Ed Towns

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Madam Speaker, I would like to share with my colleagues an excellent May 13th article by Steve Politi of The Star Ledger entitled ``Spygate Shouldn't Concern Congress.'' It emphasizes the importance of Congress remaining focused on critical national issues such as the economy, healthcare, education and the war. [From the Star-Ledger, May 13, 2008] Spygate Shouldn't Concern Congress (By Steve Politi) If Congress really wanted to make a difference in our lives, it could hold hearings on how to make our most annoying sports storylines go away. Start with the endless debate over Joba Chamberlain and his eighth-inning celebrations, then move to Roger Clemens' creepy personal life. Then, and only then, should Washington tackle ``Spygate,'' which has dragged on through an entire season and has the legs to make it to training camp. No matter what Roger Goodell declares today after meeting with fired Patriots video assistant Matt Walsh, the NFL commissioner can't get rid of this one himself. Arlen Specter will see to that. The Pennsylvania senator plans to meet with Walsh this afternoon, and it's hard to believe he'll emerge from their conversation and tell the world that the matter is settled. Which means, sometime in the near future, Bill Belichick could be packing his hoodie for a trip to Washington and another unnecessary sports- related hearing. Specter is another politician who has figured out that the quickest path to easy publicity--and to getting noticed by his football-loving constituency--is to take on a sports issue. Why settle for C-SPAN when you can get on ESPN and a few hundred sports radio stations, too? Congress can make an impact on a sports issue occasionally, as it did with steroids in baseball. Without those early hearings, Major League Baseball would have continued to take its time cleaning up the sport and Mark McGwire might have a bust in Cooperstown. But what, exactly, would society gain from a hearing into the Spygate mess? Is it to set an example for kids who might steal signals at their Pop Warner games? To distract us from rising gas prices, the struggling economy and the million or so more important issues? ``Congress has a legitimate reason to conduct hearings on any number of issues in sports,'' said Stephen Ross, director of Penn State's Institute for Sports Law Policy. ``The question is, what are they looking at? Steroids is a legitimate public problem. Whether a mass on Roger Clemens' butt is evidence of steroid use is not.'' Specter insisted recently that ``we have a right to have honest football games,'' but the Founding Fathers must have forgotten to include that with life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. NFL games should be fair, of course, but the responsibility for keeping them that way belongs to the NFL. Goodell fined Belichick, who was caught taping signals at the season opener against the Jets last fall, $500,000 and docked the team a draft pick. He should have suspended Belichick, too, to send a message that even the league's most successful coach is not above the rules. But Goodell is the one who should make that decision. Walsh apparently will arrive at the NFL offices in New York today without a smoking gun--reports from February that Walsh had taped the St. Louis Rams' walk-through before the 2002 Super Bowl were false. Walsh did turn over eight tapes made from 2000 to 2002, which further confirms what we already know: Belichick is a cheater. He has been scolded and embarrassed, his legacy as a coach tarnished forever. Do another eight examples make it more tarnished? No one can ever say for sure what impact taping signals had on the Patriots dynasty. The answer is probably more than the NFL wants to admit, and less than the posse chasing after Belichick with the torches thinks. Dragging the coach and commissioner to Capitol Hill won't clear up a thing. ``If the sole focus of the hearing is, 'What did Belichick do and when did he do it?' I agree it's hard to see the need,'' Ross said. ``Whether it becomes the football equivalent of a discussion of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, well, that remains to be seen.'' It is hard to believe that Specter's motives are pure. Beyond the usual grandstanding for the cameras. his secondlargest political contributor is Comcast, which is battling the NFL over fees for the NFL Network. Tops on the list? Comcast's Washington lobbying firm. Soaring cable bills! Now there's a good topic for a Congressional hearing. We love a good conspiracy, but the only way Spygate resembles Watergate is how long it has dominated the news. Bill Belichick is not Richard Nixon. He shouldn't be heading to Washington.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, first of all, I rise to support my colleague for bringing this resolution forward. I want to congratulate him on that. I rise today in support of H. Res. 1086, recognizing National Nurses Week on May 6 through May 12. As a cosponsor of this resolution, I'm proud to speak out in honor of our valiant, committed nurses who make our Nation and our loved ones safe and well. I pay special tribute to my esteemed colleagues in Congress who introduced this resolution and who are, themselves, nurses: The Honorable Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, the Honorable Lois Capps of California, and the Honorable Carolyn McCarthy of my home State, New York. Additionally, I want to pay special tribute to the nurses who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan and the nurses who generally attend to those who suffer wounds from those conflicts. Along with other health care professionals, a nurse is responsible for the treatment, safety, and recovery of acutely or chronically ill people. They also help to maintain a patient's health and provide treatment to those who are facing life-threatening emergencies like 9/ 11 and Hurricane Katrina. Nurses are also involved in medical and nursing research and provide a wide range of nonclinical functions. Today, there