Floor Statements

I very much thank the gentleman from Colorado. I appreciate you holding this very important leadership hour tonight. And, of course, Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my extreme disappointment over President Obama's decision to block the Keystone pipeline by rejecting an application to build and operate the oil pipeline across the U.S. and Canada border.

I think every American should be aware of the consequences. More than 100,000 jobs could be created over the life of the project, including an estimated 20,000 immediate American jobs in construction and manufacturing.

Oil accounts for 37 percent of U.S. energy demand with 71 percent directed to fuels used in transportation. That is equally true of a mother who drives her children to school as it is the businessowner who operates a fleet of delivery vehicles. When the price of gasoline increases, Americans hurt. And the price of gasoline increased 81 cents per gallon in 2011 alone.

I support an all-of-the-above approach to energy, which includes opening up new areas for American energy exploration, transitioning to renewable and alternative energy, and using more clean and reliable nuclear power.

In his State of the Union address, the President stated, ``This country needs an all out, all-of-the-above strategy that develops every available source of American energy, a strategy that's cleaner, cheaper and full of new jobs.'' In my opinion, his decision on the Keystone pipeline is blatantly inconsistent with this very statement.

The door is now open for this Canadian oil to go to China. Canada's Prime Minister announced his ``profound disappointment with the news.'' While the Chinese Government has ensured its future supply of oil and other energy resources, the United States has rejected a new source of energy that was laid at our doorstep. Mr. Speaker, I ask, how does the fact that China could receive this energy supply not serve our national interests? Mr. Speaker, I consider President Obama's decision a grave mistake. And on behalf of the American people who want secure oil and new manufacturing jobs, I hope that the Congress will continue to push him to reconsider this error in judgment.

Again, thank you to my friend from Colorado for holding this important hour tonight on this very important topic to the American people for job creation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 39th anniversary of the monumental court decision Roe v. Wade.

Since legalizing abortion in 1973, approximately 50 million abortions have been performed in the United States alone. Just today, over 4,000 babies will be aborted and over the course of 2012--1.4 million children in the United States will not be granted life.

Mr. Speaker, I am unapologetically pro-life and am proud to be a member of the Pro-Life Caucus. I believe that the miracle of human life begins at the very moment of conception.

I also believe that every human being has the inherent right to life and that this right must be protected by law. As a woman, a wife, and a mother of two small children, I will continue to fight for the unborn as the Representative of Alabama's Second Congressional District.

I applaud my home state of Alabama in its admirable fight to protect human life. Alabama recently became the fifth state to pass a measure banning physicians from performing abortions after 20 weeks--which, according to research, is the point where unborn children can experience pain. I applaud the Alabama legislature for taking such a strong stance on abortion and protecting the unborn.

I believe that I have an obligation to do everything in my power to fight for the unborn, prevent taxpayer money from funding abortions, and to protect our democratic system from the encroachment of an all- powerful judiciary.

Mr. Speaker, today is a time to celebrate the gift of life and mourn those whose lives were unjustly ended before birth. Let us use the 39th anniversary of Roe v. Wade as an occasion to reaffirm our beliefs and our vow to fight for the life of every child.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I also rise today to recognize the 39th anniversary of the monumental court decision of Roe v. Wade.

Since the legalizing of abortion in 1973, approximately 50 million abortions have been performed in the United States of America alone. Just today, 4,000 babies have been aborted. Over the course of 2012, as you heard the doctor just say, 1.2 million children in the United States will not be granted life.

I am unapologetically pro-life and it is a tremendous honor to be a part of this pro-life caucus. I believe that the miracle of human life begins at the moment of conception. I also believe that every human life has the inherent right to life and that this must be protected by law. As a woman, a wife and a mother of two precious young children of my own, I will continue to fight for the unborn as a Representative of Alabama's Second Congressional District.

I applaud my own home State of Alabama in its admirable fight to protect human life. Alabama recently became the fifth State to pass a measure banning physicians from performing abortions after 20 weeks, which according to the research you just heard is the point where an unborn child can experience pain. I applaud the Alabama legislature for taking such a strong stance on abortion and protecting the unborn.

