Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Boren amendment. This amendment would provide $5 million to fund natural gas vehicle research and development at the Department of Energy.

Natural gas is the bridge fuel toward decreasing our dependence on foreign sources of oil and for putting our Nation on a path to energy independence. We have a proven reserve of natural gas right here in the United States. We have enough known natural gas reserves to last us more than a century. As a matter of fact, 98 percent of the natural gas we consume is produced right here in North America. In addition to our vast supply, we already have a way to get natural gas to the consumer with over 1.5 million miles of natural gas pipeline distribution across the country.

Natural gas vehicle technology is readily available in Europe, South America and Asia, with nearly 10 million natural gas vehicles in circulation worldwide. General Motors and Ford currently make 18 different models for purchase overseas, yet have fewer than 150,000 natural gas vehicles here in the United States. We must increase our research and development funding in this amendment, which it seeks to do.

Madam Speaker, consistent with House Republican Earmark Standards, I am submitting the following earmark disclosure and certification information for one project authorization request that I made and which was included within the text of H.R. 2647--National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010.

Project: High Density Power Conversion and Distribution Equipment

Project Amount: $5 million

Account: Research and Development--Navy.

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: L-3 Westwood Corporation

Address of Requesting Entity: 12402 East 60th Street Tulsa, OK 74146.

Description of Request: Navy power switchboard technology has remained essentially the same for nearly 50 years. This technology is passed largely on past Navy applications (with lower power needs) and commercial practices (which are less volume and weight sensitive). The Navy's power needs (e.g., sensors, weapons, house loads) have escalated and the newest power architecture designs have added additional concerns (e.g., higher frequencies), but the size and weight of the power distribution equipment are still limited. The inline switchboard technology simplifies the switchboard arrangement to greatly decrease size, weight, and lifecycle cost. In summary, this will provide the Navy with technology that will result in $0.25M/per year per destroyer/ cruiser in maintenance savings plus an additional $1 million per ship in overhaul savings. Additional savings are estimated in size and weight at 50 tons per ship and a space savings of 1000 sq.ft. Fuel savings due to the decreased weight are anticipated to be significant given the cost of fuel.

Madam Speaker, I rise to state for the record that I was on an official leave of absence from the U.S. House of Representatives on the account of illness and unable to vote on rollcall vote No. 328 to H.R. 2410 taken on June 10, 2009. Had I been present for this vote, I would have voted nay.

As an ardent supporter of the unborn, I am strongly opposed to this legislation, which among many issues created an Office of Global Women's Issues that could advocate for abortions around the world. I believe that life begins at conception and could not support this legislation without safeguards that ensure that abortion is not promoted.

Madam Speaker, consistent with House Republican Earmark Standards, I am submitting the following earmark disclosure and certification information for two project funding requests that I made and were included within the text of H.R. 2847--The Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2010.

Project 1

Project: Law Enforcement Interoperability/Regional Expansion Project

Project Amount: $200,000

Account: COPS Technology

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Tulsa Police Department

Address of Requesting Entity: 600 Civic Center, Tulsa, OK 74103

Description of Request: Funding will be used to greatly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of public safety services in the City of Tulsa, and surrounding area. It will promote greater cooperation, collaboration, and operations among municipal, county, state, railroad, and tribal law enforcement agencies in the Tulsa area. The system will enable better cooperation among law enforcement agencies as part of the project includes developing a wireless broadband network with Internet- based applications: e.g., enabling helicopter video of pursuit suspects to all patrol cars; quickly sharing suspect photographs with all local and surrounding agencies.

Project 2

Project: Bartlesville Police Department Mobile Data Technology

Project Amount: $800,000

Account: COPS Technology

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Bartlesville Police Department

Address of Requesting Entity: 100 East Hensley Blvd, Bartlesville, OK 74003

Description of Request: Project improves community safety, enhances law enforcement's ability to prevent crime, decreases response times to emergency calls, and dovetails with Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice initiatives to help coordinate information sharing between agencies.

Madam Speaker, I rise to state for the record that I was on official leave of absence from the U.S. House of Representatives on account of illness and unable to vote on rollcall vote 420 to H.R. 1016 Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009 taken on June 23, 2009. Had I been present for the vote, I would have voted ``aye.''

I strongly support our nation's servicemen and women and their families and realize the debt of gratitude that our nation owes the men and women who defend our country. As Representative for the first Congressional District of Oklahoma, I remain committed to providing them with the resources necessary to ensure they receive the funding and care they deserve. My colleagues and constituents can rest assured that I will continue to support initiatives which ensure those who serve our country to guard our freedom are treated with nothing less than the highest level of dignity and respect.

