Lou Barletta

Mr. BARLETTA

Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Pat Solano, the recipient of the 2013 Attorney Joseph Saporito Sr. Greater Pittston Lifetime of Service Award. Mr. Solano was born on June 22, 1925 in Pittston Township, Pennsylvania. In 1942, he graduated from Pittston Township High School and immediately joined the U.S. Army Air Corp. During World War II, Mr. Solano flew 23 combat missions over Germany with the Eighth U.S. Army Corp Heavy Bombardment Group. For his service, he received the Group Presidential Citation, the Air Force Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, and the European Combat Theatre Medal with two Bronze Stars. Once home from the war, Mr. Solano met and married his wife Marie, and they had six daughters. After serving in the Army, Mr. Solano dedicated his life to public service, beginning as the assistant police chief for Pittston Township. In 1950, he became the Third District Republican Chairman, and later was named the County Republican Chairman in 1968. He also served two terms as a member of the Pittston Township School Board. Since 1969, Mr. Solano has worked for and advised ten Pennsylvania governors from both sides of the aisle. In 2002, he retired after 40 years of federal service. Mr. Solano's dedication to Pennsylvania does not end with his work. He was a member of the Pittston Township Bicentennial Committee, Assistant Scout Master for Troop 212 at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, 3rd Degree Knight of Columbus, the Columbus League of Luzerne County, Pittston Memorial Library fundraising co-chairman, and Luzerne County Community College trustee. For his commitment to improving Pennsylvania, Mr. Solano has received many accolades and awards. He was honored by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, an agency he helped start 20 years ago. He also received the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce's Lifetime Achievement Award, the Pennsylvania Environmental Council's Thomas P. Shelbourne Environmental Leadership Award, a Doctor of Humane Letters from Misericordia University, and the United States Army Corps of Engineers Commander's Award. Mr. Speaker, Pat Solano has shown outstanding dedication to our nation, the state of Pennsylvania, and his local community. Therefore, I commend him for his service and receipt of the 2013 Attorney Joseph Saporito Sr. Greater Pittston Lifetime of Service Award, and wish him the best in his future endeavors.

Mr. BARLETTA

Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in support of my bill, H.R. 3979, the Protecting Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act. This is a good, bipartisan bill that protects our first responders, our volunteer firefighters, and emergency services personnel by ensuring that they are not considered employees under the employer mandate provision of the Affordable Care Act. If they were, fire companies would be forced to pay for the volunteers' health insurance or pay a fine, driving many fire departments out of business. Simply put, this is a public safety issue. I first learned about this issue from a volunteer firefighter back home, and I began a crusade to clear this up for volunteer firefighters and localities and the residents of Pennsylvania and every other State. Here is why this is so important. In my home State of Pennsylvania, 97 percent of fire companies are either entirely or mostly volunteer. Nationally, it is 87 percent. To be clear, forcing volunteer fire companies to comply with the Affordable Care Act will not extend health insurance to the uninsured. Rather, it will close firehouses, placing people at risk. Last month, the IRS issued a final rule upholding this bill's intent. However, this is too important of a public safety issue to be left to the changing positions of Federal bureaucrats. We must pass this bill and encourage our friends in the Senate to do the same. We owe our emergency service volunteers who risk their lives every day rock-solid certainty. This legislation says, once and for all, that volunteer firefighters are just that, volunteers, and should not be subjected to the employer mandate. I strongly urge passage of the bill.

Mr. BARLETTA

Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Maria Pedriani, the Hazleton Lodge #200 ``2013-2014 Elk of the Year,'' for her loyal service to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Mrs. Pedriani has been a resident of Hazleton, Pennsylvania for 36 years. After graduating from Mahanoy Area High School, she took post graduate courses at Luzerne County Community College and owned her own cosmetology business in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Since joining the Elks two years ago, Mrs. Pedriani has been an outstanding asset in accomplishing lodge goals and is well known for her superb cooking abilities. Beyond her involvement with the Hazleton Elks, Mrs. Pedriani has been an active member of the local community. She served on the board of ``Helping Hands'' and is a member of the Holy Rosary Church. In 2011, she was the keynote speaker at the American Cancer Society--Relay for Life where she spoke about her successful battle with Hodgkin lymphoma. She is also a proud wife, mother, and grandmother. Mr. Speaker, for her committed service to the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks, I commend Maria Pedriani and congratulate her for being named the Hazleton Lodge #200 ``2013-2014 Elk of the Year.''

Mr. BARLETTA

Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor H. Steven Smedley, a member of West Hanover Township Fire Company No. 1 and the recipient of the organization's Lifetime Achievement Award. Mr. Smedley joined the West Hanover Twp. Fire Co. No. 1 on November 4, 1980 and quickly developed a passion for the fire service. In the 33 years he has been with the Fire Company, he has taken on many important leadership roles including 1st and 2nd Lieutenant; 1st and 2nd Captain; 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Assistant Chief; and Deputy Chief. Additionally, he has served as Recording Secretary, Vice President, President and Trustee and fulfilled the duties of an Apparatus Truck Foreman and Chief Engineer for the organization. Outside the fire company, Mr. Smedley has been active in the Dauphin County Fireman's Association, Dauphin County Fire Chief's Association, and the Dauphin County Hazardous Materials Response Team. Mr. Speaker, for 33 years H. Steven Smedley has devoted his life to West Hanover Township Fire Company No. 1. Therefore, I commend him for his hard work and dedication and wish him the best in his future endeavors.

Mr. BARLETTA

Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Jayson Terdiman of Berwick, Pennsylvania who represented the United States in the men's doubles and team relay luge competitions in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Since the age of five, Jayson has been an active member of Berwick's athletic community, playing basketball, hockey, and baseball and running cross-country. He continued to pursue many of these activities during his time at Berwick High School, eventually graduating in 2007 with distinguished honors. Despite his other athletic commitments, Jayson got his start in luge early, becoming a member of the USA Luge Development Team at age 12. His devotion to the sport helped him make the USA Luge Candidate Team and the USA Luge Junior National Team, before earning a spot on the 2014 U.S. Olympic Team. Jayson has received numerous accolades for his achievements in luge. From 2007 to 2008, he won three Junior World Cup Bronze Medals and the Junior World Luge Championship Bronze Medal. He is also a two-time U.S. Junior National Doubles Champion. In 2008, he was the Norton U.S. Nationals Doubles champion, and he and his doubles partner, Chris Mazdzer, were named the 2008 Luge Team of the Year. In 2010, he won the World Cup Bronze Medal, and he won silver medals in the World Cup Team Relay competition in 2011 and 2013. During the 2014 Olympic Winter games, he placed eleventh in the men's doubles competition with his partner Christian Niccum, and he helped the U.S. place sixth in the team relay. Mr. Speaker, every four years, our nation sends our very best athletes to represent us in the Winter Olympics. Therefore, I commend Jayson Terdiman for his hard work and achievements as part of the United States luge team, and I wish him the best in his future endeavors.

Mr. BARLETTA

Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC) as they celebrate 50 years of providing educational opportunities to the people of Central Pennsylvania. HACC was established on February 14, 1964 as the first community college in Pennsylvania, with its inaugural class of 426 students matriculating on September 21st of that year. Originally housed at the former Harrisburg Academy site on Front Street, the College purchased a 157-acre tract in Wildwood Park, and in April of 1966 broke ground on the $3.5 million building project, eventually moving to this new campus in 1967. As the student body grew, HACC continued to add buildings and gained the first accreditation for a Pennsylvania community college from the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Campuses opened and expanded in Gettysburg, Lancaster, Lebanon, and York, and off-site learning locations, as well as a robust Virtual Campus were established. Today, HACC is the largest community college in Pennsylvania, with almost 22,000 degree-seeking and thousands more non-degree seeking students enrolling each semester. The college offers nearly 200 associate degree, certificate, and diploma programs. Approximately one third of students go on to continue their education and pursue a bachelor's degree at a four year college or university. The college also offers workforce development programs in fields such as allied health; law enforcement and security; and technology and trades, giving students the chance to receive affordable training for a specific career. As of 2011, the College had graduated more than 46,467 students in a variety of majors. Mr. Speaker, Harrisburg Area Community College is the sole institution of its kind serving the Central Pennsylvania region. Therefore, I commend all the students, teachers and other members of the HACC community who have helped this academic institution grow and flourish over the past 50 years.

Mr. BARLETTA

Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Jay ``Buck'' Swisher upon his retirement as a field representative for Pennsylvania's 11th Congressional District. A lifelong resident of Pennsylvania, Buck graduated from Biglerville High School in 1968 and attended the DeVry Institute of Technology in Chicago, Illinois. He entered the United States Army, serving as an instructor and radar technician in the Signal Corp from 1970 to 1973. After leaving the Army, Buck dedicated 30 years to the telephone industry. Buck began working as a field representative for Congressman Todd Platts in September 2003 before coming to work in my Carlisle office in January 2013. Throughout more than 10 years of Federal service, he has assisted countless residents of Cumberland County with everything from Medicare to the presentation of Girl Scout and Boy Scout awards. Outside the office, Buck is an active member of the Cumberland County community. He is a devoted husband to his wife, Diane, and a proud father to four daughters and has three grandchildren. Mr. Speaker, for over 10 years, Buck Swisher has shown outstanding dedication to Cumberland County. I commend him on his hard work and commitment, and I wish him the best on his retirement. He will be greatly missed.

Mr. BARLETTA

Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Kim Skumanick on her inauguration as president of the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors (PAR). Ms. Skumanick is a graduate of Penn State University and presently works as an associate broker with Lewith and Freeman Real Estate in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania. Prior to becoming president of PAR, she served as the chair of PAR's Legislative Planning Group and the Legislative Committee. She also held the roles of treasurer of the Realtors Political Action Committee (RPAC) and District 1 Vice President. Today, she is on the Strategic Oversight Committee, Legislative Committee and the Land Use and Local Issues Subcommittee, as well as on the Public Policy & Political Advocacy Coordinating Committee and the Administrative Coordinating Committee. Ms. Skumanick is a National Association of Realtors director and has served for nine years as a Federal Political Coordinator for the 10th Congressional District. For her hard work and dedication in real estate, Ms. Skumanick has been the recipient of significant recognition. In 2003, she received PAR's Realtor Active in Politics Award. A member of the Greater Scranton Board of Realtors, Kim was president in 2003 and was named Realtor of the Year in 2006. Mr. Speaker, Ms. Skumanick has shown outstanding commitment to the Pennsylvania real estate community. Therefore, I commend her on her inauguration as president of the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors and wish her the best in her future endeavors.

Mr. BARLETTA

Mr. BARLETTA. I thank the gentlewoman from Kansas. I yield to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Barr).

Mr. BARLETTA. I would like to yield at this time to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Collins).

Mr. BARLETTA. I thank the gentleman from New York. I yield to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Stivers).

Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, may I have a time update again.

Mr. BARLETTA. Thank you. I would like to yield to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Meadows).

Mr. BARLETTA. I thank the gentleman. I would like to yield to the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. McKinley).

Mr. BARLETTA. I thank the gentleman from West Virginia. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson).

Mr. BARLETTA. I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania. I yield to the gentlewoman from South Dakota (Mrs. Noem).

Mr. BARLETTA. I thank the gentlewoman from South Dakota. Mr. Speaker, I had sincerely hoped that we wouldn't have to be here this evening to take up the valuable time of this body, but the flaws in the Affordable Care Act and the deafening silence from the IRS on a question so basic and obvious compels our attention. Over 1,000 different groups have received waivers from the Affordable Care Act, covering over 3 million people. Don't our volunteer firefighters and the communities they serve and protect deserve at least the same consideration? Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, may I have a time update, please.

Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the topic of my Special Order.

Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, my colleagues in the House and I are here today to talk about another unintended consequence of the Affordable Care Act. We understand there is little appetite in this body to provide fixes to a flawed law. However, we believe that an unexpected and previously undetected problem with the law represents special and urgent circumstances. This really took me by surprise. The fact that the Affordable Care Act could force volunteer fire companies to provide health insurance to their volunteers or pay a fine would burden them with unbearable costs and possibly cause them to reduce the number of volunteers they have or shut their doors altogether. Simply put, this is a public safety issue. This is a problem today because the Internal Revenue Service currently treats volunteer firefighters as employees for Federal tax purposes. Under the Affordable Care Act, if they have 50 or more employees and they work 30 hours a week, then the employers have to provide health insurance or pay a fine. Here is a key point that I want to make. Some fire companies may hear about this and immediately think: well, we only have 25 volunteers so we are safe, we don't have 50. Well, that may not necessarily be the case. Some fire companies are considered part of their local government. That could mean that if you take the number of firefighters paid and unpaid now considered employees by the IRS and add them to the number of other public employees, such as highway workers, police, code enforcement officers, health officers, clerical workers, you can easily reach 50, even in a small town. This would be a very big deal in my home State of Pennsylvania. Ninety-seven percent of our fire companies are either completely or mostly volunteers. Nationally, 91.7 percent of fire companies use at least some volunteers and 86.2 percent depend on all or mostly volunteers. Those numbers come from the 2012 National Fire Department Census conducted by the United States Fire Administration. So I wrote a letter to the IRS, just like many of my colleagues here, and asked them for clarification. To this point, as of this afternoon, we have gotten no reply from the Internal Revenue Service. They have said that they are ``reviewing'' it. This should be very easy to clear up for the IRS. Just say that volunteer firefighters are just that--volunteers. But we are still waiting. Let's be clear about this. This wrinkle in the Affordable Care Act will not provide health care to the uninsured; it will only shut down fire companies and cause a severe threat to public safety. That is why I have introduced H.R. 3685, the Protecting Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act. The bill will specifically exempt volunteer firefighters and volunteers providing emergency medical services from the employer mandate provision of the Affordable Care Act. I was happy to learn that there is a bipartisan Senate bill that is a companion to mine. I hope that we can see bipartisan support for this in both the House and in the Senate and that we can get through this quickly so that the President can sign it. Mr. Speaker, this problem with the Affordable Care Act represents a clear and present danger to public safety. I would like to invite my colleagues to offer their thoughts about this problem and how it relates to their own districts. I would like to yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick).

Mr. BARLETTA. Thank you, Mr. Fitzpatrick. Now I would like to yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Dent).

Mr. BARLETTA. Thank you, Mr. Dent. I would like to yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Meehan).

Mr. BARLETTA. I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, if you could just imagine the bookkeeping nightmare that these volunteer fire departments would face in determining whether or not the volunteer firefighters have worked 30 hours or not in order to be considered a full-time employee or less. Do they count the times that they have their pagers on as hours worked or the time that they are listening to a scanner or the 12- or 24-hour shifts that many of the volunteers would have to work and who would record this? It is the fact that these men and women who are volunteers to protect the communities that they love would be forced into doing things that we just know they wouldn't do. It would simply close firehouses or volunteers would no longer be volunteering their time. I would like to yield to the gentleman from Ohio, Mr. David Joyce.

Mr. BARLETTA. I thank the gentleman from Ohio. I would like to yield to the gentlewoman from Kansas, Ms. Lynn Jenkins.

Mr. BARLETTA

Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Eagle Scout Chandler Prymowicz of Nanticoke, Pennsylvania who earned every possible merit badge recognized by the Boy Scouts of America. At age 10, Chandler joined Boy Scout Troop 418 in Nanticoke. From his first day as a member of this organization, he was determined to earn every merit badge possible. To accomplish his goal, Chandler attended out of state merit badge colleges, volunteered as a camp counselor at Camp Minsi, and attended Jamboree in 2010. Even after reaching the rank of Eagle Scout at the age of 14, he continued to pursue this aspiration. On October 28th, 2013, Chandler completed the Sustainability merit badge, earning him a total of 137 merit badges and 12 palms. Only one out of every 225,000 Boy Scouts is able to achieve this feat. Although he will age out of the Boy Scouts this month, Chandler will stay involved in Scouting by becoming an assistant leader of Troop 418. Mr. Speaker, for his determination and dedication to earn every available scouting badge, I commend Eagle Scout Chandler Prymowicz and wish him the best in his future endeavors.