Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with deep sadness and regret: we have reached 2,000 American troop deaths in the War in Afghanistan--a war we needlessly continue to fight. My sincerest condolences go out to the families, friends, and communities who have lost loved ones to a war I have ardently opposed for the past 11 years.

Americans are not alone in our loss. As of summer 2011, conservative estimates indicate that anywhere between 30,000 and 45,000 Afghan civilians have lost their lives to this war. I will never understand why we continually squander lives and money to achieve tactical or strategic military goals. The cost is simply too great; the ends do not justify the means.

Seventy percent of Americans want a complete and early withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, according to a recent Rasmussen poll. Yet we do not listen, so more lives are lost in this nonsensical war. I hope that someday soon we will finally bring home our troops and help restore peace to the nation of Afghanistan.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the 100th anniversary of the Alameda County Fair. The annual 17-day Alameda County Fair, which takes place in Pleasanton, California, is the largest single event in Alameda County and draws close to one half million patrons each year.

In 1912, the first Alameda County Fair was held at a local racetrack in the Hamlet of Alisal, which is now Pleasanton. The owner of the track, Rodney MacKenzie, organized a group of local business leaders to form a non-profit organization and pledge their personal assets as collateral to fund the Annual Fair & Race Meet.

This new organization, The Alameda Fair Association, was formed on June 29, 1912 and consisted of fifteen businessmen, agriculturalists and livestock raisers from Pleasanton, Livermore, Dublin, Hayward, San Ramon and Irvington. The first fair opened in 1912 on Wednesday, October 23 and ran through Sunday, October 27.

In 1941 the non-profit Fair Association purchased the first 100 acres of what is now the 268-acre Fairgrounds. The 10-day Fair & Race Meet of 1941 was touted by the Oaldand Tribune as ``Northern California's Largest County Fair.''

The Fair Association subsequently donated the property to the people of Alameda County to guarantee that the residents of this region would have a County Fair & Race Track. Alameda County still contracts with the nonprofit Fair Association to manage and improve the Fairgrounds. The Fair Association continues to provide a significant public benefit without receiving any tax support. The Association has an annual operating budget of roughly $19 million.

On the 100th anniversary of the Alameda County Fair, the Fair Association will dedicate an Alameda County Historical Monument, on the Fairgrounds, that represents a slice of the rich history of Alameda County. The Historical Monument represents the many people, businesses and leaders that settled, developed and call Alameda County home.

I join the community in applauding the 100th anniversary of the Alameda County Fair. I also pay tribute to the Fair Association for creating and dedicating a Historical Monument on the Fairgrounds to honor the rich history of Alameda County.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 436, one more piece of Republican legislation that protects special interests at the expense of working with families. This is just another message in an attempt to undercut the Affordable Care Act. It repeals a small excise tax imposed on the medical device industry as their contribution to health reform in light of their expanded market.

I might remind you that repealing this tax costs $29 billion in deficit losses.

How do they finance this legislation? Like they always do--take it out of the hides of low- and middle-income working families and give it to rich manufacturers.

The bill eliminates protections in the health reform law that prevent families from potentially being hit with an unexpected tax because of unforeseen income changes. According to the Joint Committee, this change by the Republicans would cost over 350,000 people to become uninsured.

It's important to note that the medical device industry stood with President Obama and others in the health care industry in May of 2009 and pledged to contribute their fair share toward making health reform a reality. Well, it's time to put your money where your mouth was.

The medical device industry gains more than 30 million newly insured Americans through health reform, many of whom will use medical devices at some point in their lives. Our analysis shows that the vast majority of this tax would be paid by the 10 largest device companies--and they're all highly profitable.

Protecting the very profitable medical device industry from paying a small contribution toward health reform should not be our priority in this Congress. We must create jobs, ensure patients maintain access to physicians and Medicare, and prevent student loan rates from doubling on July 1. Those are the priorities facing our Nation.

I urge all of my colleagues to join me in voting ``no'' on this Republican giveaway to special interests.

