Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4360, a bill to designate the Department of Veterans Affairs Blind Rehabilitation Center in Long Beach, California, as the Major Charles R. Soltes, Jr., O.D. Department of Veterans Affairs Blind Rehabilitation Center.

Naming the future blind rehabilitation center currently in its final stages of construction in Long Beach, California, after Major Charles R. Soltes, Jr., is an appropriate expression of our support for our blind veterans.

In 2004 while deployed in Iraq, Major Soltes was serving in the 426th Civil Affairs Battalion in the U.S. Army when the vehicle he was traveling in was struck by an improvised explosive device, costing him his life.

He was the first Army optometrist to be killed in action while on Active Duty, but the legacy Major Soltes leaves behind remains strong with the veteran community, particularly among our blinded veterans. The VA estimates that approximately 157,000 veterans in the United States are legally blind, and over 1 million additional veterans are suffering from debilitating low vision.

Approximately 60 percent of veterans with known combat-related traumatic brain injury and 30 percent with noncombat TBI report visual symptoms. As eye injuries continue to plague our servicemembers overseas, these numbers will continue to rise. And the work of optometrists like Major Soltes will become increasingly important.

In closing, I would like to express my deepest condolences and heartfelt appreciation to Major Soltes' family for their sacrifice. It's my sincerest wish that through the facility, the service and sacrifice of Major Soltes will not be forgotten, and his dedication to country and mankind will live on in the increased health and well-being of our Nation's blinded veterans.

I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher) as much time as he might consume.

Again, Madam Chair, in closing, this is a special honor for me as an optometrist who practiced for many, many years, to be celebrating a colleague who paid so dearly, he and his family. We're so proud of him--myself, as a member of the Veterans Affairs Committee, but also as an optometrist. And I know that the profession of optometry is very, very proud of his efforts. And we will be thinking of his family, but I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, we are all here because we want to do what is best for our constituents, our State, and our country. All of us in this chamber understand the importance of health care reform no matter what side of the aisle we sit on. We've all heard stories and know of family members, friends and neighbors who aren't able to get the care they need at a cost they can afford. Like my constituents and all Americans I want reforms that save lives, save money, and improve care. Unfortunately, this bill doesn't reach those goals.

We must remember that we work for the people. I think some of us have forgotten who our bosses are. It's not President Obama, Speaker Pelosi or Senator Reid, it's the American people. There is no doubt that the people have spoken loud and clear against this big government health care bill. If you need a reminder, go look out the window of the Capitol where you can see the opposition to this bill mounting.

I urge my colleagues to do what the overwhelming majority of Americans want and that is to kill this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this flawed health bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to express the concerns of Arkansas's Third District regarding health care reform. I have received an unprecedented amount of mail because the people of Arkansas aren't in favor of the legislative gymnastics and procedural tricks Speaker Pelosi is playing. It's inappropriate to play games to pass a health care reform bill Americans overwhelmingly oppose, a bill that represents 16 percent of our economy.

The administration called for an up-or-down vote with no procedural maneuvering, but Ms. Pelosi and the Rules Committee are currently in the process of bypassing this up-or-down vote. By approving this rule, the Senate bill will be deemed as passed. This is not the way our founders envisioned the government working for the people.

We owe it to Arkansans and all Americans to fight for real health care reform and at least have a real ``yes'' or ``no'' vote. How in the world do you pass a bill without voting on it?

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of a brave American soldier who sacrificed his life for freedom, Sergeant Vincent L.C. Owens from Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Sergeant Owens was a decorated soldier who was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, stationed in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He was the recipient of many awards, including two Army Commendation Medals, two Army Achievement Medals, a Valorous Unit Award, an Iraq Campaign Medal, and a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.

On March 1, 2010, Sergeant Owens died of injuries sustained when the vehicle he occupied received direct fire. He was only 21.

Vincent was an accomplished young man, known for his work ethic and drive, for his focus and desire to be the best, and, most importantly, for his commitment to his family. Vincent made the ultimate sacrifice. So, too, did his family--his wife, Kaitlyn; his mother, Sheila; and his father, Keith.

