Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life of an extraordinary man, Judge Howard Holtzmann, who passed away hours before his 92nd birthday on December 9, 2013.

Howard was the son of the late Lillian Plotz Holtzmann and Jacob L. Holtzmann. He attended the Poly Prep Country Day School, Yale College and Yale Law School. He loved all things `Yale' and served it in many ways for seven decades, earning the prestigious award of the Yale Medal in 2006. Yale was one of many beneficiaries of Howard Holtzmann's legendary philanthropy. He endowed the Jewish Chaplaincy at Yale, the first such position at an American college campus. He also endowed a professorship in international law and established fellowships in that field.

Judge Holtzmann, a brilliant attorney, was an original member of the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal and served as a member of the United States Delegation to the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law. An acknowledged expert in arbitration, he wrote and edited many books and treatises on the subject. He held leadership positions as a trustee or member of many organizations, including the Jewish Theological Seminary, St. Bonaventure University, the American Foreign Law Association, the Environmental Law Institute, Pace Law, the American Arbitration Association and the New York Weill Cornell Council.

Judge Holtzmann is survived by his beloved wife, Carol, and his devoted daughters, Susie and Betsey. He also leaves his grandsons, McLaren (Jodi), Anthony (Erin) and Abe Noyes, and Jill van Berg (David Manella), Elizabeth van Berg and Allison van Berg. He also leaves five great-grandchildren, and at the time of his death was aware that a sixth was due within days. He also leaves his step-daughter Louise Mullen (Henry) and his step-son William van Berg. He was preceded in death by his first wife Anne Fisher Holtzmann and his step-son, Peter van Berg.

I have the privilege of knowing Judge Holtzmann's daughter, Susie Richardson, a

highly regarded member of the Palo Alto community who has contributed in countless ways to the civic life of our region. She is a woman of integrity and conscience, and I'm proud to call her my friend.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the extraordinary life of Howard M. Holtzmann, a great and good man who will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him. His humanity, brilliance, patriotism, generosity and his distinguished family are the legacies he leaves, making our nation stronger and better. For all this and more, the U.S. House of Representatives extends its deepest condolences to the entire Holtzmann family.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life of Jennie Mirza Eshoo who passed away on November 27, 2013, in Turlock, California at the age of 98. Born in Chicago, Illinois on July 17, 1915, to Aghassi and Martha Mirza, Jennie was the first-born in her family of five sisters and two brothers. She graduated from Waller High School in 1934, and was accepted to the University of Illinois. Though she was unable to attend college due to the Depression, she devoted herself to lifelong learning. She was an avid reader of biographies, history, the National Geographic, Smithsonian, her local newspapers and many other publications. Most of all, she cherished her Bible and its words nourished her soul over a lifetime.

Jennie married Paul Eshoo on September 22, 1934, in Chicago, Illinois. In October, 1936, they bought a farm in Turlock, California, where they farmed wine grapes, walnuts, and chickens.

Jennie was a homemaker for many years, and later in life she took a position at Stanislaus State University when it first opened, and later worked as a teacher's aide. She enjoyed traveling and was able to visit the Holy Land and Europe twice. She was extremely active in and deeply devoted to her church, St. John's Presbyterian, where she served as Elder, Clerk of the Session, Delegate to the Stockton Presbytery, and many other leadership roles.

Jennie was a charter member of the Assyrian American Civic Club and was honored in 2011 as the Club's oldest charter member. She volunteered until the age of 90 for the Emanuel Medical Center Auxiliary, and was a member of the Senior Citizens of Turlock. She volunteered for decades as a poll worker, dedicating herself to one of the great manifestations of a democracy, voting. Her life was devoted to Christ and her community, and she served as a role model for all who were privileged to know her.

Jennie was preceded in death by her husband Paul Eshoo and her sister Esther Aziz. She leaves four children; Peter and Genny Eshoo of Buffalo Grove, Illinois; George Eshoo of Menlo Park, California; Agnes and John Williams of Livermore, California; Alice and

Dale Pollard of Turlock, eight grandchildren and eight great- grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. As Jennie was being taken to her final resting place, the family received the sad news that her sister, Julia Alexander, had just passed. She is now survived by two sisters and two brothers.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life of a patriot. Jennie Eshoo was a woman who served her community, her church and her country with great dedication, and today the entire House of Representatives extends it condolences to all her family.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Michael T. Burns, who is retiring as the General Manager of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority after eight years of highly distinguished service to the users and employees of our public transit system.

