Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in commemorating the Rotary International Club for 105 years of service.

Like many Members of this House, I have been a member of my local Rotary Club, the McCandless Rotary. Over the years, I have served in many of the club's offices, including a term as its president. I have seen firsthand the great work that Rotary Clubs provide for their communities and literally around the world.

Founded in 1905 in Chicago, Rotary International is the world's first formal service club and has grown into one of the largest nonprofit service organizations in the world. The mission of Rotary is to serve others, promote integrity and advance worldwide understanding, goodwill and peace through its fellowship network of business and community leaders.

Today, there are 1.2 million Rotarians in more than 34,000 clubs across six continents. The district that I represent is home to 25 of those clubs. With a well-known motto of ``Service Above Self,'' Rotary International promotes understanding through scholarships, student exchange programs, humanitarian grants, and other service projects.

I am sure every Member of this House has at one time or another attended a Rotary meeting or spoken to a Rotary group. The resolution we are debating today recognizes Rotary International for 105 years of service to the world and commends its members on their dedication to the mission and principles of Rotary International's organization.

I join my colleagues in support of this resolution.

Madam Speaker, it is my privilege to recognize MEDRAD Incorporated as a recipient of the 2010 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award--the nation's highest presidential honor for excellence in manufacturing.

MEDRAD began in the kitchen of its founder, Dr. M. Stephen Heilman, more than forty years ago and continues to showcase western Pennsylvania as a leader in medical technology. Today, the company manufactures cutting edge medical devices used for diagnosing and treating diseases. MEDRAD's international headquarters are located in my district and it employs more than 1,400 individuals throughout the Pittsburgh region.

The company is recognized as a market leader in the United States and Europe as it continues to produce quality medical equipment for healthcare providers and patients. MEDRAD has been a pioneer in medical imaging technology, enabling doctors to get specific scans that lead to faster, more accurate treatment. The company has also been an excellent source of job creation and economic development in western Pennsylvania. It has helped the region transform itself from one dominated by the steel industry and manufacturing to an emerging medical, life-science, and technology hub.

The Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award recognizes exemplary companies committed to high achievement and superior performance strategies. Congress established the award in 1987 in an effort to enhance the competitiveness of U.S. businesses through recognition of model companies.

Madam Speaker, since 1988 only 86 organizations have received this award. As a previous recipient of this award in 2003, MEDRAD becomes one of only five repeat-winners in the award's 23-year history.

I would like to extend my congratulations to MEDRAD and its employees for receiving the 2010 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.

I thank the chairman.

Madam Chair, I rise in opposition to the Garrett amendment to the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations bill which would transfer $7 million in funding for the grants for construction, minor projects account into another unrelated account. This amendment would adversely affect veterans in my district by shifting funding away from priority construction projects, such as the domiciliary extended stay unit in Butler, Pennsylvania. That facility is a vital source of shelter and rehabilitation for homeless veterans in western Pennsylvania, and I will not allow its upkeep and improvement to be compromised by this type of unwise amendment.

Last-minute shifts in funding for parochial concerns take away from priority projects and plans that the VA has determined to be necessary for veterans' health and safety nationwide. I ask my colleagues to join me in strongly opposing the Garrett amendment to prevent harmful construction project cuts for the VA.

Madam Speaker, it is my privilege to recognize Robert F. Lark on the occasion of his retirement as Chairperson of the Mercer County Democrat Committee. Bob served faithfully as Chair since 1988. His 22 years at the post makes him the longest serving Chairperson in the Committee's history.

Bob comes from a family of committed public servants and knows the value of giving back to his community. His grandfather served as a Precinct Committeeman in the 1930s and 1940s and his mother was also a Precinct Committeewoman in the 1950s and 1960s.

During his time as Chairperson, Bob helped encourage the formation of the Democrat Women and Young Democrats organizations in Mercer County and was enormously successful in registering voters across western Pennsylvania.

A lifelong Democrat, Bob worked for fairness in elections and voting and was not afraid to make his voice heard if he felt that an individual of either party was engaging in misconduct. His dedication to being a responsible citizen was evident in his service to the Mercer County Democrat Committee and to Pennsylvania.

Bob's commitment to his country extended beyond his service as chairperson, however. As a teacher for 40 years, Bob prepared future generations for life beyond the classroom. His work with students through the years is equally commendable.

Bob believed that one must be judged not by the promises a person makes, but by the promises a person keeps. Madam Speaker, Bob Lark was a man who kept his promises to his fellow Democrats in Mercer County and I am pleased to honor him for his efforts.

Mr. Speaker, next month marks the 75th anniversary of Social Security, which has been there for generations of Americans and will be for generations to come.

