Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to draw both awareness and support for Therapeutic Recreation Week, which runs from July 11 to July 17. The purpose of recreational therapy is to restore, remediate and rehabilitate, all of which help to improve and maintain the physical, cognitive, social, emotional and spiritual functioning of individuals facing life-changing disease and disability.

This week serves to raise awareness of therapeutic recreation programs, promote these opportunities for those in need, and recognize the dedicated services of certified therapeutic recreation specialists. These specialists are certified by the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification and serve a vital role in helping individuals facing disease and disability and helps them to achieve and maintain independence. Their services are both cost-effective and heartfelt.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the caring therapeutic recreation professionals for their selfless efforts to improve the lives of others, and encourage the public to take advantage of the many programs, workshops, presentations, lectures and receptions hosted in recognition of Therapeutic Recreation Week.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the rule.

We are supposed to be dealing with emergency spending. So I ask, what is the emergency in section 4172? That section strips my district of an Appalachian Development Highway System designation. I found out about this 24 hours ago. This designation is a connection between Philipsburg, Pennsylvania, and Interstate 80 in Clearville, Pennsylvania. This highway stretch has been codified in law for over 12 years.

Mr. Speaker, this is hardly an emergency situation. The situation with my district and this mysterious section 4172 is a clear indication of what is wrong with this rule and the breakdown in the process here in this House. It appears that ``emergency'' now just translates to a ``backroom deal.''

I urge my colleagues to vote in opposition to this rule.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a Penn State alumnus to congratulate the Lady Lions women's rugby team for clinching the national title. Their win this year marks the second consecutive national title and represents the team's first back-to-back titles in the program's history.

The Lady Lions defeated the Stanford Cardinals 24-7, overcoming such hardships as their lack of home field advantage and Stanford's domineering offense. The victory has drawn praise from such people as Graham Spanier, president of Penn State, and Jonathan Griffen, Stanford coach, who described them as ``a national powerhouse'' and ``unbeatable for the next 15 years.''

Deven Owsiany, a humble and skilled athlete and a rising senior at Penn State, was named the game's Most Valuable Player. As a star member of the team, Owsiany consistently lauds the dedication, camaraderie and attentiveness of her teammates. Her defensive efforts, along with the efforts of her teammates, allowed Penn State to hold the Cardinals scoreless until the last 3 minutes of the game.

Victories such as this one attest to the spirit of our youth and their potential to do great things. I extend my heartfelt congratulations and wish them luck in using their tough backline to defend the national title next year.

Mr. Speaker, the thing that people need across this Nation, from shore to shore today, more than anything else is jobs. Yet, the United States Export-Import Bank just recently made a decision that kills 1,000 new jobs. The recent U.S. Export-Import Bank denial of a loan guarantee to help finance the purchase of U.S.-made coal mining machinery by an Indian power company exposes the hypocrisy of the Obama administration and many in the environmental community.

According to its mission statement: ``The Export-Import Bank of the United States, known as Ex-Im Bank, is the official export credit agency of the United States with the mission to assist in financing the export of U.S. goods and services.'' Well, at least that's what it states.

The mined coal in India that the U.S.-manufactured machinery would have produced would be used for a new power plant in one of India's poorest regions.

A subsidiary of Reliance International Limited of India was to use the loan guarantee to buy $600 million worth of Wisconsin Bucyrus International mining machinery, which represents 1,000 U.S. jobs.

In a party-line vote of two Democrats to one Republican, the loan guarantee was turned down, not for economic reasons, but because it was contrary to the new White House policy of not funding ``projects with heavy carbon emissions,'' in this case a coal fired power plant.

One of the Democrat Members who voted against the loan said he was following President Obama's commitment to a clean energy future and voted against the loan because of the ``projected adverse environmental impact.''

If the two Democrats who denied the loan were at all interested in the environmental impact, they would have voted for the loan. Likewise for the President, who should overturn this denial. The decision will not help the environment. In fact, it damages the environment, contributes to poverty, and instead of creating U.S. jobs, as the President promised, destroys at least 1,000 of the United States' jobs.

Forty percent of India's 1.15 billion people have no access to the power grid. That is 1\1/2\ times the population of the United States. India is estimated to have one-third of the world's poor.

Without access to electricity, 70 percent of which is provided by coal, the challenge of daily life for 460 million of India's poor will remain as stagnant as their water, and they will have no choice but to continue to burn wood and dung for their energy sources.

