Brad Ellsworth

Mr. ELLSWORTH

Mr. ELLSWORTH. Madam Speaker, at this time, I have no further speakers and yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ELLSWORTH

Mr. ELLSWORTH. Madam Speaker, I also reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ELLSWORTH

Mr. ELLSWORTH. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1316) honoring the service of the Navy and Coast Guard veterans who served on the Landing Ship Tank (LST) amphibious landing craft during World War II, the Korean war, the Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm, and global operations through 2002 and recognizing the essential role played by LST amphibious craft during these conflicts.

Mr. ELLSWORTH. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. ELLSWORTH. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume. I rise in support of House Resolution 1316, which honors the service of the Navy and Coast Guard veterans who served on the Landing Ship Tank (LST) amphibious landing craft. I want to thank the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) for bringing this important resolution before us. As an original cosponsor of the measure, I'm eager for its swift passage. At this time, I'd like to yield such time as he may consume to the sponsor of House Resolution 1316, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern).

Mr. ELLSWORTH. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. First I'd like to thank the gentlelady from Virginia for her leadership on this special legislation. I would also like to thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for introducing this House Resolution honoring the Landing Ship Tank, LST, not only for this resolution and his dedication to our veterans, but also for his dedicated service in bringing LST 325 back to the United States from Greece, which ended up landing in my hometown. The LST, Madam Speaker, has a rich and shared history with my hometown of Evansville, Indiana. During World War II, a 45-acre shipyard along the Evansville riverfront produced LSTs. The peak years of production saw a workforce of over 19,000 workers, and they completed two LSTs per week. The Evansville Shipyard was the largest inland producer of the LST in the United States. And when all was said and done, 167 LSTs and 35 other vessels were built and then sent down the Ohio River and then out to sea. Madam Speaker, I would like to briefly recount the heroic and inspiring story of the LST 325. The utility and reliability of LSTs and the strong bond developed by their crews has fostered a vibrant and active veterans' association. These brave men, proud of the service and the craft they served on, secured legislation for the refurbishment of LST 325 and for the ship's retransfer to the United States from Greece, where it had been since the early 1960s. Having set sail from Greece on November 14, 2000, the LST 325 arrived in Mobile, Alabama, on January 10, 2001--to a great American fanfare I might add. In 2003, during a 10-day stop in Evansville, 35,000 people toured the LST 325. It was with great civic pride that Evansville became the official home port of the LST 325 on October 3, 2005. The LST 325 is now an operational museum and a memorial ship on the beautiful Evansville riverfront. This effort would not have been possible if not for the efforts of Evansville's Mayor, Jonathan Weinzapfel, and city officials who worked closely with Captain Bob Jornlin and Mike Whicker with the USS LST 325 Memorial. The city and the LST 325 Memorial have formed a great partnership, and I'm proud of their efforts. Evansville will proudly host the LST Week 2008 on September 24 through September 27 of this year, 2008. Madam Speaker, the Navy decommissioned the last LST, the USS Frederick (LST 1184) in October of 2002, but the heroic service of the LST crews and the brilliant record of their craft will not soon be forgotten. I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 1316. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ELLSWORTH

