Floor Statements

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

I rise in strong support of the Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest Establishment Act, as amended by the Energy and Commerce Committee. This legislation will establish a centralized, Federal electronic manifest system for tracking hazardous waste for both the Federal Government and the States, and will pay for it through the collection of user fees.

Protecting the public from hazardous waste is certainly a critical mission of the Department of Transportation and the EPA. Both departments, in coordination with industry and State agencies, have been vigilant in the treatment and transport of hazardous waste because of the safeguards established by the hazardous waste manifest system. Paper manifests provide shipping information to help with the tracking of potentially dangerous materials and information about the contents of each shipment for emergency responders.

The requirements of the current system were established over 30 years ago. Since 2001, the EPA has proposed a nearly paperless manifest system, which would reduce the financial burden of paperwork on States and the industry. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson described the adoption of an electronic system for manifests as ``an investment in modernizing the system that will pay off in efficiency later.'' That is why this legislation has wide support from hazardous waste generators, shippers, and processors, in that it reduces administrative and paperwork burdens.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that this program will yield net annual savings for industry and the States of over $100 million per year. The CBO also estimates that about 114,000 shippers would use this new system in the year 2016, with shipping users almost doubling in later years to 227,000.

Environmental groups also support this legislation because it will lead to ``reductions in regulatory burden while simultaneously increasing the timeliness and availability of hazardous waste data'' and ``better protecting our environment.'' Those are their quotes.

I think the gentleman from Pennsylvania made reference to this a moment ago. In 2006, a fire erupted at a hazardous waste disposal facility in my home State of North Carolina. When first responders arrived on the scene, they could not access information about the hazardous chemicals inside of the facility because the paper manifests were inside the building that was burning.

We should bring this system, Mr. Speaker, into the 21st century. Technology has advanced. We all know that. There has been such advancement in technology over the last 32 years, and we should no longer be relying on carbon copies to track potentially dangerous shipments. Today's proposed legislation also maintains flexibility for small businesses by making participation in the electronic reporting program voluntary. It's not compulsory. It is a voluntary proposal. So, if any firm chooses, it can still use paper-based reporting methods.

As it passed the Senate, S. 710 embodied concepts that are widely supported, but it carried significant costs and direct spending, and deviated from the common practice of making the collection and utilization of user fees subject to appropriation.

But Chairman Shimkus worked closely with the Democratic members of the Environment and Economy Subcommittee to craft a substitute bill that addresses concerns while preserving the benefits of the legislation. The bill passed out of our subcommittee and the full Energy and Commerce Committee on voice votes with strong bipartisan support. I believe, Mr. Speaker, it has a high likelihood of being accepted by the Senate and the President. We will certainly give them that opportunity. I urge my colleagues to support this bill so we can finally see this significant improvement signed into law.

I want to thank Mr. Murphy and all of the other Members who worked to expedite this legislation and get it to the floor today. I'm going to ask my colleagues to join with us in passing this bill.

With that said, Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

I don't have any more speakers, and I too am prepared to close.

Mr. Speaker, as the final speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, let me again thank Mr. Murphy, the gentleman from Pennsylvania, and Mr. Shimkus, and the chair and the ranking member of all the committees of jurisdiction for their extraordinary work on this bill.

This is a critical piece of legislation. All of the stakeholders who are involved in disposing of chemicals and shipping chemicals are all in agreement that this is necessary. In fact, the time has passed that we pass this type of legislation. We live in a new age of technology now, so there's no excuse for us not automating these procedures. This bill today enables that to happen.

I want to thank all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their spirit of bipartisanship in getting this to the floor. I ask my colleagues to please vote ``yes'' on this important legislation.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 6131, a bill that will reauthorize certain powers granted to the Federal Trade Commission under the U.S. SAFE Web Act that are set to expire very soon.

Congresswoman Bono Mack, the chair of the Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade Subcommittee of Energy and Commerce and I and our staffs worked together in a bipartisan manner to quickly get this very important reauthorization language out of the committee and onto the House floor.

When the bill was first authored in the 109th Congress, it was overwhelmingly supported by both Republicans and Democrats and passed the House under suspension of the rules. So I am happy to see that this reauthorization is proceeding in much the same way.

