Charles Boustany

Mr. BOUSTANY

Mr. BOUSTANY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the service and career of Penny Angelle Frederick. For the last 25 years, she has served the people of South Louisiana for three Members of Congress as a dedicated Congressional staffer. Penny began her career in public service working as a legislative assistant for Louisiana State Representative Harry L. Benoit. She then worked with U.S. Representatives James ``Jimmy'' Hayes and Chris John of South Louisiana. In January of 2005, Penny joined my staff as a constituent service representative. From Day One, Penny has been a great resource to the Third Congressional District of Louisiana. Her knowledge and guidance provided my office with a strong foundation to build on. Her personality and reputation have forged many bonds across South Louisiana. I will miss her ability to provide help and insight to constituents and most importantly, to me. As Penny enters retirement, I would like to thank her for the work she's done as a public servant. However, I am positive her husband, Kendall, and daughters, Abbey and Lindsey, will be happy to have her around a little more. Penny, I wish you nothing but the best as you enter this next phase of your life and hope you know how grateful I am for all of your hard work over the course of these many years.

Mr. BOUSTANY

Mr. BOUSTANY. Madam Speaker, as a physician with 30 years' experience, clinical experience, I rise to vigorously oppose ObamaCare once again. We need to repeal this abomination. Why? Just take a look at this chart. Where's the doctor, and where's the patient? Well, look at the corner. Physician's way here in the corner. Patient's way over there. And what's at the center of this? The Department of Health and Human Services with the Secretary. And at the top, the IRS. And we all know what's going on with the IRS today. How can we trust an entity like that to enforce this abomination of a health law? Doctors and patients deal with very personal information, very personal. That's why you have to preserve the sanctity of the doctor- patient relationship. And having all this between the doctor and the patient is basically a recipe for massive failure. That's why we must repeal it. That's why I stand with my colleagues to repeal it. Let's do the right thing. Let's go step by step and get sensible, real reforms that will make Americans proud of their health care system.

Mr. BOUSTANY

Mr. BOUSTANY. Madam Speaker, from the very origins of this country, the very beginnings, this country has always made good on its sovereign debt. Let me be clear what this bill does. It ensures that the United States shall never default on its sovereign debt. What does it not do? It's not a solution to the debt problem. We have a serious long-term liability problem in this country and a failure by our colleagues on the other side to recognize that we have to deal with this. Simply raising taxes ad nauseam is not a solution. We need to come to a real solution so that seniors are not left behind on their Medicare benefits and Social Security is taken care of. What does it not do? It's not a pay China first bill. China's holdings are less than 8 percent, and the ranking member's figures were wrong because he failed to account for the Social Security trust fund in that calculation. What we have used are the accurate figures from the U.S. Department of the Treasury. What does it not do? It does not authorize new spending and new debt. This bill just simply says the United States shall always make good on its sovereign debt. It doesn't provide a solution to the long-term problem. We've got to solve those problems. We need to come together and come up with solutions for the longer-term liability with Medicare and all the other spending programs that are bankrupting this country. It's been said that the national debt of the United States is a threat to our national security in the long run. We need real long-term solutions and not demagoguery and not disingenuous arguments. The language is very clear. We have seen what the language is in these credit rating agencies as they did this downgrade. It was basically a failure of Congress to come together and work with the administration to come up with a real long-term plan. That is the issue. The United States will not default on its debt, and this provides an extra tool for Treasury.

