Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding, and I rise today to express my strong support for H. Res. 1330, a resolution recognizing June 8 as World Ocean Day.

I want to thank my colleague and dear friend Sam Farr, who represents a neighboring district to mine on the central coast of California, for introducing this important resolution of which I am a proud cosponsor.

We are a water planet, Mr. Speaker. The oceans cover 71 percent of the Earth's surface and contain 97 percent of the planet's water. They regulate our climate. They regulate our weather. We depend on them for the air we breathe, for protein in our diets, for our quality of life.

Yesterday, the international community celebrated World Ocean Day. Now, more than ever, it is time for us to pay tribute to our oceans and to their resources.

Two national commissions have found our oceans are under increasing pressure. They are showing signs of serious decline from oxygen- deprived dead zones to depleted fish populations to contaminated beach waters, and now we must add a massive oil spill to the list. This disastrous gulf oil spill is the worst environmental disaster in our Nation's history.

There is no doubt our addiction to oil jeopardizes the vibrant and economically important marine life of our world's oceans. We are being reminded every day of the often-forgotten value of these resources, and it's our responsibility to protect them.

A national ocean policy is needed, Mr. Speaker, perhaps now more than ever. Such a policy would ensure that activities occurring off our shores, like offshore drilling, that these activities meet the basic requirements of protecting, maintaining, and restoring our ocean ecosystems and resources. President Obama has already erected a task force to develop, with public input, recommendations for a national ocean policy, which are expected soon. This is an important first step that will better protect our oceans.

But there's another step that Congress can take. So I urge my colleagues to join with me not only in supporting this important resolution recognizing World Ocean Day, but as our colleague from Oregon has just stated, moving forward, taking the collective responsibility, the stewardship that we share to defend and care for our water planet.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to offer my support for H. Res. 518, a resolution honoring the life and accomplishments of the great environmentalist Jacques Cousteau.

Jacques Cousteau was an inventor, an explorer and a concerned citizen of our world.

He invented a waterproof housing for an underwater movie camera in 1936, and in 1943, with French engineer Emile Gagnon created the Aqualung, which allowed divers to swim untethered underwater for several hours. Cousteau fought for the French in World War II, and the Aqualung was used by divers to locate and remove enemy mines after the war.

In 1950 he purchased the ship Calypso from which to conduct his explorations of the world oceans, beginning the work for which he is perhaps best known: bringing the excitement of the oceans to the public.

He showed people around the world the beauty of ocean ecosystems-- from the Red Sea to Antarctica and from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean--exploring the depths with a sense of adventure and exposing the oceans as the last earthy frontier to be explored.

He also lectured, produced amazing underwater photography, and published many books. Two of his films, ``The Silent World'' and ``World Without Sun'' won Academy Awards for best documentary.

His television program, ``The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau,'' which aired from 1968 to 1976, won multiple Emmy's and brought the marvels of his expeditions and the undersea world into American homes, inspiring many to love the sea and to pursue careers in marine science.

In 1974 he founded The Cousteau Society to help raise public awareness of ocean issues and help promote wise management of our ocean resources. And in 1985 he was awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Ronald Reagan. Finally, in 1989 he was honored by the French with membership in the French Academy.

Mr. Speaker, Jacques Cousteau taught the world how to appreciate, understand, explore, use, and preserve the oceans. We all owe a debt of gratitude to him and his family for raising the public awareness and support for the wonder and beauty of the world's oceans.

As we celebrate World Oceans Week, it is my hope that we can honor the wisdom of Jacques Cousteau by working together to improve the health of our oceans, so that our children and grandchildren will have a chance to enjoy and cherish them as he did.

I encourage all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution honoring the world renowned Jacques Cousteau.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, May is National Arthritis Awareness Month and I rise to let Americans know how they can prevent and decrease the pain and disability of arthritis. Arthritis is the nation's most common cause of disability in the U.S., affecting 46 million adults and 300,000 children. Arthritis is also a common co-morbidity for most other chronic diseases. For example, 57% of adults with heart disease and 52% of adults with diabetes also have arthritis.

There are over 100 types of arthritis. Osteoarthritis, the most common form, affects 27 million Americans, often causing severe pain and disability, interfering with work productivity, and resulting in joint replacement. The risk of osteoarthritis increases rapidly beginning at age 45, affecting many people in their prime working years. The combination of the aging Baby Boomer population, increased longevity, and the obesity epidemic are creating a ``perfect storm'' for dramatically increasing the prevalence of osteoarthritis, especially in women.

