Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate David Bonner on earning the 2011 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. Mr. Bonner is a physics

teacher at Hinsdale South High School in Illinois.

As a former school board member for Hinsdale District 86, as well as a member of the Education and Science Committee, I have seen how important STEM education is in preparing our students to succeed in the 21st century. And I also know how special it is to have a great teacher who can inspire our students to get excited about a future in science, physics, math, and engineering.

Mr. Bonner should be very proud to join the ranks of only 97 teachers from across the country who have been selected for this award by a panel of distinguished scientists, mathematicians, and educators. He is a very important asset to our community, our children, and our future; and I wish him the best of luck in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues today to support this bipartisan compromise to enact three of our top economic priorities.

Some people have said, Well, we don't like the bundling; we don't like putting three bills together. But I think this is the art of compromise, and this is the art of the possible. Because all three of these bills are very important to all of us, I think, and to have this bipartisan way to do this, I think this is the way that we should go.

I started out with the flood insurance bill. And before we even had a bill, we did a draft so that every group could look at it, so that every Member could look at it and be a part of it and to have what they thought was necessary or to talk about what they didn't think was necessary. So we came up with a bill that came out of my Financial Services Subcommittee by voice vote, but out of the Financial Services Committee last June, 54-0. And people said, How did that happen? Well, it happened because we got together and worked before we really just said, Vote for my bill. And I think it's so important that we do this and get back together to be able to work in a bipartisan way. The gentlelady from California was my cosponsor. And everybody joined together.

So I think it's really important. Actually, the student loan bill is also my bill. So I really care about what is going on this morning and that we can really get together and pass these. And the transportation bill is so important to all of us. Several of us in Illinois had real concerns about how the transit part of that bill was going to be in it and really wanted to do something like what the Senate had done and include that in the trust fund.

So I really thank the gentleman, and I think that it took a lot of compromise on both sides of the aisle. But this agreement safeguards the things in all of the bills such as the suburban transit options and funds critical road and bridge projects. So it's been a long time, but I encourage

my colleagues to look at the big picture and lend this agreement their strong support.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to encourage my colleagues to support this bipartisan compromise to enact three of our top economic priorities: an extension of lower student loan rates, reform of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), and a long-term transportation bill.

All three face tight statutory deadlines. And this agreement gives us the momentum to get all three over the finish line.

Reforming the NFIP will restore financial security to the flood program, which yields savings for taxpayers and stability in the housing market.

And extending affordable loan rates for our students will ensure that our young graduates don't have to pay the price for gridlock in Washington. Already, half of recent graduates are either unemployed or underemployed, and now is not the time to burden them with more debt and higher education costs.

Both of these proposals began here in the House with legislation I sponsored. And both passed in the House with bipartisan support. Today, we can send them to the President alongside a third critical economic priority--a long-term transportation bill.

This agreement includes a two-year extension of federal transportation funding, avoiding the need for another short-term bill.

In my home State of Illinois, transportation managers need a long- term bill to invest in the road and rail projects that will keep commerce and traffic moving--not to mention create jobs.

Mr. Speaker, it took a lot of compromise--on both sides of the aisle--but this agreement safeguards suburban transit options and funds critical road and bridge projects.

It's been a long, tough fight, but I encourage my colleagues to look at the big picture and lend this agreement their strong support.

I thank the chairman for giving me this time.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this conference report and wish to address particularly title II, which would reauthorize for 5 years the National Flood Insurance Program, or NFIP.

There are six important reforms included in this bill: It improves NFIP's financial stability; it will reduce the burden on taxpayers; it restores integrity to the FEMA mapping system; it will help bring certainty to the housing market through a 5-year reauthorization; and last, it explores ways to increase private market participation.

Many of us in Congress would like for the private sector, instead of taxpayers, to shoulder the risk of the National Flood Insurance Program. Market participants have signaled that they can assume the risk of flood insurance. And with the appropriate data from FEMA, the reinsurance industry has indicated that within weeks it can price this risk. That's why, for the first time in the NFIP's existence, this flood reform measure will require FEMA to solicit bids to determine the cost to the private sector, not to the taxpayer, of bearing the risk of flood insurance.