Social Security is a bedrock promise to all Americans. You have paid into the system, the money is yours, and it is our responsibility to do everything we can to guarantee that it will be there for you when you retire.

That's why we are so fortunate that our friends on the other side of the aisle were unsuccessful in their attempt to privatize Social Security at exactly the time the American financial markets were nearing collapse. 401(k)s and IRAs lost one-third of their value during the stock market plunge of 2008 and 2009. Imagine what would have happened to those retirees' income if their Social Security earnings had also been gambled away in the stock market.

Mr. Speaker, rather than risk a lifetime of savings, Social Security will continue to be the stable, reliable, safety net that it was created to be 75 years ago.

I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my resolution to honor National Physical Education and Sport Week. More than one-third of America's elementary school children are overweight or obese, and more than 13 percent of America's high school children are overweight or obese. As a result, these children are now developing diseases and vascular conditions that were once thought to affect only the middle-aged, such as type II diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. In addition, research has shown that children that participate in physical activity perform better in the classroom. So the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that children engage in 60 minutes of physical activity 5 or more days per week. However, only 35 percent of our Nation's children regularly meet this recommendation.

This resolution, which I introduced, acknowledges that physical activity and sports play a central role in creating an opportunity for children to build lifelong healthy habits. And it's for this reason, Mr. Speaker, that I introduced this resolution, and I encourage all of my colleagues to support it.

I thank the gentleman from Connecticut and I wanted to reiterate: in the district I represent just across the border from Mr. Ryan's district and very close to Mr. Boccieri's district, the similar experiences that they talk about are happening in western Pennsylvania as well, and we did have a choice to make in the late winter, early spring of 2009, when we as Members of this House had to make a decision on what to do when we as a Nation were literally looking off the cliff into the abyss with an economy that was on the verge of collapse in a very literal sense.

We could have done nothing. We could have done more of the same. Those were certainly two of our options, and there were people on the other side of the aisle who wanted to take that approach, to continue to pursue the policies that led us being in that position in the first place; but we chose not to do that. We chose to take action in a very forceful and a very proactive way. And now, we're nearly a year and a half later and where are we? It's fair for the American people to ask, well, what's been the benefit of this?

This was a huge bill. This was a monumental vote, and it was a vote that many of us took with the knowledge that there were things in the bill that we could support. There were a lot of things that we knew moving forward were going to have a tremendous impact on the Nation and in our districts; and as we've seen from some of the charts that we're holding today, a year and a half later we've seen an incredible difference in our economy, both as a Nation and in our districts.

Six of the last 7 months we've had positive job growth; and, yes, we're at the time of the decade once a decade where you hire census workers to go out, and some folks on the other side are going to say, well, those numbers are inflated by census numbers. Yes, there are census numbers included in that, but private sector job growth has gone up over that same period of time up by the hundreds of thousands in the previous 2 months, and we expect a strong number again for the month of June.

Also, at the end of June we're going to have our fourth straight quarter, a full year of positive GDP growth, and this is to be compared with where we were at the beginning of 2009 when we had a negative six GDP number, and by the end of 2009, the end of that very same calendar year, the end of the year that we passed the Recovery Act, we had plus six GDP growth, almost plus six. And it was the largest calendar year increase in more than 30 years in the gross domestic product from negative six to nearly plus six.

We saw the jobs go from negative 700,000 a month on average every month leading up to the time we passed that stimulus, the Recovery Act bill, to at the end of the year starting to see the numbers turn around. And again, where we are today, six out of the past seven months, positive job growth 5 months in a row. We expect that to continue.

The stock market that bottomed out at 6,500 almost precisely at the time the Recovery Act began to take effect is now up over 10,000.

These things didn't happen by accident. And we talk about manufacturing. In the district that I represent in western Pennsylvania as in the Ohio districts and I presume Mr. Murphy's district in Connecticut as well, we have a legacy of manufacturing and we have

a lot of folks who, because of the recovery, are doing better today than they were a year ago, much better.

The gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boccieri) listed some companies. I have some in my district. I can think of Ellwood Forge and Ellwood Quality Steel. Both are doing a lot better this year than they did last year, not only because their companies are doing better but because as a country we're doing better. That's what it means when manufacturers see an increase in orders. It means that we're stimulating our economy, we're growing, we're moving again, and that's what that symbolizes. That's the first thing that turns around is that manufacturing sector, and in western Pennsylvania we're seeing that impact very directly.

We've seen it in some of the infrastructure projects in all of our districts across the country to have something of lasting significance that's going to be there in the decades after we've recovered.

