Kerry Bentivolio

Mr. BENTIVOLIO

Mr. BENTIVOLIO. I thank the gentleman from North Carolina for yielding. Mr. Speaker, common sense is something often discussed here but it is rarely put into practice. It's time for that to change. That's why we need the Common Sense in Compensation Act. While the administration plays political games with the sequestration by forcing hardworking Americans to take a furlough, they continue to hand out bonus checks to highly paid bureaucrats. Between 2008 and 2011, the Federal Government spent $340 million on cash bonuses for Senior Executive Service employees. Some of these bureaucrats have used their time to attack the average American through regulations and the Tax Code. The American people are not getting what they paid for from many of these Federal regulators and senior staff. The Common Sense in Compensation Act brings much-needed reform to the bonus system for Federal employees. Under this legislation, employee discretionary bonuses are limited to no more than 5 percent of their base salary while the sequestration is in effect. Additionally, it limits the total amount of Senior Executive Service performance awards to 33 percent of all SES employees in a given agency. Both of these changes prevent the most wealthy in the Federal system from becoming richer while those actually engaging and serving the general public are getting laid off. Opponents of the bill may claim that limiting Federal Government employee bonuses may be an unsound business move. Here's what I think: it is an unsound business move being $17 trillion in debt and shackling our grandchildren with a Nation worse off than how we received it from our parents. When a business is struggling, they don't pass out bonuses. They cut waste. It's time to rein in spending. And this practice of excessive bonuses for the very top of our bureaucracy must stop while we're all trying to tighten our belts. If we truly want to rein in our spending, we need to fix not just the amount of money we choose to spend, but how effectively we spend it as well. Making sure that those who provide the actual services to the public aren't being furloughed at the expense of luxurious bonuses for upper management is a good way to start.

Mr. BENTIVOLIO

Mr. BENTIVOLIO. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor and a privilege to take some time to recognize one of my constituents. Last month, Oakland County Circuit Judge Michael Warren was honored with the Americanism Award from the Daughters of the American Revolution of Michigan. The award states that it was presented to Judge Warren ``in recognition of outstanding accomplishments and contributions for his tireless work in promoting patriotism for the American people, especially through Patriot Week.'' Our country is an exceptional Nation because of what happened in 1776. We need more people teaching the history of our founding and promoting patriotism. Judge Warren is doing a great job in Michigan, and he's a great example that should be followed nationwide.

Mr. BENTIVOLIO

Mr. BENTIVOLIO. Mr. Speaker, for the 89 percent of employers in America with fewer than 20 employees, there's an ever-present fear that they may be sanctioned or even put out of business for a violation of any one of the seemingly endless array of Federal regulations. The Protect Small Business Jobs Act offers a simple correction: if found to be in violation of a Federal regulation, a business is given a 6-month grace period to correct the problem. If the problem is corrected at the end of the grace period, the sanction is waived. This way, no business is permitted to ignore regulations on an ongoing basis, but small companies are given a chance to become compliant without being hit by devastating fines. I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense approach to regulatory relief and pass the Protect Small Business Jobs Act.

Mr. BENTIVOLIO

Mr. BENTIVOLIO. Mr. Speaker, we've had a few acrimonious weeks over the last month, but, today, I want to talk about something that crosses the partisan divide, something that makes this country go. Whether you're a Republican or a Democrat, it's undeniable that the ethic of hard work is the glue that binds our Nation together, and when we go back and forth, yelling at each other, we in Congress tend to forget that. Our task is to promote legislation that leads our country into the 21st century. As Congress prepares to take up some major issues, we must keep in mind that the people of this Nation want solutions, solutions that empower them to achieve their American Dream. We must remember what keeps this country together. We must strive valiantly and dare greatly, and we must develop solutions that promote hard work and an honest wage.

