Jim Matheson

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. I don't want to prolong this debate. I just want to point out, absent concerns of a point of order I would have prescriptively said this is specific to do with nonessential travel of Federal employees. Due to concerns about a point of order, we structured this amendment where it says this is a cut of $600 million. However, the intent and hopefully the report language when folks in these agencies look at the debate that's taking place right here on the House floor is that it's addressing nonessential travel. With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MATHESON. Mr. Chairman, this amendment would cut funding in the CR, other than the Department of Defense and the U.S. Postal Service, other than those two, by $280 million. Now, $280 million is the amount of money that would be saved if Federal civilian agencies, except DOD and the Postal Service, were to reduce their vehicle fleet budgets by 20 percent. If adopted, it is my intention that these Federal agencies determine where to cut their portion of the $280 million in cuts specifically towards finding savings in their vehicle fleet budgets. This is a bipartisan idea supported by the chairs of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. I encourage my colleagues to support this amendment. I yield to my colleague from California.

Mr. MATHESON. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My amendment would eliminate funding for the community connect broadband grant program which is administered by the Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service. Now, eliminating this program would save over $13.4 million. This is endorsed by Citizens Against Government Waste. Look. We're all for broadband development, and we're all for rural broadband development. It turns out there are a lot of different Federal programs that try to do this. This is one in particular that does not have a good history. In fact, in 2005 and in 2009, Inspector General reports have raised questions about this specific grant program. And that is why I have raised this issue today. As I said, I think as a supporter of rural broadband development, I want to see programs that work and are effective. This one has some serious questions about it. And that is the substance of my amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. MATHESON. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My amendment addresses issues of nonessential travel by Federal employees that are not involved in the Department of Defense or Homeland Security. Simply stated, the amendment says that appropriations made available by this act are hereby reduced by $600 million for all departments except for the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense. I originally was going to do an amendment that specifically talked about reducing nonessential travel. I was concerned about a point of order. So this amendment does not specifically mention nonessential travel. However, based on advice of the fiscal commission, the travel cuts could be proposed. And both Democrats and Republicans on the fiscal commission thought that this was a productive area to look for savings. I decided to structure this amendment in a way that would not be subject to a point of order. But its intent is to reduce nonessential travel by Federal employees in departments outside of the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security. That is a description of my amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. MATHESON

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

Mr. MATHESON. I have no further speakers. I again want to thank you for the opportunity to have this amendment considered, and I urge support of all of my colleagues. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MATHESON. Madam Speaker, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. MATHESON. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today to offer an amendment to H. Res. 9. Although I do not support a wholesale repeal of the legislation, I do believe that there are some bipartisan improvements that can be made to the existing law, and I think now is the time for all of us in Congress to roll up our sleeves and work together. The goal of this amendment is pretty straightforward. It is set up to maintain adequate health care service, to stabilize the business practice of doctors, and to take into account the long-term economic health of this country. We all agree that the doctor-patient relationship is a fundamental part of quality health care, but we have found that we have a flawed formula when it comes to setting reimbursement levels. And every year it threatens the ability of doctors to care for their patients, and it threatens the ability of patients to see their doctors. Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle and stakeholders throughout the health care community, physicians, senior citizens--they all recognize that we have a flawed policy. How many times in the past have we come together in a bipartisan way over the years in the House of Representatives to provide a temporary patch to this problem without fixing the underlying problem? In 2010 alone, Congress took five different votes to delay a scheduled cut without stepping up and dealing with a permanent fix to the problem. By an overwhelming vote just a few weeks ago, Congress supported a 1-year delay to a looming 25-percent cut in physician payments. My amendment is very straightforward and clear. It adds an additional instruction to the committees of jurisdiction over health care legislation to replace the flawed sustainable growth rate formula used to set Medicare payments for doctors. And it requires that Congress adopt a permanent fix to what has previously been an ongoing problem. It's the right thing to do on behalf of doctors and patients. It's the right fiscal policy as we look for ways to make health care funding more sustainable and more predictable. And as we begin the year looking towards improvements in this extremely complex and yet highly personal and important issue of health care, I think that adopting this amendment would be a good step to move in that direction. I ask all of my colleagues to support this amendment in a bipartisan way. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MATHESON. I yield 1 minute to my colleague from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone).

