Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin, my friend, for yielding, and want to really echo the comments of my friend from Georgia, Mr. Barrow.

I first came to Washington to serve in the House a little more than 2 years ago after spending 8 years as mayor of the city of Province. When you're a mayor of a city or town, you are a problem solver. You have lots of issues that come before you, lots of decisions to make, but most importantly, you have to get things done. You don't have a Republican pothole or a Democratic tree that needs to be cut. You just have things that need to be done and action that needs to be taken.

The men and women and families of Rhode Island's First Congressional District didn't send me to Congress to score political points or engage in political games. They sent me here to get things done, to confront the challenges facing our country and my State.

I'm very proud to be a founding member of the Problem Solvers of No Labels, a coalition that's offering a venue for Republicans and Democrats to come together, to work together, to find solutions to, most importantly, govern our Nation.

And really importantly, as my friend from Wisconsin said, we have people in No Labels who come from a whole range of different ideologies, who feel very passionately about issues that are important to them and to their constituents and make the case in very, very spirited discussions. But we come to it with a willingness to listen to each other, to consider each other's views, to engage in civil discourse and, most importantly, come to it with a commitment to try to solve problems, to work together to grow our economy, responsibly cut the deficit, protect critical programs like Social Security and Medicare.

There's no question that in the last few years Washington has stopped working the way it should. Republicans and Democrats have grown more concerned with 30-second ads than serving our constituents. Washington has failed to do its job.

There are real problems facing our country. We need to start working together again in the spirit of bipartisanship that has defined our Nation over the years through global conflict, economic depression, and even fierce internal political debates.

We have always come together to get things done and to act in the best interest of our country. I know that's what No Labels is committed to, that's what we're committed to on both sides of the aisle as part of Problem Solvers, and I urge all my colleagues to join us in this effort.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to address the House for one minute.

Mr. Speaker, just last month, the United States Senate failed to move forward on legislation supported by 90 percent of Americans to require a background check for the sale of any firearm.

But while the Senate may have missed its opportunity, those of us committed to gun violence prevention are not giving up.

Since the horrific massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, more than 4,100 American men, women and children have lost their lives in gun-related incidents.

These tragedies have grown all too common in America--with the victims eulogized in our newspapers, their families left to feel unbearable grief, and yet time after time Washington has failed to act on their behalf.

But as President Obama has said, ``This time it must be different.'' The American people want commonsense gun violence prevention laws, and it's now up to those of us in Congress to find the political courage to make the will of the people the law of the land.

We owe it to the families of Newtown and gun violence victims across our country to finally come together, not as Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans committed to ensuring that we can live in a society free from gun violence.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Holocaust Education and Resource Center of Rhode Island, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this weekend. I had the honor of serving on their board for a number of years.

This wonderful institution was first founded by Holocaust survivors living in Rhode Island during the 1980s. It formally opened its doors on May 5, 1988, and since that time it has helped to provide Rhode Islanders with educational resources on the Holocaust and commemorate the lives of the millions of victims of this horrific atrocity.

In addition, the Holocaust Education and Resource Center works with schools in Rhode Island, southeastern Massachusetts, and even the suburbs of Boston to teach young people about the importance of treating everyone with respect and dignity and to work to eradicate bigotry and intolerance.

Congratulations to the Holocaust Education and Resource Center on 25 successful years of promoting tolerance and respect to tens of thousands of Rhode Islanders, for helping us all remember those killed by the Nazis in the Holocaust, and for making Rhode Island and our world a better place. I wish this organization continued success in the years to come.

I thank the gentlelady for yielding and for her extraordinary leadership.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the Patients' Rights Repeal Act and the underlying rule.

More than 3 years ago, following months of vitriolic debate and perpetual Republican talking points on socialized medicine and government-sponsored death panels, Congress passed, and the President signed into law, a historic health care reform bill that was designed to extend health care to millions of Americans and, over time, bring down the costs of health care.

Opponents of this new law didn't give up. They took their case all the way to the Supreme Court, and they lost. In the House, they held 36 votes to repeal or defund this law, and they failed.

According to an analysis from CBS News, these empty attempts at repeal

have cost taxpayers a total of $52.4 million, even as my Republican friends argue for cutting important programs like Head Start and critical nutrition programs for those most in need.

Yet here we stand, about to vote, for a 37th time, on repealing a bill that is already providing real benefits for our country.

Contrary to what my friends on the other side of the aisle may argue, we've already seen a slowdown in the overall growth of health care spending since the enactment of this law.

