Floor Statements

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the TRICARE Continuity of Coverage for National Guard and Reserve Families Act of 2009, of which I'm a cosponsor and which was amended into the National Defense Authorization Act.

Members of our National Guard and Reserves are eligible for TRICARE health insurance during their service and after the age of 60 but not during the time in between, the time in between when they retire until the age of 60, being referred to as being in the ``gray area. ``

Specifically, ``gray area'' retirees are Reserve component retirees under the age of 60 with more than 20 years of faithful and honorable service who have qualified for retirement at age 60.

The legislation fills in that gray area to ensure that these men and women have the opportunity to purchase TRICARE Standard health care coverage during that time and provides access to the care they deserve. This legislation is important because currently around 50 percent of those serving in Iraq and Afghanistan are Reservists and National Guard. And this option for purchasing TRICARE Standard will serve as an incentive for those Guardsmen and Reservists to continue to serve.

I thank the Armed Services Committee, the chairman, and the ranking member for including this important legislation in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010.

Madam Speaker, it is with a great deal of pride that I rise to pay a very special tribute to an exceptional company located in Ohio's Fifth Congressional District. Golden Heritage Foods, a successful honey processing and distribution company, was named the 2009 ``Enterprise of the Year.''

Madam Speaker, there is no question that local businesses serve as one of the key building blocks of our state. Golden Heritage Foods was established in 2002 through the joining of Barkman Honey Company located in Hillsboro, Kansas, and Stoller's Honey in Latty, Ohio. Since that time, the company has grown to become the second leading producer of branded retail honey sales and the top provider of honey in the United States to the food service industry.

While the company itself is relatively young, their legacy was well established prior to its founding due to over 40 years of hard work and dedication exhibited by both the Barkman and Stoller families. Not only has Golden Heritage Foods provided quality products since their opening, they have also created over 100 jobs for the citizens of Kansas and Ohio.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying special tribute to Golden Heritage Foods and its founders, Brent Barkman and Dwight Stoller. Our communities are well served by having dedicated entrepreneurs who assist in the growth and prosperity of our great nation. On behalf of the people of the Fifth District of Ohio, I am proud to recognize this great company on being named Van Wert, Ohio's 2009 ``Enterprise of the Year'' and wish them success in all future endeavors.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 2847, the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010.

Requesting Member: Congressman Robert E. Latta.

Bill Number: H.R. 2847, Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010.

Account: Commerce; NOAA--Operations, Research and Facilities.

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Bowling Green State University.

Address of Requesting Entity: 106 University Hall, Bowling Green, OH 43403.

Description of Request: $500,000 for monitoring of Lake Erie water quality with remote sensing for Bowling Green State University and Heidelberg College, in partnership with the consortium partners of OhioView and the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL). The funding will be used to continue the project of monitoring algal blooms in Lake Erie with LANDSAT TM satellite data. This will allow for real-time, continuous monitoring and assessment of harmful algal blooms and coliform in Lake Erie and its Southern-shore tributaries. This research is authorized by the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Act of 2003. The funds will be used to develop the systems for determining cyanobacteria in Lake Erie and in local water supplies and to continue to collect data for analyzing and further study. This project began in 2006 and provides continuous monitoring from the satellite data of the potentially harmful algal blooms. I certify that neither I nor my spouse has any financial interest in this project.

Requesting Member: Congressman Robert E. Latta.

Bill Number: H.R. 2847, Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010.

Account: Justice; OJP--Juvenile Justice.

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Starr Commonwealth--Van Wert.

Address of Requesting Entity: 15145 Lincoln Highway, Van Wert, Ohio 45891.

Description of Request: $500,000 for expansion of the Adolescent Delinquency Program (ADP) in Van Wert in order to address specific needs of troubled and at-risk youth. Services include educational/GED programs, life skills, job placement assistance, housing assistance, case management and mentoring. At risk, identified male delinquent youth between the ages of twelve and eighteen are eligible for placement into the Adolescent Delinquent Program. This expansion will assist with the program so it can serve more Ohioans and help them become productive citizens. Starr takes at-risk youth from being costly tax recipients and dependent on the social welfare to future taxpayers and productive, independent members of society. I certify that neither I nor my spouse has any financial interest in this project.

