Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Maitland Keiler, one of my accomplished constituents who dedicated his life to improving health services in his community and beyond.

Mr. Keiler was born in 1933 in Royal, Florida to Will and Melbira Keiler. In the early 1970's, he moved to Apopka, Florida where he earned a living picking oranges. He then met four Catholic sisters who had worked to found a health clinic for farmers and migrant workers in the area, the West Orange Farmer's Clinic. Working with the sisters and at the clinic began a new chapter in Mr. Keiler's life. He eventually became one of the first African-Americans appointed to serve on the board of the West Orange Farmer's Clinic.

Wishing to bring similar services to his community which was also in dire need, Mr. Keilier approached Mr. Ellery Gray, director of the West Orange Clinic, about opening a clinic in Sumter County. In collaboration with the county, Mr. Grey and Mr. Keiler succeeded in opening ``Project Health'' in 1974. Once a simple, modest clinic, Project Health is today the Thomas E. Langley Medical Center. The Center has expanded to more than 41,000 square feet of combined medical, dental, behavioral health, radiology, pharmacy and administrative services

Madam Speaker, men and women like Meitland Keiler are the ones truly making a difference in their communities because of their passion and their drive. Mr. Keiler's story should serve as an inspiration to others, and I am proud to know that one of my constituents worked so hard to make his dream a reality and the lives of his fellow citizens better and healthier.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor an American hero and distinguished recipient of the Presidential Unit Citation. Mr. Edward J. Tinney of Spring Hill, Florida was a proud member of the Alpha Troop, First Squadron, 11th Armored Calvary Regiment in South Vietnam. The unit was awarded the rare and prestigious citation in recognition of their determination under extremely dangerous and hazardous conditions.

In 1970 in the Republic of South Vietnam, Mr. Tinney's unit distinguished itself through a series of daunting combat missions over many months. After a five-year review, the Department of Defense recommended this small unit for the Citation, a very rare honor. The professional skill and personal devotion displayed by Mr. Tinney and his unit reflect their immense commitment and sacrifice.

Since its inception in 1941, the Citation has been awarded fewer than 100 times to include the Second World War, the Korean War, the Cold War, the war in Vietnam, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Afghanistan and only five units as small as Mr. Tinney's have received the Citation. To be singled out in this manner is a distinct honor.

Madam Speaker, soldiers like Mr. Tinney should be recognized for their service to our nation and for their commitment and sacrifices in battle. I am honored to congratulate Mr. Tinney and his unit on their long overdue Presidential Unit Citation. His family, friends and loved ones should know that we truly consider him one of America's heroes.

I thank the gentleman for yielding. And I also thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for the speedy consideration of this bill.

I rise today in support of H.R. 1516, which is the bill that I introduced to rename the post office in Dade City, Florida, after Sergeant Marcus Mathes. Marcus was a resident in my district who gave his life for his country while serving in Iraq.

Inspired by the events of September 11, Sergeant Mathes joined the Army and left for boot camp on his 23rd birthday. He was proud to serve and hoped to make a career out of his service in the Army.

Before serving in Iraq, Marcus was deployed to Afghanistan for a year and a half. He volunteered in not one, but two very dangerous war zones to protect the freedoms that all Americans hold dear.

While repairing an equipment truck outside Baghdad 1 year ago this week, Marcus was struck and killed by enemy rocket fire. His brother- in-law, who was on patrol with Marcus at the time, recovered his torn Bible from the battle scene, which gave his brother-in-law strength throughout his multiple tours.

Marcus leaves behind a young widow, Julia Mathes. All the people of Pasco County, where Dade City is located, mourn his passing. My heart goes out to this brave, young widow who stood behind her husband when he made the decision to serve our Nation in its time of need.

Julia remembers that she used to visit the Dade City Post Office to mail packages to her husband in Baghdad. By passing this bill, we can make sure that all who visit the post office will remember Marcus and the sacrifices that he made. I hope that the very simple act of renaming this building will memorialize Marcus' brave and selfless life.

Sergeant Mathes epitomized the courage and patriotism of our all- volunteer military, and we must never forget his sacrifice. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Madam Chair, I rise today in opposition to the majority's Budget Resolution.

cap and Trade

The majority and President Obama's budget proposal calls for the passage of Cap and Trade legislation.

The President estimates that the auction associated with Cap and Trade will bring in more than $640 billion.

