Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to a new leader in health care, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Yoho).

I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to a new member of the Ways and Means Committee, a job creator, a businessman himself, who has had to deal with rising health care costs, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Kelly).

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Alabama, a former district attorney, State legislator, and county commissioner, who understands how communities struggle with health care, Mr. Brooks.

At this time, Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to a long distinguished Member of this House and one who is very knowledgeable of health care and the costs to families and businesses, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston).

Madam Speaker, I am honored to yield 1 minute to the author of the legislation that we are debating today, the gentlelady from Minnesota (Mrs. Bachmann).

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

What is disgraceful are these thousands of pages of a bill that was rushed through this Congress with little chance to read it, laden with special interest provisions to buy off votes, while promises were made to the American people that their costs would go down, that they could keep their plans if they would like, and that the economy would boom. None of it happened, and Republicans were denied even one vote on the House floor to provide a real alternative. That's the disgrace.

Today, health care costs are going up. Independent experts say it could double in some States. Workers are finding out they can't keep their plans at work and that they'll be forced into the exchange. Who can afford more expensive health care? Almost two out of three small businesses aren't hiring because of this legislation.

I toured a power plant in Conroe where the cost of ObamaCare is so high that it's the equivalent of building two new plants and of hiring 100 new workers. That won't happen. Local businesses are cutting jobs and cutting hours. One restaurant owner in Houston told his managers he will not hire another full-time worker--period. ObamaCare simply makes it too expensive.

When these concerns are voiced, what Democrats in Congress and the President say is, It's the law. Get over it. Just get over it.

The bottom line is that we are fighting to repeal ObamaCare because it will hurt too many patients, too many people, too many families. Bad laws should be stopped early before people get hurt.

Year in and year out we've wrestled with this Medicare formula to reimburse doctors. We got it wrong, and doctors and seniors are being hurt.

The alternative minimum tax has been a mess for years. The death tax, as well. Can you imagine how much pain we would have avoided if these bad laws had been stopped early before they hurt so many Americans?

Make no doubt about it, we needed health reform. But the President and Washington Democrats got it wrong. So let's repeal it now and replace it with real reforms that help patients, that help families, that help small businesses. Let's get government out of the office room, let's give patients real choices, and let's lower health care because ObamaCare, this Affordable Care Act, has failed on all of its promises.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LEWIS, Madam Speaker, it is unbelievable. With so much to be done--so much good that we could do--this Congress stops work to vote a 37th time to destroy health care reform. Thirty seven times! The voters have spoken. The Supreme Court has ruled. The Affordable Care Act is the law of the land and we will not go backwards.

The American people are counting on us to do what is right; what is just. We made a promise of health care to the American people. We must keep that promise. Vote no. Keep the promise of health care.

First, I thank the gentleman from Maryland, the Democratic whip, for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, the House will meet at 2 p.m. in pro forma session. On Tuesday, the House will meet at noon for morning hour and 2 p.m. for legislative business. Votes will be postponed until 6:30 p.m. On Wednesday and Thursday, the House will meet at 10 a.m. for morning hour and at noon for legislative business. On Friday, the House will meet at 9 a.m. for legislative business. Last votes of the week are expected no later than 3 p.m.

Mr. Speaker, the House will consider a few suspensions on Tuesday and Wednesday, a complete list of which will be announced by the close of business tomorrow.

In addition, Mr. Speaker, I expect the House to consider H.R. 45, a bill sponsored by Representative Michele Bachmann, to fully repeal ObamaCare.

We will also consider H.R. 1062, the SEC Regulatory Accountability Act, authored by Representative Scott Garrett. This bill requires the SEC to conduct cost benefit analysis on any rulemaking to ensure that the benefits outweigh the costs.

Thank you. As you know, Chairman Ryan and Chairman Murray are in discussions about the budget. It is I think encouraging that for the first time in 4 years this is actually occurring, the Senate has finally passed a budget.

But we know both sides take a considerably different view toward our financial budget future. These talks are aimed at sort of narrowing those differences. We certainly don't want to short-circuit those discussions because we're all encouraged.

Thank you for yielding. As you know, there are significant differences. The Senate budget includes over $1 trillion in new tax hikes on small businesses and families, which would be very damaging for the economy. The Senate Democrat bill adds I think about $8 trillion to the deficit and doesn't take what we think are critical steps to saving Social Security and Medicare over the long haul. That's why these discussions, I think, are so critical.

