Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my great appreciation for a tremendous service that has been rendered to the Congress by Andrew Loeb Shoenig in his capacity as International Programs Director of the Congressional Study Groups.

As you are aware, the Congressional Study Groups are the premier international projects administered by the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress, and they are the most active and substantive bipartisan exchange involving the U.S. Congress and legislative branches of another country.

Mr. Shoenig has been an integral part of the Study Group's outstanding success for almost six years. He worked tirelessly to enable Members to have a productive and fruitful dialogue with colleagues in the legislatures of Germany, Japan, Turkey, and the E.U. His effective leadership has resulted in the creation of a network of colleagues who have an avenue of discourse, so that the many important international issues that affect our constituencies can be addressed in a constructive and positive manner.

In addition to expressing the appreciation of my colleagues in Congress, I wish to add that on a personal note, it has been a great pleasure working with Andy over the past six years during my chairmanship of the Congressional Study Group on Germany. He is an exceptional professional who has delivered to Members an incredibly valuable and effective service. He is leaving Washington to earn his Master's Degree in Public Administration at the University of North Carolina, and we wish him much success as he pursues this new opportunity.

Mr. Speaker, today I have the privilege of recognizing the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor as it becomes an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution.

Earlier this year, the heritage corridor completed a five year merger process with the National Canal Museum. As a result of this merger, the Canal Museum's Smithsonian Affiliate status will transfer to the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor.

The Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, also known as the D&L Corridor, is part of our nation's National Heritage Area system. The corridor spans 165 miles from the mountains of northeast Pennsylvania through the Lehigh Valley, and it preserves and showcases the cultural resources that are an integral part of this region's history. As part of its efforts, the D&L Corridor has developed a curriculum offered to 4th and 5th grade students in the area, titled ``Tales of the Towpath,'' which provides them with the opportunity to explore mid-19th Century life along the Lehigh and Delaware canals. By merging with the National Canal Museum, the D&L Corridor is able to utilize the museum's artifacts and exhibits--including Pennsylvania's only mule-drawn canal boat--to bring its curriculum to life.

In addition to the National Canal Museum, the D&L Corridor also includes other important sites such as the National Museum of Industrial History, Historic Bethlehem Museums and Sites, Mercer Museum and Fonthill Castle, and numerous other National Historic Landmarks. For these reasons, the D&L Corridor has achieved a Smithsonian-National Heritage Area Partnership, which is the first of its kind in the United States.

The D&L Corridor has worked tirelessly to preserve and promote the rich history and culture of our beloved region in Pennsylvania, and I am proud that it now has even greater resources to share with those who visit. I wish them the utmost success as they pursue this endeavor.

Mr. Speaker, I am here today to rise in strong support of this rule and the underlying legislation, which is the product of a lot of effort on the part of a lot of people on a very bipartisan basis.

I would first like to thank and congratulate our distinguished chair and ranking members for their work on the 2017 Consolidated Appropriations Act and for their leadership in bringing this legislation forward today to address a number of timely issues facing our Nation.

I certainly want to thank the gentleman, Mr. Cole, to my immediate left for his strong work on the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies bill, which I will mention at some point here as well, but his leadership has been extraordinary on this issue.

I would like to draw special attention to some of this legislation's provisions that will further support our veterans and enhance our military's readiness.

Division L of the underlying bill provides supplemental funding to augment the appropriations that were provided to MILCON and the VA accounts, military construction and the VA accounts, last September.

Specifically, this bill will allow us to further address the opioid epidemic that has escalated within so many communities across the country and affected individuals and families from a broad range of backgrounds and professions.

The 2017 bill will provide $50 million in additional current-year funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs to improve opioid and substance abuse prevention and treatment for veterans. Those funds will allow the VA to achieve full implementation of their responsibilities under title IX of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016.

I just raised this issue less than an hour ago with VA Secretary David Shulkin in this morning's hearing. He stressed the importance of these funds to stay ahead of this challenge and provide comprehensive treatments to our veterans. It is my hope that the lessons learned from this public health crisis will be remembered so that we can prevent similar episodes from occurring in the future.

