Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Stewart Home School in Frankfort, Kentucky, and to congratulate them on their 120th Anniversary. The mission of the Stewart Home School is the complete and total care of special needs students, as well as the fulfillment of all their needs--physical, educational, social, vocational and spiritual.

Since 1893, Stewart Home School has provided a community where people live in a nurturing environment and participate in programs

designed to specifically meet their individual needs. Their students pursue skills in self-sufficiency, academics, and vocational programs in a setting that stimulates self-confidence and encourages personal happiness.

Stewart Home School occupies the historic campus of the old Kentucky Military Institute, and is now on the National Register of Historic Places. The school offers a one-of-a-kind community where those with intellectual disabilities are appreciated for the people they are.

The Stewart Home School embraces each student as an individual who desires meaningful activity, success, friendships, and acceptance, and strives to develop skills and talents in all areas of life.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in commending the Stewart Home School for the tireless efforts to improve the lives of their students and in congratulating them on their 120th anniversary. I extend my personal appreciation to the Stewart Home for all that they have done for our community. The Stewart Home School is a gem in the Sixth Congressional District of Kentucky, not only improving the lives of its students, but also bettering our Commonwealth.

Mr. Speaker, I rise with great pride to recognize a group of young men from Madison County in Kentucky's Sixth Congressional District, who tirelessly worked this season to accomplish what athletes across our great Commonwealth of Kentucky often dream of accomplishing during their high school tenure.

This band of brothers, the Madison Central Indians, successfully beat Ballard High School in a last-second shot to be crowned champions of the 96th Annual Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) Sweet Sixteen Championship.

In a state where basketball is not a pastime, but a passion, our youth are raised dreaming of the sound of the crowd in the hallowed halls of Rupp Arena. This year over 17,000 fans cheered these young men to victory.

For head coach Allen Feldhaus, Jr., this championship holds a special place. The last time he was in a state championship game, it was in 1981 being coached by his father, Allen Feldhaus, Sr. Clearly the love for the basketball is a family affair that made it to the record books; this duo is the only father and son pair to have both coached in a state championship game.

Led by eight seniors, this team did what it took on the court and in the classroom. I commend the teamwork of the following men: Zach Jarvis, George Walker, Daniel Parke, Ken-Jah Bosley, Coty Alexander, Ross Ramsey, Griffin Hotchkiss, Demarcus George, Nick Kavanaugh, Kirkland Humphrey, Chris Conner, Dominique Hawkins, Hunter Stocker, John Williams, Tariq Smith, Sam Jones, Cameron Thomas, Seth Richardson, Jyre Richardson and Quan Taylor.

I would also like to congratulate Dominique Hawkins, named the 2013 Kentucky ``Mr. Basketball.'' Dominique will be attending and playing basketball for my alma mater, the University of Kentucky in the Sixth Congressional District.

I extend my congratulations not only to the team, but to the Madison Central coaching staffs, teachers, families and fans who supported this team throughout the season and helped make this victory possible.

Well, I want to thank the gentleman, my friend from Indiana, for his courtesy and for his leadership on this very important issue. I join my colleague in supporting H.R. 45, the full repeal of ObamaCare.

Mr. Speaker, it is true, you've heard from the other Members here this evening, you've heard about the importance of repealing ObamaCare because it is legislation that is full of broken promises. We know that the signature promise of this legislation was that if you like your current health insurance, you can keep it. We know now that 7 million people will lose their employer-sponsored health insurance at least, which is nearly double the previous estimate of 4 million.

We heard about savings. Remember, this was titled the ``Affordable Care Act,'' but in 2013, the Congressional Budget Office projection tags the total cost at $1.88 trillion. Premiums--premiums are not decreasing; premiums are going up. The average family premium has grown over $3,000 since the passage of ObamaCare. Individuals earning as little as $25,000 will pay more for insurance because of ObamaCare. And 1.1 trillion in new taxes and jobs. This legislation was supposed to create 400,000 jobs immediately. Speaker Pelosi promised that ObamaCare would create 4 million jobs. Well, Mr. Speaker, small employers in Kentucky and central Kentucky tell me that ObamaCare is the principal reason that they're not hiring.

