Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a treasured member of the San Diego community. Deborah Szekely is an extraordinary woman of tenacity and dedication, and on May 3rd she celebrated her 90th birthday.

Deborah is a renowned health and wellness advocate, philanthropist, community leader, and champion for childhood nutrition. At 90 years old, she represents the beauty and energy that comes from a life committed to health and wellness, and she outpaces younger fitness advocates. She truly lives what she teaches. Along with her husband, Edmond Szekely, she founded Rancho la Puerta, a destination spa and wellness center in Baja California, and the Golden Door Spa in Escondido, California. She is committed to helping others prioritize healthy living.

Deborah has worked with my office on initiatives related to educating children about health and nutrition. She is committed to changing the culture of eating and making sure young children understand the importance of healthy food, and the role it plays in wellness. Ever the energetic advocate, on May 3, 2012, her 90th birthday, Deborah launched wellnesspring.org, a grassroots effort to encourage the creation of a culture of wellness throughout the United States. I appreciate her laser focus when it comes to reaching people and educating them about the importance of living a healthy lifestyle and eating well.

In addition to her healthy living work, Deborah has served as the president of the Inter-American Foundation, worked with the Organization of American States, and served as principal delegate to the Inter-American Commission on Women. She currently works as the Chairman and Founder of the New Americans Museum in San Diego and serves on the Board of Directors for the Center for Science in the Public Interest and the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego.

Deborah ran for Congress in 1982, and while she did not win that election, through that process she conceived the idea of Setting Course, a publication of the Congressional Management Foundation which provides guidance on the fundamentals of managing a congressional office. The first edition of Setting Course was published in 1984, and the 12th edition of Setting Course just recently came out. This manual has been an invaluable resource to congressional offices, including my own. Deborah is still a member of the Board of Directors for the Congressional Management Foundation and continues her critical role in the publication of Setting Course.

I truly admire Deborah's ongoing commitment to helping people of all ages understand the importance of good nutrition, healthy living, and being a force for positive change in their communities.

Mr. Speaker, unless Congress acts, Stafford loan rates will double. I spoke to some students at San Diego State University just the other day who are worried about their day-to-day needs, and they asked us not to play politics with this issue.

New grads should have increased opportunities, not bills they can't pay. A college degree should invite calls from job recruiters, not from collection agencies.

I'm glad that the majority has abruptly changed course by agreeing to stop this interest rate hike. But it is unacceptable that this bill proposes to pay for this by repealing the prevention fund.

The bill creates a choice between funding cancer screenings for a mother or making college more affordable for her daughter. Would you want to be that mother? That sends the wrong message to the American people about our priorities.

I urge my colleagues to support a more equitable solution that promotes the health of the American families and the future of our bright minds.

Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday April 23, 2012, I missed the following vote: H.R. 2157--To facilitate a land exchange involving certain National Forest System lands in the Inyo National Forest, and for other purposes. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall No. 178.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the contribution of the State of Israel as it celebrates its 64th anniversary as a vibrant and open democratic society.

I had the great privilege to live and work in Israel in the mid- 1960's and celebrated Israel's 22nd anniversary by taking part in a three-day walk from the shores of Tel Aviv to the hills of Jerusalem.

Now, I marvel with every visit at the extraordinary changes that have taken place.

In its 64 years, Israel has managed some incredible achievements.

Israel leads the world in the number of scientists and technicians in the workforce per capita. These Israeli scientists have made great contributions to human understanding and invented revolutionary products.

The cell phone was developed in Israel by Israelis.

Israeli doctors and researchers have produced countless medical advances helping those with diseases such as cancer and Parkinsons.

Israel is also a leader in conservation and renewable energy. In fact, Israel is the only country in the world that entered the 21st century with a net gain in its number of trees, made more remarkable because this was achieved in an area considered mainly desert.

These achievements are truly inspiring. But the daily news reports from the Middle East continue to remind us of the daunting challenges that Israel faces.

Foremost among those challenges is the existential threat posed by a nuclear Iran. There is no debate here--Iran's leadership many times has stated that, ``Israel must be wiped off the map.'' Containment of a nuclear Iran is simply not an option for the United States or Israel.

