Joe Courtney

Mr. COURTNEY

Mr. COURTNEY. Madam Chair, I claim time in opposition to the amendment, although I do not oppose the amendment.

Mr. COURTNEY

Mr. COURTNEY. I thank my colleague.

Mr. COURTNEY. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise for the purpose of entering into a colloquy with my colleague from New Jersey, Congressman Andrews. During the full committee markup of the defense authorization bill, you offered, and the committee supported, an amendment which would ``ensure that the Secretary, at no cost to the Federal Government, provide support and allows for the use of such property by the contractor under such contract to conduct research, development, testing, and evaluation of the F136 engine, if such activities are self-funded by the contractor.''

Mr. COURTNEY. Thank you, Mr. Andrews. I simply would like to reiterate that it is your intention and understanding that there is no government funding provided to the F136 contractors by your amendment in any section of this bill.

Mr. COURTNEY

Mr. COURTNEY. I move to strike the last word.

Mr. COURTNEY. I rise in opposition to the underlying bill, which, by the way, is a bill that would repeal a provision of the Affordable Care Act that was aimed at trying to strengthen the primary care infrastructure of this country, which is in fact a huge challenge for the Medicare program, but for some reason over the last couple of months or so, Medicare just seems to be the target. I think it's important for people to remember that in 1965 when Medicare was passed and signed into law on Harry Truman's front porch, only half of America's seniors had health insurance. Part of it was because of the cost, but part of it was because the insurance companies would not insure that demographic. It was just simply too high a risk to write insurance policies by individual companies for people who, again, because of nature carried the highest degree of risk in terms of illness and disease. Over time, the genius of Medicare, which was to pool risk, to create a guaranteed benefit, to fund it through payroll taxes, to fund it through Medicare part B premiums, demonstrated that we could raise the dignity and quality of life for people over age 65 and in fact extend life expectancy. But the Republican Party has been targeting this program over and over again. In the 1990s, they came out with Medicare part C, Medicare Plus Choice, which was again giving insurance companies a set payment who promised to provide a more efficient, lower cost product for seniors. And what happened? Insurance companies enrolled millions of seniors in Medicare Plus Choice products. And realizing in a short space of time that they did not in fact have the funds to create a sustainable product, they canceled coverage for seniors all across the country. I was at hearings in Norwich, Connecticut, in 1998, where seniors who had signed up for these programs suddenly got notification in mid- policy year that the insurance companies changed their minds, and they dropped them like a hot potato. In many instances, seniors who were in the middle of cancer treatments and chronic disease treatments were left high and dry without coverage. So that program failed. Later, we had Medicare Advantage. Medicare Advantage was sold on, again, the premise that it would provide coverage for seniors cheaper than regular Medicare. And what in fact happened? The Department of Health and Human Services had to offer insurance companies 120 percent of the baseline costs for Medicare in order to entice insurance companies to participate in the Medicare Advantage program; a ridiculous overpayment, treating unfairly seniors who were in traditional Medicare and paying for Medicare supplemental insurance. Last year we did something about that unfairness by equalizing the payments to seniors on traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage. And today what we have is the Ryan Republican plan, which says you get an $8,000 voucher if you are under age 55, and good luck in terms of trying to find coverage, again, in a market that is going to be very, very careful about not extending actual coverage because of the risk that's attached to it. Now, the rank unfairness of saying that we are going to create a two- tiered system for people over the age of 55 and people under the age of 55 is obvious even in my own family. I am 58 years old. My wife Audrey, who is a pediatric nurse practitioner, is 51. I get one version of Medicare; she gets stuck with the loser version of Medicare under this proposal. Again, the unfairness of it is so obvious to all families across America. And again, it is one that is why I think the public is turning so quickly against the Republican agenda. And we are told and we are asked: What's your alternative? Well, look at the trustees' report that came out last week. Look at it. What it said was that the Affordable Care Act in fact extended solvency for the Medicare program by 8 years. We did suffer some reductions, but that was because of the economy. Read the trustees' language. The smart efficiencies which were introduced into the Medicare program through the Affordable Care Act in fact have made the Medicare program healthier. And if you look at the Ryan Republican budget plan, they took every nickel of those savings from the Affordable Care Act. Even though that caucus demagogued all across the country, campaigning about so-called Medicare cuts in the Affordable Care Act, well, the Ryan Republican plan incorporated every single one of those changes in the Affordable Care Act. But at the same time, it took away all the benefits of the Affordable Care Act in terms of helping seniors with prescription drug coverage, annual checkups, cancer screenings, smoking cessation, all of the smart changes which the Affordable Care Act made to provide a better, smarter, more efficient Medicare benefit for seniors. The fact of the matter is that the Democrats do have an alternative. We have a program which we passed last year which, for the first time in decades, extended the solvency of the Medicare program. Let's not abandon it. Let's preserve the guaranteed benefit for seniors. Let's reject the Ryan Republican Medicare plan.

