Charles W. Stenholm

I want to report that our total public debt outstanding on April 30, 2002, is $5,984,677,357,213.86. That is up $323,329,559,211.21 in the last 12 months. That is up. We have borrowed a public debt of $323 billion. That is what we are here…

I appreciate the good humor in which the gentleman is approaching the cornflower blue. But let me point out that the farm bill, the $73.5 billion, the gentleman, I believe I am correct, voted for that budget that provided the $73.5 billion…

I remember one of the saddest days standing in the back of the Senate a few weeks later and watching it lose by one vote. If it had passed the Senate at that time, we could not have passed the budget last year that we passed and we would…

It is fascinating, having been around this place for now almost 23 years, to hear and to see how various Members of this body react to certain situations that come up, depending on whether they are in the minority or in the majority. And…

I do believe that American agriculture and producers have done a pretty good job of feeding America and a good part of the rest of the world and do believe as we argued strenuously for the amount of money that was passed. So I guess, yes…

few issues could be more important to the future security of the United States than passage of House Joint Resolution 87. For over two decades, scientists have subjected the suitability of Yucca Mountain to intense scrutiny, at a cost of…

That is the point that we are making tonight and we have been trying to make, is that things did change. Therefore, we do not necessarily believe that the budget that was put in place last year before 9-11 should be arbitrarily sent…

there are other solutions to the problem, and that is why I appreciate the opportunity to join with my colleague tonight in talking about some of these other solutions. I think it is awfully important at this stage, and my colleague…

I happen to agree with that. That is something that the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Kolbe) and I share, and the gentleman from Michigan has joined with us in cosponsoring our one area. I think it is important for the American public to…

today I want to take this time to continue a discussion that we, the so-called Blue Dog Democrats, the Blue Dog Coalition, have been carrying on for the last 2 or 3 weeks talking about the urgency of this body in dealing with the debt…

I have been in this body now for going on 24 years. I have worked with five presidents, and it matters not whether there is an R or D after the president's name. It matters not whether that is an R or D after any of my colleagues' name. If…

I thank my friends from Arkansas, both of them, for making some very relevant points. One of the statements that the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Ross) just made was that we need to tone down the partisan rhetoric. That is what we are…

We are saying that to increase our debt ceiling without a plan for getting us back into balance is irresponsible. We are prepared to vote to increase the debt ceiling short term. We do not want to see our country default on its debt. We do…

this will be another in a series of 1- hours that the so-called Blue Dog Coalition is taking to focus on the budget, to focus on the request of the administration to raise our debt ceiling by $750 billion. We want to continue to talk about…

Let me remind everyone that just a year ago, the same Blue Dogs stood in the well, stood at this mike, stood at others, and we offered an alternative budget. We at that time pointed out that the so-called surplus of $5.6 trillion was…

this is an amazing debate. In listening to the gentlewoman from New Mexico talking about the recession, surely she does not mean that the economic game plan that was voted in last year is going to last us in a recession until 2004 or 2005…

The logic that the gentleman from Illinois is following today, that means that he voted for the largest single tax increase in history in 2010 when the bill the gentleman voted for last year expires. The gentleman voted for the biggest tax…

my friend from California was exactly right when he said a moment ago that Social Security is not on the floor today, but it should be. The reason I rise to strongly oppose this rule and strongly oppose the previous question is that I…

I want to throw another category in the debate tonight that has not been mentioned, and that is the grandkids. We can all agree tonight that we need to do something for the workers. I certainly agree with most of the components of the tax…

I rise in support of Trade Promotion Authority and the bill before us today. The truth about trade is that there always are both successes and failures, winners and losers. But for our Nation as a whole, the indisputable fact is trade is a…

the approach that we are taking to financing the war on terrorism is penny wise and pound foolish. Everyone acknowledges that meeting all of our challenges in the war on terrorism will require substantially more resources than this bill…

The Animal Welfare Act already contains provisions that forbid needless intentional abuse of livestock anywhere. Also I want to make my colleagues aware of the concern of the American Veterinary Medical Association regarding the…

Mr. Chairman, in Texas, cockfighting is illegal, and several law enforcement organizations say that prohibiting transport to other States will help them crack down on illegal operations. That is our law. I would like to ask a question of…

Mr. Chairman, it is not by accident that this Nation has the most abundant food supply, the best quality of food, the safest food supply, at the lowest cost to our people of any country in the world. It is because our agricultural policy…

I, too, think this is a good amendment. It could be very complementary to the activity that is already going on in the biotechnology community. Since science-based information is required, this is an excellent amendment; and I, too, join…