In addition, the FY17 Consolidated Appropriations Act will support readiness and infrastructure improvements and facilitate future force structure growth by providing all our military services with the full amount requested for military construction efforts.

Mr. Speaker, I agree with so many of my colleagues from both sides of the aisle that we need to make investments in our military readiness. I would like to stress that the investments in the infrastructure and military construction programs that support our troops at home and abroad are critical aspects of our overall readiness posture. This bill will move us in the right direction by addressing needs for both our Active-Duty and our National Guard and Reserve forces.

I would also like to talk about some other aspects of this legislation, too, in the underlying bill. Many pressing needs are addressed here.

Specifically, we are talking about a very significant pay increase, a 2.1 percent pay increase for our troops. It is the largest pay increase in 6 years.

This legislation makes a substantial downpayment on our efforts, and the Trump administration's efforts, to enhance and increase military spending to address the various threats that we are seeing throughout the world.

I just returned from South Korea and Okinawa, Japan, and we have many challenges in Northeast Asia, that I won't go into here today. But we all know that we have some real obligations, particularly for our United States Navy.

I also wanted to mention, too, my good friend, Chairman Cole. He led the effort, along with Senator Roy Blunt, to increase funding for medical research, critical lifesaving medical research to the National Institutes of Health by $2 billion in this legislation, taking the funding level from $32 billion to $34 billion. And that is on top of what we heard in fiscal year 2016, which took us up $2 billion, as well, from $30 billion to $32 billion.

So the commitment of this side of the aisle to medical research, I think, is strong, and we are backing it up with our dollars. We had to set some priorities, and Chairman Cole did that in the labor health bill. He set those priorities, and we said: This is one of them. I am proud that we as Republicans are stepping up on medical research. I am also pleased, too, that many of our Democratic friends are supporting this in this effort as well.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to point out that this legislation, in addition to this robust increase for medical research, the chairman also provided substantial support for early childhood, a priority to him and to many of us.

And there are other areas, too. Pell grants made some great changes, too--year-round Pell grants for so many students who are struggling with college affordability.

I also want to point out, too, on border security, a downpayment has been made here as well. This legislation provides $1.5 billion additionally for border security. This will help us move closer to establishing greater operational control of our border, which is something I think we all agree needs to be done.

These are just a few of the provisions of this legislation beyond what I am responsible for--military construction and VA--that are worthy.

I would urge support of this bill. I would also like to point out that we did pass the Military Construction and VA Appropriations bill back in September on time. It is the first appropriations bill passed on time since 2009. I want to take a little credit for that.

But these other 11 bills that have been discussed here today need our support. We need to keep this government running. We have done it in a very thoughtful, bipartisan, measured way, and we have been very responsible. This bill needs to get to the President's desk immediately.

Again, I urge support for this legislation, and I support the rule as well.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mr. Edward J. Donley, former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Ed was a dear friend and mentor to me. After 95 years of life, many of which were spent as a prominent figurehead in the Lehigh Valley's business community and as an impassioned advocate for early-childhood education, he passed away in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on April 1, 2017. As a testament to Ed's legacy, his son John wrote a tribute to him, a portion of which I summarized and would like to include in the Record today:

Ed Donley was born in Detroit on November 26, 1921. During the Depression, his family moved back to their farm near Richmond, Michigan. After graduating from high school, Donley won a scholarship to Lawrence Institute of Technology (now Lawrence Technological University) in Detroit and earned an engineering degree in 1943. Shortly before graduating, Donley was hired by a new industrial gas company, Air Products, located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to design portable oxygen generators for Allied bombers in World War II.

Donley met his future wife in Chattanooga: Ms. Inez Cantrell. They wed on October 24, 1946 and were happily married for 66 years until Inez passed away in 2013 from Alzheimer's disease. The couple had three children--Martha, Tom, and John, ten grandchildren, and a growing bevy of great-grandchildren.

