Speeches
House Chamber, Washington, D.C., December 15, 2009, M. Speaker: I rise to applaud the passage today of HR 2194, the Iranian Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act of 2009.
Iran's regime has consistently lied to the world over its nuclear ambitions. Yesterday's revelation that Iran has been working on nuclear bomb detonators, should convince the most naïve voices in our nation of Iran's ultimate intention.
House Chamber, Washington D.C. November 7, 2009. M. Speaker: The question before us comes to this: will Congress force American families to surrender control of their health care to the federal bureaucracy?
There’s nothing optional about this law – the word “shall” appears 3,400 times in it – each time backed by the full force of the government.
You shall only get your health care through the government exchange.
You shall only select among the healthcare plans that the government czar has approved for you, whether they fit your family’s needs or not.
House Chamber, Washington, D.C.
November 6, 2009
M. Speaker:
This week the House passed HR 3548 that extends unemployment benefits in states with unemployment rates over 8 ½ percent for an additional 13 weeks. The measure also continues the popular $8,000 tax credit for first time homebuyers and adds a new $6,500 tax credit for homebuyers who are currently homeowners.
What’s at Stake
House Chamber, Washington, D.C.
November 3, 2009
M. Speaker:
What do Americans lose if Nancy Pelosi succeeds in taking over health care?
We’ll lose the freedom to shop around for the policy that best meets our own needs.
M. Speaker:
I rise today in defense of dissent.
It is a sad milestone when it becomes necessary to do so. But the ferocity with which this administration is pursuing its critics in business and journalism is becoming alarming.
House Chamber, Washington D.C. October 27, 2009. M. Speaker: The last time our unemployment rate hit 9.8 percent was in 1983.
Ronald Reagan responded by cutting taxes and reducing regulatory burdens on the economy, producing the biggest peacetime economic expansion in the nation’s history.
Today, President Obama is doing exactly the opposite. Obamacare and Cap and Trade and many other bills promise the biggest tax increases and heaviest regulations our country has ever seen.
House Chamber, Washington, D.C. October 22, 2009. M. Speaker: I rise in opposition to the rule and in opposition to the underlying bill. And to explain why, I'd like to walk through a little history and a little math.
Let's begin with history and two important years: 1978 and 1839.
In 1978, the Wall Street Journal carried this headline: "Solar Power Seen Meeting 20 percent of Needs by 2000; Carter May Seek Outlay Boost."
House Chamber, Washington, D.C. October 20, 2009. Mr. Speaker: This bill names the Post Office in Portola, California in honor of Army Specialist Jeremiah Paul McCleery, who grew up in that town, and who returned to it as a fallen hero at the age of 24.
M. Speaker:
M. Speaker:
Those who blame the drought for the tragedy unfolding in California’s Central Valley ignore the fact that this is a very mild drought by historical standards and that in far worse droughts in the past, far more water was delivered to the Central Valley. I wonder if the proponents seriously deny that 200 billion gallons of water have been diverted to meet various environmental regulations.