This law provides the Federal Trade Commission with expanded and enhanced authorities with the aim of combating crossborder spyware and spam attacks against the U.S., as well as helping protect consumers from phony Internet rip-offs and telemarketing scams. The enhanced authority has empowered the FTC to better protect American consumers through robust crossborder information sharing, investigative assistance, and coalition building with foreign consumer protection agencies.

In a 2009 report to Congress, the FTC noted the significant role the act has played in facilitating crossborder cooperation in investigations and enforcement proceedings, along with the growing need for continued cooperation to combat new and existing global fraud. Simply put, Mr. Speaker, the expanded authorities are working to protect the American people, and Congress needs to make sure they remain in place so the Federal Trade Commission can effectively combat crossborder scams.

The original SAFE Web Act passed in the 109th Congress included a sunset provision that will cause these enhanced authorities to expire in December of next year. H.R. 6131 will extend these authorities to September of the year 2020.

Mr. Speaker, I am a strong supporter of granting the FTC the powers it needs to effectively protect consumers against fraud, whether originating here or abroad.

So I joined my good friend, Congresswoman Bono Mack, in pushing the 7-year extension in this bill. It is important to highlight that each and every FTC Commissioner, all of them, of both political parties, have called for a permanent reauthorization.

I joined with the FTC in calling for the sunset clause in the U.S. SAFE WEB Act to be completely repealed, and it is still, it is still my opinion and the opinion of several in our committee that this is a better approach.

Nonetheless, Mr. Speaker, both parties can agree, and the FTC's enforcement record shows, that this has been a successful law, so we should not delay. We should not delay or disrupt the FTC's ability to protect the American people from those who want to take advantage of them. I hope my colleagues will agree with us and will join with us in supporting this measure.

Again, I want to thank the gentlelady from California for her friendship and her leadership on the committee. You have just been extraordinary. I also want to thank the chairman of the full committee, Mr. Upton, the gentleman from Michigan, as well as my ranking member, Mr. Waxman, from California. All of us, all of us have worked together so diligently to make this happen, and I thank you so very much.

I will close by simply reiterating what I have said the last 3 or 4 minutes. This is a good bill. We have bipartisan support for this bill. It has been expedited to the House floor. I ask my colleagues to join with us and get it passed, and let's get it enacted into law.

I yield back the balance of my time.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5865, the American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act of 2012.

The lead bipartisan cosponsors of this bill are two gentlemen from Illinois, Congressman Daniel Lipinski and my colleague on the Energy and Commerce Committee, Congressman Adam Kinzinger. I want to thank both of them for their work on this bill and, in particular, for working with me and Chairwoman Bono Mack to move this bill in a form that both sides can support.

H.R. 5865 aims to build upon the recent growth of the U.S. manufacturing sector with the end goal being the return of more and more individuals to stable and good-paying jobs.

Specifically, Mr. Speaker, the American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act requires the President to prepare and submit to Congress in 2014 and 2018 a national manufacturing strategy with assistance from the American Manufacturing Competitiveness Board established by the bill.

The board will be comprised of the Secretary of Commerce, State Governors, and officials from the executive branch, in addition to 10 individuals from the private sector appointed by the majority and minority leadership of the House and the Senate.

There is no more important issue to Americans than the ability to get and keep a job, provide for their families, and ensure that when their children grow up they too can succeed. This is the promise of the American Dream, and it's a promise that, despite the slow climb out of the deep recession caused by the reckless bets in Wall Street, that I and most Americans still believe in. Moreover, it's a promise that we here in Congress have been entrusted by our constituents to work towards by promoting initiatives and enacting policies that will lead to the creation of new jobs to replace and supplement those that have been lost.

This is something that the Obama administration has taken very seriously, and the administration has rightfully made growing the manufacturing sector a key element to getting Americans back to work. This has also been a priority of the House Democratic leadership through its Make It In America policy initiatives.

And we are seeing results, Mr. Speaker, we are seeing results. Over the past 2 years, the manufacturing sector has added more than 450,000 jobs.

That is worth repeating. Over the past 2 years, the manufacturing sector has added more than 450,000 jobs. Not since the Clinton administration has this sector seen such fast growth.

