Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3548, the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2009, which will provide an additional 13 weeks of unemployment benefits to individuals in states with unemployment rates of 8.5 percent or higher. This bill provides a critical boost to the many Rhode Islanders, and Americans across the nation, who are struggling to find employment. In order to receive these benefits, workers must have lost a job through no fault of their own, be actively searching for a job, be able to work, and must have worked twenty weeks prior to being laid off. Only unemployed workers who become eligible for the additional weeks of benefits before January 1, 2010, will qualify for this extension.

I am encouraged by reports that our country's recession is easing, but that is little consolation to the many people still suffering in my home state. In Rhode Island, the unemployment rate has reached 12.8 percent, which is the third highest rate in the country. It is also estimated that nearly 4,500 Rhode Islanders will exhaust their benefits before the end of this year. With recent reports estimating that there are six job seekers for every job opening, Congress must act to help workers through this challenging time.

I understand the hardships Rhode Islanders are facing, and that is why rebuilding our economy is the top priority for me and this Congress. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has saved the jobs of teachers, police officers, and nurses across our state and has created jobs through new highway and infrastructure projects, with more coming online in the next few months. I am also pleased to see that the programs we have passed are being turned into smart investments in our future, such as the creation of clean energy jobs in our state through weatherization and offshore wind development.

As the President has stated, it may take some time before we see significant improvements in our unemployment rate, but I am confident that the programs we are putting into place will yield results over the next several months, while the longer-term investments we're making will ensure that our workforce and our job market are stronger in the years to come. While unemployment benefits and stimulus programs help jumpstart our economy in the short term, Congress must also work to build a new foundation for a lasting recovery. That is why we are making much needed reforms to our health care and financial systems and investing in our education and workforce training systems.

As Members of Congress, we have the power to give hard-working Americans another chance to continue their job search and provide for their families. I encourage my colleagues to pass this bill to help those who are most vulnerable during these trying times.

Mr. Speaker, as the Congress is working to resolve our Nation's health care crisis, I would like to take a moment to read an excerpt from a constituent's letter which I hope will serve as a reminder of why we are fighting for health care reform.

``Dear Congressman Langevin,

``Ten years ago I was diagnosed with a brain tumor. As a single mother raising two children, I was nervous about supporting, feeding, clothing, and providing a roof over my children's heads. After my brain tumor was removed, I spent 30 days in the hospital. I was then terminated from my job. When I lost my job, I lost my health benefits. So I faced a choice that I don't want any other American to have to make--pay my mortgage or my COBRA premiums for continuing health coverage.''

Signed, Nancy from Warwick, RI.

Mr. Speaker, choosing between your home and your life, it's not a decision that any American should have to face. In fact, catastrophic illness or accident is one of the leading causes of bankruptcy in America, and that shouldn't happen. We have an opportunity and an obligation to reform our health care system. We must not let our constituents down.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be here today to associate myself with the comments of Speaker Pelosi, who spoke just a few moments ago in strong support of this pay-as-you-go legislation.

I do rise in opposition to the Republican substitute that's offered by my colleague, Mr. Ryan, which I see completely abolishes the pay-as- you-go rules contained in the base bill, and it replaces them with unrealistic and infeasible restrictions that do nothing to address the long-term budgetary challenges that we face.

The Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act, offered by Majority Leader Hoyer, will restore fiscal discipline through the most basic principle of responsible accounting. Every dollar spent must be offset by a dollar earned or saved. This is the way that American families balance their checkbooks, and it's the way that we should balance the Federal budget.

Statutory pay-as-you-go governed our budgetary policies in the 1990s. As we saw, it helped turn deficits into record surpluses. Unfortunately, when the Republican majority allowed the law to expire in 2002, our fiscal accountability went with it.

Well, today, we have a chance to turn that around. We saw what happened when we had these kinds of fiscal disciplines in place. The country was on much more sound fiscal footing. This bill is not a panacea, of course, for our budgetary challenges. The fiscal health of our Nation will ultimately depend on a thriving economy. However, this is an important step to restoring budgetary discipline, to forcing tough choices on taxes, on spending, and on bringing down the deep deficits that we face.

