Virginia Foxx

Ms. FOXX

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

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I'd like to thank my Senate colleagues, and Senator Tom Carper of Delaware in particular, who worked diligently to ensure this important program is renewed in a timely manner. Providing these awards to young people in my district has been a great honor and privilege for me throughout my tenure representing North Carolina's Fifth Congressional District. The participants of this program continually inspire me, and I look forward to many more ceremonies in the years to come. Once again, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on S. 1348, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 1348, the Congressional Award Program Reauthorization Act of 2013, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. In 1979, Congress enacted the Congressional Award Act to promote initiative, achievement, and excellence among young Americans between the ages of 14 and 23 years old. To earn an award, participants must complete a self-designed program of challenging goals in four program areas: voluntary service, personal development, physical fitness, and expedition/exploration. Program participants can work toward a congressional award certificate or medal. In either category there are three achievement levels: gold, silver, and bronze. Minimum requirements must be met regarding the number of hours devoted to each of the four program areas, total hours worked toward the award, and the duration of the participant's efforts. Senators and Representatives present the awards at local, city, or State ceremonies. It has been my great pleasure to make such presentations many times. The latest was a presentation of the silver medal earlier this summer to one of my constituents from Lewisville, North Carolina, Shelby Birkedal. Shelby worked more than 200 hours of community and 100 hours of physical activity to earn her very well- deserved honor, and we are very proud of her achievement. As my colleagues on both sides of the aisle would surely agree, it is of great importance to provide support and encouragement to America's young people, particularly when they're learning the value of giving back to their communities and becoming productive, upstanding citizens. The legislation before us today provides an opportunity simply to extend this worthwhile program through the fiscal year 2018, and I urge my colleagues to lend their support. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on S. 1348.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 1348) to reauthorize the Congressional Award Act.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, just hours before a critical deadline for this country, the Democrat Senate is MIA. On Saturday evening, House Republicans sent them a second legislative proposal to keep the government open, and the Senate is sitting on it. They have yet to take action or to even come in to work. Make no mistake--the House is committed to keeping the government open. We are open to compromise. We know that's required of a Congress comprised of a Republican House and a Democrat Senate. That's why we have taken steps to come to the middle and find common ground. Our most recent proposal to keep the government open fully funds critical services, protects troop pay, provides fairness for all Americans under ObamaCare, and permanently stops ObamaCare's medical innovation tax. There is so much potential for bipartisan efforts to advance this legislation in the Senate, but Senator Reid needs to bring up the proposal and adopt an attitude that is broader than ``our way or the highway.'' There is time left for us to work together. The Senate needs to hustle.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, a ``compromise'' is an ``agreement reached by each side making concessions,'' but how can we reach a compromise if President Obama isn't even willing to negotiate? The President has said he will not negotiate raising the debt ceiling even though every major attempt to deal with the deficit over the last 30 years has been tied to the debt limit. He will not negotiate delaying the individual mandate even though he delayed the employer mandate until 2015. He will not negotiate repealing the medical device tax even though 33 Democrats voted to do precisely that. However, he is willing to negotiate with labor unions and special interests over their objections to ObamaCare. He is willing to negotiate with dictators who use chemical weapons against their own citizens. He is willing to negotiate with Iran. He is just not willing to negotiate with Congress, and he is not willing to listen to the American people, who are demanding a reprieve from his half-baked health care law and real solutions to America's debt and deficit problems.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I want to give high praise to my colleagues on this side of the aisle who have been here this morning talking about the really, really important issues that are facing our country these days. Why are we here in Washington, D.C., on a Saturday? We should be at home in our districts. Republicans believe that the wisdom of the world is not in Washington, D.C.; it is back in our districts; it is back with the American people. But we're here because of a failed policy that was passed without bipartisan support but strictly on behalf of liberals in this body, in the Senate, and the failed policies of a very liberal President. So we wouldn't have to be here today if it weren't for that failed policy. Unfortunately, our colleagues on the other side of the aisle are trying to put the blame on us for saying that we're here because we're fighting what we see as a failed policy. The American people see it as a failed policy also. The majority of the American people are opposed to what we have come to call ObamaCare. It was not passed by bipartisan vote. Our colleagues keep talking about bipartisanship. It was passed purely on a partisan basis. No Republican has ever voted for ObamaCare, and every Republican who has had the opportunity to vote against it, has voted against