Gene Green

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, rise today in support of our strategic ally, and the only democracy in the Middle East, Israel. Over 65 years ago, the Nation of Israel was founded and the Jewish people returned to their long-promised homeland. In the Middle East, it is vital that Israel and the United States continue to protect our shared values including our commitment to liberty, equality and religious freedom. I am pleased to see that the House Armed Services Committee restored funding to joint U.S.-Israeli missile defenses. Israel's security should be our first priority but this includes more than just weapons funding. I support the talks and negotiations currently taking place with Iran. As the Obama Administration continues talks with Iran, we, in Congress, have a responsibility to continue considering additional sanctions in case the talks fail. The Iranians must understand that weapons grade uranium enrichment will not be tolerated and that the United States and Israel's security will be protected. We will continue to monitor the negotiations closely and Congress will not hesitate to act should further sanctions become necessary.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to draw attention to an issue I think should concern us all. Americans increasingly rely on high-quality and reasonably priced telecommunications services for almost everything they do. Key to providing that service is a robust and competitive market in wireless communications which drives innovation, keeps costs low, and employs tens of thousands of Americans in good, stable jobs. Safeguarding this competition and these jobs is our responsibility. With that in mind, I find the actions taken by Sprint over the past year since its acquisition by the Japanese firm SoftBank particularly troubling. In that time, Sprint laid off more than 2,700 call center workers. Almost 900 whom were in my home State of Texas. Now, rumors exist that Sprint is preparing to buy T-Mobile. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler and Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer have expressed strong skepticism about this potential merger because they believe, as I do, that competition drives innovation and lower prices in the marketplace. Coupled with Sprint's recent layoffs, Congress must take a careful and critical look at this deal, if and when it is announced, and stand up for what is best for American consumers and American jobs.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 186, had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Chair, on rollcall No. 185, had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.'' (By unanimous consent, Mr. Crawford was allowed to speak out of order.) Moment of Silence to Honor the Victims of the Devastating Storms

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in observance of ``Yom HaShoah'' or the day commemorating the victims of the Holocaust. The six million Jewish victims and the millions of others who perished during those dark and horrible days will never be forgotten. The Jewish community and individuals across the world have committed themselves to the memories of those lost but also to the strength of those who survived. As we mark another Holocaust Remembrance Day, and more time passes since those unspeakable atrocities were committed, we should never forget the precursors, context and attitudes that allowed such crimes to be committed. Never again will peoples of free, liberal, open democracies stand idly by and watch an aggressor perpetrate crimes against humanity. Today, we remember those that rose up and overcame and I stand with them.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my opposition to H.R. 2575, the Save American Workers Act. This bill is not only our 52nd repeal vote and another effort to undermine the Affordable Care Act, it actually worsens the problem it purports to fix. Raising the threshold for full-time employees from 30 hours per week to 40 hours will result in lost work hours for 6.5 million people and essentially eviscerate the employer responsibility requirement. According to the Congressional Budget Office and Joint Committee on Taxation, H.R. 2575 will cause a million people to lose their employer- based health insurance coverage, increase the number of uninsured Americans by 500,000, and add $74 billion to the deficit over 10 years. This bill will make a shift towards part-time employment much more likely, not less so. I urge my colleagues to protect American workers and vote against H.R. 2575.