Floor Statements

Thank you, Congressman Pitts.

Mr. Speaker, in October 2010, a 31-year-old Texas man hanged himself in the bedroom. At the top of his suicide note the man wrote, ``Thanks, bath salts.''

January 2011 in Panama City, Florida, a daughter tried to attack her sleeping mother with a machete before fleeing the scene. Police said she had spent several days taking drug-altered bath salts.

June, 2011, a 38-year-old Army sergeant murdered his wife and killed himself following a police chase. Both had chemically altered bath salts in their systems. Later in the day, the couple's 5-year-old son was found dead with a plastic bag over his head and bruises on his body.

Horrific cases just like these have been documented across the country. These incidents led many States, including my home State of Florida, to outlaw these often dangerous and deadly substances.

Earlier this year, I introduced legislation to add MDPV and mephedrone, chemicals added to bath salts to induce a drug high, to Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. These substances are not marketed for human consumption.

It also is why I have joined Representative Charlie Dent in his work to bring H.R. 1254, which includes a bill I introduced in April, to the floor today. You have heard no research can be conducted if this passes, but those claims are false. It can be conducted. Research is being done and will continue to be done on Schedule I chemicals. Just listen to the ER doctors and the poison control centers that have both asked for this bill, that both want this bill to save lives.

Too many lives have been lost and too many violent acts have been already committed due to these drugs. These dangerous substances are being packaged and marketed to our children by using innocuous names like Ivory Snow, Bliss, and Vanilla Sky. Today I urge support for H.R. 1254. Let's get the substances off the streets and out of the hands of our children.

I rise in support of H.R. 822.

As a former law enforcement officer and a State representative, I have dealt with issues relating to our Second Amendment right.

It's interesting when I hear some of the blurring between gun purchasing and a concealed-carry permit. I have done both. And as a law enforcement

officer, I would like to know, if someone would tell me, ``Hey, I have a concealed-carry permit and I have a weapon,'' rather than finding it either by accident or having it pointed at me. So I stand in great support of this piece of legislation. I do believe that it is good legislation. It will not harm the people, as I have heard here on the floor.

And I have heard that we aren't working on jobs. Well, I beg to differ that issue because we have passed over 20 bills sitting in the Senate that have not been heard that would relate to jobs. So, yes, we are working on jobs and the economy, and we also are working on other issues that are brought to us from our constituents.

I stand in great support of H.R. 8122.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Nicholas Kiriazes for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout.

Throughout the history of the Boy Scouts of America, the rank of Eagle Scout has only been attained through dedication to concepts such as honor, duty, country and charity. By applying these concepts to daily life, Nicholas has proven his true and complete understanding of their meanings, and thereby he is truly deserving of this honor not only because of his dedication to the Boy Scouts of America, but also due to his commitment to the United States Marine Corps.

I offer my congratulations on a job well done and best wishes for the future.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Stephen Michael Timmes for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout.

Throughout the history of the Boy Scouts of America, the rank of Eagle Scout has only been attained through dedication to concepts such as honor, duty, country and charity. By applying these concepts to daily life, Stephen has proven his true and complete understanding of their meanings, and thereby deserves this honor.

I offer my congratulations on a job well done and best wishes for the future.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Adam John Avellan for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout.

Throughout the history of the Boy Scouts of America, the rank of Eagle Scout has only been attained through dedication to concepts such as honor, duty, country and charity. By applying these concepts to daily life, Adam has proven his true and complete understanding of their meanings, and thereby deserves this honor.

I offer my congratulations on a job well done and best wishes for the future.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Matthew Christopher Salazar for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout.

Throughout the history of the Boy Scouts of America, the rank of Eagle Scout has only been attained through dedication to concepts such as honor, duty, country and charity. By applying these concepts to daily life, Matthew has proven his true and complete understanding of their meanings, and thereby deserves this honor.

I offer my congratulations on a job well done and best wishes for the future.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Andrew Bosch for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout.

Throughout the history of the Boy Scouts of America, the rank of Eagle Scout has only been attained through dedication to concepts such as honor, duty, country and charity. For his Eagle Scout Project Andrew provided plant and tree identification markers for a local Historic Park. By applying these concepts to daily life, Andrew has proven his true and complete understanding of their meanings, and thereby deserves this honor.

I offer my congratulations on a job well done and best wishes for the future.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Zachary Peter Stephens for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout.

Throughout the history of the Boy Scouts of America, the rank of Eagle Scout has only been attained through dedication to concepts such as honor, duty, country and charity. For his Eagle Scout Project Zachary completed a restoration project of a garden area called the Harbor House. By applying these concepts to daily life, Zachary has proven his true and complete understanding of their meanings, and thereby deserves this honor.

