Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, as we continue the long process of bringing our troops home from more than a decade of war, I want to recognize activists in my district and all across this country who are taking action to improve the lives of our returning heroes.

For many of these brave men and women, the invisible wounds of war present unique challenges as they return to civilian life. Thousands of these veterans come into contact with our Nation's criminal justice system every year.

We owe our heroes a solemn debt of gratitude, and every American who has worn the uniform deserves the opportunity to thrive after his service is complete.

That is why I have signed on in support of H.R. 2187, the SALUTE Act, legislation that would allow for grant funding to support the establishment and the improvement of veterans' treatment courts for nonviolent offenders.

Activists in my district have already begun the process of establishing a veterans' justice track, and I commend them on their efforts.

It is time for us to recognize the sacrifice our servicemembers have made on behalf of this great Nation and to recommit ourselves to serving our heroes as they have served us.

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, some of us will support this bill, and some of us will oppose it; but Republican and Democrat alike, we can all agree on the need for both parties to work together, invest in our future, and help create jobs and opportunity for all Americans.

Yes, we must reduce the deficit and tackle our national debt, and yes, we need to cut wasteful spending whenever we can, but to get the Federal budget in order, we need to make smart investments to help grow our economy.

To help American workers and businesses compete and win, we need to double down on education, job training, research, and infrastructure, the very foundation of our economy; and yet the legislation we are debating today disregards the importance of these investments.

This bill will require the Congressional Budget Office to study the long-term benefits of some proposals, but not others. Under this bill, the CBO would have to tell us how another tax break would help billionaires, but not how early investments in education will help middle class families and long-term economic growth.

That just doesn't make any sense to my constituents in New Hampshire.

Under this bill, the CBO would not analyze the impact of investments to revitalize our bridges and highways; train our veterans for good jobs when they return home; prepare students for careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; fund cutting-edge medical research; or expand our National Network for Manufacturing Innovation, which is already helping more workers and businesses make it in America.

These investments make our economy stronger and are of long-term benefit to our economy. If we are going to

pass this bill, we should recognize their value. To that end, my amendment would broaden the underlying bill and apply it to major investments in education, infrastructure, economic growth, and job creation--smart investments to help hard-working families all across our Nation.

These are the issues that the American people want us to focus on, so let's work together across the aisle, Republicans and Democrats, to improve this bill and to invest in a better future for our children.

I urge support for my amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Chairman, I first want to thank my friend, the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Polis) for his work on this issue and for leading this amendment.

I rise today in support of this substitute amendment that I am offering with Mr. Polis and several colleagues in an effort to fix the issues with this legislation, but I wish I wasn't even here today to talk about this amendment. That is because this bill was originally introduced as a bipartisan bill to address a specific problem.

As we have seen all too often around here, the bill that is on the floor today doesn't look anything like it did when it was introduced. The bill that we are considering today wouldn't just address a water rights issue between ski areas and the Forest Service. It would go much further than that, impacting our national park system, wildlife refuges, hydropower relicenses, and so much more.

Where I come from, that doesn't make much sense. I came here to work with both parties to find common ground and to get things done. Instead of pushing partisan legislation that has no chance of becoming law, we should be working together on real solutions. That is why I joined Mr. Polis to offer this substitute amendment.

What it will do is simple. It will narrow this bill so that it only addresses the issue between ski areas and the Forest Service. There is no need for this legislation to do anything more than that.

Let's pass the Polis amendment and start working together on commonsense policies to create jobs and opportunity for the middle class.

Again, I thank Mr. Polis for his work on this issue.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of one of my district's finest residents and greatest contributors: Ann R. Lally, of Salem, New Hampshire. Next week, Ms. Lally, who serves as President of Salem Co-operative Bank, will be honored with the Chief John P. Ganley Community Service Award, which recognizes outstanding individuals who exhibit great concern, involvement, and leadership in the town of Salem in New Hampshire's southern tier.

The award is named in honor of John P. Ganley, who served the Salem community as police chief before his death in 1989. Ms. Lally honors Chief Ganley's memory each day through her tireless efforts to strengthen the community, both through her work at the bank and on the many local boards on which she serves.