In my own State of North Carolina, we know all too well about the loss of manufacturing jobs, but those jobs have begun to return. And we are feeling it and we are seeing it. North Carolina is the fifth largest manufacturing State in the country and the largest in the Southeast. Our manufacturing sector provides about $80 billion to our GDP--roughly 20 percent of the total. The nearly 11,000 manufacturing companies in North Carolina employ almost 15 percent of the total workforce, and well over half a million of these jobs pay more than $65,000 annually.

American manufacturing is primed for a renaissance. The House Democrats' Make It in America agenda provides even greater opportunities for success. Several of these initiatives have already become law, including bills that cut taxes and create loans for small businesses, speed up the patent process, and lower the cost of raw materials and help to end tax loopholes so that companies are discouraged from shipping jobs overseas.

Mr. Speaker, in the 111th Congress, House Democrats led efforts to support American clean-energy firms, invest in job-training partnerships, and hold China accountable for unfair currency manipulation that cost us in America very precious jobs. When more products are made in America, more families can make it in America. The American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act promises to build on and complement the Obama administration's efforts and our efforts to grow manufacturing in the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I support this bill. I thank my colleagues on the other side of the aisle for their cooperation with bringing this to the floor and getting it for a vote today. I thank not only the chair and the ranking member of the full committee, but the chair of our subcommittee, who works with us on so many of these important issues.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), who is also the minority whip of the House Democratic Caucus and is a great friend of the manufacturing sector.

Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield 6 minutes to the author of this bill, Mr. Lipinski from the great State of Illinois, who has worked very hard on this bill not only in this Congress but in the previous bill as well.

I have no additional speakers, Mr. Speaker; therefore, I will ask my colleagues to join with us in passing this good legislation.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5859 repeals a provision of law related to the reporting of automobile insurance cost. This provision requires car dealers to make available to prospective buyers information that compares insurance costs for different vehicles based on damage susceptibility.

While I am always wary of any attempts to limit consumer information, clearly, the provision of law that H.R. 5859 would repeal is simply not working as intended.

Every year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, as we call it, produces and sends to auto dealers a booklet containing insurance cost information. Dealers have told us that very few consumers even ask for the booklet. Yet, under Federal law, NHTSA is still required to produce and distribute these booklets, and dealers are still required to make them available.

I am not opposed, Mr. Speaker, to ending the current reporting mandate. However, we should not repeal this mandate without acknowledging that the impetus behind the original provision is sound. The purpose of the provision was to give consumers a basis for comparing damageability risk at the point of sale.

Damageability is about how much damage a car is likely to sustain when a collision occurs, even at very low speed. The law also intended to create an incentive for manufacturers to produce cars which are more resistant to damage and less expensive to repair and service.

Whether you think the current requirement is a nuisance for auto dealers or you think that NHTSA has missed the mark in its implementation of the mandate, I think we should accept that consumers continue to have a legitimate interest in minimizing the costs associated with minor collisions.

Therefore, I would like to thank Congressman Harper for his interest in this; Congressman Owens, on our side of the aisle, from New York, who was one of the original Members of Congress who presented this idea; Chairman Bono Mack and Chairman Upton and Ranking Member Waxman for all working with me to include alongside the repeal a requirement that NHTSA thoroughly examine--that would be the requirement--that NHTSA would thoroughly reexamine the issue of how best to inform prospective buyers about damage susceptibility.

I think we have struck the right balance. We fix a valid problem and keep in place a valuable principle.

Under the bill before us, NHTSA would have 2 years--2 years--to conduct a study, solicit public comment, and issue a report to Congress that will determine the most useful data, format, and method for providing simple and understandable damage susceptibility information to consumers. The agency would evaluate whether insurance costs are the best measure of damage susceptibility or whether there is a better way to make comparisons between vehicles and a better way to make such information available to consumers.

Mr. Speaker, I've said time and time again that information is power, and that is certainly true. For example, the NHTSA program Stars on Cars, which provides crashworthiness information to consumers, gives prospective car buyers information they need about how well a vehicle will protect them and their family in the event of a crash. And car companies now routinely compete to make safer cars that better protect passengers.

If we pass H.R. 5859, complete with a provision to get NHTSA to find a better way for consumers to get important damageability information, the same may be accomplished in this case. And so, therefore, I join my colleagues in asking all of our colleagues to vote for this amendment.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Owens).