Michael Burns has been an outstanding leader of the VTA. He's been a dependable steward of public funds. He has improved efficiency and transit services, secured federal grants, and completed major capital projects. Under his leadership, VTA opened its first express lanes and developed a partnership with Caltrans called the iTEAM to deliver highway projects in Silicon Valley more effectively. He initiated bus rapid transit on heavily traveled corridors, and promoted the use of the latest technological innovations. He has also fostered recognition of deserving employees and enhanced diversity in the workplace.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring a thoroughbred professional, Michael T. Burns, on the occasion of his retirement from the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority. He has served with honor and distinction, and earned the respect of his fellow public servants and the entire community.

The shoes of Michael Burns will be difficult to fill, but he leaves the VTA on sound financial footing. I wish him every blessing in his well deserved retirement and salute him for a storied career in public service in the transportation sector. He has strengthened the Silicon Valley region and our country with his extraordinary leadership and our entire community is grateful to him.

Mr. Speaker, I was not present during rollcall vote Nos. 612, 613 and 614, on December 2, 2013, due to a flight delay. I would like the record to reflect how I would have voted: On rollcall vote No. 612, I would have voted ``yes.'' On rollcall vote No. 613, I would have voted ``yes.'' On rollcall vote No. 614, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with my colleagues Jackie Speier and Mike Thompson, to honor the life of the Honorable William F. Schumacher, who died peacefully and suddenly on November 3, 2013, at his home in Palm Desert, California.

Bill Schumacher was born in San Francisco in 1937. His mother, Anita Doyle, died when Bill was two years old, leaving Bill and his brother Robert to be raised by their father Edward with the help of Edward's parents, Eutropia and Dominick Schumacher and later his wife Hazel Westphal. Bill was a graduate of both Saint Anne Grammar School and Lincoln High School. After serving in the Army, which included 15 months in Korea, he returned to graduate from San Francisco State University, and then went on to earn a JD from the University of San Francisco.

Bill Schumacher was our good friend for over three decades. He loved people and he loved working on their behalf through his public service, which he did as a police officer, a college teacher, a member of the school board, a Daly City Councilman and Mayor, and as a member and Chairman of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. He was an attorney, a Boy Scout volunteer and a wise observer of politics, both local and national. It was a wonderful privilege to serve with him, be his friend, and laugh with him. Bill's love for public service was infectious, and he was a joyful and savvy politician. He knew the minute details of public policy, and he was a `North County guy' through and through who never forgot from whence he came. He was passionate about protecting the working stiff, Daly City and the powerless. He always had a joke and a warm smile to greet you and started almost every conversation with ``Lookin' good''. He was a leader always looking to make peace and make a deal.

Mr. Speaker, we ask our colleagues to join us in honoring the life and memory of a great and good man who served the people of San Mateo County with honor and generosity, and enjoyed the respect of the entire community. We ask our colleagues to extend to his wife Liz, the love of his life, and his entire family our most sincere sympathy for their loss. In addition to his wife Elizabeth J. Terra Schumacher, Bill leaves his children Michael and Sharon Schumacher and their sons Taylor, Sean and Tim; James Schumacher and his sons Baxter and Niland; Diane Schumacher; and Gina Gibbons. He also leaves Liz's children, Gabrielle and Richard Modolo, and their daughters Sarah, Katherine and Richelle; and Marc and Shannon Pedone and their son Joseph.

Bill Schumacher will be missed by everyone who had the good fortune to know him, and we count ourselves among those so blessed. Our community was strengthened by his life of service, and our country has been immensely bettered by his patriotism, optimism and goodness.

Mr. Speaker, Barry Kevin Sullivan has come to be known as ``the man to know in the House.'' Serving as Chief Information Officer in the Democratic Cloakroom, Members have been looking to him for the past 33 years for everything from the now famous ``Best Guesstimate for Last Vote,'' to last night's Red Sox score. When Members need to get a pulse reading on the floor, they turn to Barry. He is command central, and it's a job he's been masterful at.

