Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Sergeant George Thursby.

Sergeant Thursby, who I met last week, is a resident of New Florence, Pennsylvania. He was a B-24 gunner in the Army Air Forces during World War II.

Sergeant Thursby was forced to land and was taken prisoner of war after his aircraft was hit while bombing Munich. He attempted to escape but was arrested and returned to the POW camp. Conditions were abysmal, and Sergeant Thursby was skinny as a rail. He attempted to escape again and reached American lines in France.

When Sergeant Thursby returned home, he had a long and productive career working at U.S. Steel's Homestead Works and retired in 1983.

Last week, almost 70 years after his successful escape, Sergeant Thursby finally received his long overdue and well-deserved recognition in a ceremony at the Pentagon. He was awarded the Prisoner of War Medal.

Sergeant Thursby's bravery, strength, and spirit serves as an inspiration to all Americans. It is fitting that we honor him on Victory in Europe Day. Let us all take time to thank World War II veterans like Sergeant Thursby today for their service and sacrifice.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk printed as No. 1 in the Congressional Record.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to stand with our Nation's veterans and their families.

This morning, I had an opportunity to honor and thank Sergeant George Thursby. Sergeant Thursby served in the Army Air Force during World War II and was held as a prisoner of war.

Today, decades after his release, he finally received his long- overdue recognition. You should have heard the rapturous applause he received from the families, servicemembers, and citizens.

We owe veterans like Sergeant Thursby a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid. That is why I rise in strong support of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act under consideration today. It is also why this amendment I am offering today is so important.

As public servants, employees of the VA have a solemn obligation to ensure that veterans receive the respect, support, and care they have earned and rightly expect.

Unfortunately, the VA has failed veterans in western Pennsylvania and across the country. At least six veterans contracted Legionnaires' disease and died because of mismanagement, mistakes, and systemic failures at the Pittsburgh VA.

William Nicklas, one of these veterans, was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. Nicklas was known for his practical jokes, his love of sports, and being the first and last person on the dance floor.

He started an auto body shop when he returned to civilian life and helped two of his sons begin their own business as contractors. More than anything, he was uncommonly dedicated to his family, his fellow servicemembers, veterans, and his country.

A proud and loyal veteran from Hampton Township in Pennsylvania's 12th District, Mr. Nicklas was a tail gunner in the Navy air-sea rescue force during World War II. Mr. Nicklas survived Guam, Saipan, and Okinawa, but fell victim to Legionnaires' disease in Pittsburgh.

Over the last year, I have worked with my colleagues to find answers and demand accountability for the families of Bill Nicklas, John Ciarolla, Clark Compston, John McChesney, Lloyd Wanstreet, and Frank ``Sonny'' Calcagno.

John Ciarolla, the first of these veterans to fall to Legionnaires' disease,

died in July 2011. Bill Nicklas, the last, died in November 2012. It has been almost 1\1/2\ years since Mr. Nicklas died and almost 3 years since Mr. Ciarolla died.

Where is the accountability? Where is the transparency?

My colleagues and I have asked VA Secretary Shinseki and Under Secretary for Health Petzel what actions they will take to hold accountable those responsible for these deaths. Officials at the VA owe the families answers, but they have provided none.

Even more outrageous, the regional director responsible for leading the Pittsburgh VA at the time of these deaths--he is now retired--was awarded and accepted the government's highest award for civil servants and a $63,000 bonus only 3 days after the inspector general found that systemic failures resulted in these deaths.

Across the Nation, the VA has demonstrated a widespread and systemic lack of accountability, according to a recent investigation by the Veterans' Affairs Committee. This has manifested itself in not just infectious disease outbreaks and preventable deaths, but also in wasteful spending and backlogged disability claims.

I thank the Veterans' Affairs Committee and Chairman Jeff Miller for their tremendous work fighting for our Nation's veterans and promoting accountability and transparency at the VA.

