Michael Burgess

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. I thank the gentleman for yielding. It seems a little strange for me to be lecturing you about a desert, but, Mr. Chairman, it is true. There are food deserts in both Republican and Democratic districts all over this country, people without access to fresh foods or healthy foods. Look, I don't think it's right that people buy processed foods and soft drinks with food stamps, but if they've got no other choice, what are they going to do? This initiative allows people to have the option to purchase healthy foods, get those micronutrients that they need to keep them healthy. Let's keep them out of the doctor's office. Let's keep them out of the hospital. I thank the gentleman for the recognition. I urge defeat of the Schweikert amendment.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Chairman, how much time remains?

Mr. BURGESS. Will the gentlelady yield?

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, today, the White House's permanent campaign machine released a television ad promoting the Affordable Care Act and, unfortunately, it aims to completely mislead the public. The ad claims that Americans are seeing better coverage and lower costs because of the Affordable Care Act. That is pure fantasy. The fact is that premiums have been ratcheting upward across the country. On average, rates in Ohio will go up to almost $200 a month because of this law. It's the same story state by state. These rising costs clearly have the administration worried that people are going to understand how bad the Affordable Care Act is. Enroll America is set to spend tens of millions of dollars in promoting this law. This is money that they raised by using current and former administration officials to unethically, if not illegally, strong-arm donations from health care companies that are regulated by the Department of Health and Human Services. The administration put together a law that hurts families and now they have to spend tens of millions of dollars telling people that ``hey, it ain't so bad.'' Mr. Speaker, this is a travesty. It should be stopped.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, last month, it was learned that the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, has been calling executives from private groups asking them to fund the Affordable Care Act by donating money to a private organization called Enroll America. Her actions then were questionable and have left us to wonder what the Secretary is promising executives in exchange for their support. Last Tuesday, Secretary Sebelius disclosed that she solicited three additional companies, all of which provide services regulated by her agency: a drug maker, Johnson & Johnson; a health care system, Ascension Health; and a health insurance provider, Kaiser Permanente. And so it begs the question: How far will this administration go to promote their flawed takeover of the country's health care? Agencies that have already been engrossed in scandal, like the IRS, will be directly administering major provisions of the Affordable Care Act. Along with them, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Labor, and the Treasury, these agencies will be involved in sharing and tracking consumer information to implement the President's law. Do you really want to entrust this administration with the responsibility of controlling your health care and controlling your health care information?