Mr. COURTNEY

Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate James Dolan, Jr. and the employees of Hi-Rel Products on being named the U.S. Small Business Administration's New England Regional Subcontractor of the Year. Headquartered in Essex, Connecticut, Hi-Rel products has provided the microelectronics industry with outstanding goods and service for over 41 years. A second generation family owned business, Hi-Rel Products has grown from a home based operation to an industry leader as a supplier of quality, chemically machined stepped lids. With over 100 years of combined experience, Hi-Rel and its employees have been producing high quality metal components since 1973. Given annually, the New England Regional Subcontractor of the Year award is given to a subcontractor that has served the government and industry with outstanding goods and services. The nominees for the award are evaluated in the areas of overall management, delivery performance, technical capabilities, outstanding results, and six other selection criteria. Having received top marks in each of these areas, Hi Rel Products has proven to be more than deserving of this prestigious award. Small and family owned businesses like Hi-Rel are vital to the health of our economy. They are the key to our economic recovery and are vital to creating much needed jobs. With 30 high quality manufacturing jobs in Connecticut, Hi-Rel Products is helping to move our economy forward. Mr. Dolan and the entire Hi-Rel family are a true asset to our state and our region and I commend them on receiving this well deserved award.

Mr. COURTNEY

Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to share with the House a headline which was reported in yesterday's Connecticut media, which I believe is going to reverberate all across the country. It reads that, ``As Federal Health Reforms Take Effect, Aetna Proposes Rate Cuts.'' Now, for employers who have been seeing double-digit increases for the last decade, to see a headline that says health insurance premiums are going to be cut probably seems like it must be a typo or there must be some April Fool's headline joke. But the fact of the matter is, as that story indicates, because of the Federal health care reform law, the new premiums which are going to go into effect in September that Aetna is proposing have to be reduced anywhere from 5 percent to 19 percent. For policyholders, the savings with these new premium announcements will be up to $3,500 a year on policies that cost about $14,000 today. Why is this happening? It is because the health care reform law contains a provision which says that insurers must demonstrate that up to 80 to 85 percent of premium dollars have to be spent on health care. It is called the medical loss ratio rule. And under existing premiums that Aetna is collecting these days, only 54 percent of premium dollars are presently being paid on health care. Now, again, as someone who was a small employer before I came to Congress in 2007 and paid those double-digit increases year in and year out, what we are seeing now is the fact that there is transparency in terms of how premiums are being handled and that people are now understanding and, in fact, regulators are enforcing a rule which says that when you pay health insurance premiums, not all of it, but the bulk of it has to be spent on health care. And because of this medical loss ratio rule, we saw yesterday that Aetna is proposing to cut health insurance premiums for employers. And this is going to be replicated all across the country over the upcoming year as the Department of Health and Human Services is issuing these rules to State insurance departments for implementation. Thank goodness for those employers who are now going to be seeing real rate relief that we did not repeal the health care reform law. Thank goodness for those employers who are getting small business tax credits back in the mail today for their IRS filings that they submitted this year that we did not repeal the health care reform law. Thank goodness for all the employers across America who are now participating in the early retiree health insurance reform program, which over half the Fortune 500 companies in America have signed up for as a way of moderating early retiree health insurance costs so that they can encourage employees 55 and up to take retirement, opening up opportunities for younger workers in this country, which we desperately need, looking at graduating classes that are facing daunting employment prospects. The fact of the matter is the health care reform law in terms of small business tax credits, real rate cut relief, early retiree programs that help employment-based health benefits is now rippling through the system and providing help for thousands and thousands of employers all across this country. We know now that the health care reform law is helping almost 1 million young Americans between the ages of 21 and 26 stay on their parents' health insurance plan. I was with a student up at the University of Connecticut the other day. His sister was months away from graduating from NYU when she was diagnosed with a rare nerve disorder. And thank goodness for the health insurance reform law that she was able to stay on her parents' health care plan. Now she is receiving lifesaving treatments that are going to allow her to attend law school starting next year. For seniors we are seeing the new Medicare provisions that will close the doughnut hole, that will provide preventive services like annual checkups, cancer screenings that are now covered 100 percent by the Medicare program as a direct result of the health care reform law. These benefits are now flowing through the system with a bill that was fiscally responsible and that CBO scored as a net saver to America's budget deficit. Again, I want to make sure people see this headline that employer- based premiums are going down because of the health care reform law provisions that will protect employers and individuals who buy health insurance, so that their premium dollar is actually going to be spent on health care and not on excessive administrative costs and bonuses for people in the insurance industry. Again, I come from Connecticut. We are proud of the insurance industry. My dad worked as an insurance company lawyer his whole lifetime and sent me to college because of that. The fact of the matter is these rules are something that the insurance industry can coexist with, they can make a health profit, they can grow their business, but it will stabilize the market so that people are not going to be forced to abandon coverage for their workers and for themselves because of the skyrocketing double-digit increases that we have been experiencing as a Nation for far too long. We have relief in sight, and this headline verifies that. Let's preserve these protections and make sure that our employers and individuals have access to affordable health care.

