Floor Statements

I thank the gentlelady from Tennessee for leading this session and our chairman of the RSC. Indeed, it's true: as of January 1, 2013, in fact, Congresswoman, there will be five new burdens, new tax burdens, on the American people related to the enormous cost of the Federal takeover of our health insurance and in certain respects of our health care.

For one thing--and this is really, really a sad thing--right now, families with special needs children can use pretax dollars. They can protect those dollars to spend them on care and even education for their special needs children in flexible savings accounts. As of January 1, 2013, one of the new tax burdens on those families and on every family that relies on a flexible savings account will be that they will be limited to $2,500 per year. That's it.

Now, tuition at some of the schools for our special needs children run to many thousands of dollars a year, $10,000 or more. It used to be that families could use those dollars for their special needs children. Now they won't be able to. Does that seem fair? It certainly doesn't to me.

We will post a link, because I'm not sure they are right, but we will post a link. Dividend taxes are going to go up on our seniors, on our fixed income families, on our savers. That's another burden, the new taxes that are going to be related to health care, and there are three others other than the flexible savings.

Mr. Speaker, our work in Congress during these final weeks of 2012 is focused on the fiscal cliff. We're worried--and rightly so--about what it means to our economy, to our future, to the daily lives right now of hardworking Americans who are, in all too many cases, already struggling to make ends meet, like the mother in Carmel, New York, who told me her kids are going to have to limit their sports activities because she's having trouble finding the money to fill her gas tank a couple of times a week.

I came to Congress 2 years ago to help that mom who is doing all she can just to get by. She cares for her family, she has a job, and she is a taxpayer. She is in the middle class, and she is being squeezed from all sides. She knows, even though she has to set and keep a budget, the Federal Government hasn't been able to do that, and that's why we're facing the fiscal cliff. The Federal Government has been spending her hard-earned tax dollars like water, running trillion-dollar deficits year after year. She is angry, and she has every right to be angry.

So what are we going to do about it?

Lately, we've heard a lot of talk about raising revenues but not nearly enough talk about bringing the Federal Government down to the right size, about matching spending to the resources we have, about balancing the Federal budget. Oh, we hear about a ``balanced approach,'' but that's just a way of saying we need to increase taxes. Actually, we don't need to increase taxes. The best thing we could do would be to not increase taxes.

The best thing we can do to raise revenues is by making our economy as healthy and strong as it can be. That means we need to help our businesses grow and hire. That has become way too hard to do in the past couple of years. A businessman in Dutchess County, New York, told me that he's going to have to limit the number of employees he has to fewer than 50 so that he won't be subject to penalties under the 2010 health law. So, right now, the Federal Government is keeping him from offering jobs. That hurts the people who need jobs and who would be happy to be on a payroll on which they would be putting their own contributions into Social Security and Medicare.

Increasing taxes means less growth and fewer jobs, and that's not balanced. Three years ago, I made a pledge to oppose tax increases. I made that pledge to the citizens I serve and to no one else, and I made it because tax increases will hurt them. When Jen, the owner of La Petite Cuisine in Warwick, New York, tells me that the best thing I can do for her small business is to give her a break from high taxes, I believe her. I ran for Congress to help Jen and all the small business people like her, who are the engines of job creation. I ran for Congress to help all the people who need employers like Jen to hire them.

These good people deserve better than temporary fixes that mean we lurch from one crisis to the next. They deserve a plan that solves our economic problems for the long term. They deserve a plan that goes beyond politics and shows a commitment to putting the Federal Government on a budget and on track to eliminate our crushing debt, that respects our citizens' rights to enjoy the fruits of their labors and to spend and save and invest as they see fit, which is the best way to grow the economy and add jobs, and that allows each of them, regardless of their station in life or where they live or their ethnic background or their gender, to use their energy, talent, and common sense as free people in a Nation that must remain the strongest in the world, which it simply cannot be if it is drowning in debt.

I am here to fight for what is best for my constituents--every one of them--today and every day, in every single way I can. I am here to serve them and not any party or ideology. My constituents' future extends far beyond any election. They deserve that future to be as secure and prosperous as it can be, and it surely can be if we in Congress and the White House can have the courage to move forward together in a spirit of true cooperation. I stand ready to do that, and I stand with the people of the Hudson Valley.

