Jack Kingston

imagine if we could rewind the tape, we could rewind it back to September 10, 2001. We are sitting around looking at the world. We know that in 1993, the World Trade Center was bombed. We know that 17 Americans were killed when the USS…

I wanted to enter into this discussion about the budget because I think it certainly is a worthy one in a time when our Nation has been attacked and is working hard against terrorism and to protect our domestic States from threats. We are…

Last year when a different party was in charge of the other body, we passed lots of legislation that died, lots of legislation that was not allowed to come out on the floor for a vote. It seems that those same folks who lost the majority…

Nationally Hispanic and Latino groups overwhelmingly have supported Miguel Estrada.

So you have this other body and they have already spent 85 hours debating a guy who the American Bar Association has rated as one of the most highly qualified. He has worked under the Clinton administration. He has worked under, I think…

I believe that we all are elected, be it a House or a Senate Member, or even a State representative back home, a county commissioner or a mayor, you are elected to vote, to take a position and not play parliamentary games, which is what…

So there is a practical side to it and a moral side. It is a pat on the back saying we cannot be there.

we need to be sure we get that in the Record; that she inherited her mother's brains.

It is ridiculous, though, because as I understand it, most Hispanic and Latino national organizations have endorsed Estrada. And yet our friend from Florida (Mr. Mario Diaz-Balart) says, Well, his big problem is he is not Hispanic enough…

it is great to be here. And I am always so proud to have an opportunity to come down on the floor of the United States Congress and have an opportunity to debate topics of the day, and I do so with great respect to anybody who has the…

That is interesting that the gentleman raises that point. Having been to Afghanistan, I went over there a year ago and met with Mr. Karzai and folks from the Northern Alliance who were starting to form this new government. If there was…

I agree and I want to get off France for a minute. France is looking after their own national interests. Let us talk about oil. That is the country that is making this a war over oil because they are the one with all the sweetheart deals…

I know the gentleman is a Navy guy, but right now there is just not that much water in Iraq. We have from Fort Stewart alone, nearly 18,000 troops who are deployed. Lots of mothers, some fathers, and lots of children left behind while…

But we really appreciate what they are doing. I think it is so important for these wives and the families in my area, and I know in California that the gentleman has lots who are deployed, same thing. Mr. Speaker, switching gears slightly…

Well, the gentleman might want to look it up on the Internet. At fromage, which is the French word for cheese, F-R-O-M-A-G-E, .com, it is a French cheese distributor, and they are down 15 percent. I recommend to everybody, look up…

Well, and it really is so fundamental. We have all heard the old expression, why do you rob banks? Because that is where the money is. Why do the people who pay the taxes get tax relief? Because they are the ones paying taxes. It is not…

I guess the problem though really is what is his crime? The crime is he is Hispanic and in the liberal welfare support society out there, if you are a minority group in America, you are supposed to think and act in a certain way, and if…

I want to discuss with the gentleman now, Mr. Speaker, this medical liability issue. And let me say up front that if I am in trouble, I want a lawyer. I want a lawyer on my side. So this really is not aimed at or taking shots at the…

again, this is not about lawyers; but it is about access, and it is about doctors. I want to read a few more statistics from various papers. This is from the Business Journal of Portland, January 10, 2003. In three of Oregon's more rural…

I want to ask the gentleman, and I see that we have been joined by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mario Diaz-Balart), did California run out of lawyers when you stopped the frivolous lawsuits?

let me ask the gentleman a personal question. If it was the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mario Diaz-Balart) instead of Mr. Estrada, and the gentleman had all of his qualifications, do you think that they would let you through based on what…

Since 1996, work among welfare recipients has tripled; employment of single mothers is now more than 70 percent, an all-time high; since 1994, welfare caseloads have fallen by 60 percent, leaving less than 2 percent of the U.S. population…

I believe it was supporting welfare reform. And here is why. In 1994 there were 14 million people on welfare. Today there are 5 million. Still too many, and yet 9 million people are now in the workplace, having a very positive effect…

here are some interesting statistics: 3.6 million fewer Americans live in poverty today than they did in 1996; 2.7 million fewer children live in poverty today than in 1996, including 1 million African American children. These are…

I wanted to underscore what the gentleman is saying that Mr. Estrada is on 632 days awaiting action by the other body, and yet it is not happening. Now a similar nominee about 3 years ago, and I mean exactly similar, a man named Merrick…