Rosa DeLauro

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. I rise in opposition to the previous question. Defeating the previous question will allow the gentleman from Florida to amend the rule to include consideration of the Paycheck Fairness Act, an act that addresses the financial pressures facing women today and the need to close the gender wage gap. Almost 50 years after Congress passed the Equal Pay Act to end the ``serious and endemic'' problem of unequal wages, women--now one-half of the workforce--are still making only 77 cents on the dollar as compared to men. This holds true across occupations and education levels. Some have called unequal pay a ``myth'' or a ``distraction.'' It is neither. Women should be paid the same as men for the same work. That is what paycheck fairness is all about--same job, same pay. Yesterday, the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee heard from two women affected by pay discrimination--Ann Marie Duchon and Terri Kelly. Both women were eloquent in sharing their stories of fighting for 7 years to see that their pay and equity was remedied. And like the nearly-two thirds of women today who are either a breadwinner or co-breadwinner, both women said that their families depend and rely on their income. Pay discrimination not only affects them, but their children and their husbands. Pay inequity is at the root of the financial pressures facing women today. It is critical that we pass the Paycheck Fairness Act. Take steps to stop discrimination in the first place by putting an end to pay secrecy, strengthen workers' abilities to challenge discrimination, and bring the equal pay law into line with other civil rights law. The House has passed the bill twice on a bipartisan basis. Let's do it again. I urge my colleagues to defeat the previous question.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, while I have serious reservations, I rise in support of the Food and Drug Administration Reform Act of 2012 that we are considering under suspension of the rules today. As we all know, this bill is critical to patients, consumers, and industry across the country. It will ensure that Americans continue to have access to safe, affordable, and effective medications and medical devices. And there are several positive things in this legislation. For example, it will help to prevent drug shortages by requiring that companies notify the FDA if certain drugs are expected to experience manufacturing interruptions or discontinuances. Between 2005 and 2010, the number of reported drug shortages nearly tripled--so we must act, and the provisions in this bill are a step forward in addressing this issue. The bill also permanently reauthorizes pediatric drug programs, including those originally created because of the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children's Act. It requires the electronic submission of new drug applications and issuance of regulations supporting a unique device identification system. It authorizes new efforts to prevent prescription drug abuse. Unlike the Senate bill passed last week, this bill includes a clause that may result in the destruction of drugs valuing less than $2,000 entering this country before notifying the individual receiving the package--simply put, some Americans may order medications that never arrive, placing their health at risk as they wait for their affordable medication. We should move to the Senate position on this issue. Unfortunately, this bill also represents a missed opportunity. We should be going much further to ensure that medications and medical devices are safe and effective, and to improve consumer and patient protections. For example, the bill does not strengthen the premarket review of medical devices, improve the agency's ability to appropriately reclassify medical devices, or even authorize an independent review of the drug approval process. It authorizes changes to the agency's conflict of interest policy for Advisory Committees, but does not strengthen them. And it does not reform the medical device clearance process. The bill we consider today should not be an end point. American consumers need access to products that are safe and effective, and numerous independent organizations have found the current system lacking. Just last year, the Institute of Medicine found that the 510(k) clearance process is not ``a reliable premarket screen of the safety and effectiveness'' of some devices. In sum, we should pass this bill, but we must also do more to strengthen the pre-market and post- market oversight of drugs and devices.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. I rise in support of this amendment. It includes my amendment, prohibiting the Defense Department from purchasing helicopters, directly or indirectly, for the Afghan security forces from any entity controlled, directed, or influenced by Russia, any other state that provides weapons to Syria, or other state sponsors of terrorism. It also requires that any such future contract be competitively bid. The U.N. estimates more than 9,000 people in Syria have been killed by the Assad regime since violence began there. And the Russian state arms dealer Rosoboronexport continues to provide that regime with the means to perpetrate widespread and systematic attacks on its civilians, including signing a deal with Damascus in January to supply Syria with 36 combat jets. Incredibly, the Defense Department is purchasing 21 Mi-17 helicopters for the Afghan security forces through a no-bid contract with that Russian company, even though it supplies arms to Syria and it was, for years, on the U.S. sanctions list for providing illegal nuclear assistance to Iran. If U.S. taxpayer dollars are going to be spent providing helicopters to the Afghans, those dollars should be spent on American systems that create jobs here at home.