Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Dewey L. Coles as a winner of the National Infantry Association's most prestigious award, the Order of St. Maurice.

Lieutenant Colonel Coles, at 21 years old, was one of the first soldiers to arrive on the ground in Korea during the summer of 1950. First serving as an artillery forward observer with the 24th Infantry Division and later as an aerial observer, Lieutenant Colonel Coles flew behind enemy lines to coordinate artillery attacks on Communist forces. For his tenure, Lieutenant Colonel Coles earned two Bronze Stars for valor as well as two Air Medals for his courageous service.

The Order of St. Maurice is given to individuals who have demonstrated an exceptional degree of integrity, moral character, and professional competence during their service with the United States Army Infantry. I am so proud to announce this honor will be presented to Lieutenant Colonel Coles on February 9, 2012 by Brigadier General (Ret.) Robert J. LeBlanc in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana.

It is due to the character and sacrifice of individuals like Lieutenant Colonel Coles that we are able to enjoy the blessings of freedom and prosperity here in the United States of America. I thank Lieutenant Colonel Coles for his brave service to our country and congratulate him on this much deserved award from the National Infantry Association.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3567) to amend title IV of the Social Security Act to require States to implement policies to prevent assistance under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program from being used in strip clubs, casinos, and liquor stores, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the subject of the bill under consideration.

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

I rise today, Madam Speaker, in support of H.R. 3567, a bill to ensure taxpayer dollars in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program are used as intended, and that is to provide support for low- income families and children and to help them move from welfare to work.

The TANF program was created in 1996, replacing the prior welfare program with one focused on work, providing short-term help, child care, and other work supports to get people back on their feet and earning a paycheck. In the years following, TANF was lauded as one of the most effective reforms in our social welfare system in American history. Employment rates of those on welfare surged, caseloads plummeted, child poverty rates fell, and taxpayers were confident they were actually helping poor families, knowing that they were providing them with a hand up and not a handout.

Unfortunately, Madam Speaker, an issue has arisen in TANF that is eroding public confidence in the program. This is the issue of TANF funds, money meant to help poor children and their families, being accessed and used in liquor stores, strip clubs, and casinos. What started less than 2 years ago as research by one reporter in Los Angeles has grown into dozens of investigations across the country, with each new investigation adding to the story of how millions of dollars in TANF funds have been accessed in these locations.

Let me just mention some of what has been uncovered:

An Arizona investigation found welfare funds were accessed in liquor stores over 100 times in just 3 months;

A California reporter uncovered that welfare recipients cashed out over $4.8 million in TANF funds in casinos over a 3-year period;

A Colorado news organization found cash was being withdrawn in strip clubs, casinos, and liquor stores, despite a State law on the books prohibiting such transactions;

An investigative report in Georgia revealed $150,000 in TANF money was withdrawn in liquor stores, bars, and nightclubs;

KING 5 News in Seattle found 13,000 TANF recipients who had collectively withdrawn approximately $2 million from casinos in 2010.

Madam Speaker, this is unacceptable. This is unacceptable to the American people.

When the L.A. Times revealed their shocking statistics on the millions in welfare that had been accessed in casinos, liquor stores, and strip clubs, the Governor of California took action to block these transactions immediately. Washington and New Mexico have prohibited access to welfare benefits in casinos. Texas prohibits the use of welfare benefit cards in liquor stores and casinos as well.

The legislation before us today would ensure that taxpayer dollars in the TANF program are being used as intended, and that is to assist poor families with their basic needs and to support them in their efforts to become self-sufficient. Under this bill, States would be required to block welfare benefit card transactions in casinos, liquor stores, and strip clubs and would be penalized if they do not implement such policies within 2 years of this bill becoming law.

This bill will also help restore the public's trust in the integrity of the program while ensuring families across the country continue to receive the assistance they need to move from government dependence to independence.

The bill we're considering today simply consists of one of the TANF provisions in H.R. 3659, the Welfare Integrity and Data Improvement Act that

was unanimously passed in the House in December. A provision closing what has been called the ``strip club loophole'' was also included in the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act that also passed the House in December and is now in conference with the Senate.

With the exception of several technical changes suggested by the Department of Health and Human Services, it is also identical to bipartisan legislation introduced in the Senate last year by Senator Hatch and cosponsored by Senator Baucus, the ranking member and chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, respectively. I thank them for their hard work on this bill as well.

Passing this bill today will send three clear messages:

First, the House is serious about this bipartisan, bicameral reform becoming law, ensuring welfare funds are spent on families and children as intended;

Second, conferees on the yearlong payroll tax, UI and TANF extenders bill, should include this bipartisan provision in their conference agreement;

Third, if those conference discussions break down, the Senate will be able to join us in quickly passing this important bipartisan reform and getting it to the President's desk.

