[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 54 (Wednesday, March 28, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H3269-H3275]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       30-SOMETHING WORKING GROUP

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 18, 2007, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Meek) is recognized 
for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.
  Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to come to the 
floor. Mr. Ryan and I have spent a long time, Mr. Speaker, when it was 
just Mr. Ryan and I on the floor. This goes back to the 108th Congress 
and a little of the 109th Congress, and I am so glad we are having the 
opportunity to come to the floor to talk about not only the budget but 
what we were able to do last week, last Friday, moving in a new 
direction as it relates to the emergency supplemental.
  Mr. Speaker, as you know, the 30-Something Working Group comes to the 
floor to not only share facts but to also do away with the fiction that 
many of the Members on the other side of the aisle come to the floor 
many times sharing information that I guess someone gave them some 
information and said, go on the floor and say this, or what have you.

                              {time}  2200

  I can't help but watch some of this debate on the floor and question 
where some of the information comes from.
  The good thing about the 30-something Working Group, we actually have 
third-party validators for information that we share here on the floor. 
We want to make sure that every Member is able to make a sound decision 
and that the American people are able to get great information from 
what we share here on the floor.
  As you know, every time we come to the floor, we talk about a number 
of issues. But tonight, again we are going to talk about the budget. We 
are also going to talk about the ongoing issue of Iraq and the 
courageous step we took just last week, and the Senate has taken a step 
in that direction also in accountability measures within the emergency 
supplemental.
  Mr. Ryan, I don't know if you had an opportunity to see the 
President's press conference today, but it was quite interesting. It 
was like he was trying to sell something to the American people. He was 
speaking to the Cattlemen's Association, and he took that opportunity 
not to talk about beef, but to talk about what the Congress is doing in 
the area of making sure that we bring about accountability.
  He was saying he is going to veto what we actually passed. What he is 
trying to do, and there is a word on the street that is used, flipping 
the script. He is trying to flip the script and trying to fake the 
American people out in saying that the Democratic Congress is standing 
in the schoolhouse door of the funding getting to our troops.
  Mr. Speaker, I beg to differ and I think we have prima facie evidence 
here to show that the emergency supplemental, everything in the 
emergency supplemental is a true emergency, making sure that we fund 
our troops beyond what the President has called for, making sure that 
we stand up on behalf of our veterans, an unprecedented commitment to 
Veterans Affairs and to the VA in the history of this country.
  Because we already had a system that needed work and needed funding, 
this Congress stepped forth and put forth, the 110th Congress, the 
Democratic controlled Congress stepped forward and made sure we did 
what we needed to do for the veterans, and we are just getting started.
  At the same time, Mr. Ryan, we have to look at the issue of Hurricane 
Katrina. The President said there is other funding in there. We are 
doing things in the emergency supplemental for the people on the gulf 
coast that have been waiting on the President. They don't want lip 
service, they want action. If the President wants to veto that, that's 
on him. But I guarantee you that the American people will see through 
what our President is saying as it relates to and as he continues to 
explain how he is going to veto an emergency supplemental.
  He is saying if the money runs out, and it is on the back of the U.S. 
Congress. Well, I can tell you this: The American people are on the 
side of the U.S. Congress. They have asked us to lead, and we are 
leading. They didn't ask us to balk at the first threat that the 
President makes. Or I am going to veto. Well, okay, that is something 
that you are going to have to live with. That is something you will 
have to explain. But we are going to continue to do what we need to do 
here in providing the kind of leadership necessary.
  America said in November they want to move in a direction. They said 
they want accountability. They no longer want a rubber stamp. They want 
a do-something Congress and not a do-nothing Congress. We will talk 
about that tonight.
  Mr. Ryan, I am so glad you are here as we continue to share this 
information with the Members so they can make an accurate decision 
tomorrow when we vote on the budget, on our priorities, making sure 
that we give every child in the United States health care, and making 
sure that we move in the direction that the U.S. mayors have asked us 
to move in, making sure that we move in the direction that governors 
have asked us to move in, and giving the necessary dollars to homeland 
security to protect the homeland.
  We are going to make sure that the Members know exactly what they are 
voting on so when we go on a 2-week break, Mr. Speaker, Members can't 
go home and say, I didn't really understand what was in the budget.
  I yield to Mr. Ryan.
  Mr. RYAN of Ohio. I appreciate what you are saying, and there are a 
couple of points I would like to add.
  When the President says he is going to veto the supplemental bill, he 
is going to veto a $1.7 billion understand increase for veterans. We 
have seen Walter Reed and heard the stories from across the country. We 
know we have more veterans coming back. He is going to veto a $1.7 
billion increase from his recommendation. And then he is going to veto 
a $1.7 billion increase for defense health care for our troops, not yet 
veterans but still needing access to care. And $500 million is for

[[Page H3270]]