Air Products relocated to the Lehigh Valley in 1949, and Donley became Vice President of Sales in 1957, President and Chief Operating Officer in 1966, Chief Executive Officer (1973-86), and Chairman of the Board (1978-86). During his time at Air Products, he was especially proud of his commitment to promoting employee safety, recruiting top students each year, and creating long-term shareholder value.

In the Lehigh Valley, Donley led many local projects. In the 1960s and 70s, he was a trustee of Cedar Crest College, the Allentown Art Museum, and WLVT public television. He and his wife Inez gave their time and financial support to Community Services for Children, the

Allentown Library, KidsPeace, Lehigh Carbon Community College, and the Da Vinci Science Center.

Additionally, Donley served on many business and non-profit boards, including a stint as director of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for 11 years. He was active in the health care industry as well, helping to create the predecessor of the Lehigh Valley Health Network in the 1970s and working with the Rotary Club to found Lehigh Valley Hospice, Inc. in 1980--just the second hospice in the U.S. at that time.

Similarly, Donley held a great passion for early-childhood education. In addition to leading education initiatives, he and his wife gave most of their assets to The Donley Foundation, a trust now run by their children and grandchildren, which supports the work of literacy and early-childhood education groups.

While philanthropy and a strong business acumen served as catalysts for many of Ed's lifetime endeavors, his commitment to his wife, his children, and his grandchildren and great-grandchildren will ultimately be how he is remembered. Mr. Speaker, I ask that the House please join me in celebrating a giant of a man and a life well lived, as well as expressing sympathy to his family and our community, both of which have been made better by his outstanding life and legacy. Rest in peace, dear friend.

Mr. Speaker, I have the privilege of recognizing Calvary Temple in Allentown, Pennsylvania on the occasion of its 100th anniversary. During the last century, Calvary Temple has served as a place of spiritual enlightenment and refuge to the City of Allentown and the surrounding Lehigh Valley.

Calvary Temple began in 1917 as an informal gathering of 12 believers who met in one another's houses to pray for the salvation of close friends and family members. Led by layman Edwin C. Conrad from the 12th Street Baptist Church of Allentown, the group devoted itself to building a new meeting space that could accommodate their growing attendance numbers. By 1922, a ground-breaking was held for the new building, and the group officially deemed their organization the Pentecostal Prayer Band--Assembly of God.

The church wasted no time in establishing ministries, both locally and internationally. Sister Mary Lindberg became the church's representative in India, establishing missionary outreach, which continues to this day. In Allentown, the church began to work with the elderly and inmates at the Lehigh County Prison. Additionally, baptismal services for new members were held at Jordan Park in the nearby river. In the following decades, despite initial hardships, the church continued to devise creative ways of ministering to the surrounding community, including radio and television broadcasts, an annual summer camp, and eventually, Allentown Christian School. Finally, after a number of name changes, the church adopted the name Calvary Temple, and ultimately decided to withdraw from the Assemblies of God in order to become a self-governing, non-denominational body of believers.

Today, Calvary Temple remains a beacon of innovation and community service in its current location. In addition to its four Sunday services, the church hosts small group ministries across the Lehigh Valley throughout the week, and they remain a dedicated and hospitable presence in Allentown.

It is with the utmost respect and appreciation that I ask the House to join me in offering well wishes and congratulations to the men and women of Calvary Temple. May the next century bring about continued congregational growth and meaningful outreach to the Lehigh Valley.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognize Moravian College on the occasion of its 275th Anniversary.

Located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Moravian's roots go all the way back to May 1742, when it began as a girls' school founded by Countess Benigna von Zinzendorf, who was only 16 years-old at the time. Motivated by her religious roots in the Moravian denomination, Countess Benigna accompanied her father, Count Nicholas von Zinzendorf, on a visit to the Moravian settlements in the New World. The intent was to use education as an instrument of salvation for the surrounding community of Bethlehem, which was established one year prior.

Zinzendorf's school became the first girls' boarding school in America. Eventually, it would come to be known as the Bethlehem Female Seminary, and in 1913, it became the Moravian Seminary and College for Women. The school developed such a distinguished reputation that in its early years, George Washington personally petitioned the headmaster for the admission of two of his great-nieces while he served his second term as President.

