Charles Wilson

Mr. WILSON of Ohio

Mr. WILSON of Ohio. I would like to thank Congresswoman Waters for her hard work, for working with me on this vitally important issue. And I'm proud to support H.R. 5818 and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. WILSON of Ohio

Mr. WILSON of Ohio. Madam Speaker, as gas prices have once again hit record highs, congressional Democrats are urging President Bush to take action. For 7 years he has sat on the sidelines, and even last week at a press conference in the Rose Garden, he concluded that the cost- benefit analysis of immediate action for consumers were not persuasive enough for him to act. House Democrats are calling on President Bush to stop filling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. This reserve is 97 percent full, which is more than enough to meet any emergency we would have. Experts believe that tapping the reserve could lower our gas prices by as much as 5 cents to 25 cents per gallon. Right now, Americans need help. They're hurting. President Bush could take action today that would provide immediate relief to consumers at the pump, but he refuses to act. Once again, House Democrats urge the President to reconsider.

Mr. WILSON of Ohio

Mr. WILSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 892 which I introduced to express the support for the establishment of the National Funeral Director and Mortician Recognition Day. I introduced this resolution because I know firsthand how funeral directors help families through the grieving process in a most difficult time. Mr. Speaker, I am a fourth generation funeral director in my family, and I know very well the profound service that funeral directors provide to their communities. Funeral directors are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. When a family calls a funeral director to make arrangements for a recently deceased loved one, the funeral director must put everything else on hold and attend to the family's needs immediately. We all know that the death of a loved one can be emotionally devastating. Funeral directors play an essential role in giving families the space they need to navigate the grieving process. By taking care of all of the logistical arrangements, funeral directors allow families to celebrate the life of the recently departed and spending time together as a family. Funeral directors also provide a major public service by participating in planning for pandemic disease and other mass casualty events that could happen within their community. Because of their familiarity with the physical aspects of death, they provide invaluable technical knowledge and assistance to public officials who are responsible for contingency planning. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to say that funeral homes are also economic anchors of their community. The funeral business is often a family business with multiple generations serving the community as funeral directors. Through good economic times and bad, funeral directors are there to serve their families with caring compassion and certainly with strict integrity. As a lifelong funeral director, I know how important this service is to grieving families. This is why I think that it is proper that this Congress recognize the hard work and the sacrifice of thousands of funeral directors in this country by passing this bill. I thank Chairman Waxman for his support in this measure, and I urge the Congress to support it.

Mr. WILSON of Ohio

Mr. WILSON of Ohio. Madam Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 5819, the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technical Transfer reauthorization bill. Established in 1982, these highly competitive programs have a well-deserved reputation for success. In today's economy, small businesses are critical to U.S. innovation. In my home State of Ohio, the SBIR and the STTR programs have played an important role in improving the regional economy through science, technology and innovation. The SBIR and the STTR programs work to create jobs and increase our Nation's capacity for technological innovation. And funding these programs has been critical to the success of many businesses throughout my district. It is clear that the SBIR and the STTR programs are critical in promoting the science and technology research that drives our innovation-based economy. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this important bill.

Mr. WILSON of Ohio

Mr. WILSON of Ohio. Madam Speaker, with thousands of Americans losing their homes and jobs, skyrocketing costs for basic items such as gas prices at an all-time high, Americans everywhere are feeling the negative impact of these failed economic policies that we are living under. Congress has already enacted an economic stimulus package that will provide relief to families in need. Last week, House Democrats called on President Bush to again work in a bipartisan manner on a second stimulus package, one that would help our economy get back on track. House Democrats are also working on legislation to help 1.5 million American families to avoid foreclosure. This legislation goes further than the President's plan to help only 100,000 homeowners. This one goes to 1.5 million. Congressional Democrats are proposing strong initiatives that will help stabilize the housing market and help jump-start an economy that is simply leaving just too many people behind.

