Floor Statements

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the resolution, H. Res. 1322, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program, recognizing the significant contributions made by Albert Einstein fellows.

The Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program offers current public or private elementary and secondary mathematics, technology and science classroom teachers who have demonstrated excellence in teaching an opportunity to serve in the national public policy arena.

Einstein fellows are selected, through a competitive selection process, to spend a school year in a congressional office or in one of a number of Federal executive branch departments. Einstein fellows provide policymakers and Federal agencies with a real-world perspective. Their invaluable contributions help to provide practical insight and a unique knowledge base in the formulation, application, and implementation of Federal policy. Some of the contributions of Einstein fellows include creating Web-based science education programs and establishing and evaluating national and regional programs on school reform and teacher preparation.

As educators who are working to provide the Nation's students with a high-quality education, Einstein fellows enrich students' educations in a twofold manner: by educating them in the classrooms and by guiding the policy that will direct their educations in the future.

I encourage my colleagues to support this resolution.

I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

H.R. 4855, the Work-Life Balance Award Act, establishes an annual award within the Department of Labor to recognize employers with exemplary work-life balance policies. This bill represents a bipartisan effort to highlight the positive policies currently being used by employers to help their employees meet the competing demands of family and work. H.R. 4855 would highlight best practices by employers and encourage innovation in the adoption of work-life balance policies, which we hope will encourage other companies to adopt similar programs.

It's important to note that the bill does not create any mandates or new requirements. Many employers accommodate employee requests for greater workplace flexibility without the use of government mandates, which can increase the cost of employment and stifle creative arrangements. If employers want to pursue this award, they will do so voluntarily and with no penalty if they choose not to do so, nor will this award confer any specific government procurement or tax advantage on the recipients. The only advantage will be related to the employer being able to market themselves as winning this award and providing these types of flexibility in their workplaces.

It's appropriate that the bill sets out a process by which the criteria for receiving this award will be determined. For us in Congress to claim that we know best about what constitutes appropriate flexibility in the workplace and to lock that in so that it could not be changed without another act of Congress would be, frankly, presumptuous and ensure that this award would lose its relevancy over time as new concepts of flexibility emerge and employers respond to employee needs in new ways.

This award would complement similar private-sector awards and showcase public and private organizations that maintain and utilize policies to help their employees to find ways to maintain productivity, while providing workplace flexibility. The award program would be housed at the U.S. Department of Labor, and funding for the program would come out of existing funds at the Labor Department.

I'd like to thank the sponsors of the bill, particularly the main sponsor, Congresswoman Woolsey, for working to craft this bill in a bipartisan manner and for maintaining an open dialogue with interested parties throughout this process.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, the Courtney/Petri/Matsui amendment would transfer the successful Troops to Teachers Program back to the Department of Defense and make important changes to the program to ensure it will continue to provide opportunities for veterans to transition into second careers as educators.

I have been a supporter of the Troops to Teachers program since its authorization in the 1994 Defense Authorization Act, and I am proud of its success in placing over 12,000 veterans in our Nation's classrooms. Troops to Teachers is a unique program that provides veterans with a $5,000 stipend to help cover the costs of obtaining a teaching certification in exchange for 3 years service in an eligible school. An additional bonus of $5,000 is available for teaching in a ``high need school.''

This structure has proven very effective in transitioning qualified retiring military personnel into second careers in teaching. Indeed, Troops participants fill several critical needs among educators: 80 percent are male, over one-third are ethnic minorities, and a majority bring an expertise in science and math to the classroom. Furthermore, these troops also bring valuable life experience and character traits that are uncommon in our Nation's classrooms.

However, the success of this program is in jeopardy without the needed changes that are included in the Courtney/Petri/Matsui amendment. When the program was transferred to the Education Department, a simple drafting error in the 2002 No Child Left Behind Act resulted in an Education Department ruling restricting the number of school districts in which veterans can fulfill their teaching requirement. Since the implementation of this ruling in September 2005, retiring military have found the number of schools at which they would be eligible to teach drastically reduced.

The Department's new interpretation locks out schools in many rural areas and small communities. This is a shame, especially given the success of this program and its ability to meet some of our Nation's greatest teaching needs. In my own State of Wisconsin, only 11 out of 426 school districts qualify for participants to fulfill their teaching requirements. A 2006 Government Accountability Report, GAO, of the program found that the 2005 ruling had reduced interest and participation in the program, as schools in regions where troops lived were no longer considered eligible.

