Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, the American people deserve better from their elected leaders. Vital funds to protect our troops are being held hostage, and serious proposals to deal with our soaring national debt aren't even being discussed in this body.

The brave men and women fighting our enemies overseas have been waiting for Congress to approve an emergency funding bill critical to their operations since February. Over 4 months later, still nothing. Only broken promises and missed opportunities for bipartisanship. Not only has the majority party repeatedly failed to deliver funds for our troops in harm's way, they've bypassed regular order to tack on billions more in unnecessary deficit spending. No committee deliberations, no markups, no offer of amendments, and no input from the minority. It's a national disgrace.

I urge the Congress to act to support our troops.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Nelda Barton-Collings, a business savvy Kentuckian who adopted a passion for public service through her family legacy and through her own determination, improved our region.

Nelda Barton-Collings is a pioneer for women in business and entrepreneurship in Kentucky. Nelda's career was shaped by her hard- working family. Her father spent 20 years as a county commissioner while also running the family grocery store with her mother. Her parents laid a firm foundation of strong work ethic and civic responsibility. Nelda dedicated her life to those values and became the first woman to chair the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.

Nelda faced several challenges along her journey to success. At the age of 48, she suffered through the death of her husband and became a widow with five children. Determined to support her family, Nelda went back to college to learn more about business, entrepreneurship and healthcare. She soon joined her late husband's business partner to bring his original business dreams to life. Today, they own nursing homes, newspapers, banks and a pharmacy. Nelda's tenacity and spirit carried her through many challenging times to now see the fruits of her hard labor shared among families across the state.

For 28 years, Nelda was the Republican National Committee-Woman from Kentucky. She was the first woman from Kentucky to address the RNC and call the meeting to order. As an ambassador for our fine Commonwealth, Mrs. Barton-Collings greeted every U.S. President with her sweet southern hospitality and gave them a priceless bluegrass welcome. She made such a lasting impression, that President Ronald Reagan appointed her to the Federal Council on Aging and President George H.W. Bush appointed her to the President's Council on Rural America.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Nelda Barton-Collings, a true friend to Kentucky, our great nation and a mentor to women in business and entrepreneurship.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Appalachian Regional Healthcare for being honored as the 2010 Outstanding Rural Health Organization by the National Rural Health Association.

Appalachian Regional Healthcare, ARH, is a not-for-profit health system which is the largest provider of care and single largest employer in southeastern Kentucky. Throughout its nine hospitals, as well as in multi-specialty physician practices, home health agencies, HomeCare Stores and retail pharmacies, ARH provides our region with crucial quality health care to 350,000 residents across eastern Kentucky and southern West Virginia. The ARH system employs 4,700 employees who are firmly committed to its mission of improving the health and promoting the well-being of all people in eastern Kentucky and Southern West Virginia. For ARH, providing quality and affordable coverage is the utmost priority. In the past 12 months, ARH provided more than $107 million in uncompensated care for the uninsured and underinsured.

Each year, the National Rural Health Association honors outstanding individuals and organizations in the field of rural health. The Outstanding Rural Health Organization Award recognizes any group or organization that has improved access to health services and information for people in rural areas through innovative, comprehensive approaches. Factors considered for the award include outreach, preventative health and education, quality and efficiency of care, and strong community support and involvement.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating this bright star in my region. The Board of Trustees, and the fine doctors, nurses and staff of ARH should be very proud of their accomplishment and recognition of their unwavering efforts to provide quality health care to working families, children, and seniors.

Mr. Speaker, this past Friday, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee released a report that outlines the economic impact of the EPA's holding up perfectly valid mining permits. This report brings to light yet another example of the EPA's war on coal that threatens our country's economic energy and security.

The report found that 190 coal mining operations are being held up. These mines are expected to produce over 2 billion tons of coal, and 81 small businesses rely on these permits to keep their doors open. The EPA is jeopardizing 1 out of every 4 coal mining jobs and over 162,000 indirect jobs in Appalachia.

