Peter Visclosky

Mr. VISCLOSKY

Mr. VISCLOSKY. I yield an additional 10 seconds to the gentlewoman.

Mr. VISCLOSKY

Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, on October 4, 2013, I was absent from the House and missed rollcall votes 519 through 524. Had I been present for rollcall vote 519, on ordering the previous question regarding H. Res. 371, providing for consideration of the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 75) making continuing appropriations for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children for fiscal year 2014, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of motions to suspend the rules; and for other purposes, I would have voted ``no.'' Had I been present for rollcall vote 520, on agreeing to the resolution, H. Res. 371, providing for consideration of the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 75) making continuing appropriations for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children for fiscal year 2014, and for other purposes, providing for consideration of motions to suspend the rules; and for other purposes, I would have voted ``no.'' Had I been present for rollcall vote 521, on the motion to table the appeal of the ruling of the chair regarding H.J. Res. 85, making continuing appropriations for the Federal Emergency Management Agency for fiscal year 2014, and for other purposes, I would have voted ``no.'' Had I been present for rollcall vote 522, on passage of H.J. Res. 85, making continuing appropriations for the Federal Emergency Management Agency for fiscal year 2014, and for other purposes, I would have voted ``no.'' Had I been present for rollcall vote 523, to table the appeal of the ruling of the chair regarding H.J. Res. 75, making continuing appropriations for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children for fiscal year 2014, and for other purposes, I would have voted ``no.'' Had I been present for rollcall vote 524, on passage of H.J. Res. 75, making continuing appropriations for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children for fiscal year 2014, and for other purposes, I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. VISCLOSKY

Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, on September 27, 2013, and September 28, 2013, I was absent from the House and missed rollcall votes 491 through 500. Had I been present for rollcall vote 491, on the motion to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate Amendments to H.R. 1412, the Improving Job Opportunities for Veterans Act, I would have voted ``yes.'' Had I been present for rollcall vote 492, on the motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 3096, to designate the building occupied by the Federal Bureau of Investigation located at 801 Follin Lane, Vienna, Virginia, as the ``Michael D. Resnick Terrorist Screening Center,'' I would have voted ``yes.'' Had I been present for rollcall vote 493, on agreeing to the resolution H. Res. 361, waiving a requirement of clause 6(a) of rule XIII with respect to consideration of certain resolutions reported from the Committee on Rules, and relating to consideration of the Senate amendment to H.R. 2642, to provide for the reform of agricultural programs of the Department of Agriculture through fiscal year 2018, I would have voted ``no.'' Had I been present for rollcall vote 494, on ordering the previous question to H. Res. 366, providing for consideration of the Senate amendment to the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 59) making continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2014, and for other purposes, and providing for the consideration of the bill (H.R. 3210) making continuing appropriations for military pay in the event of a government shutdown, I would have voted ``no.'' Had I been present for rollcall vote 495, on agreeing to the resolution H. Res. 366, providing for consideration of the Senate amendment to the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 59) making continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2014, and for other purposes, and providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3210) making continuing appropriations for military pay in the event of a government shutdown, I would have noted ``no.'' Had I been present for rollcall vote 496, on the motion to suspend the rules and pass, as amended, H.R. 2251, to designate the United States courthouse located at 118 South Mill Street, in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, as the ``Edward J. Devitt United States Courthouse,'' I would have voted ``yes.'' Had I been present for rollcall vote 497, on concurring in the Senate amendment with amendment #1 to H.J. Res. 59, making continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2014, and for other purposes, I would have voted ``no.'' Had I been present for rollcall vote 498, on concurring in the Senate amendment with amendment #2 to H.J. Res. 59, making continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2014, and for other purposes, I would have voted ``no.'' Had I been present for rollcall vote 499, on passage of H.R. 3210, making continuing appropriations for military pay in the event of a government shutdown, I would have voted ``yes.'' Had I been present for rollcall vote 500, on the motion to suspend the rules and pass, as amended, H.R. 2848, the Department of State Operations and Embassy Security Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2014, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. VISCLOSKY