Mr. Speaker, I am submitting the following Statement of Administration Policy opposing H.R. 436, the Protect Medical Innovation Act, as well as letters in opposition to the bill.

Statement of Administration Policy

H.R. 436--Health Care Cost Reduction Act of 2012

(Rep. Camp, R-Michigan, and 240 cosponsors, June 6, 2012)

The Affordable Care Act made significant improvements to

the Nation's health care system that are helping to improve

individuals' health and give American families and small

business owners more control of their own health care. These

important changes include: ending the worst practices of

insurance companies; giving uninsured individuals and small

business owners the same kind of choice of private health

insurance that Members of Congress have; and bringing down

the cost of health care for families and businesses while

also reducing Federal budget deficits.

H.R. 436, which would repeal the medical device excise tax,

does not advance these goals. The medical device industry,

like others, will benefit from an additional 30 million

potential consumers who will gain health coverage under the

Affordable Care Act starting in 2014. This excise tax is one

of several designed so that industries that gain from the

coverage expansion will help offset the cost of that

expansion.

This tax break, as well as other provisions in the

legislation relating to tax-favored health spending

arrangements, would be funded by increased repayments of the

Affordable Care Act's advance premium tax credits, which

would raise taxes on middle-class and low-income families, in

many cases totaling thousands of dollars, notwithstanding

that they followed the rules. This legislation would also

increase the number of uninsured Americans.

In sum, H.R. 436 would fund tax breaks for industry by

raising taxes on middle-class and low-income families.

Instead of working together to reduce health care costs, H.R.

436 chooses to refight old political battles over health

care. If the President were presented with H.R. 436, his

senior advisors would recommend that he veto the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the so-called Prenatal Non-Discrimination Act, H.R. 3541. This legislation is the latest Republican attack on women's health and would actually criminalize doctors who provide reproductive health care to women.

Proponents of this bill claim the mantle of civil rights, arguing it will prevent abortions based on the gender of the fetus, particularly when female. We should not be fooled by this claim. The true goal of this legislation is to erode women's reproductive choices and Constitutional rights while further stigmatizing women who've had--or are seeking--an abortion.

Restricting reproductive health services to women will not eliminate or even lessen gender bias. If we truly want to end gender discrimination, there are rational, effective ways to do so: ensuring our communities have the resources they need to address cultural preferences for male children, educating individuals about contraception and family planning, and providing access to quality health care. This bill addresses none of these worthy goals. Not surprisingly, the sponsors of this legislation don't support funding for family planning, comprehensive sex education, access to affordable birth control, or pay equity.

In addition to undercutting women's rights, this bill punishes health care providers who perform abortions. Specifically, this legislation imposes criminal penalties on doctors who perform abortions if the sex of the fetus is found to be a factor in a woman's decision to terminate her pregnancy. Furthermore, abortion providers would receive a one-year prison term and lose Federal funding if they fail to report a ``suspected'' gender-based abortion. In other words, Republicans want to criminalize health care professionals who cannot guess a

woman's very personal reasons to have an abortion or who refuse to violate the doctor-patient relationship by telling the government about private conversations with patients.

Let's be clear: this bill is not about ending sex selection or protecting women's rights. It is about Republicans trying to take away a woman's right to choose. To claim this legislation is about ``civil rights'' is reprehensible. I urge my colleagues to join me in opposing this bill and to work toward actual gender equality.

Mr. Chair, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 4310, the National Defense Authorization, NDAA Act. Our country has always spent too much taxpayer money on an outdated, ineffective military apparatus; this year's reauthorization is no different. The pattern of lopsided investment causes us to sacrifice critically needed investments in job growth, health care, education, and economic recovery. Simply put, our level of defense spending does not reflect my values or those of the majority of Americans. Therefore, I will once again vote against the

Madam Speaker, reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) should present Congress with an opportunity to set aside our many differences and work together so that women and families across the country can lead safer, healthier, and happier lives. VAWA has transformed our Nation's response to violence against women and brought critically needed resources to states and local communities so they can prosecute these crimes. Reauthorizing VAWA is essential. For these reasons, I am both saddened and angered that the Republican House majority has squandered this opportunity.