According to a study by the National Federation of Independent Business, the employer mandate like the one included in ObamaCare could eliminate

an additional 1.6 million jobs by 2014. ObamaCare is creating an environment in which employers are incentivized to reduce hours for their employees to go to part-time work. The supporters of ObamaCare are supporting a part-time work economy. We need a full-time work economy, and that's why we need to repeal ObamaCare.

It increases the Federal deficit. According to a January GAO report, ObamaCare will add 6.2 trillion to the deficit over the next 75 years. But, Mr. Speaker, I want to conclude with the story that illustrates why this really matters.

There's a lot of statistics about jobs and the economy and increased premiums and costs, but the real signature failure of this legislation is that it hurts patients, that it deprives the American people of the benefits of medical innovation. A hospital administrator told me in central Kentucky that we used to take care of patients, but we now take care of paper. Medical innovation is central to America's future economic growth and to delivering new lifesaving medical devices to patients. But the new medical device tax included in ObamaCare, which imposes a 2.3 percent tax on medical device manufacturers, punishes medical innovation and prevents quality health care.

Families around the country know this all too well. In my own family, we saw this up close. Christmas Day 2012 could have been one of the worst days of our lives. Fortunately, it was the best day of our lives.

It happened when my mother called me that morning on Christmas morning and said, Andy, your father has had a fainting spell. I said, can I talk to him? So she got him on the phone. I said, Dad, how are you doing? He said, I need to drink a glass of water. I said, Well, stop drinking any more coffee. Calm down and give me a call if anything happens.

I got another call an hour later. This time, it was from my mother again. She said they were in the emergency room. My father had passed out a second time. So I rushed to the emergency room. I was greeted by the ER doctor. I said, What's going on, Doctor? He said, Well, we did an EKG, and here are the results. He showed me a flat line. He said, your father's heart is slowing down. I said, Doctor, what are we going to do about that? He said, Well, fortunately, we can put a pacemaker in your father.

An electrophysiologist came down to the ER, and he reassured us. He said, We can put a pacemaker in your father, and we can make him better. So he went in to get that pacemaker surgery. When he came out, he was recovering, and his life was saved because of that pacemaker technology.

Mr. Speaker, the American people, American families depend on the innovative, unbelievable technology that American entrepreneurship has created. But ObamaCare punishes that. And if it wasn't for that kind of medical innovation and technology, my father wouldn't be here today.

So I stand opposed to ObamaCare for all the reasons we've talked about here tonight, but, most importantly, because I credit the American free enterprise system for saving lives, and ObamaCare rolls that back. I certainly appreciate the leadership of the gentleman from Indiana for discussing the importance of this issue and the future of high-quality, innovative health care in America in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the accomplishments of a Kentucky native, Bishop Simon P. Rawlings. Bishop Rawlings was the Second Chief Apostle of the House of God, International, whose National Cathedral and World Headquarters are located in Lexington, my hometown and the center of the sixth Congressional District which I represent.

The House of God, International has churches in Africa, Australia, Canada, and Jamaica, but I am proud to state that the church was founded in the United States of America. Bishop R.A.R. Johnson initially founded the ``Commandment Keepers'' in 1910. The doctrine evolved and the church was firmly established in 1918 as the House of God, International. The Hebrew-Pentecostal denomination is based on Old Testament law and doctrine and is enthused by the joy, fervor and zeal of Christ's New Testament of spiritual revivalism.

Bishop Rawlings was born August 2, 1914 in Stamping Ground, Kentucky. He joined the House of God at the age of 16. He later exclaimed that God sent him to Lexington to build Him a church, also giving him a higher calling as detailed in Psalms 50:5 ``gather my saints together unto me, those that have made covenant with me by sacrifice.''

For 11 years he preached over the airways each Sunday night; a program that was enjoyed by many in the Christian community. With his lovely wife, Elect Lady Mary Scott Rawlings of Charlottesville, Virginia, whom he married on July 3, 1935, and other dedicated church members, Bishop Rawlings set up churches throughout the country and overseas. They built their first little church on Black Street in Lexington in 1937 and the following year they built the second church on Ash Street. In 1959, the church purchased the Chandler Arms School, a landmark of Kentucky Black history. They renovated the property. So, the next year in 1960, a host of members and friends marched from the Ash Street church to the new church at 548 Georgetown Street.

