Renee Ellmers

Mrs. ELLMERS

Mrs. ELLMERS. Mr. Speaker, I was saddened to learn yesterday of the passing of former North Carolina State Senator Harris Blake. Sen. Blake served the people of Moore, Lee and Harnett Counties with honor and distinction for 10 years before being elected to the position of deputy president pro tempore for his final term in the North Carolina Senate. He was a loyal public servant who served in three different levels of government during his career, including the federal, state and local levels. Harris was a friend to me during my early years in office, always willing to lend a helping hand or pass along knowledge about the counties we served. He was awarded the Order of the Longleaf Pine by Governor Pat McCrory in 2013--North Carolina's highest honor for those who have gone above and beyond in public service. Sen. Blake was a loving father, an honorable statesman and a trustworthy friend. We were fortunate to have him as a leader of our great state and the voice for Moore, Lee and Harnett Counties.

Mrs. ELLMERS

Mrs. ELLMERS. Mr. Speaker, with a heavy heart, I am saddened to announce the passing of Herbert ``Herb'' Greenberg. Herb was a champion and an advocate for the Rocky Mount community he served and was a blessing to me, personally, when my district still included Nash County. Herb's humble spirit and ambitious nature contributed to his successful launch of WHIG-TV, a community-based TV station that was the first of its kind. The station was used to promote local events and played a large role in keeping everyone in the community informed. Because of this, Herb was a trusted voice and source for many in Nash County. Herb worked alongside many members of our community, serving in groups such as the Christian Fellowship Home and the Frederick E. Turnage Chapter of the American Red Cross. A recipient of the annual and prestigious Woody Brown Award, Herb was known as the driving force behind many of the wonderful events taking place in Rocky Mount. While I am saddened by his passing, I am encouraged by the legacy Herb leaves behind--as it is one that displays his passion and commitment to service, both to his community and family. I am better for knowing Herb, and his spirit will be greatly missed.

Mrs. ELLMERS

Mrs. ELLMERS. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding time as well. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank Chairman McKeon for allowing me to come before you today to speak on the necessity of preserving Pope Airfield's 440th Airlift Wing. I introduced this amendment because of the incredible support the 440th Airlift Wing provides to our military and the necessity of its mission in maintaining readiness. The Department of Defense repeatedly says that they need flexibility, certainty, and time to complete their missions and maintain readiness. The 440th provides all of these, yet the Pentagon is attempting to deactivate the very unit that provides these three crucial elements. Fort Bragg is home to the airborne and special operation forces. The proposal to remove every C-130 from this base contradicts its important mission. And even our President, Mr. Chairman, noted that we will be shifting more of our focus to special operations. I thank the chairman for his continued support to address this ongoing issue and look forward to working with the committee to address this very important issue.

Mrs. ELLMERS

Mrs. ELLMERS. Madam Speaker, thank you to the chairman for bringing this very important legislation forward. I am pleased to be able to speak in strong support of the number of bills that we have today that will combat the problem of human sex trafficking. I would like to emphasize the urgency that this issue requires. Just this morning, one of our local papers in Fayetteville, North Carolina, was reporting that a local mother and son have been arrested and charged with human trafficking of a child victim, sexual servitude of a child and promoting the prostitution of a minor. This issue is real, and it is happening in our own backyards and across our Nation and across the world. This is only the beginning of this very important mission, and I, for one, will not rest until we find a way to stop this. This is just, again, the beginning of our fight, and I am proud to have cosponsored these bills today to stop this horrifying practice and help these victims. We will continue to do more until we eradicate this form of slavery in the United States and throughout the world.

