Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I want to bring the debate back to real people, to seniors who've been contacting my office sharing their fears, their concerns over inaction in this Congress over the debt crisis.

A widow from San Diego called to ask if she'd get her social security check after August 2, the payment she earned working hard for years and years. She doesn't know how she's going to pay her Medicare premiums, her mortgage, her grocery bills or her prescriptions.

Our constituents do expect us to work together to solve serious problems. Yet we seem to be stringing the American public along here, playing games with their futures.

This legislation was put together in the dark of night and brought straight to the House floor. My colleagues didn't hear from one witness on its consequences, didn't hold one hearing, and completely bypassed the regular legislative process.

Instead of wasting valuable time on legislation that won't move beyond this Chamber, we should focus on forging a bipartisan solution to the debt crisis. Let's agree on meaningful and rational solutions for the long term before the debt crisis becomes worse.

We can do one with job creation that won't slash health research, innovation, Medicare, Medicaid or education.

Mr. Speaker, if we are going to remain competitive in the global economy, we must invest in clean energy innovation.

San Diego has 767 clean energy companies, and has become an innovation hub, especially in solar power, energy storage and advanced biofuels. According to the San Diego Association of Governments, the algae energy section alone--one energy section--provides the region with 410 direct jobs and $108 million in economic activity each year.

Unfortunately, the appropriations bill we're voting on this week cuts solar energy research by more than one-third; decreases biomass research by $33 million; and cuts $80 million from funding for breakthrough domestic clean energy innovators.

We can't hold back the companies that have come up with the answers to our serious energy problems. I hope my colleagues will join me in fighting for cleantech and biotech innovation by opposing this damaging bill.

Mr. Speaker, the Preuss School--a high school in my district in San Diego--just earned top billing in Newsweek as a ``Miracle School.''

I couldn't agree more.

Nestled on the campus of UC San Diego, this model urban high school is where students from families who never went to college become ready to do exactly that.

Preuss's teachers rightly assume that if students have the tools and motivation, they will succeed.

And they do!

Every single senior in the Preuss class of 2011 will attend either college or community college. That's an amazing accomplishment!

I'd like to congratulate the students, teachers, tutors, and administrators at the Preuss School.

It's my hope that Preuss's achievements will inspire more miracle schools across our nation so its success will become the norm.

Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 464, had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

(By unanimous consent, Mr. Hoyer was allowed to speak out of order.)

Commemorating The 20,000th Vote Of The Honorable Norm Dicks

I move to strike the last word.

Mr. Chairman, this underlying bill muzzles the Federal watchdog agency now responsible for regulating agriculture, energy, and financial markets while letting speculators run loose. By cutting 44 percent from the President's budget request for the CFTC, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission that we've been talking about, we're saying it's just okay to have fewer and less qualified regulators to protect us from market abuses, to protect our constituents from market abuses. Haven't we learned any lessons?

Speculation on Wall Street has caused massive harm on Main Street. Not sufficiently funding the CFTC will hamper our efforts to recover from the recession and hinder middle class prosperity. Commodity futures and options markets are complicated systems. We know that. They require a complicated skill set to understand. Some of the smartest people are engaged in doing this. But this bill ensures that the playing field is tilted toward those who are in favor of the same risky practices that led to the financial crisis.

Without full funding the CFTC will have 159 fewer full-time employees and an inability to procure the technology needed to properly regulate the derivatives market. If the last 5 years has taught us anything, we need more consumer protections, not more market speculation that will drive up gas prices, food prices, and play Russian roulette with our financial system.

What is disturbing, Mr. Chairman, is that this bill continues the House majority's assault on lower- and middle-income families who are struggling to put food on the table and gas in their cars. I cannot support, I will not support, a bill that refuses to protect American families. And so I urge my colleagues to please review this bill carefully and join me in opposition.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Universal Right to Vote by Mail Act of 2011--a bill to allow any eligible voter to vote by mail in a federal election if he or she chooses to do so.

In my home state of California, voters already have this right. California is one of the twenty-nine states that, along with the District of Columbia, already provide this convenient alternative to voters.

While I love the ritual of going to the polls to vote, I know that getting to the polls on Election Day is often difficult. For some, it's impossible.

That is why I have introduced a bill that builds upon the growing trend of states to bring the polls to the voters. I believe we should try to meet our constituents halfway by increasing access to the electoral process.

What I am proposing is not new or even untested. States ranging from my home state of California, to Wisconsin, to North Carolina, to Maine have already adopted this voter-friendly policy.