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of the Children's Hospitals GME Support Reauthorization Act, which reauthorizes the Children's Hospital Graduate Medical Education Program through 2018. The Children's Hospital Graduate Medical Education Program provides vital funding to support the training of pediatricians and pediatric specialists in our children's hospitals. Continued strong support for CHGME is essential to maintain this investment in our children's health care. Reauthorizing the Children's Hospital Graduate Medical Education Program represents a commitment to ensuring that children throughout the country have access to the quality care they need. Since its creation in 1999, this program has increased the number of pediatric health care providers, addressed critical shortages in pediatric specialty care, and improved access to necessary care. The CHGME recipient hospitals represent less than 1 percent of all hospitals, yet train half of all the Nation's pediatricians and pediatric specialists. As a cosponsor of the House bill that passed in 2013 and a long advocate for the Children's Hospital Graduate Medical Education Program, I applaud this bipartisan, bicameral effort to preserve and strengthen this important program. I want to recognize and applaud the leadership of Ranking Member Frank Pallone and Chairman Pitts on this legislation in the House. I also want to acknowledge the sponsors of the measure we are considering today, Senators Casey and Isakson. I also commend Chairman Upton, Chairman Harkin, and Ranking Member Alexander for making it possible for the House to consider this bipartisan legislation today. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting S. 1557 and sending this legislation to the President for his signature. I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Children's Hospitals GME Support Reauthorization Act, which reauthorizes the Children's Hospitals Graduate Medical Education (CHGME) program through 2018. The CHGME program provides vital funding to support the training of pediatricians and pediatric specialists in children's hospitals. Continued strong support for CHGME is essential to maintain this investment in children's health care. Reauthorizing CHGME represents a commitment to ensuring that children throughout the country have access to the quality care they need. Since its creation in 1999, CHGME has increased the number of pediatric health care providers, addressed critical shortages in pediatric specialty care and improved access to necessary care. The CHGME recipient hospitals represent less than one percent of all hospitals, yet train half of all the nation's pediatricians and pediatric specialists. As a co-sponsor of the House bill that passed in February 2013 and a longtime advocate for the CHGME program, I applaud this bipartisan, bicameral effort to preserve and strengthen this important program.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. First of all, I thank my colleague from San Antonio. We are both Texans, and we know the problems. You served a lot of years in the State legislature. I did, too. Frankly, I think a lot of our problems could have been dealt with if Texas would have expanded Medicaid. We are actually giving back money to the Federal Government and not covering children and families in our community because of that. Frankly, even with the problems with the rollout of the Affordable Care Act, I know some States have done a great job, like Kentucky and California. Some States haven't. But I would think that if Texas did their own exchange, we could be the ones making those decisions, I think particularly with the Medicaid expansion. I appreciate you asking for the Special Order tonight because we are coming down up to the deadline of March 31. In fact, I have to do a commercial first. A lot of us have done these events on how people can sign up for the Affordable Care Act. I have one that we are sponsoring this Saturday at the Harris County Department of Education building. It is at 6300 Irvington Boulevard in our district. I am partnering with some of your former colleagues: State Representative Armando Walle; State Representative Jessica Farrar; our relatively new State senator, Sylvia Garcia; and our city council member, Ed Gonzalez. We are doing that this Saturday from 9 to 1 so people can come in and sign up. The success, though, is that the Web site was down for 2 months, but we have seen a huge number of people signing up--5 million as of last week. I hear on Monday of this week they had 1 million contacts, both by phone and to the Web site. So there is a need out there for the Affordable Care Act. It is landmark health care reform. I was on the subcommittee and the Committee of Energy and Commerce to help draft part of it. We did days and nights of drafting amendments. We had both bipartisan amendments adopted, including one on mental health that Congressman Murphy from Pennsylvania and I had worked out to expand mental health coverage. Of course, we live in a bicameral Congress and sometimes the Senate doesn't always do what we would like to do on the House side. That is the nature of it. But the Affordable Care Act is expanding health care access. You mentioned some of the successes that we have. I know as a State legislator I would have loved to have a State law that required insurance companies to pay 80 percent of their premiums they received back as benefits. I don't know of any State that does that. I would have loved to have that in Texas. Somebody who pays an insurance premium, whether it is employer health care or an individual health policy, they can be guaranteed that 80 percent of their premium will come back in benefits. That is what the Federal law is. We hear our Republican colleagues say they still haven't come up to an alternative to the Affordable Care Act--because they can't. That is one of the successes in there, and there are a lot of successes. In fact, some of that law is actually Republican ideas that have been built up over the last 20 or 30 years, saying, How can we cover the uninsured in our country?

