[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 165 (Friday, November 6, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H12462-H12466]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman is reminded that wearing a hat 
is a violation of the rules.
  Mr. SERRANO. I have proudly worn that hat on my head for many years, 
and I promise not to wear it during the debate, of course, out of 
respect for the House, which I am proud to be a Member of.
  Having said that, I am not one of those Yankee fans, if there are 
any, who thinks we are going to win all the time. I am very nervous. I 
was nervous with the Minnesota Twins; I was nervous with the Angels. I 
was very nervous with the talented Phillies.
  But that does not compare to the nervousness I felt yesterday when I 
introduced the resolution and wondered if we could get it on the House 
floor before we left this weekend and before we did health care. But 
thanks to the chairman and the ranking member and the leadership, here 
it is.
  I rise to pay tribute to the Yankees on their 27th World Series 
championship. As the chairman has said, they are the most successful 
franchise in sports history. Congratulations especially should go to 
the Phillies, the Philadelphia Phillies, a fine team, world champions 
prior to this year, who repeated their championship in the National 
League and gave the Yankees a very tough time. They're a successful 
team, and I suspect they will be back next year when I'm sure they will 
play the Yankees again in the World Series.
  I am very proud to be the Congressman who represents the Yankee 
Stadium area. In fact, I can tell when the Yankees are doing well by 
just opening my window and hearing the sound of a crowd. Whenever you 
hear the crowd--I live that close to the stadium--you know the Yankees 
have scored a run or gotten a big hit.
  The Yankees have been a tradition in the neighborhood and have been a 
tradition in sports history. What's interesting about it is that, as 
you know, this year they opened up a new stadium and they won the World 
Series in that stadium. My understanding also is that they won the 
first World Series they played in the old stadium in 1923, The House 
That Ruth Built. So they move, but they still keep their winning 
tradition.
  They are, indeed, the Bronx Bombers, and they've become a sign of 
perfection, of teamwork. And much has been said throughout the years 
about how the Yankees played and how they got along or at times didn't 
get along, and everyone says that this team came together and played as 
a true organization and a true institution.
  They have been in the World Series an astonishing, an amazing 40 
times and they have won 27 of those 40 times. Professional baseball is 
a few years over 100 years old, and 40 percent of the time one team was 
in that appearance. In 2009, they won 103 games. Then they went on to 
defeat the Twins and defeat the Angels, and then finally the very 
talented Phillies. They put it all together.
  And they put it all together as they continue to build on that 
tradition. We hear about Ruth and Gehrig; we hear about DiMaggio and 
Mantle and Berra, and the other players of the 1950s. Then we know that 
there was that period with Reggie Jackson, and the wonderful years with 
Bernie Williams and the rest of the team. And now we have Jeter and we 
have Posada and we have Pettitte and we have Mariano. And of course the 
Yankees in many ways also do great things beyond New York.
  The MVP, Hideki Matsui, my understanding was, practically shut down 
the great country of Japan as they watched the game on TV. Little did 
they know that their son would become the MVP by having a fabulous last 
game with three hits and six RBIs.
  It was, indeed, a wonderful World Series. I understand from my 
relatives in Puerto Rico that everybody was glued to the TV set to see 
the Yankees, not only to see the Yankees, but then to see how Jorge 
Posada would do. In the Dominican Republic, in the Dominican 
neighborhoods in New York, people were out in the street watching just 
to see what Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera and others were doing.
  So you see, it goes beyond baseball. It is a tradition, and now it 
has expanded globally. And it is only fitting that the most successful 
team in baseball would be part of this expansion of baseball throughout 
the world.
  So my congratulations go to the Yankees. We will be here today doing 
the work we have to do. At 11 a.m., in Mr. Towns' great city and mine, 
the Yankees will have a ticker tape parade along the Canyon of Heroes. 
After that, they will go to city hall at 1 o'clock where every other 
elected official except Members of Congress will be there taking 
pictures with the Yankees.
  So that is one of the reasons why we are here today, to do our part 
in celebrating this great team; to do our part in celebrating their 
home in the Bronx, New York; to do our part in saying that, yes, we 
have problems in this country; yes, we have serious debate; yes, we 
have difficulties, but we can take some time to celebrate something 
that is beautiful, something that we can come together on.
  Even Boston Red Sox fans, I'm sure, are celebrating the Yankee 
victory--well, I try to always tell the truth, but every so often I 
bend it a little bit.