Now, is everything in the economy where we want it to be? No, of course not. It hasn't fully recovered. We're not out of the woods yet. We're not completely out of the hole that it took us decades to dig, but we're getting better. Again, GDP growth is strong, stock market has recovered to some extent, jobs are much better, and we're moving in the right direction. And that would not have happened were it not for the actions that this Congress took.

Mr. Speaker, I would ask my friends to take a walk down memory lane and consider where our economy was at the beginning of last year compared to where it is today: 2009 had the biggest single year turnaround this Nation has seen in more than 30 years, going from negative 6 GDP in the first quarter of last year to plus 6 GDP in the last quarter. And we are currently in the midst of our fourth consecutive quarter of strong GDP growth.

We have had positive job growth for six of the past 7 months, and the stock market, which bottomed out at 6500 just before we passed the stimulus, is over 10,000 today. Housing starts are up, consumer confidence is on the rise, the auto industry is coming back, and manufacturers are increasing orders and hiring back thousands of workers.

No, everything is not where we want it to be or even where we need it to be, but things have gotten better, and there can be no doubt that the bold action of this Congress is the reason why.

Mr. Speaker, as we prepare to commemorate Memorial Day, it's appropriate for us to look back at a few ways this Congress, in just the past year and a half, has worked to ensure that this Nation keeps its promise to our Nation's military veterans.

We expanded the new GI Bill college benefits to the children of all troops fallen since September 11, 2001. We passed landmark legislation for wounded veterans by providing help for family members and other caregivers and eliminating copayments for severely wounded veterans. Since 2007, we've increased funding for veterans health care by 60 percent, including the largest single-year increase in the 80-year history of the VA.

While we have accomplished a great deal to repay the men and women in uniform for their service, we still have more to do. Let us use the occasion of this Memorial Day weekend to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice and recommit ourselves to continuing to fight for the troops that have fought for us.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate May as Older Americans Month. Older Americans offer wisdom and guidance that our constituents treasure as invaluable assets to our families and our communities. By the year 2025, one in four drivers in this country will be age 65 or older. Without safe roads on which to travel, older Americans will have dramatically limited mobility options.

We must ensure that older Americans are as safe as possible as they go about their daily lives, which is why I have introduced H.R. 3355, the Older Driver and Pedestrian Safety and Roadway Enhancement Act. My bill, which has 34 bipartisan cosponsors, will make roads safer for both older drivers and pedestrians by implementing recommendations from the Federal Highway Administration's Older Drivers Handbook.

I urge all of my colleagues to honor Older Americans Month and the contributions of their older constituents by joining me in the fight for their safety and mobility.

I appreciate the gentlewoman yielding her time. And it's wonderful to have the opportunity to be here tonight to talk about the success of some of the actions that this Congress has taken on the economy.

I had a town meeting almost a year ago to the day. It was at the end of April in 2009, and there were a lot of folks there who were complaining about the vote for the Recovery Act, the stimulus bill. And I said to them at that time, look, I'll make a deal with you. How about we have this discussion today, but we also have this discussion a year from now. Why don't we reconvene and have a discussion about what has happened over the past year.

And so I would invite anyone who wants to have that discussion in this Chamber or across the country, let's take a walk down memory lane. And as the gentlewoman talked about, let's take a look at where we were at the end of April in 2009.

The 6-month period ending at the end of April 2009 resulted in an average monthly loss of over 600,000 jobs per month every month for that 6-month period. For that same 6-month period, ending at the end of April 2010, we have averaged over 100,000 jobs gained, including 290,000 jobs created in the month of April alone.

The stock market bottomed out in the middle of March 2009 at 6,500. Today, a little bit more than a year later, we're around 1,500.

Gross domestic product, the first quarter of 2009 was minus six. By the end of 2009, it was plus six, which was the largest calendar year turnaround in 30 years in this country. And we've now had three consecutive months of positive growth.

So the job market is exploding. Gross domestic product we're now likely in our fourth straight quarter of positive growth. The stock market has done quite well. And you might say, well, what does that matter? If you have a 401(k) in this country, if you have a retirement plan, as many people do in this Chamber and certainly in our districts, we care about that, and that's something our constituents care about.

And some other numbers that I took down before I came down here, the consumer confidence level rose in April, reaching its highest level since September of 2008. The consumer spending is up for the sixth straight month, surpassing the pre-recession levels. Manufacturing activity has increased for the ninth straight month.

And what I say to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz) and my colleagues from Pennsylvania and New York is all of that happened almost like precision clockwork at exactly the time that the Recovery Act bill passed, that turnaround. The gentlewoman, I'm sure, will show the chart again later and other charts that are similar. These numbers started to turn around exactly at the time that the Recovery Act began to take effect.

