on this Valentine's Day the Republican leadership is presenting America's largest corporations and wealthiest individuals with another sweetheart deal, while people and families in Oregon and across the nation continue to wait for a…

this evening's legislation is near and dear to my heart. I began my political career in college working on election reform. Two years later, I was the author of Oregon's legislation establishing campaign spending limits. It was my proposal…

part of the legacy of President Teddy Roosevelt was an effort to get rid of corporate contributions to Federal elections, and they have been illegal for almost a century. But what we have seen over time, the evolution of a system that has…

I join my colleagues, and the fact that so many remain here this evening to laud our newly elected whip, Nancy Pelosi, is testimony to the fact that she will be a strong and forceful voice for our party. She is good news for my special…

Last week we reauthorized funding of education programs with a solid balanced approach for the future. Today's Labor, Health, Human Services and Education bill provides the first year of funding on that vision. Nothing is more important…

this conference report makes tremendous progress in strengthening our nations's policies in dealing with unexploded ordnance, the bombs and shells that did not go off as intended. I very much appreciate the efforts Chairman Bob Stump and…

the December 6 House vote on Presidential Trade Promotion Authority continued a sad string of hard-edge partisan votes since September 11 and the loss of an historic opportunity to move to a new era of trade. The pattern was established…

I am someone who has never voted against trade legislation on this floor. But unfortunately, the President and the Republican leadership have missed an opportunity to move beyond the partisan and narrow ideological divide. The provisions…

I came to Congress with the notion that the Federal Government ought to be a better partner with American communities, local governments, business and citizens to help promote the livability of these communities, to make our families safe…

our annual defense authorization and appropriations bills provide opportunity to respond to changing global security conditions. Our military is the best-equipped and best-trained by far in the world, spending more than the next 15…

I believe this is one of the important non-military components of the war on terrorism. When Secretary of State Powell appeared before our International Relations Committee late last month, he and I shared an exchange regarding the…

the atmosphere in many cities today is one of apprehension and anxiety. We can witness this right outside the doors of this Capitol by the hundreds of jersey barriers and concrete blocks that surround these buildings and the street…

yesterday may have been Halloween, but we are scaring the American public today. They know that we have a failed system of privatization. They know that hundreds of airports across the country deserve a unified system. They know that the…

The notion somehow that we are going to establish a system that is going to deal with the problems of an already failed, decentralized, privatized system for hundreds of airports is not micromanagement. Being able to step forward with a…

I am here to support H.R. 2585 introduced by the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden). It is true that we have a great deal of tension and frustration in the Klamath Basin these days, and I commend the gentleman for taking specific steps to…

I rise in support of H.R. 483 because it is one way to seize an opportunity and do the right thing. H.R. 483 gives the Warm Springs Tribe the same control over their sovereign lands that other governments already enjoy. This act will allow…

the President and our congressional leadership have suggested that we are in this effort for the long haul. They have pointed out that we are in the equivalent of war, that we were attacked on September 11, not unlike Pearl Harbor. We have…

Madam Speaker, I think it is important that we take a step back and look at this legislation today because as we have heard, there is a crying need for this type of protection. Coral reefs are indeed among the most diverse and productive…

at a time when people are justifiably concerned about the spread of toxic agents in our mail system here on Capitol Hill, I personally have a greater fear that we are going to fall prey to an agent that I think, in its own way, is every…

my goal in Congress has been the promotion of livable communities. A community that is safe, healthy and economically secure must make the education of our children a priority. The well-being of our families depends on the federal…

if I may, and I appreciate the gentleman's concern, but we have been able to successfully ship dogs around the country; they have been able to have dogs for show purposes, and they have been outlawed for some 50 years, meaning transport…

I offer this amendment to deal with the concerns, legitimate concerns, that have been raised. It would close a loophole in the Animal Welfare Act that allows for the shipment of fighting dogs or birds from the United States to foreign…

supporting this amendment is a step away from the Depression era of farm support. It is an opportunity to us to step forward, to help farmers voluntarily protect their land, save tax dollars, meet the needs that are building up now, and…

Mr. Chairman, I do thank the committee for this important discussion. I find it exceedingly valuable. I am one of the people who the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Stenholm) referred to who is not an expert in agriculture. I do not pretend to…

Mr. Chairman, I came to Congress committed to having the Federal Government be a better partner with our State and local governments, with private citizens, to help make our families safe, healthy, and more economically secure. It is hard…