David Joyce

Mr. JOYCE

Mr. JOYCE. I would like to thank the gentleman for yielding and thank Mr. Barletta for organizing this Special Order on this important legislation. Mr. Speaker, we are here today because it is critical that we protect our local volunteer firefighters from the Affordable Care Act's employer mandate. As we all know, the IRS has a history of treating volunteers as employees for tax purposes; and if the employer mandate is incorrectly implemented, volunteer fire departments may be forced to comply with these requirements, and that could force them to close or to curtail their emergency response services. In the seven counties I represent in northeastern Ohio, there are over 220 fire departments, many of them with an all-volunteer force. Chief Scott Hildebrand related to me that some of these departments will be forced to double in size due to the mandate, and each one of these extra volunteers will need additional turnout gear at a cost of $2,500 to $3,000 per individual. Before coming to Congress, I was the Geauga County prosecutor for 25 years. During that time, I founded an organization called the Geauga Bluecoats. The Bluecoats is a charitable organization that provides relief and services to the family members of police, fire and emergency responders who have become disabled or who have lost their lives in the line of duty. These men and women are our friends--they are our neighbors--and they have gone above and beyond the call of duty. We owe it to our local communities to continue to allow these brave men and women to carry out their duties. This legislation will ensure that those brave men and women are protected from the employer mandate and can continue to serve. I thank Mr. Barletta for his leadership on this, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. JOYCE

Mr. JOYCE. Madam Speaker, despite promises that, if you liked your current health plan, you could keep it, millions of Americans have already received cancelation notices regarding current coverage. No matter how you feel about the Affordable Care Act, Ohioans that like their health care coverage should be able to keep it. I have received countless emails and letters from Ohioans losing their coverage or being forced to pay more. One Ohioan who reached out to me because he was concerned about how higher costs could affect his family was Karl from Newbury, Ohio. Karl and his wife have six kids, recently bought a house, and stay busy because, not only is Karl a full-time employee, he is a full-time student. Karl and his wife recently received a notice that their family would have to pay 30 to 40 percent more for their health care coverage next year. Now Karl and his wife are worried because they won't be able to afford the mortgage on their new home because of the increased health care costs. Madam Speaker, Ohioans shouldn't be forced to pay more for health care because of a law coming out of Washington. That is why, this week, the House will vote for the Keep Your Health Plan Act, which will allow plans available on the individual market today to continue to be offered next year. It is a commonsense bill that will protect Americans from losing or paying more for their coverage, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. JOYCE

Mr. JOYCE. Mr. Speaker, October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. As a former prosecutor, I believe we should do everything in our power to raise the awareness of domestic violence and to protect and empower the victims of these crimes. In the seven counties I represent in northeast Ohio, over 1,500 people sought shelter last year to escape domestic violence. Sadly, some of them were children. For these women and children, it is crucial that we in Congress pass laws to protect them. That is why I was one of the first supporters of the Violence Against Women Act earlier this year. It is a bill that provides critical services for victims of violence and provides law enforcement officials the resources to better protect and assist them. Together we must stand up against domestic violence and enforce a zero tolerance policy both here in Washington and at home in our communities. I thank my colleagues for joining me in this bipartisan effort to raise the awareness of this important issue.

Mr. JOYCE

Mr. JOYCE. Mr. Speaker, the Great Lakes are truly one of the jewels of North America. They contain 20 percent of the world's surface water and provide drinking water for 30 million people. They're also a driver of our economy, as studies have shown 1.5 million jobs are directly connected to the Great Lakes, generating $62 billion in wages. That's why I'm encouraging my colleagues to support my Great Lakes Ecological and Economic Protection Act. This bill will help ensure we have a healthy Great Lakes, while boosting the economies along the Great Lakes region. This bill already enjoys bipartisan support, and I hope my colleagues will join me in protecting one of the most precious resources in North America, the Great Lakes.

Mr. JOYCE

Mr. JOYCE. Mr. Speaker, every day, we talk about the need to cut spending and government waste in order to promote economic stability and to grow our economy. That's why I've introduced a bill to do just that. The SAVE Act would cut $200 billion over 10 years by eliminating the duplicative and inefficient spending within the government. This bill has already received bipartisan support. In fact, these cuts were outlined in the President's own GAO report. They include: cutting $137 million by eliminating duplicative catfish studies; saving taxpayers $33 billion by reducing Medicare and Medicaid fraud and abuse; and forcing government agencies to act more like the private sector with contract bidding, saving taxpayers $80 billion. These are commonsense and practical cuts, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the SAVE Act.

Mr. JOYCE

Mr. JOYCE. I rise in support of repealing the Affordable Care Act and preventing Ohioans from having to deal with higher health costs, $1.1 trillion in tax hikes, and more government intrusion in their health care. As we near the full implementation of the health care law, it seems as though every day we receive more evidence that this law will increase health costs for ordinary Ohioans, place an enormous burden on Ohio small businesses owners--making it harder for those businesses to hire new workers--and insert more big government in between Ohioans and their doctors. My district in northeastern Ohio is home to several medical device manufacturing companies which will be especially hurt by the health care law's onerous medical device tax. It's crucial we repeal this law and replace it with commonsense health care legislation. Jobs and affordable health care are at stake.

Mr. JOYCE

Mr. JOYCE. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank Sister Jacquelyn Gusdane for leading the House in prayer and for making this trip from Chardon, Ohio. It was a beautiful prayer, and it's an absolute honor to have her here today. I first met Sister Jacquelyn at Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin School in Chardon, where she is the president and all three of my children attended high school. Sister Jacquelyn is a model of grace, compassion, and humility, and I feel very lucky to have had my three kids under her watch. Sister Jacquelyn leads a life of service, volunteering at WomenSafe in Geauga County, at the Hospice of the Western Reserve, and countless other schools, organizations, and churches in northeast Ohio. She's also taken her service beyond our borders, making a trip to the Holy Land, to Israel and Jordan, and traveling to China, Brazil, El Salvador, Germany, and many other nations. At NDCL, under her leadership, this small parochial school has allowed many children of middle class families such as ours to enjoy their college preparatory education while becoming leaders in the community, all the while keeping true to the mission of living the truth through love. Sister Jacquelyn, it's an honor and a privilege to have you here this morning, and thank you very much for leading the House of Representatives in prayer.

Mr. JOYCE

Mr. JOYCE. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 75, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.'' Personal Explanation

Mr. JOYCE

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

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

Mr. JOYCE

Mr. JOYCE. Today marks the 1-year anniversary of a horrific day for all northeastern Ohioans. It marks the worst day of their lives for too many mothers, fathers, brother, sisters, friends, and family in Chardon, Ohio. One year ago today, a shooter opened fire in Chardon High School, fatally shooting three students and injuring three others. These three children were cruelly taken from this Earth all too soon. They were loved by their families, embraced by their communities, and had their whole lives ahead of them. As the county prosecutor at the time, I saw firsthand the grief and devastation that no parent should ever have to experience. Nothing will ever come close to replacing the love and happiness these children brought to their friends and family. Our community may never truly be whole again, but we must take every moment possible to honor these victims and pray for their families. I would like to now take a moment of silence for Demetrius Hewlin, Russell King, Jr., and Daniel Parmertor. May God bless them and may God bless their families.