All women, no matter what their background or lifestyle, deserve to live free of violence and danger. Our Senate colleagues recognize this. They passed a thoughtful reauthorization bill that helps women in need.

The Senate bill prohibits discrimination against gay or transgender individuals in VAWA programs. It ensures that immigrant women can file domestic violence complaints without fear for their safety. It extends vital protections to Native American women by permitting non-Indian men who commit violent crimes against them on tribal land to be prosecuted through the tribal system. It also includes important improvements to better address the high rates of dating violence and sexual assault experienced by people in college and other educational settings.

In contrast, the House Republican VAWA bill leaves out all of these protections. It delivers the reprehensible message that women in the United States are not worthy of protection if they are gay, Indian, or non-citizens and it flat out fails to make other needed updates to the law.

Congress should not be in the business of choosing who is and is not deserving of safety. Every woman should have access to protective services if and when she needs it. The regressive policy in H.R. 4970 falls far short of this goal. I stand with President Obama and women's advocates across our country in opposing this bill and I urge all my colleagues to vote against it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Rose Padilla Johnson, and the Family Resource Center located in San Leandro, California. The Davis Street Family Resource Center provides services to over 20,000 people annually. Rose Johnson has provided outstanding leadership as Executive Director of the Center for the past twenty years.

Rose has transformed Davis Street into one of the most vibrant and comprehensive non-profit providers of human services in Central Alameda County and the Greater San Leandro area.

She began her career working with low income, immigrant families in Alameda County. Her focus on working poor families throughout her career has led her to develop a keen understanding of the problems facing them. Rose's vision, leadership, business and community relationships, and sheer determination have grown Davis Street from the $380,000 organization of 1994 to the current $11,000 million dollar agency today.

Davis Street provides childcare services to over 1,000 children monthly and over 4,000 individuals receive food and clothing from the Center. Hundreds of individuals, who are uninsured and underinsured, are seen in the Center's medical and dental clinic and hundreds of others consult with housing and employment specialists, tax specialists, therapists, and counselors who specialize in drug and alcohol prevention.

In October 2002, Rose achieved her personal goal of creating a ``one stop shop'' in the form of the Davis Street Family Resource Center. All of the agency's programs are in one location, thereby eliminating transportation obstacles for those needing assistance.

Under Rose's advocacy and leadership, Davis Street launched a $3.5 million Capital Campaign to secure the purchase of Davis Street's 22,000 square foot building. On June 30, 2010, the organization became proud owners of the building.

In addition to her work at Davis Street, Rose is active in the community contributing her time and expertise to the San Leandro Chamber of Commerce, Alameda County Childcare Local Planning Council, the San Leandro Rotary Club and is co-administrator of the RotaCare Free Clinic. She is the recipient of many significant awards and honors.

I join the community in congratulating Rose Padilla Johnson for her 20 years of exemplary commitment and leadership, which have lead to the phenomenal success of the Davis Street Family Resource Center.

Mr. Speaker, I rise, along with my colleague Rep. Barbara Lee of California, to honor the service and sacrifice of Staff Sgt. Thomas Kent Fogarty, age 30, of Alameda, California. He was killed in action on May 6th, 2012 in Pakita Province, Afghanistan. The married father of two sons, ages 2 and 5, was felled by an improvised explosive device that detonated near the vehicle he was commanding.

My heart goes out to SSG Fogarty's wife Vanessa, their young sons, his parents and his friends for the loss of this noble man and soldier. SSG Fogarty made the ultimate sacrifice in service to his country. His fellow countrymen and women, and I, will be forever grateful.

A graduate of Alameda High School, SSG Fogarty entered the military in 2003 and his first deployment was in January of 2005. His tragic and untimely death occurred after eight years and three months of service to his country, and only a month after his arrival in Afghanistan. He had served two previous tours in Iraq. Before being deployed, SSG Fogarty was a military recruiter. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion (Airborne), 509th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska.