post-traumatic stress disorder. And $500 million is for brain injuries.
  Those of us who have been to Walter Reed have seen these veterans who 
are more affected than any of us. They are the ones that are hurt. They 
are the ones with the brain injuries, and we get in and we try to put 
in $500 million in addition to what the President wants for brain 
injuries, and the President threatens to veto it.
  That is $500 million for post-traumatic stress disorder, and the 
President threatens to veto it. We put in this supplemental bill, Mr. 
Speaker, rules that the Department of Defense and the Pentagon say we 
need. That if you don't have the proper equipment, you shouldn't go off 
to war. If you don't have the proper rest, you shouldn't go off to war. 
If we can't put the proper armor on your Humvees when you are on patrol 
in Baghdad, you should not go. The President said he is going to veto 
that.
  So the President is saying he is okay with sending our American 
troops to Baghdad to drive in a Humvee that is not up armored, to send 
the soldiers out in the field without the proper body armor, and to 
sending kids back when they have only been home for a few months, 
sending them right back. That is what the President is saying he is 
going to veto, Mr. Speaker.
  I am not okay with that. And the Democratic Congress is not okay with 
that. And the Senate is not okay with that. And the American people are 
not okay with sending our troops to Baghdad to ride in Humvees that 
don't have the proper armor on them. Period. That is the debate. That 
is what the President says he is going to veto.
  Let's be very, very clear about what the Democratic Congress has 
passed and put in front of the President and what he is threatening to 
veto. Now, we have even given him a few months to get done what he 
wants to get done. Many of us want our troops home now, I'm one of 
them, but I recognize there are a lot of us here, and we need to have 
some level of compromise.
  All we are saying is if there is not progress by July, we start 
bringing our troops home. The war has already been longer than World 
War II. If you haven't done it by now, it can't be done. Bring them 
home.
  But if there is progress, we will give them until October. If they 
don't meet the benchmarks that the President set out, Mr. Meek, in 
January, and these are the President's benchmarks. These aren't the 
Speaker's benchmarks or Senator Reid's benchmarks; they are not 
Kendrick Meek's benchmark. They are not mine. These are the benchmarks 
the President of the United States set out in his speech of January 10.

  All we are saying, is you have been able to say one thing and not 
live up to it. You have certain goals, and then not get there, and we 
just all go on our merry way. What we are saying, is you've got to be 
accountable for the benchmarks you have set out. If they don't meet 
those benchmarks, we are coming home. We are bringing our troops home.
  So I think it is very important that the American people understand 
what is going on. You mentioned Katrina. Everybody wants to talk about 
there is pork in this bill and this and that; the majority of this goes 
to the troops, and the next biggest chunk goes to Katrina relief. We 
are trying to free up money to rebuild the gulf coast.
  And the hold-up the whole time has been that the President and the 
Republicans want a 10 percent match from a local community in order to 
draw down 90 percent of the Federal money. And we wonder why the coast 
isn't getting rebuilt, it is because the towns have been completely 
destroyed. They don't have the 10 percent match, Mr. Speaker. They are 
wiped out. They don't have police, they don't have fire, they don't 
have roads, sewer, anything.
  And the former leadership in our last Congress was so ideological 
they said no, you have to have your 10 percent match, and then billions 
of dollars did not get down to the gulf coast. That is what the 
President is also going to veto. I feel strongly about this.
  Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Ryan, they don't say 10 percent match for 
the special interests. When it comes down to big oil and some other big 
guys and gals here in this town, Mr. Speaker, they don't say you have 
to match us halfway. They say just, we will give you what you need. As 
a matter of fact, we will give you technical assistance to be able to 
take the U.S. taxpayer dollar and do what you want. And guess what, we 
will not even look. We will cover our eyes. We won't even have 
hearings.
  Get my hearing chart, Mr. Ryan. I want to get down to the nitty-
gritty here.
  Mr. Speaker, we come to the floor 10 minutes past 10, 12 minutes past 
10, and there are some things that we could be doing, but this is 
serious business.
  We come with the facts. These numbers are from the Clerk of the House 
of Representatives. It is not from the DNC, and it is not from my 
cousin back in Miami that said hey, this looks good, maybe you want to 
take that to the floor and talk about it. This comes from the Clerk's 
Office. I actually like the Clerk's Office. These are the facts. The 
107th Congress, 108th Congress, this is the 109th Congress that many 
media outlets have called the do-nothing Congress.
  At this point in March of 2005, compared to March of 2007, the new 
Democratic Congress, the new direction Democratic Congress, the 
Congress only had 90 roll call votes. We have already had 189 roll call 
votes and counting for this month.
  When you look at suspension bills that are coming over from the 
Senate what have you, kind of agreed upon, 26 votes that took place by 
this time; 72 we have done here in this new direction Congress, Mr. 
Speaker.
  When you look at bills passed under a rule, 11 votes by this time in 
the last Republican-controlled Congress; 24 in this Congress.
  We are here to do business. Days in session, 26 days in the 
Republican-controlled Congress; 48 days under this new direction 
Congress, Democratic-controlled Congress.
  We bring these facts to the floor to make sure that not only Members, 
but the American people understand we are here to carry out the 
business of the American people. Mr. Ryan has some numbers when it 
comes down to accountability on Iraq because some Members would lead 
you to believe, a small number, would lead other Members to believe 
that there was some backroom decision that was made about 
accountability in Iraq, and all of the things that we are learning 
about Iraq, all of the accountability measures that we come up with as 
it relates to Iraq and policing the U.S. taxpayer dollars and all of 
the protection measures that we have in for the troops and men and 
women in uniform, they just think it happens in some backroom here in 
the capitol.
  Mr. RYAN of Ohio. Here is the difference we are starting to see. When 
Members turn on the television, Mr. Speaker, and they see what is 
happening with the Attorney General's Office, when they hear about $10-
12 billion in Iraq that nobody knows where it is, and now all of this 
information that is coming out, hearing about the gulf coast, hearing 
about Halliburton. If a truck blows a tire, Halliburton puts in for 
another truck instead of putting a new tire on the truck.
  Mr. MEEK of Florida. If the gentleman would suspend, is this the 
company where the CEO is moving to Dubai?
  Mr. RYAN of Ohio. Yes, just moved to Dubai. You would think that with 
all of the taxpayer money they get, they would at least stay in the 
country.
  But all of this is not just coming out by coincidence.

