Bill Thomas

Mr. THOMAS

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, allow me to recite from explanatory material prepared for H.R. 6111, the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006.

Mr. THOMAS

Mr. THOMAS. That is boilerplate language that is used. This is something that we do virtually every year because there are always accounting errors, and this allows for the correcting of the accounting errors.

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Ways and Means be discharged from further consideration of the Senate bill (S. 4091) to provide authority for restoration of the Social Security Trust Funds from the effects of a clerical error, and for others purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. THOMAS

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Ways and Means be discharged from further consideration of the bill (H.R. 6429) to treat payments by charitable organizations with respect to certain firefighters as exempt payments, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. THOMAS

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 7 of rule XX, I move a call of the House. A call of the House was ordered. The call was taken by electronic device, and the following Members responded to their names: [Roll No. 538] Abercrombie Ackerman Aderholt Akin Alexander Allen Andrews Baca Baird Baldwin Barrett (SC) Barrow Bartlett (MD) Barton (TX) Bass Bean Beauprez Berkley Berry Biggert Bilbray Bilirakis Bishop (GA) Bishop (NY) Blackburn Blunt Boehlert Boehner Bonilla Bonner Bono Boozman Boren Boswell Boustany Boyd Bradley (NH) Brady (PA) Brady (TX) Brown (OH) Brown (SC) Brown, Corrine Brown-Waite, Ginny Burgess Butterfield Buyer Calvert Camp (MI) Campbell (CA) Cannon Cantor Capito Capps Capuano Cardin Cardoza Carnahan Carter Case Castle Chabot Chandler Chocola Cleaver Clyburn Coble Cole (OK) Conaway Conyers Cooper Costa Costello Cramer Crenshaw Crowley Cuellar Culberson Cummings Davis (AL) Davis (CA) Davis (FL) Davis (IL) Davis (KY) Davis (TN) Davis, Tom Deal (GA) DeGette DeLauro Dent Diaz-Balart, L. Diaz-Balart, M. Dicks Dingell Doggett Doolittle Doyle Drake Dreier Duncan Ehlers Emanuel Emerson Engel English (PA) Etheridge Farr Feeney Ferguson Filner Fitzpatrick (PA) Flake Forbes Fortenberry Fossella Foxx Franks (AZ) Frelinghuysen Garrett (NJ) Gerlach Gilchrest Gingrey Gohmert Gonzalez Goode Goodlatte Gordon Granger Graves Green (WI) Green, Al Green, Gene Gutierrez Gutknecht Hall Harman Harris Hart Hastings (FL) Hastings (WA) Hayes Hayworth Hefley Hensarling Herger Herseth Higgins Hinchey Hinojosa Hobson Hoekstra Holden Holt Honda Hooley Hostettler Hoyer Hulshof Hunter Hyde Inglis (SC) Inslee Israel Issa Istook Jackson (IL) Jackson-Lee (TX) Jenkins Jindal Johnson (CT) Johnson, E. B. Jones (OH) Kanjorski Kaptur Keller Kelly Kennedy (MN) Kennedy (RI) Kildee Kilpatrick (MI) Kind King (IA) King (NY) Kingston Kirk Kline Knollenberg Kucinich Kuhl (NY) LaHood Langevin Lantos Larsen (WA) Latham LaTourette Leach Lee Levin Lewis (CA) Lewis (GA) Lewis (KY) Linder Lipinski LoBiondo Lowey Lucas Lungren, Daniel E. Lynch Mack Maloney Manzullo Marchant Marshall Matheson Matsui McCarthy McCaul (TX) McCollum (MN) McCotter McDermott McGovern McHenry McHugh McIntyre McKeon McKinney McMorris Rodgers McNulty Meehan Meek (FL) Meeks (NY) Melancon Mica Michaud Millender-McDonald Miller (FL) Miller (MI) Miller (NC) Miller, George Mollohan Moore (KS) Moore (WI) Moran (KS) Murtha Musgrave Myrick Nadler Napolitano Neal (MA) Neugebauer Northup Nunes Obey Olver Ortiz Osborne Pallone Pascrell Pastor Payne Pearce Pelosi Pence Peterson (MN) Peterson (PA) Petri Pickering Pitts Platts Poe Pombo Pomeroy Porter Price (GA) Price (NC) Pryce (OH) Putnam Radanovich Rahall Ramstad Rangel Regula Rehberg Reichert Renzi Reyes Reynolds Rogers (AL) Rogers (KY) Rogers (MI) Rohrabacher Ros-Lehtinen Ross Rothman Roybal-Allard Royce Ruppersberger Rush Ryan (OH) Ryan (WI) Ryun (KS) Sabo Salazar Sanchez, Linda T. Sanders Saxton Schakowsky Schiff Schmidt Schwartz (PA) Schwarz (MI) Scott (GA) Scott (VA) Sekula Gibbs Serrano Sessions Shadegg Shaw Shays Sherman Sherwood Shimkus Shuster Simmons Sires Slaughter Smith (NJ) Smith (WA) Snyder Sodrel Solis Spratt Stearns Stupak Sullivan Tanner Tauscher Taylor (MS) Terry Thomas Thompson (CA) Thompson (MS) Thornberry Tiahrt Tierney Towns Turner Udall (CO) Udall (NM) Upton Van Hollen Velazquez Visclosky Walden (OR) Walsh Wamp Wasserman Schultz Waters Watt Weiner Weldon (FL) Weldon (PA) Weller Westmoreland Wexler Wicker Wilson (NM) Wilson (SC) Wolf Woolsey Wu Wynn Young (AK) Young (FL)