And just in my home State of Rhode Island, more than 170,000 women have guaranteed access to preventive services without cost-sharing; 374,000 Rhode Islanders no longer have to worry about lifetime limits on their coverage; and 9,000 young adults have gained access to health care coverage because of this law.

Let's reject this proposal, stop playing these political games, and get back to the really serious and urgent work of creating jobs, preventing gun violence, fixing our broken immigration system, passing a budget by regular order, and ending the sequester.

Mr. Speaker, this week is the 30th annual National Travel and Tourism Week. On Monday, I met with travel and tourism leaders in my State to discuss what we can do at the Federal level of government to strengthen this key sector of our economy.

According to the U.S. Travel Association, travel and tourism generated $2 trillion in economic output in 2012. The industry is also one of America's largest employers, supporting 14.6 million jobs. And this is especially important for my home State of Rhode Island, where the travel and tourism sector supports more than 40,000 jobs and generates $3.5 billion in spending. But we need to do more to support the travel industry, as well as the small business community that depends on a thriving tourism economy.

I am a cosponsor of the bipartisan JOLT Act, a bill that would revise existing visa laws to support the American travel and tourism economy while maintaining essential national security protocols.

I look forward to working further with my colleagues to highlight the importance of our travel and tourism economy in a way that will put men and women back to work in Rhode Island and across our country.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 129, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

I thank the gentlelady very much for yielding and thank my other colleagues for accommodating me.

My home is in Providence, Rhode Island, which is about an hour south of Boston. Two weeks ago, several of my friends and neighbors traveled to Boston to compete in the marathon. When I first learned of these horrific attacks, my thoughts first turned to them and their families.

Like all Rhode Islanders, I've kept the people of Boston and their loved ones in my thoughts and prayers over the past 2 weeks. It's in moments such as this that words fail to adequately describe the pain we feel in our hearts, our continuing sense of disbelief, and the anger we hold toward those responsible for such a senseless and vicious attack-- the actions of these two individuals that demonstrated such a callous disregard for so many lives, some were ended and many were irreversibly changed.

These attacks were an attempt to shake the very foundation of our democratic and free society. But after these bombs exploded on a beautiful sunny day in Boston and we saw the incredible harm caused to so many, we also witnessed the very best of humanity in the courageous actions of the brave men and women who responded to this attack, helped care for the injured, and relentlessly pursued their perpetrators and brought them to justice.

We think about those brave police officers and first responders who witnessed these attacks firsthand and instinctively raced towards the source of these blasts so they could assist the wounded and keep others from harm. We think also about a 26-year-old MIT campus police officer who was murdered as he worked to keep his community safe. We think about an MBTA transit police officer who never hesitated when he answered a call to report immediately to Watertown and continues to fight after sustaining life-threatening injuries trying to apprehend these suspects.

Sometimes it takes a tragic event to remind us of the incredible sacrifices our first responders make every single day. And the heroism demonstrated by these men and women in the face of such overwhelming danger helps remind us just how much we owe to those who keep our communities safe in cities and towns all across this country.

These attacks were designed to strike fear and intimidate the people of Boston and all Americans. But instead, they brought out the very best that our country has to offer, not just in the actions we saw from men and women in Boston, but in the generosity shown by those who gave blood, donated money, and did everything they could to bring any measure of relief for the victims and their families.

I join my colleagues in applauding their service today, and ask that all of us remember the responsibility that those of us in the House have to serve our first responders and to continue to keep the families affected by this attack in our thoughts and prayers.

Mr. Speaker, as the Representative for Rhode Island's First Congressional District, which is home to many Armenian American families, I am honored to rise today in order to thank His Eminence, Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, for offering our opening prayer and for recognizing the 98th anniversary of the start of the Armenian genocide.

A native of Aleppo, Syria, Archbishop Choloyan was first ordained into the priesthood in 1967. He attended the American University of Beirut where he majored in history and later received two master's degrees from the Princeton Theological Seminary. Since 1998, Archbishop Choloyan has served as the prelate of the Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America and has focused his efforts on strengthening local faith communities under his jurisdiction.

On behalf of the Armenian community in my home State of Rhode Island, I am honored to welcome the archbishop here today and to join him in remembering the victims of the Armenian genocide--the systematic extermination of Armenians living under the Ottoman Empire in the early 20th century.

I join members of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues in urging that our government finally recognize the Armenian genocide as a historical fact.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the National Day of Silence, which is coordinated nationally by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, and organizes students across our country to take a vow of silence for the day to highlight the bullying and harassment that many LGBT youth encounter in their public schools.

