Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, thank you for yielding.

Madam Chairman, did you notice something? The gentleman from Oregon-- and I took a note and I'm kind of paraphrasing, but he basically was arguing from the other side of the aisle that IPAB, this cost control board, will basically never come into play as long as Congress does its job. During the health care hearing that we had in the Ways and Means Committee, the gentleman from Wisconsin on the other side of the aisle characterized IPAB as a leap of faith, and now we just heard from the gentleman from Texas who acknowledged it's not the best solution, but let's stick with it.

Here's the problem with sticking with this failed solution, Madam Chairman. They're asking seniors to bear the brunt of this.

We had an expert witness, Madam Chairman, who came into the Ways and Means Committee, and I posed this question to him. I said: There's no rationing per se. It's defined out of the bill, although it's not defined in the bill. But the bill says there can't be rationing, but can there be per se rationing? In other words, if coverage is denied based on cost, is that rationing?

And he said: Absolutely, Congressman.

So think about what the other side of the aisle is asking. Take a leap of faith, a leap of blind faith, that somehow Congress is going to come up with the remedy and that seniors are not going to be held at risk.

The gentleman from Texas said that we're only here criticizing things. Let me tell him, Madam Chairman, what we are for.

We're for the repeal of IPAB. We're for the repeal of something that is

going to put such downward pressures on seniors, it will make people's heads spin. What we've got to do is make sure that we put remedies in place that empower seniors, that create patient-centered health care and don't deny care and put more out-of-pocket costs on the backs of seniors.

We can't repeal this thing fast enough. We need to vote ``aye'' and get this done.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to congratulate Bartlett Fire Protection District Chief Michael Falese on being named the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association's ``Chief of the Year.''

Chief Falese began his career of service and commitment to the community with the Elgin Fire Department in 1983, where he rose to the rank of Fire Chief, and remained until 2007. In 2010, Falese became a Fire Chief at Bartlett Fire Protection District.

For the past two years, Falese has served as one of the Illinois fire service representatives sent to Washington D.C. to discuss Illinois fire service issues with elected officials. He has also served as a member of the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association (IFCA) Board of Directors for the last two years and will become IFCA's President this coming October. In a large scale train derailment that took place last November, which involved more than 30 local, state, and federal agencies, Falese exhibited strong leadership as in command of the response.

Falese continues to devote his time to the community. He is currently President-elect of the Bartlett Rotary Club. He has made sure that the Fire District is represented at every U.S. troop homecoming in Barlett. He is an esteemed partner to the Village of Barlett, DuPage County, and Hanover and Wayne Townships.

Mr. Speaker and Distinguished Colleagues, please join me in recognizing Chief Michael Falese for this highly-respected distinction.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to voice my concerns about recent FDA draft guidelines impacting the health supplement industry.

Each year millions of Americans choose to take vitamins and supplements. These supplements are regulated under law and represent just one way consumers can make informed decisions about their healthcare.

In July 2011 the Food and Drug Administration issued guidelines relating to new dietary ingredients or NDIs. These guidelines were aimed at ensuring the safety of ingredients contained in dietary supplements. While the FDA is responsible for the safety of supplements and the general public, I am concerned this regulation will create unnecessary paperwork and ultimately cost valuable jobs.

The FDA received over 146,000 pages of comments from the public on the guidelines and it is my hope they will take these into serious consideration as they draft a final guidance.

In February 2011 President Obama stated in a speech before the United States Chamber of Commerce that if there are rules and regulations, ``. . . needlessly stifling job creation and economic growth, we will fix them. Already we're dramatically cutting down on the paperwork that saddles businesses with huge administrative costs.''

Instead the Administration continues to promulgate burdensome regulations like the New Dietary Ingredient guideline that go beyond the original Congressional intent and will ultimately make it more difficult for companies to operate.

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to offer a tribute to His Excellency Han Duk-soo, the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the United States, who is leaving his post in Washington after three years of representing and serving his country here.

Before arriving in Washington in March 2009, Ambassador Han served as his country's Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Finance and Economy, after previous service as ambassador to the OECD and in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The past three years have been particularly busy for him, culminating in the ratification of the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement, which takes effect next month.

During Ambassador Han's tenure in Washington, he also dealt with sensitive and timely issues like security matters in Northeast Asia. I am particularly reminded of his thoughtful and steady leadership during the challenges Korea faced in the wake of the attacks on the Cheonan Naval Vessel and on Yeonpyeong Island in 2010.

Mr. Speaker, the Republic of Korea has a special place in my heart.

