Floor Statements

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, there are a few things going on here.

One, you have American families working hard every day to juggle their lives to provide for their children and their families. They are trying to make ends meet and put food on the table and clothes on their backs. What happens is this ObamaCare 30-hour rule could seriously jeopardize all of those efforts, 30 hours instead of 40 hours.

Secondly, under ObamaCare, employers are already cutting workers' hours just to avoid the employer mandate, so there is another burden that is placed on our employees and our employers.

Third, the law is changing the standard definition of a full-time employee to someone who works 30 or more hours rather than 40 or more hours. Workers are taking home less pay each month as a result of that. Instead of having 38 hours of pay, they might have only 15 or 28 hours of pay, or maybe they just lose their jobs, Mr. Speaker.

Much of that impacted workforce would be restaurants, retailers, and hospitality businesses. Eighty-nine percent of those who would be impacted do not have college degrees. Talk about helping those that need help. ObamaCare's reduction from 40 hours to 30 hours doesn't help those people.

People that don't have college degrees are going to be hurt the worst. Over 50 percent do not even have high school diplomas. If they lose their job, there may not be somewhere else for them to turn.

The Save American Workers Act would prevent this from happening. It would save jobs, and it would provide relief for everyday Americans from the enormous tax burden of ObamaCare, repealing $63.4 billion of tax increases.

I know this is right for my constituents in Washington State, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation today.

Thank you, Mr. Reed, for inviting me to speak this evening on this important topic.

I don't come here tonight with statistics. I come here with 33 years of experience in law enforcement. I was a cop for a long time before I came to Congress. I have been to the homes. I have seen the faces of the mothers and the fathers. I have seen the faces of the victims of sexual assault. I have held them in my arms while they cried and fell to the floor in a puddle of tears. These are real people. These are our children.

When I was on patrol back in the early seventies, I had a case where I was driving around all night. It was 2 in the morning. I found this young man wandering the streets. I pulled up and asked him what was wrong. He was sobbing and crying and asking for help. It took him at least an hour, Madam Speaker--an hour--before he could really finally tell me what happened to him. He had been abducted and taken to a remote home and raped and assaulted, humiliated and beaten for 2 days.

Imagine being in that position. Imagine being a victim of such a horrendous crime.

My own family has been touched by this, as I know some folks may be listening and some speaking tonight may have mentioned that. One of my own family members was raped.

But I know this from a deeper experience. When I was a homicide detective for the King County Sheriff's Office in the early eighties, I was assigned a case called the Green River serial murder case, where 50-plus women were killed.

Now, how did those young girls and women get on the streets? They were abused. They were sexually assaulted at home. They were physically assaulted. They were emotionally assaulted, and they left home. They were raped at home. They were raped by their neighbors. They were raped by their family members, and they ended up on the street.

And whose arms did they fall into, Madam Speaker, but the arms of a pimp, again to be victimized and raped over and over and over, sometimes for money, sometimes not. Lives destroyed. Some survived physically but were mentally and emotionally drained. Their lives and spirit ripped from their hearts.

This is a crime that until you see, until you look into the eyes of the person who has been victimized in such a horrendous way, you never really truly understand the pain and the suffering that they have been through.

If they survive, they have a long, long road of recovery. And we call these people survivors. We call them survivors. If they don't, like in the Green River case, they die; their lives are taken.

Madam Speaker, we cannot allow this to continue in this country. I know that every day, there is a cop on the street, there is a social worker out there that is dealing with this crime. We have got to stop this. We have got to save the lives of our children.

Thank you, Mr. Reed for holding this hour tonight. Thank you for the opportunity to share some of my story.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I think most of the Members here know that I had a 33-year career in law enforcement prior to coming to the House of Representatives a little over 9 years ago. During that time, I lost good friends and partners in the line of duty--shot, stabbed--and they left behind families, husbands and wives and children. Those are memories that stick with me--and I know the friends and partners I have in law enforcement--forever, and the families never forget and never recover.

On this day that has been mentioned by my colleague--on New Year's Day, in the year 2012, Park Ranger Margaret Anderson responded to a call. Her job

usually is to guide folks through the park and show them the scenery and talk about the trailways and the flowers and the trees that are growing on Mount Rainier, educate the young children.

But all of a sudden, she is called to duty, to switch gears, to put her life on the line. She showed up that day to block the road from this dangerous criminal who had already committed crimes in Seattle and was on the loose. There was a manhunt that was conducted trying to find this person before he hurt or injured or killed anyone else.