Mr. Speaker, during our recess this past month, we held a small business roundtable in our Hudson Valley. Actually, everybody sat, transfixed--all the participants--for an hour and a half while talking about what our small businesses need to do and what we need to do to help our small businesses. One of the key considerations was to ease the climate for creating jobs and growing our businesses.

I am so proud to have supported the JOBS Act with our Democratic and Republican colleagues and with the Senate. It was signed into law, as we all know, in March by the President. Tomorrow, in the Financial Services Committee, we begin to review the implementation of the JOBS Act, and I hope that we can continue to work together to make true progress in growing our small businesses and in helping them by making sure that the path is clear for them to grow and thrive and prosper. This is a great example of how both parties can work together to achieve that goal.

Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to recognize the Hudson Highlands Land Trust and the Westchester Land Trust for receiving accreditation from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. Accreditation represents the highest standard of excellence in land conservation, and provides public recognition of land trusts that are engaged in the long-term protection of the land in the public interest.

As a supporter of legislation to make permanent the tax deductions for conservation easements, I am committed to working with organizations to promote responsible stewardship of our nation's most cherished natural resources. The Hudson Highlands Land Trust and the

Westchester Land Trust have played a crucial role in protecting the beauty of our Hudson Valley; preserving biodiversity; and keeping our air, water, and public lands for future generations to enjoy.

Congratulations to the Hudson Highlands Land Trust and Westchester Land trust for their dedication and leadership in conserving land for the people of New York, and may they continue to enjoy great success in the years to come.

I thank our colleague, Dr. Cassidy, and I understand that your time may be slightly limited this evening, Doctor, so Dr. Harris and I will be more than happy to lead this discussion as we go along, and I thank you for all the work you do on this very important subject.

The American public has much to be concerned about with regard to the massive 2010 health law, and this was, of course, passed on a party line basis, unfortunately. I and Dr. Harris are two of the representatives who were elected in part in response to the public's grave concerns about this act. And if I can direct everyone's attention to the chart that Dr. Cassidy has revealed next to him, you can see what is projected to happen in terms of Medicaid spending alone as the years go by and, of course, under the terms of the Affordable Care Act, it is like putting gasoline on a fire, unfortunately.

Yes, absolutely.

I'm going to imagine, Dr. Cassidy, that this chart does not take into account--because it could be, indeed, very difficult to do so, but it has to enter the public mind when we think about these things. The enormous cost on the American public of the well- intentioned, but poorly designed, 2010 health law will make our economy weaker. So it's fair to anticipate that there will be a further impetus to acceleration of Medicaid spending merely because of the imposition of that $2 trillion or more of Washington-generated cost due to the terms of the Affordable Care Act.

So this is an issue that concerns every one of us, not only people who are truly in need and unable to sustain a job or their health care--and we've all met these fellow citizens. I have in my own district, the Hudson Valley of New York. These are people like the folks I met at Park, which is a center that provides for people who are severely disabled by developmental disabilities, such as autism, but not only autism. These are good people who, no matter how robust the economy is, will not be able to afford the kind of care that they need. And those are the people in particular who Medicaid was initially intended to help.

Yes, sir, absolutely.

Precisely. So we need to be able to provide for the people who are most in need. That is a reasonable role for government in a great Nation. But what we don't want to do, what we want to avoid is creating economic hardship that will push more Americans into this category. We see that phenomenon happening across our economy as we speak, and it's one of the reasons why so many States have said, we cannot possibly afford to expand our Medicaid programs.

Indeed, Dr. Cassidy, you, being the good teacher that you are, provided me with an example from the State of Connecticut, with their recent experience in opening up their Medicaid program and opening up the enrollment because they had such a dramatic increase--I think it was something like 70 percent increase in the number of enrollees--that the State actually couldn't handle that increase in any way readily. So their services to all of their Medicaid recipients, unfortunately, of necessity, were compromised.

Exactly.

I thank the distinguished gentlewoman from New York.

Our bill, H.R. 3593, to designate the post office on State Route 17M in Monroe, New York, as the National Clandestine Service of the Central Intelligence Agency NCS Officer Gregg David Wenzel Memorial Post Office, honors the life and service of Gregg David Wenzel, who was from Monroe. He is the son of Gladys and Mitchell Wenzel, who still live in Monroe.

Gregg graduated from Monroe-Woodbury High School and from the State University of New York at Binghamton. He received his juris doctor degree from the University of Miami School of Law, and he served as a public defender in Florida before he began his career with the Central Intelligence Agency. He did so because, in his own words, he wished ``to live for a greater purpose than himself.''

