Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, Americans know the national debt needs to be addressed. The current debt stands at more than 17 trillion dollars and the CBO projects that under current laws the Federal debt would climb to 25 trillion dollars by 2023.

If we continue down this path, the nation will eventually face a painful economic reckoning. We can't afford to leave our country--and our children--with such unsustainable debt.

To address these needs, I introduced the Debt Management Act. This bill requires the Administration to justify debt limit increase requests with reports on the national debt and progress on deficit reduction.

By bringing greater transparency to the national debt and our structural deficit, the Debt Management Act establishes a more credible and consistent process to address debt limit requests.

Having a clear policy framework to address the national debt would instill much-needed discipline into the debt limit process, increase confidence in the economy, and strengthen our nation's long-term fiscal stability.

I encourage my colleagues to co-sponsor the Debt Management Act.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor the career and celebrate the retirement of Dr. Cloyd Hastings of the Carrollton- Farmers Branch Independent School District (ISD), based in Carrollton, Texas.

Dr. Hastings served in education for forty years, working to better future generations of young citizens. Prior to joining Carrollton- Farmers Branch ISD in 1980, he worked in three other school districts as a teacher, coach, and librarian. He then spent several years writing as an author for Political Research, a weekly newsletter that informed Congress about upcoming legislation.

With a masters in Library Science from Eastern Illinois University, Dr. Hastings joined the Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD as a library coordinator in 1980. In 1983 he became principal of Carrollton Elementary School. He was then principal of McCoy Elementary School from 1989 to 1995 and, during that time, he earned his Doctor of Education degree from the University of North Texas. He also served as principal at Country Place Elementary School from 1995 to 1997.

Afterwards, in 1997, Dr. Hastings moved to the administrative side of the ISD as the Coordinator of Research and Development. He was later named Executive Director of Assessment and Accountability and has served in that role for the remainder of his career. Dr. Hastings has published in Education Week and with the ASCD (formerly the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development). His work has been quoted in articles on best practices in special education, and he has been asked at times to apply for the lead Assessment position at the Texas Education Agency.

Dr. Hastings comes from a family of educators. His father was a superintendent and his grandmother was a teacher. In addition his brother, sister-in-law, two nieces and their husbands, daughter Karen, and wife Dianne all work in education or related fields.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the 24th District of Texas, I ask all of my distinguished colleagues to join me in honoring the remarkable career and well-earned retirement of Dr. Cloyd Hastings of the Carrollton- Farmers Branch Independent School District.

Mr. Speaker, if you like your health insurance plan, you can keep it--without the fine print.

The American people were told repeatedly by the President that if they liked their health insurance plan, they could keep it. This pledge didn't come with an asterisk, a footnote, or other fine print. Now, after millions of Americans are receiving cancelation notices from their preferred health care plans, the White House is doing its best to insert fine print into this pledge where none ever existed.

The original pledge wasn't that most Americans could keep their health care plan or that others would lose their plans and be given coverage that the government thought was better for them. Instead, the White House is making excuses for why thousands of people in my district are losing their preferred coverage.

I ask for the administration to stop making excuses and looking for ways to take my constituents' policies away. My constituents deserve the truth and real solutions.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to recognize the 40th anniversary of Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Hurst-Euless- Bedford (HEB). The hospital has been dedicated to serving the citizens of Northeast Tarrant County, Texas, where it has been improving the lives of the community with quality health care service.

The vision of an outstanding hospital was formulated through the cooperative leadership from the Cities of Hurst, Euless and Bedford. The cities acknowledged the growing healthcare needs of their citizens and, as a result, the cities formed the HEB Hospital Authority to plan and build the hospital.

Fundraising for the hospital occurred in 1969 and, shortly afterwards in 1970, construction began. The Cities of Hurst, Euless, and Bedford continued to raise funds for the project until the doors opened in June 1973.

Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital HEB is a fully accredited Cycle IV Chest Pain Center designated by the Society of Chest Pain Centers, and it also has a three-year accreditation, with commendation, from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer. In addition, Texas Health HEB was the first hospital in Northeast Tarrant County to be certified as a Primary Stroke Center. Lastly, the hospital achieved the designation as a Level III Trauma center this year.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the 24th District of Texas, I ask all of my distinguished colleagues to join me in recognizing Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital HEB for serving the North Texas community for 40 years with outstanding health care practices.

