Floor Statements

I rise to speak against this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, the Davis-Bacon Act requires that workers on federally funded construction projects be paid no less than the wages paid in the community for similar work. It sounds fair. The Davis-Bacon Act prevents the Federal Government, a large influential construction owner, from using precious tax dollars to undercut local wage standards through its investments in construction work.

Those against Davis-Bacon say it drives up costs. Not so. Why don't we deal with facts for a change?

Davis-Bacon has no effect on total costs of construction. Study after study reveals productivity makes up for any additional labor cost, essentially eliminating any cost savings if the law is repealed. In other words, projects using highly skilled workers often cost less than those using low-wage, low-skilled workers.

Opponents who claim the government could save billions by eliminating Davis-Bacon protections ignore productivity, safety and the act's economic development benefits, which contribute to the real cost effectiveness of Davis-Bacon.

In addition, the Davis-Bacon minimum wage must reflect the rate of contribution to retirement, health insurance, apprenticeship training, and disability insurance. By including fringe benefits and wage calculations, Davis-Bacon delivers health care and pensions for workers on these projects.

Without prevailing wages, investments in training fall; work related injuries increase; pension coverage drops; fewer workers have health care insurance; wages stagnate and even drop over time; and total construction costs are still unchanged.

In fact, the real economic significance of Davis-Bacon wage requirements for federally assisted construction projects is that it maintains community standards by preventing bottom-feeding contractors from driving down construction workers' wages and working conditions.

I urge my colleagues to vote down this amendment.

Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the King amendment.

This amendment would strip away Davis-Bacon wage protections in Hawaii and nationwide.

Enacted in 1931, the Davis-Bacon Act ensures that workers on federal construction contracts receive at least the prevailing wage for construction jobs. The Davis-Bacon Act ensures projects are built by skilled and experienced workers who know what they're doing. Prevailing wages and higher-skilled work result in greater productivity and lower cost.

In industries without Davis-Bacon protections, we have seen unscrupulous contractors engage in a ``race to the bottom,'' trying to undercut each other to perform shoddy work, with less-skilled workers, at sub-par wages. These projects often end up costing more in the long run due to repairs, revisions, and delays.

Some claim that Davis-Bacon costs the Federal Government more. On the contrary, studies show that higher-wage workers are more productive, saving hundreds of millions of dollars in the long run.

Construction workers who build highways, homes, or buildings should be able to earn enough to feed their families, put a roof over their heads, and send their kids to college. Beyond just helping workers and their families, prevailing wages improve local economies. Workers spend their income in local businesses and pay local taxes. Workers participate in building trades training programs and health care programs and are not dependent on benefits from other social programs. One study found that local prevailing wage law generated 2.4 times the economic benefit of the cost of the construction project.

Sadly, this amendment is another example of this bill's consistent attacks on American workers, including the construction workers, teachers, nurses, police officers, and firefighters who are committed to build, educate, heal, and protect communities in Hawaii and throughout our country. Rather than focus on providing good jobs with fair pay, the Republicans are more interested in increasing corporate profits on the backs of American workers.

I strongly support Davis-Bacon protections and oppose this misguided amendment. I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Chair, it is sad to see that amendments like this are being proposed based on no knowledge nor any serious evaluation of the institutions involved.

Anyone who has been involved with the East-West Center would understand that it is exactly the kind of activity that most cost- effectively promotes U.S. foreign policy and security interests in a critically important, fast-growing region of more than 3.5 billion people. Since its creation as a national institution 50 years ago, the Center has impacted more than 58,000 people in its region.

It operates our country's largest outreach program to Asia-Pacific region's journalists, the largest outreach program to the region's teachers, particularly in Muslim countries of Asia, and the only sustained U.S. program for engagement with the leaders of Pacific island nations. Both presidents Bush met Pacific island leaders through the East-West Center.

The Center is not a foreign aid program, but a public diplomacy program. The secret of the Center's effectiveness is that its programs bring together Americans with Asia-Pacific counterparts--American teachers with Asia and Pacific teachers, American youth leaders with their counterparts, etc. This is the very best way to show off American values and interests. If the U.S. had created a similar center for the Middle East, bringing young Israelis, Egyptians, and other Middle Easterners together with Americans for cooperative exchange and research at a location on American soil, our world may be a little different today. We would not see misguided amendments like that offered by Congressman Ron

Paul that would eliminate funding for important allies like Israel, Egypt, and Jordan.

