Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Teresa Vanzant, in honor of her retirement after dedicating 31 years of public service to Kentucky's Rockcastle County Circuit Court Clerk's Office.

Teresa's passion and commitment to public service was inspired by her father and my dear friend, the late Denver Miller, who also served as Circuit Court Clerk in Rockcastle County for three terms. Denver instilled in his family, the value of being an engaged citizen and giving back to the community. Denver's service as Clerk and Administrative Assistant to the Administrative Office of the Court also influenced his son, James Miller who serves as Rockcastle County's Jailer. The tireless dedication of this entire family will be a legacy long admired in our region.

Teresa Vanzant is also a role model for women in public service in our rural communities. In addition to her role as Circuit Court Clerk, she has volunteered for the Kentucky Women's Missionary Union, the Mt. Vernon Elementary Family Resource Center Council, President of Kiwanis Rockcastle, the Education Chair of Kentucky's Circuit Court Clerk's Association, Secretary of the Trust for Life, and a board member of the anti-drug Rockcastle County UNITE Coalition. Teresa works diligently, to not only serve her county, but to be a voice for opportunity and vision for generations to follow.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring a leader and dear friend of southern and eastern Kentucky, Teresa Vanzant, on her retirement. My wife, Cynthia and I wish Teresa and her family all the best in the years to come.

Mr. Speaker, while the impending fiscal cliff is on our minds, I rise to alert my colleagues to another end-of-the- year deadline with potentially deadly consequences. If the FDA fails to act, on January 1 our streets could be flooded with cheap, crushable prescription painkillers ripe for abuse and misuse.

After OxyContin came on the market 15 years ago, a wave of overdose deaths devastated entire towns in my region of Appalachian Kentucky before spreading like wildfire to the big cities and suburban communities across the country. By crushing these 12-hour-delay pain pills, abusers can experience a euphoric, and sometimes deadly, high.

But today, the FDA has an opportunity to keep these crushable pills out of our children's reach. A number of prescription medicines already on the market use tamper-resistant technologies that can cut back on abuse. No generic pill should come to market without these live-saving features.

The FDA must take the necessary steps to keep us from careening off this pain-pill cliff.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my good friend, Tom Vicini, for his tremendous leadership and tireless dedication to inspire young people in southern and eastern Kentucky live a drug-free life.

In recent years, Tom has witnessed the devastating effects of the prescription drug epidemic in his hometown of Lynch, Kentucky and across our rural region. Rather than quietly standing by, Tom has committed his life to making a difference both as a selfless community leader and a compassionate little league coach.

After earning a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of Kentucky, Tom returned to Lynch where he worked in the private sector and served as Mayor for 13 years without taking a salary, due to tight budgets. He is now a Coalition Coordinator for Operation UNITE, a non-profit organization designed to combat substance abuse through law enforcement, treatment and education, serving the Fifth Congressional District of Kentucky. Through his work with UNITE, Tom helps coordinate community anti-drug events and reaches out to families and individuals grappling with addiction on a daily basis.

For the last 34 years, Tom has spent his evenings and weekends coaching little league baseball, a lifelong passion. Tom is more than a successful coach, however. He is also an excellent mentor and role model, encouraging players to stay off drugs, make healthy life choices, and never give up. Tom makes sure that every child gets to play, regardless of talent. All he asks for in return is that they give their best effort on the field. Additionally, Tom organizes free baseball camps for youth and assists with various drug-free programs, including Shoot Hoops Not Drugs and Hooked on Fishing--Not on Drugs. In honor of his contributions to the sport of baseball, Tom received the 2012 Major League Baseball Commissioner's Play Healthy Award through the Partnership at DrugFree.org in conjunction with MLB Charities.

Tom's talents far exceed his boundaries, yet he is determined to help transform his small community and our rural region of southern and eastern Kentucky. As some of those same little league players have grown up, Tom has encountered a few in handcuffs during drug roundups, but his immediate response is to kneel down beside them in prayer, offering words of encouragement. It is his courage of conviction and steadfast resolve to help those in need that drive his unwavering kindred spirit. His message of hope and perseverance in the face of adversity is manifested every day through his tireless effort to encourage the youth of his community to reach for a brighter future.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Tom Vicini for receiving the MLB Commissioner's Play Healthy Award, and for his unwavering commitment to the youth of Harlan County.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from Kentucky, the Honorable Thomas Massie, be permitted to take the oath of office today.

