Michael Burgess

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6190) to direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to allow for the distribution, sale, and consumption in the United States of remaining inventories of over-the-counter CFC epinephrine inhalers.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Argyle High School Marching Band, which has earned their 5th victory at the University Interscholastic League (UIL) State Marching Band contest. The Eagle Marching Band has competed six times in the UIL state marching finals, and out of those competitions, the band has achieved first place honors an astonishing five times! The Argyle High School Marching Band's achievements are based upon the devotion and hard work that each individual student member puts into their performance, giving it their best efforts from the first hot practice in the blazing summer sun, through repeated practices, football game half-times and progressively competitive marching contests. Student leaders for the 2012 Argyle High School Marching Band are Drum Majors Randi Martin, Cameron Schafer and Lindsey Johnson. This fall, the crowning attainment for 120-plus band members was winning the UIL Class 3A championship for a third consecutive time with their remarkable program: ``Moving Parts.'' Led by Director of Bands, Kathy Johnson and Assistant Directors, Michael Lemish, Lucy Pascasio, Evan Fletcher, and Color Guard Instructor Sarah Ross, the leadership team for the Argyle High School Marching Band is to be commended as well. I join the citizens of Argyle, the band booster organization and band parents in congratulating the Argyle High School Marching Band for their tremendous winning record. They have been excellent musical ambassadors for their school, community and the 26th District of Texas. It is my privilege to serve the administrators, teachers, staff and students of the Argyle Independent School District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor an acclaimed educator, Texas Woman's University's chancellor and president, Dr. Ann Stuart. Dr. Stuart has many years experience in education and has served as the first chancellor and tenth president of the university for more than 12 years. Under her supervision, Texas Woman's University has transformed into an outstanding university that promotes exceptional higher education for all students. Dr. Stuart has not only devoted her life to the teaching of others but was equally as zealous about learning herself. Dr. Stuart earned her undergraduate degree in education from the University of Florida. She also received a master's degree in English from the University of Kentucky, and her doctorate in English from Southern Illinois University. As a first-generation graduate of higher education, Dr. Stuart's educational pursuits have enabled her to promote the same opportunities for students of Texas Woman's University. Before joining Texas Woman's University, Dr. Stuart held numerous positions at several different institutions. She previously served as president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Graduate School in Hartford, Connecticut. In addition, she served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Alma College in Michigan, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania, and in several facilities at the University of Evansville in Indiana. Under Dr. Stuart's leadership, Texas Woman's University's enrollment has grown 85%. The university has received national recognition for its significance and diversity in student class from national publications such as U.S. News and World Report. The university has also experienced advancements in technology and teaching tools that have greatly advanced students' academic experience. Texas Woman's University has also been a leader in the advancement of a greener campus and region via its Redbud tree campaign, which has implemented a continuing reforesting plan in Denton, Texas. Dr. Stuart has also influenced other areas beyond the campus itself. Her impact on the university can be distinguished through new amenities in Denton, Dallas, and Houston, such as the TWU Institute of Health Sciences--Houston Center, the TWU T. Boone Pickens Institute of Health Sciences-Dallas Center, the Ann Stuart Science Complex in Denton, and the Fitness and Recreation Center in Denton. All of these contributions have positioned Texas Woman's University at the head of workforce expansion. Among Dr. Stuart's lasting impressions are the financial contributions she made to the university. She established the annual Ann Stuart and Ray R. Poliakoff Celebration of Science event to promote women in science. Also, she created the Chancellor's Alumni Excellence Award, which allows outstanding alumni to visit the university to speak about their experiences. Lastly, she implemented the Ann Stuart and Ray R. Poliakoff Endowed Scholarships for Texas Woman's University's undergraduate students. Due to Dr. Stuart's dedication and public service, students at the university have the opportunity to prosper in an exceptional environment. Last month, Dr. Stuart announced that she will be retiring from Texas Woman's University in 2014. Her departure will leave a legacy of excellence at Texas Woman's University and the Denton community at large. Her valuable contributions to the pursuit of higher education will not soon be forgotten. I am pleased to recognize Dr. Ann Stuart and am privileged to represent Texas Woman's University in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Todd Harrison, the former Chief Oversight Counsel to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. Mr. Harrison was hired by my colleague Mr. Upton upon attaining chairmanship on the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. Formerly a state and federal prosecutor, Mr. Harrison's single-minded commitment to oversight contributed immensely to the atmosphere of accountability fostered by committee staff. As a husband and father commuting to Washington from New York City on a weekly basis, Mr. Harrison sacrificed greatly to maintain a top-notch oversight staff. His complete dedication to the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation was exemplified in the work he did with me. I'm sure that I speak on behalf of every member of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation in saying that Mr. Harrison was a treasured asset and will be missed dearly.