Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, everyone in Washington is trying to arrive at the same destination. We seek to end our dependence on foreign oil, a dependence that endangers our environment, hurts our economy, and weakens our national security.

Importantly, there is a right way to get there. That includes cracking down on oil speculators, ending Big Oil handouts, investing in public transportation and green energy, and increasing corporate average fuel economy standards.

There's also a wrong way: ransacking our coastlines for oil. But you don't have to take my word for it. You can take a page from the history books on this one. For 8 years under the previous administration, the number of oil leases on public lands almost tripled. It didn't help gas prices, which doubled in 2008, and it didn't make us energy independent.

Why not?

The simple fact is the U.S. has less than 3 percent of the world's oil reserves. No matter how much we drill in the U.S., that number is not expected to change. We will never have enough oil to satisfy domestic demand for energy. After all, we currently use 25 percent of the world's oil, and we will never have enough to sufficiently impact prices on the world market.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration has said as much, noting that increases in U.S. domestic production could be neutralized by a corresponding decrease in production among international oil producers, namely, OPEC.

What's really to blame for high gas prices? Is it a lack of domestic production of oil?

Ken Green, a resident scholar with the conservative American Enterprise Institute, doesn't think so. Ken said:

The world price is the world price. Even if we were

producing 100 percent of our oil, we probably couldn't

produce enough to affect the world price of oil.

Well then, who's really to blame for high gas prices? Is it this administration?

Michael Canes, the former chief economist for the oil industry's American Petroleum Institute, says otherwise:

It's not credible to blame the Obama administration's

drilling policies for today's high prices.

What's really to blame for high gas prices is excessive speculation by entities that have no consumption interest in the underlying commodities and that profit by doing nothing more than forecasting price trends.

Our primary focus should be on countering the growing impact of energy speculation rather than simply promoting the oil industry's priorities of increasing domestic drilling.

Experts, including oil industry officials and investment firms, estimate that excessive oil speculation could be inflating prices by up to 30 percent. But increasing domestic drilling would impact prices by only about 1 percent, and that would happen only after a decade or more.

So then where do we go from here?

We learn from those who are reaping the economic benefits of transitioning to development within a booming green industry, countries like India and China.

Right now, in this Chamber, we neglect to consider a host of incentives for international and domestic investment in renewable energy production. Just last week a measure failed to pass the Senate that would have extended production tax credits for wind, solar, and the like.

At a time when we're rolling back, governments in Southeast Asia are refining targets for renewable energy expansion, extending subsidies, and dangling tax breaks. This does not a domestic competitive advantage make, and, frankly, we're better than that.

Gas prices are still below the peak they reached under the previous administration in 2008; crude oil is at $107 a barrel today compared to $145 a barrel back then. But listening to the news, you'd have a hard time believing these cold, hard facts.

Even if we were to drill a hole everywhere in the country we know to have oil and drain out every drop of proved reserves, we would have just enough to last us 1,094 days, just 3 years. That trickle won't ease gas prices.

Raising average fuel efficiency for cars to 60 miles per gallon by 2025 would reduce gasoline consumption by 2.8 million barrels per day by 2030. A combined investment in more efficient cars and trucks, cleaner fuels, and more transportation options for Americans could cut our oil imports in half by 2030. The administration is currently developing the next phase of standards covering vehicles sold through the model year 2025, a strong and laudable goal.

We can and must end our dependence on foreign oil, a dependence that endangers our environment, hurts our economy, and weakens our national security. We can and must do better.

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

I want to thank the chairman of the full committee, Mr. Issa, for his staunch support of this bill, and I also want to thank my good friend Mr. Chaffetz for working so closely with us to craft this bipartisan bill and in working to get it to the floor today. Finally, I want to thank the ranking member of the full committee, Mr. Cummings, for working with me on this important bill.

There could not be a better time to move a measure like this one through the Congress. We are facing an unsustainable budget deficit, and we must get our fiscal house in order. One of the best ways to achieve much-needed reductions in spending is to create efficiencies and cut waste. This is exactly what this bipartisan measure accomplishes.