  Ladies and gentlemen, and to the leadership, thank you very much for 
putting this resolution on the floor. Thank you for this opportunity to 
honor our beloved Yankees. Congratulations to the Yankee management, to 
the Steinbrenner family; to my friend, Randy Levine; to Joe Girardi; 
and to all the Yankees that made this the winning season it has been. 
Congratulations. Viva los Yankees. Thank you.
  Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  You know, baseball is such a great sport. It is often referred to as 
our national pastime because it's a great way to escape the realities 
of all the pressures that happen in life. It has done that for so many 
people and will continue for decades and centuries to come, I'm sure. 
But the reality, once the game is over and we go back home and people 
start to realize what is truly happening in their lives, there is a lot 
of concern out there. You have people all across this country, right in 
the pit of their stomach they're worried. They're worried about their 
future; they're worried about their kids; they're worried about their 
parents. And so we look at statistics that come out and we just gaze 
and wonder and think, gosh, my goodness, what can we do to help? 
Unfortunately, I believe that we are moving in the wrong direction in 
this country.
  Earlier this week, we saw some new statistics that came out. 
Supposedly there were 640,000 jobs that were either created or saved 
through the stimulus. Now, I have serious reservations about the 
accuracy of those numbers.
  They have been often overstated; I know they were overstated in our 
State of Utah. But let's go ahead and just assume that that is true. 
Part of this report showed that only 2,500 of 640,000 jobs were 
manufacturing jobs. But the stimulus bill and the economic policies 
instituted by this Congress and this administration have grown 
government; they haven't grown jobs. We have missed the mark. The very 
best hope for our future is to focus on small

[[Page H12463]]

business. It's going to be businesses and the American entrepreneur 
that are going to grow this country. It is not going to be government.
  There is another statistic that was released today where the 
unemployment rate unfortunately has gone to 10.2 percent. In many 
States it has been in double digits for a long time.
  The stimulus did not work. It is not doing what it is supposed to do 
because it was fundamentally flawed from the beginning; it was 
fundamentally flawed at the start. It did not give relief; it did not 
focus on the small business man and woman. It did not focus on Main 
Street. It was a bailout to government, it was a bailout to the States, 
and it's fundamentally wrong.
  And so at this time, when we are having such concern about our 
country, we are now considering a health care bill I doubt most any 
person in the body has actually fully read let alone comprehended from 
start to finish. It's 1,990 pages. It is so complex; it is a total 
takeover of health care. It demonstrates in there that there is going 
to be a tax increase on medical device manufacturers, a so-called 
``wheelchair tax.'' Whether you buy your wheelchair or crutches or need 
a defibrillator, whatever it might be, they're now going to have a tax 
increase. Weren't we promised that there wouldn't be one dime, not one 
dime of tax increase for anybody who is earning less than $250,000? 
This is a tax that is going to be implemented on every single American, 
every American.

