Elizabeth Esty

Ms. ESTY

Ms. ESTY. Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the rule and to the underlying legislation. Forty-one years ago, the Supreme Court recognized that women have the right to make their own decisions about their reproductive health. Yet, once again, this House is choosing to senselessly attack women's rights. This bill would restrict a woman's right to make personal medical decisions by bullying small businesses to either drop comprehensive health coverage for their female employees or lose tax credits. Furthermore, it places restrictions on women using private funds to buy private insurance for their most personal medical decisions. This bill is nothing more than an unprecedented, mean-spirited attempt to shame women out of being in control of their own health. We can and must do better, which is why I urge my colleagues to oppose this effort to restrict health care for women.

Ms. ESTY

Ms. ESTY. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise here today in strong support of H.R. 3628, the Transportation Reports Elimination Act of 2013. The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure unanimously reported this bill by voice vote last month. The Government Performance and Results Modernization Act of 2010 requires the Office of Management and Budget, OMB, to publish a list of congressionally mandated plans and reports that it considers outdated or duplicative. On January 8, 2013, OMB published a list of 376 reports that it proposed for elimination or consolidation. The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure reviewed a list of reports this fall within the committee's jurisdiction and agreed that some of these reports are indeed outdated or duplicative. H.R. 3628 is a bipartisan bill that eliminates, consolidates, and modifies 27 congressionally mandated reports. Madam Speaker, this bill will save taxpayer dollars while improving government proficiency and performance. The bill eliminates several reporting requirements that are outdated or duplicative, freeing up valuable staff resources for the affected agency to perform more important oversight activities. The bill also consolidates and modifies certain existing reporting requirements to create greater consistency across statutes and regulations. Finally, the bill allows several reports to be posted on the agency's Web site and not formally submitted to Congress, saving time and taxpayer dollars. This process will further save taxpayer dollars by reducing production and delivery of weighty government reports. Additionally, taxpayers will also benefit from information posted in a more timely and interactive format, increasing transparency and ease of access. This is a bipartisan bill for smarter, cheaper, more transparent government. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 3628, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. ESTY. Madam Speaker, again, this is one of those ultrarare instances where we have bipartisan support, where we can save money, improve efficiency, and have greater transparency and accessibility to taxpayers. I wanted to flag just a couple of other items that illustrate this point. We are going to be taking up the surface transportation bill, a very important bill coming up later this year. Well, some of the reports related to that bill have to do with the infrastructure investment need. That report has always come at the wrong time. It has come after we have already looked at the highway transportation bill. So this bill, among other things, aligns the reports to be available and ready for Congress, ready for stakeholders, ready for the public to evaluate at the time we are considering important legislation on behalf of the American people. So, again, this is an important initiative. I would urge not only support for what we have done under Chairman Shuster's excellent leadership, but for other committees in Congress to join us in reviewing what the GAO has provided at our request, to review those lists of agency reports and to find other ways that we can save money, expedite delivery of important information, both to Congress to facilitate our oversight as well as to make it available to the public so they can oversee what we are doing and ensure that we are spending taxpayer dollars in the most effective way possible. Again, I want to thank the chairman for his leadership on this and many other initiatives. It is a wonderful committee. We have important work to do, and this will help us get that work done. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. ESTY

