Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3865, the Stop Targeting of Political Beliefs by the IRS Act.

Last year, northeast Ohioans and Americans across the country were

deeply troubled to learn the IRS abused its power by targeting conservative groups. Many in Ohio's 16th District, my district, contacted my office to express grave concerns about the lack of accountability and transparency within the IRS. Not only did the Federal agency violate the public trust, but it infringed on our First Amendment rights.

The Ways and Means Committee began investigating allegations of potential political discrimination within the IRS nearly 3 years ago. What was discovered is disturbing. The committee found evidence that conservative groups were targeted to an extent far beyond what was initially reported. As part of its ongoing investigation, the committee requested and reviewed hundreds of thousands of internal IRS documents, and it interviewed dozens of its employees.

Recently, the IRS published draft rules that would essentially authorize the continued targeting of political groups. These rules represent a disregard for liberties outlined in our Constitution, and they demonstrate the dangers of a growing Federal Government. The IRS' actions bring to light just how rampant abuse is within this administration. The American people will not tolerate it, and neither will Congress.

This legislation is commonsense. It would require the IRS to halt this rulemaking process until the committee completes its investigation. It is critical that the committee gathers all the facts before the IRS implements these rules, which were created behind closed doors. That is not political. That is just common sense. There should be no controversy at all.

This legislation builds upon a bill I introduced last year which would specifically spell out that any IRS employee, regardless of political affiliation, who targeted a taxpayer for political purposes could be immediately relieved of his duties. It passed the House with broad bipartisan support.

This is not a partisan issue. Whether you are a Republican, a Democrat or an Independent, above all, we are Americans. Targeting anyone based on any affiliation goes against the very principles this country was founded upon. Americans of all political beliefs deserve to know that they will not be targeted by their government for political purposes.

I thank Chairman Camp for his hard work on this important legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge support for the Flexibility to Promote Reemployment Act. Under the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, States were granted unprecedented flexibility in the use of unemployment insurance funds to help unemployed individuals

collect paychecks instead of benefit checks.

Unfortunately for States, the DOL issued restrictive, burdensome, and costly application requirements. To date, one State has completed the application process, only to have the application swiftly denied. The Flexibility to Promote Reemployment Act increases flexibility in the use of State UI funds by enabling the DOL to revisit current application guidance and allow States to operate demonstration projects that test alternative means of helping the unemployed return to work.

At a time when our unemployment rate remains unacceptably high, we need to be doing everything we can to advance solutions that will promote job creation. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this commonsense legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mayor Robert G. Blomquist who has proudly given 14 years of public service to the residents of Olmsted Falls in the great State of Ohio. Mayor Blomquist graduated from Olmsted Falls High School in 1973 and served in the United States Navy from 1976-1981. Mayor Blomquist is a graduate of Baldwin Wallace College where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Finance. He also is a graduate of Culinary Institute of America. As a public servant, Mr. Blomquist served on Olmsted Falls's City Council for six years before being elected as Mayor of the city in 1999. Under his leadership, Olmsted Falls has made incredible progress. Under Mayor Blomquist's direction, the city initiated construction of a railroad underpass on State Route 252, installed quiet zones on seven railroad crossings on both CSX and Norfolk Southern railroads and construction of a new fire station serving the people and businesses of the community. Mayor Blomquist has also served as a board member to the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency and Cuyahoga County Planning Commission as well as on the Olmsted Economic Development Committee.

I would like to acknowledge Mayor Blomquist's achievements throughout his long career of public service and thank him for his outstanding contributions to the people of Olmsted Falls and the 16th District of Ohio.

Mr. Chairman, I want to thank my colleague.

I rise today in support of the Flores amendment, which would make public States that have established efficient and regulatory programs that both encourage domestic development of our resources and protect the environment and health of our citizens.

My home State of Ohio has some of the most transparent and robust oil and gas regulations in the Nation, which in many cases far surpass Federal regulations. In fact, since 1953, over 80,000 wells have been hydraulically fractured in Ohio without a single case of groundwater contamination. At the same time, we are experiencing an energy renaissance that is estimated to bring more than 65,000 jobs and contribute nearly $5 billion to Ohio's economy by 2014. Ohio now has the potential to be a leader in domestic energy production and would bring much needed high-paying jobs and economic growth to northeast Ohio.

It is clear that prudent and responsible development of our resources that creates jobs, enhances our national security and energy independence, and impacts long-term economic growth should not be a partisan issue.

I urge my friends on both sides of the aisle to support this amendment and the underlying bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3350, the Keep Your Health Plan Act.