His certificate of election has not arrived, but there is no contest and no question has been raised with regard to his election.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I have the distinct honor and privilege of representing the Kentucky delegation as we welcome our newest member, Tom Massie from Lewis County, Kentucky.

Thomas earned two engineering degrees from MIT. He founded SensAble Technologies, Inc., based on his invention that made computers easier to use, raised over $32 million of venture capital, created 70 jobs, and obtained 24 patents. Then he came home to a farm in Kentucky to raise his family.

Ten years ago, he and Rhonda, his high school sweetheart, moved back home to Kentucky to raise their four children where they live on a farm in rural Lewis County, Kentucky.

But you can't keep a good man down. He wanted to be of service to the public, and he ran for the county executive's job in Lewis County on the Ohio River, and, of course, won that race. That was in 2010.

Now we are honored to present to you, in a minute, the newest member of the Kentucky delegation representing the Fourth Congressional District.

Before I introduce Tom, let me turn to my colleague, Mr. Yarmuth, from the Third District.

It is now my great pleasure to recognize and yield to the new member of the Kentucky delegation, Thomas Massie.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to two natives of southeastern Kentucky, Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey for their inspiring success, spanning more than 40 years in the making. Starting as young entrepreneurs from Artemus, Kentucky, Ken and Sarah now own one of the premier thoroughbred farms in the nation, the Ramsey Farm in Nicholasville, Kentucky.

Ken had a rough start in the horse racing industry in 1969 when he discovered his $1,500 thoroughbred was blind in one eye and never started. Ken held a trainer's license briefly before becoming an executive in the trucking business. The Ramseys later dabbled in real estate before investing in cellular telephone franchises. It was the extra money from the cell phone business that enabled Ken and Sarah to return to their true love of horses.

The Ramseys bought the famed Almahurst Farm in 1994 after selling their cellular telephone business. Almahurst was the birthplace of the 1918 Kentucky Derby winner Exterminator and standardbred hero Greyhound. They changed the name of the farm, but continued its legendary success.

With their fierce competitive spirit and passion for horses, Ken and Sarah have become leading figures in the horse racing industry, earning Ramsey Farm the highest praise and most coveted awards. Their lofty honors include the 2011 and 2004 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Owners and the first recipients of the John Deere Outstanding Breeders of the 2011 Breeders' Cup Challenge series and the Breeders' Cup World Championships.

They have also won leading owner titles at Belmont, Keeneland, Saratoga, Gulfstream Park, Ellis Park, Turfway, and currently hold the record at Churchill Downs with the most owner titles won in the 135- year history of the track. The Ramseys also found success on the world stage when their thoroughbred, Roses in May won the Dubai World Cup in 2005.

The majority of their success came with homebreds by their 2004 champion turf mare, Kitten's Joy, a namesake of Ken's first love, Sarah whom he had nicknamed ``Kitten'' in 1954. Ken still enjoys sharing each win with his family and friends by inviting them to help him walk each horse into the winner's circle, whether it's a $5,000 claimer or a Grade I stakes winner.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey, for their impressive careers and their continued support of projects in their rural hometown in southeastern Kentucky.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my good friend and role model, Dr. French B. Harmon, and to celebrate his fifth year serving at First Baptist Somerset on October 21st, 2012. Dr. Harmon has showed tremendous leadership and involvement in the Somerset community, substantially increasing the Church's membership within the last year, and strongly connecting with his congregation.

Throughout his life, Dr. Harmon has always pursued learning. After graduating from Paul Blazer high school in Ashland, KY, he attended Marshall University, from where he received his Bachelor's degree. Seeking to continue his education further, Dr. Harmon went on to receive degrees from University of Louisville (MA in Education), Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (MDtv and ThM), and Reformed Theological Seminary (DMin). Dr. Harmon has had a wealth of experience as a Christian leader, starting from his days in college as the Baptist Student Union President to becoming a Campus Minister to Pikeville College and Prestonsburg Community College.

Dr. Harmon has been a strong leader in our community, organizing various mission trips that have greatly benefited those around him. This past June, Dr. Harmon led the First Baptist Somerset Church on a mission trip to Magoffin County after the town of West Liberty had been ravaged by multiple deadly tornadoes this past March. Harmon took a team of church members and a large load of building supplies to work on damaged homes, repair roofs, rebuild porches, and help get people back on their feet.