Mr. COURTNEY

Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Dennis Popp, who is stepping down after 12 years of distinguished service as Mayor of the city of Groton, Connecticut. Dennis began his career at the submarine maker Electric Boat, where he worked as a pipe welder for 3 years before being promoted to supervisor for another 20 years. Dennis capped his career at EB by serving as a draftsman for his final 3 years. Dennis took his breadth of experience at building and supervising the production of some of the world's most advanced machines and translated his skill set to the world of politics and governance. Just as I fell short in my first effort in running for Congress, Dennis also just missed in his first effort to win the Mayor's office in Groton. But with determination honed like the steel of Electric Boat, Dennis went back at it again and won the election for Mayor of the city of Groton in 1999. Immediately upon taking the reins of city government, Mayor Popp worked to repair city relations with neighboring towns, which had frayed in recent years. Elevating the city's leadership in regional issues, Dennis held positions of Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary of the Southeastern Council of Governments throughout his tenure. Mayor Popp will be remembered most of all by his constituents for his tireless efforts to improve the quality of life for the city he loves. Dennis kept taxes level for 12 years and decreased the mill rate while improving city services. Mayor Popp led Groton Utilities' expansion into telecommunications, television, and internet service while strengthening the local community with responsive, neighborhood customer service. Dennis went on to win reelection five times, running unopposed on several occasions as a testament to his support from residents across the city and from both political parties. His record of leadership for his city will be remembered years after he leaves office and includes expanding regional water sales and revenue for the city; resuscitating the summer recreation program at West Side; leading an expansion of the Pequot Health Center; improving public safety through increased firefighter positions; acquiring additional watershed land to protect the water supply; installing barriers on 1-95 over the reservoir to protect water quality; and supporting the installation of three flagpoles at Fort Griswold Battlefield Park. Dennis has advocated tirelessly for the needs of Groton, and I have valued his counsel as I prioritized the city's requests in my work in Congress. I have been proud to collaborate with Mayor Popp in delivering Federal support for fire department equipment, Justice Department support for police hiring and crime prevention, and new, critical investments to strengthen the position of the subase for the future. Even outside of his elected office, Dennis has served as a pillar in the Groton community. Dennis will continue to be active with the local Eagle Scout program, at the Bill Library, in helping U.S. Subvets Groton Base, and in his local church. Groton will not be the same after Mayor Popp's exit, but the city can look fondly back on the leadership of its favorite ``Popp Daddy.'' I know that his wife Karen will welcome this retirement as an opportunity to spend more time together and open up a new chapter in their lives. I also know that our friendship will endure even after Dennis leaves office. I ask my colleagues to join me in saluting a true man of Groton and for Groton--Dennis Popp.

Mr. COURTNEY

Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Kalervo ``Kavi'' Ruuskanen of Canterbury, Connecticut in recognition of his 50 years of dedicated service with the Canterbury Volunteer Fire Department. In 1960, a young Kalervo Ruuskanen helped friends and neighbors extinguish a brush fire. He impressed the local emergency officials so much that they asked him to join the department. Now 50 years later, Mr. Ruuskanen is the first non-charter member of the Canterbury Volunteer Fire Department to have reached the 50-year milestone. This accomplishment is a testament both to his skill as a first responder and his commitment to serving his fellow man. Not only has he been with the Canterbury Volunteer Fire Department for 50 years, he has also worked as an emergency medical technician, and currently serves as a Constable of Canterbury and volunteers as a fire policeman. In small towns across eastern Connecticut where we rely on volunteers to protect our homes, our businesses and our way of life, men and women like Kalervo Ruuskanen provide a vital service by ensuring our safety. As the duly elected Representative of the Second Congressional District of Connecticut, I ask that my colleagues in the House of Representatives join me in extending hearty congratulations and warm thanks to Mr. Ruuskanen for his dedication and selfless service to the people of Canterbury, Connecticut.

