Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding career of an individual whose meritorious civil service to our country has come to a close after 38 years. My staff and I came to know Karen L. Dellarocco through her work as Legislative Specialist at the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), but her storied career with the federal government began back in 1975 when Karen joined the Department of Defense as a clerk typist. Karen's talent and professionalism became apparent immediately as she quickly rose through the ranks to become a Department of the Army Protocol Officer. In 1990, she began work with BOP at Federal Correctional Institution Petersburg, Virginia and seven years later, transitioned to the BOP's Office of Legislative Affairs where she served until her retirement last month in May 2013.

My staff tells me that Karen's customer service to the Congress is simply unparalleled, and that she has always approached her work with enthusiasm, professionalism, fairness and attention to detail. With her retirement, Karen will be deeply missed by my office and every Capitol Hill office which she has faithfully served. Unquestionably, Congress has lost a kind-hearted and talented Legislative Affairs counterpart who will be appreciated for her humor, hard work and ever-present willingness to lend a helping hand.

Karen is an avid antiquer, gardener and traveler--and a friend to many. We wish you all the best in your retirement. Congratulations.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Big Sandy

Community and Technical College as this progressive institute for post- secondary education celebrates a unique combination of anniversaries in 2013.

Seventy-five years ago, the Mayo Technical College was established in 1938. Fifty years ago, the Prestonsburg Community College was established in 1964. Finally, ten years ago, the two institutions merged in 2003, creating the Big Sandy Community and Technical College. I count it an honor to congratulate the founders of these institutions on this rare triple celebration of the combined 75th, 50th and 10th anniversaries.

The Big Sandy Community and Technical College is a tremendous resource in the Appalachian Mountains of eastern Kentucky, providing excellence in post-secondary education for students in Floyd, Johnson, Pike, Martin, and Magoffin Counties to pursue the dream of earning a college degree close to home, with four campus locations.

The Big Sandy Community and Technical College continues to carry on the mission of the institutions that laid its foundation by enriching the lives of thousands of students each year, dedicated to helping raise a generation from its heavy burden of poverty, and preparing them for successful careers and a better future for our rural region.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Big Sandy Community and Technical College and the tireless efforts of educators and leaders of the past that pioneered the path for quality post-secondary education in the mountains of eastern Kentucky over the last seventy-five years.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Paul ``Bo'' Bollinger, President of the Greater Washington Aviation Open (GWAO). As the GWAO celebrates its 25th anniversary this year and Mr. Bollinger begins the process of succession to new tournament leadership, it is the proper time to recognize his quarter century of outstanding leadership.

In 1989, Mr. Bollinger conceived and began an aviation charity event to raise and donate funds to worthy causes. Mr. Bollinger convinced several aviation executives and several aviation associations to hold an annual charity golf and auction event for this purpose. Twenty five years later, the GWAO has become the largest aviation charity event in Washington, DC, raising almost $1.7 million for deserving organizations.

Under Mr. Bollinger's leadership, the charities receiving tournament proceeds varied over the first four years, subsequently settling on the Corporate Angel Network (CAN) as its major benefactor. The CAN mission of flying cancer patients on empty seats of business aircraft to treatment facilities was a perfect match with the GWAO mission. In 2006, Mr. Bollinger led the effort to include funding a

four-year scholarship for a deserving T.C. Williams High School graduate entering a college in an aviation degree program; and in 2011 the Veteran's Airlift Command was added as an additional benefactor.

Mr. Speaker, as a fellow Kentuckian I am honored and proud to commend Mr. Bollinger for a quarter century of heroic, selfless and successful service to thousands of deserving people. In their names I wish to publicly thank you, Bo, on behalf of all the people whose lives you have enhanced.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a dedicated employee of the U.S. House of Representatives and a staunch Kentucky Republican, Mr. Dennis Patrick Wooton, upon his retirement from my Hazard district office following six years of service as my trusted Field Representative.

Pat has been my right hand on many issues impacting constituents in the eastern half of Kentucky's Fifth Congressional District, covering 18 counties. Anytime a natural disaster occurs in our region, such as flash flooding, tornadoes and damaging mudslides, Pat immediately reaches out to local officials to offer a helping hand and evaluate the potential need for federal assistance. He has been a loyal, reliable resource in the mountains of eastern Kentucky, always offering a friendly smile, his contagious humorous attitude, and word of encouragement.

Before serving as Congressional staff, Pat bravely served our U.S. Army in the Vietnam War. He was awarded several medals for his valiant efforts, including the honorable Bronze Star. He is a life-time member of V.F.W. Post 7378 and D.A.V. Chapter 64. Upon returning home, Pat was a teacher, baseball coach, and basketball coach at Buckhorn High School in Perry County, Kentucky, where he also became one of the most beloved principals in the history of the institution. In 2007, he was elected to the Kentucky High School Baseball Coach Hall of Fame. Through his dedicated efforts in the county, Pat gained the respect of the people of Perry County, who elected him Sheriff 2003-2006.