Again, I'm encouraged that both sides are discussing them, trying to

find a way to narrow them, and we ought to give them time to be able to continue those discussions.

Thank you for yielding. I agree with you about the importance of moving our appropriations bill.

The majority leader has announced we will begin the process of funding our government in June through an open appropriation, and through those appropriation seasons will work with the Appropriations Committee to determine which bills will come to the floor in June, as we have continued to do for the last number of years.

Thank you for yielding. As you may remember, the President proposed this sequester originally in discussions about the budget and has threatened to veto any legislative efforts to turn off that sequester. Perhaps that's why Republicans, Democrats, and the President recently signed legislation that locks in those lower spending levels for the remainder of the budget year, and Congress has provided the administration the flexibility to cut funding from the nonpriority provisions, areas, of the budget so we can prioritize those important areas that you discussed.

As we all remember, what the sequester did was take, in effect, a 500-pound government and insisted that it lose 10 pounds. That's what the sequester does--a minor amount but important because this Nation is running such dangerously high deficits.

So, clearly, there is bipartisan agreement on the spending levels for the budget for the rest of the year. I think that's the regular appropriations process that Chairman Rogers is bringing forward in which we'll have a chance, Republicans and Democrats, to amend it, to get our ideas to the floor. I think that adds extra importance to that process.

Well, thank you for yielding. I was disappointed in today's action in the sense that I think it is dangerous to flirt with default. America ought to pay its debt, and we ought to reassure investors here at home--our local retirement funds that have bought U.S. Treasury, the Social Security trust fund, itself, that gets paid back interest, as well as other investors--that America will not default. I was disappointed this was made a partisan issue when, in fact, I think flirting with it and getting to the brink has really been damaging to our economy, and I think choosing for default was a mistake by your colleagues.

I am hopeful that the Senate will take it up and that there will be a more bipartisan effort to assure that we are going to actually pay our bills and then focus on the real problem, which is dangerously high deficits, the fact that we're not acting now to save Social Security and Medicare--such critical programs.

In the House, we've begun the discussions to identify what those priorities are to move us back toward a balanced budget without raising taxes on local families and businesses. We've begun the process of identifying good, positive ideas that would restore confidence in America's financial future, and we think it is important this moves along in a very deliberate, timely manner so that we don't end up with an 11th-hour issue.

I think this is a reasonable, appropriate way to deal with a huge, dramatically larger debt borrowing amount than America has ever seen-- so many trillions piled up in the last few years and more piling up for the future. We don't think the answer is taking more of what people earn; it is Congress coming together, Republicans and Democrats, and finding a way to get our financial house in order, move back toward a balanced budget and act to save Social Security and Medicare.

I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 2 p.m. on Monday next and that the order of the House of January 3, 2013, regarding morning-hour debate not apply on that day.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a proud veteran from my district who served his country well, loved his family and friends and epitomized generosity and selflessness.

As a proud soldier, Patrick Sellers earned his jump wings at Fort Benning before joining the Special Forces as an Intelligence Analyst. He was proud of his military service with good reason. In addition to those coveted Airborne wings, Staff Sergeant Sellers earned a Meritorious Service Medal, an Army Commendation Medal, an Army Achievement Medal, a Joint Services Achievement Medal, a German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency, a Non Commissioned Officers Development Ribbon, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Army Service Medal. He capped off his military service working in the Counter Terrorism Unit at the National Security Agency.

But Patrick was more than just a soldier, he was a husband, a son, a brother, an uncle and most importantly, a dad. His wife of 20 years, Tamatha and their 12 year old son William Cade are deeply feeling his sudden loss. So are his extended family, friends, and coworkers, who will remember Patrick for his quick and decisive wit, his ability to relate to anyone in any circumstance and his uncanny ability to disarm people with an exceptional impersonation. Underneath his tough soldier ``get it done'' exterior was a love of life, of family and of football. His passion for NFL Football was evident in his competitive fantasy league. I'm sure there are coaches in the NFL who could have benefitted from his knowledge of the game.

To Tamatha, William Cade, his parents Terry and Eulata Sellers, his sister Sharon,

niece Katrina and nephew Bryce, as long as you all continue to keep Patrick's spirit alive, the pain of his loss eases a little more. America is grateful for his selfless service and a better place for it.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

During the annual debate on the budget resolution, the House assigns 1 hour to the Joint Economic Committee to assess current economic conditions and evaluate how the budget resolution, if implemented, would improve the outlook for America's economy. As chairman of the Joint Economic Committee during the 113th Congress, I'm pleased to lead this discussion.

