Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise in great disappointment that the President's budget makes no provision for deepening the Savannah harbor.

The Port of Savannah is one of the busiest in the country and is a major throughway for all sorts of essential goods coming in and out of the country. The State of Georgia has collaborated with the Federal Government to ensure that the port is deepened to accommodate the larger ships that will soon come through the expanded Panama Canal.

After decades of study, State and local stakeholders, congressional authorizers and appropriators, the Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the EPA have all endorsed this project as technically feasible, economically justified, cost-effective, environmentally responsible, and in the national interest.

Vice President Biden recently visited Savannah and promised we would get this project done, ``come hell or high water.'' Only OMB now stands in the way.

This project makes sense to almost everyone who has studied it. I share the frustration of my constituents that it continues to be stalled by bureaucracy, and I urge the President to lead, follow, or get out of the way of the effort to make this project happen.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 2804, the All Economic Regulations Are Transparent, or ALERRT, Act of 2013, and in support of the Miller-Courtney amendment.

I am pleased that this legislation includes the Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act, a bill for which I am an original cosponsor with my Republican colleague from Alabama (Mr. Bachus).

There are 30 million small businesses in America, and they employ over half of our workforce. These are companies in my district like Sarah in the City in Baxley or Buona Caffe in Augusta. Every day they open their doors and go to work helping American families and drive American commerce.

I also rise in support of the Miller-Courtney amendment. In February of 2008, 14 people were killed and 40 people were injured in a combustible dust explosion at the Imperial Sugar refinery in Port Wentworth, Georgia. Since then, I have worked with my colleague, Mr. Miller, to pressure OSHA to mitigate this known hazard. I am hopeful that OSHA can complete its long-overdue work in this area to save families from ever having to go through this kind of grief again.

Now is the time for us to focus on getting people back to work and creating good-paying local jobs. That is why I support the Miller- Courtney amendment and the underlying legislation.

I urge ``yes'' votes on both.

Mr. Speaker, this time of year, as we gather with family and friends, it is important for us to remember the men and women in the military who sacrifice so much for our country. Those who have been injured in battle oftentimes find themselves a long way from home during the holidays.

This year, like every year, I am donating the over 68,000 frequent flyer miles that I received from congressional travel to the Fisher House Hero Miles program, which provides free airline tickets so that American soldiers and their families can be to together.

The Fisher House has provided more than 40,000 flights worth some $63 million to wounded troops and their families. We have got no business keeping these frequent flyer miles for personal use anyhow, and I don't know of anyone who could make better use of them.

I encourage all Members of Congress to follow my example and give their frequent flyer miles to some charity like the Fisher House. It is not just a good thing to do; it is the right thing to do.

Madam Speaker, when the Affordable Care Act was first enacted, the American people were promised that, if they liked their coverage, they could keep it. Despite those assurances, millions of Americans who are happy with their insurance coverage are finding out they won't get to keep their coverage.

I am proud to cosponsor legislation, offered by my Republican colleague from Michigan, committee Chairman Fred Upton, that gives the folks in my district in Georgia the opportunity to keep their current health insurance plan. I hope we will pass that legislation this week.

Many Americans don't feel well served by the limited health insurance options available in the exchanges, and people resent being misled by their elected officials about their options. It is important for us to give the American people the option to choose which plans work best for them, and this bill will help.

Mr. Speaker, since October 1, millions of Americans have attempted to access Healthcare.gov to try to learn about the health insurance coverage they are required to buy; and every day, we are learning more and more about the problems they are facing. Folks are frustrated, and rightfully so.

I am proud to be part of a bipartisan effort to reform the law by repealing the mandate that employers provide coverage they can't afford and the mandate that individuals buy insurance on their own.

Earlier this year, the administration delayed the employer mandate because businesses across the country just weren't ready, but not the individual mandate. At the very least, our constituents deserve the same relief that the businesses got.

This isn't about pointing fingers. This is about providing some relief to the folks we represent who are facing serious uncertainty because they are being forced to buy something that is just not ready.

I urge my colleagues and the administration to delay the individual mandate. It is not only the right thing to do, it is the only practical thing to do.

Mr. Speaker, in my district, thousands of government employees are being forced to work without pay. Thousands more have been laid off. All because Congress can't get its act together long enough to do our most basic job: to keep the government running. They're ready, willing, and able to do their jobs, but can't-- because Congress has failed to do its job.

Folks back home ask me: Why do you get paid, but we don't?

We're told that the Constitution requires that Members of Congress get paid, whether or not they do their job. I think that's wrong, and I have introduced legislation to change it. While folks at home don't get paid, I don't think we should get paid.

I'm not talking about asking the Clerk to sit on our checks until after this is over; that's no sacrifice. That's why I'm donating my pay to the Augusta Warrior Project for the duration of the shutdown. I'm giving it to folks who can use it, and I'm calling on all of my colleagues to do the same.

It's about accountability, Mr. Speaker. If Members of Congress didn't get paid for not doing their job, maybe they would appreciate those who do their job a little bit more.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Nebraska for his leadership on this issue.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2052, the Global Investment in American Jobs Act, because it will encourage the growth of good, American jobs.

Every time I go home, I'm reminded of how investors overseas spur jobs here at home by tapping into the talent of America. Dutch companies like DSM in Augusta, French companies like Alstom in Waynesboro, and Japanese companies like YKK in Dublin could invest in any country in the world. They're proud to invest in Georgia's 12th District because the families who work for them take pride in their work.

This bill requires the Department of Commerce to investigate how it can be an attractive investment for foreign-owned companies. The United States still has the best workers in the world, and they deserve every opportunity to offer their skills to companies looking to expand.