Madam Speaker, it is with a great deal of pride that I rise to pay a very special tribute to an outstanding serviceman in the Fifth District of Ohio. Chief Petty Officer Eric Stanley Howe is retiring from the United States Navy after Twenty years of service.

Officer Howe has earned numerous decorations and promotions throughout his years of

service to our nation. The dedication and commitment that he has shown throughout his military career has served America well.

During his time in the Navy, Officer Howe made deployments to the Mediterranean, Iceland, and Puerto Rico. Two of his deployments have been in direct support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying special tribute to Chief Petty Officer Eric Stanley Howe. Servicemen like Officer Howe lay the foundation upon which freedom and prosperity can rest. On behalf of the people of the Fifth District of Ohio, I am proud to honor this sailor and his service to our great nation.

Madam Speaker, it is with a great deal of pride that I rise to pay a very special tribute to a facility in the Fifth Congressional District of Ohio. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Pioneer Scout Reservation in Pioneer, Ohio.

The Pioneer Scout Reservation serves as a year-round camping site for the Boy Scouts of America. From the time I spent at the Pioneer Scout Reservation as a boy, I can tell you that this camp is a very special place. Within the boundaries of the camp, scouts learn the basics of nature and gain a respect for, and appreciation of, the outdoors.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying special tribute to the Pioneer Scout Reservation. The staff, who allow this camp to be such fertile ground where Boy Scouts can grow into young men, provide our communities in Northwest Ohio with an invaluable service. On behalf of the people of the Fifth District of Ohio, I am proud to honor this establishment.

Madam Speaker, it is with a great deal of pride that I rise to pay a very special tribute to a man who has dedicated 60 years to making weather observations for Northwest Ohio. Today, Ray Burkholder of Pandora, Ohio will celebrate this great milestone achieved by earlier weather recorders Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service was started in 1807, when the Nation's first scientific agency, the Survey of the Coast, was established. In the 1890s, NOAA established the Cooperative Weather Observation Program. Starting in 1949, when Mr. Burkholder was brought into the NOAA in Northwest Ohio, he became an integral part of the Administration. Up to this day, Mr. Burkholder has taken nearly 21,900 observations. The data collected by Mr. Burkholder benefited federal, state, and local agencies including the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers.

In addition to the Cooperative Weather Observation Program, Mr. Burkholder has served on the local area school board, and was the president of the Pandora Medical Center and the Mennonite Disaster Relief Service of Western Ohio.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying special tribute to Ray Burkholder. Mr. Burkholder's selfless commitment and dedication to the National Weather Service and Northwest Ohio has served our communities well. On behalf of the people of the Fifth District of Ohio, I am proud to recognize the service of Ray Burkholder.

Madam Speaker, one of the issues that we've been talking a lot about on this floor and across this country has been about cap-and- tax, and cap-and-tax is nothing more than it is going to be a national energy tax.

Now, I have a very unique district in the Fifth Congressional District of Ohio. It's interesting in that I represent not only the largest manufacturing district in the State of Ohio, but I also represent the largest agricultural district in the State of Ohio.

I know we've been talking about this and there's been a lot of information that's being put out there by a lot of different groups. But I think it's interesting to point out that the Heritage Foundation and just last week the Brookings Institution has also put out how many jobs are going to be lost by this. The Heritage Foundation is estimating that you're looking at anywhere from over 1.5 million jobs being lost; carry out to the end date with the Brookings Institution, about 2.5 percent. We can't afford to have this happening in the United States.

When you look at what the Heritage Foundation did, they did a very interesting study. They did what they call a manufacturing vulnerability index. They took all 435 districts across the Congress. They said, What was the amount of energy that you use and what type of energy it was? In my case in the State of Ohio, 87 percent of our energy is coal-generated. Next door to my west is Indiana. They get 94 percent.

