Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Army Lieutenant Colonel Carolyn Closs-Walford who will today be promoted to the rank of Colonel. Like many of my colleagues, I have had the pleasure of working with and knowing LTC Closs-Walford both personally and professionally when she served in the Army's House Liaison Division.

LTC Closs-Walford's distinguished military career began at Winston- Salem State University when she joined the Reserve Officer Training Corps. She graduated in 1987 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Signal Corps and accepted a position in the Army Reserve. The Signal Corps develops and manages communications systems for the U.S. military and is integral to its strength and resilience.

LTC Closs-Walford completed Signal Officers Basic Course at Fort Gordon in Georgia and settled in Washington, DC. She studied at National Louis University where she received a graduate degree. After, LTC Closs-Walford transferred to the Quartermaster Corps which provides logistic support for the Army.

Later, LTC Closs-Walford served in the Army's busy House Liaison Division where she was the first point of contact for Members and staff who called on the Army for assistance. While there, she developed, coordinated, and executed Congressional Delegations to Iraq, China, Israel, and Sudan, among others. Her professionalism, attention to detail, and hard work did not go unnoticed by Members who were lucky enough to travel with her.

LTC Closs-Walford's extraordinary career afforded her the opportunity to serve in the administrations of President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama. She supported the Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor by serving as a liaison to Members of Congress, the Department of Defense, State Department, and the intelligence community by coordinating strategic communications and global outreach.

From the White House, LTC Closs-Walford moved to the Pentagon and worked in the office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and focused on women and gender issues, human rights, and international humanitarian policy.

Currently, LTC Closs-Walford serves in the National Guard Bureau's Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate. She is responsible for helping to develop the National Guard's outreach, communications, and messaging.

LTC Closs-Walford was born in Louisburg, North Carolina, located in Franklin County and in my congressional district. She is the youngest of 10 children born to William and Fannie Closs. Her father bravely served the United States in the military during World War II and was awarded a Purple Heart for his unflinching and valiant service in the face of danger. She is married to Raymond L. Walford.

Mr. Speaker, I am so proud of LTC Closs-Walford's distinguished career. As representative of the congressional district that LTC Closs- Walford is a native daughter, we salute her on this special day. I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking her for honorable service to the United States of America and congratulating her on her much deserved and earned promotion.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate UNC-TV and WTVI- PBS Charlotte for being honored by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) as an American Graduate Champion.

The American Graduate Champion award is presented by the CPB to public media outlets which demonstrate commitment to help increase awareness of the perils of dropping out of high school and to help communities implement solutions to the problem. UNC-TV has exhibited a wide variety of programming focused on improving educational outcomes for students throughout North Carolina including airing a weekly series titled ``Black Issues Forum,'' hosting a panel discussion before a live audience called ``Bridge to Success'' at Union Independent School in Durham, North Carolina, and participating in the ``virtual teacher town hall'' project with other groups throughout the country.

I was honored to participate in UNC-TV's recognition of ``American Graduate Day'' on September 28, 2013. The valuable programming on UNC- TV has helped connect communities and identify practical solutions to educational challenges facing students, parents, teachers, and schools across North Carolina's First Congressional District.

Mr. Speaker, I commend UNC-TV for its contributions to students and families throughout North Carolina. Encouraging students to stay in school has never been more important because a high school degree is a critical building block to success in today's competitive global economy. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring and celebrating UNC-TV's great achievement by being recognized as an American Graduate Champion.

Thank you very much.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Duke University Hospital, located in Durham, North Carolina for being recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce as a 2013 Balridge National Quality Award Honoree in Leadership.

Since 1988 the Department of Commerce has recognized numerous U.S. organizations from various industry sectors for their exemplary performances in innovative practices, dynamic management, financial management, employee and customer satisfaction, and commitment to excellence and proven results. This year, Duke University Hospital is being recognized, along with one other organization nationwide, for its best practices in leadership.

Duke University Hospital delivers exemplary and innovative care not just to the entire Durham community, but nationally and internationally, by providing a remarkable facility of 924 acute care beds and 18 psychiatry beds. The hospital has a long tradition of excellence and has been repeatedly recognized for outstanding care by publications including TIME and US. News & World Report. In 2012 Duke University Hospital became the first hospital to achieve the top recognition by the state of North Carolina's Awards for Excellence program for outstanding businesses practices. The hospital ranks among the best facilities in the country for quality of care, and is one of the preeminent teaching hospitals in the country through their partnership with Duke University School of Medicine.

