Gwen Moore

Ms. MOORE

Ms. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to oppose this compromise bill, although I congratulate the people for working very hard on it. But the change in the heat and eat option is not just a little technical change; it is a change that has a freezing, chilling impact on every single SNAP recipient in Wisconsin. It not only increases bureaucracy, it decreases SNAP benefits to Wisconsin families whose benefits were cut already in November. I am deeply concerned about the concrete hurt, hunger, and, quite frankly, the frigid cold that we impose today on thousands of low- income American households, including seniors, children, and the disabled. As many as 255,000 SNAP cases in Wisconsin will be affected by this change. How do I explain this to the women, children, seniors, and disabled in households how this ``technical change'' is minor when they stand to lose $90 a month in benefits? When you consider what they lost in November, $90 a month to a poor family is not a ``technical change.'' It is a lot of money. It is more than $1,000 a year. The price of food is not going to go down, nor is the price of fuel, nor is the purchasing power of the poor going to go up. SNAP benefits already do not meet nutritional needs throughout the month, and this change will mean that real food will be off real tables and out of the stomachs of current recipients. The proposed cut on top of ARRA resulted in a 9 percent drop in benefits allocation to Wisconsin. It is just too much. In the heat or eat States, that is as much as 11 percent of all beneficiaries. In one step, we imposed new administrative costs on those States and make it harder to keep SNAP more responsive. Kids were off school 2 days--2 days--this week because of the frigid, dangerous cold. And throwing these families back to heat or eat is the wrong thing to do.

Ms. MOORE

Ms. MOORE. Yes, Madam Speaker, I am opposed to the bill.

Ms. MOORE. Madam Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Ms. MOORE. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Ms. MOORE. Madam Speaker, the motion to recommit is very simple, as the Clerk stated. It will ensure that nothing in this bill shall be construed to authorize any party to violate the medical privacy of any woman, including the victims of rape or incest with respect to her choice of or use of comprehensive health insurance. Here we are today, Madam Speaker, on the day of the State of the Union when long-term unemployment insurance has lapsed, debating a recycled bill that attacks women's health care. This is truly an out- of-touch moment for the majority. The legislation under consideration today fundamentally lacks compassion. Women's health advocates have expressed strong concerns about its impact on women's right to privacy when it comes to their medical care and decisions. This bill could have damaging effects on women who have been raped and victimized by incest, who suffer from debilitating illnesses like the one that the gentlelady from California described, Vicky, who want nothing more than their right to make their own personal health care decisions with their own private insurance. I have heard people continuously say that this is a recodification of the Hyde amendment. We all abide by the Hyde amendment. This bill seeks to strip women of their rights to have insurance even in the private insurance market. That is why I invite my colleagues to join me in passing this motion to recommit today, to ensure that we do not unintentionally eviscerate protections that are fundamental to women's health and liberty. We are greatly concerned about this legislation, that it would force women in private health insurance to have to ``justify'' their need for a full range of reproductive health care services even if their life is in danger or if they have been the victim of sexual assault or incest. This legislation, again, could remove the option for a health insurance company to choose to offer comprehensive women's health services. Many of us remember, some of us on a very personal level, the egregious history of this issue. Many of us remember the shame and stigma that women--victims--faced, and still face when they come forward to seek services. Depending on how this bill is implemented, a woman could be required to provide extensive documentation to save her own life or even prove to her insurance company that she was assaulted. What will happen? Will she have to go to court, Madam Speaker? Will there be an IRS audit? Madam Speaker, there are just so many unanswered questions, and the answers could have meaningful consequences for women across our entire country. What kind of proof would a woman need to exercise options for health care? Who gets to determine whether or not a woman's sexual assault was a legitimate rape? What kind of intensively private information would be required to establish this proof? Who in the insurance company or other entity would be equipped to make a ruling on the validity laid out in the bill? Oh, we remember our history as women, of humiliation and public degradation that forced victims of rape or incest to stay in the shadows rather than to get the health care they need and deserve, or to seek justice against their attacker. This motion to recommit simply makes sure that we uphold our history of protecting the confidentiality and medical privacy of women, upholding women's constitutional right to health care, particularly those who are victims of terrible crimes. I urge my colleagues to adopt this motion to recommit. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. MOORE