So they ranked all these districts together. The question was, Okay, where did you stand? And this is one of those times where you don't want to be at the top of the list. Of the top 20 districts in the United States, according to this manufacturing vulnerability index, 16 of the top 20 were from Ohio and Indiana. Unfortunately, in my case, I came in number three.

Number three, What's that going to mean? It means it's going to be tough to get jobs in northwest Ohio, north-central Ohio, and people are having a tough time right now because we have a manufacturing district. If we don't have those jobs and we don't have that electricity that we can turn on in the morning, make sure that those plants can run, we're not going to have people working.

It's not like it's just going to affect the folks on the industrial side and the manufacturing side. As I said, I also have the largest agricultural district in the State of Ohio. And one of the things that's tough out there is there are a lot of farmers in my district that not only farm full time, but they have a job also full time off the farm, and they have to balance the two together. They're working long, long hours, especially if they're on the livestock side. So these folks are worried about not only having to turn on the energy at the workplace but also the workplace on the farm.

And as we've seen some of these numbers being calculated as to what it might cost for a family of four with cap-and-tax, you're talking about in some cases right off the bat, $1,500 additional for a family of four and all the way up in the out-years being calculated at up to $4,800.

Let's also put this in context of what it's going to do on the farm income side. It's estimated by the Heritage Foundation that by the year 2012 you're going to see a drop of about $8 billion in farm income; in 2024, $25 billion; and in 2025, $50 billion. So you're seeing decreases in farm income of 28, 60, and 94 percent respectively. You're going to see a total decrease from 2010 to 2035 of 57 percent and a total decrease in the baseline for farm income out there.

The question is, How is a farm going to survive in this country? It's going to be tough. Ag construction costs are estimated, because of cap- and-tax, they're going to go up 10 percent by the year 2034. By 2035-- and here's a real tough one for farmers because of course, everything you're doing is out there in the field--gas and diesel prices are going to go up 58 percent; electricity costs on the farm, 90 percent. So when you're already out there struggling right there to make a living on the farm, it's going to be very difficult with these numbers to do it.

Then we have to think about this. Where are these young farmers going to go? We're going to try to get more younger people out on these farms, but we all know right now equipment costs are high. We all know that land prices are high. But then when you add all these costs up and you put these electricity costs and you put the energy costs and you put the fertilizer costs in, all these are all driven by energy costs. It's going to hit home real quick. We're going to have fewer and fewer people out on the farm. It's estimated we have less than 2 percent of Americans farming today, less than 2 percent. In Ohio, it's under 1 percent, but they're feeding us all, and we should be thankful for them.

The co-ops in my district and across not only my district but the State and the country are very fearful about this. These electric co- ops out there are worried because if they have to buy more green energy, those costs would have to be passed on to the end user. That's the farmer, the manufacturer, the senior, the family, and they are all worried about it.

But who's our competition? You know, last week, we had the Ag Secretary before us in the Agriculture Committee, and we asked questions about China. And China is not going to abide by cap-and-tax, and in fact, the day that we had that hearing, they said that they were not going to abide by cap-and-tax. I would ask that this legislation be defeated.

Madam Speaker, it is with a great deal of pride that I rise to pay a very special tribute to an outstanding citizen in Ohio's Fifth Congressional District. Roger Anderson is an individual who is dedicated to serving the public and has given much of his time and expertise in helping community groups achieve success.

Madam Speaker, there is no question that our citizens are the foundation of our country. From the earliest day of our nation's history, the men and women of the United States have worked to create opportunities that would provide a better life for future generations.

Roger Anderson has contributed to our community as a volunteer for various clubs and committees, as an educator, an advocate for non- profit organizations, and a public servant. Mr. Anderson served as a Bowling Green City Councilman from 1976-1980 and was a member of Bowling Green's Planning and Zoning, Public Lands, and Building Committees.

