OFFICE OF THE MAJORITY LEADER

TRANSCRIPT

Hoyer Speaks in Regard to DC Metro Crash on House Floor
June 24, 2009

... PASTOR KUMM'S PARENTS RESIDE IN REPRESENTATIVE FORTENBERRY'S DISTRICT. I YIELD BACK. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE: THE GENTLEWOMAN YIELDS BACK. THE CHAIR WILL ENTERTAIN UP TO 15 FURTHER WIN-MINUTE SPEECHES ON EACH SIDE OF THE AISLE. FOR WHAT PURPOSE DOES THE GENTLEMAN FROM MARYLAND RISE? MR. HOYER: TO ADDRESS THE HOUSE FOR ONE MINUTE. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE: WITHOUT OBJECTION, THE GENTLEMAN IS RECOGNIZED FOR ONE MINUTE. MR. HOYER: THANK YOU, MADAM SPEAKER. ON MONDAY EVENING, AS MILLIONS OF AMERICANS WERE MAKING THEIR DAILY COMMUTE HOME, TRAGEDY STRUCK IN OUR NATION'S CAPITAL. THE COLLISION OUTSIDE OF THE STATION IN NORTHEAST WASHINGTON, THE WORST IN THE 33-YEAR HISTORY OF WASHINGTON'S METRO SYSTEM, CLAIMED THE LIVES OF NINE PEOPLE AND LEFT MORE THAN 80 INJURED. AMONG THOSE LOST WERE ANNA FERNANDEZ OF HYATTSVILLE AND ANOTHER ONE FROM TACOMA FROM MY STATE OF MARYLAND. OUR THOUGHTS ARE WITH THE LOVED ONES AS WE ARE DEALING WITH THE SUDDEN LOSS CAUSED BY THIS TRAGEDY. THIS INCLUDES THE CONTROLER, MARY DOOLITTLE, DENNIS HAWKINS AND ANN WORLEY AND HER HUSBAND, MAJOR GENERAL DAVID F. WORLEY JR. LET ME EXTEND MY GRATITUDE TO THE FIRST RESPONDERS AND MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS WHOSE WORK AT THE SCENE WAS CRITICAL TO PREVENTING FURTHER TRAGEDY. WHILE THE CAUSE OF THIS ACCIDENT IS UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME WE DO KNOW THIS, THE SAFETY OF OUR CITIZENS IS OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY, AND WE MUST TAKE EVERY PRECAUTION TO MAKE SURE THIS LOSS OF LIFE DOES NOT OCCUR AGAIN. IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE I WILL BE JOINING WITH MY COLLEAGUES FROM MY REGION IN INTRODUCING THE FINAL MEASURE REQUIRED TO AUTHORIZE $3 BILLION IN DEDICATED FEDERAL AND LOCAL FUNDING FOR METRO. MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF TOURISTS FROM THROUGHOUT THIS NATION RIDE ON THIS SYSTEM AS WELL AS TENS OF THOUSANDS OF THE EMPLOYEES WHO WORK FOR THIS COUNTRY. WE RECEIVED FORMAL NOTICE FROM THE GOVERNORS OF MARYLAND, T DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, THAT THE JURISDICTIONS TO ENABLE SUCH FUNDING JUST LAST WEEK. I HOPE WE CAN MOVE QUICKLY TO PASS THIS LEGISLATION CRITICAL TO MEETING METRO'S CAPITAL AND MAINTENANCE NEEDS. WE DON'T KNOW THAT THAT WAS THE CAUSE, BUT CERTAINLY IT IS A CONSIDERATION. HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE RELY ON THE WASHINGTON METRO SYSTEM EVERY DAY. FROM THE FEDERAL EMPLOYEES WHO KEEP OUR GOVERNMENT RUNNING TO THE VISITORS FROM EVERY CORNER OF THE COUNTRY WHO COME TO OUR NATION'S CAPITAL. LET IT BE OUR TRIBUTE TO THOSE WE MOURN TODAY TO ENSURE AMERICA'S SUBWAY IS SAFE FROM ALL WHO USE IT. AND I KNOW MY COLLEAGUES JOIN ME IN EXPRESSING OUR SYMPATHY AND PRAYERS TO ALL THOSE WHO WERE STRUCK BY TRAGEDY THE OTHER NIGHT. I YIELD BACK. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE: THE GENTLEMAN YIELDS BACK THE BALANCE OF HIS TIME. FOR WHAT PURPOSE DOES THE GENTLEMAN FROM ILLINOIS RISE? >> TO ADDRESS THE HOUSE FOR ONE MINUTE AND TO REVISE AND EXTEND. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE: WITHOUT OBJECTION, THE GENTLEMAN IS RECOGNIZED FOR ONE MINUTE. MR. KIRK: THANK YOU, MADAM SPEAKER. OUR GOVERNMENT WILL ATTEMPT TO BORROW $104 BILLION JUST THIS WEEK, A WORLD RECORD. AS CONGRESS ACCELERATES SPENDING, TREASURY HAS BORROWED $560 BILLION IN JANUARY, $707 BILLION IN FEBRUARY, $750 BILLION IN MARCH, $665 BILLION IN APRIL, AND $773 BILLION IN MAY. TO COVER INCREASED BORROWING, THE FED IS NOW ELECTRONICALLY PRINTING MONEY TO COVER OUR DEBTS. THEIR RECORDS SHOW THEY HAVE PRINTED $152.7 BILLION IN -- TO COVER OUR MOUNTING DEBT. WE ARE QUICKLY RUNNING OUT OF OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY. PRINTING DOLLARS ELECTRONICALLY WILL ACCELERATE INFLATION NEXT YEAR. REMEMBER INFLATION IS THE ENEMY OF SENIOR CITIZENS ON A FIXED INCOME. PRESIDENT OBAMA WAS RIGHT WHEN HE SAID, QUOTE, WE ARE OUT OF MONEY. OUR POLICIES HERE IN THE CONGRESS SHOULD REFLECT THAT SOBER ASSESSMENT. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE: THE GENTLEMAN YIELDS BACK THE BALANCE OF HIS TIME. FOR WHAT PURPOSE DOES THE GENTLEMAN FROM OHIO RISE? >> REQUEST PERMISSION TO ADDRESS THE HOUSE FOR ONE MINUTE. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE: WITHOUT OBJECTION, THE GENTLEMAN FROM OHIO IS RECOGNIZED FOR ONE MINUTE. MR. KUCINICH: SCIENCE TELLS US WE MUST BEGIN TO REDUCE GLOBAL GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS IN THE NEXT FIVE TO 10 YEARS. BUT ACCORDING TO AN ANALYSIS BY OFFSETS EXPERT AND STANFORD LAW PROFESSOR, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT WE COULD SEE NO REDUCTION OF CO-2 EMISSIONS UNTIL THE YEAR 2040 BECAUSE OF OFFSETS AND UNLIMITED BANKING OF ALLOWANCES IN THE NEW ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT BILL. THE BILL ALLOWS $2 BILLION -- TWO BILLION TONS OF CARBON DIOXIDE A YEAR. SUPPORTERS OF THE BILL POINT OUT THAT COAL USE WILL INCREASE BY 2020 BECAUSE ELECTRIC UTILITIES WILL CONTINUE TO USE DIRTY COAL, THE PRIME SOURCE OF POLLUTION. WITH TWO BILLION TONS OF OFFSETS PER YEAR, WE'RE TOLD ...