Mr. Speaker, I commend the doctors, nurses, staff, and students of Duke University Hospital for their commitment to exceptional leadership and quality health care. Duke University Hospital continues to be a tremendous asset and partner with the Durham community. This reward is a testament to the innovation and leadership of Duke University Hospital and reinforces the ``City of Medicine'' moniker for the City of Durham. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring and celebrating Duke University Hospital's great achievement by being recognized as a 2013 Balridge National Quality Award Leadership Honoree.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Honorable Elaine G.

Vann on 31 years of service to the Washington County Board of Commissioners, office of the County Manager, and the citizens of Washington County, North Carolina. On December 1, 2013, Ms. Vann will retire as Washington County Register of Deeds.

Elaine Vann began her tenure in public service on September 13, 1982 as Assistant Register of Deeds, eventually becoming Certified on August 18, 1994.

On January 3, 1995, Ms. Vann was selected to assume the unexpired term of Washington County's then-Register of Deeds Greta H. Barber. Since then, Ms. Vann has run for election five times and has been elected to serve as Register of Deeds on each occasion. Her nearly 19 years as Washington County's chief recorder of property records and vital statistics information have made her a strong force throughout the county and region.

During her tenure, Ms. Vann served with 24 County Commissioners and seven County Managers. All along, she worked in earnest to implement changes made at the county level and also worked to keep pace with emerging technologies that fostered public disclosure and increased the ease with which citizens accessed information. To that end, she implemented a ``paperless'' office by scanning and digitizing documents and forms making working with the Register of Deeds uncomplicated and efficient and saving the county scarce resources.

Ms. Vann was a member of the North Carolina Association of Register of Deeds (NCARD) and served District VIII on various NCARD committees. She has proudly served as its District Secretary, Vice-Chair and Chair. This year Ms. Vann was awarded the Shining Star Award by the NCARD at the State Conference in Pinehurst, North Carolina.

A true testament to her active involvement in the community, Ms. Vann served as President of the Pungo River Volunteer Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary and was the first female board member of the Pungo River Volunteer Fire Department. She is a member of Zion's Chapel Church of Christ in Roper, the Washington County Executive Board of the Southern Albemarle Association, and the Family and Consumer Science Program Committee with the Washington County Cooperative Extension Agency.

Ms. Vann and her husband, John, have two children--a daughter, Erin Vann Gaskill, and a son, Daniel Vann.

Mr. Speaker, the work and contributions of the Honorable Elaine G. Vann will leave a lasting impression on Washington County. I ask my colleagues to join me in offering our sincere appreciation for her 31 years of outstanding and dedicated public service and best wishes upon her retirement.

Mr. Speaker, my Republican friends continue to obsess with repealing a law that is making a difference and will make a significant difference in the years to come.

I want to address some of the benefits that have accrued to my congressional district in North Carolina:

Eight thousand young adults now have health insurance through their parents' plan; 150,000 individuals now have health insurance that covers preventive services without any copays, co-insurance, or deductible; and 138,000 residents in my district are saving money due to the ACA provisions that prevent insurance companies from spending more than 20 percent of their premiums on profits and overhead.

Because of these provisions, 13,000 people in my district received a rebate of $87 per family last year and $158 per family the year before.

Although Republicans have been relentless in their efforts to dismantle and discredit ObamaCare, the facts are uncontroverted.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mrs. Bernice Coleman Thompson on the occasion of her 80th birthday. Mrs. Thompson has been a trailblazer and leader in her church and local community her entire adult life. Mrs. Thompson was born in Salford, Alabama on September 24, 1933, to Daniel and Annie Coleman. At the age of 10, she moved to New York City where she would remain throughout her formative years. Mrs. Thompson earned an AAS degree in secretarial studies with an emphasis on the medical field from Brooklyn College. She also earned a B.A. in Psychology and M.S. in education with a concentration in Guidance and Counseling from Lehman College of the City University of New York.

Mrs. Thompson has been involved in her church for almost seventy years. As a child, she was guided in her faith by her former Pastor, the late Reverend W. L. Harding of St. Luke Baptist Church, in New York City. In 1955 she wed her husband, the Reverend Randolph Thompson, now Pastor Emeritus of the Victory Baptist Church. Through the years, Mrs. Thompson has served in many different capacities within the ministries of a number of churches. She is most proud, however, of her service as a Sunday School Teacher.