Finally, I'd just like to say that this bill is proof that bipartisanship is possible, particularly when it comes to an issue of national significance, such as the most frequently occurring national disaster in the United States, flooding. When a flood occurs, it does not choose an area that has Republican or Democrat leanings or elected officials. Floods affect most of the country and people of all walks of life. Today's flood reform measure demonstrates the democratic process, where reforms are publicly vetted, reflect input from interested stakeholders, and are realized.

Let me just thank the bill's cosponsor, Ms. Waters, as well as Chairman Bachus and the Financial Services Insurance Subcommittee and full committee staffs on both sides of the aisle. Let me just say also that I'd like to thank the Senate and House leadership, including Speaker Boehner and Leader Cantor, as well as the thousands of constituents and groups who gave their valuable time and input to making this a very good bill.

I rise in support of this Conference Report, and I wish to address in particular Title II, which would reauthorize for five years the National Flood Insurance Program or NFIP.

There are six important reforms included in this bill:

It improves NFIP's financial stability; it will reduce the burden on taxpayers; it restores integrity to the FEMA mapping system; it will help bring certainty to the housing market through a 5-year reauthorization; and last, it explores ways to increase private market participation.

Many of us in Congress would like for the private-sector--instead of taxpayers--to shoulder the risk of the National Flood Insurance Program. Market participants have signaled that they can assume the risk of flood insurance, and with the appropriate data from FEMA, the reinsurance industry has indicated that--within weeks--it can price this risk.

That's why, for the first time in the NFIP's existence, this flood reform measure will require FEMA to solicit bids to determine the cost to the private sector, not to the taxpayer, of bearing the risk of flood insurance.

It brings an end to the decades-old, chicken-and-egg game that has characterized the program by finally answering the question ``how-do- we-get-the-government-out?''

Flood policyholders also now will have the option to choose private flood insurance over government flood insurance without the risk of lender rejection. Taxpayer-subsidized rates are eliminated, so that the private sector can offer consumers increasingly competitive rates as compared to the NFIP.

Finally, I would like to simply say that this bill is proof that bipartisanship is possible, particularly when it comes to an issue of national significance, such as the most frequently occurring natural disaster in the United States, flooding. When a flood occurs, it does not choose an area due to its Republican or Democrat leanings or elected representatives. Floods affect most of the country and people of all walks of life. Today's flood reform measure demonstrates a true, democratic process, where reforms are publically vetted, reflect input from interested stakeholders, and are realized.

With that, I will note that this conference report includes the first significant reform to the NFIP in nearly a decade. After 17 extensions since 2008, multiple lapses in the program, and months of inaction, this flood insurance reform measure is a major bipartisan accomplishment. As I've said from the beginning, the NFIP is too important to let lapse and too in debt to continue without reform. I urge my House--and Senate--colleagues to support the conference report so that we can send this agreement to the President's desk and put the nation's flood insurance program back on a sound financial footing.

In closing, let me thank the bill's cosponsor, Mrs. Waters, as well as Chairman Baucus, Financial Services Insurance Subcommittee and full committee staffs on both sides of the aisle, Senate and House Leadership, including Speaker Boehner and Leader Cantor, as well as the thousands of constituents and groups who gave their valuable time and input to making this a very good bill.

I would also like to thank the following:

My constituents in the 13th Congressional District of Illinois who provided advice to us throughout the development of this bill;

Illinois floodplain managers, Paul Osman and Sally McConkey;

Mrs. Waters, Chairman Bachus, and all of the 54 Members of the House Financial Services Committee who voted unanimously to pass out of Committee a flood reform bill last May (2011);

All of the Members of the House who contributed to the development of this bill, and the 406 Members of the House who voted for H.R. 1309 last July (2011);

Republican House Financial Services Committee staff: my designee, Nicole Austin, as well as Clinton Jones, Ed Skala, Tallman Johnson, Jim Clinger, and Eric Thompson;

Democrat House Financial Services Committee staff: Charla Ouertatani, Dom McCoy, and Kelly Larkin;

House Republican and Democrat leadership, particularly Speaker Boehner and Majority Leader Cantor, and their staff;

Members and staff on the Science, Judiciary, and Rules Committees;

Senators and Senate Banking Committee staff;

Dan Hoople with the Congressional Budget Office;

Paul Callen and his colleagues at the House Office of the Legislative Counsel;

FEMA staff, including technical experts, congressional affairs, and Vince Fabrizio;

Witnesses who testified during our hearings on flood reform; and

All of the various financial services organizations, consumer groups, as well as the Smarter Safer Coalition, which includes groups from the National Wildlife Federation to the International Code Council to Americans for Tax Reform.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to salute the hardworking individuals who strive every day to protect the safety of air passengers. These are the men and women of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, NATCA, who yesterday celebrated their 25th year as the guardians of the U.S. national airspace system.

