Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chairman, I congratulate the chairman and ranking member on a very well-crafted and bipartisan bill. I'd like to particularly thank the chairman for including a nearly $100 million increase to the Ryan White CARE Act. My amendment would add a $3.5 million increase to Ryan White title IV funding. Title IV's unique model of coordinated, family-centered care has proven successful at promoting better health. HIV-positive children treated by title IV have reduced hospitalizations, fewer symptoms, and fewer opportunistic infections, resulting in overall improved health and longer life. Babies are more likely to be born HIV-free if their HIV-positive mothers receive prenatal care through a title IV program. Nearly 90 percent of the people cared for by title IV live below the poverty level, and 88 percent are African American or Latino. As HIV infections in women and young people continue to rise, disproportionately impacting low-income women and youth of color, title IV programs have needed additional resources in recent years. A $3.5 million increase to title IV will prevent cuts to HIV services for women, children, youth and families living with HIV. Even this modest increase can help bring more pregnant women and young people into care and keep them in care. Madam Chairman, I thank the chairman of the committee and the ranking member as well, and I want to acknowledge the advocacy and support of Congressman Hank Johnson from the State of Georgia as well. Madam Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, the President continues to ask this Congress and the American people to ``stay the course'' in Iraq. Well, Mr. President, today the American people and the Congress have said ``no more.'' Today I add my voice once again to the growing number of retired military generals, the Iraq Study Group, and untold thousands of rank and file on the front lines who were calling for a new direction in Iraq. The success of our military depends on a sound strategy. Yet instead of fighting the terrorists in the mountains of Afghanistan, our armed forces are overextended after 4 years of refereeing a civil war in the sands of Iraq. The President's escalation of this war, his so-called surge, is not working. That much is clear. Since the escalation of this war 6 months ago, more than 25,000 troops have been sent to Iraq, 600 more U.S. soldiers have died, and more than 3,000 troops have been wounded. Countless thousands of Iraqis are dead, and today the violence in Iraq is at an all-time high. Those are facts that no one can deny. Our troops have performed heroically in Iraq, but the Iraqi Government has failed to meet any, any of the benchmarks endorsed by the President in January. Political reconciliation within Iraq is nonexistent. A change of course is long overdue. The time has come for the United States to responsibly redeploy our troops from Iraq and to refocus our efforts on protecting Americans from terrorism. The time has come for Iraqis to take primary responsibility for their country and for their security. Let me be clear on one additional point. Democrats support the troops. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I personally have consistently voted to fund our troops and to provide our soldiers in the line of fire with the resources that they need. I do this because our brave servicemen and women are not risking their lives each and every day for one political party over another. They are risking their lives for America. Our Nation owes our troops a strategy that is worthy of their sacrifice. But ``stay the course'' is not that strategy. It is a slogan that continues to fail them. No, Mr. Speaker, if we really want to support our troops, it is time to get them out of Iraq and redeploy them to other areas where they can fight the terrorists who have attacked and who continue to threaten our Nation. That's where the war on terror should be waged.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of The Responsible Redeployment from Iraq Act, and I thank Chairman Skelton for his leadership and his dedication to the readiness of our troops and the continuing excellence of the United States armed forces. The President continues to ask this Congress and the American people to ``stay the course'' in Iraq. Well, Mr. President, today the American people and the Congress say, ``No more!!'' Instead, I add my voice once again to the growing number of retired military generals, the Iraq Study Group, and untold thousands of rank- and-file on the front lines who are calling for a new direction in Iraq. The success of our military depends on a sound strategy. Yet, instead of fighting terrorists in the mountains of Afghanistan, our armed forces are overextended after four years of refereeing a civil war in the sands of Iraq. The President's escalation of this war,--his so-called ``surge''--is not working. That much is clear. Since the escalation of this war 6 months ago, more than 25,000 troops have been sent to Iraq, 600 more U.S. soldiers have died and more than 3,000 troops have been wounded. Countless thousands of Iraqis are dead, and today the violence in Iraq is at an all-time high! Our troops have performed heroically in Iraq, but the Iraqi government has failed to meet any of the benchmarks endorsed by the President in January. Political reconciliation within Iraq is non- existent. A change of course is long overdue. The time has come for the United States to responsibly re-deploy our troops from Iraq and to refocus our efforts on protecting Americans from terrorism. The time has come for Iraqis to take primary responsibility for their country and their security. Mr. Speaker, this bill will do exactly that. Let me be clear on one additional point. Democrats support the troops. As a Member of the Appropriations Committee, I have consistently voted to fund our troops and provide our soldiers in the line of fire with the resources they need. I do this because our brave service men and women are not risking their lives each and every day for one political party or the other. They are risking their lives for America. Our Nation owes our troops a strategy that is worthy of their sacrifice. But ``stay the course'' is not that strategy. It is a slogan that continues to fail them. No, Mr. Speaker, if we really want to support our troops, it is now time to get them out of Iraq and re-deploy them to other areas where they can fight the terrorists who have attacked, and who continue to threaten our Nation.