Pat has also been a dedicated advocate for conservative Republican principals and currently serves as Chairman of the Perry County Republican Party.

Pat has a true heart of service, which is displayed by his volunteer efforts across the Kentucky River region. His long list of service includes training the Buckhorn Volunteer Fire Department, serving on the Governor's Smart Growth Task Force, the ARH Family Health Service and Community Advisory Boards, Buckhorn City Council, the Hazard Community and Technical College Board of Directors, and many more.

Please join me in congratulating Mr. Pat Wooton on his retirement, and in appreciation of his brave military service to this nation. My wife, Cynthia, and I wish Pat and his wife, Veda, the very best in the years to come.

Mr. Speaker, today marks a critical turning point in our country's battle against prescription drug abuse--what CDC has called a national epidemic. It takes more American lives than car crashes.

Unless the Food and Drug Administration takes action today, generic drug-makers will be free to dump cheap painkillers, lacking abuse deterrence, back into U.S. markets--pills that can be easily crushed and which are to be blamed for tens of thousands of emergency room visits and accidental overdose deaths in the last decade.

Two weeks ago, at the National Rx Drug Abuse Summit, FDA Commissioner Peggy Hamburg acknowledged the many ``individuals and their families whose lives have been shattered by prescription opioid abuse, misuse, and addiction.'' She also affirmed that FDA has the authority to keep these crushable pills off the market when abuse-deterrent technologies are available.

It is time to execute that authority, FDA. On behalf of the thousands of families in my region and all over this country, keep crushable pills off our streets and out of our children's hands.

Mr. Speaker, prescription drug abuse is killing more people in this country than car wrecks. It's hard to believe, but it sneaked up on us.

In my district 10 years ago, we started an organization called UNITE, Unlawful Narcotics Investigations, Treatment and Education, a holistic approach, and it works. We've put in jail about 4,000 pushers. We've got drug counselors in schools. We've got clubs in schools to entertain young people on nice things to do and the like, drug courts in every county. It works, but the problem persists.

Last week, I had the great honor and pleasure of helping host in Orlando, Florida, a drug summit on prescription drug abuse, almost a thousand people from 49 States and several foreign countries focusing on the problem. It's the second year we've done that, the second straight year. Mayor Bloomberg was there. The head of CDC was there, the head of FDA, heads of all sorts of Federal organizations, and we're determined to help wipe out this big killer in this country.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Speaker may postpone further proceedings on the motion to concur in the Senate amendments to H.R. 933 as though under clause 8(a)(1)(A) of rule

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 933, and that I may include tabular material on the same.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the order of the House of March 20, 2013, I call up the bill (H.R. 933) making appropriations for the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and other departments and agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2013, and for other purposes, with the Senate amendments thereto, and I have a motion at the desk.

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

We present now the bill to fund the Federal Government for the remainder of the fiscal year. This legislation provides funding for essential Federal programs and services, helps maintain our national security, and takes a potential government shutdown off the table.

The House passed a very similar version of this bill just 2 weeks ago, and yesterday the Senate passed their version of this legislation. Now it's back before the House today for our final stamp of approval.

I'm sure I don't need to remind the Members of the deadline that we face here. The existing continuing resolution expires next Wednesday, so it's vital that we get this bill to the President for his signature straightaway.

The total funding provided in the bill remains at $984 billion, the level required by the President's sequestration order.

To summarize the contents of this bill briefly, Mr. Speaker, it contains full funding for the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, exactly what the House approved the other week. Without the additional flexibility provided in this bill, the Pentagon could face severe funding constraints, even beyond sequestration, potentially jeopardizing our national security.

In addition to addressing our military equipment and readiness needs, it also provides for the quality of life and health of our troops and veterans. We've added an additional $2.5 billion for the VA to ensure our Nation's warfighters receive the benefits they have earned for their service.

The Senate added to the bill we passed three additional full-year appropriations bills to H.R. 933, the ones for Homeland Security, Commerce, Justice and Science, and Agriculture.

Now, Mr. Speaker, these were the bills that passed the House, by large margins, with bipartisan backing, and are now, by the Senate, reinserted into the CR for the balance of the year. And it pleases this Member and this chairman that those bills were picked up and certified into the CR that we're passing today.

This funding will support critical law enforcement agencies, protect our Nation's borders and food supplies, and provide important agriculture and rural development investments. We've ensured that critical government services, like food and nutrition assistance programs, remain available to those who need them most.