This hasn't been by mere coincidence.

Barry is the son of Evelyn and Leo Sullivan. His father served as Massachusetts State Senator and Boston Police Commissioner who escorted President-elect John F. Kennedy from Logan International to the Boston Garden for his victory rally. He is an alumnus of Boston State University and a Beacon Hill veteran. His mentor Congressman Joe Moakley groomed him and Speaker Tip O'Neill promoted him. Barry Sullivan's pedigree has made him a consummate professional and uniquely and exceptionally suited to manage the cloakroom.

I rise to honor Barry Sullivan for his 33 years of service in the House Democratic Cloakroom and for being one of the most loyal and trustworthy people I've ever met. His kindnesses to me have been endless and he has enriched my daily service in the House for 21 years. I wish Barry every blessing in his retirement, enjoying happy and healthy days with his wife and the pride of his life, their three sons. May there be more time for bluefishing for Horseshoe Shoal, and cheering on the Red Sox.

Here's to you, Barry. God bless you and thank you for the honorable service you have given to our nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary life of an extraordinary woman, Irene Genevieve Strangio, who died at the age of 89 in Mountain View, California, on October 21, 2013. Her beloved Mountain View community was the beneficiary of so much of her brilliance and activism, and our world is a better place because she graced it.

Irene Strangio was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Robert and Irene Thornton and was the eldest of seven siblings. Irene made Mountain View her home and gave it her all. Known for her generous heart, she often shared with family and friends her artistic talents, knack for journalism, and popular kitchen abilities. As a trained R.N. she dispensed professionalism mixed with caring, and her work ethic shined through anything she set her mind to.

Irene was the loving mother of five children: Marie, Jes, Elizabeth, Michael, and Janis, and the devoted grandmother and great-grandmother to many. She leaves behind countless friends and I feel privileged to count myself among them. Irene, her husband John who predeceased her, and their family have been my friends since 1966.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in extending our condolences to the entire Strangio family who mourn the passing of this great and good woman. I'm deeply grateful to have known Irene and even prouder to call her my friend. Through her integrity, decency and wisdom, she strengthened each of us and made our community and our country better.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the PREEMIE Reauthorization Act, bipartisan legislation I introduced with Congressman Leonard Lance to expand research, education, and prevention of preterm birth. This legislation will reauthorize important programs created by the first PREEMIE Act, which I championed in 2006.

November is Prematurity Awareness Month, and it has come with good news. Just days ago, the March of Dimes announced that the preterm birth rate in America dropped for the sixth consecutive year to 11.5 percent largely due to the original PREEMIE Act.

But each year, half a million babies are still born prematurely. Preterm birth is the leading cause of newborn mortality and the second leading cause of infant mortality. Babies born even a few weeks too early can require weeks to months of hospitalization after birth, and premature birth can sometimes lead to developmental delays and disability later in life.

In addition to the emotional and physical toll of prematurity, there are significant health care costs to families, medical systems and our economy. A report by the Institute of Medicine found the cost associated with preterm birth in the United States was $26.2 billion annually, or $51,600 per infant born preterm. While employers, private insurers and individuals bear approximately about half of the costs of health care for these infants, 40 percent is paid by Medicaid.

We are making great strides in reducing infant mortality-the U.S. infant mortality rate fell by 12 percent between 2005 and 2011, in part due to the decline in premature births. Unfortunately, we still fall far behind the majority of other developed countries, and this is something we have the power to change with continued research and prevention.

The PREEMIE Reauthorization Act will help us learn the causes of premature birth by requiring the HHS Advisory Committee on Infant Mortality to develop a report that identifies research gaps and opportunities to implement evidence-based strategies to reduce preterm birth rates. Appropriate representatives of the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Health and Services Administration should be involved in developing this report along with the experts from the Advisory Committee.

In my Congressional District, Stanford University teamed up with the March of Dimes to establish the transdisciplinary March of Dimes Prematurity Research Center in 2011. These NIH-funded researchers are bringing cutting-edge medical discoveries from the lab to the bedside. In the last two years, they've made new discoveries that reduce preterm birth and made great strides in ensuring that the tiniest preemies are given the best chance at life.

