Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Steve Paternoster, who was recently selected as the National Restaurant Association's 2013 Cornerstone Humanitarian of the Year for his extraordinary contributions to his community and for his philanthropic service to others. Steve has selflessly dedicated his life to improving the lives of countless New Mexicans. An alumnus of New Mexico Military Institute, Steve now serves as CEO of the YMCA of Central New Mexico and is the owner of a successful restaurant. From donating about $200,000 annually through his business to serving on local non-profit boards, he focuses on organizations that support chronic disease, the less fortunate, young adults at risk and the arts.

In 2009, Steve and his daughter Haley founded the Special Programs Youth Assistance Foundation to help troubled arid disadvantaged youth in New Mexico, including those in Children's Drug Court and those suffering from domestic abuse. After losing Haley to a heroin overdose in 2010, Steve has made it his life's mission to help others overcome obstacles similar to those Haley and the Paternoster family faced. Steve also hosts an annual holiday dinner at his restaurant for troubled teenagers, their families, Court staff and their families.

Steve works closely with many other causes including Isshin Ryu, a non-profit organization designed to provide education, recreation and enrichment activities to disadvantaged youth. He also works with the Heart Gallery of New Mexico Foundation, which helps hard-to-place children in foster homes. Additionally, Steve is involved with New Mexico AIDS Services, the American Heart Association, the American Stroke Association, the Heart Hospital of New Mexico Foundation and Dismas House, which provides support for people with chronic illnesses.

I congratulate Steve on receiving this prestigious award and thank him for his hard work and for the many contributions he has made and will continue to make to New Mexico.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor New Mexico Rep. Nick Salazar who received the ``Lifetime Achievement Award'' from Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Rep. Salazar is one of the most distinguished members of the New Mexico Legislature, having represented his district, which encompasses Colfax, Mora, Rio Arriba and San Miguel counties, since 1973. Incredibly, Rep. Salazar has worked for Los Alamos National Laboratory for 63 years. In both roles, Rep. Salazar has been an effective leader who has had a profound impact on his community, his state and a thankful nation.

During his distinguished career at LANL, Rep. Salazar was responsible for ensuring that the lab was a responsible and productive

partner to the communities of northern New Mexico. He played a key role in expanding opportunities for research and development, the development of small and minority-owned businesses, technology transfer initiatives, math and science programs, and job training and development. He promoted these programs while advocating for stringent environmental regulations that protected the public. He also served as a member of the Los Alamos National Security Board of Governors.

Rep. Salazar honorably served his country as a Sergeant in the United States Air Force and his community as a County Commissioner from 1964 to 1968.

Rep. Salazar is one of the longest-serving members of the state House of Representatives, having been elected 20 times and serving 40 years. He has been a champion for working class families. Rep. Salazar sponsored legislation to create Northern New Mexico College in Espanola, and led the effort to broaden the mission of the school to allow for four-year degrees. He has also served as chairman of the North Central New Mexico Economic Development District for decades. Rep. Salazar is one of New Mexico's foremost advocates for the state's senior citizens. In 1991, he led the effort to establish the nation's first Indian Area Agency on Aging, and in 2003, he sponsored legislation that created the New Mexico Aging & Long-Term Services Department, elevating the agency to Cabinet-level status.

Rep. Salazar's colleagues in the Legislature have turned to him through the years as a trusted mentor, known for his erudition and his principled approach to the most important issues facing the state. He is a quintessential leader who cares deeply for his family, his community, the Labs and the institution of the New Mexico House of Representatives.

Rep. Nick Salazar is a resident of San Juan Pueblo. He is married to Maria Ana and has three adult children, Yvonne, Earl and Gregory.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today appalled by proposed cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in the 2013 Farm Bill. This program provides crucial support to families in New Mexico and across the country that continue to struggle to make ends meet.

