Ed Whitfield

Mr. WHITFIELD

Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, as a cosponsor of this legislation, I would like to thank my colleagues and the Education and Labor Committee for allowing this legislation to be considered today. Additionally, I would like to recognize Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones, who during her five terms in Congress, worked to advance fire safety, particularly on college campuses. Mr. Speaker, far too many of our nation's young people have been lost to senseless fire tragedies at places where they are supposed to be encouraged to grow and kept safe--their own college campuses. According to the Center for Campus Fire Safety, 94 people have been killed in student housing fires since January of 2000. Sadly, many of these deaths may have been preventable with the help of proper fire safety technology. This legislation will establish a demonstration incentive program within the Department of Education to promote the installation of fire sprinkler systems, or other fire suppression or prevention technologies. This program is vital to helping ensure that our students are provided the most technologically advanced fire safety equipment. I am confident that this will not only help make colleges safer across the country, but will also save lives. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bipartisan and important piece of legislation.

Mr. WHITFIELD

Mr. WHITFIELD. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of this conference report for the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. To begin, I would like to thank Chairman Bobby Rush, the original author of this bill, for his tremendous leadership on this issue. He has been in our thoughts and prayers and we are extremely pleased to see he is back and recovering. I look forward to continuing our important work together. I also would like to thank full Committee Chairman John Dingell and Ranking Member Joe Barton for their collaborative work during this conference. Unfortunately, we have seen in recent history that the minority--on both sides of the aisle--have been shut out of conference negotiations. We are here today under the best of circumstances, and I credit this to their character and hard work. Madam Speaker, we were all horrified at the number of children's products that were recalled last year. I am glad the Commission worked so hard to get those potentially dangerous products off the store shelves and this bill will make that important job easier and more effective. When parents purchase toys the last thing they should be worried about are toxic levels of lead, potential chemical side effects from accidentally swallowing a toy, or similar health hazards. Both chambers acted swiftly to approve legislation--and I might add the House voted unanimously--to better fund and equip the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) so they can help prevent another ``year of the recall.'' Today's conference report represents months of work to get a strong but reasoned bill that protects our children, and to send it to the President for his signature into law. Among other provisions, the conference report sets the toughest lead standard for children's products in the world. We require the CPSC to lower allowable lead to only trace amounts, and task them to revise this standard downward if it is technologically possible. We also require mandatory third party testing for children's products to ensure compliance with CPSC regulations and standards. As I mentioned, the conferees acknowledged that the CPSC has been underfunded and understaffed for years. To alleviate that, we increase the authorization levels significantly in the first year and then by approximately 7 percent for each of the next 4 years. These new resources will allow the Commission to hire additional staff and update their laboratory to help them do their job more effectively. This conference report also increases the penalties for bad actors and enhances the authority of State Attorneys General to seek appropriate injunctive relief, so that dangerous children's products don't make it into the hands of our kids and grandkids. Finally, I would like to address one of the more controversial provisions relating to a group of chemical plasticizers known as phthalates. Most of us in Congress are not scientists; however, concerns were raised that some phthalates could potentially be harmful to young children and pregnant mothers. While I support restricting the use of the certain phthalates that many scientists agree are harmful, I have some concerns about the interim prohibition on other phthalates that are considered to be safe. We obviously do not want to replace one safe plasticizer with a lesser known and potentially more harmful one. However, I am pleased that we asked the CPSC to quickly form an expert panel to review these phthalates and their alternatives to ensure we get it right. I also would just like to note that the conferees on both sides of this issue worked in good faith to find a true compromise on this section, and I believe they all should be commended for their hard work and open mindedness. I would also like to briefly mention the issue of Federal preemption. While this is sometimes a contentious issue, I believe that it is important that businesses are given some certainty as to what rules they must follow, and who will be enforcing those rules. A confusing patchwork of State laws ultimately benefits no one. So, I am glad that this conference report preempts State standards-- notably for lead, lead paint and the phthalates I mentioned--and that the authority of the State Attorneys General is appropriately limited to ensure that enforcement is swift, efficient, and consistent across the country. All of the children in America will be protected equally and vigorously. Madam Speaker, I strongly support this conference report as the compromise product of a good process. In closing, I would again just like to thank all the members of the conference committee on both sides of the Capitol and their staffs, including my own staff, James Robertson, for working tirelessly to produce a law that will maximize our opportunity to protect children from dangerous toys and products.