I urge all my colleagues to support this important legislation.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished chairman of the Subcommittee on Human Resources on the House Ways and Means Committee, the gentleman Geoff Davis from the great State of Kentucky, the author of the TANF reauthorization, who cares deeply about the integrity of this program.

I want to thank the gentlewoman for raising the concern about ensuring that TANF recipients have adequate access to their benefits in a variety of locations. That's a very important consideration.

This bill requires States to block access to welfare benefits in casinos, liquor stores, and strip clubs. However, we know some grocery stores, convenience stores, and local markets may sell groceries but also sell alcohol and that some States may have gambling machines there as well. Because of this, the bill allows States to make accommodations for such stores so that they would not have to block transactions in places that sell groceries but that also sell alcohol. If a grocery store happens to have a gaming machine or if it's located in the same building or complex as a casino, there are provisions made in this.

So I thank the gentlewoman for raising this issue, but I'm glad that we can ensure the integrity of this program. I would submit the most important thing we can do is to ensure the integrity of the program so that it is there for the children and families that need it. Yet we want to ensure that there is not an overt abuse of these funds in strip clubs, casinos, and liquor stores while allowing for reasonable exceptions.

Also, I thank the gentlelady and the ranking member from Texas for raising the concern as to the issue of implementation cost, and I want to address that as well.

Some States have expressed that we have a loophole that could potentially be too costly or too difficult to close. However, I want to point out that these difficulties have been overstated. Washington State said the same thing when it was told $2 million in TANF funds were being withdrawn in casinos in 1 year.

Madam Speaker, I submit for the Record an article from KING 5 News in

Seattle, Washington, that speaks directly to this issue. It talks about the surprising number of TANF withdrawals in casinos in the State, and it reports the State said the same things that we're hearing today in that it may be hard to close this loophole or that it would be too expensive to stop.

This article goes on to read:

``It turns out the fix wasn't difficult or expensive. For the Iron Horse Casino, it took about 4 minutes on the phone. Kealy,'' the casino owner, ``says, in minutes and at no cost, his ATM vendor blocked EBT cards . . . Kealy and many other casino owners didn't wait for orders from the State. They already reprogrammed their ATMs . . . He's a board member of the Washington Restaurant Association, which he says is preparing to ask bars and taverns--businesses that are more alcohol than food oriented--to block EBT access to their cash machines. Kealy says that would mean another 2,000 ATMs couldn't be accessed for welfare cash benefits.''

So I appreciate the concerns about the cost, but I believe closing this loophole simply won't be as difficult as some are making it out to be.

[From KING5.com, Sept. 23, 2010]

More Businesses May Pull Plug on Welfare Cash Cards

(By Chris Ingalls)

Many casinos in the state have taken steps to cut off the

flow of cash to welfare recipients. This follows a KING 5

Investigation that showed millions of tax dollars being

dispensed through casino cash machines.

Now we've learned thousands more ATMs could be blocked at

other businesses where welfare dollars may not belong. Bars

and taverns in Washington may follow the lead of casinos,

which have already started reprogramming their ATMs so they

won't dispense cash from EBT cards that are distributed to

welfare recipients.

State records show the two ATMs at the Iron Horse Casino in

Auburn dispensed $780 in welfare in the month of July alone.

``Whew! It's unbelievable,'' said Iron Horse customer Louie

Vaccaro. ``We have so many problems in this state. To hear

something like that is mind boggling.''

``I was surprised by that,'' says the casino's owner Chris

Kealy. ``I did not know those cards could be used at these

machines.''

Kealy saw our stories last week that showed more than $2

million in welfare cash withdrawn from ATMs in and around

casinos in the last year. Initially the Department of Social

and Health Services, DSHS, said putting a stop to those

questionable withdrawals might be too difficult or costly.

``If we find that this is a small incidence that's

happening, it might not justify the expense that it would try

to prevent that activity,'' said Deputy DSHS secretary Troy

Hutson in a story we aired last week.

It turns out the fix wasn't difficult or expensive. For the

Iron Horse Casino, it took about four minutes on the phone.

Kealy says in minutes, and at no cost, his ATM vendor blocked

EBT cards--debit-type cards which DSHS uses to distribute

cash benefits to 68,000 of the state's most needy residents.

Organizations representing both tribal and non-tribal

gambling establishments in Washington pledged their full

support when DSHS's secretary made an announcement two days

after KING 5 Investigation aired.

``I want to shut down every ATM in gambling establishments

that has EBT access,'' said Susan N. Dreyfus.

