Scott DesJarlais

Mr. DesJARLAIS

Mr. DesJARLAIS. Mr. Speaker, the current United States sugar program is a clear example of government intrusion into a market. Nowhere is there a larger gap between the U.S. Government's free-trade rhetoric and its protectionist practices than in our sugar policy. The most prominent argument I hear from the other side is this program is of no cost to the taxpayers. That simply isn't true. It was reported yesterday the USDA intends to purchase sugar off the domestic market, costing taxpayers nearly $38 million. The government then plans to sell this sugar at a loss to ethanol companies. And who is ultimately footing the bill for this not-so-sweet deal? The taxpayers. But the most egregious point is that other countries actively try to lure U.S. companies to relocate. An official Canadian Government brochure states: Canadian sugar users enjoy a significant advantage--the average price of refined sugar is usually 30 to 40 percent lower in Canada than the U.S. When a government program becomes a recruitment technique to lure away our manufacturers and move U.S. jobs abroad, I believe reform is not only necessary but essential.

Mr. DesJARLAIS

Mr. DesJARLAIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate and promote the work that is being done in Tennessee's Fourth District by Bridgestone North America, Motlow State Community College, members of the local manufacturing community, and local and State governments. Our economy is hindered by a skills gap that hurts both the businesses that need well-trained workers and those workers looking to better themselves and their families. Seeing this problem 5 years ago, Motlow Community College's president, Mary Lou Apple, set out to erase this skills gap. A mechatronics program was brought to Rutherford County which combined mechanical, electrical, and computerized curricula to allow local high school students the opportunity to gain high-demand skills in manufacturing, health care, and the financial industries. I recently toured the Bridgestone North America facility to see how these students are graduating from high school not only with college credit and technical credentials, but, most importantly, real world experience. I look forward to the great work this program and its students will continue to accomplish in the future, and certainly we need more like them.

Mr. DesJARLAIS

Mr. DesJARLAIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Bob McKay, a lifelong resident of Maury County, Tennessee, who was recently inducted in the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame. On December 7, 1941, Mr. McKay listened to the radio accounts of the attacks on Pearl Harbor, and realized just how important radio is in keeping us informed. He filed with the FCC to open a radio station but joined the Army shortly after to serve his country in the Pacific. Before leaving, he gave his application to his father and said: If I'm lucky enough to get back, I'll want that radio station for Columbia. Mr. McKay returned home in 1946, and started WKRM. Its success allowed him to open three more stations. In addition to broadcasting, Mr. McKay chaired the Maury Regional Hospital Board of Trustees, was a founding member of the Tennessee Association of Broadcasters, and served on the boards of numerous charities in Columbia. He retired in 2008 after 62 years in the broadcasting industry. In his work and personal life, he has always followed the highest Christian principles.

Mr. DesJARLAIS

Mr. DesJARLAIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1911. This commonsense bill, aptly named the Smarter Solutions for Students Act, brings the student loan interest rate program back to reality. Instead of coming back each year to partake in the Washington tradition of putting last year's failures off to the next year, this bill gives students and their families the certainty that their loan rates won't be subjected to the whims of bureaucrats in Washington or legislators on Capitol Hill. This legislation ties student loan interest rates to the 10-year Treasury note. In fact, the President's fiscal year 2014 budget request included language very similar to this bill. H.R. 1911 goes even further toward protecting students and families from high interest rate environments by including caps on interest rates. I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I thank Chairman Kline and Virginia Foxx and their staffs for their hard work in bringing this commonsense legislation to the floor.

Mr. DesJARLAIS

Mr. DesJARLAIS. Mr. Speaker, at the conclusion of congressional business on Friday, May 17th, I was unable to cast three rollcall votes and voted erroneously on one amendment due in order to travel back to Tennessee in time to make it to my son's high school graduation ceremonies. On rollcall vote No. 157, Representative Hurt's amendment to H.R. 1062, I am recorded as not being present. I would like the record to show that I would have voted in favor of this amendment. Next, I mistakenly voted in favor of rollcall vote No. 158 thinking the vote was still open for the rollcall vote No. 157, and I would like the record to indicate I intended to vote against rollcall vote No. 158. Lastly, I would like the record to indicate that I would have voted against rollcall vote No. 159, the motion to recommit with instructions and would have voted in favor of rollcall vote No. 160, passage of H.R. 1062.

