Diane Black

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, I came to Washington because I knew that we had a debt problem. But you know what? Once I got here and I started getting all the facts, I realized that we didn't have a debt problem. We have a debt crisis. We are $14.2 trillion in debt. And you know what? That number is even hard to comprehend, it's so large. Over and over we hear from economists, both conservative and liberal, that we've got less than 5 years to turn things around or the United States is going to sink under all this debt. We've seen what has happened in Greece and Ireland, and I reject that future for the United States. The time is now to fix this, because we're out of time and we have an opportunity to change for the good the way Washington is spending. But it doesn't seem the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue thinks that we should change anything. They're happy to keep kicking the can down the road. But you know what? The road has run out. In fact, the administration and over 100 Democrats in this Congress want a straight up or down vote on the debt ceiling. Well, that's what we're going to get today. And when this measure to raise the Nation's debt limit fails on the House floor tonight, we will be sending the White House a message loud and clear: You will not get another blank check from us, Mr. President. That's because I and 87 of my freshman colleagues were sent here to Washington with strict marching orders to change the borrow-and-spend cycle that is bringing our country down. Tonight, the people back home can see that we listened to them and that we are acting for them.

Mrs. BLACK. The American people reject the idea of a clean debt limit vote and so will the House tonight. Enough is enough. The gig is up, Mr. President. So now is the time to get serious: Get serious about ending this debt; get serious about ending Washington's spending addiction; and get serious about getting this country back on track. Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. I have been doing town hall meetings for the last 4 months, and up to this point I have had about 12. When Medicare comes up, people tell me, Don't touch my Medicare. Hands off my Medicare. And you know what I tell them? There is a dirty little secret that the Democrats in Congress and the President don't want them to know, and that is their Medicare is already changed. Because last Congress, when this House passed ObamaCare, they robbed $500 billion from Medicare to pay for their government takeover of health care. Not only that, but ObamaCare set up an Independent Payment Advisory Board, or an IPAB, and you know what those 15 unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats will do? They are going to ration your Medicare to cut the costs and limit seniors' access to Medicare. You know what else happens under this plan in a decade? There is no Medicare because the program will become bankrupt. Now, the truth about the Republican plan and the Path to Prosperity: Under our plan we save Medicare. We address the unsustainable growth rate of Medicare so the program doesn't go bankrupt in 10 years. The Democrats have no plan to stop Medicare's descent into bankruptcy, but the Republicans do. And unlike ObamaCare, where you have no choice, the Republicans give you a choice. Now the dirty little secret is out there, and the real choice is in front of us. The choice is easy.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Madam Speaker, today we have heard many misrepresentations of the true nature of this bill, and so I want to boil it down to the simple facts of what this bill actually does--no hyperbole, no scare tactics. This bill codifies the Hyde amendment that no taxpayer dollars will go to funding abortions. And this is a longstanding policy of the Federal Government since 1976. We already know how medical expenses of all sorts are treated under the Tax Code. Taxpayers who use itemized deductions for medical expenses, who have HSAs or FSAs or MSAs, do not, and I want to highlight that, do not identify each medical expense on an individual tax return. That is not the case today nor will it be the case if this bill is signed into law. And to be clear, what this bill does not do, a woman would not have to list on a tax form that a specific medical expense was for an abortion. That's simply not how the process works. It's not how it works today nor will it be how it works if this is signed into law. So it's important to make clear that no one would ever be audited because of an abortion. They would have to already be under an audit for some other reason before--and I want to emphasize before--the IRS would even consider asking about any medical procedure. Many types of medical care are very private. And as a nurse for over 40 years, I fully understand how personal medical issues can be. And taxpayers who don't want to tell the IRS about medical procedures they wish to be kept private can do so by not claiming those tax credits for such