Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate David Ignatowicz, Arnie Bevins, and the entire staff of the Town of Vernon Water Pollution Control Facility on their outstanding work on wastewater treatment.

Covering Vernon, Ellington, Tolland, and parts of South Windsor and Manchester, the Connecticut facility is the first of its kind with a full-scale powdered activated carbon treatment and wet-air carbon regeneration system. The unique wastewater utility has maintained an outstanding performance and customer satisfaction record for over 30 years, processing wastewater from over 122 miles of sewers and seven pump stations. With 20 dedicated individuals serving 66,000 Connecticut residents, the Vernon plant team has made certain that the water discharged from this facility is excellent in quality.

Recognizing the outstanding work of the Town of Vernon Water Pollution Control Facility, the New England Water Environment Association (NEWEA) named the facility the Wastewater Utility of the Year for 2010. Given annually, the NEWEA's Wastewater Utility of the Year award recognizes a regional utility for exceptional management, maintenance, and performance. The award, given to a facility located within six Northeastern States, is based on marks in 18 different areas to highlight overall excellence in utility operations. Having received top marks in each of these 18 areas, the Town of Vernon Water Pollution Control Facility proved to be more than deserving of this prestigious award.

Water Pollution Control Facilities like the Town of Vernon's are vital to the health of our communities and our ecosystems. Their innovative processes, forward thinking, and hardworking staff have helped to ensure that the discharged water is of the best possible quality. Mr. Ignatowicz, Mr. Bevins, and the entire Town of Vernon Water Pollution Control Facility team are a true asset to our state and our region, and I congratulate them on their exceptional work and well deserved recognition.

Mr. Speaker, unless this Congress acts, in 75 days, the interest rate for the Stafford student loan program will explode for 8 million college students. Unless Congress acts, the rate will jump from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent. At a time when student loan debt now exceeds credit card debt, added interest costs for a student using Stafford will increase between $5,000 and $10,000.

It is unconscionable that the Republican leadership will not bring up H.R. 3826, a bill I've introduced with 119 cosponsors to lock in the lower rate. Incredibly, the chair of the Subcommittee on Higher Education spoke last week in North Carolina and said: I have very little tolerance for people who tell me they graduate with $200,000 of debt or even $80,000 of debt.

Really? It is a sad statement when today's Republican Party turns its back on a program that helps millions of Americans fulfill their dreams and that is named after Republican Senator Robert Stafford of Vermont.

Stop the rate hike. Bring up H.R. 3826 for a vote, and keep the American

Dream alive for millions of college students.

Mr. Chair, since 1965, Medicare has provided seniors guaranteed health benefits and today, close to 50 million Americans who have paid into the system now rely on the program for care. While the program's sustainability is stronger than in recent past, this Congress, like those before it, has an obligation to ensure sustainability of the program for current enrollees and future beneficiaries. The Independent Payment Advisory Board, IPAB, was created with this objective in mind. However, despite best intentions, I believe that IPAB is the wrong approach to achieve this shared goal.

Relinquishing control of Medicare provider reimbursements to an unelected IPAB is problematic to me for a number of reasons. Congress has helped shape a Medicare system that reflects unique care needs of varying demographics as well as differences between regions and states. Further, this system has been developed with transparency and accountability in congressional debates. Implementing IPAB would limit the strengths of the current system, and would continue a trend of ceding congressional authority to the Executive branch. This is, in part, why I cosponsored the Medicare Decisions Accountability Act, H.R. 452, legislation to repeal IPAB.

The fact is that the Affordable Care Act will contain spending growth in the Medicare program--independent of proposed IPAB reforms--through integrated and coordinated care models and modest reimbursement changes. The Congressional Budget Office, CBO, estimates that the law will slow annual Medicare growth from seven to four percent over the next decade. And, over the past year, the S&P has measured the lowest rate of growth in the history of Medicare--below three percent.