Kealy and many other casino owners didn't wait for orders

from the state. They already re-programmed their ATMs. And

Kealy isn't stopping with his own casino. He's a board member

of the Washington Restaurant Association, which he says is

preparing to ask bars and taverns--businesses that are more

alcohol than food oriented--to block EBT access to their cash

machines. Kealy says that would mean another 2,000 ATMs

couldn't be accessed for welfare cash benefits.

``The taxes you are paying are supposed to help fund basic

needs, human services,'' Kealy says. ``We're all in this

together. I'm supportive of that. But I'm not supportive of

those dollars being used in facilities like this.''

Gambling is one of the few restrictions on the use of

welfare cash. It is illegal. Welfare cheats can still get

their money at other ATMs, but casinos hope to stack the deck

against them and send the message that welfare dollars aren't

welcome on gaming floors.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as he may consume to the chairman of the Human Resources Subcommittee, Mr. Davis.

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

I thought I made it clear, and I think Chairman Davis did also, earlier, that there are provisions to allow for exceptions as long as the facility serves food. We're talking about stores that purely sell liquor. So I think the gentlelady's concerns are addressed with the bill as written.

Furthermore, I would just say that on this side of the aisle, we care very deeply about this program. There's

broad agreement it's a valuable program. It's worked.

If you care about children and you care about needy families in this country, then you should care about ensuring the integrity of the program and making sure that the dollars that taxpayers put forth for these needy families, these needy children, actually go to those families and not buying liquor and patronizing strip clubs and going to casinos.

That's what this bill intends to address. That's what it does address. It creates the proper flexibilities for the concern that the gentlelady has and others on the other side of the aisle have about access. If food is sold, access will not be denied.

I reserve the balance of my time.

If food products are sold at a store?

If any type of food product, including milk, is sold at a store, States can except those from the provisions in this bill.

Would the gentlewoman yield?

The definition is staple foods, which include milk.

Madam Speaker, I would ask if the gentleman has yielded back all of his time?

I am pleased to yield the remaining time to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Davis), the chairman of the subcommittee, a gentleman who has diligently worked in good faith with the ranking member to reauthorize a TANF program with integrity that ensures that children and needy families get the assistance that they need.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

This bill closes a loophole that, if left uncorrected, would continue to allow millions in welfare funds to be distributed in liquor stores, casinos, and strip clubs.

Now that this issue has been highlighted by news organizations across the country, we must stop this abuse of taxpayer funds and ensure this money is used as it should be--to help poor children and families make ends meet.

A number of States have already closed this loophole, but this bill will help restore the public's confidence in the program and ensure that States work together to end this abuse once and for all.

I strongly encourage my colleagues to support this measure, as they have done previously, so that we can ensure taxpayer dollars are used as they should be.

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

As a physician, I know firsthand of this really dire need to solve the problem for many families across this country who are struggling with their long-term care needs. I am the oldest of 10 children, and my father was a physician. He died 3 years ago from a lengthy illness, and required a lot of care at home. He did not have long-term care, but we gladly bore that burden and were able to provide for him even though it was somewhat of a strain.

This is a serious problem facing every single family in this country. Yet what we've seen now is a program that was created in ObamaCare, a program that is clearly unsustainable by the administration's own admission. After almost a year now of wrangling about this, they've finally come to the conclusion that we knew before the bill even passed: that this was unsustainable, that it was unworkable, that it was fatally flawed.

As a physician, I know the worst thing you can do for someone is to create false hope, and that's what this has done. As long as this stays on the books, on the statute books, we're not going to get anything done on this. We're not going to solve it. Now, there are many good ideas on both sides of the aisle, and we've discussed some of them in the Ways and Means Committee. There are bills on both sides of the aisle on which I believe we could work together in a true bipartisan fashion to solve this problem--but the CLASS program is clearly not the answer.

Washington should learn three lessons from this debacle, ObamaCare's failed government-run program:

First, don't ignore reality. Democrats ignored the expert actuarial warnings when they used CLASS as a budget gimmick in ObamaCare. President Obama cannot create a self-funded sustainable program that prohibits underwriting unless he intends to force healthy Americans to participate. What does that mean? Madam Chair, that means an individual mandate, another individual mandate.

Many constitutional scholars think that this is unconstitutional. We don't need another individual mandate. In fact, Senator Harkin said that the problem with CLASS is that it's voluntary. I think he basically put the cards on the table and showed that what they want to do to fix CLASS is to give us another individual mandate. Most enrollees in CLASS will be high-risk, causing premiums to skyrocket under the current program, making CLASS even less appealing to average American families. The premiums will be unsustainable, and it will require subsidies from the taxpayer.