In 1954, the women's institution joined with the men's institution, Moravian College and Theological Seminary, which was comprised of boys' schools from Bethlehem and Nazareth, to form the singular Moravian College. Moravian Theological Seminary maintained a close, but distinct identity as a graduate school of theology. The merger made Moravian College the first coeducational institution of higher learning in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania.

Today, Moravian College remains committed to its mission of preparing individuals for a ``reflective life, fulfilling careers, and transforming leadership in a world of change.'' The school offers more than 50 programs of study, and over 2,000 students make up its undergraduate and graduate student population.

It is my pleasure to congratulate the students, alumni, faculty, and staff of Moravian College as they celebrate this very special 275th Anniversary. May they enjoy continued success in edifying and serving the Lehigh Valley and all those who look to carry on its proud tradition.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Washington State for yielding to me, and I thank him for his very distinguished career in law enforcement for all of those 30-plus years. He had a great reputation, served honorably, and was involved in some very high- profile cases that are, I think, worthy of a lot of discussion.

I wanted to take time today to express my strong support for the brave men and women who serve on our Nation's Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies. Particularly, I would like to honor two New York City police officers, Officers Ramos and Liu, who were brutally slain in an ambush on December 20, targeted simply because they wore the New York Police Department uniform.

Officer Ramos was a devoted husband and the father of two young children. He had just celebrated his 40th birthday. Officer Liu, who married just 3 months ago, leaves behind his devastated young wife and parents. All across the Nation, the thoughts and prayers of grateful citizens go out to their families, friends, and officers who served with them.

I live in Allentown, Pennsylvania, not terribly far from New York City. I have to tell you, I believe the New York City Police Department is among the finest big city police departments anywhere in the world. I remember September 11, 2001, we saw firefighters and police officers and others rush down to the Twin Towers.

We recognized and celebrated their heroism because many of them gave that last full measure of devotion on that day. There was no profession more noble than being a police officer at that time, and particularly a New York City police officer. How times have changed in a fairly short period of time.

This extraordinary police department has come under fire because they have implemented very effective police practices which have been a model for the rest of the Nation, have kept crime rates low, and is something we should be celebrating, that department and the men and women who work there. It is a very diverse police department, among the most diverse anywhere.

I would also like to point out one other sad tragedy that we dealt with this year in my own State. It was the beautiful fall foliage of Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains that was the backdrop of a horror that many northeastern Pennsylvanians had to deal with for several weeks.

We Pennsylvanians recently mourned our own loss on September 12, 2014, when State Police Corporal Bryon Dickson was murdered under what appear to be similar circumstances to those in New York. He was shot to death because of the badge that he wore.

Trooper Alex Douglass was seriously wounded in that same incident. We are pleased to hear that Trooper Douglass is recovering steadily, and we wish him the best in his long road to a full recovery. But what followed that horrific attack and assassination was a truly impressive 7-week manhunt for Eric Frein, the shooter and self-trained, self- described survivalist.

Over 1,000 officers from State and local law enforcement agencies from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York teamed with the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, and ATF, and it was amazing. What we witnessed was an amazing testament to police work, which ended successfully with the surrender of Frein, and there were no shots fired. Frein, I should note, is currently standing trial.

Police work is certainly, as Congressman Reichert knows better than anyone in this room, and Congressman Nugent, too, they know that police work is inherently dangerous. Officers must enforce the law in any number of difficult situations under pressures few outside the military could possibly understand, from routine traffic stops to domestic violence situations to hostage cases to murder scenes. America's finest must deal with it all. They deserve our support, and they most assuredly have mine.

While we have recently seen a handful of high profile cases of citizens clashing with police, anyone who has ever attended a local crime watch meeting knows that police officers care deeply about the communities they serve. I have attended so many of these meetings over the years, both as a State legislator and even as a Congressman, numerous crime watch meetings in some pretty tough areas, and I was always so impressed with the way the officers immersed themselves in the daily life of the neighborhoods for which they were responsible. No problem was too small. They would deal with it.