In 1947, he was ordained as a bishop. In 1950, Bishop Simon Rawlings was installed as the second Chief Apostle of the House of God, International--a position in which he humbly served for 40 years until his death on January 1, 1991. He received his Bachelor of Sacred Theology and Master's Degree from the Cooper Institute of Jacksonville, FL and a Doctor of Divinity degree from the Kentucky College of Contemporary Religion. He was very instrumental in the formation of the college and later served as its president until his death.

One of his greatest achievements was in 1987 when the church purchased the Julius Mark property, another one of Lexington's Black historical landmarks. In February 1990, Bishop Rawlings shared his vision with his wife, church and city officials, church members, and the general public at the groundbreaking ceremony of the present National Temple and World Headquarters, which is situated on that site located at 866 Georgetown Street.

During his 40 years of service as Chief Apostle and General Superintendent, and 56 years as pastor of the Lexington congregation, he held the following positions:

1. National Y.P.U. President

2. State Superintendent of Georgia

3. State Superintendent of South Carolina

4. Southern Division Superintendent

5. President of the Black Church Coalition of the Bluegrass

6. Honorary Citizen of Lexington Award (1991)

7. Kentucky Colonel

Though he was in failing health, Bishop Rawlings was able to attend the pre-dedication service of the National Temple he envisioned and built. He gave his farewell sermon during the Feast of Tabernacles in October of 1990.

Sadly, Bishop Rawlings did not live to see the visionary temple, but his legacy lives on in

his building, its congregation, and their commitment to our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the nearly 900,000 law enforcement officers in the Commonwealth of Kentucky who put their lives on the line every day for the safety and protection of others.

Today, the Kentucky Law Enforcement Memorial Service was held in observance of those who have given their all in our Commonwealth. The event was hosted at the nationally recognized Department of Criminal Justice Training Center on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky.

The protection of our families can come with a heavy price. Over the last decade, an average of 160 Kentucky law enforcement officers per year have been killed in the line of duty.

I am saddened that I was unable to attend today's service in Kentucky due to votes in Washington. I will, however, continue to honor the sacrifices of officers such as the most recent officer killed in the line of duty in Kentucky, Officer Bryan Joseph Durman of Lexington.

Officer Durman, and other heroes like him, will not be forgotten and will always remind us of the ultimate sacrifices that our Law Enforcement Officers make every day. We remember them, and their families, each and every day.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the contributions of Mr. Gerard Belcher, who was born in Pike County, Kentucky into a family of eight children. Mr. Belcher's story is an all-American story--the story of the American Dream.

His father was a coal miner and his mother was a homemaker. As a young man, Mr. Belcher spent hours in the backwoods and mountains of eastern Kentucky hunting, trapping, and exploring caves. These hours spent in the woods would later provide critical skills for his experience in the jungles of Vietnam.

Mr. Belcher volunteered to serve our country in the Army. He trained as a paratrooper and became an expert with the rifle, pistol, Bowie knife, and hand to hand combat. He was selected first in his class at the Army Leadership School in Fort Polk, Louisiana where he also volunteered for combat in Vietnam.

In August 1968, he was assigned to the 9th Infantry Division and was soon selected to join

the special operations Mobile Riverine Force (MRF) operating with naval ships, boats, and personnel along the Mekong River of South Vietnam.

After surviving four months of intense combat, he was promoted to sergeant and volunteered to walk point, a position with a life span of approximately three weeks. He served for over four months, using the skills he learned in the hills of eastern Kentucky to protect himself and his fellow soldiers until he was shot five times during an ambush operation. Fortunately, he survived this attack.

Mr. Belcher was decorated with the Army Commendation Medal for Valor twice, earned the Air Medal, combat infantryman's Badge, Vietnam Service and Campaign Ribbons, the elite spear-header shoulder patch of the MRF, and the Purple Heart.

After his military service, he attended the University of Kentucky on the GI bill where he earned a bachelor's degree in business and marketing. Despite devastating war wounds to his chest and arm, he successfully walked onto the university's baseball team where he earned a scholarship, along with All-SEC and All-American honors.

