the vote today is not a vote for or against impeachment. It is not a vote on whether to proceed with the investigation. It is a vote on how to proceed. It is a vote to determine the parameters of the Judiciary Committee's investigation…

after much reflection and careful consideration, I must rise in opposition to this resolution, a constitutional amendment intended to preserve the freedom of religious expression. This is not a decision I make lightly, and because of the…

I speak to a lot of college students around the State of Illinois. Every time I stand in front of those students, they look me straight in the eye and they say to me, Congressman, we do not trust any of you guys anymore. You are all in it…

A couple of years ago I was asked to go to Bosnia with 14 other Members of the United States Congress here to ascertain for our colleagues here what America's position should be in that war-torn country. I was honored to go there. The…

Although I continue to harbor doubts about the effect of these cuts, I will accept the gentleman's response. However, Mr. Chairman, I must also express my serious concerns regarding the effects of the initial cuts to FSA which were…

Mr. Chairman, I represent southern Illinois which is part of the Illinois coal basin, and it is part of the coal that we have in this country, 300 years of coal supply in this country to supply energy needs for America. The problem is much…

Mr. Chairman, I think citizens in this country ask one thing of their government above all other things. That is a sense of fairness, a sense of justice, a sense of consistency in the way we treat people irrespective of their economic…

Let us not make the poor people of our country feel like they are the only ones who have to deserve the goodness, the heart of our Nation, that they have to prove that they are deserving to live in housing that the rest of us here in this…

I think because of where Charlie grew up, he had a great affinity for the working people of this country, and especially for the poor people of this country. Charlie's voice was always there for those folks. I do not know if people know…

those of us who are pro-life are concerned about the health of the mother, and I believe those in this body who are pro-choice are concerned about the life of the child. We cannot reduce this debate to simple accusations which demagog…

I believe when we take into consideration the totality of their beliefs, they unquestionably believed in the concept of the citizen legislator. I believe they felt we should train ourselves for a profession, we should leave that profession…

regrettably I missed the special order on the gentleman from Alabama, Tom Bevill, one of our dear colleagues in this House, last week, and I wanted to make sure that I took this 1 minute to congratulate Mr. Bevill on his years of work in…

today this body can be proud to be passing legislation that will directly impact the lives of millions of American workers. I wholeheartedly support this legislation, and while we have met our goal of providing a more livable wage for…

I approach the podium today ready to support the continued extension of most-favored-nation [MFN] status to the People's Republic of China. However, I want to be clear from the outset that my vote should not be construed as an endorsement…

I have known Bill Emerson for nearly 20 years. I worked with Bill closely for the past 12 years. He was one of the most solid people that I know. He was common sense, he was decency. He exemplified the principle of integrity in this body…

the committee report includes language indicating an expectation that the Forest Service will not engage in any below cost timber sales. Does the chairman agree that this provision should be applied to hardwood timber stands but should not…

It is my understanding from forest management that taking out the pines will actually enhance habitat for the Indiana Bat and other species with which the committee is concerned. Does the committee believe that it would be appropriate to…

in a few weeks back in Illinois we will get a property tax bill from the county assessor, and it will tell each of us who owns property in Williamson County, where I live, or in any other county in Illinois, and I suspect this is true…

the question this morning is, Do we think it is smart to import over half the oil which fuels the economy of this Nation? Is it smart not only economically, but militarily, to be that dependent on foreign oil? And is it smart to continue…

I voted against H.R. 1555, the House-passed Telecommunications reform bill, in August. I believe the conference report before us today is a much improved piece of legislation that deserves our support. This bill contains the important…

I was here for the 4 years under President Bush, and I do not think that even the Republican Party ever voted for one of his budgets, and most of the time they were not presented. That is the normal around here. We usually iron this thing…

when I graduated from high school in 1962, I grew up on a small family farm, and my folks did not have the money to send me to college. I went in the U.S. Army, and I spent 3 years, and when I got out, I enrolled in Southern Illinois…

I love baseball. Growing up in farm country in southern Illinois, I always managed with my cousins to start the baseball season this time of the year with some pickup games, and I dreamed of the time that I could become a baseball coach. I…

just in response to the gentleman from California, I can only tell the gentleman that we have letters here from the Department of Energy going back to the very beginning of this project and so on. To my knowledge, the Department of Energy…