We have a moral obligation to pass this legislation, and instill the kind of fiscal discipline that we need to see, not only for now but for the future. We have an obligation to do this, not only for our children today but for the children of tomorrow. Without reducing the deficit, we cannot invest in vital priorities like health care, education and clean energy, which are critical to our economic future. Mr. Speaker, it's time to get our fiscal house in order.

I would like to thank Leader Hoyer, Chairman Spratt, and my colleagues on the Budget Committee for their exceptionally hard work on this legislation.

I urge my colleagues to reject the Ryan substitute and to support the passage of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act in its current form. It's the right thing to do, and its time has come.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I just want to echo your comments because you're right on target.

Clearly, in the United States, we have a health care system that is broken. We're in crisis and it's unsustainable. It is clear, when you look at statistics from around the world, that we have the highest costs and yet the worst outcomes when it comes to health care. That's because, when you look at the number of uninsured and when you aggregate it, well over 47 million Americans are without health insurance. That is the reason we are on a path that we cannot sustain, and it's not serving anyone in terms of delivering good health care and good quality when we have a system that has so many who are uninsured and when we're spending our dollars so inefficiently. So I want to be here tonight to add my voice to this clarion call for health care reform.

I want to begin, of course, by thanking my colleague from Connecticut (Mr. Murphy) for organizing this Special Order to discuss health care reform. I thank Mr. Ryan for his contributions to this effort tonight, and I thank the other speakers who have spoken or who will speak later.

Let me say that I believe that we need to have a frank discussion, an honest discussion, with the American people about this issue. It's an issue that directly impacts everyone in this country--individuals, families, businesses--at every level of our government. Regardless of one's age, gender, race, religion or income level, everyone has a direct stake in our health care system, and it's important that Americans are properly informed of their choices as Congress moves forward with health care reform.

Now, I think every Member of Congress certainly is in agreement on one fact, which is that our current health care system, as I said before, is not sustainable. I'm really disturbed, I have to say, by allegations from my colleagues on the other side of the aisle that proposing real solutions which offer substantive changes to the status quo is somehow seeking to socialize medicine or is seeking to ration care. I think this is something that we should address, so I'd like to offer some insights into this, some clarifications on this point.

First of all, the thing that we must acknowledge--and Mr. Ryan was talking about it earlier, the unfortunate truth--is that we're already experiencing rationing under the current system. We experience it when insurance companies deny individuals coverage based on their health statuses or preexisting conditions. We see it in the millions of families whose premiums and co-pays are so high that they have to forgo basic care and life-sustaining treatments or have to choose between medications and groceries. We see it in businesses that can no longer offer insurance as a benefit to the employees, not because they don't want to but because they simply can't afford it. Each of these circumstances represents a form of market-based rationing, which is a basic failure of our current health care system, of our private health insurance markets, due to skyrocketing costs.

I want to be very clear to my colleagues and to the American people that reducing costs and expanding health coverage to all Americans doesn't mean reducing quality, access or choice. On the contrary, we can and we must use the money already in the system more efficiently to ensure access and to expand everyone's choices of insurance coverage-- of doctors and of more effective treatments.

The most recent draft of the House proposal, while far from a finished product and while far from perfect, does build on the strengths of our current system, the employer-based system, and then supplements that with a health insurance exchange. What does that mean?

Well, it means that Americans who are happy with their current health care coverage can keep it, but those who don't have coverage through their employers will be able to shop for their choices of private health plans just like Federal employees and Members of Congress do. They will also have the option, of course, of choosing a public plan alternative, which, I think, is vitally important. Those Americans who cannot afford to purchase insurance in the private market will receive assistance in paying for the coverage that they do choose.

Under this new system, private health insurance companies will now have to play by a new set of rules. The insurers are no longer going to be in the driver's seat. We are putting the American people in the driver's seat.