I believe that I have an obligation to do everything in my power to fight for the unborn, prevent taxpayer money from funding abortions and to protect our system from the encroachment of the all-powerful judiciary.

Today is the time to celebrate the gift of life and to mourn those lives that were unjustly ended before birth. Let us use the 39th anniversary of Roe v. Wade as an occasion to reaffirm our belief and to vow to fight for the life of every child.

I thank the chairman for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 3094, the Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act, a bill I proudly sponsor.

As a Representative from Alabama, a right-to-work State, the continued activist agenda of the National Labor Relations Board is alarming.

Its proposed rules to alter longstanding Federal labor practices and policies are a clear example that the White House and the NLRB are committed to a culture of union favoritism. The NLRB's proposals undermine the rights of employers and employees by empowering unions to manipulate the workforce for their own gain.

The Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act is one of many bills put forward by my Republican colleagues that will prevent the NLRB from imposing sweeping changes to our Nation's workplaces. Additionally, and most importantly, this bill restores key labor protections that both workers and employers have enjoyed for decades.

I want to say that again: This bill restores key labor protections that both workers and employers have already enjoyed for decades. Congress has the responsibility to ensure that the NLRB's labor interests are not undermining an employer's efforts to create jobs and grow their businesses.

At a time when approximately 14 million Americans are unemployed and searching for work, not to mention the millions that have given up, Congress must implement policies that encourage new jobs, not hinder them. This legislation will rein in the activist NLRB and reaffirm protections workers and job creators have received for decades.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in remembrance of a former Montgomery, Alabama Mayor, Emory Folmar, for his selfless dedication and commitment to our Alabama community. An elected official, decorated war veteran, successful business owner, and loving husband and father, Mayor Folmar lived a long and fruitful life filled with many accomplishments. Not only did I have the privilege to know him as the Mayor of my hometown, but also personally as an elder within Trinity Presbyterian Church, and as a close friend of my family.

Mayor Folmar was born in Troy, AL, and moved to Montgomery when he was fourteen years old. While earning a degree in business at the University of Alabama, Mayor Folmar also served as Cadet Colonel of the Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC). Through ROTC, he received a Regular Army commission and went to Ft. Benning, GA, for parachute training and instructors' schools. Shortly after, he married Anita Pierce in 1952, his surviving wife of over 50 years.

That summer, Mayor Folmar deployed to Korea, where he later received the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart for his heroic service. Additionally, at the rank of Lieutenant, he received the French Croix de Guerre, an award bestowed to individuals who distinguish themselves by acts of heroism involving combat with enemy forces.

After Korea, Mayor Folmar was assigned to Ft. Campbell, KY, as an Airborne Jump Master until 1954. He then returned to Montgomery, joining his brother in construction and sales for a government-issue loan funded housing in the Cloverland neighborhood. The Folmar brothers' business eventually grew to include large commercial shopping center construction throughout the Southeast.

In 1975, Mayor Folmar entered the political arena by running for city council in 1975, where he was elected President of the Montgomery City Council and eventually became Mayor from 1977 until 1999. Among his many other political accomplishments, he ran for governor in 1982; served as campaign chairman for Ronald Reagan's finance committee in 1980; state chairman for Reagan in 1984; and chairman for Bush-Quayle in 1988 and 1992. After retiring from politics, he worked as a business consultant and was appointed Commissioner to the Alabama Beverage Control Board by Governor Bob Riley in 2003.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues rise today to join me in remembrance of Mayor Emory Folmar. I personally am blessed and honored to call Mayor Folmar a role model and dear friend. The citizens of Montgomery will forever remember the Mayor for many years to come and the influential legacy he left behind.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize that today is the National Recycling Day that promotes and encourages recycling in our homes, schools, and workplaces.

I had the privilege of touring KW Plastics last week and was impressed with what this business are accomplishing. KW Plastics is located in Troy, Alabama and employs approximately 300 people. It is the world's largest plastics recycler.