Paying bonuses to senior executives of an organization with an abysmal performance record is ridiculous; yet the VA gave its senior executives bonuses totaling $2.8 million in 2011 and $2.3 million in 2012. These valuable resources should be used to ensure that our veterans receive the first-rate service and care they rightly deserve.

VA executives need to take responsibility, fix the problems, and do their jobs. Last year, I offered an amendment directing that none of the funds appropriated may be used to pay for senior executive bonuses. The amendment was adopted by voice vote and was included in last year's MilCon-VA bill, which passed the House by a vote of 421-4.

The Senate did not consider a MilCon bill last year, and the measure was not included in the omnibus. Unfortunately, 1 year has passed, and this measure is still needed.

I thank Chairman Miller and Congressmen Gosar, Olson, Benishek, McKinley, Tipton, Huelskamp, Crawford, Kelly, Lance, Collins, LaMalfa, Goodlatte, and Meadows for their support of our Nation's veterans and this amendment.

I urge my other colleagues to stand with our Nation's veterans and support increased transparency and accountability at the VA by voting ``yea'' on this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Offered by: Mr. Rothfus

Amendment No. 1: At the end of the bill (before the short

title), insert the following:

I thank Chairman Ryan of the Budget Committee for the hard work that he has been doing over the last several years as we look to get a handle on the spending problem we have here in Washington,

Mr. Speaker, workers in western Pennsylvania and across the Nation are seeing their hours cut and wages reduced due to the employer mandate in President Obama's health care law. This mandate hurts our friends and neighbors who are working to provide for their families.

Last July, a mom working in the food service industry in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, told me about how her hours had been cut nearly in half because of the employer mandate. Sadly, her story is not unique or an isolated incident.

Brian in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, called the office to let me know that his daughter would have her hours cut at a bridal shop. She is yet another victim of this 30-hour workweek rule.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median hourly wage for someone working in sales in Pennsylvania was $12.18 in 2013. Losing 10 hours a week will cost that worker almost $6,000 annually.

Many small business owners want to add jobs and increase wages but cannot afford to because of the employer mandate. As Brandon from Ellwood City said: ``Small companies like ours try to do the right thing for us. They probably won't be hiring someone who can really use a job.''

Washington should be working to grow the economy and add jobs, not making it harder for employees to earn more and get ahead or for employers to hire more people. The Save American Workers Act will restore the traditional 40-hour workweek and help those who want the opportunity to work more hours and see their wages rise.

I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to stand in solidarity with these workers and support this legislation.

I thank the gentleman from Texas. I also want to thank the gentlelady from Missouri for organizing the previous hour's discussion on this very important issue.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the people of faith at companies like Hobby Lobby and Pennsylvania's Conestoga Wood. These companies want to provide health insurance for their workers, and they should be able to do that without violating their deeply held religious and moral convictions.

It is simply unacceptable that President Obama's health care law requires people of faith to violate their conscience rights. This happens when regulations issued pursuant to the law forces them to pay for services such as abortifacient drugs when they provide health insurance for their employees.

The hostility in the President's health care law towards people of faith is made clear when you consider the penalty scheme in the law. If these family-owned businesses do not comply with the mandate, they could be fined $100 per day per employee. That amounts to $36,500 per year per employee, even if the health insurance provided is of excellent quality.

Compare that with the $2,000 fine per year per employee if they stopped offering insurance altogether.

How is that fair, just, or respectful of their beliefs?

This poster, Mr. Speaker, is striking. This discrepancy is simply indefensible. Looking at these numbers, you would think that this administration thinks that it is more important for an employer to provide abortifacient drug coverage than it is to provide comprehensive health insurance coverage that would cover items such as cancer treatment.

As the Supreme Court considers this case tomorrow and hears oral arguments, I join men and women of faith from western Pennsylvania and across the country in defending conscience rights and religious liberty, and standing with Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood.

I thank the gentleman from Texas.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the residents of Cambria County, Pennsylvania, who celebrate the 210th anniversary of the County's founding on March 26, 2014. Cambria County is nestled in the Laurel Highlands of Western Pennsylvania and is home to many great hard working Americans.

On March 26, 1804, the Pennsylvania Assembly formed a new county from portions of Huntingdon, Somerset, and Bedford Counties. They named it Cambria, an old name for Wales. To determine the location of the county seat, Cambria County held a census. Because Ebensburg had the largest population of 150 to Johnstown's 60, it became the new county seat. Over two centuries later, Ebensburg remains the county seat.

Today, more than 140,000 Pennsylvanians call Cambria County home. It contains more than sixty-three municipalities including thirty-two boroughs, thirty townships, and the city of Johnstown. The county is home to leading hospitals, educational institutions, defense contractors, manufacturers, coal mines, and other businesses.

From Northern Cambria to Nanty Glo to Portage, Cambria County is blessed with beautiful vistas. Visitors travel from all over to see the breathtaking view from the Johnstown Inclined Plane and the natural beauty of Prince Gallitzin State Forest and Laurel Ridge State Park.

Cambria County is also fortunate to have plentiful natural resources. Our hardworking men and women drove the steel industry that built our Nation and developed its abundant coal and natural gas. Today, many Cambria County residents continue to work in the steel and energy industries.

The county was the location of the Johnstown Flood, one of the worst natural disasters in our Nation's history. In the midst of great challenges, the people of Cambria have overcome and pressed on to build the vibrant community that we celebrate today.

Mr. Speaker, and fellow Members, please join me in congratulating Cambria County on the 210th anniversary of its founding.

Mr. Chairman, in our exceptional system of government the House and Senate pass laws which the President must ``take care to faithfully execute.'' This is a bedrock principle of our Constitution.

President Obama has repeatedly exceeded the boundaries of the executive powers allowed to him in the Constitution. We have worked to check this overreach in the House, but the President has unilaterally decided to ignore, waive, or change laws without authorization from Congress.

Notably, President Obama has repeatedly created exemptions and delayed provisions to cover for the many broken promises of his health care law.

The legislation under consideration today will grant the House and Senate the authority to file suit against the President to simply force him to carry out his constitutional duty and enforce the law.

This should not be a partisan issue. The ENFORCE Act will protect all Americans and our system of government from overreach by Presidents of any political party.

Mr. Chairman, many families and businesses have had to spend more to heat their homes this cold and snowy winter. Unfortunately, regulations recently introduced by unelected elites in President Obama's EPA will increase their utility and electricity bills further.

These regulations effectively ban new power plants by forcing them to meet an emissions standard that cannot be achieved with any commercially available technology. They are unworkable and unaffordable, and will result in more lost jobs.

I stand in solidarity with the hardworking coal miners, power plant workers, steelworkers, boilermakers, carpenters, and truckdrivers, but the victims of the President's war on affordable energy are the families and businesses whose energy costs are skyrocketing, and the workers who are losing their jobs and incomes because of these regulations.

I strongly support H.R. 3826, the Electricity Security and Affordability Act. The bill will direct the EPA to adopt new coal-fired power plant emission standards that make sense and subject any new regulations on existing power plants to congressional review, where the people's Representatives can be held accountable.

I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to approve this job- saving bill.

Mr. Chairman, much more accountability and transparency is needed in Washington, especially at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

The Bureau wields broad and unchecked power over our economy, from banks to businesses to anyone who uses credit or payment plans. Abuses of that power, enabled by a lack of accountability and transparency, harms families and businesses up and down Main Streets in Pennsylvania and across the Nation.

That is why I rise today in strong support of the Consumer Financial Freedom and Washington Accountability Act. Importantly, this commonsense legislation better protects consumers by prohibiting the Bureau from using personal and private financial information without their knowledge and consent.

