Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Christina- Taylor Green Memorial Foundation.

Christina-Taylor Green was only nine years old when she lost her life on January 8, 2011 during a violent attack at Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords' Congress On Your Corner event in Tucson. Although Christina- Taylor was tragically taken from us on that dark day, her spirit will live on forever.

In the months after Christina-Taylor's death, her grieving parents, John and Roxanna Green, created the Christina-Taylor Green Memorial Foundation to honor their beloved daughter and her hopes and dreams. The foundation has the goal of making the Tucson community as good as Christina-Taylor imagined it by helping local schoolchildren who are in need.

On November 2 and 3, the Tucson Conquistadores Foundation is partnering with the Christina-Taylor Green Memorial Foundation to hold Birdies & Butterflies, the year's premier sports entertainment fundraiser in Southern Arizona. The event will feature Tommy Lasorda, the legendary former manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, pro golfer and U.S. Senior Open champion Don Pooley and other pro and college sports celebrities.

The name of the event pays tribute to Christina-Taylor's last drawing. In December 2010, her third-grade teacher gave the class an assignment to create a winged insect that represented who they are inside. Christina-Taylor drew a beautiful striped green and blue butterfly with big dark eyes and wings that reached toward the sky. That drawing has become the logo of the foundation that now bears Christina-Taylor's name.

I am proud to recognize the Christina-Taylor Green Memorial Foundation on the occasion of Birdies & Butterflies that is being held in Tucson today and tomorrow. It is a worthwhile community endeavor honoring Christina-Taylor's vision for what our community can be. This beautiful young girl continues to inspire us all.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor United States Army Sergeant First Class Ryan J. Savard, who was killed in action on October 13, 2012, while on patrol in Khanabad District, Afghanistan. He leaves behind his wife, mother, father and numerous friends.

Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, Sgt. 1st Class Savard moved to Arizona where he attended Buena High School in Sierra Vista before joining the Army in 2001 to work on helicopters. Over the course of his career, Sgt. 1st Class Savard worked with the Special Forces and was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, U.S. Army Special Operations Command based at Fort Bragg, NC. He was on his fifth Special Forces deployment to Afghanistan, not including a previous deployment to Iraq in 2003.

We will remember Sgt. 1st Class Savard as an exceptional soldier. Over his career he earned more than a dozen honors including two Bronze Star Medals, two Purple Hearts, three Army Commendation Medals, a Joint Service Achievement Medal, three Army Achievement Medals, four Army Good Conduct Medals, a National Defense Service Medal, an Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Star, a Kosovo Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Star, a Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. For his bravery in action, he was awarded a Defense Meritorious Service Medal, a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star posthumously.

I ask the House of Representatives to join with me in extending our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Sgt. 1st Class Savard. All who live in this great nation owe Sgt. 1st Class Savard and his family a debt of gratitude for he has paid the ultimate price for our safety and security. His sacrifice reminds us of all of our men and women in uniform who are in harm's way each day whom we must keep in our thoughts and prayers. We will always remember Sgt. 1st Class Savard for his courage and selfless sacrifice.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored today to welcome back to Tucson a very special boy who is coming to visit his father's gravesite on the third anniversary of his burial.

MacAidan Gallegos is the son of United States Army Staff Sergeant Justin Gallegos, a brave soldier, who was tragically killed three years ago in Afghanistan. Born in Tucson, Arizona, Justin graduated from Tucson High School before joining the Army in 2002.

Staff Sergeant Gallegos deployed twice to Iraq, fighting insurgents and helping to secure freedom for Iraqi citizens who were yearning for an end to the repression they had experienced for generations. He then deployed to Afghanistan, in support of the American effort there to put down the Taliban, fight al-Qaida and help the Afghan people.

Justin often requested the hard assignments. Except for his wife Amanda and his son MacAidan, the Army was his life. He was a fearless man who worked as a scout in hostile terrain, a gunner on Humvees and as a security guard to high-ranking officers.