Ms. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to implore you and the House majority to reach across the aisle to find common ground, to reach out their hands to fix our broken immigration system. Last summer, Republicans and Democrats in the Senate came together and passed comprehensive immigration reform with a strong bipartisan vote, a vote of 68-32. That is like a super-duper majority. In fact, one poll last month showed that 63 percent of Americans--two-thirds of Americans--support a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. Business leaders, chambers of commerce, labor unions, faith groups, immigrant families, law enforcement officials, and Americans of every race, creed, color, and ethnicity all across our country applauded our Senators for reaching across the aisle. For many, it really gave hope and a belief in our government that we are still capable of putting aside political posturing and of building consensus around the difficult issues that face our country. But today, as I speak, Americans are asking: What happened? They are confused as to why the House of Representatives can't do the same thing that the Senate did and pass immigration reform. They are even more confused as to why the House can't even dignify the issue with a simple up-or-down vote. Those people have not gone away, Mr. Speaker. Oh, no. In fact, today, the call to action is still as loud and clear as it has ever been. Just yesterday, I visited the Fast for Families movement on The National Mall, where faith leaders had actually been fasting for 22 days--22 days with no food. Some were hospitalized to safely break the fast per the doctor's orders, but others pressed on. Replacement fasters stepped up, including our own Representative Kennedy, who, in the legacy of his grandfather, Bobby, acknowledged the need to embrace the immigrant issue. So I ask my colleagues in the majority, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle: What are we waiting for? Our job creators want reform. Our workforce wants it, and our spiritual leaders say it is the right thing to do. Overwhelmingly, so do the American people. The facts are so clear that reform will tremendously benefit all of our country. In fact, the Congressional Budget Office has followed the money, and it estimates that immigration reform will increase the gross domestic product by $700 billion in 2023 and by $1.4 trillion in 2033; but here we are today, facing government shutdowns and sequester levels that eviscerate services that so many vulnerable Americans rely on. This is where we are stuck. It has been 5 months since the Senate passed its bill; yet we have only 6 days scheduled until the end of the year, and we haven't had one serious vote on immigration reform. Americans have put their differences aside for the common good of our country, and they expect us to do the same thing in this, our beloved democracy. Once again, I want to reiterate that I stand here, ready to work with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle in order to move our country forward. I applaud my brave colleagues on the other side who have already taken a stand and have put politics aside, and I encourage more of my colleagues to answer that calling and meet us halfway. The American people are fed up with the status quo and gridlock here in Washington. Let's come together and strengthen our businesses, our economy, our workforce, and our families.

Ms. MOORE

Ms. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today regarding my absence from the House for votes on the evening of November 18, 2013, due to a medical issue. I would like to submit how I would have voted had I been in attendance for the following votes: Rollcall No. 588, on the motion to suspend the rules and pass, as amended, the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act (H.R. 2061): I would have voted ``yea.'' Rollcall No. 589, on the motion to suspend the rules and pass, as amended, a bill (H.R. 272) to designate the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense joint outpatient clinic to be constructed in Marina, California, as the General William H. Gourley Federal Outpatient Clinic: A Joint VA-DOD Health Care Facility: I would have voted ``yea.''

Ms. MOORE

Ms. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Mrs. Annie Jane (Blakely) Jackson who will celebrate her 100th Birthday on Monday, November 18, 2013. The community will join with Annie J. Jackson to celebrate her centennial on Saturday, November 16, 2013. Mrs. Jackson was born November 18, 1913 in Hopten, Alabama, was raised in Adamsville, Alabama and moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1945. She found work at the Cudahy Meat Packing Company and was also employed at the Veteran Hospital for two years. She later found employment with the American Can Company where she worked for twenty- three years prior to her retirement from the company in September, 1976. Mrs. Jackson was married to the late Junior Lee Jackson for 32 years. Junior Lee Jackson was the owner of Party House Tavern for nearly 30 years and as an entrepreneur was able to employ many people in the community. Mrs. Jackson is the mother of three children-- Jonathan, Arlene (both deceased) and Valerie; grandmother to Venus and Raven. I have literally known Mrs. Jackson all of my life. She is a charter member of Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, Milwaukee, Wisconsin since May of 1956, my church home. There were 17 members when the church was incorporated and today she is the only living charter member. Mrs. Jackson was an active member in the church; she served on the Usher Board and Mission Board and was the very first Mission Board President. She is now confined to a wheel chair and is unable to attend church services but continues to be supportive both spiritually and financially. Mrs. Jackson volunteered for many years at Lutheran Social Services agency calling the elderly to determine their needs and refer them for necessary services. Cooking and fishing are her most favorite things to do. She has already begun preparation for Thanksgiving dinner; she has cleaned thirty pounds of Chitterlings. It gives her great joy and happiness to be able to cook the entire Thanksgiving dinner for her family, then sit down at the table to eat and thank God for all of their blessings. It is an honor for me to acknowledge someone who continues to contribute so much to Milwaukee and the 4th Congressional District. She set a strong example of leadership and excellence as a member of her church and for the entire community. She is a Milwaukee and Wisconsin treasure and I value her service. Mr. Speaker, that is why I rise to honor and celebrate Mrs. Jackson's 100 years of life.

