Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow we observe the sixth-month anniversary of the senseless and tragic murders at Sandy Hook Elementary School. We will never forget what happened in Newtown, Connecticut, on December 14, 2012, just as we will never forget what happened in Tucson, in Oak Creek, Virginia Tech, Portland, Milwaukee, and Columbine. As we remember the precious lives lost, we must also renew our determination to work together to make sure that such a tragedy never happens again.

As a survivor of the Tucson shooting that took place on January 8, 2011, as a grandfather of children the same age as those who were slaughtered in Newtown, and as a Member of Congress, I am committed to taking the reasonable action to make sure that we prevent future deaths and injuries from such mass shootings.

After the awful shooting and deaths in Newtown, the Sunday following I was reading the newspaper about the tragedy, and I saw a photograph of one of the children that was killed. As I looked at that photograph of this little 6-year-old girl, looking back at me from that page was my granddaughter that was the same age. I have to tell you that I sobbed, along with my wife. I think no grandparent and no parent

in this country could have had any other reaction. We must take action here to make sure these mass shootings never occur again.

While there is no single answer to preventing mass shootings, we do know some things. We know, for example, that untreated or undiagnosed serious mental illness has been a factor in many of these tragedies. It's important to note as we say this that more than 95 percent of people with a mental illness never will commit a violent act. They are far more likely to be the victims of violence than the perpetrators.

The young man who killed six people in Tucson and wounded 13 of us had displayed symptoms of mental illness for many, many months before the tragedy. He never received either a diagnosis or treatment. He ended up getting a diagnosis and treatment when he was in prison. I believe this and other such mass shootings could have been averted if the public was more aware of the indications of symptoms of mental illness and how to get help.

We must do more to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness. We must invest in the early identification of mental illness and treatment programs. Sixty percent of people living in this country with mental illness are not receiving the care they need. We must do better. It is clear that we must expand mental health services and awareness for 100 percent of the individuals with mental illness in the country.

That's one of the reasons I introduced the Mental Health First Aid Act earlier this year with strong bipartisan support. This legislation would provide training to help first responders, educators, students, and the general public identify and respond to signs of mental illness.

This is just one of many actions we can take. You've heard of others from speakers before me today. There are many things we can and must do. Congress must act. I call on my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to stand with me and the families of Newtown and of Tucson and all the other places where there have been mass shooting tragedies in the last 2 years and take action. We must act. We must do it now. The families of Newtown, Oak Creek, Aurora, Tucson, and across this Nation, are waiting for our answer. Will we answer? I hope we will do it, and do it soon.

Madam Speaker, this week, we will vote on the National Defense Authorization Act. As we debate this important legislation, we must keep in mind the deeply troubling problem of sexual assault within our military.

The vast majority of men and women who are in our armed services serve us with honor and distinction, but their dedication is undermined by those who commit sexual assaults. Last year, nearly one out of every 16 Active Duty women reported having been the victim of an unwarranted sexual contact. This is a deplorable situation.

Last week, in a truly bipartisan manner, the Armed Services Committee produced a bill that we will debate today. It prohibits the dismissal or reduction of guilty verdicts in sexual assault convictions. It makes sure that those who are found guilty of these heinous crimes will be discharged from the military, and adds other important protections for victims of sexual assault.

As leaders, we have a duty to protect those who protect us.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System, which has been awarded the 2012 Robert W. Carey Performance Excellence Award.

As Congress continues to work to improve veterans' services, I believe it is important that we take the time to recognize the outstanding dedication of our VA employees. The committed men and women of the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System strive every day to provide quality support and care for our Arizona veterans who have sacrificed so much for our country. Our veterans deserve the highest quality of care, and the Robert W. Carey Performance Award recognizes the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System's commitment to achieving this goal.

The Southern Arizona VA Health Care System is a leader in veteran health care. Collectively, the various parts of the system provide quality services to more than 177,000 veterans. The Southern Arizona VA Health Care System not only provides general and primary care but a myriad of specialty services including neurology, rehabilitation, and mental health.

