Brett Guthrie

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Chairman, this amendment is very similar to the previous amendment we discussed, so I will be brief. One, as I said before, it is difficult for the Government Accountability Office--almost impossible for them--to perform this study moving forward because there is so much discretion that is given to the Health and Human Services Secretary. And as I said before, the Health Resources and Service Administration does not even anticipate issuing a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on teaching health graduate centers until December. And then again, as a lot of the comments today, I don't think that moving an authorized and mandatory spending program to an authorized and discretionary spending program renders that program meaningless. If it does do that, then all the other programs that I have listed earlier in the debate--training in general hospitals, training in children's hospitals, training in behavioral education and health, training in nurse retention, training in nurse practitioners--that means that those programs that were in the health care act would not have as much strength as well. And so the comment that by moving this from one part of the budget to the other makes it meaningless, to me, is just not accurate. And, second, I also want to stress again that the language of the bill is clear: we do not rescind obligated funds; it is only unobligated funds. So again, it wasn't my friend from California, but someone earlier mentioned that there were programs that have already been in place that would be hurt by that. If the funds have been obligated, those programs move forward. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Chair, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. First there were a number of amendments, I think over 100 amendments, to the health care bill that were offered by the Republicans. An alternative was offered by the Republicans as voted on as we went forward. Block grants, several Governors have come to Washington and talked about block granting Medicaid to give them the opportunity to not just deal with Medicaid in their States but there was the other part of their budget. But I can tell in Kentucky, because I used to be a member of the State legislature, as Medicaid has continued to consume more of the State budget, it becomes more difficult to adequately fund. Higher education tuition rates are going up directly because of the pie of Medicaid that's moving forward. We passed medical liability reform, which saves the Federal Government $54 billion, as estimated by the Congressional Budget Office. We are going to have the bill tomorrow to purchase health insurance across State lines to make health insurance more affordable instead of more expensive on those who spend money out of their own pocket, as we have seen the estimates for the health care bill. Now, the one thing about relying on funding for 1 year, we do appropriations for everything from defense to other things on an annual basis. And I will tell you there are not people turning down Federal money because you are only appropriating it for 1 year, we don't want to commit to a long-term program. But if you buy that argument, you look at what's in the bill. All we are saying is we want the teaching health centers to be treated equally to other parts of the bill. So if the argument is if you don't do it automatically, you are not going to have anybody participating in the program, which I think is what I just heard, then it means training in general in pediatric and public health dentistry, section 5303, is an annual appropriation; geriatric education and training, mental and behavioral health education training; nurse retention, section 5309; section 5316, family nurse practitioner training; section 2821, epidemiology laboratory capacity grants; research and treatment for pain care management, 4305; section 775 investment in tomorrow's pediatric health care workforce. I mean, obviously, the argument that was made was if we don't have the teaching health centers on a 5-year automatic appropriation, then people aren't going to participate in the program. That argument would have to apply to these directly. And I guarantee you, I would be willing to say, without fear of contradiction, that people will be applying for these programs as this moves forward. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Chairman, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 4 minutes to my friend from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn).

