Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, pursuant to clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal.

Madam Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. Speaker, creating jobs in south Florida is one of my top priorities in these challenging economic times. We must find ways to create good jobs in our community and ensure that our small businesses are growing and expanding in order to provide opportunities for work in our local neighborhoods.

There are great success stories that we can build on. One example is TBC Corporation, which is located in my district in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

After working closely with the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County, TBC, a leading national supplier and retailer of auto tires, will expand their headquarters and data center to create 50 new, high-quality jobs in our community.

Congratulations to the management of TBC. These are the business models we must support and encourage, and I look forward to working with other local businesses to continue to create good jobs in south Florida.

I thank the gentleman from Colorado and thank him for his work both on the Financial Services Committee and on this rule, and certainly I support the rule and the underlying bill, H.R. 4173, Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

And we think about the name, Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. This is self-descriptive, exactly what Americans have been looking for for the past year. Our current economic crisis is the worst in decades, and it certainly didn't happen overnight. It happened over the last number of years because of a failure of regulation and oversight.

The one thing I'll agree with Mr. Dreier from California is that it's not a question of more or less regulation. It's smart regulation. It's the right type of regulation. It's the right type of people in those agencies that know what they're doing, that have the proper training, they're probably paid, and they're not outsmarted by some people who are trying to scam the system. That's what Americans have been asking for. That's what Americans are looking for Congress to do.

And finally, after a tremendous amount of work--and again, a lot of it has been through good work by Democrats and Republicans--I'm very sorry to see that this moment it's becoming a partisan issue. But the good news is this bill is good quality, is one of the most important things that has been done in our economy and our financial system in over 50 years, and it will be an answer to not only figure out what went wrong in the past and learn from those mistakes, but also anticipate what can go wrong in the future. There are a lot of very smart people out there that have learned how to scam the system, and we as Americans need to make sure that we are anticipating what those kinds of problems may be so we can avoid those problems from happening again.

Under the bill before us today, we've created a regulatory structure that will protect consumers and ensure that investors have the appropriate information to make knowledgeable investment decisions. There's no guarantee in investing, and every person has to take personal responsibility for themselves in making those decisions, but at the same time, you can't be fraudulently misled. You can't have a lack of information, a lack of context. And it's important to have an agency that will stand up for the consumers or abusive other financial institutions that are out there.

This legislation also restores responsibility and accountability through Wall Street. Regulatory loopholes and gaps in regulation have been closed to make sure that there is common sense, transparency, and adequate oversight. Financial institutions that were previously unregulated--and we've already heard the stories of who they are--will now be brought under government supervision. Derivatives and other complex financial products that we've never even heard of--credit default swaps and other things--will now be tightly regulated to eliminate unnecessary risk taking by financial institutions. And executive compensation at these institutions has also been modified to discourage risky speculation for short-term gains that have negative effects on our overall economy.

This bill also makes sure the American taxpayer, all of us, won't have to bail out Wall Street banks by putting in place resolution authority that will allow these firms to fail without damaging the financial system and the entire economy. No more ``too big to fail'' or we have to rescue them because, if they fall, the whole economy fails.

We cannot let it get to that point, and that's exactly what this bill does. It stops it before it gets to that point.

We've also learned that both quality and the quantity of staff at regulatory agencies, as I said before, are very important. We want to have qualified technical staff, and we want to know that if someone blows the whistle and calls something out that the staff at these agencies will respond quickly and efficiently to make sure that that doesn't continue.

It's also important to hold individuals who committed misdeeds to account. Many financial players committed abusive and fraudulent acts, from Wall Street to local mortgage brokers, and we have to hold these people accountable. Americans, all they ask for is a sense of fairness. They want to know if they play by the rules, that people who sell them products are also playing by those same rules.

And unfortunately, there haven't been enough prosecutions for those who committed some of these very bad acts that brought us to our knees. That's unacceptable. People that commit these types of criminal fraudulent acts must be punished.