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. Madam Speaker, on Saturday morning in Tucson, it started out in a very good way. It started out with a number of people who wanted to engage in one of the great American traditions, a tradition of our government which is that we have a discussion of ideas. That is what America is about, a competition of ideas. And so we had Congresswoman Giffords and we had her staff and we had members of the community gather. That is a positive start to that day. Of course that positive start was destroyed by the tragic acts which have been recounted by so many on the floor. We all step back in shock and horror and sadness at what took place in Tucson. It is an attack on the individuals that clearly affects all of their lives. It is also an attack on what this country is about. It is important that as we hope and pray for the recovery of the victims, and we hope and pray for understanding for the families of the victims, and we mourn the loss of those who perished that day, it is important that we also recognize that they were great Americans who were there to exercise their right of assembly, and the great American tradition which represents what this government is all about, which is we can sit down and have discussions. We can disagree with each other. It is okay to disagree with each other. That is the strength of this country. That is the idea behind America, that we have the opportunity to look for the best ideas from wherever they come. When it comes to public service, it would be good for all of us to recognize the ideals of our colleague, Gabby Giffords. She was a good friend, a good colleague, someone who had the right ideas and motivations when she first got to Congress, and continues to represent those motivations. She is someone who is smart, articulate, looking to solve problems, and someone who knew how to be compassionate for her constituents. I think everybody in this well probably knows a story where Gabby talked to them about her constituents in Tucson and an issue that mattered to her. That is what impresses me about Representative Giffords. It is a model that I think we can all remember and continue to follow as we do our best for our constituents. Madam Speaker, I close by saying I wish all the best to the families, the victims, and our thoughts and prayers are with them.

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. Madam Speaker, today I would like to honor an exemplary individual. As a young man, Mr. George Baltzer Osborne of the State of Utah valiantly sacrificed to serve his country during World War II. Born in 1920, we commemorated his 90th birthday on November 7. At this time, I'd like to recognize him and his comrades as members of ``The Greatest Generation'' and thank them most sincerely for their brave and selfless service. Mr. Osborne joined the Marines during WWII and began an eventful history in the service as a CB operator. He trained at Camp Pendleton, where he was assigned to the 4th division and stationed in Hawaii. From there, he was sent to Iwo Jima. When his division landed, Mr. Osborne was an integral part of a group of eight Marines whose mission was to find high ground in order to radio ship's bombing orders. During his service, Mr. Osborne consistently put his life on the line. At one point, a grenade was launched into a foxhole he had just evacuated. Fittingly, Mr. Osborne was present on February 23, 1945, when the American flag was raised atop Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima. This timeless symbol represents our country's strength and more personally, Mr. Osborne's dedication. Even after active military service, Mr. Osborne continued to serve his country. After being discharged, he worked three jobs so his wife could stay home and raise their 12 children. Mr. Osborne spent many years devoted to his work as an administrator at the VA hospital. He loves his family, which has grown to 21 children, 36 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great-grandchildren. George Baltzer Osborne's sacrifice, bravery, and service to family, career, and country serve as hallmarks of a noble American life. We recognize him today and express our gratitude for his contributions to this great country, the United States of America.

