Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, the solution to our economic challenges is one simple word: growth. Unfortunately, the only place really growing in our country today is Washington, D.C.

As I travel my district, workers, job seekers, and small business owners tell me they're concerned about jobs and economic security.

Washington must unleash their economic potential by spending less, taxing less, and regulating less. Washington has to stop growing so the rest of the country can start to grow.

Small business owners this year spent upwards of 2 billion hours trying to comply with our Tax Code. Simplifying the Tax Code will help them save time and money that they can then put towards growing their businesses, hiring new employees and raising wages.

Washington must also streamline regulations that are strangling growth. The REINS Act would require that any regulation with an annual impact of $100 million or more be subject to a vote of this House.

With the right tax and regulatory policies, America's economy can thrive again.

I thank the gentleman from Kentucky, and I rise today in solidarity with the middle class workers and families who call western Pennsylvania home.

President Obama's war on coal is a threat to their livelihood and to our communities. From the mine and power plant workers who have received pink slips because of misguided regulations, to the middle class moms who are trying to pay monthly utility bills, to the restaurants and barbershops and other small businesses concerned about costs, President Obama's onerous regulations will negatively impact our communities.

Coal is an essential part of our economy and infrastructure. It is an abundant, affordable, and reliable source of energy that powers our streetlights, schools, and factories. Coal-fired power plants generate 40 percent of electricity in Pennsylvania and 37 percent around the country. Electricity derived from coal is more affordable for families and businesses.

The coal industry employs more than 41,000 hardworking women and men across our commonwealth. Unfortunately, these workers, their families, and their communities are the ones who will suffer as a result of the EPA's unreasonable regulations and President Obama's war on coal.

These burdensome regulations have forced the electric generating industry to shutter coal-fired power plants and lay off workers. Six of these coal-fired power plants in our commonwealth--including several in Western Pennsylvania--have been marked for closure since

the beginning of last year. The power company placed part of the blame on the burdensome cost of federal environmental regulation.

The resulting slowdown in demand and surge in costly regulation have forced coal mines to shut down or reduce production. Last summer, the head of a Western PA coal company attributed the idling of some of its mines to the escalating costs and uncertainty caused by EPA regulations.

Layoffs caused by shuttering of power plants and idling of coal mines--and job losses in related industries--devastate middle-class workers, their families, and their communities.

It is too easy for unelected federal elites in Washington to write regulations without an understanding of the human costs of their actions.

That is why I am working with my colleagues to pass the REINS Act. The REINS Act will provide a check and balance on the Obama Administration by requiring that any regulation with an annual economic impact of $100 million or more be subject to the approval of the House and Senate. Last week, I voted in favor of the REINS Act in the House Judiciary Committee. The Act was approved and now moves to the full House for consideration.

Middle-class moms and dads, coal miners, seniors, and those on fixed incomes deserve the support of all of my colleagues in the House and Senate on a pro-growth agenda. I call on both chambers to pass the REINS Act as a good first step towards sensible regulation that helps grow all parts of our economy.

There is a war on coal in this country, and it needs to stop. It's time to keep the lights on in America. It's time to relight America, and we need to do that here in this House and stop this war on coal.

With that, I thank the gentleman from Kentucky.

Thank you.

``Troubling'' is the word for what we see happening in Philadelphia. I think if you look at what this trial is about, about 20 years ago we had a decision

from our Supreme Court that basically said:

At the heart of liberty is the right to define one's own

concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the

mystery of the human life.

I suggest that at the heart of Dr. Gosnell's trial is this understanding on the part of Dr. Gosnell that he had the liberty to define his own concept of existence and of meaning and of the universe. But that's to be juxtaposed with what our Founders described as self- evident truths, that we are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among them are the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

That concept was enshrined in our Constitution, where our Fifth Amendment provides that no person is to be deprived of life without due process of law; and, again, our 14th Amendment adds that no State shall deprive a person of life without due process of law.

As we watch this trial unfold in Philadelphia and continue to hear the daily testimony of what's happening, I think it's appropriate that we reflect on those words of the Founders and how far we've come from those days.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge the President to get serious about our getting our fiscal house in order. While imperfect, the continuing resolution passed today is an important step in the right direction. Today's legislation provides the Defense Department and VA some relief from President Obama's sequester by granting flexibility to prioritize spending, helping ensure the needs of our Armed Forces are met. It is time for the Senate to follow the House's lead and pass this legislation.