Mr. Speaker, despite the President's promise that Americans could keep their health care plans, thousands of my constituents have learned that their health care plans will soon be terminated.

I recently received a letter from David Hager, the CFO of a technology company headquartered in my district. He was informed that the health care plan offered by his company is being canceled. This is a well-liked plan that pays 100 percent of employees' monthly health care premiums, but that is not good enough for ObamaCare. This company will now be forced to pay 19 percent more for its health care next year, and its employees will have to shell out more money for a new plan that they don't like. This is in addition to the newly created ``reinsurance fee'' of $510 a month for the company to pay that has no value at all to the workers. Mr. Hager wants to know why his employees are having their excellent health care plans canceled by ObamaCare.

We must allow Americans to keep the health care plans they like, not just for 1 year--as has been proposed by the President--but permanently.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to recognize the 10 year anniversary of the Colleyville Public Library in Colleyville, Texas. Over 30 years ago, a core group of dedicated Colleyville residents acted on their vision of bringing a library to their city. A task force was formed, fundraisers were held, surveys were conducted, and approvals were given. As Colleyville grew and changed from a small rural community to a thriving suburb, with small town appeal, the dream became a reality and the Colleyville Public Library opened on November 24, 2003.

The two-story Colleyville Public Library was built with plans to only utilize the 10,000 square feet on the first floor with the second floor for future expansion. Because of the library's growth and popularity with its children's programing, the need for more space became evident and a spatial reorganization plan developed in 2007. Construction on the 2nd floor began in January 2011. Over 1,000 people in June 2011 attended the Grand Re-Opening of the 2nd floor, the new Youth Services Department.

The library distinguishes itself with its emphasis on quality children's programming and full-scale family friendly events. Over 123,000 children have benefited from the library's educational programs. Additionally, the library works to address the information and self-development needs of its residents by staying ahead of technology trends. Common library activities, such as checking in and out books and searching the catalog, are streamlined through fully digital processes. Also, patrons, of all ages, take advantage of the growing collection of e-book and audio book downloadables.

Area residents have embraced the library by utilizing its services and encouraging growth in new areas. Over 21,000 patrons have checked out over 2 million items and counting. With the support of volunteers, community organizations, and City Council, the Colleyville Public Library continues to thrive and meet the needs of its citizens.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the 24th Congressional District of Texas, I ask all my distinguished colleagues to join me in celebrating the 10th anniversary of Colleyville Public Library, and to recognize its many contributions to Colleyville community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Detective Steve Lair of Carrollton, Texas and his earning of the Partnership for Public Safety award for going above and beyond his normal duties as a Carrollton police officer in his work with an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Task Force involved in the statewide, multi-agency investigation and prosecution of members of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas.

The Partnership for Public Safety Award is given to an officer on a local level which proves critical in the joint actions with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. Detective Lair was selected from among hundreds of other applicants throughout the nation, where his credentials withstood the rigorous process of approval. The citizens of North Texas are certainly safer due to his actions, and he is a perfect example of how all members of Operation Community Shield Gang Task Force should operate.

In August 2011, Detective Lair was asked to participate in an ongoing investigation of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas as well as organize Dallas-Fort Worth area law enforcement in an effort to disrupt and dismantle the powerful race-based criminal prison street gang in North Texas. As a direct result of the actions of the law enforcement agencies Detective Lair organized, three Aryan Brotherhood of Texas members have been indicted, one of which has pleaded guilty. The overall case currently has 36 defendants who have been indicted on racketeering charges. Detective Lair has been instrumental in coordinating the flow of information between agency partners and the Special Prosecutor from the Department of Justice Organized Crime and Gang Section. Additionally, he has been essential in the development of confidential sources, providing information on numerous short term investigations of both federal and state violations.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the 24th Congressional District of Texas, I ask all my distinguished colleagues to join me in recognizing the work of Detective Steve Lair and congratulating him on this prestigious award.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to congratulate Brad Williams of Dallas, Texas, on his upcoming installation as chairman of the board of directors for the National Apartment Association (NAA), which will take place on November 8 in Dallas.