Mr. ELLSWORTH. Madam Speaker, I am proud to introduce the Organized Retail Crime Act of 2008 today. I would like to thank my colleague Congressman Jim Jordan of Ohio for joining me in this effort. This important legislation seeks to address a growing problem in America: organized retail crime--known as ORC. ORC is a criminal enterprise where thieves obtain retail merchandise through fraud and theft and then sells the goods for profit, often to fund other criminal activities. The Federal Bureau of Investigation estimates that organized retail crime currently accounts for $30 billion in retail losses annually. And the criminals who form and operate these organized crime rings are becoming more sophisticated in the ways they sell their stolen goods to an often unsuspecting public. ORC rings have expanded their base of operation from the streets, flea markets, and pawn shops to the online marketplace where they can break the law with anonymity. Before I came to Congress, I spent a career fighting crime as a member of the Vanderburgh County Sheriff Department. I arrested two thieves who were running a sophisticated criminal enterprise from the trunk of their car. At a hardware retailer that had several Evansville locations, these two thieves would pay cash for one drill, make copies of the receipt using a copier that they had in the trunk of their car, and then boost the same drills in bulk. Using the fraudulent copied receipts, the thieves would then return the stolen merchandise and receive cash back multiple times over. Today, these thieves may be selling the stolen merchandise online. This is important because not only does ORC result in substantial losses for retailers, it also has significant consequences for consumers. These criminals often boost products like baby formula, diabetic test strips, and over-the-counter drugs from retailers. Needless to say, they are not interested in the proper storage of these sensitive health products, and as a result, the health and safety of consumers, who unknowingly purchase these products, is often jeopardized. ORC rings also negatively impact the bottom line for consumers because leading American retailers are forced to spend millions of dollars each year conducting loss prevention efforts. The Organized Retail Crime Act of 2008 is a sensible bill aimed at making ORC a federal crime while establishing common sense disclosure requirements for high-volume sellers on certain online marketplace sites. The online marketplace is a viable place of commerce, and this legislation establishes necessary guidelines on how to thwart illegal activity and protect online consumers. It is important to note that this legislation contains a specific and narrow definition of the term ``online marketplace.'' An online marketplace will be subject to the bill's requirements only if the site has a contractual right to supervise the activities of its sellers, or if the online site has a financial interest in the sale of goods on its site. The Organized Retail Crime Act of 2008 requires online auction sites to maintain certain information--name, telephone number, email address, legitimate physical address, and any user identification--of high- volume sellers for three years. The site must also keep records of all transactions conducted by each high-volume seller for this same three year period. A high-volume seller is defined as someone selling more than $12,000 in merchandise annually or more than $5,000 of a specific good. Finally, the high-volume seller is required to conspicuously post its name, telephone number, and legitimate address on the online auction site or instead, may provide this information upon the request of a business that has a reasonable suspicion that goods were acquired through organized retail crime. These simple and non-intrusive disclosure and recordkeeping requirements make sense. In fact, they are far less intrusive than the information required at pawn shops throughout the country. With over 700,000 people listing online auction sales as their primary or secondary source of income, these basic requirements are critical to ensure that criminals can be brought to justice while preserving the online marketplace for law-abiding citizens. I look forward to working with Chairman Bobby Scott on this issue, and I commend the Chairman and his colleagues on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security for having the foresight to bring this growing problem to the public's attention through a committee hearing last October. Madam Speaker, the Organized Retail Crime Act of 2008 is a non- intrusive, common sense bill that aims to dry up avenues for organized retail criminals to sell their stolen merchandise at the expense of retailers and consumers. I urge my colleagues to join Congressman Jordan and me in supporting this important legislation as a first step toward cracking down on organized retail crime.

Mr. ELLSWORTH

Mr. ELLSWORTH. Madam Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. ELLSWORTH. Madam Chairman, during rollcall vote No. 359, on the Lee amendment No. 26 to H.R. 5658, I mistakenly recorded my vote as ``no'' when I should have voted ``aye.'' Amendment No. 53 Offered by Mr. Braley of Iowa

Mr. ELLSWORTH. Madam Chairman, I would like to take this opportunity to thank my colleague from Illinois (Mr. Emanuel) for helping cosponsor this amendment, which is really a shame that we have to file this amendment. It's a very commonsense, straightforward amendment that, as much as I hate to say it, that we found out about it in a newspaper article. It requires contracts awarded by the Department of Defense to prohibit contractors from using subsidiaries or subcontractors as a foreign shell company performing the work of the contract of a U.S. citizen. In this amendment, a foreign shell company is an entity incorporated outside the U.S. or Canada that does not manage, direct, or exercise operational control over personnel performing work under contract. Now, what that means in plain English is that companies that are receiving government contracts and working overseas, Iraq and Afghanistan, are opening post office boxes in the Grand Caymans. A box. No employees, no telephone, no apartments, not an office, not an employee. Yet they claim to be a company out of the Grand Caymans. What that does, Madam Chairman, is it cheats our government, it cheats our taxpayers at home, and it cheats the folks that work for these companies. This was originally found out by a person going in and filing for a disability claim, and they said, You're not an employee of the United States. Madam Chairman, this is wrong, and we need to close this loophole. This simple, straightforward amendment that simply closes this is what we want to do here. And I think it's a straightforward amendment. I would like to yield 1 minute to the gentlelady from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro).