SNAP benefits help many households lift themselves out of poverty, and prevent families from falling even deeper into poverty. With SNAP benefits already averaging less than $1.50 per person per meal, any reduction in a family's monthly benefits or eligibility would be devastating. We cannot keep expecting poor working families and senior citizens to shoulder the burden of misguided deficit reduction.

In my state, over 78 percent of SNAP participants are in families with children. Instead of taking food out of the mouths of the one in five New Mexicans who depend on these benefits for their basic nutrition and economic security, Congress should focus on creating jobs that will grow the economy. New Mexico's farmers and ranchers deserve a Farm Bill, but it's wrong to harm our children, seniors and veterans in the process.

I urge the House of Representatives to oppose any short-sighted cuts to this vitally important program.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about jobs.

I've served almost 5 months in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, and I've heard a lot of my colleagues talk about jobs, but we've had little opportunity to actually vote on legislation that would create American jobs.

Just this week, the Albuquerque Journal reported on the unbelievable difficulty that many New Mexicans are having in finding a job. The headline says it all. According to the article, when the Downs Racetrack and Casino in Albuquerque held a job fair last week to fill 400 openings, 6,400 job seekers showed up.

One young man interviewed said, ``I've put in 60 applications in the year I've been unemployed and haven't had a single callback.''

Another job seeker noted, ``This is the first time in my life, in 49 years, I've been without a job. You read about it, you think about it, and then when it happens it's a real awakening.''

But instead of creating an environment that would foster economic growth, Congress has done the exact opposite by allowing the indiscriminate, across-the-board budget cuts, known as ``sequestration,'' to take effect. According to the Director of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, sequestration could result in a loss of 750,000 American jobs this year alone.

If there is one State that cannot afford to lose any more jobs, it's New Mexico. Our State's economy has been barely crawling along since the Great Recession of 2008. Last week, however, we finally got some good news. New Mexico's Department of Workforce Solutions reported that our State's employment growth in April was the best it has been in 5 years. A Department of Workforce Solutions official said, in fact, ``The economic recovery in New Mexico may be gathering momentum as we start a sustained recovery.''

Now, just as New Mexico finally appears to be on the way to the economic recovery our families and businesses so desperately need, the sequester threatens all of this progress; and this week, New Mexico got some really bad news. The Department of Defense announced plans Tuesday to furlough about 680,000 of its civilian employees, including 7,000 New Mexicans, for 11 days through the end of this fiscal year. Some might think that 11 days doesn't sound like much, but let's take a closer look at what 11 days without pay means to individual families.

When furlough notices begin going out at the end of this month, 7,000 hardworking New Mexicans will find out that they will be losing about 20 percent of their salaries for the rest of the fiscal year. Now, these families are trying to pay their mortgages, make their car payments, and put their kids through college. Families are already living paycheck to paycheck and are struggling just to get by. Can you imagine what losing 20 percent of a paycheck means to them? It's devastating. Although New Mexicans may feel the worst of the consequences of the sequester this year, sequester is not just a 1-year problem. It will negatively impact our Nation's economy for the next 9 fiscal years.

We all agree we need to reduce our long-term deficit, but we need a balanced approach that will create jobs. On May 14, the CBO released new projections that the deficit will fall by an extra $200 billion this year than previously expected. The CBO now forecasts that the deficit will shrink to 2.1 percent of the GDP by 2015 from a high of 10 percent of GDP in 2009. The International Monetary Fund has called the pace of deficit reduction ``overly strong,'' arguing that Washington should focus on job creation in the short term and develop a long-term strategy for future deficit reduction. The IMF added that this year's $85 billion in sequester-mandated cuts will negatively impact growth this year and beyond.

It's true that you can't tax your way to prosperity, but you can't cut your way to prosperity either, and draconian, across-the-board budget cuts aren't going to create jobs. I agree with those who say we need to get our fiscal house in order, but to do that we first need to solve the unemployment problem that is plaguing small towns and big cities throughout the Nation. More than half of the deficit stems from a sluggish economy and an unemployment rate that is above 7 percent.

