Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

I am opposed in its current form.

Mr. Speaker, this is the final amendment to the bill, which will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage as amended.

Mr. Speaker, we can all agree on the importance of revitalizing the American manufacturing sector. We need to work across the aisle, Republicans and Democrats, to support manufacturing workers and businesses, so that more products across this planet can be stamped ``Made In America.'' That is why I am a proud supporter of the Make It In America agenda.

We need to pass this agenda which will help more businesses manufacture goods in America, so more families can make it in America. For example, we need to work with the Senate to permanently extend the research and development tax credit. This tax credit will help companies like Airmar in Milford, New Hampshire, a world leader in ultrasonic sensor technology.

We need to expand Trade Adjustment Assistance and invest in workforce development, like the $2.5 million Department of Labor grant recently awarded to Nashua Community College. This funding will help teach students the skills needed for advanced manufacturing careers, so that a graduate with a 2-year associate degree can leave school and walk into a good job that pays $45,000 a year.

We need to pass long-term reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank, to help companies like Boyle Energy in Concord, New Hampshire, ship American-made products around the world.

These are the policies that will promote new manufacturing jobs, and they deserve bipartisan support. Unfortunately, the bill before us today is not a commonsense bipartisan proposal for strengthening manufacturing; instead, it would tie the hands of our public health officials and make it harder to advance lifesaving rules to protect our air and our lungs from pollution.

That is why I am offering my motion, which would provide two exemptions from this bill. First, my motion would exempt rules that protect children and seniors from cancer-causing pollution within 5 miles of a school or nursing home, and second, my motion would protect small businesses from any job losses or increased costs resulting from this bill.

Whether you support or oppose the underlying bill, every Member of this body should be able to vote to protect the health of children and seniors and to protect small businesses.

I urge support for my motion. I urge my colleagues to move on from these partisan proposals and instead work to find bipartisan ways to strengthen American manufacturing without putting our air quality or public health at risk.

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

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, every November, we celebrate National Adoption Month and National Adoption Day to help build awareness of the many children in foster care who are waiting to find permanent, loving families.

Sadly, more than 100,000 children are currently waiting for permanent families and have waited for years in foster care. Every year, dozens age out of the system without ever finding a permanent home. As an adoption attorney for 25 years, I know firsthand how important it is to adopt and provide a stable environment for children. Every child deserves loving parents, and adoption is a great way to unite a child who needs a home with a loving family.

Yesterday, I was proud that the New Hampshire bureau of Community and Family Support Services celebrated National Adoption Day with families and community leaders to share positive adoption stories and to draw attention to children in New Hampshire who are waiting to find permanent, loving homes.

The families that we are celebrating on National Adoption Day and in National Adoption Month are true heroes. They are opening their hearts and are embarking on the ultimate journey of love and commitment. As a member of both the bipartisan Congressional Coalition on Adoption and Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth, I will continue to work with my colleagues to help create a better foundation for these precious children to thrive, grow, and flourish into independent and successful adults.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the inauguration and installation of Dr. Alicia B. Harvey-Smith as the 10th President of River Valley Community College in Claremont, New Hampshire. River Valley Community College has long been a paradigm of quality education in New Hampshire, and this event signifies the first inauguration in the history of the institution.

Dr. Harvey-Smith has long served as a leader in the academic community with more than a quarter century of experience and training in education. After her years serving as a dean and Vice President of Student Affairs at Baltimore City Community College, Dr. Harvey-Smith has proven her dedication to education and the creation of a world- class learning environment.

Founded in 1968, River Valley Community College has served as a provider for quality education in the state of New Hampshire. With an intensive environment which allows for individualized attention and flexible class schedules that accommodate the lives of busy students, River Valley Community College has proven its commitment to the improvement and expansion of minds.

Over the past decades, River Valley Community College has expanded to provide thirty-five career-oriented programs that provide students with highly specialized skills and knowledge crucial to achievement in the job market in a variety of business, technical, and health-oriented fields. With a sincere dedication to the development of educational programs such as these, River Valley Community College has improved the lives of countless students across the Granite State.

With this ethic in mind, Dr. Alicia Harvey-Smith is an ideal choice for the President of River Valley Community College. Under the dedicated leadership of Dr. Harvey-Smith, I am confident that River Valley Community College will continue to grow and serve the public. She is truly a role model to all of us, and an asset to the State of New Hampshire.

It remains an honor to represent River Valley Community College in Congress. I wish Dr. Harvey-Smith the very best and congratulate her on this proud occasion.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 15, a bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill, to the floor. It was passed by the Senate over 1 year ago.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Brownley for her friendship and for her commitment to our Nation's veterans.