Mr. WILSON of Ohio

Mr. WILSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, American families are facing real hardships as news of the slowing economy continues to make headlines. The latest troubles came with the release of the March job numbers, the fact that 80,000 people lost their jobs last month. This was not only the third straight month of job losses, but it also was the worst in the last 5 years. Clearly, Washington must do more to stimulate the economy and assist middle-class families. Already this year, working in a bipartisan way, the Democratic Congress enacted an economic stimulus package that will give families in real need relief by providing recovery rebates starting this next month, raising loan limits for mortgages, and backing the Federal Housing Administration. This is a good start, but it can't be the end of our efforts to reverse the negative impact of 7 years of failed economic policies. Mr. Speaker, we did earlier this year what Democrats need to do, and that is pursue commonsense solutions to what our problems are and help get our economy back on track, create jobs, and speed assistance to families that are struggling.

Mr. WILSON of Ohio

Mr. WILSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, the American public is rightfully concerned about the future of our Nation's economy. Stagnant wages were already making it difficult for families to afford rising gas, home heating, grocery, and health care bills. Now, there is the added worry of losing their homes. The housing crisis could lead to more than 2 million homeowners losing their homes in the near future. Fortunately, we address some of the housing concerns in the bipartisan economic stimulus plan. In that package, we expanded affordable mortgage loan opportunities through the Federal Housing Administration, and expanded financial counseling for families who are at risk of losing their homes. This was a good start, but more needs to be done. As a member of the House Financial Services Committee, I look forward to working with Chairman Frank to move through the committee his foreclosure prevention package. Mr. Speaker, in the coming weeks I hope that we can once again come together as Republicans and Democrats in this important legislation.

Mr. WILSON of Ohio

Mr. WILSON of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I fully support the reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program, SCHIP. This legislation will ensure that 10 million children receive the vital healthcare coverage they need and deserve. Currently, more than 218,000 children in Ohio receive care through SCHIP, and the bipartisan plan vetoed by the President would have extended care to an additional 122,000 uninsured children throughout the State. The President's veto on December 12th denied health care to children of hardworking families across Ohio just as the state's unemployment rate reached 6 percent. With our economy experiencing a downturn, families are struggling to put food on the table, heat their homes and pay for ever increasing healthcare costs, making reauthorization of SCHIP more important than ever. I am saddened by this failed veto override, but will continue to fight for children's health care. I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress to strengthen SCHIP and improve health care for children in Ohio and across the Nation.

Mr. WILSON of Ohio

Mr. WILSON of Ohio. Madam Speaker, on Wednesday, January 23, 2008, I was unable to vote on rollcall 21 and 22 due to unavoidable circumstances. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' for both votes.

Mr. WILSON of Ohio

Mr. WILSON of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate one of the worst infrastructure disasters this Nation has ever seen. On December 15, 1967, at about 5 p.m., the Silver Bridge collapsed. It spanned the Ohio River from Gallia County in my district to Mason County West Virginia. That disastrous accident killed 46 people. Most of them had just left work and were headed home. This horrible tragedy, which was the result of the failure of a single eye-bar supporting the bridge, spurred Congressional action that led to the first federal bridge inspection requirements. Madam Speaker, I wish I could announce today that our nation wisely learned the lesson of the Silver Bridge Collapse. Unfortunately, the more recent collapse of the I-35 bridge in Minneapolis shows just how much our infrastructure has decayed because of inadequate investment. While I am glad that the appropriations bill we passed last night includes investment in bridges, I am convinced that much more work needs to be done. On this 40th anniversary, let us take a moment to remember the 46 people killed in the Silver Bridge collapse. Even 40 years after the disaster, their absence is felt by their families and communities. Let us resolve today to honor their memories by doing all we can to ensure that the bridges, tunnels and roads that make up our nation's byways are safe and secure.