As a testament to his courage and dedication as a soldier, Justin earned more than a dozen medals including three Purple Hearts, two Army Commendation Medals and two Army Achievement Medals. He also earned the Bronze Star for his actions that day defending his combat outpost with his comrades and fighting back the Taliban.

MacAidan is coming to Tucson to visit his father's grave at Evergreen Cemetery. While the visit will be sad, I am positive that MacAidan, and his mother Amanda Marr will relive the wonderful times they spent with Justin. My hope is that MacAidan will continue to learn about Justin--a fantastic dad, brave soldier and deeply loved husband.

I am honored to meet MacAidan, and share in the memories of his father and of his time in Tucson. It is in remembrance that we keep the faith of a father lost, missed and revered. Yet we also celebrate his shining achievements, his bravery as a soldier and his beautiful boy MacAidan.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor United States Army Staff Sergeant Orion Nelson Sparks, who was killed in action with a fellow soldier on September 26, 2012 when an insurgent wearing a suicide vest detonated the device near their patrol in Pul-e-Alam, Afghanistan. He leaves behind his mother, father, two brothers and numerous friends.

Born in Tacoma, Washington, Staff Sergeant Sparks spent most of his childhood in Gig Harbor, Washington. He attended Peninsula High School before joining the Army in 2003. Staff Sergeant Sparks was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team based in Germany.

Staff Sergeant Sparks was on his first deployment to Afghanistan, but he had already completed two previous deployments to Iraq, the first a 14-month deployment from May 2003 to July 2004 and the other a year- long deployment from November 2005 to 2006.

Since entering the Army, Staff Sergeant Sparks was considered a great soldier. Over his career he earned more than a dozen honors including two Army Commendation Medals, five Army Achievement Medals, three Army Good Conduct Medals, an Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Star and four Iraq Campaign Medals with Bronze Service Stars. For his bravery in action, Staff Sergeant Sparks was awarded a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star posthumously.

We remember Staff Sergeant Sparks and offer our deepest condolences and sincerest prayers to his family. I am heartsick for their loss and my words cannot offer adequate consolation.

Everyone in our great country owes Staff Sergeant Sparks and his family a debt of gratitude for his selfless sacrifice and courage. It is vital that we keep our men and women in uniform who are in harm's way in our thoughts and prayers. I call on my fellow colleagues and all Americans to remember Staff Sergeant Sparks and his fellow fallen comrades--those who have paid the ultimate price.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to acknowledge today the exceptional life and public service of Border Patrol Agent Nicholas Ivie, who tragically was killed in the line of duty in the early morning hours of October 2, 2012.

Agent Ivie loved to help other people and he always wanted to be in law enforcement. He was dedicated, loyal and brave. After high school, he trained to become a firefighter and later on, became an emergency medical technician. He tended to the sick and injured in his community, ready at a moment's notice to render aid. Having served a two-year mission with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Mexico City, Agent Ivie had learned Spanish and developed a love for the Mexican people.

Agent Ivie followed his older brother, Joel Ivie into the Border Patrol. He joined his brother as a Horse Patrol Agent. Agent Nicholas Ivie took a solemn oath to protect and serve not just the people of Southern Arizona, but those of the United States. He made the ultimate sacrifice in carrying out his oath.

Agent Ivie was just 30 years old at the time of his death. He is survived by his wife, two young daughters, parents, three brothers, a sister and countless friends and colleagues. He served his country with distinction and honor and for that we all owe him and his family a tremendous debt of gratitude.

Every day, thousands of men and women of the Border Patrol put their lives on the line in the name of something bigger than themselves. Many across our country have forgotten the dangers that Agent Ivie and other Border Patrol agents face as they selflessly work to secure our borders. They risk everything for an ideal--protecting Americans and our freedoms.

I ask the House of Representatives to join with me in extending our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Border Patrol Agent Nicholas Ivie and in thanking him for his great sacrifice as he courageously carried out his duty to protect and serve. His life is an inspiration to us all and he will never be forgotten. On behalf of a grateful nation, we thank him for his patriotism and dedication and his commitment to the Border Patrol motto--Honor First.