On June 19, 1987, the Federal Labor Relations Authority certified NATCA as the exclusive bargaining representative for the Federal Aviation Administration air traffic controllers. NATCA now represents more than 20,000 air traffic controllers, engineers, and other aviation safety professionals. They have the safest record in history, guiding 70,000 flights per day and protecting over 700 million passengers per year.

Madam Speaker, I would ask all of my colleagues in the House today to join NATCA in celebrating a quarter century of hard work, keeping America's airspace system the safest in the world.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 683. This

resolution expresses the regret of the House of Representatives for laws that unfairly targeted the Chinese community in the United States, specifically the Chinese Exclusion Act.

I want to thank my good friend from California, Ms. Chu, for her hard work and determination in bringing this important resolution to the floor, and I am proud to join her as the lead cosponsor of this historic effort.

America's strength has always been derived from our commitment to the principles of our founders. And although we do not always succeed in living up to those ideals, we continually strive to do so, and we become stronger in the process.

Today, we have the opportunity to take another important step by recognizing one of the great--yet often overlooked--injustices in our shared history.

One-hundred and thirty years ago, just thirteen years after the last spike was driven into the first transcontinental railroad, the Congress of the United States strayed from the path laid by our founders and implemented the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.

This ten-year ban on Chinese immigration and naturalization targeted Chinese immigrants for physical and political exclusion, and its passage was driven by an unfortunate mix of racism, jingoism, and intolerance.

In subsequent years, Congress expanded and hardened these laws, making it impossible for legal Chinese workers to reenter America, apply for citizenship, and reunite with their families. And it wasn't until the U.S.-Chinese alliance of World War Two that Congress finally repealed these laws and restored the rights of Chinese-Americans.

Since that time, this body has passed many reforms. Yet, over 100 years later, this chamber has yet to acknowledge its own misguided actions. Today, we have the opportunity to do just that and reaffirm our shared commitment to equality.

Mr. Speaker, I also would like to thank Linda Yang, the Director of the Xilin [SI-LIN] Asian Community Center in Naperville, Illinois, whose advice and input has helped to drive this resolution to the floor.

It was she who told me about the individuals in our own community whose parents and grandparents were impacted by the Chinese Exclusion Act.

Unfortunately, many of these victims are no longer with us. But for those who remain, it is critical to address this issue now, before the opportunity is lost forever.

With that in mind, I urge all of my colleagues to support this important resolution. Through it, let us acknowledge the past, express our regret, and promote a greater appreciation for the challenges that past generations of Chinese Americans have bravely overcome.

Madam Speaker, too often people in Washington forget that it's our small businesses that create jobs, not government. These men and women are doing the most important work to bring about economic recovery and growth. In fact, over the past 17 years, small businesses have created an impressive 65 percent of all new American jobs.

So today, Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in celebrating the successes of our local job creators, including two individuals from my district who are being recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration, SCORE and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

Congratulations to Kathy Xuan, the CEO of PARC Corporation, which is a plastics recycling company in Romeoville, Illinois, on being named Exporter of the Year. I also offer a hearty salute to Mike Rohan, the President of All Trust Home Care, Incorporated, which is in Hinsdale, Illinois, who has earned the Entrepreneurial Success of the Year Award.

These achievements are an important reminder to Congress that we must put politics aside and work together to create an environment where leaders like Mike and Kathy can do what they do best--create jobs.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 5740) to extend the National Flood Insurance Program, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to add extraneous material on this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Senate amendment to H.R. 5740, the National Flood Insurance Program Extension Act. As my colleagues know, the NFIP is set to expire on May 31. This program provides vital flood insurance coverage to homeowners in flood-prone communities.

