Chris Van Hollen

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, it is with no small amount of misgiving that I will cast my vote in favor of this Continuing Resolution today. While I know that my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee worked diligently and in good faith to fashion a responsible and responsive bill for this Congress to consider, I regret that the White House did not do the same. First and foremost, I do not believe this document should be repealing the twenty-seven year old congressional moratoria on offshore drilling. While I--like many of my colleagues--am willing to consider new ideas for responsible development in the context of broader, forward-looking legislation like The Comprehensive American Energy Security and Consumer Protection Act this House passed last week, I do not support unrestricted drilling three miles off our coastline, and I don't believe the American people do, either. Restoring common-sense environmental safeguards and developing a genuine vision for this Nation's energy future needs to be an early action item for an Obama Administration and the 111th Congress. Second, while I am gratified that this CR includes important assistance for our struggling families in the form of additional funds for Pell Grants, the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, and low income home energy assistance, I am disappointed that it does not include the kind of robust stimulus our economy clearly needs right now. It is simply astonishing that the President would threaten to veto $50 billion for job-creating infrastructure improvements, unemployment insurance, food stamps and health care support for our states and citizens at the same time he is asking for $700 billion to bailout Wall Street. This, too, must and will change under an Obama Administration and a strengthened Democratic Congress in 2009. In spite of these and other shortcomings, we clearly must fund the federal government through the beginning of next year--and the Defense, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bills included in this package, while not perfect, all, on balance, have my support. Mr. Speaker, I will vote for this temporary spending measure today-- mindful that Congress will be back to address its deficiencies in a few short months.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I am proud to stand, as an original sponsor, in strong support of the Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights Act of 2008, a bill to prohibit creditors from using adverse information about a consumer or his credit as the basis for increasing his interest rate or fees. Even in the best economic times, unexpected credit card fees can make it difficult for many strapped consumers to stay afloat. In the worst of times, these fees can push them over the edge into bankruptcy. For Americans struggling to keep pace with rising food costs and falling home values, this legislation equips consumers with significant new powers to help protect them from punitive credit card rate charges and fees. The bill requires advance notice of credit card account rate increases and prohibits companies from imposing interest on credit repaid within the interest-free repayment time period. The bill authorizes a consumer who receives a notice about a rate change to cancel the credit card without penalty or the imposition of any fee and allows consumers to pay any outstanding balance that accrued before the effective date of the rate increase. The bill also authorizes a consumer to opt-out of over-the-limit fee programs and imposes restrictions on the frequency of over-the-limit fees. Madam Speaker, this important bill comes before this House at an important time for American consumers. Our constituents need these protections. I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this bill.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this long overdue bipartisan legislation, and I want to commend and thank our colleagues, Patrick Kennedy and Jim Ramstad, for their leadership on this very important issue that is so important to millions of Americans around this country. The bill before us today is the product of their determination, perseverance and passion. They traveled across this great land holding field hearings listening to Americans from all walks of life. I had the privilege of hosting one of those hearings in my congressional district. The message from that hearing, as with other hearings from around the country, was very clear--Congress needs to end insurance discrimination in mental health care. Both common sense and simple fairness dictate that mental health diseases be treated on an equal footing with other conditions. Unfortunately, employer-provided health care set stricter treatment limits and imposed higher out-of-pocket costs for mental health care for many years. The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity Act of 2008 will reverse this practice and ensure that group health plans do not charge higher co-payments, coinsurance, deductibles, and do not lower day and visit limits on mental health and addiction care than for medical and surgical care. Mr. Speaker, this bill is completely paid for. Let us honor the spirit of Paul Wellstone and pass this much-needed legislation. I strongly urge my colleagues to vote for it.