Roger Anderson has also held a leadership role in twelve different organizations including the Bowling Green Kiwanas Club, the Ohio Council of Higher Education Retirees, the WSOS Community Action Commission, and most recently, the League of Women Voters, where he was elected the first ever male president.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying special tribute to Roger Anderson. Mr. Anderson's selfless commitment and dedication to the betterment of his community have set an example for future generations to follow. On behalf of the people of the Fifth District of Ohio, I am proud to recognize the service of Roger Anderson.

Madam Speaker, it is with a great deal of pride that I rise to pay a very special tribute to an outstanding high school track and field team in Ohio's Fifth Congressional District. The young men of Eastwood High School's Track and Field team have represented their school and families ably on their way to achieving their first ever State Track and Field Championship.

In their effort to surpass all other teams in the Division II State Track and Field Championship, the Eastwood Eagles overcame the challenges posed by injuries and intense competition.

In their bid for the State Title, the Eastwood High Boys Team produced 4 All-Ohio performances from individuals on the team. In winning the Ohio State Division II Track and Field Championship, the members of this very special team have shown that their sport requires an individual effort for a team result. As a direct consequence of their hard work and dedication on and off the track, both their efforts and their results were outstanding.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying special tribute to the Eastwood High School Boys Track Team. Our communities are well served by the type of effort and perseverance demonstrated by these young men. On behalf of the people of the Fifth District of Ohio, I am proud to recognize this great achievement.

Madam Speaker, it is with a great deal of pride that I pay a very special tribute to an outstanding Police Chief in the Fifth District of Ohio. Richard A. Gilts of Perrysburg, Ohio has been serving the area for Thirty-Nine years, where he was promoted as the Sixth Chief of Police of Perrysburg in 2003.

Madam, Speaker, there is no question that the safety of our citizens is vital. In January of 1976, when Richard was hired on to the Perrysburg Police Division, he rose through the ranks to become Sergeant in 1983 and Lieutenant in 1993. The safety of its citizens is of upmost importance to the city. Chief Gilts has demonstrated his commitment to this goal through his involvement in programs such as Safety Town, D.A.R.E., and the Perrysburg Police Foundation. Chief Gilts was an active member of Rotary International, having served as the President of the Perrysburg Rotary Chapter from 2005 to 2006.

On August 12, 2004, Chief Gilts dedicated a new 26,000 square foot police facility, which replaced the 4800 square foot station that was constructed at the same location in 1965. On August 28, 2004, Chief Gilts and the Police Division assisted with operational matters during a visit by President George W. Bush at the historic Fort Meigs Memorial Park. In the week leading up to the event, Chief Gilts and the Department were consumed by logistical and tactical issues, such as procurement and placement of equipment and props, fencing, barriers, site and crowd security, medical assistance, personnel scheduling and perimeter security.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying special tribute for the service of Chief Gilts. On behalf of the people of the Fifth District of Ohio, I wish Chief Gilts all of the best in his future endeavors.

Madam Speaker, it is with a great deal of pride that I rise to pay a very special tribute to a brave group of men in Ohio's Fifth Congressional District. Company B of the 202d Engineer Combat Battalion is celebrating their sixty-sixth anniversary.

Madam Speaker, there is no question the military is one of the key building blocks of our country. From the earliest days of our Nation's history, courageous men and women have fought for the freedom and safety of the American people. Our soldiers have opened doors for America's citizens and allowed our children to live in a nation that is peaceful and free.

During World War II, Company B served in campaigns in Normandy, Central Europe, Northern France, Ardennes and the Rhineland. They were the only group to serve in all five campaigns and receive five battle stars in World War II.