                              {time}  0930

  There are tax increases on small businessmen and -women. Yet we know 
that 70 percent of the jobs that will be created in this country will 
come from small businesses. So, at the very time we need that economic 
engine to drive us forward, to propel us forward as a country, this 
administration and the bill we are considering would implement a tax 
increase at the wrong time.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TOWNS. Madam Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is 
remaining?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from New York has 12 minutes 
remaining. The gentleman from Utah has 15 minutes remaining.
  Mr. TOWNS. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume 
to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert).
  Mr. GOHMERT. I appreciate my friend from Utah for yielding.
  Madam Speaker, it is an honor even for a Texan to pay tribute to the 
team from New York. Even as a kid growing up, you know, when I was 6 
years old and was out on the playground, I was one of many who wanted 
to be Mickey Mantle, as we started playing, and Roger Maris. You know, 
the first bat I was ever given for Christmas had Bobby Richardson's 
name on it. Who could forget his incredible grand slam?
  The New York Yankees have always been a franchise that has prided 
itself on excellence. Sure, they've had some bad years along the way, 
but nobody touches their record when it comes to the World Series. It 
probably goes without saying, but my friend from New York does look 
good in a New York Yankee's hat even though he's not allowed to wear it 
on the floor.
  As I thought about the Yankee team--and you go back to, you know, 
thinking about an incredible player like Lou Gehrig, and he considered 
himself the luckiest man in the world. Those were great teams--
excellence on the field of play--and you think about having a closer in 
the bullpen that, when you get ahead, you bring in Rivera, and he's 
going to close out, and you're going to win, and he knows it.
  You know, some of Reggie Jackson's cockiness sometimes bothered me, 
but you just knew that, come late in the season, no matter whether he'd 
had a slump or not, the guy was such an incredible baseball player that 
he was going to come through. You just knew because he knew.
  As I've thought over the years of the incredible excellence of the 
New York Yankees--and this takes a real effort on my part to pay 
tribute to that kind of excellence in New York. They have been good so 
many times--not just good but great. Then it took me to thinking about 
all of the cities in America, including right here in Washington, D.C., 
which have not been so fortunate, you know, and where wins have come so 
difficultly. It's such a struggle. You lose week after week, and you 
think, Do you know what we need? Maybe we need a public option for 
baseball teams. Why is it fair that one city gets to have the corner on 
the market of all of the excellence in baseball? You know, shouldn't we 
spread that around the country? You know, not everybody has the money 
that New York City has to spend on baseball, so let's have more choice.
  Let's give the government a few baseball teams. That way, people can 
choose to support the government baseball team when their town really 
can't afford to have one or they can choose to support the independent 
baseball teams like those in New York; but we'll probably need to put a 
cap on New York so that everybody will spend exactly the same amount of 
money. Nobody can spend more because, you know, there's a bigger TV 
market in New York, which gives them more revenue and which allows them 
to pay more for baseball players. Even with a cap, they're able to 
spend more money, and it just creates unfairness. We should avoid 
having one team be so excellent, maybe, by spreading it around and by 
letting people choose a government option baseball team. That's what 
was occurring to me.
  I had a conversation this morning with a Democrat for whom I have 
tremendous respect, tremendous respect. We come at problems from 
different directions. He was sincerely saying that he believed that--
you know what?--we don't know enough as patients when a doctor tells us 
we need treatment or when we need an MRI or a test. We don't know 
enough to say, No, we don't, or, Maybe we shouldn't. We have to rely on 
the doctors, and the doctors are out to make a profit. You know, when 
times get tough, maybe they order more MRIs. Who are we to know? We 
need that help from the government to make our decisions.
  As I thought about it, can you imagine a baseball team that the 
government runs? I mean, if the Nats played nothing but government-run 
baseball teams, they would have been in the World Series this year. I 
mean it's just that pronounced.
  My Democratic friend, again, I have the utmost respect. He is truly a 
good man, but he just believes, in his heart, that people need that 
help from the government to make their decisions in the most personal 
areas of their lives. I don't believe that. I believe that you let 
people spend their own money, that you encourage tax incentives to have 
health savings accounts of people's own so it's their own money to be 
spent on health care and that you don't let the insurance companies 
make those decisions. I don't like them making decisions for me. I'm 
changing insurance companies at the end of this year, but we don't want 
the government, some of us, making those calls either. Let's allow the 
individuals to excel or to fail or to succeed on their own.
  For those in our society who simply cannot afford to have health 
savings accounts, let's give those to them, and then let's provide the 
catastrophic insurance to cover things above that. That's in my health 
care bill. Then encourage everyone else who can to go in that 
direction, and let's not allow the government to make those decisions 
for us.

  I saw socialized medicine in 1973 where the government makes those 
decisions for people. They don't get that choice, and they would have 
loved to have had that choice. If you've got your own health savings 
account and if the insurance company can't tell you what to do and if 
the government can't tell you what to do and if you're not sure that 
the doctor's telling you to get an MRI is the thing to do, then you go 
get a second opinion. You know, of course, that's where the joke comes 
in.
  Somebody like me goes to a doctor, and he says, I think you're ugly.
  I want a second opinion.
  Well, you know, you're not a very good athlete either.
  Anyway, we should be able to get second opinions, not because the 
government says that we should, not because the insurance companies say 
we shouldn't, but of our own choice. I believe in the ability and in 
the propriety of the individuals. That's what the Founders believed in.

