Floor Statements

Mr. Chair, I rise today in somewhat reluctant support of the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act. I am supporting this bill because of the tremendous good it will do for middle class families in my district and throughout the country.

This bill extends emergency unemployment benefits for 400,000 Californians whose benefits have expired. Not only do these benefits help working families pay the bills and put food on their tables, they also stimulate economic growth, creating $1.63 in economic demand for every dollar in benefits.

This bill also extends dozens of tax incentives that benefit middle class families like the college tuition deduction, child tax credit, marriage penalty relief, and the enhanced earned income tax credit. It helps small businesses expand and hire more workers by extending the R&D tax credit, zero percent capital gains tax on long term small business investments, and bonus depreciation for capital investments.

And it also invests in a clean, renewable energy future by extending tax incentives for renewable fuels, energy-efficient appliances and home construction, and the successful Treasury Department grant program for renewable energy projects. These extensions will help local green businesses in my district like Clipper Wind, REC Solar, and CREE Lighting create quality green jobs that can't be shipped overseas. And it will stimulate our economy by expanding our use of cleaner, safer forms of energy.

The bottom line is this bill will create jobs and spur economic growth, and these are provisions that I strongly support. However, this bill also continues to tilt our tax code in favor of the wealthiest three percent of our society. And I oppose those provisions in the strongest of terms.

I support the permanent extension of current tax rates on income up to $250,000 and, in fact, representing an area with such a high cost of living, I would probably support extending that limit up to $500,000. But, Mr. Chair, I do not see why we should extend the reduced tax rates for incomes in excess of that.

This proposal to extend the reduced tax rates that only go to millionaires and billionaires will cost taxpayers over $80 billion, simply adding to our deficit. To add insult to injury, this tax cut extension for the super-rich lasts for two years while emergency unemployment benefits last for only 13 months. And, Mr. Chair, according to virtually all economists these extensions will do virtually nothing to stimulate economic growth.

Adding to the giveaways, Republicans insisted on ``fixing'' the estate tax to ensure that only 0.14 percent of estates are subject to the tax, adding another $68 billion to the deficit. I agree that the estate tax needs to be fixed, but this is not the solution. At a time when middle class families continue to struggle, continuing tax cuts that only go to millionaires and billionaires is irresponsible, wasteful and bad economics. These tax cuts for the super wealthy will add nearly $140 billion to the deficit in just two years.

I am also very concerned that this bill includes a temporary two percent reduction in payroll taxes for all employees and self-employed individuals. While I strongly support additional tax relief to Middle Class families--which this achieves--the payroll tax reduction puts the Social Security Trust Fund at risk of losing its independent revenue stream. I believe we should extend the Making Work Pay Tax Credit, which gave targeted tax relief to those that needed it most without endangering the financial security of Social Security.

Finally, the bill before us needlessly extends the excessive ethanol tax subsidy of 46 cents per gallon. Thanks in part to this harmful subsidy, the U.S. will divert nearly 40 percent of the domestic corn crop from food and feed to fuel this year, which will only exacerbate the growing problem of increasingly volatile and high commodity prices. Lowering this subsidy by just 10 cents per gallon would help reduce these harmful side effects, and save taxpayers roughly $1 billion next year.

Mr. Chair, I am very disappointed that this important legislation to prevent a tax increase on everyday Americans has been loaded down with so many unnecessary and wasteful provisions. But I'm supporting this bill because the needs of middle class families and small businesses-- the backbone of our economy--are too important to be left to die in the hands of Republican leadership next Congress.

This bill is a compromise. It's not the compromise I would have written. But it's the compromise that will get desperately needed help to the families that need it most. Time has run out and we must act now for the good of the American people.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 2941) to reauthorize and enhance Johanna's Law to increase public awareness and knowledge with respect to gynecologic cancers.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material in the Record.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2941, a bill to reauthorize Johanna's Law. I would also like to acknowledge the hard work of the bill's sponsor, Representative DeLauro, on this legislation. She has been a tireless supporter of this program and a staunch advocate for this reauthorization.

