Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 109 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION
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E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 109 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 151 WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2005 No. 76 House of Representatives The House met at 10 a.m. I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the PRINCIPLES OF TAX REFORM The Chaplain, the Reverend Daniel P. United States of America, and to the Repub- (Mr. EMANUEL asked and was given Coughlin, offered the following prayer: lic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. permission to address the House for 1 Eternal Father of all and well-spring minute and to revise and extend his re- of youthful dreams, bless the young f marks.) women and men who have served these Mr. EMANUEL. Mr. Speaker, we past months as pages of the U.S. House ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER have a tax system that is needlessly of Representatives. As their term of The SPEAKER. The Chair will enter- complicated and burdensome to the service comes to an end, inspire each of tain up to 10 1-minute speeches on each middle class. It is time for funda- them with expansive hopes and fill side. mental tax reform that reflects the them with great aspirations to create values and the interests of all Ameri- powerful futures both for themselves f cans, not the special interests. and for this Nation. When President Bush announced his We praise You and we thank You for BANNING BOOKS tax reform commission, he said his their families and all of those who have (Mr. PITTS asked and was given per- core principle was that it should not mentored the pages in their program: mission to address the House for 1 hurt government revenues. their work, their school, and in their minute and to revise and extend his re- Democrats believe that the core prin- dorm. May this experience of govern- marks.) ciple of tax reform is that tax reform ment at work deepen their commit- Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, a 10-year- should help the middle class achieve ment to learning and their ability to old Knoxville, Tennessee child, Luke their goals. Tax reform is about the make friends with diverse people from Whitson, and some of his friends chose middle class and economic growth, not across the Nation, forming them into to read the Bible to each other during about government revenue. leaders for tomorrow. recesses instead of playing on the jun- In the last 4 years the Tax Code has May the Members of Congress sur- gle gym or kickball. Luke’s principal been filled with special breaks for spe- rounded by such youthful presence was not amused. She put a stop on this cial interests. At the same time, the grow in their tender understanding of terrible practice at once and told the tax burdens have shifted from the America’s young people, their needs, students not to bring their Bibles to wealthy to those who work, from divi- their dreams, their problems, their val- school again. dend to wages. ues, and their abilities. Now, we expect principals to protect What should we do? Combine the five educational tax Ever-living Lord, help young and old kids from bullying and ensure a breaks to one tax break for higher edu- Americans alike develop skills to cross healthy learning environment. We do cation for $3,000 for everybody going to the generational divide, that we may not expect them to dictate issues of all grow up to be one Nation under college; unify the various child credits faith or, worse, mandate a faith-free and earned income tax credit to a sin- God. Amen. environment. However, this principal is f gle simplified tax family credit; sim- a ground soldier in a national cam- plify the 16 different versions of the THE JOURNAL paign to remove faith, even voluntary Tax Code for savings to one universal The SPEAKER. The Chair has exam- expressions of it, from publicly funded 401(k) pension; and, finally, encourage ined the Journal of the last day’s pro- programs and facilities. homeownership. We should create a ceedings and announces to the House School children, all people, should universal mortgage deduction for all his approval thereof. have the right to read freely in their taxpayers. Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Jour- own free time, whether it is during re- Mr. Speaker, we need a tax system nal stands approved. cess at school or in the break room that reflects the American values and during lunch at work. f fosters the American Dream, not the Our government buys and provides current system written by and for the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE copies of the Koran and prayer rugs to special interests. terrorist prisoners at Gitmo. We expect The SPEAKER. Will the gentleman f from Arizona (Mr. FLAKE) come for- our soldiers to honor a terrorist’s right ward and lead the House in the Pledge to worship freely, but will we stand for SOCIAL SECURITY PROPERTY of Allegiance. the right of an American child to do so RIGHTS Mr. FLAKE led the Pledge of Alle- as well? Sounds like somebody is para- (Mr. MILLER of Florida asked and giance as follows: noid. was given permission to address the b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. H4299 . VerDate Aug 04 2004 01:43 Jun 10, 2005 Jkt 039060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A09JN7.000 H09PT1 H4300 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE June 9, 2005 House for 1 minute and to revise and Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, The Department of Defense Extended extend his remarks.) America’s health care system is indeed Shelf Life Program evaluated over 312 Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, in need of fixing on so many levels. drug products and found that even as I listen to the national debate on You can lose count of the number of though they were given a date of shelf Social Security reform, I am left won- problems that it has. One of the major life, many of them maintain their sta- dering why no one is talking about issues is cost. bility, safety and potency up to as America’s greatest principles, and that Recent studies show that the average much as an additional 107 months past is property rights. American pays close to $4,000 a year on their expiration dates. I get letters, e-mails, and phone calls health care. However, that figure pales For the $3.9 million the military every day from my constituents de- in comparison to the $11,000 that spent on stability testing on expired manding that I do not take away their health care costs for America’s seniors drugs, it saved $263 million. These are guaranteed Social Security benefits. each. savings worth exploring, and I would That leads me to believe that our Na- The last time this study was con- urge my colleagues to support careful tion’s citizens may not understand ducted in 1989, the average cost was scientific review of expiration dates for that they really have no legal right to only $2,200. Health care has become big prescription drugs and ask if the sav- their Social Security benefits. business and big government, and pa- ings gained by the military can be ap- The Supreme Court ruled in tients are further removed from their plied to general health care spending. Flemming v. Nestor that there is no doctors. Decisions that should be made My colleagues can learn more about legal right to Social Security benefits. between doctors and patients are now these ideas for savings and health care In the eyes of the Court, it is deemed a being decided many times by somebody by visiting my Web site at Mur- tax-and-spend program in which Con- else. Rising costs affect everyone: pa- phy.house.gov and continue to change gress can change the rules regarding tients, doctors, and even small busi- the way we look at health care to what eligibility at any time, and it has nesses that can no longer afford health we are paying for. many times over in past years. That is insurance for their employees. f how our current system works. Regardless of who pays, patients Mr. Speaker, it is time for reform. It should have a choice when it comes to INDIANAPOLIS 500 is time to give American taxpayers their health care, plain and simple. H. (Ms. CARSON asked and was given back their personal property rights. Res. 215 would do just that. As we move permission to address the House for 1 Personal accounts would give workers forward, we must be on the patients’ minute.) true legal property rights to their con- side; they know what is best for them- Ms. CARSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise tributions and their benefits. They selves. today to commemorate the 89th run- could not be raided to pay for other f ning of the greatest spectacular in rac- programs. Personal accounts are the ing, the Indianapolis 500 held at Indian- PROTECT OUR NATION ultimate lockbox. apolis Motor Speedway. f (Mr. PALLONE asked and was given Congratulations to the winner, Dan permission to address the House for 1 Wheldon of Andretti-Green Racing, NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE minute and to revise and extend his re- whose victory was not an easy one.