Kevin Brady

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I, too, want to add my thanks and appreciation to my classmate on her years of dedication and stellar service to the United States of America on behalf of your wonderful State. Thank you. Some of you may remember David, the little boy in the bubble. He was a constituent from Shenandoah, Texas, who passed away at the age of 12 after living many years of his life in a sterile environment at the Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, Texas. His mom, Carol Ann Demeret, is a champion for David and for other patients who were born with immunodeficiency disease. Carol Ann is a friend and a constituent, and has worked so hard to help those patients impacted with that disease. For years now, Carol Ann and I and many others have been fighting to change the law that could help patients like David. Intravenous immune globulin, or IVIG therapy, is a vital step for treating patients with certain life-threatening diseases. These are patients for whom virtually every trip outside is potentially deadly. For the 250,000 Americans with primary immunodeficiency disease, there is no place more dangerous than going to a hospital for treatment. This is why home IVIG treatment actually prevents people being exposed to common illnesses that may make you and I miserable for a day or two, but could be deadly for patients with suppressed immune systems. Regular access to IVIG therapy means a better quality of life, less disability, and potentially the difference between life and death. Unfortunately, today current law excludes from Medicare coverage the items and services necessary to administer IVIG therapy in the home, where doctors tell us patients with compromised immune systems can benefit the most. The Medicare IVIG Access Act requires the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to do a couple of things. It establishes a 3-year demonstration project to cover these items and services necessary to do this therapy in the home. It evaluates the impact of the demonstration project on access for these Medicare beneficiaries, analyzes the appropriateness of implementing a new methodology for IVIG payment in all care settings under Medicare part B, and updates a previous report on this by the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. It's my intent that the required study consider the impact of lag times with respect to data used to determine the average sales price and make recommendations to reduce the lag time to ensure more accurate pricing for IVIG, and to report whether home infusion saves the Medicare program tax dollars by improving access to all care settings. The Medicare Payment Advisory Committee recently looked at home infusion, including the access problem for Medicare beneficiaries with PIDD. The June MedPAC report reported that a targeted expansion of home infusion coverage focusing on certain drugs would have more likelihood of savings. Drugs with a narrow indication and precise diagnostic criteria like IVIG for PIDD are less likely to have a woodwork effect than drugs with broad uses or imprecise diagnostic criteria. MedPAC's report also highlighted that fixing the part B home infusion therapy for beneficiaries with PIDD may save money because some of the other covered therapies for these patients are more expensive. I expect, Madam Speaker, that the study required by this bill will give us more information about potential savings from giving people access to the right kind of care, reducing their exposure to germs in other settings, and increased compliance with prescribed therapy. There may be a lot of division and partisanship in Washington right now, but not about this bill. I would like to thank my esteemed colleague, Representative Doris Matsui of California, for her leadership and tremendous hard work on this important bill. We have here today a solid, bipartisan bill, and both the House and Senate join together in support of Medicare IVIG access. Madam Speaker, I will include in the Record an exchange of letters between the Ways and Means Committee and Energy and Commerce Committee related to this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Energy and Commerce, Washington, DC, December 11, 2012. Hon. Dave Camp, Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Camp: I am writing concerning H.R. 1845, the ``Medicare IVIG Access Act.'' I wanted to notify you that the Committee on Energy and Commerce will forgo action on the bill so that it may proceed expeditiously to the House floor for consideration. This is done with the understanding that the Committee on Energy and Commerce is not waiving any of its jurisdiction, and the Committee will not be prejudiced with respect to the appointment of conferees or its jurisdictional prerogatives on this or similar legislation. I would appreciate a response confirming this understanding and ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be included in the Congressional Record during consideration of H.R. 1845 on the House floor. Sincerely, Fred Upton, Chairman.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1845) to provide for a study on issues relating to access to intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) for Medicare beneficiaries in all care settings and a demonstration project to examine the benefits of providing coverage and payment for items and services necessary to administer IVIG in the home, as amended.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Madam Speaker, this is a jobs bill, pure and simple. It levels the playing field in Russia for American energy, agriculture, manufacturing, services, and our growing technology industry to be able to compete on a level playing field in that country with our competitors: China, Europe, Brazil, and others. This bill means more sales to the ninth largest economy in the world and more jobs here at home as a result. America gives up nothing in this legislation, but it stands to gain much. Creating that leveled playing field is important to job creation. But this bill also holds Russia accountable to live up to its obligations, to play by the same trade rules everyone else in this world does as well. That means a chance to protect and the means to insist that our intellectual property rights be protected, to insist that sound science be used on food safety, to insist, again, that there are not artificial barriers either at the front door or the back to American products and services being sold in Russia. This legislation also creates important new tools to continue to pressure Russia to make progress on the important issue of human rights. For Texas, our State, this is an important issue because Russia is our fastest growing trade partner. We are the number one exporter. Our growth and sales grew by almost a third last year alone. But it is broader than that. It's important to every State in the United States. It's important to our trading relationship. And again, the fact that we are able to hold Russia accountable should they violate their commitments, we have in law a process to resolve those disputes and re-create a level playing field. I want to credit and thank Chairman Dave Camp of Michigan for his long leadership on trade. This is, by my account, the seventh bipartisan trade measure to pass this House, and we hope it will move to the President's desk. And I thank Ranking Member Levin for his outstanding work on this as well.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 585, I was unavoidably detained and could not be present for last night's rollcall vote on H.R. 5044, the Andrew P. Carpenter Tax Act. I am a cosponsor and strong supporter of this legislation, which would provide tax relief from any amounts of private educational loans forgiven for service members who lost their lives in the line of duty since the beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom in October of 2001. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Coach Joe Avezzano. As we kick off the 2012 football season, there are heavy hearts in Texas and throughout the country because of the passing of former Dallas Cowboys' special teams Coach Joe Avezzano. For four decades, Coach Joe gave all his time and dedication to the sport we all love and today we take a minute to honor him. Coach Avezzano was on the sidelines for three of the Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl wins (1993, 1994 and 1996). He was named the National Football League's special-teams coach of year in 1991, 1993 and 1998. It's not just his colleagues and players who are mourning his loss, but the fans who loved how animated he was on the sidelines and how his indomitable spirit inspired his ``special-teams demons'' to play the game of football and the game of life at a whole new level. Coach Joe was a young 68 when he collapsed on a treadmill while in Milan coaching the Milano Seamen of the Italian Football League. His work in Milan, as an Ambassador to the world for American football, was just the latest stop on Coach Joe's football world tour which started when he played offensive lineman for the Boston Patriots. In the 1980's, Coach Avezzano served as the head coach at Oregon State University. And who could have predicted then that in a short four year span he would go on to be instrumental in three Super Bowl victories. After leaving Dallas, Coach Joe led the Oakland Raiders special teams and coached in the Arena Football League. While football was his life, music was his passion and even former Dallas Cowboys coach Barry Switzer said ``Joe would rather have been a country western music star or on-stage performer than a football coach if he had a choice.'' Mr. Speaker, Joseph William Avezzano is survived by his wife, Diann, son Tony, many friends and family members, his crews at Coach Joe's Bar and Grill in Frisco and Coach Joe's Hat Trick in Lewisville and millions of football fans who will always miss how his personality and spirit filled the sidelines of any game he ever coached.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember Ryan Milley, a young man from Conroe, Texas who was born on September 20, 1979. In 1998, 18-year old Ryan lost his life to meningococcal meningitis. As a result of Ryan's death his family founded Meningitis Angels, a national nonprofit organization that educates the public, health professionals, child care facilities, schools and universities on not only meningitis but other vaccine preventable diseases through personal stories, educational brochures, posters and videos. Meningitis Angels is dedicated to the support of victims of bacterial meningitis and their families. While helping families cope with the loss or care of a family member they also offer some hands on support for those children affected with bacterial meningitis. Sadly, Meningitis Angels continues to grow. Meningitis Angels currently represents over 600 families across the U.S. and abroad. Mr. Speaker, I cannot do justice to these families without speaking about this terrible and preventable disease. Bacterial meningitis is an infection of the meninges, the thin lining that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. It is a deadly, debilitating disease that especially affects infants, children, teenagers, young adults, and those with compromised immune systems. People who have bacterial meningitis may have longterm complications and disabilities like permanent brain damage and long-term physical problems such as heart, kidney, or intestinal problems or could require amputations of the arms, legs and facial features. Infants and teens are highest risk for this disease. The most effective way to protect your child against bacterial meningitis is to complete the recommended vaccine schedule. In many states, these vaccines are required for children in school and daycare. The families of Meningitis Angels can tell you that these requirements are not frivolous or busy work. So on their behalf, I ask that American families get vaccinated to prevent more tragedies. I have offered H. Res. 403 to honor Ryan Wayne Milley, his remarkable mom Frankie, and all Meningitis Angels across the United States. Today is an appropriate day to remember Ryan and to support efforts to end the disease that took his life.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 586, I was unavoidably detained and could not be present for last night's rollcall vote on H.R. 5912, a bill that would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to prohibit the use of public funds for political party conventions and provide for the return of any previously-distributed funds for deficit reduction. I am a strong supporter of this legislation. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in strongly supporting passage of this important bipartisan legislation to deepen trade ties with sub-Saharan Africa and the Central American-Dominican Republic countries and renew sanctions on Burma. As Chairman Camp pointed out, this legislation is strongly supported by America's textile industry and will help build more integrated supply chains between the United States and both Africa and Central America, maximizing the benefits of the agreements we describe as AGOA and CAFTA-DR. These provisions support well-paying U.S. jobs and jobs in sub- Saharan Africa and Central America. I was honored to help lead with Chairman Camp the effort to pass CAFTA-DR, and I'm pleased now to see this successful agreement be further improved through the legislation we are considering today. This bill also extends the President's authority to continue the import ban under the 2003 Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act. I am not normally a fan of unilateral sanctions, but I believe these programs must be evaluated carefully to determine their effectiveness and implications for America's economy, and this does. I also recognize that as the sole remaining superpower, we have the responsibility to show our disapproval of rogue states and human rights abusers. The sanctions regime under the 2003 law is a model in this regard, and I can say that recent developments in Burma confirm the need for continuous evaluation. Although the Burmese Government has taken many positive steps, these reforms must continue and grow so the citizens of Burma can gain true political and economic freedom--the goals very much at the heart of the original 2003 law. For that reason, I believe we should continue the current sanctions regime as the international community keeps a watchful eye on developments. At the end of the day, this is a jobs bill, and a bipartisan one at that. I urge my colleagues to support this essential legislation.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Chairman, as vice chairman of the Joint Economic Committee, I would point out that that was a partisan report-- very partisan report on the Republican tax proposal developed by the Ways and Means Committee and included in the Republican budget. But let me ask you this, because here's the real question: As hardworking Americans, when you open the mailbox and see a letter from the IRS, what do you think? How frightened are you? If you're a small business owner and you get a call from the IRS saying it's time to audit you, how fearful are you? The truth of the matter is, Americans are frightened of their own tax law, of their own Tax Code. They know it's unfair; they know it's too complicated. They know if they make a mistake, who knows how damaging it would be for them. We now have one full of special loopholes so complicated the best tax lawyers in America--including the IRS--don't quite understand it. And now we've gone from first to worst in the world. America's tax rates are the worst among our competitors. So this is why jobs are going overseas. And you will hear Members of Congress, you will hear the President, you will hear candidates for Congress say we need to fix this Tax Code, but they don't do it. House Republicans are going to act to fix this broken Tax Code. The chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Dave Camp, has held 24 very thoughtful, very solid hearings to find ways to move forward on tax reform. Today, the House has the opportunity to lay out principles for a far more simple Tax Code, a far more fair Tax Code, one that doesn't frighten us to death and one that doesn't frighten our jobs overseas. More importantly, in this bill is a simple provision that says: Congress, you also have to do your job. It sets up a timetable for the House and Senate next year to have a guaranteed up-or-down vote on comprehensive tax reform. So no more stalling, no more delaying, no more talking about the need to fix this Tax Code. In the House today we will act to guarantee that Congress must take this up. And it's about time because we are losing jobs, we're dragging our own economy down, we're frightening hardworking taxpayers who are just trying to live by the law, but no one actually understands this Tax Code. We're determined to act; and when we do act, both today and next year, at fundamental reform that is lower and fairer and simpler, our economy is going to grow, this Nation is going to grow, and we're going to be back on top of the world when it comes to the best business climate and strongest economy in the world. But today we first have to act. I strongly support this bill, and I encourage Members of this House to do so as well.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate Chairman Camp's leadership on this important jobs issue. For America, this recovery is the weakest since World War II. It's dead last. Millions of Americans can't find work. Millions of Americans have given up looking for work. Businesses along Main Street are struggling. Business confidence is down. Consumer confidence is down. This economy is not working, but yet the President has a plan. He gave it to us a couple of weeks ago. He said, I want to raise taxes on small businesses and professionals. But here is the cost in real terms for our economy: 700,000 more Americans will be kicked to the unemployment line; the economy will grow slower, in fact, it will shrink; paychecks will shrink; there will be less investment in America. What kind of plan is that for a recovery? And also, seniors are going to write more checks in capital gains and dividends to Uncle Sam, the dividends they live on. Small businesses will be able to expand less often because of this. Republicans think there is a different choice for America's economy. We want to stop the tax hikes. We want to grow this economy by 1 million new jobs. We want to make sure that when you, as a senior, save your whole life, you invest in dividends in a home and land, that you keep it to survive in your retirement years. We want to make sure the death tax doesn't come back to life. Think about this: You work your whole life to build a family-owned farm or business, and when you die, Uncle Sam swoops in and takes more than half of everything you've worked a lifetime to earn. That's the choice between the Republican plan to stop the tax hikes and grow this economy and the President's plan to raise taxes and hurt this economy. It is a clear choice. The House is going to act. And more importantly, we're going to make sure America has the best tax system in the world again so that we can compete and win so that our kids and grandkids have the opportunity for the strongest economy in the world. It's a clear choice.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the birthday of a dear friend and a true East Texas treasure, Jimmie Ruth Cooley. She is a shining example of hard work and the success that follows. A three term mayor of her beloved Woodville, Jimmie has been a tireless, enthusiastic advocate for her community, for Tyler County, for East Texas and in fact the Lone Star State where she has left her mark as well. When it comes to accomplishing tasks and overcoming hurdles--Jimmie has got it covered. One of her dear friends, Mary Jane Neal, summed it up best, saying ``She likes to get things done''. And she has. Over the years Mayor Cooley has served as a board member and a leader in the Deep East Texas Council of Government; Three Rivers Council of Boy Scouts of America; Woodville Independent School District Compass Arts; Tyler County Art League; and Tyler County Hospital Foundation. She's worked tirelessly as president of the Tyler County Chamber of Commerce, a past member of the Texas Office of Community Affairs Task Force and Deep Texas Regional Review Committee. Longtime Texas Governor Rick Perry appointed Jimmie to serve on the board of the Lower Neches Valley Authority, where she has talked water with me countless times because she knows how important our lakes and rivers are to our communities in East Texas. And yes, she has a professional career as well--she is a graduate of the American Institute of Real Estate and now a retired real estate agent. ``Yes, Mayor, I'll get on it'' are how most of my conversations with Jimmie end. She is a close advisor, confidant, and most of all a true friend. Blessed with a wonderful sense of humor, Jimmie is a keen observer of the people she serves and of the community in which she lives. I want America to know about this tireless champion of East Texas who gives back more than could ever be asked of her. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to rise today to wish Jimmie Ruth Cooley a very Happy 80th Birthday and many more years of happiness to come.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, last month, the United States lost one of its most pre-eminent minds. Anna J. Schwartz, perhaps the most pioneering economist in her generation, passed away at the age of 96. Dr. Schwartz had considerable impact upon how academics and others think about monetary policy and the role it can play in sustaining the economic health of nations. She was best known for co-authoring, along with Milton Friedman, ``A Monetary History of the United States, 1867-1960.'' The book's thesis attributed the worst depth of the Great Depression to the Federal Reserve's restricting the supply of money, when it should have expanded it. Its conclusions revolutionized both our understanding of that era and how its history was being taught. The book was instantly recognized as a classic in its field. ``Anna did all of the work, and I got most of the recognition,'' Friedman, who received the Noble Prize in economic science in 1976, observed. As he did most things, Friedman had that right. Had Anna either been born male or entered the world a generation later, she certainly would have won more plaudits than she did and received those that came her way much earlier in her career. Yet in many ways, hers was the typical American story, one we would do well to keep in mind as we prepare to celebrate the 236th anniversary of our nation's independence. The third child of Jewish immigrants from eastern Europe, Anna, at an early age, showed that pioneering spirit that so characterizes the best of America. While at Walton High School in the Bronx, she showed a particular bend for economics, hardly a field known to be hospitable to women. ``I found it more exciting than literature or foreign languages.'' She was only 18 when she graduated from Barnard College. She would be well into middle age when she obtained her Ph.D. Right until the end, Anna remained active in her field. She lectured officials at the Federal Reserve when she thought they made wrong calls and blissfully engaged in debates in the opinion pages of newspapers to correct misstatements of fact and of economics by columnists she thought incorrigible. Looking back on her career, she quoted the poet Wordsworth: ``Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive/But to be young was very heaven!'' I ask that the House join in paying tribute to this most inspiring woman and in expressing both our gratitude and condolences to her family.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Last month, the United States lost one of its most preeminent economic minds. Anna J. Schwartz, perhaps the most pioneering economist in her generation, passed away at the age of 96. Dr. Schwartz had a considerable impact on how academics and others think about monetary policy. She was best known for coauthoring, along with Milton Friedman, ``A Monetary History of the United States.'' The book's thesis attributed the worst depth of the Great Depression to the Federal Reserve's restricting the supply of money when it should have expanded it. Its conclusions revolutionized our understanding of that era. ``Anna did all of the work, and I got most of the recognition,'' Friedman observed, who received the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 1976. I ask the House to join me in paying tribute to this most inspiring woman and in expressing both our gratitude and condolences to her family.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Rice University in Houston, Texas as a prominent research university advancing education in the arts, humanities and sciences. Inaugurated on October 12, 1912 and named after its benefactor, William Marsh Rice, the university has continued to excel, with an impressive list of accomplishments and achievements over the past century. As a leading research university with a commitment to undergraduate education, Rice consistently ranks among the top 20 universities in the United States overall and ranks among the world's top 100 universities every year. The University is leading research in a wide range of fields, from bioinformatics, cellular technology, and health, to nanotechnology, and space. Rice is the first university in the United States to create a department dedicated to space exploration. In fact, the land that is now home to the Johnson Space Center of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in Houston was originally donated by Rice. The university also has a proven track record of producing strong, dependable community and national leaders including: Former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker, Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez, current City of Houston Mayor Annise Parker, Nobel Prize of Chemistry Dr. Richard Smalley, NASA Astronaut Peggy Whitson, and All- Star Major League Baseball player Lance Berkman, just to name a few. Truth be told, each year I take my two sons down to Reckling Park to watch from the hill and left field the Rice Owls compete in NCAA baseball. It's a tradition in our family. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to join with Rice University administration, staff, alumni, students and community in celebrating this milestone and I look forward to the bright future and successes coming out of Rice University over the next centennial. I am confident the best is yet to come.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Texas is a big State. We have a lot of poor families. And as a border State, we have a lot of people here who are not legal. As a result, we struggle to provide health care across our State. ObamaCare will make it worse, will make it harder to help families. This chart lays out the new health care law that affects every one of you in America. This is the result of that 2,801-page bill and the Supreme Court ruling. What that Supreme Court left in place was 159 new Federal agencies and bureaucracies in between you and your doctor. What they left in place was 21 new tax increases, a dozen of which hit middle class families like yourself right in the pocketbook. What it left in place is half a trillion dollars of cuts to our local hospitals, our home health care agencies, our nursing homes, even hospice care when people are dying. They left in place those cuts. And today you'll hear, when I finish, the ranking member will tell you all this sugar and spice about ObamaCare in Texas. What he won't tell you is how many seniors will be forced off Medicare Advantage, their plan, because of ObamaCare. They won't tell you how few doctors will even see our seniors anymore in Texas. What he won't tell you is how many small businesses and medium-sized businesses are going to drop their health care plans and move their workers into the subsidized exchanges because of ObamaCare. You won't hear that when I finish talking. The truth of the matter is if ObamaCare is so great for families, why are your health care costs still going up? If it is so great for small businesses, why did they sue to stop it? And if it is so great for seniors, how come they can't find doctors to see them anymore? Health care is too important to get wrong, and ObamaCare got it wrong. It's time to repeal it, start with a fresh slate, and help the families who need it most.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Nathan Raulz, 18, of Conroe, Texas. Raulz had been a volunteer with Central Montgomery County Fire-Rescue (formerly River Plantation Fire Department) Station 171 for the past three years and planned to continue his career in public service. After graduating from Conroe High School approximately three weeks ago, he joined the department full time. He loved serving his community and his country, which explain why he recently enlisted in the military as well. His dream was to serve his country, gain valuable training through the military, and then return home to resume his career in professional fire fighting. The city of Conroe, and all of Montgomery County were shocked when such a bright light of a young life was snuffed out in a tragic motorcycle accident June 6. Nathan's legacy of service and dedication to his dreams will stay with our community for years to come. The Central Montgomery County Fire-Rescue Station 171 issued this statement after learning of the loss of Raulz: ``Today our department suffered a great loss. Firefighter Nathan Raulz was killed in an automobile accident on Stidham Road. This young man won our hearts almost three years ago when he joined our department as a junior firefighter. Immediately he stood out as a stellar newcomer, and grew into an amazing young man and firefighter. The dedication and promise he showed earned him the title Junior Firefighter of The Year two years in a row. We will truly miss our ``Ragoo''! We would like to send our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Nathan. You will be in our thoughts and prayers.'' Today we honor the life of Nathan Raulz, we pray for his family, and we remember his dedication to others and hope it will challenge us all to live each day to the fullest.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Chairman, thank you for your leadership on this issue. The economic news has been pretty grim lately. Last month, America created a mere 69,000 jobs, the lowest in a year. The job growth has been cut by two-thirds just the last few months. The unemployment rate, the only reason it went down is so many millions of Americans have just given up looking for work. Now we learned today of all the 10 economic recoveries since World War II, this recovery ranks 10th, dead last, and dead last isn't acceptable to anyone. This bill stops the killing of 43,000 American jobs; 43,000 American jobs will be lost if this new tax on our medical devices, on our stents and pacemakers and others, goes into place. This bill is all about saving jobs. It also lowers the costs for patients because all those taxes get thrown right back on the patients and carried through, and it stops a tax on innovation in America, at which we are very good. It's key to our economic future. This bill prevents that attack. It also allows families the freedom to use their health savings accounts to buy over- the-counter prescriptions, which saves them money and allows them to keep more of their health savings account amounts the end of the year so that will they don't use it or lose it. In Texas, we'll lose 2,000 jobs if this bill isn't signed by the President. I know he has vetoed it, but these are jobs, Mr. President. This is health care costs; this is innovation. This is what we ought to be rewarding in America, not punishing. I support this bill strongly. I applaud Chairman Camp and the members of the Ways and Means Committee who are bringing it to us. By the way, to make sure it doesn't add to the deficit, if you get a Federal subsidy in health care for which you're not eligible, we'll have you pay it back. We just have you pay back what you didn't earn. That's the right way to do it, and that's the right way to pass this bill.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association (PPTA) as that organization celebrates its 20th anniversary. Since PPTA's founding in 1992, the organization has been at the forefront of promoting innovation and patient access to safe and effective therapies used to treat rare and chronic conditions. PPTA is a globally active trade association, representing six plasma protein therapy manufacturers in the United States, and 16 plasma collection companies that operate nearly 400 plasma collection centers across the country. PPTA is distinguished in the pharmaceutical and biologics industries for the Association's dedication to the continual innovation of therapies for rare disease patients. Today, plasma protein therapies are used to treat a range of rare diseases including primary immune deficiency diseases; neurological disorders such as chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy; hemophilia, von Willebrand disease and other bleeding disorders; and alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency, as well as specialty immune globulin therapies that treat a range of conditions. Recognizing the unique concerns of the patients living with these rare diseases, PPTA continues to act as a diligent advocate for the protection of therapeutic innovation and patient access to plasma protein therapies. One example of that commitment is the Association's strong support of my bill, the Medicare IVIG Access Act, H.R. 1845, which will make whole the home infusion benefit for patients with primary immune deficiencies. In addition to my work on this legislation, my interest, support, and commitment extend to all of the rare disease patients treated with life-saving plasma protein therapies, and I'm proud to work on issues so vital to the health of these fragile groups of patients. In addition to the Association's outstanding advocacy, PPTA has also led the industry in quality and safety assurance. In 2000, PPTA and its members implemented the Quality Standards of Excellence, Assurance and Leadership (QSEAL) as voluntary standards that complement FDA regulatory requirements for manufacturing plasma protein therapeutics. QSEAL certification provides a pathway for industry participants to provide independent certification of adherence to the QSEAL standards. The QSEAL program works in concert with the International Quality Plasma Program (IQPP), instituted more than 20 years ago to help ensure the safety of plasma used to produce lifesaving therapies and plasma donors. A global organization headquartered in the United States, with an office in Belgium, and that serves the needs of chronic, rare disease patients around the world, PPTA and its members should be commended for their ongoing commitment to supporting patient access to innovative, safe and effective treatments.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a public servant that I have had the honor to know and work with. A native and lifelong resident of Orange, Texas, William Brown Claybar is more than just a Mayor, he is a community leader. Brown Claybar runs a small business the community has relied on for more than three decades. While serving our community at city hall, he is also serving our Lord and his flock in many varied roles at the First United Methodist Church. A graduate of Lutcher Stark High School and Stephen F. Austin State University, Brown Claybar pursued further studies at the Commonwealth College of Mortuary Science and Rice Institute--Advanced Management Institute. A Past President of the South East Texas Funeral Directors Association, he has also chaired the Legislative Committee for the Texas Funeral Directors Association, served as Secretary of the Selected Independent Funeral Directors, a board member of the Greater Orange Area Chamber of Commerce and served as a former President and trustee of the West Orange-Cove Consolidated Independent School District. It is impossible to name all his civic and community service, because the list is so long--the 1999 Community Builders Award from Madison Lodge 126 AF & AM and the Texas Grand Lodge of Texas, the 2002 distinguished Christian Service Award from Salem United Methodist Church, the 2003 Velma Jeter Scholarship Foundation Humanitarian Award, the 2008 Torch Award from the Bereavement Chamber of Commerce and the April 2011 ``Person of the Year'' award from The Record Newspaper. While he's proud of his many forms of service, his community is now taking a moment to let him know how proud we all are of him and how honored we all are that his wife Linda and their children and grandchildren have so willingly shared him with the town they all love so much. When Brown Claybar says he has ``thoroughly enjoyed'' being Mayor, he means it. Through two severe hurricanes, Mayor Claybar has managed Orange's ``competing interests'' with a steady grace and a very large dose of common sense. While understanding the impossibility of ``being all things to all people,'' Mayor Claybar has been the glue that has kept Orange together in tough times. His town will miss him. His staff will miss him. I will miss him. Orange is a unique community that has faced difficulty with a humble and stalwart determination. That is also a fit description for Mayor Claybar who has helped the Golden Triangle's jewel navigate a tough start to the 21st century following Hurricanes Rita and Ike. After a decade as mayor of Orange, William Brown Claybar is leaving city hall a stronger place than he found it. That truly is the highest compliment a Mayor can pay a community he loves so much.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Hanna). I rise in opposition to this motion to instruct. The motion to instruct would add to already stringent Buy American provisions in American law that apply to highway, transit, Amtrak, and inner city rail projects, making them unworkable in our increasingly globalized economy. I know this is well-intentioned. But too often in Washington, what some hope a bill will do, in fact, it does just the opposite. I know that many Members see the term ``Buy American'' and think they should automatically be in support. I understand that. I can certainly see justification for some Buy American provisions, and we already have that in law today. These are longstanding rules that are manageable for our American job creators and aligned with our international standards. However, ``Buy American'' doesn't actually mean what it appears to mean. This motion to instruct would actually have the opposite effect, undermining America's transportation, infrastructure, and development as well as America's competitiveness and job growth. Instead of providing surefire markets for our local companies, goods, and services, this motion to instruct would actually backfire. The result will raise costs for American taxpayers, delay American projects, and burden American businesses that could, instead, be focusing on creating jobs in the struggling economy. And it conflicts with our goal of making the United States the most competitive country in the world. I also want to insert into the Record two letters, one from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which is representing 3 million businesses in America, and another from the Emergency Committee for American Trade, local companies that employ over 6 million workers, both opposing this motion to instruct. Let's explore the reasons why I urge my colleagues to oppose this motion. First, it will increase costs for transportation projects by requiring that local content requirements apply to more projects by making waivers from these local requirements much more difficult. That means that few transportation projects can be undertaken to fix our aging infrastructure. This is not the time to impede strategic investment in American infrastructure, which holds the key to U.S. economic competitiveness and prosperity. Second, a misplaced requirement to ``buy local'' would hurt American companies, undermine their competitiveness, hamper their innovation and productivity, and prevent them from participating in bidding for transportation projects due to their increasingly global supply and production chains. As we all know, many products that American companies build will sometimes have parts from other parts of the world, mainly so they can compete against other products in the world. Take, for example, a store from back home in Texas, where a Canadian manufacturer of PVC pipes and fittings was advised by its distributor in California that the contractor, who had used its fittings on sewage pipes installed at Camp Pendleton, was being asked to remove the fittings from the ground and replace them with a similar product from an American competitor. So far, it sounds good. The problem is the Canadian manufacturer purchased most of its plastic resin inputs to make those fittings from Texas-based companies--from American companies in Texas. That meant that Buy American restrictions prevented our local companies from being able to export their product to Canada and sell it as part of an overall project in California. It was an overall lose-lose situation for everybody. In short, more stringent Buy American provisions actually make it harder to sell American because of the realities of how products are built these days. These provisions will prevent American companies from being able to sell inputs--their products--to foreign companies, who then go after government contracts. It may sound attractive to cut foreign companies out of the procurement market, but don't forget about the thousands of American companies and millions of American workers who stand behind them and depend on them. Third, tightening Buy American restrictions also sends a message to our global competitors that it's all right for them to enact more barriers against American goods and services when they're selling and buying procurement in their home market. In fact, all over the world-- in countries like China, India and Brazil--local-content rules in a variety of industries are popping up to block American companies from selling into there. In justifying those restrictions against our American companies, these countries often point to Buy American provisions and argue that what they're doing is just the same. Well, this dynamic has the effect of stopping American businesses and their workers from competing in vast foreign procurement markets around the world, resulting in billions of dollars lost to America and to our opportunities to sell our products overseas. Fourth, such measures also make the United States a less attractive market for foreign-based companies that employ millions of hardworking Americans here at home. Expanded domestic content requirements send precisely the wrong signal, as America seeks to reverse the trend of declining foreign investment into America, which creates products and companies and jobs here in America. And, fifth, tightening the Buy American restrictions could also leave the United States vulnerable to World Trade Organization litigation and retaliation based on what our obligations are under the WTO government procurement agreement. Overall, stricter Buy American provisions undermine the American Government's ability to buy the highest quality goods and services at the lowest cost to us, the American taxpayers. It makes it more difficult to maintain policies consistent with our obligations around the world, and it blocks our ability to show our trading partners they need to open their procurement markets to American goods and services, and at the same time they hurt U.S. companies that are trying to find customers for their products and services. I understand how politically appealing these measures can be; but when they backfire against American companies, when they backfire against American workers, you don't read much about it, but it costs these workers their livelihood. Frankly, it takes American companies competing here at home and around the world out of the picture. At a time when we have a struggling economy, after the stimulus, after all the bailouts, after all the Cash for Clunkers, deficit spending, we actually have fewer Americans working today than when the President took office. Now is not the time to hurt more American workers, drive up the cost of these projects, delay them further, and ultimately hurt our ability to compete and sell around the world. No matter how politically appealing, this makes no economic sense for America. For all these reasons, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this motion. Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America, Washington, DC, May 17, 2012. To the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the world's largest business federation representing the interests of more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region, urges you to oppose the Rahall Motion to Instruct on the Highway Extension Conference Report that would expand requirements that projects be built with U.S. steel and other goods--otherwise known as ``Buy America'' provisions. The Rahall motion would impose costly and burdensome contracting obstacles upon federal, state, and local entities that receive funding under the surface transportation bill. Passage of this motion would have the unintended consequence of increasing costs and delaying much-needed infrastructure reinvestment, thereby resulting in fewer transportation projects being funded. While the ``Buy America'' sentiment may sound appealing, the reality is quite different. As the U.S. already imposes significant ``Buy America'' contracting requirements, the Rahall motion would undermine American job creation and competitiveness, and would undercut Congress' goal of ensuring that transportation funds are spent in the most efficient and cost-effective manner possible. There is no need to expand ``Buy America'' provisions and doing so would be highly counterproductive, particularly for industry sectors hard hit by the recession. The Chamber opposes the Rahall Motion to Instruct and urges you to vote against this effort to expand ``Buy America'' provisions. Sincerely, R. Bruce Josten.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor award-winning broadcast journalist Stephen Dean, whose dedicated investigative reporting exposes abuses of power and government missteps. Arrests and indictments tend to follow his in-depth reporting of shady dealings, including those by judges and other elected officials. A master of the hidden camera, Stephen Dean and his team at Local 2 Investigates get results from Houston to Austin to Washington, DC. Even the venerable Washington Post has reported on one of his award-winning investigations. From catching seven Houston law enforcement officers cheating in a traffic investigation class to reporting that Houston police were using mentally ill prisoners to practice drawing blood for DWI arrests, Stephen Dean has never been afraid to dig for information no one else will. For nearly three decades, Stephen Dean's hard work has earned him award after award including the highest honor in broadcasting. He was honored with a Peabody Award for his series of reports on how the U.S. military used to investigate crimes. Dean's reporting documented how the armed services were ignoring crucial evidence in crimes against their own soldiers, prompting Congress to force changes with a law that was signed by the President. For nearly two decades from radio to television, the Houston area has counted on Dean's watchdog eye on law enforcement. His dogged pursuit of M.U.D. policing led to a change in Texas law. In addition to the Peabody Award, his national investigative reporting honors include the Society of Professional Journalists' Sigma Delta Chi Award, the Radio Television News Directors Edward R. Murrow Award and several State Bar of Texas ``Gavel Awards'' for legal reporting. In 2005, Dean was named Best Reporter by the Texas Associated Press Broadcasters for his live coverage of breaking news. The TAPB also named him the sole winner of its ``Freedom of Information Award'' four years in a row for his ability to overcome obstacles in digging through public records. A nationally published author, Dean's 2011 book ``PR Misfires Under the Gun'', detailed costly public relations mistakes that people make in emergencies. Stephen Dean, his wife Cindy, and his precious Harley Davidson will soon ride out of Houston to start a new journalistic chapter in their home state. We wish them safe travels and we feel obligated to warn Ohio wrongdoers, he is on the way.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. I want to first thank Leader Cantor for his leadership on economic issues, especially those along Main Street. That's what this is about. This isn't about Paris Hilton, Larry Flynt, or even Hilary Rosen, the President's top adviser, who recently denigrated women who choose to work at home. It's not about celebrities. It's about small business people. They're the ones who have been left behind in the Obama economy. Think about this. We have tens, literally, tens of millions of Americans who can't find a full-time job. There are millions more who have just given up. They don't even look for work anymore. Here we are. It's hard to believe there are fewer Americans working today than when the President took office. Bailouts, stimulus, Cash for Clunkers, housing bailout, Solyndra bailout, all of that, fewer Americans working, 700,000 fewer women with a job. Small businesses have borne the brunt of this terrible recovery. It is time we help them instead of raising taxes on those who succeed. Why don't we let them keep 20 percent more of the income they earn, the sales they make, the weekends they work, the charges they put on their credit cards, all they do to survive and succeed in this economy? Republicans are determined to give them a chance to succeed until this economy can get back to work, to hire new workers, to keep new workers. I have to tell you, I remember in Ways and Means Committee the debate on ObamaCare, the Republicans offered an amendment to shield small businesses from tax increases, and our Democrat friends said they can't do that because small businesses have had it too easy all these years-- small businesses have had it too easy all these years. It's time to give our small businesses a break, time to get this economy back on track. It's time to let them keep what they have worked so hard to earn.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Mulvaney), again, another key freshman member of the Joint Economic Committee and also a member of the Budget Committee who understands, again, what it takes to get this terribly sluggish economy back on track.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and congratulate Lumberton Fire and EMS on their 50th Anniversary. Now 53 members strong, the proud ranks of the Lumberton Fire and EMS paid full and part-time EMS are preparing to grow again thanks to the leadership of Fire Chief James K. Philp and his team of operational officers and of course, organization President David Grass, Jr. On Saturday, March 31, 2012, citizens from throughout Hardin County, Texas and Emergency Services District 2 will gather to celebrate the half century of service and safety that these brave first responders have provided for the people of this beautiful Southeast Texas community. Serving some of the fastest growing communities in Texas like the City of Lumberton and its surrounding region, the Lumberton Fire and EMS serves 25,000 citizens and covers 122 square miles of territory. In 2011 alone, this Department responded to 2,102 calls for service. Chartered on April 2, 1962 under the name Chance-Loeb Volunteer Fire Department, this department grew into the Lumberton Volunteer Fire Department just six years later. In 1998, the name changed to Lumberton Fire/Rescue Services and then in 2003, the department began working in tandem with the EMS department in order to better serve the citizens of Lumberton and the surrounding community. The two groups started the long process of merging both non-profit, tax exempt departments into one stronger, unified organization near the end of 2004. In February of 2005, Lumberton Volunteer Fire-Rescue and Lumberton Emergency Medical Services were formally merged into the department we honor today--the Lumberton Fire & EMS. This is a department that has been there throughout wildfires, hurricanes, tropical storms and so much more. I am honored by their selfless service for these 50 golden years in the golden triangle. This is truly a significant milestone for this community and its dedicated firefighters, volunteers, and citizens who show their commitment every time someone calls 9-1-1 for help.