While a full repeal of the President's health care law is in the best interest of the American people, tomorrow's vote is yet another effort to restore fairness at a time when the administration refuses to acknowledge its broken promises.

The President promised the American people that, if you like your health insurance plan, you can keep it. He promised that, if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. Unfortunately, that hasn't worked out.

Five million Americans, including many of my constituents, have already received cancelation notices. One constituent, Diane from Wooster, has a policy that she likes, but received notice that it would be canceled, and she is now unable to keep her doctor, whom she likes and trusts.

My vote tomorrow is for Diane and for the millions of others like her who want to keep their health care plans that the President had promised they could keep. I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for the time.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to rise today with many of my colleagues who worked together as part of a bipartisan working group, including Mr. Carney, Mr. Heck, Mr. Delaney, and others, in strong support of H.R. 2011, the Veterans' Advisory Committee on Education Improvement Act. It was my great pleasure to join my good friend, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Delaney), in introducing this legislation.

America's veterans sacrifice dearly for this country, and I believe it is our obligation to help them once their service is complete.

The Veterans' Advisory Committee on Education was created in 1972 to advise the Secretary of Veterans Affairs on education and job training programs. Our legislation will not only continue the work of this valuable committee by reauthorizing it for 2 years, but it will also expand the committee to include representatives for those that served after September 11, 2001.

Every military conflict has its own unique atrocities and every generation of veterans faces a unique set of obstacles as they rejoin the civilian job market. For this reason, it is critical that we include members to represent those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

As a Member of Congress, I believe there is no greater cause than protecting and caring for our service men and women. I ask my colleagues to support H.R. 2011. Doing so will ensure that our troops receive the most effective education and training opportunities available.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the heroic efforts of Specialist Fourth Class Frank A. Herda of the United States Army.

Specialist Herda was with Company A, 506th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division and was awarded the Medal of Honor for extreme bravery in action on January 29, 1968, in Vietnam.

When five enemy soldiers charged the position held by Specialist Herda and two fellow soldiers, one of the attacker's grenades landed amongst the men. Without hesitating, Specialist Herda threw himself on it, shielding the blast with his body. Specialist Herda's valiant and selfless actions saved the lives of his two comrades.

For his extraordinary bravery and commitment, I am proud today to honor and remember the actions of Specialist Frank A. Herda.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2565) to provide for the termination of employment of employees of the Internal Revenue Service who take certain official actions for political purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and add extraneous material on this bill.

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

I rise today to urge approval of H.R. 2565, the Stop Targeting Our Politics IRS Act.

Despite being introduced only 1 month ago, this bipartisan legislation already has over 75 cosponsors, but also overwhelming support from the American people. This support shows that the vast majority of Members and Americans, regardless of their party affiliation, believe the IRS should be above politics. This is not a partisan issue. It is absolutely unacceptable for a government official to consider the political leanings of any taxpayer when conducting official business.

If it is determined that a Federal employer did, in fact, engage in targeting, they should be relieved of their duties. It is that simple. In fact, this is so commonsense, in 1998, Congress enacted the IRS Restructuring and Reform Act by a vote of 402-8. That legislation sought to bring accountability to the IRS by allowing for immediate termination of IRS employees who engaged in the so-called ``10 Deadly Sins'' against taxpayers.

A large percentage of the Members here in this Chamber today supported those reforms back then. Unfortunately, while the legislation covers many offenses, it did not include political targeting. I have no doubt this was a simple oversight. I cannot imagine any Member would support a process for removing an employee for bad behavior, but somehow not consider political targeting to be bad enough. This is exactly what my legislation would do. It would specifically spell out that any IRS employee, regardless of political affiliation, who targeted a taxpayer for political purposes could be immediately relieved of their duties. This legislation does not change any of the procedures for removing an IRS employee. It simply adds political targeting to the list of 10 Deadly Sins already in existence. Any statements to the contrary are simply not true.

Some have said this bill is not needed because the current investigation is still ongoing. This legislation does not, in any way, impact the current investigation. It simply says, regardless of the current situation, if you work for the IRS, you cannot target taxpayers for political purposes. There should be no controversy in that. There is currently a process in place to remove bad actors. There is currently a list of offenses that would subject an employee to that process. All I want to do is add political targeting to the list of fireable offenses.

Regardless of the outcome of this current investigation, the reputation and credibility of the IRS has been badly damaged. The IRS needs this legislation. The entire Federal Government needs this legislation. And most importantly, the American people need this legislation. They need to know that they will not be targeted by their government for political purposes. They need to know that those who are entrusted with the vast power of this Federal Government are going to act in a responsible and professional manner, or be held accountable if they do not.

