Floor Statements

Thank you very much, Tom.

You know, for years, I operated two small businesses. One was a small Internet company, and the other one was a coffee shop. I remember years ago, before I sold one of my businesses, a national coffee chain came into town.

And we weren't given any special Federal protection. When you're faced with competition, you do what any small business does. You know what you need to do. You know how to compete and lower price or serve a better product. And I don't know why the insurance industry for over 60 years has been afforded this special exemption from antitrust laws.

There are only two industries in the United States that enjoy this exemption: It's the insurance industry and Major League Baseball. Okay, I can understand Major League Baseball. It is our national pastime. But why they have been able to have no competition in the industry, it also affords no innovation in the industry because there is no competition.

Over the past 14 years, there have been over 400 mergers in the insurance industry so that now 95 percent of the insurance market is considered highly concentrated. There are States that have one or two insurance companies that are serving them.

Again, when we had a small computer business, we had several employees who were across State lines, and we had the availability of one insurance company. The prices were expensive. It wasn't necessarily what my employees wanted to do, but there was no competition in the industry.

This is commonsense regulation. It's, as Congressman Perriello noted, two pages long, easy to understand, and, again, it does what we want to do with health insurance reform, which is, number one, bring competition to lower prices and still maintain affordable health care in this country.

With that, I would like to turn it over to my colleague Representative Tonko.

Thank you. And you're right. The rate increases that families are experiencing right now are absolutely unsustainable.

I was home in Colorado last weekend. I spoke to one woman, she had gotten an increase in her premiums for next year of 35 percent.

Another small business owner in Greeley told me he got a rate increase of 39 percent. How can you afford that?

And this is at the same time we're hearing on the news that the insurance industry, as a whole, has realized an over 50 percent increase in their profit in 2009 and 2008. And yet insurance premiums are going through the roof.

Now, this is not anything new. We have seen the Ford Commission, antitrust commission, recommend that Congress take action on eliminating this exemption. President Bush's Antitrust Modernization Commission, just a couple of years ago, recommended that Congress take action.

And in 2007, Republican Senator Trent Lott and Democrat Pat Leahy got together and proposed legislation that was actually more sweeping than this that affected more parts of the insurance industry. And at that time, Senator Lott said, I cannot, for the life of me, understand why we have allowed this exemption to stay in place for so long. He testified in 2007 in front of the Judiciary Committee for that, with that statement.

This has broad appeal with many organizations as well. The repeal of this exemption is supported by the American Hospital Association, the American Dental Association, and the National Association of Attorney Generals. They met 2 years ago, because right now the States are responsible for monitoring this, and they just don't have the resources to do this. Forty-seven out of 50 of our Attorney Generals around this country have said Congress needs to take action to repeal the antitrust exemption from insurance companies. The other three were not in attendance, but they voted no. Not a single State Attorney General supports having this exemption for the insurance industry. It's high time.

Now, I don't like to demonize one particular industry. There's nothing wrong with the notion of profit in this country. We are a capitalist Nation. But the fact is that we also, here in Congress, need to be guided by the fundamental notion of fairness. And the simple fact is that, one, one industry in this country has had an unfair competitive advantage, and that needs to end.

I want to thank my colleague from California who has unique experience with the industry and in this field for your perspective on this.

My colleague from New York has talked about competition. And it has been competition that has made this country great. I want to expand on that a little bit as well to talk about innovation. We have always been a country of entrepreneurs and innovators, and when you have an industry, an entire industry that can set prices, can collude with their partners, you have no innovation in the industry.

Some of our Republican colleagues were talking just a short while ago, and one of them was talking about health savings accounts. I am a supporter of health savings accounts as well. My sister and her husband wanted to get a health savings account with catastrophic health care, but because of their age and because of where they live, they could not find an insurance company that would offer that type of product for them, which would help them to save money and to really bring transparency to the system to know what they were spending their health care dollars on; and many people want that option. They weren't able to get it because it was not available in their part of the country.