It is a hard to imagine a program that is more fiscally conservative. The cost is minimal compared to most government programs because the Center, because of its size, operates far more efficiently and flexibly and because, unlike government departments, it leverages significant amounts of non-appropriated sources for its national mission. This figure is 40 percent in last year's budget.

The Center originally was supported fully by the U.S. government and at much higher levels of appropriations during the Reagan and Bush 41 administrations. It has been repositioning itself as a public-private partnership. The amendment to zero out its funding would have a devastating impact on its ability to continue to increase private funding and leverage public funding. It also would have a devastating impact on U.S. public diplomacy in East, Southeast, and South Asia and the Pacific islands just at a time that other countries, especially China, are ramping up their public diplomacy programs in that region that is so important to our future.

Under the successful leadership of Charles Morrison, the East-West Center chaired the committee that developed the Hawaii hosting proposal for the 2011 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders Summit.

The Center supports and leads the official APEC Pacific Economic Cooperation Council on behalf of the United States. It has provided essential research support for several APEC activities, including an assessment requested by the APEC Business Advisory Council of the U.S.- proposed Free Trade Area of Asia and the Pacific and studies in the area of energy security. I know that President Morrison and the East- West Center are integral to a successful U.S. hosting APEC year. This Congress needs to continue to support the East-West Center in these efforts.

Mahalo nui loa (thank you very much).

Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong opposition to the amendment offered by Congressman Pence.

Congressman Pence's amendment is a threat to women's health. It would prohibit Planned Parenthood from receiving any federal funds. As a result, Planned Parenthood would be disqualified from receiving Title X family-planning grants and other health related program funds.

Much of the cuts in H.R. 1 target the most vulnerable among us--the poor, children, young adults, and now women. We are a diverse country with good people on all sides of an issue, including abortion. I know this amendment strikes at a favorite target of the anti-choice group. Sadly, in pushing their anti-choice agenda, tens of thousands of women in our country will be denied health care services that have nothing to do with abortion.

The vast majority of Planned Parenthood's medical services are related to contraception, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, cancer screening, and other services like pregnancy tests and infertility treatment. Abortion services comprise only 3 percent of the medical care Planned Parenthood provides. Federal law already prohibits Title X funds from being used for abortion services. It is important to point out that there are no known violations of this law. Despite any claims to the contrary, the Pence amendment is clearly a direct attack on women's preventive health care.

Congressman Pence goes out of his way to name specific Planned Parenthood entities in his amendment that should not be funded, including Planned Parenthood Hawaii. I would like to share with the Congressman and this body my views on how Planned Parenthood Hawaii has helped women and their families.

In Hawaii, there are three Planned Parenthood centers, one in Honolulu on the island of Oahu, one in Kahului on the island of Maui, and one in Kailua-Kona on the island of Hawaii. Together, those three centers:

Served 7,835 patients.

Provided 2,582 cervical cancer screenings that detected 321 abnormal results that required further diagnosis and treatment.

Provided 2,705 breast exams.

Conducted 3,346 tests for chlamydia--the leading cause of preventable infertility--that resulted in 172 positive results and follow-up treatment.

By eliminating funding for the Title X Family Planning Program, the Planned Parenthood Clinic in Kailua-Kona may have to close its doors. That center is one of the only dedicated sexual and reproductive health clinics on the island. The centers on Maui and Oahu would be forced to reduce their clinic hours.

The Pence amendment eliminates a safety net program that provides family planning services and lifesaving preventive care to 3 million Americans every year. I urge my colleagues to join me in opposition to this amendment.

Mahalo nui loa (thank you very much).

Madam Chair, I move to strike the last word.

I rise today in strong support of the Lowey amendment and in strong opposition to cuts to the title X funds in this continuing resolution.

These cuts are a threat to women's health, as you have heard from so many of the previous speakers. For example, these cuts will prevent Planned Parenthood from receiving needed Federal funds. Much of the cuts in H.R. 1 target the most vulnerable among us, the poor, children, young adults, and women.

We are a diverse country, proud of it, with good people on all sides of an issue, including of course the issue of abortion. We know that cutting title X funds strikes at a favorite target of the anti-choice group, Planned Parenthood.

Sadly, in pursuing their anti-choice agenda, tens of thousands of women in our country will be denied health care services that have absolutely nothing to do with abortions. The vast majority of Planned Parenthood's medical services are related to contraception, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, cancer screening and other services, like pregnancy tests and infertility treatments. Abortion services comprise only 3 percent of the medical care Planned Parenthood provides. Federal law already prohibits title X funds from being used for abortion services. It is important to point out that there are no known violations of this law.

