Floor Statements

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3506, the Eliminate Privacy Notice Confusion Act.

This bill will help reduce the burden and confusion of privacy notice requirements by providing exemption from sending an annual privacy notice for those institutions that do not share nonpublic customer information with unaffiliated third parties or those that do not change their privacy policies at all.

Under current law, banks and other financial institutions are required to send out an annual privacy notification to their customers informing them that nothing has changed, and they still do not share privacy information. This is often quite very confusing to customers.

Essentially, under my legislation, financial institutions are relieved of an unnecessary and redundant regulatory burden which will help lower costs and reduce junk mail that the customers receive in the mail every day. It will also lessen confusion to customers because they will no longer receive letters informing them that their bank's privacy policy has not changed at all.

Madam Speaker, it's important to note that this legislation only applies to those institutions that do not share personal financial information with third parties and do not change their privacy policies. This means that the privacy policy that banks must provide to consumers when they open an account remains completely unaffected. The bottom line is that nothing in this legislation in this bill allows for the disclosure of private information and companies are still prohibited from sharing any personal information with third parties.

Similar legislation has passed the House in previous Congresses with strong, bipartisan support; and I want to recognize the bipartisan manner in which that legislation was again handled this year.

Madam Speaker, I especially want to thank Chairman Frank and Ranking Member Bachus for their assistance with the legislation and their willingness to bring this legislation and assist me in bringing it to the House floor.

Finally, I want to thank the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moore) for his hard work on this legislation. He has done exemplary work throughout his 12 years here in this body, and we are going to miss his spirit and commitment of working in a bipartisan manner, and I appreciate his friendship as well.

I ask for a ``yes'' vote on this bill.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, in closing, this bill is a win/win. It reduces an unnecessary and redundant regulatory burden for consumers, and I ask for adoption of the bipartisan legislation.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, this past weekend, Minnesota officially said ``Welcome Home'' to over 1,000 citizen soldiers who had been serving in Iraq. Today, I ask Congress to join me in also saying thank you to these men and women of the Minnesota National Guard's 34th Infantry Division, also known as the Red Bulls.

These brave servicemembers were among the longest-serving National Guard units in all of Iraq. They endured long deployments away from family, away from friends, and they even faced bureaucratic delays in receiving the bonus pay that they had been promised and earned, an unacceptable mistake that was finally addressed in recent weeks. All the while, they did what they always do: they fulfilled their mission to the very best of their abilities. The Red Bulls' accomplishments have been vital to ensuring safety for both Iraqis and Americans serving.

And on behalf of a grateful station and a grateful Nation, I say thank you for a job well done.

Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to congratulate the Edina High School boys' hockey team on their recent Minnesota Class 2-A State championship title. In a highly anticipated championship game, Edina beat a very strong Minnetonka team to clinch their seventh State hockey title.

After jumping out to a 4-0 lead after the first two periods, the Hornets had to hold off a strong third-period charge from Minnetonka before finishing with an impressive 4-2 victory. The win was a total team effort, with four different players scoring goals and the Hornet defense and goaltending protecting the lead until the final horn sounded.

Edina was led by a great coaching staff and, more importantly, was supported by a large contingent of students, faculty, parents, friends and family throughout the tournament. To each of them, as well as every member of the championship team, I want to offer my congratulations.

Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to this flawed health care bill.

Mr. Speaker, this body is nearing what will be a defining vote for the future of our nation.

While Majority Leadership continued the arm twisting until enough members would vote for the bill, the voice of the American people got louder.

They have made it clear they do not want this bill. My constituents, by a margin of over 3 to 1, have told me they don't like this plan--and with good reason.

This bill will cost nearly 1 trillion dollars in the next decade alone--and the true cost of this bill will surely go higher as entitlement spending soars and other provisions are fully phased in.

The bill is loaded with job-killing tax increases--and an Associated Press analysis said health care premiums will actually go up under this plan.

The bill will also allow the IRS to verify if you have ``acceptable'' health care coverage and fine you if you don't!

This bill will cut $500 billion from Medicare and in turn use that money for new entitlement spending. And history has shown entitlement spending goes up, not down, over time. With our current entitlement programs already headed for insolvency, why on earth would you exacerbate the problem?

I would be remiss if I didn't mention that this legislation also negatively impacts our Nation's veterans. It betrays the promise that this county made to honor their sacrifice by failing to cover millions of beneficiaries including dependents, widows, survivors and orphans.

The VFW has expressed their opposition to this bill and this body should not pass any bill that negatively impacts our veterans. Those families who have proudly served this country deserve better.

Finally, the legislation contains a $20-billion tax on American medical manufacturers. This tax--which will hit manufacturers of technologies now common in modern medicine such as pacemakers, stents and MRI scanners--will be levied against many medical device manufacturers in my home state of Minnesota. In the end, this will harm jobs and cause patients to pay more for fewer medical technologies--the exact opposite of what we need.

