Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, the security of our ally Israel is threatened by the proliferation of rockets its enemies possess along its borders. In both the south and the north, millions of Israelis live within range of Hamas and Hizballah rockets.

In the last decade, more than 16,000 rockets and mortars have been launched over Gaza and Lebanese borders into Israel. These attacks have targeted and killed innocent civilians.

With the backing and support of Iran and Syria, Hizballah now has an arsenal of more than 42,000 short- and long-range rockets, which are aimed at Israel. This number of rockets is more than three times larger than what Hizballah had prior to the 2006 war with Israel. U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has warned that Hizballah's ``arsenal of rockets and missiles now dwarfs the inventory of many nation- states.''

The ability of Hamas and Hizballah to launch attacks on Israeli civilians is a threat to Israel's security that must be countered. To protect its people, Israel developed Iron Dome, a short-range rocket defense system that will protect civilians living near Israel's border. H.R. 5327, the United States-Israel Missile Defense Cooperation and Support Act, authorizes U.S. assistance to help Israel speed up production and deployment of this rocket defense system so that more Israelis are protected from the indiscriminate attacks of its enemies.

But this legislation does more than improve Israeli security; it also enhances the security of the U.S. The missile defense technology being developed in cooperation with the U.S. will help us better defend ourselves, and may one day help protect U.S. military bases in the Middle East.

I support the legislation before us and urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this legislation that will help Israel maintain its qualitative military edge.

Madam Speaker, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development unanimously voted to admit Israel last week as its newest member. The decision to welcome Israel into this group of 30-plus nations is significant recognition that Israel has much to offer the world and a setback to international efforts to delegitimize the Jewish State.

Israel is a democratic nation with an economy based on free market principles. It shares American goals of creating prosperity and new economic opportunities. Israel's high tech- and innovation-driven economy has been one of the world's strongest. It grew last year during the worldwide economic downturn and is expected to grow by 3.7 percent this year. As a member of OECD, Israel will offer an important perspective on global challenges and will help nations solve difficult problems. I congratulate Israel for overcoming unfounded objections to its membership and look forward to the contributions Israel will make to this international body.

Mr. Speaker, as I travel across Kansas, I frequently visit classrooms to speak with high school and college students about the importance of civic engagement and to let young people know that their thoughts and opinions matter.

Today, the House of Representatives is considering legislation that in many ways is the result of civic engagement among young people, including hundreds of Kansans. We have before us S. 1067, the Lord's Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act. It is important legislation that requires the President to create a strategy to deal with the 24-year-old conflict in central Africa that has killed thousands and disrupted the lives of an entire generation.

Many young Kansans have passionately advocated for vulnerable children and defenseless communities in Africa. They have participated in events like the Rescue and met with government officials. They have signed petitions, written letters to the editor, and educated others about the terrible violence committed by the LRA. They have done all of this and more knowing that they will not benefit in any material way-- they have done it simply because it is the right thing to do.

The hundreds of thousands of young Americans that have advocated for this cause demonstrate to their peers and those younger than them that the voices of young people matter, that young people can make a difference.

I commend the concerned young people in Kansas and across the country for their hard work and dedication. You have reason to be proud today that your efforts are paying off.

As a sponsor of the Lord's Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act, I encourage my colleagues to vote for this important bill. Let's do the right thing and bring an end to the LRA violence in central Africa.

Mr. Speaker, for 7 years now, my colleague Mr. Pomeroy and I have worked to preserve transportation connections for communities that would be disconnected but for their short line and regional freight railroads. Our bill, H.R. 1132, which extends the section 45G short line railroad tax credit, is supported by 259 of our colleagues.

Unfortunately for Kansas businesses that depend upon rail service, the 45G credit expired last year. As a result, small railroads like the Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad, the Kyle Railroad, and the Nebraska, Kansas & Colorado Railway are unable to maximize their infrastructure investments to best serve their customers. The 45G tax credit generates nearly 7 million good-paying track worker hours each year. More importantly, the tax credit helps farmers and coops in rural communities of Kansas move grain to food processors in Kansas City and manufacturers in Wichita to move steel and their finished goods to market.