He was a member of the first post-September 11 training class, and he was distinguished for his enthusiasm and leadership. He was assigned to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 2002, as a clandestine officer, losing his life in patriotic service in Addis Ababa on July 9, 2003.

Gregg's CIA affiliation was not revealed publicly for 6 years. In June 2009, it was finally revealed when he was honored with a star on the Memorial Wall in the CIA headquarters. Then-CIA Director Leon Panetta noted, ``We find some measure of solace in knowing that Gregg achieved what he set out to do: he lived for a greater purpose than himself.''

When a man has given his life, as Gregg David Wenzel did, to protect our American liberties, honoring him through the tradition of naming a post office for his extraordinary service to our country is both fitting and inspiring.

Our deepest gratitude goes to Gregg's family for their sacrifice, whom I've had the pleasure of speaking with. While no memorial, however appropriate, can remove the pain of parents and loved ones when they lose a child, I hope that Gregg's parents and family will find comfort in his receiving this eminently deserved posthumous recognition.

As a frequent rider and former commuter on New York's mass transit system, I know how important public transportation is.

Alone, the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority, or MTA, transports more than 8.5 million commuters across metropolitan New York every day. In the district I'm privileged to serve--New York's 19th Congressional District--which includes Westchester, Orange, Rockland, Dutchess, and Putnam Counties, the MTA's 31 Metro-North Railroad stations serve 11,000 passengers every weekday.

Our Hudson Valley's mass transit commuters lost part of their recent tax credits for employer-provided mass transit benefits as of January 1 of this year. Commuters utilizing the mass transit portion have seen their credits drop from $230 per month to $125 per month, which means that their commuting costs have increased. In contrast, commuters utilizing the driving and parking benefits have seen an automatic increase from $230 per month to $240 per month, which is why I introduced the Commuter Savings Act on June 29.

This legislation would extend parity between the mass transit and parking portions of the transportation tax credit, which would increase mass transit benefits from $125 per month to $240 per month. Mass transit minimizes traffic congestion, reduces fuel consumption, and limits the wear and tear on our roads and bridges. It's really a great win for all of us even if we don't use mass transit. The Commuter Savings Act will directly help more than 70,000 of our Hudson Valley neighbors, and the bill is retroactive to January 1 of this year, which will provide mass transit commuters with a full 2 years of certainty in their mass transit benefits.

For the tens of thousands of Hudson Valley residents and millions of Americans across the country who rely on safe and affordable public transportation and for all of us who enjoy the benefits of those fellow Americans using mass transit, I urge my colleagues to join me and my fellow primary cosponsors, Representatives Peter King and Bob Dold, in giving our mass transit commuters a break in these tough economic times.

Madam Speaker, I rise this morning to honor the life and service of Army Major Paul C. Voelke. Major Voelke died on June 22, 2012, in Balkh province, Afghanistan, supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. This was his second deployment to Afghanistan, and had also served two tours in Iraq.

Major Voelke was in the Army for 14 years and during that time he was awarded a Bronze Star, which is given for bravery or meritorious acts or service, and a Purple Heart, given for injuries received in combat.

I was privileged last Friday to join the major's family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors at the funeral service. It was held on the grounds of his alma mater, the United States Military Academy at West Point. Major Voelke was a native of the Hudson Valley, and he spent his career in service to our Nation, and he died defending its freedoms.

His wife, Traci, movingly described his perseverance and dedication, and I know that Major Voelke's life will continue to inspire all of those who knew him and served with him.

Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chair, the purpose of this amendment is to equally increase and decease funding by $1 to address an issue for many of our guardsmen, reservists, and their families. A number of these men and women, these guardsmen and reservists, who dutifully serve our country for many years are never called into active duty. Under current law they are ineligible to receive a government memorial headstone or marker for their grave site.

This issue came to my attention in our own home district in New York when I heard from Mr. Charles Ricotta, who is a constituent of ours. He lost his son Joe to a heart attack. It was Joe's 47th birthday, and he had served in the Navy Reserve from 1997 to 2007. And despite his 10 years of service in the Reserves, he was not eligible to receive a government headstone or marker honoring his service.

Mr. Charles Ricotta, Joe's father, isn't looking for a handout. He's not looking for payments for any other burial services. He simply would like to purchase, at his own expense, a foot marker from the VA for his son's grave site to recognize Joe's service to our country.