I don't have any more speakers on my side.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to North Carolina's State Representative William L. Wainwright, whose earthly journey has ended.

Representative Wainwright died on Tuesday of this week, July 17, 2012, at the age of 64, after a brief illness. Representative Wainwright was a dear personal friend and leader in the First Congressional District.

Representative Wainwright was deputy democratic leader of the North Carolina House of Representatives, and was formerly the speaker pro tempore of the House. In each position, Representative Wainwright was the first African American to hold the position.

In addition to serving the citizens of Craven and Lenoir Counties as their representative for the past 21 years, Representative Wainwright was a tenured pastor and presiding elder of the New Bern District of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. His ministry touched thousands of people in his home communities of New Bern, Havelock, and Harlowe. For more than 40 years, Representative Wainwright taught God's word in pulpits all across America. He counseled those in need. He visited the sick and was a friend to all.

In the general assembly, Representative Wainwright was a leader among leaders. He was chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus. He served as vice chairman of the Finance Committee. He was also a member of the Commerce and Job Development Subcommittee on Business and Labor, the Committees on Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Military and Veterans Affairs, even the Committee on Insurance.

North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue said this of Representative Wainwright:

Whether he was in the pulpit or the legislature, William

Wainwright's priorities were without question and his

devotion without peer.

He served the Lord and the people of North Carolina with

courage, with humility, and with love. He and I arrived at

the general assembly about the same time, from neighboring

districts. He was wiser in the ways of both politics and the

human spirit. Ever since, and up to his last days, I relied

on his invaluable counsel, and I will always treasure his

friendship. Heaven is a richer place today.

Those were the words of North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue.

County Commissioner Johnnie Sampson in Craven County, North Carolina said:

He worked around the clock for the history education

center, and he was able to get things done. He wanted to help

people who could not help themselves.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, it must be said today that North Carolina is better because of the life and work of William Wainwright. William had endless energy and deep passion for the people he served. We will miss this giant of a man. May God bless his memory and provide comfort to his beloved family and his community.

Mr. Speaker, the Reverend Sidney A. Locks, Jr., retired from the helm of Cornerstone Missionary Baptist Church (CMBC) in Greenville, North Carolina as a legendary figure in the Greenville community. Under the directive of Pastor Emeritus Locks, CMBC honed its capacity for community outreach and effected ``giving'' as an inseparable hallmark of CMBC's congregation.

Pastor Locks was born the son of a preacher in Opelousas, Louisiana. Through his father's ministry he was called to spread the word of God to others. After earning a Master's in Divinity from the Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC) in Atlanta, Georgia, Pastor Locks embarked on a 30 year career in the ministry, preaching to congregants about the love and compassion of God.

Determined to reflect the same spirit of love and compassion regularly evoked in his sermons, Pastor Locks weaved those virtues into the fabric of Cornerstone Missionary Baptist Church, where he began pastoring in 1989. Ten years later, Hurricane Floyd presented Locks and CMBC congregation with the opportunity to demonstrate its unwavering commitment to service. When Hurricane Floyd ravished North Carolina's shores--destroying homes and disrupting lives--CMB gathered resources to feed, clothe, and provide refuge for the victims of the storm.

CMBC leadership during the storm's recovery efforts won the Pastor and the CMBC congregation many followers, helping to position the church as an epicenter for community work. Even today, community leaders recall being cared for by the church after surviving days without food. Others starkly remember the congregation's efforts to lift the spirits of the families who felt hopeless at that time.

Under Pastor Lock's leadership, Cornerstone secured 44 apartment units to convert into a senior living facility; built a Family Life Center; and founded numerous programs to assist members of the congregation and the community.

Mr. Speaker, I commend the extraordinary work of Pastor Sidney Locks, Jr., and ask that my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives join me in honoring his commitment to God, to country, and to community.

One of the most significant congressional accomplishments in 1965 was to create a program whereby American citizens could have the opportunity for nutritious foods. The SNAP program allows 46 million Americans to avoid being hungry. The benefits go to deserving individuals. Fifteen percent are elderly; 20 percent are disabled. The average gross monthly income for a food stamp household is $731. The average net income is $336.