Mrs. ELLMERS

Mrs. ELLMERS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor my friend, Mrs. Kellie Godwin Hinshaw, who fought and battled cancer until it took her body this week in Dunn, North Carolina. Her spirit will truly live on within all of us. Kellie was a friend who inspired me in her strength to go forward even on the worst of days. She was a strong, loving, caring woman with an incredible sense of humor. She was a daughter, sister, wife, and mother of two beautiful boys, Kenneth and Kannon. Kellie had adenoid cystic carcinoma, a rare form of cancer. Despite this terrible disease, Kellie and her family chose to use this as a platform to do good. Kellie's Krew successfully organized and grew a 5K race that has raised well over $100,000 for adenoid cystic carcinoma research and has brought our whole community together. Kellie taught our community that ``vain'' is a four-letter word and that beauty truly comes from within. She will be forever loved by her family, her community, and me.

Mrs. ELLMERS

Mrs. ELLMERS. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague who is working so hard on the Ways and Means Committee and also as vice chair of our conference. I rise today in support of the Save American Workers Act, an important bill that I am proud to say I am a cosponsor of as well. Every day, we learn more and more of the dangers facing millions of Americans due to the Affordable Care Act, or ObamaCare. Just last week, in North Carolina, we learned that substitute teachers will be getting their hours cut and their incomes cut because of this irresponsible mandate. North Carolina teachers are being notified of their cuts, and millions of hardworking Americans across this country will work less and suffer more in order to comply with this law. In my own district, substitute teachers are facing the same problem. In Lee County, an official confirmed to my office: We are cutting the hours of our part-time people, our substitute teachers. Nationwide, 76 percent of public school teachers are women. This is a direct assault on women. This so-called law is a complete and total assault on women. More than half of the workforce today, of the 72 million women in the workforce, are the primary wage earners for their family. Across this country, women stand to lose the most. Sixty-three percent of them are women, those who are at risk of losing their hours. The facts speak for themselves. I encourage my colleagues to vote for this bill, another changing bill, changing this very bad law known as ObamaCare.

Mrs. ELLMERS

Mrs. ELLMERS. Madam Speaker, thank you to the gentleman. And I would like to say thank you for helping out with this Special Order, being here, holding this Special Order along with Mr. Costa as part of the caucus in this bipartisan effort. As you know and as we need to talk about with the American people, this is an issue that defies logic and it defies socioeconomic background. There are no barriers to sexual assault, human trafficking, violence, domestic violence. I will say, I recently met a young lady who was the victim of human trafficking, not with sexual assault, but with labor, essentially. She was brought here to this country at the age of 3, and she was beaten every day by the woman that put herself forward as her mother, along with the two other young ladies that were brought here that she knew as her sisters. And until, I would say, 2007, she said every day that is what they endured, beatings by this woman that they referred to as Mom. The reason that the woman said that they can't speak out and seek help was because they were brought here illegally and they were illegal. So, you see, this problem is pervasive and it is one we have to deal with, and we are doing exactly what needs to be done. To my good friend from New York, thank you again for holding this, because we have to show the American people this is an issue we care about, this is an issue that we need to solve, and we need to work together for that effort. April being Sexual Assault Awareness Month is a perfect time for us to take part in this effort. I was very distressed to find out recently that the county that I live in in North Carolina, Harnett County, as of 2013, is the fifth highest county level of domestic-related homicide. That is not a number that I want to associate myself with in the very county in which I live. This month serves as an opportunity for all of us to unite on this issue, both Democrat, Republican, every American, to speak candidly about the prevalence of abuse and generate a much-needed change in our culture. Whether we are talking about our society, whether we are talking about those that are in the military, whether we are talking about those who come to this country for different purposes, we need to be a voice for all of those individuals. Sexual assault is a persistent problem. It affects both women and men and, again, as I pointed out, regardless of socioeconomic status. To bring an end to this problem, we must equip young people with the knowledge and the resources needed to feel empowered, ask questions, and seek support. Sexual Assault Awareness Month is about education and informing one another so that we can bring about an end. It is time to speak up and raise awareness, and I hope all that are listening will help in this effort to support this effort.

