Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, last month Congressman Welch and I introduced legislation H.R. 1038, Improving Transparency and Accuracy in Medicare Part D Spending Act. The legislation would help ensure that small business pharmacies get reimbursed at the rate they agreed to when they signed the reimbursement contract with the pharmacy benefit manager (PBMs).

Our bill would prohibit the PBMs/health plans from retroactively reducing pharmacy reimbursement that has already been contractually agreed to. If you fill up your gas tank when the price is $2.09 per gallon and the price later goes up to $2.15, you won't receive a bill demanding payment for the extra six cents per gallon. The same principle should apply to our community pharmacists. They deserve to be reimbursed based on the price of drugs when they are dispensed, not when they are charged. The fact that the PBMs can even do this points to the need for action on this bill and the need for broader Congressional scrutiny of large PBMs.

Most Americans don't know who the large PBMs are and what they do-- three large PBMs control roughly 78 percent of the market and manage pharmacy benefits for more than 180 million Americans. PBMs not only manage benefits for insurance companies and employers, they also own their own pharmacies whether that is mail order, specialty or retail.

Unfortunately small pharmacies in Southwest Virginia and Vermont have dealt with direct and indirect remuneration (DIR) fees for the last few years and the fees are only getting worse. The inability of small business community pharmacy owners to plan in advance for these retroactive fees is truly threatening their ability to operate.

Additionally these fees push patients into the donut hole faster than they would otherwise, a fact that CMS has stated. CMS has also stated these fees are increasing costs to the government, especially in the catastrophic phase of the Part D program. Virtually all catastrophic costs in Part D are borne by the government, and they have increased dramatically in recent years--from $10 billion in 2010 to $33 billion in 2015--fueled by pharmacy DIR fees. These PBMs have an extremely robust business relationship with the Federal Government in Part D, FEHB and DOD TRICARE so it certainly seems possible that the Federal Government could be paying more for prescription drugs than it should be.

Our bill was introduced with 15 original cosponsors and we hope that it will see action in the 115th Congress. Prohibiting retroactive fees like this would help CMS have a better ability to understand all the prescription drug spending that is occurring in Medicare Part D. Additionally, Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Jon Tester (D- MT) introduced

identical legislation on the Senate side which seeks to attain the same goals. We very much appreciate their leadership on this issue.

Section 5:

``Each House shall be the judge of the elections, returns and qualifications of its own Members, and a majority of each shall constitute a quorum to do business; but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day, and may be authorized to compel the attendance of absent Members, in such manner, and under such penalties as each House may provide.''

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to recognize the 200th anniversary of the first court held in Scott County, Virginia. The community will celebrate this anniversary at the Scott County Courthouse on Sunday, February 15, 2015.

As noted in press reports by Wayne McClelland, president of the Overmountain Men Chapter Sons of the American Revolution, ``It's important to understand this 200th anniversary commemorates the government actually forming in Scott County.''

Governor Wilson C. Nicholas on January 4, 1815 signed a commission of the peace for Scott County, which was formed from parts of Washington, Lee, and Russell Counties and named in honor of General Winfield Scott, the most important American military figure of the War of 1812 (news of Colonel Jackson's victory in the battles surrounding New Orleans would not be known of for weeks after the signing of the commission of the peace). ``Old Fuss and Feathers'' served as Commanding General of the United States Army for twenty years, commanding forces in the Black Hawk War, the Mexican-American War, and the Second Seminole War. He was the leading military figure in the country up to the eve of the War Between the States.

The commission of the peace signed by Governor Nicholas authorized citizens to organize the first court and the first county government. The county's new court first convened on February 14, 1815, and met again the following two days. Governor Nicholas had signed a commission appointing John Anderson to serve as Sheriff and, after taking the oath of office, Sheriff Anderson on February 14, 1815 opened the Court of Scott County. William H. Carter was elected to serve as the first clerk of the court. The court appointed citizens to serve in county leadership positions, and also arranged for the county's first election.