We're going to make sure there is a basic new set of rules and fairness in our health insurance system. Again, the health insurers will no longer be able to deny coverage based on a person's previous health condition, and they'll have to participate in a more transparent and competitive marketplace. This means reducing out-of-pocket costs or unexpected fees when patients become sick and need the care that they have paid for and have been promised. Greater transparency will translate into more manageable costs so that when we open our bills or statements, we know exactly what we're paying for. Most importantly, under this vision of health care, doctors and patients will make medical decisions, not insurance companies or the government. I cannot overstate this point enough. Medical decisions should always be left to the patient and his or her health care provider. That's what we're going to ensure under this system. This is the health care system that we can and we must strive for, one that offers stability for families, where coverage is not lost because someone changes or loses their job or becomes unexpectedly ill. These are, as we know, without a doubt challenging times. We face extraordinarily high unemployment in this country. In my home State of Rhode Island right now, the unemployment rate has reached 12.1 percent. This is on my mind every single day when I come to work, at night when I go to sleep, the first thing when I wake up in the morning is this on my mind, and how do we fix that and get our economy back on track. Well, fixing health care is going to be vitally important to do that because the current status quo is just unacceptable. Even more unacceptable is that every job lost places access to even the most basic health care coverage at even greater risk.

As I conclude here tonight, let me just say this: That in a Nation that has led the world in health care innovation, every citizen should have access to affordable high-quality care. I believe this to be true not only for moral reasons but because this is what will ensure that we remain the global leader in health care innovation in the 21st century. It also makes sure that our workers and our businesses will continue to be competitive in this global economy in which we now live.

I urge my constituents and Americans from across the Nation to engage in a real, honest, clear discussion on health care reform and to demand a universal health care proposal that puts the American people first. I am just proud to be able to join this Special Order tonight, talking about the need for health care reform. Again, I want to thank and commend the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Murphy) for organizing this event. I'm pleased to be here with you, with Mr. Ryan and with all of our colleagues who care passionately about health care reform. This is our time. This is the year when we are going to fix health care in America once and for all for the American people.

I want to thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Chairman, I rise today in strong support of the Filner-Langevin amendment to provide full funding to the United States Olympic Committee's Paralympic Veterans Program.

I would like to thank in particular Chairman Edwards for his great work in support of our service men and women through increased funding levels in the underlying bill and Chairman Filner for his continued advocacy for our disabled veterans especially.

The USOC Paralympic program provides a unique opportunity for personal recovery and achievement for our wounded servicemembers who return from combat with serious and life-changing injuries.

Daily physical activity is often the most critical mental and physical aspect of the rehabilitation process. It reduces stress, depression and secondary medical conditions while increasing self- esteem, employment rates and quality of life.

Full funding of the U.S. Paralympic Adaptive Sports Program will expedite the expansion of services and programs to injured veterans.

The USOC has created Paralympic programs in 99 communities, providing access to physical activity and sports opportunities, regardless of skill level, for over 5,000 injured servicemembers and veterans.

Paralympic, community and veteran organizations are partnering with the USOC to invest more than $40 million in private resources annually to develop programs, provide Paralympic mentors and expand to 250 U.S. communities serving over 8,000 injured servicemembers by 2012.

After all our servicemembers have sacrificed for our country, we have an obligation to provide services and opportunities for them as they return home.

The Paralympic program has already touched thousands of lives, and with additional resources, it can help countless more veterans regain both physical strength and self-esteem. And I urge my colleagues to support the Filner-Langevin amendment.

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of the fiscal year 2010 National Defense Authorization Act, and I want to thank my good friend Chairman Skelton for his leadership in crafting an excellent bill.

This bill gives not only gives our service men and women the tools they need to keep our nation safe, but it also makes valuable investments in programs and projects that support our military families, increase oversight of our war efforts and further critical non-proliferation efforts. It recognizes the sacrifices made not only by our troops, but by their families as well, providing a 3.4 percent pay raise, expanded TRICARE coverage, and $1.95 billion for military family housing. This measure will increase oversight and accountability by requiring the President to report on U.S. goals in Afghanistan and Pakistan and our redeployment from Iraq. It also adds $2.5 billion to programs designed to stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons, one of the most urgent threats the world faces today. Finally, the bill strengthens our nation's missile defense capabilities, by increasing funding for systems vital to protect against real threats while balancing technology development to face the needs of tomorrow.