I rise today to express my hope that we can find a path forward to continue the economic development and sound transportation policy fostered by the tax provisions contained in H.R. 1132.

Mr. Speaker, Kansans continue to suffer from the effects of the recession. Times remain tough for many. Small business owners are struggling to keep the doors of their businesses open. Families are struggling to pay their bills. When faced with difficult times, Kansans make sacrifices. They cut back where they can and stretch every dollar to make ends meet.

Times are also tough for the Federal Government. The national debt is more than $12 trillion and it continues to grow every day.

When times are tough, Kansans expect their government to act like they do--to make sacrifices and cut spending. Yet, the Federal Government is spending more than ever before.

One of the first places Congress should look to cut spending is the annual cost-of-living increase for Members of Congress. Representatives and Senators do not deserve a raise, especially when many Kansans will not receive a raise this year and the unemployment rate remains high.

I have long been opposed to the hidden process by which Members of Congress get an increase in their pay. The lack of transparency in the yearly raise only serves to increase skepticism, disillusion and distrust of government. Last year, I sponsored H.R. 1597, which eliminates the automatic pay increase for Members of Congress. If Members of Congress believe they have earned a raise, they should vote on it in full view of the public.

I am pleased today, that the House of Representatives is considering a bill in clear view of the public that would do away with the cost-of- living increase for next year. While this legislation, H.R. 5146, is only a one-year fix to the problem, it is an important first step and I am proud to be one of the sponsors of this legislation. I oppose the yearly automatic increase in pay and strongly support today's legislation to make sure Members of Congress do not get a raise next year.

Our employers, the voters, are right to be unhappy with Washington's spending spree. There should be no increase in congressional pay until Congress listens to the public and cuts spending.

Madam Speaker, Today is Yom Ha'atzmaut--Israel's Independence Day. On this day, Israelis celebrate the establishment of the State of Israel as a place of refuge and national homeland for the Jewish people.

Although Jews have maintained a continuous presence in the Land of Israel for more than 3,000 years, it was not until 1948 that they reestablished a state in their traditional land. Since that time, Israel has faced many challenges to its existence. Neighboring Arab

nations have launched wars against Israel and attempted to cripple its economy through boycotts. Terrorists have attacked repeatedly, killing civilians and soldiers alike. Iranian leaders have threatened to ``wipe Israel off the map'' and are steadily moving toward acquiring the means to do so. Israel's enemies are engaged in a campaign to delegitimize the Jewish state.

Even in the face of continual efforts to defeat and destroy Israel, the Jewish state has been successful in establishing more peaceful relations with its neighbors and making its people more secure. Israel has signed peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan. Its efforts to combat terrorism have resulted in a reduction in terrorist attacks--cutting that number in half since 2006. Israel also continues to seek peace with the Palestinians.

Despite overwhelming odds, Israel has not only survived, but it has flourished for the past 62 years. Israel has established a representative democracy with an independent judicial system and strong rule of law. Its citizens are free to worship and speak as they wish.

Israel has also established itself as a world leader in technological innovation. Despite more than half its land being desert, Israelis have ``made the desert bloom,'' growing food for consumption and export. Its universities are first-rate, producing new generations of artists, entrepreneurs, scientists and doctors. And, despite its size, Israel produces more start ups than many larger nations. In fact, there are more Israeli companies than European companies listed on the NASDAQ exchange.

Israel is also a nation that cares about the fate of others. Immediately after learning of the devastating earthquake in Haiti this January, Israel sent hundreds of its citizens to treat the injured and search for survivors. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported after the earthquake that only an estimated 25 Jews lived in Haiti. But, that didn't stop Israel from committing manpower and money to do everything it could to save and preserve all life in Haiti.