I am proud to honor the history of Scott County and recognize all those who have served and continue to serve this community since it was founded more than 200 years ago.

Mr. Speaker, I submit remarks in honor of Mr. Tim Webb and Mr. Justin Wooten, communications officers at the Galax Police Department's dispatch center, and also in recognition of the important work of all emergency dispatchers.

On December 29, 2014, Mr. Webb was working his routine shift when he took an incoming call from Cheri Grable and her daughter Melissa, who were caring for 17-month-old Aidan Paul Walker, Melissa's son. Aidan had been running a slight fever, but it took a sudden, dramatic spike, which caused him to convulse violently. Aidan stopped breathing, and his eyes rolled back into his head.

Mr. Webb's partner at the dispatch center, Mr. Justin Wooten, dispatched the call and fielded other duties so Mr. Webb could assist Cheri and Melissa with young Aidan.

However, the nearest ambulance was nearly 20 minutes from their home. When it was made clear that neither Cheri nor Melissa were trained in CPR, Mr. Webb--who is a certified CPR instructor and had worked for Laurel and Pipers Gap rescue squads for 20 years--walked Cheri through performing CPR and helping Aidan breathe again. As noted by WSLS' Bethany Teague, this is especially notable because the Galax Police Department does not have emergency medical dispatch certification, so dispatchers like Mr. Webb typically are not allowed to provide CPR instructions over the phone.

``I never have done CPR on anybody,'' Cheri told the Galax Gazette. ``[A]nd [Mr. Webb] told me what to do, and I did it, and the baby came back to life.''

Aidan began breathing about a minute into the CPR. But Mr. Webb stayed with them over the phone, checking the boy's pulse and keeping Cheri and Melissa calm. About 18 minutes after the dispatch call, the ambulance arrived and EMTs took Aidan on board. He was taken to Northern Hospital in Surry County, North Carolina for further treatment.

Galax Police Chief Rick Clark said of Mr. Webb, ``He did an exceptional job. He deserves to be recognized. In my mind he's a hero.''

However, Mr. Webb wishes to share his recognition with his partner that day, Mr. Wooten. Mr. Webb said, ``Without him, this couldn't have been a success. Without Justin taking care of other calls while this was going on . . . if one person had tried to handle this call, dispatch and handle radio traffic as well . . . I just don't know that it could have been done. Within the first 15 seconds, he had it dispatched. And he's only worked with me a year. For someone with that level of experience--he really deserves a pat on the back.''

This isn't the only recognition Mr. Webb has received for his work. Last spring, he and other 911 dispatchers received an award from the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials' Virginia Chapter for their efforts in regards to the tragic 2013 Easter Sunday car accident on Interstate 77, which involved more than 90 vehicles.

The efforts of communications officers such as Mr. Webb, Mr. Wooten, and other emergency workers may go largely unrecognized, but their actions and service to the community are to be commended. I am honored to pay tribute to Mr. Webb, Mr. Wooten, and others like them. Please join me in thanking Mr. Webb, Mr. Wooten, and others for all that they have done and continue to do for the people of this great nation.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of myself and Representative Bob Goodlatte, I submit these remarks in honor of the remarkable life of (Edward) Cabell Brand and his dedicated service to our nation and our community. Among other things, Mr. Brand was a philanthropist, public servant, and an activist, widely recognized for his efforts to improve the lives of others. Though we may not have agreed with all of his political views, we can say without a doubt that Mr. Brand made an indelible difference in the Roanoke Valley.

Born and raised in Salem, Virginia, Mr. Brand graduated in 1940 from Andrew Lewis High School. He attended Virginia Military Institute (VMI), and while there, was called to serve his country in World War II in the 70th Infantry Division. He returned to VMI to complete his education, and graduated in its class of 1944 as valedictorian.

Mr. Brand continued his studies at the Harvard Business School and at the University of Virginia. He became an economic analyst in the Intelligence Office of Berlin's Military Government and with the United States Foreign Service in Europe. By the end of his military service, Mr. Brand held the rank of Captain, and also received the Bronze Star.

