Ann Kuster

Ms. KUSTER

Ms. KUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in remembrance on the tenth anniversary of the collapse of New Hampshire's iconic symbol, the Old Man of the Mountain. Born in fire and sculpted by ice, the Old Man of the Mountain has long been recognized as the symbol of New Hampshire and its people. The Old Man was completed at the recession of the last ice age sometime during the 8th Millennium BC. The first recorded viewing was in 1805 by Francis Whitcomb and Luke Brooks as they were surveying Franconia Notch. Niels Nielsen and his son David, long time guardians of the Old Man, spent years protecting him from vandalism and keeping his fragile countenance secured to the Mountain. The Old Man has had many honors, including his profile featured on a postage stamp and on New Hampshire's State Quarter. Today, at 11:30 am in Franconia State Park near where the Old Man clung to the mountain, people will gather in Profile Plaza on the shores of Profile Lake in remembrance of that day in May 10 years ago. We thank Dick Hamilton and the people of The Old Man of the Mountain Legacy Fund, a volunteer nonprofit group, charged with creating a memorial to the Old Man. They built a fitting monument of seven steel ``profilers,'' when viewed at the correct angle, allow viewers to see the profile as it appeared on the side of the mountain. The sale of more than 700 granite pavers, inscribed with the names of donors, helped to finance the construction of the plaza and monument. While the Old Man of the Mountain has succumbed to the ages and lies at the base of the mountain amongst the stone of his creation, I am reminded of why we honor him. In the words of Daniel Webster, ``Men hang out their signs indicative of their respective trades; shoemakers hang out a giant shoe: jewelers, a monster watch; and the dentist hangs out a gold tooth; but up in the mountains of New Hampshire, God almighty has hung out a sign to show that there, he makes Men.''

Ms. KUSTER

Ms. KUSTER. This week, I am introducing commonsense legislation to encourage public and private partnerships to help meet the needs of New Hampshire students and businesses. The Workforce Development Investment Act would give tax incentives to firms that partner with educators to improve workforce development and job training for students. Training a highly skilled, 21st century workforce is critical for growing our economy, creating jobs, and strengthening the middle class. When we invest in our workforce, more employers will invest in the United States; and in the Granite State, our students will be more competitive in the job market, and our businesses will be more successful in the global economy. Right now, there are companies like WH Bagshaw in Nashua, New Hampshire, that are looking to hire but struggling to find workers with the right skills for the job. My bill would help close this skills gap by providing incentives for businesses to team up with educators to teach our students the skills they need to compete and succeed. This is a commonsense proposal, and I urge your support.

Ms. KUSTER

Ms. KUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I would like to read into the Record a letter that I received today from a 7-year-old in my district: Dear Congresswoman Kuster. My name is Noah Dutille. I am a second grader at Plymouth Elementary School. I am hoping that you will help make sure no other kids are hurt by guns. Thank you for your service. Sincerely, Noah. In my district, 90 percent of my constituents support universal background checks, including 75 percent of those who are members of the National Rifle Association. Mr. Speaker, 6.5 million guns sold each year in the United States are sold by unlicensed private sellers, including online and gun show sales, and 40-50 percent of all gun sales have no criminal background check. In fact, a recent national survey of inmates revealed that 80 percent of those who used a handgun in a crime acquired it through a private transfer. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of Noah and all of the families in my district, I ask that we schedule a vote to keep our families safe.

Ms. KUSTER

Ms. KUSTER. In the wake of yesterday's tragedy in Boston, I come to the floor with a very heavy heart. In the days and weeks to come, we'll remember those we lost and those who were injured. We'll remember where we were when we first heard the news, and we'll remember how a cowardly act of violence shattered a beautiful Boston day. But we'll also remember the extraordinary heroism that we saw in Boston yesterday. In the immediate aftermath of the explosion, when every human instinct tells you to seek safety and to run away, our fearless first responders ran toward danger, selflessly putting themselves in harm's way to save others. In the worst of that moment, we saw the best of America. In times of crisis, we stick together. We take care of one another. We put the needs of others before our own. And no one exemplifies this more than those brave Americans who rushed to aid the victims of this horrific crime. As law enforcement works to identify those responsible for these cowardly acts, I join all Granite Staters in sending my thoughts and prayers to the victims, their families, and the entire city of Boston.