Why? Because there is no need to. There is absolutely no incentive for our insurance industry to innovate, to change the system, to offer new products, to compete on prices. This is what the heart of this bill gets to. It

gets to competition and innovation in the system, which again is going to lower prices and, as we have all noted, doesn't cost the government a dime.

We should be able to get bipartisan support on this legislation tomorrow.

We, as Members of Congress, we come here to look at all sides of an issue. That is our responsibility, to look at the pros and cons of legislation. Most of the issues that we deal with are very, very complex. Oftentimes, we are voting on a bill. We may like some parts of the bill, we may not like other parts of the bill, but you can't say, I will vote ``yea,'' but let's change this. You have to vote ``yes'' or ``no.''

And I have looked--I think we all have--on all sides of this piece. We have talked to people in the industry. This seems pretty straightforward to me. The only argument that I have heard against this antitrust exemption is from the insurance industry themselves, who have said, well, the States can do it. The States have been doing it for 60 years. That is sufficient. Let the States do it. But yet the States are saying we can't do this. This is unfair to put this burden on us, as the State attorney generals have noted. And this is a Federal issue.

And why, why have we singled out just one industry in all of the United States except for Major League Baseball, which pays a luxury tax, some of the more successful teams, to keep some of the smaller teams going when they are not having a good season? I get that. I cannot understand why for 60 years we have singled out one industry in the United States for this exemption from antitrust laws. It is wrong. It is simple to fix, and we are going to do that tomorrow when we pass this legislation. This is not a Democratic bill or a Republican bill. This is for the American consumer.

And I would like to thank my colleague from California for sharing those personal stories of people that you know who are unable to switch jobs because they will not be able to get health insurance, people who can't afford health insurance or get health insurance because of a preexisting condition. We have all heard the stories about the auto industry--the most important part of making a car is the health insurance for the workers who put that vehicle together, that the most important line item expense for companies like Starbucks is not coffee, but it is health insurance. I saw that in my own business as well. My husband and I, every year it was double-digit increases. And every year we, as small business owners, had to cut back on how much we could afford to pay. We started out paying 80 percent of our employees' health insurance. We went down to 70 percent. Now it is 60-40, because we just cannot afford to keep up. We cannot be competitive, particularly in a global economy where you are doing business overseas, your partners overseas don't have that enormous cost of health care that they are paying for their employees.

It's a real business decision to decide, Well, gee, can I afford to hire somebody new? Can it maybe be a contractor, and I won't be paying health insurance for him because I can't afford that extra, you know, $16,000-$17,000? So it is a difficult issue for everyone, and the competition is not there.

As I mentioned, when you've got employees in one or more States, it is virtually impossible to find more than one company. That's all we could find--one company across the United States which would offer insurance to people in several different States. That is just wrong.

We have all talked a little bit about the State attorneys general, and I want to read to you a quote from one of those attorneys general at their meeting when they all voted unanimously, really, for a repeal of this antitrust exemption. One of the assistant attorneys general noted:

``The most egregiously anticompetitive claims, such as naked agreements, fixing prices or reducing coverage, are virtually always found immune from prosecution under the law. They are always found immune.''

We have a very simple choice tomorrow: Do we stand for the insurance industry or do we stand for the American consumer?

It is not an issue of what is good for one industry. It is what is good for competition and innovation. What they have is wrong and unfair, and we have a chance to undo that tomorrow.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Longmont, Colorado based Intrado on the occasion of the celebration of their 30-year anniversary.

Founded by two Boulder County Sheriffs, George Heinrichs and Stephen Meer, Intrado has played a key role in helping to define, build and maintain the country's complex emergency communications system. Today Intrado provides the core of the Nation's 9-1-1 infrastructure, supporting over 200 million calls to 9-1-1 each year. Intrado is responsible for the ultimate delivery of over 90% of all 9-1-1 calls in the country.

Intrado's history of emergency communications excellence is based on a strong foundation. Their extensive involvement in all aspects of the current 9-1-1 network has given them a unique perspective on how the system must evolve to support new technology, new system requirements and citizens' growing expectations.

9-1-1 is fundamental to telecommunications service. To meet this market requirement, Intrado helps telecommunications service providers ensure their subscribers' 9-1-1 calls are delivered to the correct public safety answering point (PSAP) over the dedicated 9-1-1 network along with the caller's accurate location information and call back number. As communications networks converge and 9-1-1 callers become more mobile, Intrado has a proven track record of both anticipating and pioneering the solutions needed to keep pace with subscribers' demands for ubiquitous access to 9-1-1.

Intrado's success has come in large part due to its leadership, dedication and perseverance in helping the public safety community. I want to thank them for all they have done to contribute to Colorado's economy and to the advancement of 9-1-1 communications around the country. Once again, congratulations on the anniversary of 30 years providing service to our community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4238, a bill to designate a facility in Greeley as the W.D. Farr Post Office Building.

During his lifetime, W.D. Farr was a pioneer rancher, water expert, and banker who made immense contributions to Greeley, helping make the city what it is today. William Davin Farr was a third-generation Coloradan, born in Greeley in 1910. Farr came from an established farming family. He grew up working with sheep and cattle on the family farm. In 1931, Farr and his father bought 125 cattle and built a feed lot in Greeley, Farr Feeders. By the late 1960s, the Farr feed yard had grown to about 25,000 head of cattle.

While working on the farm and at the feed lot, he became involved with several irrigation ditch companies. Through his work in irrigation, he came to understand the importance of water to the continued growth of the Greeley community. Farr then became active with the Colorado Big Thompson Water Project, which brings water from the western slopes of the Rocky Mountains to help irrigate approximately 693,000 acres of northeastern Colorado farmland. Farr later came to serve on the board of directors of the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District and the Greeley Water Board for over 40 years.

In addition to his many achievements in agriculture and water, Farr was also active in government, both local and national. He served as an adviser to the U.S. Department of Agriculture under three U.S. Presidents: Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy, and Richard Nixon.

He served on a number of national boards and committees, including the Department of the Interior Water Pollution Control Advisory Board and the Agricultural Committee of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The land on which this post office was built was owned by another Greeley agricultural pioneer, C.O. Plumb. Upon his death, Plumb donated his home and land just south of the W.D. Farr Post Office to the Greeley Museums for use as an agricultural learning center. Both men made significant contributions to the agricultural and social vitality of Weld County.

In 2007, W.D. Farr passed away at his home in Greeley at the age of 97. Farr and his family have made innumerable contributions to the Greeley community as well as to Colorado and to the United States.

I am proud to stand in support of this bill that would name one of the post offices in Greeley after this pillar of the community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to vote for House Resolution 1020, to honor the 95th anniversary of President Woodrow Wilson signing the Rocky Mountain National Park Act. And I thank my colleague for his offer of slides. I represent this beautiful district, and I also welcome anyone to come and visit Colorado and see for yourself this crown jewel of the West. This legislation set aside roughly 360 square miles of the southern Rockies to establish Rocky Mountain National Park. When the National Park Service was established the following year in 1916, the park was one of the original 12 parks transferred to the agency's control. Today the Rocky Mountain National Park remains one of Colorado's most treasured destinations, and is consistently one of the top 10 visited national parks in the United States.

Rocky Mountain National Park truly embodies the spirit of the conservation and preservation movement at the turn of the century. The park's ecosystems range from the montane low lands to the alpine tundra and includes a diverse range of flora and fauna. Rocky Mountain National Park also remains one of the largest examples of the alpine tundra ecosystem in the national park system in the lower 48 States and offers invaluable opportunities for visitors to learn and enjoy the great outdoors. On March 30, 2009, 405 square miles of the park were designated as a wilderness area, thereby conferring the highest level of conservation protection for Federal lands.

President Theodore Roosevelt once said, ``Of all the questions which can come before this Nation, short of the actual preservation of its existence in a great war, there is none which compares in importance with the great central task of leaving this land even a better land for our descendants than it is for us.'' This week we celebrate the foresight of so many Coloradans to conserve this majestic landscape for the present and future generations to come.

I urge all Members to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I ask for unanimous consent to be removed as a cosponsor from H.R. 874.

