if we want to maintain our edge in the global economy, we should fully fund the President's competitiveness agenda proposed in his 2007 budget. Regrettably, however, the promise of a more competitive American workforce is simultaneously…

hundreds of seniors in my district showed up to five town hall meetings I hosted over the past month to explain the Medicare drug benefit. For as much interest as my constituents demonstrated, they are just as confused and frustrated by…

I will close simply by urging my colleagues to support this very worthwhile and very important piece of legislation. Again I want to thank the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Simmons) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Israel) for their…

over the past 2 weeks, I hosted five town hall meetings in my district. They were attended by hundreds of seniors who wanted to learn more about the Medicare drug benefit. I found that for as much interest as seniors demonstrated, it is…

when explaining budget reconciliation to the American people, perhaps the closest thing we can compare it to is balancing a checkbook. Unless, of course, we are talking about the way Congress balances its books. On one side of the ledger…

I was one of 416 Members of this body who voted back in May for a different and better energy and water appropriations bill. But then a funny thing happened on the way to the conference committee. Although the House- and Senate-passed…

on Wednesday of last week, the Education and the Workforce Committee, of which I am a member, passed the single largest cut to student aid in history. By taking $15 billion out of the Federal aid programs, the Republican leadership proved…

too many American families have experienced the loss of a loved one or know someone close who has suffered from some form of cancer. Breast cancer in particular is the leading cause of death among between 40 and 55, including my sister-in…

1 year ago, the price of a gallon of gasoline in America was $1.94. The day before Hurricane Katrina struck, it was $2.61. This difference shows that exorbitant increases began even before Katrina wreaked havoc on our economy. The day…

payback'' has more than one meaning for our troops. For dozens, perhaps hundreds, of their families, it referred to a glaring oversight by the Pentagon that led to grave disappointment, dismay and continuing frustration. Until the Pentagon…

this coming Saturday marks the ninth anniversary of an American tragedy, the loss of 230 souls aboard TWA Flight 800. Bound for Paris, France, flight 800 fell from the sky just south of Moriches, Long Island, only minutes after its…

I rise to oppose this bill which would give a pass to employers who do not meet workplace safety conditions. We could have taken this opportunity to help hardworking Americans feel a little safer in the workplace, or we could have made…

the Labor-HHS appropriations bill we will continue debating later today is a stunning example of the impact that this Congress's misplaced priorities can have on what most consider to be a basic human right, access to a quality education…

I proudly rise today as a cosponsor and in support of H.R. 2046, the Servicemembers' Health Insurance Protection Act of 2005. As our brave men and women continue to put their lives on the line for our Nation, we owe each of them the health…

I rise today in solemn observance of Yom Hashoah, commemorating the commencement of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. Today the Gateway Monument in the Warsaw Ghetto serves as a fixed memorial to the victims who were herded onto railroad cars…

If the gentleman can just give me one second. Mr. Chairman, I guess what I would say in response is that I understand the questions that the gentleman from Texas is raising and I understand, I guess, the consternation that he has with…

It is, in fact, a drafting error. These efficiency standards were taken from the Senate bill from the 108th Congress and it is a drafting error. The date needs to be updated.

I yield myself 3 minutes. I am pleased to offer the Bishop-Markey-McDermott en bloc amendment this evening along with my colleagues. We have an opportunity within our reach to make a real advancement in energy policy, but we are about to…

Indeed they are. This country has a long history of finding the money to support things that it considers to be a priority, and we simply need to come together and say that this kind of passenger rail service is a priority.

Mr. Chairman, this past weekend we joined with our families at barbecues and picnics to celebrate Labor Day, a day where we honor the contributions of the American workforce. There was a dark cloud over this Labor Day, however, because the…

I rise in strong support of two resolutions under consideration in the House today: H. Con. Res. 280, which honors the 100th Anniversary of the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association, and H. Res. 394, which recognizes the 100th…

Tomorrow marks the second year anniversary of the most brutal acts of terrorism to ever take place on our Nation's soil. On September 11, 2001, let us not forget that families were torn apart and our way of life threatened as over 3,000…

I rise today to urge conferees on H.R. 1308, the Child Tax Credit legislation, to do the right thing and act now to give lower-income families the tax refunds they deserve. Earlier this year we enacted a $350 million tax cut that lavished…