Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the extraordinary merit of the Seattle Seahawks today, March 18, 2013.

The Seattle Seahawks finished the 2012 season with an overall record of 11-5, including a perfect home field record of 8-0 in an entertaining season. Included in their 11-5 record, they dominated with back to back 50 point games against their opponents.

They advanced to the playoffs, winning the NFC wild card and fighting through two rollercoaster playoff games--the spirit of the ``12th man'' supporting and driving them forward. With six Seahawks players, one being their rookie quarterback, on the roster for the 2013 Pro Bowl, they helped ensure a NFC victory.

Seattle demonstrated great cohesion and teamwork throughout the season, being ranked number one in the NFL in scoring defense. The offense set single season records for total rushing yards, average rushing yards and per carry average during the 2012 regular season.

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 for safety and peace while reducing violence in our communities.

As the Chairman of the Charitable/Exempt Organizations Tax Reform Working Group, 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 2012 season and look forward to their 2013 season. Go Hawks.

I thank the gentleman for yielding time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the bill before us today because Congress must ensure that work continues to be the centerpiece of the TANF welfare program, and I regret that we are here today debating the Obama administration's efforts to undermine work requirements.

I think that my Democrat colleagues would agree that our time would be better spent discussing bipartisan improvements to TANF and other programs designed to help low-income parents find and go to work. I look forward to having those discussions and conversations as the chairman of the Ways and Means Human Resources Subcommittee.

In fact, Mr. Speaker, bipartisan discussions were actually happening before the Obama administration announced they would waive work requirements for welfare recipients last summer. That announcement completely undermined bipartisan negotiations in our committee about ways to strengthen this program. Incredibly, administration officials knew about those negotiations and even had a draft of bipartisan legislation in hand before they announced their misguided waiver policy.

Usually, if an administration wants to change the law, they must submit a legislative proposal for Congress to consider, but that's not what the Obama administration did with its proposal to waive the TANF work requirements.

Even though the administration had said repeatedly in their annual budget they would work with Congress to reform welfare, they didn't propose any changes to the program. Instead, they simply claimed they could waive the current work requirements at the heart of welfare reform without even notifying Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I'm surprised that the administration would proceed with its waiver policy, especially knowing that real bipartisan progress was being made.

The truth is, Mr. Speaker, the President's waiver policy increases spending by $61 million, according to CBO. There are currently 240 combinations of work, education, and training requirements falling under the 12 definitions included in this law. The administration does not have the authority to waive work requirements; that authority is not granted under the law. Therefore--this is very important--the misuse of authority is subject to congressional review and disapproval. That's why we are here today. This is Congress' responsibility, and we were working together with the White House, which is also our responsibility.

Today I'm standing here asking my colleagues across the aisle and on my side of the aisle to support this bill and reject the administration's waiver proposal. That way we can get back to working together to close loopholes, strengthen work requirements and ensure that more welfare recipients go back to work and move up the economic ladder.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall no. 48 I mistakenly voted ``yea.'' I meant to vote ``nay.''

Mr. Speaker, as the member with the honor of representing this city, I rise to honor the centennial anniversary of the City of Enumclaw, celebrated Sunday, January 27, 2013.

Enumclaw was platted on October 31, 1885, when the railroad decided to come through the area, and was incorporated in 1913. With a population of 11,490, they are the ``Gateway'' to Mt. Rainier, lying just on the north edge of the national park.

Over the last century, Enumclaw evolved from a railroad town, reliant on the logging industry, to a vibrant community contributing much to the economic growth of the region. Today, it is home to a wide range of companies large and small such as the Helac Corporation, Mutual of Enumclaw, and Enumclaw Regional Hospital. Enumclaw is a small city with a big heart and fully embraces its role helping people from around the world experience the beauty of Mount Rainier National Park.

With all this growth and change, Enumclaw continues to maintain a deep sense of friendship and community. For example, Mr. Speaker, the Pacific Northwest Highland Games, a city celebration that grew from a group of Scots eager to keep their ethnic origin alive.

I have enjoyed participating in many activities and events, going back to my days as a King County Sheriff Deputy working the King County Fair in beautiful Enumclaw and am honored to represent the great people of this city.

Enumclaw held on to its agricultural roots, evident by the large number of farms and equestrian activities. The city is recognized as a great place to live, work and raise a family. As Mayor Reynolds, along with all of Enumclaw's dedicated City Council members, continue to build on Enumclaw's rich history, we look forward to partnering with and aiding the city's success in years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I again offer congratulations to the City of Enumclaw for a wonderful, rich first century and wish them the best as they move into their second century of prosperity.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman.

Let me just see if I can simplify this just a little bit.

There are three branches of government. Two branches of the government have responsibility for the budget, and there are three pieces to those two branches. The White House is one--the administration needs to produce a budget; the House Republicans need to produce a budget; and the Senate Democrats need to produce a budget for the system to work.

Even though we may not agree with it on this side of the aisle, the President has produced his budget. It's increased our deficit from $11.4- to $16.4 trillion or $16.5 trillion. And some people at home may not really grasp the concept of $16 trillion. Let's just talk about $1 trillion. If we spent a dollar a second, Mr. Speaker, how long would it take us to spend that $1 trillion? It would take 36,000 years. We are 16 of those in debt. It's time for the Senate to do their job.

Even though Admiral Mullen has said our greatest national security threat is our deficit, and even though the Senate has raised their right hand and took an oath to protect and defend this great Nation of ours and defend the Constitution, they still have not acted. They still have not done their job to protect and defend, to uphold the oath that they took. Again, Admiral Mullen has said--and I repeat--that national security is at great risk because of our $16 trillion deficit.

Look, you own a home and you have a $50,000-a-year job and you're making your payments on a car and a house and you're thinking things are going just fine, but I want to add to that. I'm going to buy a new big screen TV, I'm going to put a pool table in, I'm going to buy two more cars, I'm going to put a pool in the back, I'm just going to fix the place up. All the sudden you realize, I can't pay for it.

You have some options available. You have to raise revenue. You go out and get two or three more jobs maybe, or your wife goes to work or your kids have to go to work. And that still doesn't meet your responsibilities. Then you have to stop spending, right? Stop spending.

The only other option now is to get rid of some of the stuff you can't pay for because even though you might have stopped spending and you've taken another job and you've raised some revenue, now you've got to get rid of stuff.

Let's get rid of the pool table, let's get rid of the big screen TV. We've got to start cutting things. We need to stop spending in this country. The Senate needs to do their job.

No budget, no pay.

Mr. Speaker, as the two members who have the honor of representing this city today and in the future, I rise with my colleague Representative Suzan DelBene to honor the centennial anniversary of the City of Redmond, celebrated today, December 31, 2012.

First incorporated in 1912, eligible thanks to the birth of its 300th citizen, Redmond began as a small logging community. A century later, it has turned into a vibrant urban center of 55,000 that still maintains its strong sense of community and is proud of its small-town feel.

Over the last century, Redmond has evolved from logging town, to a small bedroom community east of the big city, to a bustling city in itself. Today, it's home to some of the most prominent high tech companies in the world. Redmond's tremendous growth has been fueled by the pioneering, entrepreneurial spirit of the town's first settlers and, in the century since, has attracted and inspired generations of Washingtonians to turn Redmond into a premier economic engine for the 21st century.

With all this growth and change, Redmond continues to maintain a deep sense of friendship and community. For example, Mr. Speaker, the Redmond Derby Days, a city celebration that grew out of a bicycle race among local paperboys after the depression, is going strong after 70 years. The Derby Days are bigger and better than ever and today, the signature event has the honor of being the nation's longest running bicycle race.

Over the last few years, we have both enjoyed participating in so many activities and events in beautiful Redmond and are honored to represent the great people of this city.

With the further expansion of mass transit, Redmond has an amazing opportunity to continue its growth and impact neighboring cities. Together with Seattle and environs, its influence contributes to form a region that is vibrant, attractive for business and a great place to live, work and raise a family. As Mayor Marchione, along with all of Redmond's dedicated City Council members, continue to build on Redmond's rich history, we look forward to watching and aiding with the city's success in years to come.

Mr. Speaker, Representative DelBene and I again offer congratulations to the City of Redmond for a wonderful, rich first century and together wish them the best as they move into their second century of prosperity.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate an exceptional young man, Max Browne, who was recently named the 2012-2013 Gatorade National Football Player of the Year.

Max Browne grew up in the district I represent, Washington's 8th. At 6 feet 5 inches and 218 pounds, he became Skyline High School's star quarterback this year, leading the Spartans to a 14-0 record and a Class 4A state championship this fall. Browne passed for 4,526 yards, 49 touchdowns and just five interceptions.

Max Browne is not only an exceptional athlete; he is an extraordinary human being. While a star quarterback at Skyline High School in Sammamish, Washington, he maintained a 3.50 GPA, was a three-time Skyline High Student of the Month Citizenship Award recipient and volunteered on behalf of Issaquah Parks and Recreation, the Sammamish/ Issaquah Young Life ministry and as an intern with G2 Physical Therapy. He has also worked with Generation Joy and raised funds to benefit cancer research.

This is the second Gatorade State Player of the Year award for Max Browne, who broke the state record for career passing yards and completions this year, surpassing Detroit Lions quarterback and Gatorade Washington Player of the Year Kellen Moore. His second award was presented by Seattle Seahawks rookie Russell Wilson, an added bonus to the wonderful honor.

I am incredibly proud of this young man. The Gatorade Player of the Year program recognizes outstanding athletic excellence, academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field. It is an honor to represent him as a constituent, and I know that he will set an example for his teammates for years to come.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my support for H.R. 1845. Title II addresses a set of issues involving the employers and the casualty insurance industry and the Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) law.

However, this is not the only set of MSP issues that impact workers' compensation that also needs to be addressed. My legislation, H.R. 5284, the Medicare Secondary Payer and Workers' Compensation Settlement Agreement Act, is cosponsored by Representative Mike Thompson and has bipartisan support.

This legislation aims to resolve the delays by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in reviewing workers' compensation settlements to determine the appropriate set-aside amount to be maintained by Medicare beneficiaries to pay for future medical costs in which Medicare may have an interest.

H.R. 5284 creates a system of certainty and allows the workers' compensation settlement process to move forward while eliminating millions of dollars in administrative costs. It will help create clear and consistent standards, currently lacking in the process, to address workers' compensation issues. Most importantly, it will benefit all parties involved--injured workers, employers, insurers and CMS.

I am hopeful that the House of Representatives will be able to move H.R. 5284 towards enactment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Medicare Identity Theft Prevention Act. I applaud Chairman Johnson and Representative Doggett for introducing this bill and bringing it to the floor.

America's seniors are some of our most valued citizens. They have spent their lives working hard and preparing for their much deserved ``golden years.'' It seems only fitting, then, that we reward their hard work and labor by protecting them. That's our job.

Under current law, Social Security numbers are used as the main component of a Medicare beneficiary's health insurance claim number and are displayed on over 50 million Medicare ID cards. This simply doesn't make sense. It puts each of these 50 million people at heightened risk for identity theft and fraud. We've already seen high rates for this type of crime: in 2010 alone over 8.6 million households were victims of ID theft, including one million seniors. Seniors' social security numbers are especially valuable because they can be used by thieves to obtain employment, benefits, and credit.

The GAO first recommended removing social security numbers from government documents ten years ago. Both the private and public sectors have already taken steps to remove social security numbers from forms of public identification. However, fully aware of the risks posed to seniors, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has refused to act. Both sides of the aisle agree, this is simply unacceptable.

Therefore, it is clearly time for Congress to take action. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation so that we can better protect our senior citizens.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of Katie's Law. I rise as a Congressman, but also as a cop and a sheriff with 33 years of experience investigating crimes.

This bill, simply put, assists states with the implementation of DNA arrestee collection programs so that the DNA collected can be entered into the national DNA database. DNA is an invaluable piece of evidence when solving crimes.

As the lead investigator on the Green River Killer Task Force my colleagues and I started collecting evidence in the early 80's . . . hoping only for, in those days, a saliva or a blood-type match that would tie a suspect to the crimes.

We worked that case for nearly two decades, continuing to collect evidence, interrogate suspects, and discover horrific murder scenes. In 2001, the technology finally caught up and through DNA we made a match and were finally able to arrest a single suspect on four counts of murder. That arrest eventually led to 49 murder convictions.

This bill is named for Katie Sepich. Katie was a young woman from Carlsbad, New Mexico who was 22 years old when she was brutally raped and murdered--because of the lack of DNA collection procedures in New Mexico at the time, it was three years before Katie's parents, Jayann and David, had the closure of knowing Katie's attacker.

Katie's Law provides a critical resource to aid our law enforcement officials in investigating crimes and protecting the innocent. It does so without the appropriation of new funds and with privacy protections.

What happened to Katie Sepich is a shocking, horrible tragedy. It is our duty to assist law enforcement in preventing these tragedies from ever re-occurring, and to continue the tireless work of keeping our communities safe.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5788, legislation to designate the post office located at 103 Center Street West in Eatonville, Washington, as the National Park Ranger Margaret Anderson Post Office.

You've heard a little bit about some of her history, educational past and some of her family history, but let me tell you that this really hits close to home for me as a law enforcement officer in my previous life. I spent 33 years in the law enforcement profession.

Margaret Anderson was a park ranger for 4 years at Mount Rainier National Park. The little town of Eatonville is nestled in a little valley, right at the bottom of beautiful Mount Rainier, which was where Margaret Anderson lived. It's called the gateway to the national park, the gateway to Mount Rainier, the gateway where folks come to visit in order to reflect on their lives and to dream. It's usually a peaceful, serene, and beautiful place to visit. Margaret's job usually was to guide folks, give direction, patrol the area, offer first aid, and just in general be the loving and kind person as she has been described here today and after her death and throughout the past year by friends and family who dearly miss her.

But on New Year's Day, things changed. Her job took on a totally different meaning. She was now the protector of those people who came to reflect and dream. Their lives were in danger, and she stepped in front. She parked her car, blocked this crazed man with a firearm. Many say that her actions saved many lives that day. But it didn't save hers. She died. She died protecting those she served. And I think it's only fitting because of that sacrifice and the service to that community and the love that that community has had for Margaret and her husband Eric, who also served as a ranger but has now moved on because memories there are too hard for him to bear, it is only fitting that this small little town with this small little post office have the name of Margaret Anderson attached to that building in honor of her service and her sacrifice to that community.

I urge my colleagues to support the passage of this bill.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I'm speaking in favor of granting Russia and Moldova permanent normal trade relations. I would like to emphasize this will hold only benefits, as was said, for the United States. There is no down side for us in this agreement, unless we fail to act.

Now the time has come for us to come together and pass this legislation. As the sponsor of the Moldova PNTR, I'm pleased that the long overdue graduation of Moldova from the Jackson-Vanik amendment is included in this bill. Jim McDermott and I have worked hard on the Moldovan agreement and are very proud and pleased to see that it's included in this bill.

Passing this bill will increase America's exports of goods and services substantially and will serve as a no-cost job creator. Currently, exports to Russia support over 1,400 jobs in my home State. In fact, in 1 year, exports from Washington State to Russia grew by 80 percent. If, however, we fail to act, U.S. companies, farmers, and workers will not receive the benefits of the Russian membership, nor will the United States Government have authority to hold Russia accountable to its WTO commitments.

So, Madam Speaker, it's my sincere hope that we can pass this legislation and grant Russia and Moldova permanent normal trade relations.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 733, the Recalcitrant Cancer Research Act of 2012, and to thank the bill's sponsors, Representatives Eshoo and Lance for all of their work on this legislation.