The Federal Government is the largest property owner in the world, with an inventory of over 900,000 buildings and structures and 41 million acres of land. Yet we waste billions of tax dollars each year in maintaining properties we no longer need.

The Federal Government currently maintains 14,000 buildings and structures deemed ``excess'' and over 76,000 properties identified as ``underutilized.'' In fiscal year 2009, these underutilized buildings cost us $1.7 billion to operate annually.

The GAO has continuously found that many properties are no longer relevant to their Agencies' missions and that Agencies could do a better job of identifying and disposing of unneeded properties. H.R. 665, as amended, will finally give Agencies the tools they need to quickly and efficiently dispose of unneeded Federal properties, resulting in huge savings to the government.

First, H.R. 665 creates a 5-year pilot program to expedite the sale of unused, high-value properties. The Office of Management and Budget, also with the General Services Administration, will work with Agencies to dispose of 15 high-value properties. This list of properties for disposal will be a rolling list, meaning, as properties are sold, additional properties will be added to the list for disposal. Ninety- eight percent of the proceeds from the sale of these high-valued properties will go straight to the Treasury for deficit reduction while 2 percent will be set aside for a grant to fund homeless assistance programs.

In addition to the 5-year pilot, H.R. 665, as amended, modernizes the existing property disposal process and removes barriers to disposal. H.R. 665 empowers GSA to provide agencies with much needed technical expertise to dispose of unused and unneeded properties.

The bill also allows all Agencies to use the proceeds generated from the sale of property, as authorized by Congress, to cover the costs of disposal. Currently, property disposal costs can be hugely expensive. Without the ability to use the proceeds of a sale to cover the costs of disposal, Agencies have little incentive to dispose of these properties. Any funds not used to prepare and dispose of property would be paid to the Treasury for debt reduction.

H.R. 665, as amended, will also provide unprecedented transparency and accountability to the Federal Government's property portfolio. The bill will require GSA to report to Congress annually on the number, value, and maintenance costs of all Federal property. This information will be made available to the public at no cost in an online database.

Finally, this bipartisan bill reforms our property disposal process without creating a new bureaucracy, and is at no cost to the Federal Government.

H.R. 665, as amended, passed unanimously through the Oversight and Government Reform Committee. I encourage my colleagues to support this commonsense bill designed to improve government efficiency and save the taxpayers billions.

Again, I want to thank Mr. Chaffetz for his good work on a bipartisan effort toward this extraordinary bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the lobbyists for the day, Nick Lewis who helped organize this. The game did get a little chippy, that's true, but it has no connection with the 20-point lobbying reform measure that we're putting out tomorrow.

I also want to thank the staff who helped carry this older team of guys, our captain, Tim Regan right over here, for helping us win the game and bring back the cup and beat back the evil horde.

Thanks, everyone.

Mr. Speaker, it's an honor to be here tonight to speak out for women across America who rely on contraception for their health and well-being. I want to emphasize the world ``health'' because at it's heart that's what this debate is all about.

There has been a great deal of discussion about religion in this debate, but we want to use tonight to remind policymakers and Americans everywhere what's really at stake when we talk about contraception, and that's the health and well-being of millions of women and their families.

Ninety-nine percent of sexually active women have used contraception, including 98 percent of sexually active Catholic women. More than half of women between the ages of 18 and 34 have struggled to afford contraception. It's also important to recognize 28 States already require contraception coverage, and 57 percent of Catholic voters support the new policy requiring contraception coverage.

But today we want to move beyond statistics and tell human stories, the stories of women all across America who rely on contraception for a variety of vital health needs. Tonight I just want to share one of many stories I have received from women in my district. The story I want to share is from a young woman in my district in Chicago named Annalisa. Annalisa was so moved by the story of the young woman from Georgetown who was denied contraception to treat her ovarian cyst, she wrote me this letter:

I would like to applaud your decision to walk out of the

one-sided talk about birth control coverage. I have a similar

story to that of the rejected witness' friend.