Mr. Speaker, Vincent is a true American hero. I ask that my colleagues keep his family and friends in their thoughts and prayers during this very difficult time.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Pope County Judge Jim Ed Gibson for his commitment to the citizens of Arkansas. Judge Gibson's efforts and participation within the community continues to make an impact. For his service and leadership, Judge Gibson has been named the Russellville Area Chamber of Commerce's 2009 Citizen of the Year.

This is a fitting honor for a man who not only has served the public, first as a member of the Pope County Quorum Court for 15 years, but since 1999, as the County Judge. His service continues beyond the office, serving as a member of a long list of organizations and boards across Arkansas.

Judge Gibson has spent his life putting his community first. It was just a few short years ago the city of Atkins was hit by a tornado. Judge Gibson was one of the first people at the scene making sure people were taken care of. I appreciate his dedication, and I'm confident that that will continue.

The people of Pope County are fortunate to have such an exceptional neighbor. I ask my colleagues today to join with me in honoring Judge Jim Ed Gibson, a wonderful public servant who is always and always will be dedicated to the people of Pope County.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the distinguished careers of Navy SEALs Petty Officer Second Class Larry Allen Stone and Petty Officer Second Class Mario Maestas. These officers were accomplished SEALs who selflessly dedicated themselves to serving our country and gave the ultimate sacrifice.

Stone was a member of the United States Navy SEAL Team Two, Little Creek Amphibious Base, where he was a lead communications instructor for the team. His superior skill with communications and equipment earned him a job instructing new SEALs, and his athletic prowess earned him the title of Outstanding Athlete in his unit.

Maestas served 5 years in the Navy before becoming a Navy SEAL in 2000. As a SEAL, he participated in combat missions in Kosovo, including deployments in support of Task Force Falcon, Kosovo, from which he earned the Navy Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, and a Flag Letter of Commendation.

We are honoring these fallen SEALs during a memorial and building dedication for the Naval Special Warfare facilities at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, Saturday, February 27, 2010.

Stone and Maestas devoted their lives to our country. They are truly American heroes who will be remembered for their service and sacrifice.

Thank you very much.

I agree. That sounds good in the sense of taking an additional role by the Federal Government paying for these things. The problem is, we've got a proposed budget by the administration of $3.8 trillion. Almost half of that money is borrowed from people like Saudi Arabia, China--people that don't like us very much. And the American public knows it just doesn't work. These things sound good but at some point, you have got to pay your bills, and we've got to start paying our bills.

The President outlined his plan, and the reality is he's not hearing the concerns of the American people. He is not hearing the concerns of the people of Arkansas. What he is doing is he is telling us what health care coverage we can have as opposed to what the American people want.

The American people now in overwhelming majority have said, ``No. This is not the bill we want.'' Right now, we're spending more than any other country in the world by far with our health care system. The proposal that we have will spend almost another trillion dollars and yet costs will continue to rise.

So, again, instead of trying to do something in the free market way to lower costs, what the bill actually does is basically say we're going to do that by setting price controls. And price controls don't work. What we're going to do is have rationing, and we will have decreased quality of care.

Another real concern I've got is the abortion coverage. The Hyde amendment has always said that we're not going to pay for abortions with taxpayer funding, and yet this bill leaves that wide open.

The Medicare payroll tax. The administration is talking about putting a 2.9 percent tax on non-wage income, and I don't think the American public understands yet that that is in there or being talked about, the ramifications about that. But when you start taxing dividends, when you start taxing interest, capital gains, things like that, those are the kinds of things that are creating jobs.

My frustration is instead of coming out with things that are job creators in this economy, we continue to have these things thrust upon us that are really job killers.

The group that he is not talking about--and we were discussing this earlier, and I will yield to my colleague here--are the health care providers.

Tomorrow, Thursday, there is going to be the meeting, and there is probably 17, 18, 19, 20 Members of Congress that are health care providers, and none of those are over there actually talking about what's going on.

Again, and this is not a Republican or Democrat thing. I am just saying health care providers amongst all of us. When you add the experience up, the years of practice and things, you would think that this is the group that you would call on first to get over and give you good advice.