are 2.4 million registered nurses in the United States; 92 percent of the registered nurses are women. There are 531,000 licensed vocational nurses; 1.8 million is the number of nursing psychiatric and home health aides. We cannot do without them. I greatly commend the American Nurses Association and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, and all of the nursing associations and academic institutions who train nurses and promote the advancement of the profession. I look forward to working with members of the associations, academia, and others in making certain that we continue to increase the amount of nurses. In closing, I wish to thank my colleagues again, Congresswoman Johnson, Congresswoman Capps, and Congresswoman McCarthy for their leadership on this issue, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution. And I want to thank very much my colleague from Texas (Mr. Green) and, of course, others who have been involved in this resolution.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding time to me, and I appreciate his help on this bill. I think it is an important piece of legislation. I also thank Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez. I guess I better also thank the chairman of the committee, Barney Frank, who also worked very hard on this, and the chairperson of the committee, Maxine Waters, on their assistance in getting us to this point. Access to affordable housing is a serious problem across America, particularly with the weakening economy and rising gas, utility and food costs. With a rise in mortgage foreclosures leading to people losing their homes and unprecedented waiting lists for public housing--and the list gets longer and longer and longer--the ability to find affordable housing is crucial. Every time I go back to my district, this is the subject that comes up: What can we do about finding an affordable apartment? Along with my colleagues in New York, I have been working to ensure access to affordable housing throughout my tenure in the United States Congress. But as neighborhoods developed, residents have been priced out of their homes and neighborhoods. And more and more, this is a cry coming from across the land. For these reasons, along with my colleagues Congressman King, Congressman Frank, Congresswoman Waters, and Congresswoman Velazquez, we introduced H.R. 5937 which will facilitate the preservation of affordable housing units. This bill will convert HUD contracts into a new 20-year housing assistance payment contract under the Multifamily Housing Restructuring and Affordability Act of 1997. Conversion of these HUD contracts will allow purchasers of certain affordable housing developments to secure the long-term financing necessary to purchase the property. By making these properties affordable to the owners, they can in turn keep the housing affordable for the tenants. I hope that you will join us today in voting ``yes'' on H.R. 5937 to help preserve affordable housing. And let me just say to my good friends throughout this body that there is no additional cost. I think what we are doing here is being creative and making it possible that people who are having difficulty will be able to have apartments. I think that during this difficult time of foreclosures and the problems we are having, I think this legislation is crucial. I want to thank my colleagues for supporting this.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Stanley F. Battle, who on July 1, 2007, assumed the position of chancellor of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. A native of Springfield, Massachusetts, Dr. Battle majored in sociology at Springfield College, graduating in 1973. After completing a master's degree in social work from the University of Connecticut in 1975, he earned a master's degree in public health (1979) and a doctorate in social welfare policy (1980) from the University of Pittsburgh. He later completed the Institute for Educational Management at Harvard University and the Millennium Leadership Institute of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. Dr. Battle began his academic career at the University of Minnesota in 1980, serving as an assistant professor in the School of Social Work with an adjunct appointment in the School of Public Health. Four years later, he moved to Boston University, holding joint appointments in the Schools of Social Work and Public Health. He was named a professor in the University of Connecticut School of Social Work in 1987, where he was promoted to associate dean for research and development in 1991. In 1993, Battle was recruited to Eastern Connecticut State University as associate vice president for academic affairs. Five years later, he joined the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee as the Sullivan-Spaights Distinguished Professor in UWM's School of Social Welfare and Education. In that role, he established scholarships, a summer research institute focused on issues pertaining to adolescent fathers, and a mentoring institute for adolescent African American males. In 2000, he was promoted to vice chancellor of student and multicultural affairs at UMW, a post he held until being named president of Coppin State in 2003. Throughout his career, Dr. Battle has remained committed to scholarly endeavor, community involvement and collaboration. Battle has numerous awards and honors and is an accomplished teacher, researcher, and speaker. He is also the author or co-author of 11 books and more than 60 articles and book chapters, primarily focusing on social issues involving the African American community. Battle and his wife, Judith Lynn Rozie-Battle, an attorney, have one daughter, Ashley Lynn, a graduate of Mount Holyoke College who is now pursuing a master's degree from the Columbia School of Journalism.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3033) to improve Federal agency awards and oversight of contracts and assistance and to strengthen accountability of the Government-wide suspension and debarment system, as amended.

