Congressional Record United States of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 107Th CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION
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E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 107th CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 147 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2001 No. 109 House of Representatives The House met at 9 a.m. our assets and limitations are. In the on how to vote and that they are able f event of an international crisis, it will to utilize high technology equipment. be critical that we know what is there. There are many legislative initia- MORNING HOUR DEBATES f tives that are fostering or looking to The SPEAKER. Pursuant to the improve the election system. I support order of the House of January 3, 2001, SUPPORT FOR A DAY OF the Dodd-Conyers legislation and I the Chair will now recognize Members DEMOCRACY have offered legislation myself to de- from lists submitted by the majority The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. termine the best technology that this and minority leaders for morning hour PENCE). Under the Speaker’s an- Nation should use. debates. The Chair will alternate rec- nounced policy of January 3, 2001, the Many jurisdictions who have the re- ognition between the parties, with each gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. JACK- sources have already begun to improve party limited to not to exceed 25 min- SON-LEE) is recognized during morning their election system. We must keep in utes, and each Member except the ma- hour debates for 5 minutes. mind, however, that the rush to judg- jority leader, the minority leader or Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. ment to improve our election system the minority whip limited to not to ex- Speaker, this morning the Ford-Carter should not replace one bad system with ceed 5 minutes, but in no event shall Commission on Election Reform will another. So it is imperative that we debate extend beyond 9:50 a.m. release its report. One of the striking create standards and I hope the Ford- The Chair recognizes the gentleman aspects of its report, and I say striking Carter commission includes that. I have a bill, H.R. 934, that has spo- from Nebraska (Mr. OSBORNE) for 5 because it is sometimes rare for com- ken to the issue of a national holiday. minutes. missions to study an issue and offer to Why a national holiday? One more give the American people another day f day for us to be in the shopping malls? off; but I believe this is an important I think not. A day that everyone can SUPPORT OF THE PRESIDENT’S step in acknowledging the very impor- focus on their most important respon- ENERGY PLAN tant and pivotal role that the Amer- sibility, and that is the maintenance of Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I re- ican people play in fostering democ- democracy in this Nation, the upkeep cently heard a member of the Com- racy in this Nation. That is the elec- of the Constitution. This will allow col- mittee on Resources make an inter- tion of the President of the United lege students and high school students esting statement. This individual said States, election of their Federal offi- and working people from all walks of that the United States currently has cials that come about in one group life to participate in a day of democ- only 3 percent of the known oil re- every 4 years. The President, in many racy. That is what we should call it. serves in the world. The truth is that instances, Senators and, of course, My bill, H.R. 934, says it is a sense of we really do not know. We do not know Members of the House of Representa- Congress that private employers in the whether it has 3 percent or 5 percent or tives are running for reelection. United States should give their em- 15 percent or 20 percent, because for The Ford-Carter Commission was to ployees a day off on the Tuesday next, the last 10, 15, 20 years we have done assess the plight of elections in this after the first Monday in November in absolutely no exploration. We have had Nation. Certainly a laboratory was the 2004 and each fourth year thereafter to no energy plan. election of November 2000. Not only enable the employees to cast votes in Mr. Speaker, think about what cor- was Florida a prime example where the presidential and other elections poration, what military unit, what ath- things can go wrong, but as I traveled held on that day. letic team would proceed without a around the country listening to voters But, more importantly, we will not plan and without knowing what its as- in many many jurisdictions, this is a hear of the young mother or the young sets were. This is precisely what we problem that is systemic to our Nation father or the hard-working individual have done here in the United States. and one that we must fix in order to who says, I just did not get the time to I would really encourage people to enhance democracy. vote. I tried to get back to my polling support the President’s energy plan be- We must ensure that every voter has place, but it was closed. Traffic kept cause, number one, it provides a blue- a right to vote. We must ensure that me from voting. Transportation kept print where there has been none, a plan they are knowledgeable about where to me from voting. My employer would of action that provides conservation vote. We have to ensure that voters are not let me have time off to vote. practices and development of alter- not purged from the list that is kept by College students who might want to native fuels. It also provides for explo- their local governmental officials. We be poll workers at the polls, a most im- ration which allows us to know what must ensure that voters are educated portant responsibility on that day, 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. H4865 . VerDate 30-JUL-2001 23:12 Jul 31, 2001 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A31JY7.000 pfrm02 PsN: H31PT1 H4866 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE July 31, 2001 knowing the laws, assisting people in products that the Thomasville Chair team focused and the fans engaged, exercising their democratic right, hav- Company, which eventually became continuing in the great tradition of his ing those kinds of poll workers assist Thomasville Furniture Industries, were predecessor. us along with other professionals as almost exclusively simple, sturdy, Today, Mr. Speaker, the Bulldogs are well as the wonderful volunteers we straight-back chairs. led by yet another great leader and have had to date. Today, Thomasville remains an former quarterback, Benjie Brown, who Mr. Speaker, I think it is high time international center for furniture man- follows in the footsteps of his dad, for us to be able to give the kind of ufacturing; and Thomasville Furniture Allen Brown, and Coach Cushwa. credible evidence and the kind of re- Industries, its leading manufacturer, Needless to say, Mr. Speaker, Thom- spect for the election system that is has made the name Thomasville known asville is a vibrant city whose future long overdue in this Nation. There are around the globe. looms bright, and it is truly an honor many countries around the world that In 1922, in an effort to take advan- for me to be able to recognize this fine fight for the meager chance to cast tage of its reputation as ‘‘The Chair city, the Chair Capital of the World on their vote. There are many that do not Town,’’ Thomasville Chair Company the House floor and wish it well as it have that chance. There are others who erected a gigantic chair in the middle begins its celebration for its 150th look to us for our leadership and many of the town square. The project kept birthday next year. countries have had us as election mon- three men working 20 hours a day for 1 f itors. week and took the same amount of TAKING ANOTHER LOOK AT We can do no less for our citizens lumber that would have been required SPRING VALLEY than to ensure that every vote counts, to construct 100 ordinary chairs. to ensure that we have a working sys- Unfortunately, after 15 years of expo- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under tem that allows every vote to count, to sure, the local chair was torn down in the Speaker’s announced policy of Jan- respect the military votes, to respect 1936. Due to the Depression and the ad- uary 3, 2001, the gentleman from Or- those who have done their time in pris- vent of World War II, another chair was egon (Mr. BLUMENAUER) is recognized ons and now want to be the kind of not built until 1948. In 1948, once again, during morning hour debates for 5 min- citizens that will have their rights re- Thomasville Chair Company spear- utes. stored, to respect those who have reg- headed the effort to construct another Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, istered and yet now are purged. chair, and a decision was made to con- this morning’s editorial in the Wash- There are many things we can do to struct a chair that would stand the test ington Post calls for a second look at fix the election system.