Mr. DesJARLAIS

Mr. DesJARLAIS. Madam Speaker, I come to the floor today to voice my support for H.R. 1406, the Working Families Flexibility Act of 2013. Working families all across America face difficult choices every day over how to balance their responsibilities at work with their duties to their families at home. Government employees have always had the option to convert accrued overtime into time off from work. However, private sector employees do not have this option. Today's rigid and archaic wage-and-hour laws force these employees to take vacation days or simply not work when confronted with sick children, responsibilities to aging patients, or even seemingly mundane, yet time-consuming, tasks like running errands. H.R. 1406 would provide private employees that same flexibility that government workers enjoy while protecting both the rights of workers and their employers. I ask my colleagues to support working families and vote in favor of this legislation.

Mr. DesJARLAIS

Mr. DesJARLAIS. Mr. Speaker, this week, many of my constituents filed tax returns. Unfortunately, their taxes weren't the only thing that they had to pay. Hardworking Americans will spend $168 billion completing their taxes under our country's 4-million-word Tax Code. America's tax system is broken and simply doesn't meet the needs of the 21st century economy. It is time for a simpler, fairer, flatter code, one that eliminates special interest loopholes to ensure that everyone pays what they owe. But what we don't need is higher taxes. The government is already poised to take in record revenues this year, yet the President insists on calling for another $1.1 trillion in new taxes. Levying more taxes on families and businesses won't create jobs and won't lead to economic prosperity. Rather, we need to cut spending, balance the budget, and rein in excessive government. Comprehensive tax reform is something that the American people overwhelmingly support and something that House Republicans remain committed to addressing.

Mr. DesJARLAIS

Mr. DesJARLAIS. Mr. Speaker, President Obama's budget is 65 days late and trillions of dollars short. And while his plan contains plenty of tax increases, budgetary gimmicks, and stimulus-style spending, it fails to adequately address our Nation's unsustainable deficits and debt. In fact, the President's budget would never balance. I share President Obama's view of a thriving middle class and strong manufacturing base, but the policies put forth in his budget show the White House is more focused on increasing the size of government than growing the private sector. If the President is truly serious about building a 21st century economy, then he should work with House Republicans in eliminating the roadblocks to innovation and entrepreneurship. That means reducing government red tape, creating a fairer and flatter Tax Code, and ending the deficit spending. I urge the President to join us in putting forth sound policies that will grow jobs and put our country back on a sustainable path.

Mr. DesJARLAIS

Mr. DesJARLAIS. Mr. Speaker, I come to the House floor today to voice my strong support for the House Republican fiscal year 2014 budget. And I want to commend my colleague, chairman of the Budget Committee, Paul Ryan, for his ongoing leadership on this issue. There is simply no denying it: the Federal Government has a spending problem, a problem that has led to nearly $17 trillion of debt. For too long, Washington has shirked its responsibility in addressing this issue and punted the problem to future generations. As a father, I cannot in good conscience let this generational theft continue. It is critical that we pass a budget that puts our country back on track through responsible cuts and reforms. The Oversight and Government Reform Committee, of which I am a member, has already identified numerous duplicative government programs. Yet rather than eliminating these programs, the government continues to pour more money into them. Congressman Ryan's budget prioritizes our spending so that we protect important programs in the long-term by trimming the waste in government.

Mr. DesJARLAIS

Mr. DesJARLAIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Josh and Julieanna Ogle, two outstanding citizens of our community and a respected couple in the field of agriculture. Josh and Julieanna were recently awarded the Tennessee Farm Bureau's 2012 Outstanding Young Farmer Achievement Award and the 2012 Environmental Stewardship Award, for their strong commitment to strengthening Tennessee's agricultural industry. Both Josh and Julieanna grew up on family farms and attended Motlow State Community College. They have been married for 14 years and have three young children, Levi, Abi and Travis. The Ogles have continued the tradition of farm and family by partnering with Josh's parents at D&J River Farms. It is here that their agricultural achievements are translated into produce, growing roughly 4600 acres of cotton, corn, soybeans and wheat. The Ogle's success is the product of hard work, an exceptional level of dedication and a respect for others that is unparalleled. Josh and Julieanna come from the old school line of thought that ``it is better to give than receive.'' As such, they have volunteered untold hours at their local church and at cancer support fundraisers across the state of Tennessee. While being highly-respected farmers, as well as a wonderful husband and wife, father and mother, the Ogles have still found time to impart their knowledge to farming's next generation by volunteering to speak to students of the Future Farmers of America organization. Mr. Speaker, their work as mentors to young farmers is good news for Lincoln County as well as the entire state of Tennessee. If you think about all that the Ogles have been able to accomplish in their community and their industry, just think what will be achieved by future generations whose lives have been impacted by the Ogles. On behalf of the people of Lincoln County, as well as Tennessee's entire Fourth Congressional District, I congratulate Josh and Julieanna Ogle as the 2012 recipients of the Tennessee Farm Bureau's achievement and environmental stewardship awards and I wish them continued success in the years to come.