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. When one out of four women will experience domestic violence in their lifetimes, it is unconscionable that the majority would try to roll back the protections in the Violence Against Women Act. Since the act first passed in 1994, it has changed the landscape for American women. Domestic violence has dropped by over 50 percent. And in a historical bipartisan fashion, the Senate passed a bill that modernizes the act for our times. It consolidates programs, takes additional steps to reach victims of domestic violence. Madam Speaker, 200 national organizations, 500 State and local organizations, including the National District Attorneys Association, the National Sheriffs' Association--my colleague who just spoke is a former sheriff, but his association is supporting the Senate bill and not this House bill--and the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association all support the Senate bill. And our colleague from Wisconsin, Congresswoman Moore, has put forward legislation that mirrors that bipartisan approach. But instead of moving that bipartisan bill forward, the majority has put forward an alternative bill that, in fact, risks the lives and the health of women. The Department of Justice estimates that one out of every three Native American women will be raped and two out of five will be victims of domestic violence. The majority's bill removes the provisions that are essential to ensuring that Indian women have access to the act. The Senate bill and Congresswoman Moore's bill strengthen protections in the act for immigrant women; yet the majority's bill would endanger the safety of immigrants. In 2010, nearly half of lesbian and gay survivors were turned away from domestic violence shelters or denied services because of their sexual orientation. The majority's bill would continue to deny those individuals the community protections afforded by the act. We are talking about women's lives. This is no place for partisan games. The rule before us would roll back the central protections that have made a difference for so many women in this Nation. I urge the majority to bring Congresswoman Moore's bill to the floor. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this rule.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 150th anniversary of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Last year, agricultural producers had record net farm income and trade surplus. One in twelve jobs is linked to agriculture and forestry and American consumers spend less than 10 percent of their disposable income on food. USDA programs affect each of us--from nutrition programs to food safety, conservation to plant and animal health, and rural development to research and extension. The department manages anti-hunger and nutrition programs that help ensure millions of Americans have enough food. Food banks across the country count on the Emergency Feeding Assistance Program to keep their pantries stocked. USDA's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is helping more than 46 million Americans. More than 30 million American school children rely on the National School Lunch Program for a nutritious lunch. But there is clearly more to do. With almost 13 million unemployed in this economy, and one in six Americans living below the official poverty line, we know that millions of middle-class and working families are hurting. Across the country, nearly fifteen percent of American households were food insecure in 2010. In other words, nearly 50 million Americans, including over 16 million children, struggled with hunger. In my district in Connecticut, nearly one in seven households were not sure if they could afford enough food to feed their families. Earlier this month, the Meals on Wheels Association released its first report card on senior hunger: with 1 in 7 seniors facing the threat of hunger, the country received an F. At a time such as this, our key federal food security policies become all the more vital. They make a difference for the health and well being of millions of families. In the words of Harry Truman, ``Nothing is more important in our national life than the welfare of our children, and proper nourishment comes first in attaining this welfare.'' As we look to the future, it is important that the United States maintains its leadership in agriculture. And we must also strive to ensure that everyone has access to the food they need to thrive.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the United States Leadership to Eradicate Obstetric Fistula Act of 2012, which will help to eradicate a consequence of prolonged labor for pregnant women in low-resource areas. Obstetric fistula is an avoidable and tragic medical condition which is a result of insufficient medical interventions that often results in the death of the child and devastating physical and social ramifications for the mother. An estimated 2 million women are currently suffering from an obstetric fistula, and women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa are disproportionately affected. A simple surgical procedure or extended medical care is often needed to treat and cure women suffering from an obstetric fistula. It is therefore critical that the infrastructure in sub-Saharan Africa be further developed to better care for and treat women who have already developed an obstetric fistula and women who may develop a fistula in the future. It is also imperative if we are to prevent women and girls from developing a fistula. And it is important that obstetric fistula care and treatment not be overlooked within the general global health and development initiatives already under way. This bill would authorize the development of a comprehensive strategy to not only prevent fistula, but successfully treat the women that are already suffering from this condition. It encourages the expansion of private-sector and multi-sector efforts in addition to public-private partnerships rather than relying strictly on public-sector efforts. It would also establish the International Obstetric Fistula Institute for Sub-Saharan Africa to implement parts of the comprehensive strategy. This legislation focuses its efforts on sub-Saharan Africa to ensure a meaningful and successful strategy to eliminate this condition. Local factors that are part of the reason obstetric fistulas may develop vary dramatically in regions where women are afflicted. By focusing on a single region that is already rich in diversity, we believe that the strategy and campaign will be successful and sustainable. This legislation has the potential to transform the empowerment of women in the region by eradicating fistula and, as a result, improving the social, educational, and economic conditions of fistula victims and their communities. Accordingly, addressing this issue is not only a moral imperative for the United States, but it is also in our best strategic interest. I urge my colleagues to support our efforts, and this legislation.