Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I regret missing floor votes on Friday, December 2, 2011. Had I registered my vote, I would have voted:

``Aye'' on rollcall 882, On Agreeing to the Amendment to H.R. 3010-- Moore of Wisconsin Amendment;

``Aye'' on rollcall 883, On Agreeing to the Amendment to H.R. 3010-- Jackson Lee of Texas Amendment;

``Aye'' on rollcall 884, On Agreeing to the Amendment to H.R. 3010-- Connolly of Virginia Amendment;

``Aye'' on rollcall 885, On Agreeing to the Amendment to H.R. 3010-- Nadler of New York Amendment;

``Aye'' on rollcall 886, On Agreeing to the Amendment to H.R. 3010-- Jackson Lee of Texas Amendment;

``Aye'' on rollcall 887, On Motion to Recommitment with Instructions, Regulatory Accountability Act; and

``No'' on rollcall 888, On Passage Regulatory Accountability Act.

Mr. Speaker, I regret missing a floor vote on Wednesday, November 30, 2011. Had I registered my vote, I would have voted: ``No'' on rollcall No. 869, On Final Passage of H.R. 3094--the Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act.

Mr. Speaker, I regret missing floor votes on Friday, October 14, 2011. Had I registered my vote, I would have voted:

(1) Yea on rollcall 794, On Agreeing to the Amendment to H.R. 2273-- Waxman of California Amendment

(2) Yea on rollcall 795, On Agreeing to the Amendment to H.R. 2273-- Markey of Massachusetts Amendment

(3) Yea on rollcall 796, On Agreeing to the Amendment to H.R. 2273-- Markey of Massachusetts Amendment

(4) Yea on rollcall 797, On Agreeing to the Amendment to H.R. 2273-- Rush of Illinois Amendment

(5) Yea on rollcall 798, On Agreeing to the Amendment to H.R. 2273-- Jackson Lee of Texas Amendment

(6) Yea on rollcall 799, On Motion to Recommit with Instructions, To amend subtitle D of the Solid Waste Disposal Act to facilitate recovery and beneficial use, and provide for the proper management and disposal, of materials generated by the combustion of coal and other fossil fuels

(7) Nay on rollcall 800, On Passage, To amend subtitle D of the Solid Waste Disposal Act to facilitate recovery and beneficial use, and provide for the proper management and disposal, of materials generated by the combustion of coal and other fossil fuels

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Master Sergeant Todd Eipperle of Marshalltown, IA. On September 17, 2011, MSgt. Eipperle received the Bronze Star from the Army for outstanding service throughout his recent tour in Afghanistan. Among his numerous courageous acts, MSgt. Eipperle is credited with saving the lives of members of his team following an attack from a rogue security officer from the Afghan National Directorate of Security in July 2011. A proud member of the Iowa National Guard, MSgt. Eipperle was previously awarded the Purple Heart for wounds he received during this attack. MSgt. Eipperle exemplifies the best of our Iowa Guardsmen and the good work they did during their 2010-2011 deployment to Afghanistan.

In July of this year, only a week before he was scheduled to return home with the 2,800 other Iowa Guardsmen he'd deployed with, MSgt. Eipperle was wounded in the process of engaging a rogue Afghan security officer who had shot and killed two of his comrades, fellow Guardsman Sgt. 1st Class Terryl Pasker of Cedar Rapids, IA and retired Connecticut State Trooper Paul Protzenko of Enfield, CT. Passing through a checkpoint in Panjshir province, the rogue Afghan officer unexpectedly fired at the Iowa Guardsmen. MSgt. Eipperle's quick action in engaging the attacker, despite sustaining gunshot wounds, is credited with saving a number of his colleagues and his own life.

MSgt. Eipperle is home once again, having received the Bronze Star in Marshalltown before members of his community, and being honored with a parade and town proclamation in his honor on September 20. While he's left the war, MSgt. Eipperle is still on active duty, recovering from the wounds he sustained in July. I commend MSgt. Eipperle on his heroism, for a job well done on deployment, and wish him well on his recovery.

Mr. Speaker, today I'd like to congratulate my good friend Tom Temple on his upcoming retirement from the Iowa Pharmacy Association. Tom has served in his current role at the Iowa Pharmacy Association since 1980, and has become a friend and adviser to me.

Tom has dedicated his life to medicine, and has been a leader on pharmaceutical issues across the state of Iowa. He has served as CEO of the Iowa Pharmacy Foundation and the Collaborative Education Institute. He has assisted numerous professional organizations including the American Pharmacists Association, the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations, and the American Society of Association Executives.

Tom has also been active in the higher education community, advising universities on current issues affecting the pharmaceutical industry. He served on the Advisory Committees for Drake University, the University of Iowa, and the University of Illinois College of Pharmacy.

Tom has been a tremendous advocate for Iowa pharmacists. When I was traveling in Afghanistan earlier this year, and came across a tiny pharmacy in a village there, my first thought was, ``wouldn't Tom Temple get a kick out of this?''

Tom will be missed very much by his colleagues and peers in the coming years, but his influence and leadership will never be forgotten. I congratulate him on all of his success and wish him a rewarding and relaxing future.