Through struggles and achievements both, the United States has stood by Israel's side. Our nations share many of the same values and are partners in an effort to build a better world.

There are those that argue, however, that the United States would be better off if we distanced ourselves from Israel, if we weakened our alliance. I am here to say that this would be the worst thing we could do. The United States and Israel are both stronger when we work together against common threats. Economic and cultural ties between our two nations enrich the lives of Americans and Israelis. Our friendship is important and must remain strong.

Today, on Israel's Independence Day, I commend the people of Israel for their many remarkable achievements, congratulate them as they celebrate their 62nd anniversary of independence, and look forward to many more years of friendship and cooperation between our two nations.

Today is April 15, Tax Day, and across the country citizens concerned with the direction our Nation is headed are rallying together to send Washington, D.C., a message. Though I was unable to join the people at these rallies, it is my duty to be here in the House of Representatives today to share their message and to speak and to vote against this bill.

First, this bill is shortsighted because it increases the deficit by $18 billion, a cost to be paid for by future

generations. This Congress has spent and borrowed its way into record deficits.

Second, the so-called doc fix in this bill is an example of Congress avoiding real solutions necessary to improve health care for Americans. The short-term doc fix included in this bill is hardly a fix when Kansas hospitals and doctors have to endure this wait-and-see game every few months while still working to care for folks and keep their doors open. We need a permanent solution to this ongoing problem so that doctors can regain a sense of stability and predictability in their practices.

And thirdly, despite its intention, this bill does little to address our country's persistent high unemployment rate. Rather than continuing to spend money we do not have, Congress needs to pursue a strategy of job creation. This legislation is yet another unfortunate example of ``business as usual'' in our Nation's capital; same old story from a Congress that needs to learn its lessons from the American people, a story told one more time on this Tax Day, April 15.

Mr. Speaker, in these final hours of this year's tax season, Americans are finishing up their tax returns. For a majority of these taxpayers, it's painfully clear that our Nation's tax system is deeply flawed and in need of significant reform.

American workers are asked to work for 3 full months to fulfill their yearly Federal, State, and local tax obligations. This is unacceptable. To require already stressed family budgets to forfeit at least a quarter of their income to prop up expanding bureaucracy and increasing Federal employment is just wrong.

We are taught at a young age to work hard and that we will reap the benefits of hard work. Americans have witnessed that government is claiming more and more of those hard-earned benefits from the fruits of our labors.

Instead of searching for a way to provide relief to American households, some officials within the administration have proposed new taxes that will further burden small businesses and consumers. The European-style value-added tax would levy a tax at each stage of manufacturing, thereby increasing the cost of the finished product. This is damaging not only to the consumer, but also to many industries involved in manufacturing production.

I'm a member of the Anti-VAT Caucus. I recognize the dangers of imposing this new tax upon the American economy, and I've joined over a dozen of my colleagues in working to educate Members of Congress on the problems posed by establishing a whole new series of taxes.

Instead of adding new taxes, Congress should be focused on reforming the current tax structure. I've called upon the new chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin), to schedule hearings on Tax Code simplification. The FairTax proposal was one of those ideas that I've asked his committee to consider. The FairTax can start the conversation on tax reform, and I encourage my colleagues who are serious about having this discussion to join me in contacting the chairman.

People across the country are demanding that Congress listen to their concerns and find a more equitable and less burdensome way of paying taxes. I share their frustration and have called upon my colleagues in Congress to put the politics aside and provide tax relief and reform for this country.

Americans have made it known that they are in need of serious tax reform. Through increased spending and budget deficits, Congress has awakened an American majority dedicated to government reform. Members of Congress have an obligation to be responsive to our people's needs. As the American people gather this week to make their voices heard, Congress must listen. These gatherings are occurring all over our country and here on Capitol Hill.

In my home State of Kansas, these engaged citizens will be meeting in Mound City this evening; Kansas City, Hutchinson, Salina, Manhattan, Wamego, and Wichita tomorrow; and Ottawa and Emporia will have meetings on Saturday. While these gatherings are occurring, millions of other Americans unable to attend will join in spirit to protest the expansion of government in our daily lives.

