Floor Statements

I thank the gentlelady from Missouri, my friend and my colleague.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Health Exchange Security and Transparency Act, which would provide basic protections on the healthcare.gov Web site to help Americans protect themselves from fraud and abuse. Unfortunately, we live in a time where cyber threats are rampant, and we must do what we can to make sure that Americans are protected from these threats.

John Fund at National Review recently wrote this:

Christmas shoppers were stunned to learn that computer

hackers had made off with the names and other personal

information of some 40 million Target customers.

But at least Target informed its customers of the security

breach, as it is required by law. Healthcare.gov faces no

such requirement--it need never notify customers that their

personal information has been hacked or possibly compromised.

What makes this even worse is that the Department of Health and Human Services was asked to include notification provisions in the final rules for ObamaCare and they declined. Because of this decision on the part of HHS, millions of Americans' names, addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, email addresses, and even Social Security numbers are at risk; and if they are breached by the government, they would never have to tell them.

Consider that as Americans who seek health care insurance sign onto the Federal exchange, they are inserting their personal information into a Web site that has never had a full end-to-end security test. In fact, CMS's Chief Information Security Officer, Theresa Fryer, stated in a draft memo that the Federal exchange ``does not reasonably meet security requirements'' and that ``there is no confidence that personal identifiable information will be protected.''

Even worse, experts at the credit agency Experian recently warned that the ``health care industry by far will be the most susceptible to publicly disclosed and widely scrutinized data breaches in 2014.''

So Experian says that it is the health care that stands the greatest risk. This prediction was based in part on reports of security risks posed by the healthcare.gov Web site since the health care law's infrastructure was put together too quickly and haphazardly.

Mr. Speaker, this Web site was never ready to go on October 1. The very least we can do is to require that the Federal Government notify someone if their personal information has been hacked. That way, at the very least, they have a chance to fend off identity theft and cyber attacks and hopefully avoid another nightmare scenario like the one we saw that happened to Target shoppers.

I urge my colleagues in the House to support this bill and for our colleagues in the Senate to swiftly send it to the President's desk.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 630 for final passage of H.R. 3521, and rollcall No. 631 for final passage of H.R. 1402, which took place Tuesday, December 10, 2013, I am not recorded because I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on both bills.

Mr. Speaker, since ObamaCare implementation began on October 1, the President has spent much of his time talking about the malfunctioning Web site. However, I would remind the President of his own words several weeks ago: ObamaCare is more than just a Web site.

The Web site was supposed to be the easy part, and as more people sign onto it, they will be made aware of the real problems with ObamaCare. In fact, when the millions of Americans currently losing their health care plans try to log on to healthcare.gov, they will be met with drastically increased premiums, skyrocketing out-of-pocket costs, and reduced access to the doctors and hospitals they know. These problems are in direct contrast to the repeated promises made by the President.

My constituents are rightly concerned with these broken promises and are regularly contacting me and my office to voice their concerns. For instance, Jillian in Sparta, Tennessee, wrote to me:

Every year in the past, my health care insurance has

increased by a small percentage--sometimes 5 percent,

sometimes 7 percent. This past week, I received my new

premiums for 2014. They increased by 250 percent. Same plan,

same coverage, same insurance company.

And Jillian isn't alone. Nearly three times as many Americans say they have been hurt rather than helped by ObamaCare, according to a recent poll. This from a law that the President promised would lower insurance premiums by as much as $2,500.

Mr. Speaker, ObamaCare is much more than a Web site. It is an unmitigated disaster. The effects of this law are wreaking havoc on our health care system and exposing the President's broken promises to Americans across this country.

My House Republican colleagues and I have tried repeatedly to protect Americans from this law, but the only way to do so is for Democrats to join us. For instance, the Senate can act right now to pass the Fairness for American Families Act that was passed out of the House this summer. This legislation would give fairness under ObamaCare by delaying the law's mandate for people, not just big businesses.

The President may be all in on his health care law, but that doesn't mean congressional Democrats need to follow him off of a cliff.

As disapproval of ObamaCare continues to rise, I ask my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to distance themselves from ObamaCare and join us by trying to protect the American

people from this law's disastrous effects.

Madam Speaker, Greg, a constituent from Fairfield Glade in my district, is one of tens of thousands across our State who has received one of these, a letter canceling their insurance policy.

Greg wrote to me that he ``operates a small painting business and was very happy with the Cover Tennessee program for small businesses and their employees. This program is being canceled effective January 2014 because it does not meet the minimum requirements of ObamaCare. This directly contradicts the promise made by President Obama that we could keep our existing programs,'' he says.

