Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, Friday marks the annual March for Life, and I look forward to joining the thousands of constituents that will journey to Washington to be the voice of the unborn and champions for their protection. Without abortion, we can only imagine what cures, innovations, and discoveries we would have today from those aborted babies who did not grow up to fulfill the purpose that God had for them.

Our country is founded on the principles of Judeo-Christian ethics, including dignity of human life and life is an unalienable right. If we do not respect and protect the born and the unborn, all other values and morals are meaningless.

The dignity of human life is the first principle of any civilized society. Abortion is contrary to one of the basic foundations in this great Nation of equal rights for all and special exemption for none. Abortion is contrary to the beliefs held by most Americans that it is right and moral to help those who are in need and vulnerable. The innocent unborn are among the most vulnerable.

Thank you to the hundreds of thousands who will be in Washington on Friday to march for this country's most vulnerable, the unborn.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to address the largest threat that confronts every man, woman, child, and us collectively as a Nation: $16 trillion in national debt. This massive debt that is carried by the Nation grows larger each and every day.

Americans should be united that the overspending and reckless financial unpaid loans has created a legacy of debt for all current and future generations of Americans. Americans are united that it is right to help those most needy and vulnerable.

Sadly, the debt prevents this Nation from fully meeting those needs. The annual interest alone is crowding out our ability to fund services for those most in need. National debt annual interest is a part of mandatory spending that consumes 60 percent of our yearly expenses. This crowds out important services and creates economic harm that costs Americans jobs.

It is time to work together to end the debt and provide a secure future for all Americans. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 325 that requires the Senate to pass a budget and allows no pay for Congress without a budget.

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

I want to thank the gentleman from Georgia for hosting this hour and an opportunity to recognize and thank a good friend, Jay Pierson, who started his work in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1978 in the Office of the Journal Clerk under then- Majority Leader John Rhodes, where he learned the intricacies of the House and legislative procedures while keeping official minutes in this Chamber.

In 1979, he began working in the Republican Cloakroom, where he remained for 7 years before beginning a new position as floor assistant to the Republican Leader in 1986. Since then, Jay has served, as many have said, as floor assistant to three Speakers of the House, including Newt Gingrich, Denny Hastert and the current Speaker, John Boehner.

In a career that has spanned almost 35 years, Jay has served an invaluable role for so many Members in helping them to learn the ways of the U.S. House of Representatives, and I'm proud to be among those who have benefited from Jay's service and friendship and his leadership.

But Jay isn't just known for his expertise in parliamentary procedure. Jay is known to be an individual of substance and distinct professionalism. In fact, I personally would say he is the embodiment of a professional, which is why he is respected by Members on both sides of the aisle.

You wouldn't know it if you saw him in action, but Jay never expected to work in politics. He earned a B.A. in English literature from Westmont College, an M.A. in English literature from California State University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland. But life works in mysterious ways. Regardless, the U.S. House of Representatives has been blessed to have such a talented professional to help guide this institution.

Thank you, Jay Pierson, for your life of service to the U.S. Congress. This body and all of its Members wish you well in your retirement.

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Ryan Devlin of Brockway, Pennsylvania, on receiving the 2013 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year Award. Ryan is the youngest educator to receive this esteemed award. His recognition also marks the 2nd consecutive year in which the recipient is from the Fifth District of Pennsylvania, which I'm proud to represent.

In 2009, Ryan completed his master's degree in education at California University of Pennsylvania. The following year he was hired by the English Department at Brockway Area School District. Today, he teaches British literature, creative writing, digital media, and computer science, and also serves as the adviser to the senior high gifted program.

Ryan is a teacher that goes above and beyond, a characteristic he has demonstrated year after year. For example, he's played an active role in introducing new technology to both students and staff and has worked to develop 21st century learning skills in a classroom environment that fosters creativity, innovation, and critical thinking. Most importantly, Ryan works tirelessly to help his students achieve success in the classroom.

Ryan Devlin, thank you for your commitment to the teaching profession. Congratulations.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Mr. Dave White, chief of the Natural Resource Conservation Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. After a career with NRCS that spanned nearly four decades, this week he announced his plans to retire.