Mr. Brand returned to Salem, and worked at The Ortho Vent Shoe Company, which his grandfather had started a half-century earlier. He worked his way up to President of Ortho Vent, and took it public as the Stuart McGuire Company in 1970 before selling it in 1986 to the Home Shopping Network.

In 1965, Mr. Brand founded Total Action Against Poverty (now called Total Action for Progress), which he believed to be his greatest achievement. This program provides more than 30 programs to the Roanoke Valley, including the Head Start Program, the Virginia Water Project, and more. Mr. Brand also served as Chairman of Child Health Investment Partnership (CHIP) until 1996.

In 1987, Mr. Brand established the Cabell Brand Center for International Poverty and Research Studies. As a result of this Center, more than 500 students were given the opportunity to learn and pursue various public service opportunities.

Mr. Brand received numerous awards for his efforts, including the VISTA award, the Lyndon Baines Johnson Humanitarian Award, the Virginia Governor Gold Medal Award, the first Jonathan Daniels Award from VMI, the Noel Taylor Humanitarian Award, the Salem Rotary Club's Outstanding Citizen Award, and the Roanke-Salem Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Achievement Award. He also received honorary degrees from institutions including Washington & Lee University, Roanoke College, Ferrum College and Virginia Western Community College, and Lynchburg College. Mr. Brand was a proud author, and was also featured in other publications for his leadership and service.

Mr. Brand passed away on January 13, 2015, at the age of 91. He was predeceased by his beloved wife Shirley; infant daughter, Ingrid Pichen Brand; sons, Marshall Cabell Brand, Edward Cabell Brand Jr., Richard Franklin Pence, and John Wilson Pence. He is survived by daughters, Sylvia Brand Knaup (Gunther) of Columbia, Tenn., Miriam Brand Kline (John) of Richmond, Va., Caroline Brand Mateja of Charlottesville, Va., and Liza Pence Urso of Dallas, Texas; grandchildren, Brandon Kline, Kathryn Kline, Philip Urso, Laura Urso, Christin Urso, Cabell Keating Brand, Rachel Pence, Shelley Pence, Thomas John Pence, Benjamin Pence, Maggie Mateja, Patrick Mateja, Jack Mateja, and Caleb Pence; niece, Virginia Hurt Johnson of Washington, D.C.; sister, Mary Holmes Smith of Alexandria, Va; and other nieces and nephews.

The Roanoke Valley has lost one of its finest. Though we note with great sadness Mr. Brand's passing, we are confident his legacy will live on. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Mr. Brand's family and loved ones.

``. . . and the Congress may by law provide for the case wherein neither a President elect nor a Vice President shall have qualified, declaring who shall then act as President, or the manner in which one who is to act shall be selected, and such person shall act accordingly until a President or Vice President shall have qualified.''

Mr. Speaker, I submit these remarks today in honor of Bluefield, Virginia's Graham High School, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

Graham High School was first established in 1914 as a secondary school, and thousands of students have graduated in the time that has passed since its doors first opened a century ago. Obviously, the students, staff, and the Graham High School building itself have changed over the last 100 years, but the school's tradition of excellence has remained constant.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and our distinguished colleagues join me in congratulating the students, faculty, and alumni of Graham High School on its 100th anniversary. As we note the school's great alumni and many championships including everything from football and basketball to creative writing, may we also take a moment and reflect on what is yet to come. I congratulate Graham High School and the surrounding community on this exciting milestone, and look forward to many more great accomplishments from future Graham G-Men and G-Girls.

As the saying goes, ``You can fool all of the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.''

A year into investigations regarding the IRS improperly targeting applications submitted by conservative groups, the IRS claimed to have lost Lois Lerner's emails to or from outside agencies or groups for a period of more than 2 years as a result of a computer crash--not just her computer, but five others as well.

