Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, despite the fact that President Obama took swift action to punish those responsible for the outrageous abuse at the GSA, some in Washington, like the junior Senator from Kentucky, are looking to score cheap political points by attacking Las Vegas and Nevada's tourism industry.

These Republicans are trying to bring back the last administration's so-called blacklist of resort cities like Las Vegas and Reno, prohibiting Federal agencies from traveling to Nevada to hold conferences and seminars. This policy has damaged the reputation of my State, hurt our economy, and killed jobs. Thanks to President Obama, this blacklist was lifted and discrimination against Las Vegas and Reno was ended.

It's time that we make this policy permanent. That's why I'm going to introduce legislation to prohibit the blacklisting of any city in America. This means discrimination against cities like Las Vegas and Reno will be illegal.

Las Vegas wasn't the problem; the irresponsible behavior of the GSA was.

I urge my colleagues to stand up for jobs and join me in cosponsoring this legislation.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I rise in support of the Levin substitute and on behalf of the middle class families of Nevada, who are struggling to make ends meet. I'm talking about the housekeepers and the card dealers, the teachers, the nurses, the cops on the beat, the ones who work hard to take care of their families--to put food on the tables, to fill their cars with gas, to buy new sneakers for their kids, and to make the mortgage payments on time.

Yet, in spite of these challenges, Washington asks them to give a little more. Washington Republicans ask them to make additional sacrifices and ask them to carry the extra burden for wealthy Wall Street millionaires who are not paying their fair share. Why on Earth should a waitress in Nevada pay a higher tax rate than a yacht owner? Why should a janitor pick up the slack for a Big Oil executive? Why should a card dealer sacrifice more than a Wall Street hedge fund manager? That doesn't make sense. It's not fair. Wall Street corporations shipping American jobs overseas and big oil companies making record profits don't need our help. Working men and women in this country do.

This piece of legislation would be destructive to them, their futures, and their families. It is time we started siding with middle class families, who most definitely do need our help, and that starts by passing the Buffett rule.

Mr. Speaker, today, I would like to acknowledge the great work of the volunteers of Las Vegas, Nevada, involved with the 13th annual Make A Difference Day food drive. These volunteers from Las Vegas have been selected as national 2012 Make a Difference Day winners. Make a Difference Day is a celebration of the power of neighbors helping neighbors. Created by USA Weekend, Make a Difference Day is an annual day of service that mobilizes more than three million volunteers to create change in their community.

This group of outstanding volunteers from Las Vegas has made a substantial impact on our community by collecting 3,500 pounds of canned food. For the past 13 years on Make a Difference day, publicist Mary Vail has teamed up with local grocery stores and encouraged shoppers to buy just one extra can of food to donate. This year, the Smith's Food and Drug store in the Summerlin community served as the event's host location. Volunteers included Mayor Pro Tern Stavros Anthony, TV talent show contestants, and local news personalities who came by to support Mary Vail and her 22 volunteers. Throughout the 13 years Mary Vail has been holding these food drives, she has collected 22.3 tons of food and toiletries for the Salvation Army.

I want to congratulate these outstanding Nevadans for their leadership and great work in the community. I am proud they will be honored here in Washington during National Volunteer Week for their service at the Points of Light event, Celebrating People in Action, on April 19.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in defense of the great State of Nevada. For almost 30 years, out-of-state Washington politicians have been trying to dump the Nation's nuclear waste in my State's backyard at a place called Yucca Mountain.

The site is 90 miles from the world's greatest tourism destination, Las Vegas, and in order to get the radioactive toxic nuclear waste to this location they have to truck it on Nevada roads, through Nevada neighborhoods, and by Nevada schools. A single accident would have devastating consequences to the health of the people of the State of Nevada, not to mention the economy.

Mr. Speaker, this is the most dangerous substance known to man. But there are still those in Washington trying to force it on the people of my State. One of those people is Nuclear Regulatory Commissioner Kristine Svinicki. Thankfully, her term ends on June 30. I strongly oppose the renomination of someone who puts the interests of the nuclear industry ahead of the people of the State of Nevada. And I urge my Nevada colleagues in the Senate to do everything in their power to ensure this Yucca nuclear waste pusher does not have another term.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to strongly condemn reckless spending by a group of employees from GSA, the General Services Administration, whose actions are now the subject of multiple hearings in both the House and Senate.