As Barun Mitra, president of Liberty University of Delhi, India, stated, quote, ``The human health, economic, and environmental impact of burning these 'renewable fuels' is immense. Young children and women spend hours each day in the drudgery of collecting firewood or squatting in mud laced with animal feces and urine, to collect, dry, and store manure for use in cooking, heat, and light rather than attending school or engaging in more satisfying or productive economic activity. The refrigerators, televisions, computers that environmentalists take for granted are not to be seen here.''

Mitra further notes that the environmentalists conspicuously ignore the real risks that poor people face today, including indoor air pollution caused by burning, quote, ``renewable biomass fuel.'' Quoting the World Health Organization, ``More than half of the world's population rely on dung, wood, crop waste, or coal to meet their most basic energy needs. Cooking and heating with such solid fuels on open fires or stoves without chimneys leads to indoor air pollution.

Exposure is particularly high among women and children, who spend most of their time near the domestic hearth. Every year, indoor air pollution is responsible for the death of 1.6 million people. That's one death every 20 seconds. The use of polluting fuels poses a major burden on the health of poor families in developing countries such as India. The dependence on such fuels is both a cause and a result of poverty, as poor households often do not have the resources to obtain cleaner, more efficient fuels and appliances. Reliance on simple household fuels and appliances can compromise health, and thus hold back economic development, creating a vicious cycle of poverty.

According to the 2004 assessment of the International Energy Agency, the number of people relying on biomass such as wood, dung, agricultural residues for cooking and heating will continue to rise. I might add, especially if the Obama administration anti-coal policy continues.

If the President is serious about cleaning up the world's environment and creating American jobs, he should tell his followers at the U.S. Import-Export Bank to approve the loan guarantee. The irony is that the coal-fired generation plant will be built no matter the Obama policy, but U.S.-manufactured mining machinery won't be used thanks to the President and his followers at the congressionally-funded U.S.-job killing Import-Export Bank.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in warm congratulations for Dr. Joseph Grunenwald upon his retirement from Clarion University in Clarion, Pennsylvania.

Dr. Grunenwald faithfully served Clarion for more than 30 years, earning him such honors as the title of president emeritus from the Pennsylvania State system of higher education. He's one of five in the organization's 27-year history to receive this honor, which is awarded to those who exhibit an exemplary record of service. Under his leadership, Clarion's enrollment reached record levels, and the university saw marked improvement in its academic, community, and business programs.

In addition, Dr. Grunenwald serves on the boards of numerous community organizations, attesting to his sincere dedication to the welfare and advancement of Clarion. He is a true example of community service and steadfast effort and deserves to be praised and honored. I am sure that Dr. Grunenwald will continue to serve his community and foster positive progress.

Congratulations to Dr. Grunenwald. I wish you success and fulfillment in your years of retirement and look forward to working with Clarion University's 16th president, Dr. Karen Whitney.

I thank the gentlelady from Wyoming for hosting this very important hour on this very important need.

The number one issue right now, as you have very appropriately pointed out, is the growing and massive Federal debt. Independents in this country overwhelmingly identify the debt as being the biggest threat to the future well-being of this country.

As I travel around, and the fact that the Democratic majority has not even introduced a budget, the first time since 1976, I raise the question: America is really at a critical crossroads in history. We have a choice. We have a choice to continue the path of taxing, and spending, and borrowing, and the lack of transparency that will result in a choice between that and accountable government. So America really has a choice between becoming Greece or New Jersey.

And Greece, we have all witnessed the fiscal meltdown and chaos that resulted in that country as a result of the massive social spending and out-of-control government. And we've all seen most recently in the Garden State, with the election of accountable and transparent and fiscally responsible leadership, where that State has really started to put its house in order. So this is a little hard for someone who is a lifetime Keystone Stater to say I would choose New Jersey when it came between those two.

We have confirmed that the Federal budget plan for fiscal year 2011 really has been canceled. The cause? Washington Democrats' out-of- control spending spree. This is really a betrayal of hardworking American taxpayers. The House of Representatives has passed a budget every year since the Congressional Budget Act took effect in fiscal year 1976. To be completely accurate, there have been times under Democrats and Republicans when a finished budget was not passed by both Houses, but this is the first time that the House of Representatives has simply decided there's too much peril for the American public to see the numbers that they are pursuing. So they're going to stop the game before the coin is even tossed. We have more than $13 trillion in debt and a Presidential budget that puts the deficit at $1.6 trillion and spends $3.8 trillion. Even the Fed chairman, Ben Bernanke, said this debt is ``unsustainable.''

