E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 110 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 154 WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 2008 No. 92 House of Representatives The House met at 9:30 a.m. HOUSE DEMOCRATS RESTORE FIS- cartels. These cartels assassinated the The Chaplain, the Reverend Daniel P. CAL SANITY TO D.C. BY PASSING Mexican FBI Director and now threat- Coughlin, offered the following prayer: BUDGET THAT IS BALANCED BY en the President’s life. President ‘‘Open my eyes, Lord, that I may see 2012 Calderon has asked us for help, and for the wonders of Your law.’’ (Mr. HARE asked and was given per- the safety and security of American The longest of the Psalms, Psalm 119, mission to address the House for 1 families, we must. studies many facets of law so that peo- minute.) If you see a red star on this map, it ple down through the ages would be Mr. HARE. Madam Speaker, this means that our Drug Enforcement fascinated by the full impact of the week the House will vote on a final Agency says that a Mexican drug gang law’s meaning. budget conference agreement that is operating in your congressional dis- The law’s deepest impression, how- charts a new way forward for our coun- trict. If you see a green star, like in ever, comes when Your law is taken to try. It is the first budget agreement Las Vegas, Chicago, San Francisco, it heart. Law then becomes the pulsating reached in an election year since the means the DEA knows that the drug rhythm that unites people in every Clinton administration and restores gangs have a command-and-control step of every day. Law transforms the fiscal sanity to a process that has been center in your congressional district. source of breathing in freedom and ex- out of control since President Bush Last month the gangs of Mexico haling corruption. came to Washington in 2001. Unlike topped their murder of hundreds of Your law, O Lord, brings fulfillment past Republican budgets, our budget Mexican police officers with a new to the individual and salvation to soci- returns to surplus in 2012. practice: beheading people and leaving ety. The new budget makes investments their heads in coolers. It would be Bless and guide the lawmakers of in energy, education, and infrastruc- naive to think that such violence re- this Chamber and of this land now and ture, while also providing tax relief to mains just south of our border. forever. Amen. middle class families. The agreement That’s why Congress should fully f does not include any new tax increases. fund the Merida Law Enforcement Ini- In fact, it does support significant tax tiative. THE JOURNAL relief for middle class families, includ- f The SPEAKER. The Chair has exam- ing extension of marriage penalty tax DEMOCRATS HAVE A STRONG ined the Journal of the last day’s pro- relief, the child tax credit, and the con- RECORD OF TRYING TO LOWER ceedings and announces to the House tinuation of the 10 percent tax bracket. OUR NATION’S GAS PRICES her approval thereof. It also includes an additional year of Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Jour- the alternative minimum tax relief. (Mr. SIRES asked and was given per- nal stands approved. The budget also ensures that vet- mission to address the House for 1 minute.) f erans get the quality health care they need and protects our homeland. It also Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, the record PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE rejects cuts proposed by the President price of gasoline is pinching the wal- The SPEAKER. Will the gentleman to important first responder programs lets of every American. It seems every from New Jersey (Mr. SIRES) come for- like the COPS program. day the price hits another record. ward and lead the House in the Pledge Madam Speaker, this budget deserves Since day one this Democratic House of Allegiance. strong bipartisan support. has been committed to lowering prices Mr. SIRES led the Pledge of Alle- f at the pump and adopting a smarter giance as follows: energy future. PROTECT AMERICAN FAMILIES Thanks to a Democratic Congress, I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the FROM MEXICAN DRUG GANGS United States of America, and to the Repub- President Bush finally agreed to tem- lic for which it stands, one nation under God, (Mr. KIRK asked and was given per- porarily suspend sending oil to the indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. mission to address the House for 1 Strategic Petroleum Reserve, a move f minute and to revise and extend his re- that will instantly lower gas prices by marks.) about a quarter when it goes into effect ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER Mr. KIRK. Mr. Speaker, the New by the end of this month. The SPEAKER. The Chair will enter- York Times reports that our Mexican Thanks to this Democratic Congress, tain up to 10 requests for 1-minute allies are now engaged in a life-or- the Federal Trade Commission re- speeches on each side of the aisle. death struggle against massive drug cently agreed to implement the market 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. H4977 . VerDate Aug 31 2005 00:47 Jun 06, 2008 Jkt 069060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A05JN7.000 H05JNPT1 wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with HOUSE H4978 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE June 5, 2008 manipulation authority that it was lower gas prices. While we received a more drilling. They ignore the fact given in an energy law that we passed little bit of bipartisan support, the ma- that drilling in the U.S. has recently last year. This agreement should en- jority of our friends on the Republican exploded. Since 2000, the number of sure that the U.S. petroleum market is side have opposed those 8 bills. wells that have been drilled in this free from price and supply manipula- House Republicans said ‘‘no’’ to legis- country has increased by about 66 per- tion. lation that would enable the Justice cent, while the price at the pump for Mr. Speaker, the Bush administra- Department to take legal action the consumer has more than doubled. tion would have never acted on these against foreign nations manipulating President Bush and congressional Re- two issues had it not been for the per- the price of oil. House Republicans said publicans also continue to push drilling sistence of this Democratic Congress. ‘‘no’’ to legislation that would give the in the Arctic Refuge. Again, they ig- We will continue to pressure the ad- Federal Trade Commission the author- nore experts who say that opening the ministration and congressional Repub- ity to investigate and punish those who refuge for drilling would produce only licans to join us in lowering gas prices. are artificially inflating the price of about 6-months’ worth of oil and it f gas. wouldn’t be available for another 10 Mr. Speaker, our friends on the Re- years. How is that a strategy for lower THE TIDE IS TURNING: AMERI- publican side of the aisle need to real- prices today? CANS SUPPORT INCREASING OUR ize that saying ‘‘no’’ is not an energy Mr. Speaker, House Democrats know DOMESTIC ENERGY SUPPLY policy. that American families are feeling (Mr. TIAHRT asked and was given f squeezed every time they head to the permission to address the House for 1 gas station. That is why we continue to minute and to revise and extend his re- THE PRICE OF GASOLINE: CON- pass legislation that should help ease marks.) GRESS MUST TAKE ACTION TO the pain at the pump. It would be nice Mr. TIAHRT. Mr. Speaker, gas is LOWER GAS PRICES if the President would support these ef- over $4 a gallon and people are upset. (Mrs. BLACKBURN asked and was forts. According to a May 20 Gallup poll, 57 given permission to address the House f percent of Americans support drilling for 1 minute.) in U.S. coastal and wilderness areas BAD POLICY HAS BANNED Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, DRILLING OFFSHORE that are now off-limits. The tide is traveling through my district in west turning. Americans know we can solve and middle Tennessee this past week, (Ms. FALLIN asked and was given this problem of high gas prices. gasoline and the price at the pump are permission to address the House for 1 Just this week the Sioux City Jour- what everybody is talking about. Busy minute and to revise and extend her re- nal reported the results of what they moms in Tennessee are now spending marks.) called the ‘‘most important election in about $240 to fill the minivan up every Ms. FALLIN. If I told you that a loaf the county’s history.’’ By a solid 58–42 month. That’s about $100 more than it of bread was $4, and there was plenty of percent, the voters of Union County ap- was when the Democrats took control wheat growing right here, but you said proved a zoning ordinance that will of the gavels in both the Senate and I could not harvest it, then I would be keep alive the county’s chances of the House. right to call you illogical. If I told you landing the Nation’s first oil refinery Well, the Congress must stop talking that you could bake more bread with a in 32 years.