Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I stand here today in support of H.R. 2873, the Enhanced S.E.C. Enforcement Authority Act, which will give the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, nationwide service of process. I support this legislation because I believe that it is important that the agency responsible for oversight of our financial system have the necessary tools for legal action against potential violations of the law.

I would like to first thank my colleague, Congressman John Campbell, for introducing this valuable piece of legislation. On December 11, 2008, nearly one year ago, Bernard Madoff was arrested for securities fraud, money laundering, and perjury in one of the largest Ponzi schemes in the history of this country. Estimates of the magnitude of the Madoff scheme were between $50 and $65 billion. The presiding judge in the case declared the crimes, ``extraordinary evil.'' Congress and the American people were appalled by this scandal. The country wondered how our regulatory agencies could fail to recognize fraud of this magnitude for so long.

In the year since the Madoff scandal first came to light, both the Securities and Exchange Commission and Congress have worked to enhance the ability of the SEC to conduct oversight. Internal procedures have been reformed to make it easier for the SEC to open investigations into violations of securities law. New personnel at the SEC, such as the Director of Enforcement, have been hired to ensure that oversight efforts were carried out with the appropriate level of enthusiasm.

Congress has also worked to improve the tools of the SEC to conduct oversight. This bill is in line with the effort to reform the oversight of securities and ensure that massive fraud that was committed on the scale of Bernard Madoff never happens again.

Currently, the Securities and Exchange Commission has to issue subpoenas in the judicial district where the trial takes place or within a ``100-mile bulge'' of the courthouse. This unnecessarily burdens the staff, which has to travel to the courts where the trial takes place, wasting both time and money. Furthermore, by requiring the SEC to seek action in remote district courts, civil cases may be weakened. Witnesses in cases filed by the SEC are frequently located outside of the trial court's subpoena range. Because witnesses who are not able to travel would have to provide an alternative to live testimony, such as a videotaped deposition or written testimony, the impact of their statement is lost. Additionally, securities violations using the internet involve persons across jurisdictions.

H.R. 2873 will streamline the SEC's ability to investigate potential cases of violations of securities law. This bill will allow nationwide service of subpoenas in civil actions brought by the SEC in Federal courts. By granting the SEC this authority, this legislation will eliminate repetitive depositions. While the Congressional Budget Office has not scored this legislation, logically, this legislation will reduce costs for the SEC. The costs of creating and presenting videotaped depositions will be reduced. Additionally, SEC staff will no longer have to travel to file motions in remote district courts, saving the staff time and the taxpayer money.

Other agencies with similar mandates have long had the authority for nationwide service. This body has already considered and passed this provision: during the 110th Congress, the House of Representatives passed a law of this nature in Section 19 of H.R. 6513, the Securities Act of 2008. Furthermore, the SEC already has this authority in administrative proceedings.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 861, which supports the goals and ideals of National Military Family Month. The fact that our star-spangled banner yet wave is a testament to the courage and honor of our military which is reason enough to thank the men and women of our military for the safety we have here in America; equally important are the loved ones they leave behind each tour, who support them and help keep them going day in and out.

In 1996, the Armed Services YMCA expanded Military Family Week, which usually occurred around Thanksgiving, into Military Family Month. Just like the week grew into a month long celebration in appreciation, so to have military families grown in number. ``When I came in the service back in the Dark Ages, most of the troops were single. Everybody was single,'' said retired Navy Rear Adm. Frank Gallo, director of the Armed Services YMCA. Now, he added, 65 percent to 70 percent of service members are married, many with children. Families are a big part of the military, and the health of those families is also a big part of the readiness of the military, he said.

Military Family Month puts a little extra focus on supporting the families who support the men and women of our military. This has especially been true since the beginning of the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq as more of our soldiers are deployed.