The servicemen of Company B also fought alongside the 1st, 2d, 3d, 9th, and the 15th U.S. Army, the British 2d Army and the U.S. Navy throughout the war in 10 countries. One of their most significant contributions to the War effort was the construction of the longest Treadway Pontoon Bridge in the world at 1152 feet, which was built in less than six hours while facing enemy fire.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying special tribute to Company B of the 202d Engineer Combat Battalion. Our communities are well served by having dedicated servicemen who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to protect our beloved Nation. On behalf of the people of the Fifth District of Ohio, I am proud to recognize this great group of men on their sixty-sixth anniversary.

Madam Speaker, I would like to submit the following:

Whereas Congressman Robert E. Latta extends his congratulations on the occasion of the One Hundred Seventy-Fifth Anniversary of the Village of Ottawa, Ohio; and

Whereas Ottawa, Ohio has been a proud member of the Northwest Ohio community since 1834; and

Whereas the citizens of Ottawa, Ohio provide friendship and tradition to all those in Northwest Ohio; and

Whereas Ottawa, Ohio has a long history of fostering business, education, and community relationships; therefore, be it

Resolved The people of Northwest Ohio are grateful for the service of the citizens and employers of Ottawa, Ohio. Ohio's Fifth Congressional District is well served by their dedication and support. We wish Ottawa, Ohio all the best during its celebration of the One Hundred Seventy-Fifth anniversary.

Madam Speaker, it is with a great deal of pride that I rise to pay a very special tribute to an outstanding school in my district in Northwest Ohio. Van Wert Middle School in Van Wert, Ohio is one of only 80 schools in the United States to be recognized as a School to Watch by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform.

Madam Speaker, there is no question that education is the foundation of our country. From the earliest days of our nation's history, children have sought out the opportunity to learn subjects such as math, science, and literature. Education has opened doors for America's citizens and allowed our nation to be one of the most advanced in the world.

Every year, the Schools to Watch program identifies schools across the country that are well on their way to meeting the criteria for high performance. These schools are known to be academically excellent, developmentally responsive, and socially equitable.

In order for Van Wert Middle School to be selected for this prestigious honor, this high-performing school established norms, structures and organizational arrangements to support and sustain its trajectory toward excellence. Van Wert Middle School has a sense of purpose that drives every facet of their practice and decision-making.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying special tribute to the Van Wert Middle School. Our communities are well served by having dedicated educators who go above and beyond the norm to teach the citizens of tomorrow. On behalf of the people of the Fifth District of Ohio, I am proud to recognize this great achievement.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman yielding.

I also rise in support today of what this would mean to our young people in this country. In my old State Senate district I represented an area in Erie County near Plum Brook Station, which is a large NASA testing facility. Just to the east of there, we had NASA Glenn, which is in Cuyahoga County.

The things that we can do and achieve in this country through the space program are limitless. However, if we stand by what we are seeing happening across Congress today with this cap-and-tax legislation, we are in trouble.

One of the things I am proud of is the fact that in my Fifth Congressional District I represent an area where we manufacture solar panels with First Solar. We have another company coming on line this fall that will also be in solar manufacturing. We also in my district have wind turbines, ethanol, hydrogen, biomass, and we are doing all these things in the alternative.

Also though it is very, very important in this country that we have that base load capacity that we have to have to be able to manufacture, that we have to have if we want to continue to be able to be independent in this country, especially when we are talking about manufacturing in the new age of space. We have to make sure that we have these homegrown companies here today. It is going to be very, very difficult to do that if we don't have the manufacturing capacity and if we also don't have that base load capacity.

One of the things we have found, of course, is that we don't have that base load capacity in certain areas, and we also don't have the ability of being able to go out there on the nuclear facilities. I think 1977 was the last time that we had a nuclear facility permitted in this country. And the problem that we have today is if we want to have more nuclear, to be able to produce more power, to be able to keep our manufacturing capacity, it is going to be very tough to do, because a lot of these parts are no longer made in this country.

We have to go overseas to buy these if we can get them today. And some of the very large components are made in Japan. And there's a long waiting list because so many countries are out there wanting to build nuclear facilities and keep up that base load capacity. Why is it important?