Now, faced with similar challenges in our personal budget--and that's something we families do around this country each and every day--there would be a talk around the kitchen table and the children's allowances would be cut, along with many other luxuries. It is that discussion that the majority party in this Chamber really seems only willing to have under the theory that if they ignore it, it'll go away, or frankly, if they ignore it, maybe the American people won't notice the massive amount of debt that has been accrued over these past 18 months. Unfortunately, the debt will not go away. It is a legacy of debt for our children and grandchildren. And the pain will be transferred to those future generations in the hopes that, frankly, they'll have the guts to face reality. So I thank the gentlelady for hosting this hour on a very, very important topic.

I thank the gentlelady for yielding.

You know, there is a very important number here that the American people need to identify with, and it's a number that brings it home. It's a number that's very personal in terms of personal responsibility, and that is over $40,000 per person. That's the amount of debt that each man, woman, and child in this country is responsible for. And that doesn't include entitlements. If we got into Medicare and Social Security, that number would be much larger. But just keeping it within the scheme of excluding entitlements, over $40,000.

Now, you look at the young people that we have today, and the fact is that we are not--we don't come to each American and collect a check. If we did that, it all would be divided up evenly. And that's a heck of a lot of money. That's a tremendous amount of debt to start your life out with for a young person.

But the fact is, that's not how we do things. You know, we kind of kick the can down the road, as I heard you use that phrase earlier. You know, we divide things up. You know, not everybody pays the same amount. And so this legacy of debt we are really following the next generation, our children, our grandchildren, future generations disproportionately. So what was $40,000 today will just grow exponentially.

And that legacy of debt is not a legacy--you know, there is not a generation that doesn't want to leave this country better than what we received from our parents. But we are failing. With this Congress, with this President we are failing at the legacy that we are leaving: today, in 2010, a debt of $40,000 per person.

Now, I really appreciate you pointing out AmericaSpeakingOut and the YouCut. YouCut is just a wonderful tool. It gives the American people voice. Because you know who the experts are in terms of cutting today? The experts at living within their means, of pulling that belt a little tighter? That's the American citizens and the American families. They are the ones that live within their means. They know that in difficult times you have to make difficult choices. That's called showing leadership. That is not something this Congress has done.

And so YouCut, and YouCut, it really is brand new. It's 5 weeks old. It hasn't been around that long. The gentlelady from Wyoming pointed out that you can access that through the Republican whip's Web site. And in the first 5 weeks we have identified over $100 billion in cuts to government. Now, that's the way to tighten the belt on the budget. And that's something the American citizens, the American families do each and every day. They live within their means.

And so that's what's so exciting about AmericaSpeakingOut and YouCut. This gives the American citizens a voice in this process. The Federal Government and the budget is not something that they are removed from. It's something that they have a voice, they are able to weigh in and share their ideas. And I can't wait to hear

what ideas they submit in the future. And as those ideas come in, they get vetted, they may see their ideas wind up on the YouCut list, where they will have a chance to really, they can vote, go in and pick on where are the next level of cuts that we should levy in terms of making sure that the Federal Government lives within its means just like the American families do.

So I thank the gentlelady for just pointing out those very important resources for the American citizens.

Well, I thank the gentlelady. Just the fact that we have, as our good friend from Florida pointed out, there are many nations across the western world that are working very hard to put their fiscal house in order. They have actually recognized that they have to stop the spending. They have to stop the borrowing. They can't be levying these tremendous taxes on the shoulders of their citizens. They have taken a better path, a path of fiscal responsibility.

Yet in this Congress, with our President, that's not a path we have taken. He went to the G-20 trying to encourage the other world leaders to spend more, to spend their way into prosperity. And really what you do when you spend too much, you spend your way out of prosperity. And, frankly, this is a country that we have always been the most prosperous Nation in the world, and we are on the wrong path to sustain that. That's something we need to change.

You know, when I travel home, people talk about the spending, they talk about the borrowing, they talk about the taxing. And the thing that they talk about most as a result of that is the word ``uncertainty'' and how this has created uncertainty within our economy. There are over 20 million small businesses in this wonderful Nation of the United States of America. And these small businesses were created and are grown by entrepreneurs who are willing to take a risk. They work hard, they work long days, they work most days. And many times they do that and take no revenue for themselves. They reinvest in their business to grow the business and grow more jobs and create jobs, family-sustaining jobs.