Mr. BENTIVOLIO

Mr. BENTIVOLIO. Mr. Chair, unfortunately, our country still has huge disparities in the quality of education, my own state included. We need to empower students and parents with the ability to leave failing schools. While it is important to ensure all our public schools are high quality, it is immoral for us to tell parents and their children that they must attend a specific school simply because of where they live. This amendment empowers parents, the states, and students to offer solutions to improving our schools. Allow Title 1 to do what it was intended to do: improve the conditions of at risk children. I strongly support this amendment.

Mr. BENTIVOLIO

Mr. BENTIVOLIO. Mr. Chairman, I rise to introduce my amendment to H.R. 5.

Mr. BENTIVOLIO. Mr. Chairman, I have taught in both private and public schools. My children graduated from both private and public schools. I am certified as both a vocational and general education teacher, and I also have a master's degree in education. Our students deserve not just a quality education but an education that prepares them for the jobs of tomorrow, instilling them with passion, confidence and skills needed to be successful in the 21st century's global economy. In my State, we have some of the best schools and universities. But what I hear from our employers is that our students don't have the skills necessary to fill many of the jobs they are offering. This is especially true for companies in the STEM and manufacturing sectors. This amendment brings employers, entrepreneurs, teachers and parents together to ensure that academic standards adequately prepare students to obtain employment, enter college, or start their own business after graduating from high school, regardless of their circumstances in life. As a former teacher, I know, firsthand, how poor circumstances can negatively impact a child's ability to learn. Broken homes, poverty and mental health concerns are things that put children in a challenging position. Having a disadvantage, however, does not mean that they do not have the potential to live a successful and happy lives. Just ask any educator. Teachers see talent and potential in all of their students. Children need someone to tell them they are capable and talented. They also need to know what opportunities exist and what skills they need to obtain those jobs. Too often we simply assume that they know. By allowing employers to be part of the conversation in education, we can help broaden the economic horizons for all of our students. That should be the purpose of our education system. There are many paths to success in the United States. That is what makes our country so special and so unique. We need to ensure our schools are not just producing workers, but also developing job creators and small business owners. We need the leaders of today to pass on their knowledge for tomorrow. Regardless of what side of the aisle they sit on, I think most of my fellow Members of Congress believe that our students need to be prepared for jobs. If we want our education system to focus on college and career-readiness, including creating jobs, then we need to have the private sector at the discussion table. This amendment does just that. I ask for your support. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BENTIVOLIO. Mr. Chairman, sadly, too much of our Federal education policy is based on where children are, instead of where we want them to be. We need our children, but especially those we label as disadvantaged, to know that they can be anything they set their mind to. When we continue to tell children they are victims instead of empowering them to seize the talents God has blessed them with, we, as a Congress and as a society fail. Many of my colleagues believe it takes a village to raise a child. Well, entrepreneurs, small business owners and employers are part of that community. It is the business owner who hires, the entrepreneur who creates opportunity. This is exactly why they should be involved in the education policy. It is time we stop merely labeling children as disadvantaged and, instead, let's empower our States and teachers to implement the potential they see every day in the classroom by working with representatives from the private sector and the entrepreneurs. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BENTIVOLIO

Mr. BENTIVOLIO. Mr. Speaker, I would like to echo what my friend, Congressman Reid Ribble, said a moment ago. The people of southeastern Michigan sent me here to solve the problems affecting our great Nation. The Problem Solvers coalition offers a chance to break the partisan gridlock by bringing Democrats and Republicans together to focus on good governance. Our coalition meets regularly to find commonsense solutions because Washington's inability to work together has put the future of our children and grandchildren in jeopardy. More than two centuries, Members of the first Congress were summoned to uphold and defend the Constitution. The proudest boast then in the civilized world was, ``I am an American.'' Today, we must ensure that being an American makes you the envy of the world. I recognize that we all have different viewpoints. I understand that this is a contentious time in Congress--different viewpoints clash, sometimes rightfully so. However, I do think that there is one goal that everyone here has--to hand the next generation a country that is in better condition than when we found it. We must strive valiantly, and we must dare greatly to solve problems here in Washington by working together to find common ground. We all have been sent here to serve the people, and I urge my colleagues to join the Problem Solvers Coalition and to start doing the work of the people. Thank you, and God bless you.

