Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, recently I introduced a bill to rename the Century Postal Station in Raleigh, North Carolina in honor of former United States Senator Jesse Helms.

Senator Helms, North Carolina's longest serving Senator, was a genuine man who fought for what he believed. He himself said, ``I didn't come to Washington to be a 'yes man' for any president, Democrat or Republican. I didn't come to Washington to get along and win any popularity contests.'' His steadfast nature even earned him the nickname ``Senator No,'' to which he had no objection.

While voters would many times disagree with his policies, they always knew where he stood. Former North Carolina Senator Elizabeth Dole said, ``Even those who disagreed with Jesse on an issue could respect the fact that he always stood tall and firm for his convictions, his faith, his family, and his home State of North Carolina.''

Despite sometimes being a controversial figure during his 30 years in the Senate, Helms faithfully served North Carolina and its citizens. He became a leading voice in the United States Senate fighting against communism, for a balanced budget, and simplifying the tax code. He served on the Senate Agriculture Committee, where he served as chairman from 1981 to 1987, as well as the powerful Foreign Relations Committee where he served as chairman from 1995 to 2001.

His legislative work may have been controversial, but his other Congressional duties were the opposite. Constituent service in Jesse Helms' office was second to none and set a new standard. Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative, he made sure the constituents he worked for received prompt attention. Helms did everything he could to be accessible to his constituents, and showed genuine kindness and consideration to every one of them. He cared about his state and his fellow citizens.

Born in Monroe, North Carolina, Helms started his career in journalism. It was in his 11 years in journalism, including working for the Raleigh News and Observer, that he met his wife, Dorothy Coble, and went on to marry her in 1942. Senator Helms' first interest in politics is said to have come from his conversations with his conservative father-in-law. Senator Helms raised his family in Raleigh, and after he retired he continued to make Raleigh his home. Helms and his wife had three children--Jane, Nancy, and Charles, a child with cerebral palsy, adopted at 9 by the Senator and his wife.

Through this experience with Charles, Senator Helms became involved with Easter Seals

and fighting for children with disabilities. He continued his humanitarian work later in his career by supporting efforts to fight AIDS in Africa during his final term. Bono, lead singer of U2, even praised Helms' work by saying ``without his taking a stance on AIDS, we would have lost a lot more lives.''

From his humanitarian work, to office's renowned constituent services, to his consistently passionate legislative work on Capitol Hill, Senator Helms, North Carolina's longest serving Senator was a man well deserving of this honor. He was a great North Carolinian and a great American. For these reasons, it is appropriate to ensure that future generations remember his legacy by having this building bear his name.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Louisburg College on their 225th anniversary as an institution of higher learning.

Throughout its tenure, Louisburg College has continued to prosper and educate students during its 225 years, attracting students from 42 states and 15 countries.

In four different centuries, students from Louisburg College have excelled in many areas of our economy, including business, government, politics, education, sports, and the military. Today Louisburg College has over 700 students and nearly 14,000 alumni.

I thank those who have played a role in the success of Louisburg College and join the administration, faculty, students, alumni, Town of Louisburg, and the County of Franklin in celebrating the 225th anniversary of Louisburg College.

May God continue to bless Louisburg College, the students, teachers, and families that make it a great place to learn.

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for allowing me to speak on this very important issue today.

I rise today in support of H.R. 8, which will ensure that we will not raise taxes on our Nation's job creators and harm our recovery.

Madam Speaker, I would like to speak about one sector of the economy that will be the greatest harmed, and that is our farmers. Our farmers provide for our Nation and deserve our gratitude and protection from unnecessary harm. In my district, thousands of farmers and their families wait in fear that their homes and businesses will be destroyed by the devastating tax increases on the horizon. And yes, I am including the inheritance tax, or the estate tax, or, which I like to refer to as, the ``death tax,'' which I think, all in all, needs to be repealed in full.

Let's just talk today about what will happen if we do not pass H.R. 8.

Our farmers will be forced to lay off workers, and they will be forced to sell off equipment and land because that is where their investment is.

They will not be able to pass along to their families the accomplishments that they and their ancestors put forward because most farms are family-owned businesses. What I am speaking of is the inheritance tax going up. It will increase to--total asset income of $1 million, increase to 55 percent, currently at $5 million at 35 percent. You can see that that would be devastating.

As Steve Mitchell of Mitchell Farms in my district noted:

It will be very hard for our son to carry on. We have paid

taxes all our lives, and now they want to tax us when we die.

With the value of our farm equipment these days, it wouldn't

take long for a family farm to run up against this limit.

We are here today because our economy and job creators continue to wait anxiously for real solutions. H.R. 8 will ensure that our family farmers, job creators will be protected.

I thank my colleague from Texas for acknowledging me.

Madam Speaker, I'm here today to join my colleagues and call for the immediate repeal of ObamaCare, with its massive tax increases.

