Floor Statements

I thank the gentleman from Ohio.

Section 106 of this bill requires that the owners and operators of facilities holding certain quantities of materials that are included on the Department of Homeland Security's Chemicals of Interest list report those materials to

their State emergency response commissions. And while it is absolutely imperative that State and local authorities are properly informed about potential hazards in their communities, we have to be sure to communicate this information in the most secure, responsible, and effective way.

As chairman of the Homeland Security Committee's Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies, this provision concerns me for two particular reasons. First, the President has already specifically asked several Federal agencies--this is the Department of Homeland Security; the Environmental Protection Agency; and ATF, Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms--to assess the feasibility of sharing this kind of information with the emergency response commissions while they are actually engaged in this activity.

Section 106 effectively mandates that they share this information immediately--before the President has had a chance to make his determination. And with sensitive information about the amount, variety and location of potentially dangerous materials at issue, this directive raises serious security concerns.

Second, the DHS Chemicals of Interest list is specific to the Chemical Facilities Anti-Terrorism Standards program. CFATS has in place a required practice of sharing information in a way that ensures facility security. I have serious reservations about whether this sensitive information could become compromised or subject to broad dissemination if section 106 were to become law. Chemical security is the responsibility of the Department of Homeland Security, which is specifically equipped to protect it.

Because these concerns have yet to be addressed, I request that the committee revisit section 106 during conference with the Senate.

I yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus).

I thank the gentleman.

I thank the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, I want to join the gentleman and my colleagues not just from Pennsylvania but from across the Nation as we challenge this problem that has emerged. Once again, it is symbolic of a number of things--of when we heard the mantra: just pass it, and we will find out what is in it.

We have found out what is in it more and more frequently; and once again, we are beginning to see the implications of a law that was not understood when it was passed and that is now becoming worse as it is being implemented. As my colleagues have stated, it begins here in this particular circumstance with the IRS and the determination that volunteers are going to be considered to be employees of municipalities.

In places like mine, the impact of this is very severe because, if this kind of thing happens in the first place, think of the concept of a volunteer. These are the guys who are getting up at 2:30 or 3 o'clock in the morning on these cold evenings like this and answering the call and going out and putting out the fires in homes in neighborhoods like ours. They are going to be considered to be employees under this law, but that means that the municipalities are going to be fined if they choose not to supply the kinds of medical that will be required under the Affordable Care Act, under ObamaCare. Then, if they do pay for it, what is going to happen in communities like mine is that that cost is going to be passed through.

I sat and I asked the mayor--and I have five separate volunteer fire companies just in my own township--and he estimated that it would cost about $4 million a year to provide that kind of health care coverage to the members of the volunteer fire departments who were there. Now, where do you think that $4 million is going to come from? It is going to come from the homeowners and the taxpayers in our districts, who are going to see their taxes raised to pay for this service for volunteers. This is how insane it is.

The second part of what is so frustrating is the difficulty of dealing with this bureaucracy because, some 3 months ago, like many of my colleagues, I wrote to the IRS and asked for a simple clarification: Why can't we just have a clear signal sent to these departments which rely on this kind of certainty to be able to make decisions as they move forward on the utilization of their resources? These are the guys who are holding bake sales to be able to find the money to put together the equipment and other kinds of needs that they have, and they have got to worry about whether they are going to be encumbered by this kind of a bill.

So, for so many reasons, we need clarification and we need action. Once again, this is symbolic of the particular problems that are faced by this interpretation, which is affecting communities all across the Nation. When I

say ``all across the Nation,'' that is 750,000 volunteers in fire departments and some 25,000 fire companies that are volunteers all across this Nation. It is touching every community in America.

I join my colleagues in the hope that we will be able to get some action from the IRS and this administration so we don't have to rely on the passage of the Protecting Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act to get the clarification that we need.

I thank my colleague for his leadership on this issue.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Anthony Grisillo, who was honored by Governor Tom Corbett as Pennsylvania's 2014 Teacher of the Year.

Mr. Grisillo has been teaching in the Rose Tree Media School District for 15 years and works with academically gifted students in kindergarten through 5th Grade. A winner of numerous other teaching honors, Mr. Grisillo has

brought innovative teaching methods to bear to help our students excel, including movie-making, robotics lessons and simulated NASA space missions. His students noted that Mr. Grisillo is a great teacher because he believes in his students and serves as a mentor to them. When asked to describe Mr. Grisillo in one word, students said he was ``inspirational,'' ``extraordinary'' and ``fun''--just what our teachers ought to be.

Mr. Grisillo is a graduate of West Chester University and holds a Master's Degree from Widener University.

Mr. Grisillo was one of four finalists from schools in Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District. Tracey Fritch of Rose Tree Media School District, Lori Gallagher of Hatboro-Horsham School District and Nicole Miletto of Hatboro-Horsham School District were also finalists for Pennsylvania's 2014 Teacher of the Year award.