Margaret Anderson served Mount Rainier Park for about 4 years. She was a National Park Ranger for 12 years. Her husband was serving with her on that very same day. He heard the call go out--officer down--and then realized it was his wife.

We go about our days here in Congress, and we sometimes forget the men and women who guard this Capitol, who guard our lives each and every day; and when we go home, those men and women in uniform are there protecting our families and our communities.

Sometimes, Madam Speaker, they lose their life. Sometimes, they put their life on the line, and sometimes, they don't come home.

In this case, Margaret Anderson did not come home. She left her husband and her two children to grieve, but she saved lives that day. That is what we do.

It is an honor for me to be here today with this piece of legislation, H.R. 1036, that honors a brave resident of Eatonville, Washington. It is a little town nestled right at the foot of Mount Rainier, with only 3,000 people, so to name a post office after her, I think, would be a great honor, a great memorial.

It is one of the things that we can do, so that we can say we will never forget.

Thank you, Margaret, for your service.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor an Olympic athlete from Washington State's 8th District, Mr. Torin Koos. Mr. Koos just returned from representing our nation in the XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. Mr. Koos is an incredible athlete who has reached the pinnacle of his sport and competed in the Men's Sprint Free Qualification.

I applaud both his achievement and the hard-work and perseverance that paid off during these games. Simply to attend the Olympics is to be among an elite group of people. I thank Mr. Koos for representing America so well, and I am proud to call him a constituent and a Washingtonian.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor an Olympic athlete from Washington State's 8th District, Mr. Patrick Deneen. Mr. Deneen just returned from representing our nation in the XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. Mr. Deneen is an incredible athlete who has reached the pinnacle of his sport and achieved a well-deserved 6th place finish in the Men's Moguls event.

I applaud both his achievement and the hard work and perseverance that paid off during these games. Simply to attend the Olympics is an honor, and to do so well is a testament to everything Mr. Deneen has accomplished. I thank him for representing America so well, and I am proud to call him a constituent and a Washingtonian.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the extraordinary talent, teamwork, and success of the Super Bowl XLVIII champions the Seattle Seahawks today, February 11, 2014.

The Seattle Seahawks finished the 2013 season with a remarkable 43-8 win over the Denver Broncos at Super Bowl XLVIII. This is the franchise's first championship team since their introduction into the National Football League in 1976. They ended their season with a 13-3 record and the number one defense in the league.

The Seahawks defense showed they were a dominant force all season and especially during the Super Bowl. All season the offense performed admirably battling through injuries and powerful opposing defensive lines. Their indomitable spirit was shown at its finest when it counted the most, February 2nd in the Super Bowl.

Seattle demonstrated exactly the teamwork and proactive spirit that we Pacific Northwesterners take such pride in. The ``12th Man'' has shown the ultimate teamwork setting world noise records in the process of supporting their Seattle Seahawks. The team's preparation, determination, and true partnership with the fans led them to dominate the Denver Broncos, ending the game with a final score of 43-8.

Coach Pete Carroll has been an inspirational leader rebuilding the Seahawks and strengthening team unity. He has also been instrumental working with youth in our communities through A Better Seattle, a partnership to help create a culture of safety and inclusion, while reducing violence in our communities.

I am pleased that, in addition to Coach Carroll, there are so many players from my hometown sports team that have Charitable Foundations. Their passion for giving back to their community exemplifies the spirit of the Pacific Northwest.

Mr. Speaker, I again offer my appreciation for the community spirit of Seattle Seahawks and congratulations for an outstanding and entertaining 2013 season and look forward to their 2014 season. Go Hawks.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of U.S. Capitol Police Sergeant Clinton Holtz. Sergeant Holtz served this Congress every day, working to keep us safe, willing to put his life on the line. But he was more than a police officer. He was a beloved son and brother. He had an exciting career before joining the police force, playing professional basketball across the globe, and he was also my friend. Sergeant Holtz was always ready with a kind word or a funny story; willing to swap stories with an old cop like me. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends as they mourn him. He will be greatly missed but always remembered.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 631, I was unable to cast my vote for rollcall No. 631 because my flight from Seattle was delayed.

Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 630, I was unable to cast my vote for rollcall No. 630 because my flight from Seattle was delayed.

Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3205) to reauthorize and restructure the adoption incentives grant program, and for other purposes.

Mr. 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.

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

I rise today to urge support for H.R. 3205, the Promoting Adoption and Legal Guardianship for Children in Foster Care Act.