These updated spending and funding levels will help keep our economy on the path toward recovery, supporting U.S. trade, manufacturing, and job creation. In the other departments and agencies covered by the bill, both the House and Senate made limited, technical changes where absolutely necessary to prevent extensive waste of taxpayer dollars and to avoid any serious and irreversible damage to government programs, and to provide strict oversight of this spending.

The Senate added a number of additional what we call anomalies or exceptions beyond what was included in the initial House draft. I don't think all of the Senate additions are absolutely necessary, but there's no reason to oppose them, not strong enough in this to oppose this legislation.

However, the Senate did not add some important matters, and I want to reiterate briefly what they are. The Senate did not add additional funds for ObamaCare. The Senate did not add additional funding for the flawed Dodd-Frank law. The Senate did not remove important Second Amendment protections, and they did not dismantle important oversight and funding conditions that help ensure the wise and appropriate use of taxpayer dollars.

Mr. Speaker, all said, this bill is the product of thoughtful, bipartisan conciliation and hard work. We stayed in close touch with Senators Mikulski and Shelby as they managed the bill in the Senate. As a result, the Senate added no poison pills to the bill that passed the House last week.

Even if a continuing resolution is not the most preferable way to fund the government, I believe this bill is the best we can do under these tricky circumstances, and I want to thank my colleagues on the other side of the aisle and on the other side of the Capitol for working closely with us and the committee over the past few weeks.

We still face a long haul for the rest of the year. It may seem far down the line, but the beginning of fiscal 2014 is only 6 months away, not to mention the other fiscal challenges that we face.

Passing this continuing resolution today lays the groundwork for a path forward. It takes a looming fiscal deadline off the table to allow us to finish the rest of our work and ensures our government keeps its doors open through all of that.

Now, Mr. Speaker, all the Members of this body know that the real work of the body is done by staff. In the case of the Appropriations Committee, I can say that 10,000 times. The staff that worked this bill and worked on the committee business, both on the majority and minority side, put in long hours on weekends and all-night sessions and the like.

They are the people who don't get enough praise. This bill, of course, is no different. The staff has worked across the aisle and across the Capitol to make this bill what it is today.

And I want to especially thank the chief clerk. The head of the staff, Bill Inglee, who sits beside me here, has run the committee staff since we've had the chance to chair the committee. I can't say enough good work about him and all of the staff, both sides of the aisle, who have labored so hard with a great heart to make these bills possible. So I want to thank Bill Inglee, especially, for the great work that he has given to the Nation through his work in clerking for the Appropriations Committee.

I ask my colleagues, Mr. Speaker, to do the right thing by the American people and support this legislation and take a shutdown of the government off the table.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time, and I will be brief. But I wanted to point out to the body the rarity of what we're doing here today.

This bill funds the government for the balance of the year. The House and Senate picked up earlier approved appropriations bills--some of the 12 of the bills--and incorporated them into this CR. So it's sort of a hybrid bill. A part of it funds the agencies without any particular change from 2012. Then, in these five bills that earlier had passed the House and the Senate committee, now incorporated in this bill, it funds those agencies with full-year funding, with full-year instructions.

The rarity of coming together as we are a week or so before the ending of the CR to pass a new CR, by agreement with the Senate, with the myriad of details involved in these bills--tens of thousands of decisions, actually, that were made a part of this bill--it is remarkable that we're at this point where I think the bill will be approved with a great majority as it was in the Senate--the Senate vote was 73-26, and I think the vote here will be similar. But that's remarkable. It's due to good staff work, number one--dedicated work. It's due to Members of both bodies who were able to listen to their colleagues, understand everyone's needs involved in this process, and for the most part we found conciliation and ability to come together around these common provisions that are good for the country.

This will allow our military a lot more flexibility in how they spend the money we give to them--all the while it's a meager amount compared to what they need. Nevertheless, they're given flexibility, and with the other agencies like Veterans and Homeland Security, with Border Patrol, with veterans' pension cases and trying to help relieve that workload, and all of the agriculture needs of the country included in this bill, as well as the Commerce, Justice, Science part. So we are properly funding things like the FBI and the DEA, the law enforcement agencies, the Commerce and Trade Divisions, as well as all of the others included in the bill.

So, Mr. Speaker, this is a good bill. I'm proud of it. I'm proud of the fact that we were able to do all of this, frankly, as smoothly as it has gone. That's a tribute to the work of people like Nita Lowey, the new ranking member on the full committee, and the work of Senator Richard Shelby, the ranking Republican on the Senate side, and, of course, the new chairman of the committee over there, Senator Barbara Mikulski.

All of us worked together, and we were determined to produce a product that would be good for the Nation, number one; but, as it turns out, I think it's good for this body and the Senate. We have proved that when we set our mind to it, we can get complicated, hard things done. And that's what this bill does.

