Floor Statements

Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support of the managers amendment.

Currently, the Department of Transportation is working on a rule that would require finished medical devices and other products containing lithium batteries to be shipped as hazardous cargo.

The rule would prevent medical devices, like this pacemakers, implantable defibrillators, and blood glucose monitors, from being shipped by air, until special packaging can be developed. We don't know when this would be developed.

These medical devices are heavily regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and undergo extensive testing to assure safety-- including testing to ensure devices withstand the rigors of shipping.

If the DOT rule passes, it would severely disrupt the medical device industry's just-in-time delivery system, lead to bottlenecks in the supply chain, and prevent overnight or same-day shipping to patients all over the country even though these devices pose no demonstrable safety risk.

It is important to note that the rule wouldn't just negatively impact medical devices. It will also have a significant impact on shipping everyday technologies such as laptops and cell phones. All in all, the rule will cost more than a billion dollars annually.

The rule would have a devastating impact on patient access to life- saving medical devices and will increase health care costs. Thankfully, the managers amendment remedies this situation, and I applaud Chairman Mica for his work.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Eden Prairie High School boys' hockey team on winning the 2A State championship. It's the team's second State title in 3 years.

The Eden Prairie Eagles were well matched in the championship game against the Duluth East Greyhounds. With the game heading into triple overtime, the Eagles came out on top 3-2. This game would actually prove to be the longest championship game in the 67-year history of the Minnesota State hockey tournament.

I also want to recognize Eden Prairie senior Kyle Rau, who was named Minnesota's Mr. Hockey by a group of NCAA Division I coaches and NHL scouts. There's no doubt that Kyle's 41 season goals, including five in the State tournament, played a strong role in the Eagles' championship victory.

Congratulations to Coach Smith and Eden Prairie's student athletes. We're all very proud of you.

Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chair, last summer I met with a woman whose husband, who was born and raised in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, had died in Afghanistan; and we discussed issues that she was facing as the widow of a servicemember. One of the concerns she raised was absolutely paying her mortgage, given all the changes and stresses that had taken place in her life.

This conversation led me to introduce legislation last year, which actually passed the House last fall, that directed the appropriate agencies to take into account and consideration the special circumstances of wounded servicemembers and widows of fallen soldiers and their families in housing programs.

Along those lines, this amendment and my amendment today would add military servicemembers and veterans who have service-related injuries, as well as survivors and dependents of such individuals, to be included in the study on the use of the FHA refinance program.

These families do face, often, new hardships. They may need modification to their houses if the servicemember is now in a wheelchair. They may have significant changes in their ability to move around, as well as the skills they are able to perform, which could have a significant impact on their livelihood.

It's my hope, Madam Chair, through this amendment we can get a better understanding of how we can best provide for these families who have made that service and sacrifice. I urge adoption of the amendment.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Congresswoman, I am not aware of the exact number. The amendment applies, actually, for addition to the study. But I would be happy if you would share that information.

Offered By: Mr. Paulsen

Amendment No. 4: Page 6, line 15, strike ``and''.

Page 6, line 16, before the period insert the following:

``, and Members and Veterans With Service-connected

Disabilities and Their Families''.

Page 7, line 11, strike ``or''.

Page 7, line 17, strike the period and insert ``; or''.

Page 7, after line 17, insert the following:

(D) such members and veterans of the Armed Forces who have

service-connected injuries, and survivors and dependents of

such members and veterans of the Armed Forces with such

injuries.

Offered By: Mr. Paulsen

Amendment No: 3: Page 5, line 23, strike ``and''.

Page 5, line 24, before the period insert the following:

``, and Members and Veterans With Service-connected

Disabilities and Their Families''.

Page 6, line 19, strike ``or''.

Page 6, line 25, strike the period and insert ``; or''.

Page 6, after line 25, insert the following:

(D) such members and veterans of the Armed Forces who have

service-connected injuries, and survivors and dependents of

such members and veterans of the Armed Forces with such

injuries.

I thank the chairman.

Madam Speaker, I also rise in strong support of the legislation here today that would repeal this burdensome 1099 tax requirement contained in the new health care law. Failure to eliminate this provision would result in vast amounts of new paperwork and additional accounting burdens for 30 million businesses that are still struggling in a very downbeat economy.

Now, while having gone virtually unnoticed in the context of the entire health care debate, this provision has created quite a bit of concern for companies who are already facing increased regulatory compliance costs as they get ready for this new provision to take effect.

Madam Speaker, almost every week I get a chance to visit with a small business back in Minnesota in my district; and nearly every one of them has asked me in bewilderment and in complete disbelief why they would be required to have to do this because of the amount of time and the amount of energy it will take to comply with this new requirement. So now, if there's a small business owner and they want to go into a Target store and they purchase $600 worth of office supplies annually, they are now going to be required to file a new 1099 form--not only with the IRS, but with the Target Corporation. It's a waste of time, and time is money.

We need to be thinking about how we can help our Nation's small businesses get back on track by growing jobs and helping our economy move forward. It's not the way to do it by increasing more burdensome paperwork and bureaucratic paperwork. We need to let them be productive, to unleash their productivity, rather than filling out unnecessary forms.