Today, the House considered legislation to repeal IPAB, a goal that I support. Unfortunately, a calculated choice to polarize the vote by incorporating the HEALTH Act (H.R. 5)--an unrelated and divisive bill-- emphasizes the cynical gamesmanship of Republican leadership who clearly are not interested in forging a partisan coalition to repeal IPAB. The HEALTH Act, in part, limits intentional torts or cases where harm is deliberate. A recent case in Connecticut, which involved victims of sexual assault, underscores the harm in these restrictions. Under H.R. 5, these victims would be denied their day in court.

Over the next ten years, Medicare will cost between $8 trillion and $9 trillion and there are a whole host of offsets which would easily counter the costs of IPAB repeal without injecting scorched earth partisan politics. For example, MedPAC has recommended rescinding duplicative bonus payments to private insurance providers that administer Medicare Advantage plans, which have historically been overpaid by 14 percent. At the very least, this option provides a more tempered approach to offset H.R. 452 and build an honest consensus on repealing IPAB.

Despite my long-standing support for the repeal of IPAB, I cannot support H.R. 5 as presented to the House today. It is my sincere hope that this chamber can debate the repeal of IPAB through a more measured, balanced, and reasonable approach in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 568, a bipartisan resolution reaffirming U.S. resolve to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons capability. I co-sponsored this resolution because of the critical importance to U.S. national security and regional stability to deny Iranian nuclear weapon capability through every diplomatic tool and pressure to avoid resorting to military force.

Reports of progress in Iran's nuclear program have been disconcerting. The November 2011 International Atomic Energy Agency report presented ``serious concerns regarding possible military dimensions to Iran's nuclear programme'' and asserted that ``Iran has carried out activities relevant to the development of a nuclear device.''

There would be devastating consequences for a nation that has threatened Israel's existence and poses significant security threats to its neighbors to acquire nuclear weapons. As President Obama said during his January 24, 2012 State of the Union Address, ``Let there be no doubt: America is determined to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.''

Since I entered Congress in 2007, I have stood firmly against nuclear proliferation to Iran. In 2010, I co-sponsored and supported through passage the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act, which enacted sanctions against companies investing in Iran's energy sector. In addition, I am a cosponsor of legislation to expand sanctions against Iran, the Iran Threat Reduction Act (H.R. 1905).

It has been under President Obama's leadership and reinvigorated cooperation with allies and other nations that has ramped up the pressure to deny Iran weapons capability. President Obama entered office with the international effort to challenge Iran divided and in shambles. Immediately, the President rallied the international community to apply pressure in conjunction with the United States as a diplomatic force multiplier. Russia and China joined in a 2010 the U.N. Security Council comprehensive sanctions effort. These sanctions slowed the Iranian nuclear program and have levied damaging effects on the Iranian economy. The coalition held as we expanded a sanctions offensive against Iran's Central Bank and their oil exports.

These efforts make it clear that Iran must change its recent behavior and instead fulfill its obligations under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. The longer it takes Iran to change its course, the further cut- off it will grow diplomatically and the more strangled its economy will become. Now we must expand these efforts to increase sanctions, further isolate Iran, and explore every outlet to undermine the Iranian regime politically and seek real change in that country's leadership and political direction.

This resolution communicates Congressional unity with the Administration and determination to the international community to maximize every diplomatic and economic tool available to pressure and deny Iran nuclear weapon capability. To be clear, other options--such as the use of United States military force against Iran--require the deliberate and thoughtful consideration of this Congress, a power which I believe this resolution clearly preserves. I am co-sponsoring this resolution to continue our nation's effective, ratcheting pressure to force Iran on a new path and to avoid a subsequent request from the Administration some day to authorize the use of military force against Iran.

Mr. Speaker, this week the National Women's Law Center issued a report, an online survey of insurance brokers across the country; and what they found is something that every woman who owns a small business or tries to buy a policy on the individual market knows, which is that 90 percent of the best selling insurance plans charge women more than men simply because of the fact that they are women. This is a fact which is not denied by any of the major insurers--Blue Cross, WellPoint, Humana--which were all interviewed in a story in The New York Times a few days ago on this issue. This is not a debating point; this is a fact.