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this legislation that will bring greater transparency and greater accountability to the commodity futures markets, and I want to commend committee Chairman Peterson, Ranking Member Goodlatte, and subcommittee Chairman Bob Etheridge for coming together with the committee and others to pass and develop this bipartisan legislation which I hope we will all pass. I also want to thank and commend Rosa DeLauro, John Larson, and Bart Stupak for their leadership on this issue. If there is one thing we should have all learned over the last couple weeks given the turmoil in our financial markets, it is that we need greater transparency and greater accountability. These are not just abstract good government ideals, these are tools that people need for responsible regulation of our financial markets, including our futures markets. They are absolutely necessary if we want to make sure that the CFTC and our regulators have the information that they need, especially when you are talking about the great impact that these things can have on our economy, as we are seeing every day on Wall Street. The old adage that ``what you don't know won't hurt you'' is no longer a tenable position for this Congress. We need the information. With this legislation, for the first time, we will shine a light on the so-called dark markets and empower the CFTC to take corrective action where they find problems. It provides for stronger position limits for energy commodities traded on regulated exchanges while ensuring that our futures markets continue to have the liquidity they need to function properly. No one has said there is not an important role for our futures markets, it is making sure that they are regulated properly to protect consumers and investors. This bill will also rein in excessive speculation by ensuring that hedging exemptions are granted only to commercial market participants seeking to hedge their actual physical risk, rather than to speculators facing only financial risk. Mr. Moran mentioned the recent report by the CFTC, and I would point out there was a recommendation they made which really follows a provision that we make in this bill, and that is to make sure that we, with respect to the commodity swap dealers and index traders, that we remove the swap dealers from the commercial category of market participants. We do that in this bill. Additionally, in recognition of the numerous instances where the same CFTC staff report found traders effectively circumventing position limits they would ordinarily face on regulated exchanges by going to the over-the-counter market, in some cases exceeding those established positions by substantial amounts, the CFTC report proposes requiring swap dealers to certify that they are noncommercial clients that do not exceed established position limits with their over-the-counter trades. We do that here. Mr. Speaker, we have a fundamental choice here. It is a choice between transparency and keeping things hidden behind the curtain. It is a choice between whether we want our futures markets to reflect the fundamentals of supply and demand, or whether we want our futures markets to be continuously whipsawed by massive in-flows of speculative money. We have a job to do. We have seen in recent days and weeks on Wall Street the effects of taking our eye off the ball and not providing regulators with the tools they need and them not following through with what they have. Let's make sure that we don't make that mistake in the commodities futures trading market. We have already seen the impact of not giving those complete tools. Let's make sure that those folks have what they need and are empowered to do the job on behalf of the American public. I thank the committee for their work on this.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to support the No Child Left Inside Act. I thank my colleague from Maryland, John Sarbanes, for his efforts on this important initiative. Mr. Chairman, our Nation faces great environmental challenges. We need to combat global warming, curb pollution, and expand conservation and energy efficiency. And to confront these challenges, we need to ensure that students graduate from our schools with an understanding of the environment. We need hands-on outdoor learning opportunities to inspire students to enter science fields and develop innovative solutions. Today's bill extends the authorization for the National Environmental Education Act and enhances the Environmental Education and Training Program with teacher training and the opportunity for partnerships between teachers and working professionals in environmental fields. It also establishes the National Capacity Environmental Education Grant Program to assist States and local education agencies as they work to develop environmental literacy plans and student academic achievement standards. It encourages partnerships between states, schools, and institutes of higher education and creates and disseminates best practices for environmental education programs. No Child Left Inside will give our students the opportunity to interact with and understand their environment. It will encourage their interest in science and prepare them to solve 21st century environmental challenges. I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for this bill.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 3406, the ADA Amendments Act of 2008. This bipartisan legislation, which will restore the original intent of the Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA, is long overdue. The passage of the ADA in 1990 helped millions of Americans with disabilities succeed in life and the workplace by making essential services that most Americans take for granted more accessible to individuals with disabilities. It was truly a landmark civil rights law to ensure that people with disabilities have protection from discrimination in the same manner as individuals are protected from discrimination on the basis of race, gender, national origin, religion, or age. In recent years, the Federal courts have erroneously eroded the protections for individuals under the ADA, which has created a new set of barriers for those with disabilities. This bill rejects the courts' narrow interpretation of the definition of disability, and makes it absolutely clear that the ADA is intended to provide broad coverage to protect anyone who faces discrimination on the basis of disability. It strikes a careful balance between the needs of individuals with disabilities and realities confronted by employers. Madam Speaker, the Congress is taking an important step towards restoring the original intent of the ADA. By doing so, we will help ensure that Americans with disabilities can lead independent and self- sufficient lives. I urge my colleagues to support this much-needed legislation.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. If you agreed that the District of Columbia had a gun law that was consistent with the recent Supreme Court ruling, would you then agree to abide by the democratic decisions of that elected government?