Mrs. Thompson has always been a trailblazer. She and her husband were actively involved in the Civil Rights movement and became leaders within the African American community in my hometown of Wilson, North Carolina. In the 1960's she was hired as one of the first African Americans to integrate and work for the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) in Miami, Florida. She was also one of the first African Americans to work at the Wilson Memorial Hospital in Wilson, North Carolina. Mrs. Thompson is the proud mother of five children and three grandchildren. As parents, she and her husband fought for integration of public schools and their two daughters were the first African American girls to integrate the Wilson, North Carolina public school system.

When Mrs. Thompson and her husband returned to New York City, she worked as a medical secretary at Columbia University's Medical School. She later worked as a high school guidance counselor at Walton and Morris High Schools in the Bronx, New York.

Through the years she has received a number of awards including Guidance Counselor of the Year at Morris High School, the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women's Club Church Woman of the Year, and the Meritorious Service Award for assisting and supporting her husband while he was a seminary school student at Colgate Rochester Divinity School. She has also been a member of the NAACP, United Federation of Teachers and their Guidance and Counselors Chapter.

Mrs. Thompson's extraordinary life has been one of devotion and love for her family, church, and social justice. Mr. Speaker, I salute Mrs. Bernice Coleman Thompson on her 80th birthday and send her best wishes for the years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Mrs. Johnnie Jacqueline Young Mims Sanders who will celebrate her 100th birthday on October 31, 2013. I ask my colleagues to join me in offering best wishes to Mrs. Sanders on this most historic occasion.

Mrs. Sanders was born on the last day of October in 1913 in my Congressional District in Vance County in the City of Henderson, North Carolina. She has dedicated her life to improving the lives of generations of North Carolinians through teaching, ministry, and community involvement.

Mrs. Sanders graduated from Henderson Institute in 1932. The Institute was established in 1887 and was the only secondary school in Vance County that was open to African Americans. She continued her education at my alma mater of North Carolina Central University--then North Carolina College for Negros--ultimately graduating with three degrees including a Bachelor of Arts in 1942, Bachelor of Science in 1946, and a Master's Degree in Elementary Education in 1951.

Drawn to educating and shaping young minds, Mrs. Sanders served as an educator for 46 years. She was a teacher at Kittrell Grade School and Eaton-Johnson Elementary School. Following that, she served as a Media Specialist at both Eaton-Johnson and E.M. Rollins Elementary Schools and also coordinated the organization of the Enrichment Center while working in the Vance County Schools' Central Office.

There is no doubt that Mrs. Sanders positively influenced the lives of countless young people while in the classroom. Outside the classroom, she has and continues to be one of the cornerstones of Shiloh Baptist Church in Henderson, where, ``Mother Sanders,'' as she is known, helps to mentor and advise young and old alike. For the past 93 years she has dedicated herself to her church and has been part of many ministries including teaching at the Baptist Training Union and singing in the Chancel Choir, often performing solos.

Mrs. Sanders' kindness and dedication to her community reached far beyond the classroom and church. Over the last century, Mrs. Sanders has helped young people and adults continue their education, sponsored trips to state and national church conventions, and organized and funded recreational trips across the United States. She has even helped people in the community start businesses without ever expecting anything in return. She is a true humanitarian and Vance County, the City of Henderson, and our great state of North Carolina are privileged to count her as one of their own.

For the majority of the last century, Mrs. Sanders has helped to improve the lives of her friends, neighbors, and strangers alike through her work with countless civic organizations. She has been a member of the Progressive National Baptist Convention, Foreign Missionary Convention of North Carolina, and the General Baptist State Convention just to name a few. And, even at the age of 100, she continues to serve others through her work with the Golden Age Club, the North Carolina Association of Educators, and as a representative for the Senior Health Insurance Program.

Mr. Speaker, for the past century, Mrs. Sanders has lived a life worthy of emulating. Her dedication to education, her church, and her community deserve our highest praise. I ask that my colleagues join me in expressing our deep appreciation for the selfless way with which she has led her life.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Duke University students Ms. Sarah Jones Dickens, Ms. Caroline Garriott, and Ms. McKenzie Johnson for being recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as 2013 Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad (DDRA) Grant recipients.