For more than 2 years, the Joint Economic Committee has demonstrated that the current recovery we're in is the weakest of all recoveries lasting at least 1 year since World War II in terms of economic growth, in terms of jobs, and in personal income for families.

Let's examine the following three charts. In each, the red lines depict the current recovery where we're headed right now; the navy blue lines depict the average of all the other recoveries since World War II, and the sky-blue line depicts the average of these recoveries.

Since the recession ended 3\1/2\ years ago, our real economy, the real GDP, has grown by a mere 7.5 percent. That's this one. But during the comparable period, real economic growth averaged more than double that, 17.5 percent in other postwar recoveries. It is a huge gap between where we are today as a Nation and just the average, C-student, middle-of-the-road recovery of the past. We are lagging far behind. There is a serious growth gap.

President Obama often boasts that his recovery has generated 6.4 million jobs in the private sector since we hit a low in February 2010. But if you look at previous postwar recoveries, just apples to apples, the average increase in private jobs over the comparable time would have generated an equivalent of 10.4 million jobs. This is the comparison. These are the jobs of the current

recovery. This is just the average. And that blue-shaded area is the range between the very worst, the one we're in, and the very best, which is a lot more jobs. In fact, today, this recovery compared to the average, we're missing 4 million jobs in America. We're missing more than $1 trillion out of our economy because of the current recovery in this growth gap.

In fact, if this recovery had been merely average, middle-of-the- road, instead of having fewer jobs on Main Street than when the recession began, which is where we're at right now, fewer jobs on Main Street, private payroll employment would have been at an all-time high if this would have just been an average recovery.

Sluggish economic growth and job creation have also slowed personal income growth, the money that you earn as a family. In recoveries since 1960, disposable income, real disposable income, apples to apples, per person, grew by $3,500 over 43 months. But during the same period, this is where the average income for families has grown; but look where we are under the current recovery. During the same period, for the current recovery, personal income growth for a family, it isn't $3,500, it's about $416. So this current recovery is taking a real toll on families and taking a real toll on our economy and on jobs.

Now, think what is more worrisome than this economy's weak performance is the ability of our economy to grow and create private- sector jobs in the future. Economic evidence shows that it may have permanently fallen. In the most recent ``Budget and Economic Outlook,'' the Congressional Budget Office lowered its estimate for our long-term growth rate as a Nation, the potential GDP, from its average since 1950 of 3.3 percent. They lowered it and our future to 2.3 percent.

Now, one percentage point may not sound like much, but it has a huge effect on our economy, on our jobs, and on the ability of the Federal Government to pay its bills.

Think about it like this: at America's traditional 3.3 percent growth rate of the past half a century, our real economy doubles every 22 years. But at this new normal, this new slower rate of 2.3 percent, it takes almost 32 years to double in size. That's a decade longer; that's a decade slower.

A permanent growth gap of 1 percent translates into one-third slower growth for our young people seeking to find their first job and for families hoping to reach their American Dream. A permanent growth gap of 1 percent means our economy will be $20 trillion smaller in 2052. That's actually a growth gap for 1 year larger than the entire American economy today.

It also means it will be harder to balance the Federal budget since a permanent growth gap of 1 percent means the loss of a whopping $93 trillion from our Federal coffers, again, over the next four decades. Think about $93 trillion today. The unfunded liability for Social Security, Medicare, and our Federal pensions in today's dollars is only $87 billion. So the prospect of a ``new normal'' for America's economy in which our future growth permanently slows by one-third should be a red flag for all Americans.

We are told in school growing up that in Shakespeare's play, a soothsayer told Julius Caesar to beware the ides of March, the 15th. Ironically, this year, President Obama released his ``Economic Report of the President'' on that ominous date, and buried in this report are some startling admissions and some dire warnings for the American people. Unlike Caesar, this Congress should take heed.

First, the President's report acknowledges that the current recovery is indeed the weakest since World War II, as Republicans on the Joint Economic Committee have been saying now for more than 2 years. This growth gap is real, and it's widening. Second, our economy's ability to grow in the future, the growth rate of potential GDP, has decreased. The President admits that.

Unfortunately, President Obama then seeks to blame this new normal on everything other than his economic leadership. The report attributes two-thirds of the decrease to demographic factors, specifically an aging population and a slower rate of net immigration. The report attributes the remaining one-third to just about everything that's ever occurred in the last 5 years.