it. Why? Because we believe we represent the American people. We don't want to shut down the Federal Government. In fact, we've passed bills to keep the government running; but we want to have the policy right. My colleague from Connecticut talked about the need for compromise and he said, erroneously, this is the first time that we would shut down the government over a policy. He must have forgotten that the Federal Government has shut down 17 times before--sometimes when Democrats were totally in control, sometimes when there was split government, but it has happened 17 times before. What are we doing here on our side of the aisle? We're fighting for the American people. We know this is a failed policy, and we do not want to see this failed policy go any further than it has gone. As my colleagues have said, the sad thing about it is our President is willing to negotiate with a country that we call a terrorist country but is not willing to negotiate on this. He said: What I haven't been willing to negotiate, what I will not negotiate, is on the debt ceiling. He doesn't want to negotiate on ObamaCare either. But we know that the President did negotiate in August 2011. We know that five other Presidents have negotiated on this issue. We also know that there are going to be people who are not going to be covered by this program that is supposed to be covering all Americans. And, Mr. Speaker, I include, for the Record, an article by Daniel Henninger in the September 25 Wall Street Journal, called, ``Let ObamaCare Collapse,'' because it points out many, many of the problems with this program that haven't all been pointed out this morning. And we have another issue that we're going to be facing in the next few days, and that is the raising of the debt limit. I want to quote someone who talked about the failure of leadership if we have to face raising the debt limit: The fact that we are here today to debate raising America's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can't pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our government's reckless fiscal policies. Increasing America's debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that ``the buck stops here.'' Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choice today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better. That was then-Senator Barack Obama on the floor of the U.S. Senate March 20, 2006. Yes, indeed, Mr. President, we have a failure of leadership, and the buck stops with you. [From the Wall Street Journal, Sept. 25, 2013] Let ObamaCare Collapse (By Daniel Henninger) Congress can't kill the entitlement state. Only the American people can. What the GOP's Defund-ObamaCare Caucus is failing to see is that ObamaCare is no longer just ObamaCare. It is about something that is beyond the reach of a congressional vote. As its Oct. 1 implementation date arrives, ObamaCare is the biggest bet that American liberalism has made in 80 years on its foundational beliefs. This thing called ``ObamaCare'' carries on its back all the justifications, hopes and dreams of the entitlement state. The chance is at hand to let its political underpinnings collapse, perhaps permanently. If ObamaCare fails, or seriously falters, the entitlement state will suffer a historic loss of credibility with the American people. It will finally be vulnerable to challenge and fundamental change. But no mere congressional vote can achieve that. Only the American people can kill ObamaCare. No matter what Sen. Ted Cruz and his allies do, ObamaCare won't die. It would return another day in some other incarnation. The Democrats would argue, rightly, that the ideas inside ObamaCare weren't defeated. What the Democrats would lose is a vote in Congress, nothing more. A political idea, once it becomes a national program, achieves legitimacy with the public. Over time, that legitimacy deepens. So it has been with the idea of national social insurance. German Chancellor Otto von Bismark's creation of a social insurance system in the 19th century spread through Europe. After the devastation of World War I, few questioned its need. In the U.S., Franklin Roosevelt's Social Security system was seen as an antidote to the Depression. The public's three-decade support for the idea allowed Lyndon Johnson to pass the Medicare and Medicaid entitlements even in the absence of an economic crisis. Going back at least to the Breaux-Thomas Medicare Commission in 1999, endless learned bodies have warned that the U.S. entitlement scheme of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid is financially unsupportable. Of Medicare, Rep. Bill Thomas said at the time, ``One of the biggest problems is that the government tries to administer 10,000 prices in 3,000 counties, and it gets it wrong most of the time.'' But change never comes. Medicaid is the worst medicine in the United States. It grinds on. Doctors in droves are withdrawing from Medicare. No matter. It all lives on. An established political idea is like a vampire. Facts, opinions, votes, garlic: Nothing can make it die. But there is one thing that can kill an established political idea. It will die if the public that embraced it abandons it. Six months ago, that didn't seem likely. Now it does. The public's dislike of ObamaCare isn't growing with every new poll for reasons of philosophical attachment to notions of liberty and choice. Fear of ObamaCare is growing because a cascade of news suggests that ObamaCare is an impending catastrophe. Big labor unions and smaller franchise restaurant owners want out. UPS dropped coverage for employed spouses. Corporations such as Walgreens and IBM are transferring employees or retirees into private insurance exchanges. Because of ObamaCare, the Cleveland Clinic has announced early retirements for staff and possible layoffs. The federal government this week made public its estimate of premium costs for the federal health-care exchanges. It is a morass, revealing the law's underappreciated operational complexity. But ObamaCare's Achilles' heel is technology. The software glitches are going to drive people insane. Creating really large software for institutions