Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 100th anniversary of Rice University. Throughout the last century, Rice has not only developed into one of the most prestigious and exemplary academic institutions in Texas, it has also matured into one of the leading research universities in the United States.

The first president of Rice University was Edgar Odell Lovett, and he set forth an ambitious vision to become a premier research university. However, since its inception in 1912, Rice has been exceptional in both academics and athletics. Rice now plays a leading role in research in many fields including nanotechnology, space, cellular technology, bioinformatics, energy, health, and the environment. Their athletic program is constantly one of the best in Conference USA and their championship win in the 2003 College Baseball World Series serves as further evidence that the Rice Owls are extraordinary across the institutional spectrum.

Rice has been ranked among the top 20 universities in the country by U.S. News & World Report every year since the rankings began in 1983. In recognition of their dedication to keeping high quality education affordable, Princeton Review ranks Rice among the top 10 best value private colleges.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all my distinguished colleagues to join me in recognizing the 100th anniversary of Rice University. Rice has pushed the boundaries of education and research since 1912, and this institution will undoubtedly be a leader for years to come.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in voting for H.R. 6079. Though the Supreme Court opinion didn't strike down the entire law, it did prohibit the federal government's ability to coerce state governments in accepting major expansions to Medicaid.

Now that many states have indicated they will not accept the Medicaid expansion, this seriously undermines a major premise of Obamacare. Even before the Supreme Court's ruling on Medicaid, patients were already seeing higher premium costs and fewer choices.

We need to start over and craft a health care plan that will actually increase patient access and lower premiums. We can do this while working with our state governments rather than trying to force a Washington-knows-best plan.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to support H.R. 6079. It hasn't taken very long for the weight of ObamaCare to become a significant drag on our economy and our family budgets.

Just 2 years since it was enacted, there are already 12,825 pages of ObamaCare-related regulations and notices published in the Federal Register. Nobody knows what the final number of regulations will be, and let's hope that we never find out.

It is this high level of uncertainty that is preventing many businesses in my district from hiring new workers and growing. This is particularly true among small businesses looking to expand. We must repeal this law now that is a disincentive for any small business to grow.

I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for repeal.

Madam Speaker, the Supreme Court ruled that the individual mandate was Constitutional. But the cost of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or ``Obamacare'', remains grievously unsustainable. Unless Obamacare is repealed, either in whole or in part, America's healthcare system will prove to be a ticking fiscal time bomb.

Regardless of the Obama plan, healthcare payment rates across Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance are alarming. According to the Congressional Budget Office, between 1975 and 2005, annual per- person health spending in the United States rose, on average, 2 percentage points faster than per-person economic growth. In other words, healthcare costs have outpaced our national income.

Now add Obamacare: massive new entitlements, additional dependence on government, tax hikes, bureaucratic micromanagement of healthcare, and the possibility of Congress taxing other forms of inactivity in the future. In 2014, Obamacare will significantly expand Medicaid to childless adults with incomes up to 138 percent of the poverty level. If states don't expand Medicaid, 11.5 million very poor adults will be on their own. That is more than the entire population of Greece.

Americans that fail to follow the healthcare mandate will be required to pay a penalty, or an Obamatax, starting in 2014. When fully phased in two years later, the penalty will be $695 for each uninsured adult or 2.5 percent of family income, whichever is greater, up to $12,500.

Madam Speaker, America is facing a genuine healthcare crisis. But our country also has 13 million unemployed and millions of others are struggling. They simply can't afford a new tax imposed by Washington. There is a way to improve both our healthcare system and fiscal outlook, and it starts by repealing Obamacare.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 6079, the Repeal of Obamacare Act.

Last Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that, for the 41st straight month, we had an unemployment rate of above 8%. As a small businessman, this comes as no surprise to me. The President has done little to inspire confidence in job creators. From new, burdensome regulations and stifling tax hikes, the legislative agenda of this Administration's first two years is still wreaking havoc on the economy.

I say this just a day after the President reiterated his commitment to the notion that we ought to increase taxes to feed more big government, the same big government that has let our deficits spiral out of control and our credit rating downgraded.

We have much work to do to rein in government. Repealing this monument to bloated bureaucracy is but the first step we must take to signal to the private sector that success will not be punished.