Mr. WHITFIELD of Kentucky

Mr. WHITFIELD of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, the meeting of the two Cypriot leaders on March 21, May 23, and July 1, 2008 and the agreement reached by them to launch full-fledged negotiations, which will aim to find a comprehensive settlement to the longstanding Cyprus problem, have been welcomed by the international community, including the United States, the European Union, and others. The meetings raised hopes among the international community that a mutually acceptable settlement would now be more seriously sought by the Greek Cypriot side, whose policy over the years had been to delay the start of full-fledged negotiations. On July 20th, the Turkish Cypriots commemorate the 34th anniversary of the Turkish peace operation, which prevented the attempt by the Greek Cypriots to annex the island to Greece. Although peace prevails in Cyprus today, the social, economic, and political development of the Turkish Cypriots have been restricted for more than 3 decades. In order to promote the spirit of goodwill generated during the recent meetings, it is my sincere hope that this positive stance demonstrated by the two Cypriot leaders will be supported by the United States government. The Turkish Cypriots have demonstrated their willingness to work collaboratively, by voting in favor of the Annan Plan, which presumed great sacrifices for the Turkish Cypriots, because nearly a quarter of their territory would have been ceded to the Greek Cypriot side, and almost a quarter of the Turkish Cypriot population would have been dislocated, some for the second, third, and even fourth time. Despite the potential impact of the Annan Plan, 65 percent of Turkish Cypriots voted in favor of the historic referenda of April 24, 2004, while 76 percent of Greek Cypriots voted against it. The Turkish Cypriot people, in their continued commitment to achieve a just and lasting settlement that respects the political equality of these two groups on the island are still waiting for the international community to honor the promises it made to them. Madam Speaker, I want to recognize the unwavering commitment of the Turkish Cypriot people to reunify the island, and I encourage the United States government to lend its support to lifting of the isolation that presently exists.

Mr. WHITFIELD of Kentucky

Mr. WHITFIELD of Kentucky. I certainly want to thank the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Courtney) and the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Rogers) as well as Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter for bringing this resolution to the floor today. As has been said, Fort Campbell, Kentucky is the home of the 101st Airborne Division known as the Screaming Eagles, which is the only air assault division in the world. It has been my distinct privilege and pleasure to represent the First Congressional District of Kentucky, which is the home of this great unit. I would also like to say that, while this resolution focuses explicitly on the 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell is also the home of the 160th Special Aviation Regiment, the Fifth Special Forces Group, the 86th Combat Support Hospital, and we have many young men and women also serving at the Blanchfield Army Hospital as well as the Garrison Command at Fort Campbell. I was delighted that the gentleman from Connecticut and the gentleman from Alabama talked briefly about the history of this great 101st Airborne Division. I might say that, throughout its history, 19 individuals of that unit have received the highest declaration offered by the U.S. Government, which is the Medal of Honor. Since Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom began, thousands of members of the 101st Airborne Division have been deployed no less than three times, performing dangerous counter-insurgency operations and working to secure liberty in nations that once served as safe havens for terrorists. I might also say that we pay special tribute to the nearly 200 members of the 101st Division who have lost their lives fighting the global war on terrorism, and throughout its proud history over 6,000 have lost their lives. Despite the dangers and difficulties faced by these soldiers and their loved ones, I might say that 65 percent reenlist and request to stay with the 101st Airborne Division, which certainly demonstrates the loyalty to the proud history and tradition of this unit. I'd like to thank all of the cosponsors of this resolution. The brave soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division have never hesitated to answer this Nation's call to duty, and it is my great privilege to honor them with this resolution.

