[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 1]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 363-364]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     REINTRODUCTION OF LEGISLATION

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. CLIFF STEARNS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 4, 2007

  Mr. STEARNS. Madam Speaker, I am pleased on this first day of the 
110th Congress to introduce several pieces of legislation that I have 
been pursuing over the years, and for which I will continue to advocate 
these next 2 years.
  Ultrasound technology provides us with a fascinating ``womb with a 
view,'' allowing doctors to better treat their pregnant patients. But 
many underprivileged pregnant women cannot afford this important 
option. These women desperately need access to these free services to 
safeguard their health and prenatal well-being. That's why I am 
reintroducing the ``Informed Choice Act,'' which authorizes the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to community-
based, non-profit health clinics that do not charge for their services, 
for the purchase of ultrasound equipment. The centers that receive 
these grants will be better able to offer free examinations--under 
medical supervision--to women who might otherwise have no access to 
such critical care.
  I respect our code of law and our society founded on religious 
freedom for all Americans. I believe the Ten Commandments are a concise 
set of values that represent the historic foundation of our nation's 
laws and our common view of what is right and wrong. Stories of murder, 
rape, drug abuse, and school violence dominate the media and reveal our 
society's need to be reminded of our moral compass. That is why I am 
reintroducing my legislation to have the Ten Commandments prominently 
posted in the Capitol building as a symbolic reminder of our heritage 
and the values we aspire to govern by.

[[Page 364]]

  I am reintroducing my Right to Carry Reciprocity bill that would 
allow for a person to carry in all 50 states if he possesses a valid 
permit in his home state. I believe that a person's right to self-
defense should not be limited to within a state line. Today, 46 states 
have laws permitting concealed carry of firearms, and 38 states, 
accounting for two-thirds of the U.S. population, have Right To Carry 
laws, which dramatically reduces their incidence of violent crimes. In 
fact, the FBI statistics show 9 of the 10 states with the lowest 
violent crime rates are RTC states. It is important to note this bill 
would not create a federal licensing system, but merely requires states 
to recognize each others' carry permits, just as they recognize 
drivers' licenses and carry permits held by armored car guards. This 
bill has enjoyed bipartisan support in the past with 102 cosponsors, 
and I look forward to again working with my esteemed colleagues for its 
passage in the 110th Congress.
  I am also reintroducing two bills pushing further reforms to the 
United Nations. On March 15, 2006, the U.N. replaced the discredited 
Human Rights Commission with a new Human Rights Council. Unfortunately, 
the new Council looks set to fail just as miserably as its predecessor. 
While making superficial structural changes, no reforms were 
implemented. The new elected membership includes such human rights 
violators as China, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, and Russia. My legislation 
would require the Secretary of State to withhold from the U.S. 
contribution to our U.N. dues an amount equal to the U.S. percentage of 
the cost of the Council (approximately $500,000 a year). The U.S. 
should not support the U.N. Human Rights Council until it upholds the 
ideals of the U.N. Charter and the Universal Declaration on Human 
Rights, and its membership is made up of free and democratic nations.
  My other U.N. reform legislation deals with financial accounting for 
the renovation of the United Nations building in New York. There have 
been numerous reports of wasteful spending in this project, and my 
legislation would prevent U.S. federal funds from being used for this 
endeavor unless the President submits a report to Congress affirming 
the United Nations is abiding by internationally recognized best 
practices in contracting and resource management.
  I am excited to again introduce legislation to help all American 
savers. My legislation, the Simple Savings Tax Relief Act of 2007, 
simply eliminates the taxation of interest earned in savings accounts, 
such as passbook savings accounts or bank certificates of deposit. I 
think at least some of this interest should be tax-free, as we have 
been working towards other forms of non-earned income. This legislation 
would end a punitive tax, especially assist low and middle-income 
earners, and ultimately contribute toward the goal of encouraging 
individual responsibility and taking charge of one's own financial 
destiny.
  Because I believe that health care access for all begins with tax 
parity, I am pleased to again sponsor the Health Care Tax Deduction Act 
of 2007. This would allow deductions for amounts paid for health 
insurance premiums and unreimbursed prescription drugs. This would 
provide much needed relief to individuals struggling with the high cost 
of health insurance and prescription drugs through a tax deduction, and 
tax parity with those of us who have employer-provided tax-deductible 
health insurance. Expansively, this benefit extends to all IRS-defined 
health insurance premiums such as an HMO, PPO, a traditional indemnity 
plan, a new HSA, and also long-term care premiums. Right now, under the 
current tax code, in order to claim health care expenses individuals 
must file an itemized tax return. My bill would simplify and extend 
this tax preference for all filers.
  Because Members of Congress should put our money where our mouths 
are, I am pleased to reoffer my Deficit Accountability Act of 2007. It 
would prevent any automatic pay adjustment for Members of Congress in 
the year following a fiscal year in which there is a Federal budget 
deficit. It is needed to hold Members accountable for the Federal 
budget, and any resulting deficits.
  My last piece of legislation is one of inspiration, the Museum of 
Ideas Act of 2007. It would create a commission to develop a plan for 
establishing a Museum of Ideas. In our Nation's Capital, we are 
enriched with museums exhibiting arts, natural sciences, modes of 
transportation, musical instruments, tools of industry and production, 
live plants and live animals, and other such tangible artifacts of our 
universe, we lack a museum of the conceptual, of thoughts, concepts, 
and philosophies throughout the history of the world.
  I look forward to working with my colleagues on all these important 
pieces of business for the Nation.

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