Our amendment would correct this ruling and ensure that veterans participating in the Troops to Teachers program receive a $5,000 stipend for teaching 3 years in any school that is in a district receiving Title 1 funds. This would result in a 49 percent increase in the number of schools eligible under the program. The amendment does not change the criteria for the additional $5,000 bonus, maintaining the incentive for troops to teach in the highest need schools.

Let me be clear, as the language of H.R. 3943 would provide, it is the intent of this amendment to strike ``high need'' from the stipend participation language in the Troops to Teachers statute. There was a late night drafting error that mistakenly did not delete the term ``high need'' as was contemplated and is consistent with the language in H.R. 3943. So as this provision is finalized in conference, it is important that this technical change be made to implement the original intent of the amendment.

The amendment also makes the Troops to Teachers Program more accessible by reducing the length of service requirements for active military. The make-up of our military has drastically changed since this program was first authorized 16 years ago. Many of our young men and women returning from service in Iraq and Afghanistan who would like to pursue teaching careers are currently ineligible for the program.

Third, to ensure continued success of the program the amendment creates an advisory board charged with improving awareness, increasing participation and ensuring the program meets the needs of schools and veterans.

Earlier this year, Representatives Courtney, Matsui and I introduced H.R. 3943, the Post 9/11 Troops to Teachers Enhancement Act, that contains these needed improvements to the program. This bill has 169 bipartisan cosponsors and the support of both military and educational organizations. These include: the American Legion, National Education Association, Association of the United States Army, Association of the United States Navy, Military Order of the Purple Heart, National Association of the State Boards of Education and many more.

Finally, our amendment transfers the Troops to Teachers Program back to the Department of Defense. Currently, the program is operated by the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support, DANTES. The Department of Education simply transfers funds to DANTES. Both the Department of Defense and the Department of Education support this transfer, which is reflected in the Administration's Fiscal Year 2011 budget request.

I want to thank Representative Courtney and Representative Matsui for their work on this amendment, as well as both the Armed Services and Education and Labor Committees for their assistance. I urge my colleagues to support the amendment.

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

I rise in support of the bill before us, H.R. 5220, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Act.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver was the founder and honorary chairperson of Special Olympics and a leader in the worldwide effort to improve the lives and understanding of individuals with intellectual disabilities.

For more than three decades, through her work with the Joseph K. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation and Special Olympics, she worked tirelessly to seek the prevention of intellectual disabilities by identifying its causes and improving the means by which society deals with citizens who have intellectual disabilities.

Mrs. Shriver passed away on August 11, 2009, but her work to ensure that individuals with intellectual disabilities are able to lead independent lives in their communities will live on. An estimated 7 million individuals, 2 percent of the population of the United States, have intellectual disabilities which impair daily living skills needed to live and work in the local community as productive citizens. The three major known causes of intellectual disabilities are Down syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome, and Fragile X.

The Eunice Kennedy Shriver Act will assist individuals with intellectual disabilities by continuing the Federal Government's support of programs that provide early intervention, effective education, research, and appropriate supports for individuals with intellectual disabilities so that they can reach adulthood and become contributing members of our society.

First, the bill reauthorizes the Special Olympics Sport and Empowerment Act of 2004. Special Olympics was established in 1968 and provides year-round sports training and competitive opportunities in 26 sports to more than 3 million athletes with intellectual disabilities. But it does so much more. It dispels negative stereotypes about people with intellectual disabilities, builds community engagement, increases the participation of people with intellectual disabilities in community life, and provides education and health screenings for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Second, the bill authorizes support for Best Buddies, a nonprofit organization that provides mentors and friends to individuals with intellectual disabilities to increase their social relationships. Best Buddies was founded in 1989 by Anthony Kennedy Shriver as the first national, social, and recreational program for people with intellectual disabilities. Since that time, it has grown from one chapter to more than 1,400 middle school, high school, and college campuses all around the country.