The men and women of our military, through trial and tribulation, carry on; which they do in the name of many things, namely freedom, justice, democracy as well as in the name of their family and loved ones. The support necessary to keep a person going in such an atrocious environment is unfathomable, yet their families too, carry on. In my home district, the 18th District of Texas, we currently have, according to the Department of Defense, approximately 400 men and women in the military. With President Obama's planned deployment of 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan, there is bound to be more families left without sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers here at home. National Military Family Month will help provide encouragement to military families who in turn support our military men and women.

Military families, through their sacrifices and their dedication to the United States and its values, represent the bedrock upon which the United States was founded and upon which the country continues to rely in these perilous and challenging times. The month of November, which includes the Veterans Day holiday, is an appropriate month to observe National Military Family Month, which recognizes the sacrifices and dedication of military families and their contributions to the United States. H. Res 861 will also encourage the people of the United States to observe National Military Family Month with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

Madam Speaker, I rise before you today in support of House Concurrent Resolution 197, ``Encouraging banks and mortgage servicers to work with families affected by contaminated drywall to allow temporary forbearance without penalty on payments on their home mortgages''. I would like to thank my colleague, Rep. Glenn Nye, for introducing this act of solidarity, as well as the co- sponsors.

Contaminated drywall affects thousands of Americans--since January 2009, over 1,300 cases of this structural condition have been reported from 26 States and the District of Columbia. When in 2006, more than 495 million pounds of drywall was imported into the United States from China, my home city of Houston was one of the major recipients.

Earlier this year, America's Watchdog, a national advocacy group for consumer protection, confirmed defective drywall in homes in Michigan, Virginia, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, Maryland, North and South Carolina, New York and New Jersey, with an estimated 10,000 homes in Florida and more than 100,000 nationwide affected. At least a dozen companies manufactured defective drywall in China and about 100 builders in Florida used the product, dating back to 2004.

Noxious gases released from contaminated drywall can cause serious health effects involving the upper respiratory tract, such as bloody noses, rashes, sore throats, and burning eyes; and toxins released from contaminated drywall can corrode metals inside the home, such as air conditioning coils and electrical wiring.

The dangers and health risks posed by contaminated drywall have forced thousands of families out of their homes and into temporary living situations, and many such families are unable to afford an additional financial burden. Because of this, some Americans who pay their mortgages on time are now suffering from both financial problems and health complications through no fault of their own.

Banks and mortgage servicers can help families affected by this scourge by providing temporary forbearance with respect to their mortgage payments to help such families afford the costs of an additional residence while they are removed from their primary homes. That is why I join this body in encouraging banks and mortgage servicers to work with families affected by contaminated drywall to allow temporary forbearance without penalty on payments on their home mortgages.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3029, ``to establish a research, development, and technology demonstration program to improve the efficiency of gas turbines used in combined cycle power generation systems.'' I support this bill because energy efficiency is of the utmost concern to our security, our economy and our future.

H.R. 3029 would direct the Secretary of Energy to carry out a research, development, and technology demonstration program to improve the efficiency of gas turbines used in combined cycle power generation systems and identify the technologies that will lead to gas turbine combined cycle efficiency of 65 percent. A combined cycle is an attribute of a power producing engine (or plant) that employs more than one thermodynamic cycle. Heat engines, which are still only able to use a portion of the energy their fuel generates (usually less than 50 percent) are a burden on the American consumer who helps support this inefficient system of energy production. The remaining heat (e.g., hot exhaust fumes) from combustion is generally wasted; combining two or more thermodynamic cycles results in improved overall efficiency.

The bill requires that the program support engineering and gas turbine design for utility-scale and megawatt-scale electric power generation. Under the bill, this includes high temperature materials, improved heat transfer capability, manufacturing technology, combustion technology, advanced controls and systems integration, advanced high performance compressor technology, and validation facilities for the testing of components and subsystems. It also requires that the program include technology and field demonstrations, and assess overall combined cycle system performance.

H.R. 3029 sets out specific program goals. In Phase I, the goal is to develop the conceptual design of and demonstrate the technology required for advanced high efficiency gas turbines that can achieve at least 62 percent combined cycle efficiency on a lower heating value basis. In Phase II, the goal is to develop the conceptual design for advanced high efficiency gas turbines that can achieve at least 65 percent combined cycle efficiency.

