Floor Statements

Let's talk about responsibility tonight, Mr. Speaker.

You know, we've gotten notices from our constituents for the last many weeks that their premiums now, they're getting their notices, they're going up. I had one doctor who wrote me with his family that's gone up 200 percent--$11,000 deductible; yet he has to pay $1,100 a month. Another friend called me, his premium is 250 percent more.

So let's talk about responsibility. Let's talk about what made America great in terms of health care.

People come from all over the world to our shores for great health care. Do you know why, Mr. Speaker? Innovation. America has the greatest health care in the world; yet innovation now is going to be curtailed. The great research hospitals of this country now are having to cut back because they don't see that opportunity.

We have changed the whole direction through centralized planning, through a great bureaucracy running health care that's going to cut into innovation. It's not going to make us the country we were.

You know, there was a time when we used to have to pay about $9,000 for laser surgery, and today it's about $1,500. That's because of innovation; it's because of competition. We're going to lose competition in the market today, Mr. Speaker. That doesn't make sense.

I would like to say a bit about this investment tax, 3.8 percent. I wonder how many people in the country right now are just waking up to the fact that when they go sell their home, they're going to pay another 3.8 percent tax. All that was written in that 2,000-page document has finally come to light, and that's why people are so concerned.

We have got to change this, Mr. Speaker. That's why I want to advocate that we defer this for a whole year. Let the truth come out, and then let's make a wise decision for the American people.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, this discussion tonight reminds me of a courtroom scene with Jack Nicholson in ``A Few Good Men'': The truth? You can't handle the truth.

Mr. Speaker, we have shown the other side how premiums are going up, 200 percent and 300 percent. We've told them about the loss of jobs, that we

lost full-time jobs; the unions don't like it; we've lost innovation; we have enormous tax increases. They just don't hear it. Mr. Speaker, the American people are not lemmings, and they don't want to follow the lemmings going off the cliff.

Mr. Speaker, it's time that we recheck this and stop this crazy, delusional idea that nationalized, centralized planning will work.

Mr. Speaker, attached is a letter from Rev. Billy Graham to President Rouhani of the Islamic Republic of Iran. This is the letter I referenced in my one minute speech on September 26, 2013.

Montreal, North Carolina,

September 23, 2013.

President Hassan Rouhani,

Islamic Republic of Iran.

Dear President Rouhani, I have been watching with great

concern about the case of Pastor Saeed Abedini, an American

citizen who is currently a prisoner in your country. He was

in Iran working to build an orphanage when he was arrested

and later sentenced to eight years in prison. His situation

has been receiving an increasingly high level of attention in

the United States. Unfortunately this publicity has been

entirely negative for Iran, with the belief that the primary

reason for Pastor Abedini's imprisonment was because of his

Christian faith.

As you may know, as a religious leader I have often spoken

(both publicly and also privately with our national

leadership) about the need for greater understanding and

peace among the nations of the world. As you come to the

United States this week for the UN General Assembly in New

York, it is my sincere hope that ways may be found to reduce

the current tensions between the United States and the

Islamic Republic of Iran.

The announcement on Monday that your country has freed

eighty political prisoners is very encouraging. I fear,

however, that the current publicity surrounding the continued

imprisonment of Pastor Abedini, an American citizen, may

further harm the already fragile relationship that presently

exists between our two nations.

On September 26, the one-year anniversary of Pastor

Abedini's imprisonment, thousands will attend prayer vigils

in more than seventy U.S. cities, calling on your country to

release this husband, father, and servant of God. I join them

by respectfully asking you to release Pastor Saeed Abedini

from prison. Such an action would, I believe, have a positive

impact in our nation, and might well be perceived by our

leadership as a significant step in reducing tensions.

Respectfully yours,

Billy Graham.

Mr. Speaker, the false promises of ObamaCare are now coming to light. The President promised a $2,500 reduction in premiums. Well, the average now is $3,000.

I get countless calls every day and emails from my constituents about the increase in their premiums. One emailed me today that his increase was 200 percent. An $11,000 deductible cost him $1,100 a month. That is intolerable. Mr. Speaker, we have to address this today.

Another one called and said: Robert, it's gone up 250 percent on my premiums. This is wrong. We were promised jobs. Speaker Pelosi said: Well, we are going to have 4 million new jobs, 400,000 almost immediately.