[[Page H12464]]

  The truth of the matter is, if I take my tongue out of my cheek, the 
New York Yankees excel as individuals and as a team. They are given 
that ability to excel. Thank God the New York Yankees are not a 
government option, because they showed us what incredible baseball 
really can be when people are allowed to reach their full potential. 
That's what I'd like to see all around, including in health care--not a 
government takeover, not a government telling us what to do and, thank 
God, not a government telling baseball teams whether to pull a squeeze 
play or whether they can or can't intentionally walk somebody. Let the 
baseball teams make their own decisions, and then you have excellence 
like we saw this year in the New York Yankees.
  Mr. TOWNS. Madam Speaker, before I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman 
from New York, I would just like to say that, for a moment there, I 
thought the gentleman from Texas was trying to help us close a doughnut 
hole, but after a point there, I wasn't sure as to where he was going. 
First, he praised the Yankees, and then at the same time, he indicated 
that there were some problems. The point is that, at the end, he 
indicated that he was very supportive of the Yankees.
  We want to thank you for that.
  I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel).
  Mr. ENGEL. I thank my friend from New York for yielding to me.
  I think the gentleman from Texas came out in favor of a public 
option, so I'm really happy about that.
  Madam Speaker, I rise this morning, of course, to congratulate the 
New York Yankees on its 27th winning of the World Series.
  I'm about as Bronx as you can get. I was born in the Bronx, and I've 
represented parts of the Bronx for the past 21 years. I still live in 
the Bronx. I always tease Mr. Serrano because, you know, we change 
district lines. Every 10 years, we get redistricted, and if we still 
had the 1992-2002 lines, Yankee Stadium would be in my district instead 
of in Mr. Serrano's.
  I was there at the World Series. I was there for game 6, and I can 
tell everyone that the celebration after the Yankees won, both in 
Yankee Stadium and outside of Yankee Stadium on River Avenue and 161st 
Street, was like New Year's Eve. I've never seen anything like it in my 
life.
  As we speak today, the Yankees are in New York, having a ticker-tape 
parade up Broadway. We all wish we could be there, but of course we 
have pressing business here in Washington, so we are in Washington, but 
if I could, I would be in New York for the ticker-tape parade, which is 
just a fantastic experience. Several years ago, I had the experience of 
riding in the ticker-tape parade. I am very proud of the Yankees and of 
what they have done.
  You know, the Bronx, for many years, has been maligned. Congressman 
Serrano and I, who both live in the Bronx, know what a wonderful 
borough it is, what a wonderful county it is, and what wonderful people 
live in the Bronx neighborhoods. Sometimes the media report on some of 
the negative things, and every time I go to a community meeting or see 
a civic association fighting for its community, I always ask, Why isn't 
the media here? Because this is the real Bronx. I am very, very proud 
of the Bronx and am very, very proud of the symbol of the Bronx--the 
New York Yankees.
  They're not called the Bronx Bombers for nothing. They're called the 
Bronx Bombers because they are bombers, and they're from the Bronx. I'm 
proud to be a Bronxite. I'm proud to live in the Bronx, and I'm proud 
of the New York Yankees.
  I know it's violating rules to put a hat on, but I'm going to do it 
just for 2 seconds because I think it's really important that I put 
this on. This hat is worn more than any other hat. We see people in far 
corners of the world who are wearing a Yankee hat. In Asia, in Africa, 
in Europe, in the Middle East, wherever we go, we see people wearing 
Yankee hats. So it's really a symbol of unity. It's a symbol at a time 
when we need unity, not only in this country but around the world. I'm 
just so proud of the New York Yankees--of the Bronx Bombers--and I'm 
proud to be a son of the Bronx.

