Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, in the aftermath of the recent housing crisis, the manufactured housing industry is facing significant challenges: an 80 percent decline in new home production, the closure of more than 160 plants, and the loss of more than 200,000 jobs. That's why I am introducing the Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act with my colleague Congressman Bennie Thompson. This legislation would provide clarity and certainty to consumers and preserve the manufactured housing industry without deterioration of important consumer protections.

Earlier this year, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued guidelines as required under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank) that expand the range of loan products that can be considered high-cost mortgages under the Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act (HOEPA) without recognizing the uniqueness of manufactured home loans compared to the rest of the housing industry. The new HOEPA guidelines are effective January 2014 and would include many manufactured home mortgages.

Simply put the cost of originating and servicing a $250,000 loan and a $25,000 loan are the same in terms of real dollars, but the cost as a percentage of each loan's size is significantly different. This difference causes the smaller-sized manufactured home loan to potentially exceed the new HOEPA thresholds set by Dodd-Frank and be categorized as a high-cost mortgage and stigmatized as predatory, even though there is nothing predatory about the features of the loan. The liabilities associated with making and obtaining a HOEPA high-cost mortgage will likely prevent lenders from offering loans to low and moderate-income homebuyers, denying families access to necessary credit for new and existing manufactured homes. In addition, millions of families could see the equity they have built up in their manufactured homes wiped out because lenders would not want to provide the financing needed for resale.

The Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act would adjust the new HOEPA thresholds so fewer small balance manufactured home loans are classified as high-cost, while maintaining the consumer protections from predatory lending practices in Dodd-Frank. This legislation not only protects consumers, but preserves a viable secondary market for manufactured home loans.

This bipartisan legislation would also clarify that manufactured home retailers and salespersons would not be considered loan originators unless they receive compensation from a lender, mortgage broker, or loan originator. The new CFPB definition of a loan originator, also effective in January 2014, is based on traditional mortgage market roles that differ from than the business model of the manufactured housing industry. Without this clarification, housing finance options may be eliminated for families seeking to purchase affordable manufactured homes.

We must make sure that we don't restrict housing options. The Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act protects the availability of financing for manufactured homes that many families across the country rely on for affordable housing.

Mr. Speaker, I'm heartbroken as I've heard more about Dr. Kermit Gosnell's Philadelphia medical practice during the past few weeks.

The brutal method Dr. Gosnell used to ensure death from a botched abortion, severing the spinal cord of a baby born alive, is disgusting. I pray we are all shocked and disturbed by what has been revealed about abortion during this trial.

While Dr. Gosnell stands trial, there are more than a million babies who die from abortion each year in the United States. That's almost two times more deaths than caused by cancer in the U.S. every year and two times more than heart disease.

Abortion is taking an innocent life, and we have to stand against it. Life is precious. Children are precious. People talk about choice when we talk about abortion. I encourage more Americans to choose life and protect the most innocent in our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize that March was National Cheerleading Safety Month. I would like to commend the leadership efforts of Varsity Brands, which is located in Memphis, Tennessee, in promoting safety in cheerleading. Varsity Brands employs 300 people in the Memphis area, and 5,000 people across the country.

I would also like to commend Varsity Brand's support for USA Cheer, the United States All Star Federation (USASF), and the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators (AACCA). Through the CheerSafe initiative led by these organizations, the safety of more than 3 million cheerleaders is improved.

CheerSafe members work to ensure that every cheerleading team is trained under the direction of a knowledgeable coach. Members also ensure that every cheerleading team follows the established safety rules and has an emergency plan in place. To this end, the CheerSafe coalition provides training to more than 4,500 coaches and instructors each year.

In addition, AACCA and USA Cheer have partnered to distribute concussion information to coaches of over 400,000 cheerleaders. There are currently more than 20,000 coaches across the United States who have completed the AACCA Risk Management course and are in good standing. Through these efforts, the risk of participation in cheerleading has decreased since 2006 and the risk of serious injury is now lower than in many other school sports.

USA Cheer is the national governing body for sport cheering. It exists to help grow and develop interest and participation throughout the United States. The program is designed to promote safety education, while representing the United States in international competitions.

USASF's mission is to support and enrich the lives of All Star athletes and members. It provides consistent rules, strives for a safe environment, drives competitive excellence, and promotes a positive image for the sport.

AACCA was created to form a structured platform for cheerleading safety. The first set of standard safety rules were published in 1988 and the first Cheerleading Safety Manual in 1990.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to please join me in recognizing the combined efforts of Varsity Brands, USA Cheer, the United States All Star Federation for Cheer and Dance Teams, and the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators to prevent injuries and increase safety in cheerleader performance.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the retirement of Lieutenant Colonel Steven M. Dotson. Lt. Col. Dotson will be retiring from active duty service in the United States Marine Corps after almost 28 years on September 30, 2013.

Lt. Col. Dotson's roots are in the Eighth District of Tennessee, as he was raised in the town of Sharon. He enlisted in the Marines on October 5th, 1985, in Union City, Tennessee. Currently, Lt. Col. Dotson serves as a Strategic Mobility Officer for the Marine Corps Installations & Logistics Department.

Lt. Col. Dotson proudly represents the United States, and I am proud to represent him as a Member of Congress. As we reflect on the career of this exemplary public servant, I express appreciation for his distinguished and selfless service on behalf of a grateful nation. It is his sacrifice, along with the sacrifices of those in uniform around the world, which helps to keep our Nation strong and secure.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize National Frozen Food Month. Frozen food companies play a vital role in providing families with a diverse range of convenient and nutritious foods to support healthy eating and an active lifestyle.

Frozen foods companies also make an important contribution to the American economy by supporting more than 225,000 jobs nationwide with a combined annual payroll topping $8.5 billion. From the farm to the city the economic impact of frozen food companies can be seen all across the country.

It is a great honor that I salute two frozen food companies employing folks in Tennessee. Since 1906 the Kellogg Company has helped families start there day off right. Kellogg has operated the largest Eggo frozen waffle facility in the country from Rossville, TN since 1988. Kellogg's expanded the facility in 1992 and again in 2006.

Kellogg and the frozen food industry are also giving back to America's communities. Their MorningStar Farms' brand sponsored the Frozen Food Foundation's 2013 5K last month bringing together 400 youth, teens and adults, including the Boys & Girls Clubs in a public display of their commitment to health and wellness.

Another frozen food leader in Tennessee is the Pictsweet food company. Family-owned and family-run for four generations, the company continues to be pure Tennessee. Founded in 1945 and headquartered in Bells, Tennessee the company has weathered good times and bad while still providing American families with delicious frozen garden-fresh vegetables across the United States.

With six manufacturing and distribution facilities in the United States, the Pictsweet Brand is now one of the fastest growing national retail brands of frozen vegetables.

Mr. Speaker, in celebration of National Frozen Food Month, I applaud Kellogg's, Pictsweet and the entire frozen food industry for their hard work in providing jobs and nutritious food to our country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss my bill, the Financial Competitive Act of 2013. My legislation simply requires the Financial Stability Oversight Committee to conduct a study of the impact of implementation of the Credit Valuation Adjustment (CVA) capital requirement on U.S. consumers, end users, and U.S. financial institutions.

European Basel III rules are being finalized and would provide a significant exemption from CVA market risk Risk-Weighted Assets (RWA) for EU banks.

EU banks would be exempt from CVA RWA requirements for transactions with sovereign pension funds and corporate counterparties, which are also exempt from clearing obligations. It is interesting to note that the EU did there due diligence and determined the risk factors merited an exemption.

My legislation is simply asking for due diligence in determining if U.S. financial institutions will be competitively disadvantaged. To me, this exemption will provide a significant advantage to European banks, European customers, and European end users.

Mr. Speaker, the U.S. economy is in a fragile state, any hurdle, fee, or foreign advantage, will cost the U.S. economy valuable jobs. This decision by the European regulators disregards the Basel III international agreement

and will have lasting consequences for U.S. and international markets. U.S. financial institutions will be competitively disadvantaged that will affect how these institutions serve consumers in the derivative business as well as the commercial loan business.

Further, end-users will see a significant impact through limited competition which affects pricing and services.

My legislation will clarify the impact Basel III CVA RWA exemption for EU financial institutions will have on the U.S. economy. We can't afford to wait while Europe takes valuable market share away from U.S. companies.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues in the House (and Senate) to support me in passing the Financial Competitive Act of 2013 in order to ensure the law of unintended consequences doesn't place and U.S. consumers, end users, and financial institutions are not put at a disadvantage.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss my bill, the Sound Science Act of 2013, which directs the Office of Science and Technology Policies (OSTP) to require each agency to develop guidelines to maximize the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of scientific information used by federal agencies.

