[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 17542]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        THE HOME-STRETCH AGENDA

  (Mr. DeLAY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, as we return this week for the home stretch 
of the 108th Congress, it bears repeating that our focus for the 
remainder of this legislative session will be the same focus we have 
had for the last 2 years: growing our economy, defending our national 
security, and protecting the American family.
  The first order of business will be reforming the way that we secure 
our homeland in the wake of the 9/11 Commission's investigation. When 
the commission released its report, many rushed to either condemn or 
rubber stamp its conclusions, but we in the majority took a very novel 
approach: we actually read them. Six committees held more than 20 
hearings on the report's findings and are now in the process of 
developing a comprehensive 9/11 Commission Implementation Act.
  Considering the opportunity that the 9/11 Commission has given us, 
Congress cannot in good conscience satisfy itself with a watered-down, 
politically-convenient bill that just Scotch-tapes over a few 
vulnerabilities.
  We are the first Congress elected after 9/11, and we were elected 
specifically to make the difficult, but necessary, choices to protect 
our constituents. That is exactly what a comprehensive 9/11 Commission 
Implementation Act will force us to do, and I hope everyone on both 
sides of the aisle will rise to the occasion and support its passage.
  Secondly, Mr. Speaker, Congress cannot adjourn before we finish our 
work protecting American families from the snap-back tax hikes that 
many Democrats hope to foist upon our economy before they skip town. 
Unless Congress acts, the marriage penalty will return, the $1,000 per 
child tax credit will disappear, and the expanded 10 percent tax 
bracket will shrink, representing a massive tax hike targeted directly 
at married couples, parents and working families, just in time for the 
holidays; and we will not let that happen.
  Over the last 2 years, the economy has rebounded from recession, 
corporate scandals and terrorism; 144,000 more new jobs were created 
just last month, 1.7 million more since last August.

                              {time}  1415

  Congress did not create this growth; the American people did. Our job 
now, as they build our economy to ever loftier heights, is to stay out 
of their way and not spend too much of their money while we are at it.
  Toward that end, this week, the House will continue to work on 
Federal spending bills for 2005, according to the common-sense budget 
that the House passed this spring.
  Our goals for the next several weeks are clear, and as far as our 
Nation has come in these last 2 years, we owe it to the American people 
to work as they have to protect our homeland, our economy, and our 
families.

                          ____________________