Enough is enough. With nearly double-digit unemployment throughout the Appalachian region, the Obama administration should tell its EPA to stop its political attacks on coal. Now is the time to put politics aside so thousands of citizens in Appalachia can return to work.

Mr. Speaker, why is it that the majority party in this body, with an overwhelming majority, refuses to tell the American people, with a budget resolution, how they plan to spend their hard-earned taxpayer money? Why?

Well, it's a political year, and they don't want to show the American people that we are going to borrow $1.6 trillion beyond what we take in to pay for the profligate spending splurge that we see going on in this body. Every American family has to have a spending plan, a budget. Every church, every business, every government--State, local, and Federal--is supposed to have spending plans, and they do, except here in this Chamber.

Come on, majority. Show us how you're going to spend the money. Bring your budget forward. Every American has the right to know how you're going to spend their hard-earned money and how much debt you're passing along to their children and to their grandchildren.

Show us the money.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mrs. Faye Cain Sears of Somerset, Kentucky on the occasion of her 100th birthday.

Mrs. Sears has long been admired by her community. The mother of four children and blessed with many grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces and nephews, she has been a wonderful Christian example to them and the numerous friends and acquaintances she has known over the years. Her devotion to God, her family, and her community have been the driving force of her long life.

While her husband, Goebel Sears, served our nation in the Navy during World War Two, Faye moved to New York City, where she worked at the Woolworth Company in Brooklyn. Upon returning to Kentucky, she worked tirelessly in the community as an election officer, precinct chairwoman, and attended the inauguration of several Kentucky governors. She has also been awarded the prestigious ``Kentucky Colonel'' award for her involvement. During her spare time she is active in the Senior Friends organization, enjoys gardening and, of course, University of Kentucky basketball.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join with me in honoring Mrs. Faye Cain Sears who throughout her life has continued to bless all those who know her and cherish her friendship and love. I am proud to have her in my home community and honored to serve her in the House of Representatives. Her 100th birthday is only the latest in a long list of milestones in her life, and I am sure there will be many more.

I thank the ranking member for yielding.

I rise, Mr. Speaker, to voice my disappointment with this bill. First, the sheer cost of the disaster relief section of this bill has largely resulted from the administration's own reluctance to be forthright on true disaster costs. When the administration knew full well that they were looking at an immense shortfall for disaster relief costs for fiscal year 2010, they all but stuck their heads in the sand, refused to get off the dime and submit an official request or budget amendment, and that's after continued inquiries and even congressional direction--congressional direction--to be more forthcoming with known costs.

To add insult to injury, FEMA's inability to accurately assess the costs of certain damages have led to several large arbitration rulings and settlements, rulings in which FEMA was admonished for having no sound basis for its estimates. FEMA's ineptitude has resulted in an additional $1.2 billion in costs to the taxpayers. Ineptitude.

These failures amount to an expensive and now hurried bill. It goes without saying that the administration and FEMA must do better in estimating and budgeting for the real costs of disasters. We have been on this broken path for too long.

Secondly, given the failings of the administration and FEMA, and considering this supplemental does not follow a singular catastrophic event, I see no reason why the administration and the Democrat majority have not worked harder to offset this spending. This concern is especially relevant when billions of dollars in unobligated money is lying around--sloshing--in the so-called stimulus bill, a point that Chairman Lewis has made repeatedly here today.

Why are we further burdening the American people with additional debt when there are monies that can and should be used to pay for the costs of real emergencies? Sadly, the majority hasn't even notionally consulted the minority or, for that matter, the committee on finding ways to pay for this and is choosing, instead, to just ram this bill through the House with only an hour of debate.

I would like to think that had this bill been handled properly with at least some minority input, we could have collaborated to produce a more fiscally disciplined bill and a bill that included some tough and badly needed oversight on how the administration and FEMA is budgeting for disaster relief funding. Needless to say, the majority seems hell- bent on spending taxpayer money without even giving lip service to an offset.