Madam Speaker, just yesterday, it was reported that only 992 Tennesseans--yes, less than 1,000 Tennesseans--have selected new coverage through the ObamaCare exchanges. Yet at least 94,000--yes, 94,000--across our State have lost their coverage.

The President must honor his promise to the American people and work with Congress to protect Americans like Greg.

Mr. Speaker, this past Friday, while referencing how long the government shutdown lasts, a senior Obama administration official told The Wall Street Journal:

It really doesn't matter how long the government shutdown

lasts because we are winning.

But, Mr. Speaker, as you know and I know, this government shutdown isn't a game. There are no winners when Washington fails the most basic test of governing. That is why this body passed four bipartisan proposals to keep the government open while shielding Americans from the disastrous effects of President Obama's health care law.

Once a shutdown was triggered by Senate Democrats, we worked to minimize its harmful effects with the passage of bills to reopen our national parks and museums, to restore critical funding for children's cancer research, fund the Veterans Administration, and to continue providing nutritional assistance through the Women, Infants, and Children program, among other measures. Now we're waiting on President Obama and the Senate Democrats to do their part.

Mr. Speaker, my constituents can't wait too much longer. Across my district, Tennesseans are feeling the very real impact of President Obama and the Senate Democrats' continued refusal to negotiate.

Larry, in Jamestown, is a park concessionaire at Big South Fork Recreation Area. Fall is his busiest season. He estimates that he lost $7,500 on an engagement he had planned for 11 months--canceled because of the government shutdown.

Following the Veterans Administration's warning that they could run out of funding as early as late October, Charles in Crossville emailed my office pleading for help: ``I am a disabled veteran who depends on my compensation check to have some quality of life,'' he wrote. ``This is unacceptable.''

Bobby, in Fentress County, is a craftsman, who was supposed to have his work displayed in the Smithsonian American Art Gallery last Thursday--a proud moment stolen from him because of an unnecessary gridlock here in Washington.

Mr. Speaker, our Senate colleagues have the power to end this arbitrary and unnecessary pain today by taking up the House-passed measures to reopen our parks and museums, to restore veterans' benefits and fund other important functions of government. What we need now is for them to act.

Our constituents expect us to listen to them, to work out our differences, and to find a commonsense way forward. Why can't we at least give them that? Harry Reid and President Obama need to listen to the people of this country and come to the table and negotiate. Let's get our work done.

I thank the gentlelady for yielding.

Madam Speaker, ObamaCare is having disastrous effects on Americans across this country. And in my home State of Tennessee, premiums are rising by as much as 190 percent. And now schools are being forced to reduce hours for substitute teachers.

Every day, constituents contact my office with stories about how this devastating law is hurting them. Louis in Hendersonville told me that his premiums are going up, and I quote:

We do not know how to address this huge additional burden.

Please help.

Tracy in Smithville wrote to me and said:

I will have to close my business due to ObamaCare. I'm a

veteran, and I have spent 21 years building this business.

It's a shame that it has come to this. Everything that I have

worked for will be gone because of this bill.

Jeffrey in Goodlettsville is a small business owner who wrote to me:

Please continue fighting back against this law.

My constituents and Americans across the country never supported this law that is being rammed down their throats by the President and Senate Democrats. My House Republican colleagues and I have repeatedly worked to try to protect them from the law's disastrous effects. But instead of listening to the American people, the Senate Democrats have shut down the government to protect their own ObamaCare carve-out. Madam Speaker, this is shameful. And it's past time that Harry Reid negotiate with this House to address the concerns of the American people over this disastrous law.

Mr. Speaker, as a registered nurse for over 40 years, I am privileged to speak on the importance of funding NIH, and the research that is done at this institute is invaluable to our health care system and the future of our medical industry. Most importantly, it is important to people's live. But I think it's important to remember exactly how we got here today, to the point where we're voting on this important measure on its own measures.

My House Republican colleagues and I have said at the very beginning that the American people didn't want a government shutdown, and they also didn't want ObamaCare. So we sent three different measures to the Senate that would keep the NIH and the rest of the government open, but also to help shield the people from the harmful effects of ObamaCare, this disastrous law, and also to create fairness for everyone.

But it was a block by Senator Harry Reid and the Senate Democrats, effectively shutting down the government to protect their own ObamaCare carve out. What we truly need is for the Democrat-led government shutdown to stop and for Senator Harry Reid to drop his tactics and to restore these programs.

I thank the gentleman from Georgia for yielding. I also thank you for having this tonight and giving us an opportunity to talk about the Patient Affordability Act.

