David Loebsack

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. I am opposed, in its current form.

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, while I oppose the underlying bill, I'm offering this final amendment on a topic that I know is important to all of us here in this Chamber: our Nation's seniors. I grew up in poverty, and my grandmother took care of my siblings and me during my childhood. She relied on Social Security survivor benefits to put food on the table, and because of her, I know firsthand how important programs like Social Security and Medicare are to our seniors. In my grandmother's case, it meant the difference between putting food on the table and my family going hungry. Before these historic programs were enacted, far too many seniors struggled just to meet their basic needs, let alone access the appropriate medical care to keep them safe and healthy. These important safety net programs have been incredibly successful as well in lowering senior poverty rates in America. Just like my grandmother, today's seniors made sacrifices big and small to pave the way for a better life for future generations. Our country is what it is today because of them. That is why I believe that seniors who worked hard all of their lives should have access to the best medical care available. We need to care for them just like they cared for us. If my colleagues join me in passing this amendment, it will be incorporated into the bill and the bill will be immediately voted on. It would ensure that the underlying bill does not eliminate guaranteed health insurance benefits for seniors or people with disabilities on Medicare. It would also ensure that the underlying bill does not lead to a voucher system, ration health care, raise premiums and copayments, or otherwise restrict Medicare benefits. I recently held senior listening sessions around my district in Iowa. When I talk to Iowa seniors, I hear far too often that many of them are struggling just to make ends meet. That is unacceptable. No hardworking American should ever have to retire into poverty, and they certainly shouldn't see their hard-earned savings wiped out because of medical bills. During my listening sessions, I heard time and again from seniors about how much they rely on Medicare in order to stay healthy and stay afloat financially. Seniors' medical and prescription drug costs already eat up a growing portion of their income, and many of them are stretched thin even without rising gas prices, utility costs, and an economic downturn that has hit savings hard. They pay attention to what is happening here in Washington--we should all be reminded of that--and they're upset about proposals to cut and weaken Medicare. Our seniors did not get us into the fiscal mess that we're in today in the first place, and I think it's unfair to punish them for Washington's irresponsible behavior. They cannot and they should not bear more of this burden. Unfortunately, the Republican plan for Medicare would force seniors to do just that. It would end the Medicare guarantee, replacing it with a voucher system. The voucher would not keep up with health care inflation, and it would force seniors to pay more and more of their health care costs out of pocket. In these tough economic times, we need to find ways to be more efficient while maintaining quality of care. There are ways to do that, such as moving Medicare from a fee-based to a value-based payment system, something that I have supported all along since I've been in this Congress. However, the Republican plan for Medicare ignores these options and, instead, undermines traditional Medicare while doing nothing to reduce health care costs. This would shift costs to beneficiaries. For low-income seniors like my grandmother was, enacting this plan could be disastrous. That is why my final amendment would ask the Members of this Chamber simply to uphold their commitment to America's seniors. From my listening sessions, I know that seniors don't want a voucher that forces them to buy insurance in the private market. They don't want higher costs or reduced benefits, and they don't want some newfangled program. They want to keep Medicare the way it is: a guaranteed benefit they can count on when they need it. Seniors in my district and across the country know we have big problems, but we can strengthen and preserve Medicare without ending the guarantee--a guarantee, by the way, that is neither Republican nor Democratic, but it's an American guarantee. I think we all need to keep that in mind and remember that. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues in the House to join me in voting for this final amendment to preserve and to strengthen the most successful health insurance program our Nation has ever created, namely, Medicare. Our grandparents have stood by us, folks; I think it's time that we stand by them. I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. LOEBSACK. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I first want to thank Congressman Fincher and the Financial Services Committee for bringing this package forward. I am encouraged the House is taking steps today to support small businesses, and I would urge and hope the House will take up additional legislation to create jobs. As any Iowa family can tell you, our Nation is still recovering from the worst recession since the Great Depression, and Congress' focus must be on jobs. Our unemployment rate is painfully high, is still painfully high, and has been a long-term problem for millions of Americans and thousands of Iowans. We need to be working on legislation to boost our economy, and helping our small businesses flourish is an important step in that direction. This is why I am offering this amendment, to ensure provisions of this legislation are made widely available, and particularly to