My father fought in Korea. I grew up hearing stories from him about the horrid conditions, and I know he carried his battle-scars with him throughout his life. Yet he never wavered in his pride for having served his country.

In November 2010, my father and I visited Korea, where we were treated with utmost hospitality and--in my father's case--gratitude. It was a memorable trip and Ambassador Han and his embassy staff helped make it possible.

Where we once forged a relationship on the battlefield together, building a secure environment for the nation to prosper over the last 60 years, today we attempt to forge a new economic and strategic bond for the future prosperity of our two nations. A country once ravaged by war, Korea received a substantial amount of foreign aid, but now enjoys an advanced and dynamic economy, and is itself today a generous donor of foreign aid. We work closely with Korea, maintaining a considered influence in that region as a deterrent to North Korean aggression and a counter to Chinese dominance.

The United States and Korea hold a forward-looking relationship. Every year, in so many ways, the United States and the Republic of Korea grow closer and closer together. The implementation this year of the Korea-U.S. Free Trade agreement is just one further symbol of the strength of our countries' friendship.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in extending best wishes to my dear friend, Ambassador Han. We thank him for his service as South Korea's top diplomat in the United States and wish him every success as Chairman of the Korea International Trade Association.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today in recognition of the long and distinguished service of Firefighter James Dykstra of the Streamwood Fire Department on the occasion of his retirement. He recently concluded his loyal service of over 30 years to the community.

Jim earned his Associate Degree in Applied Science from Thornton Community College in December of 1980. Firefighter Dykstra began his firefighter career in Streamwood in 1981 as a Paid-On-Call Firefighter. His training included becoming an EMP/Paramedic and Firefighter before being hired as a career firefighter.

With dedication and persistence, he worked alongside his colleagues at the Streamwood Fire Department to promote the safety and well-being of his community. As a testimony to his service and commitment to Streamwood, he earned several Illinois certifications, including Firefighter III, Fire Apparatus Engineer, HazMat First Responder Operations status, Fire Prevention Officer, Fire Investigator, Provisional Fire Office Instructor I, and Certified Officer I. Jim was a founding member of the Department's Fire Investigation Team. On February 28, 1999, he received the Disaster Service Medal for participating in a structure fire. His leadership has been demonstrated through an unwavering display of courage and achievement.

Mr. Speaker and Distinguished Colleagues, please join me in celebrating this special occasion and wishing him all the best in his future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today in recognition of the long and distinguished service of Lieutenant Gary Bober of the Streamwood Fire Department on the occasion of his retirement. He recently concluded his loyal service of over 34 years to the community.

Lieutenant Bober began his firefighter career in West Dundee in 1976 as a Paid-On-Call Firefighter. In 1978, Lieutenant Bober was hired by the Streamwood Fire Department. His training included becoming an EMP/ Paramedic and Firefighter. On July 20, 1988, Gary was promoted to Lieutenant for the Streamwood Fire department.

Day in and day out, Lieutenant Bober worked with the men and women from the Streamwood Fire Department to protect the Village of Streamwood. As a reflection of his commitment, he earned several Illinois certifications, including Firefighter III, Fire Apparatus Engineer, HazMat Technician, Certified Instructor II, Hazmat Incident Command, and Certified Officer I. On February 28, 1999, he received the Disaster Service Medal for participating in 3 structural fires, and later that same year, he received the Meritorious Service Award for rescuing a victim from a residential structure fire. His leadership is reflected in his bravery and achievement.

Mr. Speaker and Distinguished Colleagues, please join me in celebrating this special occasion and the long years of service and commitment that Lieutenant Bober has dedicated to the community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 50th anniversary of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Streamwood, Illinois, in my district.

St. John the Evangelist celebrated its first Mass with approximately 300 families in June of 1962. In September of 1962, the parish began constructing its first building which served as a church and school. Five years later, due to the rapid growth of the Catholic population of Streamwood, the Cardinal approved the parish's request for the construction of a permanent church building.

Over the last 50 years, St. John the Evangelist has continued to grow. Currently, there are more than 2,660 families registered in the parish. Reaching out to the youth in the community, St. John the Evangelist School has 228 students from kindergarten through the eighth grade, and plans to have 300 students by 2013. St. John the Evangelist also has 331 students enrolled in evening and weekend religious education programs.

Reaching out to the community, St. John the Evangelist's parish has participated in community activities and events that have helped make Streamwood a great place for families to live, play, learn and worship. Annually, St. John the Evangelist sponsors the Bingo table at the Streamwood Fest.