IRS Commissioner John Koskinen has told us that the hard drives on her computer and the others could not be restored and had been recycled.

As a former defense attorney, if a client told me this story, I would say: You can tell the judge and the jury whatever you want, but you are not fooling anybody, and if that is your story, you are going to jail.

Mr. Speaker, I submit these remarks in honor of U.S. District Judge James Turk, a devoted public servant to the Commonwealth of Virginia, who passed away on July 6, 2014.

Judge Turk grew up on a farm in Roanoke County, and graduated from William Byrd High School. He served in the U.S. Army, and went on to graduate from Roanoke College. He won a scholarship to Washington & Lee University School of Law, and went on to practice law in Radford for many years with the firm of Dalton, Poff, & Turk.

He served in the Virginia State Senate from 1959 until 1972, and was the Senate Minority Leader from 1965 until 1972. In October of 1972, Judge Turk was appointed by President Nixon to the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia. In 2002, 30 years later, Judge Turk claimed senior status but, though a successor was appointed at that time, he continued hearing cases.

I and others who have practiced before Judge Turk found him to be honorable, helpful, friendly, and very sharp. John Fishwick, a prominent Roanoke attorney who clerked for Judge Turk in the 1980s and has appeared before him in court, said, ``He had one of the sharpest legal minds I've ever known, and he also cared greatly about the people who came before him. Those people mattered so much to him.'' Circuit Court Judge Clifford Weckstein wrote this week, ``He loved coming to work. He loved his job. And his job, as he saw it, was to do justice, every day and in every way.'' And Tom Bondurant, a former assistant U.S. attorney now in private practice, said, ``He had a fine sense of right and wrong, and he always tried to do what was right.''

Judge Turk was involved in additional public service work and charitable work, including serving as President of the Roanoke College Alumni Association, membership in the Roanoke College Society of 1842, and on the Boards of Directors for the Radford University Foundation and the C.E. Richardson Foundation. He also was a trustee for the Radford Community Hospital. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree by Roanoke College in 1996 for his service and devotion to his alma mater.

He is survived by his brother, S. Maynard Turk and wife Pat; his beloved wife, Barbara Duncan Turk; his children, Ramona Turk, Jimmy Turk and wife Allison, Bobby Turk and wife Laura, Mary Turk Prince and husband Scott, Michael Turk and wife Barbara; and grandchildren.

Judge Turk was dedicated to his family, and was dedicated to his work. He was very well respected, a devoted public servant, and a noble defender of the rule of law. He had a tremendous impact on our community and upon countless individuals all across the region. Though Judge Turk will be greatly missed, his legacy and influence will long be remembered.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Judge Turk's family and other loved ones at this time. May God give them comfort.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of myself and Representative Robert Hurt, I submit these remarks to commemorate the life of Col. J. Shelton Scales, who passed away on May 27, 2014 at the age of 97.

Col. Scales was a native of Sandy Ridge, North Carolina, and graduated in 1940 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He enlisted in the Marine Corps of October 1940, and was a member of the first Officer Candidates Class and 4th Reserve Class in the Marine Corps Schools in Quantico. Col. Scales remained there as a staff member until 1943, that year becoming commander of Company A, 1st Battalion, 23rd Marines.

Reports indicate that Col. Scales did not see combat until February 1944. He went on to make four beach landings during World War II, and later in life spoke most frequently about the February 19, 1945 landing at Iwo Jima.

As a commanding officer of the 3rd Battalion, 23rd Marines, Col. Scales led approximately 900 men into Iwo Jima, which may very well be the Marine Corps' most brutal battle of World War II. ``The Marines were on Iwo Jima,'' he later said. ``The Japanese were in it.'' For his exceptionally meritorious conduct, Col. Scales was awarded the Legion of Merit.

In November 1945, Col. Scales was ordered to inactive duty as a major in the Marine Corps Reserve. In May 1951, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel, and in April 1958 Col. Scales was placed on the retired reserve list and was promoted to colonel.