Just 2 weeks ago, we passed a 30-day extension, H.R. 5740, to spare property owners and the housing market from another lapse in the NFIP. That bill was approved by this Chamber on May 17 by a vote of 402 18.

The Senate has since amended our legislation, extending the authorization for an additional 30 days, for a total of 60 days, or until July 31. The Senate amendment also eliminates subsidized rates for second and vacation homes. According to an unofficial Congressional Budget Office staff estimate, this provision will generate approximately $2 billion to $2.5 billion over 10 years.

Although not identical, the Senate's reform provision mirrors section 5 of H.R. 1309, the 5-year flood reform bill that we in the House passed with overwhelming bipartisan support last July. And if any technical changes are needed, they can be addressed in any long-term reform measure that we consider in the coming weeks.

On that note, I am pleased to report that, as part of reaching an agreement on this extension, Senate leaders have offered their public and private assurances that they will vote this June on the long-term flood insurance reform. This agreement is a major breakthrough for those of us who have been

pushing for the Senate passage of the long-term bill since the House completed its work nearly 11 months ago. The Senate Banking Committee has already approved a bipartisan NFIP proposal, and I remain confident that the House and Senate can reconcile any differences that remain between our respective visions for reform.

Mr. Speaker, the NFIP is over $17 billion in debt to taxpayers, and since 2008 Congress has enacted 16 stopgap measures to keep the program running. Today's bill can and should be the last short-term extension, because this program is too important to let lapse and too in debt to continue without reform. Today's bill not only prevents a lapse, it brings us closer to a responsible long-term solution. And the sooner we accomplish this goal, the sooner taxpayers can stop bearing the full expense and risk of an outdated flood program.

With that, I would urge my colleagues to support the Senate amendment to H.R. 5740, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Stivers), a valued member of the Financial Services Committee.

I have no further requests for time.

I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned earlier, this bill is the 17th short-term extension of the National Flood Insurance Program. Our colleagues in the Senate have assured us that in June they will take up the version of a long-term NFIP reauthorization and reform bill, so I am confident that this will be our last short-term extension.

H.R. 5740, with the Senate amendment, extends the program for an additional 2 months in order to protect homeowners, communities in flood-prone areas, and the housing market. Including at least one reform provision in H.R. 5740--to eliminate subsidized rates for second and vacation homes--reduces some of the NFIP's risk to taxpayers.

H.R. 5740 also buys the House and Senate 2 more months to finalize a larger bill to reauthorize the 5 years and reform the National Flood Insurance Program.

Eleven months ago, over 400 Members of the House from both sides of the aisle voted for H.R. 1309 to reform this program. Actually, the reform bill passed out of the Financial Services Committee 54 0. So this is a real bipartisan effort. The House also has approved the same 5-year NFIP reauthorization and reform bill as part of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 in December, and as part of the Reconciliation Act that was passed a couple of weeks ago.

Again, earlier this month over 400 Members of the House voted for the first version of H.R. 5740 to ensure that NFIP doesn't lapse. NFIP is over $17 billion in debt to taxpayers and it cannot continue without reforms, but shouldn't lapse, particularly at the start of the hurricane season, which begins this week on June 1.

With that, I urge my colleagues to again support H.R. 5740.

Finally, I would really like to thank Ms. Waters for cosponsoring this bill as the lead cosponsor and Mr. Scott from Georgia for managing time for the other side and all other Members on both sides of the aisle. We've had a really great turnout for the NFIP reform effort.

I yield to the gentleman.

I thank the gentleman. Both of the Members have been great in working with this. I know that Ms. Waters has been the ranking member for the committee in the past and has always worked on the flood insurance.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall Nos. 263, 264, 265, 266, 267, 268, 269: 263--``nay'', 264--``nay'', 265--``yea'', 266--``yea'', 267-- ``nay'', 268--``nay'', 269--``nay''.

Had I been present, I would have voted as above.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlelady for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I am disappointed in this closed rule for VAWA. I am concerned that the bill, even with the changes made in the manager's amendment, doesn't reflect everything that we've learned over the past 5 years in terms of what works best for victims or prosecutors.