In light of the ongoing threat from Iran and other neighboring countries, the United States must remain firm in its steadfast commitment to the security of Israel as an independent, democratic Jewish state. We must continue to provide Israel with the military capabilities and intelligence necessary to defend itself.

In addition, Israel still lacks a real partner for peace with the Palestinians. However, this does not mean efforts for peace should not continue.

As we know well, achieving peace will not be easy, but I remain hopeful that Israel, her neighbors and the U.S. can get the peace process back on track and that Israel will continue to thrive as a vibrant and open democratic society.

I join my colleagues in recognizing Israel's 64th Anniversary.

Madam Speaker, as my constituents remind me frequently, seniors have paid into the Medicare system their whole working lives. Seniors have done so with the understanding that, if they work hard and play by the rules, this country will provide for their health care needs during retirement. That is why I am committed to working with my colleagues and the administration to ensure the survival of Medicare, and that is why I strongly oppose the Republican budget.

The Republican budget would end Medicare by transforming it into a voucher program, and it would slash over $1 trillion in benefits over the next decade. So, with far less money in hand, our seniors would become dependent on insurance companies to decide the fate of their health care--insurance companies that could price our seniors out of the market or cut benefits at will. Also, while the Republican budget takes from seniors to cut costs, it gives millionaires an average tax cut of at least--at least and I've seen larger numbers--$150,000 in 2014.

Our seniors deserve better. I look forward to a real bipartisan effort to preserve the promise of Medicare for future generations.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in speaking up about women's health. As we approach the anniversary of the passage of the Affordable Care Act, I want to remind all of us about some of the challenges that women have faced before health reform was signed into law.

Before health reform was signed into law, insurance companies could deny coverage to women due to so-called preexisting conditions like cancer or even simply having been pregnant. Insurance companies could force women to pay more for their coverage simply because of their gender. And now, thanks to the Affordable Care Act, women will be able to see their OB/GYN without a referral. You've heard that repeatedly today because that's critical and important to women. Women will have access to critical preventive services like birth control with no out- of-pocket costs. And that ultimately saves health care expenses.

Already, hundreds of men and women from all across San Diego have shared with me how important affordable access to contraception is for them and for their families. They can't afford to have it stripped away by this Congress.

I urge my colleagues to build on these reforms to ensure that all women have equal access to health care.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on an international issue that merits our attention here in Congress. This month, hundreds of thousands of concerned citizens, 140,000 and counting, have signed a petition to the White House. The petition calls on the administration to stop expanding trade with Vietnam at the expense of human rights.

I know it's hard for all of us here in this Chamber to imagine, but in Vietnam, the mere act of composing songs can be sufficient grounds for the Communist government to put someone in jail. In fact, that's exactly what happened to Viet Khang, a Vietnamese citizen who was arrested and who is currently being detained for merely composing and singing two protest songs about his own country. This arrest and many others in recent years are issues that have to be at the forefront of our trade negotiations with the Vietnamese Government.

I urge my colleagues to join me in urging the President to put freedom and human rights first.

Mr. Speaker, I represent San Diego, California, which has the dishonor of being home to the highest gas prices in the Nation. The most expensive gas in San Diego was going for $4.75 a gallon, and that hurts my constituents.

My friends on the other side of the aisle believe the solution is simple--more production means lower prices. However, our Nation's oil production is the highest it has been in years. And yet so are gas prices. The conclusion? More drilling does not mean lower prices.

Independent analysis has pointed to Wall Street speculators as a culprit for the rise in gas prices. Mr. Speaker, we've heard this story before: Wall Streeters gaming markets to make big bucks at the expense of consumers.

Another culprit? There is nothing truly competing against gasoline. Prices will go down when there are alternative fuels and real transportation choices to compete with oil.

There are two things that Congress can do to relieve the pain at the pump: an innovative 21st-century approach to our energy problems, and we need to tame the speculative markets.

Mr. Chair, on rollcall No. 84, had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Amendment No. 4 Offered by Mr. McNerney

Mr. Speaker, small businesses, from used furniture stores to restaurants to barbershops, drive our economy, but they've had to take a haircut recently since they've been more subject to the ups and downs of the economy than, perhaps, anyone else.

Just last week, I visited small businesses in the San Diego communities of Lemon Grove and Spring Valley, and the people told me they need more customers walking in the doors with money to spend. Well, increasing consumer demand is a key part of our recovery, but it won't come right away. Yet we can use a more immediate tool to help these businesses grow in the meantime.