Mr. Belcher has since founded HoldTime, an award winning national message-on-hold production company over 20 years ago. He remains vocal and active in the political life of his community, and has just been awarded the Commonwealth of Kentucky's Patriot Award.

As a U.S. Congressman, I am forever grateful for Gerard Belcher's service to our country. Because of his bravery and that of his fellow men and women in uniform, our American freedoms are protected for future generations. He is truly a hero to us all.

Mr. Speaker, the Sixth District of Kentucky has had some good news this month. Tiffany & Co. added 75 jobs at their Lexington manufacturing plant. The global law firm Bingham McCutchen opened a Lexington global services center with plans to employ 250 workers. Toyota announced it will add 750 jobs and invest an additional $360 million in their Georgetown manufacturing facility to build the Lexus.

I am honored to represent the hardworking Kentuckians who brought this global recognition and investment to the Bluegrass. It is a true credit to our workforce that these first-class companies chose to make these investments in Kentucky.

But take a moment and think about how many more jobs we could create without a $17 trillion national debt clogging the engines of economic growth. If Congress is serious about promoting private sector job creation, then we must remove government-imposed obstacles to growth. That means repealing and replacing ObamaCare, cutting spending, reforming our Tax Code, reducing regulations, and unleashing American energy. Only then will we make these headlines the norm and not the exception.

Mr. Speaker, today I wish to recognize the parents and grandparents of a constituent of the sixth district of Kentucky by the name of Jim McCarty.

Mr. McCarty's parents, James and Connie McCarty, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on December 22, 2012 this past year. I would like to extend to them my best wishes and congratulations on such a great accomplishment.

In 2013, Jim celebrated the anniversary of his grandparents Vernon and Geneva Gibbs who have been together for 70 years. Their anniversary occurred on January 30, 2013. I want to wish Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs congratulations as well and recognize the steadfast devotion they have for each other.

Mr. Speaker, clearly in Mr. McCarty's family when you say I do, you stand by your word. I wish Jim and his family all the best, and again congratulations.

Mr. Speaker, I submit the following.

Whereas, National Child Abuse Prevention Month will be recognized throughout the United States during the month of April, 2013; and

Whereas, preventing child abuse and neglect is a community problem that depends on involvement among people throughout the community; and

Whereas, child maltreatment occurs when people find themselves in stressful situations, without community resources, and don't know how to cope; and

Whereas, during periods of economic challenges, families feel more vulnerable, and as a result, child abuse and neglect increases drastically; and

Whereas, child abuse and neglect can be reduced by making sure each family has the needed support to raise their children in a healthy environment; and

Whereas, child abuse is considered to be one of our nation's most serious public health problems with scientific studies documenting the link between the abuse and the neglect of children and a wide range of medical, emotional, psychological and behavioral disorders; and

Whereas, all citizens should become involved in supporting families in raising their children in a safe and nurturing environment; and

Whereas, effective child abuse prevention programs succeed because of partnerships created among state and local government agencies, schools, faith communities, civic organizations, law enforcement agencies, and the business community; and

As the representative of all the people of the sixth Congressional District of Kentucky and the former Board Chair of Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky, be it resolved that the month of April, 2013 is Child Abuse Prevention Month. I urge all citizens, community agencies, faith groups, medical facilities, and businesses to increase their participation in our effort to support families, thereby preventing child abuse and strengthening our community.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the topic of my Special Order.

Madam Speaker, this Nation was founded on a simple, but majestic, idea; and that idea is that we are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Think about these words from Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence for just a minute: the pursuit of happiness--the idea that every human being has a fundamental, natural right to follow his or her dreams, to reach for the stars, to work hard to achieve their God-given potential, all without undue interference from the government.

What is the key to happiness? I believe it to be hard work--a relentless and unyielding desire on the part of the individual to apply effort and improve their lot in life. Hard work, after all, has been an American tradition from our very founding. Benjamin Franklin once said:

It is the working man who is the happy man. It is the idle

man who is the miserable man.

And so this story is the story of America. The work ethic defines who we are as a nation. It is in our DNA; unconstrained by excessive government, the industry and creativity of the American people have fueled the most prosperous and productive nation in the history of the world.

So what gives Americans--or anyone else for that matter--the character to pursue happiness? What animates our capacity to do work? In a word: energy.

Quite literally, the classic, scientific definition of energy is the ability to do work. And Americans' ability to perform work, to work hard and to pursue happiness over the years has been supported by an abundant and affordable supply of domestic American-produced energy. Energy has been the indispensable ingredient in Americans' ability to pursue happiness.

Think about it: the story of this country has been the story of American energy--coal, oil, natural gas. Abundant, reliable, affordable energy has always been essential to a growing national economy. It built the railroads and conquered the West. It spawned the industrial revolution and won two world wars. It revolutionized communications and fostered innovation from Henry Ford to the Wright brothers, Apollo and Neil Armstrong. It propelled us into the Information Age and the knowledge-based economy. Energy always has been and always will be the key to Americans' ability to work hard and pursue happiness.

It is no surprise then that the countries with the best human health and the most material wealth on this planet are the countries with the highest levels of energy consumption. The most salient difference between nations in the developed world and nations in the lesser- developed world is that nations in the developed world produce and consume the most energy, whereas nations in the lesser-developed parts of the world produce and consume the least.

And so before us we have a choice, and it's a choice between two futures. The first is a future of energy freedom and independence in which we continue to embrace the ideals of our Founding Fathers, of Jefferson and Franklin, where men follow their dreams, can work hard and pursue happiness unconstrained by central planners in Washington, D.C., where we can pursue an open energy system and a diversity of energy sources to create jobs and opportunity and power a future of unlimited growth and potential.

The second is a future of energy scarcity, a future of energy dependency in which we abandon the traditions of the Founding Fathers, reject the American work ethic, and deprive Americans of their ability to pursue their dreams, by limiting the diversity of their energy choices to only those that Washington politicians and not the American people decide are worthwhile and sustainable.

In short, in the words of Benjamin Franklin, we can be the happy man. We can pursue happiness, or we can be the idle man. The choice is ours, and here's why this is relevant today. We are on the path toward a future of energy scarcity rather than energy freedom. We are on a path that replaces Americans' right to work hard and pursue happiness with a government-directed society in which politicians and bureaucrats restrict Americans' freedom and limit their choices. And the best example of this is the Obama administration's war on coal.

What is the impact of this great, abundant natural resource? In 2012, coal was responsible for 37 percent of electricity generated in the United States, more than any other source of electricity. Given current consumption rates, the United States has more than 230 years remaining in coal reserves. Coal is mined in 25 U.S. States and is responsible for over 760,000 U.S. jobs.

My home State, Kentucky, has produced energy for centuries. And most importantly, we have produced coal. And our coal industry that has been built by the hard work of my fellow Kentuckians powers America. Kentucky was the third largest coal producer in the United States during 2011, and coal mining was by far the greatest source of energy production in the Commonwealth. In 2011, coal mines employed more than 19,000 individuals through the year, and mining directly contributed approximately $4 billion to the Commonwealth's economy.

What has the war on coal brought to our country and to Kentucky? Domestic coal decreased by 4.6 percent just last year. In 2012, U.S. coal consumption for electric power declined by 11.5 percent. Within the past year, 226 coal electricity-generating units have been shut down. In 2012, Kentucky's overall coal production decreased by 16.3 percent, reaching its lowest level of production since 1965.

And this has an impact on real people. U.S. coal-mining jobs dropped by 7,700 in 2012, and new and pending EPA regulations will cost 1.65 million jobs. With 205 coal-fired generators shutting down in the coming year due to stricter environmental regulations, the United States is expected to lose up to 17,000 jobs.

In my home State of Kentucky, this war on coal has been devastating to my fellow Kentuckians. In 2012, direct employment in Kentucky's coal industry decreased by over 4,000 workers.

Mr. Speaker, this has a real impact on real lives. It's easy to sit in Washington and issue regulations when you don't have to confront the human cost.