Last month, as we know, the Supreme Court verified that ObamaCare is, in fact, a tax, one that has increased financial burdens of every American by over $500 billion, and will go down in history as the most significant expansion of the Federal Government and its power. This law has and continues to be bad policy for all Americans and future generations.

The Supreme Court's decision has sent a direct message to Congress and policymakers that we have to get back to work to repeal this law and replace it with effective, efficient reforms. I have begun circulating a letter that will be sent to Senator Harry Reid, calling on him to allow for his colleagues in the Senate to have an up-or-down vote on the repeal. Every American needs to know how his senator feels about this as well.

We each have an obligation to vote our conscience and carry out the business of the American people. I am encouraging all of my colleagues here in the House to sign on to this letter so that each Member of Congress can decide whether or not they are in favor of raising taxes on millions of hardworking American taxpayers.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Once again, I rise today to speak out against ObamaCare and why we must repeal it.

The Supreme Court's decision last month has verified that ObamaCare is one of the biggest tax increases in modern history. Furthermore, a board of 15 unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats will now remain in place to determine the health care for millions of Americans while cutting $500 billion out of Medicare for our seniors.

The American people now have a clear choice.

We in Congress can either support historic tax and spending increases, fiscal uncertainty, and unprecedented government overreach; or we can join together to fight to repeal this ObamaCare tax and work for real solutions while taking health care decisions out of the hands of government bureaucrats and putting them back into the control of doctors, patients, and their families.

By repealing ObamaCare, we will restore the doctor-patient relationship and protect our seniors from ceding this relationship to a board of unelected bureaucrats. Our system must not dictate to doctors how to provide care, force them to provide medications regardless of known complications and then make them liable with no limits or protections.

Reforming the health care system and ensuring patient-centered access to care is not a Republican idea or a Democrat idea. Rather, it is the obligation of all of us to the American people.

Thank you to my colleague from North Carolina.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the rule and the underlying bill and call for the passage of H.R. 4970, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012. Since its enactment in 1994, VAWA has helped many women escape abuse and enabled them to seek help through its victim services program.

We're here today debating something that is a good policy and common sense and should be supported in the same bipartisan manner that we have seen throughout the two decades since its inception. Violence against women does not occur along party lines, and neither should reauthorization of these programs. We must work together in a bipartisan manner to protect women from domestic violence, rape, and stalking. Partisan posturing should not be placed above the urgent needs of these victims.

The House's reauthorization makes several key improvements to the Senate bill and nearly doubles the resources for eliminating the backlog of unprocessed rape evidence kits, while cracking down on the fraud identified in the immigration program. This bill also brings great accountability to the grant administration by ensuring that funding is spent on the victims, not Washington bureaucrats. The House's reauthorization of VAWA is and always will be about the victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

I am proud to support this bill and will continue to fight and protect women and victims of abuse through commonsense legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Michelle Scott of Raleigh, North Carolina, for receiving this year's Federal Service Award at the Department of Justice's annual victim's service awards. Having worked with crime victims for the past 12 years, she has shown great dedication to the people of North Carolina. The award she received recognizes service providers, other professionals, or volunteers, for their exceptional contributions and extraordinary impact on behalf of crime victims in Indian Country, on military installations, in national parks, or in other areas under federal jurisdiction.

Since 2003, Ms. Scott has led the biannual Federal Domestic Violence Conference in North Carolina. In response to the requirements of Title I of the Justice for All Act of 2004, Ms. Scott led the judges and prosecutors in the Eastern District of North Carolina to place the victim at the forefront of criminal proceedings. Ms. Scott developed and implemented model victim-witness training programs in Kosovo and Albania for judges, prosecutors, victim advocates, law enforcement offices, and non-governmental agencies.

I would like to express my sincere congratulations to Michelle Scott on receiving this year's Federal Service Award. I join with her family, friends, and colleagues in offering my praise and admiration for her work on behalf of crime victims here and abroad. I applaud what Michelle has done for the citizens of North Carolina and in Kosovo. We are lucky to have such a champion of victim's rights in our great state.

The 2nd district of North Carolina thrives on strong leaders like Michelle, who work hard every day to protect and serve the people of our community. I look forward to hearing about her future achievements, and may God continue to grant her success and happiness in all her endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize MSG Kevin Foutz and SFC Thomas Payne of the United States Army on winning this year's Best Ranger Competition.

The competition took place at Fort Benning, Georgia, over three days and included challenges such as a grenade assault course, a helicopter jump, and the Darby Queen obstacle course, as well as plenty of running.

This marks the third consecutive year that soldiers from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, have won the competition, and the first time that one of the winners was from a non-combat arms MOS.

I congratulate MSG Foutz and SFC Payne on this impressive accomplishment.