I offer my congratulations on a job well done and best wishes for the future.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Casey Brian Otten for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout.

Throughout the history of the Boy Scouts of America, the rank of Eagle Scout has only been attained through dedication to concepts such as honor, duty, country, and charity. For his Eagle Scout project, Casey led a construction team and created a habitat for birds in South Daytona, Florida. By applying these concepts to daily life, Casey has proven his true and complete understanding of their meanings, and thereby deserves this honor.

I offer my congratulations on a job well done and best wishes for the future.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Stephen Michael Schelling Jr. for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout.

Throughout the history of the Boy Scouts of America, the rank of Eagle Scout has only been attained through dedication to concepts such as honor, duty, country, and charity. By applying these concepts to daily life, Stephen has proven his true and complete understanding of their meanings, and thereby deserves this honor.

I offer my congratulations on a job well done and best wishes for the future.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Christopher Steven Hostettler for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout.

Throughout the history of the Boy Scouts of America, the rank of Eagle Scout has only been attained through dedication to concepts such as honor, duty, country and charity. By applying these concepts to daily life, Christopher has proven his true and complete understanding of their meanings, and thereby deserves this honor.

I offer my congratulations on a job well done and best wishes for the future.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Logan Isaac Edmondson for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout.

Throughout the history of the Boy Scouts of America, the rank of Eagle Scout has only been attained through dedication to concepts such as honor, duty, country and charity. By applying these concepts to daily life, Logan has proven his true and complete understanding of their meanings, and thereby deserves this honor.

I offer my congratulations on a job well done and best wishes for the future.

Thank you.

I join my fellow Republican women today to come and talk to you about what we passed yesterday, Cut, Cap, and Balance. I want to reach out to the American people and tell them why. August 2 is quickly approaching, and what we have heard from our President is, first, the Biden talks. Then it was the ``grand bargain.'' Then it was the McConnell-Reid deal. Then it was Gang of Six. Again, all of these are proposals, all of these are ideas. Nothing on paper. Nothing to be scored by the Congressional Budget Office. Not one thing put down in writing so that the American people and, quite frankly, Congress knows what is truly in these plans.

So now, just yesterday, the House Republicans passed Cut, Cap, and Balance with bipartisan support. It's the only legislation that has been introduced to Congress that actually addresses the debt, the deficit, and the ability to get our budget back in order, balancing our budget, the only one scored by the Congressional Budget Office. I supported that legislation and I

will continue to support it because it is the only legislation that has been brought forth to handle our debt, deficit, and our budget. Not any of these other plans that have been floated out there, spoken about, talked about, nothing in writing.

As I heard one of my colleagues say earlier, the Congressional Budget Office said, We can't score a speech. And the American people don't really know what's in that legislation unless you write it down and let them take a look at it. That is so important for the American people. They want to know what we are doing. That's why it was so important that we had Cut, Cap, and Balance out there. The American people had a chance to read it, review it. They've seen what we have done. And I'm hearing from the people in my district that they're happy. They're happy that we have passed a responsible bill.

We're facing $14.3 trillion in debt. It's equal to about 95 percent of our entire economy. And $3.7 trillion of that was just accrued under President Obama's watch. To put that in perspective, it took the United States from 1776 to 1992 to accrue that same amount of debt that we've accrued in about 2\1/2\ years. We're mortgaging our children's future. We're borrowing 40 cents on the dollar, much of it from the Chinese. And we are sending the bill to our children and grandchildren. This has got to stop.

If we don't listen to the American people, then shame on us. We have heard them loud and clear. We know they want us to get our fiscal house in order because every day the American people are making their hard decisions on what they're going to buy, whether it's gas, whether it's prescription drugs, whether it's food, because everything is going up. And the jobs are going away. We have a high unemployment rate. We have different credit rating places telling us, Get your fiscal house in order or we are going to downgrade you. If that happens, the American people are the ones that suffer with us. This affects each and every one of us.

That is why I am proud to have supported Cut, Cap, and Balance. That is why we stand here today talking with you, the American people, letting you know we heard you. I'm ringing the alarm. My colleagues in the House are ringing the alarms. But the Senate Democrats and this President don't seem to be listening. We have a problem, and it is not a tax problem. It is a spending problem here in Washington. We need to get that spending under control.

Since 1917--I think that's when they first passed this debt ceiling legislation, and I think, personally, they passed it with hopes that Congress would never spend more than they took in. That's my opinion. I wasn't here back then. But I will tell you that year after year, Congress has voted to ignore, to move on, to continue the spending without addressing the true drivers of our debt. We have to address those drivers.