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3033, the Contractors and Federal Spending Accountability Act of 2008, will help give Federal contracting officials the information they need to award contracts to most deserving companies. The Federal Government must spend taxpayer dollars as efficiently and responsibly as possible, and it is our job to make sure that happens. This bill will help Federal officials to decide whether or not a company bidding for a contract is responsible enough to get it. If someone has to spend a lot of money on something, like a car, the responsible thing to do is to make sure that the person or dealership you will be doing business with is responsible and won't rip you off. You would want to find all the information that you can about how they do business. The Federal Government must spend taxpayer dollars as efficiently and responsibly as possible, and it is our job to make sure that happens. This bill will help Federal officials to decide whether or not a company bidding for a contract is responsible enough to get it. H.R. 3033 mandates the creation of a database that will record legal proceedings brought by the Federal Government and State governments against contractors. It will also record suspensions and debarments, whether previous contracts have been terminated for cause, and any previous finding by contracting officials that a company does not have a satisfactory record of integrity and business ethics. All Federal officials who award contracts will have access to this data, and it will go a long way to help them make informed decisions about the companies they are considering. The bill also requires that if the database shows that someone is a repeat offender, two or more serious convictions or judgments for the same issue within 3 years, then the contracting officer has to explain in writing why they believe the contractor is currently responsible before a new contract can be awarded. This is another commonsense idea that will save money for the taxpayers. I want to thank my friend and colleague from New York, Carolyn Maloney, for sponsoring this bill and for putting so much work into it. When she was on the New York City Council, she passed a similar law. The New York City database, called Vendex, has been a great success, and it is the model of the Federal database that this bill creates. I also want to thank the chairman of our full committee, Congressman Waxman. Of course, I want to thank Ranking Member Davis, and I want to thank the ranking member of the subcommittee, Mr. Bilbray, for his support as well. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3033 will be an important tool to help Federal officials make the best use of taxpayer dollars when awarding contracts. I am proud to be a cosponsor of the bill, and I urge my colleagues to support it. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) who is the person who sponsored the bill and has done some tremendous work.

Mr. TOWNS. I yield 5 minutes to the chairman of the full committee, the Honorable Henry Waxman from the great State of California.

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

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5712) to require disclosure by Federal contractors of certain violations relating to the award or performance of Federal contracts, as amended.

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

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 5 minutes to the author of this legislation, a person that has worked real hard and has done a magnificent job, the gentleman from Vermont, Congressman Welch.

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Waxman; I want to thank Ranking Member Davis; and, of course, Ranking Member Bilbray for his work; and, of course, Congressman Welch. This legislation is really needed, and I was happy that we were able to move it to the floor very quickly, because any time we can save money, and I think that this is what this does, it saves the taxpayers money, and I just think we need to salute Congressman Welch for his insight in being able to do just that.

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the Honorable Henry Waxman, the chairman of the full committee.