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Our Harris County Hospital district is our catchment. But not all counties in the State of Texas have that option to have a hospital district. Even in our area, I have a district that is one of the highest in the country of people who work who don't get insurance through their employer. That is why the Affordable Care Act is important. In our district, we have an estimated 261,000 people who would have the opportunity to get health care through the Affordable Care Act. And we are hoping to sign them up. We started in November, and we have had these workshops literally all over our district, in partnership with lots of different groups. The Affordable Care Act is particularly important in our districts because we have one of the highest rates in the country of people who are uninsured. It is essential people know that the financial assistance is available under the Affordable Care Act that can lower their health care costs. In fact, nearly 6 of the 10 uninsured people will find that they can find health coverage for $100 or less a month. Like I said, this Saturday we are having a forum. This forum is a great opportunity for people to come and actually learn about health care options, because health care insurance is important. After World War II, our country made a decision. The countries we rebuilt in Western Europe had government-run insurance. Canada has government-run insurance. Our country decided to go with employer-based insurance. And that worked well up until about 10 or 12 years ago, where we started seeing employers drop that coverage. At one time in our country, 80 percent of the people who worked had insurance through their employer. Now it is below 60 percent, and it is getting worse. Although with the Affordable Care Act, we are actually seeing increases. Because even a small business can be eligible for subsidies to cover their employees under the Affordable Care Act. Like I said, as a member the Energy and Commerce Committee, I am proud of us passing something. It is not perfect, but it is a step in the right direction. I would hope that this Congress and maybe a future Congress can say, Okay, let's see what is wrong with the Affordable Care Act. It is just like we had to go back and fix Medicare on a number of occasions. Nobody wants to abolish Medicare. It is one of the greatest pieces of legislation that we have ever passed. I would hope that over the years we would not only build on the Affordable Care Act to make people--just like with Medicare--know that they don't have to worry about putting their families in bankruptcy because they have an illness. The Affordable Care Act will help us on the road to protect that. I appreciate your leadership tonight on this. I know I have a colleague from California from my class who is up next. I thank you for your time.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. I thank my colleague for yielding to me. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 15 to demand a vote on the bipartisan immigration reform bill that provides an earned pathway to citizenship.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize World TB Day and call for a continued effort to drive down rates of tuberculosis (TB) across the world and accelerate progress toward ending TB as a threat to global public health. World TB Day is an opportunity to raise awareness about TB-related problems and solutions and to support TB-control efforts. While great strides have been made to control and cure TB, much more needs to be done to eliminate this disease. Often believed to be a disease of the past, TB is still a life- threatening problem in the United States and around the world. Anyone can contract TB, and our current efforts to find and treat latent TB infection and TB disease are not sufficient. We must raise awareness, enhance prevention, control, and treatment efforts, and develop new therapies to treat TB, especially for multi- drug resistant (MDR-TB) and extensively-drug resistant TB (XDR-TB). Everyone has a role in ensuring that one day TB will be eliminated. As a co-chair of the Congressional TB Elimination Caucus and longtime advocate on this issue, I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress and our partners to further the commitment to a world free of TB.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express strong objection to the decision to use the Affordable Care Act's individual responsibility requirement to pay for the SGR reform. This bill hijacks a thoughtful solution to a problem that has been harming Medicare beneficiaries, providers, and our budget for years and turns it into a political stunt. This decision is a poison pill and nothing more than more partisan politics. Congress has overridden the SGR-mandated cuts to Medicare physician payments each year since 2003. Year after year, these temporary patches have been costly and disruptive. Reforming the system is long overdue. Temporary fixes to SGR are a losing situation. The money still has to be spent, but only to just maintain the broken status quo. The bipartisan, bicameral SGR bill is the closest we have come to fixing this problem once and for all, and this decision gets us further from that goal. Repealing the ACA is a game we have played now 51 times. Holding SGR reform hostage to destroy the ACA and deny millions of Americans access to managed care is disgraceful. Our seniors, our doctors, including the AMA, the Texas Medical Association, the California Medical Association, and the American people deserve better. In order for our health care system to work, Americans must have insurance. Delaying or repealing the requirement that individuals obtain coverage would drive up premiums and leave millions uninsured. Again, this is purely a partisan pay-for which proves that there is not a sincere effort to finally enact SGR reform but rather just another political game.