Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my shock and sadness in the wake of yesterday's tragedy at Fort Hood.

This type of senseless violence is tragic in any circumstance, but it is especially painful to have it strike at our men and women serving in uniform, who sacrifice so much for their country.

It is crucial that we work to protect not only our forces deployed overseas from road-side bombs or insurgent attacks, but also the safety of those who are serving at home on bases around the nation.

My thoughts and prayers are with the entire Fort Hood community, and especially the families, friends and colleagues of those killed and wounded in this tragedy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the rule for H.R. 2868, the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Act, and in strong support of the underlying bill. I thank the gentleman for yielding the time and for all those who had a hand in bringing this legislation to the floor.

This bill will help secure our chemical infrastructure from attack or sabotage, and I want to particularly thank Chairman Thompson for focusing particular attention on cyber threats to this sector.

Securing our critical infrastructure from cyber attack cannot be an afterthought. The vulnerabilities to control systems and network infrastructure are numerous and, if ignored, could have serious consequences just as severe as a physical attack. This bill will require increased cybersecurity training, improved reporting of cyber attacks and a chemical facility security director who is knowledgeable on cyber issues, greatly increasing the opportunity to address and prevent cyber attacks before any damage occurs.

Cybersecurity and cyber vulnerabilities are one of those areas that are not fully addressed across government to this point. We can see that from numerous cyber penetrations and exfiltration of data that clearly more needs to be done in this area. The most critical area, though, and the area of greatest vulnerability is critical infrastructure. This act today takes a major step forward in addressing an area that could cause widespread damage or potentially loss of life.

This is an important piece of legislation. I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3639, the Expedited Card Reform for Consumers Act. I am proud to be a cosponsor of this measure, which would move the effective date of the remaining provisions of the Credit CARD Act of 2009 up to December 1, 2009. This law provides tough new protections for consumers by banning unfair rate increases, abusive fees and penalties, and strengthening enforcement.

So far this year, I have hosted three telephone town halls. During every call, I have received numerous inquiries from constituents asking when Congress is going to put an end to outrageous interest rates, hidden fees, and other deceptive practices by credit card companies that have gone on for far too long.

While credit card companies argued that they needed several months to implement certain provisions included in the Credit CARD Act, many of them have instead taken advantage of this lag time, and their customers, by raising minimum payment amounts and interest rates, decreasing limits, and closing accounts without proper notification. The Pew Charitable Trusts' Safe Credit Cards Project recently reported that every one of the 12 largest bank issuers that control ninety percent of credit card outstanding balances nationwide had at least one provision that is labeled ``unfair or deceptive'' by the Federal Reserve, and they would not meet the tough provisions of the Credit CARD Act.

The actions of these companies highlight the need for the consumer protections we passed into law to take effect as soon as possible. I have heard from too many of my constituents that have experienced these deceptive practices to let this go on any longer. A longstanding cardholder who makes payments on time each month and who is struggling in this economic downturn should not be subjected to a company's attempts to rake in some last-minute revenue before they are forced to abide by the new laws.

Mr. Chair, we must continue our work to put an end to the tricks and traps used by credit card companies to undermine a competitive market. I encourage all my colleagues to vote for H.R. 3639. I would also like to thank Congresswoman Maloney and Chairman Frank for their hard work on this issue and bringing this measure to the floor.

Mr. Speaker, as this House, this Congress, takes up the debate during this historic opportunity

to address and to fix our Nation's health care crisis by passing universal health care, I'd like to take a minute to talk about a family from Rhode Island.

Barbara, from Cranston, is a devoted mother of two remarkable boys, one of whom has hemophilia. A 3-month supply of his life-sustaining medication costs $60,000, never mind the costs of doctor visits or of hospitalizations. She came to my office to advocate for her son, casting little attention to her own condition--multiple sclerosis. Despite her challenges, she knows she is one of the lucky ones because she has insurance coverage, but without health care reform, she is forever held hostage by insurance companies' annual and lifetime caps and by barriers on preexisting conditions.

There are countless families like Barbara's who are struggling to afford to keep the coverage that they have or who are struggling to afford to get coverage in the first place.

It is time to pass health insurance reform. The bill before us is fundamentally going to change the system in America from health care's being a privilege for only those who can afford it to its being a right for everyone. We need to act now.

Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3854, the Small Business Financing and Investment Act. This legislation will directly support small business jobs in Rhode Island by extending certain small business American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provisions and updating SBA programs to help meet the needs of businesses.

Small businesses have borne the brunt of this economic crisis. I continue to hear from many small business owners in Rhode Island that accessing credit remains a significant problem. Remarkably, small businesses make up 96 percent of all employers in Rhode Island, and their inability to access credit to keep their businesses operating has clearly added to our high unemployment rate of 13 percent.