Harmon has also stood up to the prescription drug epidemic in eastern Kentucky and has done his best to shed light on the issue. This past May he helped organize and lead the first ``Pulaski Cares March for Hope'' to spotlight the drug problem in the region and bring hope to those who were struggling with drug abuse.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Dr. French B. Harmon, for his outstanding leadership and dedicated service to the Somerset community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to one of my closest friends and trusted advisors, the late Paul Dunnington of Monticello, Kentucky.

Paul and I quickly became friends when my family moved to Monticello. We shared a lot of great memories together and remained close friends until his battle with cancer came to an untimely end on August 20, 2012.

Paul was a savvy entrepreneur and offered great wisdom and advice to several businesses, boards, and non-profit organizations, including the Monticello-Wayne County Industrial Foundation, the Chamber of Commerce, and my own public service in Kentucky's Fifth Congressional District. In 1986, I tapped Paul to be one of the founding directors of the Southern Kentucky Economic Development Corporation (SKED), where he dedicated 26 years to helping recruit new industry and more than 10,000 new jobs to our rural region.

In addition to his astute business skills, Paul had a heart of gold and an unmatched spirit of philanthropy. He dedicated his life to civic groups and organizations interested in helping the less fortunate, including the Kiwanis Club, Habitat for Humanity, the Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief, and the Monticello Camp of Gideons International through which he dedicated 15 years to jail ministry, as well as 12 foreign mission trips. He believed everyone deserved a second chance and made it his mission to help the struggling succeed. He was a founding member of the HELP Pregnancy Center in Monticello and recently established the Oxford House in partnership with his church, the Monticello First Baptist Church, to help men overcome drug addiction, giving them a place to live and helping them find work. One of his legacy projects and his most recent venture was the renovation of the Wayne County Museum, for which he diligently raised funds and dedicated a room in my honor.

Southern Kentucky lost a true humanitarian in Paul Dunnington. May his legacy forever live on through the programs he established to improve the lives of our neighbors and loved ones. He made a difference in our region.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring a dear friend and a champion for the less fortunate, the late Paul Dunnington. My wife, Cynthia and I extend our deepest heartfelt sympathies to his wife Kathryn and the entire Dunnington family.

I thank the chairman for yielding.

During his 2008 election campaign, President Obama had the audacity to set an energy goal to bankrupt the coal industry. Unfortunately, this is one promise the President is keeping. Coal mines are closing, miners are being sent home--our strategic energy advantage thrown away for windmills and Solyndras.

Mr. Chairman, I know miners. Day in and day out, they make real personal sacrifices--often doing difficult and, at times, dangerous jobs--not only to look out for their families but to keep our homes lit, to support their local churches, to keep our local businesses flourishing, and to help the American economy. Coal is not America's energy problem; it is America's energy solution.

Sadly, for the last 3 years, this administration has brought forth an onslaught of job-killing regulations, overstepped authority--three times condemned by the Federal court, and deadlocked the mine permitting process--all with the thinly veiled purpose of driving coal from the energy marketplace.

In Kentucky, the results are in. In my region, more than 2,000 coal miners have lost their jobs this year, and dozens of local support businesses are downsizing as a result.

The story is the same in Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania, where last week, 1,200 more workers were given pink slips. It's time for this to stop, Mr. Chairman. This war on coal is real. It threatens the way of life of these small town communities with rich legacies and real people, our countrymen.

Mr. Chairman, I'm proud to stand in support of coal miners and coal communities and support the Stop the War on Coal Act, H.R. 3409. It sends a clear message that the Obama policies are wrongheaded not only for coal, but for our country.

I urge passage to put coal miners back to work.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the rule adopted earlier today, I call up the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 117) making continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2013, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

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.J. Res. 117.

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

This 6-month continuing resolution, Mr. Speaker, will keep the government's doors open and its wheels turning until March 27, 2013. It's a necessary bill that ensures that the Congress is doing its job, even if this is not our preferred way of going about doing it.

Funding for the government in short increments is not the right way to govern and not something that should be common practice.

It's essential to our Nation's financial future that the Congress complete these important appropriations bills in regular order.

However, the Senate failed to act on any of the 12 appropriations bills this year, instead choosing to default on their most basic fiscal duty in the name of election-year politics.

