[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 1]
[House]
[Pages 37-41]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          ELECTION OF SPEAKER

  The CLERK. Pursuant to law and to precedent, the next order of 
business is the election of the Speaker of the House of Representatives 
for the 109th Congress.
  Nominations are now in order.
  The Clerk recognizes the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Pryce).
  Ms. PRYCE of Ohio. Mr. Clerk, for the past 6 years, this House has 
been led by a man with great strength, passion and a sense of fairness. 
With a steady hand and quiet conviction, he has helped to guide this 
body and this Nation through periods of both trial and triumph.
  Therefore, Mr. Clerk, as chairman of the House Republican Conference, 
I am directed by the unanimous vote of that conference, and am very 
honored to present for election to the office of the Speaker of the 
House of Representatives for the 109th Congress of the United States of 
America the name of the Honorable J. Dennis Hastert, a Representative-
elect from the State of Illinois.
  The CLERK. The Clerk recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. 
Menendez).
  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Clerk, as chairman of the Democratic Caucus, I am 
directed by a unanimous vote of that caucus to present for election to 
the office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives for the 109th 
Congress a lady of great distinction, a lady of integrity, a fighter 
for America's children and families and a leader not only of House 
Democrats but a leader for our Nation and this Congress, the Honorable 
Nancy Pelosi, a Representative-elect from the State of California.
  The CLERK. The Honorable J. Dennis Hastert, a Representative-elect 
from the State of Illinois, and the Honorable Nancy Pelosi, a 
Representative-elect from the State of California, have been placed in 
nomination.
  Are there further nominations?
  There being no further nominations, the Clerk will appoint tellers.
  The Clerk appoints the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney), the gentleman 
from Connecticut (Mr. Larson), the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Mrs. 
Johnson), and the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur).
  The tellers will come forward and take their seats at the desk in 
front of the Speaker's rostrum.
  The roll will now be called, and those responding to their names will 
indicate by surname the nominee of their choice.
  The reading clerk will now call the roll.
  The tellers having taken their places, the House proceeded to vote 
for the Speaker.
  The following is the result of the vote:

                              [Roll No. 2]

                              HASTERT--226

     Aderholt
     Akin
     Alexander
     Bachus
     Baker
     Barrett (SC)
     Bartlett (MD)
     Barton (TX)
     Bass
     Beauprez
     Biggert
     Bilirakis
     Bishop (UT)
     Blackburn
     Blunt
     Boehlert
     Boehner
     Bonilla
     Bonner
     Bono
     Boozman
     Boustany
     Bradley (NH)
     Brady (TX)
     Brown (SC)
     Brown-Waite, Ginny
     Burgess
     Burton (IN)
     Buyer
     Calvert
     Camp
     Cantor
     Capito
     Carter
     Castle
     Chabot
     Chocola
     Coble
     Cole (OK)
     Conaway
     Crenshaw
     Cubin
     Culberson
     Cunningham
     Davis (KY)
     Davis, Jo Ann
     Davis, Tom
     Deal (GA)
     DeLay
     Dent
     Diaz-Balart, Lincoln
     Diaz-Balart, Mario
     Doolittle
     Drake
     Dreier
     Duncan
     Ehlers

[[Page 38]]


