E20 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks January 6, 2009 

must work to both eliminate every cent of 

waste and squeeze every cent of value out of 

each dollar our citizens entrust to us. Families 

all across our Nation understand what it 

means to make tough decisions each day 

about what they can and cannot afford and 

government officials should be required to exercise similar restraint when spending the 

hard-earned dollars of our Nation’s citizens. 

Congress took a dramatic step forward during the 109th Congress when it passed the 

Deficit Reduction Act. This law found savings 

of approximately $40 billion over five years by 

eliminating wasteful spending and programs. 

This legislation was an important first step, but 

it was just that—a first step. Furthermore, the 

legislation was passed by the Senate by a 

margin of just one vote and was passed by 

the House by a margin of two votes, which 

shows exactly how difficult the task of balancing the budget is—and how important it is 

to force Congress to do so. This is exactly 

why I am re-introducing this legislation today. 

My legislation, which garnered 163 bipartisan cosponsors in the 110th Congress, 

would amend the Constitution to require that 

total spending for any fiscal year not exceed 

total receipts and require the President to propose budgets to Congress that are balanced 

each year. It would also provide an exception 

in times of war and during military conflicts 

that pose imminent and serious military threats 

to national security. 

Furthermore, the legislation would make it 

harder to increase taxes by requiring that legislation to increase revenue be passed by a 

true majority of each chamber and not just a 

majority of those present and voting. Finally, 

the bill requires a 3/5 majority vote for any increases in the debt limit. 

This concept is not new. 49 out of 50 states 

have a balanced budget requirement. 

It has become clear that it is extremely difficult for Congress to agree on a budget that 

is fiscally responsible. By amending the Constitution to require a balanced budget, we can 

force Congress to control spending, paving the 

way for a return to surpluses and ultimately 

paying down the national debt, rather than 

allow big spenders to lead us further down the 

road of chronic deficits and in doing so leave 

our children and grandchildren saddled with 

debt that is not their own. 

Our Nation faces many difficult decisions in 

the coming years, and Congress will face 

great pressure to spend beyond its means 

rather than to make difficult decisions about 

spending priorities. Unless Congress is forced 

to make the decisions necessary to create a 

balanced budget, it will always have the alltoo-tempting option of shirking this responsibility. The Balanced Budget Constitutional 

amendment is a common sense approach to 

ensure that Congress is bound by the same 

fiscal principles that America’s families face 

each day. 

I urge support of this important legislation. 

f 

INTRODUCTION OF THE UDALL-EISENHOWER ARCTIC WILDERNESS 

ACT 

HON. EDWARD J. MARKEY OF MASSACHUSETTS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, January 6, 2009 

Mr. MARKEY. Madam Speaker, today, I am 

introducing the Udall-Eisenhower Arctic Wilderness Act, which would give permanent protection to the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This legislation also 

honors two great American visionaries—President Dwight Eisenhower and Representative 

Morris Udall—by designating this pristine wild 

place as wilderness in their names. President 

Eisenhower—a Republican—began the bipartisan legacy of fighting to protect this special 

place for future generations of Americans 

when he set aside the core of the Refuge in 

1960. Twenty years later, in 1980, Representative Morris Udall—a Democrat—succeeded in 

doubling the size of the Refuge and protecting 

even more of this untrammeled wilderness. 

President Eisenhower and Rep. Mo Udall 

had the vision to protect a remote but very 

special piece of pristine wilderness. I am 

proud to introduce legislation today that would 

complete the job they began by permanently 

protecting the coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge from oil drilling. 

I am also proud to once again introduce this 

legislation under the bill number H.R. 39, a bill 

number with important historical significance in 

the fight to preserve the land within the Arctic 

Refuge. H.R. 39 was the bill number given to 

Mo Udall’s Alaska Natural Interest Lands Conservation Act that became law in 1980. This 

Act expanded the area President Eisenhower 

had originally set aside and renamed it as the 

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Rep. Udall 

later began introducing his legislation to designate the coastal plain of the Refuge as wilderness under that same bill number. Introducing the Udall-Eisenhower Arctic Wilderness 

Act under the bill number H.R. 39 offers an 

important reminder of the history of the fight to 

protect this special place. 