Finally, the bill establishes Eunice Kennedy Shriver Institutes for Sport and Social Impact. Through this effort, institutions will conduct research, collect data, and evaluate evidence-based best practices, with the goal of improving the quality of life and, further, the social inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I want to recognize the life and accomplishments of Eunice Kennedy Shriver. Her dedication to improving the lives of individuals with intellectual disabilities is awe inspiring, and I hope that this bill will serve as a fitting legacy to her efforts.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to my colleague from the State of Michigan, Vern Ehlers, a member of the committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to a special leader of this House and coauthor of the bill before us, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Blunt).

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support the bill before us, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Act, and yield back the balance of my time.

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

I rise in support of the bill before us, H.R. 2136, the Honorable Stephanie Tubbs Jones College Fire Prevention Act. Today we have an opportunity to discuss the need to bolster safety on college campuses, specifically fire safety. The name of this bill is appropriate because there was no Member of this body more concerned about protecting our college students from the dangers of fires than the late Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones. This bill would honor Representative Tubbs Jones by naming a demonstration program in her honor.

Our Nation's college students should be able to live on campus with the confidence that they will be safe in their dorms, apartments or other housing. This measure will take a step toward allowing colleges to ensure their buildings are properly equipped with the latest fire safety measures. Specifically, this bill will allow colleges and universities hoping to participate in the demonstration program to apply for funds that can be used to install fire sprinkler systems or other fire suppression or prevention technologies on campus or in buildings controlled by the university.

This measure, combined with the provisions enacted by Congress in the Higher Education Opportunity Act, will increase campus fire safety at colleges and universities. The provisions included in the Higher Education Opportunity Act require colleges to provide a fire safety report to the Secretary of Education. The report must include statistics showing the number of fires and injuries resulting from fires on campus over the past year. We will also require colleges to report on the type of fire prevention technologies they are utilizing and any plans the college may have to improve their fire prevention and detection technologies. The bill before us today will help colleges think creatively about fire safety and ensure they have the funds to move forward with their plans.

Today we have the opportunity to provide a commitment to the safety of college students and pass a measure that will help colleges keep our young people safe from devastating fires. I urge my colleagues to support the bill before us.

I understand the majority has no further requests for time, so I yield such time as she may consume to my colleague from West Virginia, the Honorable Representative Shelley Moore Capito.

I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1292, congratulating the Emporia State University Lady Hornets women's basketball team for winning the 2010 NCAA Division II National Championship.

On March 26, 2010, the Emporia State University Lady Hornets defeated the Fort Lewis Skyhawks 65-53 in the NCAA Division II women's basketball national championship in St. Joseph, Missouri, and captured the Hornets' first-ever women's basketball national title and the university's first national title since 1984.

The Hornets' success was due, in large part, to Alli Volkens. Alli Volkens was named the overall Most Outstanding Player of the tournament and recorded 16 points, 15 rebounds, and five blocks in the championship game alone. While this player was recognized for her outstanding play, the entire team is responsible for the success of the team as NCAA Division II national champions.

The national accolades bestowed upon this team can only be attributed to Head Coach Brandon Schneider and assistant coaches Jory Collins and Kiel Unruh.

While athletic success is what brings us here today, Emporia State is also known for its excellent academics. Emporia State University aims to provide a dynamic and progressive student-centered learning community that fosters student success through engagement in academic excellence, community and global involvement, and the pursuit of personal and professional fulfillment. Emporia State University is located in the heart of the Flint Hills, Kansas, area. The university serves 6,500 students in four different colleges. Founded in 1863, ESU is noted today for their programs in business, library and information management, and liberal arts and sciences.

I extend my congratulations to Emporia State University Head Coach Brandon Schneider and his entire staff, the hardworking players, and the fans. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Madam Speaker, seeing no other requests for time, I yield such time as he may consume to our colleague from Kansas, Jerry Moran.

Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

I rise today in support of the resolution before us, House Resolution 1336, congratulating the University of Texas men's swimming and diving team for winning the NCAA Division I national championship.

The University of Texas at Austin, or UT, is one of the Nation's largest public universities. Founded in 1883, the university has grown to include 21,000 faculty and staff, 17 colleges, and over 50,000 students. UT awards over 8,700 bachelor's degrees annually and is a national leader in graduate degrees awarded. U.S. News and World Report ranked the University of Texas at Austin among the top 50 universities in the Nation in 2009. The university has been especially noted for its schools of engineering, business programs, and college of education.

