Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Teller Street Gallery and Studios for receiving the 2013 Wheat Ridge Cultural Commission Award.

This award recognizes a business which has made an impact on our community by promoting culture and the arts, and supporting opportunities in art education for all ages.

Teller Street Gallery and Studios has been in business for a little over one year and is a member of the Wheat Ridge Business Association. Being in the business of fun and creativity, they love participating in local events, such as hosting kids' art activities at the 2012 Carnation Festival, Ridge at 38 Event, and Wheat Fest. Teller Street made the backdrop for the photo booth for the August 15th Cruiser Crawl, and the trophies for the 2013 Carnation Festival Chili Cook-Off. They also have the privilege of providing after-school art programs for kids from the Wheat Ridge 5-8 School, and judging the Everett Middle School art show last spring.

In addition to encouraging art in the community, they enjoy supporting local charities and organizations such as the Wheat Ridge Feed the Future Backpack Program and hosting fundraisers like the painting party for Saints Peter and Paul School's silent auction kick- off.

I extend my deepest congratulations to Teller Street Gallery and Studios for this well deserved recognition by the City of Wheat Ridge and the Wheat Ridge Business Association. Thank you for your dedication to our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Loretta DiTirro for receiving the 2013 Wheat Ridge City Council Partnership Award.

This award recognizes a company or individual for their overall contributions to the City. It incorporates business achievements as well as contributions in volunteerism, leadership, and community investment and involvement.

Loretta DiTirro has been an active part of Wheat Ridge for many years. She currently is the President of the Wheat Ridge Business Association where she guides the mission of the organization and is the leading force behind its success. She is also a member of the Wheat Ridge Business District and sits on the Board of Directors, assisting businesses through a grant and loan program.

Additionally, Loretta DiTirro is a key figure in the Wheat Ridge Foundations ``Feed the Future'' program providing books, backpacks, food and assistance to the less fortunate children of Wheat Ridge. She can be seen volunteering at almost every event in Wheat Ridge and truly is a beacon of goodwill for the community.

I extend my deepest congratulations to Loretta DiTirro for this well deserved recognition by the City of Wheat Ridge and the Wheat Ridge Business Association. Thank you for your dedication to our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud the Wheat Ridge Police Department and the Wheat Ridge Business Association's Feed the Future Program for receiving the 2013 Wheat Ridge Mayor's Business & Community Partnership Award.

This award incorporates overall achievements as well as contributions in volunteerism, leadership, and community investment, but must also include involvement with the mentoring, training, and partnering with the youth.

The Feed the Future Program is a great collaborative initiative, working locally to transform lives toward a world where people no longer face under nutrition and hunger.

I extend my deepest congratulations to the Wheat Ridge Police Department and Wheat Ridge Business Association's Feed the Future Program for this well deserved recognition by the City of Wheat Ridge. Thank you for your dedication to our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Mandy Fulton of Teller Street Gallery and Studio, and Suzanne Smith of Food for Thought for receiving the 2013 Wheat Ridge Business Association Member of the Year Award.

This award is given to the member or members who exemplify the Best in the Organization by promoting best business practices and for their contribution to the organization and the community. Both are successful business owners and are receiving this award for their volunteer activities to support Feed the Future and other local organizations that support our children.

I extend my deepest congratulations to Mandy Fulton and Suzanne Smith for this well deserved recognition by the Wheat Ridge Business Association. Thank you for your dedication to our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Able Planet for receiving the 2013 Wheat Ridge Special Recognition Award.

Able Planet, a Wheat Ridge business that designs and manufactures innovative audio and communication devices for individuals with all levels of hearing was honored by the State as one of the growing ``Colorado Companies to Watch'' at a recent gala in Denver. The award recognizes second-stage companies that are developing valuable products and services, creating quality jobs, enriching communities, and creating new industries throughout the state. Second-stage companies fuel the economic fire of Colorado by accounting for much of the economic growth and economic independence of individuals throughout the state.

I extend my deepest congratulations to Able Planet for this well deserved recognition by the City of Wheat Ridge and the Wheat Ridge Business Association.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Chuck Baroch for receiving the 2013 Golden Mayor's Award for Excellence.