The administration admitted that number would be more like $1 trillion and possibly as high as $2 trillion.

Cap and Trade is a regressive tax because those with less income spend more of their paychecks on energy.

This plan will raise taxes on an average family by $1,600 annually.

Furthermore, if the United States acts without the support of China and India, Cap and Trade will only force more jobs out of the country.

Beyond the loss of jobs, Cap and Trade will tax every American for using energy.

Size of Deficits/National Debt

If raising your taxes by $1,600 a year wasn't enough; President Obama and the Democrat Majority's budget resolution will increase your share of the national debt by more than $20,000 in four short years.

Today, every American's share of the National Debt is $36,000.

By the end of President Obama's first term in office, the national debt will have exploded to $54,000 per American.

This is a picture of my grandchildren. If you want to saddle your children and grandchildren with this type of debt then I would encourage you to vote for the majority's budget resolution.

If you do not, there is an alternative way forward. The Republican budget alternative taxes you less, spends less and borrows much less.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak about H.R. 745, the Pancreatic Cancer Research and Education bill, which I introduced together with my colleague, Anna Eshoo.

I just came from a meeting of the Pancreatic Cancer Network, and they are going to be lobbying on the Hill for additional funding for pancreatic cancer research, which is exactly what this bill does.

Many in this chamber and many in my district know that my husband passed away from pancreatic cancer last August 19. This is a very, very special bill to me, because we will have the kind of funding so that there can be an early warning detection system for those who may have pancreatic cancer. Catching pancreatic cancer in the early stages is absolutely necessary. So, again, that bill is H.R. 745.

I was a little disillusioned to hear one of the people who was at this event today tell me that when they went to their Member of Congress, their Member of Congress said, ``Well, I am sorry, but you are a special interest group.'' Yes, they are a special interest group. They lost a loved one to pancreatic cancer.

I urge my colleagues to please listen to the family members of those who have lost loved ones to pancreatic cancer.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I rise today in support of H.R. 1377, a commonsense bill to reimburse veterans for emergency treatment in non-VA facilities. Our first Commander in Chief, George Washington, once said that the willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, will be directly proportional to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their country. Taking care of those who have sacrificed for our Nation is truly our sacred duty. It is a national promise that goes back to Presidents Washington and Lincoln. Yet a couple of weeks ago, President Obama proposed billing veterans for treatment of combat-related injuries. Although the President announced that he was rescinding this proposal, it is nonetheless alarming to our veteran population.

The courageous Americans who have served our country should know that all of us recognize their sacrifice, and this bill by Representative Filner will go a long way in doing just that.

Back in Florida, I represent over 110,000 veterans, the second highest number of any Member of Congress. Many of these brave men and women are disabled either in battle or in the course of their service to the United States military. Yet, veterans in my district must frequently travel long distances to obtain care from a VA facility. As a result, those requiring emergency care must seek treatment in a private or a community-run hospital. Passage of this bill will ensure that veterans are not saddled with massive emergency room bills.

I thank my colleague, Mr. Filner, for introducing H.R. 1377. And I would hope that all Members of this body can support such a worthy message of support for our veterans.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1513, the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2009. Previously, I served on the Veterans' Committee for 6 years, and I'm very glad to see Chairman Filner and Ranking Member Buyer doing this fine work this year, as they did in the 2 years that I was on the last time.

While all veterans made sacrifices for our Nation, those men and women who were disabled during their service must receive proper benefits in order to meet their care. Disabled veterans have given their blood, sweat and tears on battlefields from Germany to Japan, from Korea to Vietnam, from Iraq to Afghanistan.

In this time of economic turmoil, it is vital that Congress preserve the cost-of-living adjustment to help disabled veterans. Indeed, with rising prices and falling home values, it's more important than ever that the needs of veterans be adequately funded.

The cost-of-living adjustment means that veterans will be better armed with the resources that they need to survive in our communities.

As President Lincoln said in his second inaugural address, government's obligation is, and I quote, ``to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and orphan.'' It is our sacred obligation to care for those injured while in the service.

I thank my colleague from Arizona for introducing this bill. And I urge all of my colleagues to support its passage.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a true public servant who dedicated nearly two decades to serving her community. Mrs. Carolyn Risher, long time mayor of Inglis, Florida will retire this week after 18 years of public service.