                              {time}  2215

  There have been 104 hearings related to the Iraq War. Oversight and 
accountability. One of the key responsibilities of the United States 
Congress is to provide oversight to the executive branch agencies, and 
we did not hear about any of this stuff for 6 years when the Republican 
House and the Republican Senate sat on their hands while all of this 
was going on. This is not stuff that is on the news. This is not stuff 
that just happened. This is stuff that happened when the Republican 
Congress was in charge.
  Now, I understand that we are all loyal to our political parties, but 
at some point, when it begins to hurt the American people, you need to 
provide the oversight of their tax money and the kind of inadequacy 
that has been going on in Iraq.
  Now all of the sudden they want to change course. Now all of the 
sudden

[[Page H3271]]

the commander in the Middle East is running around saying that we do 
not have time. You know why they do not have time? Because we are 
putting the heat on them to get things done. 104 hearings on oversight. 
That is our responsibility.
  Mr. MEEK of Florida. One last point before we recognize Ms. Jackson-
Lee because I know we want to get to our next discussion, get into the 
budget.
  Mr. Speaker, to hear the President say even the word ``veto'' is 
something we have never heard since he has been President of the United 
States. He has never vetoed anything. Spending out of control, foreign 
debt, record numbers, passing tax cuts for the superwealthy and for the 
special interests, President never said a mumbling word. Cricket sounds 
of special interest subsidies and tax breaks, rolling through this 
floor, Members held hostage here on the floor, voting for special 
interest legislation for hours upon hours, the board is left open, not 
a mumbling word out of the President, not a mumbling word.
  And now legislation happens to pass that he no longer has his rubber 
stamp Congress, he no longer has a Speaker who says, hey, this is the 
way I want it or no longer has President, this is the way we want to do 
it over in the Senate, so shall it be written, so shall it be done, his 
original thoughts are not followed through here in the Congress. Since 
that no longer exists, now all of the sudden, the President wants to 
get animated when it comes down to I am going to veto what they send 
and they are blocking money.
  We are not blocking money for the troops. Matter of fact, we are 
giving them more than what he asked for. We are dealing with the issue 
of the VA. We are dealing with the issue of the crisis that we have 
here in the United States of America. It is an emergency. The children 
do not have health care. This is not an emergency for Iraqi children. 
It is an emergency for kids in Alabama. It is an emergency for the kids 
in Georgia, and it is an emergency for the kids in the Midwest and in 
Florida.
  This chart here, and I am going to leave it alone and I am going to 
recognize Ms. Jackson-Lee, I have over 12 percent of uninsured. This is 
my State here in Florida. Over 12 percent of the children in the State 
of Florida, more than 12 percent are uninsured. That is my State. 
Texas, hello, President of the United States, he has a house there. It 
is where the West White House is. Over 12 percent of the children in 
that State do not have health insurance. This is an emergency to the 
American families. This is an emergency here in this country. It cannot 
be Iraq, Iraq, Iraq, and that other issue, Iraq.
  We have to care about our own country, and if we cannot put that in 
an emergency supplemental without the President threatening a veto, if 
he vetoes that bill he is denying U.S. children, need it be Republican, 
Democrat, Independent, concerned citizen thinking about voting in the 
next election, yes, your children, too; yes your State, too; yes, your 
community, too, will be without health insurance because the last 
Congress decided not to do it. They decided not to do it, and I think 
it is important when you look at this, as we move into the budget, if 
we were to follow what the President wants to do as it relates to 
vetoing this emergency supplemental, $2 billion for what we call the 
State insurance plan for children. In the budget resolution that we 
have, $50 billion to make sure that we cover the costs of that as we 
look in the projection as the years go out.
  So I am glad that Mr. Ryan is bringing these issues up, and as we now 
segue into the budget, the next thing you know, Mr. Speaker, I guess 
when we pass this budget tomorrow, we will probably end up being a 
bipartisan vote just like the emergency supplemental was a bipartisan 
vote in the House and Senate, that the President will probably have a 
press conference tomorrow and say I am going to veto the budget, too. 
So, if he now believes in vetoes, after 6 years of being President of 
these United States, out-of-control spending, record borrowing from 
foreign Nations, and now there are accountability measures in the 
budget and in the emergency supplemental, I do not even want to tell 
the President to have at it because, as an American, I am going to do 
everything I have to do to stop him from doing it.
  I yield to Ms. Jackson-Lee.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, let me first of all thank the 
distinguished gentleman from Ohio and distinguished gentleman from 
Florida for allowing me to join you this evening. We do this on 
occasion, and I thank you for setting the record straight.
  I just want to say this brief comment on this question of the Iraq 
War and the veto. Usually there is a phrase that says if you break it, 
fix it. Well, this government was broken. Nobody in the last several 
Congresses wanted to fix it, and it is now our task to fix it. That is 
why you had a board that showed accountability and oversight, and that 
is why it is imperative that we took the vote last Friday and the 
Senate took the vote yesterday to go forward and make a difference with 
a framework in Iraq that the American people asked us to do.
  I frankly thought that when we won the election that this President 
would do what many Presidents do in a divided government, sit down with 
the Speaker and the majority leader and work to save lives in Iraq. 
Unfortunately, that was not the case, and so I applaud you for bringing 
to the light the idea of accountability.
  I just want to quickly move forward with a couple of points about the 
budget vote and the budget that we have to engage in, and when I look 
at this particular board that talks about the economy and jobs, I think 
of places like Texas, Ohio, Florida, the Midwest, New York. I think of 
the time of the past presidency under President Clinton, a Democratic 
President, when there were 236,000 jobs created per month. Now, we are 
at 68,000 jobs per month.
  Clearly, the Bush economy job growth is among the slowest of any 
administration in over 70 years, and this literally shows Presidents 
Hoover, Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford. 
Ford had, of course, inflation. It shows Carter. It shows Reagan. It 
shows Bush I, Clinton and now this President.
  The balancing of the budget that we intend to do with a vote taken 
tomorrow clearly speaks to energizing the economy.
  Now, let me just talk to those who say that we are raising taxes in 
this budget. That is false. That is not true. This budget does not 
contain a single penny of tax increases, period, and the Republicans 
have been misdescribing this budget because they have had the largest 
tax cut in the history of the United States. But who benefits the most 
when the tax cuts are fully enacted? As usual, it is those making over 
$1 million.

