Larry Bucshon

Mr. BUCSHON

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong support of the Pilot's Bill of Rights. S. 1335, the Pilot's Bill of Rights, is intended to restore fairness to airmen and Federal Aviation Administration enforcement proceedings by providing airmen timely access to critical information and adding an additional level of appeal for airmen disputing enforcement action. This bill also requires the FAA to improve the system of providing notices to airmen and directs the FAA to review and approve the medical certification form. Pilots have expressed frustration and concerns about what they believe is unfair and inequitable treatment during FAA enforcement proceedings before the National Transportation Safety Board. They complain that the burden of proof is on the airman to prove his or her innocence rather than the FAA proving guilt. To address this, the Pilot's Bill of Rights directs that, to the extent the NTSB finds practical, FAA enforcement proceedings should be conducted in accordance with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and Federal Rules of Evidence. This is consistent with protections provided to defendants in other parts of our legal system. The Pilot's Bill of Rights also requires the FAA to better inform and advise an airman, who is the subject of an investigation, of his or her rights. The goal is to provide an airman with better and timely access to information. This includes notifying an airman that the releasable portions of the administrator's investigative report will, at the appropriate time, be available to the airman. The bill also clarifies that air traffic data collected by a government contractor that is available to the FAA, such as air traffic communication tapes, radar information, and air traffic controller statements, will also be available to the airman. However, it is important that the pilot community understands that, when the data has to be obtained from a government contractor, time is of the essence. Tapes containing air traffic data from contractors is ordinarily recycled after 15 days and would no longer be available to the FAA or the airman. S. 1335 eliminates language that expressly bound the NTSB to all validly adopted interpretations of laws and regulations of the FAA unless the NTSB finds an interpretation to be arbitrary, capricious, or otherwise not according to law. The amendments are made only because they are redundant of what is already provided under law. The NTSB, when reviewing FAA cases, will continue to apply principles of judicial deference to the FAA interpretations of the laws, regulations, and policies in accordance with the Supreme Court precedent. The Pilot's Bill of Rights adds an additional way to appeal to the NTSB's decisions regarding FAA enforcement action. Currently, an airman goes before an administrative law judge at the NTSB and can appeal any decisions to the full NTSB board and, ultimately, to the court of appeals. According to pilots, the courts generally defer to the NTSB's decisions. It's not a true or fair appellate process. The Pilot's Bill of Rights allows an airman to elect to file an appeal of his or her case in either the U.S. district court or the U.S. circuit court of appeals. It is the intent of Congress that courts not act in a way that is contrary to civil aviation safety in conducting their reviews of the NTSB's decisions. Lastly, the Pilot's Bill of Rights requires the FAA to improve the system of providing notices to airmen--NOTAMs--and to undertake an assessment of the medical certification standards and forms. The overwhelming volume of NOTAMs and a vague and outdated medical certification process can lead to confusion and, ultimately, an FAA enforcement proceeding against an airman. Again, I rise in strong support of S. 1335 and urge my colleagues to do the same. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on S. 1335.

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 1335) to amend title 49, United States Code, to provide rights for pilots, and for other purposes.

Mr. BUCSHON

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3556) to designate the new United States courthouse in Buffalo, New York, as the ``Robert H. Jackson United States Courthouse''.

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I also urge support for H.R. 3556, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 3556 would designate the courthouse in Buffalo, New York, as the Robert H. Jackson United States Courthouse. Justice Jackson was an associate Justice to the United States Supreme Court from 1941 to 1954. He had a long career in public service, including participating in the landmark desegregation case Brown v. Board of Education, and serving as chief counsel for the United States in charge of prosecuting Nazi leaders at Nuremberg. Justice Jackson served the Nation and advanced justice both here and at Nuremberg. I think it's appropriate to honor his dedication by naming this courthouse after him. I support passage of this legislation and urge my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BUCSHON. 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 material on H.R. 3556.

Mr. BUCSHON

Mr. BUCSHON. I have no further requests for time.

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Pearce).