This award recognizes extraordinary contributions to the Golden community and is presented to Chuck Baroch for his long service leading the Golden Civic Foundation, which supports economic development and nonprofit organizations in Golden, and for his 13 years on Golden City Council, the last six as mayor. He enhanced relationships with the Colorado School of Mines and represented Golden well in the disputes over the ``Northwest Parkway,'' as well as contributed to the city's sustainability efforts. He brought an inclusive and gentlemanly manner to his interactions.

I extend my deepest congratulations to Chuck Baroch for this well deserved recognition by Mayor Marjorie Sloan and the City of Golden. Thank you for your dedication to our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Ed Dorsey for receiving the 2013 Golden Mayor's Award for Excellence.

This award recognizes extraordinary contributions to the Golden community and is presented to Ed Dorsey for his long-term efforts as the exemplary volunteer contributing to the success of a variety of activities in the City of Golden. He has served as an active member and chair of several key organizations including Leadership Golden Board, Visitors Center Board, the Citizens Budget Advisory Committee, GURA and the Buffalo Bills Days Committee, just to name a few. Most recently he has been a lead advocate to inform the community about the Downtown Development Authority. His singular distinctive contributions set a superlative example of volunteerism in Golden as detailed in Vision 2030.

I extend my deepest congratulations to Ed Dorsey for this well deserved recognition by Mayor Marjorie Sloan and the City of Golden. Thank you for your dedication to our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Preston Driggers for receiving the 2013 Golden Mayor's Award for Excellence.

This award recognizes extraordinary contributions to the Golden community and is presented to Preston Driggers for his decades of citizen service to our community. Golden has been shaped by the contributions of many, and Preston is an example of one who has made a big difference. From working towards the open space purchases of both table mountains and the Bachman property, serving on the GURA board, to even commenting on the transit oriented development on Golden Ridge Road, Preston has always made sincere, important, and unselfish contributions. The Golden community knows Preston as someone

who is altruistic, balanced, calm, and a thoughtful role model for citizen involvement.

I extend my deepest congratulations to Preston Driggers for this well deserved recognition by Mayor Marjorie Sloan and the City of Golden. Thank you for your dedication to our community.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member.

Two hours ago, one of my constituents showed up in person at my district office in Lakewood. She was frantic and in tears. She just received her furlough notice last night.

She's a Federal employee who has been furloughed 3 days since March. She's a single mom of a 25-year-old and a grandmother of a 2-year-old, both of whom live with her.

She works hard, goes to work every day, and can't understand why she has to pay the price for these political shenanigans. I can assure you she's not celebrating like I saw some of my friends on the Republican side last night.

We've got to defeat this piecemeal. We've got real people who are hurt by this shutdown, and we need to take care of it right now and get the CR on the floor.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia for yielding time to me so that I can speak about the catastrophe that we had in Colorado 2\1/2\ weeks ago.

Some portions of our State received more rain in 3 days than we get in a year and a half, and that amounted to tremendous flooding. Some people say it's a 200-year flood; others say it's a 500-year flood. But it damaged canyons, homes, businesses, roads up and down the front range of Colorado.

So our delegation has come together. There is some controversy as to the origins of this funding and whether or not the Republicans from Colorado supported this assistance for highways. That's in the past. We are together today because our State needs the assistance.

I rise to ask for quick passage of H.R. 3174, which will enable Colorado to quickly begin the process of rebuilding our damaged infrastructure. Almost 19,000 homes and businesses across Colorado were damaged or destroyed. I had friends, neighbors, and family affected by this storm.

I want to start by thanking our first responders--the police, the firefighters, the Colorado National Guard, the United States Army, and FEMA--for their heroic efforts to save lives. Individuals, volunteers, charities, the State, local, and Federal governments responded as one to help the people of the State of Colorado.

I witnessed firsthand, with Mr. Gardner, Mr. Polis, and our Senators and Governor, the National Guard rescuing a stranded family. These men and women, without a doubt, prevented these floods from taking more lives.

