Chris Chocola

I came to Congress from the business world, and my first impression when I got here is that Congress, as a whole, is a lot like 535 general managers with no CEO. With all due respect to the Speaker and our leadership, there is no…

I join my colleagues tonight and rise in tribute to a great man, President Ronald Reagan. In 1980, I turned 18, and the first person I ever voted for was Ronald Reagan. With that vote, the world changed. It changed because President Reagan…

tonight I rise in support and cooperation of my colleagues, the Washington Waste Watchers, who were here earlier this evening. I unfortunately come to the floor tonight to share another example of wasted taxpayer dollars. Mr. Speaker…

this solution gives all options available. Certainly the Idle Air technology is still very valid. It is very beneficial. And trucks that travel routes where Idle Air technology is available, they certainly can avail themselves of that. But…

Mr. Chairman, I do think it is a commonsense approach to a problem that we have. There are different ways to approach this problem that have benefits. But the one I am suggesting makes available to every truck on the Nation's highways the…

During the next 3 months, Medicare beneficiaries will begin to see real savings on the cost of their prescription drugs with the help of voluntary Medicare-approved discount drug cards. Starting in April, Medicare beneficiaries will be…

Mr. Chairman, the banking industry estimates that it spends approximately $25 billion annually to comply with the regulatory requirements imposed at the Federal and State levels of government. While some of these regulations help to ensure…

today I rise to offer an update from the Washington Waste Watch. Every year the Federal Government wastes billions of dollars as a result of overpayments of government agencies, misuse of government credit cards, abuse of the Federal…

Mr. Speaker, there really is no debate, and I saw the proof with my own eyes when I recently traveled to Libya and met with Muammar Qaddafi, and I heard Muammar Qaddafi say with my own ears that he did not want to follow the path of Saddam…

I met a young woman who is a private in the Marines. I asked her, as we were having dinner with several other soldiers, what would you like me to tell people when I go back home? And she said what I want the people at home to understand is…

I rise with great reluctance in opposition to this amendment from my friend and colleague, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pence); but I feel it is important that I must speak out about what I view is the right thing to do. I am joined by…

I do not know that we can appreciate their efforts and their competence. During one of the meals, again I always ask, what do you want me to share with people when I go back home? A young soldier who had been very quiet during the meal, he…

I think that the secret to our success in Iraq is not just going to be firepower or dollars, it is going to be the content of the character of the men and women in uniform, and, certainly, we saw that they have tremendous character. They…

I agree 100 percent there appears to be a solid plan in place for success which has been executed to a great extent. The amazing thing is I have not heard any Member that has been to Iraq who disagrees with the gentleman. The only people…

I rise today in support with my colleagues of this resolution with great sadness and great respect. This certainly is a sad day for all Hoosiers when we learned of the passing of our Governor, Frank O'Bannon. Although I have served in…

I think this amendment is relatively simple. It lives up to our responsibility that we are really sent here to do, and that is to be a good steward of taxpayer dollars. Now, not only does the appropriations fund grants that the gentleman…

Mr. Speaker, before coming to Congress, I was a small business owner. Now that I am a member of Congress, I am on the Committee on Small Business. And not a day goes by that I do not hear from a constituent at home or someone talking to…

I rise in support of H.R. 8 and opposed to the amendment. The bottom line is anybody who spends their whole life building a business or growing a farm should never have to sell that business or that farm to pay death taxes. The American…

I came to Congress from a business background, and I ran for Congress in large part because I believe that we need more of a small business perspective here in Washington, especially when it comes to eliminating wasteful spending. Every…

last week, Congress received some troubling economic news. The unemployment rate is now at 6 percent. That news ought to send a clear signal to members of this body that we need a strong economic recovery plan. You see, when the economy…

Mr. Speaker, I came to Congress from the business world; and I would like to share briefly a real life experience, a real life story on the implications of our Tax Code. The smartest person I ever met in my business career was a man named…

today of all days, there is no greater priority than protecting Americans, supporting our troops, and supporting our Commander in Chief. In the face of unprecedented threats to our domestic and international security, this wartime budget…

Mr. Speaker, one of the biggest problems facing our health care system today does not start in the doctor's office or in the operating room; it starts in the courtroom. We have a problem in America. There are too many frivolous lawsuits…

President Bush said in his State of the Union address, ``The best and fairest way to make sure that Americans have more money is not to tax it away in the first place.'' Fundamental tax reform will allow all Americans to keep more of their…

I rise today to support Miguel Estrada to be United States circuit judge for the District of Columbia circuit. Mr. Estrada was nominated nearly 21 months ago. He has argued 15 cases before the United States Supreme Court. He would also be…