Despite this troubling prediction, there is some good news. Numerous new initiatives are underway to address these issues. The National Public Health Agenda for Osteoarthritis, developed through a partnership of the Arthritis Foundation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and 50 other organizations, a blueprint for actions to stem the tide of osteoarthritis. The Agenda states the need to increase availability of evidence-based intervention strategies; increase public health attention for prevention and disease management; increase research to better understand disease risk factors and other effective disease management strategies.

In addition, a new national public service advertising campaign is being undertaken and the Arthritis Foundation is encouraging adults to take simple steps to prevent or decrease the pain and disability of osteoarthritis. The new multimedia campaign features messages about the important role that physical activity and weight reduction play in preventing and managing osteoarthritis. The related website-- www.fightarthritispain.org_includes important information, like an osteoarthritis risk assessment tool for people to find out their risk level and learn how to fight osteoarthritis pain, and

tips, videos and podcasts on how to get moving.

While these are important steps to help individuals cope with arthritis, more needs to be done to research the causes and new interventions for the disease. That is why I am a strong supporter of H.R. 1210, the Arthritis Prevention, Control and Cure Act. This bill, which currently has 173 bipartisan co-sponsors, would invest in needed arthritis research, provider training, and public education efforts. I encourage my colleagues to join me as a cosponsor of this legislation to support all Americans currently living with arthritis, and those who will be diagnosed in the future.

Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor and celebrate a dedicated public servant and friend, Sandra Gardebring Ogren.

Sandee has served California Polytechnic (Cal Poly) State University remarkably as the Vice President for University Advancement. Drawing upon her long record of distinguished public service, Sandee's leadership has contributed to the university's national recognition as an institute of higher education and excellence. Her tireless efforts have helped the university continue to flourish as an invaluable source of innovation and graduates of the highest academic level.

Prior to her work at Cal Poly, Sandee served as Vice President for University Relations at the University of Minnesota for six years. From 1991 to 1998 she was a member of the Minnesota Supreme Court and for two years previously she was a member of the Minnesota Court of Appeals. Additionally, she has held a variety of other public sector jobs including Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Region 5 Enforcement Division.

Clearly, I could talk all day about the extraordinary accomplishments of Sandee and her work in the areas of the law, the environment, human services, transportation, and education, just to name a few. I am honored to work with her and proud to call her my friend.

Madam Speaker, May is National Cancer Research Month and I rise to pay tribute to the invaluable contributions made by scientists and clinicians across the United States who are working not only to overcome this devastating disease, but also to prevent it.

This year, nearly 1.5 million Americans will be diagnosed with cancer and over 500,000 Americans will die from cancer. But the good news is that our nation's investment in cancer research is having a remarkable impact. The five-year survival rate for all cancers has improved over the past 30 years to more than 65 percent. Discoveries and developments in prevention, early detection, and treatment have led to cures for many types of cancer and have led others to be transformed into manageable chronic conditions. Furthermore, many of these advancements have had significant impacts on developing treatments for other common and costly diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer's, HIV/ AIDS and macular degeneration.

Madam Speaker, National Cancer Research Month is the time to reaffirm our further commitment to finding treatments, cures and better tools for prevention, building on the momentum of recent years. As the more than 31,000 members of the American Association for Cancer Research and their partners continue their quest for cancer prevention and cures, Congress must stand behind them and invest in our research infrastructure.

I salute America's cancer researchers and their ongoing efforts and vow to be a partner in the ongoing war on cancer.

Mr. Speaker, this week the House will consider the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act. This legislation is another step in our efforts to create jobs and keep our economic recovery on track. The bill will help communities build schools, roads, and other important infrastructure projects putting people to work now.

In my district, we will see benefits in places like Los Osos and El Rio, which have long been in need of sewer systems. The Build America Bonds program extended in the bill will help advance clean energy efforts like geothermal power projects that will provide electricity for Santa Barbara County.

Mr. Speaker, our economy is still in very rough shape, a result of the reckless actions on Wall Street and little to no oversight by the previous administration. But we are making progress.

Last month, the economy created nearly 300,000 new jobs, a stark turnaround from the 700,000 jobs being lost at the end of the Bush administration. This change comes in large part because of the tough, smart choices we have made to cut taxes and invest in our people. The legislation coming up this week is another of these efforts to keep us on the road to full recovery.