KW recycles post-consumer household plastic items like milk jugs, shampoo and detergent bottles, yogurt cups, paint cans, and plastic bottle caps. Instead of these products ending up in landfills, KW Plastics turns these items into high quality and high value products. These include automotive parts, consumer brand packaging, agricultural pipe and pots, all-plastic paint containers and film wrap.

KW's largest challenge and only hindrance in growing more, employing more, investing more, and generating more revenue for their community is a mere lack of supply. They need more recyclable material. We have the needed supply, but are burying it in our landfills every day.

Several states conducted studies showing the material they paid to place in a landfill would have generated more worth had the material been sorted and sent to a recycling market. We are literally burying treasure in our landfills every day while there are recycling companies starving for material and offering competitive market pricing.

Recycling has important environmental rewards like energy and natural resource conservation. According to the Southeast Recycling Development Council, Alabama has 26 manufacturers who look to recycle content feedstock in their product. This means that 10,700 jobs in Alabama depend on recycled materials with an annual sale of $6.6 billion.

Recycling is not simply an environmental issue, it is an economic one. There are real manufacturing jobs that depend heavily on recycling. Recycling is good for the earth but maybe more significantly, recycling is good for the economy.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues rise to join me in recognizing November 15th as the National Recycling Day and to continue to encourage our constituents to participate in recycling. It is equally important that we teach our children the environmental and economic benefits of recycling.

I thank my friend from Ohio for yielding, and I do appreciate the opportunity to spend time again with my GOP women colleagues here on the floor to talk about these important issues.

With your visual here on the floor, I think you have really done a great job of encapsulating what the issue is, which is that hardworking American taxpayers are balancing their budgets every single day. That's why almost 75 percent of Americans are with us on this. They want this balanced budget amendment, and this is a bipartisan action that can be taken in order to restore fiscal sanity. We know that every day there are more and more Americans who are out of work and that there are more and more Americans who have just given up looking for a job. We're not setting a real good example here in Congress when we can't get our fiscal house in order.

I just want to point back to our jobs agenda, the 22 bills that we have sitting over in the hands of the Senate right now that we know will get government out of the way so that the private sector can do what they do best, and that is create jobs. You know, there are so many men and women, small business owners throughout this country that are looking to us to reduce the size of government, get the job-killing regulations out of the way. And they have capital to invest, to create jobs, but they're not doing it because of the uncertainty associated with what's going on right here in Washington, D.C.

Here we have a proposal before us. We have a way for us to restore this fiscal sanity; and that is for us to balance our budget, not spend more money than we bring in. We've talked about this before when we were down here during the debt ceiling debate. You can't pick up the phone and call your credit card company and say, Hey, I owe you all this money, and I can't make my monthly payment, and I can't make the interest payment, so can you make me another loan just so I can pay the interest payment on the money that I already owe you? That's where this Federal Government is right now. Now if you can't do that from your kitchen table with the bills that you owe, why in the world should the Federal Government be allowed to do that either?

So I would just say to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle in both the House and the Senate, let's do this together. Let's do this for the American people. Let's do this for all the people that are out of work who are looking to us to lead by example and get our fiscal house in order, just like the millions of hardworking, tax-paying Americans do every single day.

Thank you for the opportunity again to share this hour with you.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a fallen American hero. U.S. Marine Lance Corporal (LCpl.) Jason Nicholas Barfield was killed on October 24, 2011, while conducting combat operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Reports indicate that LCpl. Barfield died as the result of traumatic injuries received when his patrol was struck by an Improvised Explosive Devise in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was only 22 years old.

LCpl. Barfield, from Ashford, Alabama, was assigned to the 3d Combat Engineer Battalion, 3d Marine Division, Twenty Nine Palms, California. He is survived by his parents, Raymond and Kelli Barfield, and seven siblings.

LCpl. Barfield delivered the ultimate sacrifice for our Nation. Undoubtedly, his loss will be most felt by his loved ones and friends. Today, and each day following, my family and I extend our most heartfelt condolences to those close to him.