The bill requires that the Secretary solicit proposals from industry, universities, and other appropriate parties for activities under the program within 180 days of enactment. The bill requires the Secretary, in selecting proposals, to emphasize the extent to which the proposal will stimulate the creation or increased retention of jobs in the United States and the extent to which the proposal will promote and enhance United States technology leadership. Awards shall be made on a competitive basis with emphasis on technical merit. H.R. 3029 authorizes $65 million for each of fiscal years 2011 through 2014 for carrying out the program.

Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today in support of H.R. 3598, ``Energy and Water Research Integration Act''. I would like thank my colleague, Rep. Bart Gordon, for introducing this important legislation.

I support this legislation because our country faces immense challenges with increased demand on our energy and water resources. It is for that reason that this bill is a critical component of our country's energy strategy. According to the Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory, the thermoelectric power sector accounts for 39 percent of total freshwater withdrawal in the United States, and 3.3 percent of total freshwater consumption.

Not only do we need vast quantities of water for energy production, but we also need energy to transport and treat water. Water resource problems are intensifying across all regions of the country. As demand for water continues to rise and supplies dwindle, it has become increasingly apparent that the federal government should create a comprehensive strategy for energy-water research and development of new technologies to ensure sustainable water and energy supplies.

This legislation takes the first steps toward tackling these problems by directing the Secretary of Energy, in carrying out energy research, development, and demonstration programs of the Department of Energy (DOE), to: seek to advance energy and energy efficiency technologies and practices that would minimize freshwater withdrawal and consumption, increase water use efficiency, and utilize nontraditional water sources with efforts to improve the quality of that water; consider the effects climate change may have on water supplies and quality for energy generation and fuel production; and improve understanding of the energy required to provide water supplies and the water required to provide reliable energy supplies throughout the United States.

It further requires the Secretary to incorporate specified considerations, including: new advanced cooling technologies for energy generation and fuel production technologies; innovative water reuse, recovery, and treatment in energy generation and fuel production; and reduction of water resource impacts of fossil fuel resource development.

Finally, this bill directs the Secretary, in coordination with other relevant federal agencies, to establish an Energy-Water Architecture Council to promote and enable improved energy and water resource data collection, reporting, and technological innovation.

This Council would be required to: adopt data collection and communication standards and protocols for the energy required to provide water supplies and the water required to provide reliable energy supplies; make improvements to federal water use data to increase understanding of trends in power plant water use; integrate existing monitoring networks to provide nationally uniform water and energy use and infrastructure data; and conduct an annual technical workshop to facilitate information exchange among experts on technologies that encourage the conservation and efficient use of water energy.

With these first steps, our country will be far better informed about the challenges wrought by increasing demands for water and energy, and so will be better able to face them.

Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today in support of H. Res. 727, ``supporting the goals and ideals of National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.'' I would like to thank my colleague Congressman Steve Israel for his leadership on this very important issue, as ovarian cancer is the 5th leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the United States.

Ovarian cancer is the deadliest of all gynecological cancers. All women are at risk for ovarian cancer, but older women are more likely to get the disease than younger women. About 90 percent of women who get ovarian cancer are older than 40 years of age, with the greatest number being aged 55 years or older. Additionally, 90 percent of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer do not have a family history that puts them at higher risk. Early detection is vital, only 20 percent of ovarian cancers are found before tumor growth has spread beyond the ovaries. The chance of surviving ovarian cancer is better if the cancer is found early. Unfortunately, there is currently no reliable early detection test for ovarian cancer.

Among women in the United States, ovarian cancer is the eighth most common cancer and the fifth leading cause of cancer death, after lung and bronchus, breast, colorectal, and pancreatic cancers. Ovarian cancer causes more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system. In 2005, 19,842 women in the U.S. learned they had ovarian cancer, and 14,787 women died from the disease.