I hope all my colleagues will help support this bill and help build a stronger America.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 996) expressing support for designation of September as National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, 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 include extraneous material in the Record.

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

I rise in strong support of House Resolution 996, expressing support for the designation of September as National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. I would like to commend my colleague from Ohio, Marcia Fudge, for introducing this resolution which I am proud to cosponsor.

This is a bipartisan resolution, supported by over 75 national organizations representing both the public and private sectors. By dedicating September, the month when most children have returned to school, to focus attention on combating childhood obesity, we can set our kids on a healthier course for the entire school year. Consideration of this resolution is particularly timely, given last week's release of the Task Force on Childhood Obesity's report by the White House and the strong championship of First Lady Michelle Obama on this issue.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in every three American children ages 2 to 19 is overweight or obese, and studies conducted at the National Center for Health Statistics of the CDC found that obesity more than tripled among children and adolescents between 1976 and 2008. Childhood obesity is a problem for the entire Nation, but it is more common among certain racial and ethnic groups, with the highest obesity rates present among African American girls and Hispanic boys.

Obesity is a serious health threat. It's estimated to cause 112,000 deaths per year, and one in three children born in the year 2000 are expected to develop diabetes during his or her lifetime. Unless this trend is reversed, at least 23 million American kids will be in danger of becoming the first generation in American history to have shorter life spans than their parents. As a former school nurse, I've seen all too well that the consequences of obesity aren't just manifested physically. There are also devastating behavioral and mental health implications, as obesity is associated with lower self-esteem, poor academic achievement and depression.

Supporting awareness and prevention of childhood obesity can help us eliminate billions of dollars in unnecessary health care costs and help promote a healthier lifestyle that will prolong and improve the lives of the next generation of Americans. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as she may consume to the gentlelady from Ohio, Congresswoman Fudge.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Titus).

Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, so I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 996, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 713) recognizing the significant contributions of United States automobile dealerships, and expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that in the interest of equity, automobile dealers whose franchises have been terminated through no fault of their own be given an opportunity of first consideration once the auto market rebounds and stabilizes, 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 include extraneous material in the Record.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Al Green).

Madam Speaker, I would like to make the point that several minor changes were made in House Resolution 713 in order to clarify that the focus of the resolution is on automobile dealerships and not on automobile manufacturers.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to speak about the unfolding catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico. It's painfully clear that British Petroleum's oil spill could dwarf any environmental disaster in our Nation's history. This horrific tragedy has claimed 11 lives and contaminated gulf waters with millions of gallons of oil. It's still belching thousands of barrels of oil into the water every day, and now the oil has reached the shores of Louisiana. It's impacting the livelihoods of millions in the Gulf Coast States and threatens even more.

The first steps, of course, are to stop the leaks, contain the spill, and attend to the devastating aftermath on the people and their environment. The Obama administration deserves high marks for its swift response from day one to the BP disaster. It mobilized the government's resources to minimize the harm on the health, the economy, and the environment of the Gulf Coast.

Last week, the President sent to Congress legislation that would do three things: First, provide additional resources to mitigate the damage caused by the spill; second, provide assistance to the people and the businesses affected most by the crisis, and; third, to ensure that companies like BP that are responsible for oil spills are the ones that pay for the harm they cause, not the taxpayers.

In addition, Interior Secretary Salazar is conducting a top-to-bottom reform of the Minerals Management Service. He has proceeded splitting the MMS into two distinct agencies: one responsible for leasing and collecting royalties; and one responsible for inspections and safety. He has also ordered immediate inspections of all deepwater operations currently in the gulf, and he announced that no new permits for drilling new wells will go forward until a safety and environmental review is completed.

Finally, the Obama administration is closing loopholes that allowed some oil companies to bypass critical environmental reviews, and is examining all of the environmental procedures on oil and gas activities.

While these are important and necessary steps, I believe that more must be done, and that's why I strongly support President Obama's announcement that he will establish an independent commission to investigate the BP oil disaster. This commission, which he will create by Executive order, will mirror legislation that Mr. Markey and I introduced earlier this month, the BP Deepwater Horizon Inquiry Commission Act.

I believe this commission should have four goals. First, it should examine the causes of the current spill, as well as the adequacy of oil spill containment and cleanup measures. Second, it should determine whether and how such spills can be avoided in the future. Third, it should assess the implications of its findings for drilling in, or adjacent to sensitive or ecologically important areas, including in the Arctic. And four, it should make recommendations on how to strengthen laws, regulations, and reform agency oversight in order to keep this from happening again.