     Emerson
     English (PA)
     Everett
     Feeney
     Ferguson
     Fitzpatrick (PA)
     Flake
     Foley
     Forbes
     Fortenberry
     Fossella
     Foxx
     Franks (AZ)
     Frelinghuysen
     Gallegly
     Garrett (NJ)
     Gerlach
     Gibbons
     Gilchrest
     Gillmor
     Gingrey
     Gohmert
     Goode
     Goodlatte
     Granger
     Graves
     Green (WI)
     Gutknecht
     Hall
     Harris
     Hart
     Hastings (WA)
     Hayes
     Hayworth
     Hefley
     Hensarling
     Herger
     Hobson
     Hoekstra
     Hostettler
     Hulshof
     Hunter
     Hyde
     Inglis (SC)
     Issa
     Istook
     Jenkins
     Jindal
     Johnson (CT)
     Johnson (IL)
     Johnson, Sam
     Jones (NC)
     Keller
     Kelly
     Kennedy (MN)
     King (IA)
     King (NY)
     Kingston
     Kirk
     Kline
     Knollenberg
     Kolbe
     Kuhl (NY)
     LaHood
     Latham
     LaTourette
     Leach
     Lewis (CA)
     Lewis (KY)
     Linder
     LoBiondo
     Lucas
     Lungren, Daniel
     Mack
     Manzullo
     Marchant
     McCaul (TX)
     McCotter
     McCrery
     McHenry
     McHugh
     McKeon
     McMorris
     Mica
     Miller (FL)
     Miller (MI)
     Miller, Gary
     Moran (KS)
     Murphy
     Musgrave
     Myrick
     Neugebauer
     Ney
     Nunes
     Nussle
     Osborne
     Otter
     Oxley
     Paul
     Pearce
     Pence
     Peterson (PA)
     Petri
     Pickering
     Pitts
     Platts
     Poe
     Pombo
     Porter
     Portman
     Price (GA)
     Pryce (OH)
     Putnam
     Radanovich
     Ramstad
     Regula
     Rehberg
     Reichert
     Renzi
     Reynolds
     Rogers (AL)
     Rogers (KY)
     Rogers (MI)
     Rohrabacher
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Royce
     Ryan (WI)
     Ryun (KS)
     Saxton
     Schwarz (MI)
     Sensenbrenner
     Sessions
     Shaw
     Shays
     Sherwood
     Shimkus
     Shuster
     Simmons
     Simpson
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (TX)
     Sodrel
     Souder
     Stearns
     Sullivan
     Sweeney
     Tancredo
     Taylor (NC)
     Terry
     Thomas
     Thornberry
     Tiahrt
     Tiberi
     Turner
     Upton
     Walden (OR)
     Walsh
     Wamp
     Weldon (FL)
     Weldon (PA)
     Weller
     Westmoreland
     Whitfield
     Wicker
     Wilson (NM)
     Wilson (SC)
     Wolf
     Young (AK)
     Young (FL)

                              PELOSI--199

     Abercrombie
     Ackerman
     Allen
     Andrews
     Baca
     Baird
     Baldwin
     Barrow
     Bean
     Becerra
     Berkley
     Berman
     Berry
     Bishop (GA)
     Bishop (NY)
     Blumenauer
     Boren
     Boswell
     Boucher
     Boyd
     Brady (PA)
     Brown (OH)
     Brown, Corrine
     Butterfield
     Capps
     Capuano
     Cardin
     Cardoza
     Carnahan
     Carson
     Case
     Chandler
     Clay
     Cleaver
     Clyburn
     Conyers
     Cooper
     Costa
     Costello
     Cramer
     Crowley
     Cuellar
     Cummings
     Davis (AL)
     Davis (CA)
     Davis (FL)
     Davis (IL)
     Davis (TN)
     DeFazio
     DeGette
     Delahunt
     DeLauro
     Dicks
     Dingell
     Doggett
     Doyle
     Edwards
     Emanuel
     Engel
     Eshoo
     Etheridge
     Evans
     Farr
     Fattah
     Filner
     Ford
     Frank (MA)
     Gonzalez
     Gordon
     Green, Al
     Green, Gene
     Grijalva
     Harman
     Hastings (FL)
     Herseth
     Higgins
     Hinchey
     Hinojosa
     Holden
     Holt
     Hooley
     Hoyer
     Inslee
     Israel
     Jackson (IL)
     Jackson-Lee (TX)
     Jefferson
     Johnson, E. B.
     Jones (OH)
     Kanjorski
     Kaptur
     Kennedy (RI)
     Kildee
     Kilpatrick (MI)
     Kind
     Kucinich
     Langevin
     Lantos
     Larsen (WA)
     Larson (CT)
     Lee
     Levin
     Lewis (GA)
     Lipinski
     Lofgren, Zoe
     Lowey
     Lynch
     Maloney
     Markey
     Marshall
     Matheson
     McCarthy
     McCollum (MN)
     McDermott
     McGovern
     McIntyre
     McKinney
     McNulty
     Meehan
     Meek (FL)
     Meeks (NY)
     Melancon
     Menendez
     Michaud
     Millender-McDonald
     Miller (NC)
     Miller, George
     Mollohan
     Moore (KS)
     Moore (WI)
     Moran (VA)
     Murtha
     Nadler
     Napolitano
     Neal (MA)
     Oberstar
     Obey
     Olver
     Ortiz
     Owens
     Pallone
     Pascrell
     Pastor
     Payne
     Pelosi
     Peterson (MN)
     Pomeroy
     Price (NC)
     Rahall
     Rangel
     Reyes
     Ross
     Rothman
     Roybal-Allard
     Ruppersberger
     Rush
     Ryan (OH)
     Sabo
     Salazar
     Sanchez, Linda T.
     Sanchez, Loretta
     Sanders
     Schakowsky
     Schiff
     Schwartz (PA)
     Scott (GA)
     Scott (VA)
     Serrano
     Sherman
     Skelton
     Slaughter
     Smith (WA)
     Snyder
     Solis
     Spratt
     Stark
     Strickland
     Stupak
     Tanner
     Tauscher
     Thompson (CA)
     Thompson (MS)
     Tierney
     Towns
     Udall (CO)
     Udall (NM)
     Van Hollen
     Velazquez
     Visclosky
     Wasserman Schultz
     Waters
     Watson
     Watt
     Waxman
     Weiner
     Wexler
     Woolsey
     Wu
     Wynn