women-owned, veteran-owned, and minority-owned businesses to make sure that they are informed of changes that might help. Small businesses will be leaders in helping our country climb out of the recession. I'm home every weekend in Iowa, and I hear time and again the two big problems small businesses face is access to capital and finding skilled workers. In order for this bill to be effective, small and medium businesses must be aware of the new opportunities they will have to expand their business and raise capital. This will be particularly important for the segment of businesses I am targeting in my amendment--women-owned, veteran-owned, and minority-owned businesses. Specifically, my amendment would require the Securities and Exchange Commission to provide information online and also conduct outreach to these businesses to help them utilize the changes made through this legislation. Especially since it is Women's History Month, there is no better time to highlight the importance of women-owned businesses to our economy. It's estimated there are over 8 million women-owned businesses in the United States, generating nearly $1.3 trillion in revenues and employing nearly 8 million people. Women-owned businesses account for almost 30 percent of U.S. firms and are growing in some nontraditional areas as well. Especially during these tough economic times that are weighing heavily on our veterans and their families, it is also essential we as a Nation do all we can to ensure no man or woman who has served our country in uniform should have to fight for a job here at home. Veterans bring to the table many of the skills necessary to run a small business as well and to be leaders in their community. Veterans own 2.4 million businesses, generated over $1 trillion in receipts, and employed nearly 6 million people. Minority business owners also employ nearly 6 million people with $864 billion in receipts. All small businesses owners are important, which is why there is a requirement in my amendment to post information about advantages changes in this bill might offer on the SEC Web site in addition to conducting outreach for women-owned, veteran-owned, and minority-owned businesses. This amendment does not score according to the nonpartisan CBO and is simply a commonsense way to ensure employers we're trying to target in this legislation are able to use these new tools to grow our economy and create new jobs and industries. I ask for the support of my colleagues on this commonsense amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LOEBSACK. Madam Chair, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney).

Mr. LOEBSACK. Thank you, Madam Chair. I really do appreciate the support from the other side of the aisle for this amendment. I concur with my colleague from Texas in his sentiment that the American people want us to work together to get America back to work again. That's what I'm hearing when I'm home every weekend in my district. I appreciate the support from the gentlewoman from New York as well. Hopefully, this is the beginning of something bigger where we can work across the aisle and get America back to work and get this economy back on track. With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. I thank the gentlelady, Ms. Slaughter, and I thank her effort and the effort of Congressman Walz as well for initially bringing this bill forward at a time when we had not heard about some things we heard on ``60 Minutes,'' at a time when really nobody was paying attention to this issue. These two folks had the courage to bring this forward, and I want to thank them for that. I was really proud to be the fourth cosponsor of this legislation back in May, at least the version we're talking about tonight, not the current version that's on the floor. I really think that it's absolutely urgent that we fix the current loophole that was already mentioned by so many of my colleagues, that allows Members of Congress to use information that they obtain in a nonpublic fashion for their own financial benefit. This is something that on the face of it simply makes no sense that we should allow it to happen. Not in a democracy, not certainly in Congress, in this institution. It was mentioned that this institution is not much respected right now. In fact, the latest Gallup poll today showed Congress at 10 percent. It's not surprising given the stories that we've heard, given the problems that we've seen in this country, and especially when we have something like the STOCK Act in front of us, and there's bickering going on that this thing is not being passed as quickly as it should have been passed. Now we find that my good friend and my colleague Senator Grassley from Iowa is upset as well because as was mentioned, the political intelligence loophole is there at the moment as well. That's got to stop. We've got to pass the bill here in the House. We've got to do what we can to have a conference committee that's going to have real teeth, that's going to take care of that loophole. Senator Grassley is exactly right about that. We need to show the American people that we in Congress play by the same rules that they do, that we're not above the American people. So when we go home to our districts, as I do every week--every weekend I'm home, people have faith in us. They have confidence in the institution of Congress, and that they know, as we should, that we play by the same rules as they do. I want to thank Congresswoman Slaughter and Congressman Walz for organizing this Special Order tonight. I'm very, very proud. This is only the second time that I've done this since I've been in Congress. This is my sixth year. But I couldn't be more proud than to come up here and speak on this very important issue, and as I said, I do it because the people in Iowa, the people in my district, tell me this is the right thing to do.