May God bless them, their families, and our great nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my congratulations to the Men and Women of Combat Medical Systems on the opening of their new office in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

One year ago this month, Fayetteville suffered from a sudden and devastating outbreak of tornadoes. These storms ripped through our region and caused horrendous damage to homes, businesses, and personal property. I was told of the bravery of their staff and President, Corey Russ, who, as a retired Delta Force medic, began treating casualties and handing out thousands of dollars of company equipment to strangers so that they could help others in the area and transport casualties to nearby hospitals.

One year later, our communities continue to rebuild and we can take pride in the new homes and buildings that have been erected. We must continue to remember the individuals that perished in this disaster and honor their legacy through the care and rebuilding of our community.

Combat Medical Systems and its employees show the dedication and determination we all aspire to as we rebuild and survive in the face of unforeseen obstacles. This courage embodies the spirit of our nation and fuels our economy. I commend them on their willingness to give back to the community and on the successes they have rightly earned.

Again, I congratulate them on the opening of their new office. May God bless them, their families, and our great nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the United States Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps Unit at Southern Nash High School in Bailey, North Carolina.

Since 2006, Unit NC 935 has been selected by Headquarters, United States Air Force Air University as a Distinguished Unit, ranking in the top 25 percent of units worldwide.

For the 2010 2011 School-Years, Unit NC 935 was selected by Headquarters, United States Air Force Air University as a Distinguished Unit with Merit, the highest honor bestowed in the United States Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps.

In March, Cadets Trevon Davis, Lorell Dupree, Austin Fennell, Samantha Hill, Cristal Raya, and Trebor Walker flew on an Air Force mission with a KC 135 Tanker crew from the 77th Air Refueling Squadron to refuel a C 17 in flight.

And most recently, Unit NC 935 placed first overall at the annual Capital City Invitational Drill Meet in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Regulation Armed Flight placed third, commanded by Cadet John Setera. The Regulation Flight placed third, commanded by Cadet Lance Burnett. The First Year Cadet (AS 1) Element placed third, commanded by Cadet Eric Wall. The Regulation Color Guard placed third, commanded by Cadet Raya. The Relay Team placed third. The AS 1 Flight placed second, commanded by Cadet Davis. The Innovative Element Armed placed second, commanded by Cadet Trebor Walker. The Innovative Duo placed second, performed by Cadets Walker and Burnett. The Regulation Element Male placed first, commanded by Cadet Fennell. Cadet Burnett placed first in the Best Individual Drill with Rifle competition. Cadet Fennell placed first in the Best Individual Drill competition. Cadet Fennell also received an award for most sit ups performed in two minutes.

I would also like to congratulate Lt. Col. John Coulter, CMSgt John Wedding, Commander Luis Lewis Pimentel, and all the cadets at Southern Nash High School, on the accomplishments of this impressive unit. The 2nd district of North Carolina thrives on strong leaders like these, and I am proud to represent these fine young men and women.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to speak today on the intellectual responsibility of H.R. 9.

Back in my home town of Dunn, I have friends who are pharmacists. They own and run an independent pharmacy started by their father 60 years ago. I'm speaking of Paige Houston and Cathy Blackman.

Paige told me the other day that initially in this recession they were missed because people were afraid to go without their medications, and they were willing to pay the money even though the economy was starting to take a turn. Today, things are so bad that people are going without their medications, which as a result is a decrease in the number of customers they have and the amount of revenue coming in. Now their accountant has told them that they have no choice but to cut contributions to their employees' 401(k) plans and their health insurance premiums or be forced to lay off employees. Paige told me this 20 percent tax cut will keep more money in their business, allowing her to maintain benefits for her employees.

I thank the chairman for allowing me to be here tonight to help in this effort.

Mr. Chairman, the President's economic agenda has failed the American people. The President's economic agenda has failed our job creators, our seniors, and future generations.

The President's policies have failed and are making the economy worse. The President's budget calls for more failed attempts to tax, spend, borrow, and bail out our way to job creation.

I'd like to read a quote from a third party that addresses this issue. Bernie Marcus, former chairman and CEO of Home Depot:

If we don't lower spending, and if we don't deal with

paying down the debt, we are going to have to raise taxes.

Even brain-dead economists understand that when you raise

taxes, you cost jobs.

Because the President cannot stand on his record, he has regrettably turned to the politics of envy and division. There is nothing fair about making our children and our grandchildren pay the bills for what the President's own fiscal commission cochairs called ``the most predictable economic crisis in our history.''

I have a couple of more quotes, and these aren't from conservative publications, mind you.

USA Today: ``Obama's budget plan leaves debt bomb ticking.''

The Boston Herald:

President Barack Obama has apparently decided that he is

not going to be part of the solution to the Nation's enormous

deficit, which would make him, yes, part of the problem.