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to rise today to join the many who have gathered in celebration of Temple Emanuel's 50th Anniversary. This milestone is a very special occasion, not only for the administration and members, but for the community as well. Founded in 1962, Temple Emanuel was the vision of a group of families seeking a better quality of Jewish education for their children and an experience different from what they had found in more typical Reform congregations. Chartered by the Union of American Congregations in 1966, Temple Emanuel, under the direction of Rabbi Mark Winer, found its home on what was originally a working farm. While awaiting the construction of its sanctuary, congregants first used the barn for services and the property's home was used for the offices and as a school building. Working with members knowledgeable in architecture, design, and finance, their Temple Emanuel's current sanctuary was completed in 1991. Rabbi Winer had introduced the concept of ``services in the round,'' so the new sanctuary was built with movable seating to fit any occasion. Services were participatory, with animated discussion and a self published Siddur, the traditional Jewish prayer book. Rabbi Brieger, Temple Emanuel's second rabbi, continued this style of worship. A former song leader with the North American Federation of Temple Youth and codirector of the International Torah Corps, Rabbi Brieger had strong roots in the Reform movement and excellent musical skills. Under his direction, and through song and communal prayer, Temple Emanuel's congregation developed its unique style and strengthened their connection to Judaism. Temple Emanuel is currently led by Rabbi Michael Farbman who came to the congregation following Rabbi Brieger's retirement in 2009. With his dynamic guitar playing services and the creation of the Temple Emanuel Band, whose members range from middle school to retirement age, Rabbi Farbman continues the strong musical influence of his predecessors while bringing a new joy and energy to the congregation's worship. In addition to their religious dedication, the congregants of Temple Emanuel are also deeply concerned with their community and their work on behalf of others extends far beyond the walls of their synagogue. Their members collect and donate food to local food pantries several times a year, they have been involved with Sister City projects, and have participated in Abraham's Tent--an effort to address homelessness in which congregations volunteer to provide meals and overnight shelter to twelve homeless men for the duration of their week, alleviating overcrowding in the shelters and demonstrating support for the homeless members of our communities--since its inception. Temple Emanuel's religious school students have regular Tzedakah projects which include making gift baskets for children residing in domestic violence shelters, collecting books and school supplies for area children's programs, and raising money for animal shelters. Through all of these efforts and more, the members of Temple Emanuel have touched the lives of thousands of people in need--setting a example of service to which we should all strive. Our houses of worship play a vital role in our communities--providing people with a place to turn to for comfort when they are most in need. In its first fifty years, there have been many who have worshiped within its halls and many who have found peace and strength in the outstretched arms of Temple Emanuel. It is with my deepest thanks and appreciation for all of their good work that I stand today to pay tribute to Temple Emanuel as they celebrate their 50th Anniversary. Their contributions have left an indelible mark on our community and a legacy that will live on for generations to come.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize May as National Cancer Research Month. This month we recognize the critical importance of cancer research and the contributions of researchers, clinicians, and patients across the country. Before I was a Congresswoman, I was a survivor of ovarian cancer. I was lucky--my cancer was found by chance in its earliest stage, and I have now been cancer-free for 25 years now. So I arrived in this body knowing firsthand the crucial importance of medical research. I am glad to say that our progress in fighting cancer since the National Cancer Act of 1971 has been nothing short of amazing. Nearly 12 million Americans are cancer survivors. There is a vaccine to help prevent cervical cancer. The overall five-year survival rate has increased from 52 percent in 1975 to 80 percent today. And biomedical research is growing our economy. The National Institutes of Health support over 300,000 researchers at more than 3,000 universities, institutions, and businesses across the country. Every single dollar of National Institutes of Health funding is estimated to result in an additional two dollars of business activity and economic impact. Keeping it simple, this means that research supports jobs, and has a nearly two-fold return on our federal investment. But, there is more to be done. Some cancers, including ovarian cancer, still have an extraordinarily high mortality rate and are typically caught far too late in the disease. This year, more than 1.6 million Americans are expected to be diagnosed with cancer. More than 570,000 Americans will pass away this year because of cancer; meaning more than 1,500 Americans each day, or one person a minute, will die because of this disease. This is why our continued investments in cancer research are so important. Medical research creates investment opportunities for private industry. It strengthens our university medical system. It creates jobs, makes America more competitive, and drastically improves the quality of life for so many Americans. And it has the potential to save lives. And it is why this month we join to thank scientists and clinicians for their work on cancer research. And we thank the patients who support that research by participating in clinical trials.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Will the gentleman yield?