Over the past several months, I sat down with advocates in my district to go section by section through the Senate reauthorization and discussed what works and what doesn't work. They strongly support provisions that would clarify equal treatment for LGBT individuals, bolster enforcement on Native American reservations, and ensure that victims aren't deported simply for reporting domestic abuse. I see no reason to exclude these provisions from a House bill. Our victim service providers on the front lines really just want to know who they can help and that they can help everyone who comes through the front door.

Last night, I offered an amendment that would have modernized the bill's definitions to reflect the input of victim service providers, including special protections for immigrant victims, and clarified that LGBT individuals can be served by VAWA.

I previously worked on the authorization of VAWA, which incorporated good ideas. That authorization was never a partisan issue, and it shouldn't be now.

Madam Speaker, I am disappointed in this closed rule for H.R. 4970, the Violence Against Women Act of 2012 (VAWA).

I am concerned that the bill, even with changes made in the manager's amendment, doesn't reflect everything we've learned over the last 5 years in terms of what works best for victims or prosecutors.

Over the past several months, I've sat down with advocates in my district to go section-by-section through the Senate reauthorization and discuss what works and what doesn't. They strongly support provisions that would clarify equal treatment for LGBT individuals, bolster enforcement on Native American reservations, and ensure that victims aren't deported simply for reporting domestic abuse. I see no reason to exclude those provisions from a House bill.

Last night, I offered an amendment that would have modernized the bill's definitions to reflect the input of victim service providers, including specific protections for immigrant victims, and clarified that LGBT individuals can be served by VAWA programs in all States. This amendment was rejected.

Let me be clear--no one is suggesting any special class of treatment. This reauthorization should simply clarify the law to reflect what everyone knows about modern society--that anyone can be a victim of domestic violence. It can happen in a same-sex household, on a college campus, or a Native American reservation, and our victim service providers on the front lines just want to know that they can help anyone who comes through the door.

Madam Speaker, we don't need a perfect bill. We need a bill that can provide a solid foundation on which to begin conference negotiations with the Senate. H.R. 4970 fails on this count.

I worked on the previous reauthorizations of VAWA, in 2000 and 2005, which incorporated good ideas from both sides of the aisle. That reauthorization was never a partisan issue then, and it shouldn't be now.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5740) to extend the National Flood Insurance Program, and for other purposes.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to add extraneous materials on this bill.

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

I rise today to ask my colleagues for their support of H.R. 5740, the National Flood Insurance Program Extension Act.

The program is set to expire on May 31, and this critical legislation will spare property owners and the housing market from another lapse in the NFIP. It extends the National Flood Insurance Program's authorization for 30 days, until June 30. In addition, it would initiate several noncontroversial reforms to develop private sector options in the flood insurance market.

Like many of my colleagues--especially my good friend and cosponsor of both this bill and our long-term reauthorization, the gentlelady from California, Maxine Waters--I am frustrated that the House must consider yet another short-term extension. It has been 10 months since the House sent H.R. 1309, a comprehensive, bipartisan reform and a 5- year reauthorization measure, to the Senate.

Our Committee on Financial Services approved H.R. 1309 by a unanimous vote of 54 0 in the committee, and it passed on the House floor by a vote of 406 22. As part of that process, we secured the input and support of groups representing the views of everyone from taxpayers to businesses to wildlife defenders. And yet, after five additional short- term extensions, the Senate has still not considered any legislation to reform the NFIP. Instead, all we hear are excuses and rumors--that the administration doesn't want Congress to look productive, that floor time in the Senate is too precious, or that Senate leaders simply don't want to deal with possibly difficult amendments.

The time for excuses has run out. This program is more than $17 billion in debt to the taxpayers. We owe it to the homeowners, to the housing market, and to taxpayers to begin the process of fixing this program, even if we must do it 30 days at a time.

Today, we are sending to the Senate H.R. 5740. Should the Senate pass this short-term extension bill, it will have around 6 weeks from today to take up a flood reform measure and send it to the House. In the meantime, this 30-day extension will initiate key elements of our bipartisan House-passed reforms. It opens the door to private sector participation by asking FEMA and the GAO to study the cost and feasibility of private reinsurance, as well as the private market's capacity to provide new options for homeowners. It also says that private insurance coverage can take the place of government coverage to meet the requirements of lenders in flood-prone areas. The sooner we begin making these changes, the sooner taxpayers can stop bearing the full expense and risk of an outdated flood program.