  That is why Democrats are focusing on middle class taxes. That is why 
we are cutting middle class income tax. That is why we are focusing on 
fixing the alternative minimum tax, to shield middle income taxpayers. 
That is why we have relief for the child tax credit, the marriage 
penalty relief, and we do something about the estate tax, because any 
tax cut by this administration, $17,500 would go to those making over 
$1 million. I would simply say to the gentlemen, who are we 
representing, the special interests, the rich, or are we trying to 
represent the working middle class?
  Now, there are many budgets that will be on the floor tomorrow, and I 
just want to comment on one. The Congressional Black Caucus budget 
improves the deficit by $107 billion even over our Democratic budget 
and $339 billion over the President's budget. There will be a number of 
budgets, but I am very proud of this budget which really improves the 
deficit, and when we improve the deficit, being that when we lower the 
deficit, we work on the high interest rates. Many of us have been 
hearing unfortunately about large numbers of foreclosures. Part of that 
is because of reverse mortgages and poor people being plagued upon, if 
you will, by predatory lending, which are some challenges that fell 
into this administration, where there was no oversight and 
accountability of our financial industry. I am delighted that we have a 
new chairman of the Financial Services Committee to begin to look at 
the massive foreclosures, and I would encourage those who are 
tragically in the jaws of foreclosure, get on the phone and call your 
Members of Congress to speak out against predatory lending and asking 
for some relief because you are deserving of it.

[[Page H3272]]

  My attentiveness on what Mr. Ryan and Mr. Meek were speaking about 
drew me to bring to the attention of our listeners and to my colleagues 
on the floor this whole question of why not only do we need this budget 
but why it is I think ludicrous for the President to have a veto threat 
on the emergency supplemental.
  Who is going to respond to the emergency conditions at Walter Reed? 
Who is going to respond to the emergency conditions of large numbers of 
Iraqi veterans who are returning, along with the veterans from 
Afghanistan, with brain injury, post-traumatic stress, the need of 
prosthetics, the need of outpatient clinics and the need of family 
resources and health resources?
  Well, I hate to tell you that I think over the last 8 years, last 6-
years, this administration has, in fact, been poor to poor veterans. 
January 2003, this lays out how the Bush and the Republican budget 
funding for veterans has been poor and the veterans have been doing 
poorly. The Bush administration cuts off veterans' health care for 
164,000 veterans.
  Why do you not walk in your veterans hospitals like many of us have 
done? I did a couple of Sundays ago, visited with veterans who are 
paraplegic, paralyzed from the neck down, paralyzed from the legs down, 
and you ask the question, how can you can cut off veterans' health care 
for 164,000 vets? Our budget fixes these problems.
  In March 2003, Republican budget that cut $14 billion from veterans' 
health care passed by Congress with 199 Democrats voting against it. We 
voted against the cut of $14 billion from veterans' health care.
  March 2004, Republican budget that shortchanged veterans' health care 
by $1.5 billion passed by Congress with 201 Democrats voting against 
it. Our record is very clear.
  And in March 2005, President Bush's budget shortchanged veterans' 
health care by more than $2 billion for 2005 and cut veterans' health 
care by $14 billion over 5 years but passed with 201 Democrats voting 
against it.
  But what I would also say is that it was Democrats who had to come 
back on this floor and pressure this Congress to put more money back in 
the budget and back into the resources for our veterans.
  Let me just say this as I wind down on this budget. Tomorrow there 
will be a number of substitute budgets. If I could write my own Sheila 
Jackson-Lee budget, I would have all of it for domestic spending, for 
housing and health care. Though we have done a great job on the SCHIP 
program, and I thank Mr. Meek for holding up the embarrassment that we 
have across America, with States that have as high as 12 percent of our 
children uninsured, when we could, in fact, have universal health care 
for all of our children if we were more responsible and we had a more 
responsible government, I am grateful for the fact, even with a budget 
that I would have written differently, with more money for health care, 
as I said more money for housing, and probably more money for the gulf 
region because we think of Katrina, but the whole gulf region was 
undermined by this terrible hurricane and it has remained so, so it 
needs a boost in its economy, but I am grateful that this budget 
includes a $50 billion reserve fund to expand the State children's 
health insurance to cover more of the 9 million children without health 
insurance in this country.
  So we tried to fix what was broken. We did not break it, but the fact 
is it is broken, and therefore, I am very proud to stand with Democrats 
in this budget to be able to come to a Ohio or to be able to tell you 
that we are going to stop the bleeding on jobs leaving this country, 
and stop the bleeding of jobs not being provided for Americans.
  Mr. RYAN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I am excited and I called my mom on 
the way over here, and I was just saying, this is really great because 
we are actually getting things done to help people. That is what is 
exciting about this is that next year at this time, all of us are going 
to be able to go back home and campaign about how many thousands of 
kids in your congressional district now have access to health care 
because of what we are going to do through the SCHIP program.