The PREEMIE Reauthorization Act passed the Senate unanimously on September 25th and I ask my colleagues in the House to follow their lead and send this bill to the President's desk for his signature.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Nathan S. Goodwin, of Glendale, Wisconsin, who passed away peacefully on October 5, 2013 at the age of 93.

Nathan Goodwin proudly served his country as an Army Warrant Officer in the Pacific during World War II. He returned to Wisconsin after the war where he raised four children with his wife of 64 years, Eleanor (nee Siegman). He was President of Temple Beth El's Men's Club and devoted his free time to fishing, gin rummy and poker.

Nathan Goodwin loved his family deeply and is survived by his beloved wife Eleanor, his children Jack (Patricia) Goodwin, Alan (Claudia) Goodwin and Julie (Michael) Walker. He was predeceased by his son Richard (the late Susanne) Goodwin. He was the fond brother of the late Adeline (the late Max) Nelson and loving grandfather of Stefenie Goodwin, Jordan (Christine) Goodwin; Hannah Goodwin, Emily Goodwin; Molly Walker and Nora Walker. I'm proud to have his granddaughter Erica Goodwin as part of my Washington, D.C. congressional staff.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life and accomplishments of Nathan S. Goodwin, and join me in extending our condolences to the entire Goodwin family. Their loss is also a loss to our nation of a good and decent man who lived an exemplary life as a citizen, a patriot, a husband, a father and a grandfather.

Mr. Speaker, today is the 11th day of the government shutdown, with 800,000 government employees still out of work, including 1,400 of my constituents, due to this reckless, irresponsible and high-risk venture of House Republicans. $12.5 million is being lost every hour in work and services the government is unable to perform. Thousands of small businesses and startups--the backbone of America's economy--are without SBA's guaranteed loans and regulatory approval. And the latest estimate from the Treasury is that if Congress doesn't vote to raise the debt ceiling by October 17th there is a virtual guarantee that our economy and the global economy could implode.

Let's recall how we arrived here as we reach the end of the second week of this government shutdown. It all began when House Republicans insisted that the Affordable Care Act be repealed in order to win their votes to keep the government functioning.

This non-starter demand has now bled into the debt ceiling debate and mutated into a litany of others: offshore oil drilling permits; ending ``net neutrality'' policies; approving the Keystone XL pipeline; defunding the 2010 Wall Street reform law; and piecemeal funding of popular government programs. If I were to try to explain this to small children, I'd say it's as if Harry Potter overdosed on polyjuice potion.

What I can only expect next from House Republicans is something we'd find in a children's fantasy book, which is meaningless in the real world. It's meaningless for the millions of Americans the government shutdown affects, and the low-income mothers and their

infants without nutrition benefits. It's meaningless for pre-school children left without a Head Start program, and the hundreds of people infected with salmonella because the FDA couldn't do its job.

Mr. Speaker, the House Republicans need to drop the fantasies and bring a bill to the floor to reopen the government with no strings attached. Let's raise the debt ceiling like we've always done to pay America's bills. Let's end this manufactured crisis so we can negotiate a long-term, fiscally responsible path forward for our country. Let's do the job the American people sent us here to do.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Sister Joan McKenna, a member of the Religious of the Sacred Heart and a highly distinguished educator, who died in Atherton, California on September 12, 2013. She was born in San Francisco on January 19, 1932, to Henry and Agnes McGuire McKenna.

Sister McKenna leaves her only sister, Kathleen P. McKenna, and her beloved community of Sacred Heart Sisters. She also leaves generations of children who were blessed by her teaching and her love, as well as the hundreds of people whose lives she graced with her caring and genuine interest.

Sister McKenna was a remarkable woman who represented the gold standard in education in ways almost too numerous to recount. She was raised in San Francisco and educated in a parish school. As a high school student she was given a full scholarship to Sacred Heart Schools Broadway where she continued to excel and where she developed her deep respect for the Religious of the Sacred Heart and their dedication to educating the ``whole child.''

Sister McKenna received her B.A. and her M.A. in History from the San Francisco College for Women. She later received her M.A. in Theology and her J.D. from the University of San Francisco. From each of these institutions she received training that developed her inborn talents, and to each of them she returned what she received tenfold, or more.