Ms. ESTY. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow marks the 72nd anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. As we remember the day that lives in infamy, we must stir our memory of those lost and whose sacrifice anchors Pearl Harbor's significance. Private Paul M. Johnson was born in 1922 in Waterbury, Connecticut. The son of a popular Waterbury Police Detective, he lived on Greenwood Avenue, attended Mary Abbott Grammar School, graduated from Leavenworth High School and was a member of Beth-El Synagogue. His uncle, Private David L. Fannick, was killed on the battlefields of France in June of 1918, inspiring the formation of the local David L. Fannick Jewish War Veterans Post No. 91. Always wanting to be a soldier like his uncle, Paul enlisted on April 23, 1941. Sent to Fort Shafter, Territory of Hawaii, he was assigned to the 40mm Bofors AA, Battery ``E'' of the 646th Coast Artillery. During the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Pvt. Paul M. Johnson did what he was trained to do. Pvt. Johnson ran to his station, Battery E, 64th Coast Artillery Anti-Aircraft, and returned fire with his anti-aircraft guns. Pvt. Paul M. Johnson was wounded defending our Nation, and died the next day, December 8, 1941 at age 19 as a result of his wounds. Private Paul M. Johnson was the first soldier from Waterbury to give his life in World War II. His was a sacrifice we cannot repay, so it is our solemn obligation to give it honor. We do that today as we remember the cost of war, the price that is paid, and the promise that we must keep in defending and protecting this great Nation.

Ms. ESTY

Ms. ESTY. Thank you to the gentleman from Florida. Mr. Speaker, last week, when I was back in my district, I didn't hear about asbestos. I didn't hear about rule 11 sanctions. I heard about how harmful the government shutdown was, about the need to pass comprehensive immigration reform and of the hope that this Congress would focus on job-creating measures, but I also heard from folks in my district about the costs they face in caring for their beloved family members--veterans, who have proudly served our country. Many of these veterans receive care at home, as they prefer, but some families are simply not able to provide home care for financial or other reasons. Now, these veterans could seek long-term institutional care through the VA, but that is much more expensive. The VA's FY14 budget request estimates that long-term institutional care costs the VA over $116,000 per veteran per year. Caregivers of the post- 9/11 victims are eligible for a stipend, which costs much less than the cost of long-term care. More than 10,000 veteran caregivers and their families have been helped so far, and that is a very good thing, but there are more who should qualify. There are more veterans in need, and we shouldn't leave them behind. I introduced the Caregivers Expansion and Improvement Act, which would expand the eligibility for veterans' caregiver benefits to family caregivers of all veterans. According to the CBO, approximately 70,000 caregivers of pre-9/11 veterans could be eligible for this program, and let's stop kidding ourselves into believing we are not already spending more taxpayer dollars to provide care through other VA programs. Let's work together on a solution for all of our veterans, some of whom, in fact, were exposed to asbestos and suffer from mesothelioma. I urge my colleagues to defeat the previous question so that we can consider the Caregivers Expansion and Improvement Act in order to honor our obligation to care for our veterans, an obligation which did not end on Veterans Day.

Ms. ESTY

Ms. ESTY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my congratulations and support to Astronaut Rick Mastracchio of NASA's best and brightest and a proud son of Waterbury, Connecticut. Astronaut Mastracchio and two colleagues will launch on a mission to the International Space Station on November 6, bringing along a package of trackable geocaching tags from Waterbury Elementary students. He will spend 6 months on the ISS, conduct several hundred experiments, and return to Earth in May. Astronaut Mastracchio attended Crosby High School and received his bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering and computer science from the University of Connecticut. He is a veteran of three space flights, having logged nearly 40 days in space. He continues to be an inspiration for students back home in Connecticut and around the world. We wish him the best of luck and a safe journey.