SSG Fogarty was an accomplished soldier. His military awards include: 3 Army Commendation Medals, 2 Army Good Conduct Medals, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal w/Bronze Service Star, Iraq Campaign Medal w/Bronze Service Star, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, 2 Noncommissioned Officers Professional Development Ribbons, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Combat Infantryman Badge, Combat and Special Skill Badge, Basic Marksmanship Qual Badge--Bar, Weapon: Rifle (Inscription: Rifle), Expert, Parachutist Badge, Basic, U.S. Army Recruiter Identification Badge, Gold, and Overseas Service Bar.

It is because of the commitment of truly brave individuals like SSG Fogarty that our Nation can enjoy the freedoms that we are all afforded. It takes an exceptional man to give his life for the betterment of his country, and SSG Fogarty was a truly exceptional man.

Mr. Speaker, the legislation we are considering today is quite possibly the moral low-point of this House Republican Majority. Not only does it negate a law that was agreed to just last year to cut the deficit, it makes unconscionable cuts to safety net programs that help to feed hungry children and seniors and to protect them from abuse. It could also cause 14 million children to lose health insurance due to massive cuts to Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

Republican leaders are claiming that this legislation is needed to reduce the deficit. That is false. The reality is that we are voting today to protect the bloated defense budget and tax breaks for millionaires.

The choice before us could not be clearer: will you stand with families, children, and seniors? Or will you stand with special interests? Do you believe America should be a nation that cares if children have enough to eat and seniors can age with dignity? Or do believe our country should be run by and for the wealthiest among us?

The Sequester Replacement and Reconciliation Act (H.R. 5652) is designed to prevent the pending automatic spending cuts, or ``sequester,'' that Congress passed last year in the Budget Control Act. Half of the $110 billion in cuts under the sequester would come from the defense budget. That makes sense, as roughly half of our discretionary budget is dedicated to defense. Medicare and other vital programs will also take a hit under the sequester.

As an alternative to the reckless Reconciliation Act before us today, Congress could come up with a balanced approach to replace the sequester while still cutting the deficit. Such an approach should include ending taxpayer subsidies for oil companies, rolling back subsidies for agri-business, allowing the Bush tax cuts for millionaires to expire, closing tax loopholes that allow lawyers and lobbyists to avoid paying Medicare taxes. A balanced approach should also include cuts to defense, bringing the Afghan War to an end, and eliminating federal programs that do not work.

Yet Instead of trying to legislate responsibly, the Republican Majority is doubling down on their Budget and bringing legislation to the floor that only asks families, children, seniors, and federal workers to sacrifice. H.R. 5652 eliminates the Social Services Block Grant, which funds Meals and Wheels and child abuse prevention programs. It continues the assault on Health Reform by making it harder for working people to afford insurance. It undermines the new Wall Street Reform law by de-funding the Consumer Financial Protection Agency. It makes devastating cuts to Food Stamps, Medicaid, and CHIP. Our nation will be a sicker and crueler place if this legislation is allowed to become law. I urge all of my colleagues to oppose this immoral and irresponsible bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Florence LaRiviere, a passionate citizen activist responsible for creating our country's first urban national wildlife refuge. Without Florence, it is safe to say that thousands of acres of wetlands and salt ponds along the San Francisco Bay would have been destroyed and developed. The Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, in my Congressional District, is the result of her tireless commitment to preventing urban sprawl from taking over unspoiled natural area.

On May 10th, Florence is being rightly honored for her decades of environmental and community service with the National Wetlands Award from the Environmental Law Institute of Washington, DC. Although Florence is being honored now, at the age of 88, her work to preserve the Bay spans seven decades.

In the 1950's Florence would take her children to enjoy the Bay's natural marshes and wetlands. Even then, development was steadily encroaching on this fragile ecosystem and threatened its very survival. Marshes were being drained and filled and the Bay's health was in severe decline. Florence organized other concerned citizens and launched a battle to preserve the wetlands and restore the Bay. They took their fight to then Representative Don Edwards, who championed legislation to create the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge in 1972. She didn't stop there. In the 1980s, she established the Citizens Committee to Complete the Refuge and led the fight to expand the refuge by 20,000 acres.

