Gus Bilirakis

Mr. BILIRAKIS

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose the Democrats' government takeover of health care. This bill will raise taxes on individuals and small businesses, cut Medicare for seniors, and raise health care premiums. The bill raises taxes by $730 billion and costs nearly $1.3 trillion. We literally cannot afford this plan. There is a better way, however. The Republican health care plan is a responsible, targeted approach to reform. It doesn't raise taxes during a recession or cut Medicare. It will lower premiums, making coverage more affordable for families and employers while reducing the deficit by $68 billion. Commonsense ideas like medical liability reform, strengthening association health plans, and allowing people to purchase health insurance across State lines will make health care more affordable without breaking the bank. The choice is simple. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose Speaker Pelosi's health care bill and support the Republican alternative.

Mr. BILIRAKIS

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose Speaker Pelosi's government takeover of health care. This bill, which weighs in at nearly 2,000 pages and at more than 20 pounds, will raise taxes on individuals and small businesses, cut health care for seniors, raise health care premiums, ration care, and give Federal bureaucrats more power over decisions that should be made by our constituents and by their doctors. The bill raises taxes by $730 billion, and it costs nearly $1.3 trillion. We literally cannot afford this government takeover of health care. There is a better way. We should, instead, be lowering health care costs by enacting medical liability reform, strengthening association health plans, allowing the purchase of health insurance across State lines, and eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse in Federal health care programs. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose Speaker Pelosi's health care bill.

Mr. BILIRAKIS

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the unwise proposal made by the White House earlier this year to lower the tax deduction for charitable giving. Independent studies have concluded this proposal could result in a drop of as much as $4 billion in charitable donations. Charities in the Tampa Bay area have recently indicated the threat of this proposal becoming law has already contributed to a sharp decline in donations, forcing some of them to shut their doors down. Every year, Americans give hundreds of billions of dollars to charity. In turn, they provide funding to shelters, food banks, health care clinics, and a host of other charitable programs which benefit the needy. During this recession, their services are needed more than ever. Limiting charitable contributions is the wrong course of action and will end up hurting those who need it the most, particularly as we approach the holidays.

Mr. BILIRAKIS

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, in my State of Florida, millions of seniors rely on Medicare for their health care, including 130,000 in my district alone. On Monday, I held my annual seniors' health fair, which provides free health screenings to area seniors and which gives me an opportunity to continue getting their input on health care reform. The overwhelming consensus from seniors in my district is that the Democrats' health care reform proposals would lead to fewer choices, to higher costs and to reduced quality. Of particular concern to many of the seniors I spoke with was whether they would be able to keep their existing coverage. The House bill calls for $163 billion in cuts to Medicare Advantage, which is wildly popular with Florida seniors. The cuts will result in health care providers dropping out of the program, undermining choice and jeopardizing the more than 50,000 seniors in the Ninth District who rely on Medicare Advantage for their care. We must not harm the health care seniors already receive.

Mr. BILIRAKIS

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Madam Speaker, I rise today with great pride to offer House Resolution 838, as amended, which welcomes His All Holiness Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome, Ecumenical Patriarch, as he visits the United States. I would like to recognize Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Berman and Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen for working with me to move this important resolution to the House floor expeditiously. Consideration of this resolution underscores the importance and demonstrates Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew's relevance in the world as a spiritual leader, the leader of nearly 300 million Orthodox Christians around the world and millions of Orthodox Christians right here in the United States. I was blessed to have been raised in the Greek Orthodox Church. As a child, I served as an altar boy in St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Tarpon Springs, Florida, as do three of my sons today. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is the 273rd successor of the founder of the Eastern Orthodox Church, St. Andrew the Apostle. Madam Speaker, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew must ensure that the faith in the Holy See endures. The Ecumenical Patriarchate is the spiritual home of the world's oldest and second- largest Christian church located in Istanbul, Turkey. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has a record of reaching out and working for peace and reconciliation among all faiths and has fostered dialogue among Christians, Jews and Muslims. In fact, His All Holiness convened an ecumenical meeting which produced the first condemnation by Muslim leaders of the 9/11 attack on the United States as an anti- religious act, an accomplishment that has yet to be repeated by any other world or religious leader. Indeed, His All Holiness was the second living person in U.S. history allowed to be honored in the United States Capitol Rotunda as a recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest congressional honor, previously bestowed on such historic figures as George Washington, Pope John Paul II and Winston Churchill. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was honored by Time magazine in its selection of His All Holiness as number 11 among 2008's 100 most influential people in the world. He has been recognized in the United States and abroad as a leader in the quest for world peace, greater religious understanding and respect for the Earth's environment. This resolution also recognizes the need for religious freedom and property rights to be granted to the Ecumenical Patriarchate as well as the need for the theological school at Halki to be reopened, both of which deserve our full support. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution recognizing the importance of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew's visit to the United States and his work on behalf of world peace, the environment and religious freedom.

