Virginia Foxx

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. The question before the House is, Should the House now consider H. Res. 465? This point of order, Madam Speaker, is a dilatory tactic. None of the provisions contained in the underlying measures meet the definition of an earmark under the rule. The chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary certified that H.R. 7 contains no congressional earmarks by including the following earmark statement in the report accompanying this bill, which was filed on January 23, 2014: In accordance with clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives, H.R. 7 does not contain any congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in clause 9(e), 9(f) or 9(g) of rule XXI. The following was included in the Joint Explanatory Statement for the farm bill: Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives and rule XLIV of the Standing Rules of the Senate, neither this conference report nor the accompanying joint statement of managers contains any congressional earmarks, congressionally directed spending items, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits, as defined in such rules. I also remind the gentleman that this conference agreement is a bipartisan and bicameral measure. Nine of the 10 Democrat conferees from the Agriculture Committee have signed the conference report. The conference report was made available to all Members and the public yesterday, in full compliance of the 3-day availability rule. In order to allow the House to continue its scheduled business for the day, Madam Speaker, I urge Members to vote ``yes'' on the question of consideration of the resolution. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I would like to ask the Chair to reiterate her statement made just a few minutes ago about the extent of the remarks that may be made.

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I claim time in opposition to the point of order and in favor of consideration of the resolution.

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins).

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, the question before the House is should the House now consider H. Res. 465. This point of order, Madam Speaker, is a dilatory tactic. I will remind the gentleman that each bill under this rule will be separately considered and debatable on the House floor. Madam Speaker, in order to allow the House to continue its scheduled business for the day, I urge Members to vote ``yes'' on the question of consideration of the resolution. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I rise to claim time in opposition to the point of order and in favor of consideration of the resolution.

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 465 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am going to say it again, this bill is not an attack on women or an attack on women's rights. I think it is wonderful that we had so many men here today speaking on behalf of the unborn. Life is the most fundamental of all rights, Madam Speaker. It is sacred and God-given. But millions of babies have been robbed of that right in this, the freest country in the world. This is a tragedy beyond words and a betrayal of what we, as a Nation, stand for. Before liberty, equality, free speech, freedom of conscience, and the pursuit of happiness and justice for all, there has to be life. And yet, for millions of aborted infants, many pain-capable and many discriminated against because of gender or disability, life is exactly what they have been denied. And an affront to life for some is an affront to life for every one of us. That is the message we want to get across today. One day, we hope it will be different. We hope life will cease to be valued on a sliding scale. We hope the era of elective abortions, ushered in by an unelected Court, would be closed and collectively deemed one of the darkest chapters in American history. But until that day, it remains a solemn duty for all of us to stand up for life. Regardless of the length of this journey, we will continue to speak for those who cannot. And we will continue to pray to the One who can change the hearts of those in desperation and those in power who equally hold the lives of the innocent in their hands. Madam Speaker, the commonsense measure before us restores an important longstanding bipartisan agreement that protects the unborn and prevents taxpayers from being forced to finance thousands of elective abortions. It reflects the will of the American people and is the product of what has historically been a bipartisan, bicameral consensus in Congress. Therefore, Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote for this rule and H.R. 7.