But today, because of the policies we've seen over the past 18 months, they choose--they are uncertain. They don't know what's coming next. Is it more health care mandates? Is it a premium on energy under cap-and-tax, cap-and-trade? Is it more taxes levied on small businesses? You know, many small businesses are organized as limited liability corporations in such a way that they have been the victim of the increased taxes that this Congress, the Democratic majority, has passed in the past 18 months; the burdens, the tripling the size of the Environmental Protection Agency, agencies such as that that put tremendous regulatory burdens on our job creators.

Well, this uncertainty has created--these folks are, you know what? They're sitting on the sidelines today because they're afraid of what's coming next. As opposed to being a company, an organization, that normally would take a good portion of their profits--and that's not a bad word; that is a good word--and reinvesting those profits--instead of taking those profits, they reinvest them in their company and grow the company; they buy new capital; they build new facilities; they hire more people--they're not doing that right now, and that's why any kind of an increase that we're seeing in rebound in unemployment, which obviously isn't much because we're just under 10 percent, it's been public. It's been all those temporary jobs of the census workers. It's been temporary jobs sustained by the stimulus. And yet the private sector has really been suffering under uncertainty, and the American people deserve better.

I just thank the gentlelady for hosting this hour this evening.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend the Grey Mare Society, a group of seven women friends who have been riding horses and mules together for as long as 30 years. They are over age 50 and still heading out on the trail together.

When one of their number developed breast cancer, they decided to do something to fight the disease. Across the country there are races and fundraisers, walks, and other proposals, but the Grey Mare Society decided to do what comes natural to them and ride. They came up with an organization, Ride the Trail to a Cure. They raised money for the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition and Breast Cancer Awareness of Cumberland Valley. The first annual Grey Mare Society trail ride was held on October 14, 2006. Seventy-seven riders from three States brought their horses to the Michaux Forest at Mont Alto, Pennsylvania for an 8-mile ride and they raised more than $10,000.

This year's ride will also be held in the Michaux Forest on Saturday, September 25. The group has the support of the Pennsylvania Equine Council and looks forward to another successful ride.

I congratulate these friends who use their love of riding to add resources to the search for a cure.

Mr. Speaker, Majority Leader Hoyer says, ``It isn't possible to debate and pass a realistic, long-term budget until we've considered the bipartisan commission's deficit- reduction plan, which is expected in December.''

Well, that means the Democrats do not plan to have a budget for this cycle. Is it any wonder the White House budget director, Peter Orszag, plans to resign next month? If the hard work of budgeting can be ignored by the majority in Congress when we're facing trillions of dollars in debt, then why worry about a budget at all? I guess there's no reason to propose a White House budget either. So Mr. Orszag must not feel needed at the moment.

It has always been clear to me that the power of the purse resided in Congress, not in a deficit-reduction commission. We all look forward to the ideas that may come from the commission. They may be inspired and the answer to our prayers, but the commission is not a reason for abdicating our current responsibility to the people of this Nation to start work now when reducing our debt.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor the young talent of Elaine Kang, a 16-year-old violinist from Port Matilda, PA.

This coming September, she will make her radio debut on NPR's ``From the Top,'' a critically acclaimed radio show that reaches 700,000 listeners each week. ``From the Top'' serves to honor the passion and tenacity of classical musicians under the mission of allowing young people to make a difference by showing who they are and what they can accomplish.

Elaine should be highly commended for developing this wonderful talent. With only 16 years behind her and many more ahead, she is well on her way to a fruitful career. She is a role model for many other young musicians, as well as her peers. The lessons of hard work and discipline are universal, and Elaine certainly promotes them. She has exhibited wonderful skill and her example shows the benefit of pursuing one's passions.

I wish Elaine the best of luck on her upcoming taping at the Majestic Theatre in Gettysburg, and I look forward to hearing her play.

Mr. Speaker, the House of Representatives has passed a budget every year since the Congressional Budget Act took effect in fiscal year 1976. To be completely accurate, there have been times under both Democrats and Republicans when a finished budget was not passed by both Houses. But this is the first time the House of Representatives has simply decided there is too much peril for the American public to see the numbers that they are pursuing, so they are going to stop the game before the coin is even tossed.

We have more than $13 trillion in debt and a Presidential budget that puts the deficit at $1.6 trillion and spends $3.8 trillion. Even Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke says this budget is, quote, ``unsustainable.''

Faced with similar challenges in your personal budget, there would be a talk around the kitchen table and the children's allowances would be cut, along with many other luxuries. It is that discussion that the majority seems unwilling to have under the theory that if they ignore it, it might go away. Unfortunately, the debt will not go away. The pain will be transferred to our children and grandchildren in the hopes that they will have the guts to face reality.