Mr. COURTNEY

Mr. COURTNEY. Mr Speaker, I rise today to mourn the passing and honor the life of Deacon Maurice Joseph Walsh of Niantic, Connecticut. Deacon Walsh passed away on April 21, 2011 surrounded by his family at his home. Maurice, or Moe as he was known to friends, lived a life replete with service to his country, church, and community. Ordained in the first Permanent Diaconate class in New England by Archbishop John F. Whealon, he served several parishes including the St. Agnes Parish in Niantic. He was a member of the 745th AAA Gun Battalion of West Hartford's U.S. Army Reserves, where he achieved the rank of Sergeant. A student of banking at The University of Chicago and Williams College, Maurice worked at the Connecticut Bank and Trust Company for 35 years and eventually went on to start a family businesses with his sons--Maurice J. Walsh and Sons Real Estate Appraisals. Successful and industrious in his profession, he always found time to give back to a variety of causes. He was an active member of the Tinker Turner American Legion Post 128, Catholic Inter-Racial Council, and was a 4th Degree Knight of Columbus. When he finally retired from the family business, Maurice saw it as an opportunity to give more. He took on a larger role as a Permanent Deacon and continued his tradition of broad, community-oriented service. He was well known for regular trips to Niantic's Bridebrook Rehabilitation Center where he and a group of volunteers he assembled would spend time with and provide spiritual guidance to its residents. People like Deacon Walsh lived in the service of others. From a relatively young age, he went to great lengths to provide comfort and guidance to people in need of personal, civic, and spiritual help and continued this service through the age of 80. His impact in eastern Connecticut is unquantifiable. My thoughts and prayers go out to the Walsh family. He leaves behind his three sons Damien, Jeffrey, and Daniel as well as his loving wife Claire. Maurice will be dearly missed by his family, friends, and the countless people he served throughout his life.

Mr. COURTNEY

Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Joe Waz for his 17 years of service to Comcast Corporation, where he worked as Senior Vice President of External Affairs, and to the Comcast Foundation, where he served as Public Policy Counsel and President. Mr. Waz has announced his retirement from Comcast Corporation, and although he will be greatly missed, his hard work and contributions have made a positive impact on the industry and ensure he will not be forgotten. In May 2002, Mr. Waz received the Vanguard Award, the highest honor presented by the cable industry, for his service in government and community relations. Not only is Mr. Waz recognized nationally for his expertise in telecommunications public policy, he is also a leader in community investment and service. Under Mr. Waz's leadership, Comcast Corporation has made 219 investments to 120 different groups in Connecticut since 2006. More than $2.9 million has been given in grants to groups ranging from the University of Hartford, the Connecticut Police Chiefs' Association, and the American School for the Deaf. In further commitment to the public interest, Joe also serves as a chairman of the Settlement Music School, the oldest community school of the arts in the U.S., and has previously served on the boards of the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, and the Federal Communications Bar Association Foundation. On a personal note, I have known Joe since we attended the University of Connecticut School of Law together. I got to know him as a hard working, serious student of the law, who upheld the highest traditions of diligent, ethical practice. It comes as no surprise to me that after leaving Comcast Corporation, Mr. Waz will work as a Senior Fellow at the Silicon Flatirons Center for Law, Technology, and Entrepreneurship at the University of Colorado, and serve as the first chairman of the Broadband Internet Technology Advisory Group. I congratulate Mr. Waz on his successful 17 year career with Comcast Corporation, salute him for his commitment to community service, and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.