Mrs. ELLMERS

Mrs. ELLMERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with great pride to extend sincere congratulations to Southern Pines' very own Peggy Kirk Bell. On February 16, Peggy made history as the first female inductee into the Carolinas PGA Hall of Fame. For 33 years, the CPGA Hall of Fame has honored and praised individuals living within the Carolinas for their remarkable contributions to the game of golf, and Mrs. Bell's induction is long overdue. Peggy is a golf legend with numerous accomplishments. She has shepherded the way for women golfers by being known as the first widely acclaimed teacher of women's golf, serving as a Charter Member of the LPGA, and also as chairwoman of the largest girl's golf tour in the country. Through the Peggy Kirk Bell Girls Golf Tour, she has provided top-level competitive golfing opportunities to thousands of girls across the Carolinas. In 1949, Peggy won the North & South Amateur Women's title at Pinehurst No. 2 and was selected to become a member of the 1950 USGA Curtis Cup Team. She was the winner of the first LPGA Senior Championship, and the first woman inductee into Golf Magazine's World Golf Teacher Hall of Fame. In addition to her personal accomplishments, Bell has advocated to have major golf championships played in the Carolinas, several of which were hosted at her own resort: The Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club. The second district of North Carolina is fortunate to have someone who has dedicated their lifetime to promoting the game of golf and expanding opportunities to young girls across the state. She is an inspiration to all within the golf industry, and her induction into the Carolinas PGA Hall of Fame rightfully cements her place in history.

Mrs. ELLMERS

Mrs. ELLMERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4015, the SGR repeal. This has been a long time coming, and I am very excited to be part of it. I want to see this legislation move forward. I want to agree and disagree with my esteemed colleagues across the aisle. This does boil down to patient care. This will negatively affect our seniors if we do not solve this problem for Medicare reimbursement. It is patient access that is the core of this issue. However, when we speak about associations, such as the AMA--or the American Medical Association--we are talking about a group who only represents about 11 percent of physicians across this country, and that number decreases every year. There is a reason for that. They are not representing doctors in this country, and their voice is not as strong as it once was and should be. With that, Mr. Speaker, I thank you for this time, and I thank my colleagues for this important message today. I hope all Members support the SGR reform.

Mrs. ELLMERS

Mrs. ELLMERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to extend sincere congratulations to Randolph County's very own Richard Petty, as he was one of five people selected statewide to receive the Winner's Circle award. The annual Winner's Circle award is given to individuals who have made significant and lasting contributions to North Carolina's tourism industry. Without a doubt, Richard Petty has been instrumental in enticing visitors from near and far to visit our great state. There is a reason that NASCAR is North Carolina's official state sport, and Richard Petty has played a significant role in contributing to the sport's popularity. As one of the founding families in stock car racing, and one of the most decorated drivers in NASCAR history, Richard Petty has remained committed to establishing both his race shop and race museum in Randolph County, North Carolina. Tourism is a powerful force to our state's economic well-being, and Richard Petty has been influential in bringing racing fans from across America to the Tar Heel state. We are fortunate to have a North Carolinian who remains so steadfast in promoting the uniqueness of our state and the sport at large.

Mrs. ELLMERS

Mrs. ELLMERS. Thank you to my distinguished colleague. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, of which I am a proud cosponsor. I am here today for those who cannot speak for themselves. The premise of this legislation is nothing new. It simply continues the longstanding prohibition of using taxpayer dollars to pay for abortions. Regardless of whether you are pro-life or not, most Americans recognize that it is unfair to force every American in this country to subsidize abortion. This is, however, exactly what ObamaCare does. It has allowed taxpayer subsidies for health care plans that cover elective abortions. H.R. 7 is as much about protecting the taxpayer as it is about protecting the unborn. I urge my colleagues to make the fair choice and to vote ``yes'' on this bill.

Mrs. ELLMERS

Mrs. ELLMERS. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 1, I was unavoidably detained for quorum vote. If I had been here, I would have voted ``present.''