Ms. ESTY

Ms. ESTY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for the time. I rise in support of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act because it is essential for our economy and it addresses flood control and water management issues important to my district. Waterways and ports support more than 27,000 jobs in Connecticut, but Congress hasn't passed a WRRDA bill since 2007. We can't wait another 6 years to ensure that our inland waterways and seaports remain the greatest in the world. I do have concerns about provisions meant to streamline environmental reviews, but this bill is the result of bipartisan cooperation, something all too rare in Washington these days; and as a cosponsor, I am proud to say that this bill reflects the bipartisan action that my constituents expect from Congress. That is why I am so grateful to my friend from Pennsylvania, Chairman Shuster, as well as Ranking Member Rahall and Representative Bishop for their responsible bipartisan leadership on this effort. If you are concerned about the economy, public safety, or the lack of funding for our water infrastructure, pass WRRDA today. I rise in support of H.R. 3080, the Water Resources Reform and Development Act, because it is essential for our economy, and it addresses flood control and water management issues that are important to my district. This past May, I led officials from the Army Corps of Engineers' New England Office on a tour of my district. We met with constituents in Torrington, CT, where the city is bound by old restrictions on levee vegetation that are both costly AND harmful to the environment. This bill is a good first step to provide them relief. We met with city leaders in Meriden, CT, about a downtown flood control project that is vital for economic development. They need a partner in Washington, as do communities across America, and that means they need Congress to pass water resources legislation on a regular basis. Waterways and ports support more than 27,000 jobs in Connecticut, but Congress hasn't passed a WRDA bill since 2007. We can't wait another 6 years to ensure our inland waterways and seaports remain the greatest commercial water transportation system in the world. As a cosponsor of this legislation, I'm also proud to say this bill reflects the kind of bipartisan cooperation my constituents expect from Congress. This is not a perfect bill. I am particularly concerned about provisions meant to streamline environmental reviews. But this bill is the result of bipartisan negotiations, something that is all too rare in Washington these days. Despite our disagreements, we have worked together to advance our national interest. That is why I am so thankful for my friend from Pennsylvania, Chairman Shuster, as well as Ranking Member Rahall and Representative Bishop, for their responsible bipartisan leadership. If you are concerned about the economy, public safety, or environmentally friendly reforms for Corps policy: pass this bill today, so that we can turn our focus to the critical lack of funding for our water infrastructure.

Ms. ESTY

Ms. ESTY. Mr. Speaker, this shutdown is hurting families and businesses in my district and across the country. It must end. Protein Sciences in Meriden is a prime example of the many cutting- edge businesses driving economic development in central Connecticut. Their mission is of critical importance to the entire Nation. For the last 30 years, they have been developing and producing lifesaving vaccines to treat and prevent a variety of diseases. The FDA previously approved Protein Sciences' Flublok vaccine for 18- to 49-year-olds, calling it a ``landmark in influenza vaccine history.'' But with FDA officials and employees now on furlough, Protein Sciences can't get approval for their revolutionary flu vaccine for Americans 50 years and older, increasing the chance that the vaccine won't be available for next year's flu season. The FDA and Protein Sciences can't fulfill their mission of saving lives because of the irresponsible shutdown. Mr. Speaker, let's come together to end this shutdown today to give businesses in all of our districts certainty and to ensure that businesses like Protein Sciences can get back to their work of keeping our families healthy and of saving lives.

Ms. ESTY

Ms. ESTY. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Ms. ESTY. I am opposed.