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate another stellar attainment by the Marcus High School Marching Band. This is not the first, second, or even third time that the Marcus Band has won the University Interscholastic League (UIL) Class 5A State Marching competition, but their fourth time to be state champions! The Marcus High School Marching Band has achieved a first in UIL history in any conference, by winning its fourth consecutive state marching finals contest. It is an amazing accomplishment that epitomizes their work ethic and musicality. The Marcus High School Marching Band has a talented and committed leadership team, headed by Amanda Drinkwater, Director of Bands, and Associate Directors: Kennan Wylie, Dominic Talanca and David Simon as well as Color Guard Director, John Leonard. The student members of the Marauder Band have worked long hours over many months to bring their winning performance ``Gilded Memories'' to fruition. They have been capably led by Drum Majors Sarah Jones and Scott Van Gundy. Edward S. Marcus High School is located in Flower Mound, Texas within the Lewisville Independent School District. The school's administrators, teachers and students as well as its dedicated booster organization have whole heartedly supported the band's endeavors and should also be recognized and commended. I am pleased to join the community in congratulating the Marcus High School Band. They have been excellent ambassadors for Flower Mound and the 26th District of Texas. It is my privilege to serve them in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, I held the 10th Annual 26th Congressional District of Texas Transportation Summit along with the Texas Department of Transportation at the University of North Texas. Transportation is always a popular topic of discussion in North Texas and for obvious reasons. With one of the world's largest airports, thousands of miles of roads, highways, rail lines, and several other modes of infrastructure, North Texans recognize the importance of transportation and its role in our region's continued growth. This event provided a great conversation and I would like to thank: The Texas Department of Transportation for cosponsoring and Texas Transportation Commissioner Jeff Moseley speaking at the event, as well as the University of North Texas for serving as host. Other speakers and panelists for the summit who provided excellent insight into transportation issues: Andrew Harris, Vice President of Finance and Administration, University of North Texas; Michael Morris, Transportation Director for the North Central Texas Council of Governments; Larry D. Tegtmeyer, Wichita Falls District Engineer, Texas Department of Transportation; Bill Hale, Dallas District Engineer, Texas Department of Transportation; Andy Eads, Commissioner Precinct 4, Denton County; Maribel Chavez, Fort Worth District Engineer, Texas Department of Transportation; Gary Fickes, Commissioner Precinct 3, Tarrant County; Marc Williams, Director of Planning, Texas Department of Transportation; and Carlos Swonke, Director of Environmental Affairs, Texas Department of Transportation. Congressman Steven LaTourette was gracious and keynoted the event. As Vice-Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, he provided a unique perspective and insight. I thank him for his time and information, and I would like to thank him for his service. Congress is losing such a great asset and I wish him well in the next chapter in his life. North Texas is a rapidly growing area. As our population expands, our need for wider roads and highways also expands. I look forward to continuing this conversation and to working with local and state leaders on transportation issues.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Today I rise to recognize a member of the Frisco City Council, Captain Tim Nelson. Although he was elected to the council more than 18 months ago, his dais seat has frequently been empty, but for a good reason. Shortly after taking office, Captain Nelson received orders from the United States Army Reserve and was deployed to Afghanistan. During the past year, Captain Nelson was on the NATO military base with the 980th Engineer Battalion. As the unit's civil engineer, he oversaw construction projects ranging from roads to water crossings to intelligence. While in Afghanistan, Captain Nelson carried a copy of the United States Constitution everywhere he went. His reason was, ``You don't always have to agree with the politics of the day. But truly, by the grace of God, we were born in America. And if you've been to enough places around the world, you'll know how lucky we really are and how wonderful a place we live in.'' While Captain Nelson was not able to be at council meetings, he was never forgotten. The opening of each council meeting included a prayer for his family and for his safe return home. He is home now; and he said, I'll ``do my best to pay them back for the time I was gone.'' On November 8, he returned back to Texas to his wife, Candice, and their three children. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to recognize the service of a councilman of Frisco, Texas, Captain Tim Nelson.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. I thank the gentleman for the recognition. I don't want to say that Ralph Hall has been here for a long time, but he was here when the Earth cooled the first time. Ralph, I just can't tell you what it's meant to serve with you. When I was a freshman Member of Congress, you actually were on the other side of the aisle. You were the ranking Democrat on the Science Committee, and I served with you there. Certainly, your ability to get your way in that committee was something that I've always marveled at, because we had the votes, but you had the way of getting things done. And then I lost the ability to have my bills bipartisan because I always got Ralph to cosponsor whatever crazy little bill I had up there and it became bipartisan, and then Ralph switched sides on me. I wasn't able to utilize that any longer. I've got to tell you, Ralph, one of the profiles in courage that I will always remember from my service here in the House, I hadn't been here 3 months and it was the first budget vote that I had lived through. It was a pretty wild night. It went on late. The budget was kind of seesawing back and forth with not quite enough votes to pass, and then it had enough and then people switched. Right at the end, Ralph Hall came down this very aisle to this table and cast the deciding vote in favor of the Republican budget. At the time, he was a Democrat, but it was important to him. Our country had just gone to war in Iraq. The President needed the support of the House of Representatives. To Ralph, that was an important vote to cast. Honestly, I'll just never forget that profile in courage that you showed that night and how you put country above party, you put country above self, and you made that sacrifice. Ralph, it has been an honor to serve with you. You are a near neighbor in north Texas. We ride back and forth on that darned plane every week, and it is a testament to your ability to not just serve here in Washington, but take care of your folks at home in Rockwall. Ralph, it's been an honor to serve with you.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, on September 11 of this year, four Americans, including our United States ambassador, were killed in an attack at the Benghazi consulate. On September 25, I sent a letter to President Obama regarding the numerous inconsistencies voiced by people within his administration and what they were saying following the attack. I have not heard back. On November 1, I emailed the State Department, requesting they speak with me, for more information. Our office emailed every business day and received no response until November 7. Then, in a scripted response, they refused my request to speak with me. No one, not one person, is willing to talk about the details. Since they wouldn't talk to me in the privacy of my office, let me just ask them here in a public forum: Why did our ambassador die, and how did our ambassador die? It's been 2 months. You should know. Was it smoke inhalation, or was it some other cause? Was there physical evidence of torture on the ambassador's body as it was returned? And why were the bodies returned to Andrews Air Force Base when protocol dictates they go to Dover for the immediate investigation? These questions need to be answered. The State Department needs to be forthcoming. The administration needs to be forthcoming. I pray this Congress will exercise that authority.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 50th anniversary of the Lewisville Area Chamber of Commerce. Through fostering job creation, encouraging education, and promoting strong business foundations, the Lewisville Area Chamber of Commerce has contributed to the success of small businesses in Lewisville since 1962. Its members, dedicated entrepreneurs and business owners, strive to improve our economy by following their mission of promoting economic growth for the local business community. As a former small business owner, I know firsthand the importance of business expansion in the community, and this exceptional group has proven to be a driving force for local businesses. Their mission of promoting economic growth of the local business community through ``Leading Business, Leading Lewisville,'' is a true testament to their sustainability over the past 50 years. It is an honor to celebrate this important anniversary with the Lewisville Area Chamber of Commerce, and I am privileged to represent the Lewisville Area Chamber of Commerce and Lewisville, Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor SGT Steven B. Davidson. He is the human resource specialist with the U.S. Army Reserve's 490th Civil Affairs Battalion and currently attends the University of North Texas. Sergeant Davidson was honored earlier this year for his exemplary service to his country and his community as the 2012 Army Times Soldier of the Year. Sergeant Davidson, along with several others from his unit, was given the opportunity to participate in a French Desert Warfare Course in Djibouti, Africa. Having endured days of food, water, and sleep deprivation, the soldiers embarked on the final march of the rigorous ten-day course. After marching for nine hours in 120 degree debilitating temperatures, one man collapsed and began seizing due to heat stroke. Sergeant Davidson went to his aid, cutting off the man's boots and uniform; he utilized the cut-up uniform pieces as bandages and applied the remaining scarce water to the fallen soldier. He was able to revive and stabilize his condition and saved the master sergeant's life. Sergeant Davidson graduated with honors from the course in Djibouti and received an Army Achievement Medal for his life saving action and a Military Volunteer Medal for his service while deployed abroad. The Soldier of the Year honor highlights his ongoing military service as well as his sustained commitment to others. Sergeant Davidson volunteers with Big Brothers Big Sisters, mentors at-risk youth, and gives motivational speeches to elementary, middle and high school students. Perhaps his most profound gesture was presenting his Air Achievement Medal to the man who taught him life saving techniques and served as a mentor, his Northwest High School athletic trainer. Sergeant Davidson has demonstrated a deep passion for his country and his community. I want to express my appreciation for his commendable efforts on behalf of his fellow citizens within the 26th District and for his valuable service to the State of Texas and our great Nation.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Fredrick R. ``Fred'' Meyer. Mr. Meyer was a successful businessman, the Texas GOP chairman for six years, and the chairman of the Republican Party in Dallas for 7 years. Last week he passed away at the age of 84. Mr. Meyer will always be remembered as the man who made the Texas GOP unstoppable. Mr. Meyer graduated in 1949 from Purdue University with a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering and received a Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard University in 1958, graduating from both with high distinction. While working as senior vice president of the information services company, Tyler Corporation, in Dallas, Mr. Meyer was asked by Republican congressional candidate Alan Steelman to manage his campaign. After surprisingly winning the race against the former mayor of Dallas, Earle Cabell, Mr. Meyer couldn't help but become more involved. Beginning in 1972, he became a state delegate at that and every subsequent Republican convention. Even though Texas was primarily a Democratic state, Mr. Meyer used his skills in fundraising and managing to convince potential candidates to run for Republican seats. About 10 percent of Dallas County elected officials were Republicans when he was elected as Dallas GOP Chairman in 1979, but towards the end of his last term, almost 80 percent of the county elected officials were Republican. When he lost the race for Dallas mayor to Annette Strauss in 1987, he served three terms as the state GOP chairman, aiding Texan George H.W. Bush in winning the presidency. His success for the party lasted for two full decades until the Democrats took Dallas County in 2006. His admirable reputation will not be forgotten. During the last few weeks of his life, Mr. Meyer was fundraising in his hospital room for the Cooper Institute. It seemed that he could never give up his passion. Mr. Meyer is survived by his wife, Barbara Meyer, his son Brad Meyer, his two daughters, Amy and Cheryl, and his five grandchildren. I would like to extend my sincerest condolences to Fred Meyer's family and friends.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Barry Brown. Barry served as my chief of staff when I was elected into the House of Representatives in 2002 and recently transitioned into his new role with the Alpine Group here in D.C. During the ten years Barry served as chief of staff in my office, I always appreciated his dedication and loyalty to the staff, constituents, and to me. After receiving his Bachelor of Arts from Texas Tech University, Barry began his career as a legislative assistant for the House Agriculture Committee Chairman, Larry Combest. Barry later became the legislative director to Representative Kevin Brady and the chief of staff to Representative Kay Granger. While on Capitol Hill, he also served Representative Dick Armey and Senator Phil Gramm. Before working for my office, Barry was also the Vice President with the Alpine Group. As a fifth-generation Texan, Barry participates on the National Board of Directors for the Red Raider Club and is a third generation member of the Texas State Society. Barry is also the assistant treasurer of the Vestry of St. Patrick's Episcopal Church. As you can see Barry is very active in the community and has a passion for Texas and for politics. While Barry can boast many legislative and political achievements, I know he will say his greatest success is being a husband and father. Barry is married to Jennifer Brown who is the chief of staff for Representative Lamar Smith. Together, they have a son, Leighton, and a daughter, Gipson. I want to express my appreciation and best wishes to Barry as furthers his career with the Alpine Group. He will be dearly missed and always warmly welcomed in my office.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Charles W. Carpenter, the president of the Denton Chamber of Commerce for the past 30 years. Mr. Carpenter graduated from Baylor University in 1975, with a Bachelor's of Arts in communications. His personal and professional background in communications and his exceptional administrative skills have benefited him as he continues in his dedicated service in leading the Chamber and its staff. He has been recognized for his contributions and continuous leadership to the city of Denton through numerous awards. He was the 2011 recipient of the Boy Scouts Distinguished Citizens Award and was commemorated in front of 20 past chairs of the chamber board for his positive influence through the chamber to the Denton community. In June 2010, he received the Marvin Hurley Lifetime Achievement Award by the Texas Chamber of Commerce Executives Association. Continually, Mr. Carpenter demonstrates his true passion to influence constructive change in the community of Denton. He is a founding member and supporter of the Denton Chamber 101 Club, which funds the Shop Denton Chamber First program. He is also an alumni member of Leadership Denton, as well as an appointed member of the board of directors of the Denton Economic Development Partnership. Mr. Carpenter and the other members of the Denton Chamber of Commerce have made it a priority to connect local businesses with one another in order to help the business community of Denton flourish. Also, it is the only chamber in the DFW Metroplex and surrounding area that houses a full-service Small Business Development Center. Under his direction, the Denton Chamber remains a consistent and trustworthy organization for local business. For over 35 years, it has continued to be one of only 250 chambers in the nation to have accomplished and sustained accreditation through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. It is my pleasure to recognize the president of Denton Chamber of Commerce, Charles Carpenter, and his 30 years of service to the community. I am privileged to represent the City of Denton in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. I thank the gentleman for yielding. You know, today's vote culminates a nearly 2-year investigation into how the administration has mismanaged the Department of Energy's loan guarantee program, allowing the loss of $535 million in the interest of gaining a political win on solar energy. Emails and documents show that the White House and political appointees at the Department of Energy had a heavy hand in pushing the Solyndra application forward despite multiple misgivings, misgivings from the credit committee at the Department of Energy, both in President Bush's administration before and career staff at the Office of Management and Budget and the Department of Treasury. Moreover, when it was clear that by rushing the Solyndra application it actually could result in a very embarrassing bankruptcy for the President, the Department of Energy pushed for a questionable legal move that actually subordinated the taxpayer interests below that of private equity interests, a move that we have now seen will result in the complete annihilation of the $535 million from the perspective of the taxpayer. But one of the glaring issues that the investigative committee uncovered was that because no penalties existed in the 2005 loan guarantee authorization, officials at the Department of Energy had nothing to fear in actually breaking the law as it was written by our committee and passed by this Congress. Indeed, the Department of Energy intentionally hid its head in the sand refusing to consult with either Department of Energy or Department of Justice for an outside reading on whether subordination could be a legitimate option. Instead, Department of Energy stopped an outside law firm's analysis, created a tortured memo justifying what they had already decided they would do, that is, place taxpayer dollars below the interests of private equity. For this reason, I welcomed the opportunity to work with Chairman Upton and Chairman Stearns to add explicit language to provide for penalties for those officials who violate the terms of the authorization which created the loan guarantee program. It is time that those in the agency that dole out millions of dollars and choose to ignore the law be held accountable. Indeed, the public understands this concept very well. Any employee in the private sector who ignores their boss's instructions and loses millions of dollars in company money is going to face immediate sanctions, including losing their job. No one has lost their job over Solyndra. Public employees should be no different from private employees. This is an important bill. Today's vote will be a win for every citizen concerned about good government and our fiscal future. It's time to end failed government programs that are driving us over a fiscal cliff. This is a major step in the right direction.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Ann Arnold. After a decades-long battle with leukemia, she passed away earlier this month at the age of 67. Ms. Arnold is the longtime president and CEO of the Texas Association of Broadcasters, and served as the press secretary to former Texas Governor Mark White. Ms. Arnold was always fascinated by the media and its ability to uncover the truth. She founded her junior high school newspaper and moonlighted for community newspapers, covering evening city council and school board meetings. In 1968, she earned a journalism degree from the University of Texas at Austin. To pay her way through college, Ms. Arnold worked three jobs; including working at the Capitol Bureau of the Dallas Times-Herald. In 1966, she received the Headlines Award. After graduation, Ms. Arnold joined the Capitol Bureau of United Press International. That same year she married her high-school sweetheart, Reg Arnold. In 1980, Ms. Arnold joined the Fort Worth Star- Telegram's Capitol staff. In 1983, she became the press secretary for Governor Mark White, the first Texas woman in history to hold the position. Shortly after Governor White lost his bid for re-election to a second term, Ms. Arnold was diagnosed with leukemia. Although she was told that she only had six months to two years to live, twenty years later, and after an experimental treatment at Houston's M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Ms. Arnold was still going strong and became an icon of hope statewide. As executive director of the Texas Association of Broadcasters, and through her work at the Texas Capitol, before Congress and the Federal Communications Commission, Ms. Arnold was influential in helping broadcasters achieve a positive business climate in Texas. Ms. Arnold also positioned the Texas Association of Broadcasters as a primary defender of Texas' open government laws and was repeatedly recognized for her achievements on behalf of the industry. In 2001, she received the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas' James Madison Award with then Attorney General John Cornyn. During her tenure at the Texas Association of Broadcasters, Ms. Arnold doubled station membership, expanded an array of member services for stations, recruited top professional staff, and oversaw the construction of the association's permanent home just blocks from the Texas Capitol. In 2007, Ms. Arnold received the Texas Association of Broadcasters' ``Lifetime Achievement Award''. Ms. Arnold's successes with the broadcast industry and local communities throughout Texas have strengthened the communities she worked with and her passion and dedication will certainly be missed. I would like to extend my sincerest condolences to Ms. Arnold's family and friends.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the United Way of Denton County and their 61 years of service. The local chapter aims to improve the quality of life in the critical areas of education, income, and health. The organization estimates that more the 33,000 students in the area are at risk of dropping out of school and approximately 15% of the County's adults over the age of 24 did not graduate from high school. Furthermore, the Texas Food Bank estimates that more than 90,000 individuals in Denton County are food insecure, and the Texas Department of State Health Services reports that $713 million dollars were spent on preventable hospitalizations over a four-year period in the county. The United Way of Denton County and partner agency volunteers and donors decided they could overcome these discouraging statistics. Volunteers donated 221,000 hours, valuing a $4.8 million staff cost savings in 2011. Through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, United Way of Denton County staff and volunteers have generated more than $1,782,899 in Federal Tax Returns to Denton County residents since 2007. In addition, to improve the area's quality of life, 7,361 donors gave a total of $1,562,851 to the United Way of Denton County in 2011. The organization's worthwhile efforts have positively impacted the communities it serves, offering assistance to more than 4,500 Denton County residents through United Way of Denton County and their non- profit partner agencies. With the support of the citizens of Denton County, the United Way will continue to flourish and unite the community through its mission of improving lives by affording individuals and organizations opportunities to give, advocate, and volunteer. It is my pleasure to recognize the United Way of Denton County and their 61 years of service, and I am privileged to represent them in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, as a physician and now as a legislator, I, frankly, do not understand the way our government continues to treat those who care for America's patients. Earlier this month, I introduced legislation, H.R. 6142, to provide a 1-year extension for Medicare physician payment rates. This allows patients to continue to have access to their physicians in the next year. Look, this is no mystery. We all know the last patch is going to expire on December 31. We all know that before December 31 of this year that somehow we'll cobble together and provide another patch. Why not do that now? Why make them wait until the deadline? They can't plan. They can't grow their practices. They can't expand because they don't know what their government is going to do to them. Further compounding the problem this year is the specter of sequestration that occurs on January 1. No matter how you slice it, it's another 2 percent cut on top of the 27 to 29 percent cut they are already going to get under the SGR. Let's do the right thing. We could pass this bill under suspension this afternoon. We could provide our Nation's physicians the stability and the certainty that they need to continue to see the patients we've asked them to serve.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize David Boston, a talented and respected builder from Crossroads, Texas. After many years of private custom home building, and ten years of employment with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Mr. Boston is retiring. Mr. Boston was a sought-after custom home builder in Denton for many years. After retiring from that profession, he accepted a part-time position with FEMA in 2002. Four years later in 2006, Mr. Boston accepted a full-time position with the agency. He served as a National Hazard Mitigation Specialist where he investigated properties that were damaged by disasters like Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Ike. In his tenure at FEMA, he investigated over 46,000 sites. Due to his prior experience building private homes, Mr. Boston was able to deal favorably with sub-contractors. Because of this advantage, he saved FEMA and American taxpayers nearly $25 million. In addition to his commitment and dedication to FEMA, Mr. Boston was always equally dedicated to the home owners and businesses with whom he worked. Mr. Boston retired in May, 2012 after ten years of service. Upon his retirement, he will serve as a Republican precinct chair beginning in August of 2012. As Mr. Boston retires from a long and dedicated career, I would like to recognize his accomplishment and service, as well as congratulate him on a job well done. His experience and skills are evident to all he worked with. It is an honor to have the opportunity to recognize and represent Mr. Boston in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Gainesville, Texas as they were recently named the ``Most Patriotic Small Town in America'' by USA Today. Last week, Rand McNally Corporation and USA Today announced the winners of the Best of the Road 2012 contest. This contest is a nationwide search for America's best towns for friendliest people, great scenery, terrific food, patriotic fervor, and just plain fun. I am proud that Gainesville won the category for most patriotic, not only for its number of monuments and memorials and tremendous display of American flags, but especially for the genuine spirit of its citizens. As a finalist, Gainesville hosted a two day patriotic celebration during the judges' visit to the city which included an old fashioned ice cream social and a tour of the city decked out in its best red, white and blue regalia. In addition, the judges recognized Gainesville's Medal of Honor Host City Program, an annual three day celebration honoring the military veterans awarded our nation's highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor. Also recognized was Gainesville's unique downtown area with its antique shopping and dining venues situated around the historic Cooke County Courthouse on the square. Gainesville was established in 1850 through a donation of 40 acres of land by Mary E. Clark. The town was named after General Edmund Pendleton Gaines, a United States General sympathetic to Texas during the state's revolution. After years of battling off Native American attacks, the city persevered and ultimately prospered. Since Gainesville is near Oklahoma's border, Gainesville became a key trading center. Farming and agriculture eventually took over as the town's primary industry, and after oil was discovered nearby, Gainesville was able to prosper even during a period of severe economic turmoil, the Great Depression. Gainesville is home to numerous attractions including Camp Howze Army training camp and the Frank Buck Zoo. Today, the city of Gainesville is still continuing to multiply its population and business community. It is an honor to have Gainesville, recognized after 30,000 miles and five other cities, as the most patriotic. I am privileged to represent Gainesville, Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives, and I rise to salute them for their patriotism for our country.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Of course the doctor from Maryland makes an excellent point about having an insurance card--in this case, a Medicare card--that it does not necessarily guarantee access to care. I would see it literally every month in my practice. Being an obstetrician, if I'm called by the emergency room doctor to attend to a patient who is pregnant, under EMTALA laws I have got 30 minutes to show up or I get fined $50,000, so I would always show up. The difficulty is that, although she was pregnant, sometimes the problem that brought her to the emergency room was something unrelated to pregnancy, such as a heart murmur, tonsillitis, you name it. I may not be the best person to take care of that particular condition, but, just as the doctor from Tennessee pointed out, it was almost impossible to find someone in a specialty practice who would agree to see that patient. Oftentimes, you would find yourself admitting a patient who might otherwise not require admission but simply so that you could get them the specialist care that they needed. It's a very inefficient and very expensive way to go about getting that care.

Mr. BURGESS. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I wanted to make one point on this new Congressional Budget Office score that was provided today. And I know some people are looking at that and saying the cost for the program, for the Affordable Care Act over the next 10 years, was only scored I think at $1.16 trillion--if I can use the words ``only'' and ``trillion'' together in a sentence. But what many people overlook is that the Congressional Budget Office must score under existing law. And one of the things that existing law does is it cuts physician reimbursement in Medicare by 35 percent on December 31 of this year. So add another $300 billion to $400 billion to that cost just for the so-called sustainable growth rate formula, which has not yet been repealed. Now we will fix that before the end of the year for at least 1 more year. But the Congressional Budget Office has no way of scoring that. They must go with existing law. And, of course, with the Independent Payment Advisory Board, the same thing applies. They have to think that those cuts that the Independent Payment Advisory Board is programmed to produce, that they are going to continue occur. The other thing the Congressional Budget Office cannot easily estimate is the number of people who will be moved off employer- sponsored insurance onto the State exchanges or the Federal exchange. And that is a difficult number to know. The MacKenzie Corporation said it was going to be 30 percent. The Deloitte corporation has said 10 percent. We don't know what that number is. CBO is scoring that at a very low 1 to 2 percent because historically, that is the average of the erosion of employer-sponsored insurance. Those points are important to remember in looking at these figures.