I would like to share with this body my views on how Planned Parenthood Hawaii has helped women and their families in my State. In Hawaii, there are three Planned Parenthood centers: one in Honolulu on the Island of Oahu, one in Kahului on the Island of Maui, and one in Kailua-Kona on the Island of Hawaii. Together, these three centers served over 7,800 patients. They provided 2,582 cervical cancer screenings that detected 321 abnormal results that required further diagnoses and treatment. These represent lives saved. They provided 2,705 breast exams. They conducted 3,346 tests for chlamydia, the leading cause of preventible infertility, that resulted in 172 positive results and follow-up treatment.

By cutting funding for title X family planning programs, the Planned Parenthood clinic in Kailua-Kona would have to close its doors. That center is one of the only dedicated sexual and reproductive health clinics on that island. The centers in Maui and Oahu would be forced to reduce their clinic hours. Cutting title X funds eliminates a safety net program that provides family planning services and lifesaving preventative care to 3 million Americans every year.

I urge my colleagues to join me in opposing H.R. 1, and I join my colleague, Mrs. Lowey, in saying to the women of this country, we need to take our bodies back.

I yield back the balance of my time.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I rise in strong support of this amendment introduced by my colleague, Congressman Don Young, to support Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian education. This amendment makes these worthwhile programs eligible for these education funds.

I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of the amendment introduced by my colleague Congressman Don Young.

I appreciate the opportunity to work with him on this amendment. For many years, Congressman Young has been a leader on issues of importance to the indigenous, aboriginal peoples of the United States. He understands that we have a special trust responsibility to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians. And while we sit on different sides of the aisle, the bond between the native peoples of Alaska and Hawaii transcends political party.

The Native Hawaiian Education Act was enacted in 1988 and was last reauthorized in 2002 as a part of the No Child Left Behind Act. Native Hawaiians have historically experienced educational risk factors, such as high rates of poverty and low academic achievement. The modest appropriations provided under the Native Hawaiian Education Act have helped to improve educational opportunities for Native Hawaiian children and remain necessary in reversing low achievement trends.

One of the successes of the program has been the flourishing of the Hawaiian language. Following the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1893, use of the Hawaiian language in public classrooms was banned. This decline in the use of the language paralleled declines in other aspects of a once vibrant culture and community. We know that loss of one's language is part and parcel of the loss of one's culture. Like all too many native languages, Hawaiian was on the brink of extinction. It was only in 1986 that the ban on Hawaiian language in schools was removed. Now, with funds from the Native Hawaiian Education Act, Hawaiian language is taught through immersion schools, beginning in kindergarten and continuing through high school.

We now have a growing cadre of young people who are fluent in the Hawaiian language--thanks in great part to the existence of the Native Hawaiian Education Program. Several tribes have looked to the success of the Hawaiian language program as a model for how they can ensure the survival of their language.

I met with a student named Kuulei last week. She grew up in a Hawaiian homestead community where attending college was not thought possible. She attended a Native Hawaiian immersion school and through hard work and perseverance is now a student at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. After graduation, she plans to become a teacher so she can inspire the next generation of Native Hawaiian students.

The school that Kuulei attends, the University of Hawaii at Hilo is home to the Ka Haka Ula O Keelikolani College of Hawaiian Language. In December 2010, the College awarded its first two doctorates in Hawaiian and Indigenous Language and Culture Revitalization. The honors went to Katarina Edmonds, a Maori educator from New Zealand, and Kauanoe Kamana, the first of Native Hawaiian ancestry to receive a Ph.D. in Hawaiian Language from UH Hilo.

The amendment before your today does not increase funding for Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian education programs. All this amendment does is make these worthwhile and successful programs eligible for funds from the Department of Education School Improvement account.

I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. Mahalo nui loa (thank you very much).

Mr. Speaker, today I introduce the Youth Corps Act of 2011 to help increase opportunities for youth in Hawaii and nationwide.

In the worst recession since the Great Depression, 2010 marked the highest unemployment rate for youth ages 16-24 since the Labor Department began tracking the figure in World War II. Nearly 1 in 5 youth were unemployed in 2010.

Youth Corps can help. Modeled after President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Civilian Conservation Corps, today's Corps Network includes 143 programs in 44 states and the District of Columbia. Youth Corps programs have helped 600,000 youth gain critical education, civic engagement, and job training skills.

A shining example of a Youth Corps leader is my constituent Mari Takemoto-Chock, who is one of six 2011 Corps Member of the Year. Mai grew up on Hawaii Island and thrived at excellent public schools. Once she attended the University of Hawaii at Manoa, she became aware of the daunting opportunity gap between young people of different socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds.