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pride and pleasure to rise today to recognize and commemorate the heritage of the Carrollton Black Cemetery. Buried beneath its soil are the men and women who forged the pathway for the Carrollton community. Today we recognize those who have gone before us, the sacrifices they have made, and the impact they have had on the lives of today's Carrollton citizens.

In 1850, the first recorded burial in the cemetery was Mary Lamer, an immigrant from Illinois and the original owner of the property. In 1871, the Carrollton Black Cemetery was established on a forty-acre sited owned by Mr. Scott Boswell, an early African American Carrollton farmer. By 1915, Mr. C.B. Baxley purchased the land with a deed exclusion to keep the cemetery intact. Up until the Civil War, it was customary to bury slaves on their owner's land. After Emancipation, freed slaves and their families wished to have their own burial locations. Unfortunately, the Carrollton Black Cemetery has undergone flooding from the Trinity River which has caused the loss of many of its gravestones. In 1981, to preserve the cemetery's history, a fence was erected around its perimeter. On Saturday, June 23, the cemetery was identified as a Texas historical site.

The Carrollton Black Cemetery is referred to by many names including the Carrollton Community Cemetery and the Carrollton Memorial Cemetery. The record of the Carrollton Black Cemetery reflects the rich history of the African American community in Carrollton. Many of the people buried in the Carrollton Black Cemetery were trailblazers of growth, development, and continued successes in the Carrollton community.

Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to recognize the Carrollton Black Cemetery for the heritage and history it brings to the 24th District of Texas. I ask all of my distinguished colleagues to join me in honoring the Carrollton Black Cemetery and in commending the current citizens who care for it.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I celebrate the 50th anniversary of Boy Scout Troop 175 of Irving, Texas. The troop has a remarkable history of serving the community and developing young men into leaders.

Troop 175 was originally chartered at W.T. Hanes Elementary School in Irving. It then relocated its charter in 1981 to Northgate United Methodist Church in Irving.

Since its founding in 1962, Troop 175 has produced 27 Eagle Scouts with the first recorded promotion in 1971. The distinguished group of Eagle Scouts from Troop 175 include Craig Barton (1971), Paul Roberts (1975), Bobby Bell (1976), William Meers (1976), Mark Corry (1977), James Bush III (1986), Clyde Hogan Jr. (1988), Adrian Carrales (1989), Joseph Bush (1989), Andrew Bartlett (1991), Gregory Yoas (1992), Robert Daniel (1992), Travis Brandt (1998), James Cross (2000), Ryan Scott Barnett (2003), Stefan Austin Hopkins (2004), Reagan McNabb (2005), Ashwin Tharappel (2005), Robert Samczuk (2006), Frank Wright III (2006), Alexander Bichler (2007), Anish Tharappel (2007), Austin McNabb (2008), Samuel Anderson (2008), Colton Sligar (2010), Campbell Castleberry (2011), and William Canales (2012).

Throughout its 50 years, the troop has been guided by the leadership of Scoutmasters including Clyde Hogan, David West, Jerry Cross, Peter McNabb, James Roman, and Mark Sligar.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the 24th Congressional District of Texas, I ask all my distinguished colleagues to join me in congratulating Boy Scout Troop 175 for its 50 years of developing fine young men and community involvement.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation will stop an impending tax created by Obamacare on medical devices. This tax stifles innovation, reduces jobs, and increases costs on patients. Congress must act to ensure that the medical device tax does not come in to effect.

Additionally, I support the new choices this bill gives consumers. Users of Health Savings Accounts will once again be able to access their HSA funds for over-the-counter purchases. This change reduces unnecessary doctor's office visits that are being made solely to obtain a prescription to use HSA funds. Lastly, this bill greatly improves Flexible Spending Accounts. Rather than forcing unneeded end of year purchases, this bill allows for a $500 cash-out option to be considered as taxable income. This change makes FSAs much more attractive, giving consumers another choice to determine the health care plan that is best for them--rather than the government making that choice. I urge support of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I recognize retiring Corporal Roger Gatlin for his 30 years of public service with the Euless, Texas, Police Department.