Ovarian cancer is known as a ``silent killer'' because it usually isn't found until it has spread to other areas of the body. Unfortunately, there is no simple and reliable way to test for ovarian cancer in women and the Pap test does not check for ovarian cancer. However, new evidence shows that most women may have symptoms even in the early stages, such as: bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly, and urinary symptoms, among several other symptoms that are easily confused with other diseases. This new evidence has led to the first national consensus statement on ovarian cancer symptoms to provide consistency in describing symptoms to make it easier for women to learn and remember them. Awareness of symptoms may hopefully lead to earlier detection.

The mortality rate for ovarian cancer has not significantly decreased in the almost 40 years since the `War on Cancer' was declared. If ovarian cancer is diagnosed and treated at an early stage before the cancer spreads outside of the ovary, the survival rate is as high as 90 percent. However, due to the lack of a reliable screening test, 75 percent of ovarian cancer cases are diagnosed in an advanced stage when the five-year survival rate is below 45 percent.

I urge my colleagues to support the goals and ideals of National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Education and awareness of ovarian cancer will save the lives of countless women.

Mr. Speaker, I stand here today in support of H.R. 1242, which amends the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 to provide for additional monitoring and accountability of the Troubled Assets Relief Program, TARP. I support this legislation because I believe that increased accountability will enhance the effectiveness of the TARP funds.

I would like to first thank my colleague, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, for introducing this valuable piece of legislation. The TARP funds are designated for financial institutions that have complex internal systems and handle a large volume of information from various sources. The nature of the TARP fund recipients makes understanding how TARP funds are used difficult. Moreover, data is currently being submitted in filings to many agencies and databases, including the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, Federal Reserve, the Fed, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, FDIC, Commodities Futures Trading Commission, and Over the Counter Trade data. That the data is housed in separate agencies and in distinct formats makes it difficult to oversee and interpret the usage data.

H.R. 1242 will require the Treasury Secretary to create a database that will facilitate the monitoring of TARP funds. The bill provides guidance to the Secretary for the structure of the database and what data should be included. The information collected by the database will be collected on a daily basis and reviewed to ensure compliance with the Emergence Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. Data submitted by TARP recipients will be combined with third party data such as indexes, media reports, press releases, and non-governmental financial information to ensure that the information available is comprehensive. The database will be required to have accurate data structures to allow for cross-referencing, filtering of data content, and geospatial analysis capabilities. The database must be made available to oversight bodies such as the Special Inspector General, the TARP Oversight Panel, the Government Accountability Office, GAO, and law enforcement. Additionally, the Secretary of the Treasury must provide the public access to the database, while protecting information that is prohibited from disclosure under current law. Importantly, this legislation begins the implementation of these measures soon after the enactment, allowing for oversight to begin promptly.

Mr. Speaker, the list and diversity of organizations that support this legislation is long. The public demands accountability with regards to taxpayer dollars and this bill provides the necessary reforms to ensure that TARP funds are used properly. The dynamic database outlined by this legislation provides a valuable tool for oversight. By establishing a mechanism for oversight and investigative agencies to review TARP fund usage, we are enhancing accountability.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 28) expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Transportation Security Administration should, in accordance with the congressional mandate provided for in the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007, enhance security against terrorist attack and other security threats to our Nation's rail and mass transit lines, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution and yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 28 expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that TSA should increase and enhance its efforts to secure rail and mass transit systems in ways that are consistent with the 9/11 Act and H.R. 2200.

Let me first of all say, Mr. Speaker, that in addition to this legislation, as we stand on the floor today and watch the actions in Afghanistan and Pakistan, as we see the world changing from Mumbai to Madrid, we recognize the crucialness of national security and homeland security. And so this legislation is to emphasize the importance of expanding our oversight and response to the idea of mass transit and rail transportation.

I introduced this resolution because deadlines in the 9/11 Act have passed without being satisfied, which is inexcusable given the risks faced by our Nation's rail and mass transit systems. In addition, I authored H.R. 2200, the TSA authorization bill, which included several elements that sought to enhance TSA's surface transportation efforts. That bill passed in an overwhelmingly bipartisan manner earlier this year. As we wait for our friends in the Senate to act on H.R. 2200, I believe that the House agreeing to this resolution recommits to our goal of TSA securing these modes of transportation.