Madam Speaker, I know, with the elimination of this onerous reporting requirement, small businesses are now going to be able to focus where they should focus their resources: on growing jobs and creating a better economy instead of processing additional paperwork and navigating bureaucratic red tape.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Minnesota's 2011 AA State girls' hockey champions, the Minnetonka Skippers. In their first ever tournament appearance, the Skippers skated to victory with an impressive 3-2 win over the Edina Hornets.

After nearly three periods of nail-biting action, with 39.6 seconds left on the clock, Amy Peterson scored her second goal of the game solidifying their place in Minnesota hockey history.

Under the direction of Head Coach Eric Johnson, the Skippers ended their season with a remarkable 29 wins, 1 loss and 1 tie.

The message on the team's T-shirt says it best: ``All Out. All Game. All Season. All It Takes Is All You've Got.'' The Minnetonka girls' hockey team gave it their all, all season. Their talent, dedication and passion truly makes the Minnetonka girls' hockey team champions.

Congratulations, Skippers.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Minnesota's Fire Officer of the Year, Dale Specken of Hopkins. Known for his can-do attitude, loyalty, and fairness, Dale has long had the respect of all of his colleagues because of his passion for teaching others about fire prevention and going beyond the call of duty to help others and the community.

Dale comes from a long line of firefighters and in 1981 joined the family business. Working hard and rising through the ranks, he became Hopkins fire chief in 2005. Being the dedicated community servant that he is, Dale also serves as the emergency manager and fire marshal for the City of Hopkins.

I want to congratulate Dale on being named Minnesota's Fire Officer of the Year. Thank you for your many years of tireless service and for your unwavering commitment to our community.

Mr. Speaker, I want to rise also in support of this resolution which directs committees to review Federal agency rules and regulations which indeed may unfairly harm the ability to create jobs and grow our economy.

I continue to hear on a pretty regular basis from my small businesses in my community in Minnesota about new rules and new proposed regulations that absolutely could hamper their operations and opportunity for growth. I'm just going to give a couple of examples real quickly.

I've heard from financial service companies in my district about a rule that the Department of Labor is proposing now that fundamentally changes a 35-year-old definition of ``fiduciary'' under ERISA. Now, if implemented, this new rule would cause a major disruption to the marketplace and directly result in higher costs and severely limited access to much-needed products and services to consumers.

I've also heard from some of my medical device companies in my district that are leading the world in developing these new lifesaving technologies. And there's a new rule now that's been proposed by the Department of Transportation which would require finished medical devices and other products that contain lithium batteries to now be shipped as hazardous cargo. Now, this is going to have a devastating impact on the production of pacemakers, defibrillators, and neurostimulators.

This is a new requirement that would severely disrupt the medical industry's just-in-time delivery system. It's going to lead to bottlenecks in the supply chain, and it's going to delay access to care for patients all over the country, even though these devices pose no demonstrable safety risk.

And it isn't just medical devices, Mr. Speaker. The regulation is also going to have a significant impact on shipping of everyday technologies. All in all, it's estimated that this new regulation alone is going to cost about $1 billion annually to the economy and these businesses.

Mr. Speaker, these are just a few of the examples, and we've heard others tonight of some of the burdensome regulations that are out there and being proposed, and it clearly outlines the need for some oversight and reform.

I ask for support of the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, later this week, I plan on introducing legislation, the Patients Freedom to Choose Act, along with Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison from Texas. This legislation would repeal two provisions of the new health care law that limit a patient's choice in how to use their consumer-directed health care plans.

Beginning in 2013, contributions to flexible spending accounts will be limited by a new Federal cap of $2,500. The new health care law will also prohibit individuals from using their health savings accounts and their flexible spending accounts to purchase over-the-counter medication without a prescription from their doctor.

Mr. Speaker, 10 million Americans now are enrolled in HSAs and over 35 million people have FSAs, while 85 percent of all large employers offer them as a benefit to their employees. This legislation is needed because these two provisions in the health care law will punish families at a cost of over $5 billion.

Instead of limiting options as is happening under this new health care law, we should be empowering patients by giving them increased access to affordable, quality care.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a wonderful community in my district, Brooklyn Center. 2011 is no ordinary year for Brooklyn Center, as next week they will celebrate their centennial.

A quaint suburb located west of Minneapolis, throughout its 100-year history, Brooklyn Center has embraced growth, the importance of family values, and the development of industry, all while maintaining its small-town charm.

Brooklyn Center's residents take great pride in its many diverse and successful residents, its great schools, many shops and recreation options--including the famous Dudley/Budweiser Minnesota Classic Softball Tournament.

As an avid biker, I appreciate Brooklyn Center's acres of picturesque parks and miles of trails. The city's many nature areas are a great representation of the community's pride and commitment to civic improvement.

Congratulations Brooklyn Center on 100 years of being ``a great place to start and a great place to stay.'' I'm sorry I won't be there to celebrate with you, but I hope your Centennial Celebration is truly the ``Party of the Century.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this effort to repeal the job-destroying health care law that a majority of Americans oppose.