Mr. Speaker, obtaining and maintaining credit is a serious issue facing most small businesses in this country. The lack of credit has caused a cash-flow crunch on many businesses, impacting their ability to grow, purchase new equipment or hire a worker. Approximately $2.5 billion in commercial loans will come due in the next year, and many banks will not be willing or able to renew them.

On May 20, 2009, I introduced the Small Business AID Act, H.R. 2527. The Small Business AID Act will allow small businesses to utilize the SBA's 504 loan program to refinance existing debt. Low interest rates in conjunction with this bill allow small businesses to reduce their debt while raising their cash flow. This bill is temporary in nature, limiting debt restructuring for 2 years. The bill is also deficit- neutral. Over 94 percent of my colleagues have certified development companies in their districts which provide loans to small businesses. These loans amount to an average of $1.6 million investment in small businesses in each of our districts, and the average number of loans per year per district is three. That means almost $5 million invested in businesses, purchases, employees.

Senator Landrieu introduced S. 2869 on December 10th, which includes provisions which are similar to The Small Business AID Act. The Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship conducted hearings and has reported the bill favorably.

Our economy needs a shot in the arm. The Small Business AID Act is a simple cost-free fix to infuse more cash into our economy. I urge all members to support H.R. 2527.

Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 4 o'clock and 29 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, Friday, January 22, 2010, at 10 a.m.

.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, nieces, and women across the country. Every person in this Chamber can name someone they know who has had breast cancer.

I am honored to support the resolution by my good friend and colleague, Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz. Debbie's own courage and tenacity serve as an inspiration for all of us.

Recently released guidelines regarding breast cancer screening for women between the ages 40 and 49 have caused confusion and concern. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has an important role in researching health care policies that will lower costs and improve results across the country.

However, when early diagnosis and treatment has been proven to greatly reduce the risk of cancer, it's important that these decisions be made by women and their doctors, not a government task force. An early diagnosis of breast cancer can save a woman's life, and it's important that women can afford these screenings.

For that reason, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Longmont, Colorado, based Intrado on the occasion of the celebration of their 30-year anniversary.

Founded by two Boulder County sheriffs, George Heinrichs and Stephen Meer, Intrado has played a key role in helping to define, build, and maintain the country's complex emergency communications system. Today Intrado provides the core of the Nation's 9-1-1 infrastructure, supporting over 200 million calls to 9-1-1 each year.

Intrado's history of emergency communications excellence is based on a strong foundation consisting of unmatched knowledge of emergency communications and public safety operations; proven experience in the design, deployment and operations of highly accurate, high-volume communication systems; solid reputation as a trusted and neutral custodian of sensitive data and; passion for saving lives.

Their extensive involvement in all aspects of the current 9-1-1 network has given them a unique perspective on how the system must evolve to support new technology, new system requirements and citizens' growing expectations. Intrado's customers include public safety agencies and the majority of the fixed wireline carriers, wireless carriers and VoIP service providers in the United States. Additionally, the nation's 6,000+ public safety answering points, PSAPs, rely on Intrado services for efficient 9-1-1 voice and data delivery. With the largest dedicated 9-1-1 call delivery network in the nation, Intrado can provide a broad range of customized and scaleable solutions.

9-1-1 is fundamental to telecommunications service. To meet this market requirement, Intrado helps telecommunications service providers ensure their subscribers' 9-1-1 calls are delivered to the correct public safety answering point (PSAP) over the dedicated 9-1-1 network along with the caller's accurate location information and call back number. As communications networks converge and 9-1-1 callers become more mobile Intrado has a proven track record of both anticipating and pioneering the solutions needed to keep pace with subscribers' demands for ubiquitous access to 9-1-1.

Intrado's contributions to the evolution of the 9-1-1 infrastructure include numerous technological and operational improvements as well as being responsible for more 9-1-1 technology ``firsts'' than any other commercial entity in the country.

