Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge National Rural Health Day, which is tomorrow, November 20.

The Third District of Nebraska contains over 50 Critical Access Hospitals. Rural hospitals are vital to rural areas. These facilities provide crucial care to some of our most elderly and vulnerable populations.

Recent reports have stated these facilities are facing a disproportionate rate in closures. This year alone, 43 rural hospitals have closed nationwide. Because of ObamaCare, we are seeing the beginning of deep cuts to Medicare beneficiaries, which is a major patient population for these rural facilities.

Rural hospitals are also having to deal with arbitrary regulations, such as physician supervision and a 96-hour pre-certification rule. These facilities simply do not have the power to abide by these regulations while continuing to provide affordable and efficient health care.

I will continue to fight to ensure our rural communities maintain access to quality care, and I appreciate the opportunity to recognize National Rural Health Day.

I thank the gentleman. Thank you to Senators Johanns and Fischer and certainly my colleagues here in the House.

Mr. Speaker, under this legislation, the post office building in Chadron, Nebraska, would be named in honor of Sergeant Cory Mracek, a native of Chadron who was killed by an improvised explosive device in Iraq on January 27, 2004.

The son of Jim and Pat Mracek, Cory originally served with the Nebraska National Guard and transferred to Active Duty, where he served with distinction. Sergeant Mracek reenlisted after the September 11, 2001, attacks where he served as a paratrooper with the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne.

Among other honors, Sergeant Mracek was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star for his courage and dedication. Renaming the post office in Chadron in Cory's home town will be a symbol of gratitude to a hero who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose suspending the rules to pass H.R. 4572, the STELA Reauthorization Act.

In many rural areas--including large portions of my district-- satellite television carriage of local stations is one of the only sources for up-to-the-minute news and weather. It is vital we maintain this link.

Currently, a number of counties in Nebraska are assigned to designated market areas based in another state. Consumers within these ``orphan'' counties, such as Cherry County, are unable to receive local broadcast programming from within the State of Nebraska.

While H.R. 4572 makes improvements to existing law, this satellite reauthorization is another missed opportunity to address the needs of orphan county consumers who wish to receive in-state broadcast programming over satellite. I am disappointed the STELA Reauthorization Act was again considered under suspension of the rules, whereby no member was able to address this issue on the floor through the amendment process.

It was my hope the House would consider satellite reauthorization under a rule which allowed us to consider proposals like H.R. 4635, the Orphan County Telecommunications Rights Act, of which I am a cosponsor. Under this legislation, orphan counties could petition the FCC to modify which channels are considered to be part of their local DMA.

Unfortunately, the current system for determining DMAs forces some of my constituents in Nebraska to watch local broadcast programming from cities in Colorado or South Dakota which are often hundreds of miles away.

I understand STELA must be reauthorized by the end of this year to ensure satellite television viewers have continued access to local stations. However, because I believe the STELA Reauthorization Act should have been brought up under a rule to enable us the opportunity to consider needed changes to the bill for my constituents, I would have opposed the motion to suspend the rules had a recorded vote been called.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the Natural Resources Committee for moving this bill and also to the gentleman from Montana for his remarks.

Under Federal reclamation law, irrigation districts which receive water from a Bureau of Reclamation facility must repay their portion of the capital costs of the water project, typically under long-term contracts.

I introduced this bill to provide members of the Northport Irrigation District early repayment authority under their dated reclamation contract. The contract in question is more than 60 years old and continues to subject landowners to burdensome reporting requirements and acreage limitations without generating revenue to the Federal Government.

Allowing producers within the district to pay off their portion of the contract means the government will receive funds perhaps otherwise uncollected and the landowners will be relieved of costly constraints which threaten family-owned operations.

For example, at a Natural Resources Water and Power Subcommittee hearing earlier this year, one member of the irrigation district testified the acreage limitation will prohibit parents who own land in the district from passing down or selling farmland to sons and daughters who also own land in the same district.

As Mr. Daines mentioned, similar legislation has passed under bipartisan majorities and, according to the CBO, could generate as much as $440,000 in Federal revenue.

This is a straightforward bill which would make a big difference to some family farmers in Nebraska.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call on the Department of Justice to appoint a special prosecutor to examine political targeting at the IRS. Abuse of the Tax Code for political purposes by the most feared and powerful agency in the Federal Government is simply unacceptable.

Despite promises of full cooperation, we have yet to receive all of the documents we have requested from the agency. The IRS tells us it cannot locate nearly 2 years of emails from Lois Lerner, a central figure in the investigation. We know the IRS has been aware of this concern for months and chose not to notify Congress in a timely manner.

We must work to restore confidence that Americans won't be targeted for their political beliefs. The House of Representatives has already voted on a bipartisan basis to urge the Department of Justice to appoint a special prosecutor, and I hope that the Department of Justice will work to assure the American people that the scales of justice also apply to the IRS.

Mr. Speaker, on June 20, 2014 I inadvertently voted ``yea'' on

rollcall no. 334. I would like to state for the record I intended to vote ``no.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the efforts of Lauren Daberkow, a retired mechanic at Dawson Public Power District in Lexington, Nebraska. For the third year in a row, Lauren traveled to Caracol, Haiti, as part of a rural electrification project through the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

Each year, Lauren transports the supplies necessary to service utility trucks, addresses maintenance concerns, and then offers hands- on training so local staff can address such issues in the future.

While only 13 percent of the people in Haiti have regular access to electricity, when this project is linked to other electrification efforts, approximately 20,000 customers over the next 3 years will have access to electricity. Electricity can improve the quality of life through access to vital services like health care, education, and clean water.

For this reason, I thank Mr. Daberkow and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association for their efforts to electrify communities around the world.