Mr. Speaker, at this rate, we are simply passing an impossible financial emergency to our children and our grandchildren. To say that I am disappointed at this bill's cost and lack of oversight and discipline is a gross understatement. The administration and this Democrat majority must do better.

Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to this flawed health bill.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to be removed as a cosponsor of H. Res. 648.

Mr. Speaker, in a moment in history where our Nation is facing the constant threat of terrorism, we should be passing a budget that addresses those urgent needs. The administration's Department of Homeland Security budget does not.

In the midst of the Mexican cartel drug war raging on our border, the administration cuts 181 Border Patrol agents. At a time when our Coast Guardsmen are risking their lives in everyday places like Iraq and Haiti, this budget slashes active duty Coast Guard personnel by 1,100 people. And yet, we see budget increases to fund DHS bureaucrats in Washington, not security boots on the ground. And perhaps the most troubling, this budget devotes $200 million to try Guantanamo Bay terrorists on U.S. soil.

These exorbitant expenditures on misguided priorities are taking away from the critical needs of other DHS programs. What we need is a budget that addresses our current security needs, not a budget that brings terrorists to our soil and endangers Americans.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a world class hospital and the American Alliance of Healthcare Providers' 2009 ``Hospital of the Year,'' Pikeville Medical Center.

Each year, the American Alliance of Healthcare Providers selects a recipient of its hospital of the year award. This year over 400 applicants across the country participated in this competition. These applicants underwent rigorous on-site surveys and interviews to measure each hospital's standards of conduct, improvement, management and training. I am proud to report that this top notch institution in the heart of Eastern Kentucky was judged to be the nation's most patient friendly hospital.

This distinguished recognition truly reflects an unwavering commitment to world class patient care by every one of Pikeville Medical Center's 1,700 employees. The honor of being named Hospital of the Year is simply the latest example of the Pikeville Medical Center's stellar reputation among its peers and fellow medical professionals; in fact, the hospital was also named a Hospital of Choice by the American Alliance of Healthcare Providers earlier this year. In addition, the hospital has been named one of Kentucky's Top 10 Places to Work for two consecutive years, and one of the nation's Best Places to Work by Modern Healthcare Magazine. The hospital has also been recognized by the Kentucky Center for Performance Excellence and the Commission on Cancer. Simply put, the Pikeville Medical Center is living proof that the best hospitals rely not only on technology, but on a labor force that is committed to their noble mission of ``quality, regional health care in a Christian environment.''

For 85 years, Pikeville Medical Center has served as a beacon of healing for the people of Pike County, Kentucky and the surrounding regions. Since its humble beginnings in 1924, the hospital has expanded many times over to meet regional needs. Today, the Medical Center complex boasts many specialties and services such as its award winning cancer center, a cardiac rehabilitation center, a sleep studies laboratory, and a neonatal intensive care unit. The Pikeville Medical Center has also fashioned a teaching program that is second to none and will ensure that our talented young medical professionals will not have to leave Eastern Kentucky to learn and develop their skills.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring a fine example of patient care and community wellness, the Pikeville Medical Center. I congratulate the Center on this latest achievement and wish the employees and hospital leadership many more years of success.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the House Republican standards on congressionally-directed funding, I am submitting the following information regarding funding included in H.R. 3326--Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2010.

Requesting Member: Congressman Harold Rogers

Bill Number: H.R. 3326

Account: PA,A

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Blue Grass Army Depot

Address of Requesting Entity: 431 Battle Field Memorial Road, Richmond, KY 40475

Description of Request: The funding of $3.92 million will be used for the Blue Grass Army Depot Superficial Water Oxidation-Conventional Demilitarization. These funds will provide the Army with a state-of- the-art environmentally friendly means of processing the problematic energetic wastes generated at the Blue Grass Army Depot.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the late Doctor Dennis Sandlin, a Kentucky physician who lost his life, standing fast in the face of danger to practice ethical and responsible medicine in a medically underserved region, inundated with poverty and drug addiction.