Demographic factors account for some of the new normal. But if you think about it, our potential economy for the future, it's a function of how many hours that are worked in America and the growth of the workers, how productive they are. In turn, what drives that productivity of the American worker is if businesses invest in new business, new equipment, new buildings, new software. That drives jobs along Main Street.

The policies of the Obama White House--higher taxes; the unwillingness to propose real solutions to save Social Security and Medicare for future generations; the prospects of higher costs and regulations due to the President's new ObamaCare law; how we regulate our local banks; global warming regulations; and suppression of energy production on Federal lands and waters, America's lands and waters-- have generated so much uncertainty, and it's really squelched new business investment in America. Unlike real personal consumption, nonresidential investment from the business community still remains below what it was before the recession began.

Mr. Chairman, this new normal for America, the growth gap that we're in today, the prospect that America will grow slower in the future is unacceptable. Republican Members of this House are working to accelerate growth. A big step we can take forward tonight is to pass the House budget. It is a responsible, balanced budget.

By estimations, it will raise our economic growth by 1 percent in the next year. That's significant. It will add $1,500 in new purchasing power for households. And if you look over the long term, the next 10 years, the House budget could well add up to 3 percent to our economic growth and $4,000 per household in real income people don't have today, real gains that they don't have today.

The truth of the matter is the roadblocks to America's future are still in place: the prospect of higher taxes; the failure to reform and save our entitlements; ObamaCare with all the new taxes, new regulations; higher costs for families; and the fact that we're not pursuing tax reform, at least from this White House, with the Ways and Means Committee and House Republicans in this budget to move toward a fairer, simpler tax code that closes tax loopholes and does it not to fuel spending but rather to fuel lower rates for families and small businesses and make us competitive again as a Nation.

This budget resolution, this responsible and balanced budget developed by the Budget Committee chaired by Paul Ryan, is the first step toward a brighter economic future for our children and grandchildren.

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

Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to a key member of the Joint Economic Committee, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Duffy).

I yield an additional 2 minutes to the gentleman.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

You know, we did have an interesting hearing in the Joint Economic Committee about the growth gap in America, about the thought and prospect that America's future growth could shrink by as much as a third, the damage it would do for families, to our economy, to our ability to pay our bills as a Nation.

And when we asked the four witnesses, all from different backgrounds and different philosophies, we asked them a simple question.

One, do you believe higher tax increases, more tax increases, would help the American economy today? Not one of them said it would.

And we asked them, what do we need to reassure our investors and put America back on a firm financial path? They all said, you need to act now on reforming Social Security and Medicare for the long haul.

And I said, so when is now? And they generally agreed by June or July. I mean, now.

The Republican budget does that. The Democrat budget ignores our problems, ignores the advice of four distinguished economists.

Earlier tonight a claim was made that some of the budgets are indifferent to the suffering of many. I want to address the suffering of many in today's America, under today's recovery.

Take a look at this. Since the bottom of the recession, the President often likes to boast that he has created over 6 million jobs along Main Street in America. But what he doesn't talk about much is that, in that same period, this Nation has forced over 8 million families on to food stamps, simply to have food on their table, simply to keep hunger from their door.

You are more likely, as a family under this recovery, to be forced to apply for food stamps than to actually walk into the door of a company that's offering you a job. That's not the sign of a healthy recovery. That's the suffering that occurs under today's recovery that this President has led. That's the growth gap's impact on real people.

Let's take a look at families income, because that's so important to paying bills today, not just that you have a job, but, you know, are you getting ahead? Are you falling behind?

Look at this chart. This shows the growth gap and the impact on families. Up to this date, the worst economic recovery that we had since World War II, a family, by now, would have gained back almost $2,000 in disposable income, real income they can spend. Under the best recovery, they would have almost $5,000 in their pocket. Just average, middle-of-the-road, C-grade recovery, nothing to talk about, a family ought to have now over $3,500 more gained back in their paycheck.

But look what they have--$461, and that's all, in the last 3\1/2\ years. That's what they've gained back, $10 a month. So more families are being forced to go on food stamps. Those who have jobs are going nowhere in this recovery.

Let's look at Wall Street. The Federal Reserve is printing money right and left, buying our own debt, buying up credit, allocating, picking winners and losers around this country, continuing to pour money into the system.

So what's happened?

Let's put that family income against the Wall Street income. In this economic recovery, look at Wall Street. Look at the Standard & Poor's total return, look how high it is. It continues to grow.