The misuse of taxpayer dollars by these GSA employees is truly deplorable. And it comes at a time when families in Nevada and across our Nation are tightening their belts. The lesson from this outrageous incident is clear: government must spend every penny in ways that serve the American people's interests, not the interests of those entrusted with overseeing the use of these taxpayer resources.

President Obama has acted swiftly in demanding accountability from top GSA officials who failed in their leadership roles and I commend his response to the reckless GSA spending that has been revealed.

Unfortunately, some of the comments that have been made surrounding the GSA scandal are meant to create the impression that Las Vegas itself is part of the problem.

I want to make one thing clear to those looking to use these events as an opportunity to bash Las Vegas or to point fingers in our direction--Las Vegas is not to blame.

Mr. Speaker, it's not where GSA went, it's what GSA spent.

And the issue is not Las Vegas, it's the actions of certain GSA employees who must be held accountable for their stunning lack of good judgment, blatant disregard for cost and for thumbing their noses at the rules.

There is no better destination on Planet Earth for meetings, conferences, or conventions than my hometown. No city does it better than Las Vegas.

And the problem is not the men and women in my community who work in the tourism industry and who provide hospitality to tens of millions of visitors from around the globe each year. These moms and dads bring home paychecks from an industry that is vital to the economy of Las Vegas--the community I represent--and to cities all across Nevada.

So, while I join my colleagues in calling for a thorough investigation into this incident, I hope the focus will remain on the actions of GSA employees and their behavior, and not on the location where these misdeeds took place.

I'm here to talk about the Buffett bill, but I just cannot allow what Mr. Shimkus has just said to go unresponded to because it's such an important issue for the people of the State of Nevada.

The so-called nuclear act that he discussed that was passed in '82 and amended in '87 is known in Nevada as the ``screw Nevada bill,'' and let me tell you what it is. It's a proposal that would ship 77,000 tons of toxic radioactive nuclear waste across 43 States to be buried in a hole in the Nevada desert, which is 90 miles from the major population center of Las Vegas, where we have groundwater issues, seismic activity, and volcanic activity. The EPA cannot come up with any radiation standards that would protect the people of the State of Nevada or anyone else in this country.

Let me tell you, originally, when they came up with this nonsensical plan, which is purely political, that it has nothing to do with science. They said that we could store the rods, the nuclear waste, in Yucca Mountain with no problem, leave it there. Then we realized that that wouldn't work because of the groundwater. So then we decided that they would put their nuclear waste in canisters. But what do you know, there are no canisters that currently exist that can safely store this stuff. Then they came up with shields that would go around the canisters that don't exist to be put into Yucca Mountain.

Then the last Republican Secretary of Energy talked about an army of robots that would walk down Yucca Mountain and be able to check on the nuclear waste while it's leaking and leaching into the groundwater. It's a ridiculous proposal, and it's time to go to Plan B because Plan A isn't going to happen. Seventy-seven percent of the people of the State of Nevada do not want nuclear waste stored at Yucca Mountain. End of that.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my deep disappointment with yesterday's vote in the United States Senate. Once again, Senate Republicans sided with Wall Street millionaires against the interests of struggling middle class families throughout Nevada. The Buffett rule is simple, and it's common sense.

It means if you are a housekeeper, a nurse, a blackjack dealer, or a waitress, or any other middle class professional, you shouldn't pay higher tax rates than multi-millionaires who own yachts and travel in private jets. It means that if you are a Nevadan living paycheck to paycheck, you shouldn't be carrying the burden for Wall Street hedge fund managers and Big Oil company executives.

The Senators who voted against basic tax fairness yesterday need to spend a little more time prioritizing the needs of hardworking Nevadans. They're struggling. These are the people that are struggling to put food on the table, to fill up their cars with gas, and to pay their mortgage or their rent.