I recently had an opportunity to speak to LCpl. Barfield's father, Raymond. It was a moving conversation that I will forever remember. Mr. Barfield was gracious in spite of his grief, immensely proud despite his pain. During our conversation, I learned that, LCpl. Barfield recently proposed to his girlfriend, Joyanna Champlin. So, today, I stand here not only to pay tribute to Jason's sacrifice, but also to recognize the memorable people who held prominent positions in this patriot's life. The family and friends of our heroes are indeed heroes themselves.

We are blessed that our nation is protected--day after day, year after year--by courageous American service men and women. Those in uniform standing on the front lines risk everything in order to defend and serve. Their commitment to our country is demonstrated through their selfless sacrifices and unwavering courage. We owe them, and their families, our most eternal gratitude.

We will forever honor LCpl. Barfield for his selfless actions. His legacy will be memorialized in American history so every generation will know of his selfless acts.

America remains a free nation because of the men and women in our Armed Forces who serve and protect us each and every day--just as LCpl. Jason Nicholas Barfield so bravely did. Our thoughts and prayers will continue to go out to his parents and loved ones during this difficult time.

Will the gentleman yield?

It's actually 22. Our work today on the floor put the forgotten 15 to a number of 22. I don't know if you're ready for us to start this discussion, but I would just like to read a couple of words.

We have all been carrying around ``Where are the jobs?'' Everybody has theirs, I'm sure, in their pocket to remind the people of the United States of America of exactly these bills and what

we have done to reduce regulatory burdens to allow for offshore drilling. The list goes on and on. And even today, the Access to Capital and Entrepreneur Access to Capital was right here on the floor just minutes ago.

But I found myself looking at the thesaurus, looking for a good word for ``forgotten'' because now we're at 22. Instead of picking a great ``T'' word, although there is one and I'll get back to that in a minute, we can look at words like ``abandoned,'' ``blanked out,'' ``blotted out,'' ``omitted,'' ``left behind,'' ``drew a blank,'' but the best one is ``slipped one's mind.''

I think as Americans we have to ask ourselves what's on the minds of those in the Democrat majority in the Senate, because if they were to get out and travel around their district and look into the eyes of the people who are without jobs, who can't put food on the table, who are struggling to make ends meet, I think it might slip them right back into reality.

The President is saying over and over and over again, We can't wait. Yet now we've got the tardy 22. These bills need to be voted on by the Senate. It has been over 900 days since they have even passed a budget. This is unconscionable. This is the United States of America, the greatest Nation in the world; and yet we have a Senate that is unwilling to do the job that the people of America sent them here to do.

So as we continue through this discussion here tonight, we need to focus on the tardy 22, the bills that have yet to be voted on by the Senate.

I thank my friend from Colorado for having this hour tonight.

Will the gentlelady yield?

I just want to say to all of our colleagues on the floor tonight, it's so important to the gentlelady from Washington not to wait, that she's spending her birthday night on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives fighting for the American people. So happy birthday to our friend and colleague.

Will the gentleman yield?

I'd just like to say, I had asked for the totals; I didn't have them written down. But you take the kind of bipartisan support that you're talking about that we received on the two bills that we passed just today, the access to capital and the access for entrepreneurs, you take that kind of bipartisan support--the American people are frustrated because the President is calling this the Republican Congress. This is a bicameral Congress, and whereas we hold the majority in this House, we don't in the Senate.

But you saw the actions that took place on the floor tonight. The first one passed 407-17. The second bill passed 413-11. There is a way to find common ground without compromising principle, and that is what we are doing because the American people are hurting, and we've got to create that environment, and we have by passing these bills.

We are calling on those in the Senate to see our bipartisanship in this House to get Americans back to work.

I get asked the question, or I did early on, What has been a shocking thing in your experience in Washington? And I unequivocally can say the most shocking part of this experience of representing Alabama's Second District is really beginning to understand how huge this government is, how the Federal Government right now today trickles down into every crevice of our lives.

And to go with the gentleman from Wisconsin's remarks, we are trying to get government out of the way and allow the private sector to thrive. And we don't have people coming up to us at our town halls saying, when are you going to pass more regulations?