I want to yield time to some of my fellow colleagues in the House; but before I do, I want to tell a brief story that I think tells the story of the war on coal and why it matters to people all around this country. It's a story of a young coal miner that I met in my home State of Kentucky. His name is Chris Woods, and Chris commutes over an hour each way, both ways, to work and back home every day. He took me in the coal mine, and he wanted to show me his work. And it's heroic work what these coal miners do. And he took me underground and he showed me what he did. As we were coming out of the mine, and as I recognized that what he was doing was providing low-cost, reliable electricity to the American people, he looked at me and he said: You know, Andy, I don't really know much about politics. And, frankly, I don't care much about politics; but if you can save my job, I'm for you.

And the thing about Chris Woods was he wasn't thinking about himself. His one paycheck takes care of his wife, two children, and both sets of parents.

This matters to people. And for every one coal mining job lost, there are 3\1/2\ additional jobs that are dependent on the coal industry.

And so, Mr. Speaker, I look forward to having a discussion tonight about the future of coal in America, about the choices we have as a country to pursue our happiness, to work hard, to fulfill and embrace the Founding Fathers' vision that we should shoot for the stars, that we should have energy diversity and energy freedom, and we should reject the path we're on, a path of energy scarcity and dependence.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I'd like to yield to the gentlelady from Missouri, Ann Wagner.

I thank the gentlelady, and appreciate her comments on the fact that certainly affordable electricity is part of this discussion. And it's particularly important to recognize that the war on coal affects everybody, not just coal miners, not just people in the power industry, but seniors on fixed income.

Over half of American households devote more than 20 percent of their family budget to energy costs, more than double 10 years ago, and so this matters to every middle class family in America.

At this time I'd like to yield to my colleague, the gentleman from Kentucky, the chair of the Energy Subcommittee.

I thank the gentleman. And I think his final point was a good one; that, ironically, the EPA's overly restrictive policies are actually contributing to a negative global environment. The crackdown on domestic energy production is producing exports to countries with inferior electrical generation capabilities. We need to unleash the American free enterprise system. The American free enterprise system is what will solve problems in utility generation and energy production.

So I thank the gentleman, and I look forward to continuing to work with him on this important topic.

I now would like to recognize the gentlelady from West Virginia.

I thank the gentlelady.

I would like to recognize another Member from the great State of West Virginia and yield some time to the gentleman. This is not a partisan issue. It is an American issue. And I am appreciative of the gentleman's attending this session tonight.

I thank the gentleman from West Virginia. I thank him for his comments. I thank him for, in particular, his sentiments about the heroic work of these men and women who go to work every day in our coal mines. I just cannot thank them enough for their contributions to our society every day for providing us with affordable and reliable electricity.

With that, I would like to yield to the gentlelady from Missouri.

I appreciate the gentlelady, and I appreciate her stand for the coal industry. Just one of those rules that she was referring to, the Utility MACT rule, the EPA estimates it to cost $10 billion per year, but other independent annual cost estimates range from $70 billion to $200 billion, well above the EPA estimate. It is no wonder that within the past year, 226 coal electricity-generating units have shut down.

With that, I would like to recognize the gentleman from Pennsylvania.

I thank the gentleman. I think his comments about the railroads reminds me of a quick story about my district in Estill County, Kentucky, a little town called Ravenna. This community was built on the railroads, and those railroads carried the coal out of Perry County and Harlan County and Bell County and all those counties in southeast Kentucky. This community in my congressional district was built on the railroads.

Today, furloughed railroaders, their families are without jobs, without a paycheck, and this is because of the war on coal. One of the furloughed railroaders told me that just a few years ago 120 trains would come through their community full of coal. Now barely 50 come through every month.

So this has a real impact for real people, middle class Americans losing their jobs. The war on coal is hurting the American people. Unemployment is higher than the national average in Estill County, Kentucky, because of this President's war on coal. So I thank the gentleman.

I would now like to recognize the gentleman from Indiana to talk about coal in Indiana.

I thank the gentleman.

I would now recognize the gentleman from Montana.

I thank the gentleman.

I now yield to the gentleman from Illinois.

I thank the gentleman.

I would now like to yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania.

I thank the gentleman.

I would now like to yield to the gentlelady from Wyoming.

I thank the gentlelady.

I appreciate all of my colleagues here this evening talking about and highlighting the importance of the future of energy freedom in this country and independence.

I would like to yield the balance of our time to the gentleman from California.