                              {time}  2230

  All of are going to be back home. We are going to be able to talk 
about the increase in the Pell Grants, and how many more kids have 
access to higher education. We are going to be able to go into the VFW 
and the American Legion and talk about the highest increase in the 
history of the Veterans Administration, who supports the troops. I am 
excited about the opportunities that we are going to have over the next 
year to go out, and as our Speaker said, this is a movement of hope for 
the American people.
  Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Ryan, it is very good, interesting, because 
I have a lot of veterans in my district. As a matter of fact, I was 
just talking to a group of veterans yesterday that came to this 
capital. We had an opportunity to talk. You know, veterans, why are you 
giving the President a hard time about funding, the President loves us. 
The President loves veterans. We all do. Who doesn't? Who is running 
around here saying I don't like veterans? No one.
  But it is not what you say, it is what you do.
  Mr. Ryan, I think you pointed it out. I just want to share this 
information and the sources from the House budget committee, and also 
from the Office of Management and Budget, and the Congressional Budget 
Office, and this is from the president's budget office and the 
Congressional Budget Office, and it is from the House Budget Committee. 
So you have three, third party validators to these numbers.
  As we look at the President's budget as he proposed for the United 
States of America, when you look at the veterans, the Democrat budget 
is $32 billion above what the President's budget over the next 5 years. 
You can see the numbers going across. But let's just get all the way 
over to 2010. The President's budget is $39.7 billion. We have $48.3 
billion.
  All right, what do these numbers mean? It means shorter waits at VA 
hospitals. It means better care for our veterans. It means that we will 
have a system set up for when these men and women come home, and those 
that are in the system now. Doctors will be able to receive the kind of 
training they need. Medical professionals will be able to receive the 
training. VA medical facilities will better. There will be oversight 
because we have made an investment there. It won't just be the same old 
thing over and over again. These are the facts.
  Politically, you know, if someone just says, I am with the President, 
that is fine. But have the facts, have the facts.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Let me first of all thank Mr. Meek and Mr. 
Ryan for yielding to me and allowing me just to join what I think has 
been an enormously instructive discussion.
  The point that I want to leave on is, and I love what your display is 
saying, the budget would not raise taxes, but what I do want to just 
acknowledge, all that you have said, is because we are choosing people 
over special interests, because I leave you with this large brown bar 
that shows you that if the taxes that the President wants to keep in 
his budget, and the Republican budget, were to go forward, all the work 
that we are trying to do, whether it is the emergency supplemental and 
SCHIP and Pell Grants and more jobs being created, go down the tube, 
with the $17,500 tax relief to those making over $1 million. This is 
what put us in this enormous deficit.
  Of course, the Iraq war with no oversight and control, $12 billion 
lost in Iraq somewhere, contracts not accounted for, but I am glad that 
we have got one in emergency supplemental that will get us out of Iraq 
and will help people in this country. We have got a budget that will 
not focus on special interests, but we will focus on veterans and 
children and health care.
  Mr. Meek, you know, you were saying about that, hours-long vote, that 
was Medicare. As you well know, we are still paying for that Medicare 
prescription drug benefit now.
  Let me thank both of you. I am proud to be part of the fix-it 
Congress after we have been walking through the muck, if you will, of a 
broken Congress.
  Mr. MEEK of Florida. Thank you so much, Ms. Jackson-Lee. Thank you so 
much for coming down and sharing information that you shared with us. I 
think it is also important to note in the budget resolution that we 
have, it

[[Page H3273]]

will not change the tax structure that the taxes, the President's tax 
cuts will sunset 2010. It doesn't change that.
  So as we start to move along. But I just want to make this point. I 
think it is very important. I am just going to ask the question, since 
we have three Members on the floor, and I know, Ms. Jackson-Lee, you 
are about to leave. Here at the Capitol, when we are walking across the 
street to come over here to vote, and even when we have groups come up 
to visit with us, and even in my district office, in the 5 years, 5, 
going on 5 years that I have been in Congress, Mr. Ryan and I have been 
here 5, you have been here longer than us, that not one millionaire or 
billionaire came to me and said, please protect my tax cut. Not one 
billionaire wearing Polo shoes walked up outside of the Chamber and 
said, Congressman, I am a billionaire, you know, with a pinky with 
diamonds and everything on it. Please protect my tax cut. Done give my 
tax cut to kids without health insurance, not one. Not one.
  I am just trying to figure out, but I can tell you, people from the 
State of Florida, that is in government, say please help insure our 
children. There have been veterans running in here saying, I can't wait 
6 months to see the ophthalmologist any more. Can you help us?
  Back in the District, Congressman, have you been to the VA hospital 
recently, or the clinic? Do you have to pin your nose when you walk in 
because of the conditions there?
  I have seen that. I haven't seen a billionaire or millionaire run up 
and say, please, fall on your knees, Congressman, whatever you do, do 
not take my tax cut away that I didn't even ask for.
  Mr. RYAN of Ohio. You know what I have heard? Do you know what I have 
heard from folks around the Capitol, people who don't make a lot of 
between, $100,000, between $50,000 and $100,000. Do you know what I 
heard them say? I don't mind paying taxes. But if I am going to pay 
taxes don't give it to the oil companies and corporate welfare. If I am 
going to pay taxes out of the $50,000 I make a year, living in D.C., 
very expensive town, don't spend $2 billion of it a week in Iraq. I 
don't mind paying, but if I am going to pay, give it to the poor kids 
who need health care. Make college more affordable. Make investments in 
our economy. You know, I think most people recognize they have got to 
pay their own fair share. But what they get frustrated about is where 
it goes.
  Now, are you telling me Halliburton is going to get billions and 
billions and billions of dollars out of a guy or a woman who makes 
$50,000 a year, who is paying those taxes? And then that same company 
moves off, out of the country? No respect for anything. But I want to 
make a point here as we begin the wind down.
  Mr. Speaker, many people have made comments on this floor over the 
past several hours that our budget somehow raises taxes on the American 
people.
  Now, we are big on third-party validators here. I am going to give 
you three, this is the Hamilton project at the Brookings Institution. 
``The budget would not raise taxes.''