Over 28 years at Salem Co-operative, Ms. Lally has helped to support countless children and other community members through the bank's charitable wing, the Salem Community Benefit, which provides funding for education, youth development, and other community agencies. As a board member of the Greater Salem Chamber of Commerce, she was instrumental in the creation of the Hidden Jewel Awards, which honor deserving women for their contributions to the Salem area; and as president of the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salem, she helped lead a capital campaign to help fund renovations and expansion at the community center.

Through her dedicated service to these and other organizations, Ms. Lally has made Salem a stronger, healthier, and happier place to live, work, and raise a family. On March 17, the Greater Salem Boys and Girls Club will honor her with the prestigious Ganley Award. As the Salem community celebrates Ms. Lally, I urge all Granite Staters and all Americans to join them in honoring her many contributions to our state and our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, today, I honor the life of Master Sergeant David Poirier, a New Hampshire National Guardsmen who passed away late last month while serving in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Master Sergeant Poirier was an exemplary Guardsman, a long-serving Postmaster in his hometown of Atkinson, and a great family man. His service reminds us of the sacrifice our National Guardsmen and their families make on behalf of our state and our country.

In recent years, we have asked these brave men and women to leave friends and family at home as they supported Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom, and performed humanitarian missions around the world. We must not forget how much our Guardsmen give to keep us all safe, prosperous, and free. May Master Sergeant Poirier rest in peace, and may we honor him by celebrating the service and sacrifice of all those who wear the uniform each and every day.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 119, had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Madam Speaker, today, I rise in support of comprehensive immigration reform.

Our borders remain vulnerable, employers game the system by hiring undocumented workers, and millions of individuals are living in the shadows.

This status quo fails to meet the needs of businesses, is unfair to workers, and is holding back economic growth and opportunity in New Hampshire and all across this country.

Congress must prioritize the consideration of bipartisan legislation to comprehensively reform and modernize our immigration system: H.R. 15, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act.

It has been over 200 days since the Senate passed similar reform legislation, and it is long past time for the House of Representatives to do the same.

Republicans and Democrats must work together to take this common step to better secure our country and to reward those who work hard and are strengthening our economy.

Comprehensive immigration reform would strengthen our borders, combat illegal immigration, and create new opportunities for individual achievement and the pursuit of the American Dream.

Madam Speaker, I implore you: bring this important bill to the floor.

Madam Speaker, today, the House will, once again, vote to restrict access to our reproductive health care. H.R. 7 would callously deny coverage to comprehensive health care for millions of women across America.

When women are denied the freedom to make their own personal health care decisions, their economic opportunities are diminished as well. Instead of denying tax credits to women and small businesses seeking affordable health coverage, Congress needs to work together to empower women and increase opportunity.

We should start by passing the Paycheck Fairness Act so every woman deserves and receives equal pay for equal work. This week marks the fifth anniversary of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act being signed into law. Enactment of this law was a landmark achievement in the fight against gender discrimination, but there is so much work to do.

Madam Speaker, Congress needs to get to work for women, not against women.

Madam Speaker, one of the most common stories I hear from my constituents is the struggle to survive from paycheck to paycheck and to support their families.

Maria Shriver's new report detailing the economic challenges for women in America is in the news this week, and its findings are shocking.

We face the alarming reality that one in three women either live in poverty or are right on the brink. Two-thirds of the primary or co- breadwinners in American families are women, yet women earn just 77 cents for every dollar earned by men performing the same jobs.

Ensuring that men and women receive equal pay for equal work isn't just a matter of fairness; it is a matter of economic necessity. Especially in these tough economic times, smaller paychecks and lack of paid family leave for women make it harder for mothers to support their families, purchase health care, send their kids to college, and save for retirement.

Congress must take the next step and institute new policies that support women and their families.

As a Nation, we can and must do better.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in strong support for renewing the Emergency Unemployment Compensation program.

Because Congress failed to act, this vital program expired on December 28

of last year. Just 3 days after Christmas, 1.3 million Americans, including over 1,000 Granite Staters, were cut off from their benefits. Each week of congressional inaction, as many as 150 additional Granite Staters will lose access to benefits.

This compensation provides a critical lifeline to Granite Staters and other Americans who are struggling to find work.

This includes my constituent Lois Little, a teacher who wrote to me from Colebrook, New Hampshire. At the end of the last school year, Lois lost her job after teaching for 29 years because of falling enrollment in her rural school district. Over the last few months, she has applied to over 100 jobs, without any luck.