Mr. WHITFIELD

Mr. WHITFIELD. Madam Speaker, I rise in recognition of Beverly Largent, a Pediatric Dentist who practices in the City of Paducah located in my District, the First Congressional District of Kentucky. On May 25, 2008, Dr. Largent became the first female President of The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) after proudly serving the AAPD for 20 years. Founded in 1947, the AAPD is a not-for-profit membership association representing the specialty of pediatric dentistry. The AAPD's 7,300 members are primary oral health care providers who offer comprehensive specialty treatment for millions of infants, children, adolescents, and individuals with special health care needs. The AAPD also represents general dentists who treat a significant number of children in their practices. Dr. Largent practices in Paducah, Kentucky and is a past president of the Kentucky Society of Pediatric Dentistry and diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry, has served on the ADA's Council of Ethics, Bylaws and Judicial Review, and is a past president of the Kentucky Dental Association. Dr. Largent attended dental school and received her pediatric dental certification from the University of Kentucky. She resides in Paducah with her husband of 40 years, Tom, and is the mother of two and grandmother of three. Madam Speaker, it is with great pride that I bring to the attention of this House the historical significance and sense of this notable achievement. Dr. Beverly Largent's commitment to children's oral health is evident in everything she does--whether it is in her office treating patients, educating parents and caregivers or on Capitol Hill advocating for children. I'm confident she will be a fine leader of this organization and help raise awareness of the importance of pediatric dentistry.

Mr. WHITFIELD of Kentucky

Mr. WHITFIELD of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. On December 19 of last year, this body spoke with a resounding voice of approval for our Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act. The measure passed by a unanimous vote of 407-0. I would like to thank Chairman Dingell; Ranking Member Barton; Chairman Rush; and my predecessor, Mr. Stearns, for the great job that they did in getting this bill through the House. H.R. 4040 is a bipartisan product. We worked for 4 months and in the end came up with a stringent but reasoned approach to strengthen the Consumer Product Safety Commission and to vastly improve the safety of our children's products. The result was a bill that creates the toughest lead standard in the world and imposes mandatory safety standards on products for young children. To ensure such standards are met, we require third-party testing and certification of children's products and we nearly double the Consumer Product Safety Commission budget over 4 years to ensure both the new safety standards and the testing and certification requirements are met. All the new standards and increased enforcement in the world will not help parents unless they also know about dangerous products. We therefore require improved public notice of recalls as well as tracking labels on all children's products so parents can identify recalled toys when they hear about them. We also loosened restrictions to allow the Consumer Product Safety Commission to release critical product safety information to the public when people face an imminent health and safety standard. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support H.R. 4040. I know that this is a work product that will maximize our opportunity to protect children from dangerous toys and products, and I urge and hope that the House managers will stand by the provisions which passed this Chamber unanimously only 5 months ago and insist upon the measures of H.R. 4040, as passed by the House. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. General Leave

Mr. WHITFIELD

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

Mr. WHITFIELD of Kentucky

Mr. WHITFIELD of Kentucky. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank you for those kind remarks. And, Mr. Speaker, I would just reiterate I think we have a great product. I think we have a wonderful opportunity in conference to come out with a great product.

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

Mr. WHITFIELD of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I offer a motion to instruct conferees.

Mr. WHITFIELD

Mr. WHITFIELD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a strong friendship that has proven enormously important since the beginning of the Cold War. Time and time again, the Republic of Turkey has stood firmly with the United States as we have pursued our shared goals in a region where we have few steady allies. Turkey, a fellow NATO country, is a vital partner in our fight against extremism and an example of a vibrant democracy in a region burdened with inequality. Turkey's assistance in supporting combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan has been instrumental in our efforts to bring opportunity and prosperity to millions of people. Its proximity to both countries has made it an ideal place to coordinate logistics and center supply routes. Over 74 percent of the air cargo that reaches American forces in Iraq passes through Incirlik Air Base in Southern Turkey, and around 4,000 trucks carrying fuel, food, and water cross into Iraq from Turkey every day. The Turkish government also has provided over $50 million for reconstruction efforts in Iraq, and another $100 million for Afghanistan. Turkey has committed over 800 troops and assumed command of the North American Treaty Organization (NATO) Regional Command Center in Kabul. Their Provincial Reconstruction Team has trained over 1,900 members of the Afghan army, treated 650,000 patients at two fully equipped hospitals and four clinics, and educated 37,000 young minds at the more than 30 schools it has constructed. In Iraq, Turkey's training programs for both Shiite and Sunni officials alike has been able to fill an important void in encouraging cooperation and reconciliation between the two rival factions. Of course, our common bond goes deeper than mere military and political cooperation in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have in Turkey an ally that has proven it shares our commitment to spreading democracy, both within its own borders and amongst its neighbors. Their 70 million citizens have rejected an extremist version of Islam in favor of a secular, democratic government. Turkey also has been a valuable contributor to United Nations peacekeeping missions intent on halting the bloodshed in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Sudan. Madam Speaker, Turkey has earned our respect, friendship, and gratitude, and deserves recognition for its crucial assistance over the last 60 years. I look forward to strengthening this important relationship as we continue working toward our mutual interests.