In addition to being remembered as a Marine commander at Iwo Jima, Col. Scales is also remembered by many in Southside Virginia as a successful businessman, a good friend, and an involved member of his community. He joined the Burch Hodges Stone, Inc. insurance company in May 1946, retiring more than 35 years later. He served the Virginia Association of Insurance Agents as its director for nine years, and was also president of the Virginia Financial Services Corp.

Col. Scales was also a charter member and an elder of Martinsville's Forest Hills Presbyterian Church. He was involved with the Martinsville Jaycees, serving as president in 1949 and receiving the Distinguished Service award as Outstanding Young Man in 1951. Col. Scales participated in the Kiwanis Club of Martinsville, serving in 1957 as president, and in 1988-1989 served as lieutenant governor of the Capital District's Second Division of Kiwanis. He was a charter member and former secretary of the local SCORE chapter, was a charter member of the Martinsville Volunteer Fire Co., and was also a trustee of the Blue Ridge Regional Library from 1988-1993. And for several years, Col. Scales was a member of the Patrick Henry Community College Foundation Board, also teaching adjunct history courses, speaking with students and about his experience at Iwo Jima, and attending board meetings or other events. Col. Scales and his late wife, Mary Stacy Crockett Scales, had four children.

Mr. Speaker, to echo the words of Col. Greg Eanes, U.S. Air Force (retired) of Penhook, Virginia, Col. Scales ``was a great patriot and a good man.'' Col. Scales and other Americans have fought with great valor on behalf of our Nation, seeking to preserve our freedom and make the world a safer place. Our Nation will be forever indebted to him and others for their service.

We are honored to pay tribute to Col. Scales' many contributions to our Nation, our region, and our community. Col. Scales was a brave and courageous marine, an active member of his community, and a good friend. We grieve his loss. Southside Virginia has truly lost one of its finest.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in order to recognize volunteers with the Mountain Empire Older Citizens Foster Grandparent Program, which pairs people aged 60 and older with students for tutoring and mentorship purposes. The impact that simply spending time with children has on their development cannot be overstated. As a father myself, I see that impact first-hand.

It is my honor to submit into the Congressional Record the names of the 2013-2014 Foster Grandparent Program volunteers:

Irene Bailey, Lucille Baker, Minnie Baker, Betty Barker, Moe Dennison, Shirley Gardner, Ruth Gibson, Bess Gillenwater, Ruth Hogue, Carolyn Johnson, Patsy King, Sheila Miller, Edith Moore, Sharon Mullins, Bonnie Olinger, Sarah Parsons, Mary Rogers, Ruth Shawver, Marie Smith, Thelma Smith, Betty Stewart, Aleatha Strong, and Thelma Welch.

Mr. Speaker, I want to send my deepest thanks to folks working with and volunteering for the Mountain Empire Older Citizens Foster Grandparent Program, and I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing these volunteers for their efforts on behalf of Southwest Virginia's young people.

Mr. Speaker, I submit these remarks in honor of Harriett Martin Stokes, a proud native of Salem, Virginia, who passed away on May 18, 2014. Harriett, who was born on June 21, 1914, would have turned 100 on the longest day of the year--the first day of summer.

Harriett graduated from Salem High School in 1931, was one of the first women to graduate from Roanoke College, and also earned degrees from the Richmond Professional Institute and the Chicago School of Design. She served as an elementary school teacher during World War II, also teaching art in her home and serving local hospitals as an artist- in-residence. Harriett helped to start the Virginia Watercolor Society, was an original member of the Roanoke Valley Sidewalk Art Show, and coordinated Art in the Alley which, for forty years, highlighted many local artists and was a hot spot for collectors of art.

An active member of the Salem community, Harriett was a lifelong member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church. She was inducted into the Salem Alumni Hall of Fame in 1997, and among her other awards are the Walter Biggs Award for Cultural Achievement, the Distinguished Alumni Award from Roanoke College, and the Perry Kendig Individual Artist Award.