Her savings have been exhausted, unemployment benefits are now her only source of income, and she is worried about whether she can keep her home.

Let's come together and give Lois a chance. Let's renew Emergency Unemployment Compensation today.

Mr. Speaker, as we approach the end of the calendar year, I am proud that both Chambers have finally come together to pass the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act. This important bill will help ensure that the men and women of our armed services have the resources they need to do their jobs and keep our country safe.

I am especially pleased that this legislation includes important reforms to help prevent military sexual assaults by better protecting whistleblowers and holding perpetrators accountable for their actions. This critical reform is an amendment from legislation introduced by my Republican colleague from Indiana, Representative Jackie Walorski, and my Democratic colleague from California, Representative Loretta Sanchez, that passed the House with 110 bipartisan cosponsors and nearly 50 Members of our freshmen class.

Because of our joint efforts working across the aisle, this is a great first step in further protecting our heroes in uniform who take the extra heroic step of coming forward to blow the whistle on military sexual crimes. It has been an honor to help build support for this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to continue to work to end sexual violence in our military.

Mr. Speaker, the National Institutes of Health has helped make America one of the great engines of biomedical discovery.

NIH funding is critical for NIH to sustain its mission of improving health through scientific breakthroughs and maintain our international leadership.

I am proud that some of the world's best scientific research is taking place right here in New Hampshire. In New Hampshire, lifesaving research at Dartmouth College and UNH is made possible by NIH grants.

Unfortunately, the first year of sequestration required NIH to cut 5 percent of its budget. Many of America's young scientists are leaving the U.S. to pursue their research abroad for more stable positions.

If the sequestration were to continue for the full 10 years, NIH would lose a staggering $19 billion, and our Nation would lose precious time in its race against Alzheimer's disease, cancer, autism, HIV/AIDS, and countless other diseases that cause pain and suffering.

I urge congressional leaders to approve robust funding for NIH and to reverse the damaging impact of sequestration on research programs.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in support of H.R. 3546, the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2013.

Without congressional action, the Federal Emergency Unemployment

Compensation program will expire just days after Christmas. If this happens, 1.3 million Americans, including 1,300 Granite Staters, will be cut off from their benefits on December 28. We cannot let that happen. These benefits provide a vital lifeline to Granite Staters and Americans all across this country who are struggling to find work.

With only 8 legislative days remaining before the end of 2013, the time is now to extend this critical program. This bill would extend unemployment insurance through the end of 2014, giving hardworking people in New Hampshire the boost they need to find work.

I recently held a Career and Opportunities Fair, where I saw over 300 people striving for a better job and a brighter future. Let's give them that chance. Please pass this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, today, as we mark National Transgender Day of Remembrance, I rise in support of H.R. 1755, the Employment Non- Discrimination Act.

Earlier this month, the Senate made history by passing employment protections for transgender workers for the first time ever. This bipartisan legislation is about one thing: ensuring that all Americans, regardless of who they are or who they love, are treated with the dignity and equality that they deserve.

Last week, I heard from a teenager constituent in New Hampshire who would be deeply impacted by this bill. This courageous young man is just beginning to search for his first job, but he is worried that he will be at a significant disadvantage right off the bat because he is transgender.

Finding a job in tough economic times is hard enough without the obstacle of discrimination. We must work toward becoming a country that rewards the hard work of every person, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Mr. Speaker, despite my significant frustration with the rollout of the Affordable Care Act, I remain committed to increasing access to affordable health care for every Granite Stater. To that end, I support efforts to ensure that folks who like their current health plan can keep them for another year.

In New Hampshire, Granite Staters already have the option of renewing their current plans; and I believe that families across the country should be able to do the same, and I will support good-faith efforts to do that.

But the Affordable Care Act is not a perfect law, and I am committed to improving it. Make no mistake; we cannot go back to the days when insurance companies were free to deny insurance coverage for people with preexisting conditions, or simply because they were female and their rates would be higher, or to drop people from their plans because they got sick, or to drop people from their plans because they grew older and were not living in their own home with the family.

I will continue to work with anybody who is serious about making this law work and to ensure that Granite Staters have access to the quality, affordable health care that they deserve.