Paul Broun

Mr. BROUN of Georgia

Mr. BROUN of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, now more than ever, Americans are feeling the pain from ObamaCare. This law is hurting Americans with higher premiums and cancelation notices. If it is left in place, our country will suffer under the new wave of spending that it will create. This destroyer must be stopped. Just last week, the House passed a symbolic bill that merely nibbled at the edges of the problems caused by ObamaCare, but you cannot fix a law that will cripple our economy, increase our Nation's debt, and limit health care options for millions of Americans. I was one of only four Republicans to oppose this bill, because we can't fix the President's broken promises in ObamaCare. Instead, we must repeal ObamaCare for good. I have introduced legislation, the Patient OPTION Act, that would do just that. Congress must stop wasting time to pass bills that keep ObamaCare in place. We must repeal and replace this disaster immediately. The Patient OPTION Act is the solution.

Mr. BROUN of Georgia

Mr. BROUN of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the rich heritage of Zion Missionary Baptist Church whose members are celebrating its 150th anniversary. In 1863, shortly after President Abraham Lincoln gave the Emancipation Proclamation, thirty-six freedmen founded a church at the Pepperton Community in Jackson, Georgia. Since then, Zion Missionary Baptist Church has become a thriving fellowship, dedicated to ministry and service in the African-American community. It is worth noting that before there were African-American mayors, governors, or even a president, Black churches, like Zion, thrived with leadership from African-American Sunday school teachers, deacons, and pastors. As with many churches, over the years the members of Zion were seen as community leaders, who helped mentor, educate, and counsel many in the Black community. Today, Zion serves not only as a place of worship, but as a people with a mission to serve as a source of encouragement, inspiration, and pride for members of the community for more than a century. The 150 year history of Zion Missionary Baptist Church includes many pastors, challenges, and changes, but its unwavering commitment to being a place where the community gathers to help and support one another is to be commended. No matter the cause, event, or activity, God has used Zion to influence its community. Therefore, I close by asking you to support and pray for what God is doing at Zion Missionary Baptist Church. May it continue as a pillar of strength for the residents of Butts County for generations to come.

Mr. BROUN of Georgia

Mr. BROUN of Georgia. Thank you, Dr. Roe. The Federal Government is out of control. It has become too big. It is spending too much. It is taxing too much. It is regulating too much. It is borrowing too much. And it is sticking its ugly nose into our business too much. It has to stop, and ObamaCare does every one of those things. As a medical doctor, I understand firsthand the disastrous effects of ObamaCare and have been fighting from the very beginning to stop this terrible law. Every day, I hear from my constituents in the 10th District of Georgia on how this law is hurting them. Premiums are increasing. Cancelation letters are flying all across the State of Georgia. Business owners are being forced to lay off employees, and patients are finding that they no longer can afford their health insurance altogether. I will share with you a few examples. One Georgia businessman, who is the owner of several fast food restaurants, currently employs over 200 full-time workers. He recently told me that he is seriously considering letting them all go and hiring only part-time employees; this due to the burden of ObamaCare. A resident of Henry County wrote to me that as an uninsured woman with preexisting conditions, she was looking forward to enrolling in ObamaCare. Then when she went to sign up, she found that a quarter of her income would have to be paid in premiums alone. Due to the high cost, she had no other choice but to remain uninsured. One man from Monroe, Georgia, contacted me just last week to inform me that his insurance costs have increased by 800 percent, 800 percent due to ObamaCare. A woman from Barrow County told me that her husband's insurance that he bought through AARP has already been canceled, and to get another policy with the same coverage would cost him $150 more a month than what he is paying now. This couple currently pays more in health insurance than what they pay for their mortgage. Increasing their payments by an extra $150 a month would be a tremendous, tremendous financial burden on them. Sadly, this is just the beginning. It is expected that more than 400,000 Georgians will lose their current health insurance due to ObamaCare. Until we are able to stop this disastrous law, we will continue to hear more and more of these stories. As a medical doctor, I know what is best for my patients. That is why I have introduced legislation, H.R. 2900, the Patient OPTION act. It would repeal ObamaCare in full and put patients in charge of their health care decisions, where they can buy health insurance at a cheaper price than what they are currently paying. My Patient OPTION Act was endorsed by FreedomWorks in the last Congress. My bill will make health insurance cheaper for everyone--literally cheaper for everyone. Not like the President promised us. But he lied. It will provide access to good quality health care for all Americans, and it will save Medicare from going broke. If Americans want full control of their coverage, health insurance at a lower cost, and the freedom to make their own decisions in health care, then the Patient OPTION Act is the only true solution. It is clear that Georgians and Americans are hurting under ObamaCare. That is why I will not stop fighting to rip ObamaCare out by the roots and to replace it with reform that will actually lower costs, deliver care, and focus on the true needs of all American families. Through the voice of ``we the people'' demanding the repeal of ObamaCare, we can work to repeal ObamaCare and replace it with legislation that serves the best interest of patients, not government. That solution is my Patient OPTION Act, H.R. 2900.