My legislation requires appropriate peer review, the disclosure of scientific studies used in making decisions, and an opportunity for stakeholder input. It also requires federal agencies to give greatest weight to information based on reproducible data that is developed in accordance with the scientific method. Further, it deems agency actions that do not follow such procedures to be arbitrary and subject to challenge by affected stakeholders.

Mr. Speaker, many of the regulations developed by the federal agencies are well intentioned, yet recently there have been reports that federal agencies, such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), may be moving well beyond hard-science in the rule making process, which would have significant negative impacts on a wide range of industries. For example, some outside interest groups are pressuring the FDA to take action against antimicrobial soaps, asserting that antimicrobial soaps are no more effective than common soap, even though antimicrobial soap has been mandated in hospitals and doctors' offices for decades. Additionally, chicken and pork farmers are concerned that the FDA's decision to review long-standing industry practices in the area of antibiotics without a sound scientific basis will adversely affect animal welfare and will have a negative impact on food safety.

Simply put, the rules and regulations promulgated by federal agencies affect both businesses and the consumer. Bottom line, the U.S. economy is in a fragile state, any hurdle, fee, or foreign advantage, will cost the U.S. economy valuable jobs. Higher costs to comply with regulations undermine businesses ability to compete globally, while causing consumers to pay more for products.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues in the House (and Senate) to support me in passing the Sound Science Act of 2013 in order to ensure the scientific integrity of federal agencies.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Basel III Capital Impact Study Act. This legislation requires the federal banking agencies to perform a thorough quantitative impact study (QIS) of the Basel III proposed rulemakings, taking into account the impact Dodd- Frank provisions will have on financial institutions in the United States, and report their findings to the Senate Banking Committee and House Financial Services Committee. The bill would also amend the International Lending Supervision Act of 1983 (ILSA) by requiring the federal banking agencies to ensure that differences in rules that implement capital requirements do not give competitive advantages to any one group of financial institutions.

The federal banking agencies have sufficient authority to perform a QIS for Basel III without Congressional action, but they have not conducted and publicly shared the results of any QIS specific to U.S financial institutions. I am introducing the Basel III Capital Impact Study Act because we need more information about the effects of Basel III implementation. In my district, banks of all sizes have come to me with serious concerns about Basel III. While I appreciate that we want all banks to be as financially sound as possible, we must also be cognizant of homebuyers, small businesses, and families who need loans. We need to let banks do what banks do best, loan money. I don't want to see implementation of Basel III curtail business lending and slow our already weak economy.

Capital rules must be set in a manner that strikes the proper balance between safety and soundness and economic growth. The best way to determine whether such a balance is struck is to test new rules by examining the impact they will have on bank balance sheets and credit decisions prior to new capital rules taking effect. The QIS provides banking regulators with data that they can use to gauge the impact of proposed capital rules. This kind of pre-testing has been the model that was followed throughout the Basel process.

In the case of Basel III, the new rules require more than 7,000 U.S. depository institutions to make changes to their capital for the first time since the original Basel I rules took effect in 1992. The only review of the new Basel III rules was conducted through a ``macro'' level analysis conducted by the Bank for International Settlements. There has been no individualized analysis conducted in the U.S. This is problematic because there are thousands of U.S. banks that vary in size and business models covered under Basel III. Additionally, the lack of domestic scrutiny of the proposal means unique characteristics of the U.S. lending market, such as housing finance, have not been closely examined. Finally, the Dodd-Frank Act made a number of significant changes that will affect the capital and risk taking activities of U.S. institutions. These changes were not considered as part of the ``macro'' level review and should be factored in as part of some U.S. focused review of the new Basel III proposal.

We must make sure that financial institutions in the United States can continue to lend and do business with American families before moving forward with the implementation of Basel III.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the importance of Washington ending the cycle of drug abuse by allowing states to perform random drug tests to receive the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits.

The time is now to stop the cruel cycle of drug abuse. Currently, Washington enables people who are addicted to drugs by allowing them to participate in the TANF program while still abusing drugs. This program was designed to provide a safety net for families and children in their time of need. Instead Washington is enabling the drug abuse cycle to continue because Washington does not demand folks who use the program to be drug free.

If Washington wants to help families move toward economic stability it must end the cycle of drug abuse and encourage individuals to become healthy. By allowing for random drug checks, it can ensure that families receiving TANF benefits use the funds for the intended purpose of feeding, clothing, and providing shelter for children while cutting the ties that enables the cycle of drug abuse.

