Vol. 155 WASHINGTON, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2009 No. 30
SAMMY MAHAN: ``OPT ME OUT'' for 1 minute.) Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, this morning I was talking to my friend Sammy Mahan. He is from Baytown, Texas. He is a wrecker driver, and has five wreckers under his service.
He was asking me about the stimulus bill. And he said, ``How are we going to pay for it-'' And I said, ``Well, we don't have the money, so we are probably going to have to borrow it maybe from the Chinese. Eventually there is going to be a tax increase.'' And he said, ``How much is it going to cost-'' And I said, ``$790 billion.'' Then he said, ``No. How much is it going to cost me-'' I said, ``It is about $10,000 per family, is what they say.'' Then he said, ``Well, I don't have $10,000; and unlike you government boys, I can't spend money I don't have.
So I want you to opt me out of this deal.'' And I said, ``What do you mean, `opt me out'?'' He replied, ``Give me a form. I want to sign it. You take $10,000 off that $790 billion, and I don't want to pay it because I don't have the money.'' Madam Speaker, I suspect that if most Americans read this bill and they realized how much it was going to cost them personally, they would want to opt out of this deal. We need to come up with a plan, but this isn't the deal.
And since people I represent can't opt out, I am going to opt out for them.
And that's just the way it is.
f ECONOMIC RECOVERY PACKAGE (Mr. PALLONE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.) Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, last month the unemployment rate increased from 7.2 percent to 7.6 percent.
If these increases continue, we will hit double digits this summer and would
111 th CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, (Mr. POE of Texas asked and was indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. given permission to address the House f ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair will entertain up to five requests for 1-minute speeches on each side of the aisle.
f VOTE FOR THE STIMULUS (Mr. KUCINICH asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.) Mr. KUCINICH. Madam Speaker, we learned today that more Americans are applying for jobless benefits. We also learned that, according to Moody's Economy.com, that the measure that is before us may not create as many jobs as we had hoped, perhaps only 2.2 million jobs by the end of 2010, leaving unemployment hovering around 10 percent.
Look, I understand the limitations of this bill, but we have to recognize something: Government spending is stimulative. We have to stimulate our economy. We have to do everything we can right now to try to lift America up.
Now we can debate the details of this bill, and they should be debated, but one thing for sure, we need to pass this stimulus. And we are probably going to have to come back here and pass another stimulus, which I hope will focus on putting millions of people back to work, rebuilding America, rebuilding and building a new energy infrastructure, and making massive investments and moving our health care system in a new direction. Vote for the stimulus.
U U NU M Congressional Record United States S The House met at 9 a.m. and was called to order by the Speaker pro tem pore (Mrs. TAUSCHER).
f DESIGNATION OF THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE The SPEAKER pro tempore laid before the House the following communication from the Speaker: WASHINGTON, DC, February 13, 2009.
I hereby appoint the Honorable ELLEN O.
TAUSCHER to act as Speaker pro tempore on this day.
NANCY PELOSI, Speaker of the House of Representatives.
f PRAYER The Chaplain, the Reverend Daniel P.
Coughlin, offered the following prayer: To open the Bible, Lord, and just read a few lines offers such consolation. The message may not be advice or command an action. It is just rewarding to know You are not silent. You have words to speak. I simply need to take the time, open the Book, and listen.
If I open my heart and listen intently, I can hear Your love behind every word. I sense Your presence, and it is enough for me. Amen.
f THE JOURNAL The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair has examined the Journal of the last day's proceedings and announces to the House her approval thereof.
Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Journal stands approved.
f PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The SPEAKER pro tempore. Will the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. KUCINICH) come forward and lead the House in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Mr. KUCINICH led the Pledge of Allegiance as follows: e House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m.
use on the floor. H1523 .
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