Mr. Speaker, as we continue to find out what is in the health care bill, the disappointments pile up.

The publication ``Politico'' reported on June 8, ``Part of the health care overall due to kick in this September could strip more than 1 million people of their insurance coverage, violating a key goal of President Barack Obama's reforms.''

These limited benefit plans provide insurance to part-time workers and retail and restaurant employees. The plans are called mini-med plans. They are priced low to impose a maximum on insurance payouts in a year and to restrict the number of covered doctor visits, according to the article. The current health care reform would prohibit these plans because there is a ban in the law on annual caps.

Employer and trade associations, like 7-Eleven, the National Restaurant Association, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, have asked that these low-cost plans be allowed to continue despite the law. In their letter, these groups explain that if the ban is strictly implemented, this population would likely be left with no coverage until 2014. We are talking about 1.4 million people who will not be allowed to keep their present insurance.

So much for promises.

Mr. Speaker, the DuBois Business College started teaching courses in DuBois, Pennsylvania, 125 years ago. They pride themselves on a small student-to-teacher ratio and a stellar success rate for students. From legal assistants to clinical medical assistants, the college has spent decades helping to move people into careers with a future and a good paycheck.

In 1996, the college opened branches in the nearby communities of Huntingdon and Oil City. Then, in 2001, a core group of eight veteran instructors and working administrators purchased the college and committed themselves to continuing the college tradition of excellence.

The college will be celebrating its anniversary throughout the year, but this weekend they'll hold an open house and tours of their newly remodeled facility and new student annex as a commemorative celebration.

In an area where there are no community colleges, DuBois Business College has filled a need over its history and continues to offer quality and affordable education in the fields of accounting, business management, medical, legal, information technology, graphic arts, computer applications, and even movie making.

It is my pleasure to congratulate this institution on its anniversary and to wish them continued success and growth.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Charles Cole Memorial Hospital in Coudersport, Pennsylvania, for winning a 2010 Achievement Award from the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania.

Charles Cole Memorial was among 17 winners chosen from a pool of 134 entries. Through their incredibly successful efforts to solidify their connection to the community, the Charles Cole leaders and staff showed the importance of transparency and accessibility in the health care field.

The hospital established five Community Benefit Advisory Committees as outlets for the community to become involved in planning, operations, and governance. Committees met several times, both regionally and as part of the organization, and continue to serve as integral team members and community correspondents for the hospital staff. Recent data, when compared to baseline data taken before the establishment of these advisory committees, showed improvement in every major field, including the image of the hospital, visibility in the community, and quality of care.

The hospital will continue this great program. And as a person who spent many years in the health care field, I understand the importance of this effort and hope to see Charles Cole Memorial Hospital continue to succeed in the future.

Mr. Speaker, this spring, in a small town in my district called Renovo, the Bucktail Area Junior/Senior High School dedicated its campus to another educational institution: Raymond H. Rathmell.

Mr. Rathmell was involved with the school for 42 years, first as a teacher, as assistant principal and then as principal. There are countless students and

parents whose lives he touched during his career.

The former principal is 87 years old, and he retired in 1986. He started out his education at Lock Haven State Teachers College in 1938, but served from 1942 through 1945 with the Army in World War II. Rathmell served in Europe for 9 months and became active in his American Legion post on his return. He returned to college and finished his bachelor's degree in 1947. It was that year that he began teaching at Renovo High School.

Over the years, he taught physical education, English, civics, history, arithmetic, biology and related sciences. As principal, he was the person who was involved in nearly all aspects of the design and construction of both Bucktail Area High School and of Renovo Elementary.

Naming the campus after Rathmell is a fitting tribute to his life dedicated to educating children.

Mr. Speaker, the headline in the Los Angeles Times read, ``Budget Woes? Just don't pass one.'' Now that's a novel idea.

There must be all kinds of problems that Congress can ignore. I think that we can apply it to a number of things that are happening right now: Oil spill woes? Think about it tomorrow. Fannie and Freddie problems? Maybe a solution next year. Entitlement spending out of control? Just don't think about it. It's too bad our constituents don't have the same luxury of ignoring their budgets.

The national debt currently is $12.36 trillion. The President's budget calls for $3.8 trillion in Federal spending, which will put the deficit at $1.6 trillion. These are numbers the majority wants to keep quiet. In my mind, it would behoove the majority to take a look at the spending and take an honest look at how to get it under control. Instead, the President has asked for the power of the line-item veto. It would seem to me that we could do a good job with a red pencil if the majority would allow it. But that would be real work right now, and apparently we don't do that.