I had my right ovary removed shortly after I turned 18 due

to a large cyst that not only threatened my fertility, but I

was told if it grew any larger it could burst and also

threaten my life. My left ovary also had multiple smaller

cysts, but they were able to be removed while leaving the

ovary intact.

My doctor said I was one of the youngest with such a

problem, and the cyst was so large it was sent to be

researched. Before I was even sexually active I was

prescribed birth control pills to preserve my remaining ovary

and to take my fertility beyond the age of 18.

It saddens me to no end that some people don't understand

the many uses and lifesaving abilities of birth control. I

hope to be a mother someday, a darned good one, and I thank

you for standing up for women like me.

Well, I want to thank Annalisa for her bravery and sharing her story with me and allowing me to share it tonight. But Annalisa is not alone. Her story is the story of thousands of women around the country whose health relies on contraception. We will hear more stories like Annalisa's tonight.

But I hope that the next time we engage in a debate about restricting access to contraception, we remember Annalisa and women like her, and we remember that for thousands of women, contraception is not a question of religion but a question of life and death.

In addition to non-contraception health benefits, the contraception benefits of birth control cannot be understated. The simple fact is millions of women use birth control to delay or avoid pregnancy.

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists:

A full array of family planning services is vital for

women's health, especially for the two-thirds of American

women of reproductive age who wish to avoid or postpone

pregnancy.

Nearly half of all pregnancies in the U.S. are unintended, and unintended pregnancies can have serious health consequences for women. For example, for some women with serious medical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure, a pregnancy could be life threatening.

Children born from unintended pregnancies are also at greater risk of poor birth outcomes such as congenital defects, low birth weight, and prematurity. According to the National Commission to Prevent Infant Mortality, 10 percent of infant deaths could be prevented if all pregnancies were planned.

I want to share another story of a young woman named Katy from my home State of Illinois. Katy, like millions of women across the country, currently relies on contraception because she is pursuing her career and wants to do so without getting pregnant. Here's what Katy wrote:

Birth control is important to me personally because I am a

23-year-old medical student who would be distraught if I

became pregnant. Don't get me wrong, I love children and

dream of the day that I can become

a mother. That time isn't when I have $81,000 in medical

school debt after just 2 years of medical school. That time

isn't when I study for most hours of the day. That time isn't

when I have no job, and my only source of `income' is the

overpayment checks I receive for my financial aid.

Birth control is important to me because I can't be a

mother right now but want to have the option in the future.

Birth control gives me the option to retain a somewhat normal

intimate life with my partner of 8 years while still

protecting my dreams of a future in medicine. That future

would be extremely hard to obtain with an infant to care for.

Contraception has transformed our society by allowing women like Katy to take their own health and their own future into their own hands. Women have the power to decide when and how many children to have, which has allowed them to pursue successful careers and enter the workforce like never before.

But in the end, this is not about work versus home life. This is about empowering women to decide for themselves. Birth control lets women choose their own life paths, and that's why it is vital that we protect it.

I also want to remind opponents of contraception coverage that contraception prevents abortion. Nearly half--49 percent--of pregnancies in the U.S. are unintended, and 42 percent of unintended pregnancies end in abortion. Although abortion and contraception are one degree removed, it is easy to see that increased use of contraception will reduce unintended pregnancies and, therefore, reduce abortion rates.

The data shore this up as well. According to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health, the recent decline in pregnancy rates amongst American teens ``appears to be following the patterns observed in other developed countries, where improved contraception use has been the primary determinant of declining rates.''

Teen pregnancy is at a 30-year low, due in large part to increased contraception use. Another recent study found that California's family- planning program averted nearly 300,000 unintended pregnancies, 100,000 abortions and 38,000 miscarriages.