In addition to higher costs, many insurance companies in some jurisdictions around this country deny women coverage entirely because of conditions which are characteristic of women, which is breast or cervical cancer, pregnancy, having a C-section, or even being a victim of domestic violence. As I said earlier, the Affordable Care Act will abolish all of these barbaric discriminatory practices starting in 2014.

We are going to hear a lot of hooting and hollering this week about repealing ObamaCare, but those people who say that should look women in the eye in this country and tell them what you are going to do to end these discriminatory practices. The fact of the matter is they have no answer.

It is time to stand up for this act.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my heartiest congratulations and thanks to Patricia Smith of Lebanon for her more than three decades of service to farmers in eastern Connecticut. This past December, Pat retired after 31 years of working for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency's Connecticut office.

After graduating from Norwich Free Academy, Pat began working at the Groton Sub Base. She later worked in Boston at the Naval Shipyards, a rural letter carrier in Lebanon, Connecticut and also at the Social Security office in Willimantic, Connecticut. Always a dedicated public servant, Pat worked hard to serve the people of eastern Connecticut in her various capacities. In 1980, Pat was hired by current Connecticut Farm Service Agency Executive Director Marsha Jette to serve as a Program Technician assisting farmers in eastern Connecticut.

Pat's experience as a herdswoman on her brother Nathan R. Cushman's farm gave her the hands-on experience she needed to provide dedicated and timely service to her fellow farmers. At the time she began working for USDA in 1980, Pat also milked 16 20 Brown Swiss cows that she kept at her residence that belonged to her and her daughter Julie who was actively involved in the 4 H program.

Pat's dedication to her work never wavered despite the challenging times dairy farmers and others in Connecticut faced during her three decades at USDA. While Pat's retirement has left a void that will not easily be filled at the Farm Service Agency office, she continues her service through volunteer efforts at the New London County Farm Service Agency office. Always the dedicated public servant, Pat Smith's experience and care for her fellow farmers will be sorely missed as she moves from full time work to volunteering for farmers in Connecticut. I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating Pat on her retirement and wish her well in her continued efforts.

Madam Speaker, 124 days. That's how many days between today and July 1 when the interest rates for the Stafford Student Loan program are going to double from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent unless Congress acts. I, Congressman Peters, and Senator Jack Reed in the Senate have filed legislation to lock in those rates at 3.4 percent. This Chamber must act.

Today, student loan debt now exceeds credit card debt in the United States of America--a milestone which is a disaster and a formula for failure in this country. We have fallen from number one in the world in terms of graduation rates to number 12, which is a threat in terms of our future economic vitality.

As young people will be all across this Capitol over the next 2 months or so, I hope Members of Congress will look those kids in the eyes and will do the right thing to protect college affordability. Pass

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the retirement of Connecticut's Child Advocate, Jeanne Milstein, and celebrate her years of service to the State and, more importantly, to Connecticut's children and their families.

For over a decade, Jeanne has headed the Office of the Child Advocate (OCA), which oversees the protection and care of the State's most vulnerable children. Under Jeanne's leadership, the OCA has reviewed and acted on thousands of requests for assistance ranging from safety and health to education. Most recently, the OCA participated in the Children and Recession Task Force, leading an effort on transitioning young adults leaving the care of the state Department of Children and Families. OCA has also led oversight on children in congregate care settings and transitional supports for confined youth. Beyond overseeing the care and protection of Connecticut's children, Jeanne and the OCA have been fierce watchdogs of taxpayer resources.