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Would the gentleman yield?

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. It was an emergency piece of legislation. It is now the law of the District of Columbia. I don't know if the gentleman's had a chance to review it. But if there's agreement by people reviewing this DC gun law that it is consistent with the U.S. Supreme Court decision that came down recently, then would the gentleman agree that we do not need to move forward with the substitute piece of legislation?

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Well, if the gentleman would yield.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. I thank my colleague. Mr. Chairman, let's start with something we can all agree on, that the Government of the District of Columbia should pass a local law that conforms to the recent Supreme Court decision. They have done that now. As of today, the Government of the District of Columbia has passed legislation that complies with the Supreme Court ruling. So what is the issue before us today? It is not whether they should comply with the constitutional ruling, it is who gets to decide what new constitutional law they can put in place and whether or not this body should play D.C. City Council, or whether we should pretend we are 435 mayors of the District of Columbia and substitute our judgment for the judgment of the elected leaders of our Nation's capital. You know, people in this body often talk about the importance of local decision-making, and we have to listen to the people close to the ground. That is great to say, but the actions, at least in the substitute bill, suggest that we are not serious in that respect about what we say because what this substitute bill does is takes away from the people of the District of Columbia the democratic rights that all of our constituents have in cities and States around this country. Mr. Burton mentioned he lived in Virginia when he is near the Nation's capital and how he feels safe there. Virginia has a law that says you can only purchase one gun a month. So does my State of Maryland, one gun a month. What this substitute bill says is the people of the District of Columbia, they can't pass the same law that the people of Virginia and people of Maryland have. That is absolutely wrong. I represent a district that is a neighbor to the Nation's capital. This bill eliminates for the purpose of the District of Columbia the ban on interstate trafficking of guns that applies to every other jurisdiction of this country that not only puts at risk the people of the District of Columbia but puts a burden and a risk on the people of all the surrounding jurisdictions. Why would we allow that provision which applies throughout the country just to the District of Columbia? Why are we substituting our judgment for the decisions of the people of the District of Columbia when they are conforming to the Constitution of the United States, including the most recent ruling? Mr. Chairman, we should support this bill and oppose the substitute.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. I thank the chairman for his leadership. Today we have arrived at a moment of truth on energy policy in this body. For weeks, our Republican colleagues have claimed they want a comprehensive piece of legislation, an all-of-the-above piece of legislation when it comes to energy policy. Now we have just such an initiative before us on the floor of this House, and they won't take ``yes'' for an answer. It turns out that they want all of the above with a big asterisk next to it. It turns out it is all of the above, except let's not take away some of the taxpayer giveaways and subsidies to the big oil and gas companies and use those moneys instead for renewable energy and energy efficiency. I think the American people know what a cozy relationship there has been between the Bush White House and Big Oil. I think last week we learned just how cozy that was between the Bush Department of the Interior and the oil industry. This bill does two main things. First of all, it greatly expands opportunities for responsible offshore drilling in our country, and uses the royalties and proceeds from those drilling operations to invest in renewable energy and energy efficiency. But let's not try and fool the American people. The Department of Energy has made it clear that even if you drilled on every square inch of this country today, you wouldn't see a drop in price of gas at the pump for a very long time and the price impact would be minimal. Why? The United States has 3 percent of the world's oil reserves and guzzles 25 percent of the world's oil. You cannot drill your way to energy independence, which is why we have the second part of this bill, which is a huge increase in renewable energy and energy efficiency, why we establish a national 15 percent renewable energy standard by 2020. That is why we redirect the subsidies away from the oil and gas industry, who are making record profits, and invest that money instead in renewable energy and energy efficiency. It is too bad that in listening to the debate today, that our Republican colleagues will not cease this opportunity to move forward together on what is a comprehensive plan. It is too bad that they refuse to break that connection with the oil and gas industry as a result of the provisions in this bill that say let's redirect those subsidies. This is a serious challenge that our country is facing. This is a serious proposal that is put forth to bridge the differences and try to move forward together on an important piece of legislation for the American people. It is unfortunate, just listening to the debate, that some of our colleagues want so badly to have a political issue to take to this election that they refuse to come together as one in this body to actually get something real done. Mr. Speaker, the American people deserve better than that. They deserve a piece of legislation that will move us forward on this very important issue. They deserve for this House to support this bill.