Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4157, the Preserving America's Family Farms Act. I am pleased to cosponsor this legislation.

This rule, had it been enacted, would be one more sad example of how far our government is willing to go to protect us from ourselves.

The Preserving America's Family Farms Act would prohibit the Department of Labor from issuing a rule prohibiting young people from working on their own family farms.

Mr. Speaker, like so many children growing up in rural America, I spent many of my summers working on my grandparents' modest dairy farm in Herkimer County, New York. By my grandfather's side, I learned personal responsibility, accountability, gained character and a sense of accomplishment, as well as the pride and dignity that results from a day's work.

My family farm would not have been economically viable if my younger cousins and I had not worked and assisted during harvest and milking. I am concerned, along with many Americans, that the belief in personal accountability and responsibility, as well as hard work--which is best instilled at a young age--is being diminished. The lessons learned on a family farm should be reinforced and encouraged more, not less.

Mr. Speaker, I acknowledge farms are a dangerous place to work. But as a man who has employed hundreds of people, those who worked early and hard in their lives, regardless of where they worked, were my most eager and responsible employees. I could not have succeeded without those men and women, and neither will this country. We should not restrict young people from working. Character built early grows deeper and lasts a lifetime. Let's pass this bill and protect our family farms and the great Americans they produce.

I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chair, I would first like to thank the chairman and the ranking member for their good work on this bill. I'm inclined to support the underlying bill but believe it can be, and should be, strengthened through this amendment.

The Department of Defense faces more than 10 million cyberattacks every day. The damage and frequency of these attacks have been rapidly increasing over recent years. Attacks against our networks cost our businesses more than $1 trillion per year in lost intellectual property and other damages, resulting in theft of innovation and real damage to our economy and American jobs.

For example, a cyberattack in March of 2011 against the military contractor resulted in the loss of 24,000 Department of Defense files. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta has stated that 60,000 new software programs are identified every day which threaten our security, our economy, our citizens, and our military.

High-tech threats require high-tech defenses to combat the attacks that face our armed services on the front lines and our businesses here at home. Proper funding for our cybersecurity defenses and advanced research projects is critical to our national security in today's high- threat environment.

The Air Force has always taken the lead in cyberspace defenses, yet over $1 billion is proposed to be cut from their research, development, test and evaluation programs under this bill. These cuts are not justified based on the frequency and magnitude of the threats.

These cuts would further expose our networks and adversely affect our service departments and agencies such as Strategic Command, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the National Security Agency.

Secretary Panetta has stated:

The next Pearl Harbor we confront could very well be a cyberattack that cripples our systems.

We simply need to protect our networks by providing the funding levels necessary to do just that.

My amendment would restore $30 million to the Air Force's Research, Development, Test and Evaluation programs and reduce Operations and Maintenance by the same amount to support research and development of cyberdefense, advanced communication and information technology programs.

Recognizing the need for fiscal restraint, if adopted, my amendment would still fund the Research, Development, Test and Evaluation account by $1.6 billion, or 6 percent, below this year's level; and overall, Operations and Maintenance would still receive $12.1 billion above the enacted levels.

Now is simply not the time to cut back on high-tech research and development without justification. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment to restore funding for these programs which are vital to our 21st century defenses.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Offered By: Mr. Hanna

Amendment No. 25: Page 9, line 6, after the dollar amount,

insert ``(reduced by $30,000,000)''.

Page 32, line 6, after the dollar amount, insert

``(increased by $30,000,000)''.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Mrs. Stephanie Passeri-Densmore's 8th grade English class at Cortland Junior Senior High School in Cortland, New York. Her class proudly won First Place in this year's NASA Space Settlement Contest.

The members of this year's First Place team include: Lead Officers: Captain Caitlyn Ruggiero and Co-captain Justin Gower; Officers: Clayton Larson, Connor Zinn, Macayla Kemp, Matt Plunkett, Molly Doubet, Madison Wasley; and Crew: Seamus Mulhern, Julia Marshall, Rebecca Alteri, Hannah Burkhard, Justin Cavanagh, Christopher Dovi, Bogdan Kalytyuk, Adam Klaes, Luke Lang, Erica Moran, Kelsey Neville, Jonathon Phillips, Audrey Porter, Tiffany Rogers, McKenzie Stark, Mya Velazquez, Curtis Wilk.

Mrs. Passeri-Densmore's 8th grade class began competing in the NASA Space Settlement Contest in March 1999 and every year since then they have placed among the top three finishers. The students create new entries every year.