It also makes the Bureau subject to the regular authorization and appropriations process. This increases the American people's ability to demand accountability through their elected representatives.

The legislation will also replace a single and unaccountable director with a bipartisan five-member commission and establish more reasonable thresholds for reviewing and repealing regulations.

These changes will help rein in the regulatory overreach coming from Washington, D.C., elites. It will ensure a diversity of viewpoints is represented whenever the Bureau makes decisions that will directly impact families and businesses across the Nation.

These very reasonable reforms will protect consumers and our Nation's financial system by providing for more rigorous oversight of the powerful and unaccountable Bureau.

I urge my colleagues to support this good-government legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to wish Mr. Frederick W. Anton III a happy eightieth birthday and to congratulate him on a long and distinguished career as an innovator, leader, and faithful public servant.

Mr. Anton joined the Pennsylvania Manufacturers' Association over five decades ago in 1962 and became its President and Chief Executive Officer in 1975.

Today, Mr. Anton continues to lead the organization that is the leading advocate for manufacturers and workers throughout the Commonwealth. The Pennsylvania Manufacturers' Association continues to be a vibrant organization with a strong voice thanks in large part to his efforts.

Mr. Anton's public service extends far beyond his work at the Pennsylvania Manufacturers' Association. He has long served as a strong voice for fiscal policies that will grow the economy, add jobs, and leave a better Pennsylvania for future generations.

In the late 1980s, as President Ronald Reagan was preparing to return to life as a private citizen, Mr. Anton observed that there was no policy infrastructure in place in Harrisburg to continue to advocate for the fiscal policies President Reagan championed while in office.

To fill that void, Mr. Anton set about the work of co-founding the Commonwealth Foundation and the Pennsylvania Leadership Conference. Today, both continue to serve as important beacons of conservative fiscal policy in our Commonwealth. In fact, the Pennsylvania Leadership Conference is celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of its founding this year.

Mr. Speaker, fellow Members, please join me in wishing Mr. Frederick W. Anton III a happy eightieth birthday and thanking him for his more than fifty years of service to manufacturers, workers, and all citizens of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Madam Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chairman, Americans face a regulatory burden with staggering costs to our economy and with substantial impacts on family budgets.

A recent paper by the Competitive Enterprise Institute estimates that the cost of Federal regulations to the economy exceeds $1.8 trillion. The American Action Forum predicts that $143 billion in new regulations may be finalized this year.

These figures are very troubling. That is why the bill we are considering is so important. H.R. 2804 reforms the regulatory process and will help promote the economic growth we so desperately need to get our economy booming again and add jobs.

The amendment that I offer today with my friend, Mr. Barr, is simple and one that I hope my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will support.

If a regulation decreases employment or wages by 1 percent or more in an industry, it will be subject to heightened review and additional transparency requirements.

The amendment also requires agency heads to certify that they knowingly approved a rule that will result in lost jobs or reduced wages.

The principle is simple: If Federal bureaucrats are going to implement rules that take wages or jobs from Americans, they should take responsibility for their decisions.

It is important that Washington bureaucrats think through the impacts, the costs, and the burdens that red tape imposes on American families and communities. Bureaucratic elites are regulating solid, good-paying jobs right out of existence.

At a time when wages are stagnant for many American workers and when we so desperately need to grow the economy and add jobs, this is unbelievable.

On February 7, with my hardhat secured and my headlamp on, I had the privilege of traveling underground to learn more about the work and operations of the Madison mine in Nanty Glo, Pennsylvania. Miners like these work hard every day to power our electric grid and to supply our steel mills.

But their way of life is being purposefully regulated out of existence. Dan, the mine electrician, recently asked me what is going to be done to curb the President's war on coal. He wrote: As a mine electrician in your district, my men are asking me questions like: Is this ever going to end, or are we all going to be looking for new jobs?

My friends, this problem extends well beyond the coalfields of Pennsylvania or Kentucky. Regulations cost each household almost $14,700. That is almost 30 percent of an average Pennsylvania family's annual income.