Mr. BILIRAKIS

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, as co-chair of the Hellenic Caucus, I rise today to congratulate the Daughters of Penelope on their 80th anniversary. I want to thank Representative Maloney, my Hellenic Caucus co-chair for introducing this meaningful measure of which I am a proud original cosponsor.The Daughters of Penelope is a premier international women's organization and affiliate organization of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association, the Nation's leading association of American citizens of Greek heritage and countless Philhellenes. Founded November 16, 1929, in San Francisco, California, the Daughters of Penelope was established to improve the well-being of women and provide them with the opportunity to make significant contributions to American society. Today its mission is to promote the ideals of ancient Greece, education, philanthropy, civic responsibility, family, and individual excellence through community service and volunteerism. Over its history, the Daughters of Penelope have achieved remarkable accomplishments. It has strengthened the status of women in society, sheltered the elderly and the abused, educated our youth, promoted Hellenic heritage, and raised funds for medical research. One project adopted by the Daughters of Penelope over the years that is near and dear to my heart is St. Basil Academy, a Greek Orthodox Archdiocese home for children in need. Beginning in 1954, the Daughters of Penelope have been providing charitable aid to St. Basil Academy when it embarked on a Christmas Seal Campaign to raise funds to build the new water works for the academy. Since then, the Daughters of Penelope contributed to the furnishing of new buildings that have been built on campus, built a heated outdoor swimming pool for the children, and has provided funds for ongoing maintenance and renovations to the academy for such items as replacing outdated appliances and worn-out roofs. Finally, Daughters of Penelope members exemplify the American dream. With their strong work ethic, Greek-American women have risen to become leaders in their respective professions, from government to business to the arts. I am honored to have a longtime member of the Daughters working in my district office. My dear friend, Sonja Stefanadis, has been a member of the Daughters of Penelope for 48 years and served as its national president in the early 80's. So, I know first hand the extraordinary work this wonderful organization does. It has been a vehicle through which this advancement has occurred in our society. Congratulations to the Daughters of Penelope. I look forward to many, many years of working together with them.

Mr. BILIRAKIS

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I want to explain my vote in opposition to the Conference Report to H.R. 2647, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010. I absolutely support ensuring that our brave men and women serving in the Armed Forces have the necessary and best possible training, equipment, and other resources to accomplish their missions as quickly and safely as possible. I sought a seat on the House Committee on Veterans Affairs in my first term so I could in some small measure help repay our debt to past soldiers and their families by protecting and strengthening their health, disability, and retirement benefits. I have introduced legislation to increase the pay of members of the military, provide tax cuts to active duty military personnel, give tax credits to our military to help them purchase homes, allow for concurrent receipt of military retired pay and disability compensation, and encourage employers to hire members of the Reserve and National Guard. I have also traveled to Iraq and Afghanistan to visit with our troops and let them know that I understand and appreciate what they are doing and will do whatever I can to support them. Very simply, I believe our brave warriors who are standing in harm's way to keep us safe are the true heroes in our society and deserve our complete and unfettered support. That is why I supported the House- passed defense authorization bill earlier this year. I am terribly disappointed that I cannot vote for this conference report, however, because it includes several misguided provisions that should not become law. This bill is shamelessly being used to enact unrelated and controversial hate crimes legislation, to which many, including me, strongly object. The inclusion of this language in a bill to ensure our national security and meet our commitment to the troops is unconscionable. I believe that all crimes should be vigorously prosecuted and the convicted should be swiftly and appropriately punished. I do not believe that the federal government should be in the business of criminalizing thought and creating classes of people who supposedly are more deserving of protection than others. The bill cuts funds for missile defense by more than a billion dollars from last year's level and permanently prohibits the deployment of long-range missile defense interceptors in Europe; unless a lengthy certification process occurs, effectively shutting down a system that would protect us and our European allies from nuclear attack. The bill also strikes funding included in the House-passed bill for the production of additional F-22 fighters. These provisions leave us more vulnerable to attack from nuclear nations and those countries developing more advanced air assets. Mr. Speaker, I will not play along with this political charade and allow our men and women in uniform to be used as cover to pass controversial social policies that cannot be enacted on their own. My constituents know how strongly I support our troops and our military efforts to prevent terrorists from striking in this country again like they did on 9/11. I hope the next time we consider a defense authorization bill we do so in a manner that reflects and upholds the very ideals that our troops are fighting for, unlike the shameful process that brought us to this point today.

