Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the Arcadia High School Band from Valley County, Nebraska. On May 26, 2011 the band visited Washington, D.C. for a special concert at the National World War II Memorial. Performing 12 patriotic anthems at the memorial, the talented group of students captured an audience from around the world who were visiting our nation's capital.

The Arcadia High School Band traces its roots back to 1930 when 17 students joined. Today, 77% of the student body plays in the band. Throughout the years, the band has regularly performed outside of the Arcadia community from Mount Rushmore, South Dakota to Grand Island, Nebraska. For 8 of the last 10 years the band received the highest rating at District Music Contests, including a standing ovation and superior ratings from all three judges.

Led by Mr. Randall Warner, the Arcadia High School Band exemplifies a long standing commitment to excellence in musical performance and high academic standards. The band makes their community and the State of Nebraska extremely proud.

I ask my colleagues to join me today in honoring the exceptional talent and dedication of the Arcadia High School Band.

I move to strike the last word.

Mr. Chairman, I do want to clarify for the record that this amendment is not about tax dollars. This amendment is about adjusting some policy that was put into an appropriations bill some time ago, long before the current makeup of Congress. We are talking about a fee-for-service scenario that would allow the private sector to ensure that there is safe, affordable horse meat to the general public, to a market overseas that is very robust.

Let me also say that a GAO study on the effects of horse slaughter plant closings on the welfare of horses and on the farm economy as a whole was requested by the Senate Ag Appropriations Committee more than a year and a half ago, and is overdue for a report.

The devastated horse industry continues to be attacked by misinformation, and we certainly have a problem here because I would allege that the economics of the ownership of horses are upside down. Unfortunately, Mr. Chairman, the result of this misguided campaign will eventually be a Nation where very few can even afford to own a horse. Without a secondary market, the value of horses at every level has plunged. Fewer horses mean fewer jobs, fewer horse trailers sold, fewer veterinary service dollars spent, fewer saddles sold--and the list continues.

Destroying the U.S. horse industry closed the U.S. to a very robust global market and gave other countries this economic opportunity. With the ability to ethically produce horse meat under regulated, humane conditions in the United States, we would almost immediately create jobs and minimize suffering.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on May 13, 2011, I missed a vote on the Amendment to H.R. 754 by Rep. Gibson of New York.

I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, on May 11, 2011, I missed a vote on the Amendment by Rep. Keating of Massachusetts, Number 4. I would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Ms. Sally Gordon. At the age of 102, Sally concluded 37 years of dedicated service to the Legislature of State of Nebraska when she retired as its assistant sergeant-at-arms on April 26, 2011.

Known for colorful hats and scarves, her signature flair, Sally has a long history in Lincoln, Nebraska. She watched the Nebraska Capitol being built from 1922 to 1932 and served as secretary to three governors. But in 1984, she became an institution in the Nebraska Legislature. Sally became the state's first female sergeant-at-arms, a role she relished. She helped maintain order and deliver messages from constituents to state senators on the floor.

Sally's quick wit and sunny disposition was admired by all who met her, including myself. It was my honor to work with Sally when I served as a Nebraska State Senator because she was always friendly, helpful, and inspiring. Sally's character is best reflected when she said, ``I've been working for 84 years and I've had many interesting jobs. I've met movie stars and presidents, but the people of Nebraska are the ones I love.''

In 2010, Sally was named ``America's Outstanding Oldest Worker'' by Experience Works, and for good reason. Often called the ``Energizer Bunny,'' Sally is a Nebraska treasure who models a productive life no matter your age.

I ask my colleagues to join me today in commending the career of Ms. Sally Gordon as she begins her well-deserved retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Mr. Albert B. Washko. Al concluded 21 years of dedicated service to the Department of Veterans Affairs when he retired on March 31, 2011.

Ensuring our nation's veterans were provided with the world-class benefits and services they earned was not a mission Al took lightly as evidenced by his dedication to serving the men and women who served in uniform.

Over the course of his time with the Department of Veterans Affairs, Al held positions which took him from coast to coast. Before he was named the Director of the V.A. Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System in 2003, Al oversaw 23 medical centers in New York, New England, and Puerto Rico as Director of V.A. Northeast Region. He also worked at V.A. Medical centers in Albany, New York; Palo Alto, California; and Albuquerque, New Mexico. Al has served on numerous hospital, social service agency, and community boards which demonstrated his commitment to public service both on and off the job.