Mr. LaMALFA I appreciate my colleague from Kentucky having this conversation tonight and allowing me to speak on it.

Being from California, we don't have a lot of coal in California, and we don't really use a lot of it either. But what I would like to point out is we have a very similar plight in that many of our industries have been devastated by out-of-control regulations by Federal Government: our timber industry, mining, our ability to trap more water for our water supply. Agriculture is also being affected by overreaching regulations.

Also, coal is very important for our entire Nation, and it does have an effect on California, too. What I'm saying here is that, with 42 percent of our Nation's grid being powered by coal and a mandate coming down from the EPA and the President's very aggressive remarks saying that coal is a thing of the past, we're going to put our country in great peril by devastating this industry for our electricity grid. For all the many jobs that are all over the eastern part of this country and part of the West, we're really going to hurt ourselves in this country with this type of policy.

In California, we've seen the effects, for example, in that we have a self-inflicted mandate that makes it where California can no longer use coal, and we've devolved down to only 8 percent as part of our grid-- and getting lower. So we're going to be seeing higher and higher energy costs in our State. Why would we want to do this to the rest of our Nation here? California's energy costs are 14 cents per kilowatt while the Nation's average is about 10 cents.

That's why we see an exodus of business from the State of California and their moving to other States. If we do this type of thing in this country, this mandate, we're going to see a bigger exodus to places like China, where they don't have near our environmental regulations. Indeed, China's smoke plume comes over in the jet stream and affects California. We're going backwards with this type of mandate, with this type of policy.

So, for many reasons, I think it's key that we support the coal industry in America--for our economy and for our electricity grid. For those who want to be agitators against coal, then they should be the first ones to sit in the dark, in the cold, from not having electricity on the grid.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of what would be the 236th birthday of Henry Clay, who once represented the same district which I am honored to serve today.

As one of Kentucky's most celebrated statesmen, Henry Clay proved that an unwavering dedication to principle and a practical commitment to compromise are not incompatible values. As the ``Great Compromiser'' himself demonstrated, they are instead the tools of statesmanship. Henry Clay was focused on saving the country, and he resolved to enact substantial solutions, not short-term fixes that merely pushed the problems onto the backs of future generations.

As we consider how to deal with the almost $17 trillion national debt and as a proud graduate of Henry Clay High School, I call on my colleagues in Congress to remember Henry Clay's resolve because now is a time to come together in the spirit of statesmanship in order to cut spending and balance our budget for the sake of future generations.

Mr. Speaker, nearly five years ago Army Corporal William L. McMillan III gave the ultimate sacrifice for our Nation. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, and was only 22 years of age when he gave his life for this country.

There is nothing as noble as the character of a man who so willingly dedicates his life for others. The American warriors serving our military, and their families, understand that better than anybody. They embody what it means to be an American.

William McMillan gave his life on June 8, 2008 in Baghdad when his patrol was struck by an improvised explosive device. CPL McMillan is survived by his wife, Elizabeth; his parents, Marge and Lloyd McMillan; his brother Brad, sister Laura Buchanan and husband Rob, niece Paige, and nephew Chance.

William grew up in Lexington, Kentucky, and was always going to be a military man like his father, who graduated from West Point and served in Vietnam. He was a star athlete at Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia, where he was captain of the football, wrestling, and lacrosse teams. He attended Virginia Military Institute for one year before enlisting in the Army. William was serving his first tour of duty in Iraq, and his awards include the Bronze Star Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart, Combat Action Badge, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, and the Weapons Qualifications Badge of Expert.

We grieve the loss of this American warrior, but we celebrate and honor his life and his service. William stood for the best of the American ideals and values exemplified in our fighting infantrymen. He served this Nation as the fine soldier he always wanted to be. He fought for liberty for a people he did not know in a land where he had never been.

As a U.S. Congressman, I am forever grateful for William McMillan's service to our country and am both humbled and honored by the sacrifice he made for the price of our freedom. Because of his bravery and that of his fellow men and women in uniform, our American freedoms are protected for future generations. Truly, he is a hero to us all.