Let me first of all acknowledge the professional men and women that work for the Transportation Security Administration. I am gratified to know that progress is being made of a new administrator for that agency. I've worked very hard in H.R. 2200 to focus on their professionalism. But they need tools and they need the tools that will allow us to focus on the security of these important elements of transportation, and, as well, the job engine of our community and our Nation.

Many Americans use mass transit. Many Americans use rail. Any irreversible, tragic terrorist act can impact the economy of this Nation. As we were reminded by the tragic events in Russia over the weekend and in other cities around the world over the last several years, rail and mass transit systems are prime targets for terrorist acts. When they're shut down, the economy can shut down.

This resolution recognizes TSA as being uniquely positioned to lead Federal efforts to secure our Nation's rail and mass transit systems, and recognizes the National Explosives Detection Canine Team Program as a valuable resource, which my friend from Alabama has worked on. I might also say that this effort today, this resolution, is also to save lives. As such, it is critical that TSA's security efforts share our commitment to securing these systems.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution and send a message about the importance of protecting our people, our infrastructure, and our economy.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I'd like to thank the staff of the Homeland Security Committee, and as well, the staff director of the Transportation Security Committee, Mike Beland, and acknowledge the chairman of the committee for working with me and acknowledging the importance of this particular amendment and this bill.

Let me just say, as I close, we have already enunciated the parameters of securing mass transit and rail. We understand that we are behind in that effort.

I know there are committed, dedicated members of the Homeland Security Department and efforts that are ready to go. We need to give them the tools that they can work with. Even over the last couple of days as we look at actions that may be at first glance perceived to be innocent individuals intruding into the parameters of the White House, we know that we have to be on alert, because no action should be taken in a simple or, if you will, non-serious manner.

So I stand today to say that this legislation, though a resolution, is serious because it emphasizes a commitment for tools and saving lives. I am delighted that my colleagues on the committee, in a bipartisan manner, have supported this. I'd like to acknowledge the ranking member of this committee, Mr. Dent; and I'd ask my colleagues to support this legislation, Mr. Speaker.

I believe this is a critical issue. H. Res. 28 addresses the critical issue of surface transportation, and I encourage my colleagues to vote ``aye.''

With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3963) to provide specialized training to Federal air marshals.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill and yield myself such time as I may consume.

First of all, I'm grateful to the gentleman from California (Mr. Daniel E. Lungren), who I have worked with before, who's worked tirelessly on this issue. I'm honored to be a cosponsor of this important legislation, and I do applaud his work.

This legislation will help to bolster the effectiveness and morale of the Federal Air Marshal Service, many of whom I visited with over my tenure as a member of the Homeland Security Committee. In my position as chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection, I have promoted the need to keep our modes of transportation secure and to ensure that employees of the Department of Homeland Security have professional growth opportunities and are treated fairly and given the opportunity to exercise their concern and have this Congress and this executive listen to their concerns. This bill works towards both of these important objectives.

The Federal Air Marshal Service had to quickly expand its size and efforts in the wake of attacks on September 11, 2001. This bill helps to restore more training measures in a way that is consistent with that necessary expansion. In addition, this legislation provides for potential promotion opportunities.

I would like to note that this provision was offered and rejected during the markup of H.R. 2200, the TSA authorization bill that I wrote earlier and which passed the House in a bipartisan manner. At that time I did not feel as though it contained the necessary language to ensure that it would not adversely impact the salaries and benefits of Federal air marshals. Working

with the gentleman from California, as we have promised, we were able to agree on language that eliminates my concern. I thank the gentleman for his cooperation and collaboration for a very important step forward. Accordingly, I'm confident that Federal air marshals will not--and cannot--be wrongly classified as ``criminal investigators.''