This commission will serve as an important long-term addition to the Obama administration's excellent short-term efforts to investigate and respond to the oil spill.

Mr. Speaker, I have lived in Santa Barbara, California, since 1964. I saw firsthand the devastating consequences of the blowout on platform A just a few miles off our coastline in 1969. That was 40 years ago. That spill dumped millions of gallons of oil into the Santa Barbara Channel. It killed untold amounts of wildlife and polluted our beaches for years. But it also galvanized a burgeoning environmental movement, and it spurred the first Earth Day. It was true then, as it is true today, our response to this disaster cannot be that we simply have to keep drilling in the gulf and other offshore areas because we have no alternative.

The truth is we do have options that can move us further and faster toward energy security. Today our economy stills relies on fossil fuels for energy, and every day we pay a price in volatile prices, source instability, and in unnecessary pollution. The best way to beat this addiction is by reducing overall demand, by promoting renewables, and developing alternatives.

And since America is not exactly awash in oil, reducing our dependence on it would be good not only for our environment, but for our economy and, perhaps most importantly, for our national security. That's exactly what Democrats have done. We have enacted legislation, the Energy Independence and Security Act, and we have passed the Recovery Act to provide an immediate jolt to the clean-energy economy.

The House has also passed comprehensive legislation that caps global warming pollution and invests in clean-energy solutions that create jobs here in America. Developing clean power and energy-efficient technologies, while combating global warming, these are the initiatives that will meet our goals.

As bad as things are--and may yet become--the disaster in the gulf will be even more tragic if we fail to learn from it. Some of our colleagues continue to claim we have to choose between endangering our precious coast and relying on oil imports from dangerous regimes. I believe it is time to reject that false choice. Let's pass comprehensive energy legislation so America can take control of our energy situation.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1261, recognizing National Nurses Week, and I thank the leadership in the Congress for bringing this bill to the floor and acknowledge the close personal ties that many of us have with nurses.

I am very honored and pleased to be cosponsoring this resolution with my House colleagues and fellow nurses, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson and also Carolyn McCarthy.

The recent debate in Congress on health care reform and the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act have provided us an opportunity to highlight the importance of nurses to our health care system. Nurses are the backbone of health care delivery, and I know that because occasionally I will be approached by a colleague who wants to tell me about a recent medical event in their life, some situation, procedure, or surgery or some hospital stay. And inevitably it isn't the kind of doctor care they had; it is the nurses that they want to tell me about, especially the outstanding ones who made all of the difference in their recovery. I know because it is nurses who spend countless hours at patient bedsides. It is nurses who are in all walks of life, educating their communities about public health, and that is what I did for most of my career as a nurse, caring for the children and their families in our public school system in my community.

Nurses are also case managers. They are health system administrators. They are educators. They are members of the military. They are primary providers, and this list goes on and on. So I am proud to see our House of Representatives recognizing the immeasurable contributions that nurses make to the daily health and well-being of all Americans.

Madam Speaker, I know as individuals we each recognize the important roles nurses play. Of course, too often this recognition and appreciation doesn't come until after we have had our own adverse health experiences, as I have been relating to you. As I said, many of my colleagues come up to me after a hospitalization or that of a family member, and again they say, Wow, if it hadn't been for the care of the nurses.

Today, we have an opportunity to collectively thank and show appreciation to the nurses in our lives and all of the nurses that serve our country every day in the armed services and in our communities, the nurses who are our constituents and our family members and our friends, and to renew our commitment to supporting the profession by providing greater opportunities for scholarship and loan repayment, just as we did in our newly enacted health reform law. We have a shortage of nurses and other health providers, and we want to do what we can to increase their numbers so that better patient care can be delivered.

We need to also increase funding for existing programs to improve the training and recruitment of our next generation of nurses. I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution. I am pleased to be standing on the floor in its favor.

First of all, thank you, Chairman Gordon, for your great work on this bill. I want to thank my colleague, Mr. Markey, for your leadership on clean energy issues.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of the Markey-Capps amendment, which is included in our legislation.

The Markey-Capps amendment would complement the clean energy advancement goals of the America COMPETES Act by creating a regional clean energy consortia program. This program will bring together regional networks of research universities, of national labs, of businesses and investors in the clean energy sector to accelerate the commercialization of new clean energy technologies.