I would just say this, too: I think the American people ought to be begging the question to the Senate as it relates to the tardy 22 bills that they have sitting over there on their side that we know will create jobs. They need to ask them specifically, their Senators, why are you opposed to this? What is your sound objective? What is your reasoning? We want to create jobs. We're out of work.

Earlier, I said another word for ``forgotten'' because the forgotten 15 has slipped our minds. It has just slipped our minds. We need to remind these Senators over there. All Americans do. They need to pick up the phone and ask, What's your opposition to these 22 bills that will create jobs and put America back to work so that we can be a thriving economy once more?

The private sector is sitting on trillions of dollars. We know that. The money is there to jump-start our economy, but because of all this uncertainty, no one is spending these dollars to reinvest in their private businesses.

And getting the government out of the way so that they can thrive.

Thank you so much for having this Special Order tonight. It's so important for us to have the opportunity to speak to America, but particularly to home in on our seniors back home.

Of course, throughout my travels back through Alabama during our district work periods, I repeatedly hear two things from seniors in Alabama: When is Congress going to pass a budget, and How is Congress, with all of our budget woes, going to preserve Social Security and Medicare? And the failure of Congress to address these concerns in an honest way threatens the economic security of America's seniors. Seniors deserve better than empty promises from a government that is broke. They deserve straightforward, honest answers and real solutions.

I, too, like many of the women that have spoken tonight, have a grandmother. I call my grandmother ``Gaga.'' I have to look ``Gaga'' in the eye as a Member of Congress and express to her my sincerity in making sure that we are taking care of our seniors.

We all agree that we're facing a serious budget crisis in Washington. It's been more than 900 days since the Senate has passed a budget. I would like to say this is ridiculous. A budget is a basic financial plan for our country. It is a vision for America's future. Approving a budget is a fundamental task for Congress. What business would operate without a basic budget for 3 years?

Republicans in the House have passed a bold budget plan that clearly addresses some of the biggest financial issues that we face. The House Republican

budget addresses Washington's reckless spending. It is an honest, detailed, concrete plan to put our budget on a path to balance and our economy on a path to prosperity through job creation.

Under the Republican House budget, seniors 55 and older will not be affected in any way. As I think about my grandmother that I have already talked about, I have to reiterate this point. It is so important: seniors and those that are 55 and older will not be affected by our Republican plan. They will not be affected. Their benefits will not change. After paying into the system for years, we made a commitment to those seniors, and we must follow through.

For those of us who are 55 and under, we must take steps to ensure that Medicare will still be available when we retire and available for our children and our grandchildren. This is common sense. We know that without reform and repairs, these entitlement programs simply will not be in existence for us when we retire. Without reform, they will collapse. And the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office anticipates that Medicare will go bankrupt by 2020. It is clear that these programs are not sustainable in their current form, and actions must be taken before it is too late.

What proposals has this administration put forward to address these concerns? None of us in this room have yet to see a solid plan for action. By failing to address the problem, this administration is failing our seniors. Rather than offering solutions, the administration is continually providing our seniors with misleading information regarding the Republican proposal. Let me say it one more time. Those 55 and older, under our plan, will not be affected as it relates to their benefits.

Washington's failure to enact policies that promote long-term economic growth and balance the budget is creating uncertainty for employers and consumers alike. It is time that Washington get serious and put our fiscal house in order.

There are 15 bills--now 16, after today--waiting in the Senate for action that will put Americans back to work if the Senate will only take that action. Congress must act now. It is what we were sent to Washington to do, and protecting our seniors is a huge part of that.

Thank you so much again for hosting this hour tonight and letting me, on behalf of Alabama's Second District, be a part of it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an exemplary individual--Gene Dews--who has dedicated much of his lifetime to cultivating student athletes in the state of Alabama.

Dews is a Fort Gaines, Georgia, native and a graduate of Clay County High School. He also earned degrees from Georgia Southwestern College and Troy State University.