Now is the time for all of us to roll up our sleeves and work to address the underlying issues that have animated enormous emotions in communities across our country.

I should point out, too, as a new member of the bipartisan House Law Enforcement Caucus, I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to advance Federal policy that supports all of the brave men and women who have sworn to protect and serve.

I thank the gentleman from Washington State for putting on this hour tonight. We need to spend more time celebrating the fine men and women who serve us.

Mr. Speaker, as the Chairman of the Committee on Ethics, and along with my colleague, Linda Sanchez, the Ranking Member, I rise today to congratulate our departing Director of Investigations, Deborah Mayer, on her new position as staff director for the Senate Ethics Committee, and to thank her for her service to the House. Her new position continues a career dedicated to public service, which includes not only her work for the House, but also her prior work as a prosecutor with the Justice Department, and her 16-years of service in the JAG Corps of the United States Navy and Naval Reserves. Her dedication to public service, as well as her keen legal mind, will serve the Senate well, as they have served this body for the last several years. Their gain is our loss, and we thank her deeply for her service to this House.

Madam Chairwoman, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 240, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, which Judge Carter, Mr. Price, myself, and others helped draft in the Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Homeland Security. This bill, despite what you may have heard, is a product of bipartisan compromise.

It provides $47.8 billion to fund the agencies of the Department of Homeland Security through fiscal year 2015.

It includes $7 billion for emergency disaster relief to assist those suffering the effects of severe winter snowstorms that have hit the northern United States; wildfires that have ravaged the West; floods; tornadoes; and other natural disasters.

The bill also provides $213 million for OCO, or the Overseas Contingency Operations of the Coast Guard, as they continue to play a vital role in the support of our military abroad.

In our deliberations on this bill, the committee took very seriously the crisis that has unfolded on our southwestern border as we experience the surge of unaccompanied minors, primarily from the Central American countries of Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador. It is estimated that nearly 70,000 unaccompanied children entered illegally in 2014 alone. The bill also allows certain FEMA grants to be used to reimburse State and local governments for the excessive costs associated with humanely detaining and processing these unaccompanied minors. In response to the influx of families that have crossed the southwest border, it allocates an additional $362 million for detention capability and capacity, including 3,732 new family detention beds.

This legislation fully funds CBP, or Customs and Border Protection, and its 21,370 agents who provide not only security at our northern and southern borders, but also at our many ports of entry where goods come and go from all over the world.

In light of the recent security incidents at the White House, the bill includes funding to improve security at the White House and Vice President's residence through additional fiscal infrastructure and resources such as tactical canine units.

It also direct resources for the Secret Service to begin preparations for the Presidential candidate protection ahead of the 2016 Presidential election.

We have all seen the recent events in the news that demonstrate the importance of being proactive on security in the cyber realm. Just yesterday, we saw social media accounts that the U.S. Central Command, or CENTCOM, was hacked by ISIS or their sympathizers. Last month, a major cyberattack allegedly perpetrated by North Korea compromised sensitive data belonging to the Sony Corporation.

This legislation provides an increase in funding for the National Protection and Programs Directorate to support infrastructure protection, information security, and cybersecurity. We cannot afford to take a passive approach to protecting critical network communications.

This bill also funds construction of the National Bio and Agro- Defense Facility to ensure the security of our Nation's food supply, something I think all too often we have taken for granted. This facility will strengthen our Nation's capability to conduct research and develop vaccines and other countermeasures to prepare and respond against diseases that could seriously threaten our crops and livestock.

Finally, this fiscally responsible appropriations bill reduces the administration overhead costs of the Department of Homeland Security by $6 million below the fiscal year 2014 enacted level.

Again, I would like to thank Chairman Carter, Mr. Price, and the staff of both sides of the aisle that worked really hard to get this legislation to the point where it is. The underlying bill is a good bill. Notwithstanding any of the amendments that are going to be considered tomorrow, this bill should be supported on its merits, and it has a strong bipartisan vote.