The Robert W. Carey Performance Excellence Award is an annual award sponsored by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. The award recognizes specific organizations within the VA that have implemented management approaches that result in sustained high levels of performance and service to our nation's veterans. Mr. Speaker, I can think of no better recipient of this year's award than the Southern Arizona Veterans Affairs Health Care System, SAVAHCS. I congratulate the employees of SAVAHCS on this well-deserved recognition of the care they provide to our veterans.

Mr. Speaker, during rollcall vote No. 163 on approving the Journal, I mistakenly recorded my vote as ``yea'' when I should have voted ``no.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about commonsense actions we must take to fix the health care law. I wasn't in Congress in March of 2010 and I didn't vote for the Affordable Care Act, but I'm here today to ensure that it meets the needs of small businesses and middle class families.

That's why I've spent a lot of time listening to small business owners and staff, to seniors, and to hospital employees and physicians in Arizona about their concerns. That is why I have cosponsored legislation to repeal the medical device tax, the annual tax on health insurance, and the Independent Payment Advisory Board. These actions will protect families and small businesses from premium hikes, and protect access to health care for seniors and all Americans. This is why I'm working with the citizens of Green Valley in my district to keep health care affordable by protecting the tax deduction for medical expenses.

These are but a few examples of how we can come together to fix this law. I will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to find additional ways to do so.

Mr. Speaker, sequestration has been in effect for just 2 weeks, and the impacts of these mandatory, across-the-board cuts already are deeply affecting the lives of my constituents in southern Arizona.

Cuts to the Border Patrol are not only among the most devastating cuts caused by sequestration; they will seriously erode the progress we've made toward securing our border. Border Patrol agents have been told that they will be furloughed without pay for 1 day per pay period, and much of their overtime will be eliminated.

Taken together, these actions will greatly reduce the pay of these Border Patrol agents by between 20 and 40 percent. We must work together to immediately come to grips with this problem to restore these cuts so the border can once again be safe and secure.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dorothy Hunt Finley--a daughter of Southern Arizona ranchers who spent a lifetime giving back to her community before passing away on February 20th at the age of 92.

Dorothy grew up in rural Cochise County, not far from the U.S.-Mexico border and never envisioned a future as an educator, a beer distributor and a community leader and benefactor.

For three decades, Dorothy was a teacher and a principal at schools in the Tucson Unified School District. She was chairwoman of the TUSD Elementary School Principals and president of the Arizona Elementary School Administrators. Because of her background in education, Dorothy became a member of the Pima Community College Foundation Board and co- founded the Women's Studies Advisory Council at the University of Arizona.

Her life took a turn 30 years ago when her husband, Harold, died. Dorothy became CEO of Finley Distributing Company, a beer wholesaler. She also became a dedicated community activist.

Dorothy was a member of nearly 100 community organizations that benefitted from her time, commitment and financial generosity. That list includes the Arizona Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Tucson Economic Council, Pima County Juvenile Court, Arizona Historical Society, Tucson Urban League, the Arizona Theatre Company, the UA Wildcat Club, La Frontera Child Family Center, the American Diabetes Association, Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Goodwill Industries, the March of Dimes and the United Cerebral Palsy Foundation.

Dorothy received numerous well-deserved awards for her work, including a gubernatorial Celebrating Exceptional Women award, the Entrepreneur of the Year award from the YWCA and the Woman of the Year honor from the Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. She was named among the top 100 private business owners in Arizona and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the YWCA.

In 2004, Dorothy was presented with the Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher Distinguished Civilian Humanitarian Award, which she traveled to the Pentagon to accept. She also is the only civilian to have a building named after her on Davis-Monthan Air Force Base: the Dorothy Finley Child Development Center.

I am proud to recognize Dorothy Hunt Finley--an exceptional friend to the people of Southern Arizona. She will be deeply missed.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Naval Operations Support Center in Tucson, Arizona, which has been awarded the 2012 Department of Defense Reserve Family Readiness Award.

The Reserve Family Readiness Award was established in 2000 to recognize the dedication of our Reserve and National Guard units to their military families. Winners of the Reserve Family Readiness Award are those units deemed to have the best programs in support of military families. As we can all agree, our military families are critical to total force readiness and deserve to be a top priority.