Dews began his career in coaching as an assistant baseball coach at Troy State University in Troy, Alabama. He held that position for 13 years before becoming the head baseball coach at Wallace Community College in Dothan, Alabama in 1990. The next year Dews also became the athletic director at Wallace, a position he held until his recent retirement.

In 2001, Dews switched from the baseball diamond to the softball field and established one of the top community college softball programs in the nation. During his tenure, Wallace Community College won nine consecutive Southern Division championships, three state championships--which included trips to the Junior College World Series. Under Dews' leadership of Wallace's softball team, there were 15 All- Americans for player performance and nine selected as Academic All- Americans.

In 2008, Coach Dews was inducted into the Wiregrass Sports Hall of Fame--an acknowledgment of his significant and successful career. I applaud Dews for his dedication to student athletes and his involvement with college athletics for 35 years.

I wish Coach Dews the best in his retirement as he spends more time with his wife, Mary Ann, their children and grandchildren--and continued involvement with his church as a Deacon at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Headland, Alabama.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring Gene Dews. I am grateful for his service, and proudly recognize his contribution to the betterment of student athletes, and others, in the great state of Alabama.

I come to the floor today to talk about the need to pass the three free trade agreements that we will be voting on today. These agreements will mean more export opportunities, access to raw materials at a lower cost for American manufacturing, and make American companies and farmers more competitive in additional markets where they currently face high tariffs. Free trade agreements result in jobs and profits for American businesses.

In 2010, the Second District of Alabama saw 4,927 jobs directly supported by exports. Of the $2 billion in total merchandise exports, $769.4 million was to free trade agreement partners. The Korea, Colombia, and Panama free trade agreements will open up opportunities for businesses all over the Nation, including those in my home State of Alabama.

In regards to the Korea free trade and what it means to Alabama, in 2009 Alabama did $300 million in exports to Korea, making Korea the 11th largest export market for Alabama. According to the Business Roundtable, the agreement that we will be voting on today will make more than half of Alabama merchandise exports to Korea be duty free. The immediate tariff eliminations in this bill gives Alabama exports a $3.1 million cost advantage over similar products exported by competitors who do not have free trade agreements with Korea.

Additionally, agriculture in Alabama will benefit from the Korea free trade agreement. Currently, U.S. agricultural products face tariffs up to 500 percent in South Korea. By eliminating these tariffs, agriculture will see over $20.3 million in additional gains in sales to South Korea. In particular, it is estimated that Alabama's export of poultry will rise to $4.4 million per year, and cattle and beef to $3.7 million per year.

In regards to the Colombia free trade agreement, in 2010, Colombia was Alabama's 21st largest export market, with $154 million in exports. The agreement we will be voting on today will mean an estimated 72.3 percent increase in exports for Alabama to Colombia and 56.4 percent in fabricated metal products.

And finally, Panama is one of the fastest expanding economies in Latin American. In 2010, the United States saw a 7.5 percent growth in exports to Panama. In regards to agriculture, the United States exported more than $450 million to Panama in 2010.

The free trade agreements that we are voting on today are in total expected to increase direct agricultural exports from Alabama by $22.8 million per year, and the increased marketing opportunities will add more than 200 jobs to the Alabama economy. It is unfortunate that these agreements have taken so long to be considered by Congress. They will have a significant impact on our economy. This delay has already put American businesses at a disadvantage with the South Korea-European Union free trade agreement going into effect in July of this year.

American businesses do not need a stimulus or stimulus programs that do not work. I have come to the floor several times to talk about how American businesses are being stifled by overreaching and burdensome regulations. American businesses have also been stifled by the slow- moving administration and ensuring that our businesses have the same advantages as those in other countries. These agreements remove the high tariffs that have been in place in important and expanding markets.

I will continue to work to protect and promote jobs here in the United States and in my home State of Alabama and will be voting ``yes'' on all three trade agreements. I ask my colleagues to do so as well.

Thank you so much. I appreciate your leadership here this afternoon giving us an opportunity to once again talk to the American people about jobs.