  Mr. MEEK of Florida. Just stop right there, Mr. Ryan. Brookings 
Institute.
  Mr. MEEK of Florida. Would not.
  Mr. RYAN of Ohio. Would not. Now this is the Center on Budget and 
Policy, statement, March 28 ``This claim about raising taxes is 
incorrect. The House plan does not include a tax increase.'' That is a 
third-party validator.
  Mr. MEEK of Florida. Third party validator.
  Mr. RYAN of Ohio. We have one more. This is the Concord Coalition. 
This is the gold standard of the budget hawks. This is bipartisan, this 
is deficit hawks, Republicans, Democrats. In an issue brief of March 
28, quote, ``Thus, to be clear, the budget resolution does not call for 
or require a tax increase.'' That was three, separate, third-party 
validators.
  I am just going to make this statement, and I am going to kick it to 
one of my friends. The same people that are saying we are raising taxes 
are the same people that said we would be greeted as liberators. They 
are the same people that said, you know, we use the oil money for 
reconstruction, the same people that said it would only cost us $50 
billion to run the war in Iraq, the same people that said we are in our 
last throes, the same people that said mission was accomplished, those 
are the same people that are saying that the Democratic budget is going 
to raise taxes, which three third-party validators have not say. All I 
am going to say is this. Let's ask the American people to reserve 
judgment.
  Next January and February, when you file your taxes, you compare them 
to the taxes you filed this year, and you will see that the Democrats 
have not raised your taxes. Reserve judgment, keep your sheets, keep 
your forms from this year, and you will see next year that we have not 
done it, and that will be one more that you could add to the list of 
inaccuracies that have been levied towards the American people.
  Mr. MEEK of Florida. Don't get too far from the rhythm here. Don't go 
anywhere.
  Mr. RYAN of Ohio. I am not going anywhere.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. On this potent point, first of all, Mr. 
Meek, let me say the people that have come to my office say can you 
provide for funding for child care so I can be at work. I have not 
heard, Warren Buffett has not been in my office, but Warren Buffett 
himself has said he would rather see an investment in the domestic 
economy as opposed to the enormous tax cuts for the rich.
  The reason why I think this is important, let me have you see 
something else in 12 months besides the filing of your taxes, an 
economic engine that may see an increase in jobs just because the 
Democrats had enough courage to stand up to the President's budget and 
do our own budget that doesn't have tax increases, but invests in the 
economy.
  Maybe we will also see more students going to college. Maybe we will 
also see more children getting SCHIP money based upon the appropriators 
and the budget coming together. Maybe we will see, you know what, my 
country cares for me. They actually care about what I need, because 
they have brought down the deficit. That is what this President would 
sign this budget and work with this Congress, maybe we will see what it 
means to care about Americans as opposed to putting forward special 
interests.
  I thank the gentlemen. I would just like to read that as I go, thus, 
to be clear, the budget resolution does not call for or require a tax 
increase. That is the Democratic budget resolution.
  Mr. MEEK of Florida. I think it is important that we continue to say 
this. Mr. Ryan, you said something that I thought was very interesting, 
very interesting.
  Mr. RYAN of Ohio. Thank you.
  Mr. MEEK of Florida. You are welcome. Again, third-party validators, 
and I have here Congressional Budget Office numbers here, there is 
nothing it is nothing like the truth, and it is nothing like the 
Congressional Record. I can tell you when we look at, these are the 
same individuals in the White House, and some of the same Members on 
this floor that were left over from the days of just spend, spend, 
spend, borrow, borrow, borrow, don't worry about it, we are not going 
to be here to fix it, but here is the truth, $5.6 trillion surplus was 
here when the President got here, President Bush.
  We have had an $8.4 trillion swing, deficit, from a $5.6 trillion 
surplus, which means, projection, we had money, and these numbers were 
based on 2002 to 2011 projections, to now, a $2.8 trillion deficit. 
Republican policies and this, you know, that got us there, $8.4 
trillion.
  Let me just share this with you. The amount of foreign debt held more 
than doubles under the Bush administration. He didn't do it by himself, 
that is why we have a Democratic Congress, because the American people 
caught on to what he was doing and what the rubber stamp Congress was 
doing last Congress. We are talking about accountability. We are 
talking about being responsible with U.S. tax dollars, foreign-held 
debt. Look at it skyrocket, going straight up.
  Mr. RYAN of Ohio. Those are trillions of dollars.
  Mr. MEEK of Florida. Trillions of dollars. Trillions of dollars. We 
have kids now, growing up, can't even get to the trillion part. Who are 
we getting the money from? That is interesting, a list of countries. 
Mr. Ryan has been to a few of these countries.

[[Page H3274]]

  Japan has $644.3 billion of our debt. They bought that debt because 
of Republican policies and because of the rubber-stamp Congress. We 
have to have a paradigm shift here. We want to change.
  China, $249.8 billion, I think it is important to also understand 
that. The UK, $239.1 billion. You can see it goes across, and all of 
these countries have a part of American apple pie now.

                              {time}  2245

  This is the same group, the same folks that are saying that we are 
going to continue to raise taxes and we don't manage. We are the party 
and we are the majority, back when we had the majority 12 years ago, 
that balanced the budget and took us into surpluses. So who has the 
track record as relates to doing the right thing on behalf of the 
country?
  Budget resolution reaches balance by 2010. The numbers come from the 
Congressional Budget Office. And this is the House resolution, our 
bill. The Bush budget is projected to be $31 billion under, still in 
deficit. We are going to be at a surplus. These are the projections by 
2010, $1.53 billion. These are the facts, Mr. Ryan. And I know they 
hurt for some Members, but they are educational to others, and they 
give them what they need to be able to come here and make sound 
decisions.
  Mr. Ryan, the bottom line is this. We are not by ourselves. Let's 
talk about why we are not by ourselves. And I just want to read a 
couple of the folks that are with us on this issue. And I think it is 
important, and there are so many, I had a list here, Mr. Ryan, that 
kind of a little cheat sheet here.
  Mr. RYAN of Ohio. I have got it right here, Mr. Meek.
  Mr. MEEK of Florida. Tell you what. You start naming off a few, and 
then I will name off. Because we need to make sure the Members know 
that this not just something that came out the back room.
  Oh, I have my list here now. There is so much information, Mr. Ryan, 
that we have to share.
  Mr. RYAN of Ohio. I would like to ask to submit this for the Record, 
Mr. Speaker.
  So this will be listed and memorialized in the Congressional Record, 
the organizations who have endorsed the 2008 budget.