Mr. BROUN of Georgia

Mr. BROUN of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, America is at a crossroads. We have a decision to make. Do we continue down the path of more government, more spending, more taxes, and more borrowing; or do we stand up and fight for the ideals promoted by those who founded our Nation and drafted our Constitution? Make no mistake about it, the current government shutdown and the looming debt crisis is the result of this administration and this Senate's refusal to respect and honor the will of the American people. We must stand up for our principles that lead to prosperity for all Americans. Less government, less spending, and the simple idea that delaying ObamaCare for 1 year is fair for all Americans and is worth fighting for. I urge our House leadership and my colleagues to stand strong and to have what many of my Senate colleagues do not: the courage to oppose any deal that does not defund and delay ObamaCare for all Americans now.

Mr. BROUN of Georgia

Mr. BROUN of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the rich heritage of Zion Missionary Baptist Church whose members are celebrating its 150th anniversary. In 1863, shortly after President Abraham Lincoln gave the Emancipation Proclamation, thirty-six freedmen founded a church at the Pepperton Community in Jasper, Georgia. Since then, Zion Missionary Baptist Church has become a thriving fellowship, dedicated to ministry and service in the African-American community. It is worth noting that before there were African-American mayors, governors, or even a president, Black churches, like Zion, thrived with leadership from African-American Sunday school teachers, deacons, and pastors. As with many churches, over the years the members of Zion were seen as community leaders, who helped mentor, educate, and counsel many in the Black community. Today, Zion serves not only as a place of worship, but as a people with a mission to serve as a source of encouragement, inspiration, and pride for members of the community for more than a century. The 150 year history of Zion Missionary Baptist Church includes many pastors, challenges, and changes, but its unwavering commitment to being a place where the community gathers to help and support one another is to be commended. No matter the cause, event, or activity, God has used Zion to influence its community. Therefore, I close by asking you to support and pray for what God is doing at Zion Missionary Baptist Church. May it continue as a pillar of strength for the residents of Butts County for generations to come.