The damage throughout the State is catastrophic and truly unbelievable. I represent two counties of the nine that were declared major disaster areas. Now that the waters have receded, it is time to rebuild. At least 200 miles of State and Federal roads were damaged and 50 bridges were either damaged or destroyed by the floods; and that doesn't include local, county, and city streets, roads, and bridges.

In total, the Colorado Department of Transportation is estimating the damage to our State and Federal roads to be about $475 million. The Denver Post reported:

The flooding that swept through Colorado is the biggest

catastrophe to ever strike the State's infrastructure.

Current law restricts funds from this account to $100 million per State per incident. We know the damage to roads, bridges, and infrastructure in our State will well exceed that $100 million. I'm proud to be a cosponsor of H.R. 3174, with my friends in the Colorado delegation, to make sure Colorado has the resources needed to rebuild.

I thank the gentlewoman.

This bill does not cost a dollar. It simply allows the Secretary of Transportation the flexibility needed for Colorado and other communities impacted by severe weather events this year to rebuild our roads and bridges.

I'm asking all my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 3174 and help us in Colorado rebuild.

State of Colorado,

Office of the Governor,

Denver, CO, September 23, 2013.

Hon. John Boehner,

Speaker, House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Hon. Nancy Pelosi,

Minority Leader, House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Hon. Harry Reid,

Majority Leader, Senate,

Washington, DC.

Hon. Mitch McConnell,

Minority Leader, Senate,

Washington, DC.

Dear Speaker Boehner, Majority Leader Reid, Minority Leader

Pelosi, and Minority Leader McConnell: As you may know, this

month massive rains and heavy flooding left over a dozen

Colorado counties in devastation. With the rains, highways,

bridges, and culverts were washed away. As a result, even now

many communities still are cut off and isolated from the rest

of the state. Colorado is in dire need of help.

Communities across Colorado's Front Range and Eastern

Plains are starting to deal with aftermath of the flooding

and destruction. The affected counties include Boulder,

Adams, Larimer, Weld, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Clear Creek,

Denver, El Paso, Fremont, Jefferson, Logan, Morgan, Pueblo,

and Washington--an area so expansive, that it surpasses that

of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Rhode Island combined.

Early analyses show that the flooding was so severe that it

may not occur again for 500 to 1,000 years.

Thousands of Colorado families are without homes, potable

water, or power. Before the state can fully restore essential

services to impacted towns and cities, and allow residents to

permanently return home, we must repair our devastated

highway system. Early estimates are that at least 50 bridges

will need significant repair--30 of which must be fully

replaced. Approximately 200 highway lane miles must be

reconstructed. Temporary crossing structures are needed in

the interim. And, today, numerous state highways and local

roads remain closed, cutting off primary, and in some cases

the only, access to Colorado cities and towns. Assessing the

damage to Colorado's highway system is underway. But early

assessments are that the damage will be several hundred

million dollars.

Under the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013,

Public Law 113-2, the U.S. Federal Highways Administration

(FHWA) Emergency Relief Program (ERP), received over $2.02

billion to help states rebuild and repair damages to their

highways and bridges. In this bill, states impacted by

Hurricane Sandy could receive up to $500 million per disaster

in ERP funds; however, all remaining states--including

Colorado--were capped at $100 million per disaster.

Given the widespread devastation to our state highway

system, we are respectfully asking that Congress raise this

$100 million cap for Colorado as well. As the Colorado

congressional delegation stated in a letter to the House and

Senate Appropriations Committees, there are precedents for

waiving or raising this cap. For example, the $100 million

was waived in response to damage caused by Hurricanes Gustav

and Ike, and Hurricane Irene and the Missouri River basin

flooding. Recently, the cap was raised to $500 million for

those states devastated by Hurricane Sandy.

Based on Colorado's anticipated highway needs and the

precedents mentioned above, we ask that you raise this cap

for Colorado. Time and again, Congress has answered the call

to help communities during times of disaster and loss. The

September 2013 floods may prove to be the worst natural

disaster in the history of our state, and is likely the worst

we shall ever see in our lifetimes. Before we rebuild our

homes and businesses, we must rebuild our roads to reopen our

communities. On behalf of all Coloradans, please raise this

cap to $500 million, so that we may begin this process.

Sincerely,

John Hickenlooper,

Governor.