Over the past few months, the House did its very best to support the core functions of the government and provide responsible levels for critical programs and services. In fact, the Appropriations Committee considered all 12 bills, fulfilling our duty as shepherds of Federal tax dollars and our responsibility as representatives of the people in this country.

I'm deeply disappointed that this work is now on hold and that Congress will not complete this work before the end of the fiscal year this September 30.

Though we have found ourselves in this undesirable position, it does not mean we can't yet act responsibly.

This CR is a good-faith effort to provide limited, but fair, funding for government programs. It sticks with the agreement the House leadership made with the Senate and the White House to continue government operations at the Budget Control Act-approved level of $1.047 trillion, thereby avoiding the perils of a threatened government shutdown.

This legislation is very limited in scope. Funding levels have been held at rates essentially consistent with the current fiscal year. It makes minor changes to prevent detrimental or catastrophic or irreversible changes to Federal programs and to ensure good government.

This includes provisions to allow additional funding for things like nuclear weapons modernization efforts, wildfire suppression, maintaining current border security staffing levels, more help to process veterans' disability claims, and things of that sort. Essential.

We've also made sure that we will take care of these individuals, businesses, and communities affected by the recent natural disasters like Hurricane Isaac. We provide $6.4 billion in additional disaster funding. This funding will prevent any lapse in critical assistance to those already working to recover from these catastrophes, as well as adequate financial resources, should any need arise in the future.

The bill also protects critical funding for our national defense, maintaining last year's levels for Department of Defense programs which the Senate and the White House have sought to significantly cut.

Mr. Speaker, my committee will stand ready and will stand at the ready to continue the appropriations process. We intend to use the lame-duck session to the fullest extent. Just because this CR will last until March 27 of next year, we will not rest on our laurels until that time. We will do as much as we can to allow ample time to complete that essential work.

Mr. Speaker, we have to pass this important bill to maintain the continuity of our government and to prevent its shutdown and to continue the vital programs and services for our people, for our Nation, and for the stability of our economy.

I ask for support, Mr. Speaker, of this critical legislation.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, the gentleman I will introduce next has served on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee for over 30 years, as has the previous speaker, Mr. Dicks, served over 30 years as well. These two gentlemen, the previous speaker and the upcoming speaker, are the House's experts, in my judgment, on military matters. So I yield such time as he may consume to the former chairman of the full committee, and also now the chairman of the Defense Subcommittee, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young).

I reserve the balance of my time.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to engage with the ranking member and clarify some apparent confusion on this CR's provision regarding cybersecurity, if the gentleman would engage.

The language in section 137 of the CR, regarding cybersecurity, is explicit and clear. The phrase that's apparently in question refers solely to the Federal Network Security program. The Federal Network Security is a limited program that provides security systems on government networks, not private. So no funds are for any new executive order. No funds or language expands any DHS authorities, and none of the funds or language in this section has anything to do with the regulation of private sector infrastructure, and we have confirmed that in writing with the Department of Homeland Security.

Without this anomaly, the program will be suspended due to the lack of available funding, and the monitoring of Federal civilian networks will be further delayed, leaving them vulnerable to infiltration and subsequent breach. That's all we are trying to prevent with this provision.

Let me also add that this provision is an abbreviated version of what is contained in both the House-passed and Senate-reported fiscal year 2013 appropriations bills--something our committees have been working on all year.

With all of that said, I now yield to the committee's distinguished ranking member, the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Dicks), who I believe agrees with this clarification.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Before I yield back, Mr. Speaker, let me take a moment to talk about the ranking member.

Mr. Dicks, as I said before, has served on this committee for 30-plus years. I'm not exactly sure how many. How many is it? It is 36 years. He has been a very, very dedicated member of the committee, including-- and most especially--of the Defense Subcommittee on which he has served for, I think, 34 years. Before that, he was an aide to a Member of Congress, so he has wide, deep experience in this body.

Maybe just as importantly, perhaps even more so, is the dedication that he has given to the country through his service in the Congress. I, personally, have found him to be a close friend. He has also been a great partner in this appropriations process since I have become the chairman of the committee. He has been helpful in a thousand instances. His heart is in the right place. His mind is on the business of serving the public, especially the military part of that service.