Mr. Speaker, I urge an ``aye'' vote on H.R. 933, and I yield back the balance of my time.

I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the consideration of H.R. 933 and that I may include tabular material on the same.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 99, I call up the bill (H.R. 933) making appropriations for the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and other departments and agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2013, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

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

I rise to present H.R. 933, the Department of Defense and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations, and Full-Year Continuing Resolution for fiscal year 2013.

Our Nation faces a three-pronged threat to its finances as we deal with sequestration, the debt ceiling, and, most immediately, a looming government shutdown.

This bill takes the risk of a government shutdown off the table, funding the government for the remainder of the fiscal year while helping maintain our national security and providing our troops and veterans with consistent, adequate funding.

First and foremost, this bill contains fiscal year 2013 appropriations bills for the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. These bills were crafted by Chairman Bill Young, chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, and very handily done.

These bills passed the House with broad bipartisan support last year. They have been negotiated on a bipartisan basis by the House and the Senate, and agreed to by the Senate Committee. They do not add a cent to the overall top line of the CR.

I want to take a minute here to thank Bill Young and his subcommittee, who did such a tremendous job of balancing the interests of the country but with the overriding concern for the security of the country as they drafted--and passed on a bipartisan basis--the Defense appropriations bill.

Last week, I had the opportunity to ask the Joint Chiefs of our military if they supported this CR package, and the answer was an absolute, wholehearted ``yes.'' In fact, each one of them was asked if it was critical, and each one of the Joint Chiefs said this was critical to the defense of the country.

This legislation addresses severe funding constraints that would put our national security in dire straits. Military hospitals would not be built, veterans would not be cared for adequately, and our readiness would be seriously jeopardized. With sequestration now in effect, this bill allows the Pentagon some leeway to do its best with what it has.

The bill provides $518 billion, the same top line level as last year. Within this top line, accounts have to be re-prioritized to ensure adequate investment in critical programs, such as operation and maintenance, while finding savings in lower priority areas.

The legislation right-sizes spending that would otherwise have been wasted. For instance, we eliminate funding for unneeded spare parts and save funding from outdated programs and projects related to operations in Iraq no longer needed.

In addition, the bill provides $71.9 billion in discretionary funding for military construction and veterans affairs to ensure that our veterans get the care they have earned and that the quality of life in our military is continued. This includes an increase of about $2.5 billion in veterans funding, offset by savings in military construction.

The remainder of the bill, Mr. Speaker, funds the rest of the Federal Government until the end of the fiscal year on September 30. Nearly all funding will remain consistent with current levels, except for the very few exceptions that are needed to prevent catastrophic changes to government programs or to ensure good government. These include provisions allowing critical law enforcement entities to maintain current staffing levels, additional funding for embassy security and critical weather satellite launches, and an extension of the current pay freeze for Federal employees--including Members of Congress.

We've also required every single Federal agency to provide spending plans to Congress to ensure transparency and strong oversight of taxpayer dollars.

Nearly all of the funding in this bill is subject to the President's sequestration, bringing the grand total for discretionary spending to around $984 billion. The bill is designed to help with the damage caused by continually putting off the regular annual appropriations bills, but it does not solve the many serious problems caused by these automatic spending cuts in sequestration.

A full-year continuing resolution is not the way this Congress should be appropriating taxpayer dollars. Each year, we should assess the needs and excesses of our government and make decisions accordingly in the regular appropriations process. We must return to regular order, pass individual spending bills on time, and fulfill our constitutional duty to fund government programs wisely and effectively. To do all of this, we have to have a partner in the Senate, and we've not had that now for these several years. Our hope springs eternal that the Senate will help us get back to regular order.

In light of the circumstances we face, we must make a good-faith effort to provide limited but fair and adequate funding for vital government programs and services through the end of the fiscal year. It is up to Congress to make these decisions to set the course for our financial future.

We must act now to make the most of this difficult situation, and that starts with avoiding a government shutdown on March 27 and providing for our national defense and veterans.

This CR package is the right thing to do, the right time to do it, and it is the fair thing.

And so I urge, Mr. Speaker, my colleagues to show our Nation that we can get our work done by supporting this bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the very distinguished and hardworking chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, the gentleman from California (Mr. McKeon).

Mr. Speaker, I now yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Culberson), the chairman of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on appropriations.

Mr. Speaker, I yield now 3 minutes to the vice chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Thornberry).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster), who chairs the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, for the purpose of a colloquy.

I thank the gentleman for yielding and would confirm that the gentleman is correct. The prohibition in the NDAA is law, and nothing in this bill or report overrides or changes that fact. The language in our report was conferenced last year when the outcome of MEADS

in the NDAA was not known. Chairman Young works closely with the Armed Services Committee, and it is not our intention to change or override any provision of that bill. The prohibition in the bill is the law.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute, and I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Issa) for the purpose of a colloquy.