Mr. THOMAS

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, unaccustomedly, the gentleman from Florida has handled the substance of the bill, so I am not going to talk about the substance, which means I normally don't have very much to talk about if I don't talk about the substance. This is kind of unique, because normally at the end of a session and at the end of a committee's legislative responsibilities, one or two people may be retiring, but, frankly, six members of the Ways and Means Committee will not be in the 110th Congress. Some have left willingly, some unwillingly. Here we are with three of us at the end of this particular bill, which will be the last legislative responsibility of the committee. I, too, I want to thank the gentleman from Maryland. Based upon my knowing him and the extremely difficult position he found himself in, moving over to the Senate, if anyone is walking close to him, I wouldn't be surprised to hear him humming, ``free at last, free at last.'' He is going to be able to go over and completely exercise his legislative beliefs and structure. I know how difficult it has been for him in this constraint, because he has been, in words that I think are significant compliments, a legislator, as best he could be in the environment. I look forward to watching him continue his career over in the Senate. My colleague from Florida, who became the chairman of the Trade Subcommittee, I was on the Trade Subcommittee for a long time but I was never chair, so I envied him in that role, has a number of opportunities in front of him. It is always customary to thank those people that everyone sees, obviously Angela Ellard, chief counsel on the Trade Subcommittee, and Alex Brill, chief counsel for the committee. But I want to just take a minute, because people don't realize that there are a lot of people who even a lot of the Members never see, who are absolutely essential to make this place work. One of them is in Leg Counsel. His name is Ed Grossman. He has made it possible for this committee to work, year after year after year. Ed Grossman told his wife-to-be that they would have their honeymoon after he finished a Ways and Means bill, and she still married him. Tom Barthold over at the Joint Committee on Taxation, Reggie Greene, who helps the Ways and Means Committee work, and a long list of others. I just want to indicate that the people who are in front of the cameras and who do the talking could not do the job without all those people that you can't see. So, it comes to a point now where I say this willingly, but I do say it with mixed emotions: Mr. Speaker, I relinquish my time, forever.