Mr. WHITFIELD

Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution and to offer my most heartfelt sympathy for all Americans who were affected by the tornadoes and other violent weather systems that hit the Delta region States including my State, Kentucky, on February 5th and 6th.

Mr. WHITFIELD

Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleagues and the Resources Committee for allowing this resolution to be considered today. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting it. The Museum of the American Quilter's Society in Paducah, Kentucky, is a non-profit institution established to educate, promote, and honor today's quiltmakers. The museum started over 16 years ago and is the largest quilt museum in the United States and, in fact, the world. The museum has the largest quilt exhibit space of any quilt museum, with three exhibit galleries, allowing for over 13,400 square feet, and over 150 quilts on exhibit year round. Quilts in the museum's permanent collection are made by quilters from throughout the nation, from Maine to Florida and Pennsylvania to California, having been made by quilters from 44 of the 50 States and a number of foreign countries. Exhibit themes include educational activities called the ``School Block Challenge,'' which are blocks of quilts made by school children from kindergarten through high school to collectively make one large quilt. Additionally, antique quilts exhibited in the museum are representative of the Nation and its cultures, featuring a wide diversity of themes and topics. Mr. Speaker, this museum is certainly a national landmark and one that promotes education and diversity, while also displaying our Nation's heritage and traditions. In order that our children and grandchildren are able to treasure these educational and significant features of our Nation we must strengthen and embrace initiatives, such as the National Quilt Museum of the United States. Therefore, I urge my colleagues to support this concurrent resolution expressing the sense of Congress that the Museum of the American Quilter's Society, located in Paducah, Kentucky, be designated as the ``National Quilt Museum of the United States.''

Mr. WHITFIELD

Mr. WHITFIELD. Madam Speaker, I rise in recognition of the city of Hartford, Kentucky, located in the First Congressional District of Kentucky. On February 3, 2008, Hartford will celebrate its bicentennial birthday. This community in western Kentucky is among the oldest towns in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the third largest city in western Kentucky. It probably has one of the most unique yet welcoming slogans, ``Home of 2,000 Happy People and a Few Soreheads.'' Hartford was settled before 1790 in an area that was often a scene of bloody strife between American Indians and 18th century pioneers. There is evidence that a settlement was made at the present site of Hartford in 1782 and this was the first fortified settlement in the lower Green River Valley of western Kentucky. The source of the town's name is uncertain. There is one tradition that a man named Hart ran a ferry there, hence the name Hart's Ford, which later became Hartford. Another tradition found in reminiscences of early times is that the town was so called because animals including deer, the male of which the English forebears called a ``Hart'' had a regular crossing or ``Ford'' at the location of Hartford on the banks of Rough Creek. The town of Hartford was formally established as ``400 acres of land heretofore designated and laid out for a town, in the county of Ohio, on Rough creek, on the land of the late Gabriel Madison, inclusive of the out and in lots by an Act of the Legislature of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, enacted February 3, 1808.'' Madam Speaker, Hartford has a rich history from its pioneer founding to the battle of brother against brother during the Civil War. Some of Hartford's famous past residents include Virgil Earp, brother of Wyatt Earp of the OK Corral acclaim, and impressionist painter Charles Courtney Curran, whose works hang in the Smithsonian Museum of Modem Art. Hartford, Kentucky, is a progressive community welcoming those from near and far to visit or make their home in this inviting community. Opportunities from tourism to high tech industry attract visitors and new residents in this community located in the heart of western Kentucky. Madam Speaker, it is with great pride that I bring to the attention of this House the historical significance and sense of community that the citizens of Hartford, Kentucky, have as they celebrate the 200th anniversary of a great American city.