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, on January 25, 2012, I was not present for two recorded votes because I was in my district highlighting the importance of manufacturing to rebuilding Iowa's economy and supporting good-paying Iowa jobs. If I had been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall 10 and ``yea'' on rollcall 11. In addition, on the occasion of her resignation from the House of Representatives, I would also like to honor Congresswoman Giffords' service to our country and her constituents. I had the honor of sitting next to Congresswoman Giffords on the House Armed Services Committee. Her dedication to our troops and to her constituents will be missed.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, today I have the great honor of welcoming to our Nation's capital eighty-nine Iowa veterans of the Greatest Generation. Accompanied by seventy volunteer guardians, these veterans have travelled to Washington, DC to visit the monument that was built in their honor. For many if not all of these veterans, today will be the first time they have seen the National World War II Memorial. I can think of no greater honor than to be there when they see their memorial for the first time and to personally thank Iowa's--and our Nation's--heroes. I proudly have in my office a piece of marble from the quarry that supplied the marble which was used to build the World War II Memorial. That piece of marble, just like the memorial that it built, reminds me of the sacrifices of a generation that, when our country was threatened, rose to defend not just our Nation but the freedoms, democracy, and values that we hold so dear. They did so as one people and one country. Their sacrifices and determination in the face of great threats to our way of life are both humbling and inspiring. The sheer magnitude of what they accomplished, not just in war but in the peace that followed has stood as an inspiration to every generation since. The Greatest Generation did not seek to be tested both abroad by a war that fundamentally challenged our way of life and at home by the Great Depression and the rebuilding of our economy that followed. But, when called upon to do so, they defended and then rebuilt our Nation. Their patriotism, service, and great sacrifice not only defined their generation--they stand as a testament to the fortitude of our Nation. I am tremendously proud to welcome the Quad Cities Honor Flight and Iowa's veterans of the Second World War to our Nation's capital today. On behalf of every Iowan I represent, I thank them for their service to our country.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, today I was not present for six recorded votes because I was meeting with a group of constituents and the Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator to discuss Iowa flood recovery. If had been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall 805; ``yea'' on rollcall 806; ``yea'' on rollcall 807; ``yea'' on rollcall 808; ``nay'' on rollcall 809; and ``nay'' on rollcall 810.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, today, over 160 Iowa veterans from the World War II, Korean, and Vietnam Wars will travel to our nation's capital to visit the monuments that were built in their honor by a grateful nation. For many of these veterans, today will be the first time they will visit the capital and the first time that they will see their monuments. On Sunday, they were given a warm send-off by their neighbors and friends from Newton and throughout Jasper County. More than 800 Iowans gathered to give them the recognition they deserve but, for far too many of these heroes, was never received. When they arrive in Washington today, I can think of no greater honor than to be able to greet them and to personally thank Iowa's--and our nation's--heroes for their service to our country. The Freedom Flight brings together three generations of veterans who will travel together and support one another throughout their trip. It also brings together veterans who were never given the homecoming they deserved. This trip, made possible by generous donations from Iowans, many of whom the veterans will never meet in person, demonstrates that we as a state and as a country will never forget the debt we owe those who have worn our nation's uniform. The veterans will be able to visit their monuments today because their fellow Iowans refused to let their service go unrecognized. That generosity is truly humbling and should inspire us all to continue to work each and every day on behalf of those who serve our nation. I am tremendously proud to welcome the Newton Freedom Flight and Iowa's veterans of World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War to our nation's capital today. On behalf of every Iowan I represent, I thank them for their service to our country.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, next week, 90 Iowa veterans of the Greatest Generation will travel to our nation's capital. Accompanied by volunteer guardians, these veterans will travel to Washington, DC, to visit the monument that was built in their honor. For many of these veterans, next Tuesday, October 18th, will be the first time they will see the National World War II Memorial. I am deeply honored to have been invited to welcome them back to Iowa at the end of their journey, and I am very much looking forward to the opportunity to hear about their experience seeing their memorial for the first time and to having the opportunity to personally thank these heroes. Sadly, however, 17 of Iowa's heroes who were planning to travel with their fellow veterans to Washington, DC, passed away before they were able to embark on their trip. My wife Terry and I join all Iowans in mourning their loss and in extending our deepest sympathies to their families. I am proud to have a piece of marble from the quarry that supplied the marble that built the World War II Memorial in my office. Like the memorial that it built, that piece of marble reminds me of the sacrifices of a generation of Americans. When our country was threatened, they rose to defend not just our nation, but the freedoms, democracy, and values that make our country the greatest nation on earth. They did so as one people and one country. Their sacrifices and determination in the face of great threats to our way of life are both humbling and inspiring. The sheer magnitude of what the Greatest Generation accomplished, not just in war but in the peace that followed, continues to inspire us today. They did not seek to be tested both abroad by a war that fundamentally challenged our way of life and at home by the Great Depression and the rebuilding of our economy that followed. But, when called upon to do so, they defended and then rebuilt our nation to make it even stronger. Their patriotism, service, and great sacrifice not only defined their generation--they stand as a testament to the fortitude of our nation and the American people. I am tremendously proud to provide an early welcome to the Eastern Iowa Honor Flight and Iowa's veterans of the Second World War to our nation's capital next week. On behalf of every Iowan I represent, I thank them for their service to our country.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, today I have the great honor of welcoming to our nation's capital 90 Iowa veterans of the Greatest Generation. Accompanied by over 70 volunteer guardians, these veterans have travelled to Washington, DC to visit the monument that was built in their honor. For many of these veterans, today will be the first time they have seen the National World War II Memorial. I am deeply honored to have been invited to join them when they see their memorial for the first time and to have the opportunity to personally thank these heroes. I am proud to have a piece of marble from the quarry that supplied the marble that built the World War II Memorial in my office. Like the memorial that it built, that piece of marble reminds me of the sacrifices of a generation of Americans. When our country was threatened, they rose to defend not just our nation but the freedoms, democracy, and values that make our country the greatest nation on earth. They did so as one people and one country. Their sacrifices and determination in the face of great threats to our way of life are both humbling and inspiring. The sheer magnitude of what the Greatest Generation accomplished, not just in war but in the peace that followed, continues to inspire us today. They did not seek to be tested both abroad by a war that fundamentally challenged our way of life and at home by the Great Depression and the rebuilding of our economy that followed. But, when called upon to do so, they defended and then rebuilt our nation to make it even stronger. Their patriotism, service, and great sacrifice not only defined their generation--they stand as a testament to the fortitude of our nation. I am tremendously proud to welcome the Quad City Honor Flight and Iowa's veterans of the Second World War to our nation's capital today. On behalf of every Iowan I represent, I thank them for their service to our country.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, today, one in every 110 children is diagnosed with autism and 1.5 million individuals in the United States are affected by this disorder. The rate of autism is increasing by at least 10 percent annually, but scientists do not yet know why. That is why research into causes and treatments for autism is so important. That is why I rise today in support of the Combating Autism Reauthorization Act of 2011, which would reauthorize the surveillance and research program for autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities through 2014. The bill would also authorize programs for education, early detection, and intervention, which will give the families affected by this disorder access to the best available care and help make everyone more aware of the impact autism can have on those diagnosed and their families. Autism affects the constituents of every single Member of Congress. In my own district I have met with families who are affected by autism and participated in walks to raise awareness of this disorder. I urge my colleagues to support bipartisan passage of this important legislation.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, today I have the great honor of welcoming to our nation's capital ninety Iowa veterans of the Greatest Generation. Accompanied by seventy volunteer guardians, these veterans have travelled to Washington, DC, to visit the monument that was built in their honor. For many if not all of these veterans, today will be the first time they have seen the National World War II Memorial. I can think of no greater honor than to be there when they see their memorial for the first time and to personally thank Iowa's--and our nation's--heroes. I proudly have in my office a piece of marble from the quarry that supplied the marble that built the World War II Memorial. That piece of marble, just like the memorial that it built, reminds me of the sacrifices of a generation that, when our country was threatened, rose to defend not just our nation but the freedoms, democracy, and values that we hold so dear. They did so as one people and one country. It is still awe inspiring today. The sheer magnitude of what they accomplished, not just in war but in the peace that followed has stood as an inspiration to every generation since. The Greatest Generation did not seek to be tested both abroad by a war that fundamentally challenged our way of life and at home by the Great Depression and the rebuilding of our economy that followed. But, when called upon to do so, they defended and then rebuilt our nation. Their patriotism, service, and great sacrifice not only defined their generation--they stand as a testament to the fortitude of our nation. I am tremendously proud to welcome Eastern Iowa's veterans of the Second World War to our nation's capital today. On behalf of every Iowan I represent, I thank them for their service to our country.