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I was not able to be in Washington on March 4 through March 6, 2014 for votes because of the inclement weather and meetings in the district with the Secretary of Energy and EPA Administration. If I had been here, I would have voted as follows: On passage of the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act, as amended, I would have voted ``yes.'' On passage of the resolution supporting the people of Venezuela as they protest peacefully for democratic change and calling to end the violence, I would have voted ``yes.'' On the Motion on Ordering the Previous Question on the Rule for H.R. 3826, the Electricity Security and Affordability Act, and H.R. 4118, the SIMPLE Fairness Act, I would have voted ``no.'' On H. Res. 497, the resolution providing the rule for H.R. 3826 and H.R. 4118, I would have voted ``no.'' On the U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership Act, as Amended, I would have voted ``yes.'' On the Motion to Recommit H.R. 4118, I would have voted ``yes.'' On passage of H.R. 4118, I would have vote ``no.'' On passage of the Energy Efficiency Improvement Act, I would have voted ``yes.'' On the Motion on Ordering the Previous Question on the Rule for H.R. 2824, the Preventing Government Waste and Protecting Coal Mining Jobs in America Act, and H.R. 2641, the RAPID Act, I would have voted ``no.'' On H. Res. 501, the resolution providing the rule for H.R. 2824 and H.R. 2641, I would have voted ``no.'' On the Smith of Texas and Schweikert Amendment, I would have voted ``no.'' On the Capps/McNerney Amendment, I would have voted ``yes.'' On the Schakowsky/Lowenthal Amendment, I would have voted ``yes.'' On the Waxman Amendment, I would have voted ``yes.'' On the Motion to Recommit H.R. 3826, I would have voted ``yes.'' On final passage of H.R. 3826, I would have voted ``no.'' On the Motion to Table H. Res. 504, I would have voted ``no.'' On the Jackson-Lee Amendment, I would have voted ``yes.'' On the McKinley Amendment, I would have voted ``no.'' On the Nadler Amendment, I would have voted ``yes.'' On the Johnson of Georgia Amendment, I would have voted ``yes.'' On the Motion to Recommit H.R. 2641, I would have voted ``yes.'' On final passage of H.R. 2641, I would have voted ``no.'' On passage to provide for the costs of loan guarantees for Ukraine, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I would like to bring to the attention of my colleagues the tragedy that took place in Khojaly, Azerbaijan 22 years ago today, February 25, 1992. That evening, scores of lives of innocent Azerbaijanis living in Khojaly were lost and many others were wounded or taken hostage when their city was brutally attacked. With a population of 7,000, Khojaly was one of the three largest urban settlements of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. Nagarno-Karabakh is recognized by the United States and the United Nations as Azerbaijani territory occupied by Armenia. At the time, the Khojaly tragedy was widely covered by the international media, including the Boston Globe, Washington Post, New York Times, Financial Times, and many other European and Russian news agencies. Over two decades later, there is still too little attention or interest paid to the plight of Khojaly outside of Azerbaijan. According to Human Rights Watch and other international observers the massacre was committed by Armenian troops, reportedly with the help of the former Soviet 366th Motor Rifle Regiment. Human Rights Watch described the Khojaly Massacre as ``the largest massacre to date in the conflict'' over Nagorno-Karabakh. In a 1993 report, they stated ``there are no exact figures for the number of Azeri civilians killed because Karabakh Armenian forces gained control of the area after the massacre'' and ``while it is widely accepted that 200 Azeris were murdered, as many as 500-1,000 may have died.'' Soon after the attack, Time Magazine published the following report on the Khojaly Massacre: ``While the details are disputed, this much is plain: something grim and unconscionable happened in the Azerbaijani town of Khojaly two weeks ago. So far, some 200 dead Azerbaijanis, many of them mutilated, have been transported out of the town tucked inside the Armenian-dominated enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh for burial in neighboring Azerbaijan. The total number of dead--the Azerbaijanis claim 1,324 civilians were slaughtered, most of them women and children--is unknown.'' Azerbaijan has been a strong strategic partner and friend of the United States. The tragedy of Khojaly was a crime against humanity and I urge my colleagues to join me in standing with the people of Azerbaijan as they commemorate this tragedy and urge world leaders to help bring a peaceful solution to the occupation of these lands.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to be in Washington on Monday, February 10, 2014, for votes because of events in our district. If I would have been here I would have voted as follows: On passage of H.R. 2431, the National Integrated Drought Information Systems Reauthorization Act, rollcall No. 55, I would have voted ``yea.'' On passage of H. Res. 447, a House resolution supporting the democratic and European aspirations of the people of Ukraine and their right to choose their own future free of intimidation and fear, rollcall No. 56, I would have voted ``yea.'' On approval of the Journal, rollcall No. 57, I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my opposition to H.R. 7, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act. Longstanding federal policy explicitly prohibits the use of federal funds for abortions, except for certain narrow circumstances of rape, incest, or severe health complications that threaten the life of the mother. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) maintains this ban and a federal appeals court confirmed that no federal dollars may be used to pay for abortion services under the law. Far more sweeping in scope than the title implies, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act goes well beyond codifying the Hyde amendment and protecting public funds. This bill intrudes on women's reproductive autonomy and access to health care, manipulates the tax code to put additional financial burdens on many women and small businesses, and unnecessarily restricts the private insurance choices available to consumers today. The House of Representatives should be spending our time working to improve access to health care for all Americans, instead of deceptive legislation that interferes with a woman's ability to make personal, private medical decisions.