With mail voting, citizens can vote from the convenience of their own homes. They will have more time to mull over their choices and make informed decisions, and they will be able to do so on their own terms.

Not surprisingly, studies have shown that some of the biggest supporters of voting by mail are parents, who must schedule time to go to the polls around so many other obligations.

Studies have also indicated that adding the option to vote by mail does not create a partisan advantage for one political party over the other.

Republicans and Democrats both benefit from similar increases in voter turnout when voters are given the choice to mail in their ballots.

In fact, overwhelming support for voting by mail is consistent across nearly every demographic--including age, income level, race, education, employment status and ideology. It is a win-win for all Americans.

After adopting a universal right to vote by mail system in 1978, California saw a thirty percent increase in the use of mail-in ballots.

Other states that have implemented this policy have seen the same degree of support from voters, which is why it is hardly surprising that States offering the option of mail-in ballots often experience greater voter participation.

There is also an extremely low incidence of fraud with voting by mail when compared to other methods of voting.

As the former President of the League of Women Voters of San Diego, I care deeply about the integrity of our electoral system.

Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia have already proven this option works, and it is safe. It is time to give voters in the remaining states this convenient, secure and affordable alternative.

While I am proud to be from a state where citizens already have this right, I believe democracy works best when all citizens have an equal opportunity to have their voices heard.

Right now, an uneven playing field exists between states that already offer the option of mail-in ballots and states that do not.

When the same election is more accessible to voters in California than it is to voters in other states, the system is unfair.

States that fail to offer this choice stand to compromise their leverage in federal elections by curbing the greatest level of voter participation.

We should follow the lead of over half of our nation's states and ensure a uniformity of rights for all voters.

I ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in supporting this effort to strengthen the democratic process and give American voters the choices they deserve.

Mr. Chairman, I join my colleagues on the House Armed Services Committee in support of H.R. 1540, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012.

As the ranking member of the Military Personnel Subcommittee, I want to recognize Chairman McKeon and Ranking Member Smith for their leadership, as well as subcommittee Chairman Wilson for his bipartisan work to enhance the quality of life for our servicemembers, retirees, survivors and their families.

As Americans, it is our responsibility and our privilege to support our men and women in uniform and their families given the enormous sacrifices they make to ensure the security of our Nation. These men and women have volunteered to give their lives to protect and defend what we hold dear, liberty and freedom. Nothing can substitute for their commitment and sacrifice.

I am proud to support a 1.6 percent pay raise in our bill. Our servicemembers have earned this pay raise and deserve no less. I am also pleased that this bill includes authority for the Secretary of Defense to establish apprenticeship programs to help servicemembers transition out of the military. Far too many of our brave men and women are returning home and finding it a challenge to become or remain employed. The number of homeless veterans in our younger generations continues to grow, and apprenticeship programs could provide these individuals the skills they need to succeed.

While this bill allows for a modest increase in TRICARE fees, it does protect military retirees and their dependents from future significant hikes by limiting increases to military retiree cost of living allowances.

And lastly, this bill continues the efforts by this subcommittee over the last several years to reduce sexual assaults and harassment within the services. This is an important issue that has a direct impact on military readiness, and I want to thank Congresswomen Slaughter, Sanchez, and Tsongas for their hard work.

Mr. Chairman, while there are many good provisions in this bill, I must raise my extreme disappointment with several sections that were included by the majority that seek to delay and prevent gays and lesbians from serving in uniform. One of the liberties that we as Americans hold dear is that we are all created equal. These individuals should be entitled to serve their Nation in uniform and should not be denied the opportunity.

A Nation that values democracy cannot discriminate against an individual because of their sexual orientation.

But I must say, Mr. Chairman, that ultimately I do support this bill, and I encourage my colleagues to do the same. I want to thank the many staff members who have worked very hard on this legislation, and we look forward to this being signed into law.

Mr. Speaker, if the majority's plan for Medicare ever becomes law, seniors will lose their guaranteed benefit and get a private insurance voucher.

Seniors are calling. They are nervous and justified in asking all sorts of questions about the plan, such as: Will the voucher cover me if I get sick? Will the voucher result in rationed care? And will I need to pay more out of pocket?

The Congressional Budget Office says seniors will pay more--much more. Out-of-pocket costs to seniors will double in 2022 and rise by 68 percent by 2030.

This massive cost shifting saves the Federal Government a lot of money. And where does all of the money taken from seniors and Medicare go? Well, it doesn't pay off the debt. It doesn't create jobs or help folks pay for gas or groceries. But it does go to finance large new tax cuts for the most well-off.

