Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to recognize Heart of Florida United Way as they celebrate 75 years of service in Central Florida. Heart of Florida United Way is the largest provider of funds to nonprofit agencies in Central Florida. These agencies provide critical services including job training, financial literacy classes, healthcare and educational opportunities. This year, Heart of Florida United Way committed more than $9.2 million in funding over three years to nonprofit partner agencies in Central Florida.

Additionally, Heart of Florida United Way provides direct services that aid the homeless, connect individuals with volunteer opportunities and ensure accessibility of lifesaving medications. Their dedicated work to engage many aspects of the community has undoubtedly made Central Florida a better place to live and work. I thank Heart of Florida United Way for their dedicated work, and I congratulate them on 75 years of remarkable contributions to our community.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognize the soldiers of the National Guard Armory in Leesburg, Florida.

Alpha Company of the Leesburg National Guard Armory has bravely served both on American soil and overseas. In March 2005, soldiers of the 124th Infantry Regiment were deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. After conducting missions in Oman and Pakistan in 2008, Alpha Company deployed to Kuwait and conducted missions throughout Iraq, assisting the transition from Operation Iraqi Freedom to Operation New Dawn.

In Florida, Alpha Company has provided critical support in times of natural disaster. In 2004, service men and women aided victims of hurricanes that caused catastrophic damage around the state. Alpha Company also assisted Central Florida residents in 2007 when a series of tornadoes damaged thousands of homes and claimed several lives.

I want to extend my sincere appreciation to the soldiers of Alpha Company for their brave and selfless service in Central Florida and abroad. It is an honor to recognize them and all men and women in the United States' armed forces.

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to recognize the Umatilla Woman's Club, a member organization of the General Federation of Women's Clubs.

The Umatilla Woman's Club was founded in 1920 by a group of civic- minded women who established the first library in Umatilla. The group first organized informally, but recognizing the need for formal organization to better promote civic events, the Umatilla Woman's Club became one of the original twelve Woman's Clubs.

The General Federation of Women's Clubs acts as a unifying force, bringing women together to strengthen their local communities through volunteer service. There are over 100,000 members worldwide who inspire change by supporting the arts, advancing education, encouraging civic involvement and promoting cooperation.

I thank the Umatilla Woman's Club for their ongoing commitment to bettering our Central Florida community. Their philanthropy and spirit of volunteerism is an inspiration to us all.

Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to recognize the Camaraderie Foundation, a Central Florida nonprofit organization that offers counseling, emotional support and spiritual guidance for military service members, veterans and their families.

The Camaraderie Foundation was founded in 2009 by Captain Michael Waldrop and his wife, Marnie. Following Capt. Waldrop's deployment to Afghanistan, the Waldrops sought counseling and found it to be vital to the wellbeing of their marriage and reintegration into the community. Capt. Waldrop noticed that stigma associated with counseling often dissuaded military members from benefitting from it. Believing that private counseling and spiritual community can alleviate post- deployment issues, the Waldrops started the Camaraderie Foundation to serve the military community.

The Camaraderie Foundation provides counseling scholarships to military service members and their families, community-building programs that create support networks before and after deployment, and a mentorship program that assists military members with their transitions back into civilian life.

According to the Camaraderie Foundation, 84,803 service members have been deployed from Central Florida since September 11, 2001. To these men and women, we owe a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid. I thank them for their service, and I commend the Camaraderie Foundation for their extraordinary leadership and dedication to serving our nation's military.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 435, had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to recognize Visit Orlando, the official tourism organization for the Orlando area, on its 30 years of service to our community.

Visit Orlando stands alongside Orange County and its member organizations to represent the Central Florida Hospitality Community and our area's leading industry, which is responsible for an economic impact of more than $54 billion annually. Since July 1984, Visit Orlando has worked with local organizations and assisted greatly in the marketing and advertising endeavors of its member organizations.

Serving as the largest tourism organization in the world, Visit Orlando focuses on maintaining the health of our tourism environment by globally marketing the area as a premier leisure, convention and business destination. Their partnership with Orange County and member companies has played a prominent role in making Orlando a great place to visit and to live.

It is a privilege to recognize Visit Orlando, and I would like to take the opportunity to thank this organization for its commitment to Central Florida and our hospitality industry.