As we approach the end of tax season, Congress must remember the sacrifices made by each American household. While this is the end of tax season, the rest of the year should be deemed the season of tax reform. The American people need relief, and Congress should respond. Jobs today and the health of the U.S. economy tomorrow demand our action.

The National Right to Life Committee and Planned Parenthood don't agree on much, but over the past few days they both agree that the executive order regarding

abortion that President Obama signed is meaningless. This order states that no public funds will be used to pay for abortions in the health care insurance exchanges set up under the plan. But an executive order cannot change law, and the bill President Obama signed into law on Tuesday allows taxpayer money to fund abortion.

Directing taxpayer dollars to fund abortion is a violation of many Americans' deeply held beliefs, and we should not be forced to compromise our core moral principles as a means to health care reform.

This new law represents a retreat from the Hyde amendment, which has banned the use of taxpayer funds for abortions since 1976.

Republicans and Democrats in the House have agreed on little during the health care debate. The one amendment that passed with bipartisan support was eliminated in the rush to pass health care reform using reconciliation.

Expediency replaced principle.

The news on the Kansas economy is not good. Our State's unemployment rate rose to 7.1 percent in January. In February, State revenues fell a whopping $71 million more than expected. We need $500 million to balance our budget in Kansas in 2010 and 2011. These million-dollar numbers don't mean much up here in Washington, where this Congress continues to rack up trillions in debt obligations as if there are no consequences and money magically appears out of thin air. However, the effects of this thoughtlessness are indeed terrible.

In Kansas, the overwhelming majority of our State budget is comprised of health care and education responsibilities. Many of these responsibilities have been handed down to the States from the Federal Government. Our education system is teetering on the breaking point, with schools facing closure or consolidation and with educators and staff being laid off.

Services for our State's developmentally disabled and support for our sick and elderly have been cut. Folks in Kansas are hurting. I see their pain when I return from Washington, D.C., every weekend home to Kansas.

In our State, we think differently than they do up here in Washington. We don't spend what we can't afford, we don't sacrifice long-term prosperity for short-term gratification, we don't sidestep our personal responsibility, and we don't tell other people how to live their lives. It pains me to reflect

on all of the bad ideas of this Congress: the stimulus packages, the bailouts, Cash for Clunkers, cap-and-trade, because I know these mistakes are digging us deeper and deeper into a hole. I was one of only 17 members out of 435 to oppose all of these measures, not because I want to obstruct legislation, but because our personal freedom and economic liberty are restricted each time we create obligations we can't pay for.

Kansas, like many States, is constitutionally prohibited from running in the red. When Congress irresponsibly shoulders States with mandates and expenses, it's the States and their taxpayers that suffer because they can't evade fiscal responsibilities like the Federal Government often does.

Last Sunday is the latest and most glaring example of this elitist, Washington-knows-best attitude. On Sunday night, this Congress passed the Obama-Pelosi health care plan along a narrow partisan line against my staunch opposition. This plan, which became law on Monday, is the wrong direction for America for a long, long list of reasons. With our national debt already at more than $12 trillion, this new plan will drive us further in the hole. The total cost of this health care plan is more than $1.33 trillion. While this estimate is staggering, it doesn't take into account the almost $400 billion needed to fix the Medicare payments to physicians--payments that Kansas doctors must receive to avoid a 21-percent cut and keep their doors open.

Furthermore, this cost estimate doesn't account for the $20 billion that States must expend to implement the Medicaid expansion contained in the health care plan. Kansans can't afford these billions of new costs, but they are required to carry out so-called reforms. Since Kansans can't afford the requirements of this unfunded mandate, we may be forced to take deeper cuts out of our education system and close and consolidate more schools, dimming the light of opportunity for many Kansans.