Mr. Speaker, I honor Mr. Grisillo, Ms. Fritch, Ms. Gallagher, Ms. Miletto and all our educators for their dedication to our children and their tireless work to prepare them for the future.

Mr. Chairman, on amendments to the Innovation Act (H.R. 3309), I intended to vote ``yes'' on the Rohrabacher amendment (rollcall No. 627), but inadvertently voted ``no.''

Amendment No. 8 Offered by Mr. Conyers

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Upper Darby High School cheerleading team on winning the 2013 Varsity Brands' National School Spirit Day. The Upper Darby Cheerleaders collected hats, gloves and other warm clothing items for survivors of domestic violence throughout the month of October.

Varsity Brands' National School Spirit Day began in 2009 as a way to honor the efforts of cheerleaders and dancers around the country who are making a difference in their schools and communities. Over the past five years, cheerleaders and dancers have pledged more than 500,000 community service hours as a part of National School Spirit Day.

The Upper Darby High School Royals won first place in this nationwide contest. As October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Royals honored survivors with their warm clothing drive. The Upper Darby Police Department learned what the cheer squad was doing and decided to join in the effort. During a home football game, the Chief of Police joined the Upper Darby High School cheerleaders in presenting the warm clothing items to women and children. By the end of October, the Upper Darby Community had helped the cheerleaders donate more than 1,000 items of warm clothing.

Congratulations to the Upper Darby High School Royals on their first place finish in the 2013 Varsity Brands' National School Spirit Day, an honor that recognizes the cheerleaders' great leadership, community service and compassion.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with my colleagues Mr. Gerlach and Mr. Pitts to recognize Mr. Blair Mahoney for his distinguished leadership as Executive Director of the Chester County Conference & Visitors Bureau (CVB), and to congratulate him on his retirement.

For the past five years, Mr. Mahoney has helped make Chester County a destination for visitors from across the Commonwealth and the nation. He instituted strong leadership, sound fiscal planning, a historic office renovation and relocation, and an award-winning branding campaign. Through these efforts, Mr. Mahoney helped communicate Chester County's cultural, natural, and historic treasures to many and draw new visitors and economic development to our region.

Mr. Speaker, we recognize Blair Mahoney for his excellent service to the Chester County community and wish him well in his retirement. He takes with him the gratitude and respect of his staff, Board of Directors, peers and the people of Chester County.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize one of the country's finest early childhood educators. Ms. Jamie Roshon is a preschool teacher at the Pottstown KinderCare Learning Center in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Jamie is being honored this year with the Knowledge Universe Early Childhood Educator Award. She is one of only 10 preschool educators in the nation being honored with this award.

At the Pottstown KinderCare Learning Center, Jamie is dedicated to teaching children aged two and three years old. Throughout her thirteen year tenure at the Pottstown Center, she has become an invaluable asset to her students, their families, and her fellow faculty members. This honor testifies to how Jamie's efforts each day in the classroom are making a profound difference in our children's lives.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Ms. Jamie Roshon for her excellent work enriching the lives of young children, and I congratulate her on this well-deserved honor.

Madam Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the thousands of Pennsylvanians from my district who are going to lose their health care coverage because of the rules and regulations of ObamaCare. I invited a number of them into my office, and their stories were both revealing and heartbreaking.

A small business woman from Newtown Square shared her story of shopping for a new plan after her policy was canceled. She must now pay more each month for a plan she doesn't like and coverage she does not want. Yet another is losing her doctor after more than 20 years because she was forced to switch insurance companies. Her long-term doctor isn't covered under the new, more expensive plan. And one constituent received this letter from her insurance company, informing her that she would have to pay as much as $3,500 more. It has higher deductibles and higher copays.

Madam Speaker, Americans are already struggling in this economy. Tomorrow the House will vote to ensure that the families that like their plans can keep them. President Obama and Senate Democrats should keep their promise to the American people and do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the 2012-13 Upper Darby High School Lunar Research Team on its second-place finish in the 2013 National Lunar Science Institute's national competition. The Upper Darby High School Lunar Research Team competed with colleges and universities from around the country. The student team members included Ranier Gran, Cuong Trihn, Joseph Dwyer, Mohammad Hossain, Kingson Lin, Omar Mukhtar, Evan Perotti, Evan Hunt, and Spiro Metaxas.

The team received tremendous support from its mentors Rosanne Burns and John Taffel, both Upper Darby High School teachers. It was an incredible accomplishment to finish second in the competition as a high school team.