Obviously, I look old enough to be a grandfather, and I am a proud grandfather of six. Two of my grandchildren are adopted grandchildren. I was a foster grandfather. My daughter and her husband were foster parents for a while, and they ended up finding two children that they really wanted to include as part of their family.

These two children today are 9 and 10, and soon to be 10 and 11 here in the next few months. They were 3 months old when they came into the house as foster kids and now are adopted and a part of not only my daughter and her husband's family, but a part of the entire family. The Reichert household has been blessed with their presence, and they have a hope for a successful future with a loving family. This is what this bill is all about, to encourage parents across this country to adopt foster children.

I also had the opportunity, as the sheriff in King County and as a detective in King County, to watch from a very close view of what foster homes looked like. As I walked into those homes as a police officer and as a detective, I questioned how some of these places could even be foster homes. There were foster kids running away from home and ending up on the street and not having a place to call their own, not having a place where they could go to have Thanksgiving, to have Christmas, bouncing from one foster home to the next, not knowing who to call Mom or Dad. We have got to fix that. We need to encourage parents across this country to adopt our foster children, to give them that opportunity.

The other good thing about this bill is it is bipartisan. In fact, I can't think of a more important or more bipartisan topic than promoting adoption for our children. That is why we are here today. This is an area where both parties have worked together to improve outcomes for children, and it has been working.

In the 10 years from 1987 through 1997, the number of children in foster care rose dramatically, climbing from 300,000 to 537,000. That surge in foster care caseloads is one of the reasons Congress, led by current Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp, passed the Adoption and Safe Families Act in 1997. That law was designed to ensure more foster children were quickly adopted when they couldn't return and live safely with their parents.

The Adoption Incentives program, created as a part of that law, was one key measure to encourage more adoptions of children from foster care. In short, it rewards States if they increase the number of children living in foster care for adoptive homes. It worked. Since the passage of the Adoption and Safe Families Act, foster care caseloads have fallen dramatically. After peaking at 567,000 in 1999, foster care caseloads have fallen almost 30 percent. At the same time, adoptions from foster care increased in the late nineties and remained much higher than before the 1997 law's passage.

Today, we are here to support H.R. 3205, the Promoting Adoption and Legal Guardianship for Children in Foster Care, which will build upon the successes of the Adoption Incentives program. This legislation extends that program and improves the way we reward States that help more children leave foster care for loving, adoptive homes.

First, it improves the formulas behind these awards to make sure that even as foster care caseloads continue to come down, States continue to get awards for moving children into adoptive homes.

Second, it continues to promote the type of adoptions that have proven hardest to achieve by adding a special award for the adoption of teenage children. We should never give up on trying to find lifelong homes for these children, and this legislation steps up the incentives for States to do just that.

Third, we add a new award for guardianship, which is an important development in the child welfare world that is allowing thousands of children to leave foster care and live safely with relatives. This bill also requires States to focus funds on post-adoption services, which help children and families after adoptions have been finalized.

Finally, the bill would extend for 3 years the Family Connection Grant program that is focused on helping children in foster care reconnect with family members. Because funding for that program needs to be offset, we included a commonsense pay-for, which builds on a current procedure for recovering overpayments of unemployment insurance benefits. Under current law, States may offset Federal income tax refunds to collect these overpayments, and two-thirds of States do that today. This legislation would require all States to use this procedure, which will increase overpayment recovery and results in this legislation reducing the deficit by $24 million over the next 10 years.

As chairman of the Ways and Means Human Resources Subcommittee with jurisdiction over this program, I am pleased to report that the process behind developing this bill has been totally bipartisan and open. First, we held a subcommittee hearing in February featuring nonpartisan experts on adoption and child welfare. We then worked together with our colleagues on the other side of the aisle to develop draft legislation, which was made publicly available in early August. We then worked together to incorporate that public feedback, improving in many ways the legislation that Chairman Camp and I and Ranking Members Levin and Doggett introduced on September 27.

I want to thank the subcommittee's ranking member, Mr. Doggett, who joins me on the floor this evening, as well as Chairman Camp and Ranking Member Levin, for their support of this legislation and for their help throughout this development. This will move us a step forward and closer to ensuring that more children living in the United States live in permanent, loving homes, and receive the support they deserve.