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I, again, rise in support of H.R. 3742 and yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 3742 would designate the United States courthouse in Las Cruces, New Mexico, as the Edwin L. Mechem United States Courthouse. I want to thank the gentleman from New Mexico, Representative Pearce, for his work on this legislation. Judge Mechem served more than 30 years as a U.S. district judge for the district of New Mexico until his death in 2002. Prior to his judicial appointment, Judge Mechem served as Governor of New Mexico for four terms. He also served as a U.S. Senator as well as a member of the New Mexico House of Representatives. Earlier in his career, he worked as a special agent for the FBI. Judge Mechem dedicated his life to public service. I believe it is fitting to name this courthouse after him. I support passage of this legislation and urge my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BUCSHON

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support repeal of the Affordable Care Act. It's ironic that this legislation is called ``affordable,'' because in my home State of Indiana it will be anything but affordable. What's in it? How about 21 new taxes, most of which hit the middle class. The law has generated and will continue to generate thousands of pages of regulation to comply with, and establishes taxpayer-subsidized exchanges that are predicted to be overwhelmed when employers start dropping their private policies for their employees. Paying the penalty will just be more cost-effective for these employers. In Indiana, there will be approximately 500,000 additional Medicaid enrollees in 2014, and by 2024 there will be approximately 700,000 additional enrollees compared to today. Medicaid is already a broken, financially-strapped program that does not provide good insurance coverage for its beneficiaries. Why would we use Medicaid as the vehicle to provide coverage? Access to physicians will continue to be a significant challenge, as fewer and fewer physicians take Medicaid. The additional cost will be 2.5 to $3.1 billion to Indiana's Medicaid expenditures. Once the Federal subsidies end, State taxes will have to be increased dramatically or, more likely, reimbursement to providers, hospitals, and physicians will need to be cut. This will result in further access issues for beneficiaries, as even more doctors drop out of the program. As the number of Indiana residents depending on the exchanges for their insurance grows, the cost to the Federal taxpayer will grow rapidly. Either taxes will have to be increased or again, more probably, reimbursement to providers will be cut. We now have a new group of citizens, many of whom previously had private health coverage, that are dependent on a government program that is financially strapped. Access to providers will begin to become an issue. The ACA is a financial snowball rolling down the hill. We must repeal it before it's too late. We need step-by-step, patient-centered health care reform that decreases the cost while maintaining the access to and quality of medical care in this country.

Mr. BUCSHON

Mr. BUCSHON. Madam Speaker, as a member of the House transportation conference committee, I join my colleagues in proudly supporting this legislation. My House colleagues and I attended many of the conference negotiations, and we fought hard for commonsense transportation reforms. This bill streamlines the environmental review process, consolidates and eliminates duplicative programs, and provides more flexibility to the States. Passing this legislation will provide job security for millions of Americans. I'm grateful to my House and Senate colleagues that stood with me in opposing an amendment that was in the Senate bill. This amendment unfairly punished the State of Indiana for pursuing a public-private partnership. Not only would it have cost Indiana millions in transportation funding, but it would have set our country backwards in innovative transportation policy. This type of thinking is not where we need to be headed in transportation policy. We need to put taxpayers first and continue to engage the private sector in transportation projects. I would like to thank the House and Senate staff, who have been working tirelessly on the legislation. I thank Chairman Mica, Senator Boxer, and Senator Inhofe for their leadership on this issue. Thanks to everybody's work, 25,000 Hoosiers will have job security for the next 2 years. I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation, and let's put millions of Americans back to work.

Mr. BUCSHON

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call attention to the CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center located in Terre Haute, Indiana. CANDLES is the only Holocaust Museum located in the State of Indiana, the only Holocaust Museum in the world focusing on forgiveness, and the only one focusing on the stories of twin children who were used as subjects in medical experimentation at Auschwitz. CANDLES is an acronym for Children of Auschwitz Nazi Deadly Lab Experiments Survivors. The mission of CANDLES centers on the elimination of hatred and prejudice from our world. The Museum was founded in 1995 by Eva Mozes Kor who, as a twin, survived the genetic experiments of Dr. Josef Mengele in the Auschwitz Concentration Camp. I was honored to be invited to tour CANDLES earlier this year and to meet Eva Mozes Kor and her husband, Mickey Kor. Their moving account of their experiences during the Holocaust and their willingness to forgive make their stories truly remarkable. I encourage all Hoosier and anyone who has the opportunity to visit CANDLES and to learn from Eva's powerful message of forgiveness.