Mr. COURTNEY

Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Chairman, I rise again in opposition to this bill. I do so with somewhat of a personal angle on this. My wife, Audrey, is a pediatric nurse practitioner. At one time she worked in a school- based health center. She doesn't today, presently. But I certainly, through her, have gotten a chance to be exposed to the benefit of school-based health centers. There is no more efficient delivery system. It makes sure that kids get good, high-quality care at school, gets them back on their feet, back in class where they belong, rather than going to emergency rooms and spending hours waiting for care or being sent home many times in an unsupervised situation out of class. Again, the beauty of a school- based health clinic is that it obviously is in a setting where children are located. Again, the turnaround in terms of making sure that they're back doing what's good for them and good for their future is just smart investment. I would also just give a small example in my district. I represent southeastern Connecticut. We're the proud location of the Groton sub base, the oldest sub base in America, 8,000 sailors, a lot of families with kids who are located at the base. And at Fitch High School in Groton, there's a school-based health center, which is the primary caregiver for many military families' children. Again, these are kids who move around the country. Oftentimes their care is disrupted from one place to the other. Having a school-based center ensures that these kids are going to have access to health care, that they're going to have their checkups to make sure that they can enter school, that they can enter school athletic programs. Again, in many instances for these military families, it is the primary health caregiver. Two hundred twenty-seven families--I checked this morning with the center in Groton--get their care through the center. This program is going to be used to ensure that Fitch High School's footprint in terms of the school building will be expanded. It will be an investment in information technology.

Mr. COURTNEY. They will invest in information technology to, again, make sure that this terrific, efficient, cost-effective, high-quality program is, in fact, going to be there for, again, families who were serving in Libya, in the Mediterranean. Their parents were part of the USS Providence, the Florida, the Scranton, which were part of the initial attack in Libya. Again, this is a program which works not only for those kids, for the community, but also for our Nation; and I would, again, respectfully rise in opposition to this measure which, again, I think really heads us in the wrong direction in terms of high-quality care for America's kids.

Mr. COURTNEY

Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mourn the passing of Abraham Breehey, Director of Legislative Affairs and Special Assistant to the International President of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers. A loving father, husband, and friend, Abe passed away, at just 35, on Thursday, April 14, 2011, at INOVA Fairfax Hospital in Virginia from brain tumor complications. Abe was born in 1976 in Binghamton, New York to Ray and Carol Breehey. He received his Bachelor's Degree from Sienna College in Loudonville, NY, his Master's Degree in Public Policy from the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at the University of Albany, and graduated from the Trade Union Program at Harvard Law School. Prior to joining the Boilermakers in 2004, Abe served as Legislative Assistant for Representative Lloyd Doggett (TX-25). Throughout his life, Abe championed fundamental labor rights. He represented the Boilermakers on issues regarding the effects of energy policy and climate change on workers. Abe also testified in front of multiple U.S. Senate Committees and represented the Boilermakers in international negotiations regarding the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. In addition, Abe advised the AFL-CIO Building and Construction Trades Department as Chairman of the Department's Legislative Task Force. Abe was a leading voice in the labor movement and was widely respected by his friends and colleagues. He was known for his passion, his warm personality, and his negotiating skill to merge both ideological and political goals into a practical solution. Abe is survived by his wife, Sonya, his beloved daughter, Abigail, his father, Ray, his mother, Carol, and his sister, Rachel. My thoughts and prayers go out to the Breehey family. Abe was a good man who will be dearly missed by his family, friends, and the labor movement which he represented.

Mr. COURTNEY

Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the Center for Medicare Advocacy's 25th anniversary and recognize their staff that has worked tirelessly on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries in Connecticut and around the country. In 1986, the Center for Medicare Advocacy was founded in Mansfield, Connecticut by Judy Stein who has been a fierce advocate and leader for quality health care for Medicare beneficiaries. Over the past 25 years, Judy has transformed the Center into an unparalleled, national education and advocacy organization that supports Medicare beneficiaries. Today, the Center serves as an invaluable resource for our constituents and provides us with much needed, quality information on Medicare policies. With a team of attorneys, nurses, legal assistants, and information management specialists, the Center for Medicare Advocacy works to provide assistance to seniors by simplifying Medicare policies and challenging the Medicare system to provide affordable quality health care with due process and rights of appeal. The Center offers consultations, training, and education to individuals and organizations in order to promote an affordable and fair Medicare system. My colleagues and I owe Judy and the Center much gratitude for their vigilance of Medicare and the millions of beneficiaries it serves. It is my distinct pleasure to recognize their fine work and celebrate 25 years of service and many more to come.

