Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Zephyrhills High School JROTC for their dedication to service on behalf of our nation's heroes and veterans.

On February 11th, a signing ceremony will take place by the National Armed Forces Community covenant in honor of the Zephyrhills High School

Madam Speaker, as Yogi Berra once said, It's deja vu all over again. No way. It is deja vu all over again.

Just a few months ago, the Democrats marched us down here to the House floor to raise the debt ceiling by over a quarter of a trillion dollars. But that wasn't enough. Here we are again, 90 days later, this time for a whopping $1.9 trillion debt limit increase.

For the uninitiated, a century ago Congress very wisely instituted a statutory cap on the amount that the Federal Government could borrow. Unfortunately, Congress being Congress, this body raised that cap dozens of times during the 20th century and has apparently carried that tradition into this new decade with spectacular new fashion.

As my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are no doubt clamoring over themselves to point out, both parties have done it in times of war and times of crisis, and more recently, this Democrat majority has made spending more of a priority than saving. In short, Madam Speaker, excuses don't make it right.

I wanted to mention PAYGO. I actually voted for PAYGO. I was one of 18 Republicans who, when the Democrats took over, I voted for PAYGO. Unfortunately, this Democrat leadership has waived it so often it has become very ineffective. They waive it more than they implement it.

So I ask my colleagues, don't be misled by so-called PAYGO language, because it simply isn't real.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Nina Humphries of Zephyrhills, FL. On February 1, 2010, Nina did something that all of us strive to do, but that very few of us will ever accomplish; she celebrated her 105th birthday.

Nina Humphries was born February 1st, 1905 in Ontario, Canada. She originally came to the United States to attend nursing school in Buffalo, New York.

Widowed by her late husbands George Clayton and Ed Humphries, Nina cherishes the time she spends with her family. She has two children, Anita and Robert, six grand children, and four great grand children.

Madam Speaker, on February 5th, the city of Zephyrhills will honor Nina's life achievements. I ask you to join me today in honoring her on the floor of this House. May we all have the good fortune to live as long as she.

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

I rise in support of this Senate bill, S. 2949. As Representative McDermott described, it will provide assistance to thousands of Americans returning from Haiti following the devastating January 12 earthquake there.

Let me reiterate that we are helping American citizens with this legislation.

The bill, entitled Emergency Aid to American Survivors of the Haiti Earthquake Act, will ensure that State and local governments and charitable agencies on the ground in Florida, for example, and elsewhere have the resources to do exactly that.

Funding for those local efforts is provided through the Repatriation Program administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Each year, that program provides temporary assistance in the form of loans to U.S. citizens and their dependents arriving in the U.S. following an emergency. By law, currently the program is capped at $1 million per year.

This bill, which passed the Senate last night, temporarily increases that cap for 2010. As the legislation makes clear, and the Congressional Budget Office score confirms, this increase is entirely paid for by reducing spending in other areas. It does not raise the national debt.

This is similar to how Congress responded when demand for repatriation assistance swelled following the American evacuation of Lebanon in 2006. Congress stepped in to provide for the additional funds that were needed and paid for that additional funding through savings. That is the right approach. And, frankly, my constituents

would like to see this balanced budget approach applied across the board, not just to the smallest items.

For my part, I wish we were cutting funds in the bloated State Department budget to pay for this emergency. As I am sure my colleagues would agree, Congress should be looking for ways to save taxpayer dollars all the time, not just when new spending emergency needs come up. Unfortunately, since we are acting on a Senate bill, these concerns will have to wait for another day.

Before I yield, I would like to note the special importance this bill has for the State of Florida. Since so many of our returning citizens are arriving through my home State, I truly appreciate my colleagues supporting this bill and making sure that State and local agencies have the resources that they need to respond to this emergency.

The State Department suggests that there were approximately 45,000 U.S. citizens in Haiti and that they were there when the earthquake hit. As of yesterday, some 14,000 had already returned to the United States. I commend all the workers in Florida and across the country, whether with State or local government agencies, the Red Cross, our Armed Forces, or other agencies who are helping fellow citizens as they travel to their final destinations in the United States.

The House and Senate are to be commended for acting very quickly on this legislation. Passing the Emergency Aid to American Survivors of the Haiti Earthquake Act today is important to thousands of Americans who have been displaced and who need a helping hand to return home. I encourage support for this bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

This legislation will ensure that American citizens returning from the devastation in Haiti in the days ahead will receive the same help and support as those who have already arrived and gotten their way home. It also will ensure that the many individuals hard at work assisting their fellow citizens will get the resources they need to continue these important efforts. I would ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill.

I yield back the balance of my time.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise today in support of House Resolution 1024, which expresses support for designating January as Poverty in America Awareness Month.

As I'm sure my colleagues would agree, awareness of poverty is something that Congress should never lose sight of, not for one single day. But it also should be noted that poverty can only be eliminated in this country when there are jobs available for every able-bodied man and woman. I know this firsthand because I grew up in poverty. I know that the only way that my mother helped get my brother and me out of poverty was by having a great work ethic and working her way out of poverty.

The government does not create jobs; small businesses do. The American people know this even if the majority in Congress does not. That is why CNN is reporting that 75 percent of Americans polled believe that at least half of the stimulus has been wasted, and a third of those believe that it actually has made the economy worse.

In a perfect world, the President could hold a jobs summit and everyone would breathe a sigh of relief as they went off to new jobs created. But in the real world, sitting around and talking about jobs does not magically make them appear. In a perfect world, the money to pay for the stimulus and the endless unemployment extensions would come from a magic tree growing on the South Lawn of the White House. But we know that unemployment benefits are no real substitute for a paycheck. We know that the stimulus didn't work. And we know that the closest thing the government has to a money tree is the money that it takes out of taxpayers' pockets.

The bottom line is, if they are serious about reducing poverty, the President and my Democrat colleagues need to stop talking about jobs and start working with Republicans to support and facilitate an economy that will create them. Specifically, the Democrats, who control the progress of legislation in this town, should do three things:

First, they need to end their obsession with the trillion-dollar takeover of health care, because this single-minded approach is coming at the expense of everything else that matters to the American public.

Second, the tax code should be reformed to protect workers' wages, to encourage investment and entrepreneurship, to reward saving, and to provide the American people with the confidence and certainty about their financial future.

And third, my Democrat colleagues need to take a long, hard look at their failed trillion-dollar stimulus plan and fix it. Don't just borrow another hundred billion dollars here and there and hope that it works better this time.

Raising awareness about poverty is important, and I support this legislation. But before we spend too much time patting ourselves on the back for this feel-good resolution, let us get down to business in a bipartisan manner and really do the hard work of making this economy great again.

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

Madam Speaker, in closing, I want to reiterate that there still is much work to be done--and undone--to breathe new life into this economy. The Democrats told Americans that if their stimulus passed, unemployment would stay below 8 percent and millions of Americans would continue receiving paychecks. Instead, the stimulus passed and a record 12 million Americans are now collecting unemployment checks. As predicted, that is triggering massive State tax hikes that will continue for years to come.

Frankly, Madam Speaker, that is why the stimulus isn't working. Every dollar spent by government is a dollar that first must be taken out of the economy. That dollar of government spending is a dollar that a business owner can use to hire a new worker and it's a dollar that a mother can use to feed her child.

My colleagues will say that this is what the stimulus was supposed to do, but what they won't tell you is that the government wastes 50 cents collecting that dollar and fumbling around trying to put it back into the economy. As part of our awareness of poverty, let us also be aware of that.

I yield back the balance of my time.

I thank the gentleman.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 4314, which, according to the majority, ``permits continued funding for government operations.'' That sure sounds a lot better than H.R. 4314, a bill to borrow another $300 billion from China. Or we could also entitle it, H.R. 4314, a license to keep spending like a teenager with a credit card.

Madam Speaker, the United States is already paying $250 billion per year in interest payments alone on the debt. We are paying more for that interest by borrowing more. That just doesn't make sense.

The argument that we have already spent the money, and when the bill comes in the mail we have to pay it, is misleading. Every American with a maxed out credit card would love to be able to pay his bills by simply raising his limit. That is what we're doing here today, ladies and gentlemen. That includes the 15 million unemployed Americans who are still wondering when the so-called stimulus is going to create or save their jobs.

I urge my colleagues to vote against more borrowing and to certainly vote against this bill. America does not want more debt.

Madam Speaker, it is a darn good thing that the credit reporting agencies don't factor in each American's share of the national debt when they calculate an individual's credit scores. If the agencies did, there would be quite a few otherwise-eligible borrowers who couldn't get a mortgage or a car loan.

Think about that. I wonder why they don't include the national debt? Perhaps it's because no one seems to think it's real. Madam Speaker, it is real.

Last year, America spent $250 billion in interest payments alone, $250 billion. That's $250 billion a year we cannot invest in America's future. Yet, in spite of this situation, Congress is preparing to increase the debt again by another $1.8 trillion. Attaching it to a must-pass Defense bill holds our troops hostage. And it might be convenient politics, but our country deserves much better.

Congress should use the TARP returns to pay down the debt and redirect the failed stimulus money to tax reforms that actually work. Wouldn't that be unique?

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Cornelis J.H. van de Velde Ph.D., M.D. For his commitment to the fight against cancer and his participation at the Tony Snow Cancer Symposium in The Villages, Florida on January 21. Hosted by the Caring and Sharing Villagers and the Alliance Healthcare Foundation, the Tony Snow Cancer Symposium is intended to raise funds for the creation of a $25 million cancer center next to Leesburg Regional Hospital and promote cancer awareness in our community.

Currently serving as Professor of Surgical Oncology at the Leiden University Medical Center in Leiden, the Netherlands, Dr. van de Velde has supervised over 50 Ph.D. theses, coordinated 14 projects of the Netherlands Cancer Foundation, six health insurance fund projects, six European randomized breast cancer studies, and four European randomized colorectal cancer studies.

In addition to serving as a professor at the Leiden University Medical Center, he is the center's Coordinator of Oncology and sits on numerous committees there. He serves as Chairman of the Dutch Royal Academy of Sciences, founded and was the first Chairman of the Dutch Colorectal Cancer Group, the Dutch Gastric Cancer Group and the Dutch Breast Cancer Group. Dr. van de Velde has also been the President of the European Society of Surgical Oncology since 2008 and is currently Vice President of the European Cancer Society.

Dr. van de Velde was recognized in 1999 as an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in London and the Royal College of Surgeons and Physicians in Glasgow.

Madam Speaker, individuals such as Cornelis van de Velde should be recognized for their sincere dedication to improving the health and quality of life for people all over the world. With the passing of my husband Harvey to pancreatic cancer, I can personally attest to the effects of cancer on both a person and their family. I sincerely appreciate the work that Dr. van de Velde has done and wish him further success in his medical endeavors.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor William S. Dalton, Ph.D., M.D. for his commitment to the fight against cancer and his participation at the Tony Snow Cancer Symposium in The Villages, Florida, on January 21. Hosted by the Caring and Sharing Villagers and the Alliance Healthcare Foundation, the Tony Snow Cancer Symposium is intended to raise funds for the creation of a $25 million Cancer Center next to Leesburg Regional Hospital and promote awareness in our community.

Dr. Dalton currently serves as the President/Chief Executive Officer and Center Director at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute in Tampa, Florida. The Moffitt Cancer Center is regarded as one of the top cancer facilities in the United States. With two decades of cancer research and contributions to over 200 publications, including the Journal of the American Medical Association and the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Dr. Dalton has established himself as an expert in the fight against cancer.

Recognized as a ``Best Doctor in America'' since 1993, Dr. Dalton's primary areas of research include biochemical mechanisms of drug resistance, new drug discovery and the biology and treatment of multiple myeloma. He was also instrumental in obtaining the Molecular Oncology, Mopp, grant of $5 million for the Moffitt Cancer Center in 2000.

Madam Speaker, individuals such as William S. Dalton should be recognized for their sincere dedication to improving the health and quality of life for people all over the world. With the passing of my husband Harvey to pancreatic cancer, I can personally attest to the affects of cancer on both a person and their family. I sincerely appreciate the work that Dr. Dalton has done and wish him further success in his medical endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act.