Well, again, I would add that I was a health care provider, but I was also a small business person in the sense that we had about 85 employees that we had to meet payroll with. And always our biggest cost of doing business, our biggest expense was health care insurance for our employees. Every year the guys would come along and they would say, well, your premium is going up 10, 15, 20 percent, whatever it is. The major problem that we have going on right now is increased cost. And as was discussed earlier by my colleague, you know, things like health savings accounts, those are free market reforms. It is a free market reform that lowers cost. Associated health plans, allowing my barber with his two or three employees to team with maybe thousands of barbers to get a much lower rate. And then lastly, controlling the nuisance lawsuits. Those are free market reforms that would lower costs, which we desperately need. The problem is--and again, I don't know who the President is listening to--but those types of things are not included in the bill that we see.

The only thing I would say though is, instead, there is no control of cost, and what we have is in the fine-print wage and price controls that they're just saying, well, we are going to dictate the cost. And again, as my colleague said earlier, that just doesn't work. That has been proven with several administrations in the past that it is going to lead to rationing and decreased quality of care.

I yield to you.

Will the gentleman yield?

Under these plans, the generic is not covered in the HSA; is that not correct? Can you comment on that?

Which lowers cost.

Madam Speaker, contained in H.R. 3326, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for FY 2010, is funding for investment in projects in Arkansas, which I requested for FY 2010. The legislation contains funding for the development of Nanotechnology for Anti-Reverse Engineering in the FY10 Defense Appropriations bill, Research, Development Test & Evaluation, Navy, account by Space Photonics, Inc., 700 Research Center Blvd., Fayetteville, AR 72701. This project will develop and integrate nanotechnology-based anti tamper solutions for unmanned aerial vehicles and prepare for flight qualification. Anti tamper capability is required for all DoD new start programs as of 2001, all pre-planned product improvement (P3I) or technology insertion efforts, and all programs that did not reach Milestone B by May 1, 2000. U.S. anti tamper technology must continually evolve and improve to keep ahead of the capabilities of our adversaries. As such, developing and maintaining a strong technology base is a stated objective for the DoD anti tamper program. Electronics are a major area of vulnerability in weapon systems, particularly advanced microchip and circuit design used on sensors and communications equipment flying on UAVs.

Nanotechnology is proving to be a very promising area for AT solutions. Nanotechnology based technologies and techniques have the potential to be undetectable and have been demonstrated to inhibit circuit exploitation and/or reverse engineering. Nanotechnology techniques can also support passive self-destruction of devices.

Funding was also included for Silicon Carbide Power Modules for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter by Arkansas Power Electronics International, Inc., 535 W. Research Center Blvd., Fayetteville, AR 72701. This project will produce flight-qualified silicon carbide (SiC) motor drives for aircraft flight control systems. SiC electronics are required to accommodate the high power densities and voltages necessary for motor drive operation. The Air Force's More Electric and All Electric Aircraft (MEA/AEA) design philosophy mandates the replacement of costly and bulky mechanical hydraulic aircraft flight control systems with lighter weight, high-reliability, low-maintenance electric motors and drives. SiC motor drives provide an order of magnitude size reduction and high temperature operational capability for the F-35's flight control surface actuator drives, which are critical components of the aircraft's combat performance capability.

Conversion to SiC motor drives can contribute significantly to meeting aircraft weight reduction targets for the production version of the F-35, as well as enable improved performance of UAVs and hybrid electric military vehicles. For these reasons, I believe these to be an appropriate investment of taxpayer dollars.

Madam Speaker, more than 8 years after the September 11 attacks, our country is still fighting against terrorism. The attempted attack on Christmas Day has renewed the discussion of how to keep our country and its citizens safe and our Nation's interests protected. Our military is fighting every day to protect the world from these extremists.

Arkansans have proudly served to defend our country since the global war on terror began. Most recently, last week, 50 members of the 188th Fighter Wing, based in Fort Smith, Arkansas, left for a 120-day deployment in Afghanistan. These men and women are continuing the Arkansas tradition of service to our Nation. In the coming months, an additional 250 members of the 188th will deploy to provide close air support for ground troops in Afghanistan. This is an important mission that I am confident these men and women will accomplish successfully.

I ask my colleagues to keep the members of the 188th and their families and friends in their thoughts and prayers during this time.