Mr. Speaker and Distinguished Colleagues, please join me in recognizing this 50th Anniversary as we celebrate St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church's legacy of faith and service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to send up a signal flare about a grievous concern that has foisted itself upon this Nation from the Obama administration, and that is this: the Obama administration is now going up to communities of faith and poking their chest and saying, either you will change the dictates of your conscience, or we will fine you. We will use the long arm of the Federal Government to manipulate you into our view of the world, not the view of the world that you think is bestowed upon you by God.

Mr. Speaker, that is a grievous error. That is a provocation that needs to be answered, and, in a nutshell, we have a foreshadowing of what happens when that isn't answered. It's a foreshadowing that comes in the form of a quote from Pastor Martin Niemoller, an anti-Nazi activist, who said:

First they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak out

because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for the Communists, and I didn't speak out

because I was not a Communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak

out because I was not a trade unionist.

And then they came for me, and there was no one left to

speak out for me.

Mr. Speaker, it's time for this country to rise and to speak out and to push back on this outrageous provocation from the Obama administration.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 125th Anniversary of Benet Academy, a Catholic Benedictine college preparatory high school located in Lisle, Illinois. On March 2, 2012, Benet will celebrate its Founder's Day, representing 125 years of dedication to academic excellence and Christian morality.

Benet Academy was founded in 1887 on the Benedictine motto ``Ora et Labora,'' ``Pray and Work.'' Generation upon generation of the Academy's devoted faculty and promising students have upheld this motto in a tradition that carries back 1,500 years to the Order of Saint Benedict.

I applaud Benet Academy's commitment to nurturing an atmosphere of prayer, work, and stability among its student body. Its distinctive qualities draw students from six counties, including many in Illinois' Sixth Congressional District. Benet Academy has helped students consistently achieve at rigorous academic levels while instilling the Benedictine core values of community, hospitality, respect, stewardship and love of learning.

On this special occasion, we recognize Benet Academy's rich history and faithfulness to God. We thank the Academy for its partnership with parents, who strive to educate the current generation that will become our nation's future leaders. For well over a century, Benet Academy has contributed toward this brighter future.

Mr. Speaker and Distinguished Colleagues, please join me in honoring the legacy of Benet Academy, and in wishing them continued success.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 4 of rule XVI, I move that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 10 a.m. tomorrow.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a dedicated public servant from my Congressional District, Donna Becerra of the Village of Glendale Heights. After an extraordinary career of 34 years of service, Donna is stepping down from her position as Village Administrator.

Over the years, Donna has proven herself as a vital asset to the Village of Glendale Heights. Since her first position as a secretary in the Community Development Department, she has tirelessly served from within the Department in a number of leadership positions. Her steadfast commitment, diverse experience, and vibrant interest in the history and welfare of the Glendale Heights community have caused her to excel in every capacity.

In addition to Village Administrator, Donna has also served as Records Supervisor, Assistant Building Commissioner, Staff Planner, and Director of Community Development. She has pursued significant additional training and education, and is an active member in a number of Village committees.

In 2005, as a member of the Glendale Heights Historic Committee, Donna was recognized with the Studs Terkel Humanities Service Award for her extensive research and documentation for a History of the Village of Glendale Heights brochure.

Donna leaves a powerful legacy in her passionate and conscientious approach to serving the community of Glendale Heights and her robust preservation of its history. She is truly a public servant and a model citizen.

Mr. Speaker and Distinguished Colleagues, please join me in recognizing this special occasion as we celebrate Donna Becerra's faithful service to the Village of Glendale Heights and wish her the best in her future endeavors.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

There's a level of anxiety that we're all sensing back at home as people are looking at Washington, DC, for solutions, and there are various tales that are going on right now in terms of what the Joint Select Committee is going to be able to produce, and the fact of the matter is we don't know what the yield is going to be of that negotiation. That's still ongoing, and we will be dealing with that next week.

But we know what we can do right now, Madam Speaker. We can create a buoyancy and a sense of clarity and a sense of cohesiveness to seize upon a bipartisan moment, a moment that the country came close to in 1995. It came within a whisker of passing the balanced budget amendment and sending it out to the States. Over 70 House Democrats in 1995, including several of the current leaders, voted in favor of that amendment. And now here we are, and we have that opportunity to do the same thing, although, to do it successfully.

This is not about donkeys and elephants. This is ultimately about us coming together as a Congress in a thoughtful way that says one thing to the United States, and that is we can govern wisely; we can govern forthrightly; we can live within our means;

and we can do what the overwhelming majority, Madam Speaker, of what the American public wants us to do, and that is to balance our budget.