So, the first lesson: Don't ignore reality.

The second lesson: Don't break the law.

The administration planned to break the law by excluding Americans made eligible by the statute. When the Congressional Research Service attorneys warned of lawsuits, I sent letters to Secretary Sebelius for her legal authority to make this change. She then subsequently suspended the program, but this doesn't correct the bad law. Unless we repeal CLASS, the Department of Health and Human Services will break the law when it misses the deadline in October and again in 2014. That's not a very good example to set for the American people to have the administration breaking the law.

So, first, don't ignore reality.

Second, don't break the law.

Third, don't compound our Nation's long-term fiscal problems.

A Democrat under the Clinton administration, former Congressional Budget Office Director Alice Rivlin, wrote: Since the CLASS program is a new unfunded entitlement, it should be repealed because it will increase the deficit over the long term. In fact, the President's own deficit commission agrees that our grandchildren simply cannot afford a new budget-busting entitlement.

We can do better than this, Madam Chair, and we can work together to solve this problem. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this CLASS repeal, to support

H.R. 1173. Beyond this, we will have the impetus to actually do some real work to create a real program that works for the American people. We can make it easier for disabled Americans to save for future needs; we can expand access to affordable, private long-term care coverage; and we can better educate Americans on the need for retirement planning.

Congress of the United States,

Washington, DC, January 31, 2012.

Hon. Kathleen Sebelius,

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Independence

Ave., SW., Washington, DC.

Dear Secretary Sebelius: We write this as a follow up to

our unanswered November 2011 letter to President Obama

regarding the failed CLASS program. In the letter, we asked

whether the Administration has a legal obligation to

implement the program.

Last year, you announced you could not find ``a viable path

forward for CLASS implementation at this time.'' Legal

experts at the Congressional Research Service (CRS) say you

do ``not appear to have discretion to decide whether or not

to designate a plan by October 1, 2012.'' If the deadline

expires, they say you will be ``committing a facial

violation'' of the 2010 health law. Finally, ``the CLASS Act

does not preclude judicial review'' and ``a failure by the

Secretary to designate a CLASS benefit plan by October 1,

2012 . . . would appear to be a final agency action from

which `legal consequences will flow.' ''

In light of the findings by the CRS, does the Obama

Administration intend to openly violate the law as the 2012

and 2014 deadlines for CLASS expire? If not, when do you

intend to resume implementation of CLASS? What justifications

can the Administration provide to Congress and the American

people in the event that the Secretary's failure to adhere to

the law results in a costly court battle, effectively

delaying meaningful long-term care reform in the process?

Please expedite a written response to these questions.

Democrat and former Congressional Budget Office Director

Alice Rivlin wrote: ``Since the CLASS program is a new

unfunded entitlement, it should be repealed because it will

increase the deficit over the long term.''

Our grandchildren simply cannot afford a new budget-busting

entitlement. We urge you to join us in support of CLASS

repeal, and to support bipartisan efforts to expand access to

affordable private long-term care coverage.

We appreciate your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Charles W. Boustany, Jr., MD,

Member of Congress.

Phil Gingrey, MD,

Member of Congress.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Herger), the distinguished chairman of the Health Subcommittee on the House Ways and Means Committee.

Madam Chair, may I ask how much time remains?

I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Kansas (Ms. Jenkins), a member of the House Ways and Means Committee.

Madam Chair, I'm pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Black), a member of the Ways and Means Committee.

Madam Chair, I'm pleased to yield my remaining time to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Paulsen), a distinguished member of the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Texas for yielding some time to me on this important debate.

As a physician, I know firsthand about the needs out there with regard to long-term care. I've treated hundreds of patients who've needed it. This is a very important problem. It's an acute problem, and it's something that this Congress has to take seriously.

Also, I have a personal stake in this. I lost my father 3 years ago. He did not have a long-term care policy, and we had to deal with it. And we dealt with it. We were fortunate; as a family, we came together and we were able to take care of his needs. Many families can't. That's why this Congress has to get serious about dealing with this problem.

Now, our friends on the other side of the aisle had the last two Congresses to try to deal with this, and they proposed the health care bill. Yet there was no debate on any other alternatives. This was a one size fits all. This particular program wasn't even vetted in the House committees, and yet it was added into the bill as a budget gimmick. That's not serious legislation and that's not doing justice to the American people who are faced with these problems every single day.