Mr. Williams and his work exemplify the spirit of business in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. He has forty years of experience in property management and, with Lincoln Property Company, manages 50,000 rental units in both Texas and the Midwest. He also has a history of leadership in the rental housing industry. He is a past president of the Apartment Association of Greater Dallas and of the Texas Apartment Association (TAA). He has chaired the Texas and National Legislative Committees; and, for the last three years, he has served as chairman of the NAA's Political Action Committee (NAAPAC). Mr. Williams has also worked as Secretary on the Executive Committee for the NAA.

Rental housing is a crucial and growing industry in Dallas, where almost half of the city's people live in apartments. Many of these buildings are new and bring construction, innovation, and an economic boost to the area. Nationwide, 35 million people reside in apartments which contribute $1.1 trillion and 26 million jobs to the economy--from construction and skilled trades to leasing, operations, management, and even to the various businesses that surround residential buildings. To help ensure that rental housing is of a quality worthy of the public, the NAA makes it its mission ``to serve the interests of multifamily housing owners, managers, developers and suppliers and maintain a high level of professionalism in the multifamily housing industry to better serve the rental housing needs of the public.'' Founded in 1939, the NAA today consists of 170 local and state affiliates, 63,000 members, and 6.8 million homes.

Mr. Williams is a native of Dallas, where he now lives with his wife, Ginny. He is a graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School and received a degree in History from the University of Texas. He earned his Certificate of Real Estate from Southern Methodist University and his designation as a Certified Property Manager from the Institute of Real Estate Management.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the 24th District of Texas, I ask all my distinguished colleagues to join me in congratulating Chairman-elect Brad Williams and wishing him well as he guides the National Apartment Association through the upcoming year.

Mr. Speaker, it is with a sense of solemnity that I wish to honor the passing and memory of our colleague, Congressman C.W. Bill Young, who passed away on October 18, 2013, at the age of 82.

Congressman Young was the most senior Republican in both houses of Congress and represented the best of public service. He served in the Florida State Senate for ten years before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from the Tampa Bay area in 1970. In his nearly 43 years in Congress, Congressman Young worked hard for the people of his district and was especially tireless in supporting military personnel and their families--both legislatively and personally. He and his wife, Beverly, were known for their countless visits to wounded soldiers. Himself a veteran of the Army National Guard and Reserves, Young was the current chairman of the Defense subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee, and he had previously chaired that full committee from 1999 to 2005.

With decades of experience, Young naturally became a source of guidance for many of his colleagues. He had a balanced and well- regarded approach to the issues and affairs of Congress, and his personal kindness was known to many. While this moment is significant for the people of the 13th District of Florida and for the House itself, my prayers today are especially with Young's wife, Beverly, their three sons, and all of his loved ones.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the 24th District of Texas, I ask all my distinguished colleagues to join me in honoring and remembering Congressman Young.

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to announce and celebrate the ceremonial groundbreaking for The Gatehouse, a truly transformative community for women in difficult situations, which will occur soon on October 16, 2013, in Grapevine, Texas.

The Gatehouse will be a unique community of transitional housing for women (and their children) coming out of abusive, impoverished, or other challenging situations. Gatehouse will be an entire suburban neighborhood complete with new houses of various sizes, a community center for counseling and events, a general store, a clothing boutique, and plenty of beautiful open green space. In addition to the physical amenities, Gatehouse is extraordinary because of its Independent Life Program--a two and one-half year program of practical and emotional assistance to ensure that women and families at Gatehouse are not just shuttled through life but make a positive long-term life transformation. The Independent Life Program at Gatehouse is also faith-based, though it does not affiliate with any particular church or take government funding, and is purely funded by generous private donors.

Gatehouse was founded by Lisa Rose and grew out of projectHandUp. In 2008, projectHandUp began as a group providing wisdom, hope, and practical resources to abused women at monthly ``First Friday'' meetings. Their first meeting drew 169, and they now are attended by 350 to 1,000 people. Financial assistance was also made available in some cases to those in need. Over a period from 2011 to 2012, a group of women from the project worked with the Grapevine City Council to develop the idea for Gatehouse, and approval was granted on August 21, 2012.

In June of this year, work began on the roads and infrastructure for The Gatehouse. The groundbreaking ceremony will occur on October 16. The community is expected to open in the Fall of 2014 with the first neighborhood, Phase I, providing 24 units. At Gatehouse, great importance will be placed on healthy and compassionate relationships within the community in order to foster a sense of dignity and lasting improvement in women's lives. I commend the good work done by those who are laboring to make The Gatehouse a reality and look forward to seeing the success of their mission to provide women with a ``hand up.''