care. Now, even if this issue did arise in an audit, other Federal agencies that already use taxpayer dollars, such as Medicaid and the Federal Employee Health Benefit Program, have had no problem distinguishing between abortions following rape and incest and elective abortions, and have done so without a reporting requirement. It's already there. They generally accept the statement of the provider, basically, a doctor's note. And I would expect the IRS to do the same in these extremely rare cases. Now, that doesn't mean that this is not a very difficult situation for that small group of women. And I understand it is incredibly difficult, and my heart goes out to them. But if you claim a tax benefit for a medical procedure like an abortion and you get audited, you can either choose to forego that tax benefit or else prepare to substantiate the tax benefit.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Last week I held three town hall meetings back in my community, throughout my district; and the number one topic was the staggering national debt. People in my district are angry at Washington that they have allowed the debt to balloon so far out of control. Many understand that big changes have to be made to reduce spending and to address our debt. And while the problem includes billions that have been spent to grow agencies and bloat programs over the years, the big problem is the auto-pilot programs. Medicare spending is growing at an unsustainable rate of 7.2 percent every year; and unless we start now, Medicare goes bankrupt in 9 years, according to the CBO, and in 7 to 19 years, according to the Medicare Trustees Report. Left unchecked, the explosive growth of these programs, especially Medicare, threatens not only the ability of government to keep its promises to the beneficiaries but also the solvency of the Federal Government and the health of the U.S. economy. Our Republican plan addresses this unsustainable growth while ensuring that our current seniors, those 55 and older, are still taken care of. Our Republican plan attacks the growth. And when we hear the political fodder, I ask, Where is your plan to address Medicare and reduce our debt? The time for leadership on this issue is now, not in 5 to 10 years when Medicare is almost bankrupt. Let us seize this moment and do what is necessary to preserve this vital program and save America from our looming debt crisis.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, as a nurse for over 40 years, I have spent my entire career protecting life. And those who need the greatest protection are those who have the least voice, that is, children born and unborn. Now as a Member of Congress, I will continue to fight for the rights of the unborn through this legislation we have here today. And today, I am here as a sponsor of this resolution to ensure that no Federal funds are used for either the promotion or the performance of abortions. There are people around who would lead you to believe that this bill is about Republicans wanting to deny women access to preventative care, but they are using scare tactics and their lies are distracting you from the real facts. As a matter of fact, Title X funds which fund these types of preventative care for women will continue to fund those organizations and agencies that provide preventative care but do not promote or provide abortion services. What my colleagues and I are here doing today is standing up and saying we do not support Federal funding of any organization--any organization--that promotes or performs abortions. There is an urgent need to stop taxpayer dollars from funding abortions. And the Republican majority in the House has already made clear our commitment to ending the funding for Planned Parenthood, which is, by the way, America's largest abortion provider. The Senate has ducked this legislation and this important discussion for this legislation for too long. It's time that the Senators debate this in the open, as we have here in the House in H.R. 1, and take a vote to end taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Chairman, I stand here today as a proud member of the Budget Committee supporting our Path to Prosperity budget that was introduced on time and takes real steps to get the country's finances back on track focusing on real economic growth and job creation. Lately we have heard a lot of demagogy and scare tactics about this budget. First it came from the other side of the aisle, and yesterday we heard those same remarks by the President. But my constituents don't want to hear the same old partisan attacks and rhetoric. They want Washington to tell them the truth. The truth is this about our budget: Number one, it's a jobs budget, and in the first year this budget creates 1 million new jobs. Number 2, it cuts $6.2 trillion in government spending. Number 3, it eliminates duplicative government programs. Number 4, it preserves Medicare for the next generation. Number 5, it puts caps on spending for the coming year and the next decade. And, number 6, it takes us on a path to pay down our debt. House Republicans are working to get this country back on track on a sound financial footing, and I am proud to be here today as part of the Republican majority that will lead where the President has failed and restore America's future growth and prosperity.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, on a daily basis I listen to the people of my district, and they tell me they don't want games and they don't want the buck passed. They're sick of the status quo here in Washington. And my constituents are sick of the big spending, the big government, and the political games. They're sick of Washington doing what's easy. Well, we're here today because last year it was easier for the Democrats in Congress to not do their job and not pass a budget. Isn't that a shame? And we're here because Harry Reid and the Senate Democrats want to play political games and defend big spending. Yesterday, we passed a bill to protect our troops in the event that Harry Reid shuts down the government, and the President then said that he would veto this bill. Harry Reid and the President are playing games with our troops as well. Now the House is leading, and we passed four bills to keep the government open and cut spending. And we are going to be here until we get our fiscal house in order. I stand here today, 9 days after I first joined my colleagues outside of the Capitol demanding that Harry Reid act like a leader, and I said it then and I will say it now: Harry Reid, get your act together. Let's put this country on the right track and move forward.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, I stand here tonight as a daughter, a wife, and a mother of veterans; and I am an ardent supporter of our Nation's military. These brave men and women can never be thanked enough for their service to our country, and this Congress must do everything that we can to stand up for those who defend America. That is why I urge my colleagues to protect the military paychecks and to ensure that if the government shutdown were to occur, that the members of our Armed Forces and their families will receive their salaries on time. This is not an issue that we can play politics with, and my colleagues on the other side of the aisle who seek to use these paychecks of our military as part of their plan to force a government shutdown should absolutely be ashamed of themselves. Military families have already sacrificed so much for this country. Back in Tennessee, there are families who are worried right now about whether their loved ones are safe overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan and other places even around the country, and they are praying for their safe return home. Those military families should not, under any circumstances, have to worry about when and where the next paycheck is coming from.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 225 for final passage of H.R. 1246, I am not recorded. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Madam Speaker, I rise today enthusiastically supporting H.R. 4, the 1099 repeal bill. This piece of legislation is a victory for common sense. It is proof that the House is dedicated to getting the government off of the backs of American small businesses and working for the people again. This bill does three things: it reduces the deficit; it protects our taxpayers from waste; and it eases the burdens on small businesses who too often have to deal with government breathing down their necks and stifling their growth. If this provision were left untouched in the President's health care law, small businesses across the country would be buried in paperwork. Instead of growing their businesses, advertising their services and selling their products and hiring workers and growing our economy, business owners would be stuck behind a desk filling out IRS forms. Just this morning in the Wall Street Journal, it was reported by a survey that the small business owners are finding it more and more difficult to file their tax forms because of the onerous paperwork. It is unconscionable that the Democrat Congress paid for their massive spending on their health care bill on the backs of American small businesses; but today we're going to fix that. As a member of Ways and Means, I am extremely proud to have seen this repeal bill take shape in our committee. I am proud that we pay for this bill by protecting taxpayers instead of demanding more money of them. By reducing waste, fraud, and abuse in the Democrats' health care law, we pay for this 1099 repeal, which reduces the deficit by $166 million in the first 10 years, and by billions of dollars over the long run, while reducing the Federal spending by nearly $200 billion over 10 years. This is a huge victory, but it marks the beginning of a new way that we are doing business here in Washington. This new House majority will continue to enact commonsense policy that does not add to the debt or hide their true costs with accounting gimmicks.

