Floor Statements

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Homebuyers Assistance and Improvement Act of 2010.

The first-time home buyer tax credit has helped bring stability to the struggling housing market in southern Nevada. In total, over 25,000 Nevadans have collected about $200 million from the credit, which has dramatically reduced the State's excess housing inventory.

In southern Nevada, short sales have become more and more common as lenders and owners are able to avoid the arduous and costly process of foreclosure, and buyers can then purchase homes slightly below market value.

Unlike the traditional sale of a property between an owner and a buyer, however, a short sale must be approved by the holder of the mortgage. In many cases, although a purchase price is agreed to by the seller and the buyer, the lender may not approve the sale for months. Certainly, this has been the case in Nevada. As a result, many first- time home buyers have entered into agreements for short sales prior to the April 30 deadline, but have not yet been able to close on the purchase prices prior to the upcoming June 30 deadline.

According to local experts, the Homebuyers Assistance and Improvement Act of 2010, which is before us now, will extend to October 1, the date by which a purchaser must close a sale of a home in order to obtain the home buyer tax credit. This will allow approximately 3,800 first-time home buyers in southern Nevada to receive the credit. It is a fair solution that will help consumers who have met all of the eligibility requirements for the credit but who have had the timely processing of their loans held up through no fault of their own.

So I thank the chairman for his assistance in moving this forward, and I urge my colleagues to support the legislation.

Madam Speaker, I rise to congratulate my constituent Bryce Harper on being selected by the Washington Nationals as the first overall pick in the Major League Baseball draft.

Harper, a native of southern Nevada, who is just 17 years old, led the College of Southern Nevada and the Scenic West Athletic Conference in virtually every offensive category. In recognition of his outstanding performance, he was the SWAC 2010 Player of the Year and was named to the First Team AWC All-Conference team. During the 2010 season, he set a CSN school record for home runs. He belted 31, shattering the previous record of 12.

So, Madam Speaker, I look forward to welcoming Bryce to Washington and watching him play just down the street as he stars for the Nationals for years to come.

Mr. Speaker, today the Senate will hold a subcommittee hearing on the Sloan Hills Withdrawal Act introduced by Majority Leader Reid. I am a cosponsor and strong supporter of the House companion to this legislation.

This bill would withdraw a 640-acre site near the Sun City Anthem community in Henderson from being made available for mining purposes. The proposed mining operation would cause air quality deterioration, a serious concern, especially for seniors and children, who are vulnerable to respiratory diseases. The proposal is also water- intensive and will increase traffic in the area.

Residents of nearby communities, which are in District Three, would be most directly impacted by this project. That is why I attended a public meeting in April of last year with more than 400 concerned residents of the area. I heard loud and clear that the proposed mine was unacceptable.

The Sloan Hills Withdrawal Act would ensure that an aggregate mine is not developed on this site and will protect the health and well-being of my constituents in Henderson. So I urge its passage.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of Barbara Greenspun whose recent death marks the end of an era in Nevada. With her sad passing, we have lost a remarkable individual who gave so much of herself to our community.

Together, Hank and Barbara Greenspun poured their heart and soul into the Las Vegas Sun, showing a dedication and commitment that would turn the paper into a leading publication. Then moving from behind the scenes to publisher after Hank's death, Barbara built upon his legacy as the paper earned journalism's most prestigious award, the Pulitzer Prize.

Known for her grace and generous spirit, Barbara also committed herself to a number of important causes, including higher education and women's health that touched the lives of so many. While she will be truly missed, her legacy will live on through her remarkable family, the landmark Greenspun building at UNLV, and the continued excellence of the Las Vegas Sun.

I thank the chairman.

The purpose of this amendment is to provide the Secretary of Defense the flexibility to change the effective date of the Homeowners Assistance Program for members of the Armed Forces permanently reassigned during the mortgage crisis. The program, as approved by Congress last year, allows active-duty servicemembers to be partially reimbursed for losses occurring as a result of having to sell their home upon being reassigned. Under current law, a servicemember must have purchased his or her home before July 1, 2006, in order to qualify for assistance.