The students choose their own small groups that tackle specific topics needed for the survival of an orbital space settlement. The groups communicate during the process to make sure the different sections coordinate smoothly when they are put together at the end. The students are able to choose the shape and location of the settlements. Most years, the students have chosen to put their settlement in the Lagrange 5 position between Earth and the moon or in orbit around Mars. It is an honor for me to celebrate the continued success of Mrs. Passeri-Densmore's students. Proudly, Mrs. Passeri-Densmore has several former students who chose careers in space-related professions or university programs because they became excited and interested after their participation in the NASA Space Settlement Contest.

Mr. Speaker, I proudly ask you to join me in honoring of these students and this outstanding teacher, Mrs. Passeri-Densmore who is inspiring students to ask questions, to dream big, to open their minds and believe in themselves. Congratulations and keep up the good work.

Mr. Chair, on rollcall Number 286 on the Franks Amendment No. 54 to H.R. 4310, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013, I intended to vote ``aye.''

Stated against:

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

This motion, offered by my friend, the gentleman from West Virginia, instructs conferees to the Surface Transportation reauthorization conference to agree to several provisions in the Senate bill relating to Buy American requirements. These Senate provisions will expand Buy American requirements for the Federal highway program, the Federal transit program, and for Amtrak.

It is important to note that this is a nonbinding procedural vote. A vote for or against this motion does not impact the outcome of the conference negotiations. However, it's also important to note that time spent preparing and debating this motion would have been better spent at the negotiating table.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Brady).

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, as Taiwan prepares for its Presidential Inauguration Day on May 20, I'd like to congratulate President Ma and our friends in Taiwan for a smooth completion of their presidential election on January 14. Mr. Ma Ying-jeou won a second term as President of the Republic of China (Taiwan).

President George W. Bush once famously described Taiwan as ``a beacon of democracy to Asia and the world.'' His words were recognition of Taiwan's achievements in democratic development. We trust Mr. Ma and his people will continue to deepen and improve Taiwan's democracy and instill an even stronger commitment to democratic values among Taiwan's people.

The United States and Taiwan have enjoyed a strong security and economic partnership for over half a century. Our common interest in peace and security has guided U.S.-Taiwan relations and our commitment to Taiwan's security, as stated in the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, has enabled Taiwan to build a strong democratic government and today serves as a beacon for others in the region and beyond. Similarly, Taiwan's economic partnership with us has benefited both sides, resulting in Taiwan being our tenth largest trading partner, with total bilateral trade amounting to over $68 billion.

During Mr. Ma's second term, I hope our relationship with Taiwan will continue to flourish, especially in areas like military cooperation, Taiwan's inclusion in the Visa Waiver Program, as well as our trade relationship.

Congratulations to Mr. Ma and the people of Taiwan.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Hamilton College on the occasion of its bicentennial.

Hamilton is one of this Nation's finest liberal arts colleges. It is known for its rigorous academic program to prepare students for lives of meaning and purpose. The College is renowned for teaching students to express their ideas with clarity and precision, to think creatively and analytically, and to act ethically and with conviction.

Hamilton College was originally founded in 1793 as the Hamilton- Oneida Academy by the Reverend Samuel Kirkland, missionary to the Oneida Indians. Rev. Kirkland's vision was to educate the children of the Oneidas alongside the children of the white settlers streaming into Central New York following the American Revolution. He presented his plan of education in 1793 to President George Washington who ``expressed approbation'' and to Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton who lent his name to the institution and consented to become a trustee. Oneida Chief Skenandoa and Baron von Steuben, inspector general of the Continental Army and ``drillmaster'' of Washington's troops during the War for Independence, were present when the cornerstone for the new Academy was laid on July 1, 1794.

The Hamilton-Oneida Academy lasted 19 years before it was rechartered by the Regents of the University of the State of New York as Hamilton College on May 26, 1812. The institution is believed to be the 31st oldest college in the United States.

Over the years, Hamilton has never wavered from its mission to teach the liberal arts and sciences. In 1968, all-male Hamilton College established the all-female Kirkland College, which lasted 10 years until the two colleges combined in 1978.

Today, Hamilton enrolls 1,812 students from 49 States and 37 countries. Its student-to-faculty ratio of 9-to-1 ensures significant individual attention for its students, many of whom

compete successfully for Fulbright Awards, Goldwater Scholarships and other prestigious national fellowships and scholarships funded by this body.

Included among its graduates are public servants at every level, including most notably former Vice President of the United States James ``Schoolcraft'' Sherman; former Secretary of State, Secretary of War, U.S. Senator and recipient of the 1912 Nobel Peace Prize Elihu Root; current Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack; and former U.S. Ambassadors Arnold Raphel, William Luers, Sol Linowitz, Michael Klosson and Edward Walker. The College also counts among its alumni prominent business leaders, scientists, artists, educators, physicians, ministers, lawyers, entrepreneurs, entertainers, writers, and journalists.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and my distinguished colleagues join me in recognizing and congratulating the students, faculty, staff, alumni and trustees of Hamilton College on the occasion of their institution's two hundredth anniversary on May 26, 2012.