So there is a piece of legislation that I've introduced, H.R. 2305, the Memorialize Our Guardsmen and Reservists Act, and that would correct this inequity by making available for purchase, through the Department of Veterans Affairs, headstones or markers for members of the Reserve components who did not serve on active duty.

A government memorial may cost less than other headstones. This particular one would seem to be a modest monument, but it's more than a simple appearance. It's a symbol of service and sacrifice for our Nation. Our servicemen and -women, active and inactive, have contributed or sacrificed their time and efforts for our Nation, and they've been separated from their families, friends, and civilian lives. Our Reserve components deserve the opportunity to be recognized for the commitment they have made to serve and defend our country. They share the same spirit of patriotism as the millions of soldiers who came before them and served in hopes that no others would be needed to serve in time of war.

Headstones or markers for our guardsmen or reservists would be paid for by the individual or family member at no additional cost to taxpayers. This has been endorsed by the National Guard Association of the United States, Reserve Officers Association, and the Association of the United States Navy.

This issue deserves our attention as we consider this legislation, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to address it.

With that, Madam Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I'm proud to recognize Christopher Zeoli of the Town of Poughkeepsie, in New York's Nineteenth Congressional district. Christopher was selected to receive a scholarship from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Young Entrepreneur Foundation for his business endeavors, and is one of five finalists for the NFIB's 2012 Young Entrepreneur of the Year award.

Christopher embodies the future of American ingenuity and enterprise. When he was just in middle school he started Zeoli Enterprises, a research and online marketing firm that specializes in search engine optimization, advertising, and server configuration. His life goal is ``to change the world through innovation, research, and political action.'' Christopher will study economics at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School beginning this Fall.

It's refreshing, Mr. Speaker, in a time of uncertainty regarding America's economic prospects, to meet an optimistic young man who is excited about the future. Christopher wants to change the world, and there's still no better place to launch a business than our United States. As his Representative in Congress, I'll continue fighting to make sure that he has every opportunity for success--without having to struggle under the burden of unreasonable regulation--and that he will be able to use the profits from his ingenuity to grow his business, create jobs, and improve the lives of others in his community.

America was founded to respect the individual, to allow any person with an idea and

drive to realize his or her dreams through work and dedication. I'm confident that Christopher will accomplish his goals, and I wish him well.

Mr. Speaker, a little over a year ago, I attended the funeral of Detective John Falcone, who was killed in the line of duty on February 18, 2011, while responding to a case of domestic violence.

Detective Falcone was a respected and beloved member of the police force of the City of Poughkeepsie. Hundreds of men and women lined up for his funeral in his hometown of Carmel, New York. They were honoring his service.

During his 18 years on the force, he was commended many times, including six awards for exceptional police duty, two awards for meritorious duty, and an award for lifesaving. Detective Falcone's actions on the day of his death helped to save the life of a 3-year-old child.

Mr. Speaker, this week is National Police Week, and what better inspiration could we have than the legacy of dedication to duty provided by Detective John Falcone, whom I am privileged to remember and honor today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the first responders who serve our beautiful Hudson Valley in New York's 19th Congressional District.

This past year brought many challenges to our first responders. It's a privilege to join all of our neighbors in thanking these men and women. As part of our nation's first line of defense, our police, fire, and emergency services personnel put themselves at risk every day to protect our homes, families, and communities.

In particular, the first responders named below deserve special recognition for conspicuous acts of valor, years of dedicated service, and leadership.

From Orange and Rockland Counties:

Captain William Stropell

Responder Stephen Broesler

Responder Melvin Livsey, Jr.

Responder Elieen Searless

Paramedic Elizabeth Bodnar

EMT Pat Conques

EMT Lois Stranges

EMT Anthony Maggio

EMT Shaun Mill

Firefighter Justin Phillips

Police Officer John Bourke

Public Safety Dispatcher Brad Dain

Firefighter Andrew Kolesar

Gas Troubleshooter Ian Mackey

Gas Troubleshooter Lee Stipek

Firefighter Kenneth Patterson

Firefighter Jerry Knapp

The West Haverstraw Volunteer Fire Department

The Haverstraw Volunteer Ambulance Corps

Rockland Mobile Care Paramedics

The Rockland County Anti-Terrorism Analytical Group

From Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchess Counties:

North Salem Emergency Management Coordinator Kurt Guldan

Chief Albert Melillo

Firefighter Joseph Simoncini, Sr.