                               MURTHA--1

       
     Taylor (MS)
       

                        ANSWERED ``PRESENT''--1

       
     Hastert
       

                             NOT VOTING--7

     Cannon
     Cox
     Gutierrez
     Honda
     Northup
     Norwood
     Shadegg
  Stated for Mr. Hastert:
  Mrs. NORTHUP. Mr. Clerk, on rollcall No. 2 I missed the vote due to 
airline problems. Had I been present, I would have voted for the 
Honorable J. Dennis Hastert for Speaker of the House.
  Mr. COX. Mr. Clerk, on rollcall No. 2 I was in consultation with the 
leadership staff outside the chamber and was therefore not present when 
my name was called. Had I been present I would have voted for J. Dennis 
Hastert of Illinois as Speaker of the House.

                              {time}  1337

  The CLERK. The tellers agree in their tallies that the total of 
number of votes cast is 427, of which the Honorable J. Dennis Hastert 
of the State of Illinois has received 226, the Honorable Nancy Pelosi 
of the State of California has received 199, and the Honorable John 
Murtha of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has received 1 vote, with 1 
recorded as ``present.''
  Therefore, the Honorable J. Dennis Hastert of the State of Illinois 
is duly elected Speaker of the House of Representatives for the 109th 
Congress, having received a majority of the votes cast.
  The Clerk appoints the following committee to escort the Speaker-
elect to the chair: the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi); the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay); the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. 
Blunt); the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer); the gentlewoman from 
Ohio (Ms. Pryce); the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Menendez); the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde); the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Evans); the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Costello); the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Gutierrez); the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Manzullo); 
the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rush); the gentleman from Illinois 
(Mr. LaHood); the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Weller); the gentleman 
from Illinois (Mr. Jackson); the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis); 
the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus); the gentlewoman from 
Illinois (Mrs. Biggert); the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. 
Schakowsky); the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Johnson); the gentleman 
from Illinois (Mr. Kirk); the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Emanuel); 
the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Bean); and the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Lipinski).
  The committee will retire from the Chamber to escort the Speaker-
elect to the chair.
  The Sergeant at Arms announced the Speaker-elect of the House of 
Representatives of the 109th Congress, who was escorted to the chair by 
the Committee of Escort.
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, my colleagues, first may I thank my 
Democratic colleagues. What an honor it is to have my name placed in 
nomination as your leader to be Speaker of the House as the first woman 
and as the first Italian-American. I was honored by the kind remarks of 
the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Menendez).
  It is a privilege, as the gentleman from New Jersey knows and as the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) knows for us to represent this 
magnificently diverse caucus. Thank you for the honor of being your 
leader. It is a privilege to represent one of the greatest forces, in 
my view, for idealism, integrity and innovation in our country. My 
thanks to the members of the Democratic Caucus.
  I want to thank and acknowledge my husband, Paul. Thank you, Paul. In 
acknowledging Paul, I want to acknowledge all of the spouses who are 
here today for the contributions they make. I know Members all share my 
view when I say our husbands and wives, our spouses, and in my case my 
five children and five grandchildren, represented by Ryan and Madelaine 
here today, are the source of our strength and inspiration. Our 
children and grandchildren are the future. Many children are here 
today. We want them to know that we know and think it is our 
responsibility to make the future better for them.
  To my constituents, I am grateful for the privilege of representing 
them.
  I know Members all want to join me and the Speaker in acknowledging 
our courageous men and women in uniform.