Mr. Speaker, Arnold Palmer Medical Center in Orlando, Florida has, once again, been recognized as one of the best children's hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report. Arnold Palmer Medical Center, comprised of Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies, was ranked by U.S. News & World Report in eight different specialties this year--the most they have ever received.

In 2007, U.S. News introduced the Best Children's Hospitals rankings in order to help

families find the best medical care available for their children. These rankings include detailed information about the hospitals' performance and their reputation in the pediatric community.

Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children is a world-class facility dedicated exclusively to the needs of children. The hospital provides expertise in pediatric specialties and is known for its excellence in cardiac care, neurology, orthopedics and sports medicine.

Adjacently, the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies is a 285- bed facility dedicated to the care of women and babies. It is a national leader in neonatal intensive care and is highly regarded for providing comprehensive healthcare for women throughout all stages of life.

Both of these institutions are Magnet-designated for their commitment to quality patient care, safety, research, and service excellence. Arnold Palmer Medical Center attributes its many accolades to the high level of care its medical team provides every day. I take comfort in knowing that the women and children of Central Florida have access to the nation's best care close to home. It is my distinct pleasure to recognize Arnold Palmer Medical Center for their dedication to the Central Florida community.

Madam Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 669 and ask for its immediate consideration.

For the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Polis), my friend, pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of the resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.

General Leave

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

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

I rise today in support of this rule and the underlying bill. House Resolution 669 provides a closed rule, as is customary for bills that are reported by the Committee on Ways and Means, for H.R. 5021, the Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2014.

On July 10, the Ways and Means Committee marked up H.R. 5021. The committee ordered the bill favorably reported by voice vote.

The bill is simple. It extends our transportation programs and our reforms enacted by MAP-21, and it pays for the extension without raising taxes on hardworking American taxpayers.

This extension is crucial. Prior to the expiration of MAP-21 later this fall, the highway trust fund is expected to encounter a funding shortfall. The Secretary of Transportation has warned that, as early as August, payments from the trust fund to the States will begin to be delayed.

Let's be clear: this bill is just an interim remedy for our current situation. It is not a solution to our transportation funding problem.

As a member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, I can testify to the work that Chairman Shuster and the committee are doing to provide a multiyear authorization bill. It is a deliberative, thoughtful process. The underlying bill advances that process.

The underlying bill proposes policies that have previously received bipartisan support. Further, these policies have previously also been embraced by the Senate.

The bill extends the surface transportation programs and funding through May 2015. It provides stability and certainty for States. It continues our investments in infrastructure. It staves off job losses at the height of the construction season. And it allows the process to move forward toward a long-term solution.

Some have suggested or proposed a short-term patch for just a few months. There are some who would like to see this just provide enough time to get through the election. A short-term extension would guarantee a crisis. Even worse, that manufactured crisis is easily avoidable.

Central Floridians are still trying to dig their way out of years of economic downturn. We are focusing on improving our families' financial situation, and certainly we don't need a downturn in construction--and especially infrastructure construction in the State of Florida and in my particular area, central Florida.

A short-term extension is, at best, feeble and, at worst, irresponsible. Washington should not do less when it can do better. Washington should not add to the list of crises of its own doing by passing a short-term patch when a longer-term answer is within reach.

The task at hand remains avoiding the expiration of the existing transportation authorization. The existing authorization is actually a good bill.

MAP-21 included significant reforms to cut out Federal red tape and bureaucracy. It streamlined the project delivery process. It reformed and consolidated programs. It improved safety. It ended the process of earmarks in transportation bills.

MAP-21 set deadlines for slow-moving projects. It set a new NEPA funding threshold and expedited projects that were destroyed by disaster.

MAP-21 consolidated more than 100 programs by nearly two-thirds. It eliminated dozens of ineffective programs and provided more resources and flexibility to States. It also incentivized States to seek partners in the private sector to finance and operate infrastructure projects.

Further, MAP-21 passed the House by a strong bipartisan vote of 373- 52, including the support of the gentleman from Colorado. It passed the Senate by an equally strong bipartisan vote of 74-19. The White House issued a statement that said they were pleased with the bill.