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, the passage of H.R. 7 will be welcome news for the majority of Americans who do not want their tax dollars paying for the grisly business of abortion. This bill, which is cosponsored by 165 House Members and a quarter of the Senate, will make existing policies like the Hyde amendment permanent and will rid ObamaCare of its massive expansion of public funding for abortion insurance plans. The President repeatedly assured Americans that ObamaCare would ``maintain current Hyde amendment restrictions governing abortion policy and extend those restrictions to newly created health insurance exchanges.'' That promise didn't pan out, like so many other promises he made. It now joins, ``If you like your plan, you can keep it'' in President Obama's panoply of broken promises. Madam Speaker, last week hundreds of thousands of Americans came to Washington, D.C., braved the cold, and marched for life. Participants hailed from all 50 States, various religions, and all different walks of life. The one thing they had in common was a shared dedication to protecting the unborn. The March for Life gives a voice to the voiceless and sends a powerful message to Representatives of the people assembled here in Congress. It is heartening that so many Americans of different backgrounds are willing to take a stand for life. This is not a partisan issue, and this is not a partisan bill. H.R. 7 reflects the bipartisan, bicameral agreement that our government should not be in the business of subsidizing abortions. This is not a radical idea, Madam Speaker. It is a commonsense proposal that codifies a longstanding practice. Therefore, I again urge my colleagues to vote for this rule and H.R. 7. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, today I rise to recognize Davie County Deputy Sheriff Christopher Fleming, injured last week while attempting to apprehend a violent suspected home invader. When deputies initially attempted to arrest the suspect, he fled to a nearby home and held two juveniles hostage at gunpoint for over an hour. After the hostages were released, Deputy Fleming, along with three other members of the sheriff's office, entered the home in order to apprehend the suspect. The suspect opened fire, hitting Deputy Fleming in the shoulder. Deputy Fleming's canine partner, Gorky, a Russian shepherd and 5-year veteran of the force, was also shot in the incident and died last Thursday. Madam Speaker, I am happy to report the suspect is in custody, and Deputy Fleming is in good condition and expected to make a full recovery. This incident is a reminder of the risks taken by those who work to keep our communities safe. We must not take their sacrifices for granted.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague, Chris Smith, for his leadership on developing this hour, and all of my colleagues who are here to speak on this very important issue. This week marks the 41st anniversary of a Supreme Court decision which has denied 56 million children the right to life and denied the people of this Nation the ability to govern their country in a manner that aligns with their conscience. I thank my fellow Members for speaking today and marking this somber occasion. Life is a gift from God and should be cherished. It is my strong belief that life begins at conception, and few things demean the sanctity of human life more than elective abortion. The unborn are the most innocent members of our society, and the fact that their right to exist has not been recognized in 41 years is a stain on our Nation's character. As members of the Pro-Life Caucus, we have worked to eliminate taxpayer funding for abortion, fought to preserve pro-life health care providers' rights of conscience. We have followed medical research that indicates infants can feel pain in the womb as early as the 20th week of pregnancy and passed legislation that would eliminate abortion after that time. These are worthy pieces of legislation, but, Mr. Speaker, more must be done. I hope that the day will soon come when the Supreme Court sees fit to overturn Roe and allow the people the ability to eliminate the practice of elective abortion entirely. For as long as I have the privilege of serving in Congress, I will work to ensure unborn children, the most vulnerable members of our society, are protected. I thank my fellow Members here today who share that goal. Let us continue to work for the protection of innocent life. I thank my colleague again, Mr. Smith, from New Jersey.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to invite Members of this House to join me in congratulating Chris Yenrick of Winston-Salem, North Carolina on his recent election as Chairman of the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association. Chris is a constituent of mine, and is president of Smith Phillips Building Supply, an establishment proudly serving Winston-Salem, North Carolina since 1880. Chris's service to the community goes beyond that work; he is a Den Leader with the Boy Scouts of America and a member of Knollwood Baptist Church. He has also served our country in the United States Army. Smith Phillips has been a leading building supply center in the Triad for over 130 years. As its president, Chris Yenrick has provided strong leadership, evidenced by his receipt of the ``Grassroots Dealer of the Year'' award in 2011 from NLBMDA. He has been engaged actively at the federal level through leadership positions with the NLBMDA and regionally with the Southern Building Material Association, culminating in his recent election as Chairman of the Board of Directors. As the NLBMDA's Chairman, Chris will be leading an organization founded in 1917, with over 6,000 members operating single or multiple lumber yards and component plants serving homebuilders, subcontractors, general contractors, and consumers. The association provides vital input to policymakers and effectively represents its members' interests at all levels and branches of government. Chris will be an outstanding leader of those efforts. Mr. Speaker, today I recognize and congratulate Chris Yenrick for his service to our community and country and for his dedication to an industry that's creating jobs and opportunity.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, the Internal Revenue Code allows individuals who feel they aren't taxed enough to make voluntary contributions to the U.S. Treasury. Unsurprisingly, this provision is seldom used. My Democrat colleagues should have considered this fact when drafting ObamaCare. The public is beginning to take note of what Republicans have been pointing out for years: young people who sign up for ObamaCare are taking on what amounts to a voluntary, stealth tax in order to subsidize older enrollees. As the initial numbers come in, it is clear that this voluntary tax on youth will fare no better than the optional taxes already in law. Mr. Speaker, ObamaCare will crumble--and should crumble--not because of bad Web site design or because Republicans don't like it, but because it is a flawed law built on a foundation of unsound policy presumptions.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, last week we marked the 50th anniversary of the war on poverty. While the standard of living of Americans has risen in the last 50 years, the number of those who fall under the poverty line has remained largely constant. In war, good generals adjust when current tactics aren't producing results. Yet we continue to wage war on poverty with the same tired, bureaucratic ideas. This strategy was outdated in 1964; it is antiquated today. The solution to poverty isn't aid programs; it is jobs. Last week also marked one of the worst jobs reports in years. President Johnson said he wanted ``to give our fellow citizens a fair chance to develop their own capacities.'' My bill, the SKILLS Act, would streamline the Federal Government's overlapping and outdated workforce development programs and help put Americans back to work. The SKILLS Act passed the House with bipartisan support. It is time for the Senate to take action on this vital legislation.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, just last week I received the following letter from a constituent: Dear Congresswoman Foxx: On December 10, I applied for a Silver level plan and received confirmation the same day that my application was completed. Since then, I've waited for my invoice so I could pay for the insurance. I called on December 23 and waited close to 5 hours on the phone for the next available rep, only to be put on hold for another one and a half hours and finally be told that they had no idea when my invoice would be sent out. As of January 2, 2013, I have not been billed for my new insurance. I have six prescriptions that need to be filled at the end of the month. When will the program be fixed and operational? Mr. Speaker, it is a good question and the American people deserve an answer.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, today the President called on Congress to take action to help put Americans back to work. Almost 9 months ago, the House passed H.R. 803, the SKILLS Act, with bipartisan support. The SKILLS Act, which I authored, would modernize the vast labyrinth of Federal workforce development programs, increasing access, eliminating waste, and promoting accountability. This bill is languishing in the Senate. As we gavel in the second session of the 113th Congress, this House will maintain its focus on jobs. Our top priority is creating an environment conducive to economic growth and job creation. In last year's session, the House passed more than 30 pieces of legislation designed to decrease bureaucracy, increase opportunity, and restore vitality to our economy. Unfortunately, the majority of this legislation is being held up in the Senate. I join the President in calling for action on jobs, starting with Senate consideration of the SKILLS Act.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, what we know is this: on January 1, millions of Americans are scheduled to lose the health insurance plans they liked and wanted to keep. Nowhere near that many have managed to enroll in ObamaCare. Because Washington said those plans would be illegal on January 1, health care providers followed the law and took steps to cancel millions of plans on schedule. But President Obama and Secretary Sebelius haven't been ready with a functional alternative, and certainly not an affordable alternative for the millions of Americans who will be without coverage on January 1 because of ObamaCare. No one wants to see a situation where fewer Americans have coverage, but forcing an unready law and unwanted alternatives on the American people might just have unintended consequences. So what's the President's plan? The American people are tired of waiting for clarity from an administration that keeps waiting until the last minute to change its mind and announce the next big delay.