Washington needs to open its eyes to this gathering storm. Kansans understand that we can't create an entirely new government entitlement program without exploding spending and increasing our national debt. Our history doesn't support the President's list of campaign-style, promise-the-world pledges. This bill will not only seriously injure our health care system, but its tax increases, mandates, and increased bureaucracy will ruin the Kansas economy and jobs.

I will continue the battle in Washington against this attitude that we know best. It threatens the future prosperity of our future State and Nation. On Monday, I introduced H.R. 4901, legislation to repeal the health care plan we just passed. Only with a total repeal of this budget-busting mistake can we then institute true reforms that will lower health care costs for families and businesses. My legislation will undo what has been done and replace it with something much more based upon common sense and the will of the American people. Only then can we have a health care system that is truly improved. We and other States demand this change for purposes of making sure that prosperity returns to our State.

And Madam Speaker, that's just the way it should be.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to remove my name as cosponsor of H.R. 1255.

Mr. Speaker, every Member of the United States House of Representatives is privileged to serve the people of their districts. I am honored to work for the people of Kansas, the place that has been my home my entire life. Tomorrow it is expected that we will be called to vote on health care reform legislation. While most of the focus here in Washington has been on the politics surrounding this vote, back home they care about what this legislation will mean to them, their families, the businesses they work in or own and, importantly, what it will mean to their children and grandchildren.

For a long time, well before the Obama administration began talking about health care, I have been arguing that we need to make improvements to our health care delivery system. Many folks can't afford the escalating medical costs associated with illness and old age. Folks with preexisting conditions can't change jobs without losing their health insurance, and small business owners struggle to provide health coverage to their employees. I would have welcomed the chance to work to see that these problems were addressed.

I co-chair the Rural Health Care Coalition, a group of more than 100 Members of the House, Republicans and Democrats, who work continually to see that patients in States like Kansas have access to affordable, quality health care. I am extremely disappointed that President Obama and Speaker Pelosi have chosen to go their own way on this issue with no input from those of us who disagree with them on what is best for America.

Many times in this Chamber, I have outlined commonsense things that we could and should do: medical liability reform to eliminate lawsuit abuse that forces the practice of expensive defensive medicine; allowing the purchase of insurance policies across State lines; creating State high-risk pools to address preexisting conditions and provide uninsured Americans access to insurance; encouraging better fitness, diet, nutrition; implementing health information technology that upgrades our outdated health records system and streamlines costs, reduces medical errors and eliminates redundant medical tests; allowing small businesses to pool together to negotiate and purchase health insurance. These and many more could and should be done.

While I know there is much to do, almost none of these ideas are contained in the bill that my colleagues and I will be voting on tomorrow.

I now strongly object to the plan Speaker Pelosi is forcing upon the House. This bill is too big and tries to change too much at once. Instead of working to improve our current system, which the majority of Americans like, this plan will create a massive expansion of government. History demonstrates that government programs are significantly more expensive than estimated. This plan would raise taxes and increase the deficit. It is propped up with budget gimmicks that will greatly expand our deficit.

The bill requires 10 years of tax increases and 10 years of Medicare cuts to pay for only 6 years of so-called benefits.

This plan is the Senate-passed health care bill. It is the same bill that America cried out against in December because it was pieced together through vote peddling and backroom deals. Members who think this plan is good, they should vote ``yes.'' Members who don't think this plan is good, they should vote ``no.'' But this is much too important an issue for the usual deal of politics and cutting deals with backroom promises.

This plan reduces the chance that all Americans will have access to quality care. In rural America, our health care delivery system is fragile as medical professions are caring for an aging population across a wide geographic area. Medicare reimbursement rates determine whether doors stay open and whether doctors and nurses remain in communities. With Medicare cuts, it is likely that more hospital doors will close and fewer doctors will remain in Kansas. The government method of control is through price fixing, which leads to scarcity of doctors, nurses and medical innovation and the advancement of medical research.