I rise to support the Brownley motion to instruct the conferees on H.R. 3230. It has been one of the most humble honors for me to serve on the Veterans' Affairs committee, one of the most bipartisan committees in this Congress.

This week I had the honor to join my constituent, Sergeant Ryan Pitts, as he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Honor at the White House, and my husband and I joined Ryan and his wife, Amy, and their son, Luke, at the Pentagon as he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. He honored his colleagues, the chosen few who lost their lives in Afghanistan, and on his behalf and on their behalf it is a tremendous privilege for me to continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in service to our Nation's veterans.

Mr. Speaker, we were all shocked and outraged when our committee uncovered long wait times, secret wait lists, and manipulated records at the Veterans Administration. When our men and women in uniform return home after fighting for our freedom, they should never ever have to fight just to receive the medical care that they have earned and they deserve. That is why I was proud to work with Republicans and Democrats to pass commonsense reforms to hold VA leaders accountable and increase access to care for our veterans.

I also partnered with the gentlewoman from Arizona (Mrs. Kirkpatrick) to cosponsor legislation that puts forward even stronger VA reforms and which has already passed in the Senate. Both Chambers of Congress have passed bipartisan bills in response to the scandal at the VA, and now it is time to finish the job and reconcile this legislation.

We owe it to our veterans to stay right here in Washington and to work together until we can send a final bill to the President's desk to improve care for all our veterans. And we must ensure that this final legislation contains strong protections for veteran survivors of sexual trauma.

Mr. Speaker, sadly, sexual assault in our military is a full-blown epidemic. According to the Department of Defense, an estimated 26,000 servicemembers have suffered unwanted sexual contact in just 2012 alone. This is an outrage. When a young woman or a young man signs up to serve our country, they know that they may face danger in combat, but it is unacceptable that so many of these brave Americans are attacked every year by their own colleagues.

It is unacceptable that so many of our brave Americans are attacked every year by their own colleagues. And when survivors come forward, which only happens a fraction of the time, our flawed military justice system often turns a blind eye.

Mr. Speaker, I was proud to work across the aisle with our colleagues, Jackie Walorski, Loretta Sanchez, and many others to pass strong whistleblower protections into law and help prevent retaliation against those who bravely report these crimes. We need to continue to work together, and I implore our colleagues to join us in voting ``yes'' on the motion to instruct and to guarantee that our veterans will be protected.

I again partnered with Representative Walorski to introduce legislation to extend VA travel benefits to veterans travelling to seek treatment for injuries resulting from sexual trauma.

Republican and Democrat alike, so many of us fought to reform our military justice system and transfer authority to independent prosecutors.

And together, this House passed the Ruth Moore Act to help ensure that veterans suffering from sexual trauma have access to the services they need.

In a Congress bogged down by gridlock and partisanship, this issue has united both parties.

When working to rid our military of sexual assault, and to better serve its survivors, we have proven that Congress can still find common ground and solve problems.

So let's build on that progress and pass this motion, which would agree to Senate-passed language to expand VA services for the treatment of military sexual trauma.

In addition, this motion would improve coordination between the VA and Department of Defense.

These are goals that we can all support.

So I implore our colleagues--join us in voting yes, and let's continue the important work of protecting our service members from sexual assault, and guaranteeing only the best care for those veterans who suffered from these crimes.

Mr. Speaker, earlier this month, I was honored to bring together New Hampshire business leaders to discuss the importance of the Export-Import Bank and to call for its immediate reauthorization.

I thank leaders from BAE, Boyle Energy, Conductive Components, and other Granite State employers for joining this important discussion on how supporting U.S. exports grows our economy and creates good jobs here at home.

The Export-Import Bank provides essential risk management services to American businesses selling their products in an unstable global economy. Dozens of Granite State firms have used these services, which have supported over $350 million in New Hampshire exports in recent years, and in New Hampshire's Second Congressional District, the top destination for American exports is China.

Because of the Export-Import Bank, more consumers across the world are buying goods stamped ``Made in America,'' and more American families are able to make it here in America. Granite State exporters, like Mountain Corporation, Arch Energy, and Centorr Vacuum are counting on Congress to act, but time is running out.

In just over 2 months, authorization for the bank will expire, and I have heard from New Hampshire exporters who are already losing business because of uncertainty over the bank's future.

So let's renew this commonsense program that grows our economy, reduces the budget deficit, and helps create jobs.