Madam Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

I am opposed in its current form.

Madam Speaker, I am offering this amendment to improve this legislation and truly show this Chamber's support for our veterans and men and women in uniform by preventing their pay and services from being impacted by a potential government shutdown next year. The underlying bill we are voting on today lacks key provisions that are needed to protect our veterans in Active Duty military. My amendment will add these provisions.

My amendment will ensure that our patriotic military men and women are not victims of partisan gridlock. My amendment ensures that basic military pay will not be interrupted in a potential shutdown. My amendment guarantees that our Armed Forces will be paid for the entire year, not just for the 6-month duration authorized by this continuing resolution.

Unfortunately, Congress has failed to do its job, and we cannot allow a government shutdown to impact the basic pay of our men and women in uniform. This is a guarantee and an assurance that they have a right to expect we will uphold no matter what.

My amendment also addresses the fact that three critical Veterans Administration authorizations are set to expire at the end of the year.

The first is for Contract Medical Disability Authority. Without this extension which my amendment provides, the VA would not be able to pay for contract medical exams from discretionary funds. This could significantly delay veterans' receipt of benefits.

The second authorization which my amendment extends would give the VA the authority to establish sites to treat homeless veterans and those with mental illness. Without this extension, the VA would not be able to provide these essential services at these sites.

The third VA authorization set to expire helps the VA provide housing and treatment to homeless veterans with a serious mental illness. Again, without this extension, the VA would no longer be able to provide for therapeutic transitional housing assistance for veterans who are homeless or who have a serious mental illness.

Our veterans stepped forward when we asked them to serve this great Nation. In return, it is our undeniable responsibility to help them find employment when they are able to work and to care for them when they are not. Tonight, there are about 70,000 homeless veterans who will sleep on the streets of our country. This is a situation that is absolutely deplorable, and we must act to provide them with the assistance they deserve.

None of what I've proposed here should be a partisan issue. This is about keeping our sacred promise to those who have defended our freedoms. There are nearly 100,000 veterans in my southern Arizona district and two military installations--Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, where I grew up and where my father was deployed, and Fort Huachuca in Sierra Vista and the 162nd Fighter Wing of the Air National Guard just across the district line.

I am offering this amendment in thinking of the men and women who are stationed there and across this Nation and across the world. During our recent work period, I went to the airport in Tucson to honor the men and women of our Army National Guard as they left for deployment in Afghanistan. I told them and their families, on behalf of all of us, how grateful we are for their service. Today, I ask you to join with me in putting action behind those words. This is not a partisan issue. We can and must find common ground in this Chamber on this very issue.

This morning, my colleague Congressman Platts and I introduced a bipartisan bill, the Veterans Health Care Access Act. Our bill will make it easier for veterans to get access to the health care they need. What other issue we face is more important than this to both sides of the aisle than supporting our Armed Forces and our veterans?

At a time when we need to get services to our veterans who are newly returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan, we cannot be creating uncertainty and allowing a lapse of service or pay. This is about the Army sergeant I met on the flight going home who is now diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury and who will soon be medically discharged. He deserves to know that we will stand up for him and others like him.

Let me say again that the passage of this amendment will not prevent the passage of the underlying bill. I urge my Republican and Democratic colleagues alike to vote ``yes'' on this final amendment and to support our military and to support our veterans.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Parliamentary Inquiry

Madam Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to remember the tragic events of September 11, 2001. As we honor the nearly 3,000 lives lost that day, my thoughts remain with the loved ones of those who did not return to their families.

We also remember with pride the national unity that our country showed that horrible day and in the days that followed. In tragedy, we laid our differences aside and found common purpose. The legacy of 9/11 is our ability to say with certainty that no enemy or threat can change the values of our country and that which it stands for. I remain awed by the bravery and valor shown each day by our first responders and their brothers and sisters in uniform and by ordinary Americans.