Mr. BENTIVOLIO

Mr. BENTIVOLIO. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 145 I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. BENTIVOLIO

Mr. BENTIVOLIO. I thank the gentleman from Indiana very much. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about the unaffordable health care act. I'll admit it: I'm standing here because of it. The unaffordable health care act is what made me realize that Washington was out of control and run amuck. It made me realize that the people of this great country needed a voice. Whenever I think of the proceedings that gave us this massive health care law, the words ``we must pass the bill to find out what's in the bill'' ring in my ear. It makes me cringe. My friends on the other side of the aisle are good people. They passed the bill because their leadership assured them that it was good law. I don't think they purposely wanted to harm the country. We now know what's in the bill, and it's not good. I'm confident that my friends wouldn't have voted in favor of ObamaCare had they known that the bill empowered the IRS to bully people about their health insurance or that the new law created a rationing board to decide who gets treatment and who doesn't. Had the bill been read, I don't think it would have passed. On top of repealing this law, we must reform how business gets done in the Capitol. That's why I've introduced the Read the Bills Act. The law is easy to understand: before we pass laws which will impact millions of hardworking Americans, Congress must read the bill. This is the kind of bill that will help restore the faith in Congress of those who send us here to represent them. Let's get rid of the notion that we have to pass bills to find out what's in them. Please join me in repealing ObamaCare and supporting the Read the Bills Act.

Mr. BENTIVOLIO

Mr. BENTIVOLIO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Read the Bills Act to provide transparency and accountability from all of us to our constituents. Read the Bills would provide that Members of Congress and the public have 1 week to review any bill and proposed amendments before voting on passage. It requires legislation be passed by rollcall, and it makes legislation easier to read by requiring that we show, in context, how bills would affect existing law. It is a basic moral question that a Member of Congress should only vote to pass legislation having read and understood it. Every law affects how the American people live: who prospers and who suffers, who receives help and who is hurt, who is regulated and who benefits. We cannot pass laws without knowing what they do. No legislation should be passed under cover of procedure. It is our duty to be transparent to our constituents, and I hope Members on both sides of the aisle will agree that this is an important step to rebuilding the trust between the American people and Congress.

Mr. BENTIVOLIO

Mr. BENTIVOLIO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Howard Phillips, a statesman, a patriot, and to the very end of his life, a brilliant thinker and tireless organizer for constitutionally limited government. He sought to limit the Federal Government at almost every turn. In 1974, he founded the Conservative Caucus, which we might call the Tea Party movement of its day. He helped forge the New Right, and perhaps more than any other leader, he never put party above principle. He organized behind the scenes. He was a mentor to today's conservative mentors; and above all, he believed in the sovereignty of God and not of the State. He was a brilliant speaker, and a brilliant thinker. Any American searching for the meaning of American values might look to Howard Phillips for guidance. Tomorrow's young conservative leaders may not learn Phillips' name, but his ideas will live on, and for that, we should be grateful. The conservative movement lost a lion last week, and it is my privilege to remember him.

Mr. BENTIVOLIO

Mr. BENTIVOLIO. I am glad our country is having a conversation about gun violence. It's about the children, we say. I am glad our country is discussing immigration reform. It's about the children, we say. I am glad we are finally having a conversation about our trillion-dollar deficit. It's about the children, we say. Every day, this Chamber debates and votes on legislation, all in the name of the children, we say. Well, Baby A was a child. He had 10 fingers and 10 toes and he moved. He moved before those scissors were jabbed in the back of his head and he moved in reaction to the pain he felt. Baby B had 10 fingers and 10 toes. He kicked in his mother's womb. His mother was a child herself--scared, frightened, looking for an adult to help her. Dr. Gosnell, his staff, the health department, and even national pro- choice organizations were in no way concerned with these women, their health or well-being. Instead, these entities either turned a blind eye or they were more devoted to a political ideology rather than the sounds of babies drowning in toilets.

Mr. BENTIVOLIO

Mr. BENTIVOLIO. Mr. Speaker, before I came to Washington, I was a high school teacher. To be a good teacher, I had to make things understandable for my students in the classroom. With the budget, I knew that there had to be an easier way to explain the numbers I was looking at to the people who sent me to Washington. Thomas Jefferson once wrote that an informed public was vital to our continuing democracy. I would like to share with you how the sequester affects Federal spending. Spending is expected to be around $3.8 trillion; that's the number 38 followed by 11 zeros. The sequester is $85 billion; that's the number 85 followed by nine zeros. That's a lot of money. The best way to understand these numbers is to take eight zeros off of both of them. The President is complaining that we are taking an equivalent of $850 from a budget of $38,000. This is all pretty hypocritical after he forced hardworking Americans who actually have to live on $38,000 a year to pay another $760 or so in increased taxes as part of his fiscal cliff deal. The people in my district want us to get serious about the enormous spending that's happening here in Congress. We should be able to have a reduction in the increase of spending without acting as it if will cause the end of the world. Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Mr. BENTIVOLIO

Mr. BENTIVOLIO. Madam Speaker, legislation that is passed here needs to be more than just a title that sounds good in the press. I understand that when most in this country hear the ``Violence Against Women Act,'' they think, ``of course I don't support violence against women. This must be a great bill.'' When I was a high school teacher I used to tell my English students that you can't judge a book by its cover. Well, maybe we should learn here in Congress that you can't judge a bill by its title. The gruesome and oftentimes cruel experience of domestic violence should not happen to anyone. It shouldn't matter what race or ethnicity you are. It shouldn't matter your religion, your sexual orientation, age, immigration status or economic standing. And it shouldn't matter your gender. No one should feel unsafe at home. Unfortunately, this bill doesn't do that. This bill segregates people into groups, making gendered designations that assume a feminization of victimhood. We live in a fallen world in which all kinds of people are capable horrid, violent behavior, every victim of domestic violence should receive protection and support regardless of their circumstances. I wish this bill simply dealt with domestic violence instead of gender stereotypes. Furthermore, the Tenth Amendment exists and we can't ignore it. Each State already has criminal statues targeting domestic violence. If more laws are needed, there is no reason why each state can't pass stronger laws. I understand that there are cases where Washington can help, that's why I support the SAFE Act, which will end the needless backlog of rape kits, leaving too many sexual predators still at large. I wish we were voting on that today and I hope we can do so as soon as possible. Laws should be passed that don't place people into groups. My constituents sent me to Washington to vote for sound policy, not for titles that just sound good in the media. For these reasons, I cannot support this bill.