The bill reauthorizes an existing CDC program to educate women and health care providers about the detection and treatment of gynecological cancers. Gynecological cancers are diagnosed in over 80,000 American women annually and they kill nearly 28,000. The program educates women so that they can recognize the warning signs of gynecological cancers, because when such cancers are found early, treatment is most effective. The program also connects women to patient support services and key national organizations which are fighting gynecological cancers.

I know that many of my colleagues here today are cosponsors of the bill, and I urge you all in joining me in supporting it.

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

Mr. Speaker, I had intended to yield to the bill's author, our colleague from Connecticut, Representative DeLauro, but then her schedule precluded her from attending this hearing. So I am going to read her statement into the Record on her behalf.

Every hour, approximately 10 women in the United States are diagnosed with a gynecologic cancer such as ovarian, cervical, and uterine cancers. Each year, we lose over 26,000 of our mothers, our sisters, our daughters, and our friends to one of these terrible cancers. This is a tragedy.

Research shows that many of those deaths could be prevented if more women knew the risk factors and recognized the early symptoms of gynecologic cancers so that they could discuss them with their doctors. Some cancers have a dramatic difference in likely survival when they are diagnosed early. Ovarian cancer, as my colleague just referred to, for example, has just about a threefold difference in survivability between the early time it can be diagnosed and the later time it is often diagnosed.

In 2007, Johanna's Law, the Gynecologic Cancer Education and Awareness Act, was enacted.

This important legislation created a gynecologic cancer education and awareness campaign which is administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, to raise awareness of the five main types of gynecologic cancer: cervical, ovarian, uterine, vaginal, and vulvar.

Johanna's Law was originally authorized for 3 years, and H.R. 2941 reauthorizes the program for another 3 years. This bill reauthorizes a national awareness and education program to ensure that those diagnoses are made as early as possible so that women can have a higher chance of survival and authorizes, in addition, funding of $18 million over the 3-year period. The bill has more than 150 bipartisan cosponsors in the House. It was passed by unanimous voice vote in late September, and the Senate passed revised language on December 10. It is important that we reauthorize Johanna's Law in this Congress to continue building upon the CDC's efforts to educate women and their health care providers.

In conclusion, our colleague Ms. DeLauro wants to thank Congressman Darrell Issa; Dan Burton, our colleague who has just spoken; and Sandy Levin for their committed leadership on this issue.

Ms. DeLauro. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of an important bill that enjoys strong and consistent bipartisan support--the reauthorization of Johanna's Law through 2014. This is an important vote. It will help to raise awareness of the warning signs of ovarian cancer.

Better awareness is one of the most critical tools we have. Research shows that many deaths from these diseases could be prevented if more women and health care providers knew the risk factors, and recognized the early symptoms of gynecologic cancers.

Better awareness might have helped Johanna Silver Gordon--in whose honor the bill is named. Johanna lost her life to ovarian cancer despite being a health-conscious woman who visited the gynecologist regularly. Like many women, Johanna had symptoms and clinical signs of ovarian cancer that were missed by both her and her healthcare provider. And her sister, Sheryl Silver, was determined never to let another sister, mother, daughter or friend go through the same thing.

This bill is a big step in that fight. It reauthorizes the existing CDC program that educates women and their health care providers about the symptoms of ovarian and other gynecological cancers. Put simply, it will save lives.

I want to thank Congressmen Darrell Issa, Dan Burton, and Sandy Levin for their committed leadership on this issue. And I urge my colleagues to vote for this legislation today. As Johanna's family can tell you, it really will make a difference.

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

Madam Speaker, I was not able to be present for the following rollcall votes on December 14, 2010, and would like the Record to reflect that I would have voted as follows: rollcall No. 628: ``yes''; rollcall No. 629: ``yes''; rollcall No. 630: ``yes''.

I thank my colleague and our chairman for yielding time.

Madam Speaker, I am rising today in strong support of Senate bill 3199, the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act. And I am very proud to have introduced the House version of this bill with our colleague Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson of Missouri. The House did pass this legislation by voice vote in March of 2009, and the Senate version, introduced by Senators Snowe and Harkin, was modified by the Senate HELP Committee and passed by unanimous consent earlier this week. Senate bill 3199 is noncontroversial and would make needed improvements to the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program, as recommended by experts.

Each year, more than 12,000 infants are born with a hearing loss. If left undetected, this condition impedes speech, language, and cognitive development. And I might add, with concerns for the cost, the cost to taxpayers of not recognizing these needs and intervening, the cost in special education, in modified vocational goals for individuals who will be a burden to taxpayers the rest of their lives is unbelievably high.

Since the authorization of the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program in early 2000, we have seen a tremendous increase in the number of newborns who are being screened for hearing loss. Back in 2000, only 44 percent of newborns were being screened for hearing loss. Now we are screening newborns at a rate of over 93 percent. But you know, our work isn't done yet. According to CDC, almost half of newborns who fail initial hearing screenings do not receive appropriate followup care. And in my work as a school nurse for over 20 years, I had much interaction with students who were lagging behind their classmates due to undiagnosed and/or untreated hearing loss. We can prevent more children from suffering in the classroom and suffering throughout their lives through a better investment in followup and intervention as a part of the successful hearing screening program for newborns and infants.

This legislation would accomplish these goals through reauthorizing the programs administered by HRSA, CDC, and the NIH, providing grants to conduct newborn hearing screening, provide followup intervention to promote surveillance and research. So I am strongly urging my colleagues to join me in voting in favor of Senate bill 3199, to continue building on the great success of these programs.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my strong support of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010. I want to thank the Speaker and Majority Leader for bringing this important legislation before the full House.

Like the majority of the American public, I believe repealing this discriminatory policy is long over-due. As Members of Congress, we owe the bravest of our constituents, those who serve in the Armed Forces, the right to serve openly while protecting our freedom.

As the Pentagon report and testimony by Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Defense Secretary Robert Gates demonstrates, this policy does not make our military stronger or our nation safer. In fact, it has weakened America's security by depriving our nation of the service of thousands of gay and lesbian troops who have served their country honorably--and forcing even larger numbers of troops to lie about who they are.

We ask our soldiers and their families to make tremendous sacrifices, yet deny many of them the most basic of civil rights? This is abhorrent, and supporting an end to this policy will be one of my proudest moments of the 111th Congress.

As debate on this issue has escalated over the years, I have been fortunate enough to represent the Palm Center, previously located at UC Santa Barbara. For over 10 years, this organization has been at the forefront of research and outreach to repeal the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. It has been a privilege to bring its work to the attention of Congress, and I know I speak on behalf of all who support repeal when I thank the staff at the Palm Center for their tireless work.

Today's vote is the culmination of many years of concerted effort by an untold number of soldiers, private citizens, advocacy groups and public servants. As his colleague in the House, I would like to particularly commend Congressman Patrick Murphy, the lead sponsor on this bill. As a Veteran of the Iraq war, Mr. Murphy has an unparalleled perspective on this issue and I thank him for his leadership.

I also want to thank the thousands of service members who have been denied their civil rights for their valuable service to our country.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to do the right thing today and support this important legislation to end this discriminatory and harmful policy.

I thank the distinguished chairman for yielding to me.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in very reluctant support of this resolution. Unfortunately, we have before us today yet another one-sided resolution regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I will vote in favor of it because I do oppose unilateral declarations of Palestinian statehood, and I do believe that a negotiated solution is the only way forward for Palestinian statehood to actually happen. However, this resolution ignores other facts on the ground that have led to the current breakdown in negotiations, most notably Israel's expansion of settlements.

Mr. Speaker, it is truly absurd to argue that serious negotiations can occur when both actors are engaged in activities that threaten the credibility of the peace process. It is likewise unwise to ignore that both Israelis and Palestinians bear responsibility for engaging in these activities.