Mr. Speaker, Americans didn't want a government shutdown and they don't want ObamaCare. Because of the Senate Democrats, today they're staring both in the face.

We in the House of Representatives offered the Senate Democrats three bipartisan continuing resolutions that would keep the government open and protect the American people from this onerous mandate and the President's disastrous health care law, only to see them quickly rejected along party lines with little opportunity for debate.

Now ObamaCare and the Senate Democrats' prized government shutdown are here. The reviews are in. They're not good.

Today, millions Americans experienced delays and technical glitches in trying to enroll in ObamaCare exchanges, leading the Associated Press to report that the program is ``not working as planned.''

Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal tried unsuccessfully to apply online for ObamaCare in all 50 States. And on MSNBC, a reporter gave up trying to enroll in ObamaCare after 30 minutes, saying:

If I were signing up for myself, this is where my patience

would be exhausted.

But, Mr. Speaker, this is only the beginning. Under ObamaCare's Navigator program, thousands of unlicensed ``in-person assisters'' will be tasked with going across the country and propagandizing the President's health care law. They'll have as little as 20 hours of training and no background check, high school diploma, or prior experience required, despite having access to our very personal information, including our names, addresses, Social Security numbers, and tax returns.

But don't worry, says the Obama administration. They'll have a 207- page Navigator Standard Operating Procedures Manual. The size of a college textbook, this is the guide that navigators should be expected to learn in just 20 hours.

Now, Mr. Speaker, I've been working my way through this manual, hoping that it would provide these navigators with some insight on our complex health care system. Instead, I'm finding that this manual is filled with lessons like in section 2-2-1, Smiling. Yes, it says, ``Smiles are contagious,'' the manual reads. ``Usually, when you smile at somebody, they will smile back at you.'' The manual goes on to instruct navigators to ``nod occasionally'' when interacting with consumers and to maintain an ``open and inviting'' posture.

Addressing security concerns, the manual reminds navigators not to leave Americans' ``tax return information on printers and fax machines.''

Mr. Speaker, the Navigator program is an open invitation for misuse of taxpayer information. The American people should not have their most sensitive personal information in the hands of people who have not been, at bare minimum, subjected to background checks.

My House Republican colleagues and I remain committed to fighting this law and protecting Americans from widespread fraud and abuse in the ObamaCare Navigator program. The Senate has an open invitation to join us. The question is: When will they?

Mr. Speaker, in just 3 days, the ObamaCare exchanges are set to go live, and the security of millions of Americans' most sensitive personal information remains at risk.

For the purposes of enrolling people in the exchanges, the administration is building the largest network of Americans' personal information ever created, called the Federal Services Data Hub. This data hub will have the names, birth dates, Social Security numbers, taxpayer status, gender, email addresses, and telephone numbers of millions of Americans expected to apply for coverage in the exchanges. This poses an alarming and obvious risk for identity theft and cybersecurity attacks.

To date, there has been no independent certification that the information will be kept safe. We are simply supposed to rely on this administration's word that reliable security systems will be in place come October 1. This is the same administration that has already failed to meet half of their self-imposed deadlines for the implementation of this disastrous law.

Their word is simply not good enough, and this is why 13 States' attorneys general have sent a letter to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius expressing their concerns over whether there are adequate safety measures to protect their constituents' personal data.

Making this situation even worse are the ObamaCare ``navigators'' that are tasked with assessing this information to help people enroll. These navigators are not required by the Federal Government to have background checks or to even have a high school diploma. And yet they will be tasked with handling Americans' most sensitive personal information, such as medical records and even tax returns. In fact, earlier this month, a navigator applicant in Minnesota recently received 2,400 Social Security numbers by mistake. This raises serious concerns about the lack of safeguards in place to protect our personal information.

Mr. Speaker, we know that ObamaCare is simply not ready for prime time. We cannot allow Americans' most personal information to be exposed to these threats. It is completely irresponsible for this President to be encouraging people to sign up when these threats exist.

The President has already delayed portions of this law to help Big Business and insurance companies. It is time for him to work with this Congress to stop this train wreck and to shield the American public from widespread fraud and abuse.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

As Members of the people's House, protecting the American taxpayer from fraud and abuse is absolutely a critical part of our job. And if, like me, you spent the last few weeks visiting your constituents, you will know that the American people are fed up and they're tired of footing the bill for Washington's failures. That's why passing the No Subsidies Without Verification Act is so important.