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the 24th District of Texas, I ask all my distinguished colleagues to join me in celebrating the groundbreaking of The Gatehouse in Grapevine, Texas.

Mr. Speaker, I continue to hear the real-world impacts of the implementation and cost of ObamaCare in my congressional district. Just last week, I received an email from CyrusOne, a small business located in my district. Due to ObamaCare, they anticipate paying over $86,000 more for their current level of health insurance for their employees once ObamaCare is implemented.

For a small business, these significant new costs inhibit their ability to hire new workers or to simply keep the workers they have on the payroll. Consumers will begin to see the impact of these costs in the form of higher prices passed on to them.

Higher prices and fewer jobs, this is not the health care reform that Americans want or deserve. We must repeal or at least delay the individual mandate before it does even more damage to our economic recovery.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to recognize and congratulate Rex W. Tillerson of Irving, Texas, for his induction into the National Academy of Engineering, which will take place on October 6, 2013, here in Washington, DC.

Induction into the National Academy of Engineering is one of the highest professional honors that engineers can receive. Members are elected by their peers in annual classes. This year's class consists of 69 members and 11 foreign associates from various different engineering fields. Membership recognizes ``those who have made outstanding contributions to `engineering research, practice, or education, including where appropriate, significant contributions to the engineering literature' and to the `pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education.' '' Mr. Tillerson's election is specifically for his ``engineering leadership in the production of hydrocarbons in remote and hostile environments.''

Rex Tillerson may be known to many as the Chairman and CEO of Exxon Mobil Corporation, but he is also a remarkable engineer in his own right. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 1975 and joined Exxon Company, U.S.A. in that same year. Starting as an engineer, Tillerson worked his way up the ranks of Exxon--becoming President of Exxon Yemen Inc. and Esso Exploration and Production Khorat Inc. in 1995, Vice President of Exxon Ventures and President of Exxon Neftegas Ltd. in 1998, and Executive Vice President of the newly merged ExxonMobil Development Co. in 1999.

In 2001, Tillerson was named Senior Vice President of Exxon Mobil Corporation, and in 2004 he was elected President of the corporation and a member of the Board of Directors on March 1, 2004. He assumed his current position of Chairman and CEO on January 1, 2006. Under his leadership, ExxonMobil has become one of the largest and most successful publicly held corporations in the world. Under Tillerson's direction, ExxonMobil has also become a leader in the effort to improve educational outcomes for all students--especially in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Tillerson has long been active in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). He earned the rank

of Eagle Scout in Troop 20 in 1965. From 2010 to 2012 he served as National President of the BSA and remains on the executive board. In 2010, he was named a Distinguished Eagle and was awarded the Silver Buffalo for his service to the National Council of BSA. In 2012, he was awarded the Silver Beaver for his service to his local BSA Council in Dallas, Texas.

Tillerson is also involved in several business organizations, including as a trustee at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and at the American Petroleum Institute, and as a member of the Business Roundtable and formerly the Executive Committee of the Business Council (in 2011 and 2012). Tillerson is also the vice chairman of the Ford's Theatre Society, and a former director of the United Negro College Fund.

In 2006, Tillerson was named a Distinguished Engineer Graduate by the UT Cockrell School of Engineering. He is also a member of the Chancellor's Council, Development Board and the Engineering Advisory Board for the University of Texas at Austin, where he was named a distinguished alumnus in 2007. In 2011, he received an honorary doctorate engineering degree from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute. In 2012, he received the Lincoln Medal from Ford's Theatre Society.

Tillerson is a native of Texas, born in Wichita Falls and a graduate of Huntsville High School in Huntsville, class of 1970. While at UT Austin, he participated in Tejas Club, the Longhorn Band, and Alpha Phi Omega. He and his wife live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and have four children and four grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the 24th District of Texas, I ask all my distinguished colleagues to join me in congratulating Rex W. Tillerson on the high professional accomplishment of his induction into the National Academy of Engineering.

Mr. Speaker, the House continues to send the Senate options to end the current government shutdown, but they refuse to appoint conferees. Every American family has to live within its means and overcome differences. Congress must do the same. I implore the Senate to take the very basic step of agreeing to a conference with the House to resolve our differences.