The team researched the possibility of locating lava tubes (large underground tunnels) using temperature differences measured on the surface of the moon. It successfully confirmed the location of tubes at a number of suspected locations. These caves could someday be used as locations for lunar outposts.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the members of the Lunar Research Team, along with their parents and faculty mentors, for their hard work in the field of science and technology, and this well-deserved accomplishment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the patients, families and caregivers in Pennsylvania's Seventh coping with frontotemporal degeneration, a disease process with devastating effect on the areas of the brain that give us our personality. One unique characteristic of FTD is that it is a young person's dementia--with the onset of symptoms typically beginning between the ages of 40 and 60. These symptoms include a complicated mix of language impairments, changes in personality and behavior, and the loss of muscle control and movement problems.

National news outlets have covered this awful disease in recent years. The New York Times recently highlighted Michael French's experience with FTD. Michael was a good cook, but he suddenly started burning every pot he cooked with. He would throw away important tax documents make financial decisions that didn't make any sense. Michael's wife encouraged him to seek medical help, but it took over a year before Michael was properly diagnosed with FTD and could receive appropriate treatment to manage his behavioral symptoms. Michael now resides in a nursing home.

FTD robs far too many Americans like Michael of the ability to work, care for himself, and be a loving family member. However, there is no known cure for FTD, and many clinicians miss the diagnosis, especially as FTD is rare and dementia is primarily considered a problem of the elderly. Consequently, patients, families, and caregivers may endure years of confusion and ineffective treatment.

Michael's story was brought to my attention recently by a constituent who lost his father to FTD, and is now on the board of the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, a nonprofit in Pennsylvania's Seventh District. This nonprofit is doing critically important work to raise public awareness and support medical research on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of FTD. I urge my colleagues to learn more about FTD and what they can do to help their constituents access quality medical care and services, and to support the medical research that is needed to cure FTD and related neurological diseases.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize one of Delaware County, Pennsylvania's finest educators. Dr. James Capolupo, the Superintendent of the Springfield School District, has dedicated his life to educating our youth. Jim began his career as a music teacher and band director at the elementary, middle and high school levels. Dr. Capolupo held positions as Acting Principal, Assistant Principal, Principal, Director of Elementary Education, and Director of Teaching and Learning.

In 2005, Dr. Capolupo became Superintendent of Springfield Township's School District. Under his leadership, Springfield School District has become a model for successful and effective instruction. During his tenure, 100 percent of graduating seniors have gone on to college and 100 percent of students in the 4th grade that began in kindergarten are now reading at or above grade level.

Jim has earned the respect of teachers, parents and administrators around the state. He has taken every opportunity to share his methods and thoughts with those who seek them. In just the last five years, representatives of more than 120 school districts have visited Springfield to learn about the district's successes. Jim's conversation with his fellow educators has ensured that their districts start to see some of the same stellar results that Springfield has enjoyed.

Dr. Capolupo earned national recognition earlier this year when he was named a finalist for ``National Superintendent of the Year'' by the National Association of School Superintendents. Dr. Capolupo earned this distinction as one of just five superintendents across the country for his ``model of uncompromising dedication to literacy and academic achievement.''

Mr. Speaker, I thank Dr. Capolupo and the entire staff at Springfield School District for their hard work on our children's behalf, and I congratulate him on his well-deserved honor this year.

Madam Speaker, my colleagues and I have returned to Washington after spending time back in our districts with our constituents, and it's clear we've got our work cut out for us.

Already we've been hearing personal stories--and I know I did--of folks in our districts who are having trouble making ends meet in this new normal under the Obama economy.

And last week, we found things were only getting worse with unemployment. This rate has been too high for too long. Millions of our fellow Americans are unemployed, with an average of 8.5 months out of work.

The simple truth is they deserve better.

House Republicans have a solid plan to put Americans back to work and secure our future. To do that, we believe the solution lies in expanding our freedom and opportunity, not restricting it.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the No Subsidies Without Verification Act, legislation of which I'm a proud cosponsor. October 1 is only days away, and almost every day we see a brand new headline about ObamaCare, demonstrating the ``train wreck,'' as one Senator put it. Those are their words, not mine.

The thousands of rules, regulations, and mandates are only increasing the cost of health insurance and dramatically expanding the bureaucracy in our health care. And the implementation of ObamaCare has been one disaster after another.

Buried in the hundreds of pages of regulations that have been released this summer was a rule change announcing that the government will no longer verify whether applicants for ObamaCare's insurance exchange are actually qualified for the aid. Instead, they will simply rely on the honor system.

Madam Speaker, we're talking about billions of dollars here. How can we possibly be relying on an honor system? According to The Wall Street Journal, it's estimated that not verifying the eligibility could result in approximately $250 billion in fraudulent payments.

The No Subsidies Without Verification Act will stop any taxpayer funding subsidies until an accurate real-time verification system is in place to ensure the applicants are indeed eligible. It seems like common sense to me. We need a trusted system in place to stop any waste, fraud, and abuse resulting from not verifying eligibility for ObamaCare insurance subsidies.