Now we see an effort to roll back these benefits to these vulnerable populations. The Ryan House budget calls for $35 billion in cuts. The Lucas-Peterson plan marked up last night calls for $16 billion. That will result in 3 million Americans losing basic nutrition.

Madam Speaker, this proposal will hurt real people and literally take food off of their table. It's wrong, it's immoral, and it's irresponsible to take food away from deserving American citizens to balance a budget that is unbalanced because of reckless policies that have benefited the rich.

I urge my colleagues to develop a balanced approach to deficit reduction, to include cuts and new revenue. But food should be out of the conversation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise with great pleasure to honor North Carolina State Senator Edward Jones. Senator Jones' steadfast commitment to North Carolina and its Fourth Senatorial District is to be applauded as a fine example of a public servant. As the only retired State Trooper elected to the North Carolina Senate, Senator Edward Jones serves his constituency with a legacy of humility and patriotism. He truly embodies his personal motto, ``We are not judged by the titles we possess, but by the job we do.''

Senator Jones' public service extends back to his duties in the 82nd Airborne Division of the U.S. Army. After an honorable discharge from the military, Edward Jones served as Deputy Sheriff in Buncombe County prior to enrolling in the North Carolina Justice Academy where he became a patrolman in 1975. At the time, he was one of only three African American troopers in North Carolina, and defied odds by rising to the rank of Sergeant in 1985 and ultimately First Sergeant in 1995.

Upon retirement from the State Highway Patrol, he went on to serve as Chief of Police and later Mayor for the city of Enfield, located in Halifax County. His service in these two roles provided significant exposure to local concerns and a firm foundation for his subsequent political career.

In 2005, Jones was appointed to the North Carolina General Assembly to complete the unexpired term of Representative John Hall. In 2007, he was appointed again, this time to complete the unexpired term of Senator Robert Holloman. In this seat, which remains as his current post, he serves North Carolina Senate's Fourth District, one of the largest districts in the legislature. As Senator, Jones has distinguished himself in the area of crime and public safety. He not only leads from the senate floor, but also on a grassroots level as he frequently visits communities, agencies, and organizations to assess respective needs and concerns.

Outside the legislature, Senator Jones is decorated with many achievements. He is the first African American to serve on the Board of Trustees at Chowan University. He is a member of the Governor's Crime Commission, the North Carolina Legislative Black Caucus, and board member of the Halifax County Boys and Girls Club.

While his commitment to public service is commendable, it is noteworthy that he is deeply rooted in his faith and family. Jones is the proud husband to wife, Mary Ann, father to daughters Alesha and Andrea, and ``Papa'' to granddaughters, Charisma, Carmen, and Farrah.

Senator Jones is a man of honor, valor, and commitment. I urge my colleagues to join me in applauding Senator Edward Jones' lifelong dedication to the people of North Carolina.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to be considered as the first sponsor of H.R. 2181, a bill to authorize National Mall Liberty Fund D.C. to establish a memorial on Federal land in the District of Columbia to honor free persons and slaves who fought for independence, liberty, and justice for all during the American Revolution.

The bill was authored and introduced by our friend and colleague, the late Donald Payne, Sr., from the State of New Jersey.

If you don't succeed, try and try again. Republicans are taking this phrase to a whole new level. House Republicans will vote for the second time to overturn essential provisions in the Affordable Care Act, and, yes, for the 32nd time, to dismantle it altogether.

This repeal vote is a waste of time and tax dollars.

We all know that this bill will never pass the Senate, and the President would assuredly veto it. This is purely an act of political posturing, and my colleagues on the other side of the aisle should stop their obstruction.

Mr. Speaker, if the Republican majority was just as concerned with introducing a comprehensive jobs package as they've been with repealing this constitutional law that was, yes, upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, Americans and our economy would be in a much better condition.

Stop wasting our time with political theater and try passing some beneficial, landmark bills of your own. My friends on the other side, you have a wrecking ball. Where is your plan?

Mr. Speaker, as a former judge of the North Carolina State Supreme Court, I've come to the well today to applaud the United States Supreme Court for its courage and for ruling on the side of constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act. This is a win, Mr. Speaker, for 48 million Americans, Democrats and Republicans alike, who will receive stable, secure, and affordable health coverage forever.