Ms. ESTY. Mr. Speaker, this is the ninth day of the unnecessary government shutdown and the 12th time we've made a motion to bring a clean continuing resolution to the floor--12 times to allow this House to vote on a measure that has passed the Senate, 12 times to allow the House to vote on a budget figure that the Republicans asked for and that has already passed this House--a measure that, based on public statements by Members of this body, would pass and reopen the government immediately. Across my district and across the country, workers have been furloughed, and veterans and seniors are seeing their earned benefits delayed. People in Connecticut and across America are suffering the consequences of this reckless, unnecessary shutdown in very real ways. For months, groups in Connecticut that partner with NIH to conduct research that we need to find breakthrough treatments for children and adults with cancer have been asking that we end the budget sequester. Last week, university hospitals and researchers like those in my State came together to oppose the piecemeal approach, and they asked this House to end the government shutdown. The shutdown means that loans for small businesses to help them grow and create jobs are being delayed. In fact, the average loans for small businesses approved per day in my district are $188,000, and those businesses put those loans to work in creating jobs, ordering new equipment, exporting their goods, but they can't when the SBA is shut down. Business travelers need the entire Federal budget reopened, not a gimmick piecemeal bill limited to parts of the FAA. Piecemeal gimmicks are not a solution for families and children who need the entire Federal Government reopened so that Head Start classrooms aren't closed. Piecemeal gimmicks are not a solution for our veterans who need the entire Federal Government reopened so that they don't face even more unnecessary, harmful delays for the benefits they have earned. Tax-paying Americans are right to expect their hard-earned tax dollars are used responsibly. What sense does it make for taxpayers to be footing the bill for furloughed workers who are prohibited from working when we can vote today for this motion which would lead to the entire Federal Government's reopening? Yesterday, I received a report that 801 unemployment claims have been filed in Connecticut from furloughed workers. Taxpayers will be paying unemployment instead of paying people to work. One vote is all it would take, and this motion could be that vote. It's time to end the shutdown. It's time to send a short-term funding bill to the President. It's time to reopen the entire Federal Government. It is time to be responsible. This is what I hear from folks across my district: Reopen the entire government. A manufacturer in my district let me know that the shutdown is causing uncertainty in its business and its customers' businesses. The shutdown has put a chilling effect on its customers and is harming confidence. Piecemeal gimmicks are not the solution to this problem, and this disingenuous, piecemeal approach is not acceptable to the Chamber of Commerce or to a coalition of over 250 associations representing multiple private sector job-creating industries. They sent a letter to us even before the shutdown, urging this body to promptly pass a continuing resolution to fund the government and raise the debt ceiling. We need to reopen the Federal Government for all of the American people. Make no mistake: I want the FAA reopened. I have contract towers in my district. I want the FAA reopened. I want the VA reopened. I want the entire Federal Government reopened. I ask my colleagues to be reasonable and to vote to pass this motion to reopen the entire Federal Government. I will remind my colleagues who claim that we won't meet part way, we have. Mr. Speaker, the budget figure in this temporary spending bill is your proposal. The Republican budget number is much, much lower, frankly, than what Democrats prefer, but we want to end the shutdown and stop the pain for all of the American people. So we come before this House with the Republicans' own budget figure and ask all House Members to do the right thing. Join us. Join us in reopening the Federal Government. I urge all House Members to vote ``aye'' on this motion. I yield back the balance of my time. Point of Order

Ms. ESTY. Mr. Speaker, doesn't the bill before us fund a portion of the Federal Government? My motion to recommit would open up the entire Federal Government so that all of the benefits taxpayers have paid for with their hard-earned dollars are available. Can the Chair explain why it is not germane to open all of the Federal Government instead of just one portion of the government? We have voted to pay workers furloughed during a shutdown--I supported that bill--but what sense does it make to have workers paid to sit at home and not able to do their jobs? What kind of a strange House is this that would force that situation on our workers and taxpayers? Mr. Speaker, if you rule this motion out of order, does that mean we will not be opening the entire Federal Government today? Can the Chair please explain why we can't open the entire Federal Government today?

Ms. ESTY. Mr. Speaker, I appeal the ruling of the Chair.

