[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 12007-12008]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               PRODUCTIVITY OF THE 109TH CONGRESS TO DATE

  (Mr. BURGESS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, with all of the negative press these days, 
one of the big stories that has been missed is how productive this 
Congress has been since the first of the year. In fact, this may be one 
of the most productive Congresses this country has seen since the 
Second World War.
  Let me go through with my colleagues very quickly the 20 pieces of 
major legislation we have passed this year and the five appropriations 
bills we have passed since the beginning of the year.
  We passed a class action fairness bill. We passed a highway bill and 
energy bill and our budget and the Real ID Act, which will strengthen 
our borders,

[[Page 12008]]

and a bill for broadcast decency. We passed a continuity of the 
Congress bill, gang deterrence, funding for first responders, 
vocational and technical funding, homeland security. We have repealed 
estate tax for the second time, spyware prevention, bankruptcy bill, 
core blood registry, stem cell funding, restrictions on interstate 
transport for minors seeking abortions, job training.
  Under appropriations, Homeland Security, Interior, funding for the 
military quality of life and the Agriculture bill yesterday, plus the 
supplemental earlier in the year, a tremendous record of accomplishment 
that this Congress could be proud of on a bipartisan basis because most 
of those bills did pass with a significant number of Democratic votes.

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