Since 1961, the Department of Education has provided funding for the Fulbright-Hays Program, which seeks to improve relations and understanding between the U.S. and foreign counties. Fulbright-Hays DDRA Grants are awarded on an annual basis to outstanding graduate students who wish to conduct research in foreign countries for periods of six to twelve months. Ms. Dickens plans to conduct her research in Cambodia; Ms. Garriott plans to research in South America and Europe; and Ms. Johnson plans to research in South Sudan.

Duke University students received three of the 80 Fulbright-Hays DDRA Grants awarded this year. The Department of Education awarded $3 million to students on a competitive basis from 34 different institutions of higher education for the program in 2013. These achievements are a tribute to the exceptional academic accomplishments of these students and the innovative and quality academic environment at Duke University.

Mr. Speaker, I commend these students and the faculty at Duke University for their commitment to academic excellence. The global approach toward education and the understanding of other cultures demonstrated by these gifted students is essential for achievement and success in today's competitive worldwide economy. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring and celebrating these students' great achievement by being recognized as a 2013 Fulbright-Hays DDRA Grant recipients.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the passage of H.R. 2189, a bipartisan bill that will finally recognize the valiant service of Merchant Mariners that operated domestically during World War II.

It has been my honor for the past three Congresses to introduce legislation that would recognize these brave Americans and correct an injustice that has remained for over 70 years.

I would like to congratulate a wonderful North Carolinian, Mr. Don Horton, who has been the driving force behind my legislative effort for the past three Congresses. Tragically, Don's commitment to this legislation was due to the loss of his brother, William Lee Horton, Jr., on 31 March 1942 as a result of a German U-boat attack on his tugboat off the coast of Virginia.

Many of the Horton family served on these tugboats and barges during World War II in support of the war. Don Horton has become the foremost expert on this forgotten segment of World War II and has worked tirelessly to see mariners like his brother gain the recognition as veterans that they rightly deserve and earned through service to their country.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, after 70 long years, these mariners have a chance to receive the recognition they deserve for their service to our country. I implore my colleagues in the Senate to consider this legislation as quickly as possible and support its passage.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the passage of H.R. 2189, a bipartisan bill that among many things will finally recognize the valiant service of Merchant Mariners that operated domestically during World War II. It has been my honor for the past three Congresses to introduce legislation that would recognize these brave Americans and correct an injustice that has remained for over 70 years.

The Merchant Marine were private citizens employed by freight shipping companies. In an effort to support the American war effort during World War II, those same freight shipping companies and their employees became an auxiliary to the United States Navy. Their mission was to transport bulk war materials including food, clothing, weapons, and even troops to all areas of conflict and coastal installations here at home.

During the World War II war effort, many of these mariners were tasked with the critically important role of transporting materials along the U.S. coast using tugboats and barges. Although these mariners did not sail across the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans into areas of conflict, they still encountered the enemy while delivering cargo that kept the war effort moving forward. One tugboat, the Menomonee, operating just off the coast of Virginia on March 31st, 1942, was sunk by German U-Boat 754 tragically killing several members of the crew.

This tragic story has been the impetus for the legislation I have introduced in the past three Congresses to finally honor this small group of unsung heroes. In fact, a North Carolinian, Don Horton, whose brother William Lee Horton, Jr. was on that tugboat and lost his life aboard the ship that rescued him from the ocean and debris, has been the driving force behind this legislative effort. William Lee Horton, Jr., was 17 at the time of his death while bravely serving his country. Many members of Don Horton's family served on these tugboats and barges during World War II in support of the war effort. Don Horton has become the foremost expert on this forgotten segment of the World War II Merchant Marine, and has worked tirelessly to see mariners like his brother gain the recognition as veterans that they rightly deserve and earned through service to their country.

The ranks of these coastwise tugboats and barges were not solely operated by men, but also women, as in the case of the Horton family. Don Horton's mother and sister, along with many other women, served alongside their male counterparts, but were never issued formal documentation for their service aboard these vessels because of an order by the War Shipping Administration. Many male Merchant Mariners that operated domestically were also never issued formal documentation or the documentation that was issued is extremely hard to find today because many of these documents were ordered destroyed by the U.S. Government.

