[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 169 (Thursday, November 20, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H11660-H11661]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF MOTIONS TO SUSPEND THE RULES.

  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I 
call up House Resolution 449 and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 449

       Resolved, That it shall be in order at any time on the 
     legislative day of Thursday, November 20, 2003, for the 
     Speaker to entertain motions that the House suspend the 
     rules. The Speaker or his designee shall consult with the 
     Minority Leader or her designee on the designation of any 
     matter for consideration pursuant to this resolution.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bass). The gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Sessions) is recognized for 1 hour.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield 
the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. 
Slaughter), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. 
During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the 
purpose of debate only.
  This rule provides that suspensions will be in order at any time on 
the legislative day of Thursday, November 20, 2003. It also provides 
that the Speaker, or his designee, will consult with the minority 
leader, or her designee, on any suspension considered under the rule.
  Mr. Speaker, the Republican leadership of this House has set out an 
aggressive legislative plan for this week on behalf of the American 
people. The goal of this plan is to pass a number of bills over the 
next few days that will dramatically improve the quality of life for 
all Americans. This week we have already succeeded in passing an energy 
conference report that will bring our Nation's outdated energy policy 
into the 21st century through comprehensive legislation that promotes 
conservation, reduces America's growing dependence on foreign oil, and 
creates new jobs.
  For the balance of the week we are slated to consider legislation 
among the following things: number one, to authorize spending levels 
for intelligence activities needed to win the war on terrorism; number 
two, to reform Medicare to make sure that more of our seniors have 
prescription drug coverage that they need while also giving them more 
and better choices for their health care coverage, also to allow all 
Americans to begin planning for their health needs through savings 
accounts that can be purchased, can grow, and can be used on a tax-free 
basis; and, number three, to provide for a uniform national credit 
recording system that ensures that consumers are protected from 
identity theft while giving them access to the fast and reliable credit 
that makes our economy the envy of the rest of the world.
  I understand that Members on both sides of the aisle may have 
different views about how to address these issues, and we will have the 
opportunity to hear a great deal of debate from both sides over the 
next few days on each of these issues and many others. However, a great 
deal of legislation that the Republican House leadership has also 
scheduled for consideration on behalf of all Americans has broad 
support from both the majority and the minority. And in an attempt to 
make sure that this important work is finished by the end of this 
legislative week as well, we are here to pass a rule to provide for 
consideration of these bills.
  This balanced rule provides the minority with an ability to consult 
with the Speaker on any suspension that is offered, ensuring that their 
input and views are duly considered before any legislation is 
considered under this rule brought to the floor.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to 
support this noncontroversial, balanced rule.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume, and I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding me 30 
minutes.
  (Ms. SLAUGHTER asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
her remarks.)
  Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, this unusual move to allow for 
consideration of motions to suspend the rules provides this body with a 
great opportunity. Many pieces of legislation important to our 
constituents are awaiting consideration. With this rule we have a 
wonderful chance to address some of these significant issues. We should 
consider legislation to extend Federal unemployment benefits for an 
additional 6 months; I believe that would pass unanimously. Currently 
unemployment benefits are set to expire on December 31. We should not 
allow the millions of Americans still desperately looking for work to 
begin the next year in the lurch.
  I am particularly concerned about the loss of 44,000 manufacturing 
jobs in Upstate New York since 2002. In Rochester alone, manufacturing 
employment is down 20 percent. In these tough economic times, it is our 
duty to help; and since we are rushing to adjournment this week, this 
is our last opportunity.
  Mr. Speaker, I would also like to use this golden opportunity to pass 
the genetic nondiscrimination legislation. Since 1995 I have led the 
fight to pass this nonpartisan, noncontroversial, and widely supported 
legislation. The bill currently has 236 cosponsors from both sides of 
the aisle, the support of over 200 outside organizations, and the 
support of the President of the United States. Last month the other 
body unanimously passed the legislation which prohibits genetic 
discrimination. This is critical to the health of the country, 
something we have talked about all week. If we do not pass this 
legislation to prohibit genetic discrimination, we are in danger of 
bringing much of the research that we are so proud of in the United 
States to a halt.
  Discrimination is already taking place. We have lots of evidence of 
it both in employment and insurance. If we want to continue to be on 
the forefront of science and to be able to make our residents and 
citizens the healthiest in the world, this bill should be passed. I 
want to urge the Speaker of the House today to put this bill on the 
suspension calendar, let us pass it, let the President sign it, and let 
us all move toward better health.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. 
Corrine Brown).
  Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman 
for yielding me this time.
  I had not planned to come to the floor this morning, but I was 
sitting in my office and I heard my colleague from Florida mention 
Claude Pepper's name in relationship to this Medicare bill. Claude 
Pepper would be turning over in his grave by this bill. It was an 
insult to all of the fine work that Claude Pepper did in this House, 
and he would be on this floor speaking against this horrible bill.
  This Republican Medicare bill is a slap in the face for every senior 
struggling to pay for needed medicine. The leadership of this House is 
not pushing this bill because they care about seniors. In fact, they 
would end the program altogether. In 1995 the majority leader called 
Medicare ``a program I would have no part of.'' Another leader said ``a 
program that I hope will wither on the vine.'' Now they want us to 
believe the spin that they really care about Medicare.
  A zebra cannot change its stripes, Mr. Speaker, and the American 
people are not buying this sham. America's seniors are happy with the 
Medicare program, and we should provide for a prescription drug benefit 
the same way we provide for doctor visits through Medicare and not 
through a private program that even the insurance industry says will 
not work. This is a life-and-death issue for many of our seniors, and 
this hollow bill does nothing for that.
  And I want to close quoting the only black Supreme Court Justice we 
ever had, Thurgood Marshall. He said: ``A snake is a snake. It does not 
matter whether it is black or white; if it bites you, it is the same.'' 
And I can say that for the Republicans on this bill, and I can also say 
that for AARP, who has left the people.