My congressional district is home to a number of servicemembers from Nellis Air Force Base and the Remotely Piloted Aircraft Program at Creech Air Force Base.

Many of these armed servicemembers were assigned to southern Nevada at the height of the housing boom when prices were fueled by out-of- control and reckless speculators. They, and others around the country, purchased homes at what was then a fair market price. Now, due to no fault of their own, however, many of these homes have lost a significant amount of their value. A problem arises because servicemembers are now receiving Permanent Change of Station orders and are being reassigned to a new area.

A number of servicemembers from around the world have contacted us saying that this date, July 1, 2006, was set too early to achieve the intended goals of the program. Accordingly, our amendment provides the necessary flexibility to the Secretary of Defense to change this date in specific geographic areas where housing price declines trended behind the national average.

It's important to keep in mind that most of these servicemembers had no choice in the timing of their transfer and relocation and are, therefore, unintended victims of the arbitrary deadline.

This amendment is modeled after legislation introduced in December, which had 27 bipartisan cosponsors. It's also been endorsed by a number of military family organizations who recognize its importance.

I thank Chairman Skelton for his support in working with me, and I urge our colleagues to vote for the amendment.

Mr. Speaker, as Memorial Day approaches, I want to take this opportunity to thank all of the brave men and women who have served in our Armed Forces and to honor the cherished memories of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our precious democratic way of life.

I also want to take a moment to honor a veteran who not only fought for his country, but returned from war and dedicated his life to helping veterans here at home. R.H. ``Bob'' Goldberg celebrated his 75th birthday just a few months ago, on October 8. I rise today to wish him a belated happy birthday, and thank him for his service to our Nation and for his tireless efforts on behalf of his fellow veterans in southern Nevada.

Bob has served as commander of Post 711 of the Jewish War Veterans of America, and worked for many years as an Indian Affairs Officer for the State of Nevada. Bob personified valor on the battlefield and devotion on the home front.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 996, a resolution to recognize September as National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, and I applaud Congresswoman Fudge for introducing this resolution to bring awareness to such an important issue.

Obesity has been linked to a wide range of negative health outcomes, and the alarming rise of childhood obesity, if left unchecked, could lead to a national health crisis. Obese children are at greater risk for a number of diseases and are more likely to have health problems that put them at risk throughout their life for diabetes, cardiovascular illness, and cancer.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years, so it is vital that we take action, recognize the problem, and begin to address it.

I, too, would like to commend First Lady Michele Obama and, in Nevada, State Senator Valerie Weiner for their tireless efforts to combat this problem.

I am also proud to serve on the Education and Labor Committee which will soon be taking up reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act. I look forward to the opportunity to address childhood obesity and the crisis it creates through that important legislation.

In the meantime, I am pleased to support the resolution before us today, H. Res. 996, brought by the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Fudge) because it will help raise awareness of childhood obesity, acknowledge its adverse lifetime consequences, and offer ways to combat the growing problem.

Madam Chair, I thank Chairman Gordon for his leadership on this important legislation that will strengthen American competitiveness.

I rise today in support of my amendment, which is part of the en bloc amendment, which clarifies that both preservice and in-service teacher training and professional development shall be considered when identifying the grand challenges in pre-K through 12 STEM education.

For our country to be economically competitive in the 21st century, we must ensure that all of our students have a strong foundation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, the STEM fields. The underlying bill before us recognizes this fact and instructs the director of the National Science Foundation and the Secretary of Education to work together to identify the grand challenges in STEM education and how to best address them.

While the bill currently includes the effectiveness of STEM teacher professional development as a subject to be studied as a grand challenge, the bill does not mention the training that soon-to-be- teachers receive before they enter the classroom. My amendment highlights the fact that teacher pre-service and training preparation programs have an important part to play in ensuring that future teachers will be well-equipped to give our students a strong foundation in the STEM fields.

Teacher preparations generally provide future teachers with the knowledge and skills they need to be effective classroom instructors, so we must be sure that that includes preparation they need to teach the STEM subjects. Future teachers must be educated in the latest technology, the newest theories, the cutting-edge developments in the STEM fields so they can give our students the tools they need to compete in the global economy. My amendment therefore directs that pre- service teacher training and professional development shall also be considered when addressing the grand challenges of K-12 STEM education.