Mr. Chairman, our friends across the aisle continuously discuss the issue of Medicare, which we know is one of the growing problems when we're dealing with the debt. Our Democrat friends continue to say that Republicans are cutting Medicare and are changing it as we know it. Yet, in ObamaCare, they cut a half a trillion dollars out of Medicare.

I have a quote from the Congressional Budget Office as well, and my friend across the aisle had one a few moments ago. This quote is from 12/19/09, and reads that the government takeover of health care ``could reduce access to care or diminish the quality of care.''

I also have a quote from the Government Accountability Office: ``Medicare remains on a path that is fiscally unsustainable over the long term.''

Mr. Chairman, House Republicans are going to pass a jobs bill. We are going to pass a budget. This budget includes fundamental pro-growth tax reform and eliminating corporate loopholes and subsidies in order to help create jobs. It addresses the real drivers of our debt, saving our social safety net programs from going bankrupt, and it calls for the repeal of the government takeover of health care and other job-destroying spending.

I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote for the House budget bill.

I thank the chairman for this opportunity to speak with my colleagues as a nurse and a wife of a general surgeon.

Mr. Chairman, IPAB was created under ObamaCare to slash Medicare spending by restricting health care services for seniors in need. Repealing IPAB will restore the doctor-patient relationship.

Mr. Chairman, when someone goes to the doctor, they reveal the most personal experiences of their lives and engage in a relationship with a dedicated health care professional who puts his or her career on the line for the purpose of making that individual whole again. Left alone, President Obama's government-knows-best mentality will force our seniors to cede this relationship to a board of unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats who will have the power over the health and the lives of millions of other Americans. Each patient is unique, and their care rests on the doctor's ability to provide the best treatments available, regardless of the cost of their liability.

One of the greatest challenges facing our Nation's health care system, including Medicare, is the rapidly rising costs. This legislation recognizes that. This legislation repairs and repeals the IPAB with commonsense medical liability reform that will save billions of dollars.

I have sat and listened to the debate today, and I have listened intently over the 2 years since ObamaCare went into effect, and I still have one question to my Democrat colleagues across the aisle: What is your solution for Medicare? We know it is not sustainable as it is now. What is your solution?

Mr. Chairman, Federal bureaucrats should not dictate to doctors how to provide care, force them to provide medication regardless of their known complications, and make them liable with no limits or protections.

We have got to move forward on malpractice reform. Our colleagues ask the question, How can malpractice be put in place at the Federal level? And yet they have put Federal health care as an issue and put control as an issue.

We must provide patients and medical professionals with the security and the safety net.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in remembrance of Sheriff's Deputy Warren Lewis III. I want to personally express my regard for the courage and commitment he made to the citizens of Nash County, North Carolina. Mr. Warren will forever be an upstanding husband, father, and investigator, leaving a legacy of the highest standards for service and integrity that should serve as an example for all American citizens. Those fortunate enough to know Mr. Warren in life are blessed to have been able to share in it with a true American hero.

We live in a country rooted in laws and values. From the principles crafted by our Founding Fathers in the Constitution, stems our Nation's moral code, which has provided America with budding prosperity that radiates throughout the world. However, our success as a nation is limited by those that misinterpret the basic rights that are such an integral part of being an American citizen. Diligent leadership in our local, State, and national government is needed in order to preserve the values that make our country the preeminent model of civil society.

Through years of dedicated service to the citizens of Nash County, Mr. Warren helped us all by ensuring our great Nation's founding principles of freedom and justice. Such valued service in law enforcement can only be implemented through officers with the noblest of character and deepest sense of personal responsibility. Mr. Warren's achievements in life should be honored in the community as it inspires us all to emulate his patriotism and passion for public service.

I hope that you will all continue to find comfort in everything that Mr. Warren selflessly left behind. His life will never be forgotten, as his devotion to his community will always remind us to keep our country a safe place. God bless your family.

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the chairman for bringing this very, very important piece of legislation to the floor for a vote. I'm here to join my colleagues in support of H.R. 4105, which will protect the free market and prevent American businesses from unfair dumping practices by countries such as China.

Madam Speaker, I hear from businesses in North Carolina every day who are telling me that in order to compete in the global market, action must be taken to prevent nonmarket countries like China from distorting the market and costing American jobs.

Since 2007, the Department of Commerce has applied countervailing duties to Chinese products where it determines that China has provided unfair subsidies that violate its WTO obligations. These duties are not punitive; they merely serve as a correction to unfair Chinese subsidies. They restore the level playing field that U.S. industries and small businesses--such as wire producers and textile companies in North Carolina--provide.

I thank the gentleman.

H.R. 4105 will ensure that the Department of Commerce can continue to apply countervailing duty and anti-subsidy laws to nonmarket economies that are violating current law. At the same time, we need robust trade policies that will strengthen our economy and build upon the partnerships we have made with countries around the world.