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

Ms. ESTY

Ms. ESTY. I want to thank you for your leadership, Mr. Ryan, and Mr. Reed, your bipartisan cochair of the Manufacturing Caucus, for all you have been doing in this Congress and in others, to promote manufacturing. Today, we celebrate the rebirth of manufacturing in Connecticut and across America. My State is home to close to 5,000 manufacturing companies, employing nearly 168,000 men and women. Our State has a long tradition of manufacturing, dating back to Eli Whitney and the cotton gin, and I am proud to see that that tradition is being carried on to the next generation. Tomorrow marks the Second Annual National Manufacturing Day, and in Connecticut, we are celebrating manufacturing through what we are calling the Dream It, Do It Initiative. Folks across the State will be showcasing the importance of American manufacturing. Hundreds of middle school students will participate in a Manufacturing Mania program, to learn how Connecticut-made products impact their lives. Throughout the month, manufacturing facilities will be giving tours, and technical colleges and high schools will hold open houses to show young people and their parents how rewarding a career in manufacturing can be. I've been meeting with manufacturers from across my district, and I've seen firsthand the innovative work that they are doing. In New Britain, family-owned Peter Paul Electronics has been creating good jobs for three generations. They strive every day to expand training and hire new employees. At Ward Leonard, in Thomaston, and Jonal Labs, in Meriden, employees and managers are working together seeking ways to manufacture quality products for customers across Connecticut, across the country, and across the world. I'm proud of the innovative, dedicated men and women of manufacturing, and I want to make sure that they continue to succeed for generations to come. I also know firsthand how important manufacturing is because I come from a family of manufacturers. My grandfather started a small manufacturing company 61 years ago that I'm proud to say is still in business today. I know, from that experience, and from companies all across Connecticut, the importance of providing a supportive environment for manufacturing to grow and thrive and ensure that we are building jobs right here in America. That is why I'm introducing two bills, the First STEP Act, and the STEM Jobs Act, that help students, employees, and small businesses succeed by ensuring that our students have the skills for the future. It's a need I've heard time and time again from manufacturers in my district. We have to ensure that the next generation has the skills to be competitive in a global economy where manufacturing jobs pay those high wages that we need to rebuild the middle class here in America. I know that there is a lot of bipartisan support in this Chamber for our efforts to promote American manufacturing, innovation, and competitiveness. Many of us, on both sides of the aisle, are committed to working together on this and many other issues to help the American people. The time has come for us to pass some real jobs bills for manufacturers, for workers and for families across my district and across this country.

Ms. ESTY

Ms. ESTY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the House bring up the Senate amendment to H.J. Res. 59, the clean CR that would end this Tea Party government shutdown.

Ms. ESTY

Ms. ESTY. I thank the gentleman, and I appreciate working with him and many others here in the Chamber today to address this bill. Mr. Speaker, why are we here? What would this bill do? H.R. 1961 would reinstate--and backdate to 2008--an exemption from commonsense fire safety standards for one single vessel. On its face, this bill is deeply troubling from a public safety perspective. I can appreciate the desire to keep and preserve the historic Delta Queen; but that should be done by the private market, not by Congress, and it should not be done in a way that jeopardizes public safety. Reinstating the expired exemption would distort basic principles of the free market and competition because all other vessels operating as overnight passenger cruise vessels are built to appropriate fire safety standards. These are investments made by U.S. manufacturers and U.S. tour companies alike. Doing the right thing and building or refurbishing to code should not be obstructed by an unprecedented 15- year exemption for a single boat while it is reportedly going through a sale. I urge Members to examine what this measure would do to public safety, what it would do to competition in the marketplace, and remind them we can protect public safety and protect jobs by voting ``no'' on H.R. 1961.

Ms. ESTY

Ms. ESTY. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my colleague, Mr. Holt, for giving me a moment today. I rise to thank Chairman Hastings, Ranking Member DeFazio, and all the other Members in the House and in the Senate who are involved in resolving the helium reserve issue. While Americans are rightfully frustrated with gridlock in Washington--gridlock and posturing that right now is threatening a government shutdown and damage to our economy--today we are voting on a negotiated path forward, a more fair solution, that will ensure a stable supply of helium for businesses and will reduce our deficit by an estimated $90 million over the next 10 years. From the beginning of the discussion over the future of the Helium Stewardship Act this year, I've taken a keen interest in the issue, as helium is a linchpin for Connecticut's economy. From refiners like Praxair to end users like hospitals and manufacturers, the health of the helium market supports thousands of jobs in my State. Once again, I want to thank Chairman Hastings for working with everyone at the table to make some last-minute changes to address legitimate and justified concerns. This sort of bipartisan, respectful cooperation and compromise is just what our country needs and just what our country wants.