Madam Speaker, I rise to state for the record that I was on official leave of absence from the U.S. House of Representatives on account of illness and unable to vote on rollcall vote 460 to H.R. 2647, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 taken on June 25, 2009. Had I been present for the vote, I would have voted ``aye.''

I strongly support our nation's servicemen and women and their families and realize the debt of gratitude that our nation owes the men and women who defend our country. As Representative for the first Congressional District of Oklahoma, I remain committed to providing them with the resources necessary to ensure they receive the funding and care they deserve. My colleagues and constituents can rest assured that I will continue to support initiatives which ensure those who serve our country to guard our freedom are treated with nothing less than the highest level of dignity and respect.

Madam Speaker, I rise to state for the record that I was on an official leave of absence from the U.S. House of Representatives on the account of illness and unable to vote on rollcall vote 477 to H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009. Had I been present for this vote, I would have voted ``nay'' as the bill represents a partisan step in the wrong direction and a massive energy tax on the American people.

I was pleased to vote against H.R. 2454 when it was considered before the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Like many

Americans, I believe that we have a shared responsibility to work to ensure clean air, clean water and a healthy environment for today but also for future generations. However, we also know that the national energy tax proposal which passed the House is not the way to do it. Being good stewards of our planet should not be a partisan issue; it is something that benefits us all.

As I have said from the start, H.R. 2454 is nothing more than a backdoor attempt to implement a massive national energy tax that will result in higher energy prices, less jobs, and a greater dependence on foreign sources of oil. The oil and gas industry employs 1.8 million people across the nation and represents a large portion of the economy in my district. I cannot support any bill that will eliminate these jobs or ship them overseas.

I also remain deeply concerned that the bill, if enacted into law, will force American manufacturers and other energy intensive industries to relocate to other countries such as China or India. These counties are not subject to limits on greenhouse gas emissions, and H.R. 2454 would place the United States at a competitive disadvantage.

Families and small businesses already are struggling during this recession, and increasing their direct and indirect energy costs to the tune of thousands of dollars per year will only make matters worse. Given our troubled economy, Congress should reject plans for a national energy tax through this deeply flawed bill and work across party lines on a plan to create jobs, lower energy costs, and establish a cleaner, more reliable energy future.

Madam Speaker, I rise to state for the record that I was on official leave of absence from the U.S. House of Representatives on account of illness and unable to vote on rollcall vote 328 to H.R. 2410, Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011 taken on June 10, 2009. Had I been present for the vote, I would have voted nay.

I am strongly opposed to the irresponsible spending increases contained in the bill and favored a Republican substitute which was offered at the committee level which saved nearly $2.84 billion dollars, while tightening sanctions against Iran, adding new measures to increase foreign military funding for Israel, and supporting missile defense for Israel. In a time of national financial uncertainty, I believe it is irresponsible to create unnecessary new programs and pass such large funding increases. In addition, I have significant concerns about the potential for taxpayer funded abortions that could result from the passage of this legislation.

Madam Speaker, today, I rise to honor the life, achievements and contributions of one of Tulsa, Oklahoma's favorite sons and one of America's most cherished voices, Paul Harvey.

Perhaps best known for his signature line ``Good Day,'' Paul Harvey began his storied career in radio in Tulsa, making radio receivers and working as a fill-in announcer while a student at the University of Tulsa. Little did he know then that over the next 70 years he would go on to become one of America's most accomplished and beloved radio personalities of all time.

Referred to as the ``largest one-man network in the world,'' Paul Harvey was heard on 1,200 radio stations and 400 Armed Forces networks around the world. His broadcast and newspaper columns have been reprinted in the Congressional Record more than those of any other person. Through the use of free expression, Paul Harvey pioneered the format of radio broadcasts that we now find commonplace. He was a blogger before we knew what that was. He just did his blogging on the radio.

Over the course of his trailblazing career, Mr. Harvey received numerous accolades for his work, including being elected to the National Association of Broadcasters Radio Hall of Fame and the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. He received 11 Freedom Foundation Awards as well as the Horatio Alger Award. In 2005, Paul Harvey was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, our Nation's most distinguished civilian award.

Prior to his passing on February 28, 2009, Paul Harvey was a beloved son, brother, husband, father, and friend. It is with great pride that I stand here today to say, ``Good day to you, Paul Harvey.''

