Michael Fitzpatrick

Mr. FITZPATRICK

Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 125 years of outstanding service and community involvement of Wesley Enhanced Living, a Philadelphia, Bucks County, and Montgomery County faith-based institution providing wonderful service to my district. For more than a century, the professional, dedicated staff at Wesley has provided a crucial service to seniors around the Delaware Valley. Following their guiding values of grace, honor, and integrity, Wesley has strived to serve the aging population and better their golden years. Beyond the task of caring for its residents, the leadership at Wesley Enhanced Living has been open and forthcoming towards new and innovative ways to help seniors across the country. By working in unison with leaders in the field, we have been able to find better ways to represent the seniors in my district and serve the needs of those who care for them each day. I wish the best for Wesley Enhanced Living, and I hope that their commitment to our community continues for another 125 years.

Mr. FITZPATRICK

Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, November has been designated Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month. This disease and its alarming statistics call for aggressive measures to develop early detection and treatment tools before its incidence increases dramatically. More advanced scientific research will give hope to those diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, which is the only major cancer with a five-year relative survival rate of just six percent. Since there are no effective early detection tools or curative treatments for pancreatic cancer, it is expected to become the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths by 2020. I, therefore, commend the Fund a Cure for Pancreatic Cancer Organization, of Newtown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and its 2013 Run Over Cancer 5K that took place on July 6 with more than 250 participants. Congratulations for raising over $35,000 for the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital's Pancreatic Cancer Research Team. The proceeds from this annual event will be presented to the hospital in Philadelphia on Dec. 2, 2013.

Mr. FITZPATRICK

Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of 278 simple words spoken a century and a half ago in a small town in my home state of Pennsylvania. When President Lincoln addressed the crowd assembled at the dedication of the National Cemetery at Gettysburg, he noted in his speech that his words were ones that, ``the world will little note, nor long remember''. Yet, 150 years later, President Lincoln's words of sacrifice and strength still ring true. Even amidst the fog of a still raging civil war, Lincoln promised that ``this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom''--and that ``government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.'' Today, we recognize the commitment of President Lincoln to reunite and ensure the continued success of our nation. Furthermore, we reinforce our efforts to protect his solemn pledge of a free government for a free people.

Mr. FITZPATRICK

Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, the Affordable Care Act is more than a Web site. That is the comforting assurance President Obama is giving to the American people as the continuing train wreck of his law's implementation grinds on. The law is more than a Web site. Unfortunately, that means its flaws extend past the Web site as well. It is bad technology mixed with bad policy. Each day we hear more and more people losing plans they liked despite the President's promise they could keep them. Recently, I spoke with Scott Randolph, a self-employed father of two in my district, who is feeling the harmful effects head-on. Scott received this notice in the mail that said his insurance plan, which he liked and which worked for him and his two sons, was going to be terminated and replaced with a similar plan at triple the cost. I think Scott said it best when he said: The President guaranteed me, ``If you like your plan, you can keep it.'' Well, the fact is, I can keep my plan; I just can't afford my plan now. Mr. President, this is unacceptable. Period. Let's pass the Keep Your Health Plan Act and offer help to the millions of Americans hurt by this broken promise.

Mr. FITZPATRICK

Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of 100 years of committed dedication by Woods Services to children, adults and families affected by developmental disabilities. Founded in 1913 by Philadelphia school teacher Mollie Woods, the organization has worked for the last century to advance the quality of life and the standard of care for individuals with disabilities--a cause worth acknowledgment each day, but especially on this monumental anniversary. Today, Woods offers exceptional and experienced care for those with autism, brain injuries, learning disabilities and emotional and behavioral challenges. The loyal staff at Woods provides a vital service in our community, and a remarkably important role in the life and development of those they care for. I am honored to represent those who do such important work at Wood, and wish them continued success in the next 100 years.