So I would urge my colleagues to support this important bill, to support this en bloc amendment, and to help prepare our teachers to prepare our children for the jobs of tomorrow.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Rev. Jesse Scott, a fine hero and a lifelong civil rights leader who passed away on Monday.

A native of Louisiana, Reverend. Scott moved to Las Vegas in 1970 to become president of the local NAACP chapter. In that role, and later as executive director of the Nevada Equal Rights Commission, Reverend Scott was a loved and respected leader whose commitment to justice was unparalleled. Reverend Scott once said, ``God placed me in the position to help others as I have been helped by others.'' And by all accounts, that is exactly what he did.

His legacy will live on in the lives of all those he touched in his fight for equality, in his work at the Second Baptist Church, and in the acts of many public servants, including myself, whom he inspired and mentored. My thoughts and prayers are with Reverend Scott's family and friends during this sad time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1338) recognizing the significant accomplishments of AmeriCorps and encouraging all citizens to join in a national effort to raise awareness about the importance of national and community service.

Madam Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which time Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on H. Res. 1338 into the Record.

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

I rise today in full support of House Resolution 1338, which recognizes the substantial contributions of AmeriCorps. Since 1994, AmeriCorps programs have engaged over 570,000 individuals of all ages in national service programs, totaling 705 million hours of service to our Nation. AmeriCorps was launched following the establishment of the Corporation for National and Community Service under the National and Community Service Trust Act. The organization is composed of AmeriCorps State and national programs: the National Civilian Community Corps, or NCCC, and the Volunteers in Service to America, or VISTA program. The initial class of 20,000 volunteers helped establish and grow this wonderful program of volunteer service. AmeriCorps now involves 75,000 individuals each year to improve the lives of the Nation's most vulnerable citizens, protect the environment, contribute to public safety, respond to disasters, and strengthen our educational system.

AmeriCorps participants have tackled many timely and important issues, including health care, gang violence, drug abuse, environmental cleanup, and homelessness. They have partnered with thousands of organizations, including Habitat for Humanity and the Red Cross. AmeriCorps VISTA participants have been on the front lines in the fight against poverty in America. VISTA's 6,500 participants provide assistance each year to low-income communities by helping businesses, expanding access to technology, recruiting literacy volunteers, strengthening antipoverty groups, and creating sustainable programs that help people rise out of poverty.

National Civilian Community Corps participants have led service projects in areas of critical national need, including disaster response, infrastructure improvement, environment and energy conservation, and urban and rural development. Corps volunteers have responded to every nationally declared disaster since 1994 as well as helped communities prepare for the next emergency.

Most importantly, AmeriCorps members continue to serve their community even after their terms of service. In fact, many former workers continue as volunteers, teachers, nonprofit professionals, and government employees.

Madam Speaker, for those struggling to make ends meet during this tough economy, volunteers in the national service are more important than ever. The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act signed in 2009 by President Obama expands the AmeriCorps program to incorporate 250,000 volunteers each year, and the strength of our Nation depends on individuals who take action towards building better communities.

This week is AmeriCorps Week, when we recognize and thank the commitment of these volunteers so that future generations will continue to support the ideal of national service. It's important for us to highlight the important work done by the organization and to motivate others to become engaged and to volunteer, whether through AmeriCorps or other service opportunities throughout the country.

So I would ask that my colleagues join me in full support of House Resolution 1338 and to take a moment and appreciate the contributions by our many AmeriCorps participants. I want to thank Representative Matsui for bringing this resolution to the floor, and I urge my colleagues to pass it.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased at this time to yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Matsui), the sponsor of the resolution.

Madam Speaker, I would just reiterate the points that have been made earlier but in a more brief fashion to say that I hope our colleagues will join in supporting this resolution and to say thank you to the many volunteers who are on the front lines helping us during times of crisis, whether it's economic, physical disaster or sociological change. We need their help, and we appreciate it. This is a resolution to do that. So I thank the sponsors. I thank the chairman of the Service Caucus and urge your support.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, today, I join with people across the country to celebrate National Teacher Week, which recognizes the exemplary and important work that teachers do in classrooms every day.