I invite all Members to join us in supporting this important bipartisan legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Camp), the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Young), a distinguished member of the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I will insert in the Record letters of support for this legislation from Christian Heritage, Center for Family Finding and Youth Connectedness, Seneca Family of Agencies, The Donaldson Adoption Institute, Hillside Family of Agencies, and Voice for Adoption.

I want to echo the words of Mr. Doggett. I hope the Senate does act on this.

There are three things that I would like to just highlight as we wrap up this evening's discussion on foster care, three things that this bill does: one, it cuts the deficit; two, amazingly, in this time of partisanship, this is a true bipartisan moment that we all ought to stop, pause, and take recognition of.

This is about children. It cuts the deficit, and this is one that we can all come together and support. Why? Because it is for our kids. It is for the kids across America who need a home.

I mentioned two of my grandchildren who are foster children, were foster children, are now adopted, but they were even more special. They were drug-addicted babies, crack cocaine, heroin, and meth, and these kids today have a home.

As a grandparent, standing on the sidelines of a soccer game watching Emma and Briar play soccer, knowing where they came from, the moms lived on the streets, drug-addicted moms, these kids have hope. They have a future. When the game is over, they run to the sidelines and they yell, ``Papa.'' It is the greatest feeling in the world.

We owe that kind of life to every foster child.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Christian Heritage,

September 30, 2013.

Chairman Dave Camp,

House of Representatives,

Washington DC.

Dear Chairman Camp: I am writing in support of the

Fostering Connections Grants that support Family Finding

research and the Adoptions Incentives program.

Kevin Campbell, founder of Family Finding; the State of

Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services; and

Christian Heritage, a nonprofit, faith-based organization,

have been working together in a collaborative effort to find

permanency for children who have been languishing in

Nebraska's foster care system.

The principles of Family Finding are: 1. Every child has a

family and they CAN be found, 2. Loneliness can be

devastating, even dangerous, and is experienced by most

children, 3. A meaningful connection to family helps a child

develop a sense of belonging. and 4. The single factor most

closely associated with positive outcomes for children is

meaningful, lifelong connections to family.

Mr. Campbell began working with the Nebraska Department of

Health and Human Services and Christian Heritage in April of

this year. We have already learned the following: 1. Families

for Nebraska's children in foster care are larger than we had

initially believed. 2. More family members are willing to

offer relationships of support than previously believed. 3.

More fathers are willing to come forward and offer support to

their children than originally anticipated, and 4. Family

members have been willing to make offers of legal permanency

EVEN for youth with the most complex needs.

How effective are the Family Finding services in Nebraska?

To date, 100 percent of the children whose cases have

completed Phase Three (of six phases) now have a Lifetime

Network of Unconditional Support consisting of five or more

family members, and 82 percent of the children who have

completed Phase Three have at least one person identified who

is willing to provide permanency. This program is

tremendously successful and we urge your support of continued

funding for the Fostering Connections grants

Respectfully yours,

Gregg Nicklas,

Co-CEO.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize the members of AmeriCorps and their service to this country. On Saturday, September 21, 2013, AmeriCorps will celebrate their 20th anniversary. For 20 years,

their first priority has been the communities of America. Their members have served in thousands of ways across the nation. In my own home state, members of the AmeriCorps Conservation Corps were critical in assisting the management of the Colockum Tarps Fire this past year--a fire which burned across over 20,000 acres. This is only one small example of their commitment to helping others in any way possible.

Members like these set an example to all Americans. Their actions continually encourage people of all ages and from all walks of life to engage in community service projects and help others. I am encouraged by their dedication and witness daily the benefits of community engagement and service that they work so hard to promote. Once more, I thank and congratulate them on achieving this milestone.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the extraordinary merit of the Eastlake Little League Al-Star Softball Team from Sammamish, WA, today, September 12, 2013.

The Eastlake Little League All-Star Softball Team won the state championship before advancing to the West Regional Tournament in San Bernardino, California. At the West Regional Tournament they had an electrifying run defeating Alaska 11-0, Montana 9-8, and Idaho 11-1, before falling to Oregon 4-2 and then to California 4-1 in the regional semi-finals.

Throughout the state and regional tournaments, they demonstrated great cohesion and teamwork. Congratulations to the Eastlake Little League All-Star Softball Team for an outstanding tournament; they are deserving of very special recognition. The players and coaches who made this excellent season possible are listed below.