Mr. FITZPATRICK

Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor John and Martha Manilla. John and Martha have been married for 57 years. John served in World War II in the 8th Army Air Force in the European Theater. He flew 33 missions over France and Germany before returning home and beginning work with a construction company. He married Martha, a school teacher, in 1956 and started a family. John soon began his own construction company, with constant aid and support from Martha. Together they raised a family of four in Skaneateles, New York, a town John has called home for his lifetime. Martha taught in the Skaneateles Central Schools for 23 years, influencing the lives of hundreds of students. They are loving grandparents to 11 grandchildren, friends of many and a warm presence in the town they love. At 90 years old, John still participates in the Memorial Day parade and is an active veteran. They represent the best in America; pride in their nation, purposeful civic duty and a love for family and friends. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the remainder of my time.

Mr. FITZPATRICK

Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, Aria Health has been providing quality medical care to residents of the Philadelphia region since July 4th, 1903 when it began as Frankford Hospital in Northeast Philadelphia. In the 110 years that have followed, Aria Health has grown to six facilities--three inpatient and three outpatient--and is the largest healthcare provider in the Northeast Philadelphia and Lower Bucks County area. Through that time it has continued to serve the medical needs of millions in the Philadelphia and Bucks County regions with the same commitment to care as the day they were founded. I rise today in recognition of their continued service to our communities, and congratulate them on their reception of the Crystal Vision Award--given each year by the Greater Northeast Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. This award is a testament to the lasting impression Aria--its physicians, nurses and staff--have left on the lives of those they have, and continue to help. I am pleased to join with members of the Chamber in recognizing Aria for their accomplishments and wish them constant success in the future as they continue to care for our community.

Mr. FITZPATRICK

Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, the Upper Bucks Chamber of Commerce is preparing for their 60th year by celebrating several decades of partnership with businesses in the Upper Bucks region. The mission of the Upper Bucks Chamber of Commerce is to build strong liaisons within the region's business community in order to progress the principles of free enterprise and enhance the quality of life in Upper Bucks County. The UBCC is a membership based non-profit organization comprised of local non-profit and for profit businesses and community associations. Representing over 1,000 businesses with the purpose of strengthening the local economy, the UBCC works to encourage business and consumer commerce. Through connection building, regional promotion, and services which endorse and protect interests, the UBCC is able to accomplish their mission. The UBCC has provided these invaluable services to businesses in the community for the past 60 years and I commend their dedication to building a strong local economy and wish them the best in the future.

Mr. FITZPATRICK

Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Pennco Tech for celebrating 40 years of success in our community. The school and its branch campuses have been training individuals in electronic, automotive, and technological fields for decades. They also specialize in HVAC, building trades, and healthcare--helping prepare young students to excel in good paying jobs in my community. In 1961, Pennco Tech was established in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1966, they founded the School of Automotive Technology through the Ford Motor Company. Together, these companies were acquired by Pennco Institutes Incorporated in 1973. The schools then united in Bristol, Pennsylvania in 1975. Since then, the school has opened branch campuses in Pennsauken, New Jersey and Blackwood, New Jersey. The Pennsauken campus has also been granted accreditation from ACCSC. Today, both schools offer a wide range of majors that allow students to gain hands on experience within their field of study. Pennco Tech is a vital educational institution in our community, as they teach necessary skills that further the knowledge of those who are entering the workforce and contributing to the local economy. Once again, congratulations on 40 years of success.

Mr. FITZPATRICK

Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life of Frederick Slack, Sr. who passed away at the age of 90 on his beloved farm in Forest Grove, Bucks County. Fred, a lifelong resident of the Village of Forest Grove, was a school bus driver, a farrier, a pilot, a World War II veteran, a baseball fan and a loving family man. However, many knew him for his farm which was his pride and joy. In 1996, The Fred Slack Farm became the first farm in Buckingham Township to be added onto The Pennsylvania Farm Preservation. Fred and Evelyn were so proud. Fred was a member of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau and was an avid proponent of Farm Preservation efforts, both in Bucks County and across the state. For decades, Fred and his late-wife Evelyn were proud to grow some of the best tasting corn and tomatoes in the area. Visitors to their farm were always greeted with warm and welcoming smiles and the couple treasured the memories made at their humble property. My thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to Fred's friends and family--his four children, eight grandchildren and his great grandchild. May they all take comfort in knowing that Fred's legacy lives on in the fields he worked and the lives he touched--neither soon to be forgotten.