Mr. VISCLOSKY. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. VISCLOSKY. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. VISCLOSKY. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee). (Ms. JACKSON LEE asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I certainly want to thank the chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, as well as the chairman of the full committee, for all of their good work on the Appropriations Committee. It is not out of disrespect that I rise in strong opposition to this legislation. We are piecemealing destroying the government of the United States, including the defense and the ability to defend ourselves of this Nation. While we would suggest today that we are solving the problems at the Department of Defense, I would ask the question: What about maintenance of the existing equipment needed for readiness? Not in here. What about procurement for new equipment that is being eaten up in Afghanistan? Not in here. What about research and development to keep technological superiority of our forces so we are never in a fair fight? Not in here. What about maintaining facilities where these personnel live, where they work, where they serve our Nation? Not in here. What about the commissaries? Not in here. I recognize that yesterday in Europe the Army Chief of Staff said that this shutdown is impacting significantly day-to-day operations and forcing the military to cut training. There was an additional announcement today by a particular company, Sikorsky, that said they have ``slowed production of the Blackhawk helicopter now that Federal contracting inspectors have left their posts on furlough because of the shutdown.'' The same Federal employees at Pratt & Whitney in East Hartford are also furloughed, delaying the delivery of engines and spare parts. I reference the good chairman of the Subcommittee on Defense Appropriations, Mr. Rogers, who is chairman of Appropriations. About 2 weeks ago, I noted on this floor that in article 1, section 9, paragraph 7, it says: No money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in consequence of appropriations made by law. It doesn't say anything about partial, temporary continuing resolutions. It is time that the Congress of the United States begins appropriating. I am here as an appropriator to talk about fiscal policy, but our process has been usurped by those who have a particular social agenda. It is called the Affordable Care Act. I just want to reference two incidents that I have been involved in in the last 10 days, that I am appalled that we have shut the government down over this fight. The first is a meeting I had with a constituent of mine in Merrillville, Indiana. The gentleman has worked hard all of his life as an independent contractor. Their family had insurance through his wife, who worked for a small medical practice that was purchased. She was relieved of her position not because she was a bad employee, but because of consolidation. Thereafter, of course, you know how this story turns out. She contracts cancer. My constituent is in my office in the last 2 weeks because they are foreclosing on his house because they are broke, and we are arguing about this. But what infuriates me and profoundly disappoints me is I am getting on an elevator across this aisle at about 1 in the morning this Tuesday and one of my colleagues gets on that elevator and my colleague was gleeful, gleeful and happy and cheery, because my colleague had called their State exchange at 12:30 a.m. in the morning and for some reason no one answered the phone and the system didn't work. Why do you think people are calling that number? They need health insurance. Gleeful that government didn't work, and that is before we shut it down. What have we come to here? We have the best country in the world. It is time we start running it again. I am opposed to this piecemeal approach. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. VISCLOSKY. I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. McCollum), a member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.

Mr. VISCLOSKY. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I would simply make the point in response to the gentleman's remarks that I don't want to vote on a clean CR. I'm not here to do that. I am here to vote on 12 appropriations bills that make discrete decisions, that make discerning judgments about how best and most efficiently and most effectively to run the Government of the United States. The gentleman is mistaken if he thinks I want to vote on a clean CR. I want to do appropriations bills just as I know Chairman Rogers wants to do and as Ranking Member Lowey wants to do. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. VISCLOSKY. I yield 3 minutes to the ranking member of the Appropriations Committee (Mrs. Lowey).

Mr. VISCLOSKY. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. VISCLOSKY. Madam Speaker, understanding that Chairman Young will close and that he has no further speakers, I would simply make the observation that I would hope all of us think through the issues that are pending here today and tomorrow and remember that our ultimate charge is to be of service to all of the public. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. VISCLOSKY

Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. VISCLOSKY

Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. VISCLOSKY

Mr. VISCLOSKY. I appreciate the gentlewoman yielding. Mr. Speaker, I have heard a lot of discussion about the budget. I have heard a lot of discussion about a continuing resolution, and I have heard a lot about the Affordable Care Act; but I see the chairman of the Appropriations Committee here on the floor, and I see the ranking member of the Appropriations Committee on the floor, and I don't hear a lot of discussion about what I would call the operative word tonight, and that is ``appropriations.'' In article I, section 8 of the United States Constitution, the Congress is charged with constituting tribunals, courts, inferior to the Supreme Court. In the very next section, we are told we need to appropriate those monies to do so. We are told in article I, section 8 of the United States Constitution that Congress must provide and maintain a Navy. In section 9, we are told, absent an appropriation from the Congress, that will not happen. The fiscal year begins tomorrow, and my great fear is that when a resolution of this continuing resolution occurs, if the date is December 15, we are going to make every agency and every department of United States Government operate just as they did last year--and, of course, last year we made them operate the way they did the year before--and have them wait for another 2\1/2\ months before we tell them what we are going to do. I would suggest the operative word tonight is ``appropriations.'' We should do the Defense appropriations bill. We should do the Energy and Water appropriations bill. We should do the Homeland Security appropriations bill. We should do the Military Construction/VA appropriations bill. We should do the other appropriations bills that are necessary to fund the operation of the greatest country on the planet Earth, and we should stop what we're doing here.

Mr. VISCLOSKY

Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, on September 25, 2013, I was absent from the House and missed rollcall votes 484 and 485. Had I been present for rollcall vote 484, on the motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 1961, to amend title 46, United States Code, to extend the exemption from the fire-retardant materials construction requirement for vessels operating within the Boundary Line, I would have voted ``yes.'' Had I been present for rollcall vote 485, on the motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 354, providing for the concurrence by the House in the Senate amendment to H.R. 527, with an amendment, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. VISCLOSKY

Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I congratulate the Slovak Club of Merrillville, Indiana, as the organization celebrates its 100th anniversary. In honor of this momentous occasion, the Slovak Club is hosting a celebratory event on Saturday, September 28, 2013, at the club hall in Merrillville, Indiana. The Slovak Club of Merrillville was first established in 1913 when a group of Slovak men joined together with the goal of preserving Slovak heritage and tradition at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Gary. The group initially called themselves the Slovak Political and Educational Club. After World War II, members of the club wanted a permanent home and purchased property at 11th Avenue and Harrison Boulevard in Gary. The Ladies Auxiliary was established in 1950, and once the new building was complete, the auxiliary began hosting dinners featuring shrimp, fish, and traditional Slovak fare, which were tremendously successful. The organization continued to grow over the next twenty years with membership exceeding more than 450 members. By 1979, the organization's Board of Directors sold the Slovak Club building in Gary, and members began meeting at the Slovak American Legion Post #367. The current home for the Slovak Club in Merrillville, at 69th Avenue and Broadway, was completed in 1986. For the past 100 years, Slovak Club members have dedicated their time and efforts to many charitable organizations throughout the community, and for this they are to be commended. I would like to take this time to recognize the Slovak Club officers and Board of Directors. The officers are President Ronald Mayersky, Vice President Randall Mayersky, Treasurer John Dienes, Financial Secretary Kenneth Dienes, and Recording Secretary John Brezik. The Board of Directors include Robert Deliget, Peter Guip, George Murray, Donald Engel, Paul Rogers, Joseph Koveck, John Stofko, William Mindas, and Ed Mayersky. I would also note with pride that my 97-year-old father, former Gary Mayor John Visclosky, continues his membership in this noteworthy fraternal organization, as do I. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I ask you and my other distinguished colleagues to join me in recognizing the 100th anniversary of the Slovak Club of Merrillville, Indiana. The Slovak community has played an important role in enriching the quality of life and culture of Northwest Indiana. For their commitment to civic endeavors and to preserving Slovak traditions, the Slovak Club's leaders and membership are worthy of our highest praise.