Madam Speaker, I introduced H.R. 3534 with my colleague, Mr. Mulvaney from South Carolina, to address an issue in the construction industry I know all too well: surety bonding.

Bonding is not something most people think about, but it was a daily reality in my business. The concept is simple. Contractors on a Federal construction project are required to post assets prior to entering a contract to prove that they are capable of paying their subcontractors and downstream paying their suppliers for work. It indicates that a contractor is capable of successfully completing a project and is supposed to protect taxpayers and small businesses downstream in the event of failure or nonpayment.

The business of bonding is predicted on a zero failure rate. The assets pledged to back a project must be real, easily convertible to cash, and held by the contracting officer for the duration of the project--and most are. Unfortunately, a loophole in these laws has been exploited. It has resulted in a number of cases where assets pledged to back a bond issued by an individual surety have been insufficient or illusory. This has left small businesses and taxpayers without sufficient payment remedies, and in the case of one Colorado woman, nearly put her out of business.

A single stock or private residence, which is subject to huge changes in value or may have an existing first mortgage, are quite simply not acceptable assets to back multimillion-dollar projects. Madam Speaker, the Security in Bonding Act will remedy this problem by requiring individual sureties to pledge solely those assets described in contracting laws as ``eligible obligations.'' Further, it would require them to be placed in custody of the Federal Government just as they would using a corporate surety or posting an asset in lieu of corporate surety. This loophole is putting small businesses and workers and the taxpayer at risk. It is time to close this loophole and restore the integrity of the bonding process.

H.R. 3534 would ensure that if an individual surety bond is furnished for a Federal construction project, that small businesses and subcontractors providing goods and services on that contract will not need to worry about the integrity of their payment revenue. This bill provides the surety that small businesses need and subcontractors and citizens deserve from the Federal Government. Without it, good jobs and our limited taxpayer dollars will continue to be at risk.

In closing, I would like to extend a personal thanks to Chairman Lamar Smith for his leadership in advancing this legislation and for allowing me to join him during the committee's proceedings.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

I thank the gentleman from Florida.

I rise in opposition to the motion to instruct.

The House has developed some of the strongest policy reforms in decades. I, for one, am not ready to give them up. I thank Chairman Mica in particular for his leadership to streamline project delivery. It shouldn't take 15 years to finish a project. Our bill streamlines the permitting process so that they can be done concurrently, instead of consecutively. This is good policy and something worth fighting for. We can cut this time in half--and we should.

I also worked on two other provisions that simply aren't addressed in the Senate bill:

One addressed the use of engineering services. Specifically, it calls for States to utilize private sector engineering firms to the maximum extent possibility. State DOTs should streamline their operations and reduce overhead so more money is going to put shovels in the ground, not to bureaucracy.

The second provision would create regional planning organizations to give small communities a seat at the table, which is something they don't have now. The rural areas I represent face stiff competition for limited Federal dollars, and they deserve their fair share. But this reform, too, is absent from the Senate bill.

Let's work with the Senate to get these and other good ideas from both sides included in a final bill. Madam Speaker, we should embrace this process to make a positive impact on the Senate bill.

I urge my colleagues to oppose the motion to instruct.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy. They are the catalyst for job growth and job creation all across our Nation. They certainly are in upstate New York where I started my own small business some 30 years ago, which I ran successfully for that same period of time, employing hundreds of people from my community, friends and neighbors to this day.

Unemployment is still too high. It's over 8 percent in my home of New York. Our constituents want to go back to work. They just need the opportunity. That's what I heard from small business owners when I hosted a meeting of the Central New York Business Network earlier this month.

Government can help by advancing policies that enable our 27 million small businesses to do what they do

best--compete and create jobs. There is no silver bullet, but there are solutions that we can work together on starting today. Here are a few:

Tax relief. Small businesses in America pay some of the highest taxes in the world, and the associated regulations are also an enormous barrier to growth. The average tax compliance cost for employees for small businesses is three times what it is for large businesses. We need to make taxes lower, fairer, more predictable and generally more understandable. We will be voting on a bill of this nature sometime this week.

Freedom from government competition. Too many of our small businesses find themselves pitted against their own government when it comes to doing commercial work like landscaping, construction, and engineering. We should require Federal agencies to use the private sector when providing goods and services that are available in the open marketplace. This gives small businesses in our community a chance to work efficiently and create jobs, and this has been shown to save taxpayers money.