is hard. Creating big software that can communicate across unrelated institutions is unimaginably hard. ObamaCare's software has to communicate--accurately--across a mind-boggling array of institutions: HHS, the IRS, Medicare, the state-run exchanges, and a whole galaxy of private insurers' and employers' software systems. Recalling Rep. Thomas's 1999 remark about Medicare setting prices for 3,000 counties, there is already mispricing of ObamaCare's insurance policies inside the exchanges set up in the states. The odds of ObamaCare's eventual self-collapse look stronger every day. After that happens, then what? Try truly universal health insurance? Not bloody likely if the aghast U.S. public has any say. Enacted with zero Republican votes, ObamaCare is the solely owned creation of the Democrats' belief in their own limitless powers to fashion goodness out of legislated entitlements. Sometimes social experiments go wrong. In the end, the only one who supported Frankenstein was Dr. Frankenstein. The Democrats in 2014 should by all means be asked relentlessly to defend their monster. Republicans and conservatives, instead of tilting at the defunding windmill, should be working now to present the American people with the policy ideas that will emerge inevitably when ObamaCare's declines. The system of private insurance exchanges being adopted by the likes of Walgreens suggests a parallel alternative to ObamaCare may be happening already. If Republicans feel they must ``do something'' now, they could get behind Sen. David Vitter's measure to force Congress to enter the burning ObamaCare castle along with the rest of the American people. Come 2017, they can repeal the ruins. The discrediting of the entitlement state begins next Tuesday. Let it happen.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Minnesota for helping to lead this effort today with our other colleague from Tennessee and all of our colleagues who are going to be here today. I think it's really important that we shed a lot of light on a couple of issues that are going to be discussed. They were discussed in the 1 minutes this morning, and I want to compliment all of our colleagues who came down to talk about this problem that we are facing with the implementation of this unaffordable, unworkable, unfair, unpopular bill that was passed in an unprecedented way, as you said. I also think that it's important that we throw light on the issue of what happens if our government is shut down. As our colleague, Congressman Dent from Pennsylvania, was saying, House Republicans want this government to stay open. We have acted to keep the government open. We don't want a government shutdown. We voted a week ago to pass a continuing resolution in advance of the new fiscal year, which lays out how the government will be funded, how the troops will be paid, how the parks will remain open, and how day-to-day government operations will continue. Yes, we oppose this bill, but we want to keep our government running. The Democrats in the Senate have yet to pass this legislation to protect the American people from a shutdown or from the unfairness of ObamaCare. America is waiting for the Senate. Because the clock is running, the country is nearing the edge of the 18th government shutdown since 1976. I want to thank our colleague, particularly Michele Bachmann, for calling to our attention the article that ran in The Washington Post this week that pointed out the history of government shutdowns. We don't believe in government shutdowns on the Republican side, but contrary to what our colleagues are trying to say and what the President is saying, this is not an issue that has been brought on only by Republicans in the past. Government shutdowns have occurred with Democrats and Republicans in the White House. They have occurred with divided Congresses, with a Congress of one party and a White House of the other. They have even occurred when Democrats have controlled both the Congress and the White House. We don't want to add another chapter to that history, so we have asked our colleagues in the Senate to do their part. We know that the threat of a shutdown breeds uncertainty and confusion for American families when too many are already concerned about how ObamaCare will be making unwelcome changes to their health care and making health care more expensive, as has been pointed out by several of our colleagues today. So we want the Senate to act, to follow the lead of the House and move the country away from shutdown and away from ObamaCare. By the way, let's point out again that our bill passed with bipartisan support. The right step to take is to repeal ObamaCare--at the very least to delay ObamaCare--because of the problems that it presents and not shut down the government. That's the message Republicans are bringing. Unfortunately, it has not been the message that has been out there in the media. I am thankful, again, to my colleagues for being here today and leading this Special Order to make sure that, at least here, we can get that message out.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 10 a.m. tomorrow for morning-hour debate and noon for legislative business.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, if there's one thing I know that hardworking taxpayers back home in my district need in these tough economic times, it's certainty. It's tough enough putting food on the table and putting gas in the car without worrying that an out-of-control Federal Government is going to make life harder for you and your family. That's why last week my colleagues and I in the House passed legislation that provides some of that certainty. We don't want our fellow Americans to see their insurance premiums shoot up or lose their insurance altogether because of the President's unworkable health care law. And we want our government to stay open. That's what the American people need, and that's what the House has acted to do. Now it's time for the Senate to act as well.