We're going to miss Norm Dicks around here. He is going to leave a large hole in our hearts but also in the business of this body and this Congress, so we wish him well as he embarks upon a new career, perhaps, and a new way of life, perhaps. I've got an idea there are going to be a few fish involved in that future, but we are going to miss Norm Dicks for all that he has meant to us.

This may be the last bill that he has a part in. I hope, perhaps, there will be something in the lame duck; but in case there is not, I wanted to be sure that we said some words of deep, profound thanks to a patriot who has served his country as few others have. I wish Norm Dicks the very, very best as he embarks on the next phase of his life.

I will be happy to yield to the gentleman.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I want to mention staff. As the ranking member has said, none of this would be here but for this wonderful staff that we are blessed with.

Bill Inglee on the majority side, the clerk; Will Smith, his deputy; and all of the staff on the subcommittees and the full committee have worked day and night--weekends included--on this bill. For that we are deeply appreciative. Then David Pomerantz on the minority side and all of the staff on the minority side, both full committee and subcommittees, have equally worked as hard and, most of the time, together on the same thing. So we want to thank them for the deep service that they've given to us.

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

I rise in opposition to the motion to recommit.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the motion to recommit. This procedural motion is nothing more than a dilatory tactic designed to score political points for the cameras.

We have worked fervently and in good faith to put together a CR that meets the Nation's critical needs for the next 6 months. We did take care of our veterans in this bill. We did take care of our troops. With the enactment of this CR, the funding for veterans will be $2.1 billion more than last year. The CR provides all the funds necessary for our troops' pay raise.

The only problem is, in order for the checks to go out, the Senate has to pass an authorization bill, which they've been sitting on for months. It's time for the Senate to act on behalf of our troops and our veterans.

Now, we've got to pass this CR to keep the government open and to keep the doors from closing on their government, yet the Democrats want to put a roadblock to passing this one piece of legislation that keeps the government running. The last time I checked, Madam Speaker, if you closed down the government, the Nation's most deserving--our troops and veterans--would not get a single dollar of the benefits that they deserve. So this bill is necessary.

With the November elections on the horizon, we should not be surprised that the other side wants to put politics ahead of doing our work--as usual. The American people expect us to stop the partisan bickering and get our work done. The time for idle talk is over. Enough is enough. We've got bipartisan agreement on this bill. The

House, the Senate--both parties--and the White House have signed off on this bill. The motion is not needed, it is not helpful, and the money is in the bill. Stop the political posturing, and make our citizens proud. Vote ``no.''

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Reverend Monsignor Ralph Beiting, a compassionate, self-sacrificing man, who devoted his life to bettering the lives of those in eastern Kentucky. On August 9, 2012, Father Beiting joined his generous God in heaven at the age of 88 following a brief illness. His heart for the impoverished and his sincere generosity to those in need has touched the lives of others and he will be forever remembered in Appalachia and the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

After World War II, Father Beiting began serving the people of eastern Kentucky with countless social service programs. Born and raised in northern Kentucky, Father Beiting first traveled to Appalachia in 1946, encountering a new kind of poverty, one not seen even during the Great Depression. His compassion and sympathy for rural families developed then as he made it his mission to help the impoverished and needy of my region. In 1950, Beiting returned to eastern Kentucky to help launch a church, and although this committed Catholic Priest was not always welcomed with open arms, Beiting continued his work of never letting the poor go untended.

In 1957, Beiting launched a fully-integrated summer camp for boys from poor families in the counties where he ministered. By 1964, his ministry had developed into the Christian Appalachian Project, CAP, an interdenominational, non-profit organization that serves Kentucky's mountain residents. Today CAP stands as the 15th largest human services charity in the nation. A warehouse and thrift store in Louisa also bears Beiting's name. The Father Beiting Appalachian Mission Center distributes food, clothing, furniture, and provides four local thrift stores with low-cost merchandise, in keeping with Beiting's spirit of meeting physical and human needs. In fact, Beiting spent much of his time personally delivering food, clothing and household goods to help the needy in eastern Kentucky.

Father Beiting's legacy of charity, love of Kentuckians, and volunteer efforts is an inspiration all across our region. Always sharing God's love with everyone he met, Beiting served as a bright light for thousands of Appalachian families in need. On behalf of my wife Cynthia and myself, I want to extend our deepest heartfelt sympathies to his family, friends, and those he served with in Appalachia. Our region will miss this great man.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the late Father Beiting, a true man of God, who dedicated a lifetime of service to bettering the lives of those in eastern Kentucky.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Morgan County Judge Executive Tim Conley and the first responders of West Liberty, Kentucky in honor of their steadfast resolve and perseverance to rebuild and recover the town of West Liberty in the midst of disaster.