I am particularly pleased with the steps taken in this bill to ensure that contractor waste, fraud and abuse is brought to an end and that we have an efficient and fair system for meeting critical defense needs. During the Armed Services Committee's mark-up, I offered an amendment, which was adopted by voice vote, to alter the OMB Circular A-76 process for determining which activities are inherently governmental functions and vital to our national defense. My amendment will ensure the A-76 process is fair for our government workforce and provide the Obama Administration a chance to address past failures of the A-76 process.

This legislation also addresses the need to enhance our military's cybersecurity capabilities. Cyberspace is a growing component of the modern battlefield, and we must ensure our forces are prepared for the wars of tomorrow. I applaud the efforts of the Secretary of Defense and the services to meet the growing threat of cyberattacks. I am concerned, however, that individuals with critical cyber skills are not making a career in the uniformed services. We need to do everything in our power to recruit and retain talented and experienced individuals, and that is why I offered an amendment during committee consideration that requires the Secretary of Defense to submit to Congress a report assessing the challenges to retention and professional development of uniformed and civilian cyber operators. I am pleased that this requirement is now included in the bill before us today. This report will help define numbers of personnel, recruitment and retention incentives, policy impediments, and methods to improve interagency and academic outreach to individuals with critical cyber skills.

Finally, I also want to give praise to Secretary Gates, Chairman Skelton and Chairwoman Tauscher for working with our military commanders to shape a budget that protects the U.S. and our allies from real ballistic missile threats. The bill provides $9.3 billion for missile defense, supporting critical programs that are tested and operational and eliminating

unnecessary and unproven programs that waste taxpayer dollars.

The U.S. Intelligence Community estimates that the most significant ballistic missile threat to U.S. interests, deployed forces, and our allies comes from short- and medium-range ballistic missiles that represent 99% of the total number of ballistic missiles other than those held by the United States, NATO nations, Russia, and China. H.R. 2647 supports the President's request to increase funding by $900 million for systems that counter this threat, such as the Aegis BMD system and the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system.

Looking forward, this bill also provides $1 billion to support the requests of President Obama, Secretary Gates, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to support the development and operation of 30 Ground-based Midcourse Defense interceptors, designed to guard against future emerging threats. According to senior defense officials, these 30 interceptors are more than what is necessary to deal with any long- range threat from a rogue state in the near and mid-term. This will ensure our nation is able to face the threats of today and tomorrow.

Mr. Chair, this bill admirably balances critical national security needs with realistic budget considerations, and I am proud to support it. Again, I thank Chairman Skelton for his leadership and urge my colleagues to vote for this important legislation.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the American Clean Energy and Security Act. I thank our leaders who made this bill a priority, especially Chairman Waxman and the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey) who worked tirelessly to bring this bill to the floor today.

I have long been an advocate for reducing harmful carbon emissions and investing in a clean-energy economy. The effects of climate change are already beginning, and we must act now not only for this generation but for generations yet to come. By increasing the renewable energy standard, capping carbon emissions and investing in the creation of domestic clean-energy jobs, this bill is directing our Nation towards a sustainable and economically viable energy future.

This bill also establishes five programs to protect consumers from energy price increases. I want to say that again. It establishes programs to protect consumers from energy price increases.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the American Clean Energy and Security Act. It is time for America once again to lead on sustainable energy.

Parliamentary Inquiry

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act. I thank our leaders who made this bill a priority, especially Speaker Pelosi, Leader Hoyer, Chairman Waxman, Chairman Rangel, Chairman Peterson, and Chairman Markey, who worked tirelessly to bring this bill to the floor today.

I have long been an advocate for reducing harmful carbon emissions and investing in a clean energy economy. The path that we are on is unsustainable. Last year's spike in gasoline prices and home heating oil was only a small example of the challenges our nation faces due to our reliance on foreign oil. The effects of climate change are already beginning, and I believe that we must act now if we are to stop--and ultimately reverse--the damage done to our planet and our economy.