In Tucson, we have a special connection to 9/11. Christina Taylor Green was a 9/11 baby. Today would have been her 11th birthday. She died in the tragic shooting on January 8, 2011, when she came to speak with her Congresswoman.

Just as on 9/11, we saw the spirit of the American people who came together in prayer, compassion, and unity on January 8, 2011, and in the days and weeks that followed. This is who we are as a people and who we always will be.

God bless all of us and this great country in which we are privileged to live.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Critical Path Institute, a non-profit organization based in Tucson, Arizona, that plays an important role in helping to improve the way that much-needed drugs are brought to the market.

Critical Path, or C-Path, was founded six years ago by the University of Arizona and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It is not affiliated with any single entity or interest group--a status that allows C-Path to serve as an effective and objective facilitator among scientists from the government, academia and the private sector.

C-Path was founded after the FDA called attention to an alarming decline in the number of innovative medical products being submitted for government approval. The FDA cited the need for applied research to bridge the gap between basic scientific research and medical product development.

Since then, C-Path has worked with scientists from academia as well as biotechnology companies, the government and the pharmaceutical industry to develop innovative new testing methods. This enables life- saving drugs, devices and biological products to reach patients faster and with proven safety.

Developing effective drugs and medical devices is a lengthy and expensive process--even under the best of circumstances. It is a process that can take more than 12 years and cost $1 billion in laboratory research and testing. About 95 percent of new compounds fail during development.

C-Path has demonstrated that public/private partnerships focused on noncompetitive consensus science have the capacity to provide new tools so drug developers can speed important new medicines from discovery to patients more quickly.

C-Path was founded by Dr. Raymond L. Woosley, who stepped down as president and CEO earlier this year. He was succeeded by Dr. Carolyn Compton, an internationally respected scientist with extensive experience in translational science and personalized medicine.

I am proud to recognize the Critical Path Institute, based in Tucson, Arizona, for its important role in improving the way that researchers, academia, the private sector and government work together to bring needed medical advancements to the people who need them.

C-Path has shown us what is possible when we work in partnership and collaboration to solve important national concerns.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Major Tim Crowe, United States Army, who is soon ending his tour of duty in Washington, D.C. Major Crowe distinguished himself as both an Army Congressional Fellow and as a Legislative Liaison Officer with the U.S. Army and the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO). His next assignment is in my district at Fort Huachuca in Southern Arizona.

Like many of today's service members Major Crowe spent years away from his family and serving our country in harm's way, including deployments to Somalia, Kosovo and twice to Iraq. I came to know Major Crowe when he was an Army Fellow working for Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in 2009. Originally an Infantry Officer and now a Military Intelligence Officer, Major Crowe provided much needed expertise to the office, with a special understanding of Fort Huachuca, home of the Army's Intelligence Joint Center of Excellence. He was an indispensible member of our team, who made significant contributions to a variety of constituent issues, and guided several legislative efforts addressing veterans affairs, health care, and financial services issues.

Major Crowe spent eighteen months at the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO). He consistently provided insightful advice to JIEDDO's senior leadership on the impact of proposed counter-IED initiates. He filled an important role keeping Congress informed of the Department of Defense efforts to counter IEDs; the greatest source of combat casualties this decade. Major Crowe was instrumental in developing a Department of Defense legislative proposal to amend JIEDDO's authority enabling it to fund critical interagency efforts to disrupt the flow of improvised explosive components entering Afghanistan. U.S. Central Command identified this authority as an urgent need, as the majority of IEDs used against our troops are made with materials smuggled into Afghanistan. The measure was included in the Fiscal Year 2013 Defense Authorization Bill.

Major Crowe's high level of integrity, dedication, outstanding leadership, relentless pursuit of excellence, and focus on the mission, significantly contributed to the effectiveness, readiness, and outstanding quality of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization. In so doing, our men and women in uniform have been provided the tools necessary to carry out their mission in Iraq and Afghanistan. His outstanding service coupled with his selfless devotion to duty will have a lasting and positive effect on JIEDDO's future relations with Congress. I look forward to being Major Crowe's Representative as he embarks on the next stage of his career at Fort Huachuca.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to praise and celebrate the achievements of the University of Arizona baseball team, which has been selected for induction into the University of Arizona Sports Hall of Fame.