I am proud to join Congressman Engel from New York to introduce a resolution today in support of the goals of the National Day of Silence, and I will continue to work in this Chamber to raise awareness about this ongoing problem.

I ask that the House now join me in observing a moment of silence for LGBT youth who are victims of harassment and violence in cities and towns all across this country, and as a symbol of our commitment to guarantee that every child in America can study and learn in a safe environment.

Mr. Speaker, last Monday, men and women from around the world traveled to the beautiful city of Boston to take part in the 117th running of the Boston Marathon.

But this longstanding American tradition, this celebration of athletic achievement was shattered at 2:50 eastern time when two bombs went off along the finish line, killing three spectators, including an 8-year-old child, and injuring nearly 200 more.

At times like this, words fail to capture the sense of our disbelief, the pain in our hearts, and the anger we feel towards anyone who would do such great harm to so many innocent lives.

Although we do not yet know the identity of the perpetrators, what we do know is that our country will not rest until they are brought to justice. The American people will emerge from this horrific incident stronger and more united than ever before.

Like all Rhode Islanders since last Monday, my thoughts have remained with the people of Boston and all of the victims of this vicious act of violence and their loved ones, and I pray that the passage of time might bring them some level of comfort.

Mr. Speaker, I submit the following editorial by Former Congressman Barney Frank.

Ruling for Same-Sex Marriage Would Be Right, Not ``Activism''

(By The Honorable Barney Frank)

People who are caught making assertions that blatantly

contradict positions they have previously taken often respond

that ``Consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds,'' trying

to trade an old quote for a little intellectual honesty.

But inconsistency is nothing to be proud of. It is an

unmistakable sign that a person has lost confidence in an

argument but believes it can be won by invoking some general

principle, even if it's one the person has previously

repudiated.

Then the hobgoblin involved is the person's effort to hide

his or her real motive.

We will--I hope--soon see an example of rhetorical

hobgobliny if the Supreme Court issues an opinion holding

that the law that currently treats my marriage to my husband

Jim as a threat to society is a clear denial to us of the

equal protection of the law.

If a majority holds that the stupidly named Defense of

Marriage Act is unconstitutional, right-wing advocates of the

view that same-sex married couples should pay the same taxes

as our straight fellow citizens but not receive any of the

same benefits will respond not so much by defending this

blatant discrimination as by piously denouncing ``judicial

activism.''

They will have no other option. Persisting in the claim

that happily married men in an opposite-sex marriage will, on

seeing Jim and me together, be sorely tempted to abandon

their wives clearly no longer has the persuasive power it

once had.

When DOMA was enacted in 1996, it was apparently plausible

to most Americans that those of us in same-sex marriages

would have the same effect on some men as a popular juice

commercial claims for its product. Instead of slapping their

foreheads and regretting that they hadn't had a V-8, the fear

was that they would see Jim and me and proclaim, ``I could

have married a guy.''

To their credit, the right-wingers understand that since

there has been no such result in the nine years since same-

sex marriage was first legalized in Massachusetts, nor in any

of the other eight jurisdictions that have followed, claiming

that they are defending their marriages by defunding mine is

a losing proposition--intellectually, factually, and

increasingly electorally.

So they will instead invoke the principle that unelected

judges should not annul laws adopted by the elected President

and Congress, piously insisting that it is the right of the

people in our system to make the laws.

But they will only be pretending to believe in that

principle. In fact, since 2010, conservatives--including

virtually all of those who will denounce the judicial

activism of the anti-DOMA decision--have been working hard to

get these very same judges to annul most of the laws enacted

by the elected president and Congress in 2009 and 2010.

Conservatives not only sought to have the health care bill

canceled by judges, they have denounced Chief Justice Roberts

for voting not to overturn the elected officials' decision.

The financial reform bill has been the subject of multiple

conservative-backed lawsuits seeking to cancel regulation of

speculation in oil, to block consumer protection, and to

return derivative trading to its unregulated status.

Most glaringly, the right-wing politicians are hoping the

Supreme Court will throw out one of the greatest legislative

achievements of the past fifty years--the Voting Rights Act

(This law was passed in 1965 and has since been reenacted

several times, under the signature of Ronald Reagan among

others.)

Exposing the inconsistency--i.e., hypocrisy--of

conservatives who will weep for democracy if discrimination

based on sexual orientation is struck down while they are

utilizing that very process to rescind financial regulation,

un-defend consumers, reduce health care programs, and take

away voting protections understandably makes them

uncomfortable. And labeling those of us who do it as

hobgoblins does not solve their rhetorical problem.

