Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about my amendment that is going to be offered to the Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill. It is part of our effort to stop President Obama's executive amnesty.

The amendment would freeze the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program by prohibiting any Federal funds or resources from being used to consider or adjudicate any new renewal or previously denied application for any alien requesting consideration for the deferral. Individuals currently in the program would be allowed to continue through the remainder of their deferral period.

Last year, I had the opportunity to visit the UAC facility at Fort Sill and also to spend some time on the southern border, where agents briefed me. The visits confirmed what we have known all along: DACA is the magnet for drawing Central American children here. Unaccompanied alien children believe they are going to receive amnesty. That is a false hope. There are also problems with the Office of Refugee Resettlement, with physical abuse of these children, and we know that the American people want us to take this action. Seventy-five percent reject executive amnesty.

I encourage the body to join me today in passing the Blackburn amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman from Kentucky for his tenacious work on this issue. This is the 10th time this has come to the floor and he has been diligent and has continued to push it, and we thank him for those efforts.

I have to tell you, listening to this debate, it just goes to show you why the American people are so tired of what they consider to be the political games that are played here in Washington.

They said they wanted us to come and get some things done. This is getting some things done. It is appropriate that we take up this bill today. And here is why: Do you realize 88 percent of all Americans support energy independence--88 percent? Sixty-five percent of all Americans think that building the Keystone pipeline is what this country should do.

Now, I have to tell you, I listen to the President and to the excuses that come out of the administration, and I think that with the Supreme Court decision in Nebraska today the President is out of excuses. He is out of excuses. He has run the gamut on it. No more excuses. It is time that we pass it, the Senate passes it, and that this legislation goes to the President's desk.

One of my colleagues said that being here on the floor today is a waste of time. I really disagree with that, Mr. Speaker. The President vetoing this legislation is a waste not only of the American people's time, but of the resources and the taxpayer money that come into the coffers for this government to function.

Create 20,000 new jobs, increase our energy supply, move us to energy independence. Pass the bill.

Madam Speaker, I am rising today in support of H.R. 39. This is a bill I filed yesterday, and it calls for a 1 percent across-the-board spending reduction for all discretionary spending except for Homeland Security, Defense, and Veterans Affairs. That is 1 percent out of the 2015 budget.

The Federal Government is over $18 trillion in debt. That is why I filed this bill, because it is not fair to hardworking taxpayers and to future generations to be saddled with this debt.

Do you know, right now, $56,600 is each individual's share of the debt? I have a nephew who just recently turned 1 year old; Worth Hunter has $56,600 worth of debt. Is that fair? No, indeed, it is not.

It is important that we begin to cut that 1 penny out of every dollar in discretionary spending to get our fiscal house in order. I urge consideration of H.R. 39.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the sponsor of the legislation, the gentleman from Utah, for the excellent job that he has done in preparing this legislation and bringing it to the body.

If you were to go with me into my district in Tennessee--19 counties, 10,000 square miles--one of the things that you would hear in every community discussion is a certain amount of disdain for Federal agencies.

Now, we all expect we are going to hear about not liking the IRS, but the number one agency in my district to dislike, to be frustrated with, to want to get control of, to reform is the EPA, and that is because whether you are a small business owner or a painter or a manufacturer or a farmer who is growing food to go on the table, you get hassled by the EPA with all sorts of frivolous and nonsensical rules and regulations and interpretations.

Quite frankly, the American people are tired of it, and they look at us and they say, ``Tell me what you are going to do about it.''

Now, Mr. Speaker, today is a day that, yes, indeed, we can do something about this and a component of it, the Science Advisory Board--isn't it so interesting that these agencies create this tangled web of different boards and advisory capacities, and it is all to insulate their cronies, and it is all to help them shield millions of taxpayer dollars, money coming out of the pockets of hardworking taxpayers, that are going to their cronies, who are receiving these grants.

The American people are saying, ``Stop it. Get it under control. Get a handle on this.'' This is one of the ways that we do it.

