John Joseph Moakley

The bill before us contains technical corrections and clarifications to the H1-B visa legislation which passed the House by voice vote on Wednesday and the Senate 96 to 1. This bill will increase the H1-B visa fee which will be used to…

I am talking about what is not in the bill, and what is not in the bill is going to help protect the lives and safety of the people in the Northeast. Two years ago, we had an elderly couple freeze to death because they did not have money…

There was an additional $5 billion added that was not in the bill when we heard it.

I had to catch a bus, but the only thing I want to be sure is that all the efforts that we go to in getting ready for this piece, if this is going to be the bill that we are ultimately going to vote on, unlike the budget bill that was put…

Is this the bill that we will eventually work on, unlike the budget that we are voting on today that was constructed at 3 o'clock this morning without anybody testifying on it?

Although his is no longer with us in person, his kindness, his spirit, and his good works will be remembered forever.

He lived every day of his life committed to improving his community, and to fostering opportunities not only for his own children and grandchildren, but for his neighbors through his tireless public service.

Paul was a leader, tried and true. But Paul led with compassion.

Paul Patrick Coughlin was an outstanding gentleman whose loyalty, warmth, and kindness touched the lives of many, many people in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

I rise this afternoon to remember a very dear friend and to mark the six month anniversary of his passing, April 23, 1999.

While the amendment purports to be about bank customer privacy, in reality it will significantly undermine the crucial law enforcement tool, the Bank Secrecy Act. The amendment would eliminate the mandatory reporting of suspicious…

The entire Massachusetts House Delegation in the United States Congress, Governor Paul Cellucci, both houses of the Massachusetts Legislature, and the Mayor of Boston, Tom Menino, are delighted to welcome the World's Tall Ships to Boston.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the City of Boston officially welcome you to join with us in celebrating the New Millennium.

We anticipate a fantastic event and look forward to welcoming the world to Massachusetts and Boston.

As you know, Congressmen Shadegg and Coburn will be offering a substitute amendment as the budget resolution on the House floor today. This amendment is being characterized as the President's budget. The administration has not been…

I said I was not opposed to the bill, I was opposed to the process. We have a committee process in the Congress. The Congress meeting in committee is the Congress working. I mean all of a sudden just to set that committee process aside and…

I am not disputing the rules. All I am saying, an agreement was made and an agreement was broken. It is not a proper way to start out this hearing.

The chairman is exactly right. We did. But he is not bringing the President's budget to floor, he is only bringing one piece of it. He is bringing the user fees, not the programs. This is not a fair presentation of the President's budget.

But this does change it. It does slant it. If we do not have a point of order prevail against it because it is going to go back to some program, talking about the tobacco, that is going to stop smoking, a point of order is going to lie…

Actually, I think the gentleman from Ohio is disturbed with the budget act. I think we should amend the budget act. But do not try to straighten out the budget act with this amendment.

Which the gentleman kindly gave to me, Mr. Chairman. As I said, this is not rewarding anybody, but if a private business has a tax put on it, it is very unfair to use that tax money to give it back in rebates to people in other businesses…

But this is a bill that if we tax the tobacco industry, we should put it toward education.

That is not my intent. If that is what this amendment does, I will pull it back and just eliminate the Dreier amendment. That is not my intent. This is not a tax and spend bill.

If the gentleman would just go a little further and remove the amendment that has his name on it, I would be very happy to support everything.