Mr. Chair, for far too long, Washington has failed to take its spending problem and its budgetary responsibilities seriously. That ends now. With our nation's debt exceeding $16.7 trillion and billions more added to the debt every day, I am proud to finally help put our nation on a significantly different, more-prosperous path with my support of this year's House Budget from Chairman Paul Ryan.

This is a responsible budget that will promote a healthier economy, encourage growth and opportunity for all Americans, help create jobs, and avert a debt crisis. This budget will enable us to avoid austerity measures and painful cuts that are inevitable if we fail to reform the status quo.

This budget balances our nation's finances in ten years, because it's wrong to keep spending money we do not have. This budget cuts wasteful spending and repeals Obamacare. This budget forces the government to live within its means, because it's unfair to leave young people and the next generation with a future of debt and decline. This budget moves us closer to pro-growth tax reform without raising taxes--because families and small businesses should be able to keep more of their hard-earned income instead of having it wasted by Washington bureaucrats.

Importantly, this budget protects and strengthens Medicare for current and future generations of retirees. Last year, I made a promise that I would not support changes to Medicare for people age 55 and older--those born before 1959. Today, I made good on that promise with my support of Paul Ryan's budget. However, let me be clear: Congress, the President, and the American people cannot again afford to ignore fixing our broken entitlement system this year. The problem with Medicare's looming insolvency gets dramatically worse and more costly each year we delay fixing it, and the current solutions will no longer be sustainable or available if we fail to act this year. If we want to avoid forcing Medicare changes and dramatic cuts for individuals nearing retirement, we need both sides of the aisle to get serious immediately.

This House plan presents a clear vision of what we need to do to balance the budget and foster a healthier economy for today and the future. In fact, according to an analysis conducted by two Stanford economists, the House Budget ``would boost the economy immediately,'' and ``raise gross domestic product by one percentage point in 2014, equivalent to about a $1,500 increase in annual income for each U.S. household.'' Additionally, these economists estimate that ten years from now, ``the entire plan would raise GDP by three percentage points, or more than $4,000 for each U.S. household.''

By contrast, the budgets proposed by Democrat leaders in Congress are full of budget tricks, accounting gimmicks and empty promises. Their budgets ignore the entitlement crisis--the most significant driver of our debt--increase taxes and stimulus spending by trillions of dollars, and never balance--ever.

I ran for Congress because we have a solemn responsibility to pass on a better future to our children, just like our parents did for us. Today, I am pleased that we took a vital step to turn things around and finally put us on a more responsible, prosperous path for the future. But our work and responsibilities continue. The United States can and will remain the greatest country on Earth for generations to come, but it will require a fresh approach to Washington's old ways of doing business.

Mr. Speaker, I was recently visiting with my constituents in Nicholas County, Kentucky, when I learned about the latest casualty in the Obama administration's war on coal. Joy Global, a manufacturer of underground mining equipment, operates a plant in neighboring Bourbon County. The news had just broken that Joy Global plans to cease all operations and manufacturing at that plant. The story of Joy Global is timely in light of President Obama's nomination of Gina McCarthy to lead the Environmental Protection Agency.

I wish those who are responsible for the war on coal could have been with me that Friday morning. It's easy to sit in Washington and issue regulations when you don't have to confront the human cost.

The Obama administration's war on coal cost more than 3,000 well- paying coal miner jobs in Kentucky last year. Thousands of families potentially went from healthy incomes to food stamps. But this administration doesn't appear to care.

The coal industry supports 19,000 full-time jobs in Kentucky while providing our State with the Nation's fourth lowest utility rates. Mr. Speaker, it's time the administration put people ahead of its radical agenda.

Mr. Speaker, today I wish to honor three precious lives lost in the tornado which devastated Menifee County, Kentucky, one year ago this Saturday.

Beverly Bowman was a magnet to children, according to newspaper accounts. Friends called her the backbone of the Tarr Ridge Union Church.

Anita Smith adored animals. Reports said she owned at least four horses, along with goats, dogs, and a mule.

And Vershal Brown was a remarkable man, recalls Menifee County Sheriff Rodney Coffee: ``Day or night, if you called him, he could help you. He would be there.''

Mr. Speaker, the people of Menifee County have shown amazing faith and determination in rebuilding their lives and their community. This weekend, we will celebrate together how far they have come, and we will join hands and remember.