Mr. FITZPATRICK

Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Henry Rosenberger on receiving Penn Foundation's prestigious Adventures in Excellence Award, which is presented to a respected local leader who promotes the Foundation's charitable mission. Mr. Rosenberger has a commitment to excellence and is a community volunteer, who serves on the Board of Directors of Living Branches, Living Hope Farm. In presenting the award, the Penn Foundation highlighted his entrepreneurship, community leadership, service and philanthropy. Henry and his wife, Charlotte, operate Tussock Sedge Farm in Upper Bucks County, where they have preserved more than half the farm's 450 acres as open space through the Bucks County Farmland Preservation Program. In 2007, they preserved an additional 140 acres in perpetuity. With our best wishes for continued good works, we acknowledge Henry Rosenberger as a committed leader and respected member of the Bucks County community who has set an outstanding example for others to follow.

Mr. FITZPATRICK

Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and introduce a good friend and community leader in my home district, Rabbi Joshua Gruenberg, and to thank him for offering today's invocation. Rabbi Gruenberg made the trip here to the Nation's Capital with his wife, Elissa, and his two children, Kayla and Samuel. I am proud and pleased to welcome the rabbi and his family to the House of Representatives. Rabbi Gruenberg is the chief spiritual leader at Temple Beth El in Yardley, Pennsylvania. Since he joined the temple in 2011, I have gotten to know the rabbi quite well. He has participated in several of my local roundtable discussions on issues, including Israel and the Middle East, and has come down to Washington to visit with me and to offer counsel. Rabbi Gruenberg is a warm and welcoming Bucks County leader. He has helped build on a strong foundation at Temple Beth El that will last for decades to come. I am proud of the work he has done in our community and am privileged to call him my friend.

Mr. FITZPATRICK

Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, the Affordable Care Act is more than a website. That's the comforting assurance President Obama is giving to the American people as the continuing train wreck of the law's implementation grinds on. Mr. Speaker, I agree with the President. The law is more than a website. Unfortunately, that means its flaws extend past the website as well. Simply put, its bad technology mixed with bad policy. From broken websites to broken promises this law is taking on water and sinking fast, taking hardworking Americans with it. Last Friday, I spoke with a self-employed father of two in my district who is feeling the harmful effects of the ACA head on. He received a notice in the mail that said his insurance--which he liked-- was going to triple. The same plan, just hundreds more. I think he put it best when he said, ``the President guaranteed, `If you like your plan you can keep it'. Well the fact is, I can keep my plan, I just can't afford my plan now . . .'' News reports now say that over two million people will lose the health plan they currently have, even after hearing the President's promise for three years. This is unacceptable. That's why I am supporting legislation that actually allows people to keep their coverage under the ACA--even as the President's new regulations and mandates try and take it away. Furthermore, I will continue in joining members from both parties in both chambers, in asking the President to delay the individual mandate of the ACA. President Obama said he would negotiate once government was fully funded and operational--now is the time for him to address bipartisan ideas for improvement that help out the American people.

Mr. FITZPATRICK

Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of a career dedicated to service to our country. After more than two decades of service, Colonel Paulette Schank will be retiring from her command, but her service and commitment to others will not soon be forgotten. Colonel Schank, a Bucks County resident, is the Commander of the 514th AMDS, Aerospace Medicine Squadron based out of Joint Base McGuire-Dix- Lakehurst, New Jersey. Her detachment provides medical support for over 2,600 Airmen, ensuring their medical readiness to meet mission requirements both stateside and abroad. As both a civilian nurse-anesthetist at Saint Mary Medical Center in Langhorne and an Air Force reserve officer, Colonel Schank has dedicated her life to caring for others--be it in Bucks County or around the world. During her tenure with the Air Force she has provided medical assistance in times of war and in humanitarian efforts--from Iraq to Haiti, Mozambique to Peru. Colonel Schank is a vital part of my Veterans Advisory Board and a trusted consultant when it comes to pursuing legislation that benefits my district's veterans and military members. On behalf of a grateful community, a grateful nation, and a grateful world I thank Colonel Paulette Schank for her service and wish her the best in her retirement.