I support this legislation because it will set our nation on a path toward an energy independent future. The bill increases the renewable energy standard to 20 percent by 2020, which means that more of the energy we all use at home will come from clean, renewable resources. It caps harmful carbon emissions that are damaging our environment and ecosystem through a responsible and transparent approach, reaching an overall reduction of 83 percent by 2050. With this reduction, it is my hope that we will be the first generation to pass on a healthier planet to our children and our grandchildren.

The $90 billion investment included in this bill will help create 1.7 million clean energy jobs throughout the nation, particularly in manufacturing industries as demand for construction of renewable energy components will dramatically increase. Increased funding for research and development of renewable technologies, including wind, solar, and wave energy, will drive American entrepreneurship and competitiveness to make the U.S. a global leader in clean energy development.

This bill was also carefully written to ensure that consumers are not overburdened by any increase in cost. Allowances are provided to electricity, natural gas, and heating oil companies that must be redirected to their customers. Low-income families are given even further protections in the bill and will receive specific allowances in the form of monthly energy refunds. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that protecting our nation through a cap on emissions would cost an average family $175 per year, or less than 50 cents a day, by 2020. Alternatively, if we fail to act and continue to rely on oil, energy prices per household are estimated to reach $3,500 annually. Further, CBO has determined that the bill meets PAYGO requirements and will not increase the deficit.

Lastly, it must be noted that our nation spends over $400 billion for foreign oil each year. The time has come to stop investing our taxpayers dollars overseas, and to bring them home to invest in clean energy jobs and a healthier planet for our citizens. By increasing the renewable energy standard, capping carbon emissions, and investing in the creation of domestic jobs, this bill is directing our nation towards a sustainable and economically viable energy future. I urge my colleagues to invest in the future of this great nation, and vote yes on the American Energy and Security Act.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlelady for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment. Chairman Skelton and Chairwoman Tauscher have crafted a bill that protects the United States and our allies from real ballistic missile defense. And I think it is the right balance. There is no doubt that this Nation needs a robust ballistic missile defense, and we have properly invested our resources into those areas of ballistic missile defense that are working and have the most promise.

The underlying bill provides $9.3 billion for missile defense, supporting critical programs that are testing and operational and eliminating unnecessary and unproven programs that waste taxpayer dollars.

The Franks amendment, in contrast, would direct precious resources to flawed programs that, to paraphrase Secretary Gates, will enhance neither the efficacy of our missile defense nor the security of our citizens.

In his opening statement the gentleman, the sponsor of the amendment, said that the greatest threat that we face is a ballistic missile from a rogue nation. That is not accurate. There is no doubt that is a threat, we have to be concerned about it, but realistically the greatest threat is from fissile material or a nuclear weapon being smuggled into the United States and being detonated. That is not just my opinion, but that of many national security experts.

I have had the privilege of serving on almost every major national security committee in this Congress, both on the Intelligence Committee and on the Armed Services Committee. On the Armed Services Committee, I served as subcommittee chairman of the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats. That is the greatest threat that we face; and this mark, the chairman's mark, contains more support for counterproliferation programs to secure fissile material or nuclear weapons that could be smuggled into the country. That is the right approach.

Meanwhile, the proposed cut to DOE's environmental cleanup would eliminate as many as 33 jobs when America can least afford it. This bill balances our security needs with realistic budget considerations. Funding proven systems like Aegis BMD and THAAD with significant increases to prevent rogue nation threats to our country.

Mr. Speaker, on June 17, 2009, I was unavoidably detained and unable to be in the Chamber for a rollcall vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 351, the motion ordering the previous question on the rule for H.R. 2847, the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for

I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I want to thank Chairman Mollohan for his outstanding leadership as chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the Flake amendment to strike funding from the Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations bill for the JASON Project. And I, again, do want to thank Chairman Mollohan in particular for his unwavering support of this important program, which ultimately results in its being a public-private partnership, which, I think, is a great example of how to invest in education.

The JASON Project was first created by Dr. Bob Ballard. Many of you may remember Dr. Ballard was the famed underwater explorer who found the Titanic. And Dr. Ballard has a real passion for children in educating the next generation.