Mr. BILIRAKIS

Mr. BILIRAKIS. I will continue to reserve.

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. I rise in support of House Resolution 804, a resolution providing for the concurrence by the House in the Senate amendment to H.R. 1016, with amendments. I want to thank my committee chair, Mr. Filner. With this important legislation, he responded to the needs of our veterans who depend on the Veterans Health Administration. This resolution represents an agreement between the Chambers and provides for advance appropriations authority for certain medical care accounts for the Department of Veterans Affairs. An advance appropriations means that Congress would approve funding for VA health care accounts 1 year in advance of the actual fiscal year in which the funding would become available. The impetus for this legislation is clearly evident as last week we began a new fiscal year with a continuing resolution, because once again Congress failed to pass the annual funding for veterans health care on time. In fact, VA has received a timely budget on only four occasions during the last 21 years. It is a disservice to our veterans and wounded warriors when legislative budgetary impasses delay funding and prevent VA from effectively planning for the day-to-day operations of its health care system. It is disappointing, however, that the compromise agreement would provide for advance appropriations for just three VA accounts, Medical Services, Medical Support and Compliance, and Medical Facilities. It should also include advance appropriations for the information technology account and medical and prosthetic research accounts. The former Chair and current ranking member of the VA Committee, Steve Buyer, made a strong argument that the IT and research accounts should be included in any advance appropriations because they are closely related to the previously mentioned accounts, and having separate funding mechanisms could lead to unintended consequences. The members of the VA Committee, including the chairman, recognized the importance of keeping the accounts together and included them in the House-passed bill. Adding the IT accounts was also a recommendation of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Eric Shinseki. Likewise the Congressional Research Service analysis of advance appropriations gave support to including both accounts. It is unfortunate that the House position did not prevail in the compromise agreement. Inclusion of these accounts would have greatly improved the bill by providing a more comprehensive funding method for veterans' medical care needs. Nonetheless, the legislation is a very positive development for the VA budgeting process. It will provide a procedure that could allow more predictable funding. It would not guarantee the VA or Congress that we will get the amount of the veterans health care budget exactly right. We must continue to work hard for the benefit of our veterans to get the VA budget as close as possible to the intended results. Implementation of this legislation will require strong congressional oversight to ensure we meet our objectives. Mr. Speaker, this resolution is a new approach in trying to remove the uncertainty from veterans' health care and its funding, and is strongly supported, as the chairman said, by the Partnership for Veterans Health Care Budget Reform, a coalition of nine veterans service organizations. I want to congratulate the chairman, and I strongly urge my colleagues to support this resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BILIRAKIS. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I would ask if the gentleman from California has additional speakers.

Mr. BILIRAKIS. I will continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BILIRAKIS. I will continue to reserve the balance of my time, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, this compromise agreement will finally provide advance appropriations beginning for the fiscal year 2011 for three VA medical accounts. Although I prefer the House version of the bill, I think this is a great advancement, and I will congratulate the chairman and members of the VA Committee for a great job. I urge my colleagues to vote for H.R. 1016, as amended. I yield back the balance of my time. General Leave

Mr. BILIRAKIS

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 1717, a bill to authorize major medical facility leases for the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2010 and other purposes. S. 1717 would allow for new and expanded veterans' medical facilities throughout the United States. New VA outpatient facilities would be opened in Atlanta, Georgia; Butler, Pennsylvania; Birmingham, Alabama; Fayetteville, North Carolina; Huntsville, Alabama; Kansas City, Kansas; Loma Linda, California; and Montgomery, Alabama. These new facilities will provide the ability to handle larger veteran populations and deliver expanded services in modern state-of-the-art facilities. This bill would also authorize the replacement of VA outpatient facilities in Anderson, South Carolina; Bakersfield, California; Charlotte, North Carolina; McAllen, Texas; Monterey, California; and Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It would also allow for the expansion of the outpatient facility in Tallahassee, Florida, my State. This would ensure that these locations can continue to provide veterans with effective, quality care. S. 1717 would ensure that VA medical facilities can deliver the highest quality of service, the key, to veterans by providing the authorization for these projects. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support S. 1717 and the benefits it would provide to veterans with medical facility leases across the country. I encourage all of my colleagues to support this bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to Dr. Deal from Georgia.

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moran), a member of the VA Committee.

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the ranking member of the Appropriations Committee, Mr. Lewis.

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, this bill contains needed authorizations requested by the VA, and it is important that we move this legislation forward quickly. I urge my colleagues to support S. 1717. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. General Leave

Mr. BILIRAKIS

Mr. BILIRAKIS. I'm prepared to close. I have no other speakers. Mr. Speaker, I believe that it is important to recognize the hard work that Federal Homeland Security employees, emergency response providers and all law enforcement personnel are doing to prevent, prepare for and respond to terrorism, natural disasters and other emergencies. This resolution is a small token of our appreciation for their efforts to keep us safe and secure. I urge all of our colleagues to support this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. I rise in support of House Resolution 731, sponsored by my committee colleague Yvette Clarke, my good friend, and of which I am an original cosponsor. September is National Preparedness Month, and I think it is fitting that we are honoring the men and women at all levels of government who work every day to ensure our safety and security. We recently commemorated the eighth anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks. It is not a coincidence that there has not been an attack on the United States in the 8 years since September 11. It is through the efforts of the brave men and women at the Department of Homeland Security and their partners at all levels of government. We are thankful for the work of law enforcement and emergency response providers nationwide. The recently foiled terrorist plots in New York, Dallas, and Illinois served to remind us that terrorists are still intent on attacking our country. We must remain vigilant and support our law enforcement and emergency response providers in their efforts. These hardworking men and women often work behind the scenes and do not receive the recognition they deserve for all of their efforts to prevent, prepare for, and protect against terrorist attacks, natural disasters and other emergencies. Our constituents have a role to play as well. On the Federal level, the Department of Homeland Security's Ready Campaign works to increase awareness and preparedness for terrorist attacks, natural disasters, and other emergencies. The Ready Campaign encourages individuals and families to have a preparedness kit and a plan and to be informed of possible threats to their area. In Florida, our Division of Emergency Management also encourages citizen and community preparedness. Through its Web site, floridadisaster.org, individuals and families can use a tool to develop a disaster plan that includes information on the necessary food and water to have on hand, evacuation points and other important checklists. This is an important resource and one that I urge my constituents to take advantage of to prepare their families. Everyone has a role to play in the safety and security of our Nation. I want to thank subcommittee Chairwoman Yvette Clarke for introducing this legislation to honor the individuals working to secure our Nation and highlighting National Preparedness Month and the need for citizen preparedness. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to join me in supporting this resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BILIRAKIS

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to share my outrage about corruption at ACORN. Illegal activities at the ACORN offices in Baltimore, in Washington, D.C. and in Miami show that corruption is not isolated. Already under suspicion for disturbing activities such as voter fraud in the 2008 elections, ACORN employers encourage prostitution, tax fraud and human trafficking. This culture of corruption must stop. Madam Speaker, I, for one, will not sit idle and allow my taxpayer constituents to be swindled by an organization that receives millions in Federal funds. Yesterday, I signed a letter to President Obama, asking him to disclose and terminate all taxpayer funding of ACORN. In addition, I have cosponsored a bill which will stop the Federal funding of this reprehensible enterprise. I call on Speaker Pelosi to bring this legislation to the floor for a vote so that we can stop subsidizing this outrageous and illegal activity. We owe it to our constituents.

Mr. BILIRAKIS

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to strongly oppose efforts by the majority to rush through this Chamber a misguided health care experiment that will cost jobs and put the government in charge of health care. The Democrats' bill will tax small businesses, raise already sky-high unemployment in my State, and cut health care for seniors to pay for government-run health care. This will limit consumer choices, lower quality, increase wait times and imperil the doctor- patient relationship by empowering Federal bureaucrats to make health care decisions. The trillion-and-a-half pricetag will increase the already crushing debt some in Congress have been piling on our children and grandchildren over my objections. The best way to help expand health coverage to the uninsured is to make health care more affordable. Two of the easiest and most effective ways to do that would be to encourage preventive care and enact medical liability reform. I urge my colleagues to reject this government takeover of health care.

Mr. BILIRAKIS

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the House Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3326, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2010. Member requesting: Gus M. Bilirakis Bill number: H.R. 3326 Account: RDTE, A Name of requesting entity: Moffitt Cancer Center Address of requesting entity: 12902 Magnolia Drive, Tampa, Florida 33612 Description: The $6,000,000 will be used by the National Functional Genomics Center to conduct applied research for the discovery of molecular signatures for cancers and speed the development of new drugs based on individual molecular fingerprints. This will help improve health care and lower costs. Member requesting: Gus M. Bilirakis Bill number: H.R. 3326 Account: RDTE, A Name of requesting entity: University of Florida Address of requesting entity: 2151 West University Avenue, Gainesville, Florida 32603 Description: The $3,000,000 will be used to conduct research and clinical trials on Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder to ensure the successful reintegration of injured military personnel into their families, communities, and jobs. This will improve quality-of-life for those afflicted with these conditions and lower health care costs. Member requesting: Gus M. Bilirakis Bill number: H.R. 3326 Account: RDTE, A Name of requesting entity: University of South Florida Address of requesting entity: 4202 East Fowler Avenue, Tampa, Florida 33620 Description: The $2,000,000 will be used to conduct multidisciplinary research to develop better methods for clinical management of injuries and autoimmune diseases. This will improve disease and injury treatment and management, improving quality-of-life and increasing productivity among those individuals.

Mr. BILIRAKIS

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the House Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3293, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2010. Member requesting: Gus M. Bilirakis Bill number: H.R. 3293 Account: HRSA Health Facilities and Services Name of requesting entity: University of South Florida Address of requesting entity: 4202 East Fowler Avenue, Tampa, Florida 33620 Description: The $500,000 will be used to help cancer patients find appropriate clinical trials, which will save lives and lower health care costs. Member requesting: Gus M. Bilirakis Bill number: H.R. 3293 Account: HRSA Facilities and Services Name of requesting entity: All Children's Hospital Address of requesting entity: 801 6th Street South, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701 Description: The $350,000 will be used to build a specialty care center to provide high-quality physician, diagnostic, clinical, and rehabilitative services to underserved populations, which will improve health care and lower costs. Member requesting: Gus M. Bilirakis Bill number: H.R. 3293 Account: SAMHSA--Mental Health Name of requesting entity: BayCare Health System Address of requesting entity: 16255 Bay Vista Drive, Clearwater, Florida 33760 Description: The $200,000 will be used to provide services to those suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and their families, expanding access to needed care. Member requesting: Gus M. Bilirakis Bill number: H.R. 3293 Account: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Name of requesting entity: Prevent Blindness Florida Address of requesting entity: 1112 East Kennedy Boulevard, Tampa, Florida 33602 Description: The $200,000 will be used to provide vision screenings to at-risk children, improving vision and lowering future health costs.