I urge all Members to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to start by saying this bill has nothing to do with the current investigation. It's really about installing public confidence back when it comes to the IRS. I would also like to say this that bill makes no changes to the current process or procedures for removing an IRS employee. It would simply add political targeting to the list of offenses listed in current law. And I've already said, in 1998, this legislation was approved 402-8.

As far as not having a hearing, is that technically going to be the reason opponents vote again restoring credibility to the IRS? And for the record, this bill was widely circulated, and I was more than willing to make changes to the bipartisan legislation. I drafted this language to remain as close to existing law as possible.

My addition is simply added to the current offense list No. 10: targeting a taxpayer for personal gain. Under current law, No. 10 does not use the term ``willful.'' Therefore, I did not add willful. However, targeting a taxpayer for personal gain or political purposes could only be done in an intentional manner. And let's not forget the Commissioner of the IRS always has the ability to not remove somebody.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I hope the American people are listening to this debate because the American people are the ones who have the right, they have the right to know that they are not going to be targeted, whether they're conservative, liberal, whatever organization they are. And that's what this bill is about. It's about the American people.

In regards to bringing it up in a hearing, it's interesting because I think my colleagues were at the hearing where I actually asked the Commissioner what he thought about political targeting being added and he indicated he wasn't sure if it was in there, but thought it was a good idea. So even the Acting Commissioner made that comment, that this was an issue that should be considered.

This is about the American people. This is about restoring confidence not only in the American people but in the IRS. As an employer for over 28 years, I wanted to make sure all of my employees felt the integrity, and when there was a concern, we had issues with fixing that problem. This is about fixing a problem for the American people. I hope the American people continue to listen to this debate because this is one that I know the American people are behind.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I am.

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

First, I want to thank my colleague for saying that political targeting should not occur in any way, shape, or form. So I would agree with him. And what this does, this ensures no political targeting going forward, which is important. We agree that political targeting shouldn't occur. This ensures political targeting doesn't happen going forward.

The other issue, when we talk about the change in the language, the current language says threatening to audit a taxpayer for the purpose of extracting personal gain. We talk about the same thing by saying:

Performing, delaying, or failing to perform (or threatening

to perform, delay, or fail to perform) any official action

(including any audit) with respect to a taxpayer for purpose

of extracting personal gain or benefit or for a political

purpose.

So we are actually protecting the integrity of the IRS going forward. This is a simple piece of legislation that really implements the will of the American people. It shows we will not allow our constituents to be targeted based on their political beliefs. This is the only bipartisan measure we consider on this topic today. It simply improves an existing process that was approved with overwhelming bipartisan support.

As I said earlier, the IRS needs this. The hardworking employees of the IRS who have been tainted by this scandal need this. But let's remember this has nothing to do with the scandal. Let's begin the long process of restoring faith in our government. Let's come together, put politics aside, and show the American people that the IRS is above politics. I urge all Members to support this legislation.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of both the Authority for Mandate Delay Act and the Fairness for American Families Act.

Thanks to ObamaCare, premiums in my home State of Ohio are expected to increase 88 percent, leaving taxpayers on the hook for those significant rate hikes.

Now the administration has decided to delay only the employer mandate, while leaving the individual mandate intact. That is blatantly unfair to my constituents and all Americans.

Why does the administration suddenly find it acceptable to give big companies a better deal than the average Ohioan? Come January 1, individuals could still face stiff penalties if they do not carry insurance, insurance an employer may decide they may no longer provide. With these two bills, we can provide individuals the same opportunity the administration is giving

businesses, by allowing them to opt out of ObamaCare next year, too.

I ask my colleagues to come together and pass this legislation. The people we represent are depending on it.

Mr. Chair, on rollcall No. 296 I was unavoidable detained and missed the vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Amendment No. 5, as Modified, Offered by Mr. Cassidy

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Ed Vittardi who has proudly served 31 years in public education in the great State of Ohio. Mr. Vittardi's career began as a social studies teacher at Dodge Middle School in Twinsburg, Ohio. From there, he served in many other roles in Twinsburg, ultimately becoming principal of Dodge Middle School. He also served as principal of Claggett Middle School (Medina), Independence Middle School (Independence), and North Royalton Middle School (North Royalton). For the past four years, Mr. Vittardi has worked as the North Royalton City District Superintendent. Under his leadership the district has made incredible progress. The Strategic Plan, developed in 2010 with unprecedented community involvement, has become a true living document. Through Mr. Vittardi's direction, the North Royalton City School District has maintained its Excellent rating on the Ohio Department of Education's Local Report Card. He implemented a five-year strategic plan, engaging more than 800 community members. Mr. Vittardi was also instrumental in the development of the North Royalton Stadium Foundation which raised more than $1.3 million to build a new stadium complex, including field turf, without a tax increase. I would like to acknowledge his achievements throughout his long career of public service and thank him for his outstanding contribution to the 16th Congressional District and the community of North Royalton.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Preserving the Work Requirements for Welfare Programs Act of 2013. This extension of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program not only provides families the resources they need to lift themselves out of poverty, but also maintains a valuable and bipartisan provision of the 1996 welfare reform law.