Mr. WHITFIELD

Mr. WHITFIELD. Madam Speaker, I certainly want to congratulate Chairman Dingell, Ranking Member Barton, Chairman Rush and Ranking Member Stearns. Recently, we've read many articles about products coming out of China, whether it be wheat gluten, whether it be contaminated toothpaste, whether it be excessive lead in the paints of toys, and all of us are quite excited about this legislation, H.R. 4040, for the reformation that it makes in the Consumer Product Safety Commission. One thing that I would point out, and other people have already said it, but the new standards regarding lead paints implements the most stringent standard ever for lead content in children's products in this legislation. So, this is an exciting day for the American people. I think it shows that Congress does have the ability to meet very important problems facing our country. I look forward to the passage of this legislation today, and certainly want to thank the staff for the hard work that they did on both sides of the aisle.

Mr. WHITFIELD

Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose a nonbinding resolution that will have serious negative consequences to our national security. H. Res. 106, the Armenian Genocide resolution, is a dangerously short-sighted and controversial resolution that is being marked up in the Foreign Affairs Committee today. This resolution will jeopardize our relationship with a strong NATO ally, Turkey, and hinder our ability to combat the global war on terror. This resolution makes assertions about facts that historians to this date still debate. I might add that every living former Secretary of State, both Democrat and Republican, recently sent a letter to the Speaker stating that passage of this resolution would ``strain our relations with Turkey, endanger our national security interests, including the safety of our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.'' I would also point out that in today's Washington Post in an editorial, it said that ``passage of the Armenian Genocide resolution would be dangerous and grossly irresponsible.'' I hope the Foreign Affairs Committee today will reject this resolution.

Mr. WHITFIELD

Mr. WHITFIELD. I want to thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I want to say that I support one of the self-executing amendments in this rule, and it's my understanding that in the original Ag appropriations bill, there was very broad language relating to horse slaughter intending to stop horse slaughter in the U.S. that has passed this House overwhelmingly on six different occasions. And the gentlelady from Connecticut in responding to the concerns that that amendment was overbroad has asked that a self-executing amendment be included in this rule that is sponsored by three Democrats and myself. I would say that she addressed our concerns, and I would commend her for that.

Mr. WHITFIELD

Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, if there ever was a bill that should have bipartisan support, it is this SCHIP bill. All of us support health care for children. But the problem that we have in this process is that this is a bill that really did not receive the full vent of the Congress. And so here we find ourselves on the floor debating a bill that is going to be a dramatic change and expansion of government health care. The original SCHIP program was designed for 250 percent of the poverty level and above. This bill removes that limit so that States can do whatever they want to. Today there are 700,000 adults on the Children's Health Program. This bill is going to greatly expand the number of adults on the program. There even are incentives so that children will leave their parents' health plan and go to the government health plan, and in doing so, since children are generally a healthy group, the private health plan premiums are going to increase in cost. They are also imposing a fee on every private health plan in America, every self-insured health plan in America. In addition to that, they are going to lower the reimbursement for the Medicare Advantage program, which is particularly strong in rural areas, which will hurt the seniors on the Medicare Advantage program. So the bottom line, and philosophically we are not questioning anyone's motives, but there should be a full debate on this. This is dramatically expanding government health care and diminishing private health care. And that is what this debate is really all about. And I would say this: We need a strong private health system. That has been the tradition in America. And last year, for example, the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas spent more money on research and development in health care and health needs and curing diseases than all of the entities in the Canadian health plan. That is why we are upset about this program. Not that we don't want to cover children. I thank the gentleman for his generosity of time.