Mr. VISCLOSKY

Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, it is with great respect that I rise to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month and its 2013 theme, Hispanics: Serving and Leading Our Nation with Pride and Honor. From September 15, 2013, through October 15, 2013, the people of the United States will once again celebrate the history, culture, and tradition of our Hispanic American brothers and sisters. Hispanic Heritage Month begins each year on September 15th, the anniversary of the independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16th and September 18th, respectively. Since its inception as National Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968, which later became National Hispanic Heritage Month in 1988, Americans have taken this time to not only honor the rich culture and tradition of Hispanic Americans, but also to reflect on the countless contributions they have made to their communities and to America. Throughout America's history, people of Hispanic descent have played a major role in the development and progress of our nation. National Hispanic Heritage Month also celebrates the many Hispanic leaders and members of our communities who have added to the prosperity of the United States in every facet of society, including medicine, business, arts and entertainment, sports, education, politics, and the military. America's success is dependent upon the rich heritage and cultural diversity of our people. I rise today to pay tribute to the countless Hispanic Americans who have made America a better place to live. For their contributions, they are worthy of our highest praise. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I ask that you and my other distinguished colleagues join me in recognizing National Hispanic Heritage Month. The Hispanic community has played an important role in enriching the quality of life and culture of Northwest Indiana and the United States. Let us commend our Hispanic brothers and sisters who have contributed so much to the improvement of our communities and who have helped shape our great nation.

Mr. VISCLOSKY

Mr. VISCLOSKY. I appreciate the gentlewoman yielding. Madam Speaker, at the beginning of my remarks, I want to acknowledge that I have made a mistake and that I have been wrong for the nearly three decades I have served in the United States Congress. I regret to have to admit that. But this morning, in anticipation of today's debate, I took a look at article I of the Constitution and realized in article I, section 9, paragraph 7, I have been misreading it all of these years as a member of the Appropriations Committee. The paragraph reads: No money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in consequence of a continuing resolution. The Constitution says nothing about appropriations, apparently. Because since fiscal year 2007, this Chamber and the United States Senate, the Congress collectively, should have enacted--made discrete decisions, thought about legislation--84 appropriations bills. We have individually enacted nine. I am appalled that in late July, early August, the last couple of weeks, every Member I have talked to in this Chamber on both sides of the aisle, senior and new, have said, if we can only do a continuing resolution, we can prevent the shutdown of the United States Government. Today, in the United States Congress, we consider it a success if all we do is pass a continuing resolution to do what we did in fiscal year 2013, if we did what we did in fiscal year 2012, if we did what we did in fiscal years 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, and 2007. We are governing this country by looking backwards. We have a responsibility to make decisions. I want to remind my colleagues, just on the defense portion of this bill, of some of the initiatives that will now not take place because of the continuing resolution. Under the leadership of Chairman Young and the members of that subcommittee, one of our initiatives is to cut $153.5 million for unjustified cost growth of the Joint Strike Fighter. One of the initiatives we would like to enact into law but cannot under the continuing resolution is for the EA-18G. We want to cut $131.4 million for carryovers and cost growth. What we would like to do, if we could legislate in this body, is to trim $104 million for the F-18. Imagine cutting the defense budget by $104 million in cost growth and for funding that is not needed in the coming fiscal year. We would like to reduce $99.9 million for the Next Generation Jammer. Why? Because of poor program execution and contract delays. Within the last couple of months, we had a failed ballistics missile defense test. We would like to reduce that account and take the initiative to cut it by $110 million. But let's do a continuing resolution. Let's not make a decision about how we fund the National Park Service. What about the U.S. Copyright Office? For God's sake, what is there to fight over in funding the U.S. Copyright Office? What about the Bureau of Engraving and Printing? There must be some catastrophic fight we're having because they're going to be under a continuing resolution. Food safety administration, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. I am concerned and I want to make it clear that I profoundly appreciate the leadership of Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Lowey for trying to be responsible and get the job done. But if this continuing resolution is passed as is, until December 15, I have a profound fear that our colleagues will be so exhausted from lurching to another crisis next month that we will do a CR for the rest of the fiscal year and we will never go back to doing governance of this country.