I urge both sides of the aisle to shrug off the bad advice, frankly, of the Democratic leadership and to come down here in a short period of time and vote ``aye.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of Freemason Elmhurst Lodge 941, which has served the residents of Elmhurst, Illinois, since 1911.

The Freemasons are a fraternal organization that was established in the late 16th century, with its primary values being hope, faith, and charity. Noteworthy Masons include George Washington, Paul Revere, Benjamin Franklin, Harry Truman, Gerald Ford, and many other influential figures in politics, business, and entertainment.

In the years since its founding, many organizations have benefitted from the charity of the Elmhurst Lodge, including the Illinois Masonic Children's Home in La Grange, American Cancer Society, Salvation Army, Alzheimer's Foundation, ALS Foundation, Elmhurst Children's Assistance Foundation, and more.

Over the past century, Freemason Elmhurst Lodge 941 has established an important legacy of service in the Elmhurst community.

Mr. Speaker and Distinguished Colleagues, please join me in recognizing the Freemason Elmhurst Lodge 941, the Masons of this lodge, and the citizens of Elmhurst in wishing them happiness on this special occasion.

Madam Speaker, as the public is listening to this, I think they're kind of collectively going, Whew, finally there's something that's going on in Congress. Finally there's something going on with the other body. Finally there's something going on with the White House that is common ground around a very simple premise, and that's this: no-cost job creation. It doesn't cost a single dime.

For my home State, the proof is in the pudding. This means it's going to help 145,000 Illinois jobs right now that are tethered within 650 companies that are dealing with exports. This deal helps them. Twenty- five percent of all manufacturing jobs in my home State of Illinois are related to exports. And let's face it, 95 percent of the world's consumers live outside of the United States. So you know what this trade deal does, this says: game on. The U.S. can compete. Give us a fair playing field, and game on. We can compete.

These were hard-headed, hard-nosed negotiations led by Chairman Camp and the White House and Ranking Member Levin and others. These were tough deals that were put together that were not just weak handshakes. This was staring down opponents and finally coming to common ground and putting something together that has a great deal of possibility, a great deal of promise in a country that is desperate, I mean absolutely desperate, for solutions; and this is a remedy. This is a way for us to move forward.

It's important from a strategic point of view. We've got one of our Nation's best friends poised in Asia, the 10th largest economy in the world, a country that has moved from the devastation of the Korean War, that has transcended all of that and is now a donor nation, and we've got the opportunity to be in a unique and strategic relationship with them.

This is our opportunity to move forward. I think we need to support all of these FTAs. I urge their passage.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to highlight the good work of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund.

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund began in 1970 from a parent's idea to begin a fundraising effort with the aim to promote the research of a cure for juvenile diabetes. To date, the organization has raised more than $1.5 billion, including $107 million last year alone. More than 80 percent of those funds go directly to support research and research-related education.

JDRF now has over 100 locations around the world and currently funds research in 19 countries.

Diabetes and its complications cost the United States more than $174 billion a year and it is a growing epidemic. Every year, there are roughly 30,000 new cases of Type-1 diabetes discovered in America and more than 1.6 million cases of diabetes are diagnosed every year. That's one every 30 seconds.

Type-1 Diabetes typically affects young adults and children. They are forced at a young age to learn how to monitor their blood levels and inject insulin when it's low. This can also be a worrisome and anxious experience.

This is why we must encourage the Food and Drug Administration to continue in its approval process for the artificial pancreas. Earlier this year, 60 Senators and 250 Representatives sent a letter to the FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg expressing their support for the artificial pancreas.

This new device will allow children to return to their lives and give parents the peace of mind in knowing that their children will not forget to check their insulin levels. The artificial pancreas is a device that can automatically monitor and regulate glucose levels without requiring blood to be drawn.

Jeffrey Brewer, President and CEO of JDRF, said, ``An artificial pancreas, which would automatically monitor and regulate glucose levels, has the potential to transform the care of people with type 1 diabetes.'' It estimated the artificial pancreas could save Medicare $23 million over 10 years and $1.9 billion over 25 years by lowering the number of complications associated with the disease.

I am hopeful that the FDA will stick to its publicly announced December 2011 draft guidance deadline. This will allow us to move into the crucial next phase of real world testing of this potentially life saving device. I would urge my colleagues to continue to monitor this situation and ensure that the FDA stays true to their word on the guidance.

There may not be a cure for diabetes yet but with organizations like the JDRF leading the way in encouraging research and funding grant programs we are getting closer to a cure each day.