Jeanne's hard work and dedication have been an invaluable resource for Connecticut and should serve as an example for all those in public service. Again, I ask that my colleagues join me in applauding Jeanne's service and recognizing her retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I voted in favor of the conference agreement on the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 because I believe it is necessary for our nation's continued economic recovery, which still remains fragile. Economists of every stripe have endorsed the three major components of the bill which will provide some additional confidence for both consumers and business. However, I have serious concerns about parts of the compromise, chiefly the lack of a permanent repeal of the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula and the funding sources for the ten-month SGR ``patch.''

Medicare cuts to community hospitals and skilled nursing facilities included in the compromise threaten the already thin financial margins these institutions are operating on. Also included in the compromise is the elimination of $5 billion from the Prevention and Public Health Fund created by the Affordable Care Act. These cuts will stifle progress on disease prevention which in the long-term is the best way to reduce health care spending. And, the fact that these programs will be cut to pay for a short term fix of a broken SGR formula that was passed into law nearly two decades ago and has proven to be totally infeasible, is particularly galling.

While the window of opportunity to repeal the SGR permanently in this package has passed for now, Congress still has an obligation to enact a permanent fix to this flawed policy when the ten-month fix expires. We know now that the longer a permanent fix is delayed, the more precarious our system of care for seniors and veterans will become. On a positive note, growing bipartisan, bicameral support for abolishing the SGR is building, paid for with savings from the Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) funds. The Congressional Budget Office has confirmed these funds are available which provides a promising opportunity in the coming months to repeal the SGR finally once and for all.

Fixing this long standing problem must be a bipartisan priority for this Congress. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle towards a permanent solution to the SGR that gives our doctors, seniors and veterans the long term certainty they need-- and deserve--in their care.

Mr. Speaker, 2011 marked an unfortunate milestone in our country's financial picture when, for the first time in American history, student loan debt actually exceeded credit card debt, which again by itself is just a huge statement in terms of the challenges that families, middle class families and working families, are facing today in terms of trying to deal with the cost of higher education.

The value of a higher education degree or post-high school degree, which is sometimes debated in the media, still I believe is indisputable, and the statistics certainly demonstrate that. At a time when our national unemployment rate is 8.3 percent, if you drill down deeper you'll learn that for those with less than a high school degree, the unemployment rate is 16.5 percent. Those with a high school degree, it's 10.7 percent. Those with some college is 8.5 percent, and those with a bachelor's degree or higher is 4.5 percent.

So the stakes could not be higher for young people all across our country that we must deal with the mounting cost of higher education and provide mechanisms for them and their families to actually finance it and pay for it.

In 2007, the Democratic-controlled Congress passed the College Cost Reduction Act, which was a terrific measure that cut the interest rates for the Stafford Student Loan program, the federally subsidized student loan program which provided some stability and affordability for middle class families, from 6.8 percent down to 3.4 percent. In addition, we unfroze the Pell Grant program, which is the workhorse of paying for college education, all of it paid for by eliminating wasteful subsidies to banks. That measure has a sunset this July. The interest rate reduction of the College Cost Reduction Act will in fact expire on July 1 unless Congress acts.

President Obama in his State of the Union Address a few nights ago raised this issue before all of us in the House and Senate when he said: ``When kids do graduate, the most daunting challenge can be the cost of college. At a time when Americans owe more in tuition debt than credit card debt, this Congress needs to stop the interest rates on student loans from doubling in July.''

Mr. Speaker, shortly after his address, myself and Congressman Peters from Michigan introduced H.R. 3826, which is a measure that would extend the 3.4 percent, the lower interest rates on the Stafford Student Loan program, and in just a few days we have accumulated 55 cosponsors to this measure.

Again, the math is crystal clear: If we do not act, if we do not maintain those interest rates at 3.4 percent, if Congress does nothing, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group has calculated that for those students who take out the maximum $23,000 in subsidized student loans, their interest payments will increase by $5,200 over a 10-year repayment period and $11,300 over a 20-year repayment period.

