibility Summit held on February 23, 2009, at the White House. The President said: We cannot and will not sustain deficits like these without end. Contrary to the prevailing wisdom in Washington these past few years, we cannot simply spend as we please and defer the consequences to the next budget, the next administration, or the next generation. We're paying the price for this budget right now. He continued: In 2008 alone, we paid $250 billion in interest on our debt--1 in every 10 taxpayer dollars. That is more than three times what we spent on education that year, more than seven times what we spent on VA health care. So if we confront this crisis without also confronting the deficits that helped cause it, we risk sinking into another crisis down the road as our interest payments rise and our obligations come due. Confidence in our economy erodes, and our children and grandchildren are unable to pursue their dreams because they're saddled with our debts. That's why today, I'm pledging to cut the deficit we inherited by half by the end of my first term in office. Now, this will not be easy. It will require us to make difficult decisions and face challenges we've long neglected. But I refuse to leave our children with a debt they cannot repay. That means taking responsibility for it right now, in this administration, for getting our spending under control. Now, let's do the math, Mr. Speaker. The deficit that the President is talking about is this 1.4, the $1.4 trillion deficit that he's talking about. Now, according to his own proposal, if he gets all of the tax increases that he has asked for, and I want to make this clear, his revenue estimate right here assumes that he gets the tax increases that they're asking for. You still have a $900 billion deficit, ladies and gentlemen. He promised it wouldn't be any bigger than $700 billion. That means that the President owes the American taxpayer $200 billion in cuts, not over the course of 10 years, but over this year right now, the fiscal year 2013 that we're in. Mr. Speaker, the President made a pledge to cut spending not to the Republican Members of Congress. He doesn't even speak to us, if you want to know the truth of the matter. He made a pledge to cut spending to the citizens of the United States of America so that our children and grandchildren would be able to pursue their dreams instead of being saddled with our debts. Mr. Speaker, a pledge from the President of the United States to the citizens of this country should mean something. Instead, his plan in his budget, assuming his tax increases, leaves our children and grandchildren with a debt of more than $21 trillion. That, ladies and gentlemen, is something that we simply cannot allow him to do to our country and to our children.

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Iris M. Archer of Macon, GA, as a 2012 Angels in Adoption Honoree for her outstanding advocacy of adoption in the State of Georgia. Mrs. Archer is the founding director of Covenant Care Services, a statewide adoption agency based in Macon and serving all of Georgia. Mrs. Archer founded the organization and served as Executive Director from 1989 until her retirement in May 2011. Adoptive parents often endure a long journey that requires them to endure a great deal of sacrifice. Their journey begins long before they ever meet their bundle of joy and to prepare for this momentous occasion they often secure an advocate to help them navigate the arduous process. However, in the late 1980s, during a time when unplanned pregnancy was still very much considered shameful, one woman noticed that a very important player in this process often did not have a voice in the world of adoption. While adoptive parents were cooing over the new addition to their family with their advocates by their sides, the baby's birthmother was left by herself to overcome the sadness that often accompanies the difficult decision she made. Mrs. Archer felt that she could be that voice for the birthmother. Utilizing her degree in counseling and previous work experience for a national adoption agency, she set out on a mission to offer counseling and education to mothers of unplanned pregnancy and offered herself as an advocate for them all around the state. By 1989, her one-woman mission had grown into a full-time cause and Covenant Care Services was established. In that time, she worked to change general adoption practices to identify a triad that included separate advocates for the family, baby and birthmother. The triad's purpose was to alleviate conflict of interest and ensure that all parties are fully served. As the demand for their services increased around the state, Mrs. Archer began to expand the organization. By the mid-1990s Covenant Care had staff in five communities around the state and employed seventeen full-time staff members. At the insistence of Mrs. Archer, Covenant Care was built as an organization that depends on fundraising for two- thirds of its annual budget. This means that the agency is not dependent on adoption revenue to operate. Not only does it allow the agency to offer some of the lowest adoption fees in the state but more importantly the ability to emphasize education and counseling for the mother without the pressure of being forced to choose adoption. Covenant Care's work has resulted in an average of 25 adoptions each year, nearly 600 adoptions since 1989. Iris Archer is a woman who simply saw a problem and dared to believe that she could do something about it, and something she did. Mr. Speaker, for her tireless devotion to the entire adoptive family, please join me in honoring Mrs. Iris M. Archer as a true ``Angel in Adoption.''

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 537, I was unavoidably absent due to my flight being canceled. Had I been present, I would have voted ``No.'' Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 538, I was unavoidably absent due to my flight being canceled. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.'' Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 539, I was unavoidably absent due to my flight being canceled. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''