If Congress isn't willing and the President isn't willing, then the American people are willing, and they're saying, Send us the balanced budget amendment. Let us show you where we are on this. Forty-nine States have a balanced budget requirement and they're able to live within their means. We should do no less. The American people live within their means, States live within their means, and Congress and the Federal Government should do no less.

Years of kicking the can down the road have come to an end. Reckless spending needs to stop. And the Senate's repeated failure to pass a budget and do their jobs that has led us to this economic crossroads needs to stop.

I'm asking my colleagues in the Senate, take up this bill, pass this bill. Listen to the American people. They want the opportunity to vote on a balanced budget amendment. Let them. What are you afraid of? Let the American people's voices be heard. Let them vote.

Americans deserve better, and we have proven that here in the House. I hope that our Senate colleagues are listening. I hope our President is listening. August 2 is quickly approaching. You do not have a scorable plan written down. We need to make sure that we protect our American heritage for our future generations.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

I rise today in support of my amendment to H.R. 2354, which would eliminate wasteful spending at the Department of Energy.

Why did the foolish gardener plant a light bulb? He wanted to grow a power plant.

How did Benjamin Franklin feel when he discovered electricity? He was shocked.

Mr. Chairman, what's shocking about this is how our hard-earned taxpayer dollars are being used. While some may find these jokes humorous, there are those of us who don't believe it's funny. There is nothing funny about the source of wasteful funding for these jokes. These riddles, along with numerous others just like it, are displayed on the U.S. Energy Information Administration's ``Energy Kids'' Web site, as seen here. This Web page also has Sudoku and crossword puzzles about greenhouse gases and coal power. These riddles and games are being paid for by

you, the taxpayer, at a time when our country is facing enormous debt.

In November, the American people sent a resounding message to Congress, calling on them to stop wasteful spending and to prioritize Federal dollars towards job creation. With our Nation facing a $14.3 trillion debt, this is the kind of wasteful spending we must stop. Rather than using taxpayer dollars to reduce energy prices for all Americans, the Department of Energy has instead decided to spend your hard-earned taxpayer dollars towards creating and maintaining this Web site.

This Web site is not the only Web site of its kind. There are others just like it. The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy maintains a ``Kids Saving Energy'' Web site. This Web site has videos with Tinker Bell telling children to use energy-saving light bulbs and quizzes asking children how many kilowatt hours an average U.S. home uses each month. While I have no problem with Tinker Bell--I am a huge supporter of Disney World, which is just outside my district--I do have a problem with wasteful government spending, and that's where the problem lies.

In this tight economy, Congress must prioritize funding, and these Web sites are a blatant misuse of taxpayer money. Now, Mr. Chairman, I recently asked Secretary Chu how much money the Department of Energy spends to maintain and operate these Web sites, but the Secretary refused to provide the amount. In today's economy, Congress and the Department of Energy should be squarely focused on reducing our national deficit, encouraging job creation in the private sector and making energy more affordable for American families.

My amendment would ensure that no Federal funds in the underlying legislation may be used to maintain, develop or create these and other similar Web sites, and I would encourage you to support this amendment.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I appreciate that. I too want to encourage our young people to get outside and exercise instead of staying on their computers and playing Sudoku games and other games through this Web site.

We need to look at the funding that's being spent. While you've quoted numbers, the Secretary couldn't give me any numbers in committee. We've asked for those numbers, and he still has yet to provide them.

I ask my colleagues to support this amendment.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2018, the Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act of 2011. The Clean Water Act was designed to be a partnership between the federal government and individual states to keep our nation's waterways healthy and safe. For too long, however, the Environmental Protection Agency has imposed burdensome regulations that harm job creation and are not realistic in implementation.

Recently, Florida has been at the center of a fight over water quality standards with the EPA, a federal regulatory agency that has attempted to impose impractical federal water quality standards over the State's objections. Rather than adhering to the state-federal partnership originally established under the Clean Water Act, the EPA has repeatedly undermined that partnership to the detriment of states like Florida. Should their regulatory overreach be allowed to continue, tens of thousands of jobs throughout Florida would be affected, hurting both Central Florida families and small businesses.

H.R. 2018 preserves the authority granted to each state by the Clean Water Act and halts the EPA's proposed ``numeric nutrient'' regulations. Congress has a responsibility to the states to ensure that regulations which hamper job growth and stifle our economy are removed. For these reasons, I am proud to support this much needed legislation.