But look at Main Street. Look at a per-person income, where it's gone over the last 3\1/2\ years. Again, almost nowhere.

If you like this economic recovery, if you like the fact that, as Wall Street roars, Main Street families are left behind, then don't change anything. Continue higher taxes, more stimulus spending, borrowing every dollar it seems that we spend.

You'll leave the President's health care law in place, put new regulations on Main Street, and this is what we'll get more of, families that continue to fall further and further behind, families who are looking for a job, and they either drop out completely and give up working, or they're forced onto food stamps, families that watch Wall Street grow wealthier as they gain what, $10 a month in their paycheck?

The Republican budget changes the course of not just our financial position as a country, it changes the course for our economy, adding immediately 1 percent growth, closing that growth gap here in this first year, adding more income, $1,500 to a family, and over the next 10 years, doing dramatically more, both for families and the economy.

That's what the Republicans' budget is about. It's about changing the growth gap, closing it, and giving our families a fighting chance again.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I am prepared to close, so I would be glad to reserve at this time so the former chairman of the Joint Economic Committee may close.

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

I want to thank the former chairman of the Joint Economic Committee, Congresswoman Maloney, for her leadership, and continue to enjoy working with you on these economic issues.

Tonight, we have talked a lot about the growth gap and about the prospect

that America's future could be much dimmer. The truth is fiscal challenges facing our Nation are great, but they are not insurmountable if we are willing to take the necessary steps, if we are willing to be less popular, willing to do the right thing. As I said in my opening statement, the single most important thing we can do for families for America to start paying its bills as a government is to take the restrictor plate off our economy.

This recovery is substandard, the weakest since World War II. The growth gap is large and growing. The private sector jobs gap is large and growing. The gap in personal income for families is large and growing. We are adding more people to food stamps than we are getting jobs since the bottom of this recession.

That is no way to build a strong middle class. It is a formula for making people more dependent on the Federal Government. That may be some people's vision of America's future, but not ours.

So, if we are to change the future economic growth of America upside, if we are to increase economic growth in jobs and income growth, we need to restore the promise of economic opportunity in optimism. That is what the Republican budget does. It shrinks the Federal Government where it is fat and wasteful, and it grows the economy in ways that Americans can prosper. That is why the Republican budget is pro-growth and includes pro-growth tax reform, and it is key to a new era of American prosperity. It is a responsible balanced budget, which I strongly support.

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

Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to remember a journalist's journalist and a dear friend.

This week, Montgomery County was saddened to read the news about the loss of Nancy Flake, a journalist who cared deeply about our community.

A short, but valiant battle with cancer took Nancy away from us too soon, but I wanted the nation to know more about this amazing woman because I will always appreciate her diligence, her fairness and her obvious love for all things education-related.

William Gordon and Julia Ann Roberts welcomed their daughter, Nancy to this world in Bartlesville, Oklahoma on May 10, 1956. Nancy would continue to love all things `Sooner' long after becoming a Texan.

She taught herself to read at age 4 and never stopped reading everything she could get her hands on. She loved music and was a self- taught guitar player. Nancy earned her journalism degree at the University of Central Oklahoma and got to pursue her love of reporting here in Montgomery County where her reporting and columns, earned the respect of public officials like me, our community, Courier readers, and her peers who showered her with numerous awards.

But this passionate reporter was so much more than words on a page, she was a dedicated mother and friend. Mason and Marty can attest to both their mother's protective nature and her intense pride in their accomplishments in high school and now in college. Her friends have too many stories to recount here today of her willingness to listen to any problem, her wise counsel towards solutions and her ability to make them laugh even in the toughest of times.

Just last month, Nancy learned she had cancer and she fought it with the same strength, courage and humor she brought to journalism and has passed down to her sons, who were with her when she left this world to become Heaven's intrepid reporter.

Today, her sons, her father, brother, Bill Roberts Jr., his wife Jayne; her sister, Carol Starrett and husband David; numerous nieces and nephews and a myriad of friends, co-workers and members of the community she touched with her gifts, are saying goodbye at a special memorial service at The Woodlands United Methodist Church.

Booker T. Washington once said ``Success in life is founded upon attention to the small things rather than the large things; to the every day things nearest to us rather than to the things that are remote and uncommon.'' Nancy helped us all understand and appreciate the every day things nearest to us in ways we might not have appreciated without her insight. She cherished the small things with her precious sons and now they will cherish wonderful memories knowing she is in our Lord's loving embrace.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of native Texan, Chief Petty Officer Christopher Scott Kyle, a Navy SEAL and a true American hero.