Let me be clear. We all want to fix the flawed physician reimbursement rate. Without a fix, physicians around this country may be closing their practices and turning seniors away. This is an extremely serious matter. However, Democrats are using physicians and seniors as political pawns and playing games with people's livelihoods. It's unconscionable that the AMA traded their support for $210 billion.

The Congressional Budget Office has said that this bill will increase Medicare part B premiums to our Nation's seniors by $50 billion. This bill will add nearly a quarter of a trillion dollars to our Nation's exploding deficit. My constituents want to know how in God's name are we ever going to pay this debt down. I am one of the few Republicans who voted for PAYGO, and I'd like to see it being used instead of regularly waived as it is here.

This bill is fatally flawed, and I urge my colleagues to follow the lead of the Senate and reject this bill so we can work together on a solution.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Edward C. Blommel of Dade City, Florida. After 40 years of dedicated service to Tampa Electric Company and Pasco County, Edward has gracefully retired.

Born in Dade City on February 25, 1949, Mr. Blommel attended Pasco Hernando Community College. Today he is married to his wife of 35 years, Libby, and they have two grown children, Nancy and Nicholas.

Beginning his career with Tampa Electric at the age of 20 as a meter reader, Mr. Blommel eventually worked his way into management positions in customer service, energy services, and marketing. Later his responsibilities grew to include community relations, governmental affairs, and economic development for Pasco County in the areas of Dade City, San Antonio, and the town of St. Leo.

Mr. Blommel has been very active in Pasco County, having served on the boards of United Way of Pasco, Pasco Regional Medical Center, Jobs, Education and Partnership Boards in Pasco and Hernando Counties, Downtown Dade City Main Street, East Pasco Habitat for Humanity, and Pasco Education Foundation.

He has served on the Pasco Hernando Community College Foundation Board of Directors since 1998, which he chaired from 2006 to 2008. He also serves on the Dade City Redevelopment Advisory Committee and Pasco County MPO Citizens Advisory Council. In addition, he is the past president and an active member of the Dade City Rotary Club.

Mr. Blommel has championed county-wide economic development, always encouraging being locally united, as exhibited through his service to Pasco Economic Development Council, serving on its board since 1995, including its presidency in 1998.

Madam Speaker, it is public servants like Edward C. Blommel that keep our communities and towns running strong. His dedication and willingness to serve are admired and stand as a model to others. We thank Mr. Blommel for his service and wish him the best in his retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this job-killing bill that's estimated to cut 5.5 million jobs in America. It's not going to help health care, and the bottom line is Medicare is imperiled as a result of it.

I thank the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, the bill before us creates 111 different offices, bureaus, commissions, programs and entitlements, but it only cuts one-- Medicare. This bill steals more than $500 billion from our Nation's seniors to fund new entitlement programs for the young, the healthy and the wealthy.

My colleagues in the majority have boldly decided that cutting $500 billion from Medicare is a good idea. They actually are telling seniors that these cuts will improve Medicare in the future.

Well, Grandpa and Grandma might be old, but they are not stupid. You are not going to cut Medicare and tell them that it's a good thing.

The bottom line is that this bill is not real reform. Congress should be strengthening Medicare, not weakening the program. Just look at how bad the Federal Government has been historically in predicting health care costs. This bill will increase health care costs for all Americans and cut Medicare funding. Americans don't believe that yet another trillion-dollar program will cost them nothing.

Mr. Speaker, we all hear Speaker Pelosi say that she is a mother and a grandmother. Like Speaker Pelosi, I too am a mother and a grandmother. I can tell you that my constituents believe that this bill is bad for the middle class, bad for parents and grandparents and, even worse, for future generations.

I cannot support this bill. I urge my colleagues to reject it as well so that we can work together truly on a bipartisan solution. The President's own economic advisors have said that this bill will kill 5.5 million jobs. Americans back home are watching this and saying, What is Congress thinking? Why would they want to further sabotage our economy? This bill clearly is

not what America wants. They want an incremental approach. Nobody is defending health care as we know it. We are saying, let's fix what's broken.

I urge my colleagues to vote against this bill. It is dangerous for our economy. It is not something that every American needs, wants or can afford at this time.