Over the next 6 weeks, the Senate will have more than enough time to pass long-term reform. Again, last July, the House passed H.R. 1309 by an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote, 406 22. The House then sent this text to the Senate two additional times. In December, the House passed flood reform as part of H.R. 3630, the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act, and last week the House passed the same flood measure as part of H.R. 5652, the Reconciliation Act.

But this isn't like other partisan battles. It should not be that difficult. Even the White House is with us. In September 2011, President Obama released a statement in support of our reforms as part of his ``Plan for Economic Growth and Debt Reduction'' because the House bill would spare taxpayers from billions in losses.

Senate Banking Committee Chairman Johnson has secured committee approval of his own version, S. 1940, along with strong bipartisan support. And in February, 41 Senators--Republicans and Democrats--sent a letter to Senate leadership asking that Senate leaders Reid and McConnell schedule

flood insurance reform for floor consideration.

There is simply no reason that in the next few days we cannot sit down and reconcile any differences that remain between the House and Senate visions for flood reform, and today's legislation will give the Senate time to make that a possibility. It will also begin the process of fixing the NFIP and protecting taxpayers from unnecessary risk.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill because this program is too important to let lapse and too in debt to continue without reform.

With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus), the chairman of the Financial Services Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Miller).

At this time, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Dold), a member of the committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Duffy), a member of the Financial Services Committee.

I think we have just one more speaker.

At this time, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Palazzo).

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

I thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Scott) for managing this bill and for all of his mention of how important this is. I also would again like to thank the gentlelady from California (Ms. Waters) for being a cosponsor.

Mr. Speaker, I wish we did not have to be here on the floor once again with a short-term extension of the NFIP, but this program is too important to homeowners, to the housing market, and to the communities in the flood-prone areas for Congress to let it expire at the end of the month. It is also too in debt to continue without reform. And despite our best efforts in the House, the Senate has been unwilling or unable to pass a long-term NFIP reauthorization and reform bill.

As has been mentioned over and over, the House passed our 5-year NFIP reauthorization reform bill, H.R. 1309, last July with an overwhelming bipartisan majority of more than 400 votes. It also won unanimous support in the Financial Services Committee. But the Senate has not yet approved any version of flood reform. So here we are once again on the verge of a lapse in NFIP.

Mr. Speaker, the time has come to stop playing games with this important program and start enacting long-term reforms now. With today's bill, we begin that process. First, it extends the program for an additional month to spare property owners and the housing market from another lapse. In addition, it would initiate several noncontroversial reforms to develop private sector options in the flood insurance market. This is all part of the 5-year bill that we have.

Reforming the NFIP is simply too important to ignore. Our extension will give the Senate time to act, and it will begin the process of fixing NFIP to protect taxpayers from unnecessary risk.

With that, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5740, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday on rollcall 214, I inadvertently voted ``no.'' I should be recorded as voting ``aye.''

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in today in support of H.R. 3834, also known as the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Act, or NITRD.

This program provides critical support and coordination for some of the most promising research and development on the computing horizon, namely, protection for our cybernetworks and the next generation of supercomputing, known as exascale.

Information technology research plays a critical role in U.S. economic strength. According to the Council on Competitiveness, our country's ability to outcompete other nations will be determined by our ability to outcompute.

American scientists, businesses, and manufacturing already use computing technologies to accelerate the pace of research on everything from new energy sources, new medicine, intellectual property, and national security. By passing this bill today, we maintain our leadership and focus in technology innovation and information security.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 631, I call up the bill (H.R. 4628) to extend student loan interest rates for undergraduate Federal Direct Stafford Loans, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 4628.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 4 minutes.

Mr. Speaker, when I talk to students and families, it's clear that today's economy doesn't hold the same promise for young adults as it once did. Our sons and daughters, many with student loan debt, are moving back home after college only to find Washington's tax-and-spend policies have made it even harder to find a job. In fact, according to a recent Associated Press report, at least half of recent graduates are unemployed or underemployed. That's unacceptable.