Washington should have learned from this mistake. And there are three lessons, three basic lessons that we can learn from this CLASS program that was added into ObamaCare, this CLASS program, a failed program, an unsustainable program by the administration's own admission:

First, the first lesson, don't ignore reality. Democrat leaders ignored actuarial experts' warnings when they used the CLASS program as a budget gimmick in ObamaCare. President Obama can't create a self- funded, sustainable program that prohibits underwriting unless he intends to force healthy Americans to participate. Most enrollees will be high risk, causing premiums to skyrocket, making CLASS less appealing to healthy Americans. So the first lesson: Don't ignore reality.

The second lesson is simple: Don't break the law. The administration planned to break the law by excluding Americans made eligible by the statute. And when Congressional Research Service attorneys warned of lawsuits, I sent letters to Secretary Sebelius as the Oversight Subcommittee chairman on Ways and Means for her legal authority to make this change. Subsequently, she, and I think rightfully, suspended the program. But this does not correct bad law, a bad statute written into law. And unless we repeal CLASS, the Department of Health and Human Services will be in violation of the law when it misses an important deadline for implementation in October of 2012 and again in 2014. The administration, I think rightfully, doesn't want to break the law, but we need to go further and repeal this; otherwise, they are in violation of the law. And this is not my opinion, this is the opinion of CRS lawyers.

So the first lesson, don't ignore reality; second, don't break the law; and, third, let's not compound our Nation's long-term fiscal problems.

A prominent Democrat and former Congressional Budget Office Director, Alice Rivlin, wrote: ``Since the CLASS program is a new, unfunded entitlement, it should be repealed because it will increase the deficit over the long term.'' Pretty clear statement from a Democrat and former Congressional Budget Office Director.

The President's own deficit commission agrees with this assessment, and our grandchildren simply cannot afford a new budget-busting entitlement when we already have entitlements that we're struggling with.

We need to solve problems. We need to get our budget under control. We need to solve this problem of long-term care, and there are ways to do it. There are many ways to do it. I'm working on legislation. I've got it in draft form. I'm sharing it with fellow colleagues, Democrats and Republicans, on the House Ways and Means Committee.

I believe firmly that we have to do the right thing here, and I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this rule. Let's repeal the CLASS program and support H.R. 1173, and this will give us the impetus to move forward on sensible legislation that will actually solve this problem and not add to the deficit.

I believe, beyond CLASS repeal, we should make it easier for disabled Americans to save for their future needs.

We can expand access to affordable, private, long-term care coverage; and we can better educate Americans on the need for retirement planning. There are ways to do this. There are a lot of good ideas on both sides of the aisle. I have already had conversations with Democrats on our committee. Let's solve the problem. Let's not add to the deficit. Let's not put the administration--by its own admission and by the analysis of CRS attorneys--let's not put them in a position of actually breaking the law. That's not a good example to set for the American public.

I thank Chairman Camp for yielding time to me.

Mr. Speaker, before I came to Congress, I was a practicing cardiovascular surgeon with many years of experience, and it was not unusual to get called out in the middle of the night or on a holiday to an emergency. Just like doctors all over this country, we're there 24/7 to deal with problems.

Now, I remember distinctly one night--Christmas Eve, in fact. I was getting ready to sit down for dinner with my family when I got called to see an 85-year-old Cajun gentleman, with a very large family, who had a ruptured aneurysm, and he was in shock. I spent the entire night operating on this man. We saved his life, long story short.

We have a duty, an obligation, to our patients. By God, to put physicians in a position of seeing a 27, 28 percent cut in reimbursement is just untenable. Why? It's not because of the physicians. It's because of patients who are going to lose access. Medicare beneficiaries, seniors, those with disabilities will lose access to care during a situation in which we're already seeing eroding access. We have an obligation to act because the consequences are not good with regard to all of these provisions we're trying to extend.

This House passed a bill last week. It was a very responsible bill with good reforms, and it gave a 2-year stability period for physicians and for those patients who desperately need this care. And what did the Senate do? The Senate capitulated. The Senate caved. The Senate basically just gave up with contempt for the American people.

That's what it comes down to.

They're basically content with allowing confusion and disruption and chaos and uncertainty for patients who deserve good, high-quality care. They did the same thing to those who depend on these unemployment benefits, and they did the same for those who depend on this payroll tax cut during this holiday season.

We're going to pass a bill today that basically says we want to go to conference to resolve these differences, and the Senate has an obligation to the American people to stand with us and to follow its constitutional duty to go to conference in order to resolve these disputes, these differences, in a time-honored way.

Mr. Speaker, the Senate has an obligation to the American people. The Senate has an obligation to carry out its duty to the American people. We can get this right. Let's do it and be done with it, but let's get it done and let's get it done right.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the University of Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns football team for a thrilling victory in this past Saturday's R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. Kicker Brett Baer's 50-yard field goal as time expired lifted the Ragin' Cajuns to a come-from-behind victory over the San Diego State Aztecs in dramatic fashion.

Junior quarterback Blaine Gautier threw for three touchdowns and 470 yards, an R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl record for passing yardage. Playing in its first bowl game in 41 years, the Ragin' Cajuns did not disappoint its fan base. The last-second field goal propelled the team to its first ever Division I FBS bowl victory.

I would like to congratulate Coach Mark Hudspeth, the Ragin' Cajuns football team, and the entire University of Louisiana-Lafayette family for a successful season and a job well done. GEAUX CAJUNS!

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate T.J. Prejean, Jr. on his retirement from the Vermilion Parish Policy Jury.

For 31 years, T.J. proudly served District 13 as police juror, twice being the Vice President of the jury. Having attended 3,000 meetings during his career, T.J.'s commitment to ensuring the well-being of Vermilion Parish is clear.

Formerly an oil rig worker and farmer, T.J. began his service in office in 1980 and served eight consecutive terms. Opposition often stood in his way, but T.J.'s door-to-door campaign style reinforced his personal connection to the community.

During his time as police juror, T.J. made every effort to be accessible to the residents of District 13. He provided assistance during the several major hurricanes our region experienced in the past decade. In doing so, he demonstrated himself a concerned and dependable leader. His final police jury meeting will be Monday, December 19, 2011.

I offer my sincerest appreciation to T.J. Hebert for his dedication to the people of Vermilion Parish and congratulate him on his retirement. I am honored to be his representative in Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of our wounded warriors returning home from abroad. Several times a week, wounded American soldiers return to the United States, landing at Andrews Air Force Base. Some have short layovers before going to their homes or medical facilities around the country. Others remain in the Washington, DC, region to get care and recover. Whatever their final destination, I ask that our thoughts and prayers go out to the members of our Armed Forces and their families.

Their sacrifices to our nation will never be forgotten. In honor of their service and in hopes for their recovery I ask that this poem penned by Albert Caswell be placed in the Record.

In Honor Now

In . . .

In Honor Now!

As here we stand so very proud!

So very proud of all of you so now . . .

With open arms, as here we stand with hearts so very warm . .

. All in our hearts of love, so very full . . . beating

loud!

Waiting all for you!

Welcome Home!

As you come down into view . . .

All as America's most brilliant of all hues!

Her Armed Forces so very tried and true!

As all of our hearts so run to you . . .

Oh can you but not so hear them now!

Welcome Home!

With open arms, all in our hearts of love for you so very

warm!

Our most precious of all daughters and sons . . .

Who are but honor bound, as are all of these ones!

Who all so stood, for what was good and true!

While, all in that face . . . of deep dark death and war, as

did you!

Welcome Home!

As all for God and Country Tis of Thee, you would so die and

bleed!

As you so cried, as they so laid your brothers and sisters

down to rest!

All into that soft cold quiet ground, were but lain all of

America's Best so down!

All in your tears, as we so saw what your love for each other

so said!

And That Blood That Binds You, so ran red!

All In Such Honor Now, as here we so stand so very proud!

All in how your fine lives have so read!

Can you but not so hear all of our hearts for you so pound?

Welcome Home, now to where you so belong!

With Open Arms, as here we stand with our love for you so

very warm . . .

So very strong!

Back home again, with your families as the tears begin . . .

Whose, fine hearts have so cried . . . and so worried all of

the time!

We pray to end their most restless sleep, and so let them all

so find peace!

For they are but America's Quiet Heroes, The Families as so

are all of these!

Because, all of you and your families' fine lives . . . have

but been a song!

A song of such Faith and Courage!

One of such Strength In Honor, who this our Nation has so

nourished!

With Open Arms we now so cry, Welcome Home!

Far from all of that darkness of most dreaded war, and all

its grave harm!

As now, you all can so rest!

As a time to so rebuild . . . to so replenish, and once again

your courage to test!

As you rebuild with what you have left . . .

As all our hearts are now so filled, with such love and

respect . . . it's now time to heal America's Best!

For all of you and your families, may our Lord God So Bless .

. .

For you have a new battle now to begin!

And oh yes, American's finest ones . . . you shall win!

Welcome Home, for this our Nation you have so blessed!

As now you wear that most noblest title of them all!

As an American Hero, whose magnificent hearts upon a

battlefield of honor stood tall!

With . . .

With Open Arms . . .

Welcome Home! As to all of you, our hearts so roam!

In Honor Now, Here We So Stand With Open Arms!

Welcome Home . . . In Honor Now!