Mr. Speaker, in May of this year, I introduced the Protecting Veterans' Homes Act after reading in the news and hearing in the Veterans' Affairs Committee that recently returned soldiers were facing foreclosure on their homes. And I thank the chairman of our Economic Opportunity Subcommittee for his inspiring words about this problem.

I rise today to talk about the responsibility this government has to protect our heroes who have recently returned from Afghanistan and Iraq. I am pleased that today the Protecting Veterans' Homes Act is being considered as part of this bill. We had a legislative hearing on this bill in the Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity on July 7, where I have the honor to serve as ranking member, and at that time we heard from the American Legion, the Reserve Officers Association, the Reserve Enlisted Association, Paralyzed Veterans of America, the VFW, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, and the Gold Star Wives of America. All acknowledged the need to protect returning servicemembers and veterans from foreclosure, and all have endorsed this legislation.

This bipartisan bill will help servicemembers who return from combat and are facing foreclosure stay in their homes and ensure that surviving military spouses have additional protections that prevent foreclosure on their homes. Furthermore, this bill establishes that lending institutions have compliance officers to provide information to veterans and servicemembers about foreclosure protections available to them.

The Protecting Veterans' Homes Act would protect veterans from being foreclosed upon by banks and would give those soldiers, like the Iowa National Guard soldiers returning from Afghanistan, the peace of mind knowing that they will have more opportunities to protect themselves from unwanted foreclosures. Too often, these soldiers return from combat only to face new challenges here at home. Whether it's due to an injury or a financial crisis caused by long deployments and time off from their civilian jobs, our veterans deserve to know that we're standing up for them, and this bill will make sure they have time to get back on their feet.

Currently, similar protections are set to expire in December of 2012. The Protecting Veterans' Homes Act would make these protections permanent and would extend the grace period from 9 months to a full year for servicemembers and veterans returning from deployments. This will allow them to work with their lenders, secure new loans, secure employment, get over a family tragedy, deal with a serious family health issue, or, in a worst-case scenario, be able to sell their home and avoid possible foreclosure, bankruptcy, or damage to their credit rating. That's why this bill is so important, and I ask all Members to support it.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I call on all my colleagues to oppose George Bush's job-killing trade deal with Korea. Listen to the American people: Only 18 percent of Americans believe that free trade has created jobs in the United States. That's from the conservative Wall Street Journal poll. The same poll says that 53 percent of Americans say trade deals have hurt our country. Sixty-one percent of the Tea Party supporters say that free trade has hurt the United States.

Facts don't lie. The simple truth is, during the last decade of so- called free trade, the United States has lost 54,000 manufacturers and over 5 million manufacturing jobs--43,000 manufacturing jobs in my State of Iowa. That's 1,370 factory jobs lost every day at an average salary of $55,000.

Wake up, America. We need to get serious about creating jobs, and passing more Bush-era, job-killing trade deals is not the answer. We have a trade deficit that has created a job deficit. That's what we need to solve.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Master Sergeant Todd Eipperle of Marshalltown, IA. On September 20, 2011, MSgt. Eipperle received the Bronze Star from the Army for his actions in July 2011 which are credited with saving the lives of members of his team following an attack from a rogue security officer from the Afghan National Directorate of Security. A proud member of the Iowa National Guard, MSgt. Eipperle was previously awarded the Purple Heart for wounds he received during the attack. MSgt. Eipperle exemplifies the best of our Iowa Guardsmen and the good work they did during their recent deployment to Afghanistan.

In July of this year, only a week before he was scheduled to return home with the 2,800 other Iowa Guardsmen he'd deployed with, MSgt. Eipperle was wounded in the process of engaging a rogue Afghan security officer who had shot and killed two of his comrades, fellow Guardsman Sgt. 1st Class Terryl Pasker of Cedar Rapids, IA and retired Connecticut State Trooper Paul Protzenko of Enfield, CT. Passing through a checkpoint in Panjshir province, the rogue Afghan officer unexpectedly fired at the Iowa Guardsmen. MSgt. Eipperle's quick action in engaging the attacker, despite gunshot wounds to his own hip and shoulder, is credited with saving a number of his colleagues and his own life.

MSgt. Eipperle is home once again, having received the Bronze Star in Marshalltown before members of his community, and being honored with a parade and town proclamation in his honor on September 20. While he's left the war, MSgt. Eipperle is still on active duty, recovering from the wounds he sustained in July. I commend MSgt. Eipperle on his heroism, for a job well done on deployment, and wish him well on his recovery.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the importance of Constitution Day, happening this Saturday, September 17, 2011, celebrating the 224th anniversary of our Founding Fathers' signing of the Constitution. Constitution Day gives us an opportunity to reflect on the past success of our founders in the form of the Constitution, the two centuries of progress since, and the future promise of the United States under the guidance of the document given to us in 1787.

Constitution Day reminds us to review the whole document and what it means to our country, and shows that support for the Constitution requires more than chanting slogans at a political rally. Calling yourself a ``strict constitutionalist'' means nothing if you don't bother to read the entire Constitution and fight for everything it includes, not just the portions that fit neatly with your personal political philosophy.

As an Iowan, and a student of the Constitution for more than 30 years, I take pride in repeating our state's motto: ``Our Liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain.'' Constitution Day gives us an opportunity to reflect on the document that prizes our personal liberties and preserves our rights in a system of laws that recognize the individual spirit of every American, and has made our Nation a shining beacon in the world. The development of the Constitution has recognized the rights of all men and women, and created a system of equality that has helped our Nation move past prejudice and discrimination in some of our darkest hours.

Constitution Day gives us an opportunity to reflect on the system of justice for all by creating an impartial judiciary and a system of law that recognizes the rights of every citizen to file a grievance against their government or fellow man. It lets us reflect on the goals of a responsive executive, a representative legislature, and a responsible judiciary working on behalf of all citizens to preserve their rights, respect their liberties, and allow for progress. It reminds us to all work harder to support the progress of the United States.

I ask all my colleagues and constituents to join me in recognizing Constitution Day and reflecting on the lasting work of the Founding Fathers.

Mr. Speaker, I regret missing floor votes on Monday, July 25, 2011. Had I registered my vote, I would have voted:

(1) ``Nay'' on rollcall 630, On Agreeing to the Resolution H. Res. 363--Providing for consideration of H.R. 2584, making appropriations for the Department of the Interior, environment, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2012, and for other purposes.

(2) ``Yea'' on rollcall 631, On Approving the Journal.

(3) ``Yea'' on rollcall 632, On Agreeing to the Amendment to H.R. 2584--Moran of Virginia Amendment.

(4) ``Nay'' on rollcall 633, On Agreeing to the Amendment to H.R. 2584--Huelskamp of Kansas Amendment.

(5) ``Yea'' on rollcall 634, On Agreeing to the Amendment to H.R. 2584--Cleaver of Missouri Amendment.

(6) ``Yea'' on rollcall 635, On Agreeing to the Amendment to H.R. 2584--Richmond of Louisiana Amendment.

(7) ``Yea'' on rollcall 636, On Agreeing to the Amendment to H.R. 2584--Hochul of New York Amendment.

Wake up, America. We are going to be voting today on a bill that has never seen a committee hearing. It has never been the subject of a markup in any committee, and there are going to be no amendments to this bill. The Republicans are calling this their Cut, Cap, and Balance bill. But in reality, it is gut, gap, and handcuff.

Gut: There is no way to get to their numbers of deficit reduction without seriously gutting Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid. No way.

Gap: Their policies are going to further widen the income gap between middle class Americans and the richest Americans by perpetuating a policy that has allowed that to exist for the last 10 years.

And handcuff: You would be speaking German, Japanese, or Russian if this balanced budget amendment was in effect during World War II and during the Cold War, because during World War II we had debt in this country that was 120 percent of our GDP, and in the dawn of the Cold War, it was 100 percent of our GDP.

That is why this bill doesn't make sense for America. I urge my colleagues to reject it.

Mr. Speaker, I regret missing floor votes on Monday, July 11, 2011. Had I registered my vote, I would have voted: ``yea'' on rollcall 534, On Agreeing to the Amendment for H.R. 2354-- Tierney of Massachusetts amendment; ``nay'' on rollcall 535, On Agreeing to the Amendment for H.R. 2354--Graves of Missouri amendment; ``yea'' on rollcall 536, On Agreeing to the Amendment for H.R. 2354-- Scalise of Louisiana amendment; ``nay'' on rollcall 537, On Agreeing to the Amendment for H.R. 2354--Woodall of Georgia amendment; ``nay'' on rollcall 538, On Agreeing to the Amendment for H.R. 2354--McClintock of California amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I regret missing floor votes on Wednesday, June 1, 2011. Had I registered my vote, I would have voted:

Nay on rollcall 380, On Consideration of the Resolution for H.R. 2017--Providing for consideration of H.R. 2017, making appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2012, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I was disappointed when the Majority moved up the vote on the debt ceiling limit. I was in my hometown today, serving as a pallbearer for my uncle, Lyle Nesselroad, a Navy veteran of World War II. I grew up next door to Lyle, and he was like a second father to me.

While I regret missing this important vote, I don't regret my decision to be there with my family. Had I been present, I would have voted against the Debt Limit Extension.

I'm reluctant to raise the debt ceiling when we have no fiscally responsible plan to address our national debt. The American people have spoken loudly and clearly--they want us to take immediate action to rein in spending and find new revenues to get our deficit under control. Congress must develop a fiscally responsible plan that makes tough choices and reduces our debt.

Mr. Speaker, I regret missing floor votes on Tuesday, May 31, 2011. Had I registered my vote, I would have voted:

``Yea'' on rollcall 377, On motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 1484--Veterans Appeals Improvement Act, as amended;

``Yea'' on rollcall 378, On motion to suspend the rules and pass S. 1082--Small Business Temporary Extension Act of 2011;

``Nay'' on rollcall 379, On motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 1954--Debt Limit Extension.