Mr. WHITFIELD

Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

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

Mr. WHITFIELD

Mr. WHITFIELD. I want to commend all those for the hard work they have done on this rule. I must say that the American people today, 14 percent of the American people only, approve of Congress as an institution. I think there are many reasons for that. For example, with this farm bill we have an opportunity once every 5 years to address major issues in the farm bill. Yesterday, the chairman of the Natural Resources Committee, the Budget Committee, two other Democrats and two Republicans offered an amendment to the Rules Committee on an issue that has been on this House floor five separate times and every time it passed overwhelmingly, but we needed this amendment to finally bring this issue to a conclusion. And although four people on the Rules Committee that spoke applauded our efforts and were very complimentary of it, we were not given an opportunity to bring this amendment to the floor. In addition to that, the tax issues relating to the farm bill have not been adequately explained, have not been adequately debated. In the committee that I am on, the Energy and Commerce Committee, there is an SCHIP program that provides $100 billion in cost over the next 5 years; and to pay for that, we have not had any opportunity to debate that.

Mr. WHITFIELD

Mr. WHITFIELD. Madam Speaker, I rise today with the hope that the Island of Cyprus will soon be reunified, and with resolve of her citizens and the help from the international community, both the Greek and Turkish Cypriots will know tranquility. Tragically, thirty-three years ago, violence and bloodshed ripped Cyprus apart, dividing the island. Although it is peaceful today, the Greek and Turkish Cypriots are still separated to the detriment of many Turkish Cypriots, who have been deprived of economic and social advancements. Unfortunately, decades of negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations and involving motherlands Greece and Turkey, have produced no lasting agreement. There was hope in April 2004 when the comprehensive, U.N.-sponsored ``Annan Plan,'' was put to referenda. To the dismay of the international community, this plan failed when the Greek Cypriots overwhelmingly voted against it, despite the fact that the Turkish Cypriots overwhelmingly voted in favor of it. After the unsuccessful adoption of the ``Annan Plan,'' Turkish Cypriots called for action to discuss the situation. It was then that Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat and Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos met on July 3rd and 8th, 2006, and agreed to hold further meetings based on a ``Set of Principles'' aimed at the unification of Cyprus. The meeting of the two leaders and the agreement they reached have been welcomed by the international community, including the United States, the European Union and others. It is important that this new and positive spirit demonstrated by the two Cypriot leaders be supported by the United States in order to help the parties build trust and forge an atmosphere conducive to progress and prosperity. It is our sincere hope that the spirit of reconciliation and goodwill generated in recent times will continue to be promoted by all parties involved. Madam Speaker, as the process moves forward it is also important to recognize the resolve of the Turkish Cypriot people who have demonstrated time after time an unwavering commitment to reconciliation as well as remarkable flexibility by supporting the ``Annan Plan.'' Despite their continued commitment to reunify Cyprus, Turkish Cypriots are still awaiting the fulfillment of the promises made to them by the international community that their isolation would be lifted. We believe that both the Turkish Cypriots and Turkey, whose support was crucial in securing the ``yes'' vote of the Turkish Cypriots in the 2004 referenda, should be rewarded, not penalized, in order for the process to move forward toward a lasting settlement. More than ever before, it is important to support a diplomatic compromise in Cyprus to ensure a bright future for Greek and Turkish Cypriots.

Mr. WHITFIELD

Mr. WHITFIELD. Chairman Obey, I am going to withdraw the amendment, but I would like to make this point: This is an authorized program that we are talking about. We had 2 years of hearings on this project. There is some sentiment in the Congress, I believe today, that the appropriators seem to authorize on their appropriations bill when it is convenient for them. Madam Chairman, I am going to withdraw the amendment because of the respect that I have for the gentleman from Wisconsin and the ranking member, as well as the Member from Kentucky that was talked about. I do believe that this is an effective program. We look forward to working with you as we continue through the process to try to resolve it in some way.

Mr. WHITFIELD. Madam Chairman, I thank the gentleman. I am here as an advocate for the Energy and Commerce Committee. Madam Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my amendment.

Mr. WHITFIELD. I would say to the chairman of the Appropriations Committee and the ranking member that we didn't really want to force this issue this morning. But it is a program, as has been said, we spent 2 years having hearings on this program. It mandates States to adopt these programs. We feel like it is a great program. It was funded last year, and we would respectfully request that at conference maybe the chairman and ranking member would work with us in trying to address the issue.