Mr. Speaker, we need more Americans to get back to work. We need more Americans to get back to work so that fewer Americans will need to rely on social safety net programs in order to survive. We need more Americans to get back to work so that they will have more money to spend on goods and services, which will create even more jobs.

It has become clear that the House Republicans' so-called ``plan'' to create jobs was just empty rhetoric, a hollow promise to the American people. If House Republicans were serious about creating jobs, they would vote on the updated Van Hollen substitute--a real plan to replace the sequester with a sensible, balanced approach to deficit reduction that puts job creation first.

Mr. Speaker, instead of taking steps to create jobs and grow the economy, Republicans yesterday voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act for the 37th time.

The Affordable Care Act is working, and its benefits are being felt throughout the country, especially in my home State. Almost 525,000 New Mexicans now have access to free preventative services, such as mammograms, flu shots and colonoscopy screenings. Almost 19,000 seniors have benefited from lower prescription drug costs, and over 26,000 young adults in New Mexico can stay on their parents' insurance plans until they are 26.

So why in the world would we want to hurt seniors, women and young people by repealing the Affordable Care Act?

Let's not forget that the Affordable Care Act is a job creator. The Medicaid expansion alone will create 6,000 to 8,000 jobs in New Mexico and will pump more than $5 billion into our economy over the next 6 years.

Mr. Speaker, let's stop trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and let's get back to work on behalf of the American people.

I ask unanimous consent to insert my statement in the Record opposing the GOP's dubious Mother's Day gift--more work and less pay for working moms. Happy Mother's Day.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor 32 women who were recognized as New Mexico ``Women of Influence'' for 2013.

It is important to highlight women in our communities who are achieving incredible success as local business and community leaders. Albuquerque Business First partnered with the local business community to evaluate a record number of nominations for the Women of Influence awards.

I understand the challenges of being a small business owner and overcoming hurdles that are all-too-common for women in a male- dominated culture. I appreciate and applaud this year's honorees, each of whom has contributed to the state of New Mexico in unique and exciting ways.

New Mexico's Women of Influence include CEO's, educators, entrepreneurs, and leaders in financial services, government, health and fitness, non-profits and technology firms.

Business Services:

Virginia R. Dugan, Esquire, Atkinson & Kelsey, P.A., Annette Gardiner, President, New Mexico Gas Company, Debra P. Hicks, PE/LSI, President and CEO, Pettigrew & Associates, P.A., Jennifer Hise, Vice President, CEMCO, Inc., Laurie Monfiletto, Vice President of Human Resources, PNM Resources, Dorothy Stermer, Manager, Sandia National Laboratories, Dr. Sandra Taylor-Sawyer, Director, NM Small Business Development Center, CEO, Dream Givers, LLC, Independent Associate, LegalShield.

Education:

Barbara Bergman, Interim Dean, University of New Mexico School of Law, Marilyn Melendez Dykman, Director, University of New Mexico Veterans Resource Center, Dr. Viola E. Florez, Professor and PNM Education Endowed Chair, University of New Mexico College of Education.

Entrepreneur:

Sherry M. Keeney, President/CEO, PECOS Management Services, Inc., Janice J. Lucero, CEO/Owner, MVD Express, Susan MacLean, President & CEO, The Solutions Group, DeAnn Sena O'Connor, Creative Director, dso creative.

Financial Services:

Karen M. Bard, Wealth Management Advisor, Merrill Lynch, Dohnia Dorman, MBA, VP of Marketing, Rio Grande Credit Union, Part-Time Adjunct Lecturer II, UNM, Tammy S. Jaramillo, Director of Administration, Burt & Company CPAs, LLC.

Government:

Mary Ann Chavez-Lopez, Executive Director, El Camino Real Housing Authority, Ann Lerner, Film Liaison, City of Albuquerque, Katherine Carroll Martinez, Director, Construction Industries Division/ Manufactured Housing Division, Regulation and Licensing Department, State of New Mexico.

