Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I was not present for rollcall vote No. 714 on H.R. 2646. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

I thank the gentleman from South Carolina for yielding and for his leadership on this important issue.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2587, the Protecting Jobs from Government Interference Act.

Over the past 2\1/2\ years, this administration has vastly expanded the size and scope of the Federal Government and supported policies that have destroyed jobs, stifled investment and innovation, and slowed our economic recovery in Virginia's 5th District and across the country.

One of the most recent and troubling examples of this government overreach is the latest move by the unelected National Labor Relations Board to block Boeing from creating thousands of jobs in South Carolina. This kind of government intervention is a direct attack on our economic freedom and has disastrous effects on 5th District Virginians and all Americans. It has the potential to cost thousands of jobs at a time when we need jobs most.

It dangerously and unacceptably inserts the Federal Government into the business decisions of private companies, and it threatens to undermine the economic competitiveness of all States, such as Virginia, that have right-to-work laws.

Being the northernmost right-to-work State on the east coast has helped make Virginia the best place in the country to do business and has helped promote job growth and economic investment across the 5th District and our Commonwealth.

At a time when millions of Americans are out of work and unemployment remains unacceptably high, right-to-work States should not be penalized by an intrusive and overbearing Federal Government for their ability to attract new business, investment, and jobs.

As part of the House's job-creation agenda, H.R. 2587 would remove the Federal Government as a roadblock to job growth by preventing the NLRB from dictating where employers and private businesses can set up their operations, putting our economic recovery back where it belongs-- in the hands of the people instead of the Federal Government.

If we are serious about getting our economy back on track, we must support these kinds of policies that help restore certainty to the marketplace and provide our true job creators with the confidence and freedom and opportunity necessary to do what they do best: innovate, grow their businesses, and get America working again.

That is why I'm proud to cosponsor H.R. 2587. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I missed the following vote on rollcall No. 700--a recorded vote on H.R. 2633, to amend title 28, United States Code, to clarify the time limits for appeals in civil cases to which United States officers or employees are parties.

Mr. Speaker, I was not present for rollcall vote No. 700 on H.R. 2633. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the current state of the economy and the jobs crisis that is facing Virginia's Fifth District and our Nation.

The August jobs report that was released last week showed that no net new jobs were added to the economy in the month of August, while unemployment remains unacceptably high at 9.1 percent, underscoring the urgent need for real change in Washington so we can get America working again.

To help jump-start our economy, the House has been laser focused on supporting those policies that seek to remove the Federal Government as a barrier to job creation, to unleash innovation and invite opportunity in the private sector. To this end, the House has already passed several pro-growth measures that could immediately help spur job creation in Virginia's Fifth District and across our country. Unfortunately, the Senate has inexplicably refused to take action on these bills, blocking progress on commonsense solutions that would help turn our economy around at a time when we need it most.

Continuing to build on our efforts in the House to grow the economy and create jobs, the majority leader recently announced the upcoming fall and winter legislative schedule for Congress, which will focus on reducing and repealing unnecessary government regulations to create a more certain economic environment to provide our true job creators with the confidence and the freedom necessary to expand and hire.

I was glad that the Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act, H.R. 1633, a bill I coauthored with Representative Noem, was included as a part of this overall agenda on jobs and regulatory relief, and I am glad that the House will take action on this important bipartisan legislation. H.R. 1633 will prohibit the EPA from burdening farmers and small business owners in rural America with additional dust regulations so they can focus on growing their businesses and putting people back to work.

As the President prepares to address a Joint Session of Congress this evening to unveil his latest jobs plan, it is my hope that he will take this opportunity to urge the Senate to act on the bipartisan House- passed jobs bills, move past his failed stimulus measures, abandon his threats of more tax hikes, and join with us in the House in supporting those policies that put our economic recovery in the hands of the people of the Fifth District and all Americans instead of the Federal Government.

I thank the gentlelady for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, today I rise in support of H.R. 1315. A year ago today, the President signed the Dodd-Frank Act into law, a 2,300-page bill with 400 new regulatory mandates that have created an atmosphere of economic uncertainty that has stalled job growth in Virginia's Fifth District and across the country.

The centerpiece of this law was the formation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a massive government bureaucracy with unprecedented authority and little to no accountability.

H.R. 1315 will add much-needed oversight to this far-reaching new government agency. These checks and balances will help reform CFPB to protect small community banks and credit unions, like those in central and southside Virginia, from unnecessary and excessive government regulations. These community financial institutions play a critical role in providing capital to our small businesses and families as we all work to get our economy back on track.