Yet simply punishing these bad actors is not enough. We have to learn from the past and anticipate the future and make sure our financial structures are adapted accordingly. The reforms made by this legislation are essential to creating a functional, sustainable financial system that families and our businesses can count on.

We cannot and will not, as Americans, allow what happened last year to happen again. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Congress, to the passage of this bill, to the President signing it, and to Americans knowing that they will have confidence in their financial system. I thank the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, last week I had the chance to visit a remarkable organization in my congressional district, the ARC of Broward County. ARC Broward is a private, not-for-profit organization that supports children and adults with autism, Down's syndrome and other developmental disabilities.

This innovative group provides an invaluable service for their clients in our community. Currently serving over 1,600 people, ARC Broward also provides good jobs for more than 450 local health care, educational, and other professionals.

ARC clients find independence and dignity both at home and at work. ARC is currently home to 80 residents, many of whom have single family homes that ARC owns and operates. In addition, they provide job training in fields like culinary arts and own and operate an on-campus electronic recycling business.

I would like to thank the residents and staff at the ARC for welcoming me so warmly last week and congratulate all of them on their extraordinary contributions to our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County for launching a new innovative Armed Services Advocacy Project. This new service will provide civil legal assistance to Armed Forces members who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan and their families. With over 1,200 veterans of these ongoing conflicts residing in our community, the need for these services is tremendous.

The legal services provided by Legal Aid will be free of charge to Active Duty servicemembers, veterans and their families, and will cover a range of issues, most importantly, helping to improve access to veterans benefits.

I believe that every person who puts on the uniform of this country must have access to the full range of benefits they have earned. And this new Legal Aid project brings us one step closer to meeting this commitment in south Florida.

I would like to thank Robert Bertisch, Executive Director of the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County, and Elaine Martens of the Armed

Forces Advocacy Project, as well as all members of the society for their dedication to serving those who have served our country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3961, the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act. This vital component to health care reform will finally eliminate the widely criticized Sustainable Growth Rate, or SGR, and implement a new, fairer system to pay our doctors and protect and strengthen Medicare for all our seniors.

Originally enacted in 1997, the SGR has been, in my opinion, an attempt to balance the budget on the backs of doctors and other providers, and this is not acceptable. Not only has the SGR failed to curtail spending, but in some cases it incentivizes volume of services instead of quality of care, and it may be expediting the shift from primary care services to specialty and sub-specialty services. As you well know, Mr. Speaker, the alarming shortage of primary care physicians remains one of the most pressing challenges to our health care system.

Make no mistake: passing this bill today is of the utmost importance for our seniors and our physicians. Since 2001, doctors have faced cut after cut in their Medicare reimbursements due to the flawed SGR. Each time, Congress stepped in at the 11th hour to block the cuts and provide increases to their pay to ensure that seniors can continue to see the doctors of their choice under Medicare.

We are facing the same alarming situation now due to the SGR. Doctors are facing a crippling cut of 21 percent in January 2010. Let me repeat that number so all my colleagues who intend to vote against this bill can hear this loud and clear. Doctors who care for our seniors are facing a 21 percent cut in their pay. It doesn't take an economist to know that if doctors face a 21 percent cut in their salary, they will stop taking Medicare patients.

I can't speak for my colleagues, but I will say this. When I came to Congress 3 years ago, I vowed to strengthen and protect Medicare for my seniors, and that means fixing once and for all the way we pay our doctors under Medicare. By passing this bill, seniors will not have to lose another night of sleep over whether they can be treated by the doctor of their choice. This bill will bring peace of

mind to thousands of seniors and health care professionals in South Florida.

This important legislation builds on the critical reforms that we passed in H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, which will finally close the donut hole for seniors enrolled in Part D, allow for drug price negotiation in Medicare, and eliminate copayments for vital preventive services to our seniors. Combined with this permanent fix to the way we pay doctors, this Congress is following through on our promises to our seniors and strengthening Medicare for years to come.