Complying with this mountain of paperwork will also cost families and businesses almost 10.4 billion hours this year. Who thinks that this is the most productive use of their time?

Madam Chairman, the American people cannot afford more lost jobs and further reduced wages. Every lost job means one less person helping with the taxes needed to support Social Security, Medicare, and other critical programs for veterans, health care, education, and national defense.

I urge my colleagues to support the Rothfus-Barr amendment and the underlying bill.

Madam Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Barr), my friend.

Madam Chairman, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining?

Madam Chairman, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte), the chairman.

Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to pass this amendment. It is a good amendment. It will shine a light on the process of the regulatory elites here in Washington, D.C., and the impact it is having on our jobs and on our wages.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of our Nation's veterans and the legislation currently under consideration. This legislation makes much-needed reforms that would bring accountability and transparency to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Over the past year, I have worked with Chairman Miller and Chairman Coffman, my western Pennsylvania colleagues--Congressmen Doyle, Murphy, Kelly, and Shuster--and local veterans' families to investigate the outbreak of Legionnaires' disease at the Pittsburgh VA.

The VA Office of the Inspector General determined systemic failures surrounding the outbreak led to tragic and preventable deaths of local veterans. We must do all we can to ensure that this does not happen again.

Chairman Coffman's Infectious Disease Reporting Act, which I strongly support, has been included in today's legislation. This commonsense reform will increase transparency and save lives by improving infectious disease reporting requirements and requiring the VA to follow the same rules as the rest of our world-class health care institutions in western Pennsylvania.

Today's legislation also builds on an amendment I offered last year that prohibits bonuses for senior VA executives. This money would be better spent resolving the VA disability claims backlog and ensuring that our veterans are receiving the first-rate care they have earned.

I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote for this legislation, and I look forward to continuing to working with my colleagues in Congress to serve our Nation's veterans.

I would like to thank my good friend and fellow Pennsylvanian (Mr. Perry) for hosting this important discussion.

As my colleague Congressman Dent noted, it is Colonel Perry who in 2008 left the comforts of our country to serve in Iraq. His chief, Lauren Muglia, also is with the National Guard and went overseas for our country.

I rise today in support of the Pennsylvania National Guard and, in particular, the brave soldiers who serve in the 1-104th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, based in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Their future, like that of many other National Guard units across the Commonwealth, is being placed in serious jeopardy as part of the Army's most recent force structure plan.

Major General Wesley Craig, the adjutant general for the Pennsylvania National Guard, put it best when he wrote in a letter to the editor that recently appeared in one of our local newspapers, the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat, that the 1-104th is ``under attack.'' In fact, Major General Craig's letter encapsulates this issue so well that I would like to read it into the Record now.

Major General Craig writes:

Johnstown battalion is under attack.

The more than 250 members of the Pennsylvania Army National

Guard's 1-104th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, based in

Johnstown, may lose their Apache helicopters and a number of

them could be furloughed if the Army has its way.

These are the same highly trained soldiers who recently

returned from a year-long deployment in Afghanistan, where

they provided aerial support using AH-64 Apache helicopters

fighting side-by-side with their active component

counterparts.

The Army wants to restructure its aviation fleet by

divesting itself from Kiowa helicopters and replacing them

with Apache helicopters taken from the Army National Guard.

Consequentially, the removal of 24 Apaches from our

inventory in Johnstown will render the 1-104th a nonmission-

capable force when it comes to defending our Nation at home

and abroad.

In turn, the Army proposes to replace the Apaches with only

12 other aircraft--a 50 percent reduction in the number of

aircraft that we have in Johnstown.

Detrimental actions like this prove that the National Guard

is still considered ``second-rate'' by the Active component

despite us demonstrating our competence and effectiveness

over the last 11 years of war.