Mr. Speaker, today we honor Lance Corporal Brandon Garabrant, of Greenfield, New Hampshire, for his heroism and service as a U.S. Marine serving our country in Afghanistan. I was devastated to learn of the tragic death of Lance Corporal Garabrant, who spent his life serving his community and his country with honor and courage. Through his dedicated service as a volunteer firefighter and as a Marine, he made his family, his state, and his nation proud. The thoughts and prayers of the entire Granite State are with Lance Corporal Garabrant's family and friends. It is our responsibility as Granite Staters and as Americans to protect and honor all those who serve our great nation and guard our freedom.

Our veterans and servicemembers make grave sacrifices in order to preserve our freedom and protect our families. These courageous men and women devote their lives to standing up for our way of life, and they deserve our deepest respect and gratitude.

The greatest tribute we can provide for Lance Corporal Garabrant is to continue to remember his bravery and sacrifice, and to celebrate his life. He paid the ultimate price to protect our freedom and way of life, and we must forever honor his memory.

Madam Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

I am opposed in its current form.

Madam Speaker, this is the final amendment to the bill, which will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage as amended.

Madam Speaker, I commend Chairman Lucas and Ranking Member Peterson for their bipartisan leadership of our committee. Their pragmatic work together across the aisle is exactly what the American people expect but so rarely get from this Congress. I am proud to serve with them and all of our colleagues on the Agriculture Committee, Republican and Democrat, to address the issues important to rural America and to communities all across our country. This includes reauthorizing the Commodities Futures Trading Commission, the sheriff overseeing much of Wall Street.

Every day, the CFTC defends the Main Street businesses and middle class families from the same reckless behavior that crashed our economy just a few years ago. We must reauthorize the CFTC and ensure that the cops on the beat have the authority they need to protect our farmers, consumers, investors, and retirees from

fraud and abuse by the very worst actors on Wall Street.

Now, don't get me wrong, this bill is far from perfect. My amendment would address some of its flaws, including its failure to address the prospect of soaring energy prices facing American consumers, which should be a top priority for the CFTC.

Madam Speaker, when gas prices spike, they immediately hit the pocketbook of every consumer, especially the constituents that I represent in New Hampshire's North Country and communities all across our State, some of which are already paying close to $4 per gallon of gasoline. When Americans pull up to the pump, they deserve to pay a fair price and not be gouged because of excessive speculation. My amendment would help keep gas prices in check by requiring that the CFTC use its full authority to immediately curb excessive speculation and price distortion in economic markets.

In addition, this amendment would require the CFTC to report when companies move their operations abroad simply to avoid the rules governing U.S. markets. When companies relocate their headquarters or outsource jobs to evade consumer protections, the American people deserve to know.

Finally, my amendment would ensure that foreign businesses comply with U.S. laws to prevent fraud and manipulation in our markets. American companies must already follow antifraud and antimanipulation rules, which protect consumers and the integrity of our markets. Surely, we can all agree that foreign companies must also follow the same safeguards against fraud and abuse that apply to American companies.

So, let's put partisanship aside and give the sheriff of Wall Street the backup it needs to protect Main Street. Let's vote to keep gas prices in check for the middle class families all across this country; let's vote to hold companies accountable when they outsource jobs; and let's vote to prevent foreign firms from defrauding our constituents. Let's vote for my amendment.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dean John Pike and his accomplishments as the director of University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension. As Dean Pike embarks on his retirement, I offer my deepest gratitude and commend him for dedicating most of his professional life to helping the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension fulfill its mission. Dean Pike received his Bachelor's degree, Master's degree, and Ph.D. from the place he loves and has served so well, the University of New Hampshire. A lifelong New Hampshire resident, Dean Pike joined Cooperative Extension in 1977 and has served an Extension educator, state program leader, and associate director prior to his appointment as dean and director in 1998.

Dean John Pike is truly passionate about the University of New Hampshire and the Cooperative Extension. In fact, he attributes his success to his steadfast belief in the mission of Cooperative Extension: ``to enhance the ability of New Hampshire citizens to make informed decisions that strengthen youth, families, and communities, sustain natural resources, and improve the economy.'' Dean Pike's dedication to the University of New Hampshire is widely known and the Dean is well-respected by citizens, volunteers, and elected officials throughout the state for his staunch support of University of New Hampshire. His leadership will be missed by many.