This bill will also include an important component to reducing the federal deficit. The ``pay as you go'' principle of budget discipline requires Congress to offset any new spending with either cuts to existing programs or increases in revenue. It was in place during the 1990s when Congress balanced the budget and actually ran a budget surplus. Pay-Go was allowed to expire and now we have the situation we are in now.

As a deficit hawk, I am absolutely committed to balanced budgets and reducing our deficit. I am a very strong supporter of writing pay-as- you-go requirements into law. This is a common-sense principle that families follow around their kitchen tables every day, and the government should be no different. We can only buy what we can afford, and nothing more.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3961.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to support H. Res. 867, a resolution that calls on the Secretary of State and the President to unequivocally oppose further consideration of the Goldstone Report in international arenas. This resolution sends a clear message to the international community: the Goldstone report does nothing to advance peace and security in the Middle East. Rather, it serves to reinforce the deep mistrust that pervades the region and excuses the actions of terrorist groups and their state sponsors.

The Goldstone report ignores the facts. The terrorist threat surrounding Israel's defensive operations in Gaza required a decisive response, and any sovereign nation would have--and should have--done what Israel did. In fact, Richard Goldstone himself said, ``If this was a court of law, there would have been nothing proven.''

The Goldstone report disregards what it means to fight against terrorists who use human shields and have no regard for human life. The findings and conclusion of the report have ominous consequences for the United States and other countries who seek to prevent terrorist threats from taking root around the world. We cannot allow the Goldstone report to set a precedent--the stakes are too high.

This report was not guided by a commitment to human rights, but rather motivated by a bias against Israel. Now is the time for the United Nations to immediately turn its attention to the very real human rights violators around the world. Human rights victims are pleading for the world's attention. I would urge U.N. member states to devote time and thought to the realities of human rights around the world--not Israel. Israel, with strong democratic and judicial institutions, can make any necessary determinations about how to move forward from here.

I would like to thank Chairman Berman and Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen for their leadership in authoring this resolution and bringing it to the floor. This is a true example of the importance of bipartisanship because the U.S.-Israel relationship is stronger when we work across party lines.

I would urge my colleagues to support the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to support H. Res. 291, a resolution honoring the work of Tower of Hope, an organization that provides assistance dogs to disabled veterans.

Thanks to modern medicine, more and more of our brave men and women are able to survive wounds that may have been fatal in the past. This is a blessing, but it requires new tools in order to ensure that these soldiers lead productive lives.

Tower of Hope helps to keep America's promise to disabled veterans and helps improve their quality of life after their service. Tower of Hope helps veterans cross the street, go to work, take their medications, and visit the doctor's office. Tower of Hope has also helped me to craft H.R. 3266, the Wounded Warrior K9 Corps Act, legislation to reimburse organizations for the work they do in training assistance dogs and veterans.

I have seen these programs in action. These programs succeed, and I believe that every American who puts on a uniform and risks their life for this country should have the full support of this Congress.

I thank my colleague from Florida, Mr. Hastings for his leadership on this resolution and the staff and supporters of the Tower of Hope for their important work, and I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, it's an honor to be here today after months and months of discussing the health care reform proposals with the people of America and particularly with those in my district in south Florida.

It's great to be here to talk about how, finally, we're going to deal with preexisting conditions and about how, finally, people who have mental illnesses and chronic illnesses won't have arbitrary caps on their insurance and about how, finally, small businesses, which are the heart of our total economic system, will be able to pool their purchasing power to bring their costs down.

Medicare is one of the most important programs in our country. It's about fixing the doughnut hole to reduce the costs for prescription drugs, which is the lifeblood of many Americans within our senior citizen population. This is what the American people want. I am very proud that we are fixing the Medicare system and that we are making it last even longer than has been alleged by those on the other side.