I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring a man who epitomized American values and ideals. With that, I urge the passing of my resolution, H.R. 223, honoring his life and legacy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 577, the Vision Care for Kids Act of 2009. I want to thank my colleague, Congressman Gene Green, the lead sponsor of this important legislation, and I am proud to be the lead Energy and Commerce Committee Republican on this bill.

This legislation will help complement existing State efforts by providing grants for eye examinations and follow-up treatment for uninsured children who fail a vision screening. It does this by authorizing $65 million over 5 years in Federal grant funds.

Millions of children in the United States suffer from vision problems, many of which go undetected because of lack of access to affordable and proper eye care. This legislation will bridge a chief gap in vision care, children who face undetected vision problems versus children who are able to receive treatment for their vision problems before it's too late.

Vision problems in children range from common conditions, such as lazy eye and cross eye, to more serious conditions such as infantile cataracts. Also, many serious eye conditions are treatable if identified in preschool and early school-aged years. Early detection provides the best opportunity for effective treatment and lower public health care costs for the future.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 1.8 million children under the age of 18 are blind or have some form of visual impairment. Also, nearly two in three children do not receive any preventive vision care before starting elementary school. Children who have undiagnosed vision problems can have difficulties in school and be wrongly labeled with learning disorders. The Vision Care for Kids Act seeks to change that, and provide all kids the vision care they need.

Again, I encourage quick adoption of this bill today.

Madam Speaker, I rise to state for the record that I intended to vote ``nay'' on rollcall vote 140 to H.R. 1388 taken on March 18, 2009. The Congressional Record currently lists me as an ``aye'' vote on this measure. As a conservative, I cannot support the federal government paying individuals to volunteer their time, especially in a period of record federal deficits and budget constraints facing American families.

Mr. Speaker, while our Nation is suffering a severe economic recession, the Democrat majority is working behind closed doors to enact the largest carbon regulatory scheme in our Nation's history in the form of a cap-and-tax system. In fact, President Obama's budget includes a $646 billion cap-and-trade energy tax that will be paid by every American who drives a car, turns on a light switch, or buys a product made in the United States. And that's every single American, regardless of income. No matter how you slice it, this issue is a huge tax. Government revenues are, of course, taxes on the American people.

This cap-and-tax scheme would cost the average American household in every State up to $3,000 a year, and that's a very conservative estimate. This is really not a good way to stimulate our economy in economic bad times like we are in.

I urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to reject the flawed cap-and-tax program in the President's budget. The Democrat majority is borrowing too much money, taxing too much, and spending too much. When is it enough?

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the House Republican standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information for publication in the Congressional Record regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 1105, the Omnibus Appropriations act of 2009.

Bill Number: H.R. 1105

Account: Department of Energy/Science/Biological and Environmental Research

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: The University of Tulsa

Address of Requesting Entity: 800 South Tucker Drive, Tulsa Oklahoma 74104

Description of Request: Provide an earmark of $713,625 to develop national energy policy recommendations and to support research devoted to determining the most cost effective means of reducing dependence on foreign energy. Matching funding is not applicable to this project as it is a state institution of higher learning. However, there is already $500,000 in state funds and at least $500,000 in funds contributed by the George Kaiser Family Foundation to the overall project.

Bill Number: H.R. 1105

Account: Department of Justice/Juvenile Justice Programs Part E-- Demonstration Projects

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Tulsa Public Schools.

Address of Requesting Entity: 3027 South New Haven, Tulsa Oklahoma 74114

Description of Request: Provide an earmark of $500,000 to help establish a Tulsa Public Schools police force to reduce indicents of on campus violent offenses, drug use, gang activity and gun possession. Matching funding is not applicable to this project as it is a public school.

Bill Number: H.R. 1105

Account: Department of Education/Elementary and Secondary Education

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Tulsa Public Schools.

Address of Requesting Entity: 3027 South New Haven, Tulsa Oklahoma 74114

Description of Request: Provide an earmark of $285,000 to help establish a comprehensive education plan for at-risk students in the Tulsa Public School System. Matching funding is not applicable to this project as it is a public school.

Bill Number: H.R. 1105

Account: Department of Education/Elementary and Secondary Education

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Jenks Public School System

Address of Requesting Entity: 205 East B Street, Jenks Oklahoma 74037

Description of Request: Provide an earmark of $190,000 to implement a reading initiative program for at-risk students in the Jenks Public School System. Matching funding is not applicable to this project as it is a public school.