Mr. ELLSWORTH. People might be wondering if this is a serious problem. We have had estimates from the Congressional Budget Office that if this tax loophole were closed, CBO estimates the Federal Government will save $846 million over 10 years. I would say that's a pretty big problem. I think the folks in Indiana would say that's a big problem, too. During a time of tightened budgets and escalating national debt, closing this loophole makes sense. The tax provision was included in the Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act which passed the House just this week. I would urge my colleagues, and like I said, I would like to thank the gentleman from California. I would be honored to work with him to straighten out his concerns, and I would ask all of my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. ELLSWORTH. Yes. The gentleman from California is correct. That's the sole intent of this amendment.

Mr. ELLSWORTH. That's agreed to, absolutely.

Mr. ELLSWORTH

Mr. ELLSWORTH. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5729, the Spina Bifida Health Care Program Expansion Act. This important issue came to my attention by my constituents Honey Sue Newby and the Nesler family of New Harmony, Indiana. Honey Sue's story is quite heart wrenching. She's a woman who lives with a complicated neurological disorder rooted in spina bifida, and her parents, Suzanne and Ron Nesler, provide her with around-the-clock attendance and care. Ron is Honey Sue's stepfather and, together with Suzanne, serves as her guardian and primary caregiver. Honey Sue's biological father served 8 years as a marine and completed three combat tours in Vietnam. The VA concedes that Honey Sue's condition is the direct result of her biological father's exposure to Agent Orange, the defoliant and herbicide used by our Armed Forces in Vietnam. For years the Neslers have attempted to clear seemingly insurmountable bureaucratic hurdles when seeking medical care for Honey Sue. Suzanne and Ron have to provide a letter from the doctor to the VA each and every time that she seeks care that her condition is directly related to her spina bifida. The Neslers have to repeat this routine despite the fact that Honey Sue is recognized by the VA as a level III child. At the VA level III children are eligible to the same full health care coverage as a military veteran with 100 percent service- connected disability. H.R. 5729 will provide the Neslers and other people facing the same challenges with relief from the tedious administrative burdens by providing the beneficiaries of the Spina Bifida Health Care Program with comprehensive care. No longer will the burden be on the Neslers to prove that Honey Sue's condition and various health ailments are related to spina bifida and therefore Agent Orange. The requirement has been removed. When this bill is passed by Congress and signed by the President, Honey Sue and the estimated 1,200 children--and, Madam Speaker, that's important to know that this is only 1,200 children with levels I, II, and III spina bifida as caused by a parent's exposure to Agent Orange will receive the same full health care coverage as military veterans with a 100 percent service-connected disability. This bill will give families the peace of mind that their children will have access to attendant care when they are no longer capable of providing for them. I know that this concern is of great importance to the Neslers. Madam Speaker, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that the VA already provides roughly 90 percent of the comprehensive health care needs of these beneficiaries. In fact, the CBO estimates that the implementation of this program will add around $2,500 per person in 2009. This is a small price to pay, Madam Speaker, to ensure Honey Sue receives the health care she needs and Suzanne and Ron do not have to spend their days navigating their way through a frustrating maze of administrative paperwork. I would like to thank the chairman, Bob Filner, and the ranking member, Mr. Buyer, and the very capable staff of the Veterans' Affairs Committee for their leadership on this issue. I'd also at this time like to thank one of my staff in Evansville, Indiana, Emily Hayden, who has worked exceedingly hard to help the Neslers with the red tape that this bill aims to fix. Emily has shown such care and consideration for so many of my constituents that she deserves recognition. I'm proud to have her on my staff. Madam Speaker, H.R. 5729, the Spina Bifida Health Care Program Expansion Act, follows through on these promises made to our brave servicemembers who have fought for our freedoms.

Mr. ELLSWORTH

Mr. ELLSWORTH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6081, the Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act of 2008. This important legislation will provide well-deserved tax benefits to assist our military personnel and their families, our veterans, and a group that doesn't get nearly enough credit across our Nation, the volunteer firefighters. I would like to for just a minute pick up on what Congressman Emanuel said a few minutes ago and discuss one of the offsets used to pay for this tax relief for American heroes. It has been reported that recently some government contractors are using offshore tax havens to avoid paying the payroll taxes that they owe our government. We introduced the Fair Share Act to put a stop to this abuse, and as a Blue Dog and a believer in pay-as-you-go budgeting, I am proud to have that legislation included as part of this important bill today. It will end the practice of government contractors setting up shell companies in the Cayman Islands to avoid paying into the Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes. The people back home in Indiana play by the rules and pay their taxes. I don't think it is too much to ask our government contractors to do the same. They are receiving millions of dollars, sometimes billions in tax dollars, and I think it is time they do the same thing. So I urge my colleagues to support this bill and send a strong message from the Congress that it is not going to stand by and let contractors cheat the workers, cheat the government and cheat the American taxpayers.