Operates the largest dedicated 9-1-1 delivery network, with the highest data integrity level in the country;

Responsible for the ultimate delivery of over 90 percent of all 9-1-1 calls in the country;

Connected directly or indirectly to more than 6,000 public safety answering points in the country;

Supports over 200 million calls to 9-1-1 annually;

Maintains over 350 million records under management; average of three records per U.S household;

Over 240 million wireline telephone records;

Over 120 million wireless records;

Over 1 million VoIP subscriber records;

Provides 9-1-1 services to more than 28 million members of the deaf community;

Processed an estimated 3 billion 9-1-1 calls to date;

Processed more satellite calls to 9-1-1 than any other service provider;

Processes an average of 500,000 updates to the 9-1-1 system daily;

Employees have more than 1,200 years of combined experience in public safety and telecommunications;

Holds licenses for over 45 U.S. and foreign patents, with over 100 pending.

Intrado's success has come in large part to its leadership, dedication and perseverance helping the public safety community. I want to thank them for all they have done to contribute to Colorado's economy and to the advancement of 9-1-1 and congratulations on this momentous occasion.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2009. From cities on Colorado's front range to small towns on the eastern plains, firefighters and other emergency personnel are the first to respond to everything from traffic accidents to wildfires. These brave men and women dedicate their lives to helping people and protecting their communities.

More than three-quarters of the fire departments in Colorado's Fourth District are mostly or entirely volunteer run. In addition to full-time jobs and families, these men and women devote their time and energy to help the small rural communities in which they live, often at great risk to themselves. In my district, last year, three brave volunteers lost their lives in the line of duty. Captain Shane Stewart, Fire Chief Terry DeVore and Firefighter John Schwartz, Jr., lost their lives while fighting to keep their rural communities safe.

Mr. Chairman, it is with the memory of these men who gave everything to defend their neighbors and communities that I am proud to stand here today as a cosponsor of the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act. I encourage all of my colleagues to support this important reauthorization, because these grant programs help support the operations of all fire departments, urban and rural, career and volunteer, and protect the lives of the men and women who selflessly serve to protect their communities.

I thank Congresswoman McCarthy for yielding.

Mr. Chair, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support the McCarthy-Markey amendment to H.R. 3639. I have received an alarming number of complaints from my constituents regarding unreasonable credit card rate increases prior to the enactment of the Credit CARD Act reforms. Two of my constituents from Walsh, Colorado, Fred and Kay Lynn Hefley, recently received a notice from Citibank that their interest rate is jumping to 29.99 percent. The Hefleys have had this credit card since 1971 and have been responsible customers.

Sadly, they are not alone. Taylor Grant from Fort Collins is a small business owner. He has been a responsible Citibank cardholder since 2001 and is now facing similar interest rate increases.

Penalizing customers for maintaining responsible credit practices is unconscionable. This uncertainty in the credit market makes it especially difficult for families who are facing tough economic times at the start of the holiday season.

Our amendment offers credit card companies a choice: obey the spirit of the law and freeze increases to interest rates, fees on any existing or future balances, or changes to account terms to the detriment of a customer. In return, credit card issuers will be given until February 22 to comply with the provision of the Credit CARD Act that requires creditors to apply excess payments to the credit card balance with the highest interest rate.

The effective date of the original Credit CARD Act legislation was set for February of 2010 to give credit card companies enough time to comply with these new regulations--not additional time to violate the spirit of the law by hiking interest rates on consumers.

While I am disappointed that credit card companies have continued to raise interest rates in advance of the effective date of the Credit CARD Act, I believe this amendment provides an opportunity and an incentive for issuers to demonstrate some goodwill towards American consumers.

I urge my colleagues to support the McCarthy/Markey amendment, because it gives credit card issuers the chance to do the right thing, while still providing a benefit to consumers.

I would like to thank Congresswoman McCarthy, Chairman Frank and the Financial Services Committee staff for their collaborative efforts on this amendment.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of one very hungry caterpillar and the thousands of children eager to hear his story. This Thursday, October 8, marks Read for the Record Day, a day in which we're striving to break the world record for the largest shared reading day ever. On Thursday, adults and children all around the world will gather to read Eric Carle's classic book, ``The Very Hungry Caterpillar,'' in celebration of reading and service to preschool children.