Mrs. BLACK. We can get government working for the American people today, and this is a good start.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. The EPA. The EPA recently discovered that milk contains fat. Can you believe that? It's also considered an oil. So what did the EPA do? It decided to regulate milk spills. Well, the EPA is currently developing a rule that will subject dairy farmers to the Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure Program-- that's sort of a long name--which was created for oil contamination in waterways, and now they're applying it to dairy farmers. So, when Nellie kicks over the bucket, our farmers will have to build berms around the area where they milk. They will have to have an emergency responder's plan so, in case milk is spilled, all of their employees will be trained in the containment of this spilled milk.

Mrs. BLACK. Thank you. I am so honored to unveil this new initiative from our Republican Study Committee. This right here is the Golden Turkey Award. Each month, the RSC will be bestowing this dubious award to highlight the most absurd, the most ridiculous and obscure regulation that taxpayers foot the bill to enforce and have to live by. This month's Golden Turkey Award goes to a regulation that I have been talking about in my district and here also in Congress for the past month. The March 2011 Golden Turkey Award goes to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Mrs. BLACK. That's right. The EPA has won.

Mrs. BLACK. It's good that you asked, because the rule requires that these emergency protocols be in place by November 10 of this year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has already initiated a $3 million pilot program through the Natural Resources Conservation Service to help the farmers and the ranchers comply with the on-farm oil spill regulation. So already we see $3 million that's going to be wasted in just getting the farmers up to speed on how they have to do these plans. When I was in my district last week and spoke to people about this, they were absolutely speechless. It has been told to me by many of the businesses in my district that what they really want is just for the government to get out of their way, to let them do their jobs, to stop overtaxing them, and to stop overregulating them so that they can actually grow their businesses. They have the capital to do so, and if we would just leave them alone, they could grow their businesses. So that's why the inaugural Golden Turkey Award is being presented to the EPA and to its proposed overregulation of dairy farmers with spilled milk. I am going to work as hard as I possibly can to make sure that this does not get initiated and that our farmers will be freed from this onerous regulation.

Mrs. BLACK. You're so right, and it's proudly displayed on my desk. It is a trophy that stands about 12-inches high, and it is golden and has a golden turkey on the top of it. I'm challenging all of my colleagues to find places that we're having overregulation, killing our businesses, stifling the growth of our economy, and stifling job growth.

Mrs. BLACK. That's an excellent question because, when I talked to the dairy farmers back in my district and when I told them about this great idea the EPA has for them, one of my farmers told me he already has this plan in place. When asked, he said he has a barn with about 15 stray cats, and he's going to open the doors and yell, ``Here, kitty, kitty,'' and that will take care of the emergency spill.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a registered nurse who worked in emergency rooms and caring for patients. I also rise as a former member of the Tennessee General Assembly who saw firsthand the devastating effects of TennCare on our State and was a part of the group, of the effort, to dismantle it. Finally, I rise today as a representative of the Sixth District of Tennessee, where my constituents have told me over and over how they do not want ObamaCare bankrupting our Nation and getting between them and the doctor. Mr. Speaker, I know that the health care industry, and I know that the new health care law, is not the solution to our problem. Pretty soon, the health care law will be the problem. I know this because for many of us in Tennessee, the President's new health care law is like a bad dream all over again. And let me tell you what I mean. Tennessee was the pilot project for universal health care and the experiment was called TennCare. Put simply, the experiment failed. After TennCare passed, we watched the cost grow exponentially, and those of us in the legislature knew that if we did not do something, TennCare was going to bankrupt our State and, much like ObamaCare, the sheer size of TennCare was more than government could handle. The government could not perform all of the functions of the medical insurance industry. Promises of care and access were made, and promises were far beyond what our State could possibly do. It didn't take long before TennCare became riddled with waste and fraud and abuse. I can remember talking with people who had gone from doctor to doctor and specialist to specialist using TennCare to fill more than 50 prescriptions. Yes, 50 prescriptions is what they would put in front of me and tell me that TennCare was paying for, and it was all on the taxpayer's dime. TennCare became the monster that even the creators could not control. Today, TennCare is gutted, only available to a small group of people, and Tennessee has been brought back from the brink of bankruptcy. Last month, Republican Governors wrote to ask the administration to ``waive the bill's costly mandates and grant States the authority to choose benefit rules that meet the specific needs of their citizens.'' The Governors were asking for commonsense solutions like waiving provisions that punished consumer-driven plans like the most popular plan and the cost-effective plan of health care savings accounts. Give the States the ability to do what States can do best, and that is to determine what's best for them. But the President shows no sign of granting States some flexibility in how they will apply ObamaCare. And only yesterday, President Obama said he is supporting letting the States propose their own health care plans by 2014. However, that would be only if he will not change the mandates for the States in the current law. So in one side of his speech he says, yes, he will allow some flexibility. On the other side he says, there still must be certain mandates.

Mrs. BLACK. We averted this disaster in Tennessee by dissolving TennCare and now, as a Member of Congress, I will work to stop this financial and fiscal disaster that ObamaCare will bring to our Nation. This health care law must be replaced, and I believe this House can do it.

Mrs. BLACK. Dr. Gingrey, as you said, States will still be forced to comply with benefit levels and mandates that are set by Federal bureaucrats, not by the States themselves. That certainly doesn't give States rights. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius has already said that if the State were to propose its own plan that they will be forced to provide comprehensive, comprehensive coverage, and that coverage will be defined by government. So much for being able to keep your plan or for the States to make a determination on what plan best suits them. Now President Obama wants every State to live through its own version of TennCare. With ballooning budgets for each State and no way to curb their health care costs that will cripple the States during a time of already strapped budgets, it's simply unacceptable.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Chair, I move to strike the last word.

Mrs. BLACK. Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion provider in the United States, receives millions of dollars in government aid, yet they are still classified as a nonprofit organization. From 2008 to 2009, Planned Parenthood received $363 million, which is one-third of their $1 billion income, from grants and contracts from Federal and State governments. And during that time, the number of abortions that they performed increased to a record number of 324,000. That's almost 25,000 from 2006 to 2007. And each fiscal year since 2000, the government has increased its funding an average of $22 million per year while the number of abortions they perform steadily increased. This occurred while the overall abortion rate in the United States declined. And despite all of this, we continue to give this organization money--millions--despite reports that Planned Parenthood clinics have failed to comply with State statutory rape reporting laws, often ignoring parental consent laws. And, most recently, a few have refused to report instances of sex trafficking of minors. Simple fact: Funding Planned Parenthood and its affiliates does not decrease abortions. It increases it. When I think of Planned Parenthood, I am immediately reminded of a night 20 years ago when I was working in the emergency room at Hendersonville Hospital. A 22-year-old girl presented after receiving an incomplete abortion from the Planned Parenthood clinic. She had no followup number, and she didn't know where to go to receive the care that she needed. Unfortunately, she waited at home, bleeding for hours before coming to the emergency room. But it was too late. And due to the excessive bleeding loss, her body responded by an uncontrollable clotting condition known as DIC, and at this point there was nothing we could do. We watched this young girl die. This young girl, with her whole life ahead of her, died that night. Stories like these are the everyday tragedies that go untold. That is why I stand here this hour to show my support for this amendment and for all of the continuing efforts to defund Planned Parenthood. I thank the gentleman from Indiana for introducing this vital amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. I thank the gentleman from California for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the great legacy of our 40th President, Ronald Wilson Reagan. As I watched some of the coverage of the President's centennial, I found myself filled with the same hope and idealism that he inspired in me over 20 years ago. During the 8 years he was in the White House, President Reagan faced great challenges but was always optimistic that the greatness of our country and its people would bring us to a brighter day. A truly one- of-a-kind leader, President Reagan inspired freedom throughout the world and kept the American dream alive and burning brightly for all of us. He reminded us that democracy is a precious gift, but one that is dependent on the dedication of all Americans. He believed strongly in American exceptionalism and reminded us that as citizens of such a great Nation, we had a responsibility to be a beacon of hope to all of those around the world who do not enjoy the same freedoms. All of these years later, his ideals still stand true for all of us, and his message is just as urgent today as it was in the past, perhaps even more so. President Reagan is a personal hero of mine, and I want to work with my colleagues to keep his ideals of a smaller government, a commonsense government, alive here in Washington. President Reagan believed that the people of this country are the best hope for the future, not the government or its bureaucrats. He believed that the ideal of self-government that this Nation was founded on was one of the greatest ideas of history, and that by giving government back to the people, our Nation would become stronger and more prosperous. Like Reagan, I too am optimistic. I believe that our best days are still ahead of us and that a smaller government that answers to the people will let America thrive again. As we face the challenges ahead of us today, let us remember President Reagan, and with hard work we can get this country back on track to a brighter morning.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 22, I was detained in committee. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''