Mr. WILSON of Ohio

Mr. WILSON of Ohio. Madam Speaker, it is important to commend the service of one of Ohio's distinguished public servants. Charles Vanik served for 26 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, and we are better for his service. He died at the age of 94 in September. Representative Vanik is best remembered for his work that allowed more Russian Jews to immigrate to this country. During his tenure in the House, Representative Vanik of Cleveland also fought tirelessly for Social Security and Medicare. Nearly all of Representative Vanik's life was devoted to public service. In the Navy, as a Cleveland Municipal Judge, in the Ohio Senate and through 26 years here in the House he worked tirelessly for the public. The great State of Ohio and this country mourn his passing. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Betty, their children and grandchildren.

Mr. WILSON of Ohio

Mr. WILSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, last week the House and Senate passed a bill ensuring that 10 million low-income children have access to the quality health care coverage they need to live healthy and productive lives. Democrats and Republicans alike worked together to do what was right for our Nation's children. This bipartisan agreement will strengthen the SCHIP program over the next 5 years by ensuring that an additional 4 million low-income children receive access to health care coverage they desperately need. At a time when the number of uninsured children is increasing, we need to do more, more to ensure that they have access to quality health care, and that is what this bipartisan agreement does. Despite strong bipartisan support here in Congress, President Bush is threatening to veto this bill. Instead, he favors a plan that would take health care coverage away from needy children. A million children would lose health insurance coverage. He should reconsider his veto threat and support our bipartisan legislation.

Mr. WILSON of Ohio

Mr. WILSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill. It contains language that I introduced to help us avoid a case of unintended consequences. This spring, a provision was slipped into the Iraq War Supplemental appropriation that requires Medicaid prescriptions to be written on tamper-resistant pads for Medicaid reimbursements starting October 1. The tamper-proof pad mandate was designed to fight fraud, and that's a good thing, but this October 1 deadline isn't enough time for States to inform providers and patients about the new requirements. This could mean patients are turned away from pharmacies as of this next week and their prescriptions not be filled. And that paper isn't widely available. Pharmacies that fill prescriptions not written on that special paper may be forced out of business if they're not getting reimbursed by Medicaid. All we need is a 6-month delay. The clock is ticking on this, and I'm asking for your help.

Mr. WILSON of Ohio

Mr. WILSON of Ohio. Madam Speaker, Democrats are taking a new direction in America. We realize that restoring the American Dream begins with a great education. Unfortunately, over the last 6 years affording a 4-year college education has become increasingly difficult, especially for the middle class. That is why this Congress is providing the single largest investment in higher education since the creation of the GI Bill. We make college more affordable for all Americans by reducing the cost of student loans and increasing the size of Pell Grants, and we do this all with no new cost to the taxpayers. Our investment in college students would be paid for by reducing the excessive Federal subsidies to the student loan industry. Madam Speaker, this new Democratic Congress is working to help restore the American Dream by opening the doors of a college education to more Americans. We need to all work together to raise all boats.

Mr. WILSON of Ohio

Mr. WILSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I join with my colleagues here today saddened by the death of Paul Gillmor. Paul and I took much the same track to come here to Congress in that Paul served diligently for the State of Ohio in the Ohio senate. As a matter of fact, he and his wife, Karen, both left quite a legacy there and then moved on to Congress. I knew Paul, but through other people, so to speak, until I came to Congress. I can still remember how welcoming he was to me as another Ohio delegate and welcoming me to be here in Congress. I was very comfortable when he, Deborah Pryce and I were the Congress people hosting a banking financial seminar in Columbus not too many months ago, 4, 5 or 6 months ago. It was good to sit with Paul. We sort of chatted in between the time. One of the things that comes to mind about Paul is that he was my sister, Becky's, Congressman. She lives in Henry County in part of his district. She is a yellow dog Democrat, but she loved Paul Gillmor. Just as recently as last night, before we knew any of this had happened, we talked about him at dinner. She said, ``Paul Gillmor always listens to us.'' So she felt very proud of her relationship with her Congressman. I think many people have felt that way about Paul. When this type of thing happens, it shows you the compassion and the feeling among us, as one body, as one set of people representing America. I think that is what makes our country different from others. Paul Gillmor was certainly a perfect example of that. So my heart and my sympathy go out to his wife, Karen, and his five children. Hopefully, they will be able to continue the legacy he has set for the Gillmor family. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WILSON of Ohio