As the weather gets cooler outside, I know in the State of Alabama there's several large fairs that are happening right now, and I love the fair. I love going to the fair. I love taking my children to the fair. I love the corn dogs, the elephant ears, the Tilt-A-Whirl, the go-carts. I love going to the fair, but I really love roller coasters.

What I love about roller coasters is the anticipation, the tick, tick, tick as the carts reach the top of the hill; and every tick on that anticipation of unleashing the speed of that roller coaster, all of these job-creating bills that we've passed right here in this House of Representatives. And yet it's like being on a roller coaster and you've reached the very top and it shuts down. Because every piece of legislation that we've passed in order to unleash the private sector's speed and momentum to get this economy back on track is dead in the water, dead on arrival in the Senate.

We can't take it anymore. I've just gotten back from my district, like all of you have, and I've traveled around and I've looked into the eyes of the people who want to create these jobs. Our American job creators are sitting on almost $2 trillion that they could be reinvesting in the private sector. Yet, as I have mentioned on this floor time and time again, I have visited places that have told me that every dollar in extra capital that they have they are having to reinvest back into their company in order to comply with EPA regulations. This is unconscionable. This is unconscionable at a time when our country is so desperate for good-paying jobs and people have given up even looking for those jobs.

I want to tell you real quickly about a recent trip that I took to International Paper in Prattville, Alabama, and I had the opportunity to sit down with them and talk specifically about a bill that we have in front of us on the floor today, and that's the Boiler MACT bill, and the thousands and thousands of dollars and millions of dollars all across this country and all the jobs that are going to be lost if this rule is implemented. They just can't comply. They have spent so many dollars already to already comply with the regulations in place, and this will essentially shut them down.

This is just one more example of what this Congress is trying to do in order to allow the private sector to create jobs. All of us make site visits to companies and to manufacturing sites throughout our districts, and all you have to do is see the empty space, the empty cubicles. This is real. This isn't just some pie-in-the-sky thing that we are just standing here on the floor talking about this. It's real. There are real people hurting, and we've got to get the government out of the way.

I look forward to continuing this discussion with all of you this afternoon. But on behalf of Alabama's Second District, we'll keep fighting for the opportunity, and we have got it right here, just the tick, tick, tick on the roller coaster waiting for that free fall, but we've got to get Senate Democrats on board.

Will the gentleman yield?

Just to go back to what I was talking about with International Paper, the cost of implementing boiler MACT regulation when combined with the anticipated cost of implementing other pending air regulations would place at risk 36 mills, 20,541 pulp and paper mill jobs nationally; and this is approximately 18 percent of the primary pulp and paper industry workforce. The number of lost mills would rise to 79 if all air regulations are taken into account. The loss of jobs would rise to 87,299 if jobs and the supplier in downstream industries are figured into the equation. This would mean about $4 billion in reduced wages and some $1.3 billion in lost State, local, and Federal taxes. I just wanted to add to what you were pointing out.

I want to interject quickly. You talked about the forest products industry. And since 2006, it's already lost 31 percent of its workforce. That's nearly 400,000 high-paying jobs located in mainly small, rural communities. And without passing this Boiler MACT legislation, the situation is only going to become worse. So I just wanted to throw that in there.

The only other thing that I would have to offer is to say that, as we move forward in the coming months and weeks, we've got to find common ground, but we do not have to forfeit our principles in doing so. We stand by the things that conservatives stand by. It's a three-legged stool: We're fiscally responsible, we're socially conservative, and we are pro-military, pro-defense. And we can still stand on that stool but yet continue to seek opportunities to find common ground.

The problem is that the Senate is not even having this conversation. We watched 2 weeks ago as they tabled the continuing resolution that we passed in the House, meaning they're not even going to take an up-or- down vote on this, and ultimately passed something much different.

We are asking our friends on the other side of the aisle in the Senate and the White House to have a conversation with us. We have passed all of these bills that will lift the heavy hand of government off of the very job creators in this country; and we just want an opportunity to debate and then find where we do share that common ground, again, without ever compromising our core conservative principles.

Thank you again to the gentleman from Arkansas. I really appreciate the opportunity to spend this hour with you.