Firefighter Robert H. Ruston

The Westchester County Technical Rescue Team

Tim Fisher, Richard Benkwitt, Thomas Bock, Joseph Alimena, Chris Blaich, Fred

Briggs, Carlos Canos, Paul Cappello, Chris Colombo, Mark Dickey, Robert

Franklin, William Gallagher, Phil Goulet, Nikolai Kabelev, Eliot Lazar, Gerard

McIlvain, Terence Murphy, Jerome Newman, Joseph Nickischer, Doug Palmesi,

Richard Palmesi, Brett Schlosser, Albert Sulenski

Paramedic, EMT, and Past Captain Donald Graesser

Police Officer Bryan Shay

Police Officer James Terrazos

Detective John Falcone

Paramedic Michael Revenson

Lieutenant Erin Scott

Past Chief Kenneth Clair

Firefighter Daniel Valentine

Firefighter Michael M. Bowman

Chief Mathew Steltz

Captain James Matero

The Cold Spring Volunteer Fire Company

The North Highland Volunteer Fire Company

The Putnam County 911 Emergency Dispatchers

The Putnam County Intelligence Committee

The Fairview Fire Department

The Veterans Affairs Hudson Valley Health Care System

Mr. Speaker, it's an honor to acknowledge and appreciate those who give so much of themselves to keep us safe.

Mr. Speaker, I had the privilege of receiving a letter from a constituent, a 14-year-old young man of Star Boy Scouts who is seeking to become a an Eagle Scout, and he is concerned about the Federal debt and deficit.

Christopher Woloshyn wrote to me:

I think that the Federal deficit is too high and

overwhelming for Americans, and will affect people like me

even more in the future . . . I believe our government must

stop spending more money than it takes in. Can you please

help our government reduce our national deficit so myself and

fellow young Americans will not be burdened by our national

debt?

Christopher, I could not agree more with you, and you have the wisdom of someone who can look at this issue with fresh eyes.

We here in the House of Representatives, under the leadership of Speaker Boehner, are dedicated to making sure that we do not add to that debt, which

is what we are concentrating on this year. That is why I am so proud to support the Speaker in the Boehner principle: that we will not raise the debt ceiling without at least dollar-for-dollar compensatory cuts.

Christopher, you deserve a better future. We are determined to provide that to you, and I urge our fellow Members of the House to follow the same.

I thank our distinguished colleague from Missouri. Of course, I reciprocate the sentiments

that Congressman Meeks has expressed. We share a State, and we share a common vision that elevates all of us as individuals and as a Nation and, indeed, as citizens of a world that so much needs the acts of courage and moral integrity that Raoul Wallenberg brought to bear, that he represents for all of us today.

It is such a privilege to work together with all of those who owe their lives to Raoul Wallenberg's action, including a Member of our own body, Congressman Tom Lantos, who now, of course, is no longer with us in this body; but he and his wife, Annette, were spared as a result of Raoul Wallenberg's actions. Indeed, although Mr. Wallenberg lived in the 20th century, his life illuminates us in the 21st century today, and his legacy is represented in the lives of a million descendants around the world, including, of course, here in the United States of those whom Raoul Wallenberg saved.

It is an absolute privilege to have brought this bill to the attention of our colleagues and to have the enthusiastic support of so many who were very happy to cosponsor this bill with Congressman Meeks and with me. So I am delighted to think that it will, indeed, bring us one step closer to bestowing one of our highest civilian honors on a man who has done so much for humanity and so much for America in so many ways, Raoul Wallenberg.

Madam Speaker, I received a letter from a young constituent who is a vigorous Boy Scout and a great citizen, Matthew Barbuti from Yorktown Heights, New York. He's only in sixth grade, but he's very concerned about our economy. And he wrote to me, ``If the economy doesn't turn around, our country will no longer be a world leader, and the American people will suffer.''

Matthew, you are exactly right. We do have a tremendous job ahead of us, and we are working here, all of us together, for you and for all the kids in this country who need a future, the kind of dreams that we have been privileged to dream.

So this week, we're bringing to the House floor the JOBS Act, part of a whole package of jobs bills that we've been sending to our colleagues in the Senate, and we certainly hope that, with Democratic and Republican support, and with the President's support of this bill as well, we'll be able to activate that economy to create the kind of jobs and opportunities that all of us need throughout this country, no matter where we come from.

Thank you, Matthew, for your common sense.