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding achievements of my constituent Dr. Ichiji Tasaki. Dr. Tasaki has worked at the National Institutes of Health for 54 years, since November 1953, and has made invaluable contributions to the scientific community. Dr. Tasaki was born in Japan in 1910 and attended medical school at Keio University Medical School. Upon earning his medical degree, Dr. Tasaki began a career in research. After completing a Rockefeller Fellowship in Switzerland and England, Dr. Tasaki immigrated to the United States in 1951, where he began work at the Central Institute for the Deaf in St. Louis, Missouri, helping to develop the field of audiology, which serves as a foundation for diagnosing and treating numerous hearing disorders. Dr. Tasaki began his career at the National Institutes of Health as a Section Chief in the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Blindness. He went on to become a Laboratory Chief and later a Senior Research Scientist at the National Institute of Mental Health, where he remained for twenty-two years. Most recently, Dr. Tasaki was associated with the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Dr. Tasaki has made countless contributions to scientific understanding. He is well known for discovering the insulating function of the myelin sheath, the salutatory feature of nerve conduction, and the rapid swelling of nerve fibers in association with their excitation. He also developed an important method of intracellular perfusion and the new method of detecting heat production associated with nerve excitation. Dr. Tasaki's work is referred to in biology textbooks, and he is recognized as the most senior author of ``Scholarpedia.'' Madam Speaker, I am honored to commend Dr. Ichiji Tasaki for his significant contributions to scientific understanding. I ask my colleagues to join me in applauding the advances he has made to improve the quality of life throughout the world.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, today we commemorate the seventh anniversary of the most terrible terrorist attack ever on American soil. We remember those who suffered injury and mourn with the families who lost loved ones. But we also remember the indomitable spirit of America that lit that dark day and the days that followed. The courage of the first responders and ordinary citizens who risked, and in some cases sacrificed, their lives to save others. The men and women of our armed forces who have worked honorably to defend our Nation from future harm. The millions of Americans who volunteered and supported efforts to rebuild New York and Washington and care for those who were injured there. These individual acts of bravery and sacrifice remind us that even in times of fear and pain, the flame of liberty does not falter. In the face of grave threats, the world can stand together. And with the power of our ideals and the strength of our resolve, we can build a more peaceful world.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Medicare Hospice Protection Act to help preserve Medicare beneficiaries' access to hospice services. I am pleased to be introducing this legislation with my colleagues Jim Ramstad and Maurice Hinchey. Established as a Medicare benefit in 1983 to ensure that all beneficiaries could access high quality end-of-life care, hospice is a comprehensive model of care that encompasses the physical, spiritual, emotional, and practical needs of the patient. Considered to be the model for quality, compassionate care at the end of life, hospice care involves a team-oriented approach of expert medical care, pain management, and emotional and spiritual support expressly tailored to the patient's wishes. Hospices around the country provide invaluable services and care by enhancing the quality of life for the terminally ill. The Medicare hospice benefit has significant cost savings. A Duke University study showed that patients receiving hospice care cost the Medicare program about $2,300 less than those who did not. Unfortunately, the Bush Administration and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently issued a final rule that would eliminate the budget neutrality factor in the Medicare hospice wage index. This will result in a $2.18 billion reduction in Medicare hospice reimbursement over 5 years and threatens the ability of hospice providers to care for the terminally ill. This legislation seeks to prevent CMS from implementing this shortsighted rule until October 2009. I initiated a letter in April 2008, signed by 49 House members, to Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt urging him to reconsider issuing this rule that phases out the current budget neutrality factor in the Medicare hospice wage index. That letter was ignored as the Administration has moved forward and issued this misguided regulation. Madam Speaker, as our nation faces the continuing challenges of meeting the health care needs of an aging population, now is not the time to cut back on Medicare reimbursement for hospice services, which is cost effective and saves Medicare money. I invite my colleagues to join us to pass the Medicare Hospice Protection Act to ensure access to hospice services for the patients and families who need it.