Yesterday, this House took a critical step in changing the way business is done in Washington. The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 provides the most sweeping lobby reform in a generation, finally bringing unprecedented…

on behalf of Illinois agriculture, I rise in strong support of the Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act. This bill maintains a viable safety net for our farmers. Since my congressional district receives the second most crop payments of all…

For 13 years, I cut men's suits at Seaford Clothing Factory in Rock Island, Illinois. I wouldn't be here as a Member of Congress if it were not for my union. My membership in UNITE HERE Local 617 afforded me access to higher wages, good…

My amendment deals with critical access hospitals and their ability to provide crucial surgical services to rural communities. Recently, three of these hospitals in my district have fallen prey to a narrow interpretation by the Centers for…

I rise to bring attention to recent reports that the United States commanders in Iraq are rejecting the recommendations from Army mental health experts. To address the rising number of returning war heroes with mental health problems, Army…

Medal of Honor recipients have performed selfless acts of courage. When reading their citations, we are deeply humbled by the courage and selflessness of their actions to save their comrades and to defend this great country. H.R. 2602…

in closing, I have had the opportunity I think twice now to be able to manage bills on the floor of the House. I want to say that today is a very proud day for me. These are four great, great men; heroes they are, one and all. I am…

In its history, the Medal of Honor has been awarded only 3,463 times. 3,458 of those were awarded for separate acts of heroism. I'm here today to tell you about one such act and the extraordinary individual who performed it. I am truly in…

On December 9, 1861, Iowa Senator James W. Grimes introduced S. 82 in the United States Senate, a bill designed to ``promote the efficiency of the Navy'' by authorizing the production and distribution of ``medals of honor''. On December 21…

On June 2, Illinois lost another great American hero when Corporal Jeremiah Costello of Carlinville was killed in Iraq by an IED. Corporal Costello joined the Army in pursuit of becoming an Illinois state trooper, leaving his 4-year-old…

Mr. Chairman, I'm a new Member of this institution. I sat here last night, along with a lot of Members of this body; and on my way, walking to my apartment, I was walking with another freshman Member, and we were talking about what did we…

I just want to briefly close by saying something about my own father. As the gentleman from Tennessee was talking about his dad, I have three sisters, and I can remember my dad having to work three jobs to make ends meet for our family. I…

the point is, if we're going to trust this administration to enforce labor standards and environmental standards, this is the same administration who hasn't even administered our own National OSHA program and has had one OSHA standard that…

I rise today to honor two great community leaders from Decatur, Illinois. Horace ``Buck'' Livingston is a local civil rights activist who sought higher-paying jobs and better education for African Americans. For over 40 years, he has…

according to the National Committee on Pay Equity, working women stand to lose $250,000 over the course of their careers because of unequal pay practices. While women's wages and educational achievements have been rising, there's still a…

I worked in a clothing factory. I cut lining for men's suits. I have three plants left in my district. They are hanging on by a thread. I can't support trade agreements that are going to outsource jobs. I have done town hall meetings since…

If you look just in this country, you don't have to go to Peru, you don't have to go to Panama or Korea, in the over 6 years he has been in office, we have only had one major standard by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration by…

let me just say this, too. These are the very people who fought our wars, defended this country. They just want a decent pension. They'd like some health care, put their kids through school, play by the rules, pay their taxes. They're not…

this Saturday is Workers Memorial Day, when we mourn the loss of workers who have been killed on the job or from work-related diseases. Additionally, this year marks the 37th anniversary of the enactment of the Occupational Safety and…

In my district, we have a city called Galesburg, Illinois. It was the home of Maytag, manufacturing washers, driers and refrigerators; 1,600 very talented men and women worked in that factory. On two different occasions, the workers of…

part of our job in Congress is to ensure that every American has the right to a higher education. Unfortunately, a provision in the Higher Education Act makes it difficult for people of low incomes who attend schools with low tuitions to…

no one can deny that the situation on the ground in Iraq is grave and rapidly deteriorating and therefore deserves the immediate and undivided attention of this Congress. Last week, the National Intelligence Estimate released a pessimistic…

during the last election, Democrats had a conversation with the American people. We listened to their concerns; the skyrocketing prices of college tuition and prescription drugs, the dangerously low minimum wage, the persisting security…

Mr. Speaker, recently I was at a pharmacy in my district. A man in his late seventies went to the counter to pay for his prescription and found that he had hit the donut hole. The prescription was $350. The people that were there with him…

Michael Shampine, U.S. Air Force veteran, city councilman, labor union activist, and my good friend and constituent sadly passed away last Saturday. Mike and I became close friends throughout the past years. His outstanding commitment to…