Betty, a constituent of mine, recently told me that if it weren't for Medicare Advantage, she would be dead. You see, Medicare Advantage covers catastrophic costs traditional Medicare does not. The bill before us today seeks to eliminate that coverage for millions of seniors, but you have a chance to make it right here, ladies and gentlemen.

The choice on the motion is simple. You can put your seniors first or your trial lawyer contributors. A Member can vote to open up the coffers of the U.S. Treasury to trial lawyers or restore some of the cuts our seniors will suffer under the Pelosi bill and ObamaCare. Remember, this bill creates 111 new bureaucracies and entitlements, but the only one it cuts, ladies and gentlemen, the only one it cuts is Medicare. It's always been my position that any money cut from Medicare should be used to save Medicare, not to bail out the trial attorneys.

Democrats have denied seniors the protection they promised. They cut Medicare to create new benefits for the young, healthy, and the wealthy. We know where the Democrat leadership stands on this issue. The Speaker put her trial lawyer cash cows ahead of our seniors. AARP put their profits ahead of our seniors.

With this motion, you have a chance to restore some of our cuts. No excuses about this amendment killing the bill can be made. No word games can get you out of this. This has to be a vote for the seniors of America. Please remember your constituents will be watching.

This bill is a disaster for American families--it allows bureaucrats to make important medical decisions instead of doctors and patients.

As a wife, mother, and caregiver to my late husband, I--like 85 percent of women in America--am the primary care decision-maker in my home. I was for him as well as for my children. We need a health care system that provides quality, affordable health care so that we can have peace of mind in knowing our families are well taken care of.

Unfortunately, the bill that we will have before us later this week is one that empowers government bureaucrats and undermines a woman's ability to make the best health care choices for her and her family.

The bill creates 111 new Federal bureaucracies and 43 new entitlement programs. Instead of reforming health care, this bill expands government. Health insurance premiums will rise, taxes will increase, and seniors will lose many Medicare benefits.

When the Democrats wrote this health care bill, they not only left Republicans out of the process, but they left out consumers.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 831, recognizing the goals and ideals of National Adoption Day and Month.

As you know, November 21 will mark this year's annual National Adoption Day celebration. All across the country communities will gather together to celebrate the adoptions that have been finalized this year and those that we hope to finalize in the following year.

It is this spirit of community and family that makes National Adoption Day so effective and so very important in the lives of the Nation's nearly 500,000 foster children. Since the tradition began in the year 2000, over 25,000 children have joined families on this very important day.

As someone who gave birth to two children--and I also adopted an older, hard-to-place child--I know what having a family means to so many children, and in particular to older children. My oldest daughter, following in her mom's footsteps, she and her husband 1 year ago adopted a baby at birth. So whether it's at birth or when the child is older, it is a wonderful, wonderful experience for any family. I am happy to report that little Joey just celebrated his first birthday.

Although we don't often consider it, each year thousands of children also age out of the foster care system. Each year they grow older, it becomes harder and harder to place them with forever families. In so many cases, adoption is the key to breaking the cycle of abuse for children who would otherwise languish in dangerous homes.

Perhaps it goes without saying how important it is for children to grow up in loving and supportive families; yet, with thousands and thousands of children still being denied this most fundamental opportunity, Congress must do all that it can to support their efforts to find a home for these children.

As such, the Federal Government has rightly stepped in to relieve the financial burden on adoptive families and, in doing so, has made adoption more affordable to people of all income levels. But much still remains to be done. The resolution that we are considering today is an important affirmation and reaffirmation of our commitment to improving the lives of foster children everywhere.

I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their support and attention to this matter. If you don't think that taking a child into your home and loving that child makes a real difference, let me tell you something that my adopted daughter just told me this week. Now, remember, she was in a very, very poor situation as she was growing up. She told me that she met a man who epitomizes what her dad represented. Her dad was my deceased husband, Harvey Waite. So she learned what a true family man really was through our adoption.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no additional Members wishing to speak on this. I will just certainly agree with my colleagues that this is a very worthwhile resolution and one that I hope Americans who have room in their hearts and their homes to adopt someone will take very, very seriously. Adoption is a long process and one that should be taken very seriously, but it's one that has many, many rewards.

I would encourage my colleagues to vote in favor of this resolution.

I yield back the balance of my time.

General Leave