Now, if you told middle class families that if Congress doesn't act on a measure like this, your out-of-pocket costs are going to go up $5,200 for taxes, there would be a huge hue and cry about the fact that Congress must not let that happen. Well, that's exactly the same situation we face today with the Stafford Student Loan program. Again, we know from the passage of the College Cost Reduction Act that this is something that this body is capable of doing.

This past weekend I was with a family whose son is now in his junior year, and as an undergraduate has almost a perfect 4.0 grade average, very motivated to go into the health care field, and he has already accumulated $100,000 in student loan debt. We as a Nation must address this problem.

The National College Board, which tracks graduation rates internationally, reminds us that back in the 1980s, the U.S. was number one in the world in terms of graduation rates. We have fallen to number 12 according to the National College Board, and the biggest reason that students are not finishing college is because of affordability and cost. Again, the President laid out the challenge to the Congress in his State of the Union Address. We must not allow Stafford Student Loan interest rates to double on July 1.

We should pass H.R. 3826. We should get that to the President so that colleges and universities can help families plan their tuition payments for the upcoming year and not allow this country to go backwards in terms of making sure that we have the finest workforce in the world.

Mr. Speaker, for decades the United States has worked closely with Australia on issues of great importance to our two nations. Australia has stood out among the international community as a friend of the United States and remains one of our closest allies today. Thirteen years ago, a program was launched to place Australian students in offices in our Nation's Capital. Since that time, the Uni- Capitol Washington Internship Program has delivered to the United States some of Australia's best and brightest to serve as interns in a variety of federal agencies, congressional offices and committees.

When the opportunity arose again to participate in the Uni-Capitol Washington Internship Program, I immediately agreed to welcome another Australian ``ambassador.'' This is my third time hosting an intern from the program, and once again my office and I have been pleased with the positive contributions of Niall O'Shea, who was placed in our office. He has attended meetings and briefings, assisted my staff with various research initiatives, and helped serve my constituents of the Second District of Connecticut. His impeccable and clipped Australian accent is a real treat for visitors and callers from Connecticut whom he has interacted with. Niall's participation in this program has provided him with new opportunities and experiences that only the Uni-Capitol Washington Internship Program could provide. While in the program Niall has attended events at the Australian Embassy and listened to speakers from the State Department. A well-rounded college student, Niall will be receiving a dual Bachelor degree in law and art when he graduates from the University of Western Australia.

Many of my colleagues have also been privileged to welcome students like Niall to their offices. This year, 12 students from all across Australia are serving in offices in Washington, helping foster a new generation of understanding and shared experiences between our two nations. Launched by former Congressional staffer Eric Federing, The Uni-Capitol

Washington Internship program has now delivered 130 Australian student interns over the past 13 years.

Mr. Speaker, I would encourage all of my colleagues to open their doors to students from around the world so that they can share in our great democracy. Similarly, I would encourage American university students to seek established and creative ways to connect with their counterparts around the globe. I ask my colleagues to join with me in recognizing the contributions of the Uni-Capitol Internship Program and to once more thank Niall O'Shea for his dedication and hard work.

Mr. Speaker, last Friday the Department of Labor came out with job statistics which no one expected. The U.S. economy added 243,000 new jobs, and there was a revision upward for December and November across the board: manufacturing, service, leisure, service industries, health care.

The U.S. economy, which has suffered its biggest blow since the Depression because of the financial meltdown

in 2008, is picking up strength. But as the President said, Congress must not muck it up.

We need to pass the payroll tax cut extension, which expires at the end of February, fix the doctors' fees, and do an unemployment compensation. If we don't do that, the markets are going to head south on us again, just like they did last December.

This Congress wasted the entire month of January with no conference committee to resolve this issue. It is time that we fix this and get it done right away, and we shouldn't go home this weekend until we pass a payroll tax cut extension.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Capps motion, which again says that we should move as swiftly as possible to resolve all of these issues.