I've had the opportunity to work with Dr. Ballard at the University of Rhode Island on science education initiatives, and I am grateful for his work to establish the JASON Project and for his dedication to training and inspiring future scientists.

As Congress addresses today's economic challenges, we must be vigilant in giving our future generation the tools that they need to succeed. The gentleman from Arizona noted the deficit that our country faces. Well, how are we going to get out of our deficit and ensure that we are creating wealth for the future, that we are creating prosperity for our country if we don't invest in our young people, if we don't invest in our future? That's what the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs in particular do. They make sure that we are educating our young people who are going to be the job creators, the problem solvers, the innovators of tomorrow. We're investing in our young people.

STEM education has become a common theme during this debate tonight, and the JASON Project focuses on just that. Since 1989 the JASON curriculum, which is a free curriculum, has been distributed to over 7 million students and teachers. JASON fosters critical thinking and problem-solving while engaging students in real hands-on science, helping them understand complex scientific concepts.

I urge Members to vote ``no'' on this amendment and support funding to encourage and inspire our next generation of critical thinkers by supporting the JASON Project.

Again I want to thank Chairman Mollohan for his unwavering support of this vitally important program.

Madam Speaker, I proudly rise to add my voice to the millions across the nation to honor Memorial Day and the bravery and sacrifices of our troops and veterans--especially the men and women who have paid the ultimate price for defending our freedom. Since the founding of our nation, the members of our armed forces have been charged with defending liberty, a job that they carry out with honor and distinction every day.

Without concern for their own safety, they have stormed the beaches of Normandy and Okinawa. They have protected the people of Seoul and held Saigon against the Tet offensive. And today, they valiantly serve in Iraq and Afghanistan. I know firsthand of these ongoing sacrifices. As a member of the Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, I participate daily in meetings and hearings where I am reminded of their tireless efforts, devotion and dedication to our nation. I was fortunate to witness their professionalism and extraordinary service on the front lines during a recent visit to Iraq and Afghanistan over the Memorial Day recess. Talking with soldiers from my home district was especially moving as it served to remind me of the uncommon courage and dedication that can come from small towns and local communities all across America. I want to say a special thank you to those soldiers I met with in Iraq and Afghanistan for their tireless service.

On Memorial Day, we pause to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the good of their country. We remember the courage and dedication of soldiers who served on a distant battlefield knowing that they may not make it back home. For this reason, I support several legislative proposals to honor our men and women in uniform, such as measures to establish a Select Committee on POW and MIA affairs, recognize the hard work of our NCOs and support the families of U.S. servicemembers.

Setting aside Memorial Day as a time for the nation to remember our fallen service members is crucial, but we must remember and honor our troops who put their lives on the line not once a year, but every single day, so that we may continue to enjoy the freedom and liberty that make our country great. For that, we are eternally indebted to them.

Madam Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 626, the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act, which would provide four weeks of paid parental leave and eight weeks of unpaid leave for all federal employees after the birth or adoption of a child. Under this measure, these employees may also use accrued annual or sick leave to receive compensation for the unpaid weeks. Currently, employees may take up to twelve weeks of unpaid leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act to care for a newborn or adopted child.

H.R. 626 will help the United States Government compete with the private sector in order to recruit the best and brightest employees and retain that talent. In 2007, a Government Accountability Office report found that countries offering paid parental leave experienced increased employee retention and a reduction in the amount of time women spend out of the workforce. Disappointingly, the GAO also reported that the U.S. lags behind other industrial nations in providing policies that support working parents and their children. In fact, 169 countries guarantee women leave with income in connection with childbirth.

The U.S. Census Bureau reports that women are more likely to work before and after pregnancy than they were 30 to 40 years ago, and Congress must legislate according to the changing makeup of our workforce. So far, we have not met that mark. I know that many of my colleagues have already met or exceeded the requirements of this bill, and I applaud their efforts. I know from firsthand experience that allowing new parents guaranteed paid leave helps balance the demands between work and family. For the hard work they provide for us, we owe our employees the time to enjoy the bonds that matter most in their lives.