Currently, a certificate of shipping and discharge forms, continuous deck or engine logbooks, and shipping company records that indicate the vessel names and dates of voyages are the only documents that are considered acceptable to determine an individual's service in the Merchant Marine. In fact, by order of the Coast Guard Commandant, captains of tugboats and seagoing barges were relieved of the responsibility of submitting reports of seamen shipped or discharged. The deck or engine logbooks were turned over to the War Shipping Administration and were ordered destroyed because they were too ``voluminous to maintain, costly to keep, and rarely used for research.'' Shipping company records that indicate the vessel names and dates of voyages likely never existed because written communication relating to the movement of supplies and troops was strictly forbidden by U.S. military commanders.

After 70 long years, the passage of H.R. 2189 finally offers these mariners a chance to receive the recognition they deserve. H.R. 2189 expands the acceptable forms of documentation used to determine eligible service in the Merchant Marine. The bill allows Social Security Administration records, validated testimony by the applicant or closest living relative, and other official records that provide sufficient proof of service.

Mr. Speaker, estimates show that there are fewer than 2,000 of these mariners surviving today. It's time to finally recognize these mariners for their service to our country. I want to thank my colleagues in the House for supporting these brave men and women that served in the Merchant Marine during World War II, and I implore my colleagues in the Senate to consider this legislation as quickly as possible and support its passage.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Roanoke Electric Cooperative that recently celebrated its 75th anniversary delivering affordable electricity to rural eastern North Carolina. The Cooperative is headquartered in my Congressional District in Aulander, North Carolina and serves seven of the 24 counties I represent.

The Cooperative grew out of the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) created by President Franklin Roosevelt. REA's goal was to foster the construction of electric distribution lines so that rural areas of the country could avail themselves of the great benefits of electricity.

Roanoke Electric Cooperative was chartered on September 30, 1938 and construction began immediately. By the middle of 1939, the 56 miles of electric distribution lines that had been constructed went live and provided electricity to 317 individual locations in rural North Carolina.

Before the Cooperative existed, Americans living in rural areas began their day at sunrise and ended it at sunset. Every task--be it simple or complex--had to be done manually. Washing and drying clothes, farm work, cooking, cleaning, and even accessing water took time and effort that had been drastically reduced in urban areas due to the existence of electricity.

Struck by the glaring inequity between rural and urban areas, then- Nebraska Senator George Norris said ``I had seen first-hand the grim drudgery and grind which had been the common lot of eight generations of American farm women. I knew what it was to take care of the farm chores by the flickering, undependable light of the lantern in the cold rains of the fall and the icy winds of winter. Those rural women were conscious of the great gap between their lives and the lives of those women whom by birth or choice lived in towns and cities with electricity in their homes.''

Now Roanoke Electric Cooperative has more than 2,000 miles of electric distribution lines and serves nearly 15,000 individual locations in its seven county footprint. The Cooperative is led by Curtis Wynn who serves as its President and CEO. Mr. Wynn is the first African American in the nation to serve an electric cooperative in that capacity. Under his visionary leadership, Roanoke Electric Cooperative has been recognized by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) and has received the Community Service Network Award on two separate occasions. Mr. Wynn also serves on the Board of Directors for NRECA.

Mr. Speaker, Roanoke Electric Cooperative has proudly and effectively served my constituents in rural eastern North Carolina for 75 years. I offer my sincere congratulations to Mr. Wynn and his team and ask that my colleagues join me in sending best wishes to Roanoke Electric Cooperative as it continues to be a vital and integral part of the lives of families and businesses in eastern North Carolina.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I support the idea of the House and Senate reconciling their differences on the farm bill and going to conference. It is certainly long overdue.

I caution, however, that I will not vote for deep cuts in the SNAP program or the food stamp program, nor do I believe that Democrats will vote to take food away from those Americans who suffer from food insecurity. They have shut down the government, and now they want to shut down food assistance to the most vulnerable, many of whom live in my congressional district.

Open up the government, open up food banks, open up Meals on Wheels for seniors, and give a hand to those who are hurting. It is good for families, and it is good for farmers.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Greene Early College High School located in Snow Hill, North Carolina for being recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a 2013 National Blue Ribbon School.

Since 1982, the Department of Education has recognized elementary, middle, and high schools whose students excelled or showed significant academic improvement on state or national assessments with the prestigious National Blue Ribbon School designation. This year, Greene Early College High School is being recognized, along with 285 other schools nationwide, for its academic performance.