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my opposition to H.R. 3362, the Exchange Information Disclosure Act, which is yet another effort to undermine the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The Exchange Information Disclosure Act requires weekly reporting by the Department of Health and Human Services on health insurance enrollments through HealthCare.gov and any and all problems consumers experience when using the website. While I support strong congressional oversight through sufficient reporting and transparency, the reporting required by this bill is overly burdensome, unfunded, and in excess of requirements for other public or private programs. And it includes another attack on navigators charged with enrolling uninsured and underinsured Americans in the new exchanges. If this bill was a sincere effort to improve or build upon the landmark health care reform law, then it should have gone through the committee process. Instead, it was crafted to further bog down HHS and make the implementation of the ACA as difficult as possible. Congress should be using our time to work on legislation to improve the historic law so that millions of Americans can take full advantage of affordable coverage and the landmark reforms and protections included in the ACA, rather than another attempt to delay and derail health care reform.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of tens of thousands of my fellow Texans, the working poor and the unemployed, whom our economic recovery is leaving behind. Blessed with ample resources, many of our Nation's leading companies and universities, and a ``can do'' attitude, Texas has been America's leader in job creation and economic growth for the past decade. Unfortunately, this economic success has not reached all Texans. Last year, the Labor Department announced that over 450,000 Texans earn at or below the Federal minimum wage, more than any other State in the country. Nationwide, 3.6 million Americans earn at or below minimum wage at $7.25 an hour. This is just over $15,000 for someone working 40 hours a week for a full year, or more than $4,400 below the poverty line for a family of three. These aren't just kids in high school or college earning minimum wage. Less than a quarter of the minimum wage workers are teenagers and nearly 40 percent are over the age of 30. This is simply not right. Nobody, no matter the city or State, can survive, let alone raise a family, on $15,000. Madam Speaker, it is time for the economic recovery to benefit all Americans, not just the fortunate. Too many of our friends and neighbors are being left behind, and I call on this Chamber to bring up legislation that would increase the minimum wage and renew critical emergency unemployment benefits.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the success and legacy of the war on poverty. The war on poverty, proposed 50 years ago today in this Chamber by then-President and fellow Texan, Lyndon Johnson, paved the way towards the enactment of many of our Nation's most popular and significant Federal programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps, Head Start. These programs, along with Social Security, unemployment insurance, and now the Affordable Care Act, form America's social safety net, which has protected millions of our Nation's children, working adults and elderly from falling into poverty. Less than 2 weeks ago, through the inaction of this House, 1.3 million Americans, including 65,000 Texans, saw their unemployment insurance disappear. This number will grow to over 3 million in the coming months if action is not taken. This vital lifeline is essential for millions of our fellow Americans who are out of work and struggling to make ends meet. The 50th anniversary of President Johnson's speech is the perfect opportunity for Congress to show its support for those less fortunate, and I call on this Chamber to bring the legislation to renew Emergency Unemployment today.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of our nation's manufacturers, workers, and consumers, and urge the House to bring the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (MTB) to a vote immediately. The MTB is critical for the competitiveness of American manufacturers. The savings from the MTB goes to support manufacturing jobs, allows for reinvestment in capital expenditures and research and development, and decreases the costs of manufacturing in the United States by providing tariff reductions on inputs that are not available domestically. For a small to medium sized manufacturer, this savings can mean one to two manufacturing jobs. The last MTB expired at the end of 2012, resulting in higher costs for manufacturers and harming job growth. The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) has found that the expiration of the MTB will result in a $748 million tax on manufacturing in the United States and economic losses amounting to $1.86 billion over the next three years. The same study estimated that passage of the MTB in 2010 supported 90,000 manufacturing jobs in the United States and increased our GDP by $3.5 billion. An MTB tariff suspension is not, as some have suggested, an earmark. The process is transparent and bipartisan, with an intensive and transparent vetting process involving Congress, the USITC and other federal agencies, and industry. Any company that imports a product on which the duties have been suspended or reduced can benefit, regardless of location in the United States. Duty suspensions help reduce costs to the entire supply chain from the manufacturer to the customer. At a time when the American people are tired and frustrated with the lack of progress coming from their elected representatives in Congress, the MTB offers this chamber an opportunity to passage legislation that has wide bipartisan support and will increase competitiveness, create jobs, and lower prices for consumers. This is a clear win-win for the American people and I urge the House to take up the MTB before the end of the calendar year.