On Friday March 2, 2012, thousands of lives changed across southern and eastern Kentucky, when multiple deadly tornadoes ravaged our region, including an EF-3 tornado that destroyed downtown West Liberty with winds reaching 165 mph. Homes were leveled, businesses and community centers annihilated, families were displaced all over the countryside, and loved ones were lost. County Judge Tim Conley, West Liberty Mayor Jim Rupe, and first responders took charge immediately, serving as heroes both during and after the storm. Along with many others, Judge Conley risked his own life to rush a family into shelter at City Hall, barely hanging on as the violent eye of the storm nearly swept them away. Within days of the disaster, Conley made tough decisions to get the county back into operation after the tornado shut down every bank, grocery store, gas station, and government building in town. Through his dedication and hard work, Conley kept up morale, supplied vital information to residents, and rallied the community as they began to envision a new future for West Liberty.

Thousands of volunteers and tireless emergency crews helped Kentucky families get back on their feet after the deadly tornado outbreak. Our brave first responders searched every home for survivors, staying awake until everyone was accounted for and had received medical attention. The volunteer efforts ranged from people of all ages, including Boy Scouts and Disabled American Veterans, who fed and clothed dozens of families in addition to cleaning and rebuilding homes and businesses. Volunteer efforts were so abundant that FEMA did not have to set up any temporary shelters, due to the numerous families in West Liberty that selflessly took in their neighbors and family members.

As West Liberty continues to rebuild and look forward, we must remember and honor the hundreds of first responders, local officials such as Tim Conley, and volunteers who worked hard to lend a hand in the darkest hour. It was through their selfless service, resilience, and valiant leadership that helped put Morgan County on the path to recovery.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Tim Conley, our first responders, and the numerous volunteers throughout Kentucky for their heroic acts of bravery, compassion for those in need, and determination to recover and succeed.

Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by thanking my colleague and friend from across the Big Sandy that divides Kentucky and West Virginia and my good friend across the aisle, Nick Rahall, for organizing these Special Orders by the Congressional Caucus on Prescription Drug Abuse. Congress, the DEA, the medical community, State partners, and particularly the Federal Drug Administration must do more to fight the medicine cabinet epidemic.

The Office of National Drug Control Policy in the White House has identified prescription drugs as our Nation's fastest growing drug problem, easily eclipsing cocaine and heroin abuse. As has been said, the national Centers for

Disease Control has said that prescription drug abuse is now a national epidemic.

In 2010, 254 million prescriptions for opioids were filled in this country. That's enough painkillers to medicate every American adult around the clock for a month.

Our military soldiers are coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan hooked on these pain pills. In the last 2 years, over 150 of our soldiers have died from overdoses.

In my home State, Kentucky's losing roughly 82 people a month to prescription drug deaths, more than car crashes. Our medicine cabinets are more dangerous than our cars.

But these statistics, of course, are just numbers. So many Americans, including members of our caucus who've taken to the House floor today, have been touched by this tragedy in some personal way. In some counties in my district, half of the children are living in a home without their parents in large part because of prescription drug abuse.

I've met single moms struggling to get through drug court and employers who can't string together a clean workforce. We've lost mothers. We've lost grandfathers, police officers, children, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives.

This epidemic does not distinguish between socioeconomic lines or gender lines or geographic lines. It's indiscriminate in its path of destruction, and it has to stop.

FDA has to be part of saying ``no'' to the abuse of legal drugs. FDA is the primary entity for regulating prescription drugs with its hands on the spigot. For years, I've pleaded with the FDA to take a harder look at how these painkillers are allowed to be prescribed.

Congressman Frank Wolf of Virginia and I have implored FDA to make these painkillers available only for severe pain. Prescription painkillers such as OxyContin and Opana were originally intended to treat severe pain caused by cancer, but over the years, based in large part on marketing practices, many physicians, dentists, other health care providers began prescribing opioid painkillers for moderate-to- severe pain. A toothache or a stubbed toe has become an excuse for an Oxy prescription.