Finally, a Guttmacher Institute study of nationwide family planning programs found similar reports. According to Guttmacher:

Publicly funded contraceptive services and supplies help

women in the U.S. avoid nearly 2 million unintended

pregnancies each year.

In the absence of such services--from family planning

centers and from doctors serving Medicaid patients, estimated

U.S. levels of unintended pregnancy, abortion and unintended

birth would be nearly two-thirds higher among women overall,

and nearly twice as high among poor women.

There can be no denying that contraception prevents abortion. This means abortion opponents should be bolstering contraception programs, not banning them.

We should be able to find common ground on the issue of contraception--a basic health service already utilized by the vast majority of American women.

I hope we can work together to expand important investments in family planning such as title X and Medicaid.

And I hope we can move forward with the important new rule requiring coverage of contraception, to empower women, improve health, save lives, and reduce abortions.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 7 o'clock and 42 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, Thursday, March 8, 2012, at 10 a.m.

Mr. Speaker, today, Chicago remembers the great Polish General Casimir Pulaski in annual celebrations surrounding General Casimir Pulaski Day.

Chicago is home to one of the largest populations of Poles in the world outside of Warsaw, so today marks a special day for many of my constituents who observe this holiday and remember General Pulaski's enduring and lasting contributions to our nation.

Born in Poland in 1745, Pulaski joined the fight for Polish liberation from Russian influences and later fought for American independence from Britain.

After meeting Pulaski in France, Benjamin Franklin wrote to George Washington that Pulaski was ``an officer renowned throughout Europe for the courage and bravery he displayed in defense of his country's freedom.''

Arriving in America in 1777, Pulaski assisted Washington's Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, at the behest of Franklin.

Pulaski distinguished himself as a gifted military tactician and became known as the ``Father of the American Cavalry,'' often using his own finances to provide his forces with the finest equipment when allocations from Congress were limited.

He valiantly gave his life in 1779, fighting for the freedom he so believed in, and has been remembered since that day by both Americans and Poles for his dedication to liberty and justice for all.

My recent trip to Poland reminded me how important it is for the United States and Poland to continue nurturing and celebrating our long-standing relationship as friends and allies.

To this end, I will continue pushing for Poland's inclusion in the Visa Waiver Program.

I hope that by making it easier for Polish citizens to visit their loved ones here in America, even more Polish families in my district will be able to celebrate next year's Casimir Pulaski Day together.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Honor Flight Chicago's commitment to serving our nation's World War II veterans.

Honor Flight Chicago began in 2008 when Mary Pettinato, Jeanmarie Kapp, Nancy Kapp, and Suzanne Stanits decided to make an important difference in the lives of World War II veterans. While our country has honored the sacrifices of our veterans by building memorials in Washington, D.C., many of these veterans are not able to make the trip to see the monuments dedicated to their service.

These four extraordinary women seized the opportunity to expand the Honor Flight Network's national mission to the Chicago area.

Along with hundreds of volunteers, Honor Flight Chicago recognizes World War II Veterans with a day of gratitude, remembrance, and celebration. Because of their tireless dedication, veterans throughout northeast Illinois and northwest Indiana travel cost-free to see these memorials in Washington and return to a boisterous and heartwarming Chicago homecoming with family and friends that you have to see to believe.

As our nation loses approximately 900 World War II veterans every day, Honor Flight works hard to ensure these heroes have an opportunity to fulfill their dreams and receive the thanks they deserve before it's too late.

Since February 2008, Honor Flight Chicago has flown more than 2,000 veterans to their war memorial at no cost to them. More than 700 guardians and volunteers work day-in and day-out to raise the funds necessary to accomplish this mission and reach as many of the 25,000 World War II veterans living in the Chicago area as possible.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in commending the work of Honor Flight Chicago and in honoring our nation's veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 51st anniversary of the Peace Corps. The Peace Corps has become an enduring symbol of American ideals and has served as a tremendous example of how we can win friends around the world by providing trained workers and improving understanding between countries.