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Coffman) be removed as a cosponsor from H.R. 1698.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague. I rise today in opposition to the rule and to H.R. 1900. As many of my colleagues are aware, natural gas is extremely important to the State of Texas. It seems like every day more and more natural gas deposits are being found. More importantly, with the commercialization of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, we are now able to develop these resources effectively and economically, but that is only half the story. Once we have found these resources, we need a way to move them to market in a safe and environmentally responsible way. In 1956, the United States decided it was in our best interest to build a network of highways. These highways, totaling approximately 47,000 miles, moved goods to market and dramatically expanded commerce. It may surprise some, but the interstate and intrastate pipeline system is approximately seven times larger than the highway system in the United States. The natural gas pipeline system in this country is critical and extensive infrastructure. The permitting and review process that is required to site and construct pipelines in this country has ensured an environmental safety record that is second to none. That doesn't mean there aren't still going to be problems, when you consider the amount of miles we have. Unfortunately, I can't support this particular bill. I support an expedited review process and expansion of the pipeline system. Our intrastate natural gas pipeline system is not broken. I cannot support a bill that would issue a license or permit or approval after merely an expired time line. In testimony in our committee, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the FERC, has an average of about a year turnaround. I want to continue to support the construction of pipelines, and my ardent support is firmly backed by a safety record that is unmatched. I will continue to support an industry that has been an engine of our economic growth for the last decade. This bill is a solution in search of a problem. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the future on another approach that will benefit all stakeholders, our environment, and our economy. I encourage my colleagues to oppose the rule and the bill.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. I thank my colleague. Although, I have to admit, sometimes I feel a little awkward listening to my colleagues' statements, but I am glad that report showed Texas is one of the more tougher States that regulates hydraulic fracturing. Mr. Chairman, in the State of Texas, hydraulic fracturing has been a common practice for many years. The technique, combined with horizontal drilling, has made the idea of energy independence in the United States almost a reality. Across the United States, the development of natural gas continues to power our economic engine and is the foundation of a manufacturing renaissance. Thus far, State agencies have done a great job of regulating hydraulic practices on State and private lands. In Texas, the Railroad Commission--inappropriately named--has set a variety of standards that aim to protect the environment and allow for the development of this vital natural resource. I am a firm believer in property rights and that whoever owns that land should have the right to regulate that land. I would not support the Federal Government regulating the development of natural gas or the practice of hydraulic fracturing on State and/or private lands. More importantly, I cannot support the idea of legislation that would prevent the Federal Government from regulating Federal lands. Unfortunately, that is what this bill is asking us to do. I understand and support the desire to develop our natural resources in the most economical way possible with as little bureaucratic red tape as possible. I know the significant advantage that the shale gas boom has provided our domestic petrochemical industry, various manufacturers, and a whole host of end-users. Let's make sure, though, that the Department of the Interior does their job and does not have to transfer oversight of Federal lands to State lands. We need the Department of the Interior to allow resource development under Federal law. I encourage my colleagues to oppose this bill. Hopefully, we will bring up a bill that will make the Department of the Interior actually let us produce on our Federal lands.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 587--Final Passage. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this unnecessary legislation. The President has stepped up to the plate, admitted he made a mistake, and took steps to remedy it. This legislation rolls back too many important provisions without doing anything good beyond what the President has already done. I believe in the Affordable Care Act. This important legislation ended insurance company practices that prevented Americans from accessing quality health insurance. But, I am disappointed in how the law has been rolled out since October 1st. In fact, I think that we should extend open enrollment for an equal amount of time as the website has been down. Why are we not doing that today instead? This law is too important to fumble the roll out. I represent an area that has one of the highest uninsured rates in the country. Our district also has one of the highest rates of people who have jobs but no health insurance. Before the ACA, the individual marketplace wasn't the right solution for our constituents and after the ACA, the individual marketplace is still not the right place. The bill before us essentially restores the individual marketplace as it was prior to the ACA. It means insurance companies can refuse coverage because of pre-existing conditions and it means people can lose coverage because they have gotten too sick. I agree that we should allow people who are in the individual marketplace in 2013 and want to remain in it, to do so for another year. But the bill today is yet another attempt to undo some of the best parts of this law: the minimum essential benefits and I cannot support it.