It is imperative that our small businesses have access to the tools they need to weather this economic downturn, as well as to keep and create jobs. H.R. 3854 does this by extending Recovery Act provisions that eliminated fees on SBA loans and guaranteeing these loans at 90 percent. This gives local banks and credit unions the confidence to lend to small businesses. This bill also raises the cap level on 7(a) loans from $2 million to $3 million, makes microloans more affordable for budding entrepreneurs, and streamlines the cumbersome loan application process.

Additionally, the legislation boosts programs that help small manufacturers and improves a renewable energy investment program to encourage small enterprises that are researching alternative and renewable energy solutions. H.R. 3854 also provides tools for veterans to start their own businesses and also makes permanent the Community Express program, which promotes lending to small businesses owned by women and economically disadvantaged individuals.

I encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 3854, which will help our small businesses grow, keep people employed and create new jobs. A few months ago, I had the chance to visit Jamiel's Shoe World, a small, family-owned business and a Rhode Island institution, which was able to take advantage of a loan guaranteed by the stimulus bill--a loan that enabled them to keep their doors open and keep Rhode Islanders employed. I look forward to seeing this legislation signed into law so that other small Rhode Island businesses can access the capital they need to flourish.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize October as the sixth annual National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. The theme for 2009, ``Our Shared Responsibility,'' emphasizes the need for government agencies, businesses and especially private users to each take responsibility for their own online safety and not fall victim to cyber attacks that can spread to other users.

It is vital that the public is engaged and aware of how to properly utilize security software in order to protect their Social Security numbers, financial information, health information, and other personal data. We must all work together and take responsibility for securing our own networks and computers to ensure that government systems, personal data and even critical infrastructure remain safe from attack.-

Improving public awareness of threats to home or office computer networks is a crucial step in working to make the Internet, and our critical data, more safe and secure. Due to the massive scope and scale of the Internet, fraud and malicious attacks will always persist in some form. However, educating the public about small steps, such as keeping up-to-date with the latest security patches or installing basic anti-virus software, can easily strengthen our economic and national security.

I applaud the Department of Homeland Security for sponsoring this month of outreach. As a Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of the House Cybersecurity Caucus, I will continue to fight to deliver the latest tools and training to support both our national security infrastructure, and the personal data of all Americans.

Mr. Speaker, I am very encouraged by the progress being made on health insurance reform in this Congress. Where we are in this health care debate is truly historic. However, we're not there yet, and we cannot let this opportunity pass us by.

For millions of people without insurance, health reform will mean access to affordable, quality coverage. But what will it mean for people who already have coverage? For them, health reform will create stronger consumer protections that ensure coverage isn't dropped or scaled back when they get sick. It will ensure a lower out-of-pocket cost to make coverage more affordable, and it will provide greater access to routine checkups and preventive care. It will ensure real competition and transparency in the health insurance market so the American people are getting the best plans at an affordable price.

In short, health reform will mean security and stability for millions of Americans, and we should not make them wait any longer for these commonsense reforms. The time to act is now. This is a historic opportunity for the American people, and this Congress cannot let them down.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in support of S. 1793, the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act.

There are nearly 40,000 new HIV/AIDS infections reported each year, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approximately 1.1 million Americans are currently living with the disease. While contracting the HIV virus used to be considered a death sentence in our society, significant medical advances over the past 20 years have turned it into a very treatable condition. Today, many individuals with HIV are living long, happy and productive lives, but there are also many among us who don't have the means to access life- sustaining treatments and social supports.

The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program was originally enacted in 1990 to provide HIV-related health services to those without sufficient health coverage or financial resources to cope with the disease. Last year, Rhode Island received approximately $7.2 million in funding and supplied 2,800 people with access to primary medical care and case management services, including $4.3 million in vital medications.

The bill before us today will authorize the continuation of this very successful program through FY 2013--including emergency relief, comprehensive care and early intervention programs. It will give our local, state and community partners the resources necessary to continue providing compassionate care for individuals living with HIV/AIDS. I strongly support this bill and urge my colleagues to vote in favor of its passage.

I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his outstanding leadership on solar technology issues.

Mr. Chairman, I also, of course, want to rise in strong support of H.R. 3585, the Solar Technology Roadmap Act.

I particularly would like to acknowledge Congresswoman Giffords for her leadership on this important issue and for her work to advance our Nation's efforts to become a world leader in solar technology.

Clearly, this is an essential step as we work to transition our Nation off of our dependence on foreign oil and as we work harder to try to protect our environment.

Beyond all of this, though, my home State of Rhode Island recently reported an outstanding unemployment rate of 13 percent. Congress' top priority right now must also be creating an environment where new jobs are developed and where new industries can flourish. The Solar Technology Roadmap Act does just that by establishing a committee of government and industry officials to set short- and long-term goals for the industry as well as by providing guidance to expedite the process of improving solar technologies right here at home.