In October of 1960, then Senator John F. Kennedy challenged college students to commit themselves to serve overseas. Since 1961 more than 200,000 volunteers have answered that call to serve. Peace Corps volunteers have worked in 139 countries, helping people around the world in areas as diverse as education, AIDS prevention and treatment, agriculture, economic development and more. Five of my colleagues in Congress are former Peace Corps volunteers and can attest to the program's importance. As President Clinton stated, ``When President Kennedy founded the Peace Corps in 1961, he saw it as a bold experiment in public service that would unite our nation's highest ideals with a pragmatic approach to bettering the lives of ordinary people around the world. He also saw it as an investment in our own future, in an increasingly interdependent world. In the years since, it's paid off many times over.''

Two young people from my district can also attest to the important work the Peace Corps continues to perform. On behalf of the 5th District of Illinois, I would like to thank Lukas Milewski and Cormac Molloy, serving in Indonesia and Uganda respectively, for the service they are providing to our country and others.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise today to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Neighborhood Boys and Girls Club of Chicago, a local organization that promotes leadership and scholarship for boys and girls between the ages of 6 and 18.

In the autumn of 1931, Robert Buehler and Richard Valentin had their very first event, a football game involving local children that ended in a 13 13 tie. While watching the game, the spirit and teamwork of the participants showed the two founders that this organization could be a positive force for change. Since then, the club has been a staple of the Homer Park neighborhood. It currently serves over 1200 children each year, building character, cultivating leadership and encouraging teamwork.

The NBGC mainly achieves these goals through sports, academics and art. Within the floor hockey, basketball, baseball, volleyball and other sports programs, every child plays in every game, enjoying a positive and encouraging atmosphere and learning to provide the same for their teammates.

Additionally, the NBGC has fostered an extensive volunteer and parent network. The coaches, teachers and mentors provide the club with the engine to power the vehicle of growth and learning that children in the area have enjoyed for generations. They have led by example that it truly takes a village to raise a child.

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to congratulate the Neighborhood Boys and Girls Club for 80 years of nurturing strong values in Chicago's youth, as well as developing a strong community throughout the area. I wish them even greater success in the years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember and honor the life of John Fallon. John Fallon, whose integrity, love of politics and trusting eyes guided him through a successful career in the Cook County Assessor's Office, passed away on January 11, 2012, after heroically battling cancer since 2004.

John battled cancer on three different occasions since 2004, but refused to give up his fight for life. He once said he considered cancer to be a ``blessing because you appreciate everything so much more.'' His life was never defined by his illness, but rather by his commitment to his family, his skillful baking, his love of the bagpipes and his dedication to politics.

John never let cancer get in the way of living every moment of his life to the fullest. He participated in Chicago's Polar Plunge fully clothed while playing the bagpipes, a challenge few are brave enough to tackle. He trained and ran in two marathons, successfully completing the Chicago marathon in 2008, a feat few healthy people achieve. John also continued to help others in need by serving in a soup kitchen and working with Immerman's Angels to help people fight the disease with which he had become so familiar. John taught us all how to live the life we are given regardless of the obstacles we face.

May Mr. John Fallon rest in peace.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the week in which we celebrate the National Salute to Veteran Patients which begins February 12th.

The United States Department of Veterans Affairs annually observes the week of February 14th as our Nation's National Salute to Veteran Patients. This week is our opportunity to honor the more than 98,000 veterans who are cared for day-in and day-out by our Nation's Veterans Affairs hospitals, outpatient clinics, and nursing homes.

Our Nation's veterans have sacrificed much to ensure the safety of our homeland. Their service oftentimes comes at a price to their own personal well-being. When our servicemen and women are injured, our Veterans Affairs hospitals provide vital services that help them heal and return to life in our communities. This week serves as a reminder to thank our veterans for their service to our country while also commending those who treat them with medical care.