The gentleman is correct. OMB did submit a list of proposed anomalies on February 18.

OMB did not propose any change to the provisions in current law regarding 6-day mail delivery.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Issa), the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire of the time?

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Frelinghuysen), the distinguished vice chairman of the Defense Subcommittee on Appropriations.

I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.

While we're waiting for the Senate to send us a bill relieving us of sequestration, while we're waiting for the President to send us something to relieve us of sequestration, we have no choice but to pass a continuing resolution to keep the government operating.

Sequestration I hope we can deal with in the future, but now we're dealing with whether or not to shut the government down. Is that not correct?

I thank the gentleman.

Will the gentlelady yield?

Would the gentlelady be so kind as to talk to the majority leader in the Senate about sending us over a bill to relieve us of sequestration? And, two, would the gentlelady talk to her President to see if he would do that? We're ready to act.

If the gentlelady will yield, last year we voted twice in this body to replace sequestration, and it died because the Senate wouldn't take it up.

Mr. Speaker, might I inquire how many speakers remain on the gentlelady's side. I have one remaining speaker.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute and would ask Mr. Visclosky if he might rejoin us at the microphone.

On the point the gentleman just broached and, that is, the passage of bills, one of the most frustrating things of my life is that we cannot get the Senate to pass any appropriations bills.

As the gentleman knows--because he helped pass the Defense bill for this year and all years--we passed, through the House committee, all 12 bills. We sent them to the Senate, and all we got back was a resounding snore. They didn't do anything. When the Senate doesn't appropriate, in spite of the fact that we've passed all of our bills over here, we have to pass a continuing resolution. That is where we are. I lament that, as does the gentleman. And I know that he joins me in wanting us to pass, through regular order, each individual bill, bring it to the floor, let the Members have their say and vote on amendments and the like.

I yield to the gentleman from Indiana.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to a hardworking Member, the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Latham), who chairs the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee on Appropriations.

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

Mr. Speaker, this is all about whether or not we shut down the government. This is a bill to keep the government operating while we debate, then, how we deal with sequestration.

This is not a sequestration bill. This is a bill to continue funding the government for the balance of the fiscal year and to help the military cope with the restrictions so that our Nation is adequately defended by our men and women in uniform.

I urge the adoption of the continuing resolution. Let's keep the government going.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition.

Mr. Speaker, the budgetary problems we face are unprecedented, and the American public demands that we address them. This continuing resolution is the first step in that process.

The measure before us does four important things: one, it takes threat of a government shutdown off the table; two, it fulfills the agreements made in the Budget Control Act; three, it protects our troops in harm's way; and, four, it binds up our veterans' wounds.

This is not the time, Mr. Speaker, to argue about sequestration. Today is the day to keep the government running and show the people back home we've not lost the ability to govern.

The House has passed two separate responsible sequestration replacement bills only to have both of them languish in the other body without action. We're still waiting, Mr. Speaker.

The President must come to the table with a real proposal to solve the sequestration crisis instead of sending us the same old talking points and doing campaign trips around the country.

The public is tired of government putting politics ahead of people. Now is the time to take a shutdown off the table. Now is the time to give our troops and our veterans the resources they need, deserve, and have earned. Now is the time, Mr. Speaker, to govern.

Vote ``no'' on this motion, and vote ``yes'' to keep the government operating.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the talented musicians of the ``Morehead State University and Electric Edge'' band, which performed at the renowned Kentucky Society of Washington DC's Inaugural Bluegrass Ball on Saturday, January 19, 2013. Known for its high class entertainment, fine food, and Kentucky hospitality, the Bluegrass Ball is our premier inauguration party, made even more memorable when Electric Edge takes the stage.

Great music is synonymous with the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and so it has been my pleasure to welcome these gifted educators and musicians to the nation's Capitol City.

In fact, music has always been an important way of life in Kentucky. We enjoy a rich music heritage from Appalachia on into the cornfields of western Kentucky. In classrooms and on stage, these band members are helping keep

our proud musical traditions alive, while training up the next generation of Loretta Lynns and Ricky Scaggs. A couple weekends ago, their abilities were on display at the Bluegrass Ball, indulging us with the melodies of Kentucky right here in Washington, DC.

The band includes nationally and internationally acclaimed members, some of them on the distinguished faculty of Morehead State University. They include hit-chart writer and singer Tony Pence, Professor Glenn Ginn on electric guitar, Professor Gordon Towell on Saxophone, Professor Steven Snyder on piano, Danny Cecil on bass, vocalist- favorite Lisa Ginn, and Paul Deatherage on percussion.

