Marsha Blackburn

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the DMCA, as it is commonly known here in this Chamber, is nearly 20 years old. Now, just as a reminder, 20 years ago, Google was being born, Americans were out dancing the ``Macarena,'' and they were holding cell phones that were the size of bricks. That was 20 years ago. Tech companies like YouTube may have changed the way Americans consume music, but our laws have not kept pace to protect the songwriters and the artists who actually create that music. This week, 180 musical artists and songwriters, including Taylor Swift, Paul McCartney, The Black Keys, and the bands Chicago and U2, sent a letter to Congress calling for the reform of the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a copy of this letter. Dear Congress: The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) is broken and no longer works for creators. As songwriters and artists who are a vital contributing force to the U.S. and to American exports around the world, we are writing to express our concern about the ability of the next generation of creators to earn a living. The existing laws threaten the continued viability of songwriters and recording artists to survive from the creation of music. Aspiring creators shouldn't have to decide between making music and making a living. Please protect them. One of the biggest problems confronting songwriters and recording artists today is the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. This law was written and passed in an era that is technologically out-of-date compared to the era in which we live. It has allowed major tech companies to grow and generate huge profits by creating ease of use for consumers to carry almost every recorded song in history in their pocket via a smartphone, while songwriters' and artists' earnings continue to diminish. Music consumption has skyrocketed, but the monies earned by individual writers and artists for that consumption has plummeted. The DMCA simply doesn't work. It's impossible for tens of thousands of individual songwriters and artists to muster the resources necessary to comply with its application. The tech companies who benefit from the DMCA today were not the intended protectorate when it was signed into law nearly two decades ago. We ask you to enact sensible reform that balances the interests of creators with the interests of the companies who exploit music for their financial enrichment. It's only then that consumers will truly benefit.

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Here is the problem: the DMCA safe harbor provision. What this does, YouTube has created a platform where anyone with a smartphone can access nearly any song ever recorded. Often this content is infringed, and it does not--does not--compensate the artist who created it. The safe harbor provision immunizes YouTube from claims of copyright infringement if it removes the infringing content in a timely fashion after YouTube has been notified by an artist or a record company. With millions of songs on YouTube, it is really impossible. Grammy-winning jazz/classical composer Maria Schneider has said the following about the DMCA: ``The DMCA makes it my responsibility to police the entire Internet on a daily basis. As fast as I take my music down, it reappears again on the same site like an endless Whac-A-Mole game.'' This not only threatens the vitality of songwriters but the economic contributions they make in our communities. Take my home area in Tennessee. A 2012 study shows that in Nashville itself the music industry is a $5.5 billion asset to the economy. Looking at the entire middle Tennessee region, it is $9.7 billion. This is a fundamental American principle. If you make something, if you create something, it belongs to you. In no other walk of life do we allow people to steal the work of others and turn a blind eye, except when it comes to songwriters and entertainers. Our friends in the tech industry, who do little to nothing to see that the songwriter is protected on their platforms, are the first ones to complain if one of their patents is slightly infringed upon. So I ask them, why are their creations deserving of protection but the creations of others are not? It is unfair, and they know it. But creators are not going to keep taking it. The times, they are a- changin', as Bob Dylan would say. That is why, for years, I have sought to protect music creators through legislation, like the Fair Play Fair Pay Act that Representative Nadler and I are working on and the Songwriter Equity Act. To our friends in the tech industry, I say this: willful blindness or situational ethics aren't okay; ignorance and denial, not acceptable; and refusing to pay people for their work is unfair, and it really needs to stop. This is about fairness, and it is about honoring the law by enforcing the law. It is that simple.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, we all know the facts from the Orlando attack, and they are absolutely heartbreaking. We know that the terrorist pledged his allegiance to ISIS before he carried out the assault and murder of 49 people. We also know that we need to be supporting our law enforcement. What we are learning is that law enforcement, local law enforcement, is constrained by political correctness. They are constrained by lack of communication. They are constrained, and we have to understand that they are on the front lines in this fight. Congress must listen to the FBI, Homeland Security, and other law enforcement entities and give them the tools that they need to protect our communities. This attack calls into question the assessment, threat assessment programs, the vetting, and the information sharing that is in place. The FBI twice investigated the Orlando shooter. This reveals vetting is nearly impossible. The vetting process being nearly impossible is one of the reasons that we need to halt the migration of Syrian refugees until a proper process is in place.