I urge a ``yes'' vote.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my thoughts and, frankly, some concerns about the President's proposal that we will vote on today to train and arm the Free Syrian Army forces to fight ISIL. We are sort of in a ``damned if you do, damned if you don't'' situation.

I have always said that our country needs a comprehensive plan, policy, and strategy to defeat the radical Islamists terrorizing Iraq and Syria. Certainly, ISIS represents the antithesis of American ideals, and they have gruesomely demonstrated their disgust for our Nation with the beheadings of two American journalists in recent weeks.

What we are considering today is a partial plan, one of which I remain uncertain as to whether it will have the desired outcome. In fact, since 2011, the administration has consistently resisted any major efforts to arm and train the moderate opposition forces in Syria even when, I believe, a window existed to effectively do that some time ago.

At a hearing in the Appropriations Committee in February of 2012, I questioned then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton about why we were not doing more to help the moderate Syrian opposition. She flatly rejected providing support then. Now, however, I fear we may have effectively missed the time in which arming the FSA will impact the barbarism of ISIL in the region. Unfortunately, since 2011 and early 2012, the situation in Syria has become dramatically more complex, and identifying true allies in the fight against ISIS will be exceedingly difficult.

Questions remain about the President's strategy:

How will we effectively vet the opposition forces? How will we ensure that arms delivered will not be sold to ISIS forces or will not be used against already persecuted people in the region, such as the Syrian Christians?

ISIL is a threat to our Nation's security, and, no doubt, it must be destroyed and defeated, but I do have trepidation regarding this initial step in equipping the FSA at this juncture. Those voting on this measure, I suspect, will do so with great reluctance. Those voting ``no'' will do so with discomfort.

Madam Speaker, I rise in very strong support of this border security legislation presented to us today, for a number of reasons.

It does provide for humanitarian assistance. This legislation does deal with this issue in a compassionate, thoughtful way to deal with the unaccompanied children. It secures the border, provides for funding for the National Guard, and it does many other things, too, in terms of policy changes that would treat these children just as we would treat unaccompanied children who cross the border from Canada or Mexico. It is the right policy for a whole host of reasons.

Just last week, Congressmen Gerlach, Meehan, and I visited an Office of Refugee Resettlement program in Womelsdorf, Berks County in Pennsylvania, and those children are treated compassionately.

But let me tell you what will happen if we do nothing here today. The children who are coming into my district in Womelsdorf, and also in Allentown, where I will be visiting a center tomorrow, these children will, in fact, keep coming into our communities and they will be treated humanely. Then they will be resettled and reunited with parents or family members who are already in the United States and, in most cases, here unlawfully.

That is what doing nothing means. The children will keep coming. They will be resettled throughout the country, and they will basically reside somewhere within the interior of this country. That is what doing nothing means. It would be reckless and irresponsible for the House to walk out of here today without addressing this border and humanitarian crisis.

This bill is the right thing to do. It secures the border, provides humanitarian assistance, and it makes the necessary policy changes to stop this flow of children.

This is a tragedy that these children are leaving their countries in this way. I can't imagine the desperation these families must feel, that they would let their children travel with somebody unaccompanied, drug dealers and cartels and human smugglers, coyotes. It is unthinkable. We need to make sure this stops. Many children aren't making it along the way.

I met with a 5-year-old girl who told me her horrible story, and I shudder to think of the children who didn't make it.

That is why we need to act today. It is the right thing to do, it is the compassionate thing to do, and it is in keeping with our American tradition.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the people of Slatington as they prepare to celebrate their 150th anniversary. That would be their sesquicentennial, Mr. Speaker.

The Borough of Slatington is located in northern Lehigh County and is in Pennsylvania's 15th Congressional District. As their Member of Congress, it is my honor to enter these words into the Congressional Record in recognition of this proud event.

The story of Slatington's founding is a very American story. Like so many communities, it began as a farm settlement. Nicholas Kern and his family settled the area in 1741. Their extensive farmstead included a gristmill, sawmill and a tavern. They farmed the fertile soil along the Lehigh River. Another European settler, Ambrose Remaley also established himself in the area, holding land warrants in what is now the southern portion of present day Slatington.

