January 6, 2009 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E5 

comprehensively. I believe that the FAST Act 

will go a long way toward providing the simplicity, fairness and clarity that are needed for 

long-term growth. As we consider economic 

stimulus proposals in the days and weeks 

ahead, I hope my colleagues will join me in 

pursing this pro-growth reform agenda. 

f 

20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 

GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP 

HON. KEVIN BRADY 

OF TEXAS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, January 6, 2009 

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Madam Speaker, I 

rise today to recognize the 20th anniversary of 

the Greater Houston Partnership. I ask my colleagues and those visitors in the House 

Chamber to join me in congratulating the 

Greater Houston Partnership and applauding 

the many achievements they have accomplished over the past 20 years. 

In 1989, the Houston Chamber of Commerce, the Houston Economic Development 

Council and the Houston World Trade Center 

joined together to make the dream of an organization that would be an advocate for the 

business community in the greater Houston 

area a reality. 

The Greater Houston Partnership has grown 

into an influential organization that now has 

two thousand member businesses and serves 

10 fast growing counties: Austin, Brazoria, 

Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, San Jacinto and Waller. 

The Partnership has had an impressive impact on the region. In the last year, 53 percent 

of all jobs created in the United States were 

created in Texas—and one in four of those 

were in Houston. This is astounding and a testimony to the contributions the Greater Houston Partnership has made to cultivate a vibrant 

business environment. The Partnership’s efforts are focused on building Houston’s prosperity and promoting regional economic development. The Partnership is actively involved 

with public policy issues and works with local 

elected officials to ensure the Greater Houston 

community is well represented in areas such 

as clean air, education and transportation. 

In its two decades of existence there is 

much to be proud of. It is an honor to recognize such an impressive organization. All 

Americans can learn from the collaborative example the Greater Houston Partnership continues to display through their leadership and 

guidance to the people and businesses in the 

Greater Houston community. 

Madam Speaker, today more than ever, we 

must support the efforts of the Greater Houston Partnership and other similar organizations 

across the country. The work they do to help 

create jobs in our country is essential for continued economic growth and stability in the 

face of the global economic changes. I urge 

you to join me in congratulating the Greater 

Houston Partnership for 20 years of serving as 

the voice for the greater Houston business 

community. 

INTRODUCTION OF THE PRESCRIPTION DRUG AFFORDABILITY ACT 

HON. RON PAUL OF TEXAS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, January 6, 2009 

Mr. PAUL. Madam Speaker, I rise to introduce the Prescription Drug Affordability Act. 

This legislation ensures that millions of Americans, including seniors, have access to affordable pharmaceutical products. My bill makes 

pharmaceuticals more affordable to seniors by 

reducing their taxes. It also removes needless 

government barriers to importing pharmaceuticals and it protects Internet pharmacies, 

which are making affordable prescription drugs 

available to millions of Americans, from being 

strangled by federal regulation. 

The first provision of my legislation provides 

seniors a tax credit equal to 80 percent of 

their prescription drug costs. While Congress 

did add a prescription drug benefit to Medicare 

in 2003, many seniors still have difficulty affording the prescription drugs they need in 

order to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle. One reason is because the new program creates a ‘‘doughnut hole,’’ where seniors lose coverage once their prescription expenses reach a certain amount and must pay 

for their prescriptions above a certain amount 

out of their own pockets until their expenses 

reach a level where Medicare coverage resumes. This tax credit will help seniors cover 

the expenses provided by the doughnut hole. 

This bill will also help seniors obtain prescription medicines that may not be covered by the 

Medicare prescription drug program. 

In addition to making prescription medications more affordable for seniors, my bill lowers the price for prescription medicines by reducing barriers to the importation of FDA-approved pharmaceuticals. Under my bill, anyone wishing to import a drug simply submits 

an application to the FDA, which then must 

approve the drug unless the FDA finds the 

drug is either not approved for use in the U.S. 

or is adulterated or misbranded. This process 

will make safe and affordable imported medicines affordable to millions of Americans. 

Madam Speaker, letting the free market work 

is the best means of lowering the cost of prescription drugs. 

I need not remind my colleagues that many 

senior citizens and other Americans impacted 

by the high costs of prescription medicine 

have demanded Congress reduce the barriers 

which prevent American consumers from purchasing imported pharmaceuticals. Congress 

has responded to these demands by repeatedly passing legislation liberalizing the rules 

governing the importation of pharmaceuticals. 

However, implementation of this provision has 

been blocked by the federal bureaucracy. It is 

time Congress stood up for the American consumer and removed all unnecessary regulations on importing pharmaceuticals. 

The Prescription Drug Affordability Act also 

protects consumers’ access to affordable medicine by forbidding the Federal Government 

from regulating any Internet sales of FDA-approved pharmaceuticals by state-licensed 

pharmacists. 

As I am sure my colleagues are aware, the 

Internet makes pharmaceuticals and other 

products more affordable and accessible for 

millions of Americans. However, the Federal 

Government has threatened to destroy this option by imposing unnecessary and unconstitutional regulations on Web sites that sell pharmaceuticals. Any federal regulations would inevitably drive up prices of pharmaceuticals, 

thus depriving many consumers of access to 

affordable prescription medications. 

In conclusion, Madam Speaker, I urge my 

colleagues to make pharmaceuticals more affordable and accessible by lowering taxes on 

senior citizens, removing barriers to the importation of pharmaceuticals and protecting legitimate Internet pharmacies from needless regulation by cosponsoring the Prescription Drug 

Affordability Act. 

f 

BAD POLLUTERS ACT 

HON. MARK STEVEN KIRK OF ILLINOIS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, January 6, 2009 

Mr. KIRK. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to 

stand here today to introduce this bipartisan 

legislation that will help protect the Great 

Lakes from harmful pollution that poisons our 

water and closes our beaches. The Great 

Lakes are the world’s largest freshwater system and serve as a source of drinking water, 

food, jobs and recreation for more than thirty 

million Americans. It is critical that we enhance our restoration efforts for this critical resource, not degrade the condition of the lakes 

even further. 

In 2007, British Petroleum (BP) threatened 

to begin a billion-dollar expansion of its refinery facility in Whiting, Indiana which would 

have included a large increase of pollution into 

the Great Lakes. The company sought to discharge an increase of 54 percent more ammonia and 35 percent more sludge into Lake 

Michigan per day. This would have totaled a 

combined increase of more than 1,800 pounds 

per day of these pollutants which strangle 

aquatic life and contribute to the increasing 

number of beach closures each year. 

Based on a provision in the Energy Policy 

Act of 2005, BP was eligible for a tax credit 

that would have allowed them to expense half 

of the capital costs in the first year of the expansion. Essentially, the government would 

have paid the company to pollute our lakes. 

While providing incentives to energy production and refinery expansion helps to lower gas 

prices and reduce our dependence on foreign 

oil, we must not do so at the expense of one 

of America’s most treasured natural resources. 

Fortunately, BP yielded to public pressure 

and chose not to move ahead with the expansion as planned. Due to the determination and 

cooperation of federal, state and local officials, 

environmental advocacy organizations and 

communities around the region, BP is now 

working with a coalition of scientists and small 

businesses to seek an environmentally friendly 

way to expand its refinery. 

While I applaud BP for making the right decision in the end, we must ensure that no refinery ever comes as close to drastically harming our precious lakes. That is why I am introducing the Bad Polluters Act, which will deny 

the capital expensing tax credit to any refiner 

whose facility’s NPDES permit allows for an 

increase in any pollutant above its 2006 levels 

into the Great Lakes. This will prevent companies from seeking to increase pollution into our 


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