Under current law, the outlook for some of these young adults only gets worse as interest rates on subsidized Stafford student loans are set to spike from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent on July 1 of this year. That's why I've introduced H.R. 4628, the Interest Rate Reduction Act, a bill that would avert this interest rate increase, because the last thing we should do is to allow loan rates to double and make it that much harder to afford a high-quality education. Unfortunately, that's exactly what will happen if we don't set aside the rhetoric and work in a bipartisan way to pay for this critical interest rate fix.

Under my legislation, the $6 billion cost of the interest rate fix is offset in the same way as bipartisan legislation signed into law by the President earlier this year. Just 3 months ago, Members on both sides of the aisle came together and the President signed a bill that extended unemployment benefits and the payroll tax cut.

The legislation I offer today would use, as an offset, the exact same source that we all agreed to use just 3 months ago. The bill would eliminate the remaining $12 billion from the so-called Prevention and Public Health Fund, which, in truth, is nothing more than an open-ended fund that has no clear oversight or purpose. At best, this fund serves only to circumvent Congress's annual appropriations responsibilities by granting, in perpetuity, the Secretary of Health and Human Services unabridged discretion to direct billions of taxpayer dollars under the loose label of prevention programs.

I should note that the President, himself, acknowledged that the prevention fund is bloated when he requested a $4 billion cut to the program in his FY13 budget. By reclaiming a portion of the administration's misguided health care law through the elimination of this blank-check program, my legislation would extend lower rates for college loans, granting relief to our young people without raising taxes on their potential employers.

It is a commonsense plan that deserves bipartisan support. I ask my colleagues to step forward today and show the American people that we can solve this problem immediately, without the drama of a last-minute, on-deadline fix.

It is my hope that our colleagues in the Senate as well will work with us to send it to the President immediately.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the Interest Rate Reduction Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Let me just take a couple of seconds to remind the gentleman from Massachusetts that we also are for prevention, but we have a whole list of appropriations, a whole list of what we do, and not to leave all of this to the discretion of one person when there is no oversight by Congress.

With that, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Walberg), a member of our Education and the Workforce Committee.

I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Hampshire (Mr. Bass).

I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, I would just like to remind the gentleman from Connecticut that he was one of 147 Members on that side of the aisle voting for taking money out of the privatization protection for health care.

I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Kline), our esteemed chairman of the Education Committee.

I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Buerkle).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Woodall).

Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe).

Mr. Speaker, as we've noted before, in February, Congress took action to stop a payroll tax increase on millions of working families and to ensure that the tax increase did not add to the deficit. The legislation cut $5 billion from the prevention fund, and the bill received the support of 149 House Democrats, including Democrat leaders such as Ms. Pelosi, Mr. Kildee, and Mr. Courtney. I guess that the Democrats were in favor of raiding the slush fund before they were against it.

With that, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Alabama (Mrs. Roby), a member of the Education and the Workforce Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Stearns).

I reserve the balance of my time.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

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

I would ask the gentleman how many speakers does he have?

I would continue to reserve the balance of my time.

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

I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, at this time, I would like to enter into the Record several documents. One is from

the American Council on Education, representing 37 education associations. They say:

Education has never been as important to America's economic

health as it is now. That is why we are encouraged by the

proposals we have seen. The administration and both parties

have expressed their strong support for keeping the interest

rate at 3.4 percent without cutting other forms of student

aid.

Another one is from Lewis University in Illinois, saying that:

Doubling the interest in the subsidized Stafford loans will

discourage students in need who are striving to continue

their degree studies during these difficult economic times.

Thank you for your support for these students.

Finally, from Joliet Junior College, saying that the college serves a population of seven counties in Illinois.

In the 2010 2011 school year, JJC students were awarded

over $23 million in total financial aid. Because of this, the

institution supports H.R. 4628, legislation that would

prevent the scheduled rate hike.

With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

April 27, 2012.

Kelly Rohder,

Director of Communications and External Relations, Joliet

Junior College, Joliet, IL.

Joliet Junior College is a comprehensive community college

that not only helps students transfer to complete their

bachelor's degrees, but provides occupational education

leading directly to employment, adult education and literacy

programs, and workforce development services.