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the achievement of the Drive for Supplies project, a community service program developed by Learn Shop, Inc., and implemented in conjunction with Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). Since its creation in 1999 by Kevin and Louis Newcomer, founders of Learn Shop, Inc., the Drive for Supplies project has collected over $100,000 in school supplies. In 2008, thanks to the efforts of dedicated student and adult volunteers, Drive for Supplies collected and distributed over 15,000 pounds of school materials. The supplies will be delivered to nonprofit agencies, county schools with a large number of low-income students, and needy schools in Washington, DC. With the help of international aid organizations, supplies will also make their way to needy children overseas. Madam Speaker, I am honored to commend MCPS Superintendent Dr. Jerry Weast, Kevin and Louis Newcomer, and everyone involved in the Drive for Supplies project. At a time when it is critical for our country to be a leader in conservation and community service, Drive for Supplies is leading the way in instilling these important values in our students and throughout our community.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. I thank the Conferees for their work on this issue, and especially commend Chairmen Miller and Kennedy, Ranking Members McKeon and Enzi, and Senator Mikulski for their efforts in bringing this bipartisan legislation to the Floor today. Mr. Speaker, 60 percent of new jobs require some post-secondary education. But paying for college can be a real challenge for many students and their families. In order to maintain America's competitive advantage, spur economic development, and fulfill the potential of our Nation's students, we must make college affordability and accessibility a priority. This Congress has responded to that challenge. Beginning last year with the largest increase in student assistance since the G.I. Bill, we have worked to open the door to college for our Nation's best and brightest. And today, we continue that commitment. The bill increases the maximum Pell grant again to $6,000 for 2009 and $8,000 for 2014. It also allows for year-round Pell grants to give students more options and allow them to complete their degrees earlier. It furthers our ambitious Competitiveness Agenda by creating programs to recruit new science and technology teachers and collaborate with the business community to improve science, technology, engineering, math, and foreign language education. These important provisions will help ensure American innovation in the competitive global economy. The Conference Report before us today aims to provide more transparency and clarity in the financial aid process by simplifying the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, creating a user-friendly website to centralize information about schools and costs, and ensuring that students and parents get easy-to-understand information about the terms and conditions of Federal and private loans. It also includes provisions to require schools and lenders to adopt strict codes of conduct to avoid conflicts of interest and protect students from aggressive lending practices. Finally, the Conference Report includes provisions from the Teach for America Act, a bill I introduced with Mr. Castle, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. Regula, and Mr. Sarbanes. These provisions will allow Teach for America to expand its reach and put more qualified and enthusiastic teachers in our Nation's classrooms. Mr. Speaker, today's bill will increase transparency, simplify the financial aid process, and make higher education more affordable. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting it today.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the Paycheck Fairness Act--for the basic promise of equality it upholds for America's women and the faith it keeps with the best of who we are as a nation. The Equal Pay Act was passed in 1963 to enshrine into law the basic principle of equal pay for equal work. Forty-five years later, we are here today because American women still only make $.77 cents for every dollar a male counterpart earns when performing equal work. Worse, African-American women earn only $.66 on the dollar, and Hispanic women a mere $.55. This continued and persistent wage gap between men and women cannot be explained by differences in education, qualifications or experience. It is both unacceptable and un-American. And it must stop. The Paycheck Fairness Act will move us towards our ultimate goal of eliminating wage disparity in the United States by clarifying that any employer's decision to pay a male employee more than a female employee must not be based on gender, must be job-related and must be consistent with business necessity. To avoid a repeat of the facts presented to the Supreme Court in the Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire and Rubber case, this legislation also prohibits employers from retaliating against employees who discuss or disclose salary information with co-workers. And it strengthens the remedies made available to women who have been subjected to gender-based wage discrimination. Mr. Chairman, in closing, I want to recognize my good friend and colleague Rosa DeLauro for her tireless leadership on this legislation. We owe it to our mothers, wives, sisters and daughters to pass it without delay.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 6599, a bill to fund U.S. military construction and maintenance and the operations of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Military Construction and Veterans Affairs bill appropriates a total of $118.7 billion for military construction and veterans' programs, $10.3 billion more than the current level and $3.4 billion more than the President's request. This funding will provide compensation payments to millions of veterans and their survivors, pension payments and financial assistance to their widows and children, and is the primary support for their military related medical care. The Veterans Department oversees the largest Federal medical care delivery system in the country, with 153 hospitals, 50 residential rehabilitation treatment centers, 135 nursing homes, and 1,089 outpatient clinics. The almost $94 billion set aside in this bill is a significant increase over the Administration's request and will help fund medical administration, operations and maintenance of medical facilities such as Walter Reed, and important medical, trauma and mental health research. This bill also provides the funding for the BRAC. We all know there is a massive military base closure and realignment underway in this country. The potential for increased traffic congestion at these new military facilities, such as the one being constructed in my district in Bethesda, MD, can be disruptive for the citizens who currently live in these communities. I want to thank the Committee for working with me to insert language in this bill directing the Department of Defense to aggressively plan and budget for the Defense Access Roads programs that should help alleviate some of the pressure on the communities that are dealing with BRAC. This nation has 23,500,000 veterans and 35,900,000 family members of living veterans and survivors of deceased veterans. That means close to 20 percent of this county's total population are potential recipients of veterans benefits. We have a responsibility to support the past and present servicemembers and their families who have served and sacrificed for us. Providing quality healthcare and decent living conditions for them and their families is the least we can do for these brave men and women. I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this important piece of legislation.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this conference report and commend the conferees for their decision to prioritize public health in this final legislation. At the end of last year, as the country was awash in reports of unsafe levels of lead being found in children's toys, I expressed the hope that this Congress' final CPSC Reform bill would embrace the improved recall notice and strengthened enforcement authority in the House-passed bill while going beyond the House-passed legislation to broaden the scope of mandatory product testing, enhance a family's right to know about dangerous and defective products on the market, and provide robust whistleblower protections for those courageous enough to bring serious safety hazards to light. After months of negotiations, I am gratified that this conference report accomplishes all of these objectives. H.R. 4040 retains the House bill's original focus on ensuring meaningful public notice for product recalls and empowering states' Attorneys General to help enforce Federal law. Additionally, today's conference report requires mandatory pre-market safety testing for lead and other safety standards in toys, cribs and other children's products--without preempting stronger State protocols like those we have in Maryland. It requires the CPSC to create a searchable and user-friendly public database on deaths and serious injuries resulting from consumer products so that parents have access to the information they need to protect themselves and their children. And it provides important whistleblower protections to private sector employees who report violations of CPSC-enforced product safety requirements. Finally, this legislation takes the long overdue step of banning lead above truly minute amounts from products intended for children under twelve, and it outlaws a number of dangerous chemicals called phthalates from children's toys and child care items. Madam Speaker, this conference report represents a vitally important bipartisan agreement on behalf of America's families. I urge a ``yes'' vote. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, let me start by commending Chairman Peterson, Ranking Member Goodlatte and others on the committee for putting together the good compromise that we have today on the floor. I'm pleased to have worked with my colleagues Rosa DeLauro, Bart Stupak, John Larson, and others to try and establish greater transparency and accountability in our energy futures market so that we can wring out that component of the price that is due to excessive speculation. Like any compromise, this bill doesn't contain everything that everybody wants, but it's a very important first step to getting at this issue that is affecting consumers every day. Specifically, I am pleased that this legislation for the first time provides new authority for the CFTC to police the over-the-counter markets and take corrective action where necessary. It also goes a long way to cleaning up the current mess regarding bona fide hedging exemptions so that they are distributed based on true physical, rather than purely financial, risk. It also establishes position limits where necessary and at the same time safeguarding the importance of liquidity in the market. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman, the ranking member, and all the people who came together to take what I think is an important first step toward addressing this issue and thank the chairman for saying as new evidence becomes available and collected, we will go farther as we determine necessary.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. I thank my colleague, Mr. Pallone, for his leadership, and Chairman Dingell and the Energy and Commerce committee, Mr. Waxman, and so many others, who have brought this legislation to the floor, finally, after so many years and so many battles. This is a very important day for the American people. The Food and Drug Administration, as we know, has the power to regulate and oversee all sorts of products that are sold today; many that are not addictive. Yet we have always had this big hole in that regulatory authority when it came to very addictive products of nicotine and the tobacco products. On those issues, the FDA has been sidelined, and the result is the big tobacco companies have taken advantage of that opportunity and exploited it and they have marketed these tobacco products to generation after generation of young people through flavored cigarettes and tobacco products and on all sort of things. In fact, when you think about it, they have got to do that. In order to continue to make a profit, they have got to continue to hook one generation after another. It's great that we are finally gathered here today to say to the FDA: You do have authority over this very important area. Let's make sure that future generations of young people do not get addicted. This has a huge cost to our society, obviously in dollars, but even more importantly, the people who die every year as a result of this. We have an opportunity today to begin to put an end to that cycle. I am very proud that in our State of Maryland we have made progress on this on a State basis. We have tried to increase the tobacco tax to reduce tobacco use among young people and use those proceeds for health purposes. But you can't have every State fighting alone to have a successful national program. You need one entity that has this power to help protect the American people, especially the young people of this country. I thank the committee for its leadership.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. I thank my colleague. Mr. Speaker, what our colleagues on the other side of the aisle have not told the American people is if you look at the report from our own Department of Energy, they can see that drilling in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge won't put one drop of new gas on the market for at least 10 years, and then it will only wind up having an insignificant impact on price 20 years from now. The American people don't have 20 years to wait. We need action, and this is an opportunity to provide that action by tapping into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in a responsible way to help bring down price. After all, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is the supply of oil we put away for America's rainy day. There are over 700 million gallons of oil there, more than any other time in American history. And when it comes to the hurt that the American people are feeling economically, their rainy day is now. This has been tapped into by the last three Presidents, including the current President, and if we responsibly just put a little bit of this oil away, we can provide relief at the pump today. Unfortunately, the President has resisted our call, just like he resisted our call to stop filling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve which he finally relented in doing. We need to pass this legislation. This is not a long-term policy. We need to work together to make sure that on a long-term basis we tap the ingenuity of this country on renewable energy, energy efficiency, and responsible drilling, but Americans are hurting now. This is not a so- called ``mental recession'' as we heard from former Senator Phil Gramm. The pain is real, and we need to address it now. You know, a few months ago I think we all saw a spectacle that made us shudder. We saw President Bush travel to Saudi Arabia to plead with their king to pump more oil. The Saudi king turned him down cold--no, President Bush. I don't think we should have to go around begging other countries to pump more oil when we have a Strategic Petroleum Reserve of oil right here at home that has been set aside for a rainy day. Our rainy day is now. Let's pass this legislation.