The chairman has spoken eloquently about the membership and the makeup of the Science Advisory Board, the cronyism that is taking place there, and the need for it to stop, the ability to have these conflicts of interest brought out of smoke-filled rooms and moved

into the transparency of sunlight and knowledge of the American people. It is a great disinfectant. It is time for it to be put on the EPA, and certainly, H.R. 1422 is a great way to go about that.

We wouldn't even be here discussing this today and there would be no need at all for H.R. 1422 if the EPA were to follow their own peer- review handbook, but I guess Grubergate has gone governmentwide. What we are seeing is they are all trying to find ways to squirrel this away and to hide and to not have that transparency.

It is time to pass this legislation. It is time to bring transparency to the process.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak on behalf of something that I am for, and that is the chairman's amendment as he has presented it.

Madam Speaker, I think that for so many of us who represent men and women in uniform who comprise our fighting forces and who have been so diligent in this battle, in this war on terrorism, we look at these votes and certainly it causes us concern; and we know that the measure that the House is taking up is a measure as requested by the President--we recognize that--and we recognize, also, the severity and importance of the issue.

Madam Speaker, this is an issue that should require the full attention of every member and every staff member of this body. And I think that we all approach this--I do--with a lot of questions, and we realize that what the Commander in Chief has asked for is really, in the opinion of so many of the men and women that I represent, a half measure.

I wish we would see more leadership, and I am hopeful that in days to come we will see leadership from our Commander in Chief. That is what the men and women deserve, and that is what the American people deserve as we seek to protect our homeland.

I wish that we could stand here and say this administration has learned their lessons, because they have so mishandled the drawdown in Iraq. And the rhetoric of al Qaeda being on the run was truly a disservice to our military forces and to our men and women in uniform and to the American people.

It would be my hope that as we take a first step that we recenter our focus and commit to annihilating ISIL from the face of the Earth.

Mr. Speaker, few words are more isolating and strike fear in the heart of a person or the parent of a child than cancer. 36,570 Tennesseans will be diagnosed with cancer this year. Thankfully, due to the work of thousands of scientists, death rates due to all cancers continue to decline. 14 million Americans who are cancer survivors will celebrate their birthdays this year. These stories of hope in the face of a devastating illness inspire us all.

But not everyone is surviving. It is sobering to think, in the U.S., someone dies because of cancer every 60 seconds. We must continue the fight against this devastating illness. We must examine all barriers to finding the cure for all cancers.

One such barrier is the time it takes for new therapies to reach the patient. Delays occur at the regulatory level and at the reimbursement level. The time it takes for a new drug to move from the laboratory to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval can take 10-15 years. Additional time is spent in determining the reimbursement level by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Recently, the FDA showed that it has the flexibility to greatly shorten the time line to approval. A meningitis vaccine, not previously available in the U.S., was granted FDA approval in a remarkably shortened timeline. The landmark decision came after meningitis outbreaks at U.S. colleges resulted in deaths and disability and a great public outcry.

The same flexibility needs to be shown to those who have cancer and are reaching for promising therapies that regulators have kept just out of their reach.

I am pleased that the grassroots organization, ``My Life is Worth It,'' has begun an online campaign to collect one million signatures in support of several critical actions that can be taken to bring innovative cancer therapies to the patients that need them most.

On September 16th there will be a powerful display around the Capitol Reflecting Pool on the National Mall. The ``Lights of Hope'' sponsored by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network is estimated to involve over 15,000 committed advocates, serving as a beacon of hope to those who have been touched by cancer--while remembering those who have been lost. As we look out on the National Mall and see these lights, let Congress resolve to do all we can to ensure that those who need it most have the hope to survive and live a happy and fruitful life.

Mr. Speaker, changing the world is no small feat. Many feel the call, but not many set out, put feet to their prayers and dreams, and actually change the world for the better. Three collegiate men from Belmont University have spent the summer putting more than their good wishes into motion. I rise today to honor Brennon Mobley, James Richfield, and J.D. Hartwig as they work to complete their heroic cross-country cycling tour.

Cycling across the county is certainly a noble endeavor. Nobler still are the 147 million reasons these three men are offering up their summer with blood, sweat, tears, and bike tires. By teaming up with 147 Million Orphans, a nonprofit founding in 2009 by two Middle Tennessee mothers seeking to meet the critical needs of orphans, the three will raise money to build a school in Honduras as they cycle the 3,300 miles from Oceanside, Oregon to Washington, DC.

Whether participant, parent, friend, supporter, or community member, those who have offered their time, talents, and treasures to this incredible summer ride bear witness to the power of coming together, in the name of the Almighty, for a common good. I ask my colleagues to join with me in celebrating the loving-kindness of Brennon Mobley, James Richfield, and J.D. Hartwig as we all continue the sacred work of protecting and serving the least among us.

Mr. Speaker, there are souls so magnificent and so dedicated to the service of others, that when the opportunity comes to offer them our gratitude, our words feel small in comparison. I rise today to celebrate one of Middle Tennessee's true servants, Father Dexter Sutton Brewer, on his 25th anniversary of ordination to the priesthood.

Father encountered the Almighty first in the Baptist church as a child and later in the Catholic faith as a student at Yale. He earned his law degree in 1982 and was ordained into the priesthood in 1989. From clerking for the Tennessee Supreme Court to teaching at Father Ryan High School, from shepherding the souls at Christ the King Parish to tending the flock as both judicial vicar and vicar general for the Diocese of Nashville, Father Dexter offers his life in the pursuit of wisdom, beauty, and justice.

A prayer written at America's birth calls on the most gracious God ``to replenish His servant with the truth of doctrine, and endue him with innocence of life, that he may faithfully serve before God, to the glory of His great Name and the benefit of the holy Church.'' Throughout the past 25 years, these words have been fulfilled through the humble and grand service of Father Dexter Sutton Brewer. I join with Father Dexter's family, parish, and all those gathered to celebrate his Silver Anniversary in offering thanks to the Almighty for His servant.

Mr. Speaker, music finds a home in Middle Tennessee. It settles in and we build it a foundation that withstands the weathered seasons of our lives. Various styles, compositions, and genius are found here in various artists, songwriters, and musicians. Some find their favorites on the Billboard Top 40 and others hear them at local gatherings. We are a community that celebrates all the notes of life and particularly enjoys celebrating together the drumbeats and rhythms of life. I rise today to congratulate one such gathering of musical excellence, The Exotics, as they continue 50 years of making great music in Franklin, Tennessee.

Billy Adair, Jeff Cook, Glenn Crowell, and Loy Hardcastle met in high school, formed a band, and began playing the great sound of the 60s: rock 'n roll. Shortly after, they were joined by Robert Early and Steve Smartt. The Exotics never played for a record deal or to book large stadiums. These men of music chased and found the love of their craft at high school dances, pool parties, and fraternity events. As they chased, a loving community came alongside them. Fifty years later, members of The Exotics will play once more to their fans of Franklin.

I join with all of those celebrating The Exotics' 50 years of magnificent rock 'n roll. I ask my colleagues to join with me in congratulating these mighty men of music on half a century of making a home for great music in Middle Tennessee.

Mr. Speaker, the Tennessee 7th Congressional District has its share of men, myths, and legends. We are thankful to have giants of music, industry, public service, and community become our neighbors and friends. I rise today to honor the legacy of one such mighty man of the Tennessee 7th on the 40th anniversary of the day he left us.

Buford Pusser's legacy isn't just one of taking on moonshining and ridding McNairy County of prostitution. His short time on Earth is marked by his continued service to others. From joining the United States Marine Corps to becoming Adamsville's police chief and constable after he was given a medical discharge from the military, Pusser's dedication served well the citizens of McNairy County. Elected to three consecutive terms as Sheriff, Pusser continued to protect and defend his beloved community.

It is fitting to remember Buford Pusser on the day his life ended, to remember the dedication and determination for justice that shaped his life. His impact on McNairy County cannot be measured in simple numbers, or in long bats, but only in the legacy he left behind. I ask my colleagues to join with me in remembering one of McNairy County's greatest men.