Mr. FITZPATRICK

Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Rokita, and I rise in strong support of the legislation on the floor today. This bill, if passed by the House and Senate and signed by the President, will go a long way toward protecting students in our Nation's schools. I thank the ranking member, Mr. Miller, for bringing this bill up today and for bringing to light an issue that is compromising student safety throughout our country. H.R. 2083, the Protecting Students from Sexual and Violent Predators Act of 2013, will ensure consistent and comprehensive school employee background checks in all States. The bill also includes language from a bill that I introduced, the Jeremy Bell Act. This piece of the larger bill blocks Federal funding to schools that knowingly hire or transfer teachers involved in sexual misconduct. The Jeremy Bell Act is named after a 12-year-old West Virginia elementary school student who was sexually abused and murdered by his principal, a man that had a long record of sexual misconduct, but who was allowed to transfer and leave schools without punishment and without informing new districts. In a 2010 Government Accountability Office investigations report, it was found that inconsistent State laws regarding background checks facilitated the hiring and transferring of sexual predators in our schools. If, by cutting off funds to schools that knowingly ``pass the trash,'' we can save one student from Jeremy's fate, then this bill has succeeded. Overall, this bipartisan bill includes student safety measures, including requiring background checks for school employees, a commonsense method to better protect our children in their schools. In testimony submitted at a field hearing I held in Philadelphia last Congress, Roy Bell, Jeremy's father, expressed his outrage and his sadness that our education system had failed to protect the life and innocence of his 12-year-old son. Unfortunately, Jeremy's father passed away this weekend. It is on his behalf and on behalf of all parents and students that I will continue to work to pass legislation that protects our students. Today, I ask my colleagues to consider this legislation and its impact on families across our Nation. Mr. Speaker, I encourage quick passage of H.R. 2083 by both Chambers and for it to be signed into law by the President. I thank the chairman and Mr. Miller for their work on this bill.

Mr. FITZPATRICK

Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, once again, this year, we observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 1 to October 15 and celebrate the rich history, culture and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. The observation began in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan twenty years later as a month-long celebration and enacted into law August 17, 1988. Our leaders, then and now, recognize this nation was founded and built through the hard work and sacrifices of immigrants from around the world and so we honor Hispanic-Americans whose past and future contributions have added to the strength and endurance of American society. The shared goal of a prosperous, greater America is further enhanced by their ongoing participation and recognized during National Hispanic Heritage Month.

Mr. FITZPATRICK

Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of a career of service to the community of Tullytown Borough by Police Chief Patrick Priore. Chief Priore retired from the force at the end of August after serving more than 15 years as chief and nearly 24 years with the department overall. The Chief's commitment to the people of Lower Bucks County was well known and widely respected. His dedication to protecting the people of his region continued even after he was seriously injured in the line of duty in May of 2009--an injury that forced him into an early retirement. Mr. Speaker, I have known Chief Priore for many years. A law enforcement professional of the highest integrity, Pat has been a good friend and confidant to me and an abiding influence on his officers and community. Most of all, he is a great father and husband. These traits are being passed through Pat's family and in to the community that has been privileged to have been blessed with his leadership, courage and faithful commitment to service. While Chief Priore may no longer be the head of the Tullytown Borough Police Department, we still recognize and honor his service and sacrifice today and wish him the best during his retirement. I thank you; the people of Tullytown thank you.