Health/Fitness:

Kristie Bair, J.D., President, Bair Medical Spa, Gayle Dine'Chacon, MD, Surgeon General, Navajo Nation, Associate Professor, UNM School of Medicine, E. DeAnn Eaton Azar, CEO, Haverland Carter Lifestyle Group, Kim E. Hedrick, Vice President Strategic Business Development, University of New Mexico Medical Group, Inc., Mary G. Martinez, Franchise Owner/CEO, Home Instead Senior Care.

I congratulate these women leaders and thank them for their contributions to New Mexico.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate William Telford Barnhouse II, known as Bill to his friends, was born on April 18, 1923 and is celebrating his 90th birthday this year along with family and friends. Bill was raised in Austin, Texas when it was still a small town. He graduated in 1940 from Austin High School where he competed on the debate team. His fondest memories of those years are of his family, his dog and the car he was able to buy with the money he made selling fireworks.

After high school Bill went to the University of Texas in Austin where he joined the United States Navy as a Naval Reserve Officer Cadet. He received his commission as an Ensign in the United States Naval Reserve on February 26, 1944, married his college sweetheart Margaret Pierson on February 27, 1944, received his degree in Business Administration on February 29, 1944 and his orders to report to the USS Kidd, Destroyer 661 in the South Pacific that same day.

After surviving repeated kamikaze attacks during the battle of Okinawa, on April 11, 1945 the Kidd was struck by a kamikaze killing thirty-seven and wounding seventy-five of the Kidd's sailors and officers. Bill survived the attack and helped sail the Kidd back to the United States for repairs. After it was decommissioned, the Kidd eventually sailed to Baton Rouge, Louisiana where it now serves as Louisiana's Naval War Memorial in Baton Rouge.

After the war, Bill worked in a number of jobs before going to work for Southern Union Gas Company as its Office Manager in Austin, Texas. In 1961, Southern Union moved Bill to Albuquerque to be its office manager here, where he worked in the building now housing the Flying Star at 8th Street and Central. After advancements that required moving to El Paso and Dallas, Bill was named President of the Gas Company of New Mexico and returned to Albuquerque in 1975. He retired from that position in 1983.

Margaret and Bill were married for fifty years and were blessed with five children: William T. Barnhouse III (known as Tig to friends and family) who lives in La Union, New Mexico and, along with his wife Lydia, owns two businesses operating out of El Paso, Texas; Gene Barnhouse who along with his wife Carmen owns Albuquerque Lighting; Kyle Barnhouse who owns Southwest Childcare and its three child care centers in Albuquerque; Dolph Barnhouse, a lawyer practicing in Albuquerque; and Marlane Barnhouse, who works as a special education teacher for the Albuquerque Public Schools. After Margaret passed away in 1994, Bill renewed an old friendship with Glyn Walker, who he knew from his days in Austin. Bill and Glyn enjoyed sixteen years of marriage before she passed away. Glyn's daughter Donna Agler and her husband Hal live in Santa Fe and remain close to Bill and his family. Bill was again blessed when a close cousin introduced him to Anne Weigers, who he married last year. Anne's daughter Margaret Vitullo and son David bring to eight the number of Bill's children and step children.

During his ninety years Bill has always worked to help others and build his community. In addition to his service during WW II, Bill helped establish the New Mexico Museum of Natural History (where he is honored by name on its wall of recognition), the El Paso Cancer Research Center, the Board of Advisors for the New Mexico Cancer Research Center, and the USS Kidd and Louisiana Veterans Memorial in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Other highlights of his nine decades include his tenure as Chairman of the Lovelace Medical Center Board of Advisers, Chairman and President of the El Paso United Way and his service as a Boy Scout Troop Leader for nine years.

Family and friends will join Bill on April 18 to celebrate his ninetieth birthday, and honor all he has done over those ninety years.