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Miller for his recognition. I rise in support of the College Cost Reduction Act and want to thank my good friend, the chairman, for his leadership and the members of the committee for their exceptional work. While I am very supportive of the bill's overall goal, I have a concern that the bill incorporates the Bush administration's proposal to significantly cut the yield on all lenders across the board. Students and parents have saved millions of dollars due to smaller competitive lenders offering consolidation loans at lower interest rates. Greater competition leads to lower prices and more choices for the consumer. I do want to thank the chairman for his recognition of small lenders. And quite honestly, he's worked very, very hard to get the legislation to this point, and I know he continues to try to do that. I want to thank the chairman for eliminating the origination fee for small lenders because that's an important part of this bill as well. It will lower interest rates for students in the future. But we must ensure that individuals currently enrolled do not pay more when they're starting to repay their loans. I look forward to working with Chairman Miller and the ranking member and hope that this matter will be addressed in conference, and I know the chairman has committed to continue to try to do that. We must ensure that we help all students, parents and lenders equally and fairly.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, I am listed as voting ``nay'' during rollcall vote number 529 on H.R. 2764, the ``Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2008'' when it was before the House of Representatives on Thursday, June 21, 2007. This is an error. I support the Shays of Connecticut Amendment on the Iraq Study Group and want it noted that had my intention been properly expressed I would be recorded as having voted ``aye.''

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, teaching is among the most noble and demanding of professions; and excellence in the delivery of education helps not only individuals, but the entire community, become more tolerant, knowledgeable, and strong. The effectiveness and efficiency of learning depends, in large measure, on those individuals who have dedicated their life to quality education, public service, and excellence. Recognizing one educator in particular, I would like to congratulate Dr. Stephen Paul Pollinger for his recent Law Teacher of the Year for Middle School Award, given to him by the American Bar Association. After receiving his doctorate in education from Fordham University in New York, he taught at several universities, most recently at Florida Atlantic University, while serving as the Middle School Administrator at Donna Klein Jewish Academy in Boca Raton, FL. Dr. Pollinger has also served as a staff developer for the Broward County School Board, curriculum designer in social science, principal at the elementary and middle school levels, and participated in creating Holocaust education that is now a part of the Florida curriculum. After taking on the law program at Seminole Middle School in Plantation, FL, he involved the school in the Broward County Mock Trial program under the direction of Judge Robert Diaz. Seminole Middle School not only participated in the program, but they won the competition! It was the success of this program that led to Dr. Pollinger involving the students in the American Bar Association's mock trials competition. His participation and leadership in education led Dr. Pollinger to win the American Bar Association's Law Teacher of the Year for Middle Schools. He will travel to San Francisco in August to receive the award, while simultaneously representing Seminole Middle School, Broward County, the State of Florida, and of course my home district, Florida 20. With that said Madam Speaker, I am honored to recognize Dr. Stephen Paul Pollinger for his positive impact on the lives of others.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I might also add to my good friend, the gentleman from Texas, that this President, our 43rd, has racked up more foreign debt than all 42 previous Presidents combined. So if we are going to discuss who it is that is responsible for the numbers on your mock-up chart, let's ensure that we put the full blame on the 43rd President who is fully responsible for the number on that chart and fully responsible for the debt that has been accumulated more than the 42 other Presidents combined.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word in opposition to the amendment. Mr. Chairman, I have heard many times from the gentleman from Pennsylvania the suggestion that drilling for natural gas is low impact compared to oil drilling. In fact, he even called it clean on the floor today. Unfortunately, this opinion runs contrary to scientific findings on the matter. There are drastic and devastating environmental and economic repercussions that come with drilling into the ocean floor, drilling into the ocean floor. Mr. Peterson refers to the use of natural gas as a clean fuel, and that may well be true. But what we are talking about here is drilling into the ocean floor so close to our beaches, that is a problem for both my home State of Florida, as well as the rest of the Nation. According to the Minerals Management Service, once exploratory drilling begins, the toxic impacts are similar for either oil or gas exploration or development. Drilling operations produce hundreds of thousands of gallons of drilling muds that routinely discharge toxic metals such as lead, mercury and cadmium. None of those seem clean to me. Water discharged from drilling and exploratory operations often contain dangerous levels of carcinogens and radioactive materials such as benzene, toluene and arsenic. None of those seem clean to me either. The impact is not just limited to the off-shore platform. Natural gas drilling requires on-shore storage and processing facilities, including miles of pipelines, roads, ports, helipads and dorms. The gentleman from Pennsylvania seeks to minimize the perception of the impact of drilling for natural gas, when the reality is that it would generate toxic poisons seeping into our oceans, have a significant impact environmentally on our coastline, and be a significant danger to opening the door, not just to gas drilling, but oil drilling as well. I urge my colleagues to protect the oceans and breaches of the United States and oppose the Peterson amendment, both this one and the next one that is offered. Announcement by the Acting Chairman