I'm proud that this bill also enjoys broad bipartisan support. This is how Congress can and should work, Democrats and Republicans coming together to get Americans back to work.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I look forward to building a stronger future for American workers by passing H.R. 2052.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield as much time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky).

I thank the gentleman.

We have no further speakers on our side and, with that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I acknowledge with sadness the passing of Representative William Quincy Murphy. Mr. Murphy served Augusta, Georgia, for 11 years in the Georgia State House of Representative.

He was a lifelong public servant, a true statesman, and a good friend.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Dianne, his son Quincy III, and his daughter Jennifer Murphy Morgan.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today as a cosponsor and strong supporter of this amendment.

Because Congress can't get its act together, more than 3,200 Department of Defense employees in my district are being furloughed. This amendment offers a simple fix to that serious problem. It's also a positive indicator of what we can accomplish if Congress is willing to come together on the issues that matter most to the folks back home.

We have a fiscal crisis, but the solution to that problem shouldn't be built on the backs of the people who didn't get us in this mess in the first place, especially since our national security depends so much on civilian DOD employees. This amendment allows for the necessary cuts in Federal spending, but it also protects the folks whose livelihoods are on the line.

Issues like this demand that we put aside our differences and find common ground. I urge my colleagues to get behind this bipartisan effort and to support this amendment to end these furloughs.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank a longtime staff member in my office, Brandon Webb.

After more than 6 years of service to the people of Georgia's 12th District, Brandon left my office to serve as legislative director for Congresswoman Robin Kelly of Illinois.

Brandon joined my staff in 2007 as a staff assistant, and climbed through the ranks to serve as senior legislative assistant. Brandon played an important role in crafting legislation, including a bill to cut the Federal vehicle fleet, saving the Federal Government over $500 million; and he helped our communities by organizing free health fairs for families in the 12th District so they could get the care they need.

I would like to congratulate Brandon on his promotion with Congresswoman Kelly. I also congratulate him and his new bride, Sabrina, on their recent marriage.

I am honored to have had the privilege to work with Brandon, and on behalf of the people in Georgia he served for over 6 years, I would like to thank him for his hard work and dedication.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for the time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the legislation before us to delay the employer and individual mandates in the Affordable Care Act. These burdensome provisions are a drag on our economy and hurt the job creators in my district in Georgia and across the country.

Studies have shown that the employer mandate could cost our economy an estimated 3.2 million jobs. On top of that, businesses of all sizes have indicated this mandate will cause them to reduce the size of their businesses or, worse, close their doors. In an economy as fragile as ours, that's the exact opposite of what we want.

Today's vote is a step in the right direction, but we can go further. I'm leading the effort in the House with two of my Republican colleagues to

fully repeal the employer mandate. If repeal and replace really is the will of the majority, then I urge my colleagues to support today's legislation and quickly bring up a full repeal of the employer mandate.

I thank the gentlelady for yielding me the time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1848, the Small Airplane Revitalization Act of 2013. This bill improves safety, lowers costs, and stimulates private sector innovation, all while cutting red tape.

We need to do everything we can to keep our economy growing. For the last year and a half, representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration and the aviation industry have worked together to make recommendations for regulations that will keep us safe in the sky and grow our economy back on the ground. This bill adopts those recommendations.

I'm proud to stand with the bipartisan group of Congressmen who have helped bring this bill to the floor today, including Mr. Pompeo, Mr. Lipinski, Mr. Rokita, Mr. Nolan, and my cochair of the General Aviation Task Force, Mr. Graves. This bill follows in the tradition of the General Aviation Caucus in the House to work together in a bipartisan fashion. That's the way things should be done around here, and this bill is proof that good things can happen when Republicans and Democrats work together.

I encourage all my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, just over a week ago, the administration announced a 1-year delay of the employer mandate in the Affordable Care Act. While a temporary delay is a good thing for businesses, a full repeal would be even better. Businesses in my district in Georgia have made very clear that the employer mandate would prevent them from expanding their businesses or hiring workers. One of the main reasons I voted against the law in the first place was because too many job creators in my district simply can't afford the costs of the employer mandate under the Affordable Care Act.

We can fix this, however. I'm proud to be leading the effort to fully repeal the employer mandate, along with two of my colleagues from across the aisle. We know this can be fixed, and we've got the bipartisan legislation to do it. I urge my colleagues to swiftly bring up the full repeal of the employer mandate and make this delay permanent so businesses across the country can get back to creating the jobs we need.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, this week marks the beginning of sequestration-related furloughs in my district. As a result, 3,200 employees at Fort Gordon near Augusta, Georgia, will be doing without 20 percent of their pay for the next few months.

Also, like many in this House, my district is home to projects caught in the Corps of Engineers' construction backlog. In particular, the New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam near Augusta has been waiting for repairs by the Corps of Engineers for 13 years, when Congress first authorized them.

This bill includes language to allow the Federal Government to purchase more cars on top of the 700,000 vehicles it already owns. My amendment would simply prohibit the expenditure of funds to purchase more vehicles. I believe there are better ways to spend that money.

I am serious about cutting unnecessary and wasteful spending. I also believe that cutting spending shouldn't be an end unto itself. It's an opportunity to reduce our deficit, but it's also an opportunity to make our government work better.

This amendment represents a relatively small change to the bill, but I believe it speaks to a larger principle. It would be an inappropriate use of taxpayer money to purchase more cars when so many folks across the country are being forced out of work and so many critical projects sit untouched. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Offered By: Mr. Barrow of Georgia

Amendment No. 26: At the end of the bill (before the short

title), insert the following: