Floor Statements

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the majority for working with us to make additional improvements to H.R. 6016, the Government Employee Accountability Act, as amended. I thank the gentleman, Mr. Kelly from Pennsylvania, who introduced this bill to address an unfortunate instance where a few Senior Executive Service officials at the GSA received a lot of attention regarding their extravagant spending on a Las Vegas conference.

While I fully support the purpose and intent of this legislation to prevent misappropriation and misuse of taxpayer dollars, we need to be careful not to allow the bad actions of a few government employees to take away from the good work that our Federal workers do every day. I have the greatest respect and appreciation for our Federal workers, and I think we all need to be reminded that these men and women devote their professional lives to serving all Americans. This is especially important to note given all the recent legislation attacking these middle class Federal workers' pay and benefits. I believe in the importance of safeguarding taxpayer dollars and holding our public servants accountable. For this reason, I support this bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I continue to reserve.

At this time I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

As a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration of H.R. 4062, to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 1444 Main Street in Ramona, California as the Nelson ``Mac'' MacWilliams Post Office Building.

The bill before us was introduced by Representative Duncan Hunter. Nelson MacWilliams graduated from Calverton High School in Huntington, Maryland. Nelson MacWilliams would attend Salisbury State University in Salisbury, Maryland, before enlisting in the U.S. Navy in 1977. Upon his retirement from the Navy, he would begin serving his community in California.

His work with the Ramona Chamber of Commerce would establish him as a respected member within the community. He was called on by Representative Hunter to help small businesses within the community. His tireless efforts would help local small businesses succeed in cutting bureaucratic red tape.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of the underlying measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I urge my colleagues to join the entire House in honoring this great American, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

As a member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, I'm pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration of H.R. 6587, to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 225 Simi Valley Drive in Simi Valley, California, as the Postal Inspector Terry Asbury Post Office Building.

I want to thank Representative Gallegly, on November 13, 2012, for introducing this bill. Inspector Asbury diligently served the U.S. Postal Service as postal inspector for 4 years when he was tragically killed while conducting an investigation.

In remembrance of Inspector Asbury for his tireless work and dedication to service, I urge my colleagues to pass this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, so I yield back the balance of my time.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I, too, want to join with my colleague from Arizona in consideration of H.R. 2338, to name the post office in Cocoa, Florida, after Harry T. and Harriette Moore. In accordance with committee requirements, H.R. 2338 is cosponsored by all members of the Florida delegation and was reported out of the Oversight Committee by unanimous consent. It honors the legacy of Harry T. and Harriette Moore, who both fought tirelessly for civil rights and against voter discrimination.

In 1934, Harry and Harriette organized the first NAACP branch, as was mentioned, in Brevard County. In the face of discrimination, the Moores succeeded in establishing additional NAACP branches throughout Florida. In addition, the Moores worked with the Progressive Voters League to register over 100,000 African Americans in the State. Harry's hard work and determination led him to become the president of the Florida State Conference of NAACP branches.

Tragically, as was mentioned, in 1951, Harry and Harriette Moore were fatally injured when a bomb planted underneath their house exploded. The Moores were survived by their only daughter, Juanita.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of this bill to commemorate the legacy of Harry T. and Harriette Moore, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, let me thank and congratulate my good friend from Florida (Mr. Posey) for bringing to this House, bringing to our attention these two great Americans and the legacy that they left this country. Thank you for doing that.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield as much time as my colleague would like to consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Bishop), who is the sponsor of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I also urge my colleagues to pass this bill to continue to promote the legacy of Brigadier General Nathaniel Woodhull, and having no further speakers, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

I am pleased to join my colleagues in support of H.R. 5954. And at this time, I would like to yield such time as he may consume to my friend and colleague from Pennsylvania (Mr. Altmire).

Mr. Speaker, I also urge the passage of H.R. 5954 and reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, having no further requests for time, let me again urge my colleagues to vote in support of H.R. 5954, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Let me thank my friend from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski) for yielding.

Let me say, Mr. Speaker, that I rise today to honor my great friend and colleague, the distinguished senior Member from Illinois (Mr. Costello). Let me also mention that Mr. Costello served in previous Congresses with my father, so he was here when I got here. And our districts are just across the river from each other. He represents southern Illinois, and I represent the city of St. Louis, the Gateway to the West.

As he prepares to retire at the conclusion of the 112th Congress, Congressman Costello has been a trusted friend and mentor to me for the last 12 years. When I first arrived as a freshman Member of Congress in 2001, Congressman Costello was here to greet me and guide me along the right path, and over the years I have continued to rely on his good advice and wise counsel. His departure is a great loss for the State of Illinois, the citizens of the 12th District, and the St. Louis regional delegation.

For the last 24 years, Mr. Costello has been a tireless advocate for southern Illinois and Metro East. He has been a champion for rebuilding and enhancing our transportation infrastructure. The magnificent new Mississippi River bridge that is currently under construction will be a powerful symbol of his legacy of leadership.