Ms. DeLAURO. I thank the gentleman for yielding. The fact of the matter is that there are choices, and the majority refuses to make those choices. Let's not provide the tax cuts for people who are making over $250,000 in this Nation. Let us pull back from Afghanistan in an orderly way and save the money. Let us cut the subsidies for those who are sending the jobs overseas.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this bill, which chooses to slash programs that help struggling families get back on their feet without closing a single tax loophole or eliminating a single special interest subsidy. Our budget should reflect our values and, as many in the faith community have argued, it should advance the moral responsibilities of the Nation to provide for the common good. I note that the Catholic Bishops just sent a letter concluding that ``the proposed cuts to programs in the Republican budget reconciliation fail this basic moral test.'' I'm pleased that the bishops are speaking out, as they should. Forty percent of the total cuts here come from cutting assistance to low- and moderate-income families, including food stamps, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program, and social services for vulnerable children and elderly and disabled people. But instead of eliminating big agricultural subsidies where people don't have to plant a seed and they get paid, this budget would cause more than 200,000 children to lose their school lunch and would cut the food stamp program by $36 billion. That means 46 million Americans, one-half of whom are children, would see their benefits cut, and 2 million Americans would lose them entirely. This, at a time when one in seven seniors faces the threat of hunger and one in five children right here in America--a land of plenty--face a similar risk. They are going to bed hungry in the United States of America. We know the impact of hunger and malnutrition: lower performances at school, poor growth, and an immune system less able to fend off illness. Instead of ending subsidies to big oil companies, this budget eliminates the Social Services Block Grant, which provides childcare assistance to low-income working mothers, addresses child abuse, and provides care for the elderly and disabled. About 23 million people, half of them children, would lose services. Instead of ending tax breaks that allow corporations to ship jobs overseas, this budget cuts Medicaid, slashes the Children's Health Insurance Program, and forces 350,000 Americans to forego health care coverage provided by the health care reform. Instead of asking millionaires to pay the same tax rates as middle class families, this budget makes children who are U.S. citizens but have immigrant parents ineligible for the child tax credit, harming 2 million families and 4.5 million children who are United States citizens. They end the Medicare guarantee for seniors in this Nation. These cuts have a catastrophic effect on the most vulnerable in our Nation, and for what? All to protect special interest subsidies and tax breaks for the richest members of our society. My friends, it's $150,000 for the average millionaire in a tax cut. That's what we're talking about in this piece of legislation. It is wrong. Budgets are about choices, about values. And this bill exposes exactly what this majority is all about. We need to pass legislation that strengthens and rebuilds the middle class of this country, creates jobs, invests in rebuilding our infrastructure, supports manufacturers, and restores fairness to our Tax Code. This reverse Robin Hood agenda of the House majority fails in every single regard, and I urge my colleagues to oppose it.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, it is with my heartfelt thanks and appreciation that I rise today to join the many family, friends, and colleagues who have gathered to pay tribute to the invaluable contributions of my good friend, Dr. Aileen Riotto Sirey. After founding and leading the National Organization of Italian American Women for more than 30 years, Aileen has decided to step down from the helm. She has led NOIAW with pride, integrity, honor and, most importantly, passion--molding it into the outstanding organization it is today. Aileen has one of the most unique personal stories I have ever come across. After receiving both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Brooklyn College, she began teaching in Brooklyn. With the birth of her daughter, JoAnne, she left the workforce and spent the next five years as a full time mother. When she decided to go back to work, she joined Beth Israel Hospital as a community organizer and she was soon recruited by the Maternal Infant Care Project, a program within the New York City Health Department, to develop the first In-Hospital Family Planning Program. Under this program, community women were recruited, screened, and trained in peer counseling in birth control and were placed in 25 New York City Hospitals. Women talking to women about family planning--which at the time was still not commonplace--was an extraordinary effort. Aileen went on to for two consulting firms in health services and later earned her doctorate in psychology and started her own practice. For most this would seem like a lifetime's of work already completed--but not for Aileen. One of Aileen's greatest professional interests has been the effects