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Dr. Alfred Francis Hurley. After a battle with Alzheimer's disease, Dr. Hurley passed away last week at the age of 84. He served as the 14th President of the University of North Texas, the longest serving president, and the university's first chancellor. The oldest of four, Dr. Hurley was born in Brooklyn in 1928 to Irish immigrants Patrick and Margaret Hurley. Dr. Hurley graduated summa cum laude in 1950 from St. John's University. He received both his master's degree and Ph.D. in history at Princeton University while serving in the Air Force, preparing to teach at the Air Force Academy. Before the outbreak of Korean War in 1950, Dr. Hurley enlisted as an airman, and in 1980, retired as a Brigadier General. From 1966 to 1980, he was permanent professor and head of the Department of History at the U.S. Air Force Academy, building a nationally regarded history department. He was a member of the Academy's executive board and chairman of the Humanities Division, and in 1968, he served a tour of duty in Vietnam, where he flew missions and worked on the EC-47 program, which he conceived and organized, produced 100 histories of the air war in Vietnam. Dr. Hurley initiated and hosted eight Military History Symposia that brought together leading scholars from the U.S. and Europe. Dr. Hurley's military awards include the Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Device, and Vietnam Service Medal with two bronze stars. Dr. Hurley's tenure at UNT, from 1982 to 2002, was a period of extensive growth for the UNT system. Enrollment at the university increased from 19,000 to 27,000 students, the university's endowment grew from $850,000 to $45 million, and $200 million was raised. Many of UNT's programs were nationally recognized, including the UNT Office of Postgraduate Fellowships, UNT's Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science, UNT Health Science Center, and the UNT System Center at Dallas, including UNT at Dallas, the first public university within Dallas. The first resident of Denton to chair the North Texas Commission and to join the Dallas Citizens Council, Dr. Hurley also served as co-chair of the Coalition of Urban Metropolitan Universities and on its executive committee; president of Texas Philosophical Society, director of Fort Worth and Denton Chambers of Commerce, vice chairman of Denton County Business Leaders Council, president of Denton County United Way, chairman of the Texas Council of Public University Presidents and Chancellors, and director of the Association of Texas Colleges and Universities. In 1986, Dr. Hurley received the Otis Fowler Award from the Denton Chamber of Commerce. After his retirement, Dr. Hurley became a history professor at UNT from 2003 to 2008. He and his wife Johanna continued to help organize UNT's annual Military History seminar, which enabled Texan community leaders to discuss with a leading scholar and a current or retired military officer who had served in combat. At its 23rd anniversary in 2006, the seminar was endowed by many of its participants and named the Alfred and Johanna Hurley Military History Seminar. I am proud to honor the life of Dr. Hurley for his years of service to the University of North Texas community. I would like to extend my sincerest condolences to Dr. Hurley's family and friends.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of my friend Councilwoman Charlye Heggins. After a long battle with cancer, Mrs. Heggins passed away last week at the age of 80. She served in the Denton City Council for six years, representing District 1. As a child, Mrs. Heggins played piano for church services, learning to play in any key and accompanying people after they sang just a few bars. She volunteered to play in other churches and also filled in sometimes for funeral services. Mrs. Heggins graduated in 1952 from Phillips Business College in Dallas, and the next year attended Prairie View A&M College. In 1972, after marrying the late Rev. Edell Heggins, who became the pastor of Mount Calvary Baptist Church, Mrs. Heggins moved to Denton. She served alongside her husband singing and playing piano for many years in Denton and Oklahoma churches. As a member of city council, from 2005 to 2011, Mrs. Heggins served on many committees including the Audit Committee, Ethics Committee, Property Maintenance Code Committee, and Council Appointee Performance Review Committee. Additionally, she served on the Community Justice Council and the Denton Convention and Visitors Bureau. Although Mrs. Heggins usually voted with the rest of the council, she was not afraid to stand up for issues that were important to her. She cast the only vote against a plan to build a city water tank in a wooded area south of Denia Park, as well as one against the controversial natural gas well site at Rayzor Ranch. Mrs. Heggins was a key voice in establishing Black History Month in Denton and Kwanzaa celebrations. She served as Denton County chapter's secretary for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People as well as the chairwoman of the Juneteenth Committee Gospel Extravaganza. Mrs. Heggins was on the Fred Moore High School advisory board and on the Greater Denton Arts Council. She supported Keep Denton Beautiful and was a member of the League of United Latin American Citizens, the BIONIC ministry of Morse Street Baptist Church, and the Sickle Cell Advisory group. Mrs. Heggins was actively involved in service to the Denton community, volunteering for the Rocking Reader program at The Gonzalez School for Young Children. She participated in pageants in Denton as well, winning Ms. Mature Denton, Ms. Texas Senior, and Ms. Congeniality. In her last term, Mrs. Heggins helped name various Denton landmarks, such as the Southeast Denton park being named for another former District 1 council member, the late Carl Gene Young Sr., and the Civic Center Park being renamed Quakertown, the black community forced to leave the land to create the park. She also advocated tirelessly for the naming of the new Loop 288 pedestrian bridge for Martin Luther King Jr., which will be formally dedicated on June 14, beginning the city's Juneteenth annual celebration. A breast cancer survivor, Mrs. Heggins was diagnosed in 2009 with renal cell carcinoma, a type of kidney cancer. She formed a cancer patient support group that still meets at the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center on the first Thursday of each month. I am proud to honor the life of Councilwoman Charlye Heggins for her years of service to the Denton community and her friendship. I would like to extend my sincerest condolences to Mrs. Heggins' family and friends.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. I thank the gentleman for yielding. You know, the United States has the best drug supply chain in the world, but it faces attack each and every day by counterfeiters, thieves, and rogue distributors. Most Americans would just assume that their prescription drugs that they buy in their drugstore have been tracked rigorously from manufacturer to retail, but that assumption could not be more wrong. In fact, current law leaves a great deal of leeway for counterfeit medications to enter the market, and the punishment for those counterfeiting prescription medication is oftentimes far from adequate. From fake flu vaccines to fake cancer drugs, counterfeit medications have been manufactured and allowed to enter the supply chain and in some cases, unfortunately, even administered to unsuspecting patients. The United States may be the most secure, but we are still at risk. I believe we have a bill before us today that is guided by the strong principles of patient safety and supply chain integrity. The bill is flexible and does not seek to overly burden States, suppliers, or small businesses. Maintaining the integrity of the United States' prescription drug supply is a compelling national priority. I want to congratulate Mr. Latta and Mr. Matheson, as well as Chairman Upton and Ranking Member Dingell, for their leadership on the issue. I appreciate you allowing me to be involved in the development of this bill. I think it is a testament to all the hard work done, including that by our committee staff, Clay Alspach and Paul Edattel, and my personal staff, J.P. Paluskievicz. I urge my colleagues to support this.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, both the President and the Senate have immigration plans with a central component of amnesty for those who are in the country without the benefit of citizenship. Past experience has shown us that amnesty hinders us from creating the actual solution to our problems. Remember Congress, in 1986, allowed amnesty during the Reagan administration. We were then promised solutions, but those have not been met. But let's focus for just a minute on the reality and forget the rhetoric. Which country has been the most welcoming to new citizens? Which country has offered the oath of citizenship to more people who chose to legally enter that country? If you look at this chart, you see it on the far end. It's the United States of America, where, in 2010, 1 million new residents were offered the oath of citizenship. That's better than Turkey, better than Belgium, better than Germany. Look, amnesty will not solve the problems of drug violence and firearms. In Texas, increased border patrol has been asked for but not delivered, and fencing along the southwest border has been canceled. We already do a good job allowing new citizens into our country. Perhaps if we focus on securing our borders instead of rewarding or offering amnesty, some of the problems would become more manageable.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Commander Robert Edward May. Commander May passed away late last year at the age of 88. He served in the United States Navy for over 25 years and worked for another 25 years as an engineer in process control in Honeywell, part of Phoenix, Arizona. Mr. May had various interests from a young age. At 15, he was Rochester's 1939 Soap Box Derby Champ and flew his first solo airplane at the age of 16. At 20, he graduated from the US Naval Academy in three years, and his first orders were to be stationed on the Flagship USSN Nashville in the Pacific, surviving the largest naval battle in history. He witnessed a Kamikaze strike killing hundreds and injuring many more on Nashville's command center. After returning to the US for repairs on the Nashville, Mr. May married his sweetheart Ruth Schilitzer. Together, they had 10 children. During that time, he sailed as Lieutenant and Lieutenant Commander aboard vessels in Key West. He then attended the Naval Postgraduate School before earning a Master's in Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, writing a then classified dissertation on fire control for torpedoes in conjunction with the latest sonar. After finishing his post-doctorate work, Mr. May was assigned to one of the largest and most successful projects ever completed, the Polaris Project. The Polaris nuclear missile placed on submarines was the first submerged launch missile to use thrust vectoring and on-board telemetry to guide the missile, changing the course of warfare. Mr. May also aided in the development of the TALOS missile system, and worked in the submarine Anti-Submarine Warfare. After retiring from the Navy, Mr. May continued to do work for SAC and NELC through data control at Honeywell. While raising his 10 children, he was active in his community, as an organizer and volunteer at church, scouts, little league, and blood drives. Mr. May's successes in the United States Navy and local communities across the country have strengthened our nation's Defense program. His dedication and passion to serve our country well will certainly be missed. I would like to extend my sincerest condolences to Commander May's family and friends as he will be laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia on April 23, 2013. Family members include: Bill & Marsha May, John Fredrick May, Joanne Mell, Ruth & Schuyler Hoffman IV, Martin Hoffman, Schuyler Hoffman V, Eileen May, Cynthia & Karl Ponath, Quentin Ponath, Jim & Sugene (McClain) May, James May, Collin May, Ashton May, Don & Connie May, Harrison May, Kenny May, John & Chris Ann (Hardin) May, Caroline May, Daniel May, Ray & Delores Schlitzer, Pete Schlitzer, Marta Schlitzer, Tom Schlitzer, Mary Ann (Schlitzer) & Tom Maszerowski, Walter May, Christopher and Cynthia May, Bill and Gail Schults.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, people going to the Environmental Protection Agency's Web site find that May is National Asthma Month. Many people might be surprised to know that starting January 1, 2012, the Environmental Protection Agency has prevented the sale of the only over-the-counter asthma inhaler upon which millions of Americans have relied for emergency asthma treatment. What is most alarming is that this inhaler was taken off the market not because it was unsafe or ineffective for treating asthma--it had been around for 50 years safely and effectively treating acute asthma attacks--but the Environmental Protection Agency claimed that the miniscule amount of chlorofluorocarbon contained was creating a hole in the ozone. Mr. Speaker, I respectfully submit that the Nation's asthmatics are not causing a hole in the ozone layer. When these inhalers were taken offline, we were told that the Food and Drug Administration would quickly approve a substitute inhaler; but here we are months and months and months later with no inhaler in sight. What has been the response of the EPA? They've been dismissive of Congress' concerns. I urge people to contact their Member of Congress to bring back these inhalers that have served so many people so well for so long.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I'd now like to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Culberson).

