one of the reasons why I became a Republican is because of the Republican Party's consistent support for the military. Since 2000, base military pay has increased by 29 percent. Mid-grade noncommissioned officers, who represent the core…

It is great to be down here on the floor with my friends and colleagues who want to continue to push for freedom and democracy. I dabble in this as not a professional on the committee, but I cannot think of a better way to spend one's…

As he knows, and he has spoken so eloquently about the need for a national repository at Yucca Mountain, and I can remember that in the appropriation bill there is $131 million, and this amount is grossly inadequate for the Yucca Mountain…

Sometimes in this whole Medicare prescription drug debate, we focus on the prescription drug benefit, and I am glad we do because it is the first time we have ever offered real help to seniors, especially the poor, those in need. And I was…

28 years ago we built the last refinery in the United States, 28 years ago. We import 7 percent of our refined product in this country. We import gasoline. We hear all the problems of the crises of imported crude oil. What many people do…

While Rome burns, Nero fiddles, and that is what we seem to be doing here in Washington. When we have historically the highest gas prices that any of us have ever seen, highest natural gas prices in our lifetime, a major blackout of the…

this is the longest 1-minute that we will see on the House floor in a year, and this is the annual farewell to our pages who have served us so well this last year. I would like to ask the page class of 2003-2004 to come on down to the well…

last week, an article in Biofuels Journal stated that, according to a new report by economist John Urbanchuk, motorists would be facing much higher gasoline prices, an additional 30 cents per gallon, were it not for the growing ethanol…

this weekend we celebrate the greatest generation, our World War II veterans. I am here to say that I think we have the next greatest generation, and that is our men and women serving today around the world. This is an e-mail from one of…

in April it was reported that employers added 288,000 jobs to the payroll, including 21,000 in the manufacturing sector. Progress is being made. The outsourcing- insourcing debate then has waned a little bit. But I want to highlight…

I have had a chance to speak in a Special Order and tie the EU expansion also to NATO expansion. And what it does is it brings a Europe whole, united, and free; and I think it brings great opportunity for the world, stability in the…

not long ago, all 911 calls were local calls made on wireline phones. Today, it is estimated that nearly 130 million wireless phones are in use, generating an average of 150,000 calls to 911 each day. However, few people realize that most…

the world has seen some tremendous advancements in the last couple of months. We have had NATO enlarge with 10 new members. Just Friday we saw the EU expand also, now including 25 European nations. We do have a Europe united, whole and…

Last week millions of Americans got a surprise when they filed their tax returns. This year a record 44 million tax returns, one-third of all returns filed, have no income tax liability because of the available credits and deductions in…

I want to address a ``thank you'' to Mel Gibson and his movie ``The Passion of the Christ.'' I think it is appropriate during this Easter break that we understand that no greater love is this, than one lays down their life for someone…

I am here to talk about a subject that is just critical. This energy bill took in numerous committee work from the Committee on Energy and Commerce, to the Committee on Resources, to the Committee on Ways and Means, the Committee on…

I am so passionate about this because for southern Illinois this bill is the best bill I think we will ever see coming across the pike. And why would I say that? First of all, if you looked at a geological map of what is called the…

I am here today to talk on the Medicare Modernization Act. Tax-free health savings accounts that are accumulative allows the individual to pick up basic health care costs and shop around for quality and service, one of the great benefits…

I want to focus primarily on one part of the Medicare prescription drug plan and the representation of the most generous package ever to rural health care providers. The Medicare law equalizes payments so that rural and suburban hospitals…

this is the beginning of my 8th year here, and that therapy cap issue has been presented to us year after year for 8 years, and I think it is right to bring that up. I am just sorry that the gentlewoman had to break her arm to make a point…

I am going to speak about a couple of provisions on the Medicare prescription drug bill. I have been to town hall meetings, three hospitals in my community, I have been to some editorial boards. It is an issue that the public needs to hear…

that also brings competition to the negotiation of prices. If we just have the government negotiating, first of all, it is not a for-profit entity. It is not going to have the incentive to drive a hard bargain; it is just going to set…

not very much will get me motivated enough to wear a bow tie in this world, but now I have done it two days in a row, and it is a Paul Simon tie. When he ran for President, at the funeral, at the wake, the lapel pins had the trademark bow…

How did we pay for the Marshall Plan after World War II when we obviously were in debt in paying for the world effort? How did we come up with the dollars to enact the Marshall Plan? Well, we borrowed against future resources. And that is…

I am happy to get involved in this debate, although I have great respect for my colleague from California, and I understand and appreciate her position. But I would also hope that people would understand those of us who are involved in…