This bill is crucial to the search for a cure for pancreatic and other deadly cancers and it is important to everyone whose life has been touched by the deadly disease--those suffering now, survivors, and of course the loved ones that cancer leaves in its wake.

This bill is a great first step to addressing some significant scientific challenges.

A diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is all too often a death sentence. It is the only major cancer that carries with it a 5 year survival rate of just 6 percent--a statistic that has not improved in the last 40 years.

Sadly, cases are projected to rise if we do nothing. It's the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death and there are no proven early detection methods. In fact, a typical narrative is that a patient feels not quite right. She goes in for an unrelated problem or illness, often difficult to diagnose. It can be weeks or months before the cause-- pancreatic cancer--is identified.

I am all too familiar with that story. It is my mother's.

My mother fought a brave, years-long battle with pancreatic cancer, ultimately succumbing to the disease last year. There is nothing that I wouldn't have done to help her, but there is nothing I could have done to save her. When she was diagnosed, as now, there were no proven early detection and treatment methods.

We simply must reverse these statistics. The Recalcitrant Cancer Research Act will help do just that--it calls on the National Cancer Institute to develop a scientific framework to deal with these types of cancers.

By defining a roadmap for success and creating a strategy for research in this area, we can begin the process of reversing the abysmal statistics.

Cancer is not partisan, and neither is this bill--with over 290 bipartisan cosponsors, I am thrilled to see this bill move forward. It is time to address these issues and really make a difference in pancreatic cancer and other resistant cancers.

Mr. Speaker, I am speaking in favor today of granting Russia permanent normal trade relations. I would like to emphasize this will hold only benefits for the United States. There is no downside for us unless we fail to act.

While we wait to consider this legislation, our global competitors are racing ahead, taking advantage of their new access to Russian markets. U.S. exports to Russia could double in the next 5 years. Currently exports to Russia support over 1,400 jobs in my State. Passing this bill will increase America's export goods and services substantially, and this growth and trade will serve as a no-cost job creator.

If we fail to act, U.S. companies, farmers, and workers will not receive the benefits of Russia's membership, nor will the U.S. Government have authority to hold Russia accountable under WTO rules.

Mr. Speaker, it is my sincere hope that we can come together and pass this legislation. Grant Russia permanent normal trade relations.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, most Americans think that the economy is moving in the wrong direction. And most of them think it's Congress' fault, and that we've not done enough to help them take care of their families and give them financial security. They don't want political rhetoric today. They don't care who's wrong or who's right. They want to know what we're doing now, what we're doing today to make buying groceries and gas and paying the electric bill affordable.

Mr. Speaker, if we don't act, a family of four that earns $50,000 a year will have an increase in their taxes of $2,200 every year. That's real money, Mr. Speaker. That's the difference between buying an extra box of Cheerios and paying the gas bill and saving for college. And for the job creators, the mood is even worse.

We all know that small businesses create jobs--every one of us in this House knows small businesses create jobs--but the Democrats would raise taxes on them, killing 700,000 jobs. I refuse to raise taxes on small businesses while they struggle to bring our country out of this recession. I refuse to destroy over 700,000 jobs that support families who need and want breadwinners, not handouts.

We must ask ourselves every day: What else can we do for these families? We can offer them some long-term security so that when they die, their families, their farms, and their small businesses will survive and thrive. But tax increases don't even stop when you die. If we do nothing, the death tax increases to 55 percent. We pay tax when we earn the income; we pay when we invest our income; and we pay again when we leave it to our kids. You want to talk about a fair Tax Code, Mr. Speaker? So today, I'm voting for a clear path forward.

After 41 months of unemployment above 8 percent, we must stop the tax hike. I'm committed to tax reform that will create jobs, grow our economy, and support families. I am voting today for working families, for small businesses, for entrepreneurs, and for family farms, Mr. Speaker. This bill puts America back on the right track.