At a time when far too many Fifth District Virginians and Americans remain out of work, we must continue to support policies that will help restore certainty to the marketplace, grow the economy, and create jobs. I urge the body to pass this bill.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 2560. We are in a spending-driven debt crisis that continues to stall job creation, passes a crushing financial burden on to our children, and affecting all Fifth District Virginians. Since President Obama took office, our national debt has increased by $3.7 trillion, raising our current total debt to an unacceptable $14 trillion. Now, after 2\1/2\ years of reckless spending, the President is asking that we raise the debt ceiling once again. But we have yet to see any concrete plan from this administration to help rein in the out-of-control government spending that has brought us to the brink of a debt crisis.

So the House is once again leading in delivering on the message sent by the people of Virginia's Fifth District to change the culture in Washington and end the government spending spree by putting forth a commonsense proposal that will cut, cap, and balance Federal spending and force Washington to live within its means. Now is the time to put in place effective spending reforms to reduce our debt and deficits, return certainty to the marketplace, and preserve the American Dream for our children and grandchildren.

Mr. Chair, on rollcall vote No. 583 on the Cole Amendment to H.R. 2354, I cast my vote as ``no'' when I intended to vote ``aye.''

Amendment Offered by Mr. Cohen

Madam Chair, I was not present for rollcall vote No. 585 on the Gosar Amendment to H.R. 2354. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Stated against:

Madam Speaker, today I rise to address the urgent need to rein in the out-of-control government spending that has led this Nation to a dire debt crisis that is hindering job creation and threatens the very future of our country.

The people of Virginia's Fifth Congressional District understand the importance of this issue. I continually hear from my constituents-- Republicans, Democrats, and independents--who say if we are serious about turning this economy around and preserving this country for our children and grandchildren, we must put an immediate end to Washington's irresponsible and reckless spending.

Our Nation is now facing a $14 trillion debt and $1.5 trillion deficit. We are borrowing over $4 billion a day, and over 40 cents on every dollar we spend.

As the President continues to request an increase in the debt limit, while remaining steadfast in his call for hundreds of billions of job- crushing tax hikes, we are reminded of the need to put in place both short- and long-term fixes that will help restore fiscal discipline in our Nation's Capital once and for all. We need to make significant and immediate cuts to reduce our debt and deficit now. We need to put in place spending caps that limit spending as a percentage of GDP, and we need to pass a balanced budget amendment to force the government to live within its means.

Mr. Speaker, I was not present for rollcall vote No. 494 on H.R. 2278. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Stated against:

Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 754, the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011.

Our intelligence community plays a critical role in keeping us safe from those who seek to do us harm, and I believe we need to ensure that they have the necessary tools to do their job to the fullest.

It was the hard work and dedication of the members of the intelligence community that helped lead us to securing a great victory in the war on terror--the death of Osama bin Laden. We will be forever grateful to them--and all of those in the intelligence field--for their service to this country, including those in Virginia's 5th District.

I would like to take this opportunity to recognize and thank the work of the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, and the National Ground Intelligence Center located in Charlottesville, Virginia, and those members of the intelligence community across the 5th District who are working every day to help ensure the safety of all Americans.

A top priority of government is to protect its citizens from threats at home and abroad. While I believe that we need to prioritize all spending in the context of a balanced budget, we need to make sure that those in the intelligence field are equipped to carry out their duties to help protect and defend our nation, especially when we are engaged in a global war on terror and thousands of American troops continue to serve bravely in harm's way around the world.

I urge support of H.R. 754.

Madam Speaker, all across Virginia's Fifth District, people are suffering from skyrocketing fuel prices. As I have heard from families and small businesses and farmers who are seeing a negative impact on their bottom lines, we need to take action now if we are going to address this serious problem of skyrocketing fuel prices.

Instead of supporting policies that will help bring down the cost of gas, the Obama administration continues to actively block and delay domestic energy production, causing more pain at the pump, increasing our dependence on foreign oil, and destroying jobs. We only have to look at our soaring energy costs to see the consequences of these failed policies. Gas prices have doubled under the President's watch and are now hovering around $4 per gallon in Virginia; and as these rising prices continue to directly affect all central and southside Virginians and threaten our economic recovery, I believe we should take action now to address this crisis.

Last week, the House passed a bill that would expand American energy production and create jobs by reopening the oil exploration in the Gulf of Mexico and off the coast of Virginia that has been delayed or canceled by the Obama administration. It is estimated that offshore energy development in Virginia, which has bipartisan support, could lead to the production of more than half a billion barrels of oil and 2.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and create nearly 2,000 jobs for our State. At a time like this, there is no reason to leave these resources untouched when it will help provide relief to all Americans.

This week, we are continuing our work to maximize American energy production by considering two bills that will end the White House's de facto moratorium on new American offshore energy production in a safe, responsible, and transparent manner. By reversing the administration's anti-energy policies and tapping into these resources to maximize our domestic energy supply, we will take a significant step towards lowering gas prices, reducing our dependence on foreign oil, and creating thousands of jobs for the Commonwealth and our Nation.