Last spring and summer, Mari served as a UH Fellow in my Washington office, where she was one of the most effective employees I have ever had. Wanting to do more on-the-ground service, Mari became an AmeriCorps VISTA intern for Kupu, the Hawaii Youth Conservation Corps. There she helped develop and implement Kupu's new Urban Corps program.

In 2011, Kupu itself is honored with a Project of the Year award. Kupu in Hawaiian means ``to sprout, grow, germinate, or increase'' and like the Kupukupu fern that grows after a lava flow, Kupu brings life back to the people, the land, and the ocean. Kupu used Recovery Act funding to create a Recovery

Youth Conservation Corps. The program provided education and job training to 45 underserved young adults; produced nearly 83,000 service hours, and yielded nearly $1.5 million in community improvement projects.

Unfortunately, Youth Corps programs today must cobble together funding from a wide variety of sources, and they operate with tremendous uncertainty. The Youth Corps Act of 2011 would provide more stability for Youth Corps affiliates and the youth they serve by authorizing a new program through the Workforce Investment Act, WIA.

I thank Congressman Andrews for his continued leadership on this bill and urge my colleagues to support this effort.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce legislation that extends to the end of 2016 the $1.00 per gallon biodiesel tax credit and the additional $0.10 per gallon tax credit to small agri-biodiesel producers. Extending the biodiesel tax credit for another five years will provide the certainty and stability in the marketplace that is needed to encourage companies to invest in the development and production of biodiesel.

Companies throughout the United States have emerged as pioneers in this growing renewable energy sector. The founder of Hawaii's Pacific Biodiesel observed that large quantities of used cooking oil were going directly to a local landfill and proposed converting this restaurant waste into biodiesel in order to fuel the landfill's generators. This is but one example of how an innovative idea can turn a problem into a solution. By producing a more sustainable and environmentally friendly fuel, companies like this one have helped Hawaii--the most oil- dependent state in the country--become more energy self-sufficient. In addition, producers like these not only diversify our domestic energy portfolio but also boost our local economies by creating jobs for biodiesel production and distribution as well as for feedstock farming and collection.

President Obama noted in his recent State of the Union speech that he supports incentives to invest in and develop the biofuels industry in order to break our country's dependence on oil. This legislation takes us a step forward to achieving that goal.

I thank my colleague for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, the resolution before us is simple. It instructs the committees to do the job they already do--conduct oversight of the laws passed by Congress.

I believe clarity of purpose is an important component to successfully tackling the challenges we face as a Nation. So, while I have no objection to this resolution, I question why we need to spend 9\1/2\ hours debating what we should all unanimously agree on. Spending this much time on this resolution is like making sure we finish chewing our gum before we start walking--when just a few months ago we were doing both at the same time.

Take the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, for example. This legislation was passed as an unprecedented response to the most severe economic crisis our Nation has faced since the Great Depression. We knew that there was a lot of taxpayer money involved in this legislation. That's why we included reporting requirements for the recipients, and that's why we included diligent committee oversight. Because of these measures, I know that approximately $1.5 billion was allocated to Hawaii. Since 2009, this money has helped to save or create 13,000 full-time equivalent jobs in Hawaii.

I also know that Hawaii received approximately $156 million for highway and water infrastructure improvements. These funds are helping to build Hawaii's infrastructure for the future right now.

For example, when completed, the Waimea Wastewater Treatment Plant expansion project on the island of Kauai will double the capacity of the existing plant. It will allow the county to take advantage of photovoltaic systems that will minimize the facility's carbon footprint. The expanded capacity will also reduce the county's reliance on potable water for irrigation, water that they need for other purposes besides irrigation. Altogether, this investment will allow for expanded development in the area, which will lead to more new businesses and, importantly, more new jobs.

Mr. Speaker, we need to learn how to walk and chew gum at the same time again. As the Recovery Act demonstrates, when we do, we can make a positive difference in the lives of our constituents, create jobs, and address the challenges we face together.

Mr. Speaker, today I introduce the Ensuring Worker Safety Act as a means to help keep workers safe in Hawaii and across the country.

In September of 2010, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) found that under former Governor Linda Lingle, Hawaii had under-funded and systematically neglected its State Occupational Safety and Health Act plan (OSHA State plan). As a result, Hawaii did not have enough workplace inspections or on-site consultations to keep workers safe. Hawaii was the only State in the nation found breaking its State plan obligations.