Students from Greene Early College High School have demonstrated academic excellence by achieving 100 percent proficiency on North Carolina's End-of-Grade Tests, and by achieving a 100 percent graduation rate. These achievements have distinguished Greene Early College High School as one of the highest performing schools in eastern North Carolina. As a result, the North Carolina State Board of Education and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction named Greene Early College High School an Honor School of Excellence this year.

Mr. Speaker, I commend the students, faculty, and parents of Greene Early College High School for their commitment to academic excellence. A solid educational foundation and high school diploma are essential for achievement and success in today's competitive global economy. The Blue Ribbon School designation is a great testament to the Snow Hill community's commitment to prepare their children for the future.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring and celebrating Greene Early College High School's great achievement by being recognized as a 2013 National Blue Ribbon school.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Horsford for yielding me this time, and I thank him for all the work he does here in the House of Representatives and say he represents his district well.

Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor tonight, quite frankly, very frustrated. I am frustrated as I stand here right now. Our Federal Government is shut down. This is the seventh day of a shutdown that did not have to happen. This is political theater at its best--or at its worst. And who's paying the price? It's the American people who are feeling the pain.

This shutdown has been engineered and manufactured by House Republicans. Anyone paying close attention to what's happening here in the House will come to the quick conclusion that it is not the Democrats who have manufactured this crisis; it is the Republican majority that has done so.

There are votes on the floor tonight that could pass a continuing resolution to get this behind us. I can tell you that most, if not all, Democrats will vote for a clean CR, and many, many of my Republican friends would do the same. I dare not call my Republican friends by name, but there are many of them. I had two visit with me tonight on the House floor to say they are willing to do it.

Yet Republicans feel that somehow they can use the budget crisis as a means for defunding the Affordable Care Act. It will not happen. It is the law of the land. It is fully implemented. It has been approved by Congress, signed by the President, tested by the U.S. Supreme Court, and it is now fully operational as of October 1.

Open season for the health insurance marketplace began several days ago, and nearly 3 million people have visited healthcare.gov on the first day alone. Americans who before lived with the constant fear of financial ruin if they got sick because they never had health insurance flooded the Web site in huge numbers to sign up for coverage.

Right now, there are more than 600,000 Americans living in a household forced to file bankruptcy because of unpaid medical bills. More than 60 percent of all bankruptcies filed last year were because of medical bills that could not be paid. Many people forced to file for bankruptcy because of medical expenses actually had insurance but were hung out to dry by insurance companies that dropped them from coverage simply because they had that power. ObamaCare makes that a thing of the past.

Beginning on January 1 of next year, Americans can no longer be denied coverage or dropped from coverage for having a preexisting condition. All plans must include coverage for outpatient and emergency services and maternity and newborn care, mental health, and prescription drugs. I am very proud of this plan. There will no longer be a yearly or lifetime limit on how much insurance companies will pay out for care.

That the House Republicans would hold the Federal Government and its

more than 4 million employees hostage over a law that, on all counts, seems to provide a great benefit to Americans defies logic.

Mr. Speaker, this is not a game, though my Republican colleagues seem to think that it is. They are not working with any sense of urgency and don't seem to comprehend the seriousness of the Nation's fiscal crisis.

Just yesterday, on national television, the Secretary of the Treasury, Jack Lew, warned us of what the consequences could be. This isn't about who wins or loses. We aren't keeping score, but the American people are keeping score, and they can't figure out Republicans' outright obsession with ObamaCare while the Federal Government isn't open for business. It makes no sense.

Democrats have come to the floor for the past week asking and begging for House Republicans to permit a vote on the Senate's clean continuing resolution. I will repeat for the last time: It would pass this House tonight if the Speaker of the House, Mr. Boehner, will put it up for votes. The votes are here right now to pass the Senate version of the continuing resolution.

I urge the Speaker of the House, who is a decent individual whom I have gotten to know over the years since I've been here, I hope that he will finally say to the extreme right in his caucus that he has done all that he could to lift up the issues that they care about, but now it's the future of the country that we must all care about. Speaker Boehner, this week, sir, please bring the continuing resolution to the floor and see if the votes are here. They will be here, and we can reopen the government, and then we can sit down and reconcile our differences.

I thank all who are standing strong in this debate.

Thank you, Mr. Cummings, for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I was walking on the floor moments ago, and my colleague on the other side said that this failure to pass a CR was punitive behavior of this White House. I cannot allow that to go unanswered. The fact is that there are 260 votes right now in this Chamber to pass a clean CR today.