In his years as Dean and Director, John Pike has served on many University of New Hampshire committees for the greater good of the institution. He has been active in the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities and served as a past chair of the Deans and Directors for the twelve Northeast States and District of Columbia. As Associate Director of the Cooperative Extension from 1986 to 1998, Dean Pike was instrumental in providing support to major legislative committees focused on the future of the organization.

As an Extension educator from 1977 to 1982, Dean Pike developed several innovative youth development programs, including an environmental education center and a nationally-recognized program to assist out-of-school, low income, and unemployed youth secure employment in the private sector. Furthermore, as a state program leader from 1982 to 1986, Dean Pike provided leadership for the implementation of a comprehensive 4-H program review, resulting in the restructuring of state 4-H positions and redirection of efforts in program development. In a show of his dedication to New Hampshire families, Dean Pike

was confirmed by the New Hampshire Governor and Executive Council as a board member of the New Hampshire Division of Children, Youth and Families, and was elected chair of the board in the mid-1980s.

Dean Pike's service to the Granite State has extended far beyond the University. He has served as a parochial school board member, mediator for a youth diversion program, member of his local recreation commission, youth sports coach, and as a commissioner for the Dover Housing Authority. In 1986, Pike was aptly awarded the Distinguished Service Award by the National Extension Agents Association.

I congratulate Dean Pike for his distinguished career and thank him for his dedication to serving the people of New Hampshire. Dean Pike's service to the University, the Cooperative Extension, and our state has impacted generations of New Hampshire leaders and his legacy will continue to inspire Granite Staters for years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize New Hampshire's Mount Washington Observatory and its new Extreme Mount Washington Museum. The Mount Washington Observatory first established the observation center on the summit of Mount Washington in 1870 and operated there until 1892. This effort marked the first time a scientific observation center was located on the summit of a mountain. The observatory was re-opened in 1932 when a group of enthusiastic individuals recognized the value of collecting scientific data at the summit. This reemergence came just in time, because in

1934, the highest wind speed ever observed by man was recorded at 231 miles per hour at the summit of Mount Washington. Given the breadth and importance of the data and observations, the Mount Washington Observatory opened its mountaintop museum in 1973 to provide educational opportunities to the public.

Over the past four decades, the Observatory's mountaintop museum has established itself as a world-class resource for science education. Each year, more than 100,000 visitors come to the museum to get a taste of the world's worst weather. Starting this summer, visitors will benefit from an enhanced experience at the state's most visited museum with the development of the Observatory's aptly named Extreme Mount Washington experience. This project, which will be officially unveiled this month, represents the largest and most significant undertaking by the Observatory in decades.

Today, I recognize this major accomplishment by the Mount Washington Observatory and share in their excitement as they reopen the museum for Extreme Mount Washington. Extreme Mount Washington is an interactive, hands-on experience that will provide visitors with an unparalleled window into Mount Washington's extreme conditions.

In keeping with New Hampshire tradition, this significant project was made possible through the collaborative efforts and generosity of over 400 individuals and organizations, and I commend them for their support. Moreover, the Gladys Brooks Foundation, Putnam Foundation, Public Service of New Hampshire and Northeast Utilities Foundation, Jane's Trust, and the Neil & Louise Tillotson Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation all deserve special recognition for their significant contributions to the project.

As a lifelong resident of the Granite State, Mount Washington represents the playground of the North Country that was a critical part of my formative years. Even now, a painting of Mount Washington hangs in my Washington office, providing a taste of New Hampshire for all who visit me in our nation's capital. I am thrilled that the Extreme Mount Washington experience will make this larger-than-life symbol more accessible to all who visit our state.

Mr. Speaker, this year, we celebrate the 70th anniversary of D-Day and the brave Americans of our Armed Forces who served our country with great courage and patriotism. Today I stand before you to honor their heroic sacrifice.

As a fighter pilot in World War II, my father flew 63 missions in a P-47 Thunderbolt. He provided air cover while my father-in-law stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. In a dogfight during the Battle of the Bulge, my father was shot down by the Germans. He spent the next 6 months in a German POW camp behind enemy lines until being liberated by Allied forces on D-Day.

But it was through my father's stories that I came to understand the courage, resilience, and sacrifice of veterans and military families all across our great Nation. And this is the reason that I am deeply committed to easing the transition for veterans back to civilian life, expanding their job opportunities, strengthening their health care benefits, and improving mental health services for the dedicated men and women who have worn the uniform of the United States.

D-Day is a reminder of the great sacrifice borne by our servicemen and -women and their families.