Unfortunately, for Hawaii and the 27 States/territories with approved State plans, DOL is extremely limited in its authority to help State plans improve. If DOL determines that an approved State plan is not ``at least as effective as'' Federal standards and enforcement, its only recourse is to terminate the State plan, a drastic step that would remove State control, leave State and local government employees unprotected, and add costs to DOL for funding and running a health and safety program in the State.

To help States respond to this challenge, today I introduce the Ensuring Worker Safety Act, which would give Federal DOL options other than completely terminating an underperforming State plan.

Specifically, the Ensuring Worker Safety Act:

Establishes a formal mechanism for OSHA to identify a problem with a State plan and compel a remedy without beginning the process for withdrawing approval.

Ensures continued application of health and safety regulations by providing OSHA with concurrent enforcement authority while a State plan is remedying deficiencies or being withdrawn, after 30 days notice of official Federal action and an opportunity for a public hearing.

Holds Federal OSHA accountable for providing strong oversight and guidance to State plans by establishing a regular Government Accountability Office (GAO) study--one every five years--to look at the effectiveness of State plans and the Secretary of Labor's oversight of such plans.

For her work on this bill in the 111th Congress, I thank my former colleague Congresswoman Dina Titus of Nevada. I look forward to her continued contributions to public service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce three bills that will strengthen the existing Small Business Innovation Research Program and the Small Business Technology Program by increasing the percentage of federal funding that goes to these important programs and increasing the size of the grants, which have significantly declined in real value since they were last authorized. The bills are H.R. 448, the Small Business Innovation Enhancement Act; H.R. 447, the SBIR Enhancement Act; and H.R. 449, the SBTT Enhancement Act.

Small companies, like Cellular Bioengineering, Oceanit, and Archinoetics in Hawaii are a source of great innovative talent. However, too many great ideas never come to fruition because small entrepreneurial firms lack the resources they need to test an idea and bring it to fruition. The Small Business Innovation Research, SBIR, Program and the Small Business Technology Transfer, SBTT, Program have proven track records.

The SBIR Program, for instance, has awarded some $16 billion in awards since 1983. Some 1.45 million people are employed in SBIR firms and these firms have 450,000 employees with graduate degrees in engineering and science--more than all U.S. academic institutions combined.

However, the number of new firms entering into the SBIR program has declined drastically in recent years. Part of the reason is the difficulty in applying for grants and the fact that the grant maximum amount for Phase I of the program was limited to $100,000. My bill doubles that amount to $200,000. Phase I funding is used to explore the scientific, technical, and commercial feasibility of an idea or technology.

Phase II funding, previously limited to a maximum of $750,000, is increased to $1.5 million in my bill. Phase II awards are given to companies that successfully complete phase I and can be used for R&D work as the developer moves to commercializing their invention.

The Small Business Technology Transfer Program or SBTT is very similar to SBIR, but the grants are specifically designed to fund public/private collaborations between nonprofit research institutions and small businesses that want to develop commercial applications for technologies developed by those institutions. The SBTT program uses the same Phase I and Phase II funding formula as SBIR. Eligible nonprofit research institutions include U.S.-based nonprofit colleges or universities, domestic nonprofit research organizations, and federally funded R&D centers. The University of Hawaii would be an eligible institution for SBTT grants.

Last year, when the House prohibited Members of Congress from seeking earmarks for private companies, I worried about the effect this would have on small high technology companies in Hawaii and throughout the country. I've been so impressed by the innovative scientists and engineers I've met and have proudly sought earmarks in the past to further their work. In the absence of earmarks, I believe that strengthening the SBIR and SBTT programs is our best chance to provide the opportunities these creative entrepreneurs need to create new businesses and products that will provide good jobs, strengthen our economy, and improve our quality of life.

In his State of the Union address last night, President Obama highlighted the importance of encouraging private sector innovation to spur economic growth and exports. Passing my bills to strengthen SBIR and SBTT would be a good first step.

Mr. Speaker, Democrats' top priority is creating jobs. We want to work with Republicans to achieve this goal, but instead of focusing on jobs and growing the economy the new leadership has decided to start by debating H.R. 2, which will repeal patients' rights, put insurance companies back in charge, and add to the deficit.

Yesterday, the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee held the only hearing the new Congress will have on this bill. We heard from families from Maine to Florida, from Rhode Island to Missouri, real people, real stories. Freedom was a common thread in their stories. Because of health care reform, these families are free from worrying about being denied coverage because of a preexisting condition and free from worrying about escalating medical debt because of lifetime caps on their insurance plans. These families now have a sense of security and peace of mind.