In support of that, I just want to share with the body a survey that was released by the Connecticut Medical Society a few days ago. It's the largest physician group in the State of Connecticut. It asked what the impact would be if the SGR 27 percent rate cut went into effect. It would be catastrophic: 40 percent of doctors would stop accepting Medicare patients; 10 percent would close their practices; 32 percent would lay off staff. But what was interesting was that 19 percent said they are already refusing to take new appointments of Medicare beneficiaries and are curtailing access for both Medicare and Tricare patients all across the State of Connecticut.

So clearly, this is not an issue which can wait until the last minute. People are already voting with their feet, and it's affecting access to health care literally as we sit here today in the House Chamber.

I also would just like to remind the gentleman from New York that the measure that the Republicans passed in December, which supposedly addressed this issue, paid for the SGR fix by taking $40 billion out of the hospital accounts in Medicare.

So in the name of protecting physician fees, they butchered the other part of the system and the central part of the system in terms of hospital access which provides emergency care all across this country. The American Hospital Association and others clearly warned this Chamber and the Senate that this cut would be extremely damaging and catastrophic to the American health care system. And the fact that the Senate did not just rubber-stamp what the House did, in my opinion, shows that they acted appropriately.

It is extremely urgent for the American health care system that we pass and follow the Capps motion's timeline to fix this issue, frankly an issue which has festered since the 1990s when the Republicans passed the SGR formula. This is not part of the Affordable Care Act. In fact, at the time we passed the Affordable Care Act, it abolished the SGR with H.R. 3662. We should follow that path at the end of the day, and we should certainly follow the timeline of the Capps motion.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to Congratulate Don Domina, General Manager of the Central Connecticut Cooperative Farmers Association who is retiring after nearly 35 years of service to the people and businesses of Connecticut.

Don Domina grew up on a farm in Vermont where his family, including his six siblings, raised dairy cows. Life on the farm led to interests in working with animals as a veterinarian, a passion he pursued as a youngster. As he grew older, Don left his family farm to pursue work in construction, building silos around New England and New York. In the late 1960s, Don moved to Connecticut to do construction work and later became a milk truck driver for Moser's, returning him to his dairy roots.

In November 1977, Don joined the staff of the Central Connecticut Cooperative Farmers

Associations a truck driver. However in his nearly 35 years at the Co- Op, he has held more than a half dozen positions in nearly every capacity. In March 2004, Don became manager of the Co-Op, a position he earned through his hard work and lasting commitment to help his customers and their farms.

While he is retiring from his position as General Manager, I imagine we will continue to see Don active in the agriculture world for many years to come. Whether it is through his work with the Connecticut Poultry Association or the University of Connecticut's agriculture programs, Don's commitment to agriculture and the farm families across Connecticut will never tire. I want to extend my heartiest congratulations to Don on his retirement and ask my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor VADM James A. Zimble, MC, USN, who passed away December 14, 2011 at age 78.

Throughout his career in the United States Navy, Admiral Zimble was unrelenting in his dedication to his country and fellow service members. After earning his degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Dr. Zimble joined the Navy in 1955. Completing an internship at St. Albans Hospital, Dr. Zimble decided to pursue undersea medicine and spent a tour aboard the fleet ballistic missle submarine USS John Marshall. The valuable skills he acquired there paved the incredible career that followed.

Dr. Zimble served as the CO of the Naval Regional Medical Center in 1978 before becoming the Medical Officer of the Marine Corps in 1981 and then the Fleet Surgeon for Commander in Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet. Most notably, VADM Zimble served as the Surgeon General of the U.S. Navy from 1987 to 1991, where he presided over disestablishment of the Naval Medical Command and the return of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED). In addition, Dr. Zimble managed the deployment of the hospital ships Mercy and Comfort, the Fleet Hospitals, and Medical Department personnel for the Gulf War.

Upon his retirement in 2004, Dr. Zimble moved to New London, Connecticut, where he lived with his wife Mona.

Admiral Zimble's commitment to the health of the military and their families touched the lives of millions. Please join me in honoring this extraordinary man.