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

I rise in support of House Resolution 981, introduced by Chairman Berman, and expressing our support for the continued political and economic development of Ukraine.

Almost 20 years have passed since the Ukrainian people gained their independence by breaking free from the oppressive authoritarian Soviet communist regime. Despite continuing challenges, both internal and external, Ukraine has made significant progress in establishing a democratic political system and implementing market-based economic reforms. Since becoming an independent state, Ukraine has evolved into an increasingly important partner for the United States and for our European allies.

Ukraine's participation in the international mission in Afghanistan and in the NATO training mission in Iraq are examples of contributions that Ukraine has made and is making in its effort focused on promoting stability and defeating Islamic extremists. In recognition of Ukraine's commitment, the NATO heads of state at their Bucharest summit in April, 2008, agreed to and declared Ukraine will become a member of the NATO Alliance in the future. In December, 2008, then-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice signed the U.S.-Ukraine Charter on Strategic Partnership, which aims to expand cooperation between our two countries on issues relating to democracy, defense, energy, and trade.

Significant challenges continue to confront Ukraine, including serious financial troubles it now faces as a result of the global financial crisis. One very serious challenge to the stability of Eastern Europe, as well as the future independence and prosperity of Ukraine, lies in the apparent interest on the part of some in neighboring Russia to ensure that Ukraine is held within a sphere of influence dominated by Russia. It's important to Ukraine, to Europe, and to the transatlantic community that Russia refrain from any effort to provoke instability by fomenting territorial divisions, as it did in Georgia, or interfere in Ukraine's domestic policies and politics, either overtly or through less visible corrupt activities.

In the wake of the Russian invasion of Georgia in August, 2008, such concern over Russian intentions toward Ukraine is no small matter. The Kremlin needs to accept the right of Ukraine to its independence and to its right to live as a peaceful political democracy free of intimidation. The United States has a strong interest in seeing the rise of a sovereign, free, democratic, and prosperous Ukraine. The presidential elections scheduled to take place next week in Ukraine need to be conducted in a free and fair manner. The victor in those elections needs to lead Ukraine in a democratic and noncorrupt manner in order to solidify the hard-won progress already made by the Ukrainian people.

I urge my colleagues to render their full support for this resolution.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a fine Arkansan who, on December 11, 2009, ended a 51-year career in television, radio and politics.

Jim Pitcock's career in Arkansas radio, television and politics began in his hometown of Fort Smith in 1958 as a part-time camera operator at KFSA television. He would attend junior college during the day, then work at the television station during the evening newscasts.

A short time later he was offered a job at KCCL Radio in Paris, Arkansas where he received his first chance to do ``on-air'' work as a disc jockey. He traded in school for the job and spent the next two years driving back and forth to Paris while continuing his work at the television station in the evening.

In 1960, Jim began work as a full-time disc jockey at KFSA Radio in Fort Smith.

In 1963, KAAY, the ``Mighty 1090'' in Little Rock offered Pitcock a job in the Capitol City where he assumed the identity of ``Ron Owens-- The Midnight Satellite.''

Almost a year to the day later, Jim Pitcock was hired by KATV Television where he began a 32-year career as the station's News Director. At one point, Pitcock served as the longest-tenured news director in the country. He traveled from Moscow to Vietnam bringing Arkansans news in international significance with a local perspective. Pitcock also oversaw the station's coverage of then-Governor Bill Clinton's rise to the White House in 1991 earning the station a Regional Emmy Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

During his tenure Pitcock won numerous Associated Press Broadcaster's Association awards and led the station's news department atop the ratings for more than a decade.

Jim Pitcock has been honored with a number of other awards for his work as an Arkansas broadcast journalism pioneer including; The Arkansas Society of Professional Journalist's ``Silver Microphone'' Award for lifetime achievement and the University of Arkansas Department of Journalism's ``Ernie Deane Award'' for his contribution to broadcast journalism in the state.

Pitcock also served for a time as Congressman Bill Alexander's Field Director in Arkansas, worked with former Arkansas Attorney General Mark Pryor and finished his career as an aide to United States Senator Mark Pryor.