(By Albert Caswell)

I want to thank the gentleman from Minnesota for yielding time to me.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Welfare Integrity and Data Improvement Act, and I want to thank Chairman Davis for his work on this as well as Ranking Member Doggett. But I also want to express my deep appreciation for the inclusion of my bill, the Welfare Integrity Now--WIN--for Children and Families Act, H.R. 3567, in this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight, I am determined to continue to fight waste, fraud, and abuse on behalf of the taxpayer. This legislation ensures that taxpayer dollars in this program are being used in the manner that they are intended to be used, and that is to help those that need it most.

The abuse of funds on EBT cards has to stop. Prohibiting welfare funds on EBT cards from being accessible in strip clubs, liquor stores, and casinos, my bill, H.R. 3567, seeks to prevent the fraudulent misuse of funds within the TANF system.

Families across America will continue to receive the necessary assistance that they need during these very tough economic times.

The Win for Children and Families Act also holds States accountable for not complying with this provision. So I'm pleased that the provision has been included in this bill, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder must resign immediately. After months of evading tough questions and giving unclear answers about Operation Fast and Furious, it now appears the Justice Department's top official has contradicted his own testimony given before Congress.

Under Operation Fast and Furious, the Bureau of Tobacco, Alcohol, and Firearms allowed ``straw'' purchasers to buy at least 1,400 weapons, despite the fact it knew that these weapons would likely end up in the hands of violent Mexican drug cartels. The ATF lost track of the guns after they were sold to criminals. Since then, many have been used in hundreds of crimes on both sides of the border, including the murders of a Border Patrol agent in Arizona and an immigration officer at the U.S. embassy in Mexico City.

Why did the Attorney General allow for the transfer of guns across the border without working in conjunction with Mexican authorities when he knew the ATF was unable to trace them? That's a very important question that must be answered. This botched program should never have been authorized in the first place. Attorney General Holder should resign over his failure and his evasive and contradictory testimony to the United States Congress.

Mr. Speaker, this President simply does not understand America's energy needs.

Two weeks ago, this administration let politics trump policy by needlessly delaying the Canadian Keystone XL Pipeline. This is inexcusable.

The pipeline would carry 1.1 million barrels of oil per day to gulf coast refineries, create 20,000 American jobs,

and inject millions of dollars into local economies. Instead, the Canadian Prime Minister announced Canada will sell its oil to China.

Mr. Speaker, I've proudly supported numerous bills that will create American jobs and promote American energy production. Putting the Gulf of Mexico Back to Work Act, Restarting American Offshore Leasing Now Act, Reversing President Obama's Offshore Moratorium Act--these three bills will all promote American energy production and American jobs, and yet they're sitting in the Senate without action.

Let's pass these bills. Let's get them through the Senate. Mr. President, sign these bills and promote American energy production, American energy security, and American jobs.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to extend congratulations to Kevin M. Berken for being selected Rice Farmer of the Year for the 2011 International Rice Festival in Crowley, Louisiana.

For 15 years, Kevin has been farming rice and soybean crops, contributing to the active agricultural base in Louisiana. Growing up on a farm, he has long been familiar with the intricacies of agricultural production. Since 1996, his operation has steadily increased to over 1,300 acres of rice, 500 acres of soybean, and 200 acres of wheat.

Actively involved in the agricultural community, Kevin is chairman and co-founder of the Louisiana Rice Political Action Committee, and chairman of the Louisiana Rice Promotion Board. His community involvement extends to several other farming and rice related organizations including the Louisiana Farm Bureau.

Before continuing the family tradition of farming, Kevin moved to San Diego, California to begin a real estate career. It was there he met his wife, Shirley, and in 1997, they had a son named Adam. After years of success in the real estate arena, the Berkens moved back to Louisiana to continue his real estate ventures. However, learning his father had been diagnosed with cancer; Kevin decided to forgo acquiring a Louisiana real estate license and instead turned toward farming.

Kevin graduated from St. Maria Goretti Catholic School in Lake Arthur in 1979, and in 2003, went on to earn his Bachelor of Science from McNeese State University. While attending McNeese, he belonged to Delta Tau Alpha Agricultural Honor Society.

I would like to offer my sincerest thanks to Kevin M. Berken for his dedication to the continued agricultural excellence of Louisiana and congratulate him on being named 2011 Rice Farmer of the Year. I am honored to be his representative in Congress.

I rise in support of all three of these very important agreements because they promote U.S. engagement in strategically important countries around the world. Also, they promote U.S. leadership. They open new markets for American farmers, ranchers, and businesses. This means American jobs, good-paying American jobs. These agreements constitute a signature jobs bill, a jobs promotion bill.