This bill is the right road map at the right time. It is visionary, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this important bill.

Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 790, I was unavoidably detained and missed the vote. Had I been present, I would have vote ``yea.''

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the President's call to provide assistance to our nation's elderly, veteran and disabled citizens who will see no Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) in their 2010 Social Security payments for the first time in over 40 years.

Since the Great Depression, Social Security has proven a vital safety-net program that has kept over half of our seniors from falling into poverty. It has been adjusted annually according to inflation to maintain the purchasing power of beneficiaries since 1975. In my home district, over 95,000 people collect Social Security benefits. This program provides 40 percent of all income received by elderly people in the United States, and supplies significant financial support for individuals with disabilities.

Despite encouraging signs of economic stabilization, millions of vulnerable citizens continue to struggle in the wake of a recession that brought record housing foreclosures, job losses and bankruptcies. Particularly hard hit are older Americans who have seen the value of their assets and savings wiped out, forcing them to postpone retirement or reenter the workforce, if employment can be found.

We must ensure that the purchasing power of older and disabled Americans remains strong. To that end, I look forward to working with my colleagues and the President to enact policies that will help rebuild retirement savings, restore lost asset value and achieve long- lasting financial security and independence.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my deep outrage over AIG's plans to give $198 million in bonuses to their employees next March, especially after paying out $165 million in bonuses earlier this year. Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs is on track to provide a record payout to its executives by the end of 2009 and other firms will undoubtedly follow suit.

Well, I find it infuriating and insulting that these firms continue to reward incompetence and egregious risk-taking with taxpayer money. They have not only received billions in direct Federal bailouts to avert crises largely of their own making, but they also benefited from an array of Federal fiscal policies that have placed increased burdens on taxpayers and our deficit.

These companies must be held accountable for their decisions and for the Federal assistance they only too gladly accepted. That's why I supported legislation to block these bonuses and to ensure that taxpayers receive a full refund. I will continue to press my colleagues and the administration to ensure that as Wall Street again enjoys profitability, American taxpayers also see some reward.

I want to commend Chairman Frank and the Financial Services Committee for their hard work on the financial regulatory overhaul that is so critically needed in our country to prevent another crisis from happening. I anxiously look forward to seeing this legislation come to the floor very soon. It's clear that our financial system demands commonsense regulation, increased transparency, and improved oversight.

Wall Street CEOs cannot run their businesses assuming that the fruits of success will be entirely theirs to enjoy while the cost of failure will be shared, will be the shared responsibility of the American people. Wall Street's compensation plans can no longer benefit top executives at the expense of their companies, shareholders and employees, and ultimately the American taxpayer.

After all this country has been through, when we have an unemployment rate of 9.8 percent nationally, and especially when 12.8 percent of Rhode Islanders are unemployed, seeing that Wall Street has not learned its lesson is a tremendous disappointment. We have to take action now so that we don't go down this road again.

I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the conference agreement on H.R. 2647, the 2010 National Defense Authorization Act. I'd like to personally thank Chairman Skelton for his outstanding leadership in bringing this bill to the floor and always looking out for our troops, as he always has in the course of his career. I also want to recognize the leadership of Ranking Member McKeon.

As chairman of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, I'm proud of the provisions this legislation includes to sustain and modernize our strategic weapons systems.

In the area of nuclear weapons, the conference agreement increases funding for the Stockpile Stewardship Program by $48.7 million and establishes important new guidelines for nuclear weapons stewardship, including a new Stockpile Management Program. The program clarifies that changes to the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile must be limited to sustaining current capabilities and requires that any changes use weapons components that can be certified without nuclear testing.

Now, regarding ballistic missile defense, this Congress has made this program a priority. The conference agreement fully funds the administration's request of $9.3 billion for missile defense programs. It authorizes $1.8 billion for Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense, adding $23 million for additional SM-3 missiles, and authorizes $1.1 billion for the Theater High Altitude Area Defense system, or THAAD. These amounts reflect an increase in the funding for these proven systems by $900 million over the FY 2009 levels.

The bill also authorizes up to $309 million for the recently announced European missile defense plan if the Secretary of Defense certifies that the system is operationally effective and cost effective in providing protection for Europe and the United States.

Further, the bill includes over $1 billion to test, sustain, and improve the existing Ground-based Midcourse Defense system, and includes a provision requiring the Department to establish a plan to maintain its operational effectiveness of the system over the course of its service life.

Within the strategic intelligence programs, the conference agreement requires the Department of Energy to develop a plan to ensure that our national security laboratories have sufficient funding and technical abilities to monitor, analyze, and evaluate foreign nuclear weapons activities and requires the Department of Defense to assess gaps in U.S. intelligence for foreign ballistic missile programs and prepare a plan to ensure our intelligence centers can sufficiently address these shortfalls.