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, today the House will consider H.R. 6406. This is the companion bill which will be combined with the tax and trade bill to be sent back to the Senate. It was originally structured as H.R. 6406, and it approves several trade measures that really are important to the livelihoods of millions of people, both in developing countries and in the U.S. and affects the global marketplace. Mr. Speaker, today the House is considering H.R. 6406 to approve several trade measures that are vitally important to the livelihoods of millions of people in developing countries or are necessary to keep U.S. manufacturers and exporters competitive in the global marketplace. This bill would extend several existing trade preferences for developing countries. The longstanding Generalized System of Preferences, or GSP, which expires at the end of this year, provides duty-free treatment to non-sensitive products from developing countries. This bill extends GSP, adjusting it to ensure that benefits are targeted toward countries that are not competitive. It's important to note that the GSP extension applies the same rules to all countries equally. The bill would also extend and enhance the African Growth and Opportunities Act, or AGOA, which provides trade preferences to sub- Saharan Africa. This bill would extend the current duty-free benefits on African apparel using third-country fabric through 2012. The bill grants a six-month extension of preferences to the Andean countries, and allows another six-month extension for each country if a trade promotion agreement with that country is approved. This approach keeps our democratic allies whole while creating an incentive to complete the transition to a mature trading relationship by implementing the trade agreements that have been negotiated and concluding agreements with the other Andean countries. The bill would also provide modest new trade preferences for Haiti to create jobs in that desperately poor country by encouraging Haiti to use more U.S. and hemispheric inputs. Haiti's poverty is equivalent to the poorest countries in Africa, and yet Haiti has never received U.S. trade preferences like the AGOA benefits. The second major component of the bill grants permanent normal trade relations, or PNTR, to Vietnam. The bill also creates a mechanism to ensure that Vietnam abides by its obligations to end all prohibited subsidies to its textile sector. Vietnam has completed all the steps necessary to become a member of the World Trade Organization. The Vietnamese National Assembly ratified the implementing package, and the country will officially become a member at the end of the month. A majority of House members supported identical language granting PNTR to Vietnam last month. Lastly, the bill includes 500 Miscellaneous Trade Bill provisions that went through the usual rigorous vetting process to ensure they are noncontroversial. These provisions suspend duties on products that are not produced in the United States and are usually traded in small volumes. This bill helps lower costs for U.S. manufacturers, retailers, and consumers. This bill is responsible, bipartisan legislation that deserves support. Providing assistance to these poor countries not only helps to create stronger trading partners in the future but is also our responsibility as one of the world's strongest economies to create humanitarian opportunities through trade. I urge passage of this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the remainder of my time until I reclaim my time be provided to the gentleman from Florida who I would usually describe as the chairman of the Trade Subcommittee. Mr. Shaw, however, deserves a bit fuller description. He came to Congress in 1981. He joined the Ways and Means Committee in the 100th Congress. He joined in 1988 and then became chairman of the Trade Subcommittee in January of 2005. He is the author of the Haiti Economic Opportunity Act. He was chairman of the Human Resources Subcommittee from 1995 until 1998, and one of his major achievements, as far as I am concerned, was the 1996 welfare reform bill, historic and unprecedented. He was chairman and is chairman of the Florida delegation since 1996. And as the proud grandfather of two, I am amazed to say he is the father of four and the grandfather of 15; and I cannot imagine if my two were 15. And so it is my pleasure to turn the time over to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Shaw).

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. THOMAS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1100, I call up the bill (H.R. 6406) to modify temporarily certain rates of duty and make other technical amendments to the trade laws, to extend certain trade preference programs, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. THOMAS

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMAS. I do think it is important to note there are a number of items in the bill, not just the Outer Continental Shelf. As was indicated by the gentleman from Massachusetts and indicated by the gentleman from New York, there is an alternative minimum tax provision in this amendment. One of the things that the Democratic leadership has said, since prior to the election is, that if they were elected, if they were chosen, if they were going to be dealing with items that cost money, they were going to submit themselves to the so-called PAYGO rules. PAYGO rules are exactly what it sounds like: you pay as you go. I find it ironic that there is this great pressure to move this amendment now before they do come into the majority, because the alternative minimum tax provisions of this amendment have no PAYGO requirement. What, in fact, they have is spend without covering the costs, and so I understand the urgency to get this done right now so that they don't have to follow the commitment that they have made. Boy, is that typical. In terms of the railroad bonds, I will repeat, in a personal conversation with the Democratic leader of the Senate, he asked me to make sure, not withstanding previous support and structure that we were dealing with, in this extremely fragile measure, being carried in an unusual way to make sure that we can send it to the President, notwithstanding whether you believe the railroad bond provision has merit or doesn't have merit, it cannot be added at this time or you will lose the measure. I personally will put my trust in the judgment of the Democratic leader of the Senate. Finally, on OCS. As I said to the gentleman from Massachusetts, in another time, in another place, in another circumstance for largely the same reason that I mentioned, we have to correct this. I appreciate it has been going on for 10 years. We do understand it was signed into law by President Clinton. I guess my question to you is, if it has been going on for 10 years, and you take over this place in less than a month, and you have 100-day priority structure, 100-hour structure, excuse me, were you not able to find room on the 100-hour structure to do this? It sounds to me, based upon the strength and the merit of your arguments, this would be number 1, 2 or 3 on the 100 hours. Because in that same conversation that I had with the Democratic leader in the Senate, he said, Bill, please, we cannot have this added to the measure. It will split the Senate. We are very fragile, trying to hold ourselves together, notwithstanding the merits of this. Please, don't put it on this measure. Time, place, manner, it is 10 years overdue. Can we make it 10 years and 20 days overdue so that you don't destroy all of the stuff that is in this bill so that we can get this done and then we turn the floor over to you in the first 100 hours? I am sure this would be number 1, 2 or 3 based upon the outrage that I think you justifiably present on this particular issue. For all those reasons, unwillingness to follow their own rules they say they are going to follow on PAYGO for an alternative minimum tax, the fact that we looked at the railroad bonds, there was a bipartisan bicameral agreement, it was too sensitive at this time, and the fact that OCS will blow up everything else in this bill, I will ask my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this amendment so we can vote ``yes'' on everything else.