Mrs. ELLMERS

Mrs. ELLMERS. Thank you so much for this opportunity to speak here with the Doctors Caucus on these very important issues. You were bringing up a very important piece to this puzzle. As far as the American people are concerned with their health care, they want Washington bureaucrats out of the examining room and not between them and their doctors. Patients want to be able to have that relationship with their doctors. Do you know what? I am sorry. If anything has played out over this very short period of time since October 1 with the failure of the Web site rollout, we have seen that Washington has absolutely no business in health care. This is only going to continue to play out, so I just want to take a few moments and speak on some of the issues that continue to remain in these failures of the Web site. I think the administration has spent over $630 million now, with 50 contractors, fixing this Web site--this Web site that we were promised for so long was going to be ready: online, on time, working great for the American people. We know that that is simply not the case. Once again, it is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the failures that we will learn about in the future on health care. I am here today to talk about how this is affecting American families and those who are reaching out to me in my district, the Second District of North Carolina. ObamaCare is turning family budgets upside down and is inflicting unnecessary pain on millions of Americans. Millions of Americans now have learned that their health care policies have been canceled, and it clearly states: due to the Affordable Care Act. Nationwide, women in this country make the health care decisions. Over 80 percent of the health care decisions that are made are made by women. That means that wives, mothers, or single women who are choosing health care coverage for themselves have now been told by the President and the Democrats who voted for this bill, and who knew full well that you wouldn't be able to keep your health care plan if you liked it: Do you know what? What you chose for you and your family--what was affordable to you--is not adequate, and we know better than you do for your family. I think that is an incredible problem, and that it has been overlooked by this administration and our Democrat friends. How many times do we hear that Republicans don't understand women's issues? How many times do we hear about the war on women that continues to be displayed by our friends across the aisle? This is truly the war on women. Taking away health care coverage for millions of women in this country is truly the war on women. That is why we as Republicans have been working so hard to do everything we can to stop this process of ObamaCare's moving forward. Yes, we have voted over and over again to repeal it, and for good reason, and we are seeing how it is being played out now--for these very reasons. This is not patient-centered reform. This is not about good patient care. This is not only going to completely and totally-- disastrously--affect the health care coverage in this country but also health care, itself, because, as you know, one plays into the other. I am worried about what is going to happen to our physicians over time. We know that that part of the Web site hasn't even been built yet. Physicians aren't even sure what they are going to be paid, and patients aren't even sure what coverage they will be able to receive, what treatments they will be able to receive and which doctors they will be able to go to. Think about the women in this country, the moms who are going to find out over the next couple of months that the pediatricians that they have come to know and trust they are no longer able to bring their children to. Think about our parents, the seniors who are receiving treatment right now at a different hospital system, in a different health care system that are going to find out they can no longer receive their treatment there because the networks have been narrowed so incredibly. This is what is going to play out over the next couple of months. On the front page of today's Washington Post, it reads: ``Healthcare.gov Makes Frequent Enrollment Errors.'' Right there. After, again, all the millions of dollars that have been spent and we still have errors. This isn't what we have come to know in America. We know that 3-year- old children can get online and get on their iPads and go to town and understand computer systems and what-not, and we can't even build a Web site that will allow patients in this country, families in this country to navigate to get basic health care coverage. That is a problem. But there, again, that is why the Federal Government should not be in health care. That is why government bureaucrats should not be standing in between patients and their doctors. This comes only days after the Obama administration claimed victory for fixing the disaster-prone Web site and rebranding the error messages that continue to pop up as a ``queuing system.'' Since day one, ObamaCare has been a complete disaster, and it is only getting worse. As The Washington Post points out, those who have enrolled through the online marketplace may soon discover that their application contains errors. These errors have been generated by the computer system, which means even if they were one of the few to successfully enroll, they can still find themselves without coverage over the next few months. There, again, think about what is going to happen January 1 when there are patients that think they have health care coverage and they are going to go to the doctor only to find out that they are not even within the system. Those failures include the notification of insurers about new customers, duplicate enrollment and cancelations, and incorrect information about family members and the States involving Federal subsidies. I thank my dear colleague for, again, allowing us to speak out on these issues because it cannot be stated enough how important it is that we be pointing out the inefficiencies that are created with ObamaCare--the Affordable Care Act--which we all know now is completely and totally unaffordable.

Mrs. ELLMERS. Thank you to my kind doctor colleagues on that issue. Dr. Roe, you hit on one of the very important parts, again, which is if you had something that works for you, if a mom was buying health care coverage for her family, she was the one that did the research, she was the one that did the time, she picked the appropriate plan. Maybe it was offered through an employer; maybe it was an individual plan. But she sat down at her kitchen table and decided what was working for her, and guess what, now the Obama administration says no. And I agree with some of the talking heads that are out there on the 24-hour news cycles telling everyone that these plans were subpar, that they weren't adequate. The constituents who are reaching out to me are saying, I liked my plan. I was having my hair done the other day and my hair stylist, Cindy, and her husband, Lee, they have a health care plan. She said, Renee, I don't understand this. I had a health care plan that Lee and I picked. We have had this plan, we like our plan, it is affordable to us, it is providing the health care coverage that we need, and now I am being told that it is not adequate and the cost of my premiums every month are going to go up and my deductible is going up. For what? Well, I will point out to you one of the issues. One of the flaws that the Obama administration and our President himself has made over time is saying that as people learn about this thing--because if you remember when it was passed, and you were here, you both were here, they said, oh, well, let's just get it passed and then we are all going to find out what is in it. Some of our esteemed colleagues across the aisle had made that comment; and now when the American people are finding out what is in it, they don't like it. Things are changing. They are finding out what is in it, they don't like it, and they are rejecting it. One of the reasons that those costs have gone up is the essential health benefits that have to be covered. For every American, there are 10 essential health benefits. My friend Cindy, she and her husband do not have children, and yet they are forced to purchase maternity coverage; they are forced to purchase pediatric coverage. Now, these are wonderful things for families, young families, growing families; but they are not appropriate for every American. So what is lacking here in ObamaCare is choice, the ability to choose your plan. I am all for getting health care coverage for every American. I want every American to be able to have affordable health care coverage; but you can't do it by forcing individuals to buy something that they will never use, they will never need, paying a premium price, and costs out of pocket. I am sorry, it is just not affordable for American families.

Mrs. ELLMERS

Mrs. ELLMERS. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall Nos. 592 and 593, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.'' personal explanation

Mrs. ELLMERS

Mrs. ELLMERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3350, the Keep Your Health Plan Act of 2013. As my colleagues across the aisle have pointed out over and over and over again, the ACA is law, but it cannot simply be undone by the White House, and it does call on us in the Congress to do so. Mr. Speaker, we women in this country make 80 percent of the health care decisions, and women in this country have now been told by the President and our Democratic colleagues that the health care choices that they have made to cover their families are not adequate. In fact, they are being called subpar, and they are trying to intervene. They are trying to keep the women in this country from providing that good, sound health care coverage for their families. That is why we are voting on this bill today, Mr. Speaker. We are voting on it because these are good decisions that have been made by the American people, they are good decisions that have been made by the moms across this country for their families, and we need to do everything we can to protect that. I call on my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 3350, so that women in this country can continue to do the good job they are doing for their families and provide good health care coverage.

Mrs. ELLMERS

Mrs. ELLMERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on behalf of North Carolinians. I would like to share the story of Marian and Donald from Asheboro, North Carolina. They are among the 160,000 North Carolinians whose policies have been canceled and whose premiums are going up. She says: Donald and I both had a $5,000 deductible individual HSA policy--and both were canceled. Our premiums are more than doubling under the replacement policies. I contacted BlueCross/BlueShield and learned they are required by law to roll us into the ``suggested'' policy if we do not sign up for something else. They also told me they need no additional authority to remove this premium from our bank account in January. Because the premium increase will consume our gas and grocery money for the month, I cannot let this happen. My plan is to cancel our health insurance altogether so that there is no policy to ``roll over'' and face paying the penalty. As of the end of this month, we will be both be uninsured. Mr. Speaker, there are Marians and Donalds across this country facing the same fate. That is why we will continue to fight for this issue.