This honor is extremely well deserved.

Earlier this summer, the UA Wildcats were crowned national champions after winning the College World Series in Omaha for the fourth time.

The Wildcats won the title by beating the South Carolina Gamecocks 4 to 1.

This was the Wildcats' year. They won all 10 of their postseason games--going through the regionals, the super regionals and the College World Series without a loss. In those 10 games, they outscored their opponents 88 to 28.

I want to especially make note of the play of Robert Refsnyder, the right fielder for the Wildcats, who was named the most valuable player of the 2012 College World Series.

I also want to praise the work of Head Coach Andy Lopez. He previously won a national title as coach of Pepperdine University, and this is the first of what we expect to be many titles with the University of Arizona.

The decisions Mr. Lopez made throughout the College World Series were crucial in Arizona's success. I'm sure he has more national titles in his future at Arizona.

Congratulations to these latest inductees into the University of Arizona Hall of Fame.

As a UA alumnus, I am proud of my alma mater on many levels and I am thrilled to say, well done, Cats, for this incredible season. Continue to ``Bear Down Arizona!''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my opposition to this body's attempt to adjourn until September 10.

The people of southern Arizona sent me here to work on their behalf, and while it is essential that all of us go back home from time to time to hear from our constituents, we attempt to leave here today with many critical issues unresolved.

We have done nothing about sequestration. We are facing $1.2 trillion in across-the-board cuts in defense and domestic programs. These arbitrary cuts will harm the people of my district.

Yet we took a vote to leave Washington.

We have done nothing about the postal service, which is bleeding billions of dollars because of congressional mandates; and it is wrongfully planning to shut down a crucial processing facility in my district.

Yet we took a vote to leave Washington.

We have done nothing to approve budgets to maintain vital programs that assist veterans, seniors, and children.

Yet we took a vote to leave Washington.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to stay here and work.

Madam Speaker, I rise today as the Member who most recently faced an electorate, and I have heard loud and clear that the people of southern Arizona elected me for the very same reason the people of every other district elect their representative, to stand up for them.

I wasn't here to vote on the Affordable Health Care Act when it passed, but I appreciate its benefits and that we must work to improve it. I rise today to speak against this repeal.

We should be here having a robust discussion about how to make this law better. We should be acting to ensure that Medicare doesn't pay more for prescription drugs than the VA, and to keep rising insurance costs from hurting small businesses. We should be looking for ways to create jobs, to strengthen our middle class, to bolster our economy. We should rise above partisan bickering, move on, and get something done.

This repeal bill sends a message to American families that this body cares more about political grandstanding than improving their lives. Let's put aside this charade and do the work for which we were elected.

Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

I am opposed to the bill in its current form.

Mr. Speaker, I'm offering this final amendment to assist our veterans.

Mr. Speaker and my colleagues, I came before you last week to be sworn in, and I spoke then about working together, working across the aisle to ensure that my constituents and all of our constituents are served by our very best work, rather than our partisan ambitions.

So I rise today in that same spirit. I rise today to ask that we come together on an amendment to help those who most deserve our gratitude and our assistance, the veterans who have bravely served to defend our homeland. Today, we have an opportunity to take care of the veterans of our military who, much to our collective shame, are homeless.

I remember the Vietnam War, and I remember how it divided our Nation. But most of all, I remember the men and women who were sent to fight in Vietnam, who often bore the brunt of the anger over the war itself. Derision that should have been directed towards policymakers was, instead, directed to those who had put their lives on the line for the country we love. And we let them down.

We failed them when they came home, and now they, and other veterans, a total estimated 70,000 of our Nation's homeless population--70,000. That is, I'm sure we all agree, completely unacceptable. I don't believe that anyone on either side of the aisle thinks that we should allow 70,000 men and woman who wore our Nation's uniform to continue to go without a home.