Mr. BOUSTANY

Mr. BOUSTANY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the service of the Antoine and Emma Dugas Family, who selflessly served as aircraft spotters during World War II in Iberia Parish, Louisiana. Their dedication to country, spending countless hours watching the skies of our Gulf Coast as a first line of defense against an aerial assault, deserves our thanks and recognition. Emma and Antoine Dugas moved from the Atchafalaya Basin area to Lake Dauterive, Iberia Parish, in 1927 following the great floods that predated our Louisiana levee system. At the advent of the war, due to the rural, isolated location of their home, the family was approached by the U.S. Army Air Force to serve as aircraft spotters. This required studying and memorizing various types of aircraft by sight, filling out reports of their surveillance and calling in any observations of aircraft they might spot in the skies. The family faithfully carried out this duty from June 24, 1943 until the war's end in 1945. Until now, Antoine and Emma Dugas, and their children, Claude ``Nook'' Dugas, Mabel ``Pie'' Broussard, Melba ``Eunice'' Dugas Verret, Antoine ``Tan'' Dugas, Jr., and John Gabriel ``Creed'' Dugas, have received no special recognition for their service. Today I would like to take the opportunity to recognize and thank these citizens for their service and hold them up as an example of sacrifice and dedication in service of our country. This month, on May 19, 2013, the Dugas family will come together at Lake Fausse Pointe State Park--significant due to its approximate location as a midpoint between the Bayou Chene area where the family lived in the basin, and the Lake Dauterive area where the family moved to build their first home on land. As they remember their family history, we thank them for their service and commend them on a job well done.

Mr. BOUSTANY

Mr. BOUSTANY. Mr. Speaker, in 2009, the United States surpassed Russia in becoming the world's largest producer of natural gas. Due to recent technological advancements, large deposits of natural gas, mainly shale gas, are now being harvested. Through the use of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling, previously inaccessible hydrocarbons are now seeing the light of day. Having Henry Hub located in the center of the Third Congressional District, I'm fully aware that the market price of U.S. natural gas is at an all-time low and much lower than Asian and European natural gas prices. While this fact presents challenges, it also provides an opportunity for our Nation to fast become a global energy hub by exporting one of our most abundant natural resources in the form of liquified natural gas, or LNG. With domestic demand being met, exporting LNG leads to job creation at home, a reduction in the national trade deficit, and an increase in revenues for the Federal Government. As a member of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade, these are all value-added benefits for our Nation. The domestic natural gas boom presents the United States with an enormous economic opportunity and geopolitical opportunity. Our Nation should seize this opportunity and not let it pass. It's in the public interest.

Mr. BOUSTANY

Mr. BOUSTANY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Saint Thomas More Catholic High School Boys basketball team for their recent achievement of winning Louisiana's Class 4A State Championship. This team had a tough season, but it finished strong in the end. This game accounted for the Cougars' third triumph against the Northside High School Vikings this year. The Cougars are proud to claim the state title and bring it home to Lafayette. With five seniors on the team providing steady leadership, Coach Danny Broussard knew the Vikings would shine during the state playoffs. In a season full of commitment and many practices, the Cougars' efforts proved worthwhile and successful. Because of the team's hard work, the community was blessed to witness those five seniors finish their final game with the reward of a state championship. Also, I want to commend the team's entire coaching staff on their hard work and dedication. Coach Danny Broussard has led the team for many years with a bench full of capable assistant coaches that are vital to the team. Wesley Cortese and Brad Geoffroy allocate a tremendous amount of time to this team, and that sacrifice does not go unrecognized. I am excited to see the team defend its title next year in its quest for a repeat performance, and I wish the Cougars basketball team much luck and success in the future.

Mr. BOUSTANY

Mr. BOUSTANY. Mr. Speaker, due to inclement weather on the morning of Monday, February 25th, my flight was unable to leave for Washington, DC from Lafayette, Louisiana. Therefore, I was unable to return in time for votes on the day of February 25, 2013. Had I been present to vote, my voting record would reflect the following: Approval of the Journal-- ``yea'', H.R. 667--``yea.''

Mr. BOUSTANY

Mr. BOUSTANY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to commemorate the passing of a great leader in the South Louisiana community who built his family business into a national brand and was known as ``The Scion of Spice.'' Paul McIlhenny, CEO of the McIlhenny Company and owner of the Tabasco sauce brand, was a true friend and advocate for the state of Louisiana, promoting tourism and Cajun culture abroad while fighting coastal erosion at home. He was passionate about food, an avid hunter, a generous philanthropist and always quick with a joke. He will be dearly missed by the entire community in South Louisiana and remembered as a steadfast advocate for our state. To commemorate Mr. McIlhenny's passing, I request to include an article from the New Orleans Times- Picayune, written by John Pope, in its entirety into the Congressional Record: Paul McIlhenny, an ebullient executive who for 14 years led the family-owned company that makes Tabasco sauce and who reigned as Rex in 2006, died Saturday at his New Orleans home, apparently of a heart attack. He was 68. Mr. McIlhenny, whom The New York Times once called ``The Scion of Spice,'' became the company's president in 1998--the sixth family member to hold that title--and chief executive officer two years later. At his death, he still held the latter position and also was chairman of the board of directors, but a cousin, Anthony ``Tony'' Simmons, was named president last year. The company, which was founded by Edmund McIlhenny in 1868 on Avery Island, near New Iberia, sells Tabasco sauce in about 165 countries and has 11 websites outside the United States, in North and South America and Europe. During Mr. McIlhenny's years at the helm of the McIlhenny Co., he worked aggressively to expand the number of items to which the familiar Tabasco logo could be affixed. They include T-shirts, aprons, neckties, teddy bears and computer screensavers, as well as seven varieties of hot sauce. In 2009, Queen Elizabeth II granted the company a royal warrant, which entitles it to advertise that it supplies the pepper sauce to the British royal family. In honor of the queen's Diamond Jubilee last year, the company turned out a Tabasco-sauce box for its British market emblazoned with drawings of dozens of diamonds. In the United States, the company provides hot sauce for Air Force One. Mr. McIlhenny entered the family business in 1967, shortly after earning a degree in political science at the University of the South in Tennessee. Despite his passion for all things Louisiana, Mr. McIlhenny was born in Houston in 1944, along with a twin sister, Sara, because their mother was staying there with her mother while the children's father was in the military during World War II, said his daughter Barbara McIlhenny Fitz-Hugh. Mr. McIlhenny grew up in New Orleans and spent much of his childhood shuttling between New Orleans and the family's compound on Avery Island. Because of his interest in the wetlands around Avery Island, his passion for hunting and his mother's membership on a committee concerned with coastal-zone management, Mr. McIlhenny became aware years ago of Louisiana's increasingly fragile coastline. Gov. Mike Foster appointed him to the Governor's Advisory Commission on Coastal Restoration, Protection and Conservation, and he was a vice chairman and board member of the America's Wetland Foundation, whose logo appears on every box of Tabasco sauce sold in the United States. Although Mr. McIlhenny was serious about coastal restoration and the preservation of Louisiana's wetlands, he generally was a merry man--one friend described him as ``Falstaffian''--who strove to inject humor wherever possible. A few days before he reigned as Rex in 2006, Mr. McIlhenny quipped that if, during the ceremonial toast to the mayor at Gallier Hall, the subject of hot sauce came up, ``I'll say that's one form of global warming I'm totally in favor of. We're defending the world against bland food.'' He took the throne six months after Hurricane Katrina roared ashore, the city's levees failed and 80 percent of New Orleans was flooded. The Rex den took on about 5 feet of water; watermarks were clearly visible on its floats when the parade rolled. Because of the storm's impact, some people, including Carnival insiders, had questioned the wisdom of having parades in 2006. Mr. McIlhenny said in a pre-parade interview that the thought never crossed his mind.``If there was any time when we needed distraction, digression, diversion from the grind, it's Mardi Gras,'' he said, ``and if there was any time we ever needed it, it's here. We need to let it all hang out and, in the sense of pre-Lenten revelry, make sure we relax and recreate.'' Mr. McIlhenny was president of Bayou Corp., his hunting club in Vermilion Parish; a former president of the New Iberia Rotary Club; a founder and board member of Fuelman/ Fleetman Cos. Inc.; a director of the Friends of the National Arboretum; a member of the Marine Military Academy board; and a lifetime sponsor of Ducks Unlimited. He also was a member of the Bohemian Grove, the Avoca Duck Club, the Boston Club, the Louisiana Club, the Recess Club and the Chattooga Club. In 2010, Mr. McIlhenny was inducted into the James Beard Foundation's Who's Who of Food and Beverage in America. He was an author of a cookbook compiled to mark the McIlhenny Co.'s 125th anniversary. Survivors include his wife, Judith Goodwin McIlhenny; two daughters, Barbara McIlhenny Fitz-Hugh of New Orleans and Rosemary McIlhenny Dinkins of Nashville, Tenn.; a brother, Gustaf McIlhenny of Maine; a sister, Sara McIlhenny Ringle of Covington; and four grandchildren.

Mr. BOUSTANY

Mr. BOUSTANY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to applaud the city of Lake Charles for its recent selection by the Acadiana Profile magazine as the city of the year. Lake Charles continues to make major progress improving the economic opportunities and cultural life for its citizens. In the next few years, approximately 34,000 jobs will be generated in the petrochemical industry due to significant and meaningful commitments to the region by international companies including Sasol and Cheniere Energy, Inc. Also, the Calcasieu Parish and the city of Lake Charles' tourism produced $358 million just last year alone and this number is expected to increase in the future. Furthermore, residents are enjoying the luxuries of a more personable and hospitable community, with the new Millennium Park serving as a pillar of the downtown area. Due to the redevelopment of the downtown area, the Charpentier Historic District is more inviting than ever. With seventy-five festivals held annually in addition to the construction of the National Hurricane Museum and Science Center, Lake Charles' impressive progress will continue into the future. I am proud of Lake Charles' improvements and want to commend Mayor Randy Roach and the City Council for their vision and dedication.

Mr. BOUSTANY

Mr. BOUSTANY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the University of Louisiana at Lafayette's Marching Band for again being selected to perform during the nationally televised annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City. The band, known as the Pride of Acadiana, lived up to its name under the leadership of Doctors Brian Taylor and Gerald Waguespack. As a proud alumnus of the University, I want to thank all band members for your hard work and excellent performance before an estimated 65 million viewers. I specifically want to commend band member Eric Gaudet of Thibodeaux, Louisiana for winning the Bob Hope Band Scholarship Award provided by Macy's and the Bob and Delores Hope Charity Foundation. Gaudet and the band received the $10,000 prize based on Eric's musical ability, leadership, humor and community service. You gave all of us in South Louisiana another reason to be thankful as we celebrated a national holiday with friends and family.

Mr. BOUSTANY

Mr. BOUSTANY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the No More Solyndras Act. It ensures that taxpayers are never left on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars for any future President's risky bets. This legislation phases out the Department of Energy's flawed loan guarantee program. It seeks to stop future debacles like the recent $535 million loan guarantee for the California solar panel manufacturer called Solyndra. This administration refuses to promote legitimate and safe domestic energy resources by issuing moratoriums in the Gulf of Mexico and needlessly delaying very important projects like the Keystone pipeline. Instead, it chooses to roll the dice on unproven technologies that result in bankruptcies with hundreds of millions of wasted taxpayer dollars. That's not a way to move forward. In south Louisiana, we know when it comes to energy production, domestic resources are waiting to be tapped safely, environmentally sound. Whether it's oil or natural gas or any other source, we must harness the resources of our land to create jobs here at home and to make sure that hardworking families aren't forced to feel the pain at the pump.

Mr. BOUSTANY

Mr. BOUSTANY. Thank you, Chairman Dreier. Let me say thank you, first of all, for your tremendous service to our country in your capacity as a Member of Congress and as chairman of the Rules Committee. I want to thank you for your leadership on international trade and in promoting America's role in international trade. I also want to thank you for your friendship and for your wise counsel. I've enjoyed the time I've been able to travel with you.

Mr. BOUSTANY. We still do, but I'll say this: I'll miss having you here, and I look forward to keeping in touch in the future.

Mr. BOUSTANY. Thank you for organizing this round of speeches tonight to talk about this crucial piece of legislation that we need to pass because what it will do will be to ensure a level playing field for U.S. workers, U.S. farmers, employers who are competing for business in Russia. Now, we all know that, until Russia came into the WTO, it was a very difficult place to get market access for our businesses, especially, certainly, large companies, but small companies, mid-sized firms. I believe it is vital for Congress to grant Russia permanent normalized trade relations by removing them from the Jackson-Vanik amendment. If we don't do this, if we don't terminate that provision and grant PNTR, Russia will deny or could certainly deny U.S. exporters some of the market-opening concessions it has made to join the WTO, and the United States would not be able to challenge those actions in a rule-based system through the WTO's dispute settlement system. This is critically important, especially if we talk about small- and mid-sized firms that are in manufacturing that want to export. They need that kind of rules-based system to work within. Otherwise, they don't have the recourse to fight protracted battles in a difficult market like Russia's. Of course, it's with some trepidation that we undertake this as we know that the relationship between our two countries is somewhat tenuous. We know very well about Russia's human rights abuses. We know about the poor respect for the rule of law. We've heard extensive stories about the corruption. The reality, though, is that Russia has now become a full-fledged member of the World Trade Organization, and to avoid putting the U.S. at a disadvantage, we need to move forward and grant permanent normalized trade relations. I'll say this: that the best thing we can do as a country from a foreign policy standpoint with our relationship with Russia is to move forward with normalizing trade relations with Russia. If you want to see political reforms in Russia, if you want to clean up the corruption, if you want to see the rule of law flourish in Russia, our commercial relationship with Russia is critical because it will help build a strong, vibrant middle class in Russia, which will help bring about political reforms there and help overall in the world of security. At the same time, it's a win-win because this grants the United States' businesses and farmers access to a market which will help create good-paying, high-paying jobs here in the U.S. PNTR will also make permanent the trade status the United States has extended to Russia on an annual basis for more than a decade. So we're not doing anything new. We're permanently normalizing this, which essentially grants Russia the same access to the U.S. market that all of our other trading partners enjoy. This is nothing new or anything special for Russia. Rather, it is far more important for the United States, for our manufacturers, our service providers, our agriculture interests who are seeking open access into the Russian market. In an attempt to continue a level playing field for international trade, the WTO requires members to extend normal trade relations to all other WTO members on an unconditional basis, unless a country does not want to apply WTO rules to another country. After 18 years of negotiations, Russia officially became a member of the WTO on August 22 of this year. Currently, the United States has a condition that is placed on Russia. It dates back to the 1970s when the Soviet Union had restrictive immigration policies preventing Jews from leaving its territory. Congress passed the Jackson-Vanik amendment to the Trade Act of 1974. However, since 1992, the United States has certified annually that Russia complies with the Jackson-Vanik amendment's provisions, and we have conferred normal trade relations on an annual basis to Russia. Only by graduating Russia from the Jackson-Vanik amendment, making these normal trade relations permanent will the U.S. be able to be in full compliance with its WTO obligations, enabling U.S. businesses and farmers to enjoy all the trade concessions and commitments that Russia has made in order to join the WTO.

Mr. BOUSTANY. That's exactly right. This is a Cold War relic, this amendment that was put into place. The gentleman is correct that since 1992, we've on an annual basis waived its provisions, but we now need to move forward. The world has changed. As we look to move forward with expanding market access for our farmers, our businesses, especially small and mid-sized firms, it's critical that we grant permanent normalized trade relations if we're going to maintain U.S. competitiveness globally. Right now we're slipping. We're losing our competitive edge. A country like China, for instance, has consummated well over 100 trade agreements just in the last couple of years. We have done three, and it took us 5 years since the Bush administration to put in place three relatively small trade agreements. We need to take advantage of the WTO structure. And with Russia coming on board as the ninth largest economy, we have a huge opportunity to promote American competitiveness and American business interests at no cost to us. Staying out of this hurts us, and that's why we need to move forward. If we don't act to grant PNTR to Russia, our Nation's dedicated workforce, our determined business community, we'll be left at a competitive disadvantage, vis-a-vis our foreign competitors. Given the slow growth of our economy and the continued high unemployment rate, we can't allow this to happen. And with Europe struggling, this is an important market to help with global growth by helping U.S. growth and jobs in the United States. I was a cosponsor of the vital legislation to grant PNTR to Russia, to place additional reporting requirements, of course, on both Russia and the U.S. administration. These conditions ensure that Russia implements its WTO obligations and those obligations are enforced. Some will raise the question of, Wait a minute, we had a problem with China when they came onto the WTO, and we're still struggling with that. We have learned from that process, and we have additional safeguards in this agreement that will help make sure that Russia fully maintains its obligations under permanent normalized trade relations.

Mr. BOUSTANY. If we're going to work through these commercial types of agreements and eliminate the corruptions, the abuses, the intellectual property theft, we have to make the rules-based system work. And the WTO framework which basically grew out of the general agreement on tariffs and trade in the 1940s is that mechanism, and it works. That's what allows us to make a claim against China, for instance, when they're doing abusive practices. It is an equalizer. It basically puts in place a framework that ensures that trade is conducted fairly and openly. That's what U.S. workers and U.S. farmers are looking for. It's also very important as a critical piece to maintaining global security. If we focus on international economics, commercial relationships through open navigation of the seas, open trade, we're going to see less conflict in the world. I think this is critical from a security standpoint, and it's critical from a standpoint of economic prosperity for the United States. As the United States continues to face economic challenges, our national exports have remained relatively strong. They've probably kept us out of a recession over the last several quarters.

Mr. BOUSTANY. I agree with that. Any of these things that will help promote the development of a middle class in these other countries, whether it be China or Russia in this particular class, creates a new consumer class for American goods. Now, we're all patriotic. We want to buy American. I love to go to the store, and I'll buy something; and if the label says ``Made in America,'' I feel good. I feel good about it. Most Americans do. But by God, I want a Russian mother to buy something on the shelf that says ``Made in America.'' We need to sell America, sell American goods overseas. That's where 95 percent of the world's consumers are, and our economy has been too much mired in domestic consumption at the expense of not looking into the outside world to export American-made goods to these consumers who live outside the United States. By normalizing our trade relationship with Russia, we will create the mechanism to do that with Russia. This will increase critical sales of American goods and services to Russia. Not only that, we will create very good high-paying jobs here in the United States. This is definitely a win-win situation. We spoke about Russia being the ninth largest world economy, importing more than $400 billion in goods and services. And as some of my colleagues may be aware, Louisiana, my State--it's a small State, but it's seventh among the 50 States in total exports because of our location on the Gulf of Mexico and our waterways and our ports. In the first quarter of 2012, Louisiana farmers and small businesses exported nearly $14.25 billion in goods and services to the rest of the world. In fact, in 2011, Louisiana exported $135 million worth of goods to Russia, which created a lot of good jobs in Louisiana. Louisiana was a top supplier of PVC plastics to Russia in 2011, with $21.4 million in exports, but exporters in the EU and in China still accounted for more than 60 percent of Russian imports of that particular material. We have an opportunity to grow this if we grant this kind of permanent, normalized trade relations.

Mr. BOUSTANY. That's exactly right. Louisiana produces a PVC plastic, or looking for opportunities to get into that market, and yet they're being superseded by countries in Europe and China. In fact, Russia, when it joined the WTO, agreed to reduce its average tariffs on plastic products from 10 percent to 6.2 percent. If we don't do this, we're going to be subject to higher tariffs, putting us at a major competitive disadvantage, and our foreign competitors will take advantage of this. Again, we'll have the mechanisms in place, if we do grant trade relations, to have a dispute mechanism in place to ensure that Russia keeps its commitments to our workers, our businesses back here at home. Now, there's no reason not to move forward with this, and I hope that we can see some action on this relatively soon, because as each day kicks by, we are losing competitiveness. One last tidbit of information, Louisiana doesn't have large Fortune 500 companies. We have a couple, but we have a lot of small- and mid- sized firms that are manufacturers, and we are a leader in manufacturing on the small scale in the energy sector with equipment and services that are vital to energy production, energy security globally. These companies would love to get into the Russian market, to have the right protections of law so that they could sell their goods and services. This would lead to a lot of economic activity in Louisiana. It would help, you know, create good-paying jobs once again, help promote our energy sector, development and manufacturing in the energy sector, of which Louisiana--and the United States, frankly--has been a leader. Congress must continue to support these kinds of agreements to boost our economy here at home to create job opportunities, good-paying job opportunities right here at home. That's why it's so important to move forward on this.

Mr. BOUSTANY. I thank the chairman for yielding some time back to me. I share his sentiments about the situation with human rights and liberty. America has always been the beacon of liberty--individual liberty. And it's also been the hope of the world with regard to human rights. And we have to understand, the American public has to understand that one of the most important tools that we have as a Nation is our economic strength. And it comes from each and every one of us in this country--from a plumber to a mechanic or someone engaged in small manufacturing, our farmers. That economic strength comes from each and every one of us. It wells up into the mighty country that we have. We think about American might in terms of military might. Yes, it's a great and wondrous thing, but our economic strength is even more important. And the way we use that to influence events in the world to help promote liberty, to promote human rights is to engage in trade. And the surest way that we're going to help promote changes in Russia for the better is to help that middle class. And by engaging in trade, that middle class will be stronger, it will be wealthier, it will want to engage; and that will lead to serious political reforms. The last thing I want to say is I share your sentiments with regard to Ambassador Stevens. He was a wonderful man. He served his country in many hotspots, difficult places. He was fearless. And I would also say that we oftentimes talk about our military men and women and we put them up on the pedestal, where we should, rightly so, but we forget to talk about our diplomats and our foreign service officers who do the same sorts of things, putting themselves in harm's way in these very tough places around the world. They are extremely patriotic. They do their duty. They make us all proud. We lost a great patriot with Ambassador Stevens.

Mr. BOUSTANY

Mr. BOUSTANY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this very important legislation. The administration and congressional Democrats seek to raise taxes on America's families, small businesses, and job creators. There's a very clear choice here: either we can let small business owners, the job creators, America's entrepreneurs, create jobs, or we can follow the path they're advocating over here and tax small businesses. I stand in strong support of creating American jobs. Over 940,000 business owners will see higher taxes if the President and Washington Democrats are allowed to raise the top two rates. This means over half--over half--of our Nation's small businesses will see higher taxes at a cost of over 700,000 fewer jobs for Americans--over 700,000 fewer jobs for Americans. Allowing these tax cuts to expire will hurt middle class families. If we pass this, the average taxpayer in my State of Louisiana will see tax relief of almost, on the average, about $1,800. The average family of four earning $50,000 per year can face tax increases of over $2,200 per family if these cuts expire. A single parent earning $36,000 per year could see tax increases of $1,100 if these provisions expire. Mr. Speaker, this administration continues its assault on the American family and American businesses with its tax-and-spend policies. Our country can't afford it. Certainly, America's families and businesses can't afford it. What we need is this: a 1-year extension to allow us to move forward with a real comprehensive approach to tax reform. We have a real opportunity to do what's right for America, to promote American competitiveness. This is the moment. Let's seize it. Let's do it. We need to take this step today to get us where we can move to that next step, that next point. So I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, let's quit dilly- dallying around with this. Let's show some leadership for the American people. They want us to step up and be leaders and solve these problems. Let's step up and be leaders. Let's extend these provisions and move forward with a 21st century Tax Code.

Mr. BOUSTANY

Mr. BOUSTANY. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 6082 which I believe is a commonsense approach to energy production and jobs in south Louisiana and for our Nation. I continue to be disappointed. The President states we must have ``an all-of-the-above strategy for the 21st century that develops every source of American-made energy,'' but at the same time, he fails to understand the need to develop resources now for future energy production. South Louisiana has tens of thousands of jobs in the oil and gas industry. This administration's hostility to responsible, safe American energy production by closing 85 percent--85 percent--of our offshore areas to energy production and issuing burdensome and duplicative regulations stalls our languishing economy and hurts job growth. I rise in support of H.R. 6082 because it's a rational and responsible plan. Not only will this bill generate a robust drilling plan, creating thousands of new jobs, helping to lower the price at the pump, improve American energy security, and strengthen our national and economic security, but it requires separate environmental reviews for each specific lease sale. This is good policy. Passage of this legislation sends a crystal clear message to the administration: a do-nothing energy plan is simply unacceptable. I look over at my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, and I would urge the President as well to take a look at that plaque up there near the ceiling above the Speaker's Chair--read it--from Daniel Webster. It says, ``Let us develop the resources of our land.'' Passage of this bill gets us on to a good start of developing the resources of our land, which include good, high-paying American jobs.