Mrs. ELLMERS

Mrs. ELLMERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the failures taking place with the launch of the ObamaCare exchange through healthcare.gov. Since October 1, this Web site has been plagued with delays, errors, and fundamental flaws in the Web site design. This prompted USA Today to call it an ``inexcusable mess'' and ``nightmare.'' In addition to the technological failure, the Web site leaves Americans open to exposure of privacy information. Buried in the source code of healthcare.gov, a paragraph reads: You have no reasonable expectation of privacy regarding any data stored on this information system. At any time, the government may monitor, intercept, search, and seize any data stored on this information system. Any data stored on this information system may be disclosed or used for any lawful government purpose. Consumer Reports states: It's not worth the hassle, at least not for now. Stay away from healthcare.gov for at least another month if you can. This is not reassuring for Americans entering personal, medical, and financial information onto a government Web site, especially when Congress is still reviewing the IRS for gross mismanagement in collecting private individual information. John McAfee, founder of McAfee Antivirus, emphasized last Wednesday: Millions of Americans could have their identities stolen as a result of signing up for ObamaCare. Despite these major malfunctions and structural defects, the administration still has penalties in place for individuals that don't obtain coverage. Mr. Speaker, this is not acceptable. Prior to October 1, my colleagues and I emphasized the inability of the Department of Health and Human Services to implement these exchanges. Therefore, if an individual does not wish to subject themselves to the risk of identity theft, they should be allowed to make that decision without the consequence of fines forced by the Federal Government. That is why I am working on legislation right now to ensure that Americans are not being punished for failing to buy a health care plan from a dysfunctional system. Additionally, Mr. Speaker, the Associated Press reported that, to date, only 476,000 people have enrolled. Mind you, that is 476,000 Americans that are left open to identity theft. I would like to point out that this is out of 36 States enrolled in the Federally-Facilitated Marketplace--36 States. At one point, healthcare.gov posted error messages in at least 24 of those 36 States. Further, according to the USASpending.gov, over $600 million of taxpayer dollars have been spent setting up these failed exchanges. Mr. Speaker, this is an insult to the American taxpayers. CGI Group, one of the main contractors for healthcare.gov, reported that the site's design was changed about a month before its debut to prevent users from comparing prices without registering for an account. Why would the administration agree to remove the price comparison option when the President has promised the country affordable health care? It is because, for some, health care rates may become simply unaffordable. The administration announced they would provide a new ``shop and browse'' feature to the Web site. However, this new feature is not giving consumers the real price. In some cases, people could end up paying double what they see on the Web site. For example, CBS News ran the numbers for a 48-year-old woman in Charlotte, North Carolina, who is ineligible for subsidies. According to healthcare.gov, she would pay $231 a month, but the actual plan on the Blue Cross and Blue Shield North Carolina Web site costs $360 a month. This is more than a 50 percent increase. The difference: Blue Cross and Blue Shield requests your birth date before providing more accurate estimates, further proving the point that monopolies are problematic as well, especially in North Carolina. Hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars are being spent on a system that does not work. Therefore, there is one question we must all ask ourselves: Is the Affordable Care Act really affordable?