Mr. DesJARLAIS

Mr. DesJARLAIS. I thank my colleague for his leadership on this issue. This is the fourth time in 5 years that the White House has proven that it does not take trillion-dollar deficits seriously enough to submit a budget on time. In contrast, House Republicans, since taking the majority in 2010, have done that every year and will do so again in just a couple of weeks. We still do not know when the President plans on actually submitting his budget. When asked, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said that the administration favors substance over deadlines. Let me translate that for you: they don't have a solution to addressing the Nation's spending and debt crisis. Today, the House will pass the Require a PLAN Act. I'm hearing comments that this is a gimmick, this is a ploy. Are you kidding me? We need to do our job. The American people get it. They want Congress to work together. They're not in love with Republicans or Democrats right now. They want us to solve this problem. It's sad that we have to resort to a Require a PLAN Act to get the other side to work with us. Please work with us. We have submitted budgets. We need the Senate to submit a budget. Every missed deadline is a missed opportunity. We need to get serious about spending now. We cannot continue to delay choices that we need to make. We owe it to our future generations.

Mr. DesJARLAIS

Mr. DesJARLAIS. Mr. Speaker, it has been more than 4 years since the White House operated under a budget. It's not a coincidence that each of these 4 years has brought a $1 trillion deficit. Tennesseans are frustrated over the fact that they must stick to a budget in operating their homes and businesses, yet the Obama administration cannot seem to do the same in running the country with our hard-earned tax dollars. Last Congress, House Republicans passed two responsible budgets while the Administration and their allies in the Democratic-controlled Senate twiddled their thumbs. In an effort to finally get this administration to act, Republicans have introduced the Require a PLAN Act. This commonsense proposal will mandate the White House produce a balanced budget within a 10-year window or submit a plan explaining in what year the budget would balance. Unfortunately, it seems that we have no other choice but to force this administration to finally address the debt crisis that is destroying jobs and mortgaging the future of our children and grandchildren.

Mr. DesJARLAIS

Mr. DesJARLAIS. Mr. Speaker, it seems there are those who still fail to realize that we cannot continue down this road of fiscal insanity. It isn't politics; it's math. Our spending is simply unsustainable, yet we have not seen a serious proposal from the White House to address our trillion-dollar deficits. The President thinks the answer is more taxes. But while the tax increases President Obama is calling for would hurt small businesses, they would have little effect in reducing our deficits. That is because our debt is being driven by spending, plain and simple. Therefore, to solve our problem, we must implement serious spending cuts and reforms. The good news is this isn't hard to do; we just have to look at the amount of revenue coming in and not spend more than that. Rather than spending more than we can afford, we must prioritize our spending. Hundreds of millions of Americans do this every day. If my constituents in Tennessee can balance their budgets, so can Washington.

Mr. DesJARLAIS

Mr. DesJARLAIS. Mr. Speaker, I want to commend Governor Bill Haslam of my home State of Tennessee for his decision not to set up a State- run health care exchange. Governor Haslam was exactly right when he said this was a business decision, not a political one. After 2 years, the Obama administration has failed to provide States with sufficient guidance as to how State exchanges would function, yet President Obama expects States to make that decision this week. That's like asking a business to sign a contract that is still being written. Further, there is evidence that the Federal Government will ultimately control exchanges no matter who creates them. The only difference is if a State sets up an exchange, it will pay for it. No business would take a deal like that. Finally, Tennessee has seen what experimental health care reform looks like in TennCare. This program almost collapsed and bankrupted our State. What business would risk its finances on a proposal modeled after a failed plan? I applaud Governor Haslam and thank him for his business-like approach.

Mr. DesJARLAIS

Mr. DesJARLAIS. The American people have voiced their demands for an end to the partisan gridlock that has for far too long plagued Washington. They expect their elected officials to work across party lines and across the branches of government to solve the challenges facing our Nation. Unless we act now, we run the risk of allowing this country to go off a fiscal cliff in January. This would have both severe economic and security ramifications. Defense Secretary Panetta says it would be devastating to our national defense. The accounting firm Ernst & Young said it would cost us nearly 700,000 jobs. Almost every American would fall victim to a tax increase. This would be an unacceptable blow to our economy that is still struggling to get back on its feet. House Republicans have already passed legislation to address these issues and stand ready to build upon them to avert this crisis.