of culture on values, attitudes, and behaviors. It was because of this interest that, more than 30 years ago, Aileen gathered a small group of Italian American women in her Upper West Side apartment. That meeting and their desire to assist other Italian American women and develop a nationwide network of women sharing a common ancestry sparked the formation of the National Organization of Italian American Women. Through their commitment to this effort, NOIAW members have developed a very successful scholarship and mentoring program and also offer a variety of educational and social programs. Today, NOIAW has a strong membership and is well-known as a resource for other Italian American women pursuing their own educational and professional aspirations. Throughout our nation's history, Italian Americans have played a pivotal role in the success and progress of America. The myriad of invaluable contributions that those of Italian ancestry have made to this nation are immeasurable. NOAIW celebrates these contributions and our rich ethnic history--it is Aileen's lasting legacy to our country and to all Italian-American families. I have had the distinct pleasure to work with Aileen on a variety of projects over the years. She is an extraordinary resource and her positive energy and enthusiasm is contagious. She instills an inspiration in others that does not quickly fade. I consider myself fortunate to call her my friend and would be remiss if I did not extend a special note of thanks to her for her many years of special friendship and support. More than anything else, Aileen greatest pride is in her family. I am proud to join her husband, Charles, her daughter and son-in-law, JoAnne and Sol, and her granddaughters, Emma and Maia, as well as all of those who have gathered this evening in extending my very best wishes to Aileen Riotto Sirey as she celebrates her retirement. She has set an extraordinary example of service and dedication--it is a bar to which we should all strive.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to rise today to join all of those gathered in congratulating the Community Health Center, Inc. on their 40th anniversary. This is a remarkable milestone for this outstanding organization and I am proud to recognize their invaluable contributions to our community. Health care is a right, not a privilege. It is a simple motto and the fundamental basis of the establishment of Community Health Center, Inc. Forty years ago, a group of students from Wesleyan University joined with community activists in Middletown--drawn together through a shared vision for affordable, accessible and responsive health care--to create a free clinic to meet the needs of the community. Fueled by idealism and a deep belief that patients should be the cornerstone of whatever was created, the Community Health Center, Inc. was born. Since its inception, CHC has a fixture in Middletown's downtown community. What began as a free clinic has grown to provide care for 130,000 Connecticut residents--ninety percent of whom live at or near poverty level. Though its main offices remain in Middletown, CHC has expanded to include more than two hundred locations throughout Connecticut. In addition to the provision of primary care, CHC has also become known for its work in two other areas: research innovation through their Weitzman Center as well as training the next generation of health professionals through their residency programs. Recognized as a national model of care, most recently CHC was named by both the Joint Commission and the National Committee for Quality Assurance as a Primary Care Medical Home--the first and only health care organization in Connecticut, and one of the first in the Nation, to receive such a designation. President and CEO Mark Masselli has been there from the beginning. As a founding member of CHC, Mark has devoted a lifetime of hard work and energies to turning the vision of CHC into a reality. His leadership has been integral to the success of CHC and I would be remiss if I did not extend a special note of congratulations and thanks to Mark for his extraordinary work. I have had the privilege of working closely with Mark and the team at CHC and have often found myself in awe of the quality and quantity of service that they provide every day. The staff and administration dedicate themselves to providing those most in need with a wide-range of patient-centered medical, dental and behavioral health services. In fact, as they celebrate their 40th Anniversary, they also mark the opening of the newest addition--the Dodd Primary Care Center, a revolutionary new space housing a 21st Century delivery system of primary health care. This innovative, and beautiful, new facility will ensure that CHC can continue to provide outstanding care to the thousands of residents they see every year. I could not be more proud to join the Middletown community in celebrating this very special anniversary with the Community Health Center. Their outstanding dedication and commitment to ensuring that everyone--regardless of circumstance--has access to affordable, quality health care serves as an example to us all. I am honored to extend my heartfelt congratulations and very best wishes to Mark Masselli and the entire CHC family on this very special occasion.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Chair, I move to strike the last word.

