National defense is our number one priority; it has to be. In fact, the oath of office that you and I took on January 5, virtually the same oath of office that the President takes, it says that we swore or affirmed to support and defend…

Because what happened was when people got a tax break on things that they had to have, they would channel those savings into buying things that they wanted to have and that they had been saving up for with their families. And other States…

I'm a businessman. After my military career, I founded two small businesses. Before I came to Congress, I was the chief information officer for a business, a global manufacturing company; and I sat at the table with our executive…

That's right. You know, that kind of thinking has never been good for families. It has never been good for businesses, and it certainly is not good for America. We see where that has left us. Your charts point out that we are on the path…

We have a disease here in Washington, and that disease is called ``overspending.'' And it is, by and large, what has brought us economically to where we are today. And the debt that we see is the symptom of that disease. It's amazing to me…

Absolutely. Absolutely. And here is what puzzles me: I don't understand why more don't realize that when you let families and businesses keep more of their hard-earned money, that builds economic confidence. That builds buying power. They…

Thanks. You hit the nail on the head. We are punishing the job creators. I mentioned in Ohio, only three States have lost more jobs since that stimulus bill went into effect. Now, I don't know the exact number today, but in November…

Well, what it was, it eliminated sales tax on certain items like back-to-school items, things that people had to have to get their kids back in school, to put them in college and those kinds of things--clothing, school supplies, computers…

But on January 20, 2009, the Obama Administration decided to re-open the carefully crafted and properly vetted stream buffer zone rule.

Mr. Speaker, today we're debating the repeal of economically damaging legislation that punishes job creators and does nothing to control rising health care costs. We can't afford the $1.2 trillion price tag on the government takeover of…

While this is my first opportunity to address the House, it won't be my last. The people of eastern and southeastern Ohio sent me here to be their voice, and I intend to be that voice. On their behalf, I will speak out--loud and clear--on…

I am grateful to be here today to listen to the testimony of so many of our experts, our colleagues who, like me, share responsibility for the Chesapeake Bay.

I have been an advocate on Bay issues for about the 25 years that I have lived in the region.

The Bay is, as President Obama recently put it, a national treasure.

I think that it is really clear that despite all the resources that we have put into Chesapeake Bay protection and restoration, that we haven't been as successful as we would like to have been.

And so we have a responsibility in this region, but there is also a responsibility for industry.

The challenge facing the Chesapeake Bay is not one that's solved by great platitudes or ideological debates.

Help us restore our bay. Help us restore this beautiful, beautiful national treasure.

I just urge the Congress to remember that woody biomass is a finite resource and there is truly a best use of wood out there.

I think the thing that we really need to address as we're going forward and in talking definitions and other things, is we are trying to promote or to build a new industry.

I did vote against the stimulus bill, because I truly believe there are better ways to stimulate our economy.

I have never seen a tax cut put out a fire.

We are still struggling. We still have a lot of folks suffering in Alabama.

I also want to thank Representative Cardoza for proposing it.

It is hazardous. If it dries on the ground and it is breathed, it will cause respiratory problems.