This bill would protect American taxpayers from the staggering amount of fraud and abuse in ObamaCare exchanges by simply requiring that ObamaCare live up to its original guarantee in their original law that only those who certify to be eligible for taxpayer subsidies receive them. Unfortunately, because of this administration's clandestine rule change on the July 4 holiday, this is not currently the case. It is estimated that as much as $50 billion of hard-earned American taxpayer dollars could be given out in fraudulent ObamaCare subsidy claims.

Protecting the taxpayers' money is not a partisan issue. The health care law was originally written--yes, was originally written--so that only those who qualify would receive Federal subsidies in the exchanges. And the Democratic controlled Senate Appropriations Committee has passed legislation expressing their sense that verification needs to occur before subsidies are doled out.

I urge my colleagues here in the House today to join me in helping to protect the American taxpayer, and I call on the Senate to bring this for a vote so that we can send a commonsense measure to the President and protect the American taxpayer from fraud and abuse.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, even the White House veto threat actually proves the need for the No Subsidies Without Verification Act.

The White House says that H.R. 2775, which simply requires the administration to verify whether people are eligible for taxpayer- funded ObamaCare subsidies before they're doled out, would create delays is what they say. It would create delays.

But the veto threat then goes on to say that the bill is ``unnecessary'' because the administration officials claim they already have, ``an effective and efficient system for verification and eligibility.''

So which is it?

Does the Obama administration have a way, other than the honor system, to verify whether someone is eligible for taxpayer subsidies or will requiring the administration to have one create delays?

If they had a transparent verification system in place, one that actually worked, this bill would create no delays. The administration should actually welcome it, and so should all Members of this body, who should vote for this. That's why we need this bill. We need independent verification that programs are in place before taxpayers' subsidies go out the door.

For all taxpayers, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 2775.

Mr. Speaker, the latest jobs report released last week was a sad reminder of just how bad things have been in the Obama economy.

When the President's stimulus was passed in 2009, the administration predicted that our unemployment rate would have fallen to just 5 percent by now. But it hasn't. It remains stuck over 7 percent and would be closer to 10 percent if millions of Americans had not given up looking for work altogether.

In fact, this latest jobs report highlighted a deeply disturbing statistic: the percentage of Americans working or looking for work has dropped to its lowest level since the middle of the Carter administration.

What makes this situation even sadder for Americans across the country is that this does not have to be the case. The President could work with Congress to implement policies that would help our economy grow and help our Americans get back to work. The President could work with us to delay ObamaCare, which is devastating the hiring and employment practices of companies across this country and creating a Nation of part-time workers. The President could join a bipartisan consensus here in Congress and approve the Keystone pipeline that would immediately create 20,000 jobs. The President could drop his continued insistence on tax increases and work with this Congress to pass a comprehensive, revenue-neutral tax reform package that promotes economic growth.

The President has a Congress willing to work with him to help struggling Americans across this country. Whether he chooses to work with us is his decision.

Mr. Speaker, this year, Hendersonville, Tennessee celebrates thirty years of friendship with its sister city, Tsuru, Japan. At a time when news headlines each day remind us of discord among other nations, the lasting relationship between these two cities stands as a reminder that when individuals and communities reach out across cultural boundaries, they can build meaningful bonds that stand the test of time.

First established on May 18, 1983 by former Hendersonville mayor T.W. Patterson and former Tsuru mayor Michimasa Tahabe, this relationship has truly lived up to its original purpose: ``To serve as a perpetual symbol for mutual hospitality for the exchange of ideas and visitors between the cities of Tsuru and Hendersonville, and as a welcoming beacon to travelers from both communities.''

The Tsuru-Hendersonville relationship has yielded many years of student exchange trips and delegation visits from parents, teachers, and community leaders that have enhanced the lives of our cities' people. Host families in both countries have generously opened up their homes to visitors and learned from their unique experiences.

Later this month, city officials, civic group representatives, local students, and members of the Tsuru-Hendersonville Friendship Committee will travel to Tsuru, Japan, to commemorate this special anniversary. As they join together with the Tsuru people to celebrate three decades of honor and goodwill, I join them in wishing for a prosperous future for both communities and many years of continued friendship.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor Walter Thomas Durham, a man who did great things for Tennessee and for the future generations of Tennesseans.

Tennessee has one of the great histories of our United States. Tennesseans fought and tipped the balance of the Revolutionary War at the Battle of Kings Mountain. Tennessee produced three of the first 17 Presidents. Tennessee had more Civil War battles than any other State, except Virginia.

Tennessee is proud of its history, and Walter Durham is a giant in the world of Tennessee history. Like so many brave members of his generation, Mr. Durham served in the U.S. Army in World War II, seeing action in north Africa and Italy with the U.S. Army Air Corps. He went to Vanderbilt University and, after he graduated, started a building supply company in Gallatin called Durham Building Supply. He went on to launch another business, Gallatin Aluminum Products Company, which he and his partners later sold.

Then, in the early 1970s, he was encouraged by his doctor to establish a hobby that would reduce his stress. So, at the suggestion of a friend, Mr. Durham started a book on the history of Sumner County. As Sumner County's history goes, the county has a pretty amazing one. Some of middle Tennessee's early forts and settlements were in Sumner County. Sumner County had characters such as Kasper Mansker and Thomas ``Big Foot'' Spencer, a man of legendary size and strength who once spent a cold winter alone, living in a hollow sycamore tree. Sumner County was a place where there were violent raids made on early forts and cabins by Creek and Chickamaugan Indians. In fact, his book on Sumner County's history would be the first of 24 that he wrote on the local and State history.

He wrote books about the history of thoroughbred racing in Tennessee; Tennessee Governor William Trousdale, who fought in the War of 1812; James Winchester, another veteran of the War of 1812 and a man who cofounded the city of Memphis with Andrew Jackson; and a book about General Daniel Smith, a U.S. Senator and the surveyor who created the first map of Tennessee. He wrote a very detailed two-volume history of Nashville during the Civil War, and these two books were the ones he later said he was the most proud of. He also wrote a book called ``Volunteer Forty-Niners,'' about people who left Tennessee to take part in the California Gold Rush. In fact, Tennesseans were some of the first people to hold public office in California.

In short, Walter Durham created an entire shelf of books that people interested in Tennessee's history should have in their libraries, and he generously gave the book rights and proceeds to various entities across the State.

In addition to writing, he was a longtime member of the Tennessee Historical Society and served as its President from 1973 to 1975. He was also the chairman of the Tennessee Historical Commission and the founding president of the Tennessee Historical Alliance, now known as the Tennessee Preservation Trust.

In 2002, Tennessee Governor Don Sundquist appointed him to the official post of the Tennessee State Historian. He was appointed by Governor Phil Bredesen in 2008 to continue to hold his title until his death.

Two years ago, he was awarded the honorary doctorate from Tusculum College to commemorate his work on behalf of Tennessee's historical significance.

Mr. Durham also took time to encourage others. Ten years ago, a young man in Tennessee decided to start an organization to help public schoolteachers teach Tennessee history and civics using the Internet. His very first endorsement letter was from Walter Durham, a man who handwrote every one of his books in pencil. These handwritten manuscripts now reside at the Vanderbilt Library Archives.

He was also a devoted Sunday school teacher at the First United Methodist Church in Gallatin.

Mr. Durham passed away on May 24, 2013. He is survived by Anna Armstrong Coile Durham, his wife of 64 years, and his four children and four grandchildren. Tennessee and the Durham family will miss this great man.

Mr. Speaker, over the July 4th holiday, the Obama administration updated the Federal Register. And buried in more than 600 pages of new regulations was a controversial decision to delay verification of eligibility for ObamaCare's subsidies and instead use the honor system, which more accurately should be described as an open invitation for fraud and abuse.

In a desperate attempt to try to save the President's failing health care law, the administration is willing to give out billions of dollars in fraudulent payments, racking up even more debt for current and future generations. This is indefensible.

That is why I have introduced H.R. 2775, the No Subsidies Without Verification Act. My bill would stop this irresponsible action by requiring verification systems be put in place before any subsidy is paid with taxpayer money.

I urge my colleagues to join me in this fight and support H.R. 2775.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, the President has previously described his health care law as ``a new set of rules that treats everybody honestly and treats everybody fairly.''

Now, according to President Obama, if you're a big financial institution or a government contractor, you don't have to comply with ObamaCare's mandate next year; but if you're a Tennessee family who is trying to make ends meet, you do or you will get taxed. To add insult to injury, this President now has the audacity to say that he will veto the House legislation delaying the employer mandate and the individual mandate that we are considering today.

First of all, the employer mandate delay was proposed by him, so why would he veto his own idea? Secondly, why would he turn his back on the American families, who are merely asking for the same relief that he said he is going to give to Big Business?

President Obama's veto threat is a pathetic excuse for leadership, and I suggest that we call his bluff and pass this legislation to protect the American people and their livelihoods from ObamaCare. It is simply not fair of President Obama to give business an exemption from his costly health care law without making the same allowances for individuals and families.

I call on President Obama and congressional Democrats to do the right thing by supporting the Authority for Mandate Delay Act and the Fairness for American Families Act in order to protect the American people and to ensure fairness for all.