Mr. VISCLOSKY

Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, on September 12, 2013, I was absent from the House and missed rollcall votes 458 and 459. Had I been present for rollcall vote 458, on passage of H.R. 2775, to condition the provision of premium and cost-sharing subsidies under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act upon a certification that a program to verify household income and other qualifications for such subsidies is operational, and for other purposes, I would have voted ``No.'' Had I been present for rollcall vote 459, on approving the Journal, I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. VISCLOSKY

Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure and sincere respect that I congratulate Mrs. Mary Edith Brown Coleman as she is recognized by First Church of God in Gary, Indiana, for 73 years of continuous service to the church. Edith will be recognized for her lifetime of dedicated service on September 22, 2013 at First Church of God. Edith Brown was born on February 13, 1917 in Muskogee, Oklahoma. She was one of four children born to Luther Albert Brown and Dora Rozolia Draper Brown. Having gone on to live in Kansas City, Kansas, and Chicago, Illinois, Edith finally relocated to Gary, Indiana, in 1940. Quite the accomplished student, Edith completed her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in education at Indiana University in Bloomington. From there, she decided to go into the teaching profession. As a teacher at Frederick Douglass Elementary School in Gary for over 27 years, Edith was able to enrich the lives of so many young people in the Gary community. For her commitment to the youth of Northwest Indiana, she is worthy of the highest praise. Equally impressive, Edith has always been seen as the foundation of her family. She and her husband, the late William Henry Coleman, were blessed with the births of two wonderful children: Norma Louise Coleman and the late Merle Jean Coleman. Edith's family, as well as the many people whose lives she has touched, admire her for devoting unselfish love, time, dedication, guidance, and spirit to her family, her students, her church, and her community. As well as being dearly loved and respected by her family, her students, and her community, Edith is also well known for her involvement with her church, First Church of God. Over the course of seventy-three years, Edith has taught Sunday School, been the director of the Daily Vacation Bible School, held memberships in the local and national Missionary Societies, sung in the church choir, created beautiful and meaningful bulletin board displays, served as a deaconess, and taught a manners class for young children. For years, Edith has also been a distinguished member of the American Association of University Women, the Women's Association of the Northwest Indiana Symphony Society, the Red Hat Society, and the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority. Since her arrival in Northwest Indiana, Edith has been known as a good-hearted woman who is always willing to help the people of her church and her community. For her selflessness, she is to be commended and admired. Mr. Speaker, Mary Edith Brown Coleman has given her time and efforts selflessly to her church and the community in Northwest Indiana throughout her illustrious life. She has taught every member of her family and extended family the true meaning of service to others. I respectfully ask that you and my other distinguished colleagues join me in commending Edith for her lifetime of service.