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to the status of time for both sides.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the chairman of the Rules Committee, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions), for his consideration.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Rice).

Mr. BURGESS. I have an additional speaker, and then my close.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. LaMalfa). Mr. LaMALFA Mr. Speaker, I'm from northern California, which is the land of the original 49ers. That was based on the Gold Rush of about 160 years ago. Now I see we are creating a new group of 49ers, and it is certainly not heading towards a gold rush for the country. These new 49ers are the people that have to limit the jobs of their small business to 49 or less in order to stay out of the clutches of ObamaCare. We also are creating a group called 29ers, who have to see their hours cut to less than 30 hours because their employer is out of options; again, because of ObamaCare. As a farmer, I know that when things aren't going right with the farm you have to learn to cut your losses. In this situation here, we need to have the good sense to not spend good money after bad. It is time that we take a good, hard look at this Obama health care takeover and decide to repeal it. In California, we seem to have a lot of boondoggles, to include the high-speed rail project, which prices could quadruple over its original cost. We are seeing the same type of boondoggle with this Obama health care takeover. Let's do the right thing to preserve jobs and preserve people's health care plans as they are and not have this boondoggle upon our entire country.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, now I would like to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas, a member of the Budget Committee, Roger Williams.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I now yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Scalise).

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I now am pleased to yield such time as she may consume to the author of the bill and a true leader in this effort, in this fight, the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Mrs. Bachmann).

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, may I ask as to the time remaining.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Huelskamp).

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Hurt).

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentlelady from New York (Ms. Slaughter), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. General Leave

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 215 and ask for its immediate consideration.