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 505, to highlight the important contribution of the recreational boating community and the boating industry to our way of life, and to call upon the President to issue a proclamation asking the American people to observe National Boating Day. As a Representative of Florida's 20th Congressional District, I can attest to the important contribution recreational boating and the boating industry has had upon South Florida's economy and quality of life. The marine industry is responsible for more than $18 billion of revenues and 220,000 jobs in Florida. Recreational boating is integral to the way of life in Florida. From fishing to snorkeling to scuba driving in our beautiful coral reefs, or simply taking a scenic cruise through Florida's intra-coastal waterways, recreational boating and South Florida go hand in hand. In fact, recreational boating is such an important part of Ft. Lauderdale that the city has earned the well-deserved nickname, the ``Venice of America.'' But the contributions of the recreational boating community go far beyond my home State. The boating population exceeds 73 million individuals utilizing and enjoying an estimated 18 million recreational watercraft. In addition, the recreational boating industry provides more than $39 billion in sales and services to the U.S. economy, and provides nearly 380,000 manufacturing jobs. Boating helps to bring us closer to the wonders of nature, and it helps us to appreciate the need to be goods stewards of our natural resources. It's no surprise that boaters often are some of our most ardent conservationists, because they see firsthand the importance of protecting our fragile ecosystem for generations to come. It's for these reasons that I rise in support of H. Res. 505, recognizing the contributions of the recreational boating community and the boating industry to the continuing prosperity and affluence of the United States. This resolution calls upon the President to issue a proclamation to observe National Boating Day, with an appropriate day being July 1. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 505 and vote for its final passage.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, I just want to address my comments to the remark by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions) where he indicated that there is a 7-percent increase in the legislative branch appropriations bill. That is factually inaccurate. If you take into consideration the $50 million rescission that we had in the CR for 2007, we are actually at a 2.4-percent increase. Not taking that $50 million rescission, which came out of the Library of Congress, we are actually at a 4.4-percent increase in this bill. So that is factually inaccurate. I want to make sure that we are dealing with facts. My colleague is incorrect. We have really made an effort, both Mr. Wamp and myself, at being fiscally responsible, recognizing that we are in a difficult fiscal situation and constraining our spending, but at the same time making sure we can focus on life, safety and security needs, and the protection and oversight responsibilities that we need to make sure we can do in this institution.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Clerk be authorized to make technical corrections in the engrossment of H.R. 2764 and H.R. 2771, to include corrections in spelling, punctuation, section number and cross-referencing, and the insertion of appropriate headings.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Yes, it is. It is an initiative from former Speaker Hastert. I strongly urge you to vote against the motion to recommit. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. I would be happy to yield to the gentleman.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. I want to point out and remind my colleagues that Mr. Wamp and I are proud to report to you that we have brought the legislative branch appropriations bill in at $276 million below the request. The easiest thing in the world to do is jump on the table and to cry waste. I want to also point out that this is a security upgrade, funding for security upgrades requested by former Speaker Hastert and continued by Speaker Pelosi so that we can ensure that we provide swing space for our very cramped space so that we can properly renovate the Cannon and Longworth House Office Buildings. I ask my colleagues to come over and look at these pictures of the deterioration of our facilities. These are pictures of the 100-year-old Cannon House Office Building. If you take a look at the deterioration and life, safety and security upgrades that this facility needs, we can no longer wait to make these upgrades, and to make sure that we can protect the people who work here and the people who visit us. They are deteriorating and badly in need of renovation. What the gentleman from Georgia's motion to recommit would do is delay for years, if not make it impossible, for us to begin renovation and repairs on our aging House facilities. My colleagues, this committee does not deal with the sexiest of subjects that confront us every day, and I have only been here for 2 years and the chair of this subcommittee for the last 5 months. You don't earn a reputation as an institutionalist in that short period of time, but it is my hope to be able to do that over time. We are stewards of this great institution, but we are also stewards just as much of these facilities. My colleague on the Appropriations Committee, Jose Serrano of New York, recently made a wonderful suggestion to remind us of the history embedded even in what may seem mundane, the space we occupy each day. He suggested that we each have plaques in our offices with the names of our predecessors in Congress who occupied that space before us. My own office, I was thrilled to learn, was once occupied by former Congressman Lyndon Johnson. My point is they may seem like buildings and office space to the outside world, but we know better. How many of us countless times have found ourselves approaching this beautiful building we are now in and marveling privately to ourselves, wow, I work here, what an incredible privilege. But with privilege comes responsibility. We must think about the institution, but we must also think about our hard-working staff. The number of hours they toil in these facilities is mind-boggling. You might be surprised to learn that the average work space for each of our staff is about 36 square feet. And I want to show you what 36 square feet is. This is 36 square feet. That is how much space that we allot, on average, to our employees. GSA recommends an average of 100 square feet of space per employee. We need to renovate so that we can make sure we are not cramming our staff into unreasonable boxes for hours on end. Our staff make incredible sacrifices to serve the public, our constituents, and they help us do our job. We must make sure that we keep these facilities, the place they work every day and night, safe for them. We must make sure we keep these facilities safe and in good condition for our constituents and our successors. Mr. Kingston's amendment is well-meaning, but it is not responsible, and it is not an eye toward the future with respect for our past. I strongly urge you to vote against the motion to recommit.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, I claim the time in opposition.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chair, at this time I yield the balance of our time to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran), the former ranking member of this subcommittee.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. I would ask that he speak for 1 minute and then we will close in opposition.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chair, how much time do I have left?

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chair, this is a fiscally responsible bill. Again, we have held the bill to a 4.1 percent increase, only $122 million over actual spending in fiscal year 2007, and if you take into consideration the $50 million rescission in the CR, we are at a 2.3 percent increase. That is $276 million below the total budget request. Again, I want to point to the minority views, where the minority agreed this bill is fiscally responsible. They say, ``On balance, the funding provided in this bill to operate the legislative branch agencies is fiscally responsible.'' This bill funds the must-have's, not the nice-to-have's, by targeting increases towards keeping the agencies running, providing Congress with the tools it needs to perform its oversight responsibility, and funding critical security and life safety projects. The amendment, if adopted, would eliminate $50 million worth of critical health and safety and security projects that we would be unable to fund if a 4 percent across-the-board reduction were adopted. This amendment would eliminate funding for things like the $5 million we have in this bill to ensure that the Capitol Police have interoperable radios. According to the new police chief, a new radio system is their number one priority. The existing radio system is 20 years old. It is antiquated and outdated. It is not encrypted nor secure, and it is not interoperable. Hurricane Katrina showed the importance of interoperable communications during a crisis. It also would eliminate funding potentially monitoring the utility tunnel abatement. We had tunnel workers who were subjected to horrendous conditions and have been exposed to asbestos, and we are endeavoring to make sure that we can make up for that and provide the funding for the abatement. That would be impossible if this amendment were adopted. We provide $1.2 million for escape hoods for our Library visitors, $1 million for emergency exit signs and lighting in the capital, and emergency lighting upgrades in Rayburn. The amendment would also impair our agency's work. It would put the legislative branch agencies back to a fiscal year 2006 funding level since there was no increase in 2007. In practical terms, the impact of this would be less capability on the part of GAO to assist Congress in its oversight responsibilities; fewer and less timely products from CRS to assist Members in their legislative duties, a further reduction in CBO's ability to score Member bills, which was pointed out in the Rules Committee as already being a problem; elimination of the digital talking book conversion program for the blind; a reduced ability for the Office of Compliance to pursue health safety issues around the Capitol complex, even as we get ready to add new space with the approaching opening of the CVC; the Architect's operations would be strained to keep up with increases in utility costs; and, finally, since 77 percent of this bill is labor costs, as is most of the increase, this amendment would surely result in a reduction in our workforce. It is irresponsible. Mr. Wamp and I have endeavored to put forward a bill that is fiscally responsible, fiscally tight, and ensures the life, safety and security needs of the people who work and visit here. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chair, I really believe that we should approach this in the appropriate way. If we want to change the statute and go to electronic production of the Congressional Record, that is what we should do. We should not simply hamstring the GPO by requiring them to print a Congressional Record and not ensuring they have adequate funds to do that, when they are already in a deficit situation. I urge my colleagues to oppose the amendment.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. I yield the gentleman 30 seconds.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. How much time do I have left?