Chief White has spent his career working to improve the Nation's land management policies and practices. Over the years, Dave has been an indispensable resource of experience and knowledge, from helping to craft the 2008 farm bill conservation title, to his leadership in implementing and improving these programs at NRCS.

Dave's work has helped the Nation achieve our shared objectives for sustaining agriculture and the natural resources upon which we all depend.

One area in particular is voluntary incentive-based conservation programs where Chief White has delivered a demonstrated track record in leveraging resources to maximize limited resources. In my home State of Pennsylvania, these efforts are helping to improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, while also keeping farms profitable and ensuring that these farms remain in agriculture over the long term.

I want to thank Dave White for his dedicated service. Best of luck in your retirement, Chief.

Mr. Speaker, this week another American energy-producing company announced plant closures and worker layoffs, citing the Obama administration's authoritarian regulatory regime in part as a rationale for its decision.

Yesterday Alpha Natural Resources announced closures of eight coal mines in three States, one of which is located in the Fifth Congressional District of Pennsylvania, which I'm proud to represent. Company officials, in announcing the closures, cited ``a regulatory environment that's aggressively aimed at constraining the use of coal.''

The decision will result in layoffs of 1,200 workers and an immediate 400 jobs lost in Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania.

The fact that the coal industry is facing tough times isn't news. They have other energy competitors, including natural gas, and challenges with coal transport costs, energy, and labor costs. The issue that's newsworthy is the additional burden being placed on American employers during such difficult and tough economic times.

The administration's announced intentions to eliminate coal, our most abundant natural resource, from our fuel mix, with no clear plan to replace it with any effective alternative, has taken a significant toll on employers and individuals across my home State.

Here are several news headlines of closures and layoffs in my home district from the past several months:

September 18 headline: ``Alpha Natural Resources closing eight coal mines.'' Twelve hundred companywide layoffs and an immediate 400 jobs cut in Virginia, West Virginia, and my home State of Pennsylvania.

August 30 headline: ``Another round of Joy workers laid off,'' The Derrick:

In August, Joy Mining Manufacturing in Franklin, Venango

County, Pennsylvania, posted another round of employee

layoffs, and 43 employees were notified they had been

furloughed from their jobs. The week before that, 19 others

were laid out. Joy Mining is the largest private-sector

employer in Venango County.

February 9 headline: ``Local Officials Respond to Shawville Power Plant Closure'':

GenOn Energy has about 80 employees at its plant in

Shawville, Clearfield County, and contributes roughly

$225,000 dollars annually in local taxes. GenOn offers jobs

not only through its plant but through Amphfire coal and

trucking firms, which means a loss of 100 to 200 workers in

it is next several years.

January 26 headline: ``FirstEnergy Shutting Down 6 Sites in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Maryland'':

In January, FirstEnergy announced that the new

environmental regulations led to a decision to shut down six

older coal-fired power plants in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and

Maryland, affecting more than 500 employees.

Coal operations are closing, forcing more workers into unemployment as countless indirect coal jobs have been put at risk because of the President's unwavering commitment to end coal. Our most abundant natural resource is a source of domestic energy.

In the aftermath of all these closures and job losses in my district, along with numerous across my State and the country, it is becoming increasingly clear that this administration expects the consumers of Pennsylvania to bear the costs of a poorly thought out, poorly defined, and poorly explained environmental agenda.

But it's not just a war on coal, it's a war on electricity and jobs. The shuttering of a record number of coal-fired power plants threatens thousands of

the 555,270 direct and indirect coal-related jobs that help supply America with nearly half of its generated electricity and pay $36 billion in wages.

The nonpartisan U.S. Energy Information Administration has all but confirmed the President's aggressive push against coal development with a report detailing a record number of coal-fired power plants to be closed this year, largely because of the burdensome regulations and other compliance costs. That's why this week the U.S. House will pass H.R. 3049, to push back on the President's commitment to end coal as a source of domestic energy and protect the countless jobs that have been lost or put at risk as a result of his politics.

H.R. 3049 includes the following package of bills: The Coal Miner Employment and Domestic Energy Infrastructure Protection Act, which bars the Environmental Protection Agency from issuing any regulation before December 31, 2013, that would adversely affect coal mining employment.

The Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act, which establishes State- level permitting programs for the storage of coal combustion residuals under the Solid Waste Disposal Act, which is now primarily used to regulate the management of municipal solid waste landfills and sewage landed fills.

The Energy Tax Prevention Act, which prevents the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases and any effort to address climate change.

The Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act, which prohibits the EPA from issuing a new or revised water quality standard when a State standard has already been approved by the EPA.

The Transparency in Regulatory Analysis of Impacts on the Nation Act, or the TRAIN Act, which creates an interagency committee to examine the effects of current and proposed Federal regulations on U.S. energy and manufacturing industries, U.S. global competitiveness, U.S. and energy prices.

Again, it's not just a war on coal; it's a war on the use of carbon- based fuels--coal, oil, natural gas--which supply over 80 percent of our energy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Lance T. Shaner of Centre County, Pennsylvania. This week, on September 13, 2012, Lance will be honored as the 2012 recipient of the Navy League of Central Pennsylvania's Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy Distinguished Citizen Award.

The Navy League of Central Pennsylvania is an organization dedicated to enhancing public awareness of the missions and challenges facing today's Armed Forces, as well as advocating for the well-being of the men and women who serve.

The Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy Distinguished Citizen Award is given to a nonactive duty person whose character, distinguished military or civilian service, and stature draw wholesome comparison to the qualities for

which the Navy League of Central Pennsylvania Council strives to promote.

Lance Shaner, chairman of the Shaner Group, is known throughout central Pennsylvania for his various community efforts, which include the Chamber of Business and Industry of Centre County, United Way, Centre Volunteers in Medicine, the Boy Scouts of America, the YMCA, Mount Nittany Medical Center, and many other programs that benefit our community.

I want to thank Lance Shaner for his service to our community, and I congratulate him on this distinguished award.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize and remember Joe Hartle--a friend and a lifelong farmer of Centre County, Pennsylvania, which is located in the Commonwealth's Fifth Congressional District.

Joe Hartle was a distinguished leader in both the agricultural and fair industries, and was a staple in the Centre County community. Sadly, he passed away in March of 2012.

First elected at the age of 17, Joe served on the Centre County Grange Fair committee for more than 60 years. For the past 25 years, Joe Hartle faithfully served as president of the Grange Encampment and Fair. Joe was instrumental in making the Centre County Grange Fair a showcase for agriculture with events to satisfy all ages. Through his leadership and hard work, the grange fair has become one of the leading fairs in the State. Held annually the week before Labor Day, the Centre County Grange Fair has become the largest encampment east of the Mississippi, and it highlights Pennsylvania's number one industry-- agriculture.

In addition to his work, family was always a very important part of Joe Hartle's life. He was married to his wife, Gladys, for 56 years. They had five children--Linda, Jan, Tom, Deb, and Betsy--and 11 grandchildren. I want to thank Joe for a life spent serving others and a legacy for Centre County that will live on for generations.

Rest with the Lord, my friend.

Madam Speaker, as cochair of the Career and Technical Education Caucus, I rise to recognize Mr. Carson Baird on his retirement from Penn State University's Learning Factory.

Carson Baird's background in motorsports started in racing while he proudly served in the United States Army. Following his service, he went on to hold the International Motor Sports Association Championship, three manufacturer championships, and three driver championships, having raced in classics such as the 24 hours of Daytona and the 24 hours at LeMans.

Since 1994, Carson Baird has served as supervisor of the Learning Factory, supporting the mission to bring the real world into the classroom by providing engineering students with hands-on experience through industry-sponsored projects. Carson Baird helped oversee an expansion of the Learning Factory that doubled its size, and in 2006, he was part of a team honored with the National Academy of Engineering's Gordon Prize for ``Innovations in Engineering Education.''

Carson Baird has applied his motorsports background to assist nearly 700 students on 150 projects that span 13 majors and engage students in five colleges.

I commend Mr. Carson Baird on his vision and dedication to tomorrow's engineers, and I wish him the best in his retirement.

Mr. Speaker, President Obama continues to pursue an energy agenda that is contrary to his all-of-the-above rhetoric. There is no better example than his administration's recently released 5-year offshore leasing plan.