Ms. KUSTER

Ms. KUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the New Hampshire Rivers Council as it celebrates its 20th Anniversary. The Rivers Council grew out of the New Hampshire Rivers Campaign, a group of concerned citizens and conservation organizations that united in 1985 to create a voice for New Hampshire rivers. Thanks to the Campaign and the Council, the Rivers Program is celebrating its 20th anniversary with 1000 miles of rivers designated into the state program since 1988. Recognizing the need for a permanent and active voice for river protection in the state, the participants in the campaign formed the New Hampshire Rivers Council. Over the last 20 years, the New Hampshire Rivers Council has made many significant contributions to river and watershed conservation in the Granite State. For example, the Rivers Council worked with grassroots organizations to implement minimum water levels on protected rivers, worked with the Governor's Commission on Land and Community Heritage to recommend a new, permanent and adequately funded program for land conservation, and joined other New Hampshire organizations to negotiate a creative license agreement for the 15-Mile Falls Dam on the Connecticut River that provides better protection to the river ecosystem and preserved nearly 12,000 acres of land on the river and surrounding the Connecticut Lakes. The history and character of New Hampshire is largely defined by its rivers and the directors and growing membership of the Rivers Council continue to make significant contributions to river and watershed conservation and restoration, ensuring New Hampshire's natural resources will be enjoyed for generations to come. Today, the New Hampshire Rivers Council is the only statewide organization dedicated to the protection and conservation of New Hampshire's river resources and whose leadership was instrumental in the establishment of the New Hampshire Rivers Management and Protection Program. I ask the House of Representatives to join me to acknowledge and thank those individuals who had the vision to create the Rivers Campaign nearly thirty years ago and to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the New Hampshire Rivers Council today.

Ms. KUSTER

Ms. KUSTER. Mr. Speaker, today, as we mark Equal Pay Day, we face the alarming reality that women still earn just 77 cents for every dollar earned by a man. As a Nation, we must do better than this. Women in my State of New Hampshire who work full time earn over $12,000 less every year than men. That wage gap has real consequences. Smaller paychecks make it harder for families to purchase health care, to send their kids to college, and to save for retirement. That doesn't just hurt women; it hurts our entire community and our economy. To prevent wage discrimination and to protect its victims, Congress must pass the Paycheck Fairness Act. We must recommit ourselves to being a Nation that rewards the hard work of all Americans, regardless of gender. Mothers, sisters, and daughters across New Hampshire deserve nothing less.

Ms. KUSTER

Ms. KUSTER. Mr. Speaker, because the Congress refuses to compromise, across-the-board spending cuts known as the sequester--and uncertainty around the Federal economy and the budget--are casting a cloud over our entire economy. In New Hampshire, we are already seeing the impacts of these cuts. Right now, there's a Federal prison in Berlin, New Hampshire, with over 100 open jobs, but funding fights in Washington are preventing Granite Staters from filling them. There's a Salem company, Micro-Precision Technologies, that wants to hire more workers; but sequestration is creating uncertainty and standing in the way. There are technicians in New Hampshire's National Guard who want to do their jobs, but deep cuts to defense means they're facing the possibility of furloughs. These are all examples of businesses that will have to delay hiring and people who will lose their jobs simply because Democrats and Republicans will not compromise. This is not what responsible governing looks like. We owe it to New Hampshire families to work across the aisle, responsibly reduce the deficit, and stop these mindless cuts.

Ms. KUSTER

Ms. KUSTER. If Congress fails to act, the sequester is going to trigger mindless, across-the-board cuts that will hurt middle class New Hampshire families and undermine our economy. There's no question we do need to reduce the deficit, but we have to do it in a balanced way that distinguishes between wasteful spending we cannot afford to keep and critical investments we cannot afford to cut. We cannot afford to cut investments in research at colleges like Dartmouth and UNH. We cannot afford to cut investments in programs that prepare our students for the 21st century economy, like those at Nashua Community College. We cannot afford to cut investments in critical defense systems produced by companies like BAE, that protect our troops and create good jobs. The only way to protect these priorities while avoiding the sequester is for both parties to pass a balanced, bipartisan plan that will responsibly reduce the deficit, grow our economy, and protect middle class families. Now is the time for Congress to step up and do its job.