  Mr. CHAFFETZ. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, again, we congratulate the New York Yankees, but we 
also recognize that the administration, the people who work there, the 
guy who sells the popcorn, and the fans who go there are also going to 
have to deal with the realities of what's happening and what will 
potentially happen with this health care bill that we are dealing with.
  One of the deep concerns that we have about what these fans, the 
players, and particularly their wives, are going to have to deal with 
in our potentially passing this 1,990-page bill is that there are 118 
new boards, bureaucracies, commissions, and programs that we believe 
are created within that bill. Let me just read the list. I'm going to 
go through this as fast as I possibly can. Bear with me here.
  The retiree reserve trust fund; the grant program for wellness 
programs to small employers; the grant program for State health access 
programs; the program of administrative simplification found on page 
76; the health benefits advisory committee; the health choices 
administration; the qualified health benefits plan ombudsman; the 
health insurance exchange; a program for technical assistance to 
employees of small businesses buying exchange coverage as found on page 
191; a mechanism for insurance risk pooling to be established by health 
choices commissioner; the health insurance exchange trust fund; the 
State-based health insurance exchanges as found on page 197; the grant 
program for health insurance cooperatives; a public health insurance 
option as found on page 211; an ombudsman for public health insurance 
option.
  No. 16, an account for receipts and disbursements for public health 
insurance option; the telehealth advisory committee; a demonstration 
program providing reimbursement for culturally and linguistically 
appropriate services as found on page 617; a demonstration program for 
shared decisionmaking using patient decision aids as articulated on 
page 648; an accountable care organization pilot program under 
Medicare; an independent patient-centered medical home pilot program 
under Medicare.
  No. 22, a community-based medical home pilot program under Medicare; 
an independence at home demonstration program; the center for 
comparative effectiveness research as found on page 734; the 
comparative effectiveness research commission; the patient ombudsman 
for comparative effectiveness research; a quality assurance and 
performance improvement program for skilled nursing facilities.

                              {time}  0945

  No. 28, the quality assurance and improvement program for nursing 
facilities; a special focus facility program for skilled nursing 
facilities; special focus facility program for nursing facilities; the 
national independent monitor pilot program for skilled nursing 
facilities and nursing facilities, as found on page 859; a 
demonstration program for approved teaching health centers with respect 
to Medicare GME; pilot program to develop anti-fraud compliance systems 
for Medicare providers.
  We are up to No. 33. We have to get to 118. There is no possible way 
that this body understands the complexity and what all of these 
programs do--that's the point--let alone the American people. We need 
time to digest this. Somehow the President wants to take more than 60 
days to study a program because it's of deep significance to what we 
will do or not do in Afghanistan; yet we have hours to digest what's 
going to affect 16-plus percent of our economy in all of these 
different programs.
  No. 34, the special inspector general for the health insurance 
exchange; the medical home pilot program under Medicare, as found on 
page 1,058; accountable care organization pilot program under Medicaid; 
the nursing facility supplemental payment program; a demonstration 
program for Medicaid coverage to stabilize emergency medical conditions 
in institutions for mental diseases; comparative effectiveness research 
trust fund; ``identifiable office or program'' within CMS to ``provide 
for improved coordination between Medicare and Medicaid in the case of 
dual eligibles,'' as found on page 1,191; the center for medicare and 
medicaid innovation. Again, this is No. 41 on the list.

[[Page H12465]]

  No. 42, public health investment fund; No. 43, scholarships for 
service in health professional needs areas; program for training 
medical residents in community-based settings; grant program for 
training in dentistry programs; public health workforce corps; the 
public health workforce scholarship program, as found on page 1,254; 
No. 48 on the list, public health workforce loan forgiveness program; 
No. 49, grant program for innovations in interdisciplinary care; No. 
50, advisory committee on health workforce evaluation and assessment.
  Madam Speaker, I would like to inquire as to how much time we have 
remaining?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Utah has 1 minute 
remaining.
  Mr. CHAFFETZ. I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TOWNS. Does the gentleman have other speakers?
  Mr. CHAFFETZ. I have one speaker remaining.
  Mr. TOWNS. How much time do we have available on this side, Madam 
Speaker?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from New York has 8\1/2\ 
minutes remaining.
  Mr. TOWNS. I yield myself as much time as I may consume.
  I just want to make certain my friend from Utah understands what we 
are talking about here this morning. I think he is confused. I think he 
thinks this is H.R. 3962, but this is a resolution congratulating the 
2009 Major League Baseball World Series Champions, which is the New 
York Yankees. I want to make certain that he understands that's what 
this discussion is about because for a moment there I thought he was 
talking about H.R. 3962. I understand that debate is going to be 
tomorrow.
  I don't know whether he is generally a day early in matters of this 
nature or what, but the point is that I just want to make it clear to 
let him know that's what we are talking about, the New York Yankees who 
won the World Series, and this resolution deals with that. I just want 
to sort of remind him, just in case he had forgotten what we were 
talking about. He is a very good friend of mine, incidentally. We have 
been traveling together and all of that. I am telling you this morning 
I am convinced that he is confused. This is about baseball, of the 
Yankees winning the World Series, and he keeps thinking it's about 
health care.
  I just want to make certain that he knows that because I listened to 
his comments very carefully, and I can't see anything that connects 
with baseball in the conversation that he has put forward. I thought 
maybe one time he was talking about somebody striking out, but then I 
listened real carefully, and no, maybe he is talking about hitting a 
home run. Then I listened a little carefully, and he wasn't talking 
about a home run. Then I realized that he was just confused about the 
issue this morning.
  Let's me just say to you, Madam Speaker, the story of the New York 
Yankees and the story of baseball is the story of America. With hard 
work, talent, the support of a community, and a little bit of luck, 
they have been able to find success.
  When I think about the Bronx and what this team has done, not only 
for the Bronx but for the City of New York and the Nation in terms of 
how people rallied around, and the economic development that has come 
out of it and the fact that people have been able to be provided with a 
lot of things they would not have been able to be provided with as a 
result of their success and as a result of them being placed in the 
Bronx, I want you to know that I see this as truly a team effort in 
terms of the community being involved; of course, in terms of the City 
of New York being involved; and of course, the Nation being involved 
because of the fact that, as my colleague from New York, Congressman 
Engel, pointed out that you see people all around the world wearing 
hats that say New York, New York Yankees, because they are proud and 
they know in terms of what the team has meant not only to the city but 
to the Nation.