Mr. FITZPATRICK

Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of a career of service to the community of Tullytown Borough by Police Chief Patrick Priore. Chief Priore retired from the force at the end of August after serving more than 15 years as chief and nearly 24 years with the department overall. The Chief's commitment to the people of Lower Bucks County was well known and widely respected. His dedication to protecting the people of his region continued even after he was seriously injured in the line of duty in May of 2009--an injury that forced him into an early retirement. Mr. Speaker, I have known Chief Priore for many years. A law enforcement professional of the highest integrity, Pat has been a good friend and confidant to me and an abiding influence on his officers and community. Most of all, he is a great father and husband. These traits are being passed through Pat's family and in to the community that has been privileged to have been blessed with his leadership, courage and faithful commitment to service. While Chief Priore may no longer be the head of the Tullytown Borough Police Department, we still recognize and honor his service and sacrifice today and wish him the best during his retirement. Chief: I salute you. I thank you. And the people of Tullytown thank you.

Mr. FITZPATRICK

Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the legislation that will be considered on the floor of the House today, legislation that would address the unacceptable wrong of denying death benefits to the families of fallen soldiers during the budget impasse. While I, no doubt, expect our Chamber to pass this critical funding bill that the American people have a right to expect--I hope it's passed not just in a bipartisan fashion, but I hope it's passed unanimously in the House--we must consider what has led us to even have to legislatively fix such an obvious injustice. The Department of Defense, even during the current impasse, is spending sums in the billions of dollars. How is the debt payment for members of the military not considered essential, Mr. President? What was the decision-making process to deem the death benefits nonessential, Mr. President? Who made the final call in this decision, and why are you not firing that person? This follows the same pattern that we saw earlier this year when the President cut military tuition assistance. We were able to restore those needless cuts and have introduced a bill to ensure the President does not continue to play games with the tuition assistance as early reports indicate that military tuition is again being held back from families. Simply put, we made promises to our fighting men and women and their families. Mr. Speaker, the House is ready to keep those promises, but the President is demonstrating, at best, a failure to lead and, at worst, bare knuckle partisanship.

Mr. FITZPATRICK

Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I rise once again this morning to thank the men and women of the Federal law enforcement community, as well as those brave soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines, for what they do to protect this great Nation both abroad and here at home. Certainly, we are thankful for them each and every day for protecting us in our Nation, but recent events again remind us of their importance. After the Capitol was thrown into lock-down last week, Capitol Police and other Federal officers sprang into action to protect the building and those inside. In their rush to service, I'm sure none of them thought about the fact that as we continue in a partial government shutdown that they may not be paid even though, for some, that may have been the case. While there is uncertainty about the Nation's fiscal path in Washington, that uncertainty should never be passed along to our servicemembers and Federal law enforcement officers. The Strengthening Homeland Security, Intelligence, and Essential Law Enforcement Departments Act, or SHIELD Act, of 2013 would alleviate that doubt. This simple, bipartisan legislation that I have introduced prioritizes and protects pay for soldiers and law enforcement personnel if borrowing limits are reached or if there is an interruption in appropriations like there is right now. In our most difficult hours, we rely on our law enforcement officers and our military for the protection of our lives, liberty, and freedom. No servicemember or critical officer protecting the United States at home or abroad should have to worry about their paychecks in the event of a government shutdown, nor should they be used as a bargaining chip during partisan budget debates. Thankfully, during this current budget impasse, pay for our troops was secured early through a bipartisan vote, and I applaud the President for agreeing to it. However, the SHIELD Act would codify the measure into law, meaning paychecks would never again be threatened, and action would never have to be taken to protect this very basic principle. This bill already has the strong support of organizations like the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, which represents dedicated first responders. Just as important, it is commonsense legislation that everyday Americans understand and expect from a Congress that often stumbles in its responsibilities. Mr. Speaker, we owe it to the brave men and women who protect us-- both abroad and in your communities--to make sure their pay doesn't become a political pawn at the whim of battling ideologies. No members of our Federal law enforcement community or armed services should have to worry about the financial situation of their family back home while they are on the job; nor should we let our financial problems rest on the backs of those who selflessly serve the American people. By ensuring funding for critical Federal officers and our troops, we are allowing agencies and departments to sustain a strong law enforcement and military presence at all times, regardless of fiscal conditions. Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this commonsense, bipartisan legislation, and I call for leadership in both parties to consider the SHIELD Act for quick passage.