It's about time we do something right to fix health care. This is the proposal.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to support H. Res. 867, a resolution that calls on the Secretary of State and the President to unequivocally oppose further consideration of the Goldstone Report in international arenas.

This resolution sends a clear message to the international community. The Goldstone Report does nothing to advance peace and security in the Middle East. Rather, it serves to reinforce the deep mistrust that pervades the region and excuses the actions of terrorist groups and their state sponsors.

The Goldstone Report ignores the facts. The terrorist threat surrounding Israel's defensive actions in Gaza require a decisive response, and any sovereign nation would have and should have done what Israel did.

In fact, Richard Goldstone himself said, If this was a court of law, there would have been nothing proven. The Goldstone Report disregards what it means to fight against terrorists who use human shields and have no regard for human life. The findings and conclusions of the report have ominous consequences for the United States and other countries who seek to prevent terrorist threats from taking root around the world.

We cannot allow the Goldstone Report to set a precedent. The stakes are too high. This report was not guided by a commitment to human rights but, rather, motivated by a bias against Israel.

Now is the time for the United Nations to immediately turn its attention to the very real human rights violators around the world. Human rights victims are pleading for the world's attention. I would urge U.N. member states to devote time and thoughts to the realities of human rights around the world, not Israel.

Israel, with strong democratic and judicial institutions, can make any

necessary determinations about how to move forward from here, and it is doing so.

I would like to thank Chairman Berman and Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen for their leadership in authoring this resolution and bringing it to the floor. This is a true example of the importance of bipartisanship, because the U.S.-U.N. resolution is strong.

Madam Speaker, I rise today with good news for our honorable servicemembers and their families in Florida and around our country.

Last week, the Defense Department announced that it will provide retroactive payments to servicemembers who had their enlistment extended or retirement suspended under the program known as Stop-Loss.

While our men and women never hesitate to serve when asked, Stop-Loss kept them away from their families for months or years longer than planned. That is why I'm so pleased that servicemembers will receive an extra $500 for every month or part of a month they served under the Stop-Loss program. These payments are a small token of gratitude we feel toward the men and women of our military.

I look forward to working with all of our colleagues as we continue to ensure that our servicemembers have access to the full range of benefits they have earned.

I thank the gentleman. I also thank Chairwoman Velazquez, Mr. Nye, and Mr. Buchanan.

Madam Chair, I rise in support of this amendment.

This is a very important issue for obviously Florida, Louisiana and other States--Virginia--that have been impacted. Chinese drywall has affected many homeowners.

The defective material that has been described contains a sulfur compound that causes corrosion in the walls, faults to plumbing and electrical systems and has led to severe health problems, forcing residents to spend thousands and sometimes even hundreds of thousands of dollars to move or make repairs.

These homeowners had no reason to suspect that their homes were built with defective drywall, and they need our help. Most of these problems are not covered under standard homeowners' insurance. In some cases the builders that built the buildings are insolvent or gone. Families are now struggling to fix these problems or they risk losing insurance coverage and potentially their homes.

A few days ago a number of us had a chance to meet with HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan in south Florida so that we could all tour some of these devastated homes. While it is imperative that we develop a comprehensive solution, it is also vital that homeowners have access to small business loans.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to submit a record of how I would have voted on October 26, 2009. Had I voted, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 814 and ``aye'' on rollcall No. 815.

Well, it's my pleasure to join my colleague from Iowa, Mr. Braley, and Mr. Murphy from Connecticut and Dr. Kagen. We have been doing this now for a couple of years together and it's an honor to represent our respective communities.

I am from Florida, a wonderful place to live, great place for retirees to come. As you know, a lot of people retire to Florida or retire to other places, and they know that they have got Medicare.

Medicare was something that was set up many, many decades ago, and I think just about every American wants Medicare because they know they have got security. They have got the security to know that they are not going to fall into a situation where, as an older person, that they are going to have a medical expense that will be out of control. They may have a nest egg they have put aside after all those hard years of work.