The Welfare Integrity Act of 2013 requires each state participating in the TANF program to certify that applicants and current recipients are being randomly tested for illegal drug use. In order to pass constitutional muster, the Welfare Integrity Act of 2013 requires states to provide a consent and waiver form where applicants are given the choice to waive their Fourth Amendment Rights and submit to a random drug test. The Supreme Court has ruled several times individuals have the right to waive their Fourth Amendment rights. Bottom line, the choice is yours.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues in the House to support me in passing the Welfare Integrity Act of 2013 to eliminate abuse and ensure the benefits are used for the purpose intended, to protect children.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Mortgage Originator Clarification Act to clarify the definition of the term mortgage originator in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

I support responsible lending policies and consumer protections throughout the home buying process to provide the best products and transparency for consumers. However, the Dodd-Frank Act was hastily put together and crammed through Congress. Unintended consequences of regulations prescribed in the Dodd-Frank Act, if implemented without specific consideration of manufactured housing, could eliminate housing finance options for families seeking to purchase affordable manufactured homes.

Multiple definitions and standards for mortgage origination, such as those in Section 1401 of Dodd-Frank and the Secure and Fair Enforcement for Mortgage Licensing (SAFE) Act, are confusing to the manufactured housing industry, consumers interested in buying

manufactured homes, and regulators. In addition, the definition outlined in the Dodd-Frank Act may create unintended regulatory and compliance risks. The current definition of mortgage originator is based on traditional mortgage market roles and does not consider the unique lending model of the manufactured housing market.

I'm introducing the Mortgage Originator Clarification Act to provide clarity in the residential mortgage market with a clear and consistent standard recognizing the unique activities of the manufactured home sales process. This bill will further clarify the definition of mortgage originator so that manufactured homes will remain an available housing option for Americans across the nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Affirming Religious Heritage and Freedom in the United States Act. This legislation is a simple statement recognizing the importance of religion in the lives of our nation's citizens, the strong role of Judeo-Christian heritage in the development of our nation, and the freedom for all to exercise their religious beliefs in our nation.

Our nation's history is storied with references to religious beliefs and symbols that mark their importance in the development of our nation. Those religious beliefs often inspired our nation's founding fathers, as well as presidents and lawmakers throughout our history, to stand firm in their conviction that this should be a nation of freedom, including freedom of religion.

Recently, we've heard more and more negative news stories about religion in our nation. I ask, what is wrong with faith and exercising

your religious beliefs? When did religion become such a bad thing that people want to delete it from our nation's history? I am discouraged when I see anti-religion groups forming throughout the nation, working hard to remove any mention or symbol of God or religion in our public spaces and resources. These groups claim their work is about the separation of church and state, but the government is not forcing anyone into religion or to pay tithes to any particular religious establishment. Religion, specifically the Judeo-Christian religion, is just simply part of our heritage, and the Constitution says this is a nation with freedom of religion, not freedom from religion.

I introduced this resolution because we are a nation of people with the right to freely exercise our religion and many in our nation are religious. A 2007 PEW survey shows that 92 percent of Americans believe in God. I also introduced this resolution because I believe the religious beliefs of Americans inspire them to do good for others, not harm. For instance, in 2010, $298.42 billion of charitable contributions were made in the United States and 32 percent, or $95.88 billion, went to religious organizations according to the National Park Service. From September 2010 to September 2011, 64.3 million people in the United States volunteered and 33.2 percent did so for religious organizations, the highest percentage of all volunteer categories according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The freedom to exercise religious beliefs is vital to our nation's citizens and an important part of our heritage. That's why I am honored to introduce the Affirming Religious Heritage and Freedom in the United States Act.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce a bill I believe will help consumers save millions of dollars in insurance costs and create more jobs. I am proud to introduce the Claims Licensing Advancement for Interstate Matters Act, known as the CLAIM Act.

Under current law, independent claims adjusters face a hodgepodge of inconsistent state regulations that only serve to delay the prompt adjustment of claims for natural disasters, car accident victims, and other tragedies in life. The CLAIM Act would provide specific relief during a natural disaster. In areas designated by the President of the United States as a ``Disaster Area,'' independent claims adjusters who meet certain criteria would be eligible to adjust claims for losses notwithstanding the state the adjuster is licensed.

Every independent claims adjuster must take a license examination in each state in which they work. This requires adjusters to take time off from their job and travel to each state in which they seek a license. This is a costly burden on the claims adjusters, the companies that employ them, and ultimately, the consumer. Sadly, it is the consumer who currently pays for these costs in higher premiums.