       The following organizations have endorsed the 2008 Budget 
     Resolution:

       American Academy of Pediatrics, March 27
       American Association of People with Disabilities, March 26
       American Association of School Administrators, March 27
       American Association of University Women, March 27
       American Farmland Trust, March 28
       American Federation of State, County, and Municipal 
     Employees, AFL-CIO, March 27
       American Hospital Association, March 28
       The American Legion, March 21
       American Public Transportation Association, March 23
       The ARC of the United States, March 26
       Association of Child Support Attorneys of Los Angeles 
     County, March 27
       Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, March 27
       Association of Public Television Stations, March 27
       Audubon, March 27
       Catholic Charities USA, March 27
       Child Support Directors Association of California, March 27
       Coalition on Human Needs, March 27
       Committee for Education Funding, March 27
       Computer & Communications Industry Association, March 28
       Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities, March 26
       Catholic Health Association, March 27
       Council on Competitiveness, March 28
       Defenders of Wildlife, March 22
       Disabled American Veterans, March 21
       Electronic Industries Alliance, March 28
       Emergency Campaign for American's Priorities, March 27
       Environmental Coalition (including American Rivers, 
     Audubon, NRDC, Sierra Club, Wilderness Society and many 
     others), March 26
       Families USA, March 26
       Food Research and Action Center, March 27
       Independent Budget, March 21
       Information Technology Association of America, March 27
       Information Technology Industry Council, March 27
       Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc., 
     March 27
       Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, March 28
       League of Conservation Voters, March 27
       Military Officers Association of America, March 26
       National Child Support Enforcement Association, March 27
       National Low Income Housing Coalition, March 26
       National Women's Law Center, March 27, 2007
       Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, March 27
       National Association of Counties, March 27
       National Association of Federally Impacted Schools, March 
     27
       National Association of Police Organizations, Inc., March 
     28
       National Committee to Preserve Social Security and 
     Medicare, March 27
       National Council of La Raza, March 27
       National Council of Social Security Management 
     Associations, March 27
       National Council of SSA Field Operations Locals, American 
     Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO, March 27
       National Education Association, March 26
       National Head Start Association, March 27
       National School Boards Association, March 27
       Ohio Child Support Enforcement Agency Directors' 
     Association, March 27
       OMB Watch, March 26
       Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International North 
     America, March 27
       Student Aid Alliance, March 27
       Symantec, March 28
       Technet, March 28
       Transportation Construction Coalition, March 23
       Trout Unlimited, March 26
       The Trust for Public Land, The Conservation Fund, The 
     Nature Conservancy, and Land Trust Alliance, March 27
       United Cerebral Palsy, March 26
       United Spinal Association, March 27
       US Action, March 27
       U.S. Public Interest Research Group, March 27
       Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, March 21
       Wider Opportunities for Women, March 23

  Mr. MEEK of Florida. The Members who are in their offices, those that 
may be on the floor, I don't want them to have to wait to read the 
Congressional Record tomorrow, the next day or what have you. I just 
wanted to name a few of these folks. I think it is important.
  Military Officers Association of America wrote a letter in support of 
this budget. The National Child Support Enforcement Association, the 
National Low Income Housing Association, the National Women of Law 
Centers Association, Fight Crime, Invest in Kids.
  The National Association of Counties. Who are they? These are 
counties throughout the country and parishes that are saying enough is 
enough.
  The National Association of Police Organizations, Inc. Who are they? 
They are our law enforcement community that is looking for the COPS 
program to come back.
  The National School Board Association, the National Head Start 
Association, the Ohio Child Support Enforcement Agency Directors 
Association. I thought I would mention that, Mr. Ryan, since you were 
here.
  Mr. RYAN of Ohio. Appreciate that.
  Mr. MEEK of Florida. The Trust for Public Land and Conservation Fund 
endorse. The Trust Alliance endorse what we are doing here. The U.S. 
Public Interest Research Group endorse what we are doing here. Veterans 
of Foreign Wars of the United States endorse what we are doing, because 
they are seeing the largest increase in commitment that so many Members 
of Congress have talked about over the years.
  The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. 
These are the folks that work every day. These are the individuals that 
come in before we get here and leave after us. These are the works 
folks that know what it means to punch in and punch out.
  The Audubon Society, Catholic Charities, the Committee for Education 
Funding, the Computer and Communications Industry Association, Catholic 
Health Association, Defenders of Wildlife, Disabled American Veterans.
  These are the individuals, Mr. Ryan, and that is just, I can't go 
through all of the letters. We have the letters right here. I am not 
just reading from a sheet, just saying, well, I am just going to read. 
Anybody want to see this, they can stop by 1039 Longworth, and I will 
give them several copies of this. And, Mr. Speaker, they can run and 
take a look at them.
  My Republican colleagues, some that I believe that will vote with us 
on this budget resolution, since it is so good and it is doing the 
right thing and it is not just about Iraq and Iraq and the other issue, 
Iraq. It is about domestic priorities. It is about making sure that our 
children have health care. It is about protecting the homeland. It is 
about all of the things and all of the reasons why we came to Congress. 
Not just to hear from the President and say, so shall it be written, so 
shall it be done.