Resolutions, like the one we are considering today, are clearly done for domestic political consumption much more than for having any positive impact on the conflict. We should not be ignorant of the fact that this Chamber's pattern of passing resolutions that are one-sided can, indeed, undermine our credibility to be serious brokers for peace.

No one is doubting the important relationship between the United States and Israel. Israel is our strongest ally and the only true democracy in the region, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't speak the truth in identifying Israeli policies that are harmful to promoting peace in the region and that advance the United States' national interests.

If I could rewrite this resolution, it would highlight the responsibilities of each partner to take actions demonstrative of its commitment to peace. Israelis and Palestinians alike share this responsibility, and so does the United States as an honest broker.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my strong support for H.R. 1751, the American Dream Act.

Each year, thousands and thousands of exemplary students graduate from high school and find their dreams of securing a job or attending college deferred because of their immigration status.

These kids worked diligently through high school just like their peers, often taking Advanced Placement classes to give themselves a leg-up in the college application process.

But through no fault of their own, these students face an unsurpassable obstacle: their status as an ``undocumented'' American. In honor of each of these ambitious young people, I am proud to support the DREAM Act tonight.

This bipartisan legislation provides undocumented young people in the United States with conditional residency and a pathway to citizenship if they came here before the age of 16 and maintained a continuous residency for 5 years. These young people must also graduate from high school or obtain a GED, have no criminal records and either serve their country in the military or attend college for at least two years.

Since the first introduction of this legislation in 2001, an untold number of accomplished and determined immigrant students have been denied the right to citizenship, at severe cost to our nation economically and socially.

I am proud to not only count myself among DREAM Act supporters, but also as an active recruiter to convince some of my more conservative colleagues to sign their name on, too.

Tonight is a wonderful night for countless talented young people across our nation. I will proudly vote ``yes'' on the American DREAM Act.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 620, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Madam Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart. Last month, four cherished members of my community on the California Central Coast died when their plane carrying medical supplies crashed in Mexico. All four were participating in a humanitarian mission with the Flying Samaritans aid organization.

The tragic loss of Dr. Graciela Sarmiento of Arroyo Grande, Roger Lyon of Cayucos, Dr. James Thorton of Arroyo Grande and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo student and paramedic Andrew Thiel has been of tremendous shock and heart-ache to our close community. That these four selfless and dedicated individuals would pass on so suddenly and in an act of such generosity is all the more painful.

As our community grieves, we have pledged to honor the work of Graciela, Roger, James and Andrew in our own lives. In death, these remarkable people have reminded us in the most powerful and tragic of ways that life is short, and that genuine generosity knows no bounds.

While they were at different stages in life, all four were known to their families, friends and neighbors as bighearted, intellectually curious and passionate about contributing to the community and world around them. In leading through example, Graciela, Roger, James and Andrew demonstrated that there are no limits when working to make this world a better place.

I urge all my colleagues to celebrate the lives of Graciela, Roger, James and Andrew with their own acts of generosity and to pray for their surviving families and friends. Thank you and I yield back.

Madam Speaker, I was not able to be present for the following rollcall votes on November 15, 2010 and would like the Record to reflect that I would have voted as follows: rollcall No. 566, ``yes''; rollcall No. 567, ``yes''; rollcall No. 568, ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise with great pride this morning to congratulate Amir Abo-Shaeer from Goleta, California. Mr. Abo-Shaeer was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship Grant for his tremendous work at Dos Pueblos High School as an engineering and physics teacher. He also established and leads the Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy, which competes annually in the Robotics World Championship, entitled FIRST.

For the last 2 years, the Dos Pueblos High School team, half of which are young women, has been awarded the Motorola Award for the best designed robot at the competition. Mr. Abo-Shaeer is the first public school teacher to win this prestigious award and a powerful testament to the importance of science and math education in our schools. His innovative, challenging, and outside-the-box teaching style is exactly what we need to create and inspire the next generation of American engineers, scientists, and innovators.

