there is not a more aggressive leader in terms of how we deal with the budgetary challenges in this body than the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Stenholm). Both sides of the aisle will tell us in the corridors of this Chamber that the gentleman…

I represent the 19th district of Illinois. I am honored to be here in my second term in Washington, D.C.; and, Mr. Speaker, tonight as one who is honored to be a member of the Blue Dog Democratic Coalition, we will be joined by hopefully…

on the night 9-11-2001, when all the Members of the House and Senate gathered for that historic press conference to assure the American people that we had not run from the terrorists and were doing the business on behalf of the American…

Mr. Speaker, the time has come to implement a real prescription drug plan for seniors. John and Ann Craig are residents in Muddy, Illinois, a rural setting in southern Illinois not far from my hometown of Eldorado. It is a small community…

I know that we have been here week after week, night after night as a group to try to drive a message home, one that many times is not all that popular and not easy to accept. But when we took our oath of office I, for one, took it very…

The time has certainly come for us to implement a real prescription drug plan for seniors. The Craigs suffer from a combination of diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. His medication runs around $450 each…

I wholeheartedly agree with my colleagues here this evening. While we may be repeating some of the same concepts and principles that we believe wholeheartedly in as an organization, the Blue Dogs, I hope folks take it within their…

I appreciate coming on after his leadership being here before I entered Congress and helping us steer this direction. So I thank all my fellow Blue Dogs for giving me the opportunity to speak about a very important issue. This is not our…

We, as the fiscal policy leaders of this great Nation, have a responsibility to look out for future generations. How can we say that we are doing our best to look out for our children when we are not keeping our commitment to save the…

I rise to support H.R. 4167, which extends Chapter 12 bankruptcy protection. However, I have concerns that this legislation will only temporarily extend Chapter 12 bankruptcy protection, by being retroactive to October 12 and extending…

I know that the voice vote that the gentleman has mentioned, we have had it twice since October in this House, yet we are facing the same situation for those farmers who are wanting the assistance that we can provide them, and they are…

Mr. Speaker, the motion is very simple. It asks that the conferees on the farm bill accept language in a Senate bill that would make Chapter 12 of the Bankruptcy Code permanent. I do not think there is any controversy whatsoever that…

I hold in my hand the Congressional Record of both February and June of last year where the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Smith) addresses this very item; and yet we are still talking about helping bankrupt farmers, possibly having the…

proudly I stand here tonight, with my Blue Dog colleagues, a group that not only just offers rhetoric but is ready to back up what we say. That is why I am proud to be a member of this organization. We are consistent. We say what we mean…

I rise to discuss the crisis the steel industry faces. The American steel industry and the steelworkers are in the midst of possibly the worst crisis ever due to the continued illegal dumping into this country of foreign-made steel…

I join my fellow Blue Dogs in supporting sensible campaign finance reform. I have supported campaign finance reform throughout my entire political career, 14 years in the Illinois State Legislature and now a second term in Congress, and I…

I join my fellow Blue Dog colleagues in voicing my concerns with the President's budget. I support the President's outline for handling the war on terrorism, but I have concerns that the domestic priorities are being somewhat ignored. We…

I rise to fulfill a commitment to my constituents but also to express my disappointment with the way in which this House is ignoring our established budget process. I also want to strongly caution my colleagues against continuing down this…

in an era of unprecedented economic growth and prosperity, we have a responsibility to implement policy that ensures continued growth for all sectors of our society. That requires investing in the future, creating a better America for our…

I ask all my colleagues to join me in congratulating Adolph on many years of excellence, and in wishing him the best of luck in this new phase of his life.

Mr. Kull's life is an example of the long-held American ethics of hard work and loyalty.

But just as one who has had formal experience in a classroom, and coming from a family of educators, I have two brothers that are public school administrators, similar to the gentleman's capacity in his home State before he came here. So I…