The coastal plain is the biological heart of 

the Refuge and is central to the survival of 

many unique species of animals including 

polar bears, caribou, musk oxen, wolves, and 

over 160 species of birds. The U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service calls the coastal plain the 

‘‘center for wildlife activity’’ in the Refuge. If 

we were to allow drilling in the Refuge it would 

irreparably disrupt this important ecosystem 

and one of our last great wild places will be 

forever destroyed. 

We know that the Arctic is already feeling 

the strains of global warming. Alaska has 

warmed at four times the rate of the rest of 

the planet over the last fifty years and the impacts of a warming Arctic on iconic species 

such as the polar bear are disastrous. Last 

year, the Bush Administration listed the polar 

bear as ’threatened’ under the Endangered 

Species Act because of melting sea ice and 

government scientists project that the prospects for the polar bear’s survival are bleak. A 

team of scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey released a series of reports at the end of 

2007 which concluded that by mid-century, 

two-thirds of all the world’s polar bears could 

disappear and that polar bears could be gone 

entirely from Alaska. The USGS team also 

noted that based on recent observations, this 

dire assessment could actually be conservative. 

The 111th Congress marks a time of real 

change for our nation’s energy policy. The 

Bush Administration and Republicans in Congress have argued for a shortsighted energy 

policy of ‘‘drill, drill, drill’’ that would forever 

sacrifice our beaches and most pristine wilderness areas for a few short months worth of oil. 

The United States consumes 25 percent of the 

world’s oil but controls only 3 percent of the 

world’s oil reserves. We cannot drill our to way 

energy independence. But we can enact 

smart, green energy policies that can simultaneously grow our economy, spur technological 

innovation, protect our environment, reduce 

global warming pollution and end our addiction 

to oil. 

There are some places in our world that are 

so rare and so special that we have a responsibility to protect them. The Arctic Refuge is 

one of those places. Protecting the Arctic Refuge will send a strong statement of our nation’s intent to preserve America’s pristine wilderness areas, break our dangerous addition 

to oil, and kick-start a green revolution to create jobs, grow the economy, and promote energy independence. 

As Mo Udall said, ‘‘In our lifetime, we have 

few opportunities to shape the very Earth on 

which our descendants will live their lives. In 

each generation, we have carved up more and 

more of our once-great natural heritage. There 

ought to be a few places left in the world the 

way the Almighty made them.’’ The Udall-Eisenhower Arctic Wilderness Act will ensure 

that the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is forever protected for future Americans and never 

carved up by the big oil companies. 

f 

IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT AND 

SOCIAL SECURITY PROTECTION 

ACT 

HON. DAVID DREIER OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, January 6, 2009 

Mr. DREIER. Madam Speaker, over the last 

few years we have spent considerable time on 

the extremely important issue of immigration 

and homeland security. In the 108th Congress, we passed the National Intelligence Reform Act, a landmark piece of legislation to 

overhaul our intelligence agencies. But, as I 

noted at that time, the bill unfortunately did not 

go far enough in addressing the major security 

vulnerability presented by the porous nature of 

our borders. 

Recognizing that need, in the 109th Congress we debated immigration extensively and 

even passed H.R. 4437, the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration 

Control Act of 2005. Regrettably, the Senate 

failed to act on this important piece of legislation. In the 110th Congress, the House passed 

legislation to reauthorize the Basic Pilot, or EVerify, employment verification program. 

A tremendous amount of work remains in 

the effort to secure our borders. That is why 

I am reintroducing the Immigration Enforcement and Social Security Protection Act, which 

is designed to eliminate up to 98 percent of 

the illegal border crossings into the United 

States. 