Mr. ELLSWORTH

Mr. ELLSWORTH. Madam Speaker, it is with great sadness and deep respect that I rise today to honor the life of Staff Sergeant Keith Matthew (Matt) Maupin. Matt Maupin's story has gripped the hearts of thousands of Americans across the country since the 20-year-old Army reservist was captured in Iraq in 2004. Together, we have hoped and prayed for four long years that he would be returned home safely to his family. Sadly, those prayers went unanswered. Matt Maupin was laid to rest in Cincinnati on Sunday, having given the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. But the most significant thing about Matt Maupin isn't how he died, it's how he lived. Matt is a beloved son to Keith and Carolyn and brother to Micah, Stephen, and Lee Ann. A native son of Batavia, Ohio, he understood there is no higher calling than service to others and bravely stepped forward to serve his country in the Army reserve. Matt Maupin is a true American hero. On behalf of the people of the 8th District of Indiana, I want to extend my deepest condolences to his family and friends who love and miss him today. May God bless Matt, his family, and all of those who continue to sacrifice so much for our country.

Mr. ELLSWORTH

Mr. ELLSWORTH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Mater Dei High School Car Team from Evansville, Indiana. The students won the Shell Eco-Marathon fuel efficiency competition in Fontana, California. The Shell Eco-Marathon challenges students to design and build vehicles that push the energy efficiency envelope. The competition is also designed to raise awareness about the importance of technology and innovation in finding solutions to the energy challenges we face. Mater Dei entered two vehicles in the competition and placed first and third, beating more than 80 teams. The first-place vehicle achieved an impressive 2,843 miles per gallon, breaking a number of the team's personal records. At a time when prices are skyrocketing at the pump, America must look for ways to reduce our reliance on foreign oil and put our country on a permanent path toward energy independence. Increasing the fuel efficiency of automobiles is a critical step, and I commend the members of the Mater Dei Car Team for their ingenuity and dedication to this important goal. These students represent the future engineers and scientists who can help lead the way in addressing the energy challenges we face.

Mr. ELLSWORTH

Mr. ELLSWORTH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the student engineers at the University of Evansville for winning first place in NASA's 15th Annual Great Moonbuggy Race. The race is held each year to honor the ingenuity and creative problem-solving of the designers of the original lunar rover used during the Apollo Moon missions in the 1970s. The University of Evansville team defeated 24 teams to win the college division competition. Their moonbuggy completed a half-mile course designed to replicate lunar ground conditions in 4 minutes and 25 seconds. These students represent America's next generation of scientists, mathematicians, and engineers. I have no doubts that their ingenuity, creativity, and dedication to discovery will result in creative solutions to many of the challenges America faces after they leave the University of Evansville. Congratulations!

Mr. ELLSWORTH

Mr. ELLSWORTH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Coach Gene Miller and the Washington High School Hatchets on their 2008 3A Division Indiana State Basketball Championship. The title is their fifth State title in school history and was a fitting conclusion to an outstanding season. The Hatchets defeated the Fort Wayne Harding High School Hawks in the championship game by a score of 84-60, capping off an impressive 23-2 season. Their victory is the culmination of years of hard work, dedication and sacrifice. The team and coaching staff have demonstrated outstanding talent and an unwavering commitment to achieving their goals. The Washington Hatchets are shining examples of the idea that success in life comes to those who are willing to set goals and work hard to achieve them. They are an inspiration to me and everyone in the Washington, Indiana community who have followed their progress this season. Go Hatchets!