I would also like to recognize the Veterans Affairs hospitals that serve the servicemen and women of Illinois's 5th District and the surrounding areas. The Jesse Brown Veteran Affairs Medical Center and the Edward Hines, Jr. Veteran Affairs Hospital admirably serve our veterans throughout the City of Chicago as well as into other parts of Illinois and Indiana. With more than one million outpatient visits between the two hospitals in a single year, the doctors, nurses and staff of both Jesse Brown and Edward Hines, Jr. are to be commended for the care that they provide to our veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring our Nation's veterans during this National Salute to Veteran Patients week.

Mr. Speaker, today I am honored to announce that the Illinois General Assembly passed a resolution which declares February 9th to be Lech Walesa Day in Illinois. I have been honored to meet this great patriot during both of my trips to Poland, and fully support this tribute to a man who spent his life fighting for liberty and democracy.

Lech Walesa is a freedom fighter. He fought for the rights of the worker as a trade union activist in the Gdansk shipyards. He is a man who fought to lift the yoke of communism and oppression off of the Polish people and as President of Poland led them into a new age of democracy. President Walesa helped fight for the rights and freedoms of Poles past, present, and future.

President Walesa has always followed his moral compass, which led him towards freedom and democracy. Representing a district which has more than 110,000 people of Polish and Polish-American descent, it is my honor to salute a truly great world leader of the 20th century, President Lech Walesa.

Madam Speaker, I rise today as a cosponsor and strong supporter of the STOCK Act.

The STOCK Act includes the Congressional Integrity and Pension Forfeiture Act, which Congressman Dold and I introduced last year.

The Pension Forfeiture Act ensures that former Members of Congress forfeit their pensions if they are convicted of committing a public corruption crime while serving in elected public office.

Corrupt former legislators who continue to collect pensions on the taxpayer dime are taking advantage of the American people even after they have left office.

This legislation will protect taxpayer dollars and end what could only be viewed as a reward for those who have abused the public's trust.

In my home state of Illinois, we know all too well about the costs of corruption.

Two former governors of Illinois, George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich, are serving extensive prison time for corruption.

Blagojevich, who previously represented the Illinois 5th District, continues to claim his federal pension because of a loophole in existing law.

Congressman Dold and I believe that this loophole should be closed.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the STOCK Act and restoring transparency, accountability, and trust in government and public service.

Mr. Speaker, my esteemed colleagues, please join me in honoring the late Wislawa Szymborska, Nobel Prize winning Polish poet and essayist, who passed away on February 1, 2012. Wislawa Szymborska was described as ``the Mozart of poetry . . . with the furor of Beethoven.'' She received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1996, propelling her to international fame.

Incredibly particular in what she deemed worthy of print, Ms. Szymborska published less than 400 poems over the span of six decades. First gaining notoriety in Poland, her poetry eventually became known worldwide. She was renowned for approaching serious subjects with humor and satire, as well as for deeply examining seemingly trivial everyday occurrences. A true artist, she was very much in tune with human nature, while seemingly transcendent above it all. She was also notoriously private, choosing to remain away from what she called the ``fuss.''

Wislawa Szymborska's poetry is so profoundly rooted in human reality and yet so far removed from it, that it will surely withstand the test of time for generations to come. Both she and her poetry will be truly missed.

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to religious exemptions, a balance must be struck. The rights of religious followers must be protected while also respecting the beliefs of others who may be impacted by a religious exemption.

Take, for example, a Catholic university where Jews, Hindus, Muslims, and non-religious followers work. Should these individuals be denied access to contraception even though their faiths do not oppose it?

If we expand the religious exemption too far and allow religiously affiliated institutions to deny contraception to their employees regardless of their religious beliefs, we begin to see the beliefs and rights of those who support and require contraception infringed upon.

As policymakers, we have to stand up for the rights of all of our constituents regardless of their faiths. This means making policies that walk the line between protecting the rights of primarily religious institutions while also protecting the rights of individuals employed by religiously affiliated institutions. The administration's exemption strikes that balance.

I yield to the gentlewoman from California.