  On this note, Madam Speaker, I, of course, say to my colleague, this 
is H. Res. 893 congratulating Major League Baseball and not H.R. 3962.
  Mr. ENGEL. Would the gentleman yield?
  Mr. TOWNS. I would be delighted to yield to the gentleman from New 
York.
  Mr. ENGEL. I want to thank my friend, Mr. Towns, for pointing out 
that this is a resolution supporting and congratulating the New York 
Yankees. I grew up less than a mile from Yankee Stadium, and I have 
seen the Bronx during good times and bad times. These are good times 
now.
  So I want to congratulate the Steinbrenner family. I want to 
congratulate Randy Levine and Lonn Trost and all the others who are 
connected with the New York Yankees.
  I am glad that the gentleman from New York (Mr. Towns) pointed out 
that this is a resolution about the Yankees. Frankly, I think that 
people should have the respect to talk about the Yankees when we are 
debating a resolution about the Yankees, not to talk about other bills 
or other things that the Congress is doing.
  I would hope that our friends on both sides of the aisle would 
respect that and would congratulate us and would congratulate the New 
York Yankees.
  Mr. TOWNS. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I would like to concur with, actually, my friend from New York. He is 
a distinguished Member of this body. I agree that there is confusion in 
this room. While the Democrats want to talk baseball, we want to talk 
about health care.
  The only thing that I am concerned about is, yes, we are going to go 
ahead and recognize the New York Yankees. I urge the adoption of this 
and spoke to that. But while the New York Yankees are winning the World 
Series, the American families are striking out. That's the point. 
That's the point.
  We can pause for a moment and recognize the New York Yankees. We can 
pause, and we should, for an extended time of what happened at Fort 
Hood. We also have to remember the focus on the debate in this body 
ought to be about the serious issues of this day, and there are deep 
concerns about the 1,990-page health care bill that is going to come 
before this body because there are those of us who don't fully believe 
that we understand all of the implications, unintended consequences, 
and direct consequences of what is found in that bill.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. TOWNS. I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from the Bronx, Mr. 
Serrano.
  Mr. SERRANO. I thank the gentleman.
  I understand what the other side is trying to do. I don't think the 
American people have a problem with the fact that we pause momentarily 
in our very serious work to celebrate something positive that is 
happening in our country; just the way we pause when something terrible 
happens, a tragedy, we pause to take time out.
  I make no excuses about the fact that this is a resolution I brought 
to the floor and that I sponsored this resolution. But I really think 
it's a shame that we would take this moment to use it to attack on a 
partisan issue other issues.
  The New York Yankees won the World Series. Americans love sports. 
Americans celebrate success, and I am positive that there is not a 
single American in this country, except for some in this House, who 
would think that what we are doing today is wrong.
  This weekend we will deal with the biggest issue of our time. For 
this moment, for these 20 minutes of this whole week, we take to 
celebrate the American pastime, baseball and its global implications in 
bringing so many people together.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Utah's time has expired. 
The gentleman from New York has 3 minutes remaining.
  Mr. TOWNS. Madam Speaker, let me say to the gentleman from Utah, one 
of the great athletes of our time holds records in terms of kicks, 
field goals, extra points, all of that, a person who should be deeply 
indebted to sports and to athletics because I am certain that he said 
sometime during his life that I would not be what I am or I could not 
be what I am if it had not been for sports. I am sure he has made 
speeches and has said that along the way, that