One of seven siblings, Jim Pitcock and all three of his brothers worked in the broadcast journalism field during their careers. Oldest brother Bill Pitcock (deceased) served as evening news anchor for KOTV News in Oklahoma City, Bob Gregory Pitcock worked as a correspondent for CBS News Washington and youngest brother Jerry Pitcock worked at KATV in Little Rock and the Arkansas Educational Television Network in Conway, Arkansas.

Jim has four grown children and six grandchildren.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the valor, sacrifice, and contribution of the United States Navy SEALs and to bring attention to a great injustice.

Our SEALs routinely defend our Nation in some of the most dangerous places in the world, sacrificing their lives for their mission and our country; yet recently, three of our SEALs have been forced to defend their honor.

The alleged mastermind of the brutal murder of four American security contractors claims that these SEALs punched him in the stomach while he was being detained under supervision. Despite reports that he was armed at the time, he was captured without the SEALs firing a shot. Because of the accusation, these SEALs opted to have a court martial rather than a nonjudicial punishment that would have essentially been an admission of guilt.

Rather than a trial, we should be giving these guys a medal. I am pleased that these men will have the opportunity to defend their honor and confident that justice will be served. At this time, we must not waste the time and resources of our Armed Forces on political correctness and facts based on hearsay of terrorists and other people who wish our country harm.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in qualified support of H.R. 4165, to authorize an extension of the Army Corps of Engineers' section 214 program. Section 214 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2000 allows the Army Corps of Engineers to accept and expand funds provided by non- Federal public entities to hire additional personnel to process regulatory permits.

Mr. Speaker, I say I offer qualified support for H.R. 4165 because while this legislation is needed, my colleague from Texas (Mr. Olson) has offered a better piece of legislation. Mr. Olson's legislation, H.R. 4162, will authorize a permanent extension of the program--not a 1-year temporary extension offered by H.R. 4165. The Congress has been forced to temporarily expand this program five times since it was authorized by the Water Resources Development Act in 2000, yet the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure has heard from Members on both sides of the aisle supporting permanent extension of the 214 program.

I have heard no Member object to a permanent expansion of the section 214 program. The Corps of Engineers now has adequate experience in running the program, and recent Government Accountability Office observations concur with this assessment. Yet here we are again on the House floor moving a temporary extension of an excellent program.

Authority for this program expires on December 31 of this calendar year. If this program expires, the Corps will have to fire some regulatory personnel, reducing its ability to process permits in a timely manner.

I want to thank Representative Olson and Representative Larsen for their efforts on this issue. I urge all Members to vote in favor of H.R. 4165, but I do wish that we were passing a permanent, or at least a long-term, extension of the section 214 program today, not a temporary one.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Olson) whatever time he might consume.

Mr. Speaker, again, I do support H.R. 4165 and urge my fellow Members to vote for the bill. I appreciate Mr. Larsen. I know that he has worked hard on this in trying to bring the issue forward and provide a permanent fix.

My hope is that in the reauthorization of WRDA that we can all, as was mentioned, work in a very bipartisan way, because this is an entity that has worked very, very well. And I think all of us agree that it really is a success story. So hopefully we can work together, he and Mr. Olson and our leadership on the committee, so that we can provide for a permanent fix of the program, a permanent authorization, and not have to go through this every year.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1854, amending the Water Resources Development Act of 1992 to modify a project in the vicinity of Big Bear, California.

The Water Resources Development Act of 2007 was enacted in November 2007. Included in the bill is a project that authorized assistance for the city of Big Bear, California. As authorized, the bill provided $15 million of assistance to the city to construct a wastewater treatment facility.

Since enactment, however, the city has decided against constructing the project and would instead use the authority to upgrade its water supply distribution system at a lower cost than originally authorized. The new cost of the project is $9 million.

This project is especially critical to this region of California which is typically subjected to catastrophic wildfires. Upgrades to the water supply in the vicinity of Big Bear would increase water pressure at peak demand periods and improve water quality.

It's not often that a Member of Congress asks us to cut authorized levels of funding for their congressional district. This bill is an act of good governance and truth-in-budgeting.

I want to thank Representative Lewis for his leadership on this issue and urge all Members to vote in favor of H.R. 1854.

Mr. Speaker, having no further speakers, I yield back the balance of my time.