January 15, 2009 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H369 

in a bipartisan way this administration, without reference to the specific 

stimulus package or recovery and reinvestment package that we’re talking 

about, believes that we need to act 

with dispatch. We need to act carefully. We need to act correctly. But we 

also need to act with dispatch. 

I have just been told, by the way, 

that the text of the bill is online as we 

speak. So what I was going to say is 

that we need to act with dispatch, and 

as you can see, we’re apparently doing 

that. 

We have a crisis that confronts us. 

We have lost over 2.5 million jobs. We 

lost a million jobs in the last 2 months. 

People are hurting. We have and I 

know of you have a sense of urgency. 

We have worked with this administration to try to respond to the economic 

crisis that confronts us. Very frankly, 

Democrats worked in a very bipartisan 

way and a very supportive way with 

this President and the Secretary of 

Treasury in trying to respond to this 

crisis. As a matter of fact, I would suggest that Democrats were more responsive to the President’s request and Secretary Paulson’s request than some 

Members of his own party. 

But that aside, we believe we need to 

act, as I said, with dispatch. We are 

doing that. I’m glad that this is online 

because now the committee will have 

Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 

Monday, and Tuesday. Clearly while 

one may not be able to get into the 

Capitol, although I would be surprised 

if the Appropriations staff could not 

get in the Capitol, and I don’t want to 

adopt that premise because I don’t 

know that to be the case, but in any 

event, the text will be obviously available to anybody all over the country to 

look at, to comment on, and to be prepared to act on at the appropriate 

time. In addition to that, every Member now will have at least 11⁄2 weeks to 

review the text of this before it comes 

to the floor. 

Mr. CANTOR. I thank the gentleman 

for his remarks. I know that it’s not 

customary for us to count holidays and 

weekends in those 3 days, but I do 

thank the gentleman for the intent of 

his remarks. 

I would like to turn, Madam Speaker, 

to the issue of committee ratios. And I 

do know that there has been some 

progress made on the Energy and Commerce Committee. Essentially, Madam 

Speaker, my question to the gentleman 

is the ratio on the floor of the House is 

59/41. And I am, as a member of the 

Ways and Means Committee, particularly puzzled how there is any justification for a ratio particularly on that 

committee where it is 63/37. And if he 

could allow me some insight as to how 

a ratio could be that different and what 

the reason for that would be. 

Mr. HOYER. Will the gentleman 

yield? 

Mr. CANTOR. Yes, I yield. 

Mr. HOYER. I thank the gentleman 

for yielding. I didn’t know you were 

going to ask that question; so I don’t 

have the specific facts in front of me. 

But it is my belief that the Ways and 

Means Committee has historically had 

a ratio, when your side of the aisle was 

in charge and my side of the aisle has 

been in charge, that did not reflect the 

exact ratio of the House. That’s also 

true on a couple of other committees 

as well. 

Generally speaking, however, in the 

discussions between Speaker PELOSI

and Leader BOEHNER, the ratios were 

within a point or 2, I think, of the existing ratio. I know that we recently 

accommodated a request from the leader, from your leader, on the Energy and 

Commerce Committee, which I thought 

was appropriate for us to do. But I 

think, generally speaking, it reflects 

pretty closely the ratios between the 

parties in the House. But I think if you 

will look historically, and again I regret that I did not look it up, but I 

think historically the Ways and Means 

Committee has generally reflected a 

greater majority membership than the 

specific ratio of the parties on the floor 

of the House. 

Mr. CANTOR. And I do say to the 

gentleman we appreciate the gesture 

on the part of the Speaker working 

with our leader to accommodate this 

disparity in the ratio on the Energy 

and Commerce Committee and hopefully in that spirit can continue to 

work together to try to slim down that 

disparity on the other committees in 

which it does exist. 

Lastly, Madam Speaker, I would like 

to clarify what action the House will 

be taking next week on the bailout 

funds. As the majority leader has stated, he expects the House to vote on a 

resolution of disapproval. More plainly, 

for all the people of this country, this 

is a bill to block the remaining $350 billion in bailout funds from being spent. 

So to clarify again, Madam Speaker, 

I yield to the gentleman to respond to 

the statement that voting ‘‘yes’’ would 

block the bailout funds and voting 

‘‘no’’ would allow the bailout funds to 

continue to be spent; is that correct? 

Mr. HOYER. Will the gentleman 

yield? 

Mr. CANTOR. I yield. 

Mr. HOYER. The gentleman is correct. In the legislation which was 

passed pursuant to the request of 

President Bush and Secretary Paulson 

authorizing the TARP, they had asked 

for, as you know, $700 billion in one 

lump sum. We believe, the majority on 

both sides of the aisle believe, that 

that ought to be at least in two 

tranches, two segments of $350 billion. 

The legislation provided that for the 

second tranche to go forward, the 

President would have to ask for it. 

President Bush has now asked for that 

$350 billion, and that the Congress 

would have immediately before it within 3 days the introduction of a resolution of disapproval of the request and 

that that would have to be considered. 

Any Member 6 days thereafter could 

ask that that resolution be brought to 

the floor. Now, in this case 6 days 

thereafter would have been Sunday; so 

that would have been not appropriate 

or practical; so we put, as you know, in 

the rule the ability of the majority 

leader to call it up next week. 

The legislation does not provide for 

the issue becoming moot. Now, what I 

mean by that is I don’t know whether 

the Senate has voted—they may vote 

tomorrow. They obviously began procedurally on their resolution of disapproval today. If that resolution is 

not passed, then our action would be 

essentially without meaning but not 

necessarily without importance to the 

Members who want to vote on it, so 

that sometime next week, Wednesday 

or Thursday, my expectation is that we 

have Members who will want to vote on 

it. I will be discussing it with your 

side. I will discuss it with you and discuss it with our side bringing that to a 

vote, notwithstanding the fact that the 

Senate may make such a vote not a 

meaningful act in that President 

Bush’s request would have already been 

sanctioned because both Houses need 

to disapprove and if the Senate didn’t 

disapprove, our action will not effect a 

disapproval. 

Mr. CANTOR. So I ask a follow-up, 

Madam Speaker, to the gentleman that 

the process for consideration of that 

resolution is yet to be determined? 

Mr. HOYER. My expectation is we’re 

going to have it on the floor next week. 

Members on both sides want to vote on 

it, but as I said, it will not have any 

legal effect if the Senate defeats the 

resolution of disapproval. 

Mr. CANTOR. Madam Speaker, I 

thank the gentleman from Maryland, 

the majority leader. 

f 

HOUR OF MEETING ON TOMORROW 

Mr. HOYER. Madam Speaker, I ask 

unanimous consent that when the 

House adjourns today, it adjourn to 

meet at 4 p.m. tomorrow; and further, 

that when the House adjourns on that 

day, it adjourn to meet at 10 a.m. on 

Tuesday, January 20. 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there 

objection to the request of the gentleman from Maryland? 

There was no objection. 

f 

TARP—AIG 

(Mr. CROWLEY asked and was given 

permission to address the House for 1 

minute and to revise and extend his remarks.) 

Mr. CROWLEY. Madam Speaker, 

today, the House began consideration 

of legislation to strengthen the Troubled Assets Relief Program. Implementation of this legislation is urgently 

needed, and here’s why: 

Just last week AIG pulled back on a 

plan that would have cost taxpayers 

$93 million. What prompted AIG to cancel its proposal? Three phone calls, 

none of which came from the Bush administration. They came from myself 

and Congressman PAUL KANJORSKI of 

Pennsylvania. AIG is just one example. 


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H370 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE January 15, 2009 

The Bush administration has been 

asleep at the switch throughout our 

economic recovery efforts. They have 

failed to monitor the actions of the 

companies and banks that have received Federal support through TARP; 

they have failed to place real caps on 

the excessive pay of corporate CEOs 

who take taxpayer money; and they 

have failed to ensure taxpayer-lent 

funds are being wisely spent. 

Starting today our efforts to put our 

Nation’s economy back on the right 

track will be taken in a new direction. 

With consideration of H.R. 384 and the 

start of the Obama administration, accountability and oversight will now 

govern TARP. After 8 years it is a new 

beginning for our country, and it 

couldn’t have come at a better time, on 

the same day the Bank of America is 

seeking billions more in Federal assistance. 

Reform is what the American people 

deserve because it is their money on 

the line. 

f 

WELCOMING THE IOWA NATIONAL 

GUARD TO WASHINGTON, DC FOR 

THE INAUGURATION 

(Mr. LOEBSACK asked and was given 

permission to address the House for 1 

minute.) 

Mr. LOEBSACK. Madam Speaker, 

today, I would like to highlight the 

special role the Iowa National Guard 

will play in the historic inauguration 

of President-elect Barack Obama. 

Approximately 1,000 Iowa National 

Guard troops, including 140 from my 

district, will join 6,000 other National 

Guardsmen and women from seven 

States to assist in the inaugural 

events. This historic trip to Washington, DC marks the first time in its 

170-year history that the Iowa National 

Guard has participated in a presidential inauguration. 

I have had the honor of meeting 

many of Iowa’s citizen shoulders both 

at home when they have responded to 

natural disasters such as last summer’s 

floods and abroad in Iraq and Afghanistan. They are some of Iowa’s finest 

citizens and some of the finest troops 

in our military services. 

I would like to extend a warm welcome to my fellow Iowans as they arrive in Washington. I am deeply proud 

of the role they will play in this historic event. 

f 

b 1430 

FEDERAL TAX CREDITS FOR 

STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES 

(Mr. DOGGETT asked and was given 

permission to address the House for 1 

minute.) 

Mr. DOGGETT. Madam Speaker, 

since the broad outlines of economic 

recovery legislation were first announced, Representative TOM

PERRIELLO and I have been working 

with our colleagues to see that that 

legislation was strengthened to include 

additional assistance for students and 

their families, students who deserve all 

the education that they are willing to 

work for. 

Today we are pleased to announce 

success. The legislation that will be 

filed to improve and strengthen our 

economy at this time of economic 

downturn will include about $12.5 billion in new federal assistance over the 

next 2 years in the form of federal tax 

credits. These tax credits will be expanded to include textbooks and course 

materials. They will help now so that 

every family that is spending a dollar 

on higher education this year will 

know they will get that dollar back, up 

to $2,500 next year when they pay their 

tax return. 

For the first time in history, this 

will be a refundable credit, as we proposed it, so that families making less 

than $40,000 a year, who did not qualify 

for the full credit in the past, will now 

be entitled to get up to $1,000 of their 

expenses. At a time of economic downturn, this is the time to support our 

students and their families. Help them 

and help rebuild our economy. 

f 

NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL STRATEGY FOR 2009—MESSAGE FROM 

THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED 

STATES (H. DOC. NO. 111–7) 

The SPEAKER pro tempore laid before the House the following message 

from the President of the United 

States; which was read and, together 

with the accompanying papers, without 

objection, referred to the Committees 

on Armed Services, Education and 

Labor, Energy and Commerce, Foreign 

Affairs, Homeland Security, Judiciary, 

Natural Resources, Oversight and Government Reform, Small Business, 

Transportation and Infrastructure, 

Veterans’ Affairs and Ways and Means 

and ordered to be printed: 

To the Congress of the United States: 

I am pleased to transmit the 2009 National Drug Control Strategy, consistent with the provisions of section 

201 of the Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 2006. 

My Administration released its first 

National Drug Control Strategy in 2002 

with the commitment to turn the tide 

against a problem that truly threatens 

everything that is good about our 

country. As we prepare to pass this 

noble charge to a new team of leaders, 

we can look back with satisfaction on 

what we have achieved together as a 

Nation. From community coalitions to 

our international partnerships, we pursued a balanced strategy that emphasized stopping initiation, reducing drug 

abuse and addiction, and disrupting 

drug markets. 

The results of our efforts are clear. 

Together we have helped reduce teenage drug use by 25 percent since 2001. 

This means 900,000 fewer American 

teens are using drugs. The Access to 

Recovery program alone has extended 

treatment services to more than 260,000 

Americans. Through law enforcement 

cooperation and international partnerships, the United States has caused serious disruptions in the availability of 

drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine, reducing the threat such 

drugs pose to the American people, 

while also denying profits to drug traffickers and terrorists. 

Our work is by no means complete— 

we must build on these efforts both to 

further reduce drug use and to rise to 

new challenges. I thank the Congress 

for its support and ask that it continue 

to support this critical endeavor. 

GEORGE W. BUSH.

THE WHITE

f 

HOUSE, January 15, 2009. 

CONTINUATION OF NATIONAL 

EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO 

CERTAIN TERRORISTS—MESSAGE 

FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE 

UNITED STATES (H. DOC. NO. 111– 

8) 

The SPEAKER pro tempore laid before the House the following message 

from the President of the United 

States; which was read and, together 

with the accompanying papers, without 

objection, referred to the Committee 

on Foreign Affairs and ordered to be 

printed: 

To the Congress of the United States: 

Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides 

for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, prior to the 

anniversary date of its declaration, the 

President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a 

notice stating that the emergency is to 

continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. In accordance with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice 

stating that the emergency declared 

with respect to foreign terrorists who 

threaten to disrupt the Middle East 

peace process is to continue in effect 

beyond January 23, 2009. 

The crisis with respect to the grave 

acts of violence committed by foreign 

terrorists who threaten to disrupt the 

Middle East peace process that led to 

the declaration of a national emergency on January 23, 1995, as expanded 

on August 20, 1998, has not been resolved. Terrorist groups continue to 

engage in activities that have the purpose or effect of threatening the Middle 

East peace process and that are hostile 

to United States interests in the region. Such actions constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the 

national security, foreign policy, and 

economy of the United States. For 

these reasons, I have determined that 

it is necessary to continue the national 

emergency declared with respect to 

foreign terrorists who threaten to disrupt the Middle East peace process and 

to maintain in force the economic 

sanctions against them to respond to 

this threat. 

GEORGE W. BUSH.

THE WHITE HOUSE, January 15, 2009. 


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