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Chairman, I want to begin by thanking the committee for the hard work that they have put into this bill and for the way the House has approved reducing our budget over the last several years. If every department of the Federal Government were to be as active as we were in reducing our spending, our budget would be in better shape. This bill provides a net total of $3.482 billion in fiscal year 2017 base discretionary budget authority. That is $153 million below the President's budget request, $73 million above the enacted 2016 level, and $140 million above the level proposed by the Appropriations Committee for fiscal year 2016. However, I think there is more work that needs to be done. And thus, as I do for most of our appropriations bills, I am here with my 1 percent across-the-board spending reduction amendment. It would reduce discretionary budget authority by $31 million and outlays by $28 million. It exempts the Capitol Police, the Architect of the Capitol, Capitol Police Buildings, Grounds and Security, and the Sergeant at Arms. I am certainly aware that there is opposition to doing the penny-on- a-dollar cut. I have heard many times that cuts like this are damaging and we shouldn't do them, but I think that cutting an extra penny on every dollar not only goes to putting us on a better track, it helps to preserve our Nation's sovereignty for future generations. When we have $19.2 trillion in debt, our constituents are saying: What are you going to do about this? Well, here is an action that we can take: making a penny-on-a-dollar cut and saving ourselves some more money--$31 million--that will help to send the right message that, again, we are going to cut a little bit more, just as the families in our districts are doing. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Chairman, I will have to say that people do like across-the-board cuts. Indeed, many governors, Republican and Democrat alike, use these. From coast-to-coast, they have used these. And our constituents like them. Take a look at the December 2012 POLITICO-George Washington University Battleground Tracking Poll. It shows 75 percent approve of them. January 2013, The Hill, 6-in-10 approve. Look at what happened in Oklahoma in December: a 3 percent across-the-board cut. In March, they did a 4 percent across-the-board cut. Why is it that our governors do these? They work. Department heads like to be able to go in there and find a way to cut a little bit more in that budget and still meet the needs that the people have said they want to see their government meet. We have $19.3 trillion in debt. We are working to get the cost of government down, but we have to do a little bit more. This is a way to engage rank-and-file Federal employees and to say to them: It is time for us to get our fiscal house in order. A penny on the dollar is what our constituents are doing. We should do likewise. It is what our States are doing, because they can't crank the printing press. They can't go borrow money. They can't have more of our debt that is owned by China and Japan and OPEC and the entities that own our debt. They have to have balanced budget amendments. When I was in the Tennessee State Senate, we didn't go home until we had the budget in balance. So I would encourage support of this amendment. It is a penny out of a dollar. It is another $31 million in savings. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Chairman, the American people think they have taken hit after hit. And they have taken it right in the wallet. They are sick and tired of this. They feel like this economy has taken a meat-ax approach to their well-being. What they want to see is leadership that will work to get our spending habits under control here in Washington. This is a great opportunity to lead by example and to say: A penny on the dollar, we are going to do it for the children and for future generations. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. I thank my colleagues for the work that they have done on this issue. Mr. Speaker, they have each mentioned the public-private partnership that has taken place in Tennessee and Mississippi and at the Shiloh National Military Park. I think it is so significant that we have seen our local elected officials work with our State and Federal officials. I do have to commend the employees of the National Park Service who have done a phenomenal job as they have worked toward the preservation of these entities, as Mr. Clay said so very well, and who have looked at how we adjust the boundaries, expand the boundaries, and then preserve these areas. It is a part of the historical legacy, as has been said, not only of Tennessee's and Mississippi's, but of the United States'. Indeed, over a half million visitors a year come to the Shiloh National Military Park. This will give the National Park Service the flexibility that it needs to look at adding in the additional 2,100 acres into this park. It would encompass the Fallen Timbers, the Russell House, and the Davis Bridge battlefields, and would provide that consideration for Parker's Crossroads. As I said, it is an important part of the National Park Service. This legislation is the product of work from our local, State, and Federal officials and from the community groups and organizations that support this. I thank my colleagues for their support.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Chairman, indeed, the Appropriations Committee does deserve some credit. But also, passing the Budget Control Act with the 2 percent across-the-board spending reduction in discretionary spending deserves some credit also, because it shows the effectiveness of what those cuts can do. Governors use this, Democratic and Republican alike. They do it because their States have balanced budget amendments, and they can't crank up the printing press and print the money. I would encourage my colleagues to take a step toward fiscal responsibility, get inside and cut one more penny out of a dollar. We can do that on every appropriation that we have. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Chairman, I know that the committee has worked hard to get a bill that is going to come into the numbers. Unfortunately, I disagree with the $1.070 trillion number that is in the Bipartisan Budget Act. I like the Budget Control Act's number of $1.040 trillion. A $30 billion difference doesn't sounds like a lot when you are talking about trillions of dollars, but I tell you, to my constituents, with $19 trillion debt, it does make a difference. The funding level of this bill is $37.444 billion. I will be offering an amendment, which I offer every year to our spending bills, to cut 1 percent across the board. That would yield us $374 million in budget authority savings, and outlays savings of $222 million. I know it doesn't sound like a lot, but it is simply taking one penny out of every dollar that is appropriated. And that, quite frankly, is the type of scrimping and saving that our constituents and American families are having to do all across this country in order to make their budgets work. I am fully aware of the strong opposition that many have to making those 1 percent across-the-board cuts. As I have offered these amendments, many times I am told that cuts of this magnitude go far too deep, that they would be very damaging to our Nation's security, but I kind of agree with Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mullin when he said the greatest threat to our Nation's security is our Nation's debt. I think we ought not to be putting future generations at risk, and we should be working toward reducing what our Federal outlays are every single year and working toward balancing the budget. It means yes, we have to go in and cut that penny out of a dollar and save it for our children and our grandchildren to get this Nation back on the right track. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. I yield to the gentleman from Illinois.

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I do rise in support of the amendments to H.R. 2576, and I congratulate Chairman Shimkus on the wonderful job he has done. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus) for the purpose of a brief colloquy to clarify one important element of the legislation. Mr. Chairman, it is my understanding that this bill reemphasizes Congress' intent to avoid duplicative regulation through the TSCA law. It does so by carrying over two important EPA constraints in section 9 of the existing law while adding a new, important provision that would be found as new section, 9(b)(2). It is my understanding that, as a unified whole, this language, old and new, limits the EPA's ability to promulgate a rule under section 6 of TSCA to restrict or eliminate the use of a chemical when the Agency either already regulates that chemical through a different statute under its own control and that authority sufficiently protects against a risk of injury to human health or the environment, or a different agency already regulates that chemical in a manner that also sufficiently protects against the risk identified by EPA. Would the chairman please confirm my understanding of section 9?

Mrs. BLACKBURN. I thank the chairman. The changes you have worked hard to preserve in this negotiated bill are important. As the EPA's early-stage efforts to regulate methylene chloride and TCE under TSCA statute section 6 illustrate, they are also timely. EPA simply has to account for why a new regulation for methylene chloride and TCE under TSCA is necessary since its own existing regulatory framework already appropriately addresses risk to human health. New section 9(b)(2) will force the Agency to do just that. I thank the chairman for his good work.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, this morning, I want to discuss the issue of security with my colleagues--economic security, retirement security, and national security--three issues that probably right now in my conversations with constituents is what we hear the most about. Let's look at the picture of economic security, or the lack thereof, that exists in our country and in our communities. What I hear from my constituents is that the 5 percent unemployment rate is indeed misleading because over 90 million Americans have dropped out of the workforce. They are losing hope and are unemployed. The Obama malaise, as I have constituents who like to term it, has created a workforce participation rate of 62.8 percent. Now, I want you to think about that. Of the eligible adults who are ready for the workforce, 62.8 percent have a job and are able to work. That is the worst level since the Carter administration. Our GDP is declining. Our economy grew at only half of a percent-- half of a percent in the first quarter of 2016. That is lower than a 1.4 percent expansion in the previous period, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. President Obama had a chance to create 40,000 jobs, and he took a pass on it. He vetoed the Keystone pipeline so that he could cement his legacy and stature as a liberal icon. The American people are tired of being broke; they are tired of work permits that go to illegal aliens; and they are tired of $19.2 trillion in Federal debt. We need to get the government off the backs and out of the pocketbooks of the American people. It is time to loosen regulations and lower taxes. The issue of retirement security comes up so often in the conversations I have, especially with women, and it is important to note what is happening with Social Security and Medicare. The Social Security retirement trust fund is set to run out of money by the year 2034. That is not that far away. According to the Tax Foundation, under the current wage indexing formula, benefits are projected to climb by more than 150 percent, in real terms, over the next 75 years. I have introduced H.R. 603, the Savings for Seniors Act, which establishes within the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund a Social Security Surplus Protection Account to hold the Social Security surplus and prohibit it from being spent. Medicare has to be addressed as well. It is supposed to run out of money and be insolvent by 2030. We must make sure that seniors are secure, and we have to make certain that the money they have already paid into the system, they are able to receive. On the national security front, President Obama's very, very timid foreign policy has emboldened our enemies from the rise of ISIS, to Russian aggression in Ukraine and in the Middle East, to the Chinese military expansion in the South China Sea. It has also left our allies asking: Where are you? You are not present as we try to address these issues. What we have seen with President Obama, I think, is inexcusable. For example, when the evil blade of ISIS decapitated Steven Sotloff in 2014, President Obama was on the golf course minutes after telling the American people: We will be relentless, and we will be vigilant to see that justice is done. Or, as he also calls it, leading from behind. Two other glaring issues we face are the Syrian refugee program and our southern border. There is currently no way to vet Syrian refugees, and I think this President is delusional if he thinks there is. I have introduced H.R. 4218 to suspend refugee admissions until Congress passes a joint resolution approving the President's plan. Meanwhile, our southern border is overrun again. Through the first 6 months of fiscal year 2016, which ended on March 31, border officials apprehended 27,754 unaccompanied children. That is just shy of the 28,579 number apprehended for all of 2014. Think about that comparison. Mr. Speaker, we must provide economic, retirement, and national security for all Americans. We must rise to the occasion and make certain our Nation is secure.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, over sixty years ago, two brothers who shared a love for music banded together and bought a home on 16th Avenue South in the heart of Nashville. They turned the home into a recording studio and soon after, because of their impact, the neighborhood began its transformation into what is known today as Music Row. Harold and Owen Bradley built Nashville's first recording and film studio, welcoming legends Patsy Cline and Brenda Lee among others to record the songs we all know and love. A talent in his own right, Harold played on cuts by Elvis Presley, Conway Twitty, Hank Williams, and more. His own albums include, ``Misty Guitar'', ``The Bossa Nova Goes to Nashville'', and ``Guitar For Lovers Only''. Later in his career, Harold became the first president of the Nashville chapter of NARAS and a member of the Grammy organization's Board of Governors. He was awarded the Trustees Award at the 52nd Grammy Awards. A 2006 inductee of the Country Music Hall of Fame, Harold was part of the original ``A Team'' of Nashville super pickers, who are collectively members of The Musicians Hall of Fame. Bradley served from 1991-2008 as President of the Nashville Association of Musicians, Local 257 of the American Federation of Musicians, and also was elected as the international vice president until 2010. Today we celebrate the legend and talent that is Mr. Harold Bradley as he is presented with The Cecile Scaife Visionary Award. This is an award given annually to an individual whose life and work have made it possible for future generations to realize careers in the music industry. In true reflection of this honor, students at the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business at Belmont University are now using the very studio Mr. Bradley and his brother built, as a working study studio, and one of them will be the recipient of a scholarship in his name under The Cecil Scaife Endowment. Mr. Speaker, I ask the House to join me today as we honor and memorialize the life and work of Harold Bradley.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, opioid addiction has proven to destroy hope, it destroys opportunity, and it is destroying families. Certainly we see this across the country, but we are also seeing the devastating effects of addiction in Tennessee. Tennessee has the second highest rating nationally for opioid addiction. As many States are exceedingly aware, drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in this country. As we started working on this issue in the Committee on Energy and Commerce, so many people did not realize that prescription drug abuse is the leading cause of accidental death in our country, with over 18,000 fatalities last year. Addiction does not care about race, gender, or politics. It is an issue that affects all of us, and it affects the people that we are here to serve. Together many of us--families and those that we love in our communities--are working to find solutions that will combat this epidemic and help remedy those who are suffering from addiction the most. Just this week--and you can look at the bills that have been on the agenda and have passed the House; many of these are being done with bipartisan support--there have been 15 amendments to these bills. They have all passed by voice vote. What the bills will do is to streamline the burdensome bureaucracy which currently debilitates finding a solution for this crisis. I commend my colleagues for focusing on this issue and for saying: What do we do to get to the root cause of this problem and put the tools in place so that, at the local, State, and Federal levels, this can be addressed and it can be solved? One of the things that we have done is to improve the situation with the VA and the oversight mechanisms that they have to make certain that our veterans are being protected and that the issues of addiction are being appropriately addressed and dealt with. Earlier this year we achieved a success that is one way that the Federal Government can help in the work that our State legislators are doing. In my State of Tennessee, State Senator Dr. Joey Hensley and State Representative Barry Doss have been the leaders on these issues for our general assembly. The legislation that I authored along with Congressman Tom Marino was signed into law and ensures access to proper medication for patients with legitimate needs while allowing us to continue battling the drug diversion and abuse problem that exists here in our country. It will enable our local and State officials to move forward, address the pill mills, and, at the same time, make certain that patients with needs have access. The legislation is called the Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2016. What it will do is to combat the inappropriate use of prescription drugs by bringing greater clarity-- something that is needed in so many laws and rules--but bringing greater clarity and transparency to the requirements needed for safe and secure distribution of medications. Mr. Speaker, the people battling addiction are moms and dads, brothers and sisters and children, neighbors and friends. They are saying: We need your help. Our healthcare professionals and our pharmacists have said: We need clarity. That is what we in the House are seeking to do this week.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend State Senator Mark Norris and State Representative Terri Lynn Weaver for their work in the Tennessee General Assembly to authorize the State to enter into a lawsuit against the Federal Government. This lawsuit is over concerns with the refugee resettlement program and the 10th Amendment. I have put forth legislation at the Federal level, H.R. 4218, that would immediately suspend the Syrian refugee resettlement program. Yesterday, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback announced that he was withdrawing Kansas from the resettlement program because of security concerns. There is no way--no way--to vet these Syrian refugees, Mr. Speaker. Islamic radicals want to attack America. It is no secret to the American people. However, President Obama and this administration seem not to recognize this. I call on all of my colleagues to join me to stand against the President's lawless and delusional refugee resettlement program.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of Mrs. Betty R. Modrall and ask my colleagues to join with me in celebrating the legacy that she left in Columbia, Tennessee. Betty was born in Memphis, Tennessee. She spent her childhood and adolescent years in the city of Mount Pleasant. After high school she attended Columbia Business College where she met her husband Mr. Joe Tom Modrall. On June 11th, 1956, she began her first job working for the city of Columbia starting as a clerk and bookkeeper. In 1970, she was appointed as the city recorder and finance director until 1995. She continued to serve as city recorder until her passing on March 15th, 2016. Betty was a beloved member of her city. She faithfully served for almost six decades. Betty looked out for the interests of the people, especially the retiree community. She went above and beyond for the city of Columbia and fulfilled her positions with honor. Her love and support will be remembered by those whom she served.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the opportunity to come to the floor today and stand in support of this bill. It is the right step. The gentlewoman from California references the amendment that she had wanted, but her amendment was not exactly what that bill is. What we are seeking to do is to encourage the FCC to make good on the promise that they have made. In March 2015, Chairman Wheeler was speaking at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. He was talking about net neutrality and rules and regulations. He said: This is not regulating the Internet. Regulating the Internet is rate regulation, which we don't do. Whoops, they do. That is what they are trying to do. Now, there is a difference in what the gentlewoman was seeking to do in committee, not have tariffs or regulation. But if they had gone ahead and done it, then we would have to get into a process of trying to undo. That is what people don't like. They don't like that kind of mess. What they want is something very explicit. That is what Mr. Kinzinger's bill does. It very explicitly says: FCC, you cannot, you shall not, and you will not do rate regulation. It is not what the American people want to see. It is what the FCC has promised they will not do. So what we are doing is helping a federal agency keep their word, keep their promise, and not get into rate regulation. Of course, we all know that what they would like to do is regulate the Internet so they can tax the Internet, so they can then come in and set all the rates, and so they can then come in and assign priority and value to content. It is a commerce issue, it is a free speech issue, and it is an issue for the American people who want to make certain that the information service they have known, appreciated, and utilize every day in the virtual marketplace is not going to be regulated by a Federal Government agency.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge a wonderful event that took place Tuesday afternoon in Nashville, Tennessee. Members of the Competitive Carriers Association (CCA), representing rural and competitive wireless carriers and their vendors and suppliers, opened CCA's Mobile Carriers Show. They did this by teaming with Hands On Nashville for a day of service at Napier Elementary School. Seventy-five volunteers from all over the country were welcomed by Principal Watechia Lawless to help create beautiful spaces outside of the school to complement the loving community on the inside. Napier Elementary is a cornerstone in their community, serving 400 students from pre-kindergarten through the 4th grade. CCA members worked inside and outside, landscaping, renovating playground equipment, painting murals, and creating teaching resource kits, hygiene kits, and reading booklets for every child in the school. I commend Steve Berry, CCA and their members for their work. They have set an excellent example of leadership through service. The impact they've made in this community will certainly not be forgotten and I ask my colleagues to join me in acknowledging the efforts they put forth to make this event happen.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, on March 16, 2016, I was unavoidably detained due to a family member's health emergency. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows: On rollcall No. 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 123, 124, 125, and 126, I would have voted ``yes.'' On rollcall No. 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, I would have voted ``no.''