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, ObamaCare is dead weight on a stagnant job market. Millions of Americans are out of work. Millions more are underemployed--crunching numbers around the kitchen tables, trying to make ends meet. Yet ObamaCare is undermining growth and is making it harder for businesses, large and small, to hire more full-time workers or to even maintain part-time worker schedules. It is cited as a leading cause for why nearly three out of four people hired this year were offered only part-time jobs. The stagnant economic report we received earlier this month is a continued reminder that ObamaCare is not the job creator or economic driver the President promised. It is a burden on employers, and it is translating into prolonged underemployment for working American families. Republicans and Democrats need to work together to repeal, defund, delay, and replace ObamaCare for these families. Meaningful reform is worth the effort.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on behalf of North Carolinians who cannot afford to be worse off under ObamaCare. Today, single North Carolinians in their mid-twenties can pay as little as $35 a month for health insurance. Under ObamaCare, they will pay $183 for a bronze plan. In direct contradiction to the President's promise of savings, health care costs for a family of four may even increase $7,000. Where is the affordability in that? Americans aren't interested in the administration's PR. They're concerned with whether they'll have to spend more on January 1 than they are spending today. The answer to that question is, sadly, yes for many in my State under ObamaCare. ObamaCare is going to hit too many North Carolina families right in the wallet. It should be repealed and replaced with our American Health Care Reform Act.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 100th birthday of Mrs. Thelma Patterson Cain, a constituent of mine from Davie County, and longtime North Carolinian. It is an honor to represent Mrs. Cain in Congress and to introduce her to this body and her country as a real national treasure. The people who know and love Mrs. Cain, which is everyone who meets her, say she is loyal, dutiful, responsible, intelligent, loving, beautiful, kindhearted, and gracious. She is a celebrated cook, a beloved mother, a cherished ``Grandma,'' and an adopted ``Auntie'' to practically all the children in her neighborhood. Mrs. Cain was born on September 26, 1913 as the tenth of Henry and Julia Patterson's eleven children. With her four sisters and six brothers, Thelma grew up in a North Carolina farming family, working in tobacco and raising cows, pigs, and chickens. In 1939, she married Mr. Samuel Cain and the two had a son, William Henry Patterson. She raised Gary Dulin, her grand nephew and current caretaker, like her own son as well. Today, Mrs. Cain enjoys the blessing of watching her family continue to grow through her four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. In earlier years, Mrs. Cain was employed by North Carolinia families in Davie and Yadkin as a domestic worker and was also a waitress at Winston-Salem's own Salem Academy. A woman after my own heart, Mrs. Cain possesses a green thumb and has committed much time in her years to planting flower and vegetable gardens in our fine North Carolina soil. Birds, too, are counted among the beneficiaries of Mrs. Cain's thoughtfulness as feeding and watching them is a favorite of her pastimes. Her personal relationship with God has been strengthened through her lifetime membership in Mocksville's Chinquapin Grove Missionary Baptist Church. Faith in the Lord Almighty has sustained Thelma Cain for 100 beautiful years, and carried, comforted, and guided her through hardship and loss. The heart of compassion, decency, and spirit of generosity which characterize this woman are so clearly rooted in obedience to God. It is an absolute joy to recognize Mrs. Cain's on the occasion of her 100th birthday celebration. Mrs. Cain, like strong women often are, is an anchor for her family, church congregation, and community. She is deserving of honor, congratulations, and true celebration on this day and for all her days. May God continue to bless Mrs. Thelma Patterson Cain with good health, dear friendships, hope and happiness for many years to come.

Ms. FOXX

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

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, 5 years--that's how long the Keystone XL pipeline and the 40,000 jobs it's expected to create have been waiting for President Obama's approval. There is no good reason for this delay. Americans need these jobs. Democrats, Republicans, and organized labor groups have coalesced in support of the Keystone XL pipeline because it will spur job creation, help us on our way to energy independence, and increase access to affordable North American oil. Ask any mom responsible for balancing the family checkbook whether affordable energy matters to her. It does. Keystone XL is the most studied pipeline in our Nation's history. Thousands of pages prove its worth to our economy and national interest and further document its safety. On this fifth anniversary of Keystone's original application, it's time for the President to put his excuses aside. It's time to build.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, given President Obama's reflexive opposition to offering all Americans fair treatment under ObamaCare, you'd think the cost of ``fairness for all'' must be pretty astronomical. Not so. Extending ``fairness for all'' by giving American families the same break from ObamaCare that businesses are getting will save taxpayers and cut the Federal deficit. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found that delaying ObamaCare's weighty individual mandate tax on the American people would reduce Federal deficits by roughly $36 billion over the 2014-2018 period. Fairness makes sense. It's not just good policy; it's good for taxpayers and for the economy. No wonder Republicans and Democrats joined together this summer to stop the individual mandate just like President Obama decided to stop his Big Business employer mandate. We encourage President Obama to rethink his insistence on the individual mandate and to support ``fairness for all.''

