I want to agree with my colleagues from New Jersey and from Florida. Medicare was originally created because of the failure of the free enterprize system for insurance. If I owned an insurance company, I would not want to sell insurance to…

I am honored tonight to stand in support of H.R. 118 designating the J.J. Jake Pickle Federal Building in Austin, Texas. This is a fitting tribute to a unique Texan and former Member of Congress. I hope Jake and his wife are watching…

I was elected to Congress 6 years ago and I came to Washington to work on health care and education for our children. But yesterday was one of the worst days I have served in 26 years of elected office. What a terrible message this House…

I appreciate the chance to speak this evening. I thank the gentleman for not only his service on that Medicare Commission, but also for tonight, for this special order and some of the information you are imparting. I hope there are a lot…

I rise today to continue with a series of speeches designed to explain to my colleagues the history of my home State of Texas. On March 2 of this year I spoke to this body of the brave actions taken by 54 men who signed the Texas…

Mr. Speaker, our country, a leader in the world, has fallen dramatically behind the rest of the world in the critical subjects of math and science. When compared to students in European nations, our students finish at the bottom of their…

H.R. 472, the Local Census Quality Check Act, calls for a post-census local review by local governments of the census population numbers before they become official. We already have done that. We found out, though, that it does not work…

I hope other States will follow this on those policies that are licensed by State law; but we have to pass something in Congress to affect Federal law, to affect those multi-State companies that have plans in the gentleman's district, in…

I thank my New Jersey colleague for being chair of our Health Care Task Force of the Democratic Caucus, and I think after what happened this last week and the American people have made very clear about what issues they want this Congress…

I rise in support of H.R. 820. In representing the Port of Houston in my district, the U.S. Coast Guard has the primary responsibility for ensuring the safety and security of the vessels not only in my district but in the ports and…

I rise in support of H.R. 800, the Education Flexibility Partnership Demonstration Program, which is a pretty good mouthful. This program is a great example of how States and localities, when given freedom to manage their own affairs, can…

the greatest gift a parent or elected official even can provide our children is a quality education. Education is one thing that nobody can ever take away from someone. For years we have debated on this floor the most effective way to…

this is a good day. I am glad the debate is on tax cuts versus Social Security and Medicare and paying down our national debt. Medicare and Social Security are two of the greatest, most effective programs our country has ever created. They…

today is a special day, particularly in Texas, because in Texas March 2 is Texas Independence Day. In 1836, 163 years ago today, the Republic of Texas was born. As I left Houston this morning, spring is coming to Texas. The bluebonnets are…

The number of wireless subscribers in our country totals about 68 million, and that number continues to grow. Although being in my fourth term in Congress, the first time I became aware of 911 was as a State Representative in Houston in…

Social Security represents one of the most successful programs ever enacted by our government because it guarantees a real retirement security for millions of Americans. However, recent studies show that one-third of the young people…

we are hearing a lot about bipartisan efforts this year, and I hope that is true. But last year as chairman of the Republican Health Tax Force in the 105th Congress our Speaker produced a bill that was not bipartisan and did not become law…

Mr. Speaker, overturning an election in a democracy should not be taken lightly. Our country's history in presidential impeachment inquiries is limited, due to the seriousness of overturning an election. This current process smacks of…

public education is a local responsibility but a national concern. We have provided more police on the street to make our neighborhoods safe. Now, let us go the next step and spend it smarter by providing 100,000 new teachers to make our…

I rise in support of H.R. 3888, the Anti-Slamming Amendments Act. Slamming is a deceptive practice of switching the consumer's long-distance service, either unknowingly or unwillingly. As a victim of slamming this last summer in my own…

I first remember reading about Congressman Gonzalez because I admired him so long before I met him. In 1956, he was elected to a 4-year term in the Texas State Senate, becoming the first Mexican-American to gain a seat in that body in 110…

I rise tonight and requested this special order and share it with a number of our colleagues to pay tribute to our friend and colleague and the Dean of the Texas Congressional Delegation, the distinguished Congressman from 20th…

I want to support bankruptcy reform, but not this conference committee report. There are several provisions in this bill that prevent it from meeting its intended goal... Big banks and credit card companies target teenagers and college…

Congressman Gonzalez' outstanding 45 year career of public service and his 38 year career demonstrates his deep commitment to public service and his constituents and his thorough knowledge of the House procedures in his dedication to this…

I rise to oppose the open ended investigation and support a limited one. Mr. Speaker, the overturning of an election in a democracy should not be taken lightly. Our country's history in presidential impeachment inquiries is limited due to…