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, I believe perhaps we ought to proceed in the reading of the amendment.

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend from New York for the kind comments that he made. I would like to reference his statement about the other side. For those of you who may not have understood what he meant, the other side is not the other side of Jordan. It is the other side of the Capitol. Oftentimes in dealing with the other side of the Capitol, it feels like you have crossed over the other side of Jordan in trying to make sure various things happen. There are a number of items, and I guess at some point, your entire presentation oftentimes in dealing with Congress was woulda, coulda, shoulda. And that is fine to debate woulda, coulda, shoulda, which is basically process. We have reached a point where, through great difficulty, the House and Senate have agreed on a number of important measures to extend benefits and to at least keep open the opportunity to do additional items. We happened to reach agreement at the very end of the session. The point I want to underscore is, we have reached agreement. The question will be on whether we decide to support that agreement or not support the agreement. I do appreciate all the time consumed in complaining about how we got there. I have counseled my friends on this side that when they become the minority, I will provide them with all the yellow pages and the copies of the other side while they have been in the minority about the ``woulda coulda shoulda.'' Right now, it is about substance, it is about doing something, and we will have the vote on this measure following the debate on the Markey amendment. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the subject of the bill under consideration.

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 5 seconds. Mr. Speaker, this is the third Member on the other side of the aisle who spoke passionately about an amendment that apparently they have had time to write, circulate and read. We have not been presented with that amendment. Obviously, with some fervor, I indicated that I didn't think that probably was the fair thing to do. They now know how the majority feels, having given them the right to offer an amendment. My assumption is that continued refusal to provide us with a copy of the amendment is willful.

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. THOMAS. That was 2 days ago. What are you doing for me lately?

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend from Massachusetts for providing the majority with the amendment. Frankly, I was rather baffled why my friend from New York would yield half their time to the gentleman from Massachusetts since he has time under his own amendment. Having now seen the amendment, I find it interesting that it is an 11-page amendment, a portion of a page is on research credits, a portion of a page is on the alternative minimum tax. The Outer Continental Shelf portion of the 11-page bill, which has been the sole focus of my friends on the other side of the aisle, is six lines. Not six pages, six lines. What in the world is in the rest of the 11-page bill: Eight pages address putting back into this, over the objections of the Democratic leader on the Senate side, the New York railroad bond provision. I now understand why Mr. Markey got his 15 minutes. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Mrs. Johnson), the chairman of the Health Subcommittee.

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield on my time?

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman because I do appreciate the remarks that he just made. And we probably had not planned on highlighting it, but as the gentleman from Louisiana well knows, another portion of the changes that we are making in this package is to take what was known as the Katrina GO Zone, a benefit, and, after the time has passed, focus the money on those counties that still remain devastated by a high percentage of destruction. Rather than simply having money go where it may not be necessary, a portion of this bill focuses the money where it is absolutely necessary. And as the gentleman from Louisiana well knows, there are still major areas of his State and other States that can easily be defined as devastated.

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure now to yield 2 minutes to a valued member of the Ways and Means Committee, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Brady).

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, at this time I will place a letter in the Record which is a clarification sought by the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Price) to me. Congress of the United States, Washington, DC, December 8, 2006. Representative J. Dennis Hastert, Speaker, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Speaker: We would like to clarify the intent of certain provisions in Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006,

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, at this time the Chair would recognize the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite) for 2 minutes.