Agriculture remained predominant in the area until three Welshmen, Owen Jones, William Roberts and Nelson LaBar made a significant discovery in 1844. The area was rich in slate--and so Slatington soon gained its name.

By 1847 the first school slate factory in the United States opened in the town. The discovery of slate and subsequent quarrying and production of slate products brought about rapid growth. Slatington incorporated as a borough on September 7, 1864.

At its peak, the slate industry provided employment for 2,000 people. They worked in the quarries or they worked to produce curbing, roofing tiles, sidewalks and importantly, school blackboards and slates.

In fact, the specific type and color of the slate quarried in Slatington proved to be ideal for use in school blackboards. Slatington became known as the ``blackboard capital of America.'' The blackboards and school slates produced in Slatington played an important role in helping educate children across the country in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Slatington's slate products weren't just shipped all over the United States--they were shipped and bought across the World.

Even as the slate industry began to fade as other materials became cheaper and because of new technologies, Slatington continued to thrive.

Its rich history is a source of pride for the community and for Lehigh County. For example, the Borough boasts the oldest Halloween Parade in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Part of Slatington is a National Register Historic District, and the Borough has two statues of Firemen listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Present day citizens of Slatington are justifiably proud of their past, especially on the advent of their 150th Anniversary. At the same time, they have their eye on the future and remain intent on assuring that Slatington remains a great place for people to live, work and raise families.

I ask the House and the Speaker to join me in celebrating their Borough's 150th Anniversary and wishing them continued happiness, harmony and success moving forward.

Mr. Speaker, I, too, rise today in strong support of H.R. 4080, the Trauma Systems and Regionalization of Emergency Care Reauthorization Act.

I would especially like to thank Dr. Burgess of Texas and Representative Gene Green of Texas for introducing this very important, critical piece of legislation.

As has been mentioned, the leading cause of death for people under the age of 45 is trauma. It is, unfortunately, something a majority of States is not adequately prepared to handle. According to the CDC, trauma kills more Americans than AIDS and strokes combined. The Nation needs a robust network to respond quickly and efficiently to get seriously injured individuals to the appropriate trauma center within that golden hour that has been much discussed, which is the time period when medical intervention is the most effective in saving lives and in saving function.

H.R. 4080, if enacted, will allow for the development of innovative State and regionalized care, which is necessary to prevent these trauma deaths.

The bill would also direct States to update their model trauma care plans with the input of stakeholders. When the difference between life and death rests on the ability to deliver coordinated trauma care within the golden hour, we need legislation in place, such as H.R. 4080, in order to improve the delivery of emergency medical care to severely injured patients.

While we are at it, at some point, we should deal with the issue of liability reform for trauma centers because we need on-call specialists to deliver that care when we most need it, but that is a fight for another day. Today, let's get H.R. 4080 done.

I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation that was introduced by Dr. Burgess and Mr. Green.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4414, the Expatriate Health Care Coverage Clarification Act.

I do want to point out that the American people do expect us to work together in a responsible manner to solve real problems, and that is what this bill we are talking about today does.

I certainly want to thank my colleagues, Representative Carney of Delaware and Representative Nunes of California, for taking the initiative to craft this really important piece of legislation.

I also know it is really difficult to look at any bill dealing with the health care law without considering the broader context of the law. However, it is also difficult to look at the state of our economy today and be nonchalant about the fact that 1,200 of our fellow Americans stand to lose their jobs if we don't act and pass this legislation.

Many of those folks live in the State of Delaware. Many of them live in the State of Pennsylvania, just over the Delaware State line. So our constituents are hearing about it, just like the story you heard from Mr. Carney and he is stopped by his constituents. We are hearing about this at home.

So that is really what this bill introduced by Mr. Carney and Mr. Nunes does. It saves jobs, it is that simple, and it does so without jeopardizing anybody's health care.

No one is going to be affected by this in a negative way. The bill on the floor today simply allows American companies to continue selling insurance to people who live and work overseas, many of our neighbors and friends. That happens to them.

