Frank Pallone

The fact that you are here talking about some of the urban areas and eyesores, I do not even tend to think that is true in the State of Florida, but obviously it is, and it goes to point out to me how universal the concerns are about the…

We may very well need data banks like this in order to ensure that more people are not taken off the rolls or be able to move from one job to another or denied health insurance because of preexisting conditions. So that whatever happens…

The way I understand this data bank, it was set up to gather information about whether or not someone who was employed privately and had private health insurance, how that would relate to Medicare coverage.

They are not going to make their percentage. That is what this is about. This is not saying to hard-working middle class families you get the advantage, you get the incentive. Banks are doing OK. They can live without this. We want to give…

To try to make it a little easier for working families to be able to see some realization of their dreams and their aspirations for themselves and for their children, this is the direction that we ought to go in. On that score, it is my…

I just wanted to thank everyone tonight for participating in this. I know it has been going on now for about 2 hours, or maybe more, and I think it has been very productive and I just wanted to thank all of my colleagues. I have to be…

The American people, whether it is public opinion polls or just my own talking to people, my own constituents believe very strongly that the President is the last person who is not trying to come to an agreement and not trying to negotiate…

I guess I am somewhat amazed and trying to contain myself because I have never seen anyone as a Chief Executive who has been more willing to sit down and negotiate and spend time.

I say this, I am trying to say this in a calm fashion. The reality is that historically here procedurally, the procedure has been that the Congress passes the appropriations bills or the budget and they send them to the President, he…

This shutdown is selective and it is those departments in many cases that provide health and safety protection. They are the ones that are shut down and are not being funded. You mentioned OSHA, safety complaints, a minimum wage, other…

I think it is incredible, but I have heard it over and over again, many of our colleagues saying that they were in fact elected to come here and shut down the government. That is what we are hearing. It is part of this radical extremism…

I just see this radicalism, this extremism, taking over amongst them. It is the whole idea that their ideology is the only ideology, and unless they get their way on the budget, they are going to close the Government down. There is a lack…

I much prefer the Committee on Resources version, which is why I support the Saxton amendment, because the Committee on Resources version essentially is well thought out and continues much of the outreach in education that currently exists…

I consider this plan a very unhealthy plan for the future of Medicare. Let me talk a little bit about the concerns I have and why I say that it will force essentially seniors into HMO's or managed care systems.

Mr. Chairman, I just also want to indicate support for the amendment of the gentleman. As those of you who listened to the debate on my amendment previously know, I had advocated establishing a trust fund with fines and penalties that are…

I would maintain there is adequate funding in this bill, at least the authorization for it, to provide adequate funding to the States to do this type of monitoring.

I would say, first of all, again, I would point out that this amendment is exactly the same as legislation that passed in the last two Congresses and that there were estimates made. The funding provided in the bill for the grant programs…

Mr. chairman, my point is, again, I heard the San Diego argument, I heard the Los Angeles argument. I do not agree with it, but I am hearing it. You are opening the door, and you have opened it to the six California and two Hawaii ones, to…

This begins to open the door, if you will, to a whole different group of municipal sewage treatment plants beyond the San Diego waiver and is, of course, of greater concern to me than even that one. You mentioned scientific evidence…

And also from the EPA I received a list of another, I do not know, another 10 to 20 municipalities beyond 6 in California and the extra 2 in Hawaii you mentioned. My concern is this; this is the crux of it. Clearly, San Diego is one…

Then it goes on to take another category, 1 mile and 150 is OK, and for a third category if you are under 10,000 it is OK. For another category for Puerto Rico we are going to do the study. You know you may make the case, we will have to…

I do not want to go down the slippery slope of the possibility of getting applications and waivers granted.