After all these accomplishments, Florence LaRiviere still works to preserve and protect California's wetlands. In the last few years, I've been honored to work with Florence to restore the Eden Landing salt ponds along the Hayward Shoreline. Now, instead of sterile ponds, we have a thriving marsh where hundreds of bird species can be seen and the public can access the bay for hiking and kayaking.

The National Wetlands Awards are presented annually to individuals who have excelled in wetlands protection and is administered by the Environmental Law Institute and is supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA Forest Service, and Federal Highway Administration. A committee of wetlands experts representing federal and state agencies, academia, conservation organizations, and the private sector selects the Award recipients.

Florence is well deserving of this award. Her work to create and preserve the refuge has produced enormous benefits. It has sustained an immense number of birds and endangered species. It has also brought awareness to the Bay Area of the value of wetlands, and vastly improved residents' quality of life by providing them with public spaces to escape from the hustle and bustle of urban life. Florence is an inspiration to all of us who care about passing on a healthy environment to future generations.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Brent Hodson, a resident of Fremont, California, who is being honored at the Friends of Scouting Community Leadership Breakfast in Newark, California, on May 18, 2012.

Mr. Hodson and his wife of forty-five years, RaeDene, have lived in Fremont since 1975. He was an employee of the Washington Hospital Healthcare System for over 35 years, retiring in February 2012, as the Chief of Community Support Services. He has served in a variety of positions at Washington Hospital Healthcare System and has provided exemplary leadership.

Mr. Hodson holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Weber State College in Ogden, Utah, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Therapy from the University of California, San Francisco.

Mr. Hodson has been a community activist for many years. He served for nine years on the Fremont Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, including one year as Board Chair. He has been a strong advocate and closely associated with Fremont Chamber of Commerce Leadership program, serving on the steering committee since 1997. Mr. Hodson currently serves as a member of the Board of the Newark Chamber of Commerce and is a past president of the Fremont Rotary Club. He is currently the President of the Fremont, California Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ-Latter Day Saints.

The honor Mr. Hodson is receiving at the Friends of Scouting Community Leadership Breakfast is well deserved. The breakfast will benefit the Mission Peak District Boy Scouts of America.

Mr. Hodson participated in Boy Scouts as a youth and he has been the Scout Master of Troop 160 and the Centerville Ward Institutional Representative for Boy Scouts of America. He has also served as a troop and post committee member for all Centerville Ward units and for the Washington Hospital Medical Explorer Post, as well as serving as Young Men's President, teacher and advisor. Mr. Hodson has also chaired several Friends of Scouting fundraising campaigns.

I join in thanking Mr. Hodson for his commitment and dedication to Scouting and for serving as a model of community leadership.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the remarkable achievement of the Hopkins Junior High School Science Team of Fremont, California for winning the National Science Bowl. This is the second time in four years that Hopkins Junior High School has won the National Science Bowl, sponsored by the Department of Energy.

Hopkins Junior High owes their success to team members Karthik Bharathala, Dhruv Muley, Catherine Zeng, Brian Tseng, Mark Choi and their teacher Paul Ricks, who practiced tirelessly for this year's competition. Clearly, that practice certainly paid off.

In the National Science Bowl, judged by United States Energy Secretary Steven Chu, five member teams compete against each other in a fast paced Jeopardy style format where teams try to be the first to correctly answer an oral question posed about science or math. Nearly 14,000 students participated in regional tournaments and more than 100 teams competed in the Nationals.

This accomplishment is evidence of the quality of Fremont's public schools. The dedication of students, teachers and parents has led to this great success, and I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating them. We are incredibly proud of the Hopkins Junior High Science Team and their coach for this outstanding achievement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of the father of biotechnology. On Sunday, April 22, 2012 George B. Rathmann passed away due to complications from pneumonia at the age of 84. He is survived by his wife, Joy, of 61 years, his five children, and thirteen grandchildren. Dr. Rathmann had the vision to see how biotechnology could revolutionize the practice of medicine and he brought that vision to life.