I strongly urge my colleagues to support this measure. It is time that the Federal Government sets the standard for working parent policies.

I want to thank the gentleman for yielding, and I applaud his efforts, along with Mr. Kagen's and along with those of many of my other colleagues. I applaud them for their interest and for their concern about the health care crisis that is facing America and that has been facing this country for decades. I am proud to join in the effort to speak out and to demand that this Congress finally, once and for all, addresses the health care crisis in America and establishes universal health care.

I particularly want to commend President Obama for making this such a strong priority for his young administration.

I thank the gentleman for yielding and, again, for his efforts in organizing this Special Order.

Mr. Speaker, our country has seen a significant rise in health care costs over the past several years. Again, this is a national crisis, and it is probably one of the most pressing domestic public policy concerns of our time. We have witnessed a growing population with longer life spans, with higher incidence of chronic disease, with greater income disparities, and with increased levels of the uninsured, all of which put a tremendous strain on our health care system. Each of these elements has conspired to create an untenable situation that is being felt in hospitals, in doctors' offices, by individuals and families, and by businesses. It poses a threat to our long-term economic competitiveness and fiscal well-being.

According to a recently released report by Families USA, 254,000 individuals in my home State of Rhode Island were uninsured during some point during the last 2 years. Well, these numbers are unconscionable, but I have to say they come as no surprise. I have continuously heard from individuals and families who are struggling with rising premiums and copays and who are overwhelmed by medical debt.

In fact, as my colleague mentioned, Mr. Murphy from Connecticut, the rising cost of care for unexpected illness is one of the leading causes for personal bankruptcy. It is outrageous in a country like America that being sick could put a family into bankruptcy. I think this is unconscionable.

I have also heard from Rhode Island businesses that want to provide health coverage for their employees, but they simply can't afford the time or, most importantly, the expense of providing that coverage. Of course, workers who are fortunate enough to have access to health insurance face increasingly daunting costs while many people are afraid that they'll lose their benefits all together. This simply cannot continue. The time for comprehensive health care reform has come. This has to be the year that we fix health care in America, that we afford everyone universal health care coverage.

I am pleased that, within the last few months, this Congress and President Obama have already taken significant steps to expand health coverage for children, to increase funding for community health centers and to invest in innovative technologies that will ensure better treatments and outcomes for our future.

It is only with comprehensive health care reform that we will achieve substantive change that improves both our Nation's health care system and the health of our Nation's citizens. Fixing our health care system is also critical to ensuring that the U.S. remains competitive globally in this international market, making sure that our businesses can be competitive in the global economy and will improve our vital long-term economic growth.

In the spirit of furthering this important dialogue on health care reform, I have reintroduced my own universal health care proposal. I'm calling it the American Health Benefits Program Act which is designed to guarantee every American access to the same health care coverage as Members of Congress. I think that this is the right thing to do for the American people. In introducing this legislation, I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel. I want to look to a template, something that is already working. This proposal is modeled after the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, or FEHB. It uses basically a health insurance exchange template

while leveraging the power of the Federal Government to negotiate with private insurance carriers so that competition for enrollees is based on quality, efficiency, service and price. Basically there is still a role for private health insurers, but it uses the bulk purchasing power of the Federal Government on behalf of the American people to get the best quality and the best price for health insurance.

Under this program, no one will be denied coverage or discriminated against based on their health status or pre-existing condition. The goal is to offer portable continuous coverage that drives investment and disease prevention and long-term preventative care which decrease the cost of health care over time. But most especially, it ensures that when someone is sick, they can go to a doctor and not worry about whether or not they can pay for it.

This proposal represents my own vision for health reform, one that contains cost, improves quality, increases efficiency, promotes wellness, guarantees universal coverage, and encourages the investment in treatments and cures for the 21st century. Each of these principles comprises a key element, an important goal within the national dialogue on health reform. Particularly it contains the key elements that President Obama has laid out as his requirements for fixing health care in America.