Today, it is my pleasure to introduce a bill that would end this costly burden. The CLAIM Act would lead to a process that would provide independent claims adjusters licensing reciprocity so their home-state license is valid in any other state. To be clear the CLAIM Act does not create a new federal law and does not ``federalize'' the insurance industry. The CLAIM Act respects states' rights to continue to regulate their individual insurance industries. Rather, the CLAIM Act would urge the National Association of Insurance Commissioners to adopt a model licensing standard for state regulation for independent claims adjusters that each individual State would adopt. The CLAIM Act would make sure that each state keeps its independence to adopt rules as they see fit and recognizes that State insurance regulators are best situated to address insurance licensing standards.

The goal of this bill is to streamline the claims adjustment process so that individual claims adjusters can respond in the fastest possible and most cost-effective manner possible. I look forward to further discussing the issues of reciprocity and the CLAIM Act as we move forward in the Committee process.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize schools in the Fayette County, Henry County, Hollow Rock-Bruceton, McKenzie Special, Milan Special, South Carroll County Special, and Union City districts. Each of these districts in West Tennessee earned the state's highest status of ``exemplary'' for their efforts to raise student growth and close achievements gaps during the 2011-2012 school year.

The Tennessee Department of Education recently received a federal waiver to replace the No Child Left Behind accountability system with its own. Tennessee's new accountability system recognizes students across the state have different needs and a one-size-fits-all approach doesn't always work. It measures growth and improvement based on a school's starting point of proficiency, rather than expecting all schools to meet specific proficiency targets each year.

To reach exemplary status under Tennessee's new accountability system, schools in the Fayette County, Henry County, Hollow Rock- Bruceton, McKenzie Special, Milan Special, South Carroll County Special, and Union City districts met the majority of their achievement and gap closure targets and ensured students moved forward or held steady in target areas. Attaining exemplary status shows these schools are truly making improvements and helping students learn.

On behalf of the United States House of Representatives, I commend the teachers and staff of these school districts for their hard work and commitment to improving public education for all students in Tennessee. Please join me in congratulating them on their success and achievements.

Madam Chair, I rise in strong support of Mr. Fitzpatrick's amendment.

Madam Chair, unemployed Americans are crying out for more jobs, urging Congress to review rules and regulations that stifle innovation, economic growth, and job creation. Overly burdensome regulations are hurting business expansion, which is why we are debating this bill this evening. Overly burdensome regulations is also why I introduced H.R. 3213, the Small Company Job Growth and Regulatory Relief Act, to expand Sarbanes Oxley 404(b) exemptions for companies with a public float of less than $350 million.

Supporters of increasing the current $75 million exemptions from Sarbanes Oxley 404(b) for small companies would save duplicative audit costs, which hinder many companies from going public. Going public provides opportunities for companies to raise needed capital in order to expand, reinvest, and create jobs.

Providing a permanent exemption for Sarbanes Oxley for companies with a public float of $250 million or less just makes good sense. I strongly encourage my colleagues to support this amendment.

Madam Chairman, I rise in strong support of Mr. Manzullo's amendment, which urges the Federal Government to develop scientific integrity policies when a Federal agency implements a rule or regulation. Science should be at the heart of Federal agency decision-making.

Right now, the pork producers in my State and others in agriculture are fighting the FDA's concerns regarding antibiotic use in animals when there is no scientific evidence behind those concerns. This is why I had originally introduced House Resolution 98 last year, which would send a bipartisan, commonsense message to the Food and Drug Administration to rely on scientific fact in its development of rules and regulations.

Mr. Manzullo's amendment goes further, guiding all agencies on a path towards scientific integrity, not just the FDA.

I would like to remind my colleagues that Americans are constantly facing the challenge of widespread and needless interventions in their life. Why let this continue through our agencies' misuse of science?

I urge my colleagues to support the Manzullo amendment.

Mr. Speaker, it is my distinct pleasure to congratulate and extend my best wishes to Mr. and Mrs. John Underwood of Paris, Tennessee, on the seventieth anniversary of their wedding date.

This is truly an event to commemorate. Seventy years of marriage is a milestone that speaks to the Underwood's dedication and love to one another. No doubt their relationship has been through both times of joy and sorrow, and it has served as a stable influence in the lives of their family.

The seventieth wedding anniversary is often called the ``platinum'' anniversary. This is a fitting name, because what John and Grace share with each other, and with God, is indeed precious. The Underwoods are proud Americans and role models for us all. I am honored to salute their commitment to one another, their family, our community, and our nation. May God bless them with many more happy years together.