Bill Thomas

Mr. THOMAS

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. English), a member of the Committee on Ways and Means.

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I anxiously await creating a larger tax cut so the gentleman can add to the canned beans something he is quite familiar with, canned ham. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Crane), the senior member of the Committee on Ways and Means. (Mr. CRANE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, as someone who clearly does not have that dilemma in front of him, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Watkins), a valued member of the Committee on Ways and Means.

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Coble).

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I think a good sign to the American taxpayer would be voting tax relief. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Herger), a member of the Committee on Ways and Means.

Mr. THOMAS. If the gentleman wants to yield on his time I would be more than willing to do that.

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

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, as is the tradition on major pieces of legislation, we had the minority leader close on H.R. 3, and we had the Speaker be the final speaker. I hope Members were listening to what both the minority leader and the Speaker had to say. One of the phrases that struck my ear from the minority leader was as far as taxes are concerned, it appears that it is going to be my way or the highway. Mr. Speaker, one of the difficulties we have with that is that when you look at this motion to recommit, it really seems that the line ought to be as far as permanent rate reduction is concerned, no way. Let us look at the motion to recommit. It says that we have to send it back to committee and wait until the budget for fiscal year 2002 is completed. Now I know that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle had trouble with a 7-page bill. It is 7 pages. But actually you only had to get to page 2. You only had to get to page 2. Look at line 17 on page 2, what does it say. On page 2, line 17 as far as rate reductions, it says, ``In case of taxable years beginning after December 31, 2000.'' Let us see. If it is after December 31, 2000, that means 2001. What you heard the Speaker of the House say in the well is that we are currently in fiscal year 2001. If you are concerned about paying down the debt, then God bless you if you voted for the budget in 2001, because by the end of this fiscal year we will have paid down an additional $650 billion on the debt. If you are so worried about the Medicare lockbox and the Social Security lockbox, if you voted for the 2001 budget, you voted for the Medicare lockbox, and you voted for the Social Security lockbox. So guess what, if you want permanent rate reduction now, all you have to do is vote down this motion to recommit. Vote H.R. 3. We have a budget in place. It is called this year's budget because if Members ever looked at the bill, it would have told them it starts now if they vote yes. Vote down the motion to recommit. Reduce taxes now, vote yes.

Mr. THOMAS. I am, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I move to lay the motion to reconsider on the table.

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield the remainder of the time to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hastert), the leader of the House of Representatives, the Speaker of the House, who has decided with his leadership that there does not need to be another time.

Mr. THOMAS

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, during rollcall vote 16, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. THOMAS

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I am submitting the attached Committee on Ways and Means rules for the 107th Congress for publication in the Congressional Record pursuant to House Rule XI, Clause 2(a)(2). The Committee adopted these Rules on February 7, 2001. If you have any questions please contact John Kelliher at x69150.

Mr. THOMAS

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I was absent for rollcall vote Nos. 3 and 4 on January 3, 2000. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall No. 3 and ``yes'' on rollcall No. 4.

Mr. THOMAS

Mr. THOMAS. For President, Al Gore, 3 votes, and for Vice President Joe Lieberman, 3 votes. Signed by the pertinent electors and duly attested. Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the State of Delaware seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears therefrom that Al Gore of the State of Tennessee received 3 votes for President and Joe Lieberman of the State of Connecticut received 3 votes for Vice President.

Mr. THOMAS

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on House Administration be discharged from further consideration of the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 445) honoring Henry B. Gonzalez, former United States Representative from Texas, and extending the condolences of the Congress on his death, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. THOMAS

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will yield, I just want to tell my colleagues that from this side of the aisle, the message that we just heard is accepted with profound grief. I came to Congress with Julian Dixon. Julian Dixon was born here and was from California. He encompassed the Nation in terms of his personality, his politics and his way of dealing with people. We all have to face these very difficult life experiences, but this one is profoundly significant on this House. Julian was a friend of all of ours and represents what was finest in this institution. I am just very sorry to hear it.

Mr. THOMAS

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, one of the things that I think we ought not to try to do, I mean, I do not mind it if somebody wants to argue on one side of the issue or on the other side of the issue, but you really ought not to try to argue on both sides of the issue. The gentleman from New Jersey just stood up and said we did not pass a Medicare prescription drug bill. Perhaps he ought to check C-SPAN. I just finished watching a press conference of his leader, Mr. Gephardt, and the Senate leader, Mr. Daschle. The gentleman from Missouri was reviewing the bipartisan legislation that the Democrats were instrumental in passing. Now, we were pleased that five Democrats joined with us, they were the difference in the majority, in passing a Medicare prescription drug measure off the floor of the House. But the gentleman from Missouri just took credit for that prescription drug measure passing the House, saying that is evidence of their bipartisan nature. Come on. Figure it out. One side or the other. But do not be on both sides of your mouth.

Mr. THOMAS

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, well, I understand we are here on the 24- hour continuing resolution at the request of the President; and if there is any other suggested work schedule, maybe he can telephone us from California or send us an e-mail from California to let us know we could be doing something else.

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I will tell the gentleman, that functions under a 24-hour continuing resolution and the answer to the question of the gentleman will probably work its way to the surface sometime over the next 24 hours.

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, we are here to serve.

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I will tell the gentleman that the problem with the flexibility is that the taxpayers are funding the need to pass the CR and take it to wherever he happens to be. It would certainly be a more convenient procedure if he were at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue so we could operate on a daily basis.

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I will tell the gentleman, if he is searching for the Government in Kentucky and in California, he could find quite a bit of it right here in Washington, D.C.

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman prefers ``earliest,'' I will say ``earliest.''

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I said at the latest 6 o'clock. That means 6 o'clock may very well be the time at which it comes up or later.