Mr. ELLSWORTH

Mr. ELLSWORTH. Madam Speaker, I'd like to thank Ms. Zoe Lofgren and Mr. Chabot from Ohio for their support and recommended support for this. And I rise with great pride today to support the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Congressional Badge of Bravery Act. As we all know, our Federal law enforcement agencies, including the Capitol Police that keep us safe every day, are responsible for providing much of the safety and security that all Americans expect and enjoy. In big cities and in small towns across the country, Federal law enforcement officers work to keep our Nation safe from terrorists, criminals and anybody who seeks to do us harm. This legislation gives Congress an opportunity to honor their service. As a career law enforcement officer, I know about the sacrifices that all law enforcement officers make in service to their communities and the Nation. I've seen genuine acts of bravery and heroism, and have also been witness to some of the injuries that can come with the job. While my experiences are specific to local law enforcement, Department of Justice statistics show that over the last 7 years, an average of 150 Federal law enforcement officers each year sustained physical injuries while dealing with combative subjects as a direct result of their duties. Unlike military personnel who are awarded a Purple Heart when wounded or killed during armed service, and in many States and local police who receive commendations and medals for sustaining physical injuries, most Federal law enforcement officers do not receive any official recognition for similar sacrifices. In fact, while more than 70 Federal agencies employ Federal law enforcement, only two such agencies, the DEA and the ATF, have an award mechanism to recognize those officers who were injured in the line of duty. This is an oversight that we can correct today. The bill before us would make great progress in honoring the law enforcement officers who help keep us safe. It would establish a Congressional Badge of Bravery that would be awarded to officers injured in the line of duty while conducting an act of bravery. It would also provide Members of Congress the opportunity to present the Congressional Badge of Bravery to the injured officers who are truly hometown heroes in all of our districts. It should also be noted that the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, which represents more than 26,000 members, supports this legislation. Again, I'd like to thank Chairman Conyers and his staff for their support and hard work and the assistance on this bill. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. ELLSWORTH

Mr. ELLSWORTH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlelady for recognizing me and yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Taxpayer Assistance and Simplification Act that is before us today. As everyone knows, it is April 15, Tax Day. No one likes paying taxes. But what folks really hate is when they have to pay more because bad actors are gaming the system and not paying their fair share. In fact, recent reports in the Boston Globe has shown that some government contractors have been using offshore Cayman Islands places, tax havens, to avoid paying their payroll taxes that they owe. A few weeks ago, I introduced the Fair Share Act to put a stop to this abuse, and I am proud to have this legislation included as part of today's important bill. My constituents back in the Eighth District of Indiana don't want to pay even more taxes to shore up programs like Social Security and Medicare because companies who receive billions of dollars from this very government are exploiting the tax system today. I urge my colleagues to support this bill and send a strong message that Congress is not going to stand by and let contractors cheat their workers, cheat the government or the American taxpayers.

Mr. ELLSWORTH

Mr. ELLSWORTH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 886) expressing sympathy to the victims and families of the tragic acts of violence in Colorado Springs, Colorado and Arvada, Colorado, as amended.

Mr. ELLSWORTH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

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

Mr. ELLSWORTH. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in the consideration of H. Res. 886, as amended, which expresses sympathy to the victims and families of the tragic acts of violence in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Arvada, Colorado. House Resolution 886 was introduced by Representative Doug Lamborn from the State of Colorado on December 18, 2007, and has the support and cosponsorship of over 50 Members of Congress. The measure was considered by the Oversight panel on March 13, 2008, and was passed by voice vote after having been amended for technical purposes. It was only a few short months ago when our country was riveted by the violent rampage of one individual that left five people seriously wounded while killing four others. It was a solemn Sunday in December, December 9, to be exact, when the lives of Judy Purcell, Larry Bourbannais, Tiffany Johnson, Philip Crouse, Dan Griebenow, Charlie Blanch and Stephanie, David, and Rachel Works would be forever changed by a series of tragic events that gripped central Colorado but touched our entire country. Many of the persons impacted by the shooting rampage of a disturbed man were young people who had already chosen honorable and noble paths of service and faith. In remembering that dreadful day, I must also mention the heroic actions of Jeanne Assam, a volunteer security guard, whose swift response led to the wounding and killing of the assailant. We thank her for her dutiful service that helped prevent an already disastrous event from escalating further. Passage of this measure will allow our body an opportunity to officially express our heartfelt condolences, prayers and sympathies to the families and victims of the tragic acts of violence that took place in Colorado Springs and Arvada, Colorado, last year. Therefore I urge adoption of House Resolution 886, as amended, and reserve the balance of my time.