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the residents of Trinity Elms on the occasion of Grandparents Day. It is an honor to extend to Trinity Elms residents another expression of much deserved thanks and appreciation for the critical role they, as grandparents, play in the lives of their families and our larger Clemmons community, Grandparents fortify and exemplify the values we seek to teach our children. They encourage children to dream, teach them the importance of duty, and push them always to do their best, Trinity Elms residents are to be thanked for providing this direction. As an anchor of love and stability in many families, grandparents often help their children bear the responsibilities of parenting. They possess invaluable knowledge and wisdom, and are a reservoir of life experiences which transcends generational differences and stand the test of time. Though gratitude for the part grandparents play is oft under-sung, we will not make that mistake today. For the many hats Trinity Elms residents wear as grandparents, those of teacher, comforter, cheerleader, coach, disciplinarian, and even adjunct parent, I salute them. A grandparent's love is something that can never be replaced in a child's life. May we continue to treasure the blessing of grandparenting as an affirmation of the generosity of Almighty God. That we, as individuals, have the opportunity to love and encourage our children and grandchildren as they grow and navigate the challenges of this life is astounding. And through the process, grandparents too are changed for the better. In fond remembrance of my own grandparents, and as the proud grandmother of two, I commend Trinity Elms residents for their service and offer them my sincerest thanks.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, the students at Mabel Elementary School in Watauga County are observing ``International Peace Day'' this Friday. I commend them for taking the time to pay such special attention to a cause as important as peace. Each student at Mabel Elementary School has a part to play in building peace. As I told the student, peace starts with respect--respect for yourself, your family, your classmates, your teachers, and for our American values of life, liberty, personal responsibility, and equality. Pursuing peace goes hand-in-hand with practicing respect. And practicing respect is a choice each of us will make for the rest of our lives. President Ronald Reagan, in a speech to students at Moscow State University, said ``A people free to choose will always choose peace.'' In this country, we not only have the freedom to make that choice, we also have wonderful examples to follow as we learn to practice respect and build peace. No one values peace more than the men and women who serve in our armed forces. These brave people and their families sacrifice to defend freedome and pursue peace in our world. When bad things happen and when we find ourselves in danger, they answer the call to protect us and they always work to find peace. It takes courage and conviction to choose to treat others with respect and pursue peace. But peace is a noble calling and a just goal. By practicing peace and respect at home and in school, Mabel Elementary students can help build a more peaceful North Carolina, a more peaceful America, and even a more peaceful world. Again, I commend them on their Peace Day celebration.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, twelve years ago, the course of our country's history changed. In an unprovoked attack that sought to bring America to its knees, the world was reminded instead that ours is a nation of heroes--where people run toward danger for the sake of their fellow man; where a new generation of protectors, knowing full well the risk, chose to answer its country's call to defend liberty and pursue peace. Last year on this day we were again reminded that freedom has its foes. We mourn the lives of the four dear Americans we lost to terror in Benghazi and pledge justice on their behalf. To the families bound together by this tragic date eleven years apart, we promise our continued prayers for peace, and we take comfort that the nearness of Almighty God is always with the brokenhearted. September 11, another infamous date for our Republic, revealed the strength and resolve of American character, and proved once again to the adversaries of liberty that the champions of freedom will not be stopped. We will never waiver, we will not cede strength, and we will stand firm as the last best hope of earth.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, because of ObamaCare, health insurance costs could be increasing more than 80 percent for young North Carolinians. Yes, those who pay just over $100 a month now may have to pay $185 for ObamaCare-approved coverage. The administration has attempted to console us with promises that the blow of such sharp cost increases will be softened for the neediest Americans through income-based taxpayer subsidies. However, there's a problem: it's not just needy Americans who will have access. Because the Obama administration has decided to rely on an ``honor system'' for subsidy distribution to draw money, income won't have to be verified, and neither will one's access to ``affordable'' employer-provided health coverage. We are told this honor system will be temporary, but we are not satisfied. Develop a verification system now or delay the subsidies. Better yet, give every American a break and repeal this law.