Mr. BOUSTANY

Mr. BOUSTANY. As a physician with over 30 years clinical experience taking care of patients as a cardiac surgeon, I'm certainly familiar with the problems in our health care system, and there's no denying we need to do substantive reforms. But, Mr. Speaker, this law has not created the kind of reforms that are needed for our health care system. Let's talk about seniors for a moment. This law cuts over $500 billion out of the Medicare program. It's going to hurt seniors. I know this from my own personal experience having dealt with seniors and seniors' health care. We have not fixed the mismatch between cost and reimbursement. This is leading to accelerating access problems for seniors and others to good, high-quality health care and a good doctor- patient relationship. It's going to force seniors to travel further, to wait longer, depriving them of regular access to a physician that they know and trust. We haven't solved the problem of portability. Portability is something Americans cared about--owning your own health insurance and carrying it wherever you go. We have ways of dealing with that. That has not been solved with this law. Taxes, nearly $800 billion now in new taxes, and the total keeps growing. Twenty-one new taxes on every aspect of the American economy. It's no wonder this economy is in the doldrums. It's no wonder we have 41 quarters of unemployment exceeding 8 percent. This is unacceptable. Another 800,000 jobs at risk, as my colleagues mentioned earlier. Plus, CBO reports that the health insurance tax, something that hasn't been talked about much on small businesses, will be passed through to consumers in the form of higher premiums for private coverage. Experts also warn that the law will cause massive disruptions in how medicine is practiced. It will accelerate the demise of the independent practice of medicine, which is a threat to the doctor-patient relationship, creating all kinds of conflicts of interest, from a bureaucratic board telling physicians what to do to all these other bureaucratic entities between the doctor and patient.

Mr. BOUSTANY. This one-size-fits-all approach is a disaster. That's why we must repeal this bill in the name of quality, in the name of cost, and in name of getting this economy back on track.

Mr. BOUSTANY

Mr. BOUSTANY. Mr. Speaker, Whereas, Louisiana has produced sugarcane for more than 200 years. Whereas, Louisiana's sugarcane industry employs more than 16,000 people and contributes $3.5 billion to the state's economy. Whereas, Louisiana's sugar producers were harmed by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and a strong domestic sugar market is a critical component to continued recovery efforts. Whereas, the state's sugar producers depend on the sugar policy created in the 2008 Farm Bill for survival. Whereas, this sugar policy has kept sugar prices affordable for grocery shoppers, has operated at no-cost to taxpayers, and has strengthened the country's food security. Whereas, this sugar policy has allowed America to become the largest sugar importer in the world; it benefits and is embraced by many developing countries; and it is legal under international trade rules established by the World Trade Organization. Whereas, domestic confectioners have increased candy and chocolate production under this Farm Bill, have expanded operations and added jobs, and have seen impressive profits. Whereas, food manufactures from other developed countries pay more for sugar than their U.S. counterparts. Whereas, industrial sugar users have proposed eliminating current sugar policy in favor of a program that leaves America dependent on imports. Whereas, the European Union adopted a similar import-dependent model and have suffered sugar shortages. Now therefore, be it Resolved, That: the St Mary Parish Chamber of Commerce supports the continuation of the current U.S. sugar program and encourages Congress to work with Louisiana sugar producers to adopt a strong sugar policy in the 2012 Farm Bill.

Mr. BOUSTANY

Mr. BOUSTANY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend Woodrow Raymond Duhon, member of the Montford Point Marines. The Montford Point Marines were the first group of African Americans to serve in the Marine Corps following Franklin Delano Roosevelt's 1941 Executive Order allowing African Americans to serve in the military. Mr. Duhon attended a segregated basic training camp at Montford Point, a facility at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, with approximately 20,000 other men. While serving in the Marines, Mr. Duhon fought in World War II and the Korean War in the Seventh Regiment of the First Marine Division to protect and defend American civil rights, despite being denied them himself. Soldiers who trained at Montford Point were honored at a Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony on June 27 at the U.S. Capitol. I am proud to say Mr. Duhon is among those to be recognized. It is the brave sacrifices of soldiers like Raymond Duhon that helped the U.S. Marine Corps to grow and advance. Their contributions helped many Marines realize and achieve their dreams. I thank Raymond Duhon for his commitment to our country and his service.