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mr. GUTHRIE. The amendment violates clause 10 of rule XXI of the rules of the House because it has the net effect of increasing mandatory spending.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Chairman, I insist on my point of order.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of order against the amendment.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the legislation and to insert extraneous material on H.R. 1216.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of a remarkable Kentuckian, Dr. Dero G. Downing. On April 4, Dr. Downing, Western Kentucky University's fourth president, passed on at the age of 89, leaving behind a lasting impression that will live on for years to come. Dr. Downing served many roles throughout his lifetime but was best known for his time spent as WKU's president. Before serving as president, Dr. Downing became the university's registrar in 1959. Three years later, he was named dean of admissions. He then took the administrative affairs vice president position when it was created and held that position until becoming WKU's president in 1969. During his decade long tenure as president, Dr. Downing could be found socializing with students, staying involved with WKU sports, and consistently keeping the campus in praiseworthy shape. He resigned as president in 1979, but not without first leaving his legacy on the hill. Dr. Downing always conducted himself as a man of honor, loyalty and spirit. He exemplified to the fullest extent how indeed ``The Spirit Makes the Master.'' I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Dr. Dero G. Downing for his many great contributions to the Commonwealth of Kentucky and as an architect in contributing to the successes of Western Kentucky University throughout his adult life.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a great Kentuckian, Mr. Bill Samuels Jr. On April 15, Mr. Samuels will retire as President of Maker's Mark Distillery in Loretto, Ky., leaving a legacy of old fashioned integrity and quality craftsmanship. Our Commonwealth produces many incredible products. Along with Kentucky grown horses and tobacco, we are also known for our fine bourbon. Samuels has dedicated his career to Kentucky's signature industry, helping to make Kentucky bourbon world renowned and contributing so much to such a vital part of the Commonwealth's heritage that provides thousands of jobs. A seventh-generation distiller, Samuels took over the family business from his father, Bill Samuels, Sr., who invented the Maker's Mark recipe. Samuels followed his father's lead in crafting a superior product by continuing the tradition of small, closely supervised production-- keeping the bottling to about 600,000 cases per year, a fraction of most distilleries. Though Samuels grew up around the bourbon industry, playing Lincoln Logs with an aged Col. Jim Beam, he had other ideas for his future. Samuels played basketball in high school; however, he realized he was not very good. He then went to college at Case Western Reserve University where he studied rocket science and solid propellants. When solid propellants became obsolete, Samuels decided to attend law school at Vanderbilt University. When he finished law school, he returned to Kentucky to work temporarily for his father, but 13 years later he was still with the company, and his father, Samuels, Sr., passed him the mantle of Maker's Mark. Of the Nation's bourbon distilleries, Maker's Mark is the oldest distillery, continuously operating on its own site. I am proud to represent them here in Washington and look forward to their continued success. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Mr. Bill Samuels, Jr., for his dedication and contributions to the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Michael P. Kuzma, Jr., who has virtuously served the United States and the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Since 1999, Mr. Kuzma has served as the ARISS/Technical Support Division Chief at the U.S. Army Recruiting Headquarters at Ft. Knox, KY. This month, Mr. Kuzma will retire after 44 years of dedicated service to the United States Army. In his role as Technical Support Division Chief, Mr. Kuzma is responsible for supporting all USAREC mission requirements through modernization of automation tools, business processes and training. He has worked on innovative and cost effective automation solutions to help provide technical support and services to the G3 staff. A native of Long Island, NY, Mr. Kuzma enlisted in the Army in September 1966. Mike and his wife Pat have been married for 41 years and have two sons, Travis and Michael. I ask my colleagues to join me today in honoring Mr. Michael P. Kuzma, Jr., because of his dignified and steadfast commitment to the U.S. Army, U.S. Army Reserve, his soldiers, the citizens of this country and the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I believe the health care bill passed last year will not only burden American families but will also bankrupt already struggling State governments. It has been estimated that the health care bill will saddle Kentucky with a $303 million unfunded mandate. This burden will leave fewer resources available for public education, infrastructure projects, and other worthwhile State efforts. It is not just Kentucky. States all across the Nation face the same dilemma. They are facing already difficult budget situations, and will soon be strapped with higher Medicaid costs as a result of the health care law. Further, the law prohibits States from altering their Medicaid offerings, essentially removing their ability to contain the rising costs. We must stop this law from going into effect and from further burdening our State governments and American families. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to be here to offer my thoughts and prayers for Gabby, our colleague. Like all of us, any interaction I ever had with her was always pleasant and memorable, and I look forward to her returning. I pray for her return. I am praying for her staff and praying for the other victims. I just want to hold up one victim this morning. I didn't know Dorwan Stoddard, but through a close network of friends, I had the opportunity to learn a little bit about Dorwan Stoddard. He shielded his wife with his own body, saving her life but losing his own. He and his wife were having breakfast and decided they wanted to go to the ``Congress on the Corner'' to give Gabby encouragement for the new year and the new Congress to encourage her. He loved the Bible. He loved the scriptures in its simplest and purest form and just wanted to internalize them and live them, which is evidenced in his life. He was very involved in church work. He ran the Benevolence Program, which lived up to Christ's challenge to feed the hungry and clothe the poor. We know that he internalized the scripture because of his last act. And I don't know this, but I think I can say without fear of contradiction there were many times he was probably sitting in church, the minister was delivering a sermon on marriage, and I am sure the text was Ephesians 5:25 when it said: Husbands, love your wife, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. What love he had for his wife, and what faith he had in God. Throughout his life, he aspired to do good. Through his life, let us all aspire to do our best.