Born and raised in Inglis, Mayor Risher's dedication to the town of Inglis is deep seeded. She followed her father's example, first serving as Road and Bridge Commissioner before being elected mayor in 1993.

Fondly known as a ``Working Mayor,'' Mayor Risher led by example as hands-on manager, from helping neighbors in the aftermath of hurricanes to raising funds for the annual community Fourth of July celebration. Without Mayor Risher's efforts, the South Levy Recreation Park would not be what it is today.

Mayor Risher cherished her roles as wife, mother and mayor. Married for 50 years, Carolyn and James Risher are parents to five children and eight grandchildren, many who live in the area and will continue the family's involvement in their community.

Madam Speaker, it is public servants like Mayor Risher who keep our communities and towns running strong at home. Her dedication and willingness to serve are admired and stand as a model to others. We thank her for her service. She may no longer be Mayor, but Mrs. Risher will not be forgotten and will surely be missed.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a man who dedicated many years and his final days to serving his community. Sumter County Commissioner Mike Francis passed away after a months long struggle with an illness. At a young 70, Mr. Francis was taken too soon.

Originally from Chicago, Mr. Francis first served as a Lady Lake Commissioner before being elected Sumter County Commissioner in 2004. A principled and passionate leader, he served as Chairman of the County Board in 2006 and 2007.

Mr. Francis was one of the first from The Villages to serve on the board. He was a tireless and vocal advocate for issues related to the Villages. He fought to reduce taxes for the community and promoted increased fiscal accountability county wide.

A well-loved family man, Mr. Francis leaves behind his wife Pat. The Francises have five grown childred, including one foster child, and seven grandchildren.

Madam Speaker, it is public servants like Mr. Francis that keep our communities and counties running strong at home. His dedication and willingness to serve are admired and stand as a model to others. We thank him for his service. He will be missed.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, a recent headline read ``AIG is a P.I.G.'' And that's exactly the way that most Americans feel.

The TARP bill, however ill-thought out, was intended to slow the bleeding of our economy. Instead, that money is being used to line the pockets of the very crooks that drew the first blood. You know it and I know it and the American people know it.

However, what the American people do not know is who put that provision in the economic stimulus bill to ensure AIG's ability to pay out these outrageous bonuses. I don't know the answer to that. Was it Senator Dodd? Well, just yesterday he said, no, he did it at the behest of the Obama White House. We need to remember this. The American people deserve to know who knew what, when they knew it.

We all agree that the fat cats at AIG shouldn't be rewarded for their irresponsible actions, and we'll take care of that today. But there are bigger questions.

This Member from Florida voted against the stimulus bill. However, most Democrats on the other side voted for the stimulus bill. And it's amazing that now they are so concerned and so shocked about a provision that was put in the bill that they fostered that never went through the Ways and Means Committee, on which I serve. We held a very brief briefing on it, but we did not get to vote on it. We did not get to put any amendments onto it.

I would at this point yield to the gentlewoman handling the bill on the other side, Ms. Pingree, to ask her, who had the opportunity to vote against it, why she didn't.

Reclaiming my time, I don't believe that the gentlewoman responded to the question.

We're here today to remedy something that you had the opportunity to vote against, you and your colleagues had the opportunity to vote against. That language was in there.

Mr. Speaker, let me quote from a meeting with the editorial board at the San Francisco Chronicle that then-candidate Barack Obama had in January of 2008. He said, ``under my plan of a cap-and-trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket. This will cost money. They will pass that money on to consumers.''

Well, ladies and gentlemen, unfortunately, the President's cap-and- trade plan, or as many people call it, the cap-and-tax plan, does exactly that.

There was a recent study conducted by MIT, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and it was able to assess the fact that a total energy bill for the average household will increase over $3,000. As a matter of fact, it will be up by $3,128 per year. According to CBO testimony, those figures actually will relate.

Mr. Speaker, can you believe that President Obama wants to start charging wounded veterans for their treatment?

Our first Commander-in-Chief, George Washington, once said, ``The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their country.''

Taking care of those who have sacrificed for our Nation is, I believe, our sacred duty. It is a national promise that goes back to Presidents Washington and Lincoln. President Obama actually acknowledged this during his campaign when, on the floor of the Senate on April 10, 2007, he said these are soldiers who fought in World War II, Korea, Vietnam and Iraq. They made a commitment to their country when they chose to serve, and we must now keep our commitment to them.