Chris Kyle grew up in Odessa, Texas and as a young child, was taught to shoot by his father. He went on to use those skills in defense of our nation as a SEAL in the U.S. Navy. Chief Kyle served in every major battle of Operation Iraqi Freedom during his four tours in Iraq. During his time in Iraq, he was shot twice and involved in several IED explosions, and was awarded for his distinguished service both the Bronze and Silver Star medals several times.

After being honorably discharged from the Navy in 2009, this devoted family man to wife, Taya, and their two children, settled in Midlothian, Texas to run Craft International, a firm that provides law enforcement training and security protection. Determined to help his fellow soldiers, Chris helped create the Fitco Cares Foundation, which provides support and encouragement to veterans in need.

The untimely death of this American patriot and military hero is a devastating loss--not just for his precious family, but for his fellow veterans, his community and the entire nation. We grieve for his wife, and children, who must go on without his presence. We lament that his good works are left unfinished. And we mourn for the lives who have been robbed of ever knowing him and benefitting from his faith, encouragement, and tenacity.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a great community in my district. Magnolia, Texas, is celebrating 150 years of railway history with a new title--Train Town.

This designation from the Union Pacific Railroad will be official on Tuesday, February 12 when Union Pacific officials present the award to the Magnolia Historical Society, the City of Magnolia and the Greater Magnolia Chamber of Commerce.

It's fitting that the presentation will take place at Magnolia's historic Depot. While it may only be 110 years that the town has been officially called Magnolia, this community's rich history dates back to the mid-1800s. By the roaring twenties, Magnolia was a rail shipping center for everything from lumber to livestock and just about anything you could send on the rails.

Thank you, Union Pacific, for your efforts to recognize America's train history and these amazing train towns like Magnolia. Keeping a connection to our past is so important for our future.

Magnolia's historic Depot is located right in the heart of downtown at 426 Melton Street. In 2005, rather than tear it down to make way for a road expansion, it was carefully moved so it can continue to be a tangible link to Magnolia's rich heritage and a big part of the community we love.

Thanks to the Magnolia Historical Society, everyone who comes to the Depot can enjoy what the train city must have looked like and

enjoy getting away from the present and immersed in history. From the solid plank wood floors, exposed wood trusses, and sliding freight doors, the Depot and its adjacent railroad tracks that were such a part of Magnolia's early days are preserved for future generations so they too can enjoy a real Train City. Their efforts to revive a piece of Magnolia's past for all of us to enjoy deserve this honor.

As Magnolia continues to grow, I am confident it will never lose its Train Town heritage and how Magnolia's Depot connected Montgomery county to the world.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of a real American hero and proud resident of the Eighth District of Texas, William ``Bill'' Sherman Weeks, who was laid to rest in the Houston National Cemetery this week.

It was very fitting that so many from our community joined Mr. Week's friends and family to honor this amazing man who offered over thirty years of service in defense of this nation.

As someone who was playing American Legion baseball and going on Boy Scout campouts at age 14, I can't help but be amazed by Bill Weeks, who at 14 donned this nation's uniform to serve in World War II.

Bill Week's service didn't end with the War to End all Wars; he went on to serve in the Korean War and two tours in Vietnam. His military service has been honored with over 22 ribbons and medals including the Bronze Star with Valor, the Korean Campaign Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal and the Vietnamese Honor Medal presented by the Vietnamese government. On top of all of that, he was also awarded a Purple Heart.

Mr. Weeks retired from the Air Force in 1974 as Chief Master Sergeant, and settled in Shenandoah where this devoted family man enjoyed his retirement, especially his time with his grandchildren and great grandchildren.

In an interview with one of our local newspapers, the Conroe Courier, Mrs. Weeks described her husband of 20 years as ``. . .very modest and reserved, not only about himself but also about his time spent serving his country.''

``As I'm going through things, I'm sure I'll still find stuff that I didn't know he did,'' said Mrs. Weeks.

That, my friends, is what's right about America. Bill Weeks was the best of Americans because he showed us what makes a hero with his actions and those actions spoke more than any words ever could.

Americans love their nation and the freedoms we cherish. Some, like Bill Weeks, loved this nation enough to lend this nation the best years of their lives. A hero isn't someone who wins a battle, but who serves others. Mr. Weeks was a great American and a hero.