This is being operated through a data hub, which will have millions of persons' personally identifying information. Of most concern, this is going to be a honeypot for identity theft and the very purpose for which it was put in place in the first place. This income verification is not capable of being accurately done because this administration has refused to allow the businesses who will give the information to apply.

I am a proud cosponsor, and I urge passage of this bill.

Mr. Chair, on rollcall vote No. 438, I voted ``nay.'' It was my intention to vote ``aye.''

Amendment No. 4 Offered by Mr. Latham

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1542) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish weapons of mass destruction intelligence and information sharing functions of the Office of Intelligence and Analysis of the Department of Homeland Security and to require dissemination of information analyzed by the Department to entities with responsibilities relating to homeland security, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

I want to thank Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul and former Chairman Peter King, as well as Ranking Member Higgins and Congresswoman Jackie Speier, for joining me in introducing this bipartisan legislation.

I urge the support for H.R. 1542, the Weapons of Mass Destruction Intelligence and Information Sharing Act of 2013.

The legislation provides important guidance for disseminating WMD-- that's weapons of mass destruction--intelligence information at the Department of Homeland Security. Weapons of mass destruction are considered for the purposes of this act to be chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons.

Mr. Speaker, in 2010, the Congress established the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism. The Commission was chaired by former Senators Bob Graham and Jim Talent. A principal but, as of yet, unfilled recommendation from the Graham-Talent Commission was to assure that critical collaboration take place--collaboration among Homeland Security intelligence assets and other Federal, State and local partners--in protecting the homeland. It's time for Congress to do its part right now to ensure that the Nation is meeting its WMD detection and prevention responsibilities in a meaningful way.

Mr. Speaker, when I stood before this body on this bill last year, I had recently returned from the Middle East, and one of the takeaways from the trip was the number of chemical weapons stockpiled in Syria.

I raised the concern that during this extraordinary time of insecurity in the region, these weapons could wind up in the hands of al Qaeda or other terrorists. Since that time, we've tragically learned that Bashar al-Assad has indeed used chemical weapons on his own people, and we have the fear and concern of the threat of those who have expressed a desire in Iran to use weapons of mass destruction to assure that Israel does not exist.

Chemical weapons have completely changed the way our military prepares for operations. Just last week, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the military is preparing for the possibility of encountering chemical weapons in Syria. The risk of these weapons getting into the hands of terrorists continues to grow, and our military continues to become more vigilant. These risks and the current nature of the threat makes this legislation all the more relevant.

We must be doing more to assure that local and State law enforcement are privy to intelligence that could stop an attack. In fact, the potential for homegrown radicalization has increased, and therefore the need for law enforcement and Federal authorities to work together has increased all the more. I think we're all aware of the tragic circumstances of the attack in Boston that occurred all too recently. Although the FBI closed its case on Tamerlan Tsarnaev, a Treasury Enforcement Communications System, or TECS, alert was placed on him. It should have immediately pinged Homeland Security and Customs and Border Patrol. Therefore, when Tamerlan traveled to Russia in 2012 and subsequently returned to the U.S. only to set up a jihadist YouTube account, a red flag should have been raised, and Federal, State, and local officials should have been notified.

One of the purposes of this bill is to enhance the communication and collaboration between our Federal intelligence assets, particularly those of Homeland Security, and our Federal, State, and local partners.

Chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear materials can be quite difficult to detect and to prevent. However, the danger they pose is unimaginable. My legislation is with recommendation from the Commission, and it will ensure sustained Department of Homeland Security commitment to facilitate the partnership across the intelligence community and the first responder community.

I urge support for this bill, and reserve the balance of my time.

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

I thank the gentleman from Mississippi for his comments, and I also want to recognize, as he does, the great work that was done by Congressman Pascrell on this issue, as well, here in this House. And when I had the good fortune to begin to do work on the House Homeland Security Committee, it was Congressman Pascrell who was among those who brought this issue to our attention and the failure or the lack of the ability to see the issues that the Commission put forward be put into place. So I want to thank him for his good work on this issue, as well.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers at this point. So if the gentleman from Mississippi has no further speakers, I'm certainly prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

I thank the gentleman from Mississippi, and I want to thank my colleagues for their support of H.R. 1542. This is a vitally important piece of legislation, as has been identified in the earlier comments of the gentleman from Mississippi, and I echo them myself, particularly this concern, as we engage in a world in which the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, particularly those which are chemical weapons, which we do not know whether they may have fallen into the hands of not only Syria, but Libya, as well, creates a heightened sense of need and awareness on the part of those in our intelligence committees to do all to assure there is collaboration on intelligence that they derive in these areas with the partners on the Federal, State, and local levels.

So I urge Members to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.