Ms. ESTY

Ms. ESTY. Madam Speaker, this week is National Suicide Prevention Week. More than 38,000 Americans die by suicide every year, 90 percent of whom have at least one treatable mental illness. Veterans account for 20 percent of suicides in this country, and military suicide is at an all-time high. The July 2012 cover of Time Magazine described the tragedy of military suicide with a simple headline: One a Day. One year later, these rates have remained largely unchanged, and we owe far better to those who have worn or do wear the uniform. Earlier this summer, I added an amendment to Defense appropriations to add $10 million for military suicide awareness and prevention. It is our responsibility to care for our troops and for our veterans, and more work needs to be done. During National Suicide Prevention Week, let us commit to ensuring that every American has access to treatment.

Ms. ESTY

Ms. ESTY. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 450--H.R. 1155, and 451--H.R. 2747, I was at meetings on Syria with the Vice President at the White House. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.'' Personal Explanation

Ms. ESTY

Ms. ESTY. Madam Chair, my amendment would add five million dollars for support services for members of the National Guard and Reserve to the Defense-Wide Operations and Maintenance account in Title IX of the bill. To prevent an increase in spending, the funding for suicide prevention is offset by reducing the Afghanistan Security Forces Fund by thirty-eight million dollars. This amendment is not only fiscally responsible, but urgent and timely. The cover of Time Magazine from exactly one year ago today described the tragedy of military suicide with the simple headline: ``One a Day.'' It drew attention to the grim reality that military suicide rates were at record levels. By year's end, a record three-hundred-and- fifty active duty troops committed suicide in 2012, amounting to almost one suicide per day. We lost more troops to suicide than we did to combat. One year later, these rates have barely budged. The Department of Defense reported one-hundred-and-sixty-one potential suicides among active-duty service members, reservists and National Guard members through April. This is a pace of one suicide every eighteen hours. We owe far better to those who wear the uniform and serve this nation. I thank the Chairman and Ranking Member for their leadership on this issue. Your tireless, bipartisan commitment to suicide prevention is reflected in the additional twenty-million dollars for the Suicide Prevention Office provided in this bill. My amendment seeks only to bolster your efforts by strengthening outreach and awareness programs to combat stigma and improve access to resources. As the chairman has often reminded us, we should focus our efforts on prevention. This amendment gives our outreach and prevention programs greater support to assist service members in need. It is our job to serve our troops as well as they serve us. We cannot--we must not--wait; it's up to us to act. I urge Members to support this amendment.

Ms. ESTY

Ms. ESTY. Mr. Chair, I thank my colleagues Mr. Walberg (R-MI); Mr. Cohen (D-TN); Mr. Rigell (R-VA) for crafting this smart, commonsense amendment which would simply reduce the Afghanistan Infrastructure Fund by $79 million and redirect those funds to the Spending Reduction Account, saving taxpayer dollars. This is a targeted and smart cut, at a time when we are asking all to do more with less. And in fact, with this amendment, we would simply be funding this account at the level which this body passed last year. Now more than ever, we need to make smart investments in our own infrastructure to create jobs and improve efficiency for our businesses. A business owner in my district recently told me how his drivers lose two hours a day sitting in traffic . . . . . . And many citizens in Connecticut are pleading to widen 1-84 around Waterbury and to modernize our interchanges. Additionally, Newtown has recommended rebuilding Sandy Hook Elementary School, and there is an appropriate role for the Federal Government. We must prioritize our investments and find ways to reduce our deficit. I urge Members to support this amendment.

Ms. ESTY

Ms. ESTY. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Ms. ESTY. I am opposed to the bill in its current form.

Ms. ESTY. Mr. Speaker, this is the final amendment to the bill which will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, it will simply and immediately be amended. The farm bill traditionally has been a risk-management tool for our country. It has reduced risk from price and weather disruptions or disasters for producers like dairy farmers in my district.