It likewise goes without saying that great food is synonymous with the Commonwealth of Kentucky. So, I'm also very pleased to recognize one of our nation's most celebrated chefs, Edward Lee, of Kentucky's famous ``610 Magnolia'' restaurant, who smartly found his way from New York to the Kentucky Derby and decided to stay. Chef Lee has a huge following as an alumnus of the ``Iron Chef of America'' and ``Top Chef'' television programs. One of his favorite foods is fried chicken, and he loves animals, especially horses. A true Kentucky gentleman, he graciously provided an exquisite three-course dinner for the Bluegrass Ball.

I ask the Congress to join me in thanking the band and chef for showcasing their extraordinary talents and participating in the 57th Presidential Inauguration festivities.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the director and members of the Letcher County Central High School marching band, who have received the honor of performing in Washington, DC, for the 57th Presidential Inaugural Parade on January 21, 2013. This talented group of students should be proud of this remarkable achievement and I am honored to recognize their success.

Competing with more than 2,800 applicants to perform during the parade following President Barack Obama's inauguration, Letcher County Central marching band was one of merely 24 groups chosen for this prestigious honor. After weeks of hard work, fundraising, and practicing in the cold, the band members will serve as the only representative from Kentucky to march in the Presidential Inauguration Parade this year. The band will also be joined by the school's ROTC Cadet Honor Guard performing a ``Patriotic Parade Sequence,'' a medley of American songs, after President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden are sworn into office. The marching band was also invited to perform at the Kentucky Society of Washington DC's Inaugural Ball on January 19, 2013.

Contrary to their current success, the Letcher County Central High School music program has not always had a strong presence on campus. In fact, in 2006, the instrumental music program at Letcher County Central High School did not exist. However, with the help of Dr. Jason Griffith, Director of the LCCHS marching band, and several VH1 Save the Music Grants, the program has grown from 50 kids to approximately 400 kids in just six years. Today, the band has received numerous awards such as a Kennedy Center Honorable Mention, and has participated in prominent parades such as the Gubernatorial Parades in Kentucky in 2007 and 2011 and a special parade at Disney World in 2012.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Band Director Jason Griffith and the Letcher County Central High School Marching Band. This band has made Kentucky proud, and I wish them all the best as they take part in this once in a lifetime opportunity and become forever apart of our nation's history.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the consideration of H.R. 152, and that I may include tabular material on the same.

Madam Chairman, I yield myself such time as may consume.

Madam Chairman, I rise to present legislation providing emergency supplemental funding for Hurricane Sandy relief and recovery. The base bill totals $17 billion in crucial funding to meet immediate needs for the victims, businesses, and communities devastated by Hurricane Sandy.

Since this terrible storm hit, we've come to realize that recovery is going to take months and years, not days and weeks. This legislation puts the region on the path to recovery by providing the aid needed for immediate relief. We are also analyzing the justifications for further financial aid for long-term relief that would come in a later supplemental or a regular appropriations bill.

A significant portion of the funding in this bill will go to the most direct source of relief and recovery funding available to the victims of the storm, the FEMA disaster relief fund, which will provide individual and community assistance throughout the affected region. The bill also will support critical housing and infrastructure needs, ensure repairs to damaged veterans medical facilities, and help keep the economy moving by funding necessary transit repairs, small business loans, and recovery aid for businesses of all sizes.

My committee thoroughly examined the emergency request, listened to the needs of the people in the region, and assessed the most pressing needs to determine the funding levels made in this bill. We crafted this legislation responsibly, giving the administration's request and the Senate-passed bill a hard scrub to eliminate unnecessary spending. We have removed objectionable provisions added by the Senate and have adjusted funding levels to make the best use of taxpayer dollars. As we know, we face precarious fiscal times, and it is essential that Congress make responsible decisions to ensure efficient and effective spending.

Taking cues from previous efforts, we have included important oversight measures to prevent abuse and ensure that Federal agencies are using these funds effectively and appropriately.

This is not the first major natural disaster nor unfortunately will it be the last. One of the great attributes of the American people has been our ability and willingness to come together time and time again to help victims of catastrophes recover. We've seen the havoc that Sandy has wrought on the residents of our Northeast region, and it is once again our duty to help our people get back on their feet.

I urge our colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey, a member of our committee who has been unceasing in his efforts to aid the people of his home region, Mr. Frelinghuysen.

Madam Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young), the chairman of the Defense Subcommittee on Appropriations.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield myself 3 minutes, Madam Chairman, and I yield to Mrs. Lowey, the ranking member of the committee--who, by the way, this is her first appearance on the floor as the new ranking Democrat on the full Appropriations Committee. I want to initially congratulate her on that position. I look forward to a good working relationship with her.

I yield to the gentlelady.

Reclaiming my time, yes, the gentlelady's understanding is correct, and I further yield to her.