Well, what's happened?

Seventy-one percent of all the new businesses, they're not hiring today. They're certainly not hiring full-time people. We lost 250,000 full-time jobs just in the month of June. It's killing jobs in this country.

It's a false promise on keeping your own health care plan. Seven million new people now cannot keep the health care plan that they were promised.

Mr. Speaker, it's time we address this today and relieve the American people from ObamaCare.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share a letter from Dr. Billy Graham to Iranian President Rouhani, calling for the release of an American citizen currently imprisoned in Iran due to his faith. I quote from Dr. Graham:

The announcement on Monday that your country has freed 80

political prisoners is very encouraging. I fear, however,

that the current publicity surrounding the continued

imprisonment of Pastor Abedini, an American citizen, may

further harm the already fragile relationship that presently

exists between our two nations.

Today, thousands will attend prayer vigils in more than 70

U.S. cities, calling on your country to release this husband,

father, and servant of God. I join them by respectfully

asking you to release Pastor Saeed Abedini from prison. Such

an action would, I believe, have a positive impact in our

Nation, and might well be perceived by our leadership as a

significant step in reducing tensions.

Respectfully yours, Billy Graham.

Today, I also wrote President Obama, with other House Members, asking that he call on Iran to free this American citizen and humanitarian. I urge you to join me in this effort.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose the President's action in Syria.

I just returned from the Middle East, meeting with heads of state in Qatar, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and our ambassador to NATO. I'm firmly convinced that any action on our part will further destabilize Syria and cause a collapse of the government. What will happen then? What will happen is that country will then fall in the hands of Hezbollah, Hamas, al Qaeda, and the Muslim Brotherhood.

At the end of the day, what's important, Mr. Speaker, is who has control of those weapons of mass destruction. While what Mr. Assad has done has been barbaric and evil, we will never forgive ourselves for the havoc that will be played upon this world if those weapons fall into the hands of Islamic extremists. We need to work together collectively to address the problem of identifying and finding those weapons of mass destruction and securing those for the future.

There are many people who are living outside of their country now as refugees. There are tens of thousands of able men who could be recruited to be a part of that solution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a few questions:

Should 16,000 IRS bureaucrats have the power to penalize the American people if they don't like your health care decisions?

Will the quality of your health care depend on whether or not you support the President's political views? The IRS has already targeted conservative political groups. Will this intimidation be intensified once the IRS is enforcing ObamaCare?

Is Sarah Hall Ingram, the IRS bureaucrat who previously managed the tax exemption department, really qualified to run the IRS-ObamaCare enforcement division? Abuse of American citizens occurred on her watch. Is anyone worried--at least a little bit--that she now oversees our health care decisions?

Mr. Speaker, the IRS has forfeited any claim to impartiality and has violated the trust of the American people. The IRS must not be involved in the health care decisions of ordinary Americans. On Friday, I urge you to join me in supporting H.R. 2009, the Keep the IRS Off Your Health Care Act.

Mr. Speaker, greetings to all those gathered to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the NASCAR Technical Institute.

For over sixty years, NASCAR has captured the hearts and minds of millions of Americans. Skilled mechanics and technicians are the lifeblood of the industry. The individuals graduating from the NASCAR Technical Institute each year are a crucial part of the teams that ensure the sport's safety and continued success.

Additionally, the Institute is an important part of the Mooresville community and the entire region. NASCAR Tech consistently boasts exceptionally high graduation rates as well as high rates of employment upon graduation. You provide your students with many opportunities to learn and excel, such as partnerships with some of the world's best known manufacturers and access to state-of-the-industry technology. All of this enables graduates from this Institute to transition easily from the classroom to the workforce.

Race City, USA, and NASCAR would not be the same without the influence of the NASCAR Technical Institute and its alumni. The Institute's growth and accomplishments in just ten years are amazing, and I look forward to watching your continued success in the next ten years and beyond.

Suzanne and I send our best wishes on this special occasion.

Mr. Chair, on rollcall No. 381, I inadvertently missed the vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Amendment No. 15 Offered by Mr. Blumenauer

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge the Senate to join the House of Representatives in taking immediate action to delay the employer and individual health care mandates.