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of a remarkable Kentuckian, Mr. Thomas S. ``Tommy'' Sampson, Jr. Over the course of his life, Tommy truly exemplified what it meant to help others. He dedicated his life to public service, serving as coroner, deputy sheriff, police chief and ambulance driver. Tommy is most widely known for being a pioneer in emergency medicine as the founder and longtime director of Shelby County's Emergency Medical Services. Throughout all his roles, Tommy was known for his kindness, cheerfulness and passion for helping others. Tommy was not only dedicated to his community, but also to his family, and enjoyed spending time with his wife Beverly, his son Clark and daughter-in-law Melinda, and his grandchildren Jimmy, Collin and Madison. While Kentucky may never again see one of its finest sons, the evidence of his legacy will be visible in the countless lives that he touched. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Tommy Sampson for his many great contributions to the Commonwealth of Kentucky. He will forever be appreciated and remembered by a grateful community.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Tessie Cecil, who has dedicated her career to the citizens of New Haven and the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Cecil served for 20 years as the Mayor of New Haven, Ky., in Nelson County, where she consistently gave her all to the community. A native of the Philippines, Cecil met and married her husband, Don, while he was stationed with the U.S. Navy in her native country over 30 years ago. She and Don moved to New Haven to raise a family and in 1979, shortly after the move, she was hired as the New Haven city clerk. Cecil is known for her work to improve the water and sewer systems, sidewalks and parks. She is also proud of her involvement with the veterans' monument in front of City Hall and the Kentucky Railway Museum. Cecil is a person of integrity and has demonstrated a strong passion for making her community a better place. I join with the citizens of New Haven in thanking her for her years of relentless service. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Tessie Cecil for her commitment to the citizens of New Haven, Nelson County and the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I have no speakers at this time, and I continue to reserve.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of Senate bill 3817, the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act Reauthorization of 2010. This bill reauthorizes the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act, and the Adoption Opportunities Act. This is a narrowly tailored and responsible reauthorization for these important laws to update and improve these programs that help protect children and their families from violence. This bill maintains current funding reauthorization levels and does not add any new programs. It does, however, make some good policy changes that will help protect children in need, help abused and neglected children with special needs find new families faster, and help local governments coordinate efforts to protect these children better. One of the policy changes made in this bill is to support training and collaboration between child protective services and domestic violence service providers. This collaboration will help prevent child abuse and neglect through initiatives such as differential response, which allows professionals to assess children and families' needs without requiring a determination that a maltreatment has occurred. This legislation also includes training for professionals on best practices to meet the needs of children with disabilities and supports better links between child protective services and disability groups to improve diagnosis and assistance to these children. The bill provides technical assistance and training on domestic violence to State and local agencies and puts an increased emphasis on prevention of family violence, including dating violence. This bill is a responsible reauthorization that modernizes these important programs and does so without increasing the authorization levels or adding new Federal programs. This reauthorization will help States and local governments protect our most vulnerable citizens through better coordination and training. This is a good, responsible reauthorization, and I urge my colleagues to support it. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, in the days that followed the tragedy at the Upper Big Branch, Republicans joined many Members here on the House floor to mourn this tragedy. Our incoming chairman has said that our Nation would be searching for answers, and our response must follow a comprehensive review of how such a tragic event could have happened. We had then, as we do today, a responsibility to look at the laws on the books and how those laws are being implemented and followed. We will in due course have the answers to many of those questions, but the rush to legislate means the answers will arrive too late to inform our debate and help ensure we are doing the right thing. We are all committed to work in good faith to answer tough questions and pursue commonsense reforms that would enhance miner safety. Unfortunately, such a good faith process has not occurred. This legislation was crafted behind closed doors without input from Republican lawmakers concerned with miners' safety and pushed through the Education and Labor Committee. Today, we are considering a different proposal developed through the same closed process. There has been has been no effort to consider or incorporate Republican ideas for strengthening mine safety. In fact, the majority was so focused on corralling votes with their own caucus that they modified this bill in the dark of night. Throughout this process, the majority has taken out the carving knives, exempting a mine type here and a mine type there, hoping that the more of the bill they eliminate, the more support they will gather. How can anyone believe this is the best approach to meaningful mine safety? It is unfortunate that we are here today under these circumstances. As I stated earlier, the miners and their families who deserve strong worker protections also deserve better than this bill. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' so we can take the time to understand and respond to the tragedy in the Upper Big Branch Mine. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.