Taken as a whole, this bill demonstrates a commitment to the Federal air marshals who help to keep us safe. This is a well-balanced bill that will improve the security of the traveling public.

I look forward to the bipartisan passage of H.R. 3963 and reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, at this time I have no further speakers. I would inquire whether the gentleman is prepared to close.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Let me first of all thank my good friend, Mr. Lungren, again, for his cooperation in this effort. I'd like to reemphasize points that he has made that should be reemphasized.

One, we are gratified that we have Federal U.S. Air Marshals, and we thank them for their service. They are peace officers, as we use that terminology in Texas. They are law enforcement officers. We're gratified for that expertise. This legislation will help them add to their portfolio in training on investigation, because there is not a single action that may occur that would require their service that does not require us to have the details and the information in order to bring individuals to justice. This is important.

Might I just add that Federal air marshals have risen to the call of duty. Federal air marshals came to New Orleans, Louisiana, during Hurricane Katrina. Federal air marshals have been called upon in time of disaster, and they have answered the call.

So I think it is important to note as we stand on the floor of the House to present this legislation to enhance their training that we appreciate their service. We thank them for the sacrifice of their families as they travel internationally on behalf of the American people.

I would ask my colleagues to support this very important bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I want to acknowledge today, December 1, as World AIDS Day when all of us focus on that devastating disease. I'd like to pay a special tribute to the Thomas Street Clinic in Houston, Texas, that for decades has served the hopeless and sometimes the helpless. I am so very glad that they are giving people life and opportunity.

Thank you, Thomas Street Clinic. And I was delighted to introduce legislation in support of them.

Mr. Speaker, on another topic very quickly, let me suggest that the President has been deliberative and thoughtful. It is interesting that those who criticize created the devastation and the havoc that is going on now in Afghanistan by taking away from our focus on Afghanistan after 9/11 and focusing on Iraq, a distracting war. Yet we love those who served, and we mourn for those we have lost.

We now want not to mourn for more. We want to find a way that we can introduce diplomacy, democracy, and getting the Government in Afghanistan to take care of its own people.

This is a war of insurgents. This is a civil war. And, therefore, we must find a way to handle this in a manner that serves all.

Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today in support of H.R. 1842, the ``Expanding Entrepreneurship Act of 2009.'' I would like thank my colleague, Representative Luetkemeyer, for introducing this act of solidarity, as well as the cosponsors.

When people think of the American Dream, there are few things they are more likely to think of than opening a small business. Our President called them the dreamers who built this country. In his words, ``They're the workers who took a chance on their desire to be their own boss, the part-time inventors who became the full-time entrepreneurs, the men and women who have helped build the American middle class, keeping alive that most American of ideals.'' My home city is very much a part of this dream--according to Fortune Small Business magazine, Houston, Texas, is one of the five best cities in which to start a small business.

That is what makes the Expanding Entrepreneurship Act such an important bill. It would make several changes to the Small Business Administration's, SBA, entrepreneurial development programs including establishment of planning standards, greater coordination of SBA programs, maintenance of an entrepreneurial development database, creation of an entrepreneurial development portal, and the introduction of community specialists to the program.

Under this legislation, the Administrator of the SBA would be required to develop a job creation strategy for 2009-2010. This plan would include the agency's intent for using existing programs, including Small Business Development Centers, SBDCs, Women's Business Centers, WBCs, Service Corps for Retired Executives, SCORE, Veterans' Business Outreach Centers, Native American Outreach, and other appropriate initiatives, to create and retain jobs throughout the United States. The SBA Administrator would establish performance measures and criteria including job creation, job retention and job retaining goals, to evaluate the agency's progress in this effort.

Also, under this act the Administrator would be required to oversee the coordination of SBA's Entrepreneurial Development Programs with other Federal agencies when it's appropriate. The Administrator would be required to report to Congress annually on opportunities to foster coordination, limit duplication, and improve Federal entrepreneurial development programs, without regard to the agency that houses an entrepreneurial outreach effort.