The fact that the wealthiest people in this country pay their taxes at a lower tax rate than their secretaries and their chauffeurs doesn't pass the smell test. It stinks, and that's why I'm proud to announce that I'm a cosponsor of the Buffett rule in the House, and I urge all of my colleagues to join me and let's bring some fundamental tax fairness to the people of the United States of America. Seventy-two percent of the American people agree with me that the Buffett rule should be made into law.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus.

Founded on April 9, 2001, the caucus was intended to serve as a forum to educate Members of Congress on issues affecting U.S.-Taiwan Relations, and to provide a platform for exploring ways to positively enhance and strengthen U.S. relations and cooperation with the government and people of Taiwan in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act. It has grown from 85 Members at the time of its establishment to the current roster of 155, making it the second largest country caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives.

In the past 10 years, the membership of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus has remained solidly bipartisan, reflecting the broad and stable consensus in the U.S. Congress regarding the importance of Taiwan. Through the issuance of various joint letters, its agenda has focused first and foremost on maintaining faithful adherence to legal obligations and policy principles of the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, as well as the 1982 ``Six Assurances'' to Taiwan. Together, these two documents form the cornerstone of our relationship with the people of Taiwan and have contributed immeasurably to the maintenance of peace and stability in the Asia Pacific region, while allowing Taiwan to blossom into a vibrant, open society, eager to engage with the rest of the world.

Today, Taiwan is well on the path to becoming a mature and fully consolidated democracy, and our shared values now form an ever stronger foundation of trust for cooperation across our many areas of mutual interest. At the same time, the military threat posed by the People's Republic of China to Taiwan's democratic way of life only continues to grow with each passing day.

In the coming 10 years, we hope to forge a stronger consultative role for Congress in the formulation of Taiwan policy. We look forward to working closely with our allies--both abroad and at home--to find solutions for ensuring Taiwan's long-term security, and to deepen our dialogue with the people of Taiwan.

I thank the gentleman from Maryland for yielding.

Madam Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to both the Garrett substitute and the Ryan budget.

Today's debate is about one thing: priorities. Should Nevada seniors be the priority for the United States Congress? Or should Wall Street and Big Oil companies be the priority? The Republican budget proposal answers that question very clearly.

Instead of tackling Nevada's record unemployment and foreclosure rates, Washington Republicans are, instead, advocating to kill Medicare by turning it over to profit-hungry insurance companies. This proposal would raise the premiums for Nevada's seniors by up to $6,000 a year.

Why would Republicans do this? In order to pay for more tax breaks for corporations that ship good-paying American jobs overseas or to continue taxpayer giveaways to Big Oil companies that made a record $137 billion in profits last year alone?

Madam Chair, these are the wrong priorities. Wall Street millionaires and Big Oil companies don't need our help. They're doing just fine. But Nevada seniors are struggling to make ends meet. Putting private insurance companies in between patients and their doctors would just make things worse.

I encourage all of my colleagues to join me in rejecting this plan and any plan that has the wrong priorities and tries to kill Medicare by turning it over to private insurance companies whose only interest is profits and not the health and well-being of our seniors.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 137, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. Speaker, this week, Washington Republicans are showing Nevada families exactly who their priority is. Unfortunately, it's not Nevada's middle class families. This week, Republicans are reiterating their support for taxpayer giveaways for Big Oil, despite the fact that gas prices are soaring--and the oil industry made $137 billion in profits last year.

Nevadans are hurting every time they go to the pump. The Republicans' answer to higher gas prices is more government handouts for Big Oil. This is the wrong priority. But, wait, there's more. On Thursday, they'll bring up the new--but not improved--Ryan budget that once again kills Medicare by turning it over to private insurance companies. The plan is bad. Instead of improving care for Nevada's seniors, seniors would be forced to pay thousands more out of pocket for their health care.

Nevada is suffering with the highest unemployment rate and highest foreclosure rate in the Nation. Republicans, get your priorities straight. We must put Nevada's middle class families and seniors first--not Big Oil and profit-hungry insurance companies.