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise to talk about this bill today. This legislation, quite frankly, addresses an issue that has been growing in awareness, but it still requires attention in order to significantly reduce the number of easily preventable injuries and deaths caused by carbon monoxide poisoning in the United States. Annually, over 500 people die from carbon monoxide poisoning and an additional 15,000 are hospitalized for carbon monoxide poisoning sickness. Unfortunately, many of these individuals are already at risk, the elderly and children. In many cities and States, including my home State of Utah, local governments have really addressed this issue. They are at the forefront of an effort to pass legislation aimed at reducing carbon monoxide poisonings in homes, and I hope this legislation will expand those efforts. The risks of this type of poisoning are real, yet the danger is poorly understood. Carbon monoxide poisonings are often misdiagnosed as stomach flu, and individuals can unknowingly spend hours inside homes which have dangerously high levels of carbon monoxide. Nearly all of these incidents could have been easily prevented with functioning carbon monoxide alarms. This legislation aims to cut down on those numbers while increasing awareness of the issues by taking three simple steps: number one, it codifies accepted scientific standards for carbon monoxide alarms into law; number two, it examines whether carbon monoxide warnings on portable generators should be expanded; and, number three, it establishes a grant program for States and local governments to provide carbon monoxide alarms and raise awareness of carbon monoxide poisoning. Madam Speaker, I would also like to point out that this is a bill that has gone through a legislative process. We held hearings. And from the original bill that was introduced, the text has changed. That is what we are here to do as legislators is we try to work through things. And through the Energy and Commerce Committee, in bringing in witnesses to learn more about this issue, we have perfected this bill and made it better. I really want to acknowledge the efforts of everyone on the Energy and Commerce Committee, in a bipartisan way, trying to address this issue as best we could. That is what we are supposed to do here in Congress. There is a lot of bickering going on in Washington these days, but here's an example where folks actually sat down and rolled up their sleeves and tried to address an issue in a constructive way. So I want to acknowledge that effort on both sides of the aisle, and I encourage all my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of Congressman Cuellar's H.R. 2142, the ``Government Efficiency, Effectiveness, and Performance Improvement Act of 2009,'' otherwise known as ``Performance-Based Budgeting.'' This simple legislation helps ensure the taxpayer is receiving efficient use of government funds by establishing a set of guidelines, tested at the State-level throughout our country, to determine how responsive government agencies are at their stated purposes. By holding agencies accountable, Congress and the American public can know what works, what does not, and what needs to be fixed. Performance-based budgeting is designed to replicate tools utilized in the private sector to increase the taxpayer's return on investment. By increasing efficiency and cutting unneeded spending this legislation will reduce government waste while providing improved services for the taxpayer. This system works by developing explicit performance targets, regularly evaluating the results, and developing mechanisms to improve performance. Enveloped within existing oversight mechanisms of the Government Accountability Office, GAO, reviewers will determine if stated goals match real outcomes, examine if taxpayer dollars are spent efficiently, and provide recommendations for improvement. This transparent and fact-based review of government will foster an open dialogue on how taxpayer funds are used. Madam Speaker, I commend my fellow Blue Dog Coalition member, Representative Cuellar, for his work on this legislation aimed at reducing government spending, and urge passage of H.R. 2142, the ``Government Efficiency, Effectiveness, and Performance Improvement Act of 2009.''

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2008, the Bonneville Unit Clean Hydropower Facilitation Act, bipartisan legislation that I introduced with my colleague, Rep. Chaffetz. The Bonneville Unit is a large system of dams, pipelines and tunnels which bring water from the eastern mountains in Utah to the Wasatch front population centers. It was constructed as part of the completion of the Central Utah Project Completion Act in 1992. One of the components of the Bonneville unit is the Diamond Fork Project. The Diamond Fork Project has the capability to generate up to 50 megawatts of hydroelectric power. My bill removes a barrier that is infringing on the ability to develop the hydropower. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the Federal Government will receive payments totaling $2 million dollars over the 2010-2019 period as a result of the hydroelectric project. The proposed hydroelectric project will be installed within existing structures of the Diamond Fork facility. I'd like to thank the Water and Power Subcommittee for their tireless work on this bill and Subcommittee Chairwoman Grace Napolitano and House Natural Resources Chairman Rahall for their commitment to moving this bill forward. This is common sense, bipartisan legislation that allows for development of clean hydropower at Diamond Fork. I urge my colleagues to support its passage.