To ensure easy access for entrepreneurs, a portal will be designed on the SBA website with links to all of the SBA's entrepreneurial development programs. This portal will also have links to relevant web content organized by industry type, stage of business, and level of need. A separate database of providers of entrepreneurial development services will also be established on the SBA's website.

A community specialist would also be recruited to serve in every SBA District office. Their sole purpose would be working with

local entrepreneurial development service providers to improve coordination with Federal resources. This will make the bill especially helpful for minority owned businesses.

This legislation is particularly efficient because it develops a cost effective way to reach a larger number of entrepreneurs in need and coordinates all entrepreneurial development programs eliminating duplication and government waste.

That is why I am supporting this legislation--because of what it will do to help women, minorities, and veterans who gave the ultimate service to our great country to be a part of its great dream.

Thank you very much, Mr. Stark.

I rise to support H.R. 3961 because it provides a payment for our doctors, allows seniors to keep their doctors, and is paid for.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to stand before you today in support of the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act. This bill, which will finally put an end to the cycle of threats of larger and larger fee-cuts followed by short-term fixes, is long overdue. This bill will repeal a 21 percent fee reduction that currently scheduled right around the corner, January 2010.

Given the fact that Healthcare reform has been, and still is, a very lively and relevant topic over the recent months, the timing of this bill is apropos in that is intended to make our nations healthcare system more efficient. The importance of this bill is evidenced by its widespread support from a range of organizations representing both patients and doctors, including the American Medical Association, AARP, and the American Academy of Family Physicians just to name a few. Their support shows that there has been a need for better management of the Medicare system, and this bill presents the sustainable solution that physicians and patients alike have been looking for.

Proper management of Medicare funding ensures that the Medicare system will be able to properly support the medical needs of its intended beneficiaries. This bill will help promote the use of primary care and give access to the use of primary care practitioners in Medicare and throughout the healthcare system. By providing incentives to physicians, this bill will also encourage integrated care and increased communications amongst doctors on the care of their specific patients. These improvements to the Medicare system will result in a higher quality of care and ultimately, a healthier population of patients.

With so many Americans currently uninsured or receiving inadequate healthcare, it is paramount that the funds set aside to support Medicare are used wisely to provide the best possible care for patients.

In my home state of Texas, the need for a more efficient healthcare is more prevalent now than ever. One in four Texans, about 5.7 million people, or 24.5 percent of the state's population, has no health insurance coverage. An estimated 1,339,550 Texas children--20.2 percent of Texas children--are uninsured. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Texas has the nation's highest percentage of uninsured residents. This poses consequences for every person, business and local government in the state who bear extra costs to pay for uncompensated care. If Medicare funding is allowed to be cut or capped, the number of uninsured will grow dramatically.

I realize that we must consider budgetary concerns while we champion the push for better quality healthcare, and the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act does just that. It was drafted with fiscal responsibility in mind. We want to protect both the medical and fiscal health of our people and this bill takes steps to do just that. The cost of the bill is already included in the House-passed and President's budgets. This money represents the ongoing care and maintenance of the Medicare program. The legislation fully complies with the House-passed PAYGO requirements because the PAYGO legislation explicitly accommodates physician reform legislation that is designed to maintain current spending. As such, the bill, while it contains new reforms, represents continuation of an existing policy rather than new spending. H.R. 3961 will be coupled with Statutory PAYGO legislation when it is sent to the Senate.

The cost of addressing this problem will only grow in the future. In 2005 a permanent freeze for physician payments was scored as costing $48.6 billion; today, a policy with a similar score costs $210 billion. Delays today mean larger and larger price tags in the future and continuing damage to the Medicare program. Therefore prompt action on this issue is necessary and must be taken.

As we talk about fixing the issue of Medicare payments to physicians, this raises similar fixes that I proposed in H.R. 3962--The America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009. Specifically, I proposed two changes to Section 1156 of H.R. 3962, to prevent existing physician- owned hospitals from being forced out of business, amendments that enjoyed bi-partisan support. First, to avoid harming existing physician-owned hospital projects, I proposed extending the date of the grandfathering provision of Section 1156 to

January 1, 2011 and by strengthening the requirements for Hospitals to qualify for an extension. Next, I suggested that we extend the cut-off date for determining the baseline number of beds and procedure rooms for purposes of the expansion prohibition (currently, date of enactment) to the same date proposed or the grandfathering provision.