Harriett is survived by her three sons: Clay Stokes and wife Janice of Canton, Georgia, Dr. Robert D. Stokes of Paoli, Pennsylvania, and Dr. William Stokes and wife Mary Ellen of Roanoke; two grandchildren; a great-grandchild; and many adoring nieces, nephews, and devoted friends.

Harriett's legacy and love for family, neighbors, church, and community will live on not only in her beautiful art--some of which remains on display in homes, businesses, and schools throughout the Roanoke Valley--but also in the continuing work of the many artists she mentored and influenced throughout her lifetime. My thoughts and prayers go out to Harriett's family and loved ones.

Mr. Speaker, I submit these remarks to commemorate the life of Freddie Edward Scaggs of Salem, Virginia, who passed away on May 16, 2014.

Freddie was born in Troutville, Virginia, was a life member of the Boy Scouts, and served our country in the United States Navy. He was an active member of Salem Baptist Church, serving as an usher.

He also attended Barber School, mastering his craft before owning and operating Scaggs Barber Shop in Salem. Freddie loved cutting hair and developing relationships with his clients, doing so until a couple of months before his death. Freddie was loved by generations of customers, many of whom got their first haircuts from the gentleman barber and continued to do so even when he cut his schedule back to a couple of days a week. As one of his customers, I would vouch for Freddie's services but, more importantly, for his kind-hearted, grounded, and honest disposition.

Freddie is survived by his wife of 61 years, Lena Inez Scaggs; daughter, Nancy Scaggs Canfield; two sons, Douglas Edward Scaggs and wife Jill, John Mark Scaggs; nine grandchildren; and eight great- grandchildren.

My thoughts and prayers go out to Freddie's family and loved ones. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Mr. Speaker, I submit these remarks in honor of Dr. Robert Edward Paine, Jr.--also known as Dr. Bob or Grandoc--of Salem, Virginia, who ``completed

his earthly tour-of-duty'' on Wednesday, March 19.

Born on April 28, 1925 in Roanoke, Dr. Paine was an athlete, student, veteran, caregiver, volunteer, friend, lifelong learner, and more. He graduated from Jefferson High School, and then went on to graduate from the University of Richmond before completing requirements for his MD degree from the Medical College of Virginia.

During World War II, Dr. Paine served in the U.S. Navy Reserves and during the Korean War, served on the staff of Fleet Air Atlantic.

Dr. Paine had internships and residencies at Norfolk General and ``old'' Lewis-Gale Hospital, and he also did post-graduate work in internal medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He had a solo practice in Salem for 15 years, and had the first EKG machine in town. In 1967, Dr. Paine set up the first alcohol and drug rehabilitation program at the Salem VA hospital, where he continued volunteering even after his retirement.

Dr. Paine tended patients at seven area hospitals and medical centers over the years, and taught students at area hospitals as well. He also served as a volunteer physician with such groups as the Andrew Lewis High School football team, Boy Scout Troup 54, the 1964 National Boy Scout Jamboree medical team, and the Red Cross.

Throughout the years, Dr. Paine was active with Salem Presbyterian and later St. Paul's Episcopal, Friends of the Salem Library, the Salem and Roanoke Valley Historical Societies, the Salem Museum, the Salem Sports Foundation, the City of Salem Long-range Planning Committee, the Military Order of World Wars, the Mayflower Society of Virginia, the Magna Carta and Jamestowne Societies, and the Island Ford Hunt Club (for the camaraderie and nature). He also was a 32nd-degree mason with Lakeland Lodge, and a member of Scottish Rite and Kazim Temples.

Roanoke Valley's 1982 Father of the Year for Family Life, Dr. Paine's and his wife Alice had two children, Robert Parson Paine and Emily Paine Carter.

Those who knew him well are heard to talk of Dr. Paine's wit, generosity, kindness, humor, determination, and humility, all of which have made the Roanoke Valley a better place to live. My thoughts and prayers go out to Dr. Paine's family and loved ones. His love for his family, friends, neighbors, and community will always be remembered and cherished in Salem and throughout the region.