Finally, and most importantly, a jobs-based education policy. A major root cause of our long-term unemployment is the changing nature of the global marketplace. We are competing against developing countries like never before. Competition isn't bad, but we need to be better prepared. In order to maintain a high standard of living, we need cultivate the value-added, knowledge-based innovative sector of our economy. This can only be achieved through education and a new focus on the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math, also known as STEM. STEM jobs, on the average, pay 27 percent more than non-STEM jobs. The only effective long-term way to rebuild the middle class is through education. It's been this way since the dawn of time with better- paying, tax-generating jobs that provide at least those basics of the American Dream: a home, a college education for your children, and a dignified retirement.

Mr. Speaker, there are few tasks more important than helping small businesses put our neighbors and friends back to work in America. Let's join to work on pro-growth policies that will enable them to do just that.

Thank you for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, I am speaking on the previous offering by Mr. Mulvaney. I'd like to rise and speak in opposition to the administration's proposed 2013 budget plan. I'd like to speak about one particular issue of concern.

Despite the administration's emphasizing of the importance of cybersecurity and the need to retain our technological edge, this budget presents a stark contradiction to these priorities. Key program areas that are essential to maintaining our Nation's 21st century defense initiatives have been unreasonably slashed in this proposal.

For example, the Air Force's science and technology cyber funding has been cut 17 percent. Over $1 billion has been cut from the Air Force's total funding level for research, development, testing, and evaluation programs.

I can personally attest to the innovative accomplishments that are produced by the Air Force Research Labs, such as Rome Lab in Rome, New York. For instance, the Air Force Research Labs were the first to institute computer network attack and exploitation as a formal science and technology discipline.

Secretary Panetta has warned that a cyberattack could very well be the next Pearl Harbor that our Nation confronts. Both our defense enterprises and our commercial economy have become dependent on information technology, which makes it critical that we protect our networks. We can't say one thing and do another when it comes to prioritizing our 21st century cyberdefenses.

I urge my colleagues to support our national security by voting against this budget plan.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Mr. Sylvester Puccio, a very special veteran and a survivor of Pearl Harbor. Mr. Puccio will soon be awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, at the direction of the Secretary of the Navy.

Mr. Puccio served aboard the USS West Virginia during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 as a Shipfitter Third Class. As the Japanese aerial attack engulfed the West Virginia, the call to General Quarters was sent, and Mr. Puccio went to his battle station at the same time multiple Japanese torpedoes struck the ship. Mr. Puccio and his fellow sailors, realizing that counter flooding was critical to prevent the West Virginia from rolling due to the torpedo damage, rushed to the locker containing the handles to operate the counter flood valves.

The locker was padlocked and the key was on another part of the ship. Mr. Puccio, acting quickly, took a large spool and repeatedly struck at the padlock until it broke free, enabling him and the other sailors to access the handles to begin counter flooding. At this time, the West Virginia had listed 28 degrees, and the quick actions of Mr. Puccio and other sailors prevented the ship from further listing and together, they righted her. In the coming days after the day ``that would live in infamy,'' Mr. Puccio returned to the West Virginia on fire fighting and salvage detail. He was eventually assigned to the submarine section of Pearl Harbor and from there continued his Navy service in the Pacific Theatre during World War II.

Mr. Puccio returned to Rome, and dedicated his life to his family, his community, and his fellow veterans as an active member of the Central New York Pearl Harbor Survivors Association. Mr. Puccio never sought recognition for himself, only for his fellow veterans and those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. I urge my colleagues to join me today in honoring Mr. Sylvester ``Syl'' Puccio, United States Navy, for his service and sacrifice during World War II on behalf of the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and honor a very special veteran for his service to our nation during World War II.

Mr. John S. Czyscon was a member of the United States Army and served in the Pacific Theater. Mr. Czyscon was in harm's way numerous times and involved in serious combat. His heroism and bravery were recognized through his awards: the Bronze Star Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, and the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with three bronze battle stars and arrowhead attachments.

Mr. Czyscon served as a Technician Fifth Grade, with the Second Battalion 188th Glider Infantry during his service to the Army. He joined the Army in 1943 and was honorably discharged in 1946 after providing honest and faithful service to this country.

Mr. Czyscon will turn 92 this spring and he lives in New York Mills, New York. It is a privilege and an honor to have veterans like Mr. Czyscon residing in the 24th Congressional District. His service to our country should always be a great source of pride. To serve one's nation is among the most noble and selfless acts available to man, particularly during times of war. Thank you, Mr. Czyscon. I ask my colleagues to join me today in honoring Technician Fifth Grade John S. Czyscon, United States Army, for his service and sacrifice during World War II on behalf of the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, December 12, 2011, I was unable to be present for recorded votes. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall 913, ``yes'' on rollcall 914, ``no'' on rollcall 915, and ``no'' on rollcall 916.