Mr. WILSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, this week the House will vote on the CHAMP Act, a bill that reauthorizes our Children's Health Insurance Program. This program will provide millions of children new health coverage and, through this program, protects Medicare for America's seniors. Passing the CHAMP Act will reauthorize the vital CHIP program, which is set to expire September 30 of this year. Currently 6 million vulnerable American children receive health care benefits through the CHIP. If CHIP did not exist, these millions of children would not have access to quality health care. The CHAMP Act also provides protection for our seniors. It ensures that they continue to have access to the doctors of their choice by stopping a 10 percent payment cut to the doctors and encourages them to seek preventative health care benefits by eliminating copayments and deductibles. Mr. Speaker, in one bill, this House is addressing the health care needs of our children and our seniors.

Mr. WILSON of Ohio

Mr. WILSON of Ohio. Madam Speaker, today, for the first time in a decade, America's minimum wage workers are getting a pay raise. The minimum wage increase would never have happened had not congressional Democrats made it one of their top priorities when we came to Capitol Hill at the beginning of this year. During our first 100 hours, House Democrats passed this much-deserved pay raise with the support of 82 congressional Republicans. As health care and groceries and energy and housing costs skyrocket for the average consumer, for many years these needs were ignored for millions of Americans. And every day the minimum wage was not raised, it lost its value. As a matter of fact, the minimum wage was at its lowest level in inflation-adjusted terms since 1955. This is simply not fair, and that's why the new Democratic Congress has made increasing the minimum wage one of its top priorities. And with this increase today, Madam Speaker, Democrats are delivering on the promise that we made to the American people.

Mr. WILSON of Ohio

Mr. WILSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, this legislation provides a plan for responsible redeployment of our troops. This is the time to set a new course. Setting a date certainly gives the Iraqis the incentive to actually work to meet some benchmarks. Our military men and women are among our most precious resources. They are performing admirably with courage in a situation that they never should have been asked to be in in the first place. They are doing their job. Now we must do ours. We must bring them home. On a recent trip to Walter Reed to visit a seriously wounded marine from my district in Pomeroy, Ohio, I saw again the damage this war has done. Not just to this young man, but to his family also. They have all put their jobs and their lives on hold to care for him. His courage and conviction are not in question. That marine would go back to Iraq tomorrow if we asked him to. We must not ask. How much more blood should be shed? How many more families must we shatter? Enough is enough.

Mr. WILSON of Ohio

Mr. WILSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, this week the House will consider legislation that begins to restore our commitment to our national parks and our environmental protection. Over the past 6 years, the Republican-led Congress has cut critical funding to maintain and restore our national parks and our water infrastructure. This new Democratic Congress is not going to allow them to crumble from neglect. That is why we are making a major investment in upgrading our national parks and our water infrastructure. The bill also improves the quality of drinking water throughout the country by restoring funding to the Clean Water Revolving Fund Act, an important program that saw significant cuts under the previous Republican-led Congress. This bill is further proof that Democrats are taking America in a new direction, investing in key priorities that will protect our drinking water and our national parks.

Mr. WILSON of Ohio

Mr. WILSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, this week the new Democratic House addresses two of our Nation's most important issues, global warming and energy independence. This new Democratic Congress recognizes that we must take wide- ranging action to lessen our dependence on foreign oil and to cut our greenhouse gas emissions to protect our planet, to reduce energy prices, and to boost our economy while strengthening our national security. This week we will bring an Energy and Water funding bill to the floor that makes a significant investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. We invest $51 million more than the President has asked for in our solar energy and more affordable, $70 million more for the development of biofuels, and $59 million more to develop technologies to improve our fuel efficiency. Mr. Speaker, this new Democratic Congress is serious about addressing the issues that have been ignored for far too long. I would hope our energy bill would receive strong bipartisan support this week.

Mr. WILSON of Ohio

Mr. WILSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, during this year's appropriations process, Democrats have brought forward funding bills that allow the Federal Government to meet the needs of the American people while adhering to fiscal responsibility and balancing the budget in the next 5 years. One example of this is the 2008 Energy and Water Appropriations bill which was supposed to be on the floor today, but it has been delayed by the Republican Party. This legislation works to force the twin concerns of global climate change and the national energy crisis that is weighing on our country. It includes over $3 billion for researching climate change and the technologies to help slow it down, and invests in renewable energy programs that both reduce greenhouse gases and help our Nation meet its energy needs. I hope my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will join us in moving this important process forward so we can produce positive results for the American people.

Mr. WILSON of Ohio

Mr. WILSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, this week the House will consider the 2008 Homeland Security Appropriations bill, which addresses our most pressing security needs in America. This legislation makes many of the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission a reality. It puts new emphasis on protecting our ports and our rail and transit systems. Aviation security is also strengthened with improvements to baggage screenings and a requirement that doubles the amount of cargo screened for explosives on passenger aircraft. And the bill makes critical investments into border and immigration security as well, by increasing the number of Border Patrol agents to a record 17,800 agents in all. Finally, Mr. Speaker, this legislation provides for the protection of our Nation while ensuring that taxpayer dollars are well spent by acquiring accountability of our tax dollars.

Mr. WILSON of Ohio

Mr. WILSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, at the end of the day today, this House will send our military a strong message, that we are going to provide them the equipment and the benefits that they so desperately need and deserve as they continue to fight two different wars in Iraq, and certainly in Afghanistan. This legislation, Mr. Speaker, will help protect our troops on the battlefield by providing $4 billion for special vehicles, transportation, that is going to be used in these two wars. At a time when our equipment is being worn out, the legislation also creates a Defense Readiness Production Board that will identify serious readiness issues and will then allow the board to address those issues through funds that are placed in a Strategic Readiness Funds. In this House, we certainly have differences on how to proceed in Iraq, but we are united in ensuring that our troops are taken care of, both on the battlefield and here at home. Let's support this bill today.

Mr. WILSON of Ohio

Mr. WILSON of Ohio. Madam Speaker, today the House begins debate on the Defense authorization bill, a bill that was passed out of the Armed Services Committee 58-0, unanimously. The legislation received the support of the entire committee because it focuses on our Nation's immediate threats and the benefits our soldiers need today. The Defense bill authorizes substantial resources to improve the protection of our troops, including $4 billion for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles. These vehicles have been shown to dramatically reduce the injuries of our soldiers. We want to ensure that our troops have access to the best equipment that will protect them while they are in battle. In his budget earlier this year, the President proposed giving our troops a 3 percent pay raise. This Congress believes they deserve more, and consequently they will receive a 3.5 percent raise. Madam Speaker, this Defense bill shows our dedication to the troops on the front lines, and it deserves strong bipartisan support.

Mr. WILSON of Ohio

Mr. WILSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, it has now been 4 months since Democrats took control of Congress, and already we see a dramatic change in how business is done on Capitol Hill. To begin with, we restored the 5-day workweek so that actually we are addressing the people's business. Longer workweeks have led to more bills and resolutions being passed. In 2005 the previous Congress had only 72 bills up to this point. This year alone we have already passed 165. That is almost 100 bills more in this short 4-month period of time. We have also approved a budget for the upcoming fiscal year that significantly increases funding for veterans' health care, children's health care and education. And we do it all without raising taxes, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we've only been in charge now for 4 months, but we are already producing positive results for the American people.