The gentlelady's understanding is correct.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Runyan).

Madam Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Staten Island, New York City, Mr. Grimm.

Will the gentleman yield?

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Yes, that is my understanding and intention.

As you know, Congress has previously recognized the critical role our public schools play in creating stability and meeting the educational needs of children and youth displaced by disasters.

The flexibility of the SSBG has proven crucial in responding to the many needs that arise in the aftermath of natural disasters.

Will the gentleman yield?

Transporting displaced students is an allowable purpose under the social services block grant, and I encourage HHS and affected States to work with affected school districts and promptly provide any reimbursements for these critical services.

Madam Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Palazzo).

May I inquire, Madam Chair, of the time remaining?

Madam Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Gardner).

Will the gentleman yield?

First, I want to thank the gentleman from Colorado for his work on the Emergency Watershed Program. I am aware of the need for this assistance not only in Colorado but in other parts of the country, and I look forward to working with you and others to address this important funding in future legislation.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chairman, I have no further requests for time. I'm prepared to close if the gentlelady is prepared.

Madam Chairman, I urge adoption of the Rogers amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Chairman, I claim the time in opposition.

Madam Chair, I yield myself 3 minutes.

Our people in the Northeast are facing a struggle of historic proportions. Many have seen their homes, their livelihoods, and their communities decimated beyond belief. It is the Federal responsibility-- and in fact our responsibility as human beings--to help those victims in this unexpected catastrophe.

In doing so, we must expend some Federal dollars. I don't take spending this money lightly. Our country faces a deficit crisis, as the gentleman from South Carolina has said, a deficit crisis of huge proportions, with an economy that's fighting to recover; and any expenditure must be weighed against all other needs facing our Nation.

Now, I don't take a back seat to anyone when it comes to cutting spending. Since I've chaired this committee the last 2 years, we've cut $100 billion off of discretionary spending, 2 years in a row, going on a third. That's not happened since World War II. So I know whereof I speak.

In this case, Madam Chair, the needs are very desperately clear. We must provide this emergency funding, as we are allowed by law, without the devastating slash-and-burn cuts elsewhere that this amendment would cause. The amendment before us would slash nearly $20 billion from discretionary spending this year alone, totally indiscriminate, unspecific, cutting the good and the bad, completely abdicating the responsibility of Congress to determine where spending should or should not occur.

To put this in perspective, this amendment contains a cut to regular discretionary spending that is about the size of the entire agriculture discretionary budget for the year. It is about the equivalent of eliminating all discretionary funding for the Department of Transportation or the full annual budgets of the Coast Guard and Customs and Border Patrol combined.

As written, this amendment is an across-the-board cut that holds no program safe from harm. Defense spending, which is already facing potentially devastating sequestration cuts, is cut by another $10 billion. It would cut war funding by $1.6 billion, directly affecting our troops who are putting their lives on the line in Afghanistan and other areas of conflict.

This amendment also cuts funding for our veterans by $200 million, potentially endangering the quality of their care and making a statement that Congress is willing to go back on commitments to our vets. And the list of other unwise cuts and side effects go on.

Finally, this amendment goes against the precedent of previous emergency supplementals, which did not contain these extreme offsets.

I yield myself an additional 30 seconds.

I believe we can and should attempt to budget for disasters, as we did under the BCA. There are times when a disaster simply goes beyond our ability to offset. Hurricane Sandy is one of those times.

I urge a defeat of the amendment.

I now yield 1 minute to the gentlelady from New York (Mrs. Lowey).

Madam Chair, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky).

Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

I ask unanimous consent, Mr. Speaker, that in the engrossment of H.R. 152, the Clerk shall reinsert the text on page 1, lines 3 through 6, of the bill after the enacting clause.

Coming from a University of Kentucky football and basketball fan, to my friend from Louisville and the Cardinals, congratulations. Fantastic for the State of Kentucky.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Ms. Suzanne C. McCollum for her extraordinary dedication to duty and service to the United States of America. Ms. McCollum will retire after 28 years of distinguished service to the Nation as an Army Civilian.

Ms. McCollum began her service as a Clerk Typist, GS-1, at the Soldier Support Center-National Capital Region. In 1989, she went on to serve as a secretary and Congressional Liaison Clerk for the 6th Infantry Division (Light), Fort Wainwright, Alaska. When she returned to Washington, DC in 1992, she briefly worked for the Acquisition Management Branch, U.S. Total Army Personnel Command, before accepting a position in the Office of the Chief of Legislative Liaison (OCLL), Congressional Inquiry Division. During this time, Ms. McCollum was assigned to ever higher levels of responsibility as her experience and reputation as a skilled action officer grew.