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained and so I missed rollcall vote No. 90 ``to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to facilitate the development of hydroelectric power on the Diamond Fork System of the Central Utah Project'' (H.R. 254). Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes''.

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained and so I missed rollcall vote Number 91 ``To authorize the acquisition and protection of nationally significant battlefields and associated sites of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 under the American Battlefield Protection Program'' (H.R. 1033). Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the Republican budget plan. This misguided and cruel plan abandons the economic recovery. It is a path to greater disparity, and it protects the affluent while further squeezing the middle class.

We cannot afford this Republican budget. According to the Economic Policy Institute, it will cost us 2 million jobs in 2014. This is on top of the 750,000 jobs we will lose this year due to sequestration.

The Republican budget attacks the various industries where the largest job growth should be occurring. We need to invest in critical infrastructure like the health care system as a key way to create jobs here at home and protect our most vulnerable.

According to a 2012 Bureau of Labor Statistics study, the health sector is going to be the leader in job growth throughout the rest of this decade. Unfortunately, the path once again chosen by Republicans in this Congress will put job growth in jeopardy.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that the budget plan under consideration cuts $2.5 trillion from health care by 2023. How? It turns Medicare into a voucher program and it block grants Medicaid to States. This will force health care providers to cut jobs and to reduce services to their patients.

With an aging population that will require greater care, we should be investing in critical infrastructure like health care and other programs like disease and care management, which have and will continue to reduce spending in Medicare.

So let's be clear: this budget wreaks havoc on health care systems in this country, it hurts patients, and it devastates future job growth in the health sector.

Lastly, this plan also chooses to arbitrarily balance the budget in 10 years, which is harmful to our fragile economy and middle class families. The notion that 10 years is the magic number to balance the budget is ludicrous. It is similar to telling mortgage holders who are responsibly paying their mortgage that, instead of having 30 years to pay it off, now they have 10. Would they be able to? Many of them would end up losing the house. That is exactly what the Ryan budget does and why, to the Nation's budget and to our economy, it puts us under water.

Instead, I would encourage all of my colleagues to support the Van Hollen substitute, which is a balanced approach that leads to job creation and is the right way forward.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 60 I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Time is short, Mr. Speaker. March 1 is just a few hours away, and the Republicans refuse to bring forward a balanced plan to replace the meat-ax approach to governing known as sequestration.

My constituents have been clear with me: We should stop the blame game, and we must stop this sequester from happening. New Mexicans are worried. They know what happens if we don't stop the sequester:

More than 750,000 jobs are at risk just this year.

Almost 10,000 New Mexicans won't be able to get the help and skills they need to find a job.

Small businesses, the backbone of our economy, won't be able to get the loans that they need to expand and grow.

Just in New Mexico, almost 7,000 civilian furloughs from the Defense Department, resulting in $42 million less in gross pay for those employees, forcing middle class families to deal with losses equal to one mortgage payment or more.

Lastly, one of my State's and district's largest employers, Sandia National Laboratories, has implemented a

hiring freeze. This move will stunt economic growth and be devastating to New Mexico's economy.

I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 699, a balanced bill to replace the sequester with spending cuts and revenue.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Paycheck Fairness Act, which is being introduced today by its long-time champion, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro.

I am proud to join her and my colleagues in supporting this critical legislation which now protects women in the workforce by strengthening the Equal Pay Act by banning retaliation against workers who discuss their wages, helping employees challenge unequal pay and making available remedies for discriminatory practices.

We all know that women make 77 cents for every dollar earned by men. The number has been repeated often, especially in this House, which has passed Paycheck Fairness twice to correct this injustice.

And in this tough economy, now more than ever before, women are the last line of economic defense for themselves and their children, working to keep a roof over their family's heads and food on the table.

That is why we need the Paycheck Fairness Act without delay. It is time for the Congress to act and give women a fighting chance to receive fair pay for their hard work. It's time to get this legislation to the President's desk.