Now, OxyContin's a wonderful drug, intended for terminally ill cancer patients, people in severe pain that need a time-released capsule over 12 hours. It helped the patient and helped the caregiver. But it's also a very addictive drug and very difficult to kick once addicted. So this is really a dangerous drug when not used in the prescribed way.

This FDA-approved indication for moderate-to-severe pain can create the false assumption that opioids are a safe and effective treatment for chronic, noncancer pain. On the contrary, more than 30 leading clinicians, researchers, and health officials recently petitioned the FDA to strike the term ``moderate'' from the indication for noncancer pain, add a maximum daily dose and a maximum duration of 90 days for continuous daily use.

When we're losing 16,000 people a year to these drugs, the FDA must take this petition seriously.

Second, the FDA shortly will make a vital determination about whether to approve generic versions of the original formulation of the drug OxyContin.

In 2007, the manufacturer of this drug, Purdue Pharma, was found criminally liable for deliberately misbranding their product.

After paying an unprecedented $630 million penalty, Purdue voluntarily removed the original formulation of OxyContin from the market--and reissued the drug with a formulation which is much more difficult to abuse.

Since this new, more ``gummy'' drug has come on the market, abuse of OxyContin has steadily declined--while the abuse of other painkillers, like Opana, is on the rise.

Purdue's patent on the original OxyContin formulation expires in 2013, and at least three companies have filed applications with FDA to produce generic versions.

If approved, this stands to be a disaster:

1. As previously seen, original Oxy was incredibly misused and wrought havoc. We could see a new wave of deaths if this drug is available in a cheaper, generic form.

2. This would also be a tremendous setback to companies developing abuse-resistant pain medications. If generic OxyContin is available on the market for a low price, there is no financial incentive for investment in the development of abuse-resistant drugs.

FDA must realize the wide-reaching implications of this pending decision, and I encourage the Agency and Commissioner Hamburg not to put this potent drug back on the market when there are so many alternatives already available and under development.

Mr. Speaker, this epidemic is touching people in every corner of our great nation--and for that reason, I invite all of my colleagues to join us in the fight by becoming a member of the Congressional Caucus on Prescription Drug Abuse and working with us in pressing FDA to make the right decisions.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Dennis T. Dorton, the President and Chief Executive Officer at Citizens National Bank, in honor of his retirement after contributing more than 42 years of banking excellence. I also would like to recognize Dennis' wife, Jean Dorton, and honor her for her strong leadership and service to the Commonwealth. Mr. and Mrs. Dorton have been a dynamic duo over the years. Working together they have helped transform southern and eastern Kentucky.

As a Paintsville native, Dennis Dorton has served as a third generation President of Citizens National Bank, which has been a part of the Dorton family for 90 years. Mr. Dorton began his career at the bank in 1970, after graduating from Morehead State University with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration.

Raised in the spirit that a banker's place is in the community, Mr. Dorton is a leader in various community organizations including the Christian Appalachian Project, the American Red Cross, a group working to restore programs and operations at the David School, and the local utilities commission building a new water plant in Paintsville. He is an active member of the First United Methodist Church in Paintsville and has been involved in Volunteers in Mission traveling to Belize and Costa Rica to help build church and school buildings.

Mr. Dorton's involvement in civic and community service efforts span a broad spectrum. He has served as, Chairman of the Big Sandy Regional Industrial Development Authority board, Treasurer and Board member of Paintsville-Johnson County Chamber of Commerce, Chairman of the Appalachian Artisan Center, and Vice Chairman and Board Member of the Christian Appalachian Project board. Mr. Dorton also served as Treasurer for the Kentucky Bankers Association in the '80s and Chairman of the Kentucky Bankers Association from 2007-2008.

Mr. Dorton has had a strong partner by his side in his wife, Jean Dorton. Mrs. Dorton is a graduate of Morehead State University and has worked for the Big Sandy Community and Technical College since 2005. Like her husband, Mrs. Dorton has been involved in many organizations within the community. Mrs. Dorton was a founding member of the Eastern Kentucky Federated Republican Women and a member of the University of Pikeville Board of Regents. She served on the Paintsville City Council, and currently serves on the board for the Center for Rural Development, and on the PRIDE Executive Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Dennis and Jean Dorton for their countless years of dedication and service to the families of southern and eastern Kentucky and for their banking expertise and civic leadership which have impacted the community for the better.