Ms. McCollum received a promotion in the Congressional Activities Division, where she was responsible for ensuring that Army Senior Leader written testimony was provided to the Defense Oversight committees in a timely manner. She published a key tool for the Army in responding to Congress: the Congressional Actions Responsibilities Standard Operating Procedures. Within a year, she was promoted again and asked to become the Legislative Assistant to Sergeant Major of the Army Kenneth Preston, becoming his sole advisor for all congressional affairs matters. In that role, Ms. McCollum was responsible for preparing the SMA for congressional testimony, providing analysis on Congressional interest items and legislation related to Soldier and Family issues, and keeping him informed on Members and Staff in preparation for numerous Congressional office calls, events, and trips. This was critical to ensure he was able to provide Members of Congress and their Staff with the most current information on Army Programs. Ms. McCollum most recently served as the Deputy Chief of Support Operations Division, Army Legislative Liaison.

Ms. McCollum has continued to remain passionate about Soldiers, their Families, and ensuring the quality of life for Service Members matches the quality of their service. Through her numerous contributions, she has made a real and lasting impact towards gaining Congressional trust, confidence, and advocacy for the Army.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of a grateful Nation, I ask my colleagues to join me today in saying thank you to Ms. Suzanne C. McCollum for her extraordinary dedication to duty and service to this country throughout her distinguished career as an Army Civilian and we wish her, her husband, Army-Retired Colonel Douglas McCollum and her daughter, Brennan NoeIle Rozmeski; stepdaughters Brooke Ashley and Brittany Kay McCollum, all the best in her well deserved retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Ms. Mary Blas Pablo for her extraordinary dedication to duty and service to the United States of America. Mrs. Pablo will retire after 27 years of distinguished service to the Nation as an Army Civilian.

Ms. Pablo began her service in the Pentagon in 1985 with the Department of the Army's Military Operations, Training Directorate. She relocated to Guam in 1986 as part of her husband's military reassignment where she worked for the Naval Supply Depot from 1986- 1988. Mrs. Pablo returned to the Washington, DC area in 1988 where she began her 24-year tenure with the Office of the Chief of Legislative Liaison in the Congressional Travel Office as a Travel Staff Assistant. During this time, Ms. Pablo coordinated and arranged travel for Members and employees of Congress averaging 450 Congressional trips annually. She played a key role and contributed to several successful and flawless missions.

In 2002, Ms. Pablo became the Chief of the Army Congressional Travel Office where she served as the Army's subject matter expert on Congressional travel and was responsible for the administration and management of the Army's Congressional Travel Program. Her expertise and selfless dedication to Congress and the Army ensured support and assistance for delegations traveling domestic and abroad, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Ms. Pablo was always willing to do whatever it took to accomplish the missions vital to Congress and the Army.

Ms. Pablo has continued to remain passionate about Soldiers, their Families, and ensuring the quality of life for Service Members matches the quality of their service. Through her numerous contributions, she has made a real and lasting impact towards gaining Congressional trust, confidence, and advocacy for the Army.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of a grateful Nation, I ask my colleagues to join me today in saying thank you to Ms. Mary Blas Pablo for her extraordinary dedication to duty and service to this country throughout her distinguished career as an Army Civilian and we wish her, her husband, Army-retired Ben Pablo, their children and grandchildren, Lisa, Todd, Brian, Talan, Landon and Addisen all the best in her well deserved retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to one of my dearest friends and a jewel of southern Kentucky, the late Helen Hansford.

Helen was a staunch Republican since the day she was old enough to officially register, at the age of 21. From then on, she stood firm on conservative principles with her sweet southern charm. Helen became a member of the Republican Women's Club in 1966, served as an executive committee member of Kentucky's Republican Party for more than 20 years, and attended every Republican National Convention since 1984, until news of a malignant brain tumor interrupted her plans in 2011.

Helen's husband, the late Sherman Hansford, served as Pulaski County Sheriff for many years. During his service, Helen was right by Sherman's side, serving as a deputy sheriff and office clerk. She had a passion for public service and believed in being a part of transforming her hometown and helping others succeed. In fact, Helen's heartbeat raced for the children in Pulaski County Schools. As the Executive Assistant to the Pulaski County Schools Superintendent and a member of the Pulaski County Board of Education, Helen never hesitated to take on the reins of responsibility when action was needed. Yet, she was always a true lady, winning over hearts with her generous spirit and words of encouragement.

When Helen believed in a cause, she invested herself into its success with every ounce of energy she had to offer. She devoted more than 50 years to numerous boards and agencies, including the Order of the Eastern Star, Kentucky Public Retirees, along with local, state and national Republican politics. In honor of her tireless dedication, Helen was recently inducted into the Pulaski County Lincoln Club Hall of Fame and the Republican 5th District Hall of Fame.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring an irreplaceable friend to southern Kentucky, the late Helen Hansford.