Tomorrow's vote will be one of the most important cast during my time in Congress. If the bill should pass, I will work hard in an open and public way to repeal what Speaker Pelosi has done in darkness. Some have said we need to pass a bill because we have to do something, but what I think they really mean is that we have to pass a bill to do something right.

We can overcome the ``Washington knows best'' attitude. Americans rightly are opposing the Washington, D.C. approach to changing health care, an approach that tramples upon our Constitution, diminishes personal responsibility, and reduces freedom of our children and the prosperity of our Nation.

The majority of Americans oppose the Senate's health care reform bill. Consider the stunning electoral upset in Massachusetts following the passage of this bill in the Senate, a bill that was pieced together through vote peddling and backroom deals. Yet, now Speaker Pelosi is trying to avoid a direct up-or-down vote on this bill in a plan to push it through this Congress. It is outrageous. If Democrats want to force this bill on the American people, they should show their support with a direct vote as our Constitution requires.

To prevent this affront, I am a sponsor of H.R. 1188 that would ensure that direct vote and prevent Speaker Pelosi from using this parliamentary trick to force the bill through the House.

For weeks, President Obama, when he was concerned with getting 60 votes in the Senate, demanded an up-or-down vote. House Democrats should honor this request now that the problem is getting House Democrats to vote for the bill. Americans need to see who supports this legislation, including the Cornhusker kickback, the Louisiana purchase, and other embarrassing deals included in the legislation.

Madam Speaker, sometimes good things come from the darkest, most difficult moments. I rise today to share one such story.

In the summer of 2002, a promising young lady named Ali Kemp came home for the summer after her freshman year at Kansas State University.

Ali had a summer job at a neighborhood pool in Leawood, but one day she didn't come home. Her father, Roger Kemp, found her body in the pump room at the pool; she had been attacked and strangled.

John Walsh of America's Most Wanted, who lost his son Adam at age six to crime, tells us that ``closure'' is fleeting or non-existent. Mr. Walsh calls Roger Kemp one of his heroes.

Roger Kemp--like John Walsh--has honored his child's memory by working to make a positive difference in the lives of others.

First, the Ali Kemp Foundation has sponsored self-defense training for thousands of women. Some have put their training to use, fending off attacks.

Second, Roger Kemp encouraged law enforcement to try a new idea, to display ``wanted'' information on billboards. It worked in the Ali Kemp case, producing a tip that led to an arrest in 2004 and later a conviction.

Roger Kemp figured that this tactic could be broadly applied to help law enforcement. He was right. Now, billboards are a tool for police at all levels.

Police in Kansas say billboards are an asset to public safety. The FBI is using donated high-tech digital billboards coast to coast, even in Times Square. U.S. Marshals report dramatic results.

Lamar Advertising in Kansas has teamed up with Crime Stoppers to provide the service free of charge. Bob Fessler with the company said, ``It goes back to the old days, to Western days, when they put posters up for wanted people. It's the same concept. We hope something happens quickly.''

To that analysis, I would add that effective modern ``wanted'' billboards are also the legacy of a special man from Kansas who is doing his part to make Kansans safer.

Despite the diplomatic inconsistencies of the Obama administration, one thing is certain: Support for the U.S.- Israeli alliance remains strong in Congress. Israel is America's closest friend in the most volatile region of the world. It is a democracy that shares our values and hopes for a more peaceful world. Regrettably, the administration's recent misstep undermines our shared goal of peace and distracts from more pressing issues.

Israel has a history of making peace with its neighbors and is prepared to make peace now. But peace is a two-way street, and the Palestinians' commitment to that peace is in doubt. Rather than make demands upon Israel for concession after concession, President Obama should work closely and privately with Israel, recognizing our two Nations' long and trusted alliance. Israeli peace agreements between Egypt and Jordan have been reached in the past when U.S. support for Israel was strong and consistent. The same level of commitment and closeness is now needed.

Make no mistake: Israel is our ally and friend. The administration needs to confirm that fact with its words and deeds.