I could not agree more with those words. But in the meantime, as we all know, he was elected. Yesterday, we learned that President Obama plans to move ahead, despite what he said on the floor of the Senate, and start to charge veterans private insurance for the treatment of combat-related injuries.

Let no one be mistaken that the President's plan breaches the moral responsibility the Commander-in-Chief owes to veterans wounded on the field of battle. It is a breach of our national promise, and we should not let this stand. The proposal is outrageous and beyond belief. The men and women he proposes to charge are those injured on the field of combat. These are people who sacrifice not only their sweat and tears, but their flesh and blood so the American dream can be protected.

Mr. Speaker, what must the average American think? Just recently, the criminals at AIG received hundreds of millions of dollars in bonuses paid by the taxpayers. Is the President now seriously considering balancing a $1.7 trillion deficit on the backs of veterans? To do so would be a great insult to anyone who ever wore the uniform of this great country.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor an American hero and Distinguished Flying Cross recipient, Major Robert P. Christiansen of Homosassa, Florida. His extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial combat flight during an engagement in Southeast Asia in 1968 and his service to our Nation will forever be remembered by this Congress. Mr. Christiansen bravely encountered dangerous and life-threatening events during his time in the Air Force.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Mr. Christiansen graduated from West Point in 1957. He bravely served our country as a fighter pilot for the next 15 years, including service in Southeast Asia. On May 1, 1968, Mr. Christiansen bravely participated in an aerial combat mission.

On that night, Mr. Christiansen and his navigator bombardier dutifully responded to an urgent call to attack a convoy of hostile vehicles in a heavily defended and strategically important area. Mr. Christiansen made three attacks and was credited with destroying five vehicles and causing two significant secondary explosions. The professional skill and personal devotion displayed by Mr. Christiansen reflect his immense commitment and sacrifice.

Madam Speaker, soldiers like Robert P. Christiansen should be recognized for their service to our Nation and for their commitment and sacrifices in battle. I am honored to congratulate Mr. Christiansen on his long overdue Flying Cross award. His family, friends and loved ones should know that we truly consider him one of America's heroes.

I thank the gentlelady from Illinois.

Last week I had some folks in town from Florida, and they didn't get to see snow very often obviously living in Florida. And when they came here, it was about some of the tax issues. And they were darn mad, the same way that Mrs. Blackburn's constituents were. And when they came into my office, I said to them, ``so what do you think about the snow?'' They said, ``do you mean the snow job of the stimulus package and then the budget that the President came out with?''

These are small business owners who are very concerned about their ability to stay in business. We all know that the majority, about 80 percent of jobs created recently over the last 8 and 10 years, have been from small businesses. And they realize that they are the ones who are going to be hit very hard by President Obama's proposed tax increases.

This chart clearly shows the 2010 tax increases that are proposed by President Obama. It shows cap-and-trade, which most business people call ``cap-and-tax,'' at $646 billion increase, small businesses and investors, the red color, $635 billion tax increase, and other tax increases, about $149 billion. Now, where are those tax increases going to come from? Obviously by taxing the small business person. We have heard about how the higher tax won't affect anyone earning less than $250,000. The truth of the matter is that it is actually at the $200,000 level, that is the level at which the Obama tax increases begin to take effect for small business owners filing as singles.

My husband and I owned a few businesses. And we were always what is called a Subchapter S corporation. And a Subchapter S corporation, or a partnership, or a limited liability, LLC, at the end of the year, they take the profits, and they add it to their income, and they pay income tax based on that. Well when you combine a hoped-for profit as a Subchapter S corporation or a partnership and you add it to whatever income you may have drawn from the business or your spouse may have brought from another job, you're at the $250,000 level, very, very quickly. But if you're a single taxpayer, it is $200,000. We don't hear a lot about that. We only hear about $250,000, which to the average person sounds kind of like a lot of money. But we must remember that over 3 million taxpayers with small business income actually earn more than $250,000. That is the level at which these tax increases are going to take effect. These, again, are the people back in our districts. These are the Barbara Manzis in my district. She has a metal fabrication business. And you cannot continue to tax these job-creating small businesses out of existence.