Taking away highly trained personnel and equipment from the

Reserve component--which cost a fraction of what it does in

the Active component to operate--does not make sense for our

community, Commonwealth or country.

Major General Craig concludes:

Having worn the uniform for more than 40 years, I, too,

have been trained to fight; and fight I will for the skilled

and courageous troops of our Nation's reserve forces.

Signed, Major General Wesley E. Craig, Adjutant General,

Pennsylvania National Guard.

Mr. Speaker, there are better options than this. Let us commit to working together to ensure that the National Guard units like the 1- 104th continue to receive the support they have earned and deserve.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today because, like many of my 700,000 bosses back home, I am frustrated with a broken Washington.

Prior to joining this House just over 1 year ago, in my work in the private sector and in my personal life deadlines mattered. If a client needed to

start a contract by January 1, that contract had to be negotiated and signed by that date. Every April 15, my western Pennsylvania bosses and I have to make sure that all of our tax forms are filed on time. And on the first day of school, my neighbors and I make sure our kids are ready to start the year. And every year on May 27, I better remember that that is the anniversary that the best girl in the world and I exchanged wedding rings.

Getting things done on time is important. It is a value we teach our children.

Mr. Speaker, there is an annual deadline that the House and Senate have failed to meet with embarrassing frequency. The United States of America operates on fiscal years that begin on October 1 and end on September 30. Congress and the President are responsible for enacting the annual appropriations bills before each new fiscal year starts. That is how it is supposed to work. Unfortunately, Congress, led by both parties, has only finished its work on all regular appropriations bills before this deadline four times since 1977. That is simply unacceptable.

Twenty-six years ago, the President of the United States delivered a State of the Union address from the podium just over my right shoulder. During that address, Ronald Reagan noted that the government had just completed another broken and inefficient appropriations season:

In 7 years of 91 appropriations bills scheduled to arrive

on my desk by a certain date, only 10 made it on time. Last

year, of the 13 appropriations bills due by October, none of

them made it. Instead, we had four continuing resolutions

lasting 41 days, then 36 days, and 2 days, and 3 days.

President Reagan then held up three stacks of paper totaling 45 pounds which authorized the spending of hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars and reminded the Congress that it had only 3 hours to review the documents. After recounting this dysfunctional history, President Reagan pleaded:

Congress shouldn't send another one of these.

Some may argue that the process is not important; it is the policy that matters. Mr. Speaker, process is important because it is inside the process that policy happens.

Our Constitution gives Congress the power to tax and spend. Exercising this spending power requires due deliberation and should allow for individual Members, on both sides of the aisle, to challenge expenditures, including whether any particular expenditure is too much, too little, or should be made at all. Those challenges should come in the form of amendments that would be debated on this House floor. It is the process by which the people of this country have the opportunity to have a say in how their hard-earned tax dollars are spent.

More than 3 months into the fiscal year, we are now heading toward the vote on what is known as an omnibus. This bill collapses all 12 regular appropriations bills into a single behemoth. We are at this point today because the House and Senate did not complete the regular appropriations process on time. Instead of voting 12 times on individual appropriations bills and hundreds of times on amendments to those bills, Members of this House will only vote once. Under this arrangement, important and necessary spending is held hostage to questionable and wasteful spending.

Last year, the House only passed four spending bills on time, and the Senate passed none. This must stop. Congress must get its work done on time.

Today, I am introducing the Congressional Pay for Performance Act of 2014. This simple bill would hold Congress accountable and force us to comply with deadlines, just like people in the real world do outside of Washington, D.C.

This is how it would work: each House of Congress must pass a budget resolution by April 15 or have its pay withheld. Then, each House of Congress must pass all 12 appropriations bills by July 31 or have its pay withheld. It would then have 2 months to reconcile the bills between the two Houses.

If Congress is not performing its core constitutional duties in a timely manner, it should not get paid until its work is done. Let this year's omnibus be the last one, for Congress shouldn't send another one of these to the President.