President Obama has conceded that Americans are not ready for

ObamaCare with its unworkable mandates and negative effects on the economy, so now President Obama does not have the authority to pick and choose which parts of the law to enforce or to ignore. His constitutional duty is to execute law as it is since the original ObamaCare legislation was passed by both Houses of a Democrat- controlled Congress. If the Senate fails to approve these delays, they will be allowing President Obama to sidestep the Constitution.

Mr. Speaker, we cannot allow President Obama to continue ignoring the Constitution. Congress is required to act. Law cannot be changed by a monarch via a blog post. We need to help the American people by delaying these unworkable mandates. In June, a report showed that we had lost 240,000 full-time jobs in this country. In North Carolina, they reported that health care premiums will go up 284 percent. The American people deserve better.

Mr. Speaker, last week, America celebrated its 237th birthday. As I spoke with constituents at parades and other events, the number one concern I heard was about the need for better jobs. Twelve million Americans are out of work, Mr. Speaker, and 4.3 million have been out of work for 6 months or more. We're more than 4 years into President Obama's recovery; yet his misguided policies have produced almost 4 million fewer jobs than the average recovery. The American people deserve better. Our 237-year legacy proves that we can do better. Americans deserve a government that lets our economy grow and doesn't kill jobs with overreaching regulations and mindless bureaucratic kingdom-building.

Just last week, President Obama conceded that ObamaCare's employer mandate will hurt job growth. By delaying implementation of the mandate, he recognizes this policy is a failure. Now is the time for President Obama to show true leadership, put aside his failed policies, and work with Republicans on real commonsense solutions.

Mr. Speaker, year after year, decade after decade, the American people have been held captive to the Middle East for what we pay for the price of gas. Even today, war-torn Syria, with its own civil war, has impacted the price of gas that each of us pays.

In my own city of Charlotte, we pay 14 cents a gallon more this year than we did last year. While families are going on vacation over the 4th of July, throughout the summer, or what they pay at the grocery store is all impacted because America is not energy independent.

Mr. Speaker, that's why I rise in support of H.R. 1613, to make America energy independent. We can develop oil and natural gas off our maritime border in Mexico, while creating new jobs and improving our economy.

Mr. Speaker, it's time for America to be independent and to stand alone and to bring and restore a solid economic period of time for this country. Let's vote today to support gas prices that will be lower for America, with energy independence from America.

Madam Chair, on rollcall No. 272, McClintock Amendment No. 92, I inadvertently voted ``no'' and intended to vote ``yes.'' Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Amendment No. 44 Offered by Mr. Gibson

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with great honor to pay respect to Bill Harding and his family, who have served for the last 60 years as missionaries in Ethiopia. In our increasingly self-serving society, their sacrifice on behalf of others is truly remarkable.

Bill Harding left Charlotte in 1954 with his pregnant wife and three boys under the age of 3 and moved to Ethiopia, where he trained pastors and worked with local churches. He loved the people of Ethiopia sacrificially, even enduring house arrest during the Communist revolution.

Since that time, one son, Bill IV, has managed 500 projects, bringing clean water to over 300 villages. Son David runs a separate nonprofit, also providing clean water to thirsty villagers. Son Joe works with American churches to provide desperately needed resources to a major youth development program in Ethiopia. Bill's grandson and granddaughter live in Africa, working for nonprofits and continuing the legacy.

Mr. Speaker, their ministry has impacted millions of people as they have honored the Lord with their lives. Thanks, Bill and your wonderful family, for all that you've done. God bless you.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall votes Nos. 103-105, I am not recorded because I was absent from the U.S House of Representatives. Had I been present, I would have voted in the following manner.

On rollcall No. 194, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

On rollcall No. 195, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

On rollcall No. 196, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

On rollcall No. 197, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

On rollcall No. 198, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

On rollcall No. 199, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

On rollcall No. 200, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

On rollcall No. 201, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

On rollcall No. 202, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

On rollcall No. 203, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

On rollcall No. 204, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

On rollcall No. 205, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

On rollcall No. 206, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

On rollcall No. 207, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

On rollcall No. 208, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

On rollcall No. 209, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

On rollcall No. 210, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

On rollcall No. 211, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''