Ms. MOORE

Ms. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I rise on this occasion to give congratulations to Lauri Wynn, recipient of the 2013 James Howard Baker Award. I am truly honored to pay homage to someone who has contributed so much to Milwaukee and the State of Wisconsin. I have known Lauri Wynn for over 30 years, well before I began my legislative career in the Wisconsin State Assembly. Ms. Wynn was an educator for many years in the Milwaukee Public School System. She continued this service at the state level becoming the first African American President of the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC), Wisconsin's statewide teachers union. Lauri Wynn worked with Lloyd Barbee on school desegregation. As both an educator and president of WEAC, she influenced the lives of thousands of students many of whom went on to become leaders themselves in the areas of politics and economic empowerment. Ms. Wynn was an active participant in the ``Freedom Walkers for Milwaukee'' in the 1960s and marched with Father Groppi in the struggle for open housing and school desegregation. Additionally, she was very active in the NAACP. Lauri Wynn was also a Special Advisor to Governor Tony Earl. Ms. Wynn's activities included assisting African Americans in obtaining political office, obtaining employment and becoming leaders in every area of civic life. She did all of this without seeking personal gain or public acknowledgement. She has supported the Community Brainstorming Conference from its inception with her attendance and input. Ms. Wynn has been a fearless leader and has been dedicated to advancing the interests of the African American community. I know that Lauri Wynn is a strong example of leadership and excellence for her children and grandchildren. She is a Milwaukee and Wisconsin treasure, and I value her service. Lauri Wynn, thank you for your service to the 4th Congressional District.

Ms. MOORE

Ms. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize this October as the 26th anniversary of Domestic Violence Awareness Month in the United States. Every day women across our nation live in fear of being abused by a partner. An estimated 1.5 million people in the United States fall victim to domestic abuse each year and one in four women will experience domestic violence at some point in her life. Like a cancer, this abuse knows no limits and crosses all ethnic, socioeconomic, and party lines. For years, the consequences of domestic violence were ignored or minimized, but our nation has since witnessed many advances to protect and support victims of domestic abuse. The reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), passed into law this year, will be critical in strengthening the ability of governments, law enforcement, and service providers to combat domestic violence. But the effects of domestic violence are far-reaching and plague generation after generation, so we must continue to work hard to intervene in ways that fit individual victims' needs and prevent future violence. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting stronger public policy initiatives to meet the overwhelming need that remains for victim services and a range of domestic violence programs. As community leaders, we must pursue every opportunity for domestic violence education, advocacy, and prevention services. These are the means by which we can help turn domestic violence victims into survivors and prevent future domestic abuse.

Ms. MOORE

Ms. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I rise on this occasion to give congratulations on the retirement of my District Director, Lois O'Keefe. This is truly a bittersweet moment for me. I have known Lois for over 20 years just before I began my legislative career in the Wisconsin State Assembly. She has been a volunteer, an employee and most importantly a friend. I am happy that Lois will begin a new journey after having such an illustrious career as a public servant. Lois O'Keefe has been employed by two U.S. Senators, Senators Proxmire and Kohl and a U.S. Congresswoman. The labor movement has also been an important part of her career. She was appointed as the Regional Representative of the Secretary of Labor for the Midwest Region in Chicago. During the Clinton Administration, Lois O'Keefe served under Secretaries Robert Reich and Alexis Herman. She also served as a union organizer for the Service Employees International Union representing workers who cared for the elderly. It is clear she has a passion for government service. Lois O'Keefe also has a passion for working with youth. She ran the REACH Youth Program at the Milwaukee Private Industry Council and worked with the Milwaukee Job Corps to start an internship program in my district office. Lois also has lived the reality of many women, juggling work and child care issues to return to school when her four children were young, ages 7-14. She earned both a BA in Political Science and an MA in Industrial and Labor Relations. After nearly 10 years on my staff serving as a caseworker and then District Director, I wish you well my friend. While you have closed this door, another one is opening for you so that you may pursue life at your own special pace. Lois can now travel the world, which is something that I know she has wanted to do for a long time. Lois O'Keefe, thank you for your service to the 4th Congressional District.

