Statements For the Record

[As prepared.]

Mr. Chair, my amendment will ensure that the Food and Drug Administration is adequately funded to protect our nation's food supply, prevent food-borne illnesses from happening, and properly investigate outbreaks when they do occur.

The number one focus for Congress must be to get Americans back to work and keep our economy moving forward.

Mr. Speaker, reauthorization and reform of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is long overdue, and critical to our nation's future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose H.R. 872, the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 471, the private school voucher program for the District of Columbia.

This bill would revive the ineffective and inefficient D.C. voucher program. The bill authorizes $100 million over the next five years for only 1.3 percent of students to receive vouchers in D.C. – with no offset for the funding.

The legislation on the floor today, a bill to defund National Pubic Radio, is another example of a Republican-Tea Party agenda which kills jobs and imposes an extremist right-wing ideological agenda on the American people. This bill and debate is about titillating right wing passions and silencing public broadcasting – nothing more.

Mr. Speaker, I stand today in solidarity with the working men and women of America.

There should be no doubt that there is a war going on right now against workers, unions, and middle class Americans who want more jobs.

In Wisconsin, Ohio, and here in Congress, workers rights are under attack by union busting politicians.

Mr. Speaker, over the past few weeks, hundreds of Minnesotans, as well as citizens from across the country, have contacted my office about the military's multi-million dollar taxpayer sponsorship of NASCAR race cars.