Madam Speaker, I feel as if it's deja vu all over again. Just 1 year ago, Washington Republicans proposed a plan to kill Medicare by turning it over to private insurance companies. It passed the House and luckily failed in the Senate.

Now, just 1 year later, Republicans are pushing yet another plan to kill Medicare and devastate Nevada seniors by forcing them to pay thousands more out of their own pockets for health care. Madam Speaker, it was a bad idea for Nevada seniors when it was first proposed, it's a bad idea for Nevada seniors now.

Unfortunately, these are the kinds of priorities we have come to expect from Washington Republicans. Instead of strengthening Medicare, Washington Republicans have spent this year trying to undermine it in order to pay for massive taxpayer giveaways to big oil companies making billions in profits and tax breaks for corporations who are shipping our jobs overseas. It's a matter of getting our priorities straight, and the Republicans in Washington just don't get it.

We need to put Nevada's seniors first, not Big Oil executives, not Wall Street billionaires. We must focus on creating jobs, not on killing Medicare by turning it over to greedy insurance companies.

Mr. Speaker, today I join with my distinguished colleagues, Congressman Howard Berman of California and Congressman Jim Moran of Virginia, to honor the outstanding life achievements of Mr. Ray Mahmood, as he celebrates his 60th birthday on March 23, 2012.

Ray began his ``American Dream'' story when he moved from Pakistan to Alexandria, Virginia in the early 1970s, bringing with him a belief that anything is possible in America. Starting out with nothing, Ray saved $5,000 to invest in a gas station in Alexandria. His hard work turned the business venture into a success, and he seized the opportunity to earn his real estate license and establish Mahmood Investment Corporation. Ray proved to have the genius and creativity to rapidly expand his enterprises into a broad array of developments. His projects have revitalized numerous locations, creating economic activity and employment through his developments in the residential, hotel, and commercial sectors of the real estate industry.

We congratulate Ray on his remarkable success in business, but we believe his greatest achievements are found in his tireless dedication to civic, political, and diplomatic work. Ray and his wife, Shaista, have made it their mission to bring people together to meet the challenges of United States-Pakistan relations. Ray's passion for this important diplomatic work and his ability to unite people of many backgrounds, have made him an indispensable factor in efforts to strengthen ties between America and south Asia. His unique talent to work with community leaders, and with all levels of government make him a legend as a problem-solver and as a citizen-statesman. As Ambassador- at-Large for Pakistan to the United States, Ray is an integral part of crafting effective foreign policy, and building person-to-person relationships between the two countries.

Ray and Shaista have turned their home into a hub of political discussion, hospitality, and a place where countless friendships are made. We are proud to be among the many, many friends of Ray Mahmood. On the occasion of his birthday celebration, Congressman Berman, Congressman Moran and I honor Ray's innumerable achievements in business and political life, and wish Ray and Shaista all the best in the coming years.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and celebrate the 70th anniversary of Second Baptist Church in Las Vegas, Nevada.

On February 22, 1942, the Second Baptist Church was founded by Verinette Anderson, Willie Harris, F.W. Wilson, Reverend and Sister B.T. Mayfield, Sisters Lola Hayes and Helen Polk and the Robinson Family. The group met at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Robinson to organize the church, with Reverend Mayfield as the first pastor. Members contributed their own money to purchase a tent for shelter on a parcel of land where the old sanctuary presently stands and where they conducted services for approximately nine months. Under Reverend Mayfield's guidance, the membership grew to more than 300 people and the congregation had the ability to build a church edifice.

Over the past 70 years, membership at Second Baptist Church has increased significantly and continues to grow as they pride themselves on progress, leadership, faith, and love. In 1991, Reverend Jesse L. Jackson named them the ``Miracle on Madison Avenue'' to honor their service and devotion to Christian values.

In addition to the pastors of Second Baptist Church, there are deacons and deaconesses who help with the preparation of candidates for baptism and also look after the church's widows and orphans. They strive to enhance the spiritual life of the church by visiting the sick and shut-in, offering them prayer, guidance, and financial aid upon request. The deacons and deaconesses of Second Baptist Church strengthen the community by working faithfully together with church members, ministries, and associate ministers.