Bill Number: H.R. 1105

Account: Health Resources and Services Administration/Health Facilities and Services

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Oklahoma State University-Center for Health Sciences Address of Requesting Entity: 1111 West 17th Street Tulsa, Oklahoma 74107

Description of Request: Provide an earmark of $285,000 to develop a system of mobile clinics that will bring health care access to some of Oklahoma's most remote areas. Matching funding is not applicable to this project as it is a state institution of higher learning.

Bill Number: H.R. 1105

Account: Health Resources and Services Administration/Health Facilities and Services

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Oklahoma State University-Center for Health Sciences

Address of Requesting Entity: 1111 West 17th Street Tulsa, Oklahoma 74107

Description of Request: Provide an earmark of $333,000 to bring the latest telemedicine technology infrastructure to all areas of the state, and ensure access to quality health care. Matching funding is not applicable to this project as it is a state institution of higher learning.

Bill Number: H.R. 1105

Account: Transportation, Community and System Preservation

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Oklahoma Department of Transportation

Address of Requesting Entity: 200 North East 21st Street, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73105

Description of Request: Provide an earmark of $380,000 to reconstruct the I-244 Bridge over the Arkansas River in Downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma. Matching funding is not applicable to this project as it is a unit of state government.

Bill Number: H.R. 1105

Account: Transportation, Community and System Preservation

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Oklahoma Department of Transportation

Address of Requesting Entity: 200 North East 21st Street, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73105

Description of Request: Provide an earmark of $570,000 to reconstruct the I-44 Bridge and interchange in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Matching funding is not applicable to this project as it is a unit of state government.

Bill Number: H.R. 1105

Account: Buses and Facilities

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Metropolitan Tulsa Transit Authority

Address of Requesting Entity: P.O. Box 52488 Tulsa, Oklahoma 74152

Description of Request: Provide an earmark of $712,500 for public transit vehicles and equipment and expansion of service for Tulsa Transit in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Matching funding is not applicable to this project as it is a unit of local government.

Bill Number: H.R. 1105

Account: Surface Transportation Priorities

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: City of Owasso, Oklahoma

Address of Requesting Entity: P.O. Box 180, Owasso, Oklahoma 74055

Description of Request: Provide an earmark of $ 1,045,000 for continued funding for the U.S. Highway 169 widening project in Owasso, Oklahoma. Matching funding is not applicable to this project as it is a unit of local government.

Mr. Chair, today, the House is debating how best to boost the nation's economy. I would like to underscore for my colleagues the important relationship between healthcare and economic vitality, and the importance of leveraging private matching funds to address health care challenges in my district and throughout the nation.

Health status is a major determinant in a region's economic viability, yet many parts of the country face shortages in health care providers and services. These medically underserved areas often experience significant disparities in life expectancy and incidence of chronic disease, and the disparities are often most acutely felt by minority or rural populations.

Some surprising statistics in my district highlight the consequences of this sort of discrepancy. While north Tulsa comprises 40% of the region's population, only 4% of the region's physicians are located there. Due to these shortages of health care services, we have seen a fourteen year difference in life expectancy between north Tulsa and south Tulsa. In addition, residents of north Tulsa have rates of cancer and heart disease that are 30% higher than national averages.

As Congress considers ways to stimulate the economy, I encourage my colleagues to consider the significant health disparities that

exist in medically underserved areas, particularly in rural areas and areas with large minority populations. These regions need coherent health care delivery systems--systems that integrate primary care, preventive care, specialty care, and acute care, and that are connected through a health care technology infrastructure. I also encourage that in addition to directing federal funds to this effort, that we can also leverage non-federal, private matching funds to bring this about. Health care projects with strong community public-private partnerships with the availability of private matching funds should be used as a factor for distribution under the stimulus.

While the legislation before us devotes significant funding to health care, including community based wellness and prevention programs, we should work to ensure that these programs are designed in such a fashion as to provide comprehensive and systemic improvements to medically underserved communities. It is my hope that in directing federal funds to this effort, we can also leverage non-federal sources to fund our health care safety net.

As this legislation moves forward, I look forward to working with my colleagues to address the health care disparities confronting underserved communities in Oklahoma and around the country in a way that not only improves the health of our constituents but the economy as well.

Madam Speaker, I missed rollcall vote 16 to H.R. 2 taken on January 14, 2009, and had I been present for this vote, I would have voted ``nay.''

I am opposed to H.R. 2 because I believe this legislation is one more step toward forcing Americans into a Washington controlled, one-size- fits-all health care system by creating another fiscally irresponsible entitlement to be supported by American taxpayers. Also, an expansion of SCHIP should not encourage people to drop their private coverage in order to get free or subsidized public health care coverage.