Research has shown that a good teacher is one of the most important factors in a student's academic success, so it is only appropriate that we take time during National Teacher Week to say ``thank you'' to these heroes who positively affect so many lives.

We must also support teachers during these tough economic times by investing in education. I was proud to support the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which saved more than 1,000 jobs for teachers in southern Nevada, and the Jobs for Main Street Act, which passed the House and included a $23 billion jobs for education fund.

With hundreds of thousands of teachers across the country facing potential pink slips because of budget crises at the local and State levels, I urge my colleagues in both Houses to work quickly to support education by saving vital teaching jobs throughout the country.

Today I join with people across the country to commemorate Workers' Memorial Day, honoring workers killed, injured, or harmed at work.

Unfortunately, workers in Nevada are all too aware of the dangers they face in the workplace. A number of deaths on the job in recent years led to Nevada's being the first State in the country to undergo an in-depth review that highlighted the problems facing the State's OSHA program. This review made it clear to me that Federal OSHA needs an additional option to work with States that are not meeting Federal standards. Currently, OSHA can only suggest improvements or completely take over the State's program.

That's why I introduced the Ensuring Worker Safety Act. This legislation aims to protect both workers and States' rights by giving Federal OSHA additional tools to make sure that State OSHA plans like Nevada's are at least as effective as Federal standards and enforcement.

The slogan of Workers' Memorial Day is ``Remember the Dead and Fight for the Living.'' That's what I intend to do in Congress.

Mr. Speaker, later today the House will consider legislation to stop the automatic pay raise for Members of Congress during this fiscal year. I am proud to be a cosponsor of this bill because I believe strongly that Members of Congress should not receive a pay raise when so many families in Nevada are struggling with job loss, homes that are under water, and uncertainty about their economic future.

Unemployment in my district has reached record levels, the highest in 25 years. Families are tightening their belts and too many hardworking Nevadans are desperate to find a job. It would be unconscionable during this time of economic hardship for Members of Congress to receive an automatic pay raise. Our action today will send a message to the American people that we are changing the way that business is done in Washington and we are serious about putting our economy on the path to recovery and restoring economic security for all Americans.

Mr. Speaker, 2 years ago our Nation suffered one of the greatest economic meltdowns in history when the financial markets nearly collapsed and sent the country into the deepest recession in a generation, one that my State of Nevada is still working to pull itself out of.

The hardworking people of southern Nevada have paid a steep price for the greed and dangerous under-regulation of Wall Street that created a foreclosure crisis resulting in far too many families losing their homes. Seniors lost their retirement nest eggs, and parents lost their savings to pay for their children to go to college.

It's time to ensure that the proper safeguards are in place so that we can prevent a crisis of this magnitude in the future. We must rein in Wall Street

banks that gave their executives obscene bonuses while steering our economy into the ditch. We must close regulatory loopholes and strengthen oversight enforcement so that government agencies cannot fall asleep at the wheel.

The House has already passed this important legislation that will permanently end taxpayer bailouts and hold Wall Street accountable. I urge the Senate to do so.

Mr. Speaker, since coming to Congress, I have kept my promise to provide tax relief to middle-class families and small businesses in my district; and I am proud to report that on Tax Day millions of Americans will pay less in taxes and keep more of their hard-earned money in their own pockets, where it belongs.

In the past year, Congress has enacted over $800 billion in tax cuts, including the largest package of tax cuts in history in the Recovery Act, leading Reagan's adviser Bruce Bartlett to say that Federal taxes are very considerably lower by every measure since Obama became President.

A recent report by Citizens for Tax Justice has found that, for 2009, 98 percent of working families and individuals in Nevada benefited from at least one of the tax cuts in the Recovery Act, saving an average of $841. For folks in my district struggling to make ends meet, $841 could be a mortgage payment that helps them avoid foreclosure and could make a real difference in their lives.