Mr. DesJARLAIS

Mr. DesJARLAIS. Mr. Speaker, before I begin my remarks, I want to take a few moments to thank Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, Majority Leader Eric Cantor, and Ways and Means Chairman David Camp for their help in bringing this worthwhile piece of legislation to the House floor. In addition, I want to say a special thanks to Congressman Sam Johnson for his work and guidance through the process. I also want to recognize and thank the family of Lance Corporal Andrew P. Carpenter for bringing this matter to my attention. I am truly humbled to have had the honor of introducing the Andrew P. Carpenter Tax Act. We are all familiar with the verse in John that says: ``Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.'' On February 19, 2011, due to wounds suffered while on a combat mission in the Helmand province of Afghanistan, Lance Corporal Andrew Carpenter did indeed lay down his life for his friends and country. A graduate of Columbia Central High School in 2002, Andrew enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 2007 and was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He was serving his second tour in Afghanistan. Leaving behind a wife, Crissie, and soon to be born son, Landon, Andrew gave his life in defense of our Nation and the cause of freedom. In a fitting tribute to his and his family's sacrifice, the city of Columbia, Tennessee, held a memorial service that sent a clear message that his valor would not be forgotten. Unfortunately, the aftermath of this outpouring of support was soon tarnished by the grim hand of the Internal Revenue Service. As hard as it is to believe, Mr. Speaker, the pain and anguish of his parents and wife were compounded by a tax bill from the Internal Revenue Service for over $1,000 due to the fact that an educational loan from a private institution was forgiven. Imagine the dismay of having to bury a son, daughter, husband, or wife that had paid the ultimate sacrifice only to have the IRS say you haven't paid enough. Three years prior, Andrew had taken out a private educational loan. After learning that Andrew had been killed in action, the company administering the loan agreed to completely forgive the debt. However, the IRS did not. Upon forgiveness of the debt, the family, who had cosigned the loan, received a 1099C form informing them that the debt discharged would be factored into their gross taxable income for that year. Not knowing what the tax bill was for, the family paid the tax and then contacted my office and brought this matter to my attention. As a newly elected Congressman, this was a rude introduction to just how broken our Federal system was. Mr. Speaker, the legislation before us today attempts to shield American families from ever having the IRS add to their loss by callously presenting them with a tax bill. Simply, my bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt private student loan forgiveness from being categorized as gross taxable income for families of veterans who have lost their lives while serving in active duty in the United States Armed Forces. It is important to note that this bill would not make it mandatory for private lenders to forgive educational loans. Private loan companies would still have the option of whether or not to forgive a loan. Having lost their son in Afghanistan, the Carpenter family is comforted by the knowledge that Andrew died a hero. His memory lives on in his son, Landon. It is for them and all those who may have or may face similar hardships that I urge that the House suspend the rules and pass H.R. 5044.

Mr. DesJARLAIS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. DesJARLAIS

Mr. DesJARLAIS. Mr. Speaker, due to impending weather affecting flight schedules, my arrival into Washington was delayed this evening. I was unable to cast a vote on rollcall votes No. 537 (S. 679), No. 538 (H.R. 828), and No. 539 (H.R. 3803). Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on the first vote and ``aye'' on the following two votes.

Mr. DesJARLAIS

Mr. DesJARLAIS. I thank the gentleman. Earlier this year, the Department of Labor issued a misguided rule that would effectively ban children from working on family-owned farms. While I'm sure there were some kids in rural areas across our Nation who were overjoyed by this news, I think it would be horribly unfair to deprive our youth of the same valuable work experience many of us were afforded. Growing up in a rural community, I spent a lot of time doing work on farms, and I will be the first to admit that it wasn't always fun. But the values and appreciation for hard work that it instilled in me played an important role in shaping me as a person. That is why I was proud to support Preserving America's Family Farms Act. This legislation will prevent the Department of Labor from issuing this rule or any similar rule, preventing children from working on their parents' farm. If this proposal from the Department of Labor were actually implemented, not only would it rob our young farmers of important educational opportunities, but it would erode part of our Nation's rural culture. These actions by the Department of Labor serve as yet another reminder of the troubling pattern of government overreach and intrusion we have seen from this administration. I thank the Tennessee Farm Bureau for their efforts in speaking out against this misguided notion and working with me to ensure that farming decisions are left to farmers, not bureaucrats in Washington.