We serve the populations of seven counties that cover a

1,442-square-mile district. While the principal mission of a

community college is to be a resource to the populations it

serves, access to quality education is equally important. In

the 2010 2011 school year, JJC students were awarded over $23

million in total financial aid. Because of this, the

institution supports H.R. 4628, legislation that would

prevent the scheduled rate hike on certain federal student

loans and extend lower rates for an additional year. It is

our goal to help students--whatever their educational goals

are--be successful in achieving them.

Debra S. Daniels, Ed.D.,

President,

Joliet Junior College.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

It seems like we came in, and I think the first thing that I talked about here is how I hoped that we would be able to work together on a bipartisan basis. It just seems like this is so hard to do in this political time. I really think that, in major legislation, we really have to work together to find the solutions, but it seems like the other side is always ready to tell us what we think and what we are doing and why we are doing it. We are doing this because we really want to have our students have the ability to have a quality education, and it just seems like we're so different on the pay-fors.

I know that everybody agrees on the program itself and how we have to do it, but we can't seem to do anything without giving us a cynical view, and it bothers me. It seems like when we were talking about the pay-fors, the other side of the aisle's first reaction is to raise taxes for everything and ours has always been to reduce spending, and we think that this is the way to go. I think we have just got to find a way to get together.

I had said in my opening statement that I hoped that we would be able to get together and work together, and also the Senate. I hope that when this bill goes over to the Senate that there is a negotiation, that there is a conference so that we really can iron this out and make sure that there is not a raising to the 6.8 percent.

It kind of makes you wonder. It just seems like the political maneuvering certainly is continuing on the student loan issue. I guess today when we have this vote, we'll see what happens. But I really hope that we get to the Senate so that we have the opportunity to do this.

I just want to go back a little bit to what happened in the Education Committee yesterday that Mrs. Roby talked about and so did Mr. Tierney. I think Secretary Sebelius did say that there were services outside the prevention and public health fund that will remain available to individuals who seek preventive care, such as cancer prevention and care, including breast and cervical cancer screenings, screenings for birth defects and developmental disabilities, tobacco prevention at the CDC, and efforts that promote healthy nutrition and physical activity to prevent obesity.

So I think that this really is a lot that we believe in for prevention. And we heard from Mr. Stearns all of the appropriations and how that takes care of a lot of the prevention issues.

I think that the American people are really very knowledgeable now about prevention and what they need to do and have the ability to do this on their own as well.

This political bickering is not what the bill is all about. What the bill is all about is to reduce to 3.4 percent interest rates on the subsidized Stafford loans. And I hope that this bill will pass. I urge my colleagues to vote for it.

I yield back the balance of my time.

I thank the majority leader for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, Tuesday was Tax Day, when Americans everywhere were reminded just how much Uncle Sam takes out of our pockets each and every year. But it was also a reminder that not all of our tax policies are created equal.

Some in Washington want to raise taxes simply to feed the Federal Government's spending addiction, even when higher taxes on things like capital gains and investments would only discourage growth and shrink revenue in the long term.

I think our Tax Code should be designed to promote simplicity, competition, and economic growth. We can do this by reducing the burden on small American businesses that are responsible for the majority of new jobs created in our country every day.

This bill will provide an immediate 20 percent deduction for millions of small businesses, one-third of which, by the way, are owned by women and one-fifth of which are minority-owned.

Let's allow small businesses to reinvest in new jobs, new opportunities, and new products that will grow our economy. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to listen, as I have done, to the voices of their small business owners and operators back home.

Mr. Speaker, for 100 years, women in the Chicago area have been improving the world around them through the Junior League of Chicago. This summer, the Junior League will mark its centennial anniversary, and I join the current and past volunteers of this wonderful organization in celebrating its many contributions. In fact, from 1976 to 1978, I served as president of the Junior League and am eternally grateful for the opportunity this great organization gave me to work with the Head Start program in Chicago. It was the beginning of many wonderful and fulfilling years of public service.

Mr. Speaker, since Lucy McCormick Blair Linn founded the organization in 1912, the Junior League of Chicago has contributed more than 10 million hours of volunteer service. They have treated scarlet fever, funded epilepsy research, and launched what later became the Chicago Children's Museum. These are just a few of the examples over 100 years of service.

Today, I applaud the Junior League and wish its volunteers another 100 years of success.