Ministries also are an invaluable part of Second Baptist Church. They fulfill a wide range of duties including overseeing the Christian education programs, music selection, and greeting guests. These congregants have a love for people, a heart to serve others, and a willingness to be faithful. They serve in ministries for men, youth, women and mothers to ensure that every individual has a place and feels at home.

In 2009, during the 67th Church Anniversary Celebration, Reverend D. Edward Chaney was installed as the seventh pastor of Second Baptist Church. Reverend Chaney came to the church with a wealth of biblical knowledge, high energy, extraordinary vision, and strong outreach. With his guidance and direction, Second Baptist continues to reach for higher ground in its ministry and service to others.

Second Baptist is a beacon of light for its members and the community as a whole. They have flourished as a ministry by leading, teaching, and praying, and honoring the individuals who built the foundation of their church.

As the Representative for Nevada's First Congressional District, I proudly recognize Second Baptist Church for 70 years of dedicated service to the community of Las Vegas and I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating Second Baptist Church's 70th anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, today I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing the achievements of Girl Scouts on the occasion of their 100th Anniversary.

On March 12, 1912, Juliette ``Daisy'' Gordon Low assembled 18 girls from Savannah, Georgia, for a local Girl Scout meeting. She believed that all girls should have the opportunity to develop physically, mentally and spiritually.

The first Girl Scout troop in Southern Nevada was formed on April 14, 1932, in Boulder City, with just 22 girls. Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada received their charter from Girl Scouts of the USA in 1943.

In 1950, the Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada held their first cookie sale. The Girl Scout Cookie Program is the largest girl-led business in the country and generates immeasurable benefits for the Scouts, their councils and communities nationwide. Girl Scouts set cookie goals to support their chosen activities for the year, to fund community service and leadership projects, to attend summer camp, to travel to destinations near and far and to provide events for girls in their community.

By 1954, the Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada opened Camp Foxtail in Lee Canyon, Toiyabe National Forest. Three years later they moved their headquarters to Las Vegas and by 1961, the Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada dedicated a Service Center.

In the 1980s, the Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada opened the first Drop-In Center. In these centers Girl Scouts get the opportunity to experience hands-on robotics teams, science camps, and career exploration days. Girl Scouts view the world of technology through a lens that inspires them to tackle tomorrow's technological opportunities and challenges.

For 100 years, Girl Scouts have helped girls discover the fun, friendship, and power of girls together. Today, there are 3.2 million Girl Scouts with 2.3 million girl members and 880,000 adult members working primarily as volunteers to help girls grow courageous and strong.

Through participation in Girl Scout programs, girls ultimately will begin to discover their full leadership potential with increased self- confidence, creative decision-making skills, and teamwork. Their organization provides an accepting and nurturing environment for girls to build character and life skills for success in the real world.

Girl Scouts provide safe, stimulating academic and developmental programs designed specifically for girls. Their programs are building blocks to offer age appropriate development skills from 5 to 17 years old. The Girl Scouts model is designed to encourage girls to discover their values, skills and explore the world around them. They connect with others in a multicultural environment and take action to make a difference in the world.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of Nevada's struggling out-of-work families who understand that this Nation's top priority must be putting people back to work.

One way that we can do this is by bringing clean energy manufacturing jobs to our State. My clean energy jobs bill does just that, by transforming our State's abundant wind, sun, and geothermal energy into good-paying jobs that can't be shipped overseas. It does this by getting our priorities lined up with our values.

The bill extends a 30 percent tax credit for clean energy manufacturing companies that is paid for by eliminating the billions of taxpayer giveaways to big oil companies.

Last year, Big Oil made $137 billion in profits. They don't need our money. Unfortunately, Washington Republicans just don't see it that way. In fact, the Republicans vote time and again to protect taxpayer- funded handouts to greedy oil companies. Those are the wrong priorities for our Nation, and they are certainly the wrong priorities for the State of Nevada.

With rising gas prices, it is time to hold big oil companies accountable and make Nevada the hub of our clean energy jobs future.

I urge swift passage of this bill.