Mr. COURTNEY

Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate Laura Elizabeth Hahn from Colchester, Connecticut on her selection into the Army Reserve Teen Panel. The honorable members of the Army Reserve make enormous sacrifices to guarantee the security of our great nation. In addition, their family members bravely make sacrifices every day in order to allow the soldiers to continue serving the nation. We recognize that this environment is often the hardest on children, who have to deal with unique pressures at a young age. This is why the Army Reserve Teen Panel, a select group of 30 high school students who represent and advocate for Army Reserve youth globally, exists and this is why Laura's selection should be honored. Laura is currently a sophomore at Bacon Academy in Colchester, where she is an honors student. At Bacon Academy, Laura is also a varsity cross-country runner, a member of the Junior Engineering Technology Society, and a participant in the Science, Technology, Engineering, Math Club. Prior to her selection as a member of the Army Reserve Teen Panel, Laura has had experience serving as an ambassador; first with People to People in England and France, and more recently with the Trinity Lutheran Church as a youth delegate to the ELCA youth gathering in New Orleans. These experiences have well prepared Laura to fulfill all of her responsibilities as a member of the Army Reserve Teen Panel. As a member of the Army Reserve Teen Panel, Laura will attend national panel conferences and serve as a junior mentor during Army Reserve Youth, Leadership, Education, and Development summits. Laura will also be expected to volunteer in her community, write articles for the Army Reserve Teen Panel's quarterly newspaper, and prepare presentations to inform Army Reserve Leadership about the issues of Army Reserve youth. I am confident that Laura will excel in her position as a member of the Army Reserve Teen Panel. I would like to offer my continued support of the Army Reserve Teen Panel and the bright young men and women like Laura who represent our Army Reserve youth. I would like to express my gratitude, once again, to the Army Reserve members who fight for America. Once again congratulations to Laura Hahn and thank you to the military personnel and their families who sacrifice so much for our Nation.

Mr. COURTNEY

Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Tommy Marsh as a winner of the second annual Lessons of the African-American Experience Creative Writing Contest. Tommy is currently in the fifth grade at North Stonington Elementary School, which is located in North Stonington, Connecticut. In celebration of Black History Month, I sponsored a creative writing contest for all third through eighth grade students within the Second District. As we know, Black History Month is a time to reflect on the struggles and triumphs of our nation's past. The lessons learned during this month continue to serve as the stepping stones of our nation's future. Tommy's essay eloquently embraces this belief. Tommy's essay shows a remarkable enthusiasm for learning that is inspiring to all. He creatively discusses Rosa Parks and Wael Ghonim, describing how one defiant act has the power to affect an entire nation. For this, his essay was among the winners selected.

Mr. COURTNEY

Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, today I am reintroducing legislation to improve a component of our Medicare program that has left many without coverage of needed services and guaranteed benefits. My legislation, the Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act, will allow time spent on hospital observation status to count towards a three-day qualifying hospital stay requirement for skilled nursing care services. Under current regulations established by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), only those that have received an inpatient designation and have a hospital stay of at least three days, qualify for Medicare coverage of skilled nursing care. Those on observation status, which is often indistinguishable from inpatient care, are excluded from this coverage because of an outdated and unfair CMS policy. Our systems of care have changed, and so should our Medicare policies. This point has been reiterated in cases heard by administrative law judges involving Medicare coverage of skilled care and observation status designations. Many of these cases have supported the notion that Medicare should cover skilled nursing care, regardless if the patient's qualifying hospital stay is as an inpatient or on observation status. While administrative law judges have often supported patients in these cases, the CMS policy creates a system with arbitrary winners and losers, based on access to legal appeals. My legislation will fix this broken system. The Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act will count time spent in hospital observation status towards the three-day hospital stay requirement for skilled nursing care. My bill will also establish a 90- day appeals period following passage for those that have been denied coverage after January 1, 2011 due to this CMS policy. The appeals process will allow those that have a qualifying hospital stay--either as an inpatient or on observation status--after January 1, 2011 to be eligible for skilled nursing care. While I believe that the legislative text clarifies that the appeals process is available to any Medicare beneficiary that has been denied coverage after January 1, 2011 due to this policy, there should be no doubt as to my congressional intent. It is my intent that any individual, regardless of whether an initial appeals process has expired, can appeal during the 90-day window following passage so long as their hospital stay and subsequent denial of skilled care occurred after January 1, 2011. I also want to thank the Center for Medicare Advocacy for bringing to light the impact of this broken policy. I look forward to working with the Center and the other organizations that have expressed their support of this legislation to bring resolution to this issue that has negatively impacted many of my constituents, and patients and families across the country, for far too long.