Along with this, I share the concerns of health advocates that, as is, the public option in H.R. 3962 is not equipped to provide real competition to large mega insurance plans. As such, I proposed that H.R. 3962 incorporate Congressman Kucinich's proposal to allow states to choose public insurance options more robust than the Federal plan.

I look forward to working with the leadership going forward to fix these items along with a system that each year cuts Medicare reimbursements to Physicians.

Mr. Speaker, I was absent on November 17 and November 18 because of official business in my district dealing with the honoring of a former President and as well the launch. Had I been present for S. 1314, I would have voted ``aye''; for H.R. 3539 I would have voted ``aye''; for H.R. 3767 I would have voted ``aye''; for H.R. 3360 I would have voted ``aye''; for H. Res. 841 I would have voted ``aye''; and for H. Res. 891 I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise to reaffirm my support for physicians, for the work that they do, and, of course, the fix that we just passed, the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act, that finally responds to the medical care that doctors give all over America.

This bill will repeal a 21-percent fee reduction that currently was scheduled right around the corner for January 2010. It also reinforces the rights of seniors to keep their doctors and, as well, to lower costs. It has a pay-for as well. It is a procedure that has already been handled.

Proper management of Medicare funding ensures that the Medicare system will be able to properly support the medical needs of its intended beneficiaries. This bill will help promote the use of primary care and give access to the use of primary care practitioners in Medicare and throughout the health care system.

I have been working to support and protect physician-owned hospitals which give quality care, physicians who are able to go in and protect the quality of medical care in rural and urban areas. This bill also supports our physicians, and I am proud of it.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 891, ``Expressing the gratitude of the House of Representatives for the service to our Nation of the Coast Guard and Marine Corps aircraft pilots and crewmembers lost off the coast of California on October 29, 2009, and for other purposes.'' The safety of American citizens lies in the hands of our service men and women on a daily basis. With honor and respect our service men and women devote their lives to their duty and time and time again they prove to be faithful servants. We in the Gulf Coast region will never forget their bravery in saving 22,000+ lives during Hurricane Katrina.

On the evening of October 29, 2009, a Coast Guard C-130 aircraft with two pilots and five crewmembers on board was involved in a search and rescue mission off the coast of California. Unfortunately at the same time, a Marine Corps AH-1W Super Cobra carrying two pilots was involved in a military escort mission nearby. The two aircraft are suspected to have collided while traveling east of San Clemente Island, California. The following crew members of the Coast Guard C-130 are

missing and presumed to have lost their lives in the line of duty: Lt. Cmdr. Che J. Barnes of Capay, California; Lt. Adam W. Bryant, of Crewe, Virginia; Chief Petty Officer John F. Seidman of Stockton, California; Petty Officer 2nd Class Carl P. Grigonis of Mayfield Heights, Ohio; Petty Officer 2nd Class Monica L. Beacham of Decaturville, Tennessee; Petty Officer 2nd Class Jason S. Moletzsky of Norristown, Pennsylvania; and Petty Officer 3rd Class Danny R. Kreder II, of Elm Mott, Texas. The following crew members of the Marine Corps helicopter are missing and presumed to have lost their lives in the line of duty: Maj. Samuel Leigh of Kennebec, Maine, and 1st Lt. Thomas Claiborne of Douglas, Colorado.

The men and women of the Coast Guard are ``Always Ready'' to safeguard the United States against all hazards and threats at our ports, at sea, and around the world. As the men and women of the Marine Corps are ``Always Faithful'' to their mission of defending the United States on the ground, in the air, and by sea, in every corner of the globe. These individuals lost their lives in service to their country and I, as well as every other Member of Congress, should support this resolution in their honor.