Mrs. ELLMERS

Mrs. ELLMERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor one of North Carolina's most heroic sons: Airborne Ranger SFC Cedric King of The United States Army. On July 25, while out on patrol during his third tour, SFC King nearly lost his life in an IED explosion in Azickzia Afghanistan. After losing both of his legs and sustaining numerous other life-threatening injuries, Cedric has in so many ways come back from the dead. In just a few months, he has come so far and so fast it is beyond words. With the help of his lovely wife Khieda, and his two beautiful daughters Amari and Khamya, he charges forward each day towards recovery. He is also an instructor and pathfinder graduate Ranger. Mr. Speaker, I submit this poem, penned in his honor by Albert Carey Caswell. If I Were King (By Albert Carey Caswell) If . . . I were King . . . I'd be one splendid thing! I'd be the one to freedom bring! If I were King! I'd wear that uniform . . . of such brave hearts who walk with hearts so very bold and warm! Who are Airborne! And I'd be a Ranger who freedom so forms! As over the enemy I so swarm! If I were King . . . To bring hailing down upon our enemy, such a most magnificent deadly force all at light speeds! And if I were King, I'd be an American Hero from who freedom so breathes . . . All with that is so inside of me! And so live by such a creed, and so march off to war to such places where angels so fear to be! To so say what must so be said! To do what must so be done! If I were King! I'd so sing what must so be sung! If I were King I'd be a United States Ranger . . . Who would so laugh at danger . . . Who mountains can so climb! All for love of country so sublime! For only the few can so say! That they so wear that beret . . . Who with all of my most courageous Brothers In Arms, have so watched our Brother's blood so run as they died that day! With tears in eyes as their fine lives are now so done, as he'd kneel and pray! And if were King, as an Airborne Ranger over evil I would so reign! For Rangers lead in all things! And if I were King, all for God and Country I would have so bled! For in history Rangers have always led! As its life and death in what is said! And if I were King, I would have given up my two strong legs, as from out of the darkness armed but with only my courage and faith! To so awake from such harm! As my tears so brake, as my heart so tells me to somehow move on! As with each new day, I.must wade through such pain and heartache formed . . . With the help of a great wife Khieda who stands by her man so very warm! And my two beautiful daughters Amari and Khamya, who lovingly call out my name each morning . . . If I were King! And though my task is great . . . These new giant steps I would now so take . . . For time for no man so waits . . . And pity will only weak hearts so create! So wipe all of your tears away . . . As I stand here much more than a man on this very day! As my strides have gotten stronger and much more great! Look at me, because I'm Airborne as it's up out ahead you'll find me leading the way! To So Teach You! To So Beseech You! To So Reach You and All Of Your Hearts This Day! As Hero I was not trying to be, but this is what my Lord God has so made me . . . So get out of my way! For I've got mountains to so climb! And hearts to so heal all in my time! And I've got Blue Skies up ahead of me . . . When, I go back home to my most beloved Carolina someday! If I were King how proud I would so be . . . In life, most people never reach so high! And jump so heroically from the skies! Who are Rangers who are Airborne, all so selflessly to so live and die! And so live by such a heroic creed, ith but such tears in eyes! And so bury their dead up on high! For its far . . . far better to live a noble life . . . Than, just to do the ride! Better, to give up your strong fine legs . . . Then, in the end so wish somehow better choices you had made! And die with such regret as you so ask yourself, what did I do all in my life? For I'd much rather live like a King, and know that my life had meaning in every way! Then die just marking time day after day! If I were King! I'd hold my head up high until my dying days! Knowing full well, what to this world I gave! For in life, only a few Kings so lead the way! If I were King, heaven would me await.

Mrs. ELLMERS

Mrs. ELLMERS. Mr. Speaker, today is day 10 of ObamaCare exchanges being up, or supposedly being up. We now know the problems with the exchanges are not just due to high traffic; rather, technology experts have reported the real problems are with the actual structure and shoddy software used for the exchanges. The Hill reported on October 8, from one expert, James Turner, software engineer, ``It's probably the most broken release that I have ever seen.'' I am hearing firsthand the frustrations from my constituents. One constituent said: The program freezes up when you try to enter your tax filing status. You can't get past it. Same thing happens when I try to apply over the phone. I've called every day since October 1, all different times of the day, and have gotten nothing but the runaround, one excuse after the other, that their system is down. I've called during peak time. I've called during off-peak time, but apparently there are no on-peak hours. If I can't get qualified for a subsidy before January 1, we will have to let our insurance lapse. With that, Mr. Speaker, I say, this is a defective exchange, and it is only part of the problem.