While we continue with a process that will lead to a multiyear authorization bill, there is no reason why we should not support an extension of MAP-21. Extending MAP-21 through next summer is simply an extension of another year of good transportation policy.

Once again, I rise in support of this rule and the potential this extension holds for producing a thoughtful process that results in a quality long-term authorization bill.

I encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the rule, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I think it is important to note that the authorization is not ending next month. It is just the funds are running out. We have got to extend the funds. The authorization continues on through the end of the year.

That authorization was a good bill, as I explained in my opening remarks. MAP-21 was an excellent piece of legislation that consolidated a lot of programs, allowed States more flexibility, and gave them a pathway to create many of the infrastructure projects we need. This is just the money. And then we go a little bit further so we are not creating a crisis right before we adjourn.

So I think, in the end, this is a very good piece of legislation. It puts forth what is needed. We need money to finish the authorization we already have. That is what this does.

The administration policy from the Executive Office of the President's Office of Management and Budget says this: ``With surface transportation funding running out''--he is only talking about the funding. He knows that the policy still is in place--``and hundreds of thousands of jobs at risk later this summer, the administration supports House passage of H.R. 5021 . . . This legislation would provide for continuity of funding for the highway trust fund during the height of the summer construction season and keep Americans at work repairing the Nation's crumbling roads, bridges, and transit systems.''

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Garrett).

Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

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

I just want to make sure we remind everybody that there were 373 Members

who voted for that halfhearted bill, including the gentleman who spoke against that bill but who voted for it just 2 years ago. Why? Because it was good policy. It set forth some policy moving forward in that MAP-21 allowed for more flexibility for the local communities to determine what they needed. It took 100 projects and silos and so forth and reduced them down by a major amount. It gave that flexibility to the States.

As for my State, we have the largest transportation program this year that we have ever had--$10 billion--which is $2 billion more than it was the year before. Why? Because this program and this project and this bill and the reauthorization worked, and all we are doing is extending that good policy. The policy already extends all the way through the end of the year. We are funding it. That is the real need, to finish funding it, and then we extend it another 5 months.

To me, it is a great piece of legislation that can be improved. It gives us the time as we come along and begin working on the reauthorization bill that we are getting ready to propose at some point in time in the future. The staff is already working, and the Members are giving ideas. I have met with the staff, and have given them some ideas that I thought would work, and that is happening right now.

This does not preclude us from continuing on. We don't have to have, really, even within the current timeframe, a new reauthorization bill until the end of the year. However, we do need funding. That is what this bill does. It provides the funding necessary to complete what, I think, was a very good piece of public policy.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I just want to remind the audience or anyone listening that we are talking about a rule that is dealing with transportation funding and about extending it so that we can continue the jobs necessary and finish the projects that have been started in States and so that we can start new ones. That is what we are talking about here and not necessarily about the issue that was just presented.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

No, Madam Speaker, we don't.

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

This rule provides for ample and open debate. It advances a bill that originally passed the House 373-52, one of the most bipartisan votes we have had since I have been here.

The underlying bill extends good public policy. That policy was supported, like I said, by 373 Members of the House, 74 in the Senate, and signed by the President.

While we must look forward to the passage of another multiyear transportation authorization, there is no reason we should not pass the extension. Certainty means ``the state of being free from doubt or reservation; confident; sure.''

Extending our transportation programs until next summer provides our States with certainty. It also ensures that our highway trust fund does not become insolvent at the end of this month.

This extension will keep our transportation construction workers on the job. It will keep our transit systems functioning at full capacity. It will continue our investments in our economy. It will do all these things, without raising taxes on the American people.

Most importantly, it advances the process of a multiyear transportation bill. I look forward to working with Chairman Shuster and other members of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure as we focus on producing a long-term bill that strengthens our transportation programs.

The passage of this extension gives us the opportunity to work together and produce a solution that continues to deliver an unmatched transportation system for the American people. It is our responsibility to make sure that that happens.

This bill is the last chance to fulfill our responsibility to the American people and to provide our States with certainty before the highway trust fund reaches insolvency.