The care and support of the military family must be a paramount endeavor, especially for a nation that has been at war for over a decade. Family readiness directly impacts force readiness and provides the critical link that enables our service members to complete the mission without having to worry about the well-being of their loved ones back home. Family support systems improve the quality of life and increase morale for those on the homefront. They educate families on military benefits and entitlements, and in times of need can respond quickly and provide assistance. In this regard, the Naval Operations Support Center in Tucson has proven its commitment to its service members and their families.

Last year, the Naval Operations Support Center in Tucson competed against 131 stellar naval commands taking top honors in the category of family readiness. It is my honor to thank them for their service to our country and congratulate them on being selected for the 2012 Department of Defense Reserve Family Readiness Award. Fleet, Family, Fitness!

Mr. Speaker, we are now less than 48 hours from sweeping and irresponsible, across-the-board budget cuts that will go into effect on Friday. These cuts will weaken our military, harm our border security, undermine economic recovery, and hurt southern Arizona families.

We must work together. We can, I am confident, craft a rational, bipartisan solution to reduce the debt so these cuts can be avoided.

Last week I stood with officials from the University of Arizona, the city of Tucson, law enforcement, Border Patrol agents, civilian employees of the airbase and the garrison at Fort Huachuca, and local health care groups and community agencies to demand that we take action on sequestration.

The critical services that these groups and individuals and countless others provide to Arizonans will be cut because Congress has not come together with a commonsense solution. In my districts, these cuts mean longer wait times at the border and ports of entry, and less security between them. This is absolutely unacceptable.

Sequestration hurts the ability of returning veterans to find a job. This is also unacceptable.

And as I've said before, I'm willing to work here with all of my colleagues to find a middle ground. We owe our communities a budget, one that balances new revenues, eliminates ineffective programs and allows vital services to continue.

We should not recess tomorrow. We should stay here and do our job.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona, which has been recognized as a leader among its peers.

The United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona is in the top 2 percent of all United Way organizations in the country, according to a new business performance index developed by United Way Worldwide. This special status is based on leadership abilities, engagement in the community and for developing and implementing community strategies that get results.

That means that they are among the top 24 United Ways in the country--and I couldn't be prouder to have them serving Southern Arizona.

The United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona serves a community of more than 1 million residents. Only 55 of the 1,215 United Way organizations in the nation are that large.

The United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona was recognized for its impact promoting early literacy skills, engaging youth in afterschool programs, helping families become more financially stable and helping seniors remain healthy and active.

I especially want to recognize the accomplishments of Tony Penn, president and chief executive officer of the United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona. As a leader in his field, Mr. Penn and the United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona will be asked to share their best practices with other United Way organizations around the country.

Mr. Penn and his organization are deeply committed to getting more children into high-quality childcare, providing mentors for underserved teens, preparing free tax returns for low- to moderate-income families and providing volunteer opportunities to seniors to keep them healthy and engaged in the community.

I know firsthand the impact that the United Way can have on a community, having had the honor to serve on the United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona's board. Southern Arizonans are lucky to have the dedicated and talented staff of the United Way helping to strengthen our community each and every day.

I am proud to recognize the United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona as well as its board members and its staff under the direction of Tony Penn for their significant contributions to our community.

Mr. Speaker, due to airplane mechanical difficulties, I missed two recorded votes on February 4. I would like the Record to indicate at this point how I would have voted had I been present for those votes.

On Roll Call No. 31, H.R. 225, the National Pediatric Research Network Act of 2013, I would have voted ``yea'' to allow the National Institutes of Health to establish a national pediatric research network dedicated to finding treatments and cures for pediatric diseases and conditions, especially those that are rare. This legislation will only help to build upon a strong body of existing pediatric research to help our nation's children lead full, healthy lives.

On Roll Call No. 32, H.R. 297, the Children's Hospital GME Support Reauthorization Act of 2013, I would have voted ``yea'' to amend the Public Health Service Act to extend and reauthorize appropriations to children's hospitals for expenses associated with graduate medical residency training programs. This legislation will help provide ongoing and consistent training of doctors and build our nation's pediatric physician workforce.

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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Golden Eagle Distributors Inc., based in Tucson, Arizona, for its commitment to converting its delivery fleet from diesel to environmentally friendly compressed natural gas (CNG).