On behalf of the entire Santa Barbara community, I want to send the heartiest congratulations to this dedicated public servant.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my constituent David Romero from San Luis Obispo, CA.

Mr. Romero is retiring as mayor of San Luis Obispo, after holding this office since 2002. Prior to serving as mayor, Mr. Romero served on the City Council, worked as the Public Works Director and further dedicated himself to our community by lecturing at Cal Poly, and serving in the Chamber of Commerce, SLO Council of Governments and SLO Regional Transit Authority.

Mr. Romero is a true public servant, and his contribution to San Luis Obispo and the greater community will not be forgotten any time soon. He is a sterling example of the work that a city can accomplish when its citizens roll up their sleeves, work together and dedicate themselves to making their community a better place.

It has been an honor to work with him to ensure the residents of San Luis Obispo are well-represented locally and in Washington, DC. In our conversations over the years, I am consistently struck by the dedication and responsibility he feels towards his friends and neighbors of this beautiful city.

On behalf of the entire San Luis Obispo community, I am proud to honor Mr. Romero and his wonderful family today. I wish him much rest and relaxation in his retirement!

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor my constituent Georgie O'Connor from San Luis Obispo County.

Georgie is retiring from the Lucia Mar Unified School District, after having served since its formation in 1965. Her almost 50 years of service on the school board is a California State record for the longest-serving school board member, as confirmed by the California School Boards Association.

Georgie is a local treasure who has dedicated her career to ensuring high standards and a quality education for the young people in San Luis Obispo County.

Over her tenure, Georgie has watched multiple generations of students make their way through and graduate from Lucia Mar, including many current teachers and administrators. Through it all, she has never lost sight of the invaluable importance of a rigorous education for our nation's young people.

She is a true public servant, and it gives me great pleasure on behalf of the Lucia Mar Unified School District Community to thank her for her dedicated service today. I wish her much rest and relaxation in her well-deserved retirement!

Thank you and I yield back.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1032, the HEART for Women Act. As you may know, heart disease is the number one killer of American women, claiming the lives of over 400,000 women annually.

The HEART for Women Act seeks to improve our capability to prevent, diagnose and treat heart disease in women in three ways.

First, it requires a GAO report to carefully look at the FDA's record of evaluating new drug and device applications in an effort to ensure we are taking into account how new drugs and devices affect women differently than men as well as people of different ethnicities or ages.

This could not be more timely following the recently released Institute of Medicine report ``Women's Health Research: Progress, Pitfalls, and Promise'' recommending that ``all medical product evaluations by the Food and Drug Administration present efficacy and safety data separately for men and women. . .''

Second, the bill requires the Secretary to report on the quality and access to care for women with heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular disease.

And finally, it expands the CDC's successful WISEWOMAN program which provides critical cardiovascular screening, treatment, education and prevention services to low-income women.

I'd like to thank the broad coalition of supporters who have endorsed this legislation, especially American Heart Association, WomenHeart and the Society for Women's Health Research.

I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this legislation and in favor of improving the health of women living with heart disease.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2408, the Scleroderma Research and Awareness Act.

Scleroderma is a chronic connective tissue disease in which hardening of the skin is one of the most visible manifestations of the disease.

An estimated 300,000 people in the United States have scleroderma and female patients outnumber male patients an astonishing four to one.

The exact cause or causes of scleroderma are still unknown and there is no cure, which make greater research into this disease all the more necessary.

H.R. 2408 would encourage NIH to conduct more research into Scleroderma and encourage the Secretary of Health & Human Services to conduct a public awareness campaign about the disease.

Passage of this bill out of Committee and in the House of Representatives would not be possible without the grassroots advocacy of patients and families of patients with Scleroderma so I would like to thank them personally for helping us reach today.

Finally, I would like to thank the lead Republican co-sponsor of this legislation, Vern Ehlers of Michigan for his continued support of H.R. 2408.

I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill.