Phil Hare

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, this Congress, under the leadership of Speaker Pelosi and Chairman Filner, has honored our veterans by dramatically increasing funding for VA health care and making it more timely, efficient, and predictable, hiring additional benefits claims processors and improving VA facilities. The bill before us builds on our earlier victories to improve the quality of health care for our Nation's veterans. Mr. Speaker, I am particularly pleased that this veterans package includes a bill I introduced with Congressman Jerry Moran to elevate the Department of Veterans Affairs physician assistant adviser to a full-time director. My bill would give 2,000 physician assistants employed at the VA who manage care for one-quarter of all primary care patients a fair and long-overdue voice within the VA. With the director of physician assistant services, we can ensure that the PA workforce will continue to be an integral component within the VA health system and PAs are able to provide the best possible care to our veterans, especially those in underserved rural areas. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote for S. 1963.

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of Wall Street reform. With 8 million jobs lost at the hands of Wall Street tycoons recklessly gambling on the financial futures of our constituents, enough is enough. This Democratic Caucus has made great progress in pulling our economy back from the brink of disaster, yet the hard work remains. It's my hope that we, in a bipartisan manner, can see that reforming Wall Street is not a political issue. It is an issue that will shape the financial security of all Americans and prevent future economic disasters. When we enact this bill, it will end bailouts by helping ensure that taxpayers never again are on the hook for Wall Street's risky decisions. It will protect families' retirement funds, college savings, home and business financial futures from unnecessary risks, protect consumers from predatory lending abuses, fine print and industry gimmicks. It will inject transparency and accountability into the financial system which has run amuck. Mr. Speaker, I say to opponents of this bill, enough is enough. It's time to vote in favor of Main Street all across this great country and against the Wall Street that has run roughshod over the future of too many American families.

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, on April 5, 29 hardworking men--fathers, brothers, sons, and husbands--left home for a day at work. All thought they would return home safely to their families that night, but, sadly, they didn't. I stand in solidarity with my colleagues from West Virginia and all across this Nation in honoring the 29 coal miners that were lost. I wish to express my deepest sympathies to each of the families of the workers who perished in the West Virginia mine explosion. I know the loss you have experienced will stay with you forever, and I hope that you can take some solace in knowing that all Americans share in your grief. I would also like to take this opportunity to express my utmost gratitude to the rescue teams who have so tirelessly and heroically risked their own lives in an effort to save others. Your bravery does not go unnoticed and is appreciated by all Americans. The explosion at the Upper Big Branch mine was America's worst mining disaster in 40 years, and the toll on all West Virginians has been devastating. It requires us to again ask our colleagues on both sides of the aisle, with four mine disasters in the last 4 years, how many more tragedies have to occur before we start taking mine safety more seriously and implement strong reforms to protect all of our miners? I ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to work with Chairman Miller and Chairwoman Woolsey to honor these miners through action. While we cannot bring back the men that were lost, we can do more to advance the cause of workplace safety across this country; and we should start by ensuring that MSHA has the tools, the staff, and technology to prevent tragedies such as these. The report yesterday that a computer error prevented Upper Big Branch mine from being identified as a risk is deeply disturbing and completely and totally unacceptable. All Americans deserve to work in a place that is safe, and we must take whatever steps are necessary to ensure a disaster like this will never happen again. Again, I want to join my colleagues in expressing my deepest condolences to those affected by this devastating tragedy. I assure each of the affected families and communities that your loss will not be forgotten and the memory of these coal miners will inspire me and my colleagues to take bold action on mine safety. I thank the gentleman for the time.

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize my chief caseworker, Virginia Shelton, who will retire at the end of this month after 25 years of service to the Illinois 17th Congressional District and our Nation. Ginny, as she is known by her friends and colleagues, handled one of the most important jobs in any congressional office: outreach to veterans. My predecessor, Lane Evans, had a great reputation for fighting for our Nation's heroes. I have sought to continue that legacy. But the constant behind both of our efforts has always been Ginny, who has dedicated not just her career but her entire life to the men and women who served our Nation in uniform. She is known for spending countless hours explaining each and every right to veterans who are looking to exercise them. She built invaluable relationships with VA staff, putting herself in the best position to advocate for the constituents who sought her help. She studied hard and made herself an expert on VA disability, health care, and other crucial benefits. For Ginny, serving our veterans was a labor of love. Whether it was on the phone or over a drink at a VFW, Ginny listened and learned about the lives of our veterans. She knew them personally. She was not only an advocate, she was their friend. Their struggle was her struggle. She recognized that behind every case file was a human being, and she understood that when it comes to our veterans, justice delayed is justice denied. Ginny was passionate about the issues of veterans' homelessness. Each and every year, she was active in the local Stand Down, an event where our homeless heroes are provided haircuts, food, medical care, a place to stay for the night, and counseling. She believed that our Nation should have a Stand Down 365 days a year. Inspired by her efforts, I introduced a bill last year to reduce veterans' homelessness. Ginny was instrumental in helping me secure a VA outpatient clinic for Whiteside County. The VA predicts approximately 2,500 veterans will use this facility during its first year of operation. Thanks to Ginny, many veterans will no longer have to travel hours upon hours just to receive basic care. Ginny also managed my nominations to America's service academies, fully investing herself in the process to ensure our young people get the best opportunities possible. She always made sure students filled out their applications fully and got them in on time. She treated each applicant as if they were one of her own kids. I know one her favorite things to do is visit the academies and see firsthand the young men and women who will be our future warriors. Ginny has been a wonderful friend to my wife, Beckie, and me for many years. I know her late husband, Jack, himself a Marine, is very proud of her today. There are many things I will miss about Ginny: her sense of humor, that unmistakable voice, her invaluable advice and guidance. But it is our veterans who will miss her the most. Her retirement is the end of an era, but I know she will continue her great work going forward. She leaves a legacy marked by selfless service to our Nation and its heroes. And for all the work she has done for our veterans, Ginny Shelton is a hero in her own right. Ginny, thank you. Thank you so much for 25 years of wonderful work.

Mr. HARE

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

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 3671, the Upper Mississippi River Basin Protection Act. This is an important piece of legislation, which would provide us with a scientific basis for the management of sediment and nutrient loss in the Upper Mississippi River Basin. I am proud to represent an area of Illinois which is bordered by the Mississippi River and believe we must do more to protect this important waterway. Soil erosion and ecological changes being made by nutrient displacement endanger the long-term viability of the midwest's farming community. The loss of sediments and nutrients upstream endanger the wetland environments downstream. The sediments that flow into the shipping channel of the Mississippi River cost more than $150 million in dredging annually. The Department of the Interior does not have the resources or the scientific data to work effectively at protecting the Mississippi and this bill will change that. This bill requires that the U.S. Geological Survey and Department of Interior collect data and study sediment loss and soil erosion. I believe this is a good first step towards solving this problem. I also agree that the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences should conduct a comprehensive water resources assessment so that we can be sure that data obtained from both public and private monitoring stations come from a nonpartisan, unbiased source. H.R. 3671 is beneficial to not just my constituents, but the knowledge we gain from the measuring and monitoring of sediment and nutrients could be used by several entities including the Army Corps of Engineers, who spend a significant amount of time dredging, scientists and academic researchers, environmentalists working to protect the biological integrity of areas in and around the Mississippi River, businesses who conduct barge commerce, the agriculture industry which uses the River's waterways on a daily basis, among many others. It is clear that the best way forward on addressing this issue is to enact a long-term, coordinated, basin-wide monitoring of the waterway. H.R. 3671 has my support because it is one part of this strategy. Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentleman from Wisconsin, Representative Kind, for introducing this bill and being persistent in once again gaining passage. Today, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill, and I call upon the Senate to swiftly pass this important, bipartisan, legislation and stand with the House in protecting the Upper Mississippi River Basin.

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I was here last November and I talked about my father and my mother. My dad was ill, we lost our house and everything we ever had. And when I came home from my sister's wedding, there was a deputy sheriff with a notice to evict. My dad thought somehow he had let us down. Two days before his death, a death that came way too early for somebody at 67, I sat by his bed and he said Phil, just do two things for me, two promises: take care of your mother and the girls. But the pain that the loss of this house has caused, and the pain this family has had to go through, whatever you do, please, do not let another family have to go through this. Last November I cast my vote in favor of our bill on behalf of my dad, my family, and for those people; and tonight, I will cast my vote in favor of this bill not just for my dad, but for the people who every 8 seconds in this Nation file bankruptcy and receive foreclosure notices because of health care. It is time to stand up and be counted. Tonight I will stand up, and I will be counted among the ``yeses.''

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. I thank my colleague from New Hampshire (Ms. Shea-Porter) for yielding me time to speak. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Resolution 1089, recognizing the 150th anniversary of Augustana College. Mr. Speaker, this year marks the 150th year of Augustana College, and I proudly introduce this resolution to highlight Augustana's long tradition of academic excellence and distinction. Founded in 1860, Augustana College, in Rock Island, Illinois, has grown from a small school educating Swedish immigrants into one of our Nation's premier colleges of the liberal arts and sciences. Today, with over 75 fields of discipline, Augustana, popularly known as Augie, provides a rich liberal arts environment for a diverse student body of over 2,500 students. Mr. Speaker, at Augustana, students enter to learn and leave to serve. Throughout its 150 years, Augustana College has remained committed to educating its students for a rewarding life of leadership and service in a diverse and changing world. Augie alumni have gone on to achieve success in diverse fields, and graduates include a Nobel Peace Prize winner, CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, and Members of Congress, most notably my predecessor and my good friend, Representative Lane Evans. Beyond the classroom, Augustana has established itself as a top athletic program with 37 NCAA Division III national titles in six sports and has produced 131 academic All-American athletes, the sixth highest number of honorees among all schools in our Nation. Mr. Speaker, in addition, Augie has partnered with the community to promote economic development in the Quad Cities region, and Augustana has an estimated impact of $75 million on our local economy. Mr. Speaker, the ongoing success of Augustana can be directly attributed to the quality of the leadership of the college. Under the direction of President Steve Bahls, Augustana has positioned itself to be a flagship college in my district and in the State of Illinois. Also, President Bahls has led efforts to respond to students' immediate needs during the economic downturn. He has made a commitment to help any student at risk of dropping out because of financial difficulties through the creation of the Immediate Scholarship Support Fund, substantial investments in financial aid, and tuition cost control. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I congratulate Augustana College on the historic occasion of its 150th anniversary, and I wish the college, its students, and the faculty continued success. I would like to thank the entire Illinois delegation for joining me to celebrate Augustana College's 150th year, and I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 1089.

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a member of the Women's Air Force Service Pilots, Geraldine Hardman-Jordan of Moline, Illinois. And I would like to recognize her family who is sitting in the gallery with us this morning. Madam Speaker, at the young age of 21, Geraldine was one of the first women in history trained to fly American military aircraft. Her call to serve did not end after her military career. Geraldine also prevailed in her second battle, the one to achieve full veteran status for her WASP sisters. Today, I also honor Geraldine as the mother of nine wonderful children and a community leader who advocated on behalf of several worthy causes. Madam Speaker, later today, Geraldine and other WASP pioneers will be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for their invaluable service more than 60 years ago. Unfortunately, Geraldine passed away in 2001 and cannot be here to receive the award in person, but I am very happy that her family will proudly represent her at the ceremony. Madam Speaker, Geraldine is a true American hero and a great source of pride for the 17th Congressional District of Illinois, and I can think of no better recognition of her services to this country than the Congressional Gold Medal.

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. I thank the chair. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4247, the Keeping All Students Safe Act, and I am proud to be a cosponsor of this very important piece of legislation. Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by acknowledging the sponsor of this bill, Chairman Miller. Because of his commitment to protecting students from abuse, our schools are safe havens once again. Mr. Speaker, restraint and seclusion in schools is often unregulated and is too frequently used for behaviors that do not pose danger to the children or others. These emergency interventions are also disproportionately used on some of our most vulnerable students, children with disabilities. Today Fragile X advocates, including my constituent, Holly Roos, are here to lobby Congress to pass H.R. 4247. Holly's son Parker was diagnosed with Fragile X Syndrome, the most common known cause of inherited mental impairment in the world. I met with Holly today, and she is concerned that Parker, her son, was inappropriately restrained at school because he seemed to be exhibiting aggressive behavior after a possible seizure. Mr. Speaker, Parker is a real life example that speaks to the importance of adopting minimum safety standards for the use of restraint and seclusion in our schools. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that this bill also makes an investment in positive behavior supports, an evidence-based approach designed to create a positive school climate that reinforces good behaviors and supports academic achievement. My State of Illinois has effectively reduced the majority of behaviors which resulted in the use of seclusion and restraint by implementing this preventative approach throughout the school system. This bill ensures our schools are safer and more effective learning environments. I urge all my colleagues to vote for H.R. 4247.

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 1097, a resolution recognizing National Engineers Week and the great contributions of engineers across this nation. From increasing energy efficiency to designing world-class skyscrapers to launching the space shuttle, engineers have paved the way for American progress. Our modern society exists as a testament to their commitment to invention, imagination and scientific wonder. Engineers have written the pages of our history while also plotting the direction of our future. National Engineers Week recognizes the accomplishments of America's engineers and promotes a new generation of discovery. Today, engineers are tackling the largest issues of our time. For example, Argonne National Laboratory, located in my home state of Illinois, is working with government, industry and international partners to provide nuclear energy that is safe, dependable and environmentally manageable. Educational institutions such as the Engineering Department at Western Illinois University have nurtured creativity and leadership among its students for decades. Western's reputation for excellence has drawn students from around the world and has produced not only fine engineers but also extraordinary leaders of business and science. Among the many reasons I joined the Congressional Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, S.T.E.M., Education Caucus was to promote ingenuity among the bright minds of the American people. Engineering is a key component to providing the solutions our nation needs to take on the challenges that lie ahead. I am proud to tout the impressive engineering feats that have taken place throughout my district in both the public and private sectors of West Central Illinois. I hope to continue working with my colleagues on the S.T.E.M. Education Caucus to craft bipartisan, pro-engineering legislation to boost America to the forefront of global competitiveness once more. America's future is only bound by our imagination. The imagination and innovation of America's engineers will continue to promote the growth and development of America, ensuring that our future will have no limit. Engineers have not only contributed to our stride in science and technology, but to our economy, our culture and our lives. Madam Speaker, I commend my colleague from Illinois, Representative Daniel Lipinski for introducing this worthy resolution which merits congressional action. I invite all of our colleagues to recognize National Engineers Week so that we may honor their contributions, past, present and future.

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Madam Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the rule and the underlying bill, the Jobs for Main Street Act. First I would like to thank all the members of the Democratic leadership for their hard work in putting together a jobs bill, the Jobs for Main Street Act. It is an important step forward. As we all know, since December of 2007, our Nation has faced the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression. As a result, 15 million, or 10 percent, of our Americans are out of work. The Jobs for Main Street Act is an important first step in reemploying America and making our families more secure. Specifically, I want to call attention to several principles that I have championed that have been included in this bill, such as extending the COBRA subsidy. This is a critical safety net for the millions of unemployed across this country, protecting and expanding our Nation's critical workforce with teachers, police and firefighters; putting people to work to improve and rehabilitate our Federal, State and local public lands. I would also like to commend Chairman Oberstar for his leadership on the transportation and infrastructure portion of this bill. There is no better way to invest in our economy and create jobs than by investing in infrastructure. For example, only 4 percent of the Recovery Act went to programs under the jurisdiction of Chairman Oberstar. However, that 4 percent for infrastructure has created 25 percent of the jobs under the Recovery Act. This is a testament to the effectiveness of investing in infrastructure. Over half of this bill is dedicated to investing in our roads, bridges, trails, transit systems, airports, and waterways. Madam Speaker, I look forward to working with leadership to ensure that this Congress passes this bill and takes further action in the next session to put Americans back to work.

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. The unemployed don't want another benefits check. They want a job. And I'm proud to say that on Friday, I introduced H.R. 4290, the New Deal for a New Economy Act, which would tackle this problem by creating and helping retain millions of jobs. It will reach that goal by investing $60 billion per year over 3 years in TARP money. First, it would invest heavily in the creation of public works and public interest jobs through the creation of the new economy grant program. The jobs could be filled by persons of all skill levels, specifically in the areas of public works projects on the State and local level, and public interest work with community-based nonprofit organizations. Secondly, it would provide a direct line of funding to states and localities to help alleviate their financial woes. The funding would protect and allow for the expansion of our current workforce and would be channeled directly to local governments through the popular grants programs for COPS hiring, for SAFER Grants for our firefighters, and a public works and economic development grant program. Further, my bill would provide much-needed funding to our Nation's schools to protect our teachers and hire more to meet the needs of our children. The third and final piece of this bill is one that is critical to restoring our Nation's lands for future generations. It's a direct line of funding to our national forests and national parks to address some of their many high-needs projects that have been neglected for decades. Mr. Speaker, Wall Street got its bailout. It's time for Main Street to get theirs. Again, I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill.

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the Decatur Trades and Labor Assembly on the occasion of its 50th anniversary. For over 5 decades, this Council of affiliated unions has improved the lives of working families in Decatur, Illinois and the regions that surround it. From day one, Decatur Trades and Labor made a positive impact on local residents. Its Council fought hard to organize the unorganized, giving more workers the opportunity to bargain collectively and access the American Dream. For those already under union contract, the Council was a fierce advocate for better wages, benefits, and working conditions. Each victory it achieved helped all workers, union or nonunion, affiliated or nonaffiliated. Decatur Trades and Labor recognized early on that a rising tide lifts all boats. The great work of Decatur Trades and Labor went far beyond the union bargaining table. It worked with groups like the NAACP to achieve racial justice. It promoted blood drives for the American Red Cross and food drives for the hungry. It registered people to vote. And it encouraged members to give what they could to local charities. Fifty years later, Decatur Trades and Labor remains a staple in the community. Everywhere you go, there are living testaments to the Council's great work. But it is a landmark downtown--the monument honoring fallen and injured workers--that sticks out most in my mind. Nearly every April, I travel to that monument for Workers Memorial Day. It is a towering reminder of our moral obligation to ensure workers return home safely to their families each and every night. We have Decatur Trades and Labor to thank for making it such a unique focal point of the city's downtown. On this golden anniversary, I thank Decatur Trades and Labor for making the city it calls home a better place to live. I look forward to seeing what more it can accomplish in the next 50 years.

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the long and dedicated service of Mr. Jay Dunn, an outstarlding member of IBEW Local 146 in Decatur, Illinois. Jay retired from the Local on November 30, 2009 after a distinguished career serving the people of Decatur and his brothers and sisters in the labor movement. A long-time resident of Decatur, Jay started in the labor movement when he was accepted into IBEW Local 146's apprenticeship program in 1973. After starting work in July of 1973, Jay completed his first year of classroom instruction and on-the-job training and was initiated into the local in August 1974. Jay became a journeyman wireman in May 1977 after an extensive 4-year apprenticeship program and since then has held many roles in the local, including serving as a job foreman, general foreman, and steward. He served on and chaired numerous committees for the local and was a member of the executive board at the time of his appointment to business manager/financial secretary. Jay took great pride in building the labor community's presence in the Decatur area. This culminated in Jay being named the president of the Decatur Building and Construction Trades in 2000. His tenure was marked by his aggressive representation of working men and women. His many accomplishments include successfully pushing an effort to recruit minorities into area unions and his work in setting up programs designed to prepare individuals for entry into an apprenticeship program. He also worked tirelessly to get members of labor registered to vote and elected to office. Jay's love of service goes beyond his work with his fellow tradesmen and women. Jay has maintained a long career in public service and has served on the Economic Development Corporation of Decatur/Macon County, the City of Decatur Electrical Commission, and currently the Macon County Board as its chairman. Jay has shown a dedication to our community that is second to none. I wish Jay, his wife Cheryl and his family the best as Jay prepares to retire.

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I wish to strongly voice my support for the Affordable Health Care for America Act on behalf of all hard working men and women across this great country and certainly in the State of Illinois. For decades, our government has debated the issue of extending healthcare to all, yet too many Americans still lack it and the security and peace of mind that comes with it. For those fortunate enough to be insured, rising costs are making it harder and harder to stay afloat. We, as members of this body, have the opportunity today to take a historic step toward passing the Affordable Health Care for America Act, so that quality health care can be more affordable and accessible to all Americans and their families. This bill will drastically reduce the number of uninsured, increase competition and lower costs through a public option, reform the insurance industry so Americans don't see their coverage unfairly denied or dropped, and put more money in our seniors' pockets by closing the Medicare Part D doughnut hole, all while reducing the deficit by $104 billion over 10 years. With unemployment at its highest level since 1983, another significant benefit of this legislation that should be highlighted is the creation of new high-paying jobs in this country. Let me repeat that for some of my friends on the other side of the aisle, this bill will create high-paying, high-quality jobs in healthcare delivery, technology and research in the United States. This bill creates a framework for allowing biosimilar competition in this country, which has the potential to lead to a new class of generic biologic medicines that will help lower costs and bring competition to one of the areas that will be key to the future of our healthcare system. The development of generic biologics or biosimiliars has the potential to create much needed jobs here at home in clinical research and testing. I intend to work with the Secretary of HHS and the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration to ensure that this new work is conducted here at home, in places like my home state of Illinois. This bill will additionally create enormous demand for healthcare workers, especially in the area of primary care. Insuring the millions of Americans in this country who currently have no coverage will allow them to see primary care providers and receive the wellness and preventive care they have been denied for too long. This influx of new patients will need doctors, nurses and technicians for their care, while reducing overall healthcare costs because they will receive care based around prevention as opposed to hospitalization. I support channeling resources, that for too long have been used to treat people once they become sick, into jobs and services that will prevent people from getting sick in the first place. The Affordable Health Care for America Act will continue the efforts this Congress first undertook in the Recovery Act that deployed new health information technologies throughout our healthcare system. These technologies help to better manage both the quality of care people receive and the cost at which they receive it. New health care exchanges and new demands on the health system to provide high-quality and cost-effective health care will create new opportunities and markets for our economy. Workers and industry together will be incentivized to create and develop products that will be a win/win for Americans: high quality health care at an affordable price. I was proud to work with my colleagues on the Education and Labor Committee to help shape this bill. I was pleased to have had the opportunity to add two critical pieces to this bill that are of great importance to my constituents: allowing for Small Employer Benefit Arrangements (SEBA), which facilitate the participation of small businesses and the self-employed in the Health Insurance Exchange; and protecting the ability of our nation's veterans to be able to enter into the Health Insurance Exchange to attain additional insurance for their dependents while retaining their VA health coverage. These provisions were common-sense improvements that make this great bill even better. I have cited many, but not all, of the reasons why I think this historic bill is worthy of my vote. I now ask that my colleagues join me in protecting American families from coast to coast in supporting this historic legislation. Mr. Speaker, thank you for your strong leadership on this issue and I look forward to proudly voting in favor of this bill in honor of the 39,000 uninsured residents of my District who would finally have the ability to receive the quality health care they deserve.

Mr. HARE. Thank you, Congressman Andrews. Madam Speaker, when I was growing up as a young boy, my parents lost their home. My father was ill. He couldn't make the payments. I remember coming home the day of my older sister's wedding to see a process server with a notice to evict and 30 days to leave. Two days before my father died, I sat by his bed, and he told me, There are two promises I want you to make to me: take care of the girls and your mother, and no matter what you do, please see that this will not happen to another family. Tonight, in a few hours, I will have the opportunity to keep that promise to my dad and to the tens of thousands of other people who have lost their homes and everything they had simply because they were sick. All the fear-mongering. All the misstatements of facts and figures. Health care in this country, my friends and fellow citizens, is a right. It is not a privilege. So, tonight, for my father and for the people who came after him, I will stand proud for this bill no matter the amount of shouting, of tearing this down and of calling the bill whatever you want to call it. I call it getting people exactly what this country promises them: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 2868, the Chemical and Water Security Act. As the bill stands now, I cannot vote in favor of this legislation. A provision in the bill to require Inherently Safer Technology, IST, in chemical facilities would likely create costly mandates for local farm suppliers and jeopardize the availability of widely-used fertilizer and pesticides. This language could inadvertently have the effect of causing my district to lose much needed jobs. While I support the intention of this legislation, to safeguard our chemical and drinking water facilities from terrorist attack, the current language would severely impact the ability of farmers to produce food and would adversely impact farmers all across my district. It is my hope that as this legislation progresses that the concerns of the agricultural community will be addressed and I can vote for the final product.

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Brandon Ballard of Taylor Ridge, Illinois, and to support testicular cancer education, the best medicine to fight the most common cancer in young men. Madam Speaker, Brandon Ballard was a star high school basketball player with a champion's heart. Although Brandon had been active in sports and had annual physical exams, his cancer went undetected for 2 years. During his illness, Brandon dedicated himself to raising awareness about the warning signs of testicular cancer. One year ago this month, Brandon lost a hard-fought battle with testicular cancer at the young age of 19. Madam Speaker, I stand here today not only to share with you Brandon's story but to recognize the efforts of Jim and Kristen Ballard to carry on Brandon's work. With the support of Senator Mike Jacobs, the Ballards lobbied the State assembly to require health classes to teach the signs and symptoms of testicular cancer and encourage screenings of male athletes. I am proud to say that their hard work paid off in August when Governor Pat Quinn signed Brandon's Law. Madam Speaker, I commend the Ballard family for turning the tragic loss of their son into an opportunity to save the lives of young men.

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Mr. Chair, I rise today to voice my strong support for H.R. 3585, the Solar Technology Roadmap Act. I thank my friend and colleague from Arizona, Representative Giffords, for being a leader on this issue and authoring this important piece of legislation, which moves our nation further down the path toward energy independence. Our country faces very serious challenges, and I believe that we need serious, common-sense responses to each of them. With increasing domestic energy costs and a continued reliance on foreign sources of energy, the challenge is clear. My hope is that with the passage of the Solar Technology Roadmap Act our response will be just as clear. This important legislation creates a unique program within the Department of Energy where stakeholders from the government, academia, the science fields, manufacturing and business leaders and many others can come together and work to help us realize the incredible potential of solar energy. This diverse group will study, conduct programs of scientific research and development, assess results and provide recommendations for how this nation can best move forward in utilizing solar energy. Because of this program's enormous potential, I strongly support the bill's creation of a ``blue ribbon'' panel to evaluate solar technologies and believe that their findings and actions undertaken as a result of their work will be beneficial for everyone from the average American to our friends at NASA. This bill authorizes $2.25 billion and lays the framework to encourage unprecedented innovation in solar activities. Other countries like Germany and Spain, along with emerging economic powerhouses China and India, have already taken the lead in utilizing solar capabilities to their maximum extent. Their governments decided long ago to make the crucial investments in solar technologies. It is absolutely critical that this legislation is enacted so that we can once more be the leader of the pack in the sciences, innovation and alternative energy solutions. I was disappointed to see that any reference in the bill to investing in solar technology for the purpose of combating climate change did not receive bipartisan support during markup in the Science and Technology Committee. On the contrary, I believe solar technology does, in fact, play a significant role in America's effort to lessen climate change, which is why I submitted an amendment to the overall legislation, which unfortunately was not accepted by the Rules Committee. My amendment would have added to the purposes of the Solar Technology Roadmap program to include suggestions on how solar technologies can better assist the U.S. in minimizing effects on climate change. Whether or not my colleagues believe in the legitimacy of man-made climate change, my amendment would have directed the solar panel to inform us all what exactly about solar works, what doesn't work, and how we could have improved its efficiency in minimizing our carbon footprint. Another amendment that I had wished to offer to this bill, but was not accepted by the Rules Committee for floor consideration was one that would have directed the Secretary of Energy to provide special consideration, in the awarding of grant funding in the bill, to colleges and universities, community colleges and vocational schools already offering clean energy or green jobs training, certificates, or degrees. Several institutions of higher learning within my District would have benefited greatly from this amendment and I regret that the House will not have an opportunity to consider it. I respectfully ask that the House allow me to submit a letter of support into the Congressional Record from Black Hawk College in support of both of my amendments that were rejected by the Rules Committee. I am proud to have had the opportunity to join my colleagues, led by my friend, Mr. Hinchey of New York to introduce an amendment to this bill that would require that the Secretary of Energy ensure that the membership of the blue-ribbon panel be from diverse regions of the country, and that the solar demonstration projects awarded should not be concentrated in a single region. I was happy to learn that the distinguished Chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology, Mr. Gordon, agreed with us and moved to include our proposal in the Manager's amendment. The Solar Technology Roadmap Committee's main objective is to study how using solar energy can improve the lives of all Americans, strengthen our commercial sector and help protect our environment. I believe this amendment makes a great bill even better, which is why I urge all of my colleagues to vote in favor of the Gordon amendment. As we all know, the beauty of solar energy is that it can be captured and put to work in every region of our country. The power of the sun can be harnessed not only in states like Arizona and California, but also in places like my home state of Illinois. Many Illinoisans are putting solar technologies to work for them, one of whom I'm proud to say is my constituents, Michael Smith of Springfield, Illinois. Mr. Smith has lived utility-free for over a decade and is proof positive of the benefits that are possible through solar energy. By investing responsibly in solar energy research and development, this Congress can move more Americans in the direction that Mr. Smith took long ago. With jobs still being lost all across our nation, the Congress can and must begin focusing on the next generation of innovation. Similar to the ``dot-corn'' era, it is inevitable that a ``green revolution'' is upon us and the U.S. must not be left behind. The time to invest in alternative and renewable energy solutions, like solar technologies, is now. This institution knows full well that solar power is abundant, does not create greenhouse gases and has the potential to power our lives for years to come. For these obvious reasons, I strongly believe we can not afford inaction any longer. Again, I applaud the efforts of Representative Giffords in leading the charge on this bill, which passed out of committee with strong bipartisan support and ask my friends on both sides of the aisle to join me in voting for the passage of the Solar Technology Roadmap Act. Office of the President, Black Hawk College, Moline, IL, October 20, 2009. Hon. Phil Hare, House of Representatives, Cannon HOB, Washington, DC. Dear Congressman Hare: I am writing in support of your Amendments #1 and #2 relating to the Solar Technology Roadmap Act H.R. 3585 and to thank you for introducing these most important amendments. Recently we restructured the Engineering Technology Program at Black Hawk College, Quad-Cities Campus. We believe this program is important to many businesses and industries in our service district. We now offer the following majors in the Engineering Technology Program: 1. Electrical; 2. Mechanical; 3. Manufacturing Processes; and 4. Sustainable Energy. Item #4 represents a new option in the Engineering Technology Program area, a Sustainable Energy Certificate (first in Illinois). Students take the first-year common core curriculum and complete their work with Sustainable I and II (covers beginning and advanced topics in many areas of sustainable energy: solar, biomass, wind, photovoltaic) and complete with an industry-specific internship. Looking to the future, we believe this will be a very important program. Your amendments--if adopted and eventually signed into law-- could provide much needed support to our Sustainable Energy Program. Please continue to actively support these amendments. They are critically important to the future of our country. Again, many thanks and best wishes. Sincerely, R. Gene Gardner, Ph.D., Interim President.

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1016, the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009. I would like to thank Chairman Filner for introducing this very important bill. In the 110th Congress, we gave the VA its largest funding increase in 77 years, and we gave it to them on time; but sadly, punctual VA funding has not always been the case. The VA received its annual funding for health care programs late in 19 of the last 22 years. This record of tardiness is deplorable. With the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the time to fix the broken system is now. Late funding is more than a missed deadline. It is a veteran with posttraumatic stress disorder who cannot access the treatment that he or she needs. It's an injured hero who must wait for a prosthetic. It is the VA in disarray at a time when our wounded warriors are counting on the Department's services. That is why, in the last Congress, I introduced the Assured Funding for Veterans Health Care Act. Like the bill I introduced, advance appropriations is a means to an end. That end is ensuring veterans receive the best care possible from a VA that has access to timely, sufficient, and predictable resources. The legislation we are considering today will do just that. It will allow the VA to effectively budget and manage its health care programs and services, meaning it can hire the appropriate number of doctors, nurses, clinicians, and support staff to meet the demand for high- quality medical care for our Nation's veterans. Anything less is unacceptable. I would also like to acknowledge and commend Chairmen Obey and Edwards for their strong proactive leadership in putting in an advance appropriation for VA health care in the fiscal year 2010 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill. The bill that we're voting on today has been slightly amended from a version which the House passed earlier this Congress by a margin of 409-1. I enthusiastically support H.R. 1016. I want to once again thank Chairman Bob Filner for drafting a bill that will ensure that the VA has sufficient, timely, and predictable funding. Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Madam Speaker, I proudly rise today in observance of Hispanic Heritage Month to honor the culture, traditions and contributions of the Hispanic community both in my home state of Illinois and in the country as a whole. What began as Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968 under President Johnson was expanded in 1988 when Illinois Senator Paul Simon introduced legislation to lengthen the celebration to National Hispanic Heritage Month. Beginning each year on September 15, Hispanic Heritage Month falls during the independence anniversaries of several Latin American countries, and celebrates those Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Today, Hispanic Americans are the largest minority group within the United States. And throughout our history, the Hispanic community has made invaluable contributions to our history and national character in the areas of government and politics, science, business, and the arts. Of the 500 largest Hispanic-owned businesses, twenty are located in Illinois, including Group O, Inc. located in my district in the Village of Milan. I would also like to commend the President for appointing and the Senate for confirming the newest addition to the U.S. Supreme Court, Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, whose life story exemplifies the American Dream: that with courage, determination and hard work, anyone can prosper and achieve success. Furthermore, Hispanic Americans have made significant contributions to the defense of this nation through service in all branches of the Armed Forces. Hispanics have courageously defended the United States in wars from the American Revolution through the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. To date, forty-three Hispanic Americans have received the Congressional Medal of Honor, the nation's highest award for valor in action against an enemy force. In Silvis, Illinois there is a block-and-a-half-long street with twenty-five homes that was originally settled by Mexican immigrants in the earlier part of the twentieth century. This street, appropriately renamed Hero Street USA, has, sent more than 110 men and women to serve in the U.S. armed forces, more than any other American street of comparable size anywhere in our country. Their unselfish defense of this nation and its values is representative of the strength, hard work and love of family and country demonstrated by the Hispanic community in the United States. Additionally, I am proud to have Joe Terronez among my constituency, who in 1967 was elected to the city council in Silvis and later became Illinois's first Hispanic mayor. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to continue this national celebration which was first started by the 100th Congress and join me in honoring the histories, cultures and contributions of Hispanic Americans during Hispanic Heritage Month.