Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, a new Gallup poll says that 39 percent of Americans want their Member of Congress to vote against a health care overhaul while 37 percent want their Representative to support it. An Associated Press poll shows 49 percent oppose a health care overhaul. The numbers show a deep division in the Nation, one that was evident in August townhall meetings where the American people had their say. These were people who took the time to read the House bill and decide against it because of cost, complication and controversy.

Yet there are elements in all the proposals before Congress on which people can agree, and it's time to go back to the drawing board and be inclusive. As a former health care provider, I'd very much like to be a part of the solutions that will help the situation without breaking the bank. Tort reform is a must to reduce the cost of health care. Allowing insurers to compete across State lines will increase competition and thereby lower costs. Addressing workforce issues is crucial as baby boomer doctors, nurses and technicians retire.

Let's look at the approximately 13 million Americans out of 303 million who don't have an option for insurance and find a way to help the population that actually needs our help.

Mr. Speaker, in July we celebrate National Therapeutic Recreation Week. And therapeutic recreation or recreational therapy embraces a definition of health, which includes not only the absence of illness, but extends to enhancement of the physical, cognitive, emotional, social, and leisure development.

This caring profession touches the lives of individuals facing life- changing disease and disability all across the Nation. These services are provided by professionals nationally certified by the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification as certified therapeutic recreation specialists.

Every day, countless individuals face rebuilding lives as a result of disease and disability. These individuals benefit from compassionate and cost-effective care of a certified therapeutic recreation specialist. Recreational therapy ultimately aims to improve an individual's functioning and keep them as active, healthy, and independent as possible.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the caring professionals of the therapeutic recreation profession for the services and care that they provide every day.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlelady from North Carolina for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the rule and the underlying legislation. This bill was brought to the floor yesterday under an expedited rule in order to push the measure through with minimal debate. The bill failed to pass under a two-thirds vote, and that is why we are considering it again today.

I have three main objections to the bill in its current form: the cost to our farmers, the jurisdictional overreach of FDA, and the process the majority has taken to bring this to the floor today.

Let me begin by saying that food safety is among the highest priorities of our farmers, the USDA and the Agriculture Committee. In my view, having a safe and abundant domestic food supply is a crucial public health matter and it is equally imperative to our national security.

Although America has the safest food supply in the world, there are clearly improvements that need to be made to our system. However, this legislation is not a step in the right direction. The bill would do little, if anything at all, to improve food safety, yet will have a substantial impact upon the Nation's 2.2 million farms, many of which are family owned and operated.

Specifically, I am concerned with the increased costs this bill will charge farms in the form of unnecessary fees and registrations. Farmers will not be able to sell their products without paying expensive annual registration fees. Enacting this legislation could place significant new financial and administrative burdens on the Food and Drug Administration. The bill provides the FDA with more regulatory authority over farming activities, when currently such activities are already regulated by the agriculture experts at USDA.

USDA is doing great outreach work on food safety and has a presence in every county across this country. In other words, USDA already is doing a great deal of work on improving food safety, and therefore food safety does

not need to be additionally regulated by the FDA. I admit that some modest steps were taken to improve the bill, specifically regarding livestock and row crops, but the minor improvements did not go far enough to improve the overall bill.

The United States Department of Agriculture has a strong record. They work hard to partner with industry, they work hard to provide mechanisms for consumer input, and they work hard on consumer education regarding food safety. Frankly, my confidence lies with the USDA rather than the FDA.

I also have substantial concerns with the process taken to bring this measure to the floor. This legislation bypassed regular order and was not considered by the committee of jurisdiction. This legislation has the greatest impact on our farmers, but never received consideration by the committee tasked with agricultural oversight.

I again strongly urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the rule.

Mr. Speaker, I agree with President Obama when he says there's a need for affordable health care.

Mr. Speaker, a trillion-dollar plan is not affordable, particularly when it leaves millions of Americans without insurance.

The Republican health care plan offers a solution for all Americans for health care access, affordability, quality, and choice. Under the GOP plan, medical decisions will be made by patients and their doctors, not a government bureaucrat such as the Democrat-proposed Health Insurance Commissioner.

The GOP plan provides for guaranteed access regardless of preexisting conditions.

The Republican plan lets Americans who like their coverage keep it.

It expands Community Health Centers that are critical points of access that provide health care services based on an affordable sliding scale.

Mr. Speaker, the Republican plan reins in junk lawsuits and will bring down health care costs. We need health care access, affordability, quality, and choice that Americans deserve. Americans deserve the Republican health care plan.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3326, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2010. The entity to receive funding is Impact Technologies, LLC, 2029 Cato Avenue, State College, PA 16801, in the amount of $3,000,000. Funding will be used for smart oil sensors.

Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Agriculture Committee, I rise in strong opposition to this bill. We all agree that food safety is an extremely important issue, and improvements can be clearly made to our system, but this legislation concerns me for a number of reasons.

First of all, it will do little to actually increase food safety, and it will add new burdens to many small businesses and farms across the country. One provision this bill contains is an expanded registration requirement which creates a license to be in the food industry. The license is expensive, and the provision will make it unlawful to sell food without it. And this bill would have significant impacts on agriculture sectors, particularly with fruits and vegetables.

Fundamentally, I take issue with this legislation because it opens our farms to the Food and Drug Administration. Farms and agricultural activities are already regulated by the USDA. The FDA does not, and should not, have jurisdiction over farms or agricultural practices.

Good policy makes for good politics, and that can only occur with a real, full debate on this issue, which would occur if this bill would have stayed within the jurisdiction of the Agriculture Committee.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this misguided legislation.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as a part of H.R. 3326, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2010. The entity to receive funding is NanoBlox, Inc., 800 Wood Street, Clarion, PA 16214, in the amount of $2,000,000. Funding will be used for the domestic production of nanodiamond for military applications.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as a part of H.R. 3326, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2010. The entity to receive funding is the Piezo Resonance Innovations, Inc, 310 Rolling Ridge Drive, Bellefonte, PA 16823, in the amount of $500,000. Funding will be used for lightweight, battery driven and battlefield deployment ready NG feeding tube cleaner.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as a part of H.R. 3326, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2010. The entity to receive funding is KCF Technologies, 112 West Foster Avenue, State College, PA 16801, in the amount of $2,000,000. Funding will be used for self- powered prosthetic limb technology.

Mr. Speaker, when I hear the word ``reform'' in the same sentence as health care, I wonder what is being reformed.

Fact 1: Some 80 percent of Americans are satisfied with their present health care.

Fact 2: Do we know what we're reforming? No. According to the Washington Post, the Democrats jumped at a chance to brief on what is in their 1,700-page Democrat health care bill. ``The bill is so complex,'' said Ways and Means Chairman Rangel, ``that when staff agreed to hold the session, response was overwhelming.''

Fact 3: The Democratic plan will not save money. The nonpartisan CBO projected $1 trillion in costs and mounting deficits, and they ``do not see the sort of fundamental changes that would be necessary to reduce the trajectory of Federal spending by a significant amount.''

Fact 4: The bill has harmful cuts to Medicare Advantage that will result in more than 10 million seniors losing the program on which they rely. This plan would have your money spent, your current health care gone, no guarantee of satisfaction, all in the name of ``reform.''

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

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 1803, the Veterans Business Center Act of 2009. Today's current economic climate provides a hard path to success. While it has never been easy for small business owners, obligations for increases in taxes, utilities, high health care costs and loan payments make it even more difficult.

With this ever-increasing burden, it is no wonder that small businesses are not thriving. And despite the barriers that are placed in front of them, small business owners are using their creativity to survive. The Small Business Administration has entrepreneurial technical assistance programs that must be reassessed in order to ensure that they are providing the most effective assistance to small business.

When the men and women who have chosen to serve their country honorably in the armed services retire and return home, they are often faced with a daunting task of beginning new careers. Many times, they choose to serve their country in another way. These brave Americans frequently choose to open up a small business and contribute to the growth of America's economy. For these great Americans, we must provide them with the very best training to ensure the ease of transition to their new civilian lives.

This important legislation modernizes one of SBA's most critical programs, the Veterans Business Center program, so it can help them become entrepreneurs during these difficult economic times. It will show them how to use their skills and creativity to establish small businesses and survive until such time as the economic climate allows their businesses to thrive. Then it will provide them with the assistance they need to help grow their business.

Currently, the Office of Veterans Affairs at the SBA oversees five Veterans Business Centers that serve our veterans. Under this legislation, a Veterans Business Center program will be established to develop and run a larger network of Veterans Business Centers.

Special attention will be paid to the areas of the country with dense veteran populations, such as those surrounding military facilities. These centers will offer counseling to veterans through one-on-one instruction. It will also provide continuing education to those who may have run a small business before entering the armed services and have returned to their business after a tour of duty.

Frequently overlooked and underappreciated are the spouses of Americans who have served in the Armed Forces. These individuals also face the challenges that a life in the armed services may present, including providing for a family in the absence of the servicemember. Under this legislation, spouses of deceased servicemembers will also benefit from the counseling and training of Veterans Business Centers if they are starting or running a small business.