Mrs. ELLMERS

Mrs. ELLMERS. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 536, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mrs. ELLMERS

Mrs. ELLMERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share with this body and the American people a great injustice. A few moments ago, one of my colleagues from Texas, from across the aisle, spoke of this as well. So as you can see, there are many times that we all can come together and agree upon certain items and move the American people forward in a better way; however, this particular situation is unthinkable. A great injustice is being done to our servicemembers and their families. We learned last night that five brave American servicemembers were killed over the weekend in Afghanistan while selflessly protecting our country. Normally, Mr. Speaker, the loved ones of these fallen warriors receive assistance in the form of benefits to help them make those final arrangements for burial and other necessary preparations. Yet, as a direct result of the political gridlock here in Washington and despite legislation passed in this House last week with great bipartisan support, servicemembers and their families are no longer receiving their benefits. Mr. Speaker, despite the government shutdown, our servicemembers are still expected to go to war, knowing full well that they may pay the ultimate sacrifice for this great Nation, and we should be expected to keep our promises to their family members. I am working, as we speak, to right this wrong, and I urge all of my colleagues to do the same.

Mrs. ELLMERS

Mrs. ELLMERS. Mr. Speaker, we are granted the power of the purse strings here in Congress, so we are right and reasonable by using that power. Yesterday, the House led and acted responsibly by providing yet another plan to get parts of this government back open again: We provided funding to the NIH, which provides essential lifesaving treatments and research to families who have received the worst news possible--that their family member, their child, may have pediatric cancer that needs a cure. And I urge the Senate and the majority leader, Harry Reid, to bring this up for a vote in the Senate immediately. We provided funding to the District of Columbia, which is part of our stewardship. Today, we will once again vote to keep the promises to our veterans, and we will vote for the funding for National Guard and Reservists. These are all issues that we all agree on, depending on where you are sitting, Republican or Democrat. The right thing in this situation is to provide funding and reopen the government. It's time for us to act.

Mrs. ELLMERS

Mrs. ELLMERS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to submit the following: Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, October 1, 2013. Hon. Chuck Hagel, Secretary of Defense, Pentagon, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Secretary: I share the concerns you've expressed about the seriousness of the lapse in appropriations and the additional negative impacts on military readiness associated with a significant furlough of defense civilian workforce. In an effort to mitigate these harmful effects, the Congress reached unanimous agreement that the members of our Armed Forces, as well as the civilians and contractors who provide support to the Armed Forces, should continue to receive pay and allowances. As you know, this legislation, H.R. 3210, the Pay Our Military Act, sponsored by Representative Mike Coffman (R-CO), was signed into law last night. With the enactment of this law, active duty uniformed personnel can continue to be paid for their service and most civilian defense workers should remain on the job. I was heartened to read your statement indicating that it is a priority for your General Counsel to review the legislation, ``to see if there's any margin here, or widening in the interpretation of the law of exempt versus non-exempt civilians.'' I believe the legislation provides you broad latitude and I encourage you to use it. The text does not limit the provision of pay to civilians who were previously categorized by the Administration as ``excepted'' or ``essential'' for the purposes of Department of Defense operations in the event of a government shutdown. Therefore, I strongly encourage you to use the authority Congress has given you to keep national security running, rather than keeping defense civilians at home when they are authorized to work. Likewise, as your General Counsel reviews the legislation, I request additional information regarding the provision of pay and allowances to members of the military Reserves and National Guard. I look forward to an update on the Administration's interpretation of H.R. 3210 later today. I know you would agree with me that this is no time to use national security or our national security workforce as a political pawn. Sincerely, Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon, Chairman.

Mrs. ELLMERS

Mrs. ELLMERS. Mr. Speaker, I have the distinct honor and privilege to represent Fort Bragg in my district; and I found out yesterday evening that, despite passing funding to keep our military paid and to keep our military civilians paid, there have been over 7,000 Fort Bragg civilian employees furloughed. Now, I find this very interesting there again because the President signed this very bill into law Monday, and here we have a situation where I have needless--needless--suffering happening in my district. I have a letter from Chairman Buck McKeon, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, to the Department of Defense on clarification of this, that I would like to read: The text does not limit the provision of pay to civilians who were previously categorized by the administration as ``excepted'' or ``essential'' for the purposes of Department of Defense operations in the event of a government shutdown. We passed H.R. 3210, the Pay Our Military Act, sponsored by my colleague from Colorado (Mr. Coffman).