Another issue that we're going to talk about tonight, as was reported in the national media very recently with tax day having just passed, is that we have the lowest tax rate in this country in the past 60 years. It hasn't been since 1950 that the tax burden to the individual has been lower in this country because we, in this Congress, as part of the Recovery Act, cut taxes for 95 percent of Americans, 95 percent of families. I'm sure we're going to talk about that.

And all of these things didn't happen by accident. They happened because this Congress took a very difficult vote at a very important time for this country, and the success is there for everyone to see. So I'm proud to have cast that vote, and I'm proud to be here tonight to talk about it.

I would yield now to my colleague from Pennsylvania (Mrs. Dahlkemper).

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010, and I'm a proud cosponsor of this legislation to strengthen our Nation's global competitiveness. Foremost, this bill will create jobs. For example, it will give small- and medium-sized manufacturing companies pursuing cutting-edge technology access to capital. It will prepare the next generation of Americans for the jobs of tomorrow by improving science, technology, engineering, and math education. It will also keep our Nation on a path to doubling funding for scientific research in the next decade. I'm pleased to note that this bill also includes provisions to help women enter science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields.

Mr. Chairman, I have offered an amendment to this legislation with my good friend from Pennsylvania, Congressman Patrick Murphy, that is in the en bloc amendment before us. Our amendment would authorize competitive grants at the Department of Energy for colleges to provide degrees in energy-related fields. Colleges and universities would be able to use the funding for degrees and courses in engineering and energy systems science. Schools could also put the funding toward expanding current programs. And I'd like to point out that community colleges, of which my district has three, would also be eligible to compete for these grants.

Finally, authorizing these grants will not cost the taxpayers one penny. Our amendment simply allows the Department of Energy to redirect some of its existing education funding towards this valuable new program.

I urge support for the Murphy-Altmire provision and for the overall COMPETES Reauthorization Act.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I introduced two bills designed to incentivize small modular reactors, one of the most promising areas in the future of nuclear power. One-third the size of today's plants, small reactors are cheaper and take half the time to build. These reactors offer more siting options and provide additional safety benefits.

The Nuclear Power 2021 Act is modeled for small reactors after the successful Nuclear Power 2010 program, and the Nuclear Energy Research Initiative Improvement Act requires the Department of Energy to develop a strategy to lower the cost of constructing and licensing nuclear reactors, including small reactors.

In seeking a bipartisan solution, I introduced these pieces of legislation working in concert with Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Joe Barton and a bipartisan group of 19 other Members. I look forward to continue working with my colleagues to expediently bring small reactors to the market.

Mr. Speaker, this week is National VA Research Week, recognizing 85 years of VA medical research. Since 1925, the VA has led the way in cutting-edge medical research, turning ideas into discoveries and into innovations which have improved the quality of life for generations of our military veterans.

Many Americans may not realize that some of medical science's greatest achievements have been as the result of research conducted at the VA. The CAT scan and the cardiac pacemaker are but two of the trailblazing innovations made possible through VA-funded research.

Today, the VA is the worldwide leader in important medical research, such as in the diagnosis and treatment of traumatic brain injuries and of neuroprosthetic technologies related to amputations and to spinal cord injuries of our brave wounded warriors.

So, this week, as we celebrate the pioneers of the past 85 years, let us also recognize today's VA researchers, who are leading the way to finding the medical breakthroughs of tomorrow.

Madam Speaker, I rise tonight to speak on behalf of America's small business owners and small business owners in western Pennsylvania who have recently finished filing their taxes with the Federal Government and have struggled over the past year to provide goods, services, and jobs during this recession.

As we all know, April is tax month for American citizens. And as a member of the Small Business Committee, I had the opportunity to hear testimony by Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Douglas Shulman on April 14. Commissioner Shulman walked through the service and disclosures provided by the IRS during tax preparation season. He described outreach being performed on many levels to aid small businesses in complying with the convoluted tax system they faced as American job creators.

While the IRS has a responsibility to use its funding to conduct outreach and facilitate voluntary compliance with tax laws, it's Congress that has the responsibility to hear the calls of America's small businesses for more streamlined and simplified tax regulations.

The outreach and disclosure by the IRS is certainly helpful. However, I would prefer to see it become less necessary. If America's small business owners were not spending so much valuable time deciphering codes and regulations, they could be growing their businesses to earn profits, create jobs, and lead America back to prosperity just as they have always done through past recessions. Less time spent complying with the Tax Code would increase tax revenue by allowing small businesses to focus more time on running their businesses, meanwhile saving the IRS time and money in outreach and instruction on their intricate rules and requirements for every small business in America.

I hope that by April of next year Congress can find the time to work on behalf of America's small businesses and simplify the Tax Code.