They will also stimulate regional economic development and create jobs in places like the central coast of California, which I represent. The Green Coast Innovation Zone, GCIZ, in my district is built on this model and is eager to expand further into the clean energy sector. This provision will support their efforts to create high-quality green jobs that pay well and cannot be outsourced.

So I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the Markey-Capps amendment.

Madam Speaker, it is painfully clear that BP's gulf oil spill could dwarf any environmental disaster in our Nation's history.

This tragedy has claimed 11 lives. It has contaminated the water with millions of gallons of oil, and it is impacting the livelihoods of all who make their living from the gulf's resources. But this disaster will be all the more tragic if we fail to learn from it.

The first steps, of course, are to stop the leaks, to contain the spill, and to attend to the devastating consequences of the explosion and of its aftermath. The Obama administration swiftly responded to the BP disaster from day one. It mobilized the government's resources to minimize the harm on the health, economy, and the environment of the coast. Now it is time to ensure the complete scrutiny of this horrible environmental disaster.

Today, I am introducing legislation to establish an independent commission to examine the causes of the BP disaster and to make recommendations to prevent future tragedies. I urge my colleagues to join me in this effort to make sure a disaster like this never happens again.

Madam Chair, I rise to express my strong support for the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act.

If the unfolding tragedy in the gulf teaches us any lessons, it's that we should be using less energy and getting the energy we need from cleaner sources. This bill is one of several steps taken by this Congress and this administration to achieve these goals that are so important to our economy, to our environment, to our national security.

The fast-acting Home Star program will create hundreds of thousands of jobs in hard-hit industries like construction and manufacturing, will reduce energy use in millions of homes, and it will save homeowners billions in energy bills for years to come. It will do this by providing homeowners upfront rebates for energy-saving investments like new appliances, efficient windows, and insulation.

Madam Chair, our communities desperately need jobs, and Home Star will help create them. It's a critical step toward building the kind of clean energy economy we need to lift up our communities, spur on sustainable growth, and end our addiction to dirty fossil fuels.

I applaud the bipartisan efforts that have brought Home Star to the floor of the House. I urge my colleagues to vote for its passage.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of Wall Street reform.

Wall Street shenanigans led us to this recession, and if not for having the taxpayers bail them out, these shenanigans would have melted down our entire financial system, all while Wall Street made hundreds of billions of dollars for themselves.

Last December, the House of Representatives responded by passing commonsense Wall Street reform. It would protect families and small businesses from predatory loans, from indecipherable fine print, and from other industry gimmicks. It would end taxpayer-funded bailouts and too-big-to-fail banks. It would impose tough new laws on the riskiest Wall Street practices that got us into this mess in the first place.

House Democrats voted ``yes'' on Wall Street reform, but unfortunately, Republicans all voted ``no.'' Yesterday, their Senate colleagues again voted ``no,'' this time even to start an open and honest debate.

It is time to stop the obstructionism and to let the debate begin. If Senate Republicans have problems with the bill, make them known in public. Offer amendments. Take votes. Show us where you stand--with Main Street or with Wall Street.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise today to express my support for the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act (S. 1963). This important piece of legislation is a tremendous step forward for our nation's bravest men and women, and the dedicated caregivers who support them.

This landmark legislation will strengthen health care services for our nation's veterans by expanding services for women veterans, providing resources to caregivers of wounded veterans, improving health care for veterans living in rural areas, providing greater access to mental health services, and expanding assistance to homeless veterans. Importantly, the legislation has received strong endorsements from numerous veterans groups, including the VFW, American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, AMVETS, the Wounded Warrior Project, and Paralyzed Veterans of America.

Among its many critical provisions, I am particularly proud of the expansion of VA services offered to the 1.8 million women who have courageously served their country, including child care for women receiving intensive mental and physical health care services, and post- delivery health care for newborns. In addition, the expansion of mental health benefits, greater support for caregivers, and help for homeless vets will improve the lives of millions of brave men and women and their families.

This important legislation exemplifies the Democrat-led 111th Congress' unwavering commitment to our veterans and their families. Tremendous advances in battlefield medicine have increased the survival rate of wounded soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan and made it even more important that we constantly work to improve veterans' health care and its many support services.

As a nurse, I've seen first-hand the devastating consequences of inadequate health care for our nation's veterans. America has a sacred obligation to ensure these brave men and women receive the highest quality care and today that commitment extends to those dedicated individuals who care for our wounded warriors.