Mr. BROUN of Georgia

Mr. BROUN of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, this government is out of control. It has become too big and too intrusive. It is spending too much. It is taxing too much. It is regulating too much. It is borrowing too much. And it's sticking its ugly nose into our business too much. This must stop. ObamaCare does every one of those things. This law is as disastrous as a train running full throttle without an engineer, speeding toward a head-on collision and wrecking everything in its tracks. I come before you today with a solution, my Patient Option Act, H.R. 2900. My Patient Option Act will revitalize American health care, not through government interference but by giving the American people full control over their health care decisions. It will make health care cheaper for everyone. It provides coverage for all Americans, and it will save Medicare from going broke. My Patient Option Act repeals ObamaCare in its entirety and replaces it with some patient-centered, commonsense solutions. These solutions include 100 percent deductibility for health care expenses for everyone, including insurance; flexibility for individuals and businesses to join associations where there will be a smorgasbord of health care insurance options; expanding health savings accounts that patients will own and control; freedom for consumers to purchase health insurance across State lines; and tax incentives to reward physicians who provide free care to patients who cannot afford health insurance. My Patient Option Act accomplishes all of this, and more, in just 77 pages. That's a stark contrast to the over 2,700-page regulatory nightmare of ObamaCare. In fact, ObamaCare's regulations are 2 million words longer than the Bible. Any bill that much longer than the Bible has to be bad for America. My Patient Option Act is the solution that Americans need and deserve. Unfortunately, the clock is ticking and time has almost run out. A Georgia businessman recently told me that his insurance premiums for his employees have increased by 40 percent this year, compared to last, due to ObamaCare. Another Georgia businessman, who is an owner of several fast-food restaurants and currently employs over 200 full-time workers, recently told me that he is seriously considering letting them all go and hiring only part-time employees. And recently, even President Obama's Health and Human Services Department has admitted that you might not be able to keep your current doctor, even if you want to. If Congress does not act soon, we will be hearing more and more of these same stories. I'm here to tell all Americans and all American families that it doesn't have to be this way. Mr. Speaker, if Americans want true, patient-centered, health care reform, then they must contact their Congressman and Senators and urge them to pass my Patient Option Act. Mr. Speaker, if Americans want lower costs, coverage for everyone, and government out of the way of the doctor-patient relationship, then they must contact their Representatives and urge them to pass my Patient Option Act. If Americans want full control of their coverage and freedom to make their own decisions in health care, then the Patient Option Act is the only true solution. We don't have much time; but through the voices of we, the people, the American people, we can work to repeal this disastrous law and replace it with legislation that serves the best interest of my patients and all patients, not government. That's my Patient Option Act.

Mr. BROUN of Georgia

Mr. BROUN of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. BROUN of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, my amendment would increase the appropriations for Amtrak's capital and debt service grants by $600 million and increase the spending reduction amount by the same amount. It would have the effect of entirely defunding this account. Amtrak was created by Congress in 1970 to provide nationwide passenger rail service. It currently operates more than 40 routes across the United States. Unfortunately, the majority of these routes operate at a huge loss to taxpayers. The committee report for the underlying bill details just how big that loss is. In fiscal year 2011, Amtrak's long-distance routes ran a deficit of $554 million. By next year, that amount is projected to grow to $610 million in losses. Mr. Chairman, the committee also takes note of Amtrak's troubled food and beverage service, which has lost a total of $313 million just over the last 3 years. This year alone, Amtrak is projected to lose nearly $75 million on its food and beverage service, reflecting just a return of only 64 percent on its expenses. Despite these losses, Amtrak pays the attendants who serve on board food and beverages between $24 and $27 per hour. The committee itself points out that this wage is more than 20 percent higher than that of flight attendants, and these employees' current labor agreement calls for another 3 percent increase each year for the next 2 years. Mr. Chairman, this isn't the first time I've come to the floor to talk about Amtrak, and I can say with some confidence that this probably won't be the last. We as a country are broke; yet we continue to offer hundreds of millions of taxpayers' dollars each year to a passenger rail line which refuses to make meaningful reforms. The waste here is rampant, and we just cannot afford it anywhere. Our Nation is broke. We've got to stop spending money we don't have. We have to live within our means. I urge support of my amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BROUN of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. BROUN of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I yield to my friend from New Jersey (Mr. Garrett).

Mr. BROUN of Georgia. I yield to the gentleman.

Mr. BROUN of Georgia. I yield back the balance of my time. Announcement by the Acting Chair

Mr. BROUN of Georgia

Mr. BROUN of Georgia. Madam Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. BROUN of Georgia. Madam Chairman, this amendment would remove the $55 million increase--and only the increase--from the Homeless Assistance Grant Program and transfer that same amount into the Spending Reduction account. I understand that times are tough nationwide--that they are tough for families, that they are tough for businesses and that everyone has to cut back. We have to live within our means, but the fact remains that we are broke as a country. Our Federal Government is in massive, massive debt. According to the committee report, the $55 million increase proposed for this program would be used to increase funding for the Continuum of Care Projects and Emergency Solutions Grants. Madam Chairman, these are worthy programs. They help a lot of people who are transitioning out of homelessness, but I'm not asking that we cut their funding. Not at all. I'm simply asking that we hold the line--fund what we have been funding and put the rest of this large increase towards fixing our Nation's debt crisis. I urge my colleagues to support my amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BROUN of Georgia. Madam Chairwoman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. BROUN of Georgia. Madam Chairman, this amendment would simply reduce the $19.7 million increase proposed for the rental housing assistance program under HUD by $5 million, putting this amount in the spending reduction account. As before, this would not be a cut to this program. It wouldn't even bring funding back to the 2013 levels like many amendments that I've offered today would have done. Instead, it would allow for a $14.7 million increase to this program instead of the $19.7 million increase. I'm not arguing the merits of this program, Madam Chairman; but as I've said before, and I'll say it again, this country is broke. I commend the subcommittee and the chairman, my friend, Mr. Latham, for making some tough choices in this bill. He's done a great job in doing so, and I applaud his efforts. But if we want to solve our current fiscal crisis, we must continue to make very careful decisions. This is a small reduction, and it will just help in the process of getting our government to living within its means. I urge support of my amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BROUN of Georgia. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. BROUN of Georgia. Madam Chair, this amendment would reduce funding in the bill for the Federal Maritime Commission's Salaries and Expenses by $100,000, and transfer that same amount to the Spending Reduction Account. This amendment would have the effect of bringing the appropriations for this purpose back to the current levels, what we have right now. I offered a similar amendment to this bill last year, which would have eliminated a proposed $900,000 increase to this same account. Unfortunately, that amendment failed by a 172-249 vote, a pretty strong margin. So this year, I bring you a request to hold the line, to eliminate this very small increase of $100,000, an amount which is less than many bureaucrats here in Washington take home as their yearly salary. Perhaps more than any of my amendments that I've offered tonight, I hope that this one passes, Madam Chair, because if this amendment to strike a $100,000 increase to Federal employee salaries fails, it means that we are in serious, serious trouble when it comes to solving our spending problem. I urge my colleagues to prove me wrong and to support my amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BROUN of Georgia. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. BROUN of Georgia. Madam Chair, I've got good news for my friends from Arizona and from Iowa. This is the last amendment that I plan to offer on this bill. It would reduce the proposed funding for the Amtrak Office of Inspector General's Salaries and Expenses by $4,800,000 and transfer that same amount to the Spending Reduction Account. Like many of the amendments that I've offered today, it would simply remove a proposed increase, returning the final amendment back to current spending levels. The Amtrak IG's role is to root out waste, fraud and abuse within the corporation. As I detailed during consideration of my earlier amendment related to Amtrak, I am of the opinion that the IG still has a ways to go in this regard. Yet, the committee report includes an interesting statement which appears to serve as a pat on the back for the OIG, and perhaps even as a justification for this large proposed increase. The line simply says: ``The Committee appreciates that the Amtrak OIG submitted a separate budget request to the Committees on Appropriations and directs it to do so in Fiscal Year 2015.'' Now, to my read, this means that simply because the OIG did his job, it will receive nearly $5 million in extra Federal dollars for salaries and expenses. I think that's preposterous. Madam Chairman, I talked a lot about Amtrak's failings earlier, and I'm not going to rehash the same arguments. I only ask that my colleagues support my amendment. Let's hold the spending to the current levels, and hold the line on wasteful spending. Let's live within our means, and let's roll back this increase. I encourage acceptance of my amendment, and I recommended an ``aye'' vote. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BROUN of Georgia. Madam Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. BROUN of Georgia

Mr. BROUN of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, on April 16, 2013, the House Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittees on Oversight and Energy held a joint hearing titled, ``Assessing the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Wind Energy Incentives.'' The attached document contains excerpts from an analysis that is part of the record for that hearing. ``A Comparative Analysis of the Development and Application of Marine Navigation Safety and Marine Environmental Protection Criteria for Offshore Renewable Energy Installations, March 11, 2013'', By: John F. McGowan, RADM USCG (ret), For: The McGOWAN Group, LLC. Introduction The following has been excerpted from an analysis performed in March 2013 by The McGowan Group, LLC. In recent years, the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has taken steps to establish a process and standards for the leasing of areas for development of Offshore Renewable Energy Installations (OREIs) on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). In 2006, the USCG embarked on setting standards to safeguard marine safety and marine environmental protection for the siting and operation of OREIs on the nation's waterways and oceans. In response to special legislation enacted in 2006, the USCG was also required to establish navigational safety terms and conditions (T&C) specifically for Nantucket Sound due to the proposal for the 130 turbine Cape Wind Associates (CWA) OREI. This report provides a comparative analysis of the T&C for Nantucket Sound under Section 414 of the Coast Guard Maritime Transportation Act of 2006 (CGMTA) and the navigational safety actions taken elsewhere or now under development by USCG and BOEM. As this report concludes, the Nantucket Sound standards provide significantly less protection for navigation safety than the comparative measures established or proposed for every other OREI location. The site and the design (Nantucket Sound and Cape Wind) Nantucket Sound is not only a heavily used body of water, but one of the most dangerous places to navigate in the U.S. In fact, the seaman's' handbook, The Coast Pilot, singles out Nantucket Sound for special caution due to the frequent occurrence of wind, fog, and high velocity currents. Horseshoe Shoal, found near the center of Nantucket Sound, is a well-known and marked hazard whose rocks are seldom visible above the Sound's surface. Water depths in and around the Shoal vary from 2 ft. to nearly 60 ft. The shoal is bounded by the North Channel, which runs below Great Neck and Hyannis, and the Main Channel, which runs from Vineyard Sound from the west to the Atlantic Ocean to the east. The Main Channel that the CWA facility would abut has a controlling depth of thirty feet. The proposed project site is virtually surrounded by general anchorages for vessels awaiting entry into port, conducting repairs, or escaping or riding-out bad weather or visibility that is common in Nantucket Sound. Other than marked channels and charts, there are no Traffic Separation Schemes (TSS), vessel traffic reporting or control systems in place in the Sound. The port of Boston, Buzzards Bay, the Cape Cod Canal, and Rhode Island Sound all have TSS ship routes, or in the case of the Cape Cod Canal and Buzzard's Bay, vessel reporting systems in place. These USCG systems significantly mitigate navigational risk and play a prominent role in the navigational risk assessment for other areas being considered as potential sites for offshore wind facilities on the Atlantic coast. The absence of TSS or other vessel control measures makes navigational risk in the Sound subject to comparatively greater risks. While the Main Channel in Nantucket Sound can support vessels with drafts up to 24 ft., including cruise liners, it also serves as the main artery for ferries connecting the Sound's islands and for an estimated 250 large oceangoing fishing vessels. The proposed site for the CWA facility borders these channels and routes extensively used year-round by the ferry systems, some of which offer high-speed service at 30 knots on all its sides. The CWA proposal would place the WTGs directly adjacent to these busy vessel routes, in some cases to be constructed within 975 ft. to 1,200 ft. from the edge of the North and Main channels, respectively. Without an additional buffer from these routes, an allision with the nearest WTGs would occur in a mere 60 seconds, at normal speeds, for a vessel or boat that leaves the channel. A high speed ferry would have 20 seconds to detect, take action, and respond to avoid such allisions. Collision risk with vessels traveling within or adjacent to the project site also would be a problem due to WTG interference with navigation and collision avoidance radar. Section 414 and the 2008 MMS FEIS In 2005, Congress enacted Section 414 of the Coast Guard Maritime Transportation Act of 2006 (CGMTA). Section 414 requires the USCG to ``specify the reasonable terms and conditions the Commandant determines necessary to provide for navigational safety with respect to the proposed lease, easement, or right-of-way and each alternative to the proposed lease, easement or right-of-way considered by'' the Secretary of the Interior for an offshore wind energy facility in Nantucket Sound. Section 414 makes it clear that the T&C are to protect the navigational status quo, not to protect CWA or its design. The USCG can fulfill this duty only by developing T&C that ensure the project does not present navigational risks, including the possible need to alter the project design through the establishment of a buffer zone from existing shipping and ferry routes, or to deny the lease application at the proposed location. The burden to provide for navigational safety belongs to CWA, not to mariners, fishermen, or the public. In late 2008, USCG altered its approach that would have addressed navigation safety concerns by including changes to the project, to instead adopt the position that the project had to be accepted as it was proposed. As a result, all burden for safety was placed on mariners and USCG did not recommend a safety separation or buffer zone from the Sound's established channels and shipping routes. Several lawsuits are pending against the CWA project, including challenge of the USCG T&C. BOEM's EAs BOEM began implementing DOI's ``Smart from the Start'' initiative in 2011 with USCG and other agencies to produce environmental assessments (EAs) for offshore wind development. The initiative called for the identification of areas on the Atlantic OCS that were most suitable for commercial wind energy and the availability of those areas for leasing and site assessment. During 2011, BOEM published Notices identifying those ocean areas and requested public comment. Significant public comment was received from maritime interests in response to the BOEM Notices. Major changes were made to the various Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) including excluded areas. The EAs provide mitigation of marine navigation risk by outright exclusion of areas that could produce navigation or fishing conflict and by providing safe separation/buffer zones between WEAs and vessel routes. The following safety criteria are evident from the final selection of lease blocks in these EAs: The presence of Traffic Separation Schemes (TSS) or other vessel routing/control measures facilitate the safe designation of WEAs in ocean areas bearing volumes of marine traffic and/or fishing activity. Safety separation/buffer zones of 1 nm from TSSs and from shipping routes should be applied in WEA identification as well as in subsequent site selection. Marine traffic routes and fishing areas should be identified and their densities estimated and projected for future growth and expansion in defining the limits of WEAs. Blocks should be excluded which would conflict with the safe operation and transit of shipping on recognized routes and from vessels working in traditional fishing areas. None of these criteria were applied to the siting, size and shape of the CWA proposal for Nantucket Sound.

Mr. BROUN of Georgia

Mr. BROUN of Georgia. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. BROUN of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, as my colleagues know, I believe in the Constitution as our Founding Fathers meant it to be: limited government, with enumerated powers of all branches of government, the Congress and every branch. As a result, I don't believe there is a Federal role in education at all. These powers ought to belong to the States and to the people. Parents and teachers should direct the education of the children, not the Federal Government. Since 1965, the Federal Government has spent a total of $2 trillion. Unfortunately, this big Federal role in education has resulted in mandate after mandate and regulation after regulation being forced upon school superintendents, principals, teachers, parents, and students with little measurable gain in quality of education. The underlying bill reduces the burden which came out of No Child Left Behind. I call it No Teacher Left Unshackled. I don't believe that it goes far enough, but I can appreciate the movement away from total Federal control, slight though it may be. That being said, the final say on many education issues will remain in the hands of what I like to call ``fat cat bureaucrats'' here in Washington, D.C., men and women within the Department of Education who pull in an average salary of over $101,000 a year despite the fact that many of them have never taught a child how to read. That is twice the average salary of teachers in my home State of Georgia. Why is this a problem? I am sure that many of these bureaucrats are considered to be experts, so-called experts in the field of education, but they don't know the individual needs of each community, school, or student. The parents, teachers, and students who are subject to their requirements don't know much about them either. My amendment would change all that. It would require the Secretary of Education to include in the reporting that is requested by the underlying bill the average salaries of employees whose positions are eliminated due to program consolidation, as well as the average salaries of the remaining employees in the Department according to their job function. My amendment would simply bring needed transparency to the Department. Hopefully, it will begin the discussion about how scarce education dollars ought to be spent. I urge my colleagues to support this simple amendment, an amendment of transparency, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BROUN of Georgia. Will the gentleman yield?