Congressman Costello has also been the patron saint of Scott Air Force Base, the largest employer in southern Illinois. Our region, and indeed our Nation, are stronger because of his continuous efforts to preserve and expand this vital national defense asset.

Mr. Speaker, I consider it a great blessing to have had the opportunity to serve with Congressman Costello and to call him my good friend. I honor him for his service to his State, the St. Louis region, and our Nation, and I salute him on a remarkable congressional career.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my great friend and colleague, the distinguished senior member from Illinois, Mr. Costello, as he prepares to retire at the conclusion of the 112th Congress.

Congressman Costello has been a trusted friend and mentor to me for the last twelve years.

When I first arrived as a freshman Member of Congress in 2001, Congressman Costello was here to greet me and guide me along the right path.

And over the years, I have continued to rely on his good advice and wise counsel.

His departure is a great loss for the State of Illinois, the citizens of the 12th district, and the St. Louis regional delegation.

For the last twenty-four years, Mr. Costello has been a tireless advocate for southern Illinois and metro east.

He has been a champion for rebuilding and enhancing our transportation infrastructure.

The magnificent new Mississippi River Bridge that is currently under construction will be a powerful symbol of his legacy of leadership.

Congressman Costello has also been the patron saint of Scott Air Force Base--the largest employer in southern Illinois.

Our region, and indeed, our nation are stronger because of his continuous efforts to preserve and expand this vital national defense asset.

Mr. Speaker, I consider it a great blessing to have had the opportunity to serve with Congressman Costello and to call him my good friend.

I honor him for his service to his state, the St. Louis region and our nation.

And I salute him on a remarkable congressional career.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4631, the Government Spending Accountability Act, as amended.

This legislation will improve congressional oversight of Federal Government spending on meetings and conferences. It is modeled on similar reporting requirements contained in the DATA Act, which passed the House of Representatives earlier this year with bipartisan support.

This legislation will help rein in the type of wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars that we have witnessed over the past several months. In April, the committee held a hearing to examine the GSA's expenditure of $800,000 on a single conference in Las Vegas in 2010.

The gross abuse of Federal funds must not be repeated, and one way to avoid that is to monitor more closely how Federal agencies use their funds on such activities.

We are all aware that conferences are an important part of staff development and can help improve the quality of Federal Government work; however, we must make sure that they do not turn into resort vacations funded by taxpayers, many of whom are continuing to struggle to make ends meet.

Madam Speaker, the GSA incident tarnished the reputation of government workers who dedicate their lives to public service, which I believe is unfair. This legislation, as amended, would prevent a few reckless and selfish individuals from engaging in activities that discredit the entire Federal workforce.

Madam Speaker, I urge support for this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt).

Madam Speaker, I also urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 4631, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

I rise in support of H.R. 538, the Government Customer Service Improvement Act. This is a good-government bill that will improve the way Federal agencies interact with the people they serve.

I yield 5 minutes to my friend, the gentleman from Texas, the author of the bill, Mr. Cuellar.

Madam Speaker, again, I urge the House to adopt H.R. 538, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

The majority's plan to stop national safeguards will harm real Americans. Regulations affect real people, not just balance sheets. When we look at the cost of regulations, we have to examine more than cold dollar amounts. We also have to look at the benefits. We have to look at the real lives saved and at the real catastrophic injuries prevented. We have to look at the real American families who live healthier, happier, and safer lives because of Federal regulations, regulations that protect them in their homes, regulations that protect them at their jobs, and regulations that protect them in their communities, places of worship, the roads they drive on, the stores where they shop, the schools where their children learn, and the parks where they play.

The majority's plan will have real negative consequences on the economy and on the health and safety of all Americans, especially those among us who need the most help. The majority's plan would prevent HUD from updating their housing subsidy rates, and more families would be without a place to live. Worker safety will be jeopardized because the majority's plan would block workplace regulations. Children will be put at greater risk because the majority's plan would prevent the Federal Government from protecting them.

Madam Chair, we need to work together to create jobs and protect American families, and we don't have to choose between the two.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 459. This bill directs the Comptroller General to conduct an audit of the Federal Reserve.

Since 1982, the GAO has had authority to audit the Federal Reserve Board and Bank, subject to exceptions for monetary policy-related decisions and activities.

In 2009, Congress provided authority for the GAO to audit actions by the Fed under section 13(3) of the Federal Reserve Act to lend to any single and specific partnership or corporation, notwithstanding the generally applicable monetary policy-related exceptions.

In 2010, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act added new audit authorities. In addition, GAO has conducted a number of other reviews of Federal Reserve activities; but we need a full audit, and I urge my colleagues to vote for the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I cannot believe we are asked for a 31st time to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

This isn't just a policy issue. This is a moral test. This is one of the great moral tests of our time. Those who vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act are failing that moral test. They are utterly failing that test.

Paying health insurance premiums and other health care bills has become very difficult for American families. Premiums have gone up each year and the cost of health care has escalated. Insurance companies have shifted costs to consumers through increases in deductibles and copayments and decreases in covered services. Low- and middle-income families need relief from skyrocketing health care costs.