Mr. BENTIVOLIO

Mr. BENTIVOLIO. Last quarter, the economy actually shrunk rather than grew. That's unacceptable. Something has to change. As I've traveled throughout my district in Michigan, business leaders tell me the same thing over and over again: It's too hard to start or to expand my small business because I can hardly understand how to comply with the latest regulations that have come out of Washington. It appears this is no longer a Nation of laws but of regulations-- more than 80,000 pages at last estimation. And they're right. Over the last 4 years, the number of business regulations has skyrocketed, and the result has been the worst economic recovery in nearly a century. We've had such weak economic growth that I'm not even sure we can call it a recovery. The millions of people still out of work sure haven't recovered. As many of you know, I own a small business. I understand what it's like to work hard in trying to build a business from the ground up. The small business owners I know back home are not trying to game the system, and they're not trying to manipulate the market to gain a competitive advantage. What they're trying to do is build lives for their families. They're trying to put food on their tables, send their kids to college, and put a little savings away for the future. They're good, honest, hardworking people who are trying to carve out a small slice of the American Dream. These small business owners try to follow the rules, but it's becoming more difficult to do so. This may come as a surprise to bureaucrats here in Washington, but most small businesses don't have legal departments. They have their spouses, family members or friends who are trying to get them through all the red tape. These businessmen and women are too busy creating wealth and jobs to constantly stay up to date with the thousands of new regulations being thrown at them from the White House. The work of compliance is not done in a skyscraper downtown. It's done around a kitchen table after a hard day's work. For example, a few weeks ago, a liberal writer for Slate.com wrote about the difficulties he faced when he tried to start his own small business and how surprised he was at his experience. After describing the problems he'd had, he concluded that red tape, long lines, inconvenient office hours, and other logistical hassles probably won't stop tomorrow's supergenius from launching the next great billion- dollar company, but it's a large and needless deterrent to the Nation of humble workaday firms that, for many people, are a path to autonomy and prosperity. He also said: Ideology aside, simply putting a little more thought into the process could make things much easier. I agree. That's why I introduced the Protect Small Business Jobs Act of 2013. For too many businesses, the central planners in the numerous agencies of this government have set up roadblocks to their success. My bill offers a simple correction. If found to be in violation of a Federal regulation, a small business, as defined by the Small Business Administration, is given a 6-month grace period to correct the problem before being sanctioned. It allows for an extension of 3 more months if the business is making a good-faith effort to correct the problem, and if the problem is corrected, at the end of the grace period the fine is waived. This allows small companies to have a chance at becoming compliant without being hit with devastating fines. It levels the playing field and keeps thousands, if not millions, of American workers in their jobs because over 60 percent of new work in America is created by small businesses. Giving companies a grace period may seem controversial, but I'd like to dispel some concerns I've heard since I've introduced this bill. What about environmental issues? Contamination will only be covered if the small business can actually clean it up within 6 months. This gives more incentive to fix the problem because, if the choice is between closing up shop due to an oppressive penalty or cleaning up their mess and staying in business, the latter is going to be chosen. Furthermore, this bill gives a grace period for regulations, not law. Any breaking of property law will still be prohibited. What if an accident occurs? Firstly, most violations that could cause harm to people are largely covered under an exception in the bill. Secondly, this bill does not prevent workers from suing for damages if their company fails to keep their work environment safe. This bill really only affects sanctions in issues of prior restraint.

Mr. BENTIVOLIO

Mr. BENTIVOLIO. Mr. Speaker, thank you for allowing me to speak today. I have said it before, and I want to say it again: the job of a Member of Congress is to protect the rights of the people, not take them away. I want to explain what I mean by that. Those rights are outlined in our Declaration of Independence: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These rights were not given to us by a King or developed after extensive debate by a Congress. They come from God. They exist in the same way that gravity exists. They are natural. But too often what gets left out is why we must protect those rights and why those rights are still relevant today. The reason is simple, and it's as practical today as it was in 1776: we protect those rights because in America we know that freedom leads to prosperity. Our country was built by Forefathers who believed in, and defended, that idea. Every generation that came after them has followed their lead, rising to tackle whatever challenge came before them in order to protect the freedom of this Nation. Every American generation has left the country a little better off than they found it and handed it to their sons and daughters with the hope that they would do the same. Thinking both about those who came before us and those who will follow us long after we're gone is in the very DNA of our country. That's why our Constitution's preamble explicitly states that it doesn't secure liberty for just the founding generation but also for prosperity. Generations don't simply disappear. Instead, like an aging photograph, they kind of fade away until they are all gone. Right now, one of America's greatest generations is doing just that. In World War II, hundreds of thousands of Americans risked their lives on battlefields half a world away while the rest of them worked and sacrificed at home to make sure our troops had everything they needed. The reason they acted so valiantly was because they understood the truth to American exceptionalism: that freedom leads to prosperity. They knew it, and they fought for it because it had been passed down to them from their parents, who had received it from their parents and so on. To them it was something worth fighting for, it was worth making sacrifices for, and it was worth dying for. Not a day goes by when I don't think about their sacrifices and remember what they did for me and everyone else in this great country. They deserve to be taken care of. That is why I urge my fellow Members of the House from both parties to join me in supporting the Full Faith and Credit Act. As we work to cure the government's addiction to debt, we must ensure that the Greatest Generation is protected. They have already made their sacrifices in the defense of our ideals. They have already passed down freedom to us and given us a country that is better off. We cannot be the first generation to fail America. We must follow the path of our Founding Fathers by preserving the American Dream for our children and grandchildren. One great idea to preserve our great Nation was developed by our Speaker, John Boehner. In the days before the midterm elections of 2010, Speaker Boehner proposed ``taking a different approach'' regarding how Congress voted on budgets. He maintained that rather than having a ``comprehensive budget'' that encompasses all--or at least most of--government appropriations, the whole Congress should treat every budget for each Federal agency as an independent spending bill. Speaker Boehner said: Members shouldn't have to vote for big spending increases at the Labor Department in order to fund Health and Human Services. Members shouldn't have to vote for big increases at the Commerce Department just because they support NASA. Each Department and Agency should justify itself each year to the full House and Senate and be judged on its own. That is the kind of leadership that Americans across this great land support. Those are the types of ideas that we need to enact in order to take on the challenges that are ahead. I urge my fellow Congressmen to appeal to the better angels of their nature as we spend the next few months talking about our government's addiction to debt. Let's solve this problem.

Mr. BENTIVOLIO

Mr. BENTIVOLIO. Mr. Speaker, America has a spending problem. The numbers don't lie. With the national debt at $16 trillion and climbing, each American's share is more than $50,000. Things only stand to get worse. In fact, Federal spending is now projected to double to 40 percent of GDP in the next three decades. This out-of-control spending is a drag on our economy and a threat to our future. The American people agree. Polls by Gallup, the Winston Group, and Politico last month indicate that Americans overwhelmingly support cutting government spending over raising taxes to address our debt. Despite the facts, President Obama and his fellow Democrats continue to deny we have a spending problem, pointing to more revenue as the answer to our debt crisis. This Congress, House Republicans are committed to working together to find real spending cuts, meaningful reforms of the entitlement programs that are driving us deeper into debt, and a fairer, cleaner Tax Code. We are committed to saving our economy for future generations, and I hope the President and his fellow Democrats will join us.

Mr. BENTIVOLIO

Mr. BENTIVOLIO. Mr. Speaker, thank you for granting me the floor today. It is truly an honor and privilege to be a Member of the House of Representatives, the people's House. We have all been sent here to serve the people, and I look forward to representing the freedom- loving, hardworking people of Michigan. More than two centuries ago, Members of the first Congress were summoned to uphold and defend the Constitution. Because of the Constitution, America became a shining symbol of freedom and prosperity to the world. Today, we must ensure that America retains that luster. Everyone arrives here from different walks of life. Some are lawyers, some are business leaders, and yes, well, at least one of us is a reindeer rancher. I recognize we all have different viewpoints, and I understand that I have joined Congress during a contentious time. I do think, however, there is one thing on which we should all agree: The job of a Member of Congress is to protect the rights of the people, not take them away. The national debt is approaching $17 trillion. The decisions we make in this Chamber not only affect us today, they resonate throughout future generations. The massive national debt we are accruing will leave to our children a weaker Nation than the one we inherited from our parents. Those yet to be born do not have a voice today, they don't have representation, but we must remember what we do here resonates for generations to come. Our moment to preserve our great Nation has arrived. Our country is at a crossroads. We must stand together and get over our disagreements. We must strive valiantly and dare greatly, applying the principles that made our country so exceptional to solve the problems that the people of this great Nation sent us here to fix.