Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 109 CONGRESS, FIRSTSESSION
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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, FIRSTSESSION Vol. 151 WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2005 No. 49 House of Representatives The House met at 10 a.m. and was try of America. Bless this land and her conductor, he led the Nashville Sym- called to order by the Speaker pro tem- people, so that America may continue phony not only to national recognition pore (Mrs. MILLER of Michigan). to be the great beacon of hope to our but to international acclaim. f world. With astounding talent, Schermer- For all of these blessings, may Your DESIGNATION OF THE SPEAKER horn was not simply a metronome lead- Name be praised from generation to PRO TEMPORE ing musicians through a musical score; generation. Amen. The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- rather, he gave life to the music he so fore the House the following commu- f clearly loved. He enriched the lives of nication from the Speaker: THE JOURNAL thousands of adults and children in middle Tennessee, and he brought the WASHINGTON, DC, The SPEAKER pro tempore. The joy of music to communities around April 21, 2005. Chair has examined the Journal of the I hereby appoint the Honorable CANDICE S. the globe. He truly was a dear friend to MILLER to act as Speaker pro tempore on last day’s proceedings and announces so many Tennesseans and an inspira- this day. to the House her approval thereof. tional leader to those of us who served J. DENNIS HASTERT, Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Jour- on the symphony board. Speaker of the House of Representatives. nal stands approved. It is with deep sorrow that I join f f music lovers in my State and in coun- PRAYER PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE tries around the world to mourn the loss of our gifted friend. Our thoughts Bishop Vicken Aykazian, The Arme- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Will the nian Church of America, offered the and prayers are with his family. gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. BERK- following prayer: LEY) come forward and lead the House Lord God of creation, we ask Your in the Pledge of Allegiance. f blessing on the men and women gath- Ms. BERKLEY led the Pledge of Alle- ered here today, all of whom labor in giance as follows: RISING GAS PRICES the cause of liberty and justice for the people of this great Nation. I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the (Mr. ROSS asked and was given per- United States of America, and to the Repub- We pray that You will inspire our lic for which it stands, one nation under God, mission to address the House for 1 leaders with wisdom, compassion, and indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. minute and to revise and extend his re- resolution in the face of evil. In a time marks.) f of uncertainty across our world, Lord, Mr. ROSS. Madam Speaker, gas we seek above all to know and perform ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER prices are rising at alarming rates Your will. We pray that You will re- PRO TEMPORE across the country, and these costs are member the precious sacrifices made in The SPEAKER pro tempore. The hurting America’s working families. the name of liberty, that You will The average price of a gallon of gas in shepherd the downtrodden out of the Chair will entertain up to five 1-minute Arkansas is $2.11, up from $1.72 just a darkness of tyranny, and that You will requests per side. year ago. That is a 22.6 percent in- steer our entire world to a new dawn of f crease. This high cost not only affects peace and dignity, for all Your chil- our overall economy but also directly dren. HONORING KENNETH impacts individual families, seniors, We are aware, Lord, of the solemn oc- SCHERMERHORN casion approaching us this week mark- (Mrs. BLACKBURN asked and was and farm families. Our farm families ing the 90th anniversary of the Arme- given permission to address the House are facing higher overhead costs and nian genocide. Even after four genera- for 1 minute and to revise and extend family vacations are being canceled for tions, the effects of that terrible epi- her remarks.) many working families. sode are still felt. We ask You to grant Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam Speaker, Americans deserve more. They de- rest to the souls of all whose lives were on Monday, April 18, 2005, Tennessee serve to know why the cost of gas is taken and bestow Your peace on their lost legendary Nashville Symphony Or- skyrocketing. More importantly, descendants. chestra conductor, Maestro Kenneth Americans deserve a solution. We must Finally, Lord, we thank You for the Schermerhorn. For more than 2 dec- reduce our Nation’s dependence on for- bounty and liberty of this great coun- ades as music director and principal eign oil. b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. H2397 . VerDate Aug 31 2005 07:22 Nov 16, 2006 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORDCX\T37X$J0E\H21AP5.REC H21AP5 CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC71 with CONG-REC-ONLINE H2398 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE April 21, 2005 FILIBUSTERS PART OF THE DEMO- we have no solution to the nuclear they are trying to deceive the Amer- CRATS’ CYNICAL CAMPAIGN OF waste problem. We continue to lavish ican people into believing that a real OBSTRUCTION billions of dollars on the nuclear indus- investigation would actually take (Mr. PITTS asked and was given per- try when we have no safe way to store place. That is a farce. mission to address the House for 1 the waste. I hope that we defeat this ri- minute and to revise and extend his re- diculous piece of legislation. f marks.) f PRAISING DAVID MCMILLON’S Mr. PITTS. Madam Speaker, Senate HOUSE ETHICS ACADEMIC ACCOMPLISHMENT Democrats are blocking votes on quali- (Mr. MCHENRY asked and was given (Mr. BOOZMAN asked and was given fied judicial nominees. Each of these permission to address the House for 1 permission to address the House for 1 nominees would receive the majority minute and to revise and extend his re- minute and to revise and extend his re- support of most Senators in a vote. So marks.) marks.) it was interesting when Democrats say Mr. MCHENRY. Madam Speaker, yes- Mr. BOOZMAN. Madam Speaker, I exposing these obstructionist tactics is terday the Democrat leadership in the rise today to praise Bentonville High un-American, in the words of one Sen- House of Representatives rejected com- School senior David McMillon for his ator. promise to organize the House Ethics academic excellence. The fact is Democrats oppose these When David was in the 10th grade, he Committee. They rejected reasonable judges because they support judges who scored a 35 on the ACT exam, just one compromise because they want to use say the Ten Commandments, the point shy of a perfect score. That excel- the ethics process for partisan political Pledge, and prayer in public are illegal. lent score was 14 points higher than the purposes. It is time to say enough is They support judges who have no fear national average. Now a senior, David enough. The Democrat leadership must of legislating from the bench. They op- took the test again, and this time man- work with the Republican leadership so pose judges who share the same values aged to best his previous accomplish- we can move this House forward. Rea- as most of America. But they do not ment by achieving a perfect score. sonable Democrats on the other side of want people to know that. They would David was one of only 17 students the aisle need to call off the dogs, need rather keep that all under wraps. who took the ACT last December to get to say enough is enough with their But there is a growing voice in this a perfect score. It is quite an elite Democrat whip and their Democrat country that is calling them out. Sen- group when you consider that over leader and say, Come to the table. ate Democrats and their liberal allies 371,000 students across the country Let’s organize. Let’s move forward. at the ACLU and People for the Amer- took this test last December. And Let’s quit these baseless, partisan at- ican Way have declared people of faith David achieved this honor while serv- tacks on our Republican leader, TOM ineligible to serve on the Federal ing as captain of the school’s ACE DELAY. Let’s move forward. Let’s move team, earning the distinction of Na- bench. This strategy represents the forward together as a House. tional Merit Finalist, and playing the worst that our Nation’s leaders have to But, no, they reject that because lead in several Bentonville High School offer, using religious conviction as an they want to use the ethics process for drama productions. excuse for obstructionism in the Sen- partisan political gain. It is not about Madam Speaker, David McMillon ate. It is all part of a cynical campaign ethics to them. It is about partisan- should be praised for this accomplish- of obstructionism. ship. It is not about doing what is ment. This talented young Arkansan f right. It is about using it for electoral has a bright future ahead of him, and I congratulate him again on this accom- THE ENERGY POLICY ACT gain, and it is not going to work.