According to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, the plan proposes a mere 15 lease sales over the next 5 years, which is the lowest number since 1980, when CRS began tracking that data. Instead of allowing the development of America's vast offshore oil and gas resources, the plan effectively imposes a moratorium on most development, a moratorium which Congress lifted nearly 4 years ago. The plan blocks drilling on 85 percent of the Outer Continental Shelf. Effectively, States which sought Federal approval will have to wait another 12 years before any production is possible.

Under current law, Congress has a 60-day review period to replace the President's plan. Last week, the House Natural Resources Committee passed H.R. 6082, a plan that will allow more development of our energy resources. Instead of a moratorium of a none-of-the-above energy policy, we should responsibly develop all of our resources for the long-term benefits of the American people.

Mr. Speaker, the American people deserve affordable and reliable energy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the dedication and hard work of the staff and volunteers of the Centre County Women's Resource Center, which has addressed the harms of domestic violence while promoting community safety in Centre County, Pennsylvania, since 1975.

The Women's Resource Center provides vital services to women, children, and men who have been victims of sexual assault and/or domestic violence. The continuum of services includes prevention, crisis intervention, education, and advocacy.

In 2010 and 2011 CCWRC served more than 1,000 victims with 24-hour confidential and free services for those victims of sexual assault, stalking, and domestic violence. The emergency shelter also provides counseling, legal and medical advocacy, and prevention programs.

Much of the Federal support the CCWRC receives has been through the Violence Against Women Act and the Victims of Crime Act, both of which I am proud to support.

Mr. Speaker, domestic violence is a national epidemic. The professional and caring staff of the Centre County Women's Resource Center is doing their part to raise awareness, assist victims, and make positive strides towards further prevention. Their efforts have not gone unnoticed or underappreciated, and set an example for how other communities can address domestic violence.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Allyn Lamb, the president and CEO of AgChoice, who will retire at the end of the year after decades of service to the agriculture community.

AgChoice is an agriculture credit association that provides a broad range of financial services to farmers and foresters all across Pennsylvania. Under Allyn's leadership, AgChoice has become a leading institution supporting the credit needs of farmers, as well as the mortgage credit needs of rural homeowners, for communities across the Fifth District of Pennsylvania and throughout the greater Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Even under a tough economy, AgChoice has consistently stayed financially sound while offering outstanding service and support to our agriculture communities.

With 32 years of service in the Farm Credit System, Allyn has spent his professional career as a champion for agriculture and the individual farmer. We owe him a great deal of thanks for his tireless work and his committed leadership.

I want to thank you for your service, Allyn, and wish you well in your retirement.

Mr. Speaker, prior to Congress, I spent nearly three decades as a professional in a nonprofit health care setting, and in health care there's a saying: Do no harm. Unfortunately, ObamaCare violates this principle.

The President promised that his plan would decrease annual premium rates for the average family; they've actually increased.

The law creates an employer mandate that provides a perverse incentive

for companies to drop their employees from health plans.

The law wastes money on so-called ``demonstration'' programs in order to conceal the law's scheduled cuts to Medicare Advantage, a blatant attempt to isolate the President from the political fallout from our Nation's seniors in November.

The administration insisted that failure to comply with the individual mandate would not result in a tax. Well, it's official. It's a tax.

The American people are fed up. Why? Another check was written that cannot be cashed, more promises were made that cannot be kept.

Mr. Speaker, we must protect the American taxpayer. We must prevent this policy from doing more harm. We must repeal this law.

Mr. Speaker, today, the House passed a bipartisan 1-year extension of the current interest rate for Federally subsidized student loans. This is a good things for students across the country. But as we celebrate this accomplishment, let's keep our eye on the larger picture. We wouldn't be worried about these interest rates if not for the fact that the economy is so weak and the cost of education is so high. According to the Department of Education, the savings will be $7 a month for the average Stafford loan borrower. While that might not seem like a lot, each dollar counts for a college graduate still searching for a good-paying job.

We can have a larger effect for students by working to repeal Federal unfunded mandates that drive up the cost of college tuition and by working to put the wheels back on the economy. As a member of the Subcommittee for Higher Education and Workforce Training, I'm committed to making that happen. Let's work together to ensure that students can achieve a quality education at a reasonable cost and get great jobs when they graduate. There's no better social program than a good-paying job.