Dr. Rathmann and I were both born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Growing up, George was drawn to science by his older brother, who was also a chemist. He received his doctorate in physical chemistry from Princeton University and went on to work for several pharmaceutical firms before venturing into the fledging field of biotechnology. Dr. Rathmann co- founded Amgen in 1980 working out of makeshift trailers, in Thousand Oaks, California. Today, Amgen works to discover, develop, manufacture and deliver innovative human therapeutics. Under Dr. Rathmann's leadership, Amgen was one of the first companies to realize biotechnology's promise by bringing safe, effective medicine from the lab to the manufacturing plant and, finally, to the patient.

In 1990, Dr. Rathmann retired from Amgen. He quickly became bored with sedentary life. He returned to the biotech industry the following year, when he founded Seattle based ICOS Corporation. In addition to his successful career, George was a philanthropist. He created the Rathmann Foundation, which donates to worthy causes in the health, education, arts, and environmental arenas.

I invite my colleagues to join me in remembering a man who dedicated his life to science and discovery. Dr. Rathmann was a brilliant man whose work in biotechnology revolutionized the industry, produced countless scientific breakthroughs, and saved many lives. He has rightfully earned the title of the Father of Biotechnology.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Thursday, May 3, 2012 as the 2012 National Day of Reason.

The National Day of Reason celebrates the application of reason and the positive impact it has had on humanity. It is also an opportunity to reaffirm the Constitutional separation of religion and government.

On March 24, I was proud to address the tens of thousands of Americans who gathered on the Mall for the Reason Rally. These individuals came from all around the country to deliver a simple message: Reason must be the guiding principle of our democracy. In a nation of citizens from so many different backgrounds and beliefs, the only way we can solve our problems is through cultivating intelligent, moral, and ethical interactions among all people.

Our Nation faces many problems--bringing our troops home from Afghanistan, creating jobs, educating our children, and protecting our safety net from irresponsible cuts. We will solve these issues through the application of reason. We must also protect women's reproductive choices, the integrity of scientific research, and our public education system from those who would hide behind religious dogma to undermine them.

Finally, the National Day of Reason is about taking time to improve our communities. Every year, events are held on this day that demonstrate the desire of secular Americans to help their fellow citizens and our Nation as a whole. Community service events, such as food drives and blood drives, are just some of the ways that people will be working to help those in need on the Day of Reason and throughout the year.

I encourage everyone to join in observing this day and focusing upon the employment of reason, critical thinking, the scientific method, and free inquiry to improve our world and our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to this sham Republican bill that would eliminate a vital component of ObamaCare-- the Prevention and Public Health Fund (PPHF)--in a blatantly political attempt to avoid being blamed for allowing interest rates on student loans to double on 7 million Americans.

Just one month ago, nearly the entire Republican caucus voted for the Ryan Budget. This budget included a provision allowing the current 3.4 percent interest rate on federal student loans to double on July 1. Now, in response to intense political pressure, Republicans have done a complete 180 and claim they do not want to cost college students and their families an extra $1,000 a year by letting the rate hike take effect. While I welcome them to the party, the Republican bill, hastily rushed to the floor under a completely closed process, contains a poison pill. In order to pay for this legislation, they are continuing their assault on health reform in general and women's health in particular. The PPHF has already been used to improve prevention services in low-income and underserved communities, including vaccinating children and intervening to prevent chronic diseases such as diabetes. Eliminating this fund will also mean that hundreds of thousands of women will loss access to screenings for breast and cervical cancers. This will cost lives and is completely unacceptable.

There is a better way. Earlier this week, I helped to introduce the Stop the Rate Hike Act. This bill would keep interest rates on student loans low. However, it would pay for the fix, not by taking away health care, but by ending egregious tax breaks for big oil companies. The Democratic bill would not only keep college within reach for millions of middle class families, it would also restore some sanity to our tax code. That is the bill we should be voting on today. I urge all of my colleges to vote to protect our nation's health and oppose the sham ``Interest Rate Reduction Act.''