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 5712, the Close the Contractor Fraud Loophole Act, is a commonsense solution to a problem that we never should have had in the first place. When the administration wrote a new rule requiring Federal contractors to report fraud and over billing on government contracts, for some reason contracts performed overseas and commercial item contracts were exempted from that requirement. That didn't make sense to my colleague on the Subcommittee on Government Management, Congressman Welch, because so much contract fraud and waste has been seen on contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan. He introduced this bill which will close these loopholes, and I salute him for that. The Justice Department believes the new rule is necessary because few government contractors voluntarily disclose suspected instances of fraud. But the exemptions in the rule as written would leave out contractors like those in Iraq and Afghanistan, where we have spent billions on reconstruction contracts over the past 5 years. Over that period, the Justice Department has uncovered at least $14 million in contract bribes in those two countries alone. Contractors must be held to the same standards no matter where they perform their work. Since Congressman Welch brought attention to this loophole, introduced this bill, and called for the hearing our subcommittee held last week, the administration has said it is leaning toward including overseas and commercial item contracts in the final fraud reporting rule. I am happy to hear that, but we cannot get them to guarantee that these loopholes would be closed. That is why Mr. Welch's bill is necessary, to make sure that loopholes are closed for good. Another way to put it, this legislation will help them deal with a problem that should not have occurred. I want to thank Congressman Welch for bringing this problem to the attention of the subcommittee. I would also like to thank the chairman of our full committee, Congressman Waxman, and also thank the ranking member of the full committee, Congressman Davis. And I would like to thank the ranking member of the subcommittee, Congressman Bilbray, for helping us bring this bill to the floor. Mr. Speaker, at a time when our national security is of paramount concern, criminals who cheat the government must be identified, stopped and punished. H.R. 5712 will help make sure that taxpayer dollars are used for their intended purpose, and not to line the pockets of corrupt individuals or companies. So I urge my colleagues to support this bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3928, the Government Funding Transparency Act of 2008, will provide more information about executive pay at large organizations that get almost all of their revenue from Federal taxpayers' dollars. It closes a loophole in the current law. Right now, the salaries of most people who are paid from Federal funds are public information. The salaries of every Member of Congress is public information. However, large private companies that draw most of their revenue from Federal funds have no such requirements. As a result, nobody knows if the taxpayers are funding enormous executive pay packages. This bill is intended to apply the same standards of transparency to these large companies that apply to other people and groups that benefit from Federal expenditures. For example, each year the Federal Government spends hundreds of billions of dollars on contracts. In 2006 alone, the Federal Government spent over $400 billion. This increase in spending has enriched Federal contractors by way of record-breaking profits and escalating executive compensation. Yet, although the government spends billions of dollars on private contractors, the American taxpayers and Congress know very little about the financial and compensation policies of these firms. This bill is very narrowly targeted. It requires disclosure of executive pay only from private companies that bring in more than $25 million a year in Federal funds and only if those Federal funds are more than 80 percent of the company's revenue. The executives of companies falling into that category are basically being paid by the taxpayers, and the taxpayers have a right to know where their money is going. I don't have a problem with people making money. That's okay. That is not what this bill is about. It is about getting the information needed to see if taxpayers' dollars are being well spent. That is important. If a company whose revenue is primarily from government funds can pay its executives millions of dollars, it raises questions about whether the government is getting a good bargain. It suggests the government could spend its money more efficiently through more competition or more different requirements. Enormous taxpayer-funded pay packages should be a trigger for more oversight of the programs involved. The sponsor of this bill, Mr. Murphy from Connecticut, has put in a lot of work on this bill because he recognizes the importance of greater transparency and the need of safeguarding tax bill dollars from waste, fraud, and abuse. Mr. Speaker, this bill is an important step towards our goal of improving accountability and transparency in Federal spending. We should know whether taxpayers are footing the bill for high salaries paid to executives. I fully support its passage, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to Congressman Welch.

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3928) to require certain large government contractors that receive more than 80 percent of their annual gross revenue from Federal contracts to disclose the names and salaries of their most highly compensated officers, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to Chairman Waxman, the gentleman from California.

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to Congressman Murphy who is the author of the bill who has done a fantastic job. I think the people in this country should be very proud of him and his work.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 323, expressing congressional support for the goals and ideals of National Health Care Decisions Day. As a cosponsor of this resolution, I understand the importance of making our health decisions clear to our family members and other loved ones through advanced directives. While it is very difficult for us to face the prospects of our own mortality, many of us write wills in order to ensure that our loved ones are adequately provided for in our absence. Unfortunately, we often do not take that care in making provisions regarding our end-of-life medical care. Nobody can predict when disease, tragedy, or other medical conditions will render one unable to make medical decisions for ourselves. Accordingly, we must plan ahead in case of such a tragedy to ensure that our wishes are properly carried out. Advanced directives are an integral part of any care-delivery plan. They are simply a statement by a competent person that articulates the medical, legal, and personal wishes regarding medical treatment in the event of future incapacity. Where advanced directives are present, medical professionals, families, and loved ones are best able to make critical care decisions should a patient become unable to make sound judgments about their health care. The resolution before us commemorates National Health Care Decisions Day on April 16, 2008. Although this specific day occurred last week, the goals and ideals of today should be recognized perpetually. This resolution encourages those 18 years of age and older to prepare advance directives. It also encourages medical, civic, educational, religious and other nonprofit organizations to promote advance directive preparation, particularly among their constituents. I would like to thank my colleague on the other side of the aisle, Representative Phil Gingrey, for his work in raising this important issue. Our colleagues in the Senate have already recognized the need to highlight advance directives, and I urge us here in the House to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TOWNS

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