Over the course of his career, Al helped fulfill President Abraham Lincoln's promise ``to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan.'' While the V.A. loses a valued member of its team with Al's retirement, his impact on our nation's veterans will be felt for years.

I ask my colleagues to join me today in commending the career of Mr. Albert B. Washko as he begins his well-deserved retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of 19 women who were inducted into the Nebraska Aviation Hall of Fame on January 27, 2011. These women served as Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASPs, during World War II.

From 1942-1944, more than 1,100 women left behind their homes and jobs for once-in-a-lifetime opportunity--to serve as civilian pilots for the U.S. Army Air Forces. As the first women to fly military aircraft during World War II, WASPs towed aerial gunnery targets, transported personnel and cargo, and ferried airplanes to training fields and embarkation points. At the height of the war, WASPs flew more than 60 million miles which freed male pilots for combat and played a critical role in our victory.

The Nebraskans who served as WASPs were: Dorothy L. Bancroft, Lincoln; Mary B. Beecham, Omaha; Lois V. Boien, Omaha; Lois A. Bristol, Bayard; Grace ``Betty'' E. Clements, Elmwood; Mary A. Jershin, Omaha; Eileen ``Ikey'' A. Kealy, Omaha; Marybelle J. Lyall, Hastings; Esther L. Mueller, Thayer; Roberta E. Mundt, Berea; Margaret ``Peggy'' L. Nispel, Lincoln; Millicent A. Peterson, Chappell; Alice L. Riss, Omaha; Evelyn G. Sharp, Ord; B. Kristin Swan, Minden; Helen A. Turner, Cairo; Isabel E. Tynon, Peru; Jane E. Waite, Scottsbluff; and Mary E. Williamson, Omaha.

I ask my colleagues to join me today in honoring the distinguished service of Nebraska's Women Airforce Service Pilots to our nation.

Mr. Speaker, I truly believe that the best thing that this Congress can do is focus on jobs, making sure that someone might have access to health care through a job. But increasing the cost of doing business certainly does not contribute to our effort to help create jobs.

I rise in support of H.R. 4. Repealing the 1099 mandate would only help, and certainly in my district, family farmers, ranchers, small businesses.

Let me tell you briefly about a restaurant owner, a small operation.

He will go from four 1099s to over 200 1099s, and that's after spending $7,000 in new software, Mr. Speaker. That certainly provides opportunities for a misplaced digit in an identification number that will lead to the wrong person being audited, Mr. Speaker.

And when we look at all the information given here, certainly it makes sense to recapture an overpayment of a subsidy so that we can return to the people the opportunity to go out, create jobs and, in the end, ultimately provide more health care for the American people.

Mr. Speaker, on February 16, 2011, I missed a vote on the Amendment by Representative Pompeo of Kansas, Number 84.

I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan. As Americans celebrate the 100th anniversary of his birthday this month, we not only commemorate his life, but also, and more importantly, the legacy he left to America and the world.

Throughout his life, whether as an actor, spokesperson, governor, or President, he passionately pursued his vision for America, which was rooted in freedom, opportunity, and prosperity.

President Reagan understood the greatness of our nation lies in its people--not an overbearing government. He knew the hard work, resilience, and optimism of Americans would overcome any challenge we face.

Like many others, President Reagan is one of the reasons I entered public service. I was in 4th grade when President Reagan defeated President Carter. It was the first election I closely followed. I remember asking my parents questions about the candidates, learning the differences, and deciding to support President Reagan. While I did not understand the complexity of the issues at the time, it sparked my desire to serve.

Now, as I represent Nebraska in this great chamber, I rely on the same principles he championed. Facing deep economic challenges, like we are today, President Reagan championed solutions to reduce the size of government, promote free enterprise, and empower individuals. He knew these timeless ideals would ensure our nation always remains a ``shining city on a hill.'' I believe these same foundations, which to succeed rely on the individual, instead of the government, will build a stronger America in the 21st century.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of today's resolution directing committees to review existing, pending, and proposed executive agency regulations. Congress is charged not only with legislating but with also overseeing the implementation of legislation.

Agencies continue to promulgate blanket rules which ignore Congressional intent. Forty-three major regulations were published by executive agencies in 2010, and another 191 are currently in the works. These regulations marginalize small businesses and communities which have less ability to absorb the cost of compliance. Small towns in Nebraska, for instance, are spending millions of dollars installing water treatment facilities and electric generation units to comply with EPA standards which continue to be arbitrarily changed, regardless of the science. These people are, in good faith, purchasing lower emission units. They want to comply with the law, Mr. Speaker. But cities and residents can no longer afford higher prices because of these arbitrary and inconsistent regulations. It's not fair, and it's not good government.