In the State of the Union address, the President mentioned 17 tax cuts for small businesses in order to put money in their pockets soon. Tax credits for hiring unemployed Americans and for health care costs will incentivize hiring and ensure that the Affordable Care Act is affordable for businesses to implement. An exemption from capital gains taxes for small business investments will spur small business spending and hiring. Also, the American Jobs Act has a provision which would reduce employers' contributions to the payroll tax for their employees.

I support measures like these to encourage the growth of small businesses in order to reignite the American Dream.

Madam Speaker, I rise to speak about our college tuition crisis. It's a topic of conversation that comes up around kitchen tables all across America. Parents are seeing college tuition creep up year after year, while their income has declined or stagnated and their savings have been squeezed. Parents are worried that their children won't get a shot at the American Dream because they simply cannot afford the cost of higher education.

The President's budget proposal makes it clear that even in these tough budgetary times we cannot shirk our responsibilities to strengthen investments in education. I share his commitment to increasing college affordability and quality. Freezing interest rates on subsidized student loans is something we can do something about right now to help millions of students across the country. Failure to act means that 7 million students could see their interest rates double to 6.8 percent.

I urge my colleagues to work with the President to make sure that this issue gets the time and attention that it deserves.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 54, H.R. 3248, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

personal explanation

Mr. Speaker, I rise to applaud the final ruling issued by the Department of Health and Human Services to include birth control at no cost.

The pill changed the world. As some have said, it was one small pill, but one giant leap for womankind. It improved women's health. It reduced infant mortality. It increased a woman's earning potential. It empowered families to chart their own courses. Yet, currently, one in three American women struggles to afford birth control. A woman's right to decide when to start a family is meaningless if she does not have the means to make a choice. All of these benefits could be denied because of a relatively small amount of money, and that is simply unacceptable.

I am pleased that we are living up to the promises made in the Affordable Care Act, and I urge my colleagues to join me in protecting and increasing access to health care for every woman in America.

I yield to the gentlewoman from New York.

Mr. Speaker, we are here today because the Senate did a terrible thing in the eyes of the House majority: they had the audacity to work together and come up with a compromise.

At the request of the Speaker of the House, the Senate majority leader and the Senate minority leader reached a compromise on a payroll tax cut extension. There were even high fives among Senate Republicans after that Saturday vote. Eighty-nine Senators voted for, including 82 percent of Senate Republicans. The Speaker called it a ``good deal.'' But then came the revolt from House Republicans.

People are asking, Mr. Speaker, and I think it's a fair question to ask: Do House Republicans really want Congress to function? By denying a vote on this bipartisan compromise, it allows them to continue to push their theme that Washington is dysfunctional and does not work.

Had the House majority brought up a clean tax bill last week, we would not even be here today. But instead, they offered a bill loaded with special interest riders that was designed to fail and, in fact, it did fail. The majority claims that it wants certainty with a long-term extension of the middle class tax cut. Yes, and many here, including myself, we do want a long-term extension, and those negotiations will continue.

If the House majority was talking about tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, they would roll out the red carpet. But when it comes to help and support for the middle class, they pull the rug out from under them.

It is clear, Mr. Speaker, that they are willing to support a $120 billion tax increase on Americans fighting to restore the American Dream rather than accepting this bipartisan compromise that is before us today.

Mr. Speaker, first, I certainly want to thank our troops and their families for their sacrifice as we exit from Iraq.

It is my honor now to continue to bring the voices of my constituents to this floor. And the following is from Howard Tenenbaum. He is a science teacher in La Jolla, and I believe his class is watching today. He sent me his opinion on education:

``Weighing a pig every day doesn't get you a fatter pig. And annual testing of all students in all subject areas, without it impacting their grade, has not resulted in smarter students. It has made our students lose their intrinsic desire to learn and added an expensive layer of bureaucracy to an already administratively top-heavy system.

``This is especially true for science education. It is clear that the current accountability system has failed. Our students, parents, and their teachers are being held hostage to this failed system. When was the last time you were forced to take an exam, asked to do your `best,' and knew that the result wouldn't affect how you were being evaluated?''

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Howard for bringing to the House his thoughts on education and this question to our floor.