Mr. COURTNEY

Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Yazmin Spearman as a winner of the second annual Lessons of the African-American Experience Creative Writing Contest. Yazmin is currently in the eighth grade at the Interdistrict School for Arts and Communication, which is located in New London, Connecticut. In celebration of Black History Month, I sponsored a creative writing contest for all third through eighth grade students within the Second District. As we know, Black History Month is a time to reflect on the struggles and triumphs of our nation's past. The lessons learned during this month continue to serve as the stepping stones of our nation's future. Yazmin's essay ``African American Music History: The Reason I Remember Black History Month'' eloquently embraces this belief. Yazmin's essay shows a remarkable enthusiasm for learning that is inspiring to all. She identifies the principles of perseverance and discipline as embodied by Marion Anderson and Stevie Wonder. Yazmin creatively discusses how their successes and failures encourage her dreams of becoming a musician. For this, her essay was among the winners selected.

Mr. COURTNEY

Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, in 1965, when Medicare was passed, only 50 percent of America's seniors could afford to buy health insurance. That was not an accident. It was because the high risk of people over age 65 made that market basically uninsurable. I'm from Connecticut. We know a little bit about insurance in the State of Connecticut. Looking at the Ryan Republican Medicare plan which would give seniors vouchers to go out and buy insurance, all we're asking for is to repeat history, which is where this country was in 1965. We must protect a guaranteed benefit for seniors. We learned that lesson throughout the early 1900s through 1965. The Ryan plan takes us back to a time when seniors will be paying massive out-of-pocket costs. The CBO estimates it will triple out-of-pocket costs for seniors. It is the wrong way to go. President Obama's plan that he laid out yesterday, which is a thoughtful, intelligent approach to lower health care costs but protects a guaranteed benefit for seniors, is what this country needs and what our senior citizens need.

Mr. COURTNEY

Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, among the many programs which others have talked about that would be blown up with this measure is the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program, which is one of the most successful aspects of the health care law. Over 5,000 employers all across America, over half of the Fortune 500 companies--like Coca-Cola, General Electric, UTC, General Dynamics--have all signed up with this program, which, using the same principles as flood insurance, is buttressing and strengthening early retiree benefits which have been collapsing over the last 20 years. These are the companies that are going to go out and hire people, particularly young people, because early retirement allows their workforce to have a natural change so that young people can find jobs. The economy created 200,000 last month. It is because of programs, like the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program, which the health care law created. We should not end that program by passing this resolution. These employers have signed up in good faith, and that good faith deserves our commitment to follow through on the program that this country offered them. That's a strategy. That's a winning strategy to create jobs for this country.