Mr. BUCSHON

Mr. BUCSHON. I would like to thank Mr. Walz for bringing this to the floor. I believe that we all can agree we must pass a long-term highway bill. In my home State of Indiana, Interstate 69 is being constructed through my district, connecting my district to our State's capital. When I return home every weekend, I see how important Federal dollars are to the construction industry and how necessary infrastructure is to the economic development of our cities and towns. As a member of the conference committee for the highway bill, I have personally been involved in this process. My House colleagues and I have attended several negotiation sessions and have discussed this legislation at length with the Senate staff. I wish our friends in the Senate were as involved in the process, because we could have resolved many of these issues weeks ago. I think my friends on the other side of the aisle here in the House seem to forget that we don't just rubberstamp Senate bills and that they don't rubberstamp ours. If that were the case, they'd take up the 30 House-passed job-creating bills that we've sent over to them in the last year. Nobody is more committed to this legislation than Members of the House on the Republican side. We want to streamline the project delivery process, eliminate duplicative programs, give more power back to the States, and stretch our limited dollars further. These are proposals that every Member of this body should support. We need a long-term reauthorization that will provide certainty to our Nation's job creators. I support this motion, and I look forward to the completion of this conference.

Mr. BUCSHON

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor U.S. Army Specialist Arronn D. Fields. SPC Fields, a 27-year-old native of Terre Haute, Indiana, lost his life in combat on May 21st in Parwan Province, Afghanistan, during an insurgent attack when his military vehicle received rocket-propelled grenade fire. SPC Fields was assigned to the 381st Military Police Company, 81st Troop Command, Army National Guard located in Plymouth, Indiana. SPC Fields deployed to Afghanistan as a member of Task Force Guardian, a multi-unit military police force from Indiana. Indiana lost a great citizen, who enlisted in the Indiana National Guard in 2006. I would like to offer my most heartfelt condolences to SPC Fields' family and friends. His commitment to his fellow soldiers and the Indiana National Guard make SPC Fields a patriot. We are a grateful Nation and SPC Fields will be missed, but not forgotten.

Mr. BUCSHON

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the City of Princeton, Indiana, located within my district. Princeton was recently named, one of two, Stellar Communities by the Lt. Governor's office in Indiana. The Stellar Community award, created in 2011, is specific to city revitalization projects. The program is a partnership between multiple state agencies to help fund community renovation projects, and is the latest example of a state balancing a budget, without raising a penny in taxes--all while reaping the benefits of a surplus. The downtown Courthouse Square in Princeton will be upgraded with new sidewalks, curbs, landscaping, and signage. The housing market will receive a much needed shot in the arm too. New loft condominiums and senior housing cottages are included in the plan. Tourism will improve as well with restoration to old historic Courthouse Square building facades, and groundbreaking construction of a Bicentennial Plaza will only increase the foot traffic in the downtown area. We've seen government grants work for several other Main Street projects across the country, and for the second year in a row, I'm honored that a city in my district will receive the chance to improve the quality of life for local residents. Lastly, I want to congratulate the Mayor of Princeton, Bob Hurst, for his excellent work on promoting a friendly economic environment in Indiana's 8th Congressional District.