After joining the Religious of the Sacred Heart, Sister McKenna taught history and religious studies at Sacred Heart Schools in El Cajon, San Francisco and Atherton. In addition to her teaching, she was Dean of Students and Assistant to the President at the San Francisco College for Women. After receiving her law degree she spent three years working as a legal assistant for the San Francisco City Attorney's Office in the Juvenile Court. She served as Principal at Sacred Heart Broadway and Director of Schools at Sacred Heart Atherton. Over the years she served on the Boards at each of these institutions, as well as the Oakwood retirement home for the Religious, and for Catholic Charities of San Francisco. Before her retirement she was a lecturer in theology and religious studies at the University of San Francisco, a volunteer mentor for teachers, and a tutor for students at St. Martin de Porres School in Oakland. She retired in 2011 Sister Joan McKenna's life was one of learning and helping others to learn in a tradition of values-based education that she treasured. She was a loving friend to me and my family, educating and mentoring my daughter, Karen Eshoo. As one colleague of hers recalled, ``she quoted Micah and told her students to `act justly, love tenderly, and walk humbly with their God.' These simple words were made all the more powerful by the fact that they were delivered by one who lived them herself and one who consistently made her faith so accessible to others.''

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in extending our deepest condolences to the RSCJ community and all those who were privileged to know Sister Joan McKenna. She was a most extraordinary woman who blessed our country as a superb educator, inspired countless students to lead lives of value, and strengthened our nation immeasurably.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 3102.

A vote for this bill is a vote to cut $40 billion from U.S. food-aid programs, specifically to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. It's a vote to take food away from millions of Americans in poverty, and it's a vote to poison America's economic growth from the ground up.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that the cuts in this bill will cause 14 million people to lose SNAP benefits in the next decade.

The head of the local food bank in my District, the Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties, told me yesterday that her organization [quote] ``simply cannot fill the meal gap these cuts would create'' [unquote]. This means children, the elderly, veterans, single mothers, and others who rely on SNAP will go hungry.

SNAP benefits are part of America's social safety net. Like unemployment insurance, SNAP is a part of our economic recovery strategy.

And it's been a successful strategy.

According to the Census Bureau, SNAP lifted 4 million people out of poverty in 2012--the highest level on record. That's in addition to making tens of millions more Americans less poor by reducing the gap between their income and the poverty line.

Seventy-five percent of households receiving SNAP benefits have a senior citizen, a child, or a person with a disability. Fifty percent of households receiving SNAP benefits live below the poverty line.

These are the faces of our fellow Americans. These are the people who will be hurt by this pernicious bill.

Vote no on H.R. 3102.

I want to begin by thanking the ranking member. I also want to thank the chairman of the committee, and most especially my colleague and friend, Congressman Wolf.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 301, a bill that will create a Special Envoy to Promote Religious Freedom of Religious Minorities in the Near East and South Central Asia.

This legislation responds, as has been said so eloquently by those that spoke before me, to the urgent needs of Christians and other religious minorities who are really under siege in the Middle East precisely because they are Christians and because they are minorities.

In light of the ongoing events in Syria, this legislation could not be more timely. I commend Representative Frank Wolf, whom I have worked closely with as cochair of the Religious Minorities Caucus, for his partnership in this effort. Most importantly, I thank him for his conscience.

We first introduced this legislation in 2011 after Congressman Wolf chaired a hearing to review the violence and the hardship faced by Middle Eastern religious minorities. I testified that day about the plight of who I am descended from, the Assyrians--the world's oldest Christians who have fled and continue to flee Iraq.

We agreed to press forward with this legislation to create a Special Envoy at the State Department, the ambassador level, to elevate this issue for the attention that it deserves. The United States of America needs a high-level official dedicated to religious freedom in the region and committed to addressing the concerns of minority communities.

Appropriately, H.R. 301 has attracted solid bipartisan support, with 68 cosponsors calling for the State Department to elevate religious freedom in the Middle East as a diplomatic priority of our country.

Just as Senator John Danforth served our Nation as Special Envoy to Sudan and Senator George Mitchell Special Envoy to Northern Ireland, religious minorities in the Middle East require and deserve a high- level authoritative voice to address their situation.

The history of violence against Christians in the Middle East must not be allowed to repeat itself, and it is. Notably, Syria's ancient Christian population, which makes up 10 percent of the country, has been forced to flee their ancestral homeland, as noted in today's New York Times in a lengthy article.

Churches have been, and continue to be, attacked and sacred objects ransacked, and the very lives of those that stand against this are being threatened.

The Christians of Syria, as well as Iraq, Iran, Israel, and Egypt, are the oldest in the world. Christianity was from the beginning a Middle Eastern religion. The Assyrian Christians, the Chaldeans, actually celebrate mass in Aramaic, which is the language Jesus spoke. For more than 2,000 years, Christians have been a key part of the Middle Eastern community.

From the founding of our Nation, religious freedom has been a pillar of our democracy, and it remains one of the great hallmarks of our country.

I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting this critical legislation to create a Special Envoy focused on the freedom and survival of these ancient faith communities, and I thank Representative Wolf most especially for his tireless advocacy.

I also thank the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for supporting this legislation and for writing to every Member of the House urging their full support, as well as the honor roll of faith-based organizations who support the legislation.

Let us go forward and send a very clear message, not only to the other legislative body, but also to people

around the world, that we remain the beacon of hope and light and that we uphold this pillar of religious freedom, not only in our own Nation but in countries around the world where people of faith are under siege.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of an extraordinary young man, Michael Vosburg-Casey, who passed away on July 31, 2013, in Atlanta, Georgia.

Michael will forever be remembered as a devoted husband to his wife Amy, adoring father of his daughter Elena, and the loving son of Betty and Tom Casey. He will be deeply missed by his brother Dr. Daniel Casey and his wife Sarah and children Megan and Brendan; and by his sister Elizabeth Casey Pereira and her husband Vincent. I count myself blessed to have known the Casey family for many decades, and I'm proud to be among the countless people who know and respect their family.

Michael Casey was born in Redwood City, California on March 13, 1974 and attended local schools. A graduate of Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose and Colby College in Maine, he worked briefly for the San Mateo County Park System. He then joined the Jesuit Volunteer Corp, moved to Texas, then Atlanta, and eventually joined the Open Door Community and worked with the Georgia Justice Project where he met his wife Amy Vosburg. Michael's unswerving faith moved him to take on every cause with a passion--helping the homeless, visiting prisoners, and serving the poor. He devoted his life to pursuing peace and justice, and annually protested against the School of the Americas. Michael's commitment was so great that he willingly served time in federal prison for his beliefs.

His three-year-old daughter was the joy of his life. He brought her with him to visit the sick, to soup kitchens and to demonstrate for peace. He was a piano tuner, a chicken farmer, and he taught his daughter to sing and dance in the rain. Michael was a force for good and a courageous, generous fighter for justice for all.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the extraordinary life and accomplishments of Michael Vosburg-Casey and extend our sympathy to his entire family. His time on earth was brief, but his love of humanity, his decency and his integrity touched countless others, strengthening his community and his country immeasurably.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in support of H.R. 2844, a bill to streamline many of the outdated reporting requirements that Congress has placed on the Federal Communications Commission. At a time when agency resources are limited, this bill, I think, is an example of how to make the FCC's reporting obligations more efficient, which in turn will ensure that the agency can focus on its mission to protect the public interest and promote competition across the communications marketplace.

The bill also ensures that the FCC has the flexibility to continue assessing the state of competition, which is so essential and so important in our

country across the entire communications marketplace, including particular submarkets like wireless, cable, and satellite. This data is vital to both consumers and to policymakers.

I want to thank Chairman Walden; certainly the chairman of the full committee, Chairman Upton; and most especially, Representative Scalise, for pursuing this legislation in a bipartisan manner and for working with me to ensure that the expert agency, the FCC, was included in our deliberations.

Mr. Speaker, the House passed a similar bill in the last Congress. So I recommend to all of our colleagues this very sensible bill that, again, is something that all Members can stand for, and that is to streamline a Federal agency and kind of get rid of some of the weeds of the past and clear a better path for the agency to continue, again, assessing the state of competition across the entire communications marketplace.

So with that, Mr. Speaker, I don't believe I have any speakers on this side. I urge my colleagues--everyone in the House--to support the bill. I think it deserves that kind of support.

I yield back the balance of my time.