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, on July 25, 2011, I was not present for two recorded votes because my flight from Iowa to Washington, DC was significantly delayed. I had returned to Iowa to meet with constituents and regret that I was not present to cast my vote on rollcall Nos. 630 and 631.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I want to thank Congresswoman Biggert for bringing this bill to the floor. I look forward to supporting this important legislation that will address many of the issues I have been experiencing in my district, and ones that I know are occurring all across the country. In Iowa, we are all too familiar with the flood insurance program because of the devastating floods of 2008, and again on the Missouri River in western Iowa this summer. We also have many communities throughout the State going through the mapping process. Unfortunately, due to a lack of adequate notification during the process of flood mapping, many homeowners continue to be surprised when they find out that their homes are newly placed in a floodplain and they will be required to purchase flood insurance. My amendment will help ensure communities and property owners that are affected by new maps are made aware of the process taking place from the beginning. Currently, FEMA is only required to publish notice of new flood elevations in a local newspaper. For one community in my district, this translated literally to a paragraph in the legal notice section. My amendment will require FEMA to notify not only the local paper, but also a local television and radio station, because I think it's time we update this law to be more reflective of all the media our constituents use daily. Ensuring communities have the information needed at the beginning is one step. The next is ensuring that there is appropriate time and ability for communities and property owners to appeal the drafts. Currently, there is a 90-day appeal period for property owners to dispute FEMA's draft maps. Many property owners don't find out this process is taking place until after the map is finalized, meaning the 90-day appeal period has long passed, and they no longer have the ability to ensure their houses are not included in the final map in error. My amendment ensures that communities and property owners have an additional 90 days to appeal the draft maps if they weren't aware of the original appeal period and believe there are property owners that haven't been made aware of the appeals process already. I think we can all agree that every property owner who might be affected by flood maps should have an opportunity to fully participate in the established process, and that we should strive to have the most accurate maps possible. My amendment will ensure that homeowners have the information they need to make informed decisions and preparations at the beginning of the process and fully participate in the existing appeals process. The more homeowners that are aware of flood maps, the more participation there is in the process, in the program; and the more accurate our maps will be. Greater map accuracy will give us better awareness of the flood risks in our communities and allow homeowners and community leaders alike to take steps to mitigate and prepare for that risk. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment on behalf of property owners in all of our districts. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LOEBSACK. In closing, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. Again, I thank Mrs. Biggert for her support of this amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Chair, on July 11, 2011, I was not present for recorded votes because my flight from Iowa to Washington, DC was significantly delayed. I had returned to Iowa to meet with constituents and regret that I was not present to cast my vote on rollcall numbers 534, 535, 536, and 537. Amendment Offered by Mr. McClintock

Mr. LOEBSACK

Mr. LOEBSACK. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1627, which contains legislation that Congressman Runyan and I introduced to end the practice of backroom deals and reservations at Arlington National Cemetery. It codifies what has been Army policy since 1962--that every eligible servicemember should be buried at Arlington without regard for rank or status. Unfortunately, Army policy has gone unheeded for over 40 years, and past supervisors of the cemetery have allowed these deals to continue. The bill, therefore, requires a full accounting of the off- the-books deals that have been made in the past. Arlington National Cemetery, as we all know, is our Nation's most hallowed ground. The promise we make to those who wear our Nation's uniform and to their families is that our Nation will honor and remember their service, that we will never forget that freedom is not free. As Memorial Day approaches, as everyone today has mentioned, I strongly believe we should honor all those who have served by putting an end to reservations at Arlington once and for all. I would especially like to thank Congressman Runyan for allowing me to work with him on H.R. 1441 and on the larger bill, H.R. 1627. I want to thank Chairman Miller and Ranking Mr. Filner for their support as well. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. LOEBSACK

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

Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Mr. LOEBSACK. I am opposed to the bill in its current form.