When Medicare was originally set up, it was set up as a way to cover hospitalization and significant medical costs; it was doctors and providers and things like that. What happened that's a good thing over the years is we have got some tremendous scientists and medical researchers who have come up with some really good prescription medications that keep people healthy and keep people alive longer, and that's a good thing. We have to thank the great companies and great people in the United States that make our pharmaceutical industry the envy of the world.

However, the problem, the down side of all of this goodness, is the cost. Unfortunately, the cost has just gotten out of control, out of control for private businesses who have to pay for it as part of the medical plans, out of control for Medicare and for anybody who has to provide, to buy their medicine.

As a matter of fact, there was an argument a couple of years ago about you shouldn't be able to buy your medicines from Canada. What absurdity. Many times it's the same medicines that are produced in the United States, sold to Canada, and you can buy it for a lot less. We all understood that. We tried to fix that. The previous administration didn't allow us, but that's obviously being fixed now.

One of the things that was passed is the part D part of the Medicare prescription drug plan, and it's called the prescription drug plan because people who are Medicare patients can now get a prescription drug plan that can cover a lot of their costs, and that is really a lifesaver.

I take some of these pharmaceutical products. I have got a little hereditary problem with cholesterol. I take Lipitor, which many people do. I will mention it by name because it is what it is. My father, who is 80 years old, he is really a wonderful man and still plays tennis three times a week, but he takes Lipitor. He has blood pressure--these are the things that keep him alive today. If he didn't have them he probably would maybe had some serious illness.

But the problem when the Medicare prescription drug plan was constructed is they created something in the middle called the doughnut hole. For those people who pay a few thousand dollars of medical expenses or it's counted up to a certain point, at a certain point they have to pay 100 cents on the dollar. If you have chronic medical problems--and there are a lot of our senior citizens that do--all of a sudden they go to the pharmacy and they have to pay $160 for this and $640 for that, and all of a sudden thousands of dollars out of their pocket.

You know, the story you just told about the young people who have had their serious illnesses, what about those senior citizens in our hometowns that are making decisions about medicine or food or a mortgage payment or medicine? That's not where this country should be.

Good news, good news. In the bill that's being proposed right now, we are going to phase out this doughnut hole, reduce it in size and allow people from day one to buy medicines at a lower cost and eliminate it eventually. It's very expensive to do, but it has to be done over time.

Originally, the way they talked about this was it was going to start in 2015 or 2020. Great news. Last week, it's part of the whole discussion, the bill is still a work in process, but many of the things that many of us have been fighting for--I have been fighting for this, I know, as my colleagues have from day one of getting elected--was helping close the doughnut hole. The good news is we fought and we just now got an agreement in the House that on January 1 of next year we will start that process of closing the doughnut hole and reducing those out-of-pocket prescription costs for our seniors.

It makes you feel good because this is something that I have heard from so many people and, you know, I know my own dad and his costs, and he and his wife hit that doughnut hole. This is real. If we can do whatever we can to keep people out of hospitals and having a peace of mind and quality of life, that's exactly what all of this is about.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the occasion of the 50th annual Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. Running from October 29 through November 2 in locations across Fort Lauderdale, the boat show will have a major impact on south Florida's economy. In previous years, the impact has been as high as $500 million.

Tourism and the marine industry are critical to our local economy, and the annual boat show is a major draw, with more than half of the visitors coming from outside our area.

Families from around the world come to visit south Florida to enjoy our sunshine, our beautiful beaches and the remarkable quality of life. The boat show puts all of these qualities on display while also supporting the marine industry, which provides 134,000 high-paying jobs in our community.

The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show is the biggest and best show in the world and has been so for many years. I would like to thank the organizers and the community leaders of this world-class event and wish them well during their golden anniversary boat show.