Ms. DeLAURO. I rise in support of the amendment being offered by my colleague from Georgia (Mr. Johnson). I rise in support of this amendment to restore funding for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to the President's budget request level. We all know that while we have had 26 straight months of private sector growth, we are still facing a very tough economy right now. The unemployment rate is still unacceptably high at over 8 percent, and more than 5 million Americans have been out of work for more than 6 months. But now the deck is stacked even further against them. Companies across the country have begun to require current employment to be considered for available positions, and these discriminatory practices are eliminating employment opportunities. Very simply stated, what has happened here is if you are unemployed, what you are being told is you need not apply for a job. It is really incredulous to think about, in this economy today, people looking for a job want to work, and they are being told that, since you don't have a job, we're not going to give you an opportunity to apply for a job. No one is saying give the person the job, but at least level the playing field and let someone apply for the job because they are unemployed and if they are unemployed. A National Unemployment Law Project survey of four of the top search Web sites--Careerbuilder.com, Indeed.com, Monster.com, and Craigslist.com--found over 150 job advertisements that specified applicants must be currently employed, and that no one who is unemployed will be considered. My God, when did we deny opportunity for people to make their way in the United States of America? It is unjust. It's unfair for employers to discriminate against those looking for work like this. And that's why we need to really fully fund an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. All Americans, regardless of their employment status, should have the same opportunities for employment. That is why we need to make sure that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has the necessary funding to investigate and to fight discrimination against the unemployed. I urge my colleagues to join us in standing up for the millions of qualified Americans who want to work again, but who are being denied that opportunity, being denied the opportunity to find a good job and the chance to find that good job. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. The Republican majority in this House is involved in a political shell game on this issue. They have voted to eliminate the prevention and public health fund. They voted 2 days ago to end it. Today they want to tell you they are going to take money from it to pay for student loans. You can't end a fund and then talk about taking money to use it. In addition to that, the gentleman from California a moment ago talked about money in the appropriations bills for these health care programs. What he doesn't tell you is that the majority in the committees is voting to cut the money for the Centers for Disease Control, for screenings for breast and cervical cancer, for all of these efforts. They are talking out of both sides of their mouths. This majority passed a budget that has asked families to pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, slashes Pell Grants for nearly 10 million college students, allows interest rates on student loans to double in July. After there was an outpouring of concern about the doubling of interest rates, they switched course. This apparent moment of conscience was too good to be true. Instead of ending oil subsidies and closing corporate tax loopholes, what they now have done is they eliminate--eliminate--the prevention and public health fund. What that fund does is provide crucial health services to all Americans, including women and children. Women, I'll be brief in this: it is about providing screenings for breast and cervical cancer. My friends, 4,000 women die every year from cervical cancer. Isn't it worth trying to prevent cervical cancer and not eliminate it? It works to prevent coronary heart disease, the leading killer of women in America. It has the potential to mitigate osteoporosis, arthritis, and mental illness, all conditions which disproportionately affect the women in this Nation. This fund is about the giving of life. There is a level of hypocrisy on this floor that is staggering. Instead of taking the money from health care for education, a false choice, vote against this bill.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I would just add one more thing: the amount of subsidies that we are giving to multinational corporations who are taking their jobs overseas, let's stop that. Let's stop the subsidies that are going to Big Agriculture all over this country, not small mom- and-pop farms, people who are taking care of themselves. But Big Agriculture, let's stop that. Let's also stop $147 million going to Brazilian cotton farmers as a subsidy every year. They will not tell you. They will not tell you about these subsidies. American taxpayers are footing the bill for that and paying high prices at the gas pump to get their gas, and the oil companies are rolling around in that money. I rise in opposition to this rule. Yesterday I submitted an amendment to this bill that would have