[[Page H11661]]

  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  It is early in the morning in Washington, and we are back at it again 
talking about this wonderful opportunity that we have to come down to 
the floor of the House of Representatives and speak our minds. And it 
is no surprise to the American public that the Democrat Party and its 
Members oppose reform in Medicare. It is no surprise to the American 
public that we recognize that the Democrat Party is not only opposed to 
reform but also to competition, which is what is in this bill; and it 
is no surprise to the American public that what will happen in the next 
day or two as the debate gets closer is that the American public will 
hear and find out about how the market reforms and things and ideas 
that will come from this bill will make life better for millions of 
Americans.
  What is surprising is to hear the Democrat Party lambast AARP. The 
AARP is that organization for senior citizens all across this country 
who I think has made a very wise and careful decision to look at this 
prescription drug plan, and they have very clearly said that the 
Republican Party is right on the policy and they are right on what will 
give long-term success to this great Nation.
  But we have heard very clearly this morning what the Democrat Party 
intends to do. They intend to keep Medicare exactly the way it is, in 
trouble financially and will very soon go bankrupt.
  Reform is necessary if we are going to save this system, but reform 
is also necessary for the millions of Americans who today are without 
the ability to purchase health care solely because of money. What we 
are going to do is make it easier for Americans, not just people who go 
to work but some of them who are just now entering the marketplace, to 
be able to save money for health care on a pretax and tax-free basis, 
an opportunity for them to save this money and, when they are younger, 
to put that money away and to grow it tax free to be able to use it for 
health care, to make sure that they will be able to make wiser 
decisions in their future, that they will be able to make the wise 
decisions for their family at a time when they need that money most of 
all.
  So what Republicans really stand for once again is reform and making 
sure that the most critical systems that are in place in our country 
are not only strengthened, but we make sure that they will survive the 
onslaught as times change and we have so many people retiring, but we 
need to make sure that our children and grandchildren have that same 
opportunity that we have had to have a system, an underpinning in this 
country that takes care of people.
  So I am very pleased today, as we begin our work and debate in 
Washington. It is no surprise that here we are on this beautiful day in 
Washington, D.C., we begin with the debate on the floor to talk about 
the activities for the week, and I am so proud that not only what the 
Republican majority stands for but that the reform and the things we 
are going to bring to the American public will include opportunities 
for them to save for their own health care, because the most important 
part is, just like my family, I have a chance then to make a decision, 
to be a decision-maker in the health care needs of my family.

                              {time}  1030

  I have a beautiful wife of 19 years. I have a son who is 14 years old 
and a Down's Syndrome son who is 9. If there is one thing that I am 
passionate about, it is that I want a system in this country where 
families have an opportunity to make their decisions about health care, 
and we can do that when we have money in our own pockets. And that is 
what this reform is about, to make sure not just my family, but 
millions of other families across this great Nation have that same 
opportunity. That is what this health care savings account is going to 
be about. That is what Medicare reform is all about. I am proud of what 
we are doing.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, had the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Sessions), my good friend, yielded to me, I simply wanted to ask him if 
he is aware that the administration has just given AARP a $20 million 
grant and ask if he wondered if that had anything to do with their 
decision.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to thank the 
gentlewoman from New York for engaging us this morning on this very 
important rule which will allow us to continue our work. I urge my 
colleagues to join me in supporting this rule as I am sure they do.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the 
previous question on the resolution.
  The previous question was ordered.
  The resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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