In my own house, it was ``The Polar Express'' that captivated my children's imaginations and hearts at an early age. We would all snuggle up on the couch and enter the world of ringing bells, late- night train rides and the North Pole. Though the days when my three children could fit on my lap have long since passed, the tradition of reading continues. When a child is exposed to books at an early age, it can instill a love of reading and helps to build the foundation for success at school.

Jumpstart is a nonprofit dedicated to such success through early childhood education. College students and community volunteers tutor and mentor preschool children, empowering them with the tools necessary to be successful when they reach kindergarten. Since its inception, Jumpstart has worked with over 70,000 preschoolers.

Now in its fourth year, Jumpstart's Read for the Record Day highlights the importance of early involvement of adults in the lives of at-risk preschoolers. Most children in low-income communities have few, if any, age-appropriate books in their homes. Without the necessary tools and instructions, one in three schoolchildren arrives at the first day of school unprepared to learn, primarily due to economic instability. Jumpstart's Read for the Record campaign raises awareness about the importance of early literacy by encouraging adults to serve and read with young children. Through the campaign, thousands of books are distributed to young children in low-income communities, and Jumpstart's year-round program is supported.

My resolution, House Resolution 741, designates October 8, 2009, as Read for the Record Day and encourages people of all ages to join us in reading for this record this Thursday. I urge support of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to applaud the critical actions taken by this Congress to create jobs, to cut taxes, and to invest in America's long-term economic growth by passing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

With the goal of creating and saving jobs, rushing relief to America's businesses and families and pulling our country back from the brink of catastrophe, the Recovery Act was signed into law by President Obama in my home State of Colorado.

As a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I was especially pleased to see that the Colorado Department of Transportation was prepared with shovel-ready projects that would have an immediate and positive impact on the lives of Colorado's businesses and families.

Since the passage of the Recovery Act, 576 jobs have been created or sustained through transportation projects alone in Colorado. These jobs have created a payroll of over $700,000. Not only have these projects helped reduce unemployment, but they're improving the safety and efficiency of Colorado's highways. With interchange improvements and with the addition of shoulder and bike lanes, the Recovery Act is making Colorado a more multimodal and sustainable place to live.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support H.R. 1858 and for private property rights.

Imagine for a moment that the Federal Government sent you a notification that you need to repurchase land that you have owned for over 30 years. This is exactly what happened to landowners in the Crystal Lakes subdivision on the border of the Roosevelt National Forest.

When the Crystal Lakes subdivision was developed in 1975, an inaccurate land survey resulted in a 7-acre overlap with the U.S. Forest Service land. In 2006, the Crystal Lakes landowners were notified that parts of their property were on Federal land, and they would be required to purchase this land at current market price from the Forest Service.

It is simply unacceptable in these tough economic times to penalize the Crystal Lakes landowners for a mistake made through no fault of their own and a mistake the Federal Government has waited for over 30 years to rectify. The current property value is, without question, higher than it was at the time of the sale in the 1970s and 1980s.

If forced to repurchase their land, some landowners may be in danger of foreclosure. These property owners have bought their land in good faith and have been paying taxes on that land.

While I support the national forest system and the need to preserve land in the West for future generations, for the Federal Government to ask these landowners to repurchase land they have owned for decades stands against reason.

Therefore, I urge all my colleagues to vote for H.R. 1858 today to adjust the boundaries of the Roosevelt National Forest in Colorado. With your vote, we can ensure the landowners in Crystal Lakes will be able to remain on their land.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remind my colleagues to continue the dialogue on the American Clean Energy and Security Act over the August recess. I supported this legislation because I believe western states like Colorado stand to gain much from this energy bill. Renewable energy companies like Abound Solar and Vestas Wind Systems are already creating jobs and driving economic development in northern and eastern Colorado.

I believe the House-passed bill will help farmers and ranchers reap great benefits in America's renewable energy economy. I worked hard with my colleagues on the Agriculture Committee to ensure the concerns of America's farmers and ranchers were addressed. By developing cleaner energy here at home and using the vast domestic resources we currently have, we can work towards a less volatile energy market that will benefit us all.

I encourage all my colleagues in the House and the Senate to continue this important work.