provided the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, or the CFTC, with a steady, sustainable source of funding so that it could do the job that it has been assigned to do--that's oversee the futures markets and curb rampant speculation in the oil market that is causing families pain at the pump. Again, this House majority has put the profit margins of Wall Street and oil speculators over the needs of American families and the American economy. They refuse to allow an up-or-down vote on this amendment. Specifically, the amendment would authorize the collection of user fees to offset the cost of the Commission's operation. It would simply bring the CFTC into line with all other Federal financial regulators, such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. This is in keeping with a pattern by this majority to hamstring this Commission at every turn. Last year, their agricultural appropriations provided only $172 million in funding, 44 percent below the request, meaning that we have less cops on the beat to stop speculation. We fought back. We got that up to $205 million in the final 2012 budget, but it's not enough for the Commission to do its job. Meanwhile, high oil prices affect every aspect of Americans' lives, not just the cost of traveling but of heating homes, food, other purchases. The cost of gas is irrefutably affected by rampant speculation in the oil market. Goldman Sachs has estimated that speculators increased crude prices by about 20 percent and the price of gas by 56 cents a gallon. The chairman of ExxonMobil talked about speculation going on on Wall Street. We're here to represent the American consumer, not oil speculators.

Ms. DeLAURO. I am going to repeat it, our job, the job that all of our constituents gave to us--they gave us this job--we are here to represent their interests and the consumers, not the oil speculators. We need to ensure that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission is the agency to regulate the oil industry, that it has the resources that it needs to do the job and is doing it. The amendment that I proposed is a commonsense solution to this problem. It should have had an airing, and it should have been passed by this Congress because that is in the best interests of American taxpayers. That's our job. And if we're not prepared to do our job, the American people should turn their backs on us and shut the place down. I urge my colleagues to oppose this rule.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. You represent them well. I thank my colleague. I want to be in a trench with the gentlewoman from Illinois, Congresswoman Schakowsky. She is a tough fighter, and at the base of that it's about families and their children. Congresswoman Schakowsky.

Ms. DeLAURO. I thank the gentlelady. Your words are poignant. If anybody would like to do this, they really should walk in people's shoes and understand what it's about. When the American people say that they don't believe Congress understands what their lives are about, in this instance you bear it out. Thank you. Someone whom we are deeply going to miss in the next session of this Congress, there hasn't been a greater champion for women and their families in the House of Representatives than our colleague from California, Congresswoman Woolsey.

Ms. DeLAURO. I thank the gentlewoman, and I also recognize the gentleman from Ohio who as well understands what the effects of this recent recession have been to his community, his State, and the people that he represents, Mr. Ryan.

Ms. DeLAURO. I thank the gentlelady for her words, and for her telling about her personal experience. I'd like to recognize the vice chair of our Democratic Caucus, the Honorable Xavier Becerra of California--which, by the way, has over a 19 percent food hardship rate.

Ms. DeLAURO. I thank the gentleman. I think one of the most important things that you commented on tonight was the number of U.S. households living below the World Bank measure of severe poverty in developing nations. That means they're living on less than $2 a day per person. At the start of 2011, we had 1.4 million households, 2.8 million children--that's 800,000 households--who were living on $2 a day, and we have colleagues in this institution who want to take food out of the mouths of those children.

Ms. DeLAURO. That is. Now I would like to say ``thank you'' to our colleague from New Jersey, Congressman Holt, and ask him to join our conversation this evening.

Ms. DeLAURO. It is a heartbreaking subject. And when you think about in that budget when we talk on averages, the number is a $150,000 or a $187,000 tax break to the wealthiest people in the Nation. They don't worry what they're picking up at the grocery store. They're eating well. Their kids are eating well. Their grandkids are eating well, as ours are in this institution. But it's the people that we represent who are in difficulty, and they need to know to look to us to help them when it is so tough out there economically. This program is working in the way that it should. I thank the gentleman. Now someone who knows what is going on really in the heartland of our country where they have suffered severe economic depression, and that is in the State of Ohio. Let me welcome to this conversation, our colleague, Congresswoman Fudge.