I believe that much of the public confusion surrounding the bill was because Americans outside of the Washington Beltway simply did not understand what the Affordable Care Act means for them. So to put it plainly, Americans can now enjoy coverage without worry or jeopardy, regardless of preexisting conditions. Uninsured young people up to age 26 will be able to receive coverage. If you become gravely ill, there are no limits on your benefits. If you are a woman, you can't be charged higher premiums. If you need preventive care, you won't have a copay or deductible. If you lose your job, you won't lose your coverage. And if your employer doesn't provide coverage, you will be able to buy it at affordable prices.

The political theater Republicans orchestrated around health care is over. Congress debated, the Court decided. This is done.

The gentleman from Massachusetts is absolutely correct, this is a sad and troubling day.

What we see here today, Mr. Speaker, is nothing more than using the Halls of Congress for extreme partisan political purposes.

This case is all about a politically motivated confrontation with the executive branch on a matter that does not even begin to rise to this level.

This case is not about gunwalking. Those documents have been provided and are not in dispute. The documents at issue are completely unrelated to how gunwalking was initiated in Operation Fast and Furious. The Department has produced thousands of pages of documents. The committee has interviewed two dozen officials, and the Attorney General has testified on nine occasions.

This is an election-year witch hunt. I say that to the gentleman from South Carolina. This is an election-year witch hunt. During this 16- month investigation, the committee refused all Democratic requests for witnesses and hearings, as well as requests to interview any Bush administration appointees.

Never in our Nation's history has the House of Representatives voted to hold a sitting Attorney General or a Cabinet member in contempt. What's different?

I will tell you what's different. It is the simple fact that Republicans have a dogged determination to discredit and defeat this President at all costs. Plain and simple, it's politics.

My Republican friends, do not use your majority to engage in a political stunt. The integrity and legacy of this institution deserve better than that. If you want to discredit and defeat this President, you need to leave this floor and leave the C-SPAN cameras, and go out and give it your best shot. This is not the place to do it.

When the history of this despicable proceeding is recorded, it will be said that your actions were politically motivated to discredit and defeat a President who has worked so hard over the past 3 years.

I encourage my colleagues to join me in refusing to vote for this gimmick and walk to the steps of the Capitol and explain the circumstances of this dark day. Do not vote for this resolution.

For those of you who choose to vote, I ask that you defeat the rule and vote against these contempt resolutions.

Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Mr. Speaker, I rise with great pleasure to congratulate Ms. Stephanie Odom for being honored as a United Health Foundation Diverse Scholar. Ms. Odom's unwavering commitment to academic excellence in the field of science, deem her worthy of this recognition.

The United Health Foundation began highlighting Diverse Scholars in 2007 as an initiative to increase the quantity of deserving, yet underrepresented individuals entering the health workforce. In 2009, the Foundation sought to further engage scholars with access to resources by hosting a forum in our Nation's capital with representatives from government, academia, and various industries.

Ms. Odom is a native of Macon, North Carolina. She has excelled at Edward Waters College as an undergraduate biology major. Currently in her second year of education at Edward Waters, Ms. Odom has consistently achieved Dean's List honors by maintaining a minimum 3.5 GPA since her freshman year. As a result, she is a member of the prestigious national honor society, Phi Eta Sigma.

She credits the United Health Foundation scholarship with assisting her goal of completing post-secondary education. She is a

humble, yet gracious leader; when asked about challenges faced while achieving her goal of higher education, Ms. Odom replied that she is challenged daily, but will not allow anything to discourage her dream of becoming a physician.

As a resident of North Carolina's First Congressional District, I am proud to call her one of our own. The United Health Foundation has shown great judgment in selecting Ms. Stephanie Odom as a Diverse Scholar.

Again, congratulations. Best wishes for her continued academic success and commitment to the uplift of science and humanity.

Mr. Speaker, the centerpiece of President Obama's 2008 Presidential campaign was the promise of health care reform. He told us, time and time again, that every President has seen the urgency of reform, that all of them had attempted reform, and none succeeded.

President Obama reminded us of the fact that having more than 40 million uninsured Americans is unacceptable. It is not only bad for the individual, but it is for the American economy. It is bad for hospitals who absorb the loss for these indigent patients or shift the costs to other patients.