I urge support of H.R. 1229 and H.R. 1231 and hope that the Senate and the administration will join us in our efforts to move towards achieving true energy independence by approving all three energy bills the House of Representatives has considered thus far.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk made in order under the rule.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Chairman, I want to thank my colleagues, Mr. Miller, Chairman Bachus and Chairman Biggert, for their leadership on this very important issue.

The Neighborhood Stabilization Program is another misdirected, multibillion-dollar bailout that hurts struggling homeowners by incentivizing lenders to foreclose properties rather than continue to work with those who are facing tough economic challenges.

At a time when our Nation faces over $14 trillion in debt, $1.6 trillion in deficit spending, and we are borrowing over 40 cents on every dollar we spend, we cannot continue to have taxpayers foot the bill for these unaccountable government programs that do nothing to solve the problems for which they were originally intended and harm our economic recovery. That is why I am offering an amendment to H.R. 861 which would direct all unobligated funds to be returned to the Treasury to reduce the deficit of the Federal Government once the program is terminated.

The people of Virginia's Fifth District called for serious and bold change last November. By working to reduce the size and scope of the Federal Government, save taxpayer dollars and rein in out-of-control spending, we are listening to the people and taking the first steps to change the culture in our Nation's Capitol so that we can grow the economy and create jobs for all central and southside Virginians and all Americans.

I ask my colleagues to support this amendment and the underlying bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from California (Mr. Miller).

I thank the chairman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in support of this temporary continuing resolution to urge my colleagues to do the same.

As we debate this measure, let's remember why we are here. Let's remember that on November 2, the people of Virginia's Fifth District and the people across this country sent a message to Washington, a message to Republicans and to Democrats. The message was urgent, it was clear, and it was loud. The message sent was that now is the time to stop the government spending, stop the government borrowing, and stop the raid on our children's future.

So what have we found since we got here? We find that our President and the last Congress, despite enjoying great majorities in each Chamber, completely and totally failed nearly 6 months ago to live up to its fundamental responsibility to adopt a budget for fiscal year 2011. Because of their failure to lead, the American people still 6 months later do not have a budget.

After the House worked into the early morning hours nearly a month ago and sent H.R. 1 down the Hall to the opposite Chamber, what has the Senate done? They left town, and they failed to adopt any proposal to fund the government for the rest of the fiscal year.

And what has the President done? While continuing to fail to lead on the 2011 budget, he has now proposed a budget for fiscal year 2012 that does not decrease spending and borrowing but instead increases government spending and nearly doubles government borrowing in the next 10 years. After it is all said and done, the Senate and the White House have not heard the message from the people in the last election and are continuing to fail to lead.

Now is the time for this Congress to listen. Now is the time for this Congress to act. I believe that the majority in this House is listening and this temporary continuing resolution gets us one step closer to fulfilling the purpose given us by the American people: cut government spending and reduce government borrowing for the sake of future generations.

Simply put, by voting in favor of this measure today, we are putting a $6 billion deposit on the account for our children and our grandchildren who for far too long have been forgotten here in Washington.

Madam Chair, on rollcall No. 169, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

I thank the chairman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, last November, the people I represent in Virginia's Fifth District sent an urgent message that America must make a bold departure from the status quo and put a stop to the out-of-control spending that has come to define Washington over the past 2 years. No longer can we continue on the path of unchecked, reckless spending that has crippled our economy and has left us with a massive $14 trillion in debt, $1.6 trillion in deficit spending, and an unacceptably high unemployment rate.

Last year, the 111th Congress completely failed in its fundamental responsibility to adopt a budget for the American people. Remarkably, they have punted that responsibility and have kept the Federal Government operating over the last 5 months by adopting continuing resolutions.

Fortunately, the new 112th Congress has accepted this responsibility to clean up the mess of the last Congress. Indeed, the House of Representatives, Republicans and Democrats, worked late into the night last week to get a proposal to the Senate that recognizes the critical need to adopt a budget while cutting a historic $100 billion in spending for the rest of this fiscal year.

After 5 months of failed leadership by Senate Democrats, we now find they need more time. This is truly unbelievable. Over the past week, back home in the Fifth District, I was reminded again and again by my constituents that now is the time for leadership, not for excuses.

While the House takes up another resolution today that will continue to temporarily fund the government while keeping our commitment to the people to cut an additional $4 billion in spending, it is critical that the Senate join us to produce a responsible funding resolution that makes the cuts necessary to get our fiscal house in order. For the sake of the next generation of Americans, we must act, and we must act now to secure our future.