In addition to academics, the University of Texas at Austin has excelled in athletics as well.

The University of Texas Longhorns have won more than 40 national championships, and UT's athletes have won 116 Olympic medals. The Longhorns men's swimming and diving team added the most recent title to UT's name.

On March 28, 2010, the University of Texas Longhorns men's swimming and diving team accumulated 500 points to win the 2010 NCAA Division I National Championship. It marked the 10th national title for the team. Head Coach Eddie Reese led the team to excellence and became the first men's swimming coach to win NCAA team titles in four separate decades. Senior Dave Walters and sophomore Jimmy Feigen were named the 2010 Big 12 co-Swimmers of the Year and sophomore Drew Livingston was named the Big 12 Diver of the Year. The University of Texas Longhorns men's swimming and diving team has shown themselves to be exemplary athletes. So I stand to congratulate the University of Texas men's swimming and diving team, Coach Eddie Reese, the students, fans, faculty, and staff of UT.

I understand that there are no requests for time by the majority and therefore would yield such time as he may consume to our colleague, the Representative from Austin and some of the surrounding area, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Smith).

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the resolution before us.

I have no further requests for time, and yield back the balance of my time.

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

I rise in support of House Resolution 1361, recognizing North Carolina Central University on its 100th anniversary. Since 1910, the mission of North Carolina Central University has been to prepare students academically and professionally to become leaders. NCCU was founded by Dr. James E. Shepard as the National Religious Training School and Chautauqua for the Colored Race, with the purpose of developing African American men and women into citizens of fine character and sound academic training. After several name changes in the early 1900s, the college saw a significant expansion between 1927 and 1929 through additional funding from the General Assembly, a generous gift from B.N. Duke, and contributions from the citizens of Durham.

NCCU is a comprehensive institution which offers bachelor's degrees in more than 100 fields of study and awards graduate degrees in an estimated 40 disciplines. The university has a state-of-the-art biotechnology research institute, which collaborates with pharmacy and biotech companies in the much-touted Research Triangle Park area, where NCCU is found.

With nearly 9,000 students enrolled, this Historically Black University is diverse. International studies and exchange programs attract exchange students from more than 12 countries, including Liberia, India, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Nepal, China, the Czech Republic, Nigeria, South Korea, Russia, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and South Africa. Through the scholarship and teaching of its faculty and the many contributions to society of its alumni, NCCU seeks to fulfill its motto of ``Truth and Service.''

I'd like to congratulate NCCU Chancellor Charlie Nelms, the faculty, staff, and students, as they celebrate their 100th anniversary. I ask my colleagues to support this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, the resolution before us--introduced by the co-chairs of the GA Caucus, Dr. Ehlers and Mr. Boyd--expresses support for the designation of the third Saturday in May as ``International Learn to Fly Day.''

The resolution recognizes aviation's tremendous impact on the imagination, innovation, and economy of the United States.

Pilots are obviously a critical component of our aviation system and this resolution recognizes the need to cultivate the Nation's next generation of pilots.

It is fitting to recognize the international nature of aviation. The era of flight has certainly brought the world closer together.

Positioned between two major general aviation events in the United States, Sun and Fun in Lakeland, Florida and the EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, International Learn to Fly Day is a great time to encourage young people to take an interest in flying.

These air shows offer a great opportunity to get an up-close and personal look at the aircraft and interact with the pilots who make general aviation such a vibrant part of the aviation community in the United States, and around the world.

The International Learn to Fly Day is also a great way to encourage would-be aviators to follow in the footsteps of other aviators who have helped create the aviation system we all enjoy today.

Mr. Speaker, I support the adoption of the resolution, and urge my colleagues to support the resolution.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of Senate Concurrent Resolution 61, Expressing the sense of the Congress that general aviation pilots and industry should be recognized for the contributions made in response to Haiti earthquake relief efforts.

On January 12, 2010, Haiti experienced a disastrous earthquake that overwhelmed its disaster relief capabilities. The world responded.

In addition to relief offered by governments from around the world, individual general aviation pilots did what they could to support the relief effort.

To help meet the desperate need for supplies to help those displaced by the earthquake, general aviation pilots made over 4,500 relief flights within the first thirty days after the disaster.