Mr. FITZPATRICK

Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, we have a chance on the floor today to move this body in the right direction--to move us closer to a solution. There is a bipartisan bill today offered by Mr. Moran and Mr. Wolf, both of Virginia. It's a bill that I've cosponsored and a bill, thankfully, that the President his agreed to sign. It is the Federal Employees Retroactive Pay Fairness Act, which would allow all Federal employees, regardless of individual furlough status, to receive their pay retroactive from October 1 for the entirety of the budget impasse. The stalemate we're at now has left 800,000 government employees furloughed and unsure about their next paycheck. There are also those at work now who aren't being paid for it. This includes thousands of Federal law enforcement officers who continue even today to protect this building and those of us in it and around it. I've been in touch with Federal workers in my district, including law enforcement, and they should know that there is agreement that they will receive their pay when the government reopens. Mr. Speaker, I'm going to be voting in favor of this legislation for all the Federal employees in my district and around the country who deserve some certainty while we wait for this impasse to end. Mr. Speaker, let's continue to talk, and let's end this impasse.

Mr. FITZPATRICK

Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to once again remind my colleagues here in the House, and in the Senate, that we are employees of the American people. Employees charged with operating a federal government that works for those people--our constituents. For lawmakers, a shutdown of the federal government is the ultimate admission of failure to do your job. Simply put, if we can't find a way to fund the government, than we shouldn't accept a paycheck. It's that simple. That's why I support the Government Shutdown Fairness Act which codifies just that. It is the primary responsibility of governing bodies, no matter how big or small: to pass a budget and appropriate tax dollars so the government can function. As a government shutdown is unacceptable to me, it's important to let the American people know that should it happen, Members of Congress won't continue cashing in while Americans pay the price. Americans know that getting paid should be tied to getting the job done. This legislation, like `No Budget, No Pay' says it's time lawmakers be held accountable. It is my hope this legislation will never have to take affect because no one should have to deal with a government shutdown.