                              {time}  1345

  As we end this holiday season, we know it is their service that makes 
it

[[Page 39]]

possible for us to strive for peace on earth and good will to mankind 
every day of the year.
  A special congratulations and welcome to the Capitol to our newest 
Members of Congress, to our freshmen Members. You as freshmen are the 
fresh recruits. You are here to reinvigorate the Congress with your 
fresh ideas, straight from campaigns. We are all straight from 
campaigns. Our Founding Fathers planned it so that every 2 years 
Congress would be reinvigorated with new membership to bring new ideas 
and new energy to the debate. As you take your oath of office today, 
you not only enter the Congress, you enter the annals of history. You 
are colleagues not only with each other, you are colleagues with all 
those who have served before you.
  Sadly, this weekend, we lost two of our most pioneering and 
courageous colleagues. Shirley Chisholm was the first African-American 
woman elected to Congress. Imagine the courage. She said of her service 
that it demonstrated the sheer will and refusal to accept the status 
quo. We must make that legacy part of ours. When Shirley Chisholm came 
to Congress as the first African-American woman, it was not only a 
breakthrough for African Americans, it was not only a breakthrough for 
women, it was a breakthrough for America.
  And we mourn the passing of someone who was a dear friend to so many 
of us here. Bob Matsui would have been sworn in today. Bob was the 
living combination of intellect and passion, someone who understood the 
complexities, for example, of the Social Security system but never 
forgot what it meant simply to the lives of America's seniors. 
President Bush rightly called Bob a dedicated public servant and a good 
and decent man who served with distinction and integrity. Thank you, 
President Bush, for that acknowledgment.
  As a small child, Bob Matsui was in a Japanese internment camp. He 
was a third-generation American but nonetheless he was in an internment 
camp. But that never dampened his spirit about America or his family's 
spirit. He went on in his words and his deeds with a commitment to 
guide us to the better America that was his dream. Let that be our 
legacy as well.
  And we cannot gather here today without talking about the unspeakable 
devastation the world has witnessed in South Asia. It presents a 
special challenge to us, not only for the millions of people who are 
struggling to recover and rebuild but for all of us who are called by 
our faith and by our common humanity to help those in need. When the 
victims of disasters in Asia see our soldiers bringing food and 
supplies, they see the best of America, an America that is 
compassionate. We need to work even harder, not only to present that 
America to the world but also to create that America here at home by 
staying true to our core American values. We do that by widening the 
circle of prosperity, because it is unacceptable that one in five 
children in America live in poverty.
  Our sense of fairness demands that we expand access to health care 
because health care is a right, not a privilege. We must promote 
opportunity with a vibrant public education system and by making 
college education affordable to all Americans. We need to strengthen 
community, working to build safe communities free of crime and drugs 
and with a clean and healthy environment. And we must do this in a 
fiscally sound way by promoting accountability, by restoring fiscal 
discipline and paying as we go.
  Above all, we must guarantee our national security with a military 
that is second to none, a strong commitment to homeland security, and a 
resolve to stop the spread of weapons of mass destruction. How we 
respond to times of difficulty is what will define us as leaders and 
the ability to draw hope from times of challenge is what defines us as 
Americans. Each generation of Americans has made our country stronger 
and better for the next. I do not want anyone because we are talking 
about losing our colleagues and our former colleagues and the 
devastation in South Asia, to have any of that diminish the cause for 
celebration here today for our new Members, their families, their 
friends, indeed for all of us. The lives of Shirley Chisholm and Bob 
Matsui should be cause for celebration and they give us hope and proof 
that each one of us can make a difference.
  A better America is our inheritance. I believe that for all of us 
serving in the 109th Congress, it can also be our legacy. Though we are 
divided by party and this aisle, we are joined by our common oath to 
protect and defend the Constitution and to form a more perfect union.
  To our freshmen, again welcome to Congress. On this day of 
celebration, I join the Speaker and all of our colleagues in 
congratulating you and your families. Again I will say that our 
Founding Fathers made special provision for this House to be constantly 
reinvigorated and every person here must be elected. We cannot let 
again the sadness in the past weeks diminish this cause for 
celebration.
  The lives of Shirley and Bob offer us hope and proof, as I said. The 
tragedy in South Asia and its ramifications raises the expectations for 
leadership. How we respond to times of difficulty will define us.
  When I was a young girl, a college student here in Washington, D.C., 
I had the privilege of hearing President Kennedy's inaugural address. 
In his inaugural address, he ended his remarks in the following way, 
and I think it was appropriate then and it is appropriate now. He said, 
``With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final 
judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking 
His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth, God's work 
must truly be our own.''
  Again I have the privilege to present the gavel, this is getting 
tiresome, Mr. Speaker. And it is not about you. Two years ago when I 
had the privilege of presenting the gavel, I said of the Speaker that 
all of us are called honorable because of the title we hold as Members 
of Congress. But Dennis Hastert is honorable because he is a man of 
great character and dignity and he deserves the title. It is now my 
privilege to present the gavel to a man, a gentleman of character, 
integrity and skill who brings the values of heartland America to this 
highest position in the Congress of the United States, and I speak on 
behalf of all of our House Democrats, Mr. Speaker, in saying we look 
forward to working with you in the days ahead to create a better 
America, the gentleman from Illinois, the Speaker of the House, Dennis 
Hastert.
  Mr. HASTERT. Thank you, Nancy, for those gracious remarks. You have 
been an able leader for the Democratic Caucus in this House and you 
have helped lead this Congress with honor and distinction. We have 
disagreed on policy matters in the past, and I suspect we will disagree 
again in the future, but we both love this House of Representatives and 
the great democratic process of representative government.
  Nancy, we have some serious issues to confront in this new Congress 
and I look forward to a vigorous debate in the months ahead, for it is 
through debate that we arrive at the policy decisions that will keep 
this Nation safe and make it stronger. This House is where we fight the 
battle of ideas and at the end of the day we make the laws that govern 
this Nation, and so it is a great honor to serve in this institution. 
It is a special honor to sit in this chair. I thank each of you for 
allowing me once again to serve as your Speaker.
  The new year confronted us with two sad tragedies. First came the 
images from the tsunami that ravaged countries bordering the Indian 
Ocean. Our deepest condolences go to all those who lost loved ones in 
this terrible event. Just as former Presidents Clinton and Bush will 
join together to coordinate private relief efforts here in the United 
States, we in the Congress will work together on a bipartisan basis to 
get the necessary relief to those in need.
  Second, we lost one of our own on New Year's Day. I too want to pay 
tribute to our fallen colleague, Bob Matsui. Bob holds a special place 
in the hearts of Members on both sides of the aisle. He was a man of 
strong principle