Well, I have to tell you, first of all, I appreciate your leadership on this. Ever since I got to Congress 4 years ago, this has been an important item for you, not just because it will help the United States, not just because it will help your district, but because it is the right thing to do.

I commend you for that hard work that you have been doing and will continue to do until this project is actually approved. I hope that will be sooner than later.

It would be nice if our bill that we had passed with bipartisan support would have action taken on it by the Senate. I don't know how the good Senator sits down with all those bills in his back pocket. He has got a lot of our good bills back there.

That is what we need in this country. We need opportunities. We need abilities. Bottom line, we need policies that will create jobs. I have got to tell you that one of the favorite things that I do as a United States Congressman is I go to the high schools in my district, and I talk with the students.

Sometimes, it is middle school students. Most of the time, it is senior high students. I talk to them, and I talk about how the decisions that we are making in Washington and the policies that we set here in the Nation's Capital will affect them far more than they affect me because, long-term, when you look at the debt and the deficit and you look at the effects on our health care system that have been coming down with various policies, these will all have a greater impact on them than they will on us.

Particularly talking about debt and deficit, I will often say to them: Well, who do you think is going to pay more of that, me at 55 or you at 17 or 18?

They get it real quick. One of the things I always make sure I try to put into the question and answer process as I am talking with the students is this: the United States of America is a great country. We are the number one economic nation. There are a lot of other countries out there that would like to be the number one economic nation.

While things do not look good in the short run, if those of us in Washington, including the President of the United States and the Senate and the House, make the right policies and have a true all-of-the-above energy policy for this country, we can be the number one economic nation, not just for the next decade, not just for the next 20 years, but I submit to you for the next 100 years.

That's a big deal.

That means jobs and prosperity for the people of the United States for a long, long time. Then I say, but if we make mistakes in Washington--if we don't have a true all-of-the-above policy where we use North American oil, natural gas, coal, wind, solar, nuclear, across the board--we can slip out of that number one spot, and we won't have the advantages that the number one economic nation has had throughout history, and I always mention the Keystone XL pipeline. The reason I mention the Keystone XL pipeline is that it sends a message to the world that the United States is open for business, that we want jobs in this country.

We can send those jobs to China if we want, like we have done in so many other areas, but we want those jobs. We want the jobs in laying the pipeline. We want the jobs in doing the refining. We want the jobs that come from having that extra supply right here in our country, whether it be the oil or the gas that is produced from this oil or whether it be the chemicals that we can make cheaper because we have an abundant supply in North American oil.

It is true, as my colleagues have said, that we also want to make sure that we send a message to the world that we are going to stand with our friends in Canada. As the general said today, a former Obama adviser: Let's send a message to Vladimir Putin.

These are all combined in the Keystone XL pipeline, and when you have the reports on the environment that indicate minimal effect--in fact, some would argue that there may even be positive effects by the pipeline because you don't have to worry about the train system--then what you have got is the situation of ``why?'' Why would the President, with all of the reports and with the 2,000 days of study and jumping through hoops, not have already signed it? I am surprised he is not having a press conference as we speak to sign the Keystone XL pipeline. Let's get on with it.

I had one person tell me today that he believes that this is better than the

oil that we are importing from Venezuela because it has a less negative impact on the environment, our using this oil from Canada, and the Canadians are working to make their process even better so that it has less of an impact on the environment.

So I thank you, Mr. Terry, for all of your hard work. If you can explain it to me, I would love to hear it, but I can't explain to the high school students in the Ninth District of Virginia why we are not pursuing the Keystone XL pipeline with haste instead of with delay when we know that it will create jobs for American citizens and for people like these high school students will be in a few years when they finish their educations.

Mr. Terry, even though I believe I know the answer to this question, I would just ask you: If the President needs a pen to sign that, would you take it down to him on Pennsylvania Avenue?

There you go.