Lacking any basis for the proposition that same-sex

marriages cause any harm to those who have opted not to enter

into one, the pro-DOMA faction needs an inconsistent

denunciation of judicial activism to avoid acknowledging that

their real motive is some combination of dislike, disapproval

or disgust at the notion that gay people should be allowed by

society to live legally free from prejudice.

Mr. Speaker, later today, I will join House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer to announce our Make it In America agenda, a legislative package that will help reinvigorate our manufacturing sector and grow American manufacturing jobs. These bills will help to put our country back to work by helping to create good-paying jobs, the kind of jobs that built the American middle class of this country.

Earlier this year, I introduced one such proposal, the Make It In America Manufacturing Act, which establishes a competitive grant program that will help small- to medium-sized manufacturers retool their facilities and retrain their workers to compete in the 21st century.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York has introduced a companion bill in the Senate that is cosponsored by Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse. These are the kinds of commonsense proposals that we need to support if we are going to get our economy back on the right track and get folks back to work.

I urge my colleagues to support the Make It In America agenda, and I look forward to joining Whip Hoyer for his announcement this afternoon.

Mr. Speaker, today, April 9, is Equal Pay Day, the day on the calendar that marks more than 3 months into 2013 when women's wages finally catch up to what men earned in 2012.

Nearly a half century after the passage of the Equal Pay Act, women continue to face unfairness in the workplace. According to the American Association of University Women, in Rhode Island's First Congressional District, women working full time, year round, still make only 83 cents on the dollar compared to the average man.

For all the progress that we've made in the fight for women's rights, the issue of pay equity continues to persist. That's why I'm proud to voice my strong support for the Paycheck Fairness Act, a commonsense bill that would strengthen the Equal Pay Act by providing effective remedies for women who are not paid equal wages for equal work.

It's time for us to prioritize the long-term well-being of the Nation's hardworking women, many of whom are heads of households, and immediately pass this critical legislation to help ensure equality in the workplace.

Mr. Speaker, more than 4 months have passed since our country reelected President Obama and embraced his plans to keep moving our country forward. But right now, Republicans are offering a budget proposal that includes many of the same ideas that voters rejected this fall. The Republican budget would end the Medicare guarantee as we know it and repeal the Affordable Care Act that's already providing benefits to so many families in my home State of Rhode Island and across this country.

Rhode Islanders don't want another Republican budget proposal that jeopardizes our economic recovery, gives away billions of dollars in tax subsidies to Big Oil, and protects tax breaks to companies that ship jobs overseas. They want a budget that reflects our values and priorities as a Nation, a budget that honors the promises we made to our seniors, puts our country back to work, invests in rebuilding our national infrastructure, protects our investments in education, and reduces our deficit by making smart cuts in spending and reforming our Tax Code.

The Republican budget fails to meet any of these standards, and I hope my colleagues will join me in opposing it this week.

I thank the ranking member for yielding and thank him for his extraordinary leadership.

Mr. Chairman, budgets should reflect our priorities and our values. It should protect American families by investing in education, infrastructure, science and research, clean energy, and housing. Budgets should be designed to grow our economy and get people back to work.

This Republican budget does not reflect the values of our great Nation. It will hurt our economy and it will hurt the American people. As Yogi Berra said, ``It's deja vu all over again.'' More of the same. More tax cuts for the richest Americans, billions in subsidies for Big Oil, tax policies that benefit companies that ship American jobs overseas at the expense of the middle class and the working poor.

As a reflection of our Nation's values, our Federal budget should honor the commitment we've made to our seniors; but this Republican proposal would end the guarantee as we know it, shifting rising health care costs to seniors. We should be educating our next generation of leaders to enter the workplace successfully, and we should be making meaningful and serious investments in rebuilding our Nation's crumbling infrastructure, our bridges, roads, and schools so it will put people back to work in well-paying middle class jobs that help support a family.

But this budget makes deep cuts in rebuilding America and in education. According to the Center for American Progress, the Republican budget proposal on the floor today would cut $1.2 trillion from investments in education, science, and infrastructure, hurting our economy. And some have projected that it would result in the loss of 2 million jobs.

The budget before us today does not reflect our values as a Nation. I urge my colleagues to vote against it and to support the Democratic alternative. It's a budget that really speaks to the highest ideals of America--the kind of America that will provide the best education for our kids, that will discover new cures for disease, that will develop new, clean energy sources, that is committed to rebuilding our crumbling roads, bridges, and ports, and an America that honors our promise to our seniors and to our veterans.

I urge my colleagues to support the Democratic alternative and vote against the Republican Ryan budget.