Players: Georgia Robinson, Mackenzie Kurtz, Sophia Robinson, Belle deOliveira, Kailey Mohamed, Natalie Guinasso, Josie Charles, Morgan Olynyk, Courtney Zaidi, Regan Hines, Ryan Kurtz, Peyton Wright, Hannah Butterklee, and Kaitlyn Recob

Coaches: Don Hines, Steve Pollis, Stevev Olynyk

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the extraordinary merit of the Eastlake All-Stars from Sammamish, WA today, September 12, 2013.

The Eastlake All-Stars (Northwest) won the WA state championship, and then the regional championship, defeating Billings, Montana (Big Sky Little League) 13-1 in four innings. They advanced as far as the United States semi-final of the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Their route was inspirational. After losing to New England, they rallied to defeat the Southwest, Midwest, and Southeast teams before advancing to the semi-final. Facing off against New England once again in a rollercoaster game, they were defeated 13-14.

Throughout the Little League World Series they demonstrated great cohesion and teamwork. Congratulations to the Eastlake All-Stars for an outstanding tournament at the Little League World Series; they are deserving of every special recognition. The players and coaches who made this excellent season possible are listed below.

Players: Will Armbruester, Cameron Bowers, Adam Carper, Jack Carper, Dalton Chandler, Jacob Dahlstrom, Bryce Delay, Nathan

Fitzgibbons, Jack Matheson, Dylan Matsuoka, Austin Oh, Zack Olson, Jack Rud, and Jack Titus.

Coaches: Rob Chandler, Matt Fitzgibbons, and Jamie Matsuoka.

Mr. Speaker, over the last year, the Indian Government has taken troubling actions which have come at the expense of American jobs and Indian consumers. India in an important strategic partner and that's why what has happened of late has been so concerning.

India has not only imposed regulations that prevent many American businesses from entering the Indian market but has failed to respect internationally recognized intellectual property rights.

These policies hinder a growing trade relationship that holds significant potential. For Washington, goods exports to India reached $1.3 billion in 2012. If current barriers to trade are removed, this number would be much higher.

India represents a great opportunity, but investment cannot come at such a high cost to American businesses, farmers, and workers.

A level playing field is truly in the best interest of both of our economies.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 90th anniversary of Boy Scout Troop 401 of Auburn, Washington on August 10, 2013. Troop 401 is one of the longest running Boy Scout Troops in its council and in the state. Beginning as Troop 1, under Scoutmaster Harlan R. Stone 90 years ago, they remain a strong and visible presence in the Auburn community.

On this momentous occasion, I'd like to personally thank Boy Scout Troop 401 for its outreach to the community and its service to the Auburn area. Each time I return to my District, Mr. Speaker, I am reminded of the incredible work of the Boy Scout Troops in our communities. For almost a century, Troop 401 has helped make future leaders of this country by combining educational activities with lifelong values of service and ensuring they have fun in the process. Investing in our youth is the key to building a more conscientious, responsible, and productive society.

Mr. Speaker, Boy Scout Troop 401 is a unique and dedicated group of young men. Their true impact is immeasurable and their outreach and accomplishments are legendary. Here's to the next 90 years, Mr. Speaker.

Special recognition belongs to the current Scouts and Scout Leaders of Troop 401. They are listed below.

Scouts: Andrew Armatas, Andrew Fischer, Brandon Griffin, Brandon Clark, Conner Whitlock, Connor Perius, Dalton Blair, D'Angelo Washington, David Barnett, Dennis Nugent, Dominic Nelson, Gavin Skaar, George Gibson, Gunter Rice, Guy Adamo, Hunter Danz, Hunter Whitlock, Isaac Park, Jacob Wheeler, Jarrett Floyd, Joey Cushing, Joshua Blair, Judah Stelzer, Justin Higginson, Kaelub Graevell, Kolby McCue, Kyle Wilkins, Lee Vandeberg, Marshall Barnhart, Matthew Higdon, Mikko Holcomb, Nicholas Mayer, Noah Koester, Spencer Jones, Steven Ernst, Steven Frank, Thomas Snyder, Tyler Cushing, Tyler Hayes, Tyler Schef, Wyatt Bishop, and Zane Barnhart.

Scout Leaders: Chris Cushing, Craig Koester, Daniel Whitlock, Dave Bishop, Gordon Blair, Holly Jones, James Nannery, John Wilson, Julie Fischer, Kevin Fischer, Kim Cushing, Laura Higdon, Laura Whitlock, Margrett Everitt, Michael Jones, Mitchell Gering, Nick Perius, Rex Frank, Sharon D'Adams, Stacey Bishop, Terri Danz, Tiffany Hopkins, and Will Cadra.