House Republicans remain committed to ending this government shutdown. It is unfair for the administration to grant a delay for big businesses, but not to individuals. It is unfair for the administration and Congress to exempt themselves from ObamaCare and to grant hundreds of other special waivers, but not allow a delay of the individual mandate for every ordinary American.

We must all live under the laws that we enact and provide fairness for the American people.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to support the Continuing Resolution and its delay and defunding of Obamacare for one year and all of the taxes assessed to pay for Obamacare. The President's health care law has already produced a significant drag on our economy, making it harder for employers to hire workers and those in need of work to find employment.

We must defund Obamacare before it can do additional damage to our economy and health care system. Health insurance premiums across the country are skyrocketing, and employers are shifting workers from full time status to part time. Employers have been given an extension in complying with the law, but individuals are still subject to the mandate. This double standard is not fair and must be changed.

This resolution also repeals the medical device tax, a very unpopular tax created by Obamacare that is stifling future medical research and development. I encourage my colleague to join me in defunding Obamacare and support this resolution.

Ms. Kaptur. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the bill before us.

The United States has been the world's shining example in how democracy can work.

Our history shows that the nation is stronger when we come together to govern and solve the serious issues that face our country.

Yet, tonight we find ourselves on the precipice of a government shutdown. Make no mistake, the bill we considering at this late hour essentially ensures that the government will shut down.

We cannot continue to ``govern'' by staggering from manufactured crisis to manufactured crisis. The madness must stop.

It seems we have learned nothing from recent history. To use just one example, during the fiscal cliff in December of 2012, the Dow fell more than 400 points or 3.1 percent.

These sudden drops in the stock market have real impacts, particularly for individuals who have substantial amounts of their family's hard earned savings in the market for retirement.

Our economy is still in the process of recovering from the Great Recession. We should be debating ways to spur economic growth, not debating a shutdown that will slow economic growth.

For the entire country, the Republican shutdown proposal will have real immediate negative consequences.

The impacts will be felt in our economy and in the services that the Federal Government provides, which the taxpayers pay for.

According to the Administration:

Nearly 1.4 million active duty military personnel deployed at home and overseas defending our nation's interests would not be paid for their work until after the shutdown ends.

Hundreds of thousands of Federal employees would be immediately and indefinitely furloughed, and many Federal employees and contractors that continue to work would not be paid during the shutdown.

Housing loans to low and middle-income families in rural communities would be put on hold, as would start-up business loans for farmers and ranchers.

SBA would stop approving applications for small businesses to obtain loans and loan guarantees. In a typical month, SBA approves over $1 billion in loan assistance to small businesses.

All facilities and services in our national parks would be closed, as would the Smithsonian, impacting the hundreds of thousands of people that visit these sites daily.

This would have severely negative impacts on the surrounding local communities that rely on the revenue generated by travel and tourism to these destinations.

Important government research into life-threatening diseases, environmental protection, and other areas would be halted.

The government would stop issuing permits to conduct drilling operations on Federal lands, and would stop or delay environmental reviews of planned transportation and energy-related projects, keeping companies from working on these projects.

If this CR were to become law, defunding the Affordable Care Act, not only would it put health insurance companies back in charge of our health care, it would end free preventive services that 105 million Americans including 71 million Americans in private plans and 34 million seniors in Medicare have received.

The list of those who would lose under this bill is too long to enumerate. The Affordable Care Act is law. Elections have consequences.

We all know this bill is dead on arrival in the Senate and the President has said he would veto it should it reach his desk. We are wasting our time. Instead we should pass a clean CR and get on with the business of the American people.

In closing, I urge my colleagues to vote against this measure and urge my Republican colleagues to accept reality and not shut the government down.

Mr. Speaker, a report released yesterday from the Treasury Inspector General shows that the IRS failed to track $67 million spent in the implementation of ObamaCare so far. This is before the health exchanges are even opened. My constituents, like myself, are concerned that this type of waste is what happens when Washington takes over health care.

The IRS has consistently demonstrated its inability to function as a responsible agency. Despite the scandals and blatant mismanagement by the IRS, the agency is also at the forefront of running our health care system.

The IRS has little credibility with the American taxpayers right now. The agency must significantly be reformed before we should let them anywhere near our health care system.

I encourage my colleagues to join me in repealing ObamaCare and getting the IRS completely away from our health care.