This is the wrong approach to caring for our seniors.

Madam Speaker, I rise in vehement opposition to this rule and dangerous legislation, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act.

This extreme bill's title belies its true intent--to go far beyond current law and comprehensively curtail women's health care. This bill isn't just about taxpayer funding for abortion. It is a comprehensive attack on women's lives. We hear all the time that people want government out of their lives, out of their business. There is nothing more invasive than the government's getting in between families and their doctors when making this difficult decision.

This bill won't save taxpayer dollars or create jobs, but it will undermine women's health, and it will hurt small businesses by penalizing them for offering their employees insurance plans that cover a full range of women's health care. This is a slap in the face of small businesses, which are trying to take care of their companies, their employees and their own families. It is also a slap in the face to any family that has to make the difficult decision to seek abortion care.

As a daughter and wife of physicians, I am shocked that we would so quickly dismiss the judgment of our country's medical personnel and families in making the best decision to preserve the health and lives of their loved ones. We are wasting time on divisive issues while denying the real implications this will have on our families and economy.

I urge my colleagues to join me in strong opposition to this bill.

Thank you. I'm delighted to join you, and I want to thank you so much for taking this time today.

We know that the events that occurred just a few days ago were really the result of multiple government agencies working together over a number of years, but today, at this time, I want to rise to honor one of our Nation's finest fighting forces, our Navy SEALs.

My district is home to Coronado, which houses both the Coronado Naval Amphibious Base, where all SEALs undergo basic training, as well as the Naval Special Warfare Command; and over the years, I've had the pleasure of meeting these brave young SEALs who are willing to do a job that most of us would rather not even imagine, and, quite frankly, we can hardly imagine many of the things that they're asked to do. And, you know, the most amazing thing to me is they do this job so quietly. They really don't talk about their work, but you can see it often on their faces and the fact that they are very proud of what they do and they are very proud to be Americans.

These men ask nothing in return for the work that they do, a quality that I certainly admire in them, not only among our Special Forces but among our brave men and women in uniform across the services.

So I rise to say a very big and grateful thank you. You ably and swiftly removed one of the most heinous criminals this world has ever seen, and I simply want to say thank you to our SEALs for a job very well done, and I'm very proud to represent you. Hoo-yah.

Thank you.

Yes, it was.

Yes.

I think the other thing that we realize, and those of us in San Diego are so aware of our Navy, but all the other agencies that work well together, that's important. And over the years it hasn't always been that way at the level that it is today, and I think that's why they were so successful. And as we've had an opportunity to read newspapers throughout this country and to have some opportunity as well to speak to the people who were key in carrying out this operation, that's something that they're very proud of, that the communication, that the--we use the word ``synergy'' a lot, but people came together on many different levels and, quite honestly, it's something that probably would not have been possible quite a number of years ago, but it is today. And I think that it's something I hope that our enemy is paying attention to because we are a lot abler, a lot more smart, a lot more capable of carrying out these kinds of activities, and it should make those who want to do us harm think twice.

Mr. Chairman, this bill will not create one job or help one American family cope with high gas or grocery prices, but I'll tell you what it will do. It will make it more difficult for over 1 million children to see a doctor or a nurse.

In December, Central Elementary School in San Diego opened a school- based clinic to give access to 860 children; 25 percent of those children are uninsured. Now Central students will get care when they need it, and they won't have to miss school for an appointment.

``This clinic is a dream come true,'' said Central's principal, Cindy Marten.

Any principal knows that unaddressed health or mental health problems are enormous obstacles to student learning and student attendance. Many children have ongoing health problems, such as diabetes, causing chronic absenteeism, and they are health problems that you can treat right at a school clinic; and every child will need care for colds, the flu, strep throat, ear infections, and other illnesses that can spread through an entire classroom. My colleagues clearly didn't consult too many school principals while writing this misguided bill.

Please vote against taking health clinics away from kids.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a leader in San Diego's veterans' community, and a treasured member of the San Diego family.

Mr. Smith was buried today in Miramar National Cemetery. My thoughts are with his family and friends as they mourn the loss of this honorable and dedicated man.

Mr. Smith joined the Army in 1966 and served as a medic with the 1st Air Cavalry Division in Vietnam. He was wounded three times while serving and was medically retired as a disabled veteran in 1972.

Following his time in military service, Mr. Smith became committed to honoring and advocating for veterans. His involvement with the Veterans Village of San Diego, and its annual Stand Down event to provide services to homeless veterans, exemplify his personal dedication to helping veterans experience an improved quality of life.