[[Page H3275]]

  So, Mr. Ryan, for you to get passionate about this, not that I am not 
passionate about it, but I think it is important that we share this 
accurate information with the people, with not only Members of Congress 
but the American people. So I am glad that you entered it into the 
Congressional Record. Those that may be able to get on-line or even get 
a copy of the Congressional Record will be able to see these great 
American organizations that will endorse.
  And I know, Mr. Speaker, as this budget resolution, when we start 
moving through the process and the Senate product and we go into 
conference and we send it to the President of the United States, there 
will be a true momentum of the American spirit that will be rolling 
over to the White House on Pennsylvania. It will go right down the 
street here.
  If the President wants to veto domestic priorities and things that 
are going to help Americans every day and be able to make sure that our 
military is strong and make sure that our veterans get better service 
that we promised them when they signed up as volunteers to protect this 
country, then we have to continue, Mr. Ryan and Members, to persuade 
the President to do otherwise. If he wants to veto it, we have to 
persuade him not to do it.
  I am not going to say have at it. It would be okay if it wasn't the 
budget of the United States of America. It would be okay if it wasn't 
an emergency supplemental to make sure that our troops and men and 
women have what they need and accountability measures are in that 
emergency supplemental to hold the Iraqi government's feet to the fire, 
and what the administration has said, and making sure that our troops 
have what they need when they are sent into harm's way and make sure 
when they come back home that they are able to even go to their son or 
daughter's school without coming back in 6 weeks and 2 months being 
shipped back to Iraq for another 14-month tour. Because the 
administration, it takes them so long to admit that they have a 
problem. They just admitted 2 weeks ago, the Defense Department just 
called the conflict in Iraq a civil war after a year of the media and 
Members of Congress saying it was a civil war. They just got there, Mr. 
Ryan.

  So the good thing about it is that, and in the last Congress we used 
to talk about if we had the opportunity to do. Now we have the 
opportunity, and we are doing, and I would just want the majority of 
this House to join us in the leadership opportunities that the American 
people have provided us. And I am not just talking to Democrats, Mr. 
Speaker, I am talking to my Republican colleagues.
  Because, guess what? Maybe not this November but next November is 
going to be another opportunity for the American people to stand in 
judgment. And I guarantee you this: People are going to vote their 
personal priorities over their politics.
  The President got out there today. They are going to get us. 
Terrorists are coming. We have to fight them there so we don't have to 
fight them over here. Well, guess what? When we passed and fully 
implemented the 9/11 recommendations, we are ready to protect America. 
That is what this budget reflects, and that is the way we protect the 
homeland, not continuing to stay in the middle of civil war.
  Mr. RYAN of Ohio. Exactly. Budgets are priorities. They are 
blueprints for what you stand for and what you believe. And the 
Democrats and the Democratic budget is something that I think really is 
going to invigorate the country. It is not going as far as a lot of us 
want it to go, but the fact of the matter is we are left holding the 
bag of a Republican-led Congress and President that added almost $3 
trillion in debt to this country, and we have got to deal with that. 
That is the stark reality of the budget situation.
  But, again, I would like to say this. This President has threatened 
to veto the supplemental bill that adds an additional $1.7 billion for 
veterans, an additional $1.7 billion for defense health care, $500 
million for post-traumatic stress, $500 million for brain injuries. 
That is what the President is going to veto when he says he is going to 
veto the supplemental.
  The American people are way ahead of us on this war, and the national 
intelligence estimate said that the war in Iraq has created more 
terrorists and has made the terrorist situation worse, Mr. Meek. This 
war has created more enemies for us, has created more terrorists that 
are gunning for the United States. So to say that by coming home that 
that somehow is going to make us less safe is inaccurate and 
inconsistent with the national intelligence estimate and the basic 
common sense of most Americans.
  So as we move forward in a new direction in Iraq and the budget 
blueprint that we have that is going to move the country in a new 
direction domestically, without raising taxes, as the Concord Coalition 
said, the Democratic budget is not raising taxes. And the Center on 
Budget and Policy is saying the Democratic budget is not raising taxes. 
I will say, and another third-party validator, the Brookings Institute, 
says the Democrats are not raising taxes in their new budget.
  I want to repeat this. I am asking, Mr. Speaker, for the Members of 
this House who know the facts, who will vote on this bill, they know we 
are not raising taxes, and that is why we are going to get broad 
support on it.
  But for the American people to compare this year's tax returns that 
they get, reserve judgment on the Democratic tax policy, compare this 
year's to next year's, and you will see that your tax rates are the 
exact same, the exact same. And you will have one more piece of 
evidence to put in the column of we will be greeted as liberators, the 
same thing, the same column as we are in the last throes, the same 
column as mission accomplished. You will be able to put the Democratic 
budget and the Democratic tax policy in that same list.
  Mr. MEEK of Florida. Very quickly, while you get the chart to give 
the Web site, Mr. Ryan, I just wanted to say in this letter that 
Senator Reid, the leader in the Senate, and also the Speaker here in 
the House wrote to the President saying that we will no longer move in 
the old direction but, rather, a bipartisan majority of the House and 
Senate believes strongly that the U.S. mission should transition to a 
counterterrorism force protection and training equipment of the Iraqi 
forces. Phasing redeployment of U.S. troops should commence.
  So this is the stage that we want to move in now. It won't be a total 
withdrawal but definitely will be making sure that there are 
accountability measures there, that their troops get trained and that 
we get our men and women back home more sooner than later.
  Mr. RYAN of Ohio. We just want them to meet the benchmarks that the 
President set on January 10 of this year. We are going to hold the 
administration's feet to the fire.
  [email protected]. For any e-mails you may want to send, 
www.speaker.dot.gov/30something. All of the charts that Members may 
want to look at are all available on these Web sites. www.speaker.gov/
30something.

                          ____________________