Mr. Speaker, there are those who offer their vocations to their community, their family, and their country. Then there are those who blaze such a trail of dedication and service that all who follow behind cannot help but to offer gratitude and great thanks. I rise today to celebrate and honor the men of the 555th Parachute Infantry Company as they are remembered in a ceremony fitting their legacy.

The men who comprised the Triple Nickels broke through barriers, jumped out of planes, and showed up for battle. What began with 20 young African-American enlisted men in 1943 ended, in name only, in 1947. The 555th would become the 3rd Battalion, 505th Infantry regiment, 82nd Airborne Division and would be the first African- American unit in history to become a part of an American combat division. The legacy of mighty soldiers that began with these men continued into the 188th Airborne Infantry Regiment, the 11th Airborne Division, and the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team.

I join with all those gathered to dedicate a monument to the Triple Nickels Association in offering my profound thanks. In overcoming great obstacles, the men of the 555th became more than paratroopers. Their legacy lives on today in a military free of racial barriers and in the hearts and minds of all who seek freedom. I ask my colleagues to join with me in celebrating and remembering the men of the 555th Parachute Infantry Company.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Lynne Mofenson, M.D., who is retiring after 26 years of service to the federal government, and is currently Chief of the Maternal and Pediatric Infectious Disease Branch at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Mofenson received the 2012 Federal Employee of the Year Award from the Partnership for Public Service. The award is one of nine Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals bestowed on public servants who make ``high-impact contributions to the health, safety and well- being of Americans.'' She was recognized for playing a pivotal role in preventing the AIDS epidemic among U.S. children through an effective means of preventing pregnant women from passing HIV on to their infants, and for dedicating her career to conducting research on HIV which has influenced and informed national HIV policy.

In 1989, when Dr. Mofenson, a pediatric infectious disease physician, came to the NICHD, 25 to 35 percent of all infants born to mothers with HIV infection were themselves infected with HIV. The landmark research study published by Dr. Mofenson and her colleagues in 1994 showed that use of the anti-HIV drug AZT reduced the rate of mother-to-child HIV transmission rate to 8.3 percent. Dr. Mofenson's further collaborations led to other successful strategies for blocking mother-to-child transmission, and currently, there are fewer than 100 new mother-to- child HIV cases in the U.S. each year--well under 1 percent. This is a true public health success story.

Dr. Mofenson has continued to work with colleagues in this country and around the world to reduce mother-to-child HIV transmission and to improve the treatments for children with HIV infection. She has played a critical role in the development and ongoing updates of evidence- based guidelines for the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), and the World Health Organization that provide blueprints for the timely conversion of research findings into real changes in medical care for women, children, and families affected by HIV worldwide. Please join me in honoring the lifelong work of this extraordinary scientist.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in honor of Lynne Mofenson, M.D., who is retiring after 26 years of service to the Federal Government and is currently the chief of the Maternal and Pediatric Infectious Disease Branch at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health.

Now, I have a full list of Dr. Mofenson's accomplishments and her prestigious and wonderful resume for the Record, but just a couple of points:

Dr. Mofenson received the 2012 Federal Employee of the Year Award from the Partnership for Public Service. The award is one of nine Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals bestowed on public servants who make high-impact contributions to the health, safety, and well- being of Americans. She was recognized for playing a pivotal role in preventing the AIDS epidemic among U.S. children through an effective means of preventing pregnant women from passing HIV on to their infants, and for dedicating her career to conducting research on HIV, which has influenced and informed national HIV policy.

Dr. Mofenson has continued to work with her colleagues in this country and around the globe to reduce mother-to-child HIV transmission and to improve the treatments for children with HIV infection. Please join me in honoring the lifelong work of this extraordinary scientist.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Pitts for his diligence on this effort and on behalf of the American people to allow them the choice and the options that they are seeking in their health care.

My colleague is concerned that we are looking at repeals and that we are looking at replacements and we are looking at allowing choice and options for Americans. We are going to continue to do that because what we have found, Mr. Speaker, what we have found is that premiums are rising.

In my State, they are going to go up another 18 to 20 percent this year. We have an insurance product in the marketplace that many of our constituents tell us is too expensive to afford. We are seeing narrowed networks. People have an insurance card, but guess what. They don't have access to the queue. They can't see the doctor. We are hearing from our hospitals that they are seeing their emergency rooms crowded.

So yes, indeed, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3522, the Employee Health Care Protection Act. It is the right thing to do. If you like your health care plan, under this bill you would be able to keep your health care plan. We would be helping the President to fulfill a promise that he broke. Let's get back on track and let's fulfill that promise.

This is what the American people want right now, by the administration's own admission. These aren't my numbers. It is the administration's number. Up to 80 percent of the small business health plans would not make the ObamaCare cut because they are not government- compliant. The operative word here is they are not government- compliant. The government is forcing people into a plan that they don't want, don't like, and can't afford. This is the administration admitting this. They are taking away options and choice in the marketplace.

We have heard from small business owners all across our district who are struggling to find ways to provide health insurance to their employees and still manage to stay in business. What they are looking for is a way to provide jobs and increase wages. ObamaCare is making it more and more difficult.

We have heard from our constituents about how their insurance premiums and their copayments are escalating and the complaints they have from employees because they don't like the ObamaCare plans. We have heard that they do not understand why they are forced into purchasing government-compliant insurance which does not meet their needs.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3522, the Employee Health Care Protection Act, will provide some relief to the small business community by allowing them to maintain their current health insurance plans. If you like the health insurance plan that you have, you would be able to keep it. It is fulfilling a promise. It is what small business employers want. It is what the American people want.

I urge passage of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman.

I rise in support of my amendment to prevent the extension of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that was indeed unlawfully put in place by an executive memo on August 15, 2012. What this amendment does is to return us to the original language of H.R. 5160. Plus, it strengthens that original language by looking beyond July 30. What it will do is to tie the President's hands as to future executive actions that he might take to expand amnesty for illegal entrants into this country. It would freeze DACA.

Now, I want to read the bill because it is not a lengthy bill. Beginning on line 1, section 1, Limitation on deferred action for childhood arrivals; restrictions on employment authorization for aliens not in lawful status.

No agency or instrumentality of the Federal Government may use Federal funding or resources after July 30, 2014:

One, to consider or adjudicate any new or previously denied application of any alien requesting consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, as authorized by the executive memo dated June 15, 2012, and effective on August 15, 2012, or by any other succeeding executive memorandum or policy authorizing a similar program.

Number two, to newly authorize deferred action for any class of aliens not lawfully present in the United States.

Number three, to authorize any alien to work in the U.S. if such alien, A, was not lawfully admitted into the U.S. in compliance with the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.); and, B, is not in lawful status in the U.S. on the date of the enactment of this act.

That is it. That is it. That is what is in this piece of legislation.

What it does, in effect, is to give Central American children a false hope. It says that they are going to be able to obtain amnesty, as those before them have done in this program. And the reason we are so concerned about this and the reason my colleagues have come and have talked about their concern, what is happening is you have the traffickers, you have the smugglers, you have the coyotes who are preying on these innocent people. And they believe if these children can make it here, they will get amnesty. It is a false hope. Certainly we know and we care about these families. We know these countries want to get their children back and reunite them with their families in their home countries.

Now, Mr. Speaker, what we are hearing is that the administration would like to expand DACA. Indeed, we have heard that the President has instructed Secretary Johnson and General Holder to come up with a list of executive actions to address immigration.

The increase and the statistics that Mr. Labrador gave us on the percentages of increase cannot be denied.

We see what is happening on this border. Mr. Poe talked about what he has seen happening with those families. And true to form, just as Governor Perry warned us in 2012 that this was going to happen, indeed, it is. We are seeing this unprecedented increase going back to 2009, looking at where we are with today, with the children, with the teens, with the adults that are streaming across this border and are disrupting life along the southern border for American families.

I want to make one other point. Chairman Goodlatte mentioned this earlier. We have talked a little bit about the Constitution tonight, and, indeed, we all know that when you look at the Constitution, article I, section 8, clause 4, that is where those enumerated powers are given to Congress. They are given to Congress ``to establish an uniform rule of naturalization.''