I believe that any effort to end illegal immigration will be viable only if it addresses the 

root cause of what attracts illegal immigrants 

to our country: the lure of economic opportunity and the ease with which illegal workers 

can find jobs. Under the Immigration Enforcement and Social Security Protection Act, we 

will dramatically increase the enforcement of 

laws which prohibit American businesses from 

employing illegal immigrants. The growing 

availability of counterfeit identity documents 


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January 6, 2009 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E21 

has undermined the current system because 

employers find it increasingly difficult to establish the authenticity of documents presented 

by job applicants. As a result, too many employers have been either unable or unwilling to 

comply with the law. 

Our legislation adds new features to the Social Security card to deter counterfeiting and 

make it easier for employers to determine 

whether a card is genuine by including a 

digitized photo of the cardholder on the card. 

The improved Social Security card will also be 

encoded with a unique electronic encryption 

code to allow employers to verify each prospective applicant’s work eligibility status prior 

to hiring, through either an electronic cardreader or a toll-free telephone number. The 

Department of Homeland Security will be required to establish and maintain an Employment Eligibility Database with an individual’s 

proof of citizenship data, work, and residency 

eligibility information, including expiration 

dates for non-citizens. This database will also 

include information from the Social Security 

Administration that the Commissioner determines necessary and appropriate for the purpose of verifying an individual’s work eligibility 

status. Employers who hire an illegal immigrant or choose not to verify a prospective 

employee’s work eligibility will face stiff federal 

fines of $50,000 and up to 5 years in prison. 

The employer would also be required to reimburse the government for the cost of deporting 

the illegal immigrant. Moreover, this bill provides that no officer or employee of Department of Homeland Security shall have access 

to any information contained in the Employment Eligibility Database for any purpose 

other than the establishment of a system of 

records necessary for the effective administration of this Act, and will impose penalties of 

$10,000 in fines and mandatory-minimum sentence of 5 years in prison on anyone who misuses information on the database. 

With the improved Social Security card and 

national verification system, prospective employees will have no way of obtaining fraudulent identification documents. By improving the 

employment verification process, we can eliminate the supply of jobs for illegal workers and 

end the employment magnet that draws them 

here. Under this bill, legal workers will only 

need to update their Social Security card once 

to have their photo placed on the card and for 

other long-overdue anti-fraud measures to be 

applied. Moreover, a worker would only need 

the updated Social Security card when applying for a new job. I want to make it absolutely 

clear that this proposal does not represent the 

creation of a national identification card. This 

bill strictly prohibits the use of the Social Security card as a national ID card, and stipulates that the card not be required to be routinely carried on one’s person. Because Social 

Security cards are already required to be provided to new employers, the changes proposing in this bill take us no further down the 

road of creating a national ID card. It should 

also be noted that the government already has 

the information that would be contained in the 

Employment Eligibility Database. An individual’s eligibility to work under the law is dependent on whether they are a U.S. citizen, 

and if not, their immigration status. Finally, the 

Immigration Enforcement and Social Security 

Protection Act also puts teeth into the new enforcement procedures by calling for the addition of 10,000 new Homeland Security officers 

whose sole responsibility will be to enforce 

employer compliance with the law. These new 

agents will free up the rest of the Border Patrol to exclusively focus on border enforcement 

and terrorism prevention. 

This bill is in no way meant to send a message that we intend to limit opportunities for 

the American dream to be fulfilled. However, 

we are a Nation of laws and if individuals wish 

to pursue opportunities in the United States, 

they must play by the rules and we must 

make clear that there will be no economic opportunity for anyone who enters this country illegally. I look forward to continuing to work 

with my colleagues in this effort, and hope 

they will consider joining me as we take action 

on this vital national security priority. 

I would like to thank the original co-sponsors of this legislation, including, Mr. REYES of 

Texas, who began his career in public service 

with the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization 

Service in the U.S. Border Patrol, where he 

worked for 261⁄2 years. I would also like to 

thank the original co-sponsors from my home 

state of California, including Mr. ISSA, Mr. CALVERT, the author of the Basic Pilot Program, 

and Mr. BILBRAY, the Chairman of the Immigration Reform Caucus. 

f 

INTRODUCTION OF THE SHARK 

CONSERVATION ACT OF 2009 

HON. MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO OF GUAM

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, January 6, 2009 

Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, today I 

have reintroduced a bill to amend the High 

Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection 

Act and the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to improve the 

conservation of sharks. In the 110th Congress, 

the House of Representatives passed this legislation, H.R. 5741 or the ‘‘Shark Conservation 

Act of 2008,’’ by voice vote under suspension 

of the rules. The Senate, however, was unable 

to take action on the bill received by the 

House or on its companion bill, S. 3231, before it adjourned. I have, therefore, reintroduced this bill today given the ongoing necessity for improved shark conservation and its 

benefits for ocean ecosystems. 