I urge all Members of this House to vote for the rule, vote for the bill, keep our transportation systems operating, and let us work together for a long-term solution.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to recognize a Central Floridian, Mr. Scott McKenzie, an Advanced Placement teacher at East Ridge High School, for being selected as a member of the inaugural class of AP Advocacy Fellows.

The AP Advocacy Fellowship Program engages exceptional AP teachers who ensure that every student is provided access to opportunity. As part of the program, fellows participate in professional development training that focuses on media communication, government relations, and relevant state and federal legislation.

In this global economy, our economic prosperity depends on our ability to train a high-wage, high-tech workforce able to compete with countries around the world. In order to achieve these goals, we must build an education system that not only works to solve today's problems but also focuses on our nation's long term competitiveness.

It is a privilege to recognize Mr. McKenzie for his demonstrated excellence in education, and I thank him for his commitment to the students of Central Florida.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to recognize a Central Floridian, Mr. Santosh Madhavan, an Advanced Placement teacher at Lake Highland Preparatory School, for being selected as a member of the inaugural class of AP Advocacy Fellows.

The AP Advocacy Fellowship Program engages exceptional AP teachers who ensure that every student is provided access to opportunity. As part of the program, fellows participate in professional development training that focuses on media communication, government relations, and relevant state and federal legislation.

In this global economy, our economic prosperity depends on our ability to train a high-wage, high-tech workforce able to compete with countries around the world. In order to achieve these goals, we must build an education system that not only works to solve today's problems but also focuses on our nation's long term competitiveness.

It is a privilege to recognize Mr. Madhavan for his demonstrated excellence in education, and I thank him for his commitment to the students of Central Florida.

Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to recognize one of my constituents, Ms. Alia El-Assar, for her reception of an English Teaching Assistantship through the Fulbright Program. A student at Rollins College, Ms. El-Assar traveled to Mexico in September 2013 where she will be teaching until May 2015.

The Fulbright Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, is supported by the United States, participating foreign governments and the private sector. Established by Congress in 1946, the Program's purpose is to ``build mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the rest of the world.'' Fulbright awardees are selected for academic excellence, professional achievements or demonstrated leadership in their fields.

I commend Ms. El-Assar for her commitment to education, and I thank her for representing the United States through the Fulbright Program in Mexico.

Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to recognize one of my constituents, Mr. Amr Nassar, for his acceptance to the People to People World Leadership Forum in Washington, DC. Mr. Nassar was selected for his academic excellence, leadership potential and exemplary citizenship.

The People to People mission is to bridge cultural and political borders through education and exchange. To this end, People to People offers domestic and international educational programs that promote cooperation, cross-cultural understanding and leadership. It is my hope that Mr. Nassar benefitted greatly from his participation in the World Leadership Forum, and I wish him all the best in his future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to congratulate the University of Central Florida for winning the 2014 Raytheon National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (NCCDC). The competition, held April 25-27 in San Antonio, Texas, brought together the top ten college and university teams from across the country.

More than 180 colleges and universities and 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students participated in competitions leading up to the national championship. The Raytheon competition models real-world scenarios in which teams are required to maintain operational needs of their businesses and user demands amidst cyber attacks. Preparing the next generation of cyber security leaders is critical to defending our nation against ever-increasing threats.

Again, congratulations to the University of Central Florida team for bringing home the Raytheon NCCDC Alamo Cup and establishing the University as a national leader in cyber security.

Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to recognize Mr. John C. Pitts of Evans High School in Orlando, Florida. Mr. Pitts, a Florida native, bravely served our country in World War II as a Navy Seal in the Underwater Demolition Team #25. In 1957, Mr. Pitts began teaching junior high at Evans High School, and in 1961, he moved into administration as the school's assistant principal. After temporarily leaving Evans High School to lead several other schools in Orange County, Mr. Pitts returned to Evans in 1977 where he served as principal until his retirement in 1988.

Educators like Mr. Pitts are shining examples of the fruits of selflessness. Their commitment to students models the life-changing impact a dedicated educator can have on a community and on the individual lives of students.

For more than five decades, Mr. Pitts has been a tireless advocate for the students, athletes and families of Evans High School. It is with sincere appreciation that I thank Mr. Pitts for his commitment to our nation's youth and for his service to our country. His leadership and dedication continue to be an inspiration to us all.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 204, had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''