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Senate amendments to the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008. Five years ago, Congress showed leadership and passed legislation on a bipartisan basis to address the global pandemics of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. While enormous progress has been made since 2003, the number of people who are affected by these diseases is still staggering. The United Nations estimates that thirty-three million people are living with HIV/AIDS worldwide, with AIDS causing approximately 1.6 million deaths in sub-Saharan Africa in 2007. We have a moral obligation to lead the fight against these global diseases. This legislation will authorize $48 billion over five years for our global HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria efforts. It will allow the United States to provide continued assistance for these pandemics in developing countries and will strengthen the health systems in host countries by giving them more flexibility to plan, direct, and manage prevention, treatment and care programs. I am also pleased that this legislation includes a provision that authorizes funding for the research and development of new tuberculosis vaccines, which have the potential to save millions of lives. Mr. Speaker, we still have much work to do. I urge my colleagues to continue and reaffirm America's commitment to combating HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria by supporting this much-needed bipartisan and bicameral legislation.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, today we consider the Senate Amendments to the American Housing Rescue and Foreclosure Prevention Act to assist struggling homeowners, help stabilize the housing market and to help those homeowners who are being financially hurt by rising foreclosures in their neighborhoods. Originally passed by this body in August of last year, this bill represents a compromise between the administration and Democratic and Republican congressional leaders, and retains most of its original provisions while incorporating the Administration's plan to provide explicit government backing for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The bill also provides emergency assistance for the redevelopment of abandoned and foreclosed homes to help stabilize the housing market and our neighborhoods. To address one of the root causes of the mortgage crisis, the bill specifically targets the Federal Housing Administration and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The bill overhauls the FHA to increase the market share of mortgages they insure, raises loan limits for FHA-backed loans, boosts loan limits in high-cost areas, allows the agency to vary the premiums it charges borrowers based on their credit risk, and modifies disclosure requirements to provide more information concerning mortgage choices. The bill also creates a new independent agency to regulate Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to place these entities into conservatorship or receivership in the event of a financial crisis. In addition to providing assistance to home buyers and homeowners in the form of tax credits, and a reduction for real property taxes, the bill also provides assistance for low-income rental housing, and four billion dollars in additional Community Development Block Grant resources to help states and localities rehabilitate neighborhoods harmed by rising foreclosures. Despite much evidence to the contrary, there are still many who think this bill is about bailing out Fannie Mae. As we all know, as mortgage defaults have risen and home prices have fallen, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have reported billions of dollars in realized and unrealized losses. Freddie Mac, for example, reported at the beginning of this month that if it had been forced to liquidate its holdings at the end of the quarter, it would have been left with a deficit of $5.2 billion. It is crucial to American economic health that we work to keep these two important institutions on sound financial footing. According to the Center for Economic and Policy Research, due to the collapse of the housing bubble and the subsequent collapse in housing values, the vast majority of Americans are accumulating little or no wealth and are in danger of becoming completely reliant on Social Security and Medicare to support them in their retirement years. Since homeownership is the way most Americans accumulate wealth, and since Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac own or guarantee more than 40 percent of U.S. home mortgages, they cannot be allowed to fail. This bill will help keep them from failing by increasing their available credit lines, allowing the Treasury Department to purchase their equity and allowing the Federal Reserve to reset their capital requirements. The funds provided by this bill will only be made available if the home loans these institutions guarantee default. By making additional financial support available to these institutions, Congress sends a clear message to investors that we stand by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and will not allow them to fail. If investors are reassured, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac may not need to draw upon this funding. Our economy is in crisis mode. The American Housing Rescue and Foreclosure Prevention Act is a necessary response to stabilize the housing market and to come to the aid of those Americans who are threatened by the rising number of foreclosures in their neighborhoods. This is not a perfect bill--but it provides an urgent response to an urgent problem. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting it.