Mr. BUCSHON

Mr. BUCSHON. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition to this motion to instruct. The House needs to conference with the Senate and craft a long-term highway bill. In MAP 21, the Senate bill, there is a provision that was offered by Senator Bingaman that provided disincentive to States and cities to consider partnering with the private sector for fear of losing a percentage of its Federal funding. This is only one of the many problems I have with the Senate bill. In my State of Indiana, Governor Daniels made the bold move to enter into a public-private partnership for the Indiana toll road. Indiana received over $4 billion up front for the lease of this road. When the Governor announced this public-private partnership, Members of this body were critical of the decision, and some even claimed that it would never work. Not only has it been successful for the Indiana toll road, but it has also resulted in over $6.5 billion invested in infrastructure projects throughout Indiana. After 30 years of planning, Interstate 69 in my district is being built connecting Evansville, the third largest city in the State, to Annapolis. The Indiana toll road is a perfect example of how business and government can work together to address America's infrastructure needs. The Bingaman amendment ignores these types of successes, and rather than rewarding, States are putting the American taxpayer first and pursuing alternative funding for roads. It will punish a State and take away portions of their Federal funding. Under the Bingaman amendment, Indiana would lose $72 million. Nevada, I should point out, will lose $66 million. In these challenging fiscal times, public-private partnerships represent an exciting option to many States to better leverage their Federal transportation dollars. Congress should take positive steps to encourage innovative financing strategies like public-private partnerships rather than penalizing them. The only way to fully address our Nation's infrastructure needs is to involve the private sector. The Federal Government can't do everything. Building America's Future, April 16, 2012. Hon. John Boehner, Speaker, House of Representatives, The Capitol, Washington, DC. Hon. Nancy Pelosi, Minority Leader, House of Representatives, The Capitol, Washington, DC. Dear Speaker Boehner and Minority Leader Pelosi: In order to remain economically competitive, the United States must have a modern 21st century transportation system. Goods must move efficiently to market and people must reliably get from their homes to their jobs or schools. However, as you are keenly aware, transportation-funding shortfalls are increasing at all levels of government, and traditional funding sources are no longer keeping pace with rapidly growing needs. As a result, states and cities have had to increasingly look to innovative solutions, such as partnering with the private sector (where appropriate) in an effort to modernize their transportation networks. Now is surely not the time to restrict the ability of states and cities to innovate. Yet, that is precisely what happened with the inclusion of several harmful provisions in the Senate's transportation bill (MAP 21). We are particularly concerned about language that provides a disincentive to states and cities to consider partnering with the private sector for fear of losing a percentage of its federal funding; eliminates the option to use Private Activity Bonds (PABs) to finance leased highway projects; and changes the depreciation timetable for longterm highway leases from 15 years to 45. Taken together or individually, these provisions would have a chilling effect upon future private investment in infrastructure, perhaps even bringing it to a complete halt. As the House continues to work on its multi-year transportation bill, we urge you not to include any provisions that would make it more difficult for states and cities to continue to innovate and partner with the private sector. In order to address our nation's enormous transportation needs, states must rely on a variety of options to fund and finance those needs. At a time when federal funds are increasingly limited but needs are growing exponentially, the last thing Congress should do is tie the hands of governors and mayors by limiting the options available to them. Public private partnerships are not the solution to every state's transportation funding challenges, but they are certainly a piece of the solution. Our own experience with public private partnerships in infrastructure investment convinces us that the private sector is looking for such long term stable investments and that these partnerships must be a viable option for helping to fund our transportation needs. We urge you to protect the ability of states seeking creative solutions to transportation funding challenges, rather than creating roadblocks to leveraging state dollars with private investment. Sincerely, Michael R. Bloomberg, Mayor, City of New York. Ed Rendell, Former Governor, State of Pennsylvania. Mitch Daniels, Govenor, State of Indiana.

Mr. BUCSHON

Mr. BUCSHON. I recently conducted a survey on my Web site regarding gas prices because I wanted to hear directly from my constituents how higher gas prices are affecting their lives, and I received over 880 responses. Henry, from Odon, Indiana, told me he owned a car wash, and when people are paying $40 extra for gas, they aren't paying for a car wash, affecting his small business and his employees. Rob, from Lynnville, Indiana, lives in a rural part of the State. He and his wife are forced to drive over 30 miles to get to work. A $1 increase per gallon of gas can cost them up to $2,000 extra per year. An overwhelming majority of responders believe we should expand our domestic oil production and become more energy independent. After paying $3.91 per gallon in Evansville, Indiana, last week, I agree. Since President Obama has taken office in January 2009, domestic oil production has decreased by 7 percent on Federal lands. In January 2009, gas was $1.83 per gallon. It's an average of $3.86 per gallon today. Under this administration, they have risen over 100 percent, the highest for any President. I urge the President and the Senate to act on the nine bills the House has passed to reduce energy costs and help reduce gas prices for all Americans.