Our nation is forever in his debt as we are to the millions of Americans who volunteer their service to our nation. We pray God's comfort for this family and honor the memory of this Airman, husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather who has left such an amazing legacy.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1845) to provide for a study on issues relating to access to intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) for Medicare beneficiaries in all care settings and a demonstration project to examine the benefits of providing coverage and payment for items and services necessary to administer IVIG in the home, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the subject of the bill under consideration.

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

I, too, want to add my thanks and appreciation to my classmate on her years of dedication and stellar service to the United States of America on behalf of your wonderful State. Thank you.

Some of you may remember David, the little boy in the bubble. He was a constituent from Shenandoah, Texas, who passed away at the age of 12 after living many years of his life in a sterile environment at the Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, Texas. His mom, Carol Ann Demeret, is a champion for David and for other patients who were born with immunodeficiency disease. Carol Ann is a friend and a constituent, and has worked so hard to help those patients impacted with that disease. For years now, Carol Ann and I and many others have been fighting to change the law that could help patients like David.

Intravenous immune globulin, or IVIG therapy, is a vital step for treating patients with certain life-threatening diseases. These are patients for whom virtually every trip outside is potentially deadly. For the 250,000 Americans with primary immunodeficiency disease, there is no place more dangerous than going to a hospital for treatment. This is why home IVIG treatment actually prevents people being exposed to common illnesses that may make you and I miserable for a day or two, but could be deadly for patients with suppressed immune systems.

Regular access to IVIG therapy means a better quality of life, less disability, and potentially the difference between life and death. Unfortunately, today current law excludes from Medicare coverage the items and services necessary to administer IVIG therapy in the home, where doctors tell us patients with compromised immune systems can benefit the most.

The Medicare IVIG Access Act requires the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to do a couple of things. It establishes a 3-year demonstration project to cover these items and services necessary to do this therapy in the home. It evaluates the impact of the demonstration project on access for these Medicare beneficiaries, analyzes the appropriateness of implementing a new methodology for IVIG payment in all care settings under Medicare part B, and updates a previous report on this by the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation.

It's my intent that the required study consider the impact of lag times with respect to data used to determine the average sales price and make recommendations to reduce the lag time to ensure more accurate pricing for IVIG, and to report whether home infusion saves the Medicare program tax dollars by improving access to all care settings.

The Medicare Payment Advisory Committee recently looked at home infusion, including the access problem for Medicare beneficiaries with

At this time, I yield 2 minutes to the chairman of the Health Subcommittee, a longtime fighter for patients and those on Medicare, the gentleman from California (Mr. Herger).

Madam Speaker, I yield another minute to the gentleman from California.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to the lead author and champion of the SMART Act, one of our health care leaders, Mr. Murphy of Pennsylvania.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

In closing, I want to thank my counterpart, Doris Matsui, for her great work on this issue. I so appreciate the leadership and partnership of Mr. Kind and Mr. Murphy in combining these two important health care bills in order to both provide safer, more affordable access to care for those with compromised immune deficiencies, as well as finding ways to save money with the important Medicare program and the SMART Act.

I want to thank Andrew Wankum of my staff for his excellent work on this bill, Dan Elling, staff director of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health, as well as Jennifer Safavian for her leadership on the Ways and Means Committee. But I especially want to thank my constituent friend, Carol Ann Demaret, the mom of David, for her decades of hard work on behalf of these patients. And I appreciate so much Marcia Boyle, the founder of the Immune Deficiency Foundation, and all those patients who for years have come up here asking for this help and change.

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, this is a jobs bill, pure and simple. It levels the playing field in Russia for American energy, agriculture, manufacturing, services, and our growing technology industry to be able to compete on a level playing field in that country with our competitors: China, Europe, Brazil, and others.

This bill means more sales to the ninth largest economy in the world and more jobs here at home as a result. America gives up nothing in this legislation, but it stands to gain much. Creating that leveled playing field is important to job creation.

But this bill also holds Russia accountable to live up to its obligations, to play by the same trade rules everyone else in this world does as well. That means a chance to protect and the means to insist that our intellectual property rights be protected, to insist that sound science be used on food safety, to insist, again, that there are not artificial barriers either at the front door or the back to American products and services being sold in Russia.

This legislation also creates important new tools to continue to pressure Russia to make progress on the important issue of human rights. For Texas, our State, this is an important issue because Russia is our fastest growing trade partner. We are the number one exporter. Our growth and sales grew by almost a third last year alone.