Mr. COURTNEY

Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, yesterday the investment firm Goldman Sachs came out with an amazing statement, which is that $27 per barrel of oil today is the result of excessive speculation; it has no connection to supply and demand. What that means is a motorist in the State of Connecticut who is now paying $4 a gallon for gas should be paying only $3 a gallon; but all the speculation which oil delivery guys and gas station owners have been screaming about for the last 3 months is the factor that is driving up the price of gas. Last year, the commodities trading commission in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform bill was given the authority to limit the amount of outside speculator participation in energy futures trading markets. They have not implemented those rules. It is time for them to act. It is time for the CFTC to issue these new rules and to protect America's consumers and small businesses. U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Washington, DC, March 25, 2011. Hon. Joe Courtney, House Office Building, Washington, DC. Dear Congressman Courtney: Thank you for writing to the CFTC regarding speculation. The agency considers most letters from Capitol Hill as ``comment'' letters on regulations being promulgated. I, however, wanted to take a moment to respond to your letter. On Wednesday, oil prices reached nearly $106 per barrel--up 29 percent this year. Not since 2008, when many of us raised concerns about excessive speculation, have prices been so high. This comes at a time when a fairly high supply of oil and stable demand exists. Obviously there are myriad factors impacting prices: the Middle East, Japan and crude transportation issues, to name a few. At the same time, however, we have speculators coming into energy markets at blistering pace. In fact, the latest data indicates that in the energy sector, speculative positions are at an all-time high--up 64 percent from June of 2008 when crude oil prices touched $147.27 per barrel. I'm not suggesting that speculation is bad. In fact we need speculation and there is ample evidence (in addition to common sense) that speculation can decrease volatility. On the other hand, speculation can become excessive. In these instances, as we may be seeing now and as I believe we saw in 2008 and even for some period in 2009, that excessive speculation can impact prices. I'm not suggesting that speculators are driving prices or that they are the cruise control on prices. I do think, however, that they tap the gas pedal at times. I didn't come to this conclusion lightly and continue to cite many studies, paper and quotes that make this same connection between speculation and prices (not just in the energy complex, but also in agricultural commodities and metals). As you know, Congress enhanced the CFTC's ability to address excessive speculation as part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Specifically, the Act mandates that the agency implement speculative position limits in the energy sector within 180 days. Obviously, that deadline has long since passed, which is unfortunate to say the least. I had urged the agency to implement limits on time. We heard three primary arguments against implementation within the required implementation time period, that is, by mid-January, 2011. First, some have suggested that when the statute says the Commission shall implement ``appropriate'' speculative position limits, that the word ``appropriate'' could mean that no limits whatsoever could be ``appropriate.'' As many Members have said, this provision of the statute should not be interpreted with such elasticity as to mean no limits whatsoever. The reason Congress gave us the expedited implementation date was precisely because Congress wanted the agency to implement speculative position limits. The second argument against implementing limits on time was that if we were to do so, there would be market migration. In essence, the suggestion is that if the CFTC set very restrictive position limits, traders would simply trade in other venues. First, there is the suggestion that the trading will migrate to currently unregulated over-the-counter (OTC) markets. These markets will, however, within months not years, be regulated by the agency. The other suggestion is that the trading will migrate to foreign boards of trades. Both of these suggestions are based on the dubious premise that limits the agency establishes would be overly restrictive. There is nothing that requires us to set a certain position limit level, and, in fact, I have always said that we should err on the high side at first--precisely to avoid any negative consequences--and re-calibrate as we move forward and know more about the markets. The third argument against implementing limits on time was that the agency doesn't have the data to set reasonable, or appropriate, position limits. This is the only argument of the three that has limited merit. We do not yet have, and will not have for a few more months (September at the earliest) some of the OTC trading data that would facilitate setting position limits. Those who don't support position implementation now use that argument to say no limits should be in place whatsoever. Congress required that we have several limits: spot month, all month and aggregate month limits for currently regulated exchanges. The law also requires that we have those same three limits for OTC trading (spot, all month and aggregate limits). Those who oppose limits now don't agree that we could have already imposed spot month limits on all contracts (including OTC trades) using the available physical supply of the commodity. We could have done those in January, we can do them now. Similarly, we could have, should have and can now implement limits for all months and aggregate limits for currently- regulated exchanges. Finally, if there was a desire, I believe we could have developed an appropriate formula to impose limits on OTC trading for the very largest traders who also use the currently-regulated exchanges. This limit would have also had to err on the high side. On summary, the agency could have implemented a speculative position limits regime in January. We can still do them now. I will continue to urge that we do so. Thank you again for your letter. If I can ever be of assistance on this, or any other matter, please don't hesitate to contact me. Sincerely, Bart Chilton, Commissioner.

Mr. COURTNEY

Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, it is with profound sadness that I rise today to honor Staff Sergeant Frank E. Adamski III of Moosup, Connecticut. Staff Sergeant Adamski was killed on March 29, 2011, by small arms fire during combat operations in Kunar Province, Afghanistan. More than a hundred people gathered in Plainfield today to honor him and his service to our nation. Frank graduated from Plainfield High School in 2002 where he was a well-known and well-liked student athlete who played on the Panthers football team. Following graduation, Frank enlisted in the Army and served a combat tour in Iraq from January 2006 to February 2007. Most recently, he deployed to Afghanistan as a member of the 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell in Kentucky. Friends describe Frank as a bright young man who loved his country and was passionate about serving in the military. Moreover, he was a great family man as husband to Danielle Lee Adamski, also of Plainfield, and a father to Victoria, his one-year-old daughter. Sadly, he would have celebrated his 27th birthday last week as well as his 4th wedding anniversary. These milestones, as well as the countless memories, make his passing all the more difficult for the family, friends and community who mourn his passing. Sergeant Frank Adamski served his country bravely, and his dedication and patriotism serve as an inspiration to us all. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife and family in this difficult time. I ask my colleagues to join me and so many across eastern Connecticut in honoring the service and sacrifice of this young man.

Mr. COURTNEY

Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Coach Jim Calhoun and the UConn men's basketball team for their win last night. That is the third national championship under Coach Calhoun, who hails from the Second Congressional District of eastern Connecticut. This was a remarkable year. When the season started, they weren't even on the top 68 by Sports Illustrated. But under the leadership of Kemba Walker, three freshmen and a sophomore, they defied the odds, won 11 consecutive single-elimination games over the last 20-some-odd days, and prevailed last night against a great Butler Bulldog team led by a great young coach, Coach Stevens. Again, congratulations to Coach Calhoun, who is a great leader in the State of Connecticut and a great leader for student athletes. Go Huskies.