Golden Eagle recently was honored by Natural Gas Vehicles for America with its CNG Fleet & Station Program Award, presented at the Natural Gas Vehicle Conference and Summit in Schaumburg, Illinois.

All 27 of the heavy-duty trucks operated by Golden Eagle at its facilities in Tucson and Casa Grande, Arizona have been or soon will be converted to operate on compressed natural gas. The company also has a natural gas fueling station that is open to the public and is preparing to open a second public CNG fueling station. These efforts provide a strong incentive to members of the general public to operate a vehicle powered by compressed natural gas.

Natural gas vehicles are good for the American economy because they operate on a domestically produced fuel instead of relying on oil that frequently comes from overseas. The United States imports about half of the oil it uses, but 98 percent of the natural gas used in the United States is produced in North America.

In addition, exhaust emissions from natural gas powered vehicles are much lower than those from vehicles powered by gasoline or diesel. CNG vehicles produce 95 percent fewer particulates, 80 percent less nitrogen oxide and provide a reduction of 23 percent in greenhouse gas emissions compared with diesel engines.

Christopher Clements, CEO of Golden Eagle, made the commitment to switch from diesel to compressed natural gas to reduce the company's carbon footprint. The result is cleaner and healthier air in Southern Arizona.

Golden Eagle also was named Arizona's Greenest Workplace in 2010 by Mrs. Green's World, a website that promotes global sustainability. The company was recognized for its recycling and energy efficiency initiatives, employee carpooling and for its green transportation program.

I am proud to recognize Golden Eagle Distributors Inc. for its continued commitment to operating as a model of environmental stewardship.

Mr. Speaker, due to my attending a congressional vigil for the victims of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, I missed one recorded vote on Monday, December 17. I would like the Record to indicate at this point how I would have voted had I been present for this vote.

On rollcall No. 627, H.R. 4606, I would have voted ``yea'' to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to issue right-of-way permits for natural gas pipelines within the boundary of Glacier National Park in Montana.

Mr. Speaker, due to my surgery and recuperation during the week of November 26 through December 2, 2012, I missed five recorded votes during that week. I would like to indicate how I would have voted had I been present for these votes.

On rollcall No. 609, H.R. 5997, the Medical Preparedness Allowable Use Act, I would have voted ``yea'' to authorize the use of Urban Area Security Initiative and State Homeland Security Grant Program funding to allow for the local use of these funds to enhance emergency medical preparedness programs such as medical surge capacity and preventing the spread of mass disease. This legislation will help ensure that we have the medical tools and resources needed to protect the public.

On rollcall No. 610, H.R. 915, the Jaime Zapata Border Enforcement Security Task Force Act, I would have voted ``yea'' to establish within Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) a Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST) program to foster coordinated efforts among federal, state and local border and law enforcement officials to protect cities and communities from crime along our borders. Southern Arizonans are in the direct path of the most serious drug cartel smuggling activity of any region in the nation and are heavily and disproportionately affected by criminal activities along the border. The BEST program will help to improve the safety and security of my constituents.

On rollcall No. 611, H. Res. 821, a rule to provide for consideration of H.R. 6429, the STEM Jobs Act of 2012,1 would have voted ``nay'' and opposed consideration of the legislation in its current form without amendment.

On rollcall No. 612, a Motion to Recommit H.R. 6429, the STEM Jobs Act of 2012, I would have voted ``yea'' to amend the bill to strike the provision that eliminates the Diversity Visa program that makes visas available to people from countries that have low rates of immigration to the United States.

On rollcall No. 613, H.R. 6429, the STEM Jobs Act of 2012, I would have voted ``yea'' to create a STEM Visa program under which foreign students that earn advanced degrees in the high-demand fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) at American universities could remain in our country to work in those fields. The program would provide 55,000 such visas annually. I regret that the legislation takes away the Diversity Visa program in order to add 55,000 visas for STEM graduates. However, finding qualified candidates to fill these positions is a very serious issue in my district, which is home to many high tech companies. These companies are too often unable to find qualified American candidates to work in this industry that is so essential to the growth of our local economy. While my first priority is supporting STEM education and jobs for American students and workers, allowing foreign STEM graduates to work in the U.S. in jobs for which American workers cannot be found will contribute to our economy and global competitiveness.