Mr. DesJARLAIS

Mr. DesJARLAIS. I thank the gentleman for yielding. And you're absolutely right. I moved to start my practice in Tennessee in the fall of '93, and our program, TennCare, was implemented somewhat as an experiment in '94, January '94. So I witnessed it from its inception through what I would call its continuous failure. The program continued to grow and expand, continued, as I think you referenced earlier, as substantiated by Senator Lamar Alexander, has drained our State's educational resources. And it got so bad that, in 2007, Governor Bredesen actually had to remove about 270,000 people from the program just to keep the State from going bankrupt. So clearly, it was an example of how the program and the system does not work and did not work. And that's maybe a glimpse of what we can expect to see moving forward with the President's health care law. So it failed to accomplish its objectives, and just as we would have suspected, the costs grew exponentially. And so we have a great example in Tennessee of how the system does not work. So clearly, we need alternative reforms. I would be happy to yield to the gentleman from Georgia, Dr. Broun.

Mr. DesJARLAIS. Thank you for yielding. I just want to expound on your comments and on, actually, what the gentlelady from Wyoming talked about in terms of the efficiency in her study, where they could actually buy a policy for those cheaper than what the Federal Government has implemented. We were promised better access to care at a lower cost with the Affordable Care Act, and the TennCare program in Tennessee really was an experiment of nationalized health care confined to one State. What we found was that more and more physicians, as you stated, were dropping out of the TennCare program because of reimbursement issues and also because of the bureaucracy and the frustration with trying to find specialists. I had a primary care practice, and I actually had to hire an extra staff member, which drove up my costs, to sit after hours to try to find specialists to take care of these patients. It was very frustrating for us. It was very frustrating for them. Yet the reimbursement, compared to a privately paid patient versus a Medicare patient versus a TennCare patient, continually was less money.

Mr. DesJARLAIS. Right, which is exactly what we're going to see under the President's plan. You're going to see people who allegedly now have access to care, but they really don't because the reimbursement rates are so low that physicians really aren't even able to keep their doors open. The reimbursement rate for a TennCare patient in Tennessee was almost half of that from a private patient. It's not that physicians don't want to help and take care of these people. They do. It's just financially unfeasible, especially in solo practices, which are common in rural areas.

Mr. DesJARLAIS. I have heard of that study as well. Again, I think it is an access to care issue, and that's certainly a problem that has not been addressed. The ObamaCare law does nothing to address access to care, and it does nothing to address the cost of health care. Frankly, we all know that the cost of health care is driving our national debt, so we need to look at solutions that have been offered by the Republican caucus and the Doctors Caucus that will make real reforms to health care: that will make it more affordable and involve a greater attempt to get government out of the way. Just like in small businesses, the number one complaint is that government bureaucracy is driving down the profitability. It remains the same in health care as well, and we need to look at more free market options in health care if we're going to actually reduce costs.

Mr. DesJARLAIS

Mr. DesJARLAIS. Mr. Speaker, I come to the House Floor today to call attention to yet another problem in this poorly drafted, 2,700-page job-killing bill. We all remember former Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi's famous statement that they needed to pass the bill so we could find out what was in it. Today I stand here perplexed by not only what is in the bill but also what is not in the bill. When drafting ObamaCare, Democrats only gave authority for the IRS to offer premium tax credits to State exchanges. Well, many States are refusing to set up these exchanges, making it necessary for the Federal Government to create them. That is permissible within the law. Here is what is not: nowhere in the law does it give permission for those credits to be offered in federally-run exchanges. Mr. Obama, having recognized this grave mistake, has circumvented Congress by having the IRS unilaterally change his bill to fix this error. Last time I checked, it was Congress that made laws, not the executive branch. The legislative process should still have meaning in this country, which is why my colleague and fellow Tennessee physician Dr. Phil Roe and I recently introduced legislation which prevents the administration from rewriting the law. Even my colleagues who support the President's law will surely agree that his administration's actions lead us down a dangerous constitutional path. My opposition to ObamaCare is clear. That aside, having a President act without Congress to change law sets a dangerous precedent, one that violates the principles of our Constitution and the separation of power, principles that are the pillars of our democracy.

Mr. DesJARLAIS

Mr. DesJARLAIS. Mr. Speaker, due to airplane maintenance issues affecting flight schedules, my arrival into Washington was delayed this evening. I was unable to cast a vote on rollcall votes No. 1452 (H.R. 4155), No. (H.R. 4367), and No. 454 (H.R. 5892). Had I been present, I would have voted aye on each of those votes.