For over 37 years, thanks to Hawaii's landmark Prepaid Health Care Act, our families have largely been protected from some of the most unfair insurance company practices, but health care reform is still helping thousands of families and small businesses across my State. A mother in Kailua, Hawaii contacted me to tell me that she can now add her 21-year-old son and 24-year-old daughter to her work-sponsored insurance plan. This mom used to pay $900 a month for just her daughter's health insurance and prescription drugs. Now she pays $300 a month to cover both of her children under her company's plan. This family used to spend $10,800 a year for health care for one child; now they spend $3,600 a year for health care for the entire family.

I recently heard from a senior in Waimea on Hawaii Island who referred to her $250 Medicare doughnut hole rebate check as a blessing in these tough economic times. Let's be clear: The Patients' Rights Repeal Act will hurt, not help, middle class families and small businesses in Hawaii and across our Nation.

I urge my colleagues to join me in voting against H.R. 2.

Mr. Speaker, listen to Stacie Ritter's story. Stacie is the mother of twin daughters, Hannah and Madeline, now 11, who were diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 4. Stacie has always worried about her daughters' health and having health insurance to cover the stem cell transplants and other cancer treatments. Because of health care reform, Stacie doesn't have to worry about the twins being denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition. This repeal bill will allow insurance companies to deny Hannah and Madeline health insurance for the rest of their lives. The 19.4 million children in our country with pre-existing conditions would face the same fate.

Listen to Dr. Odette Cohen, from Willingboro, New Jersey, a small business owner. The small business tax credits in the health care reform law not only lower the cost for her to provide good health insurance for her employees, but they also give her the flexibility to hire another nurse practitioner. She'll be seeing more patients and growing her business and helping the economy.

According to Forbes Magazine, major health insurance companies around the country are reporting a significant increase in small businesses offering health care benefits to their employees. Repeal would either force small businesses to drop their employees' coverage or businesses would bear the full cost of insurance themselves.

Speaker Boehner has pledged to listen to the people. Because of Hawaii's landmark Prepaid Health Care Act of 1974, which mandates that employers provide insurance coverage for their full-time employees, Hawaii's families have largely been spared from some of the most unfair insurance practices. But health care reform still helps thousands of families across our state.

A mother in Kailua, Hawaii contacted me to thank us because she could now add her 21-year-old son and 24-year-old daughter to her work- sponsored insurance plan. This mom used to pay $700 a month for her daughter's health insurance and $200 a month out-of-pocket for her prescription drugs.

Now, this mother pays just $300 a month to cover both of her children under her company's health plan. This family used to spend $10,800 a year for health care for one child. Now, they spend $3,600 a year for health care for the whole family. This family is using the money saved on health insurance for other household needs, including paying down past medical debt.

Middle class families are saving money because of health care reform. Young adults, many of whom are having a hard time finding jobs, now have health insurance. Under H.R. 2, thousands of young adults will lose their insurance coverage, including 2,500 in Hawaii.

Here's what else repealing health care reform will do to the people of Hawaii:

193,000 seniors in Hawaii who have Medicare coverage would be forced to pay a co-pay to receive important preventive services, like mammograms and colonoscopies.

Medicare would no longer pay for an annual check-up visit, so 193,000 seniors in Hawaii who have Medicare coverage would have to pay extra if they want to stay healthy by getting regular check-ups.

In Hawaii, 17,959 Medicare beneficiaries received a one-time, tax- free $250 rebate to help pay for prescription drugs in the ``donut hole'' coverage gap in 2010. I recently heard from a senior in Waimea on the island of Hawaii who referred to this check as a blessing. She was able to use that money to pay for her other medical bills.

Medicare beneficiaries who fall into the ``donut hole'' in 2011 will be eligible for 50 percent discounts on covered brand name prescription drugs. Closing the Medicare donut hole is an especially critical issue for Hawaii as we are home to the Nation's largest percentage--36 percent compared to 26 percent--of Medicare beneficiaries that fall into this gap of prescription drug coverage. Without repeal, the burden of high prescription drug costs would hurt millions of Medicare beneficiaries across the country.

An estimated 28,700 small businesses in Hawaii would no longer be eligible for the new federal tax credits that will help make providing health care coverage for their employees more affordable.

Let's be clear, the Patients' Rights Repeal Act will hurt, not help middle class families in Hawaii and across our Nation. That's bad enough. But this repeal also expands the federal deficit. The non- partisan Congressional Budget Office reported that repealing the health reform law would increase the federal deficit by $230 billion over the next ten years and more than $1.2 trillion in the following decade.

At a time when our focus needs to be on jobs, bills should pass the following 3-pronged test: 1) Does it create jobs? 2) Does it strengthen America's middle class? and 3) Does it reduce the deficit? On all counts, H.R. 2 is a resounding failure. I urge my colleagues to join me in voting against H.R. 2.

Mahalo nui loa (thank you very much).

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 13, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Stated against:

Mr. Speaker, the latest results of international tests just came in. On the Program for International Student Assessment, PISA, 15-year-olds in the United States rank 25th in math--below average--among their peers in the Organisation for Economic Co- operation and Development, OECD, nations. Our 15-year-olds rank 17th place--only average--in science. To compete for the jobs of the future, the United States can and must do better.

Today I introduce the Science, Technology, Education, and Mathematics, STEM, Teacher Tax Incentive Act of 2011, one small step to help restore our strength in STEM education and our nation's economic competitiveness.

Research has shown that teacher quality is the most important factor affecting student achievement. We need more highly effective teachers to help excite and inspire our students about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. This bill will provide a tax credit to encourage those who major in STEM fields to join and stay in the teaching profession. The tax credit can be used to help repay undergraduate tuition, and is 50 percent greater for qualified STEM teachers who teach in high-needs schools.

In Hawaii, I have visited dozens of schools and STEM teachers who are working day in, day out to inspire the next generation of leaders. These teachers engage their students through innovative programs like Waianae High School's Searider Productions and robotics initiatives, where our students compete successfully across our islands, nationally, and internationally.

The Hawaii Department of Education's winning Race-to-the-Top plan outlines efforts to increase students' access to highly qualified teachers in STEM and other hard-to-staff subjects. This bill can help supplement Hawaii DOE's efforts.

For his work on this bill in past congresses, I thank my former colleague Congressman Vern Ehlers, Republican of Michigan. Although he retired from his role as a legislator in December 2010, I look forward to his continued contributions as a nuclear physics professor. Thank you also to the other members of the Congressional STEM Education Caucus for their partnership in this and other initiatives to promote STEM Education.

Mr. Speaker, Hawaii, like the rest of the United States, is entirely too dependent on imported fossil fuels. We must speed up the development of renewable energy technologies that can help wean us from our oil dependence and create economic growth at home. If we sow the seeds of renewable energy innovation today, we will be able to reap the benefits for years to come.

Today I introduce the Renewable Energy Applied Partnerships (REAP) Act. This bill will create a Department of Energy pilot program to provide grants to partnerships which will include community colleges and universities, businesses, nonprofits, labor organizations, state education agencies, National Academies, and other public agencies. These partnership grants can be used to train teachers, recruit students, design renewable energy instructional programs, and encourage collaboration between faculty and industry partners.

The bill builds on the Perkins Career and Technical Education Act to help students learn practical skills for future careers in renewable energy and STEM fields. Partnerships will also receive priority if they can demonstrate long-term sustainability without continued federal funding.

Hawaii is at the forefront of innovation in the renewable energy sector, and I have visited many existing cross-sector partnerships in wind, solar, biofuels, and other renewable energy technology. It is my hope that this bill will help support the very best of these collaborations in Hawaii and around the country, to create jobs and train the next generation of renewable energy workers.

For his work on this bill last Congress, I thank my former colleague, Congressman Patrick Murphy of Pennsylvania, the first Iraq War veteran in Congress and a fighter for STEM education in Pennsylvania and nationwide.

Madam Speaker, I rise to join my colleagues today in support of this resolution and associate myself with the eloquent and heartfelt expressions of condolences and comfort from

my colleagues from both sides of the aisle. And hearing the wonderful stories about Gabby told on this floor help capture the warmth and humanity that is Gabby Giffords.

The shock, horror, and tears that followed the unfolding of the terrible news from Arizona, it's like just yesterday. Here was Gabby, out on the first day after we finished votes to meet with her constituents at a Congress on your Corner, an event that many of us do in our own districts. She was joined by her dedicated staff and a large number of constituents who wanted to talk with her, including a third grader so excited to meet with her Congressperson, who had just been elected to an office in her elementary school.

I send my condolences on behalf of all of the people of Hawaii to the families of those who lost loved ones in this senseless act of violence. And I'm going to say their names again because they must not be forgotten: John Roll, 63, chief judge for the U.S. District of Arizona; Gabriel Matthew Zimmerman, 30, Representative Giffords' director of community outreach; Christina Taylor Green, 9 years old, a beautiful and bright girl who should have had a chance for a full life; Dorothy Morris, 76, whose husband was critically injured trying to protect her during the shootings; Phyllis Schneck, 79, mother of three, grandmother of seven; Dorwan Stoddard, 76, who shielded his wife, Mavy, who was also wounded.