Some 3,500 passengers and 1 million pounds of cargo were transported by large general aviation aircraft, and general aviation pilots in smaller aircraft were able to serve areas that larger aircraft could not access, delivering critical medical personnel and supplies.

This concurrent resolution recognizes the magnanimous efforts of the general aviation community in the response to this terrible disaster. The extraordinary efforts of these general aviation pilots and the general aviation community saved countless lives and helped to ease the suffering of those in need.

The Senate adopted this resolution by unanimous consent on April 29, 2010. On this, the 4-month anniversary of the earthquake, I urge my colleagues to adopt this resolution recognizing the efforts of those who came to the aid of the people of Haiti.

Madam Speaker, few events resonate more within a community than marking a major anniversary of its only public high school. This year, in my home town of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, we are celebrating 150 years of continuing commitment to academic excellence that has been achieved by Fond du Lac High School.

As described by G.K. Chesterton, one of the most influential English writers of the 20th century, ``Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another.'' I believe the generations of those who have lived in Fond du Lac since the high school first opened its doors in January of 1859 have been very well served.

Fond du Lac is similar to many cities of its size throughout this great nation. Its citizens are hardworking and civic-minded; they are family-oriented and committed to their children; and they understand the value of a high-quality education. It is for these reasons the high school is such a source of community pride and so tightly woven into the fabric of the community.

It was this commitment to education that initially drove concerned parents to petition for the creation of a high school in October of 1858 in order to develop their children's base of knowledge beyond the fundamentals. In what has become recognized as a typical American trait of every generation, they wanted their children to achieve more than they had and they knew education was the key. They also knew there needed to be a facility where the work of education could be completed.

The first permanent high school in Fond du Lac was built in 1865 at a cost of $17,000. That building burned to the ground in 1868 but, undaunted, the community responded by building a four-story, brick and stone facility, which was completed in 1871 at a cost of $45,000. As the city grew, its citizens responded by building larger schools, expanding them, and when necessary replacing them, in a cycle that has been repeated many times over. How far we have come from the first high school classes held in the Sewell Store on Main Street to the expansive, multimillion-dollar, high-tech school we have today.

But a high school is more than just bricks and mortar; more important are the people who have worked there and have been a part of its development. As Fond du Lac celebrates this important milestone, it is appropriate to remember individuals like George B. Eastman, the first Superintendent of the Fond du Lac Union High School District; Edwin Johnson and M.S. Merrill, Fond du Lac High School's first teachers; and Julia Gibbons and John P. McGalloway, who were among those who served on the first elected school board in the 1920s. Those who belong to more recent generations will tell you not to forget Lowell P. Goodrich, who served as Superintendent from 1923 through 1940 and after whom the high school would be named for many years.

Through the generations, Fond du Lac High School has graduated students who have gone on to contribute to their communities and professions in a wide array of occupations and pursuits, demonstrating that education is indeed ``the soul of a society.''

As we reflect on the profound impact of education, please join me in congratulating the people of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin as they celebrate the sesquicentennial of their high school this year.

Madam Speaker, later this week, the 43rd Session of the United States-Japan Legislative Exchange Program and the 11th Session of the United States-Japan-South Korea Trilateral Exchange Program will commence here in the U.S. Capitol. These meetings are the result of the vision and initiative of Iwao Matsuda, a Member of the House of Councilors of the Japanese Diet. Sadly, it also will be the last that we will have the privilege of meeting with Mr. Matsuda as a Member of the Diet, as he will be retiring. For this reason, I want to honor Mr. Matsuda and officially recognize his many contributions to United States-Japan relations and for fostering greater friendship and cooperation between the U.S. Congress and the Japanese Diet.

Born in Gifu-City, Japan, in 1937, Mr. Matsuda graduated from the University of Tokyo in 1967. He started his career in public service at the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) with posting in various locations around the world--including the United States. He served in the House of Representatives of the Japanese Diet from 1986 to 1996 and was elected to the House of Councilors in 1998. Throughout his public service career, he has served in a variety of distinguished positions, such as the Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy, Food Safety and Information Technology.