[[Page 40]]

but a kind and gentle spirit. He was a proud Democrat, but he also knew 
how to reach across the aisle when the interests of his country 
demanded it. He will be greatly missed in this House and we are a 
better House of Representatives because he served here.
  Now let me welcome our new Members. We have 38 new Members, three of 
whom are returning after previous service here. Twenty-two of the new 
Members served in the State legislatures. Ten served in local 
government. For only the second time in House history, this class 
includes a Member whose ancestry is from the world's largest democracy, 
the nation of India. This is a motivated and talented group whom I 
believe will make a positive impact on the Congress for years to come.
  I will not spend a great deal of time in these remarks to give you 
new Members a lot of advice, but I will say this. I hope that you will 
take the time to get to know your colleagues, to find mentors in this 
great body. There is a lot of wisdom and experience in this place. Even 
as each of you bring a new and fresh perspective to this place, there 
is also much to be learned from the past.
  Last month, I had the opportunity to travel to Europe to participate 
in the ceremonies commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Battle of 
the Bulge, to see our young soldiers as we visited the hospitals and 
bases across Europe and also visit with old soldiers who had served and 
given their all 60 years ago to help keep this country free. It was a 
great experience.

                              {time}  1400

  Our former colleague and Republican leader, Bob Michel who was 
wounded in the Battle of the Bulge, accompanied me along with the 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell), the dean of this House, another 
distinguished veteran, who will soon celebrate his 50th year in this 
body. And to you incoming Members, I must tell you I have learned much 
from these great men. In fact, I continue to learn from them. So, new 
Members, seek out the Henry Hydes and the Charlie Rangels and the Bill 
Youngs and the John Lewises and the many talented people who serve 
here. Get to know them and follow in their footsteps of distinguished 
service.
  As we open the doors to the 109th Congress, we close the doors of the 
108th Congress. Those returning Members can look with pride at the 
accomplishments of the last Congress: the historic reform of the 
Medicare system that includes a prescription drug package for our 
seniors, health savings accounts that give American consumers more 
power over their health care dollars, creation of the National 
Intelligence Director and a complete overhaul of our intelligence 
capabilities, tax relief that kept us out of a deep recession and will 
propel us into better economic growth in the future.
  But there is still much work to do.
  ``Make no little plan,'' said Daniel Burnham, the architect who 
helped design the great city of Chicago. ``For they have no magic to 
stir men's blood.''
  In this Congress, big plans will still stir men's blood. The 109th 
Congress will be the Reform Congress. We have big challenges that face 
this country, and we need big ideas to meet those challenges. Today we 
must seize the initiative. Today we must start anew the process of 
reforming our government. Security and prosperity only come with hard 
work and responsible government. Today let us get to that hard work.
  First and foremost, we must make this country safe from those who 
would do us great harm. Every day that I look out the window of my 
office towards the Pentagon building, I am reminded of that monstrous 
attack on September 11, 2001, that killed 3,000 of our fellow citizens. 
And each day this Congress has taken important steps to make this 
country safer from the terrorists who seek to attack us again.
  In the 107th Congress, we created the Department of Homeland Security 
and the U.S. PATRIOT Act and the Visa and Border Security Act. In the 
108th Congress, we created the Director of National Intelligence. And 
in this 109th Congress we have to continue making progress. We need to 
strengthen our borders, reform our asylum laws, and improve the 
national standards for driver's licenses.
  The terrorists who attacked us did so by exploiting gaps in our 
border security system, by abusing our immigration laws, and by abusing 
the everyday freedoms that every American takes for granted, yet holds 
so dear to their hearts. We must fill those gaps.
  As the Congress works to reform the executive branch, we must also 
work to reform our congressional oversight functions. In the 108th 
Congress, we created a Select Committee on Homeland Security. Today in 
the rules of the House that we will adopt shortly, I have proposed that 
we make the Select Committee on Homeland Security a permanent standing 
committee. Better oversight of the Department of Homeland Security will 
lead to better security for all Americans. I urge my colleagues on both 
sides of the aisle to support this effort.
  As we secure the homeland, we must do everything we can to support 
our troops around the world who are on the front lines fighting the war 
on terror. I am troubled by accounts that our soldiers do not have the 
equipment and the armor to protect themselves against roadside bombs in 
Iraq. This cannot stand. This Congress, on a bipartisan basis, will 
continue to provide the resources needed to take care of our fighting 
men and women. Protecting our homeland and winning the war on terror 
are critical components of making this country more secure.
  But long-term security means more than fighting the war on terror. It 
also means taking important steps to get our fiscal house in order. The 
President has laid out a bold reform agenda. We need to move 
aggressively on his reform agenda to protect our Nation from a looming 
fiscal crisis. This Congress and its predecessors have a covenant with 
older Americans. We have repeatedly promised to keep Social Security 
strong, and so it is there to protect today's seniors and is available 
to our children and our grandchildren. But to keep it safe, we need to 
make some important changes. If we wait too long, the consequences of 
inaction could be catastrophic.
  And let me be clear. We do this without changing the system for those 
who receive Social Security benefits now. As we strengthen the Social 
Security system, we must also start a national debate on completely 
overhauling our Tax Code. In the last Congress, a lot of words were 
spoken on this floor about jobs leaving our country, about outsourcing. 
This Congress must do everything in its power to protect American jobs, 
and the one thing that kills American jobs is our Tax Code. Let me say 
that again. Our Tax Code is killing jobs in America. It disadvantages 
those who produce here to sell overseas and gives real great advantage 
to those who produce overseas to sell their products here. Our Tax Code 
is too complicated, it is too unfair, and it punishes job creators. It 
costs American taxpayers over $250 billion every year just to fill out 
their tax forms and comply with the IRS. America must have a simpler 
Tax Code, one that makes sense for all Americans.
  As we debate the larger issues of reforming the Tax Code, we should 
keep in mind that increasing taxes just as the economy is getting its 
footing is simply wrong. This Republican majority will not raise taxes. 
We should continue to keep taxes low by making permanent the tax cuts 
we passed in the 107th and 108th Congresses. I disagree with the 
position of some of my colleagues who believe that we should raise 
taxes to cut the deficit. The best way to close the deficit gap is to 
keep the economy growing as we control spending. I appreciate the hard 
work of the Committee on Appropriations slowing the growth of 
discretionary spending. We need to keep that kind of fiscal discipline 
in this Congress.
  But we also need to take a look at entitlement spending. We must 
apply cost-savings technology to the government to improve efficiency, 
to cut down on waste, fraud, and abuse.
  And as we look for ways to improve our Nation's economic future, we 
can start by finally passing laws to stop