Mr. BUCSHON

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of repealing the Independent Payment Advisory Board, or the so-called IPAB; and I urge President Obama and our colleagues in the U.S. Senate to join us, the House Republicans, in saving access to quality care for America's seniors. I've been a practicing physician for over 15 years, and I don't think I have seen anything potentially more detrimental to seniors' health care than the Independent Payment Advisory Board created under the Affordable Care Act. As has already been said, this group of 15 unelected Washington, DC, bureaucrats, appointed by the President, will be making decisions on the funding of Medicare with little oversight from your elected officials. This is not a partisan issue. Whether it's this President, the next President, or a President 20 years from now, no President should have the power to create a board with this much control over health care. Doctors provide critical care to our Nation's seniors, but they also run a business. They have to receive proper reimbursement to keep their doors open or they will lose their ability to provide care for America's seniors. The Affordable Care Act has already cut over $500 billion from the Medicare program, and then the President doubled down by proposing over $300 billion more in his budget. Medicare cannot sustain further cuts if we are to keep access for America's seniors. Without any chance of judicial or congressional oversight, IPAB will become one of the most powerful agencies within our government. I ask the American people: What part of the government operates this way? When people in Washington, DC, make decisions you don't agree with, you can vote them out of office, but when IPAB makes a decision, the American people most likely will have no recourse. If the President and the U.S. Senate really are concerned about saving Medicare, which they claim to be, I urge them to get serious and work with us, because according to CBO, Medicare may be insolvent as early as 2016. We need to reform Medicare in order to strengthen and preserve it for future generations, and true reform is not continuing to cut funding of the program. Again, I urge the President and the Senate to join us in eliminating IPAB.

Mr. BUCSHON

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I be removed as a cosponsor on H.R. 3697.

Mr. BUCSHON

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of commonsense policies that will help create jobs. I had the pleasure of meeting with one of my constituents, Jon David of Evansville, Indiana. Jon owns a small business, David Enterprises, an asphalt contractor and concrete supplier. He would like to expand his business, but onerous regulations are preventing him from doing it. When I sat down with Jon, he talked about how EPA rules--such as emissions controls, dust regulations, the permitting process for oil refining, and wetlands designations on his property--these regulations, he tells me, are keeping him from selling his product and services that would allow him to expand his business and hire more employees. Instead, he spends his time dealing with regulations that increase his costs and prevent him from expanding. The EPA under this administration should take note of how rules and regulations are hurting job creation. This is unacceptable. The House has passed bills to help out Jon and others like him, but the Senate has ignored them. There are 27 bills, at least, that we've passed here that we've sent to the Senate that would help Jon so he could quit spending his days fighting regulations so his business can survive.

Mr. BUCSHON

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my most heartfelt congratulations to Commander Paul B. Spohn, United States Navy, for a distinguished career. Commander Spohn recently retired as the Commanding Officer, Naval Support Activity Crane, one of the many command posts throughout his career. I would like to especially recognize Commander Spohn for his leadership at NSA Crane, the world's third largest Naval Installation, based in Indiana's 8th Congressional District. Commander Spohn began his 35 year career by enlisting in the Navy as a Boiler Technician in January 1977 and received his commission in June 1990 through the Limited Duty Officer Program. His many achievements in academics and the Navy have made him an officer that all sailors and citizens should emulate. His dedication to our nation has spanned many decades and many posts and for that I would like to thank Commander Spohn.

Mr. BUCSHON

Mr. BUCSHON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate some great news for manufacturing in Indiana's Eighth Congressional District, my home. On January 17, the 3 millionth vehicle rolled off the line at the Toyota Motor Manufacturing plant in Princeton, Indiana. Approximately 80 percent of the parts for these vehicles were made here in America within a 300-mile radius of the plant. These vehicles are then shipped and sold both across this country and around the world thanks to the free trade agreements that Congress passed this year. This plant began operations in 1996 and employs 4,149 people. I had the pleasure of meeting many of the Princeton team members last February, and I want to commend each of these employees for their hard work and dedication. I congratulate them on a job well done. I have no doubts that it won't be long until we celebrate another millionth vehicle made right here in the U.S.A. in my district in Indiana.