Early in his career in the Diet, Mr. Matsuda saw the need for more open communications between the U.S. and Japan. During that time, when Japan-U.S. relations could be tense regarding trade and other issues, Mr. Matsuda knew that personal interaction between Members of Congress and Members of the Diet could lead to greater understanding and cooperation between our two countries. In 1989, along with Rep. Norm Shumway and with assistance from professors at George Washington University and others, the first meeting of the United States-Japan Legislative Exchange Program was held. Semi-annual meetings have been held since and, in 2003, the exchange was expanded to include Members of the South Korean National Assembly.

I have had the privilege of participating in many meetings over the years, and consider Mr. Matsuda to be a colleague and a friend. He is an example to all of us in his leadership, commitment to democratic values, and understanding of the importance of maintaining alliances with friends in good times and bad. Through his resolve in establishing the exchange, we are able to discuss issues of common concern in an open, informal way that leads to better understanding and stronger partnerships.

So it is altogether fitting that we recognize the many contributions of Iwao Matsuda as his final exchange program begins. He has had a lasting impact on United States-Japan-South Korean relations, and we are thankful for--and honor--his leadership, service and friendship today.

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

Mr. Speaker, House Concurrent Resolution 264 authorizes the use of the Capitol grounds for the 29th annual National Peace Officers' Memorial Service to be held on May 15. The memorial service will be just one event of many planned for Police Week to honor the sacrifices of the men and women who serve in law enforcement and to give special recognition of those who lost their lives in the line of duty.

In 1962, Congress established Peace Officers Memorial Day and Police Week through a joint resolution of Congress. And, in 1982, the first official memorial service took place in Senate Park with 125 people gathered to honor 91 officers. Since that time, law enforcement from around the world have come to D.C. to participate in week-long events to honor the brave service and sacrifice of officers who have fallen in the line of duty.

Today, thousands of people participate in the events, including the memorial service, and over 3,000 law enforcement officers have been honored from around our Nation. Currently, there are approximately 900,000 law enforcement officers in the United States that selflessly risk their lives so that we can be safe and protected.

Unfortunately, on average, 160 officers each year lose their lives in the line of duty. And there are approximately 16,000 assaults on police officers each year, resulting in nearly 60,000 injuries. This year, 324 fallen officers will be honored, including 116 who lost their lives in 2009. Police Week will serve to honor the service and sacrifice law enforcement officers make for us every day.

I support this resolution and encourage my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

In May of last year, the House passed H.R. 915, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2009. Last month, the Senate passed its own FAA reauthorization bill which the House took up, amended and passed, and sent back to the Senate. While a conference has not been called, staff from both Chambers have begun informal discussions to reconcile the two versions of bill.

This process will take time, and given that the current FAA extension expires at the end of this month, we need to again extend the FAA's taxes and authorities to allow time to get a final, conferenced FAA bill.

H.R. 5147 would extend the taxes, programs, and funding of the FAA to July 3 of this year. This bill provides just over $3 billion in airport improvement program funding; extends the war risk insurance program; and extends other authorities related to small community air service, airport and safety programs.

This bill will ensure that our national airspace system continues to operate and that the FAA continues to fund important airport projects while the Congress completes action on a final reauthorization bill.

Mr. Speaker, I would now like to yield such time as he may consume to the senior Republican on the Public Works and Transportation Subcommittee, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica).

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5147, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, over the past 18 months, the President repeatedly said about his health care plan, If you like your current health insurance, you can keep it. The majority of Americans knew this was nonsense, and now the Department of Health and Human Services confirms it.

A study just released by that department's chief actuary for Medicare concludes that the financial incentives in the new health care law will lead many employers to stop offering health care coverage altogether. That means about 14 million people with job-based insurance today will lose it, and instead will be required by law to obtain coverage individually.

Further, seniors in my State of Wisconsin have become big fans of Medicare Advantage plans. But the chief actuary for Medicare estimates that the President's and the majority party's Medicare cuts will reduce Medicare Advantage enrollment by 7 million people.

But there is more. The Medicare actuary reports that under the new health care law, 15 percent of all hospitals, nursing homes and other providers could be operating at a loss by 2019 which will jeopardize access to care. Doctors are threatening to drop out of Medicare because cuts in Medicare reimbursement rates mean they can't even cover their costs, much less make a living.

Sadly, these few problems are just the tip of the iceberg, as will be revealed in the months and years ahead as the health care law takes effect.