Our military families are the heart and soul of our Armed Forces. Recognizing this, tomorrow in Fort Rucker, Alabama, there will be a spouse day. Army husbands and wives will run an obstacle course, fly simulators, and shoot M16s to experience life as an Army soldier.

Military families are a vital part of my district, and it is my great honor to represent them. Recently, I was in Fort Rucker and I was speaking to a soldier, and his expectant wife was sitting next to me. With tears in his eyes, he said, Don't worry about me. I'm okay. Just make sure she's okay.

Unnecessary defense cuts could change our military as we know it today. These cuts will not affect military operations as much as they could weaken viable support for military spouses and their children. Regardless of politics, our military families must continue to have the resources necessary to serve in their support role as military dependents.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2587, the Protecting Jobs From Government Interference Act, of which I am a cosponsor. Representing a district in the State of Alabama, a right-to- work State, the current activist agenda of the National Labor Relations Board greatly concerns me.

Congress has a responsibility to ensure that the NLRB objectively applies the law written by the people's elected representatives. Congress must also work to ensure that labor interests are not undermining the employer's efforts to create jobs. At a time when millions of individuals are unemployed and searching for work, public officials in Washington should look to provide greater certainty to America's employers so they can grow businesses and create new jobs, not hinder them.

Unfortunately, the recent rulings and proceedings of the NLRB have demonstrated otherwise. I enter this letter of support of H.R. 2587 from the Associated Builders and Contractors of Alabama in the Congressional Record. ABC represents over 800 commercial construction companies in my State, all of whom are concerned that the NLRB has abandoned its role as a neutral enforcer and arbiter of labor law in order to promote the special interests of unions. The Federal Government, especially the NLRB, has no right to dictate where a company can or cannot create jobs. The Protecting Jobs From Government Interference Act will provide employers with the certainty they need to invest in our economy and put Americans back to work right here at home in the United States.

Associated Builders

and Contractors, Inc.,

Birmingham, AL, July 29, 2011.

Dear Congressman Roby: On behalf of Associated Builders and

Contractors of Alabama (ABC), that represents 800 commercial

construction companies in our state, I am writing to express

our strong support for H.R. 2587, the Protecting Jobs from

Government Interference Act. ABC urges House Members to

support H.R. 2587 and will consider this vote a ``KEY VOTE''

for our 112th Congressional Scorecard.

Alabama being a right to work state, this bill further

strengthens what your constituents feel is in the best

interest of Alabama.

For more than a year, the National Labor Relations Board

(NLRB) has moved forward with an agenda that is stifling job

creation and economic growth. The NLRB's decisions, proposed

rules, invitations for briefs and enforcement policies

demonstrate that the agency has abandoned its role as a

neutral enforcer and arbiter of labor law in order to promote

the special interests of politically powerful unions.

Recent rulemakings and decisions by the NLRB will have

negative implications for workers, consumers, businesses and

the economy. These actions inevitably will reduce employee

access to secret ballots; limit an employer's ability to

effectively communicate the impact of unionization to its

workers (``ambush'' elections); trample private property

rights; invite greater union intimidation of employees,

consumers and small businesses; and limit the ability of U.S.

businesses to quickly and flexibly adjust to the demands of a

changing economy and global competition.

The NLRB has also taken unprecedented steps to mandate

where and how one company--Boeing--can operate and expand its

business. The federal government has no right to dictate

where a company can or cannot create jobs. The Protecting

Jobs from Government Interference Act would encourage

investment in our economy by guaranteeing that businesses and

entrepreneurs retain the ability to decide where to conduct

business and where to locate jobs.

At this time of economic challenges, it is unfortunate the

NLRB continues to move forward with policies that threaten to

paralyze the construction industry and impede job growth.

With an unemployment rate exceeding 15 percent, ABC members

and construction workers cannot afford this burden.

ABC urges House Members to support H.R. 2587 and will

consider this vote a ``KEY VOTE'' for our 112th Congressional

Scorecard.

Sincerely,

Jay Reed,

President.