I believe this Nation needs real, bipartisan health care reform the American people can support. This bill should be set aside and replaced with common sense measures that will actually lower costs for everyone.

Madam Speaker, this body is nearing what will be a defining vote for the future of our Nation. While the majority leadership continues the arm-twisting to sway enough votes to push the health care bill through the House, the American people are left wondering: Who is listening? Who is listening to us in Washington?

The American people have said loud and clear they don't want this bill; they want health care reform, but they don't want this bill. My constituents, by a margin of 3:1, have been contacting me saying they don't want this approach, and with good reason. The bill will cost nearly $1 trillion in the next decade alone. That is more Washington spending, that is more Federal borrowing, and it is more debt for our children and grandchildren, and it is surely going to go higher as entitlement spending soars as other provisions of the bill are phased in.

The bill is loaded with job-killing tax increases. An Associated Press analysis has even said that health care premiums will actually increase, will actually go up under this plan. The bill will also allow the IRS, for the first time, to charge up to 2 percent of income and confiscate tax refunds if Americans do not seek what is actually government approved, minimum insurance coverage. The bill will cut $500 billion from Medicare and, in turn, use that money for new entitlement spending. History has certainly shown us that entitlement spending goes up, not down.

Finally, this bill hits my district in Minnesota especially hard with a $20 billion tax increase on medical devices and medical technology. Shouldn't we be enhancing and giving opportunities for encouraging innovation in these technologies rather than taxing them and pushing these jobs offshore?

Given these provisions are out there, it is no wonder that we have seen a process that is riddled with special favors to gain votes. And it's no wonder that the ultimate passage of this bill may only come through procedural tactics rather than having an up-or-down vote on the bill.

Madam Speaker, simply put, if this bill was good policy, you wouldn't have to resort to those types of moves and tactics to actually pass it.

If we want real health care reform in this country that the American people and many of us in Congress believe in on a bipartisan level, this bill should be set aside and replaced with commonsense approaches that lower the cost for everyone in America.

Madam Speaker, the health care debate has roused the American public like few other issues ever have. For months, the American people have stood up and said they don't want the government in charge of health care and they don't want the bill that's currently moving through Congress. Now I've received thousands of emails and phone calls and letters from my constituents, and the vast majority of them are opposed to this bill. But how long will it take for Washington to listen to the American public?

Congress should heed the will of the American people and start over on bipartisan reform that will lower health care costs for everyone. But instead, the Speaker and the House leadership are now suggesting they may pass this controversial bill without Members even actually having to vote on it. Using a legislative sleight-of-hand to pass an unpopular bill represents an arrogance in Washington that Americans find so frustrating about politics and business as usual in Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to call attention to the month of March as being National Women's History Month. I am happy to stand here today, not only as a proud husband but also as a proud father of four daughters.

National Women's History Month actually started in March of 1980 as National Women's History Week. In 1987, the celebration was expanded to a full month. This month, we mark 30 years of shining a bright light on the importance that women have played in shaping the great Nation we live in today.

This year's theme is ``writing women back into history.'' Through events, celebrations, and many additional measures, 2010 will help ensure that the historical and groundbreaking achievements made by thousands of women will find their rightful place in our history books.

Today, I am proud to recognize the grandmothers, the mothers, and the daughters who have given us so many reasons to celebrate National Women's History Month. I look forward to witnessing other young women become future leaders and history makers.

Madam Speaker, it's come to my attention that I was incorrectly added as a cosponsor to H.R. 4529 due to another Member's staff error. They have apologized and made the correction.

Madam Speaker, this past August, Dave Anderson of Minnetonka was selected into the Multiple Sclerosis Society Volunteer Hall of Fame for Programs and Services. He has been serving as vice president of MSWorld, an organization whose goal is to be a national source of support and information for those living with MS. In addition, Dave founded the Brainerd Lakes Chapter of ``Fishing Has No Boundaries,'' which provides people with MS a weekend of fishing and socializing. I would like to recognize Dave Anderson for his commitment to improving communication between those in the MS community, as well as for integrating social networking into the lives of people with multiple sclerosis.

Madam Speaker, I would like to recognize Christi Minister of Eden Prairie. She received the national Catholic Charities USA ``Keep the Dream Alive'' award on Martin Luther King Day. Catholic Charities, which Christi had been a part of for more than 25 years, has worked to acknowledge those who give their time and energy to reducing poverty, supporting families and empowering communities. This award, created this year, honors those who have made community service an integral part of their lives. Christi believes focusing on education for all gives everyone an opportunity to experience the American dream. I would like to thank Christi Minister for her commitment to helping others, and for ``keeping the dream alive.''

Madam Speaker, I wish to recognize Judy Soderberg of Minnetonka, who was introduced into the 2009 Multiple Sclerosis Society Health Professionals Hall of Fame. Judy received this honor for nearly three decades of passionate work on behalf of those with MS, which included her work to help launch a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive MS center. The National MS Society recently acknowledged Judy as ``a leading advocate for the MS community, Judy empowers people touched by the disease to be their own advocates.'' I would like to thank Judy Soderberg for her commitment to bettering the MS community.

Mr. Speaker, the amount of sacrifice given to this Nation by those serving in our Armed Forces is truly inspiring. American men and women in uniform are a remarkable symbol for our country, and we are truly proud of their dedication.

The Minnesota National Guard's 34th Infantry Division, known as the Red Bulls, have served our State and our country with honor and are truly the best our Nation has to offer. Their dedication to ensure freedom has been a momentous task, and they continue to succeed with utmost bravery.

This responsibility is no small task. Indeed, ensuring democracy in a fragile state is something that takes courage and trust.

Most recently, more than 1,000 members of the Red Bulls were deployed to Basra, Iraq, where they took command of 14,000 troops in nine of Iraq's 18 provinces. After serving long hours and giving up days and years of their lives, the Red Bulls have finally returned home to Minnesota, and it was a joyous occasion. Families and friends were reunited after serving our country and representing our State. These heroes took part in the Minnesota National Guard's nationally recognized ``Return to Yellow Ribbon'' reintegration program which helps soldiers ease back into everyday life.

To give thanks for their extended service, in January 2007, the Post- Deployment Mobilization Respite Absence program, PDMRA, was implemented to offer extra pay for those who served extended time overseas during deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.

But despite this promise, more than 23,000 troops did not receive the benefits they were promised due to the bureaucracy and the red tape within the Department of Defense. Troops that were owed thousands of dollars, they didn't see a dime. This was entirely unacceptable. This type of delay, whatever the excuse, was certainly outrageous. And although this was not a new issue, I was proud to work on this issue as soon as I arrived in Congress. In fact, the effort was led by Representatives John Kline and Tim Walz from Minnesota, along with the rest of the Minnesota delegation, and Representative Bruce Braley from Iowa, whose tireless work on this issue should not go unnoticed.

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to our veterans' issues, partisan politics are not an option. We all share a common goal in Congress to support our troops, and have worked together to ensure that those who serve our Nation get the respect and the recognition that they deserve.

While we authored legislation that would have provided an immediate fix for this issue, a major hurdle was that many Members of Congress did not know the problem ever existed. Despite the fact that 19 States had 500 or more constituents who had not received money, many Members were unfortunately unaware, which was a major hurdle in passing this legislation. And so we made it our mission personally to educate Members of Congress about the problem, and we tried to raise awareness about the issue.

We also sent numerous letters to the Defense Appropriation and authorization committees so we could begin to address the problem in Congress, while thousands, in the meantime, continued to wait for the DOD to act. In the House, we were successful in getting language in the Defense authorization bill, and we got money allocated in the Defense appropriation bill. Unfortunately, the Senate authorization bill had language to fix the problem but their appropriations bill did not include the funding. Sadly, after all of our efforts, the final Defense appropriations bill that the President signed into law did not contain the funding that was needed to provide the fix to this problem for our troops.

But we kept on fighting. We did not give up, and the issue was raised in a question by Representative Kline to Defense Secretary Gates during a House Armed Services Committee hearing recently, and it was just shortly after that the Department of Defense announced it was changing its policy and that they would end these burdensome regulations in order for the soldiers to get the money that they were promised a long time ago.

So I am proud to report that now the first checks have been mailed out to our deserving troops. The Red Bulls, without a doubt, deserve every dollar they will be receiving after this 3-year wait. I want to take this opportunity to thank them again for their service and pledge to them that we will fight to make sure that a similar situation never happens again in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Edina High School Principal Dr. Bruce Locklear, who was recently named the 2010 Minnesota High School Principal of the Year by the Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals.

Members of the association chose Bruce for his collaborative leadership style and his effort to create a more personal school environment, and those traits have certainly paid off. Under the leadership of Principal Locklear, Edina High School has gained praise and recognition, both in Minnesota and throughout the Nation. Edina was ranked among the top 2 percent of high schools in the Nation last year by U.S. News & World Report, and ranked 91st overall in the latest poll by Newsweek. Additionally, Edina has introduced several innovative education programs and a new student leadership program during his tenure.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to congratulate Dr. Locklear on this well- deserved achievement.

Mr. Speaker, I recently held a job fair in my district, and despite one of the snowiest travel days of the entire winter, more than 2,000 people showed up. The overwhelming turnout makes one thing clear: We have a long, long way to go to create real jobs.

But instead, Congress has embraced record borrowing and record spending while unemployment now hovers at about 10 percent. Millions of Americans are scraping by wondering why hundreds of billions of dollars of their tax money is being wasted, with millions of lost jobs to show for it.

An economic recovery without jobs is not a recovery. We need to strengthen small business and create the private sector jobs. If we want to boost our economy and put people back to work, we have got to get our priorities straight to help the entrepreneurs, the risk-takers, the innovators, the dreamers, instead of growing government.