Mr. Speaker, on August 2, 2013 I was not present to vote on the Motion to Recommit and Final Passage of H.R. 2009--the ``Keep the IRS Off Your Health Care Act of 2013.'' I want to inform you that if present I would have voted: ``aye'' on the Motion to Recommit to H.R. 2009; and ``nay'' on Final Passage of H.R. 2009.

The legislation prohibits the Secretary of the Treasury, or any delegate of the Secretary, from implementing or enforcing any provisions of or amendments made by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act or the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010.

This bill marks the 40th time House Republicans have brought forth legislation seeking to repeal, obstruct and undermine the Affordable Care Act. It is time for Congress to focus on legislation that strengthens the middle-class, creates jobs and grows the economy.

Mr. Speaker, good afternoon. We're in this together. We're not on our own. We're in this together. That's how Americans think: we're in this together.

Except that the Tea Party ideology that's running the Republican majority would have us revert to some time before the Civil War, when we're on our own, we're not in this together. They'd love to turn the clock back as far as it can go.

Example: let's have interest rates rise on our students. Forget about making sure that the best investment we could do in our students is to keep those interest rates low.

Let's talk about the farm bill. Couldn't get it passed, except let's jettison a whole bunch of people whose nutrition is serious to all of us. Forget about food stamps. People have gotten rich overnight. Let's get rid of those things.

Energy and the environment. Let's forget about the environment and let's forget about the sun, the wind and biofuels. Just focus only on gas and coal. Those have got to be part of it, but let's forget about things that have happened newly.

We're in this together. Abraham Lincoln said, of the people, by the people, for the people. We're working for the people. We need to remember we're all in this together.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud the Seniors' Resource Center (SRC) in Jefferson County, Colorado.

For three and a half decades, the Seniors' Resource Center spirit committed itself to the vibrancy of metro Denver by helping thousands of families realize many more years of quality life together at home in their communities. The agency's mission is simple. It provides a constellation of services to our older population, allowing them to remain in their own homes independently and with dignity.

SRC is consistently recognized for its leadership in providing unparalleled service to the elderly in our communities. Leading Age, an association of not-for-profit organizations dedicated to making America a better place to grow old, awarded SRC its National Outstanding Advocacy Award in 2011. Known for its innovative model of coordinated care, SRC offers adult day and respite services, transportation, volunteer services, in-home care and care management services. SRC is committed to refer any and all callers to the best possible place for care whether it is SRC or not.

The agency is fortunate to be led by President/CEO John Zabawa, who has navigated the agency for 32 years. I salute John, his staff, the Board of Directors and the many volunteers who make the center what it is today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud the Colorado State Junior Curling Champion team of Preston Kramer, Nathan Parry, Spencer Culbertson and Alec Celecki, who were coached by Matt Culbertson and Pam Finch.

These four young men competed as Team Kramer in the 2013 USA Junior National Curling Championships January 26-February 2, 2013, at Broomstones Curling Club in Wayland, Massachusetts. These young men won the Colorado State Championships and Regional Championships held in Oregon.

At the National Championships, Team Kramer competed against 9 other teams. Although the team did not win the tournament and a berth in the World Championships in Sochi, Russia, they were awarded the Curtis Cup, given to the team who exhibited sportsmanship, and the true spirit of the game of curling.

I commend these young men for their success on the curling sheet, and for their example of true sportsmanship. I have no doubt they will exhibit the same dedication and character in all their future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with Mr. Coffman, Ms. DeGette, Mr. Polis, and Mr. Gardner in remembrance of the 1-year anniversary of the Aurora theater shooting.

Over the past year, victims and their families and those who lost loved ones have shown incredible courage in the face of such a terrible tragedy. That fateful night claimed the lives of those we will never forget and whose lives we will honor every day. This tragedy has not and will not define the city of Aurora, or the Denver area, or Colorado.

We want to thank and recognize the outstanding work of the police officers, medical staffs, and first responders who acted bravely and selflessly on July 20 and continue to serve the people of Aurora and Denver every day.

Mr. Speaker, I ask for a moment of silence for those who were killed and for those who were maimed physically and emotionally last year in the Aurora, Colorado, theater shooting.