Lastly, in addition to our national security priorities, I am pleased that the Federal hate crimes legislation is included in this bill to allow law enforcement to more aggressively pursue individuals who commit violent crimes that are motivated by a person's religion, disability, or sexual orientation.

Finally, I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation. I, again, thank Chairman Skelton for his outstanding leadership on bringing this bill to the floor and shepherding it through the process. It clearly shows that this Congress is clearly behind our Nation's military and our warfighters.

Madam Speaker, I would like to offer my sincere thanks

to my colleagues and friends Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz and Congresswoman Myrick for their incredible courage and leadership in fighting for those who are affected by breast cancer.

October, as we know, is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and I can think of no better way to honor and support the women living with this disease or to honor the memories of those who have lost their battle with breast cancer than to help raise awareness by sharing some of our own personal stories. Each one of us has a personal story to tell about how breast cancer touched the lives of our families and has changed our lives, and I'm no exception.

My mother is a breast cancer survivor. She beat this disease several years ago, and I'm so proud of her for the strength and the courage that she has shown throughout a very difficult journey. She has served as an inspiration to me to be a voice here in Washington, not just for her, but for the hundreds of thousands of women and men who are diagnosed with breast cancer each year.

For far too long, our Nation was silent about this disease because of a pervasive fear and stigma. Thankfully, education and advocacy efforts over the past several decades have empowered survivors to come out of the shadows and walk down the Halls of Congress to demand action.

It's because of my mother and the Rhode Island advocates who I am so proud to represent that I joined with a strong majority of my colleagues to fight for increased funding for research at the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense so that we may continue to advance lifesaving treatments for breast cancer patients everywhere.

However, this is not just about research. We must also ensure that every patient has access to proper medical care. I believe that the only way to do this is through comprehensive health insurance reform.

Madam Speaker, Congress certainly must pass a bill that covers preventative services such as mammograms and MRIs, that eliminates discriminatory exclusions for individuals with preexisting conditions, and ensures gender parity. I strongly believe that access to quality health care should be a fundamental right and not a privilege for the wealthy who can afford it.

I hear stories daily from friends and constituents whose lives are turned upside down due to a cancer diagnosis. Our Nation can and we must do better. Together we can make a difference in the lives of breast cancer patients everywhere.

I would like to once again acknowledge my colleagues here this evening for speaking out in the fight against breast cancer, and I look forward to my continued work with them in the future.

Madam Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 3221, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act. This legislation makes urgently-needed investments in our education system by helping students and their families pay for college, modernizing schools and curricula, and training our future workforce for the 21st Century.

H.R. 3221 will provide reliable, affordable, high-quality federal student loans for all families. Beginning July 1, 2010, all new federal student loans will be originated through the Direct Loan Program, which is insulated from market swings and can guarantee students access to low-cost federal loans in any economy.

I am also pleased that $40 billion of the money saved from switching all loans to the Direct Loan Program will go to boosting Pell Grants. Over the next ten years, this measure will invest more than $154.6 million in Rhode Island to increase the maximum annual Pell Grant scholarships to $5,550 in 2010 and to $6,900 by 2019. In the 2010-2011 academic school year, this will help nearly 12,000 eligible students in my congressional district.

Far too many students face unnecessary barriers when it comes to pursuing a college degree. This measure will make it easier to apply for financial aid by simplifying the FAFSA form, which many families find confusing and overly burdensome, and allowing applicants to use the information on their tax returns. Meanwhile, under this bill, Rhode Island will receive $3.8 million over the next five years for the College Access Challenge Grant program, which will bolster college access and completion support programs, increase financial literacy education, and help retain and graduate students.

H.R. 3221 also strengthens our state's seven community colleges that teach more than 15,000 students each year. Community colleges excel at meeting the needs of students from all backgrounds and work with businesses to ensure students have the skills they need to fulfill local workforce needs. This

measure will establish a competitive grant program for community colleges to raise graduation rates, modernize facilities, and create new online learning opportunities.

This legislation not only invests in our college students, but also focuses on the next generation of students by ensuring that all children have the preparation and skills they need on their very first day of school. By creating the Early Learning Challenge Fund, competitive grants will be awarded to states that implement comprehensive reform of birth-to-five early learning programs. H.R. 3221 also provides more than $13.7 million over the next two years to Rhode Island school districts for school modernization, renovation and repair projects that will create healthier, safer and more energy- efficient teaching and learning climates.

Madam Chair, this measure will have long-term benefits for our economy. Going forward, we must continue to build upon these advances so the next generation is encouraged to pursue their dreams.