Corporal Gatlin graduated from Lexington High School in Lexington, Tennessee. Following high school, Cpl. Gatlin continued his education at West Tennessee Business College in Jackson, Tennessee, and Tarrant County College in Fort Worth in pursuit of a degree in Criminal Justice and a minor in Business. His post-secondary education included over 280 academic hours and over 1630 training hours. Cpl. Gatlin has received training in: Background Investigations, Crisis Intervention, Terrorism and Homeland Security, Narcotics Investigations, Family Violence and Child Abuse, Management and Supervision, and SWAT/Tactical Training. He holds the following licenses: Master Peace Officer, Mental Health Officer, School Resource Officer, and Basic Instructor. For the past several years, he has been working at Central Junior High in Euless as the School Resource Officer.

Cpl. Gatlin's career as a police officer began with the Jackson, Tennessee, Police Department in 1975 where he served until 1976. From 1976 1980, he worked in Communications for the Tennessee Highway Patrol. In September, 1980, Cpl. Gatlin moved to Texas where he joined the Euless Police Department and served until November 1982. After a brief absence, he returned to the Euless Police Department in September 1984. While with the Euless Police Department, he has held the positions of Police Officer, Field Training Officer, Acting Sergeant, and Corporal.

Cpl. Gatlin is a member of the Euless Peace Officer Association. He was awarded the 1987 Euless Police Officer of the Year. In his spare time, he enjoys golf, baseball, traveling, and woodworking.

I am very proud of the Euless Police Department, and I am honored to recognize Corporal Roger Gatlin for his contribution to the community. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the 24th Congressional District of Texas, I ask all my distinguished colleagues to join me in thanking Roger Gatlin for his service as a police officer.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I recognize the Student Council of Carroll Senior High School for winning a State medal in the Texas Future Problem Solving Program.

The young people who serve on an effective Student Council are skilled leaders, and nowhere is that more evident than in an exceptional school like Carroll Senior High. In addition to fulfilling their demanding leadership duties, many of the members of the Student Council participate in the Future Problem Solving Program. This international program aims to foster students' skills in creative thinking and working together to solve real and significant problems. They then take these skills and bring them to the world beyond the classroom walls as they grow into tomorrow's leaders.

In Carroll Senior High School, Greg Lang, Courtney Smith, Megan Gill, and Mattie Shirley worked tirelessly on their project, ``Dragons Dig Deeper''. They looked to their special needs peers right at home in the halls of Carroll and improved methods of including them in the community. As a Community Problem Solving effort, ``Dragons Dig Deeper'' received a State medal from the Texas Future Problem Solving Program. The compassion exemplified by these students serves as an example to us all and encourages my hope for a better future both in my district and in our Nation. I would also like to recognize the fine work of the Student Council's director, Niki Gilley, and the invaluable assistance of Laura Wood-Smith.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the 24th Congressional District of Texas, I ask all of my distinguished colleagues to join me in congratulating the Student Council of Carroll Senior High School on their earning a State medal in the Future Problem Solving Program. And I also ask that we thank the members of the council for the service they have lent our community.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I recognize the Odyssey of the Mind teams of Carroll Senior High School for their winning the state championship in two categories this year.

Odyssey of the Mind is a widespread program for students that develops team problem-solving and creative thinking. Grouped into teams, students spend many weeks working on solutions to long-term problems which they then present at competitions along with a short- term problem and solution that they are given at the competitions. Odyssey fosters creativity by allowing students to choose from problems that each have multiple possible solutions.

There were 115 teams participating in the Texas state competition this year and Carroll Senior High produced two teams that won state titles. Ann Dahl, Allison Newman, Braden Anderson, Christie Ballew, Spencer Lankford, Mackenzie Murphy and Jack Veenker earned the state title for Vehicular Problem-Solving and also the award for Most Creative team. The team was led by coaches Megan Anderson, Carl Anderson, and Shauna Newman. A second team, comprised of Jenna Buckley, Nico Scalzo, Emilie Featherston, Nathalie Scherer, Annie Newman, and Lindsey Weiss, won the state title for Technical Problem-Solving. Their coaches were Cindy Featherston and Micki Scalzo. In the course of their accomplishments, these students developed and demonstrated skills in creativity, dialogue, and teamwork.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the 24th Congressional District of Texas, I ask all of my distinguished colleagues to join me in congratulating the Carroll Senior High School Odyssey of the Mind Teams for their respective titles at the Texas state competition.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I recognize the accomplishments of Arvind Venkataraman and Azar Hussain, both students of Carroll Senior High School, in the field of forensics activities.

Forensics competitions consist of multiple formats of speech and debate in which students demonstrate their respective skills with the spoken word. The Speech and Debate team at Carroll High, ably led by their director, Diana Forbes, has a strong tradition of success in these competitions. This school year, 1,600 students from 200 high schools competed in the Texas Forensic Association State Tournament at which Carroll produced two champions. Senior Arvind Venkataraman won the state championship in Foreign Extemporaneous Speaking and freshman Azar Hussain won the state championship in Congressional Debate. Their excellence in speech and debate reflects a talent and a work ethic worthy of recognition.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the 24th Congressional District of Texas, I ask all of my distinguished colleagues to join me in congratulating Arvind Venkataraman and Azar Hussain on their state championships in forensics.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I recognize Courtney Kreighauser. She is a student at Carroll Senior High School who won a state championship at the University Interscholastic League's State Championship for Track and Field.

Every year, top high school athletes in Texas compete for the opportunity to advance to the UIL's State Championship. Only the extraordinary athletes that advance from the district and regional meets are qualified to continue to the state competition held in Austin, Texas. Courtney Kreighauser from Carroll Senior High won the 5A Girls 1600 race.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the 24th Congressional District of Texas, I ask all of my distinguished colleagues to join me in congratulating Courtney Kreighauser for her state championship title in track and field.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I recognize Neha Jain, Holly Rosenberg, and Taylor White. All three are students at Carroll Senior High School and were selected for components of the Texas Music Educators Association's All-State Band for 2012.

Every year 60,000 high school musicians in Texas compete for the opportunity to be among the 1,500 chosen for various All-State ensembles. Band students first audition before judges in one of twenty- eight regions, and the highest ranked musicians from each Region then participate in one of seven Area competitions. The best among the Area participants then go on to the annual clinic and convention hosted by the Texas Music Educators Association, TMEA. The clinic consists of three days of rehearsal with prestigious musical conductors and culminates in a grand All-State performance.

Being selected for one of the three All-State Band ensembles is indeed a high honor for any high school musician and is a testament to their hard work, talent, and dedication. Neha Jain, who plays the flute, and Holly Rosenberg, who plays the piccolo, both made it to the 5A Concert Band for 2012. Taylor White, who plays the cornet and trumpet, performed in the Philharmonic Orchestra this year. It was his fourth year in an All-State ensemble, and it was Holly's second. Together, these three exceptional students are continuing to build a strong tradition at Carroll Senior High School. Their success is truly admirable and highlights the astounding work and contributions put forth by their band director, Jay Bach.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the 24th Congressional District of Texas, I ask all of my distinguished colleagues to join me in congratulating Neha Jain, Holly Rosenberg, and Taylor White for being chosen for their respective components in the TMEA All-State Band.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I recognize both the boys' and girls' Swimming and Diving teams of Carroll Senior High School for winning the state championship titles.

Carroll High School competes in the University Interscholastic League Class 5A, the most competitive athletic class composed of the largest schools in Texas. It is an unbelievable achievement for a 5A high school to have both the boys' and girls' teams to win state title championship in the same category.

The Carroll ISD boys' state championship team included John Ausdenmoore, Curtis Goss, Austin Nguyenphu, John Remetta, Jonathan Roberts, Ted Singley, and Ryan Walker. The girls' championship team included Alexa Baran, Emily Gibson, MacKenzie Leonard, Elise Weisert, Lauren Crown, Lyndsie Gibson, Lindsay Schultz, Sydney Wheeler, Taylor Dereyanik, Grace Kazmierski, Rebecca Upton, and Emily Zapinski. The Dragon swim teams were led by Coach Kevin Murphy along with the help from Assistant Swim Coach Lynne Gorman and Diving Coach Carolyn Hryorchuk.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the 24th Congressional District of Texas, I ask all of my distinguished colleagues to join me in congratulating the Carroll Senior High School Swim and Diving teams for their championship titles at the Texas state competition.