During the campaign, the President went on to painfully highlight the unfair practices of some insurance companies in making people think they have quality insurance policies, when, in fact, in many instances, it is not worth the paper it is written on.

After fierce debate, and after the right-wing Tea Party instilled unfounded fear in the hearts of good Americans, the Congress passed the Affordable Care Act, and it is good policy for the American people. But there are those who have exploited the legitimacy of the Affordable Care Act, and now we await a ruling from the Supreme Court on the act's constitutionality.

Should the Supreme Court decide to undermine the most vital provision of the law, the individual mandate, one thing will be clear: it would be an act of judicial activism and judicial overreach, placing the Court firmly in the role of Congress.

Precedent for the Affordable Care Act already exists. Social Security is a program which all Americans are required to pay into and to participate. Car insurance is mandated in almost every State; yet the Supreme Court is on precipice of possible unfastening the linchpin that makes true health care reform attainable.

Such a decision would confiscate benefits that the public and businesses largely support. Lifetime coverage limits could be re- imposed on 100 million Americans. Seventeen million children with preexisting conditions could lose insurance coverage, and 6 million young adults may be forced off their parents' insurance plans.

Preservation of this law means 40 million uninsured Americans will be insured. It creates state-run health exchanges to give consumers maximum choice when selecting a policy, and it contains skyrocketing costs in medical care. The Affordable Care Act will lower insurance premiums driven by uncompensated care for the uninsured, saving the average family in North Carolina $1,400 a year.

Mr. Speaker, the Affordable Care Act has already paid great dividends in my district. Under the law, 94,000 seniors have received Medicare preventive services without paying a dime. More than 5,000 young adults have health insurance when they previously did not. About 400 small businesses received tax credits to expand care to their employees; 34,000 children with preexisting health conditions can no longer be denied.

As a policy-maker representing 700,000 people, I hope the act will remain intact. As a former judge, I hope the Supreme Court recognizes the impact an unfavorable decision will have on the role of Congress.

We cannot let the perfect, Mr. Speaker, be the enemy of the good. We should explore ways to improve upon the law instead of ways to further deny Americans access to affordable health care.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor two American trailblazers from North Carolina's First Congressional District: Montford Marine veterans Johnny Thompskins and the recently deceased Joe Cobbs. I would also like to recognize the son of a Civil War veteran, Luke Martin, Jr.

Mr. Speaker, Thompskins, Cobbs, and Martin will be honored by the Christian Community Charity Workers (CCCW) Inc., on June 24 at the Flame Banquet Center in New Bern, North Carolina.

Mr. Speaker, recruiting for the ``Montford Marines'' began on June 1, 1942, following public pressure on President Franklin D. Roosevelt by Black leaders to issue Executive Order 8802, which barred government agencies and federal contractors from employment discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color or national origin. The order also required all of the U.S. Armed Services, including the United States Marine Corps, to recruit and enlist African Americans. Despite an era thick with racial discrimination, Black recruits lined up by the thousands to defend the freedoms of people abroad, while still being denied basic unalienable rights at home.

Among the inaugural class of Black Montford Marines were Johnny Thompskins and the late Joe Cobbs. Thompskins, a man of small stature but enormous courage; and Cobbs, who developed a strong work ethic while working his family's farmland, received basic training at the segregated Camp Montford Point in North Carolina because no Black recruit was allowed to enter the main base of nearby Camp Lejeune unless accompanied by a white Marine.

Nevertheless, these two men were unafraid by the onslaught of World War II. They understood that victory in war was only achievable with the talent of its Black citizens. As a result, these men served their country with distinction, charted uncharted territory, and set the bar for exemplary African American servicemen.

Mr. Speaker, on a similar note, at 94 years old, Luke Martin, Jr. is widely known around the state of North Carolina as one of a few living children of Civil War veterans. His father, Luke Martin, Sr. was a slave in Hertford County when he bravely joined the Union Army to fight for the freedoms of his loved ones.

Due to his father's efforts to help gain civil rights for Blacks, Martin Jr. was able to become a distinguished mason who has earned enormous respect for building several structures across Craven County.

Today, Thompskins and Martin both reside in New Bern. Cobbs also lived there until his passing in May.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the entire U.S. House of Representatives to join me in recognizing these men, who will forever remain a cornerstone in American history.