South Korea is a critical U.S. ally in Asia and one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Multiple agreements have occurred throughout Asia over the past few years while America sat on the sidelines. This agreement is the largest free trade agreement for the U.S. and could result in an increase of our exports by $9.7 billion, according to the International Trade Commission, by lowering tariffs and other barriers to U.S. goods and services. We must pass this agreement in order to gain leverage in Asia and to show support for one of our key allies in Asia.

This expansion of U.S. engagement will serve as a platform to build further commercial relationships, creating more jobs for American workers by opening new markets. Upon implementation, more than one- third of Louisiana's exports will be duty free, and that's just a starting point. This alone will give Louisiana companies a significant advantage over similar products made in countries that don't have an FTA with South Korea.

We know small and medium-size businesses are the key to creating new jobs. Over 18,500 companies of this size, small and medium companies, export to South Korea. And they will be able to grow and hire new workers here in the United States, right here at home.

These agreements are about creating jobs. In fact, President Obama estimates that the passage of these bills will create over 250,000 new jobs right here at home as a starting point.

Madam Speaker, I urge voting to promote all of these agreements because it will promote American competitiveness and American jobs. It will promote American credibility with our trading allies. It will promote American confidence in our international engagement. And it will promote American leverage as we work with our trading partners. And most importantly, it will promote American leadership in the 21st century.

Madam Speaker, Colombia is a key ally of the United States and the third-largest export market in Latin America for U.S. goods and services, and that's despite having tariff barriers in place.

This agreement was negotiated in good faith years ago. Basically, American credibility is on the line--our credibility as to whether or not we will follow through with our commitments. After years of delay, U.S. businesses, farmers, and ranchers have been losing market share because of the inability to move forward on this agreement. In 2008, U.S. agricultural producers had 71 percent of that market. By 2010, we were down to 27 percent, and we're still dropping. And that's because other countries who have fulfilled agreements with Colombia, after we have already negotiated this, have gained that market share. They have picked up the market share we have lost.

Passing this agreement is a very important step in reversing this onerous trend for our farmers, our ranchers, and our businesses in this country. Colombia is currently the tenth-largest export market in my home State of Louisiana, and it stands to grow as a result.

Pass this agreement.

I thank the chairman for leading this effort tonight, and all of your leadership on trade issues as we go forward.

Expanding export markets for American farmers, manufacturers, and service providers is essential if we're going to have a strong American economy with private sector job creation. The United States has not acted aggressively enough to open markets over the past 3 years under the Obama administration. And now we're falling behind as other nations gain market share.

America has had a strong comparative advantage in agriculture production historically. In fact, in my home State of Louisiana, the number one export is agricultural commodities. Louisiana ranks fourth among the 50 States in exports. Over 500,000 jobs in my small State, a small State with a little over 4 million people, 500,000 jobs in Louisiana are supported directly by trade. Our rural communities in my State are supported by the strength of agricultural production and access to open markets. The local dentist's office, the local school, the small gas stations, all these things depend on the strength of agricultural production, not only in Louisiana but across our country. We need open markets for agricultural products if we're going to sustain these rural communities and economic development.

The trade promotion agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea amount to over $13 billion annually in new market access. The failure to implement these agreements has caused significant loss of market share. Louisiana, for instance, is the third-largest rice producer in the Nation. Louisiana and U.S. rice exporters face prohibitive tariffs currently in Colombia and Panama. These agreements would phase out these tariffs, creating huge opportunities for Louisiana farmers and millers. Over one-third of Louisiana exports to South Korea would see immediate duty relief and elimination, a significant advantage for Louisiana businesses.

The administration's failure to send these agreements over the past 3 years has had significant adverse consequences. In fact, on January 1, 2009, Colombia's trade agreement with Argentina went into effect, giving Argentina's farmers a competitive advantage over U.S. farmers. In fact, America's market share in the Colombian market for corn, wheat, and soybeans plunged from 71 percent in 2008 down to 27 percent through the first 10 months of 2010, a 44 percent drop in market share, precipitously, that was nearly matched by Argentina's gain. And that's just one example of the consequences of the failure to act on this-- lost market share and job loss. We must immediately implement these agreements to promptly avoid further loss.

Mr. Speaker, American competitiveness, American credibility, and American leverage with our economic competitors is at stake. Passing these

agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea is only a start. America needs to move beyond that. We need a well thought out trade strategy that will allow American farmers, businesses, and workers to compete and prosper. An American trade strategy is a critical instrument of American foreign policy because our economic strength is the foundation of both our soft power and our hard power. An American trade strategy is essential for American leadership in the 21st century.