It is clear that we are about to set the scene for the next chapter of health care in America. And it is my strong belief that by working together, we can create a truly inclusive and sustainable model for health care that meets the needs of our children, adults and seniors regardless of their income level, employment status, age or disability. We are all stakeholders in this important debate, and we will all have a role to play in health care reform. I look forward to working with my colleagues to offer fresh solutions and create a new vision for health care in America. The time has come. This is the year. We're going to get it done.

I want to thank my colleague Mr. Murphy and all of my colleagues who have joined in this Special Order tonight in this effort to fix health care in America.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I want to begin by commending and recognizing the hard work done by Ike Skelton as well as my colleague and friend from New Jersey, Mr. Andrews, as well as my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, Mr. McHugh, Mr. Conaway, and others.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge passage of the Weapons Acquisition Systems Reform Through Enhancing Technical Knowledge and Oversight Act of 2009, or the WASTE TKO Act.

Again, I want to thank the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, Ike Skelton, for his outstanding leadership in addressing this critical issue and for bringing this bill to the floor so quickly and with such strong support. I was honored to be a part of the conference committee, and I am happy to see such a strong bipartisan bill come back to the House for final passage.

In today's world, we face a difficult balance between keeping our Nation safe and operating within the fiscal constraints of our current economic climate. The taxpayers truly are demanding that we always be good stewards with their dollars. We can all understand the outrage of the American people when they hear about billions and billions of dollars in cost overruns in weapons acquisitions programs, and we can understand their demand for change, and that's what this bill truly brings, accountability and change to our weapons acquisitions process.

The WASTE TKO Act is part of a broader effort by the administration to tackle cost growth through ensuring accurate performance assessments, providing intensive care to ``sick'' programs and fighting cost growth in the early stages of development. Along with our efforts in the Congress, the Defense Department plans to add 20,000 personnel over the next 5 years to help implement reforms in government contracting. This dual effort is a positive sign of change that will ultimately help keep our Nation safer and more agile in its warfighting efforts.

Specifically, this bill will bring oversight to the muddled process of performance assessments by requiring the Secretary of Defense to designate a principal official to provide unbiased evaluations on the success of our acquisitions programs. The bill will also mandate additional reviews for programs that fail to meet development requirements or that have extreme cost growth problems.

Now, when cost overruns and schedule delays continue to haunt a program, it threatens the ability to provide our men and women in uniform with the best equipment possible to protect our Nation. This bill goes a long way towards increasing effective congressional oversight, and it will help us to continue to be responsible stewards of U.S. taxpayer dollars.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation. A lot of hard work went into crafting this strong bipartisan measure.

Again, I want to thank Chairman Skelton, Ranking Member McHugh, Mr. Andrews, Mr. Conaway, and all of the members of the team who were part of this effort. I'm proud to support this important piece of legislation.

Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2352, the Job Creation Through Entrepreneurship Act, which overhauls the Small Business Administration's entrepreneurial development programs and creates new services geared toward veterans and Native Americans. This legislation builds on SBA changes made in the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, and it provides relief for small businesses and consumers who have been greatly affected by the credit crunch.

Small businesses are the backbone of America, and they are especially important to Rhode Island's economy. Now more than ever, Congress must support the growth of America's small businesses and help stimulate the real engine of our Nation's economy. In Rhode Island, there are many businesses that are passed down from generation to generation, and it is so important that these successful businesses have access to the tools they need to weather this economic downturn.

H.R. 2352 modernizes the Small Business Development Center Program by focusing on entrepreneurial development, broadens the Women's Business Centers Program by increasing counseling and training facilities, establishes the Veterans Business Center Program, formally establishes the Office of Native American Affairs, and improves the Service Corps of Retired Executives, a mentoring resource program.

This bill also creates a grant program specifically designed to assist small firms in securing capital such as the new small business lending generated under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. This measure also establishes a green entrepreneurial development program, which will provide classes and instruction on starting a business in the fields of energy efficiency or green technology. It will also create a procurement training program to help local small firms find suitable contracts and technical assistance on the federal procurement process.

American prosperity depends on the success of small businesses and the innovative spirit of the American people. I am committed to bringing relief to Main Street and to the small businesses that are struggling in our state, and urge my colleagues to support this bill.