Mr. Speaker, next week, our Nation will celebrate Memorial Day to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our Nation. May is also National Military Appreciation Month. We are grateful to those in our military for their service, and we strive to make sure they receive the benefits and the services they were promised and that they have earned.

Unfortunately, the quality of services for veterans does not always match our gratitude. Veterans often face long wait times in scheduling appointments, and a record backlog of cases continues to go unaddressed. Serious allegations of mismanagement are raising many questions.

This is why I am a cosponsor of H.R. 4031, the Department of Veterans Affairs Management Accountability Act, which will be considered tomorrow by the House. This legislation would allow the Secretary of the VA more personnel flexibility, resulting in more accountability.

This Memorial Day and Military Appreciation Month, it is an honor to serve the men and women in uniform who have given us so much.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Jan Thayer of Grand Island, Nebraska, who passed away on May 3 after a long battle with cancer.

Jan was a successful businesswoman and entrepreneur, a community leader, and a friend to many. During her long career she was recognized with many awards, including The Grand Island Independent newspaper's Woman of the Year, the University of Nebraska's Businesswoman of the Year and Entrepreneur of the Year, and she was named a member of the Nebraska Business Hall of Fame.

These honors are a great testament not only to her tireless work ethic but also to her dedication to her community.

I extend my deepest sympathies to her husband, Ernie, and their family.

I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Jan and the incredible legacy of service and big-heartedness she has left behind.

Mr. Speaker, given the fact that 95 percent of consumers live outside our borders, the U.S. must continue to pursue trade opportunities. The U.S. actually had a trade surplus with our 20 trade agreement partners in 2012.

Trade agreements expand opportunities and fuel competition, which benefits consumers and can strengthen and protect American interests around the world. Though trade agreements make sense strategically and economically,

some nations, however, are not playing by the rules.

Barriers to agriculture are the most pressing issue for my home State of Nebraska, but every industry is subjected to outdated tariffs and nonscientific barriers which countries fashion to protect their own domestic industries.

If the U.S. fails to lead, our exports will be placed at a competitive disadvantage to those from countries moving forward with aggressive trade agendas. To enhance U.S. leverage in the marketplace, we need to pass the Bipartisan Trade Priorities Act. By renewing this act, we would demonstrate seriousness about formulating enforceable, science-based rules and empower the rest of the world to follow suit.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize National Agriculture Week. It is a time to celebrate the extraordinary diversity, abundance, and evolution of American agriculture.

In 1960, the average U.S. farmer fed 26 people; today, Mr. Speaker, the average U.S. farmer feeds 155 people by using less land, less water, less energy, and less fertilizer.

Thanks to agriculture research which has given rise to new technologies and techniques, America's producers are adopting practices which allow them to meet food, fiber, feed, and fuel demands and preserve our natural resources for generations to come. From high-tech irrigation tools to biotechnology, growers are producing a more stable, safe, quality, and affordable food supply.

As we recognize National Agriculture Week, we have much to celebrate but many challenges ahead. Knowing the forward-thinking nature of producers, combined with these exciting advances in agriculture, I am confident we will meet all of the demands of our growing world.

As cochair of the Modern Agriculture Caucus and the rural caucus, I am committed to ensuring Federal policy reflects sound science and strives to complement, not undermine, this innovation.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 107, had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, ag producers have waited nearly 3 years for a long-term farm bill, and I would like to thank my colleagues for their efforts thus far. Policy certainty will help our country be competitive.

Last year, conferees were appointed to negotiate and resolve differences between the House and Senate versions of the farm bill. The House bill included language meant to encourage compromise on a fix to avoid trade retaliation from Canada and Mexico and bar individual States with unscientific laws from disrupting interstate commerce, something which will only burden producers and increase costs for consumers.

I tend to believe if we are going to call a piece of legislation the farm bill, the measure ought to recognize that farmers and ranchers are the primary stewards of our natural resources, as well as the animals in their care.

This farm bill does include important reforms, such as eliminating direct payments, and it helps hardworking taxpayers in finding an estimated $23 billion in savings.

Ultimately, Mr. Speaker, I support this return to regular order. For these reasons, I will support the conference report before us today, but it is my hope this body will act quickly to find solutions to the outstanding issues not addressed in this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge National Rural Health Day.

The Third District of Nebraska spans 75 counties and contains hundreds of small towns and over 50 critical-access hospitals. The providers who serve these communities face many challenges without the heavy hand of government.

In particular, I am concerned about physician supervision regulations which may be released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services later this month. Physicians, nurses, and ancillary staff in rural facilities are highly trained and experienced in determining the appropriate level of patient care.

Failure to allow practitioners the necessary discretion to manage care administration may actually limit the access to basic services and could further discourage physicians from seeking rural positions.

I will continue to fight to ensure our rural communities maintain access to the quality care, and I appreciate the opportunity to recognize National Rural Health Day.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight the impact of the current health care situation of the millions of Americans who are losing their health care coverage, including many in Nebraska's Third District.

Pam Weldin, a self-employed small business woman from Minatare, Nebraska, has a preexisting condition. She has had affordable health insurance coverage which meets her needs, but she just received this letter which explains her current plan will no longer be offered. Pam told me she had great coverage before, which obviously included coverage of her preexisting condition. She has since tried to see what is available through healthcare.gov and the 800 number as well, but has been unsuccessful. As of January 1, she will lose the coverage that she likes.

Like Pam, millions of Americans are learning they are losing their health care plans they were told they could keep. I have heard from many other Nebraskans who are losing their insurance or whose rates have increased so much they cannot afford to keep the plans they currently have.

This is not what the American people want, and both sides need to work together to make this right. I encourage all of my colleagues to support the Keep Your Health Plan Act.