Mr. FITZPATRICK

Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I rise first to thank my colleague and friend from California (Mr. Bera), for recognizing that in divided government, which we've had in the past, it's important that we sit down and resolve differences and we negotiate. He correctly pointed out that President Reagan, in the 1980s, was willing to and quick to negotiate with then-Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill, and they accomplished great things. They reformed the Tax Code in 1982. In 1986, they reformed Social Security by working with Tip O'Neill and Senator Moynihan from New York. Twelve years later, President Clinton was willing to sit down and speak with then-Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, and they performed important things for this country. They reformed welfare and balanced the budget. Those things weren't easy. Those things took resolution. It took resolve and willingness to sit down and talk with each other. Here we are in the year 2013, and many of us on this side of the aisle are feeling like we don't have government that's willing to sit down and negotiate. As a matter of fact, this morning in The Hill it is reported in a headline that says: ``Obama to Republicans: I will not negotiate.'' So here we are at the eleventh hour ready, willing to compromise, to negotiate with a Commander in Chief and Chief Executive that will not negotiate with us. What you need in order to compromise many times is time and space, and I'm here today, Mr. Speaker, to express my support for delaying the Affordable Care Act by at least 1 year. Since the law's passage, time has shown that the Affordable Care Act is a misguided effort which has divided Americans on the common goal of affordable access to world- class health care, as opposed to bringing us together to rise to the challenges that we face as a country. What has most of us deeply troubled is that not only will the law leave over 30 million Americans uninsured and forced to pay a tax, but it is forcing physicians to fundamentally question the nature of their profession and its pursuit. The role of the doctor fundamentally changes under this law. As opposed to being healers, doctors are now bureaucrats. The law erodes the core of American medicine, defined by exceptional medical care practiced by highly trained experts who are driven to innovate and improve for the common good. Instead, this law leads to medicine by bureaucrat and checking off boxes. As for the 30 million who will remain uninsured under the law's design, they will continue to be left outside the health care system. Compounding matters, the law also creates countless newly uninsured Americans, something the President told us would not happen. But it is happening in the Eighth Congressional District of Pennsylvania, with workplaces struggling to deal with the law's overreach and the law's burdens. Additionally, former President Clinton has highlighted another 500,000 Americans who will become uninsured due to the President's health care law: children. He's referring to it as the ``family glitch,'' where the law's complicated formula removes children from their parents' health insurance, leaving them without coverage. Furthermore, nearly one-third of those children will not qualify for Medicaid or for CHIP. Glitch? This is a catastrophe. Both the intended and the unintended consequences of the law are far-reaching and will not be fully understood until this week as Americans begin to live under this new system. As was said during the health care debate by the law's supporters, ``We have to pass the law to find out what's in it.'' That is the prevailing attitude by people in the Beltway who have continued to put themselves between patients and doctors, workers and workplaces, students and teachers, and families and their faith time and time again. One of the keys to our Nation's success is the manner we have adopted to solve problems. It is hardwired into our culture of freedom. Americans believe we can solve our own problems and are more apt to work together when we know the solutions lie in our hands, not in somebody else's. This is what makes America exceptional. While many of us agree that there is some good in the law, there is no telling what else we're about to find out about the health care law and its impact on families, workplaces, and the economy. That's the problem, Mr. Speaker, in a nutshell. As Congress struggles to deal with the costs, and presumably, the unintended consequences of the health care law, Americans need answers and they need answers now. At a minimum, glaring deficiencies like these are reasons for pause. All policymakers, including the President, should take a step back and delay the law's implementation for at least a year to ensure that Americans are being helped and not hurt.

Mr. FITZPATRICK

Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his leadership on this continuing resolution, which, if adopted, will guarantee that the government continues to operate. I rise this evening in support of the rule and the repeal of the medical device tax, which is one of 20 unnecessary taxes used to fund the President's misguided health care law. Southeastern Pennsylvania, and in particular the Eighth Congressional District, is home to exceptional medical device manufacturers and innovative health care companies that are truly making a difference. This unique and essential form of manufacturing is an area in which America excels. Simply put, the medical device tax is a punitive gross receipts tax. It hurts American businesses by eroding their competitive advantage to innovate in the United States. It hurts high-skilled workers whose companies are putting the future of their industry at risk. It discourages innovators from choosing health care as a pursuit. It drives up the cost of health care for Americans. Dave Holcombe of Souderton, Pennsylvania, wrote to me: Nationwide, our industry directly employees over 400,000 people and supports nearly 2 million related jobs. The recently implemented tax on medical devices will likely result in the loss of as many as 43,000 of these high-paying, high-skilled American jobs, reducing American competitiveness and innovation and preventing patients from receiving the lifesaving medical devices and care that they need. Tom Molz, the president and CEO of the Stout Medical Group in my district wrote: This tax will force medical device companies to go to other countries, resulting in the loss of jobs and the loss of all other taxes generated by those jobs. The medical device industry is one of the few industries with a strong manufacturing base. It would be very disappointing to lose this base and the jobs associated with this industry. And, finally, Jeffrey Lawler of Kintnersville, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, explained: Medical technology is one of the only American manufacturing sectors that is a net exporter, exporting $5.4 billion more than it imports. It also accounts for 40 percent of the global technology market. But the U.S.'s lead has shrunk dramatically in the last decade, and this tax serves as a detrimental blow, helping to further shorten the gap.

Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, these are real jobs, these are real concerns, and this tax has real consequences. The repeal of the tax is a strong way to support American businesses, protect American workers, and ensure Americans have affordable access to world-class health care. This is an issue that has wide bipartisan support, as we heard earlier. Seventy-nine United States Senators have already expressed support for repeal of this tax. This should be sent to the United States Senate. I urge support of the rule and passage of the bill.