Instead of campaigning, President Obama should be devoting time and resources to finish his budget submission to Congress, which is already 4 weeks overdue. When mothers, fathers, and small business owners face budget problems, they sit down around the kitchen or office table with notepads, pencils, calculators, and get to work. They prioritize spending and make tough but necessary decisions.

It is time for the President and our friends across the aisle to adopt the same commonsense practices of budgeting and prioritization that hardworking women and men in the private sector use every single day.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize Ann Marie Kilcourse Wilson of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, an extraordinary woman. She passed away on February 19, 2013, at the all-too-young age of 47, following a brief and courageous battle with cancer.

Mrs. Wilson could have been anyone's daughter, anyone's wife, anyone's

mother, co-worker, employer, or fellow church member. She was extraordinary because she excelled in each of these roles. She was a woman for all seasons.

Ann Wilson was born in 1965 in the Bronx of Irish stock, the daughter of Thomas and Francis Kilcourse. She graduated from St. John the Baptist High School in West Islip, New York, and earned a degree in political science from the Catholic University of America. She worked in New York City before moving to Johnstown, the hometown of her husband, Bill.

In the mountains of western Pennsylvania, this daughter of the Bronx became an adopted daughter of Johnstown, and she has thrived there. She brought into the world three beautiful children: Katie, Billy, and Clara, whom she and Bill loved dearly. And while she was raising her family, Ann pursued her professional calling with excellence and determination as the marketing director of The Gleason Agency.

Her energy was incomparable. The energy of her professional work could also be seen in her commitment to public service. In 2005, Ann made her first attempt at public office and won a 4-year term on the Johnstown City Council. She took the oath of office in January 2006 and was the first Republican woman elected to the council. Notably, Ann was the top vote-getter on the ticket, beating out seven incumbents. In a city where Democrats outnumber Republicans 7-3, she was the top vote- getter, demonstrating her broad bipartisan appeal.

She was reelected in 2009 and appointed deputy mayor of Johnstown in January of 2010. She also served as executive director and later chairman of the Cambria County Republican Committee. In 2012, Governor Tom Corbett appointed her to the Pennsylvania Commission for Women, and she was elected as a delegate to the 2012 Republican National Convention.

While her energy and professional accomplishments were remarkable, the two things that mattered most to her were her family and her church. Mrs. Wilson lived for her husband and children, and she rarely missed a sporting or school event that involved the kids. She loved family time and family vacations, and she was deeply committed to her Catholic faith. She was also a strong advocate for the right to life and compassion for all.

In a world and time given to cynicism and doubt, Ann Wilson stands out in stark contrast. She is a role model for excellence in family life, professional work, and community engagement. Indeed, she was full of passion for the things of life that really mattered.

It is a privilege to stand here today to remember Mrs. Ann Wilson of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Her family's and Johnstown's loss is Heaven's gain. May she rest in peace and may her family be comforted in their loss. She will be missed not only by her husband and children, but by her community.

Mr. Speaker, today we observe the 102nd birthday of Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States. I take this opportunity to again thank Mrs. Reagan and the Reagan family for sharing their husband and father with this country. Their sacrifices allowed this Nation to move from an era of doubt and decline into one of a brighter future.

Today, we find ourselves facing another era of doubt and decline: chronic unemployment, staggering debt, international crises, and advocates of Big Government pushing for more failed Big Government to fix our problems. I suggest that those who think America cannot turn the state of affairs around to think again. As President Reagan said-- and these words are inscribed at his final resting place in California:

I know in my heart that man is good. That what is right

will always eventually triumph. And there's purpose and worth

to each and every life.

With that perspective, let us again renew our commitment with President Reagan's trademark optimism to a renewal of the American spirit and a re-lighting of the American Dream.

Mr. Speaker, last week we received troubling economic news. In January, unemployment went up and 169,000 people gave up looking for work. And the economy stopped growing and actually shrank.

I rise today in solidarity with those looking for work and a higher income to pay their bills, loans, and mortgages. Those seeking a better lot want to know: Where are the jobs?

Before we address any other issue grabbing headlines today, Congress and the President need to make a priority of unleashing the potential of hardworking Americans and creating the conditions for a healthy economy. We must balance our budget, reform the Tax Code, reduce excessive regulations, and expand energy production.

I call on my colleagues in this House to refocus their attention and to work to accomplish these goals so that the American people can get back to pursuing their dreams.