[[Page H12466]]

everything that I am and everything I hope to be, I owe it to football. 
I am certain he said it.
  But then to come this morning and to ignore the accomplishments of a 
team that won the World Series--and we are pausing for 20 minutes to 
say congratulations--I don't think, to me, that's out of line.
  But I do think that when you twist it and you talk about something 
else that's not related to the resolution, I think that's unfair, and I 
think that I would use a word that might be a little strong for him. I 
would say that's inappropriate on this occasion anyway, recognizing 
that I know that he has been very involved in athletics.
  Of course, Madam Speaker, I would like to take this time to recognize 
the Yankees again and to say to them and to Mr. Steinbrenner and, of 
course, Randy Levine and all of them that had the opportunity to put 
together this magnificent team that has made all of us proud.
  Of course, we again salute the New York Yankees, the world champions, 
who happens to be a team that is based in the Bronx.
  Mr. McMAHON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the New York 
Yankees, baseball's most storied franchise, on winning their 27th World 
Series. After a hard-fought series, the Yankees won game six at home in 
the Bronx against the Philadelphia Phillies. Winning their record 27th 
World Series is something that the whole organization, city, and State 
can be proud of. I am elated to join my fellow Representatives from New 
York and Representatives from across this great country in honoring 
this historic moment. The Yankees have won more championships than any 
other baseball club in history.
  The Yankees certainly have a season to be proud of. After finishing 
at the top of the American League's Eastern Division, the Yankees went 
on to beat the Minnesota Twins 3-0 in the American League Division 
Series. Facing off against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the 
American League Championship Series, the Yankees fought hard to win the 
series four games to two.
  Under the leadership of team captain and ten-time all-star Derek 
Jeter, the Yankees have added another heroic chapter to the story that 
already includes such immortals and Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Joe 
DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Reggie Jackson, and Don Mattingly. 
I am proud to not only be from the great city of New York, but I am 
also proud to represent the Yankees minor league affiliate, the Staten 
Island Yankees, also known as the Baby Bombers.
  The Yankees and their farm teams bring much to the places they 
reside. They bring, pride, hope, jobs, and on occasions such as this 
week, they bring happiness and joy to their many supporters.
  Ms. CLARKE. Madam Speaker, I rise today in an Empire State of Mind, 
to voice my full support of H. Res. 893. I am a lifelong New Yorker and 
proud to stand with the New York City Congressional Delegation and 
congratulate the ``Bronx Bombers,'' also known as the New York Yankees 
on winning their 27th World Championship. Amazingly, the Yankees have 
won more championships than any other franchise in North American 
professional sports history. This would not have been possible without 
the contributions of some of baseball's greatest players. Historic 
players like Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Lou Gehrig, Yogi 
Berra, Elston Howard, Roger Maris, Reggie Jackson, Don Mattingly, Ricky 
Henderson, Bernie Williams, Willie Randolph, Paul O'Neill, Mariano 
Rivera, Coach Joe Girardi, Alex Rodriguez, Andy Pettitte and my all 
time favorite, Derek Jeter. These players have all contributed to the 
fame and legacy of this historic franchise.
  Throughout my entire life, the Yankees have been a symbol of great 
baseball and epitomized the vibrant spirit, unyielding hope and 
strength of the great city of New York. The city's history has been 
through much adversity and challenge. Thankfully, the Yankees have 
helped us get through the best of times and the worst of times. Their 
winning history has helped lift our spirit and boost our morale through 
the Great Depression, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and 
this current economic crisis. Over the years, this great franchise has 
lit the torch of honor and resilience, showing the nation that no 
matter what our city, state or country goes through, victory is on the 
horizon.
  I congratulate the franchise owner, George Steinbrenner, as well as 
manager Joe Girardi, the players, the staff, the millions of fans all 
over the world and all who contributed to this monumental achievement.
  Mr. TOWNS. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Towns) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 893.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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