Enlisted personnel are not the only ones serving our country. Members of the National Guard are frequently called upon at a moment's notice to provide assistance, whether in disaster relief efforts or in tours of duty overseas during wartime. Given the service they provide to the country, they should have the same resources as enlisted members of the armed services when their commitment to their fellow citizens is over. This bill would open Veterans Business Centers to members of the National Guard.

Everyone knows that a good business plan is the cornerstone of any successful small business. Creating and executing the business plan requires extensive business knowledge and ingenuity, including the ability to predict potential obstacles to the success that may unfold at any time.

This bill fortifies an already existing program that teaches America's veterans how to tackle their problems head on. In short, this bill sharpens an already existing tool employed by the SBA to cultivate one of our Nation's greatest natural resources, its veteran entrepreneurs.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation makes crucial changes to an important program at a critical time. I commend Mr. Nye for his hard work on this bill. I also commend Chairwoman Velazquez for moving this bill so swiftly through committee.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield as much time as she may consume to the gentlelady from Florida (Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite).

I just want to thank the chairwoman for her leadership with this and Mr. Nye for this piece of legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

I rise today in support of H.R. 1807, the Educating Entrepreneurs through Today's Technology Act. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, employing roughly half of United States workers. While our communities are experiencing high unemployment rates, the entrepreneurial spirit remains alive and well. For many underserved and rural areas, it is critical to have the opportunity and the ability to tap into resources that will foster further economic development and provide prospective entrepreneurs with the same access afforded to their suburban and urban counterparts.

H.R. 1807 will allow third parties the opportunity to provide high- quality tele-distance training through a competitive grants process administered by the SBA. The measure will provide for third-party vendors with experience in distance learning content and communications technology. It will employ online, satellite, video-connected, community-based organizations to distribute and conduct distance learning related to entrepreneurship, credit management, financial literacy, homeownership and Federal small business development programs.

The Small Business Administration will ensure that the communications technology is distributed through all 50 States and U.S. territories to home-based businesses, Small Business Development Centers, Women's Business Centers, Veterans Business Centers and SBA district offices. Additionally, this measure would require that the online distance learning program provided for in title II of the bill, include the establishment of an online networking site where entrepreneurs and small business owners can go to interact with one another. The goal of this networking site is to facilitate the exchange of peer-to-peer technical assistance.

This will allow for prospective and established entrepreneurs and small business owners to interact with each other to troubleshoot problems and share best practices for interacting with SBA, securing financing, navigating government regulations, and the slew of odds and ends that arise when getting a small business off the ground. There is no substitute for being able to fall back on lessons learned from experience, and peer to peer will arm current and prospective entrepreneurs with this priceless information from individuals who have been there before.

Mr. Speaker, for many entrepreneurs across the country, in order to access SBA and Small Business Development Centers they have to drive long distances. In my rural district, we have learned to use our limited resources wisely, and this can also be said for rural and underserved communities across the Nation.

This measure recognizes a one-size-fits-all textbook approach to addressing entrepreneurial concerns is seldom the solution. Passage of this measure will empower these very entrepreneurs to navigate the many hurdles facing emerging businesses.

I encourage my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 1807 and continue the House's commitment to our Nation's entrepreneurs.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the chairwoman's request to suspend the rules and pass S. 1513.

The bill is very simple. It extends the authorization of all programs authorized by the Small Business Act, the Small Business Investment Act, and any program operated by the Small Business Administration for which Congress has already appropriated funds. This extension will last until September 30, 2009. This extension is necessary because the authorization for various programs operated by SBA ceases on July 30, 2009.

The committee has worked in a bipartisan fashion over the past two Congresses and reported out a number of bills to address programs operated by the SBA. Despite the efforts of the House, the extension passed earlier this year by both parties of Congress will expire before the legislative process can run its course. The work needed to help America's entrepreneurs revitalize the economy simply cannot be accomplished by Friday of this week. Without enactment of this extension, a number of vital programs that SBA operates would cease to function.

Given the importance that small businesses play and will continue to play in the revitalization of the American economy, we cannot allow the SBA authorizations to run out. Enactment of this extension will enable the House and Senate to continue to work in a diligent manner to address necessary changes to SBA programs.

I urge all my colleagues to suspend the rules and pass S. 1513.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as a part of H.R. 3288, the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010. The entity to receive funding is the Centre County Commissioners, 420 Homes Street, Willowbank Building, Bellefonte, PA 16823, in the amount of $750,000. Funding will be used for Safety Improvements along the US Route 322 Corridor in Centre County.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as a part of H.R. 3288, the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010. The entity to receive funding is the Area Transportation Authority of North Central PA, 44 Transportation Center, Johnsonburg, PA 15845, in the amount of $360,000. Funding will be used for the replacement of four paratransit vehicles that serve 7 counties in rural Pennsylvania.