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. Madam Chair, anyone who is willing to put on this country's uniform and put his or her life on the line to protect our freedoms deserves our respect and should not be subject to discrimination. Repealing this flawed policy is an important way for us to show that respect. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. Parliamentary Inquiries

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 5136, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011. This bill makes investments in our nation's military, authorizes funding to further strengthen our national security, and provides resources and aid to service members and their families. However, I am disappointed with a Sense of Congress that was added to this bill during the House Armed Services Committee Markup. This Sense of Congress states that the administration's recently released Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) weakens our national security. I disagree with that position. The Nuclear Posture Review, led by the Department of Defense, states that America's nuclear arsenal will be maintained safely and securely without the need to develop new nuclear warheads. The Nuclear Posture Review is particularly important as it shuts the door on new nuclear weapons testing. I have long had concerns that the development of new nuclear weapons could lead us back down a path to new nuclear weapons testing, which I strongly oppose. Utahns and others living downwind of the Nevada Test Site have paid dearly for government deception about the safety of past nuclear weapons testing activities. I will continue to work to ensure that history is not repeated. Evidence has long supported the fact that our current nuclear arsenal is a sufficient and reliable deterrent. In 2006 the National Nuclear Security Administration released the results of a five-year, peer- reviewed study which found that plutonium remains potent as a weapons fuel for at least 90 years and perhaps much longer. I believe the NPR sets us on a path forward that secures our existing weapons stockpile as a continued, effective deterrent, combined with efforts to reduce nuclear danger in the world. This direction will allow the U.S. to focus on securing the intelligence and the conventional weapons that we need to deal with the real and ongoing terrorist threat that we face and assuring our continued national security. I hope that as the Senate considers this bill, it will reevaluate this misguided Sense of the Congress and recognize the importance of the Nuclear Posture Review.

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. Madam Chair, I support H.R. 5116, the ``America COMPETES Act of 2010.'' This bill makes important investments in science, innovation and education to strengthen U.S. businesses and create jobs in the short and long term. This bill expands, strengthens and aligns STEM education programs at all levels of education. It fosters research by reauthorizing the National Science Foundation and National Institute of Science and technology labs. Not only does this bill strengthen the U.S. competiveness with countries abroad with research and development incentives, but it also makes significant strides in building and improving our manufacturing base. In particular, this bill improves the Manufacturing Extension Program. The MEP is a network of 59 centers located in every state and Puerto Rico that provides a range of serves to small and medium sized manufacturing. This program has been very successful to the manufacturing industry in my state of Utah. Manufacturing is the largest trade in the State of Utah and 99% of the 4,000 manufacturers in the state are small businesses. This bill provides innovative technology federal loan guarantees for small and medium sized manufacturers to help them access capital to become more efficient and stay competitive. In 2008 the federal investment of $1 million dollars in Utah's MEP, matched by State and private sector funds, resulted in work for over 400 manufacturers, of which 94 were major projects with quantifiable impacts. Madam Chair, we need to invest in cost effective programs that help create jobs and MEP is an example of this success. I have visited many of the small businesses that have benefited from the MEP center in Utah and I believe that they are worthwhile and extremely beneficial.

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. Madam Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 5019, the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act; and I want to commend Congressman Welch for his extremely productive efforts on pursuing this issue. This Home Star program will help support jobs in the construction and home retrofitting sectors, which have been among the hardest hit during this economic recession. In addition, in my home State of Utah, it will help homeowners make the investments necessary to improve energy efficiency in their homes, which in turn will help them save money on their energy bills. In my State of Utah, well over half of an individual's residential energy bill goes to home heating and air conditioning, and we have all felt the impact of increased home energy costs on our budgets over the last few years. We know that savings from energy efficiency upgrades are among the best ways homeowners can keep their energy costs low. This bill is supported by over 1,200 companies and organizations nationwide, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, and in my home State, the Utah Clean Energy Coalition and utahgreenhomes.com. I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I hope the Cash for Caulkers program can be signed into law soon.