Mr. Speaker, today we honor Officer Stephen Arkell of the Brentwood Police Department for his heroism and dedication to the people of New Hampshire. I was deeply saddened to hear the tragic news of Office Arkell losing his life in the line of duty. Arkell's brave and selfless actions deserve our greatest honor and respect. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and community during this difficult time. In responding to such tragedies, our society shows its capacity for resilience and strength.

Our law enforcement officials and first responders confront danger on a daily basis in order to keep our communities safe from harm, and I am committed to advocating for these dedicated men and women who preserve our safety and protect our families. These courageous men and women devote their lives to protecting our way of life, and earn our utmost gratitude and support on a daily basis.

As a state and a nation, we must work together to stamp out violent crime and protect the men and women like Officer Stephen Arkell who devote themselves to protecting us. We owe our deepest gratitude to Officer Arkell, and to all law enforcement officials for all that they do to make New Hampshire and our nation a safer place to live and work.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Missouri, Representative Ann Wagner, for her friendship and her leadership, and I thank my colleagues, Representative Maloney, Representative Scott, and others.

I am so proud to join my colleagues here on the floor of the House today in passing this commonsense bill to strengthen and protect victims of sex trafficking. This legislation would penalize individuals who knowingly host and sell advertisements for the commercial exploitation of minors and trafficking victims.

Just last week, I hosted a roundtable in New Hampshire with advocates, prosecutors, and survivors who confirmed in harrowing detail that human trafficking is a crime that is being committed all too frequently across this country. It remains a serious problem both here and abroad.

Recently, I was proud to reach across the aisle and work with my colleagues to lead a letter that all House women Representatives signed urging the Obama administration to push the United Nations Security Council to add Boko Haram to the Al-Qaida Sanctions List, following the abduction of nearly 300 schoolgirls threatened to be sold into sexual slavery by this terrorist group. Through this effort, we became a powerful voice against the horrors of this and other instances of human trafficking that are taking place around the world.

Both Democrats and Republicans in this House understand that we must work together to protect our women, girls, boys, and men, and they know that trafficking isn't just a political issue; it is a human issue. And contrary to popular belief, it is one that is happening right here in our backyard.

Domestic child sex trafficking is a serious problem in the United States, with an estimated close to 300,000 American youth at risk of commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking. It is imperative that we help law enforcement officials rescue domestic victims, track down their exploiters, provide additional tools for prosecutors to treat trafficked minors as victims instead of criminals, and ensure that these victims can access protective services.

I applaud House leadership on both sides of the aisle for bringing these five bipartisan bills to the floor to prevent human trafficking and to provide support for victims, both here and abroad.

As a mother, I can't even imagine the pain and anguish that these families are going through as they fight to bring their loved ones back home. It is essential that we pass these bills today and do everything we can in Washington to support Jasmine in New Hampshire and victims all across this country, to support our States' and countries' efforts to eliminate human trafficking for good.

I thank the gentleman from Virginia for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my continued concerns about the highway trust fund, which is projected to reach a critically low level in July, right in the middle of the busy summer construction season.

This funding is essential to projects in New Hampshire, and we simply cannot let the highway trust fund run out of money. It would cost us jobs, jeopardize public safety, and hurt our economy.

That is why I am introducing a bill to ensure that the highway trust fund

remains solvent for the remainder of this fiscal year. This will provide certainty to our States and businesses and allow Congress time to pass a full 6-year reauthorization of surface transportation programs.

My bill, the DRIVE Now Act, will do this, while increasing efficiencies in the government and reducing the deficit. Congress must invest in infrastructure and pass a long-term reauthorization of transportation programs.

To ensure that the highway trust fund doesn't run dry this summer, I urge the House to pass my commonsense legislation.

Mr. Speaker, it astonishes me that by the time women graduate from college, one in five will be a victim of sexual assault.

Colleges are institutions of higher learning, and no student-- especially young women--should ever feel threatened on the campus that they call home for 4 years.

I applaud the President for announcing a series of efforts to strengthen Federal involvement and provide schools with the tools needed to end sexual assault on campuses. We must work across the aisle to put an end to this violence and to give victims the support they need.

The new Web site launched yesterday, notalone.gov, will do just that: increase transparency through annual surveys and information on the prevalence of sexual assault on campuses.

As a member of the third class of women ever to graduate from Dartmouth College, I was proud to see President Phil Hanlon step up to address unsafe and inappropriate behavior on the Dartmouth campus and to see the University of New Hampshire recognized for its initiatives to reduce sexual violence on campus.

We must continue to address these issues head-on and ensure a safe and secure environment for learning for all college students, men and women.