A constituent sent me a cartoon. It happens to be the Wizard of Id. And it is someone running for office. And in this, it says, ``what are you offering the peasants in your election speech today?'' And the politician goes on to say, ``nothing they can afford to refuse. Elect me and I promise free health care, free housing, free clothing, food stamps and jobs for everybody.'' And then he asks the crowd, ``are there any questions?'' And someone yells out from the crowd, ``who needs a job?''

Well, that is exactly where we are going in this country with some of the tax policies. If everything out there is ``for free,'' and you have the President and my colleagues on the other side of the aisle saying that we need to have some people in this country just paying a little bit more, I'm sure that my colleagues forget that many of the taxpayers in these top two income tax brackets earn significant portions of that income from being a major employer. So we are going to really end up taxing those who create the jobs.

I did a telephone town hall last week in my district. And when you do a telephone town hall, you don't select just people in your own party. In my case I do it by county, county by county. And we call individuals and we try to ask them their opinion. Overwhelmingly, whether it was a Republican or a Democrat or an independent, the President's budget was not popular, nor was the stimulus package. The concern was that it really did not help small businesses. And in my district, I don't have major employers. The majority of the employers in my district are either health care, remember this is Florida, are either health care, government, or small businesses. So we are going to limit it to the previous two, because under the Obama Democrat tax plan, we are going to be putting a lot of these small businesses out of business at a time when they are struggling to stay alive in this economy.

The folks back home quite honestly don't understand how this phenomena can be, how people think that they can tax their way out of this declining economy. Because all increased taxes are going to do is make sure that the declining economy continues. And that is pretty darn sad.

We also on this chart had some figures for cap-and-trade. What cap- and-

trade is going to do, most people call it cap-and-tax, is it is going to raise taxes on small businesses. It is going to raise energy costs on small businesses and certainly on residents at a time when people are already struggling. I go home every weekend to the Fifth Congressional District. And people up there say things like, ``are you the only sane one there who is voting against this?'' I assure them that my colleagues, like the gentlelady from Illinois, the gentlelady from Tennessee and many other Members are concerned and are also voting against it. What we are going after here is trying to bring some common sense and help for small businesses.

Unfortunately, President Obama's wealth distribution plan would not even cover the increased energy costs associated with his cap-and-tax, or cap-and-trade, plan. It is really cap-and-tax plan. It is a tax plan, ladies and gentlemen.

Americans fear that we are going down the road to socialism. And I recall Margaret Thatcher's comment about socialism, and that is, the problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money. Unfortunately, with the budget that the President has proposed, the TARP spending, deficit spending, the proposed budget and the stimulus package, I believe, and I know that the gentlelady from Illinois believes, that we are headed down to a path of possible socialism.

That, my colleagues, is not acceptable. And that is not what our American economy needs at this time.

With that, I will yield back to the gentlelady from Illinois.

I thank the gentlelady from North Carolina.

Mr. Speaker, when a bank forecloses in a neighborhood, it certainly affects the values of the surrounding homes. But when a bankruptcy judge arbitrarily breaks the mortgage contract, it will lower values on houses everywhere. I rise today in opposition to the rule and also to the well intended but tragically flawed bill.

The Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009 may live up to its name for a few people and for a very short time, but it does not stop home prices from falling. That, Mr. Speaker, is exactly what must happen for the economy to recover.

Nobody here wants to see his or her constituents lose their homes to foreclosure, but it is our responsibility, as leaders, as Members of Congress, to make sure that the laws we passed don't have severe, unintended consequences. As most economists agree, two things are causing housing prices to fall, first home builders overbuilt and there was a glut on the market, and the demand did not keep up with the supply.

Second, as long as perspective buyers expect prices to fall, they will continue to hold out buying. In doing so, there is a self- fulfilling prophecy here.

And like the two clauses of this crisis, this bill will have two consequences. Banks will most certainly require much higher down payments for future borrowers. Instead of 5 or 20 percent, borrowers will have to come up with, perhaps, 40 or 50 percent. Why, because of the uncertainty of is this amount of the mortgage going to hold?

Second, banks will certainly charge a higher interest rate than they do today. Under normal circumstances, some might consider that a good thing. But if this bill becomes law, the House prices will fall further, faster, and the economy will certainly follow.

As we have seen, many more people will lose their livelihoods and find themselves in a foreclosure. And, tragically, the families this legislation was supposed to help will find themselves underwater again. This is incredible danger here, and I urge my colleagues to vote against the rule.