Mr. BURGESS. Look, it doesn't have to be this way. That's what's so disappointing about every aspect of the Affordable Care Act. I don't want to get too far into it, but we know now that this law was written by special interest groups, secret deals down closeted in the White House, Senate-constructed deals on Christmas Eve before a snowstorm to get out of town. This was constructed under the worst of possible circumstances. Should it be any surprise to us that the darn thing, regardless of how you feel about everything else, it's just not going to work? And yes, as the gentleman pointed out, the difficulties in obstetric care is just one aspect of that. If I could, I would like to bring up the point that I was in the Supreme Court the day the oral argument was heard on the individual mandate. I heard the Solicitor General make his argument that the cost of health care is going up because we have people showing up in the emergency room without insurance and everybody needs to be compelled to buy insurance and, by golly, that will fix our problem. Wait a minute. That ain't going to fix your problem because we know, in the State of Texas, only 31 percent of doctors will see a Medicaid patient. As a consequence, if you expand your numbers of Medicaid patients and you don't have the doctors there to see them, what are they to do? They've got this card in their hand, and they go to the emergency room to get the most expensive care. I wanted to bring this up because in the Austin American-Statesman this weekend, Dr. Tom Suehs, the executive director of the State Department of Health--or the Executive Commissioner of the Texas Health and Human Services had an op-ed in the Austin American-Statesman. I just want to read the first two paragraphs of his piece: Do you know how much a Medicaid client pays for an emergency room visit? How about if the visit isn't an emergency? The answer to both questions is the same: nothing. Not one dime. The Texas Medicaid program paid $467 million for almost 2.5 million emergency visits in 2009, and half of those visits weren't even for emergencies. Yet Federal law makes it virtually impossible for States to charge even small copays to discourage unnecessary emergency room utilization by Medicaid clients. I think Dr. Suehs has hit the nail on the head here. We have to provide the flexibility back to our States. But it also belies the question: Who thought of taking a safety net program for blind and disabled nursing home residents, pregnant women, and children and then expanding that to cover 15 million more Americans? That wasn't the way to go about this. There were better ideas out there. For whatever reason, the Obama administration chose not to listen, not to solicit those ideas, and now we have the situation as it exists today. With that, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I thank him for allowing me to participate in this hour. This is an important subject, one that is not going to go away, and we're going to be talking about it a lot for the next several months and the next several years.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, almost a month after the Supreme Court has issued its decision on the so-called Affordable Care Act, we have all had time to think and dissect their opinion and start to predict how this landmark ruling will affect each and every one of us. I respect the role of the Court and the decision of the Justices, but I can't help but tell you I was disappointed the entire law was upheld. I do believe the Affordable Care Act is detrimental to our Nation. Certainly it has been a wet blanket on our economy, and it is a real threat to the future of medicine in America. Since the passing of the law over 2 years ago, we have seen the strain it has placed on our economy. The pricetag continues to increase, sometimes staggeringly so. There are provisions which discourage small businesses from hiring, not to mention the commensurate government regulations. Today, the Congressional Health Care Caucus held a panel discussion on what was one of its many panel discussions on the current state of health care. Karen Ignagni, president and chief executive officer of America's Health Insurance Plans, has said that the health care law won't work unless it is changed or delayed. I couldn't agree more. Dan Danner from the National Federation of Independent Businesses was also present, and he said there has got to be a way to get price signals to people so they can participate in the cost of their care. The structure of this law, through the combination of new fees coupled with weak penalties for those who choose to not purchase will force the young and healthy to shoulder the majority of the financial burden of expansion. Mr. Speaker, we must do away with this thing.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, this year, a common over-the-counter emergency asthma inhaler was forced off the pharmacy shelves due to an international treaty agreement. Now, patients who suffer from asthma and who find themselves awake at 2 a.m. with unexpected attacks and who don't have access to immediate inhalers, well, they've got a problem. It used to be a problem they could solve with a quick trip down to the 24-hour pharmacy. Now they have to go to the emergency room. Although a replacement inhaler has been before the FDA's approval board, they've taken no action. When the ban on the available over-the- counter inhaler went into effect, most people expected the replacement would be available with no disruption, but this has not been the case. Because of the FDA's intransigence, our patients have nowhere to go. I don't know why the FDA has not acted. I've asked them. They won't tell me. There is a simple solution: The Environmental Protection Agency has within its authority the ability to waive the ban on the over-the-counter inhaler, allowing existing stock to be sold. Yet, despite multiple letters to the EPA and to President Obama and despite questions during committee hearings, they remain unresponsive. Why has the EPA not approved the waiver? Again, you'll have to ask them. They are not telling me. The minuscule number of chlorofluorocarbons that exists in the over- the-counter inhaler will have negligible affects on our ozone layer, especially considering the limited supply left. The EPA should be on the side of the patients. Lisa Jackson and President Obama need to stop this senseless war on asthmatics.