Now, last year Congress put job creation on the back burner and instead pushed a very partisan, trillion-dollar overhaul of our health care system. Last year, at the Democrat leadership's request, Congress passed the bill to ``find out what is in it.'' Well, here is what we found: a laundry list of tax increases and job-crushing mandates that will make it harder for small businesses to make ends meet and further delay an economic recovery. This problem is so serious that the National Federation of Independent Business, an advocacy organization representing countless small businesses that drive the engine of our economy, found that the new employer mandate could cost 1.6 million jobs.

In and around my district, hundreds of medical technology companies are now facing higher taxes to the tune of $20 billion. We are penalizing innovation when we should be encouraging it. We are preventing lifesaving technologies from coming to market when we should be promoting them. This is unacceptable.

The American people deserve health care reform that doesn't break the bank. We need health care reform that lowers costs and doesn't increase premiums. We should repeal this law now and replace it with commonsense, patient-centered alternatives; otherwise, our economy will stagnate, our small businesses will not be able to expand, and the medical device industry in my district will continue to suffer.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise to commemorate the service of my dear friend Arlene Bush, who is entering her 30th year as a member of the Bloomington School Board of Minnesota. Arlene, who turns 80 later on this year, first joined the school board in 1981. And while times have changed since then, Arlene's dedication to Bloomington students and the schools that they attend has not.

She started her own educational journey in a small two-room schoolhouse in the tiny town of Odin, Minnesota. Later, she moved to Minneapolis, where she graduated from

high school in 1948. Later, she got married and she settled in Bloomington, Minnesota, which at that time was a growing suburb of Minneapolis, where she raised six daughters before beginning her long career in public service.

Arlene's big heart and humble demeanor immediately endeared her to new friends. She makes a point to be a community leader not only through the duties of her position but by being present at sporting events, plays, pep fests, musicals, concerts, and ceremonies celebrating the young people of Bloomington. She not only advocates for Bloomington's students on the board, she encourages them personally every chance she gets.

She understands that children need not only financial and operational support in their education; she exemplifies a leader who invests in their interests, recognizes their achievements, and comforts them in times of adversity.

Arlene's milestone isn't one that can be measured in the number of hours logged in meetings or the number of terms that she's served but rather in the lives of the thousands, the literally thousands of students that have benefited from her commitment to education.

Over the years, the name ``Arlene Bush'' has become synonymous with education among the generations of Bloomington students whose lives have been enriched through her many years of service. She's a pillar of the community whose presence on the school board has absolutely provided a steady hand as times have changed.

As a father with four daughters in public schools myself, it is reassuring to know there are dedicated public servants like Arlene out there working to give our children the best education possible. And like Arlene, these unsung heroes don't do it for the glory or admiration. They do it simply because they share a common desire to better our community.

And these kind souls prove that you don't have to be a congressman or a senator to change the world or touch someone's life. Inside all of us is the ability to contribute to the public good and to make the world a better place for future generations.

When asked recently to look back on her many years of service on the school board, Arlene replied in very true Minnesota fashion. She wasn't boastful or proud but rather humbled. She said that she was thankful for the opportunity to serve.

Mr. Speaker, as I close, I just want to take the time to let Arlene know that we, too, are thankful--thankful for her desire to serve.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in tribute to my friend and colleague, Representative Gabrielle Giffords, one of many victims of a very senseless act of violence this past Saturday.

I have had the pleasure of knowing Gabby and her husband, astronaut Mark Kelly, for several years--even before either of us stepped foot in this Chamber. In my district office, there is a photo of Gabby, myself, and others who were part of an Aspen Institute-Rodel fellowship program, which was created to explore the responsibilities of public leadership; advance thoughtful, civil, bipartisan dialogue; and help America's young leaders achieve their full potential. Gabby is so much about all of these ideals.

Quite often, I found myself looking at this photo over the last few days; and I couldn't help but think that all of our communities could use a few more individuals like Gabby, whose bright smile and kind heart have come to define her tenure here in Congress.

For many of us here today, the news of the tragedy was gut-wrenching. It's hard to believe that, just a few days before this senseless attack, my family and I were out visiting at the Air and Space Museum at Dulles Airport when we heard someone shout out my name. I turned around, and it was Gabby's husband, Mark, with Gabby and her parents in tow. We spent the next several minutes sharing a positive outlook about the new Congress that was upcoming and, as friends often do, recalling some of our good memories, such as when I joined Gabby with two of my daughters at one of Mark's space shuttle launches in Florida.

Over the past few days, there have been many moving tributes to Gabby, and all of them are true. She leads by example with her fighting spirit, her diligent work ethic and friendly, constant smile. It is my hope that we can follow in Gabby's footsteps over the next several weeks and, as hard as it may be, can show the same bright smile and kind heart that she has shown all of us.

My thoughts and prayers remain with Gabby, her husband, Mark; and their family; and with Gabby's staff--all of the victims and their families who are a part of this tragedy.

Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 657, (H. Res. 1771), my flight was delayed due to weather and had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''