If we don't pass this bill, the business will go to foreign insurance companies who will be selling these plans and possibly getting many of these jobs. Why would we want to do that? More importantly, why would we even allow that?

So this bill represents a very narrow change to the law and saves jobs. This bill simply amends the law. It does not end the law. This is not a partisan bill. This bill is a vote to keep jobs here in America and Pennsylvania and Delaware and California and other places and would take sensible steps to fix a law that we all know needs to be fixed.

Again, I know it is difficult, but we need to focus on the trees here and look past the forest, so to speak, on this bill. We need to take action and save jobs for American workers. And most important of all, we need to demonstrate to the American people that we can work together to solve very specific problems that need to be fixed. That is what we are doing. That is why everybody, whether you are a Republican or a Democrat, should stand up and enthusiastically support this bill that will not harm anyone's health care and will save American jobs.

Mr. Speaker, just in response to some of the comments I heard from my colleagues from California, I think it is pretty clear, the Joint Committee on Taxation, JCT, has been quoted here, but under this bill, the Joint Committee on Taxation confirms that all plans are ACA compliant. The JCT also confirms that more U.S. employers--American employers--will offer employer-sponsored insurance as a result of this bill.

Further, the Joint Committee on Taxation confirms that the impacts of this legislation are under 1 million people, closer to 300,000 at best. That is what we are talking about here.

Let's be very clear. The Nunes amendment that was offered to this bill actually does help solve many of the problems I believe that have been raised here in the last few minutes. Mr. Waxman from California also raised his concerns. But I must say that if we don't move on this bill, we are not going to have to worry about any of this, because Americans working overseas as expats will be buying insurance from German insurance companies or British or some other European concern. These Americans may be working in places like Ghana, Ethiopia, or Poland. Frankly, the ACA, the health care law, really has no standing in those countries.

So, please, this is a very targeted piece of legislation. These Americans will have good, quality health care as they are working overseas in countries that really don't recognize the health care law. So it is a commonsense proposal. The JCT, the Joint Committee on Taxation, confirms that this is going to affect fewer than 300,000 people. We know that all these plans are ACA compliant, and we know that more U.S. employers are going to offer employer-sponsored health insurance as a result of passing this bill.

I say vote for the bill, do the right thing, get the bill to the Senate and ultimately to the President's desk.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this legislation today, the Save American Workers Act.

Let's face it. The health care law has redefined what it means to be a full-time worker in this country. Notwithstanding the comments of my colleague from Washington, I must disagree with what he has been saying about it.

This bill does not in any way repeal the health care law. What it does do, it amends the law. It does not end it. Many of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have said, ``Amend it; don't end it.'' This amends it. Let's be very clear about that.

In my district, let me tell you who is affected by this. Cafeteria workers who work in school districts, like East Penn School District or the Southern Lehigh School District, they are getting their hours reduced below 30.

I have a major national employer who just opened a major distribution facility in my district with over 500 employees. They have over 50,000 people nationwide. More than half of their employees are part time. Many of those are being reduced below 30 hours per week as a result of this law.

This is a targeted fix. We know that these hourly workers are going to see wage reductions up to 25 percent as a direct result of the law. There are consequences to this law.

It is not about some employers wanting to cheat their employees, quite frankly. It is about many employers not being able to afford the people they have. If they don't reduce their hours, many will be laid off. They will have no wages at all. That is the worst of all worlds. But that is a real consequence of this particular law. We are all hearing it in our districts.

And, by the way, we should point out one other thing too. The folks who are most directly impacted by this particular provision of the health care law

are the young, are women. They are the ones who are more likely to be affected by this. There is no question about that. And I think we should be clear on those who are most directly impacted.

There was a Hoover Institution study that pointed that out, that the young, women, and those without a college education are the most likely to be impacted by the loss of hours, loss of wages. That means less money in their pockets.

We are having a debate about the minimum wage over in the Senate right now. Well, why don't we talk about letting people work, letting them work more hours than what this law allows them to.

I urge my colleagues to support the Save American Workers Act.