Mr. VISCLOSKY

Mr. VISCLOSKY. I appreciate the gentleman yielding. Mr. Chairman, I, first of all, want to thank the chairman of the subcommittee, the ranking member, and all of the members of the subcommittee for their very good work. Given the allocation they have, they have done their very best. I would follow up on a number of remarks by my colleagues, including the chairman, and that is we need a deal. And my plea to the membership is we cannot continue to go on like this. This process no longer is on time. Our year starts October 1. In 2007, we finished in February. In 2008, we finished in December. In 2009, we finished in March. In 2010, we finished in December. In fiscal year 2011, we finished in April. In 2012, we finished in December. This year, we finished on March 26. Since 2007, we should have enacted 84 individual appropriation bills. We have enacted nine individually--about 10 percent of our work. Unfortunately, the body has made the work of this subcommittee, the full committee, and the other 11 subcommittees very difficult. For fiscal year 2013, our committee was given a target in the summer of 2011, under the Budget Control Act. The target was changed under a resolution passed by the House for the budget in the spring of 2012. The target was changed again on January 1, 2013. Subsequently, we have sequestration. My plea to the general membership is, please, just give this exceptional committee one target and let us do our work. I also am fearful because we are operating most agencies, including the Department of Transportation and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, under a continuing resolution that, for the vast majority of my colleagues, makes no difference. You wouldn't run your house or your business exactly the way you did last year. We made these agencies wait 7 months to tell them they can keep doing the same thing for another 5 months, and on October 1 of this year we're going to do it again. Some people say we're spending too much money. I agree, which is why I have actually brought a chart to the floor. We balanced a budget under President Nixon in 1969 for 1 year. We balanced a budget for 4 years under President Clinton. During those years, Federal spending was about 18.9 percent of GDP. For fiscal years 2011, 2012 and 2013, it was about 22.7. The response of this body is: we will do the Budget Control Act, and we will have mindless sequestration and treat all discretionary accounts the same. Some people say we don't have enough revenue. They're absolutely right. When President Nixon and President Clinton balanced a budget for those 5 years, revenue was 20.1 percent of GDP. Today, it is 16.2. We had a bill passed on January 1 that effectively now has limited us as far as any future revenue. I would point out 204 Members of this body voted for that bill in a bipartisan fashion, and 219 Members of this body today, in a bipartisan fashion, voted for the Budget Control Act, even though most of them complain about sequestration. Today, we have the allocations this great subcommittee is faced with, and we are pounding our discretionary accounts. The fact is, in 1963 over 67 percent of what we spent as a national government was an investment in the future, in our children's future. In fiscal year 2012, that was down to 26 percent. For those who want to continue this madness of going after discretionary spending, and particularly domestic discretionary spending--Department of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development-- I would point out that year, if we had eliminated the Government of the United States, eliminated the Congress and the Presidency and every agency except the Department of Defense and the entitlement programs, and did nothing on taxes, our deficit last year was $472 billion. It is estimated this year, if we got rid of the Department of Transportation--which I think some people are trying to do with this allocation--if we got rid of HUD, if we got rid of the government, except for defense, except for entitlements, and did nothing on taxes, this year's deficit would be $153 billion. The American Society of Civil Engineers this year gave our country-- the United States of America, the greatest country on Earth--a D-plus for our infrastructure. I have a bridge that was blown up in my district next to ArcelorMittal and BP. That's not helping create jobs. They claim we are about $1.6 trillion short between now and 2020 investing in infrastructure. That's what this bill is about, investing in the future. We do need a deal; and the chairman mentioned it, the ranking member mentioned it. We do have to talk about entitlements for the sake of our children. What about our children when Social Security is insolvent in 2033? What about our children when Medicare is insolvent in 2024? We need to address those issues; and we need to address the issue of revenue to make sure we have enough to invest in those highways, in those classrooms, in those research institutes so that we can have a full and vibrant economy going forward. For those who want to balance the budget and are about this madness of sequestration and crushing domestic discretionary spending, hurting defense discretionary spending, I would also point out that the Congressional Budget Office indicated in October of 2011 that for fiscal year 2012, one-third of the deficit would have gone away if we simply were at full employment. So it is time to talk to each other. It is time to put everything on the table. It is time to invest in this country. And I would hope we do that sooner rather than later. I appreciate very much the gentleman yielding me time.

Mr. VISCLOSKY

Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Chairman, the gentleman responds to my concern by suggesting that he has discovered the possibility that the President of the United States is going to give away the most intimate secrets this country holds to Russia through the media. I'm wondering--and I ask this question simply rhetorically, not necessarily of my colleague--I wonder if that was FOX News. I wonder if he saw that on the Colbert Report recently. I wonder if that was on the John Stewart program. I was watching CNN, and I didn't see any report of that yesterday; although, I saw that a baby was born in another country. Despite the world coming apart, that was the headline news. I didn't see MSNBC, and I don't know if that was it. Perhaps it was even on a BBC telecast. But I'm wondering what media outlets are providing this inside information as to the deliberations of the President of the United States to give away these cherished secrets. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. VISCLOSKY. I appreciate my friend yielding to me. I simply want to rise in support of the gentleman's amendment. The agreement that was reached--and I think some people used the agreement as an excuse to do nothing--is 40 years old. It was entered into in 1973. Well, they agreed to it. I graduated from law school in 1973. The world is a much different place today. People have changed. I certainly think our environmental consciousness has improved and our consciousness of our responsibility in this has improved. And I do think this is an opportunity to rectify that. I serve on the Energy and Water Subcommittee of this great committee. The chairman chairs that Energy and Water Subcommittee. Unfortunately, in the Formerly Used Defense Sites that were cited by the gentleman, we have over 10,000 properties, which is one of the problems I think the gentleman alludes to as far as the costs we have to deal with. All the more reason, I believe, that we ought to be very assiduous and active in beginning to address these sites. So I appreciate the gentleman raising it, and I certainly support his position.

Mr. VISCLOSKY. I rise to claim time in opposition to the gentleman's amendment.