Well, again, if we don't utilize that all-of-the-above policy of not only having the alternatives because we all want to make sure in this country that we have a clean environment, but we also want to make sure that we have nuclear, clean coal, oil, natural gas and geothermal.

We've all seen the headlines in the paper of course where, you know, CBO score saying that we're looking at $846 billion on this new cap- and-tax, which would be a massive energy tax on the American people. But at the same time, as the gentlelady from Tennessee was just talking about, is the tremendous cost on individuals.

One of the analyses from the Heritage Foundation shows that they're looking at around a $4,300 per year tax on an average family. And how do they get to that number? It says, our $1,500 number is just the direct impact of household energy bills. Your energy bill, your natural gas bill, your home heating bill, and of course the amount of gas you put in your tank, and that would be around $1,500.

But also, there is that ripple effect that goes through the economy that takes it up to $4,300. And in the year 2035 alone, the cost is $8,276, and the cost per family for the whole energy tax aggregated from 2012 to 2030 is $116,680.

And compare it if we did not have a cap-and-tax, the real GDP losses increase an additional $2 trillion, from $7.4 trillion under the original draft to $9.6 trillion under the new draft.

Compared to no cap-and-trade, the average economic or unemployment increases an additional 261,000 jobs, from 844,000 lost jobs under the original draft to 1.1 million jobs under the new draft.

Also, interesting enough in the paper today in the Washington Times is an article, ``GDP hit found with cap, trade.'' This is from the Brookings Institution. ``The Brookings Institution on Monday said cap- and-trade legislation to reduce carbon dioxide emissions would lower the Nation's gross domestic product in 2050 by 2.5 percent, compared with levels it would reach if the legislation is not implemented.''

It also says that, ``About 35 percent of crude-oil-related jobs and 40 percent of coal-related jobs would be lost in 2025.''

It goes on to say: ``It assumes that the majority of workers would find new jobs, but the net job loss would be 0.5 percent over the first 10 years that the legislation is in effect.''

I don't think that this country can afford it because, again, to go on, you know, when you're looking at reducing the aggregate gross GDP by $9.6 trillion, destroying 1.1 million jobs, raising electric rates, as the gentlelady from Tennessee just mentioned, by 90 percent after adjusting for inflation, seeing gasoline prices up to 74 percent, raising residential natural gas prices by 55----

I appreciate the gentleman for yielding.

--raising natural gas prices by 55 percent, raising an average family's annual energy bill by $1,500, and again, increase the inflation-adjusted Federal debt by 26 percent, or $29,150 additional Federal debt per person after adjusting for inflation.

I appreciate the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to stand before you today in support of the resolution I introduced, House Resolution 420. This resolution celebrates the symbol of the United States and supports the goals and ideals of Flag Day.

Flag Day is celebrated on June 14, which is the anniversary of the official adoption of the American flag by the Continental Congress in 1777. This was done by the first Flag Act, which stated, ``Resolved, that the flag of the United States be made of 13 stripes, alternating red and white, that the union be 13 stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.''

Since 1777, our flag's design has been altered three times under executive orders, rearranging the designs of the stars and stripes each time a State was added.

As the gentleman from Utah has stated, the history of Flag Day traces its roots to the first celebration of the American flag, which is believed to have been introduced by Bernard Cigrand, a Wisconsin schoolteacher who arranged for his students at Stony Hill School to celebrate June 14 as ``Flag Birthday'' in 1885. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the first nationwide Flag Day in 1916, and in 1947, President Harry Truman signed legislation requesting that national Flag Day be observed annually.

Flag Day is an important day of celebration as our flag is the official symbol of our great Nation and its ideals. Our flag serves as a beacon of hope, courage, and freedom during times of crisis and triumph alike. The flag honors the men and women of the Armed Forces who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in defending the United States and serves as a symbol for those families who have lost loved ones while defending our Nation.

Madam Speaker, it is with great honor that I ask for unanimous consent on House Resolution 420 as we celebrate our Nation's flag.