The constitutional ACA provides real relief to American families. First, the Affordable Care Act provides direct financial relief to millions of insured American families that struggle to pay health insurance premiums today. The new law allows families to shop for a plan in new State insurance exchanges and allows them to receive a big discount on their premiums.

The ACA protects people from high deductibles, high copayments, and unexpected gaps in their insurance coverage in three ways. It eliminates lifetime and annual limits on how much an insurance plan will pay for covered benefits. That means payments won't suddenly run out. It caps how much a person must spend each year on deductibles and copayments for covered benefits. That means that families won't be forced to lose their homes because they get sick. And it provides additional help with out-of-pocket costs for lower-income families.

Second, the ACA expands the affordable insurance options to families who could not afford coverage before. Medicaid will now be available to families at or lower than the 133 percent of the Federal poverty level. For people with incomes above that level and up to 400 percent of poverty, new premium tax credits will help them afford coverage. Reducing the number of uninsured will help reduce the ``hidden health tax'' that is imposed on insured families. We all pay higher premiums to pay for the care of the uninsured.

Third, the Affordable Care Act will slow the growth of underlying health care costs and help all Americans.

As I have said on this floor before, the ACA is the greatest improvement in women's health in decades. Under the ACA, millions of women are gaining access to affordable health care coverage. Women will not have to pay more than men for the same insurance policy, and women will not be denied coverage because they are sick or have preexisting conditions. Women will be guaranteed preventive services, such as mammograms and cervical cancer screenings, with no deductibles or copays.

Senior women will have access to coordinated care.

Senior women will save thousands of dollars as reform closes the Medicare prescription drug coverage gap.

Family caregivers--who are typically women--will benefit from new supports that help them care for their loved ones while also taking care of themselves.

Mr. Speaker, as the great Progressive Hubert Humphrey said:

``The moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; those who are in the shadows of life, the sick; the needy and the handicapped.''

By voting to repeal the ACA, my colleagues are failing that test, Mr. Speaker. They are failing that moral test.

Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Oversight Committee, I know that the gunwalking operations conducted by the ATF under both the previous and current administrations were absolutely wrong. But the leadership of this House is focused on shameful election-year political posturing instead of the real issue.

The Justice Department, long ago, ended the practice of allowing these guns to ``walk'' across the border, putting communities in Mexico at great risk. But the same people who have relentlessly pursued a baseless, partisan attack on Attorney General Holder and the President have ignored the desperate pleas of the Mexican Government--to strengthen American gun laws and curb the gun trafficking that gave rise to the strategy in the first place.

But focusing on the real issue would take time away from their playing politics with their oversight authority. Those on the other side of the aisle claim to be concerned about powerful assault weapons crossing the border into Mexico illegally, but how can they be completely fine with those same powerful assault weapons being sold right here in this country legally, putting our communities at even greater risk?

This is nothing more than a political witch hunt. The disgraceful posturing that I witnessed at last week's markup has been continued on the floor today. I agree that it never should have come to this, but we are here debating this resolution solely because of the majority. They created the scandal and produced a showdown during an election season just to smear an honorable, dedicated public servant and to embarrass his boss.

I urge my colleagues to reject this nakedly partisan abuse of power.

Madam Speaker, tomorrow this House is about to do something unprecedented and unwarranted. Motivated solely by politics, the leadership of this House is planning to smear a dedicated public servant.

For the first time in our history, they are planning to hold the Attorney General of the United States in contempt of Congress. This is shameful. Not even during the nakedly partisan speakership of Newt Gingrich has this House even considered such a resolution. But even more shameful is that they are ignoring the real issue, the easily available assault weapons and the gun related violence that continues unabated in this country.

Madam Speaker, they need to put aside politics and start caring about the safety of all of our citizens.

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

As a member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, I'm pleased to join my colleagues in

consideration of H.R. 3412, to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 1421 Veterans Memorial Drive in Abbeville, Louisiana, as the Sergeant Richard Franklin Abshire Post Office Building.

As was mentioned, Sergeant Richard Abshire served as the platoon sergeant with Company G, Second Battalion, Fourth Marines, Ninth Marines Amphibious Brigade, during the Vietnam War.

As was also mentioned, he was in a heavy firefight. Upon entering the village, Sergeant Abshire and his unit came under heavy enemy fire. The heavy small arms and automatic weapons fire halted the company, and Sergeant Abshire was directed to establish a defensive position with advantageous firing positions.

As the hostilities increased, it became apparent that the Vietnamese were preparing to launch a counterattack. Sergeant Abshire exposed himself to enemy fire to deploy the grenades that temporarily disoriented the enemy.

Returning to his unit, Sergeant Abshire moved along the line, shouting words of encouragement, and directing his unit's fire. The sergeant then provided covering fire as his unit pulled back. After expending his remaining ammunition, he attempted to rejoin his unit when he was mortally wounded in the head by a burst of enemy fire. Sergeant Abshire was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his heroic actions leading his unit and ensuring their return to safety.

Madam Speaker, if anyone deserves a postal facility named after them, it is Sergeant Abshire.

I urge the passage of the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers. I urge passage of H.R. 3412, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.