Our prayers are with those who are struggling to recover from their injuries, including our dear friend and my classmate, Gabby, Gabby's husband, Mark Kelly, and all of the family members of the victims. We are all one family. As we say in Hawaii, ohana, united in our collective grief and prayers.

I thank the gentleman.

The day before this terrible tragedy, Gabby had reached out to a friend of hers, Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson, a Republican, to talk to him about ways that we all could tone down the political rhetoric and partisanship.

At this point we don't know what drove the gunman to commit this horrible act of violence. Regardless of whether his actions have a causal connection with an increasingly negative tone of our political discourse, I think this tragedy should give us all pause to reflect. Just as we have all come together today to honor the victims of this tragedy, I believe we can honor Gabby by going forward with a heightened commitment to respect each other, listen to each other's points of view and come up with policies that will strengthen our Nation. We must go forward together. Mahalo nui loa.

``The word `the' being interlined between the seventh and eighth lines of the first page; the word `thirty' being partly written on an erazure in the 15th line of the first page; the words `is tried' being interlined between the 32nd and 33rd lines of the first page; and the word `the' being interlined between the 43rd and the 44th lines of the second page.''

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the late Judge Samuel P. King of the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii. Judge King passed away on December 7, 2010, at the age of 94. His deep love for Hawaii was evident in his rulings and in the way he carried himself throughout his life.

Samuel Pailthorpe King was born on April 13, 1916, in Hankow, China, to Samuel Wilder King and Pauline Nawahineokalai Evans. The elder King would later serve in the United States House of Representatives as a delegate from the Territory of Hawaii (1935-1943) and as Territorial Governor of Hawaii (1953-1957).

Samuel P. King was a graduate of Punahou School in Honolulu. He also attended Yale University, where he received a B.S. in 1937 and Yale Law School, where he graduated with an LL.B. in 1940. During World War II, King joined the United States Navy and served as a Japanese language translator from 1942 to 1946. He continued his service in the Naval Reserve from 1946 to 1967.

King began to practice law in Honolulu in 1946. In 1956, he became a district magistrate for the City and County of Honolulu. Hawaii Governor William F. Quinn appointed King to a judgeship in the First Circuit Court where he served from 1961 to 1970. In 1966, King joined Judge Gerald R. Corbett in founding Hawaii's Family Court system. In 1970, King resigned as a judge and ran as a Republican for Governor of Hawaii. After losing to incumbent Governor John A. Burns, King returned to private law practice.

On May 22, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon nominated King to the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii. King was confirmed by the United States Senate on June 28, 1972. He began serving as chief judge in 1974. After 10 years as chief judge, King assumed senior status.

With nearly five decades on the bench, Judge Samuel P. King has left a legal legacy that includes decisions ranging from upholding Hawaii's land reform law to halting construction of the H-3 freeway to protecting the rights of the mentally ill.

Judge King was one of five co-authors of the ``Broken Trust'' essay published in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin in 1997. That essay, written by prominent members of the Native Hawaiian community, was instrumental in bringing change to the leadership and conduct of the Bishop Estate trust that was established to promote the education and wellbeing of Native Hawaiian children. In a 1998 interview, Judge King said, ``I know one thing. Every judge has an obligation: If you see something wrong in the community, you speak out against it.'' With Broken Trust, Judge King did just that.

According to those closest to him, Judge King was particularly proud of his decision protecting the endangered Palila, a 6-inch finch-billed member of the Hawaiian honeycreeper family.

In 1979, Judge King ruled that the State of Hawaii had to protect the bird by eliminating wild goats and sheep from the Palila's only natural habitat on the slopes of Mauna Kea on the island of Hawaii. He ruled that the Palila had standing in the federal court system, and he monitored the bird's welfare for the rest of his life.

Earlier this year, I introduced a bill that would expand the forest habitat of native birds found nowhere else but in the State of Hawaii. The Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge Expansion Act (H.R. 5380) will help preserve Hawaii's unique animals and plants. As the Member of Congress representing one of the most beautiful and ecologically important places in our world, like Judge King, I believe species conservation is a part of my obligation to Hawaii.

I would like to extend my deepest condolences to Judge King's wife of 66 years, Anne Van Patten Grilk King; his son, Samuel, Jr.; his daughters, Louise King Lanzilotti and Charlotte King Stretch; and his six grandchildren.

Mahalo nui loa (thank you very much).