I would also like to touch on some Medicare regulation, which has the potential to disproportionately hurt rural hospitals. Medicare outpatient physician supervision requirements have a serious impact in my district and I'm sure many others. For the last 2 years, Medicare rules for outpatient hospital procedures have included a provision to require a medical doctor be on site for even the simplest of procedures, for example, a phlebotomist taking a blood sample. Certainly, I don't think that was congressional intent.

Without the current temporary suspension of this rule for small rural hospitals, many critical access hospitals in my district would not have the manpower to perform outpatient procedures on a regular basis, the result for patients being lengthy travel to larger cities for care, be it routine care or otherwise.

This regulation is also having a negative impact in more urban areas. Yesterday I was speaking to a group of physicians from Nebraska, and one shared with me his ability to remotely order a CT scan at the hospital when he knows such a procedure is necessary.

However, the hospital cannot begin the scan until after he arrives at the hospital to oversee the scan, although not even necessarily perform the scan.

As a cosponsor of the REINS Act, I also applaud this effort to begin curbing unchecked agency regulation hampering families, job creators, and the growth of America's economy.

Madam Speaker, I would like to share a perspective from an employer in my district. Visiting this small business, actually a few hundred employees but still considered a small business, we toured the plant. He shared with me the benefit plans for the employees. He went on to say that orders are coming in, but they are refraining from hiring new people because of the uncertainty of the cost of hiring a new employee. This shows that the health care bill, primarily, is causing uncertainty in the employment sector and causing employers to hold back on hiring new people. This is not good for our economy. It's not good for our deficit. Most importantly, it's not good for the American people. And that's why I'm extremely concerned with the $20 billion tax on medical device makers that will just increase the cost of cutting-edge medical technology for consumers and patients themselves.

Madam Speaker, we need a patient-centered health care plan, one that does not depend on new government programs, one that focuses more on patients, and one that will cause a lot of the problems to go away.

Mr. Speaker, on January 6 and 7, 2011, I was out of town due to a family situation. Unfortunately, I was not present for rollcall votes 8, 9, 10, and 11.

Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on all four.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the resolution before us honoring the victims and heroes of the tragic shooting in Tucson, Arizona, this past weekend.

Today's action is a reflection on the victims of a deeply tragic, singular incident which changed so many lives forever and to renounce the barbaric actions taken by a single individual. We also honor those bystanders and first responders who reaffirmed our faith in humanity by risking their lives to save others.

Today marks a time of healing as we celebrate the lives of those who were lost. Gabby is a colleague and a friend who is known for her civility and willingness to reach out. Her office was just a couple of doors down from mine on the fifth floor of Cannon our freshman year and I was her colleague on the House Science and Technology Committee through the 111th Congress. She is a consummate professional who is dedicated to her constituents and her country.

Our prayers are with her and the other victims as they recover from this horrifying event. As we move forward, we should take strength in the outpouring of support from all corners of our country.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the underlying tax bill and in opposition to the Pomeroy amendment that would increase the death tax.

It is vital we do not stymie any economic recovery by failing to extend current tax rates. If we fail to enact this legislation, in just two short weeks, taxes will increase on every American.

Our country needs real economic growth, which can't happen if Washington doesn't prevent these tax increases on farmers, ranchers, and small businesses. The sooner we can provide certainty to American businesses, the sooner they can get our economy back on track and start hiring again.

In particular, I would like to highlight the importance of providing certainty to farmers and ranchers in my district with a lower estate tax rate indexed for inflation. Despite the rhetoric from some, these folks aren't millionaires and billionaires. They want to simply leave their children and grandchildren the land they use to grow and raise food which feeds Americans and others around the world.

In the last year, the value of Nebraska farmland has increased by 9 percent, continuing a trend in which this land has doubled in value over the past decade. Without an estate tax exemption indexed for inflation, these farmers and ranchers will be forced to divide or sell their land, threatening the very existence of farming traditions which, in many cases, have been passed on for several generations.

Grieving families should never be forced to deal with the IRS during a time of mourning. The prosperity earned by generations of Americans should not be forfeited just because one life has reached its end.

I urge my colleagues to support the underlying bill.