But it is broader than that. It's important to every State in the United States. It's important to our trading relationship. And again, the fact that we are able to hold Russia accountable should they violate their commitments, we have in law a process to resolve those disputes and re-create a level playing field.

I want to credit and thank Chairman Dave Camp of Michigan for his long leadership on trade. This is, by my account, the seventh bipartisan trade measure to pass this House, and we hope it will move to the President's desk. And I thank Ranking Member Levin for his outstanding work on this as well.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 585, I was unavoidably detained and could not be present for last night's rollcall vote on H.R. 5044, the Andrew P. Carpenter Tax Act. I am a cosponsor and strong supporter of this legislation, which would provide tax relief from any amounts of private educational loans forgiven for service members who lost their lives in the line of duty since the beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom in October of 2001. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Coach Joe Avezzano.

As we kick off the 2012 football season, there are heavy hearts in Texas and throughout the country because of the passing of former Dallas Cowboys' special teams Coach Joe Avezzano.

For four decades, Coach Joe gave all his time and dedication to the sport we all love and today we take a minute to honor him.

Coach Avezzano was on the sidelines for three of the Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl wins (1993, 1994 and 1996). He was named the National Football League's special-teams coach of year in 1991, 1993 and 1998.

It's not just his colleagues and players who are mourning his loss, but the fans who loved how animated he was on the sidelines and how his indomitable spirit inspired his ``special-teams demons'' to play the game of football and the game of life at a whole new level.

Coach Joe was a young 68 when he collapsed on a treadmill while in Milan coaching the Milano Seamen of the Italian Football League.

His work in Milan, as an Ambassador to the world for American football, was just the latest stop on Coach Joe's football world tour which started when he played offensive lineman for the Boston Patriots.

In the 1980's, Coach Avezzano served as the head coach at Oregon State University. And who could have predicted then that in a short four year span he would go on to be instrumental in three Super Bowl victories.

After leaving Dallas, Coach Joe led the Oakland Raiders special teams and coached in the Arena Football League.

While football was his life, music was his passion and even former Dallas Cowboys coach Barry Switzer said ``Joe would rather have been a country western music star or on-stage performer than a football coach if he had a choice.''

Mr. Speaker, Joseph William Avezzano is survived by his wife, Diann, son Tony, many friends and family members, his crews at Coach Joe's Bar and Grill in Frisco and Coach Joe's Hat Trick in Lewisville and millions of football fans who will always miss how his personality and spirit filled the sidelines of any game he ever coached.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember Ryan Milley, a young man from Conroe, Texas who was born on September 20, 1979. In 1998, 18-year old Ryan lost his life to meningococcal meningitis.

As a result of Ryan's death his family founded Meningitis Angels, a national nonprofit organization that educates the public, health

professionals, child care facilities, schools and universities on not only meningitis but other vaccine preventable diseases through personal stories, educational brochures, posters and videos.

Meningitis Angels is dedicated to the support of victims of bacterial meningitis and their families. While helping families cope with the loss or care of a family member they also offer some hands on support for those children affected with bacterial meningitis.

Sadly, Meningitis Angels continues to grow. Meningitis Angels currently represents over 600 families across the U.S. and abroad.

Mr. Speaker, I cannot do justice to these families without speaking about this terrible and preventable disease.

Bacterial meningitis is an infection of the meninges, the thin lining that surrounds the brain and spinal cord.

It is a deadly, debilitating disease that especially affects infants, children, teenagers, young adults, and those with compromised immune systems.

People who have bacterial meningitis may have longterm complications and disabilities like permanent brain damage and long-term physical problems such as heart, kidney, or intestinal problems or could require amputations of the arms, legs and facial features. Infants and teens are highest risk for this disease.

The most effective way to protect your child against bacterial meningitis is to complete the recommended vaccine schedule. In many states, these vaccines are required for children in school and daycare.

The families of Meningitis Angels can tell you that these requirements are not frivolous or busy work.

So on their behalf, I ask that American families get vaccinated to prevent more tragedies.

I have offered H. Res. 403 to honor Ryan Wayne Milley, his remarkable mom Frankie, and all Meningitis Angels across the United States. Today is an appropriate day to remember Ryan and to support efforts to end the disease that took his life.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 586, I was unavoidably detained and could not be present for last night's rollcall vote on H.R. 5912, a bill that would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to prohibit the use of public funds for political party conventions and provide for the return of any previously-distributed funds for deficit reduction. I am a strong supporter of this legislation. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''