[[Page 41]]

lawsuit abuse. Most people know how abusive lawsuits have driven many 
doctors, especially OB/GYNs, out of business. This is just one example 
of how lawsuit abuse hurts our citizens, particularly women and 
children. We have to bring common sense to our legal process. And, yes, 
there needs to be accountability for those who do harm, but abuses must 
be ended. That is why we must pass class-action reform this year.
  Another impediment to our continued economic prosperity is the 
volatile energy market. We passed an energy conference report out of 
the House the last Congress, only to see it die in the other body. We 
need to finish the job this year.
  And, finally, as we prepare our economy for the next 50 years, we 
must keep our transportation system on the cutting edge. Our roads, 
bridges, and ports not only move people; they also move products. And 
we must make at home those products to sell abroad, and we must keep 
those institutions viable that move them from the marketplace to the 
markets. To keep our products moving, we must finish the work on the 
transportation bill early this year.
  As we move this aggressive reform agenda, let us ever be mindful of 
our responsibilities laid out in the Constitution. The Constitution 
begins by describing the legislative branch. Article I, section 1 says 
that all legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in the 
Congress. The mission of the Congress, as laid out in the Constitution, 
is stark: establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, and provide 
for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the 
blessing of liberty to ourselves and our posterity. One hundred nine 
times, newly elected Members of Congress have gathered together to be 
sworn in, to pledge a solemn oath to uphold that Constitution. The size 
of the delegations have increased, the numbers of constituents have 
multiplied, and the demands on the Members seem more complex than ever. 
But the basics of doing the job have never really changed. Those 
Members who do best in this place are those who never lose sight of 
where they came from or whom they represent.
  My congressional district lies in the heartland of America. My home 
is in the Fox River Valley, not the Potomac River. And I want to thank 
my constituents of the 14th District of Illinois for giving me the 
opportunity to serve them again. It is indeed an honor and a privilege 
to represent these great Americans.
  And as I thank my constituents, I must also thank my most important 
constituent, my wife, Jean, who, by the way, is the Speaker in our 
house.
  Jean, thank you for your patience, your guidance, your sense humor, 
and your wonderful common sense.
  As elected representatives of the people, each of us shoulders a 
great burden of responsibility. Our families often bear the brunt of 
that burden. And let me thank all of the spouses and the children, many 
of whom are here in this Chamber today. We want to thank you for your 
sacrifices on behalf of the American people.
  And as we begin this historic 109th Congress, let us also give thanks 
to our Creator for the blessings that He has bestowed upon us. May God 
bless this House and all who serve in it, and may God bless this great 
Nation we call America.

                              {time}  1415

  I now recognize the Dean of the House of Representatives, the 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell), my good friend and colleague, 
who will administer the oath.
  Mr. DINGELL then administered the oath of office to Mr. Hastert of 
Illinois, as follows:
  Do you solemnly swear that you will support and defend the 
Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and 
domestic; that you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; 
that you take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or 
purpose of evasion; and that you will well and faithfully discharge the 
duties of the office upon which you are about to enter. So help you 
God.
  (Applause, the Members rising.)

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