On December 8, 2009, Doctor Sandlin was tragically murdered in front of nurses and staff at the Leatherwood-Blackey Medical Clinic in Perry County, Kentucky. Doctor Sandlin routinely refused to give doctor- shopping drug seekers a prescription for pain pills without passing proper evaluation. He refused to allow his practice to be part of the drug epidemic, although many physicians in the past have given in to fear of demands and threats by drug seekers across the region. After being denied narcotics for a second time that morning, a patient returned to Doctor Sandlin's office and fatally shot him in the head.

Doctor Sandlin returned home to Perry County, after graduating from the University of Louisville's School of Medicine, to provide healthcare to less fortunate individuals. He served generations of families for 28 years until his untimely death. Doctor Sandlin's medical practice may be over, but his style of practice will live on as the pinnacle of good medicine.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in memory of Doctor Dennis Sandlin. In my opinion, he died a hero. Every physician, pharmacist, law enforcement official, medical and pharmacy student can learn from Doctor Sandlin's tenacity to practice responsible medicine and never give place to fear.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the late Velma Justice Childers, a Republican leader in Kentucky who proudly planted her feet in the conservative movement.

Ms. Childers was an energetic civic leader always promoting the great attributes of Pikeville, Pike County and Eastern Kentucky. She was a hard working Republican who firmly believed in conservative principles of government. Velma eagerly offered her advice, counsel and friendship to politicians, neighbors and young rising leaders.

Her ability to communicate and rally support for conservative values, earned her reference as the ``Grande Dame'' of the Kentucky Republican Party. In addition to her passion for civic responsibility, Velma spent a lifetime sharing compassion and encouragement with members of the First Baptist Church of Pikeville for more than 50 years and as a member of the Board of Trustees for the University of the Cumberlands for 13 years, among various other committees across Southern and Eastern Kentucky.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in memory of Velma Justice Childers, a woman who tirelessly touted the values upon which our country was founded. Her enthusiasm will be missed.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a pioneer in rural medicine and one of U.S. News & World's Report's 2009 top 20 medical schools in the Nation in rural medicine, the Pikeville College School of Osteopathic Medicine.

Founded in 1997, the Pikeville College School of Osteopathic Medicine was established to address the physician shortage in rural Kentucky and Appalachia. Governor Paul Patton, Burlin Coleman, and the founding Dean, the late Dr. John Strosnider's vision was made possible because of the generosity of Attorney G. Chad Perry. Together, their efforts have formed one of the leading rural health medical schools in the Nation.

In less than a decade, more than 500 physicians have graduated from the Pikeville College School of Osteopathic Medicine. Over 150 of these graduates have completed their residencies and are now practicing medicine. Even more impressive, these graduates are keeping the school's mission alive as over 60 graduates have opened offices within a 2-hour drive of Pikeville, Kentucky. Several more are practicing medicine in the rural communities of Western Kentucky and throughout the Appalachian region. These graduates are working with medically underserved populations and advancing rural health care each and every day.

The Pikeville College School of Osteopathic Medicine also holds the honor of ranking fourth in the Nation for percentage of graduates entering primary care residencies. The school emphasizes primary care, encourages research, promotes lifelong scholarly activity, and produces graduates who are committed to serving the health care needs of communities in Eastern Kentucky and Appalachia.

Serving as a model for other medical schools, the Pikeville College School of Osteopathic Medicine continually reaches out to other institutions, hospitals and medical centers around the country, carrying their message of hope for impoverished regions of the county. Their example continues the dream that one day every rural region will have better access to primary care physicians.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring a shining example of reaching out to those in need, the Pikeville College School of Osteopathic Medicine. I congratulate the school and its board of directors on its prestigious ranking and wish them many more years of success.