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Columbia State Community College's 50th year of excellence in education and ask my colleagues to join with me in celebrating their success. Columbia State is Tennessee's first community college. Their vision has been to build on its heritage of excellence through innovation in education and services that foster success and bring distinction and recognition for the quality and effectiveness of the college. At the college's convocation on September 26, 1966, former Tennessee Governor Frank G. Clement said, ``Because of this school, young people who otherwise would have to terminate their academic career at the high school level will find a way into the world of higher education.'' Today, Columbia State has grown and expanded into five different campus locations including Columbia, Franklin, Lawrenceburg, Lewisburg, and Clifton. They also serve in nine of the Seventh District's counties. The college is home to thousands of alumni who have gone on to make an impact in all different sectors of society and industries. I honor Columbia State Community College for serving and empowering people for the last 50 years to achieve their educational aspirations and go farther than they ever thought possible and I join with them in their celebration of achievement.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, as I come to the floor this morning, I want to express appreciation for our 64th annual National Prayer Breakfast that takes place tomorrow. I think this is such a wonderful gathering that we have every year, where our Nation focuses on praying for our Nation. I want to welcome my guests, Dr. and Mrs. Franklin Page, who will join us this week to recognize this time and to set aside time to celebrate our religious liberty and the individual freedom that becomes the focus of this week. There is also another focus that comes into mind as we talk about this religious liberty. I want to take a moment and welcome and recognize the arrival of my new nephew, Grayson Lee Hunter. He is joining brothers Worth and Preston, his cousin Georgia Kate, and his cousins Jack and Chase, who are my grandsons. We know that being able to grow up in freedom is such a wonderful gift, and we are excited about that and excited about what individual freedom means to each of us. I want to turn our attention now to something that constricts that freedom, and that is what we see through the President's healthcare law. Again, yesterday we came to the floor to push to repeal that law. This is something that we will continue. There is a reason for this. Let me give you some examples. Last week I was out in my district. I visited with constituents who are employers. I want to cite three examples. One, an employer of 76 people, another an employer of 400 people, and another a franchise owner, 3,000 people that are in this group. Let me tell you what I heard from each and every one of these individuals. Their employees, many of whom are my constituents, want to see a return to patient-centered, affordable health care. They do not want more Big Government and more unfunded mandates that they are being forced to deal with. It changes the kind of health care that they can get. Now, when it comes to health insurance, what we have found is the escalation of cost to the individual because of what is happening with the mandate. The insurance cost has gone up, the out-of-pocket deductibles, all of this is going up. What we also see is a cramping of access because of narrowed networks. Another thing that is happening is what is taking place through the oversight boards, the preventive service task forces. These could also be called some of those oxymoronic Federal agencies because instead of opening up the healthcare process, what we see is they are reducing what you have access to, and it is also a slowdown in payment reimbursements for so many of our Medicare recipients. That is what is happening in health care, and we are hearing about it from our employers. Now, there are options that are out there. Let me cite just a couple for my colleagues. H.R. 2300, Empowering Patients First Act, that is the bill from Dr. Price, and also, special attention to, the Republican Study Committee plan, the American Health Care Reform Act. It is H.R. 2653. Leading this charge has been my Tennessee colleague Dr. Phil Roe, who has worked with each of us as we have pulled provisions into this bill to make certain that we return to the principles of affordability, accessibility, and accountability in patient-centered health care. We think it is time for these moves to take place. Mr. Speaker, I would like to return everyone's attention to the need to address the issue of replacing the ObamaCare legislation so that we reduce the cost and increase the access of health care for all Americans.