With my amendment, we will ensure that we have enough housing vouchers to assist every one of those veterans. I submit, Mr. Speaker, and esteemed colleagues, that this is the least we owe to our veterans.

There are over 100,000 veterans in my southern Arizona district. Let me tell you about one of them. Christopher Murray, a disabled Operation Desert Storm medic and combat veteran, came to our office to seek our help when I served as Congresswoman Gifford's district director. A bank was foreclosing on his home, and he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Our staff was able to work to rescind the foreclosure and allow Mr. Murray to stay in his own home. The simple dignity of being in your own home during your final days is something we all too often take for granted. We must not deny that dignity to those who have, like Mr. Murray, served our country so well.

My amendment offers every one of us a chance to do what our office did then: to ensure that our veterans get our help and have the simple dignity of a roof above their heads. And my amendment does that while reducing the deficit.

The passage of this amendment will not prevent passage of this underlying bill. If the amendment is adopted, it will be incorporated into the bill, and the bill will be immediately voted upon. And so, though we may disagree on parts of the bill today, we have the opportunity to speak up for the men and women who have fought for our country.

And let us all be able to go home and look every veteran we represent in the eye and know that we did the right thing by them and by their homeless brothers and sisters.

I urge everyone to vote ``yes'' on this final amendment.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Chair, I rise today to raise concerns about H.R. 2578. I support the goal of the provision (H.R. 1505) which will strengthen our efforts to secure the border, but I believe it was overreaching.

I have long believed that securing our border is of paramount importance to the safety of the people who live and work along the border, but I do not believe that this end needs to be achieved at the expense of maintaining a strong commitment to our environment and the regulations that ensure its protection. I would have preferred that we consider a standalone bill which specifically responded to the expressed needs of the Department of Homeland Security regarding access to public lands.

I do not support those provisions of H.R. 2578 which seek to privatize public land and significantly reduce the scope of existing laws which protect those lands.

I am against the rule specifically because I believe that amendments should have been heard to improve this bill.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

First of all, I would like to thank the Arizona delegation for that warm welcome--and all of you--for this amazing welcome on my first day here.

I also want to thank Speaker Boehner for his long and dedicated service to our country and for swearing me in today.

And to my family in the gallery and to my grandchildren who are here on the floor, thank you, all of you, my family, for your support and love, without which I would not be here today.

I have the most amazing family. I think everyone would say that, but I am very blessed to have them in my life, especially over this past year and a half. And to my high school sweetheart and wife, Nancy, I love you dearly and look forward to celebrating our 45th wedding anniversary tomorrow.

Mr. Speaker, I stand here on the floor of the House in the very spot where 5 months ago my friend and my predecessor, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, bravely delivered her resignation from Congress. I want to thank the Congresswoman for her vision and leadership and the inspiration she continues to give to our country. Gabby, southern Arizona misses you dearly, and we cannot wait to have you home.

Today, as I begin my service in this, the people's House, I'm mindful that the stakes for our Nation are very high. They are too high not to set aside political division in favor of seeking common ground, too high to use our words as weapons, too high to think of those with whom we disagree as villains. As an Arizonan, I look to the example of Congressman Mo Udall and Senator Barry Goldwater, two leaders in their respective parties who disagreed much, but did so without being disagreeable. They came together many times to do what was right for their State and their country. I'm going to approach my work for the people of southern Arizona with an eye not toward partisan victory, but toward American achievement.

We as a country have much to achieve. We must protect middle class families at a time when our middle class is slowly disappearing. We must honor our veterans and military families by ensuring that the more than 100,000 veterans I represent in southern Arizona and every other American veteran and servicemember receives the services and benefits they have earned.

We must ensure the dignity and health of every American senior in retirement. We must secure our border so that border residents are safe on their land, and impede the flow of drugs into our communities and the illegal drug money out of our country. And we must create jobs with innovative energy technologies, improvements in our essential infrastructure, and by supporting local small businesses to grow.

I look forward to working across party lines to achieve these goals for the good of my constituents and for all Americans.