Sharks are long-lived apex predators, which 

breed slowly, making it difficult for them to 

maintain populations under fishing pressure. 

Sharks have been increasingly exploited in recent decades, both as bycatch in the pelagic 

longline fisheries from the 1960s onward, and 

as targets in direct fisheries that expanded 

rapidly in the 1980s. The rising demand for 

shark fins over past decades has also led to 

increases in the particularly exploitive practice 

of shark finning, where fins of sharks are removed and the carcass is discarded at sea. 

According to scientists, scalloped hammerhead, white, and thresher shark populations 

are each estimated to have declined by over 

75 percent in the past 15 years due in large 

part to these fishing pressures. Removing 

these top predators drastically changes the 

food web structure, marine diversity, and ecosystem health. Addressing the practice of 

shark finning is an imperative step toward the 

conservation of sharks and marine ecosystems. 

Congress recognized shark finning as an inherently wasteful practice in enacting the 

Shark Finning Prohibition Act of 2000 (Public 

Law 106–557). This Act prohibits U.S. fishermen from removing the fins of sharks and discarding the carcass at sea, and from landing 

or transporting shark fins without the corresponding carcass. 

The Shark Conservation Act of 2009 includes several measures to strengthen the implementation and enforcement of that prohibition and would ensure that the intent of Congress is achieved. First, the bill eliminates an 

unexpected enforcement loophole related to 

the transport of shark fins by prohibiting vessels from having custody, control, or possession of shark fins which are not naturally attached to the corresponding carcass. This is 

intended to ensure that U.S.-flagged vessels 

are not traveling to the high seas and purchasing fins from fishermen engaged in shark 

finning and bringing them into U.S. waters in 

an attempt to skirt the finning prohibition. The 

bill further strengthens the enforcement of the 

existing ban on shark finning by calling for 

sharks to be landed with their fins naturally attached. This ‘‘fins-attached’’ landing strategy 

simplifies enforcement of the Shark Finning 

Prohibition Act. It is also consistent with the 

National Marine Fisheries Service, NMFS, final 

rule, which took effect on July 24, 2008, and 

which implements the management measures 

described in the final Amendment 2 to the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan and strengthens enforcement of 

existing law in U.S. Atlantic waters by requiring that sharks be landed with their fins attached. 

Finally, the Shark Conservation Act of 2009 

amends the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act to allow the Secretary of 

Commerce to identify and list nations that 

have not adopted a regulatory program for the 

conservation of sharks comparable to the 

United States. This amendment promotes the 

conservation of sharks internationally and in a 

manner that is consistent with the expectations placed on U.S. fishermen. 

The bill is further consistent with the United 

States position in the United Nations relative 

to Resolution 62/177 that was adopted by the 

United Nations General Assembly on December 18, 2007, and which calls upon nationstates to take immediate and concerted action 

to improve the implementation of and compliance with national measures that regulate 

shark fisheries, including management efforts 

to require that all sharks be landed with each 

fin naturally attached. 

The Shark Conservation Act of 2009 reestablishes the intended protections for sharks 

under U.S. law. I look forward to working with 

my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to 

again pass this timely and important bill in the 

House of Representatives. I also hope it will 

receive favorable action and consideration by 

the other body in the 111th Congress. 

f 

TERRORIST REWARDS 

ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2009 

HON. MARK STEVEN KIRK OF ILLINOIS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, January 6, 2009 

Mr. KIRK. Madam Speaker, today I am introducing the Terrorist Rewards Enhancement 


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