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. Madam Speaker, when James Cash Penny opened his first dry goods store in 1902 in Kemmerer, Wyoming he called it ``The Golden Rule'' because he believed that if he provided quality goods at a fair price and treated people the way he wanted to be treated his business would be successful. In 1909 Mr. Penny opened the headquarters for J.C. Penny Company Inc. in Salt Lake City, Utah and a year later opened the Price, Utah J.C. Penny's store, located in the 2nd district of Utah which I represent. The Price J.C. Penny store is the oldest in Utah, and the second oldest in the national chain. And while the store window displays may have changed over the years the core values of Mr. Penny are steadfast. Evidence of Mr. Penny's beliefs and commitment to service went beyond retail sales. His compassion for people can often be found wherever his stores are located. From Les Eldridge who was the first Price store manager in 1910 to the present store manger Leslie Childs and her staff, the J.C. Penny team has made customer service and community a balanced priority. Through more than 100 years of history, the Company has stayed true to its Golden Rule beginnings, with a continued commitment to care for the communities where it does business. This is reflected in the many decades of support this store and its Associates have given to a variety of charitable causes in the community, including strong support for quality afterschool programs. The Price store has partnered with groups such as Kiwanis, United Way, Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Business Alliance as well as The Family and Children's Support Center, Angel Tree, The Cancer Society and many others to ensure that those in need are cared for in Southeastern Utah. In honor of the continued service and commitment to the foundation built by Mr. Penny with the opening of his first store, I want to offer congratulations to the Price, UT J.C. Penny on your 100th anniversary. Thank you for making a difference in the community.

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. Mr. Speaker, as so many people in this country continue to struggle to find work, let alone receive a pay raise, I am glad Congress has chosen to highlight this issue. Now, last year Congress recognized how inappropriate it would be to accept the stealth salary increase and passed a measure to block a congressional pay raise for the current fiscal year. This past week the Senate continued the freeze on congressional pay without a single dissenting vote. And now I urge my fellow House Members to follow suit and pass this commonsense measure. The need for this bill also underlines another significant problem with the congressional pay raise system because every year, unless both the House and the Senate actually vote against a pay raise, like we are talking about doing right now, we automatically receive a pay raise. In almost every profession, salary increases are dependent on performance, experience, tenure, or any number of factors other than really showing up to work every day. This system which shrouds the congressional pay increase in arcane procedures deters a healthy, open debate of the issue. This legislation is a straightforward measure to stop the pay increase for fiscal year '11 and has been widely supported in a bipartisan manner. I commend Congressman Mitchell and Congressman Paul for their work on this issue over the past 2 years. Now, beyond this one-time issue we are talking about today, I would be remiss if I didn't mention I have introduced a separate piece of legislation which would permanently repeal the provision of the law granting automatic pay raises and bring this issue to an open, up or down vote to let the public know where we stand on this issue every year. The Senate has also passed this legislation. I look forward to discussing this issue as we move forward to address our budgetary priorities. As I have said for the past many years, spending priorities in a time of war and economic turmoil should not include an automatic salary increase for Members of Congress. I urge my fellow Members of the House to prevent a pay raise for 2011 and vote in favor of the legislation on the floor today.

Mr. MATHESON

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

Mr. MATHESON. Madam Chair, I will be very brief. You know, right now this legislation to enhance cybersecurity authorizes the National Science Foundation to assist in doing research that will help law enforcement look for issues related to intellectual property. I thought it would be helpful if we also included and amended this bill to enhance the ability of law enforcement to prosecute cybercrimes that involve crimes against children and organized crime. So simply stated, that is the substance of this amendment. I think any of us who are parents of children right now have concerns about when kids are using the Internet and the amount of inappropriate material that's on it right now and the number of folks who are targeting children on the Internet. So I thought that would be a helpful amendment to this bill. I encourage my colleagues to support this amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MATHESON. I yield back the balance of my time as well, Madam Chair.