When first created, TANF was designated to get individuals back to work. Congress took further action in 2006 to strengthen work requirements after some States began counting activities like personal journaling, bed rest, and even weight loss as work activities.

Getting individuals back to work must remain TANF's purpose. However, HHS' unprecedented attempt to allow States to waive this work requirement has undermined this goal. These requirements were included in TANF for good reason.

If you're unemployed, maintaining your skill set is incredibly important to the company who wants to hire you. The longer you're out of work and the more your skills deteriorate, the less employable you are.

I can speak with some authority about this because I've owned and operated multiple businesses employing thousands of people. All things being equal, I would hire the individual who was most prepared to step into the position immediately.

So this is not about punishing those who are out of work. This is about giving those who are down on their luck the best chance to get back on their feet and start providing for their families again. If you speak to those that are out of work, that is what most will tell you they want: a chance to earn more money, help their family, and improve their situation in life.

I believe my colleagues on both sides of the aisle generally want to help those who are out of work. Instead of heated rhetoric, we should be focused on our common goal: providing much-needed assistance for the unemployed, while also helping them find the work they so desperately desire.

I ask my colleagues to come together and extend this important safety net, along with simple reforms that will ensure the program's effectiveness.

I want to thank my colleague for yielding time.

As a Representative of the 16th District of Ohio, I really want to thank each one of the departing Members for their service to not only the State of Ohio, but our country.

First, Steve Austria, he has become a friend. As a new Member getting to know the House of Representatives, Steve has become a good friend, a tireless advocate for Ohio and his district, but even more important, an advocate for Wright-Paterson Air Force Base during the BRAC process. He also fought to keep KC-135s at Rickenbacker Air and National Guard Base and the C-27Js at the ANG base in Mansfield. That's not just important for Ohio, but also for national security. I want to thank him for his service, and best of luck.

The next individual, Dennis Kucinich. Dennis has been a true steward for northeast Ohio. While we don't agree on some of the issues, I have always considered Dennis a very close friend. He has often offered to help me over the past 2 years when it comes to northeast Ohio. I have genuinely enjoyed our discussions, many times traveling back and forth from Washington, D.C., to Cleveland. I will miss serving with Dennis and wish him the best of luck going forward.

Congresswoman Schmidt also, when I got here 2 years ago, was someone who I knew that I could turn to. She's been a great leader for her district and someone who has really stepped up when it comes to energy issues in the Ohio delegation, specifically on re-enriching uranium. Our Navy relies on uranium, and Jean made it a point to fight for a domestic source of materials that power our aircraft carriers and submarines. Without a faithful and reliable source of fuel, the Navy would not be able to fully protect the American homeland or protect power abroad. But not only that, Jean has been a voice of fiscal responsibility during her time in Congress, and I wish her the best going forward.

My colleague, Betty Sutton. I want to thank Betty Sutton for her service to Ohio and our Nation.

Over the last year, we had a hard-fought and extremely competitive campaign. Throughout it, she maintained a level of professionalism and integrity not often seen in American politics. I want to thank her for her service, and I wish her the best of luck with her future endeavors.

Last, but not least, my friend, Steve LaTourette, has been a friend, a guide, a trusted confidante and someone whom I have looked to as a mentor. He and I both strongly supported a couple of issues: development of fuel cell technology through the Solid State Energy Conversion Alliance program. This technology will increase

the efficient use of our Nation's natural resources, reduce dependence on foreign oil, and enhance energy security. I will miss working alongside him on this issue.

He has always been available if needed for advice or even as a sounding board. His answers have always represented what he believes to be best for me, regardless of his own position on an issue. For that, I was really appreciative. And the rest of Congress are really, we are losing an intelligent, thoughtful, and highly motivated public servant, one who always puts his constituents first.

While it will be sad to see him go, I wish him luck in his future endeavors. I truly thank him sincerely for his 18 years of service to Ohio and America.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 537 due to a travel delay stemming from yesterday's inclement weather, I was unable to cast my vote on this legislation.

Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 539, due to a travel delay stemming from yesterday's inclement weather, I was unable to cast my vote on this legislation. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''