Through his active membership with the United Veterans Council, U.S. Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), American Legion, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Vietnam Veterans of America, and other organizations helping veterans, Mr. Smith touched many lives. He was also a special representative for the California Department of Veterans Affairs. His admirable reputation in San Diego is known far and wide in the veteran community. In 2004, Mr. Smith was honored as the San Diego County Veteran of the Year.

Mr. Smith's sense of integrity, dedication to service, and commitment to his community should serve as examples to us all. He will be missed.

Mr. Speaker, budget resolutions are about funding the needs of our country. We should be talking fund initiatives to create jobs.

Instead, we're wasting time on divisive social issues.

Some want to make this a fight about abortion. But this is a fight for women's health. For ourselves, for our daughters, and for our granddaughters.

This resolution won't save taxpayer dollars or create jobs.

What it will do is undermine women's health.

More than 90 percent of the care those health centers provide is primary and preventive.

And one in five American women has been to a Planned Parenthood health center for services like breast cancer screening, cervical cancer screening, and well-women exams.

Mr. Speaker, I will not let San Diego families lose these valuable health services.

I listen to my constituents about how important Planned Parenthood's services have been in their lives.

Just last week, I held a telephone town hall, and a woman waited on the line for over an hour to ask me about my support for Planned Parenthood.

Anna started going to Planned Parenthood when she first moved to San Diego because as a young woman she was unemployed and had nowhere else to go for health care.

Decades later, she is in her 60s and still uses them for breast and cervical cancer screenings.

I also want to tell you about Jamie, a single working woman who was laid off 2 years ago during the recession and started using Planned Parenthood for her health care.

Even now that she has a job, she can't afford health insurance and continues to use their services.

Without Planned Parenthood, she would not have had a pap smear and would not know she has a high-risk type of HPV, which could lead to cervical cancer.

In her words, ``Planned Parenthood has not only potentially saved my life but millions of others as well.''

These are only two of the nearly 800,000 patients seen by California Planned Parenthoods every year.

I am not willing to deny them access to lifesaving care.

I'm shocked and outraged that the majority is willing to do so, especially when 65 percent of Americans favor continued support for Planned Parenthood.

I will be voting against this resolution, and I hope you will all join me.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support the effort to bring more diversity to our national teaching force.

Striking statistics compiled by the Department of Education show a lack of diversity among teachers. During the 2007-2008 school year, an estimated 7 percent of teachers were African American, 7 percent were Latino, and 1.2 percent were Asian. More than 83 percent of teachers were white. A total of 75.9 percent of teachers were female and only 24.1 percent male.

Some experts believe this lack of diversity leaves some students without an inspiring role model to whom they can relate. The result may be lower test scores and higher drop-out rates within some student demographics.

I am introducing the Diverse Teachers Recruitment Act of 2011 to address this lack of diversity. The legislation provides grants to school districts to create and implement recruitment programs to bring teachers from underrepresented groups into the classroom.

The grantee will track and compile data showing results of the program, including minority teacher recruitment rates. Data will also include the impact on student learning, growth, and attendance rates.

The Department of Education will analyze the programs and disseminate which were effective in recruiting teachers from underrepresented groups. Successful results could be replicated in other school districts.

It is a worthwhile effort to bring teachers from underrepresented groups into our classrooms. This legislation begins a national effort to build a teaching force that reflects the diverse population of the United States to enhance the learning experience of our students.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I urge consideration of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Post 9/11 GI Bill Payment Restoration Act.

At the end of the 111th Congress, the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-377) made changes to the Post 9/11 GI Bill program.

Most of these changes were positive; however, provisions were included to eliminate certain living stipend ``interval payments'' for veterans using their education benefits.

These interval payments cover periods between academic terms, such as the winter holiday break, that do not exceed eight weeks. They also cover periods when a student transfers between educational institutions if the period between the consecutive terms does not exceed 30 days.

Interval payments also apply if the school is temporarily closed under an established policy based on an Executive Order of the President or due to an emergency situation.

Stopping the payments will put strain on veterans trying to obtain an education.

The Post 9/11 GI Bill Payment Restoration Act would reinstate these interval payments before the benefit cut becomes effective on August 1, 2011 and help veterans and service members in school.

This preemptive action would help veterans continue to receive the living stipends they need while attending school.

We must strongly support those who have served as they attend college. Our service members earned and deserve their educational benefits. We have a responsibility to keep these benefits worthy of their dedication and sacrifices to the nation.

I urge passage of the Post 9/11 GI Bill Payment Restoration Act.