E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 112 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 158 WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 2012 No. 60 House of Representatives The House met at 10 a.m. and was The American people realize some- proactively and, as reflected in the 27 called to order by the Speaker pro tem- thing that my Democrat friends don’t job-creating measures passed by the pore (Mr. PALAZZO). seem to understand: that government House this Congress alone, to ensure f cannot create jobs and shouldn’t be in job providers are able to create, inno- the business of handing out jobs. In vate, and lead. DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO 2010, the American people sent me and We hope our friends in the Senate TEMPORE many of my colleagues to Washington and White House will decide to join us The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- to cut government spending and offer as we say ‘‘yes’’ to American jobs for fore the House the following commu- real solutions to job creation. We have American people. nication from the Speaker: been aggressively fighting to achieve f WASHINGTON, DC, that challenge. April 25, 2012. Our country needs commonsense, AMERICAN LEGISLATIVE I hereby appoint the Honorable STEVEN M. pro-growth policies that will help EXCHANGE COUNCIL PALAZZO to act as Speaker pro tempore on small business regain their confidence. this day. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The When business owners have faith that JOHN A. BOEHNER, Chair recognizes the gentleman from Speaker of the House of Representatives. the government will not raise their Georgia (Mr. JOHNSON) for 5 minutes. taxes, impose new, unnecessary regula- f Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speak- tions, and pick winners and losers in er, ladies and gentlemen, a shadowy MORNING-HOUR DEBATE the marketplace, they’ll invest more. collection of wealthy businesses and The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- When they invest more, the company conservative Tea Party Republican ant to the order of the House of Janu- grows, and the opportunity for Amer- State lawmakers is undermining our ary 17, 2012, the Chair will now recog- ican jobs grows with it. democracy. nize Members from lists submitted by Just last week, we saw a very clear Last week I discussed the connection the majority and minority leaders for picture of the different visions for job between the American Legislative Ex- morning-hour debate. creation held by folks in Washington. change Council, known as ALEC, and The Chair will alternate recognition My friends in the Senate voted on but the proliferation of shoot first and ask between the parties, with time equally thankfully failed to pass the Buffett questions later legislation that sup- allocated between the parties and each rule. The act would impose a tax hike ported the Trayvon Martin case that Member other than the majority and on one class of Americans and would we all know about, and other draconian minority leaders and the minority pay for approximately 11 hours of gov- criminal justice laws. whip limited to 5 minutes each, but in ernment functioning. Talk about a According to the New York Times: no event shall debate continue beyond cynical ruse serving only to divide our ALEC lawmakers typically introduced 12:50 p.m. country for political purposes. more than 1,000 bills based on model legisla- f But while my Democrat colleagues in tion each year and passed about 17 percent of the Senate are working to raise taxes them. A members-only newsletter from 1995, UNEMPLOYMENT RATE on Americans and America’s job cre- found in an online archive of tobacco com- The SPEAKER pro tempore. The ators, the House is trying to lower pany documents, bluntly characterized that Chair recognizes the gentleman from them. Last week we passed a small success ratio as a ‘‘good investment.’’ Michigan (Mr. WALBERG) for 5 minutes. business tax cut, which will give busi- I agree. ALEC’s corporate members Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, 3 years nesses with fewer than 500 employees a have gotten an outstanding return on ago President Obama promised Con- 20 percent tax reduction off their ac- their investments, but it’s been at gress that the American people would tive business income and encourage the yours and my expense. Due to ALEC, have 6 percent unemployment in ex- creation of more jobs for our citizens. the NRA, and the private for-profit change for trillions of taxpayer dollars Data shows that 7 out of every 10 jobs prison industry, we are all less safe and to pump into the economy. Today we in this country are created by compa- more likely to be put in jail. know that the stimulus program was nies with fewer than 500 employees. My The for-profit prison industry, on the mismanaged, ill-conceived, and failed Republican colleagues and I truly be- other hand, has reaped huge financial to create the jobs promised by the lieve that small businesses are the rewards from ALEC-sponsored efforts President. For 38 straight months and backbone of our country’s economy to incarcerate more Americans and put counting, the unemployment rate has and their success is vital to our eco- them, as well as illegal immigrants, remained above 8 percent. nomic recovery. We continue to act into this private prison system. For 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. H2073 . VerDate Mar 15 2010 00:52 Apr 26, 2012 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A25AP7.000 H25APPT1 pwalker on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with HOUSE H2074 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE April 25, 2012 the private prison industry, where tive power to defeat Iran’s efforts to breeds and invites aggression. In such some of the inmates are paid as low as build a nuclear weapon and delivery situations, perceptions will influence 2 cents an hour to produce goods that system, the combination of which pre- outcomes—and possibly determine are later sold for profit, business is sents a world-changing threat to every them. booming. American, to every Israeli, and to citi- With this in mind, we must emphati- But ALEC does not stop there. zens everywhere in our world. cally, and in no uncertain terms, dis- ALEC’s corporate members are some of I’ve had the privilege to travel twice play unwavering American commit- the world’s biggest polluters and most to the Holy Land. One cannot walk the ment to the defense and support of profitable oil companies. ALEC’s cor- Golan Heights or travel the hills Israel. The perception that we mean it, porate bill factory has ghost-written around Jerusalem and fail to appre- and that we mean it without reserve, legislation on their behalf to combat ciate the momentous nature of these will serve to inhibit Iran’s nuclear am- efforts to address climate change and places. Even a quick survey of history bitions as surely as a policy of Amer- oppose national renewable energy reveals that this is among the most ican doubt, hesitation, and vacillation standards, among others. geopolitically and strategically impor- will serve to strengthen it. In 1998, according to the Center for tant patches of land on Earth, and it is We are mindful, too, that our Presi- Media and Democracy, ALEC belched a also the focal point of the world’s three dent has said, when he believed himself resolution out of its smokestack call- Abrahamic religions. to be out of the reach of microphones, ing on the U.S. to reject the Kyoto Our Declaration of Independence that he was tired of President Protocol and banning States from reg- speaks of a humanity endowed with Netanyahu. He said, ‘‘I have to deal ulating greenhouse gases. ALEC’s En- rights by its Creator. The land we with him every day.’’ This was an all- ergy, Environment, and Agriculture speak of here is the land where He too-rare and certainly valuable glimpse Task Force has since turned out model walked, the land where He taught, and into the heart of the President. It bills criticizing the Environmental the land where my faith teaches me seems to confirm to me what many of Protection Agency. that He gave His life for each of us. us suspect and what gives President Recently, ALEC has focused on what And now this land is menaced by a dan- Ahmadinejad courage: that despite the it calls the ‘‘EPA’s regulatory train gerous and inimical enemy. One cannot careful language suggesting alignment wreck,’’ seeking to frame the EPA’s en- stare long at a map without plotting between America and Israel, the Presi- forcement of the Clean Air Act as the strategic course open to this dent will crumble when Israel needs ‘‘higher prices, fewer jobs, and less en- enemy. In doing so, one is struck by him most. ergy.’’ ALEC’s dirty supporters, like the miniscule flight time for a missile Mr. Speaker, I will say in front of the Koch brothers—named one of the departing from Iran for this land load- this microphone and on the record this United States’ top 10 air polluters in a ed with a weapon of mass destruction. morning that I’m tired. I’m tired of University of Massachusetts study— Mr. Speaker, it’s election season and creating risks for America’s demo- began attacking every effort to clean our President appears to be more inter- cratic foothold in the Middle East; I’m up the mess that they themselves have ested in dissuading Israel from defend- tired of a badly mistaken notion that made.