Ms. MOORE

Ms. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge you to turn away from this destructive path of threatening the full faith and credit of the United States Government as a means to extort political concessions and to subvert the democratic principle of majority rule. I urge you, Mr. Speaker, to become the Speaker of the House and not spokesperson for a fringe cult within the GOP caucus. The Affordable Care Act is settled law. In fact, the negotiation for any change to the Affordable Care Act is possible and perhaps even desirable under so-called regular order, and that goes for the other ransom demands that the GOP has made. Now, of course, the reason for this crisis, this shutdown of the government and the debt crisis, has now shifted from repealing or delaying ObamaCare to vague demands for negotiations. We have seen a laundry list, Mr. Speaker, of other so-called demands: approval of the Keystone pipeline; concessions on payments to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid; tort reform; repeal of job-killing regulations, that is, protections for clean air and clean water. The latest demand is Republicans passed a bill to create a superdupercommittee that includes instructions that the committee can only resolve our budget crisis by considering spending cuts and entitlement cuts, but no new revenue. In other words, Mr. Speaker, you don't really want to negotiate. It is just obvious from your words and deeds, Mr. Speaker, since you, Mr. Speaker, have blocked negotiations 18 times over the past year. Mr. Speaker, you are putting the country through this ``shut-er- down'' theater that you called for in the last Republican campaign, in the last cycle. ``A nuclear weapon'' is how Warren Buffett characterized failure to raise the debt ceiling. Let me say that again. The world's most respected financial markets expert compared this now familiar Republican tactic as a weapon of mass destruction, a weapon that is ``too horrible to use.'' Let me quote Yalman Onaran in Bloomberg: Failure by the world's largest borrower to pay its debt, unprecedented in modern history, will devastate stock markets from Brazil to Zurich, halt a $5 trillion lending mechanism for investors who rely on Treasuries, blow up borrowing costs for billions of people and companies, ravage the dollar and throw U.S. and world economies into a recession that would likely become a depression. Money managers, economists, bankers and former government officials interviewed for this story, few view default as anything but a financial apocalypse. Yet, Mr. Speaker, you continue to take default off the table. Meanwhile, even the discussion of default is driving up borrowing costs for the U.S. as investors demand higher yields to buy short-term U.S. Treasury bonds. Short-term borrowing costs have doubled and now are at the highest levels since late 2008. Heaven help us if you, Mr. Speaker, actually drive the U.S. into default. Think about this: the $12 trillion of outstanding government debt is 23 times--23 times--the $517 billion Lehman owed when its bankruptcy sparked the 2008 financial crisis. The full faith and credit of the U.S. debt is the collateral for banks, financial contracts, and repurchase markets throughout the world, the collateral that stands behind global finance and investment. It is why we are the world's reserve currency. Any default by the U.S. will have very real and extremely serious consequences and trigger a self-inflicted global financial crisis. In my mind, Mr. Speaker, the full faith and credit of the United States is not open for negotiation. I urge my colleagues to cease using the debt ceiling and economic calamity as a political tool and vote for a clean CR and debt limit bill.

Ms. MOORE

Ms. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. Arnold L. Mitchem, the founding president of the Council for Opportunity in Education. On October 1, 2013, Dr. Arnold L. Mitchem stepped down and assumed the position of President Emeritus. Dr. Mitchem has been a voice for low-income, first-generation students, individuals with disabilities, adult learners, and veterans throughout his entire career. The mission of the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) is to advance and defend the ideal of equal educational opportunity in postsecondary education. COE is the core advocacy and professional group for the federal TRIO programs, which consist of nearly 2,800 federally funded college opportunity programs at more than 1,000 colleges and universities nationwide. Dr. Mitchem's knowledge of grassroots organizing and understanding of the political landscape at the local, national, and international level has propelled COE to become the ``voice for college opportunity.'' He introduced the concept of ``first-generation students'' through his Congressional testimony in the late 1970s--and the term was incorporated into the Education Amendments of 1980. Dr. Mitchem has testified before Congress more than a dozen times to share his expertise on education reform, the importance of a quality education, and student loan issues. Dr. Mitchem is a member of the Executive Committee of the European Access Network and serves on the Board of Trustees for Marquette University. He is a former trustee of the College Board; past president of the Committee for Education Funding, a Washington, D.C.-based coalition of national education associations; and served on INROADS, Inc.'s first national board. Dr. Mitchem is also the recipient of both the 2013 Award for Advocacy of Independent Higher Education from the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities and the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities' Award of Excellence (2013). Because of his tireless advocacy for underrepresented students, Dr. Mitchem was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, and honorary doctorates from 10 universities. His writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Forbes.com, The Huffington Post, and numerous other print and online publications. Dr. Mitchem began his career on the history faculty at Marquette University, where he was later named director of Marquette's Educational Opportunity Program. Dr. Mitchem served in that role until 1986, when he moved to Washington, D.C. to assume the presidency of the Council for Opportunity in Education. He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Southern Colorado, did graduate work in European history as a Woodrow Wilson Fellow at the University of Wisconsin, and earned a Ph.D. in foundations of education from Marquette University. Mr. Speaker I am honored to recognize Dr. Mitchem for all he has done to improve the life outcomes of disadvantaged students. He has left an indelible mark in the lives of so many, including my own. I feel blessed to call him my mentor and my friend.

Ms. MOORE

Ms. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, the definition of ``farce'' is: a foolish show, mockery, a ridiculous sham. Now, this Head Start funding bill and cry for providing a head start for our low-income children is indeed a false start at this 22 percent sequestration level. The politicians' mantra that education is the key does not pass the laugh test where our babies are locked out and out of luck--no LIHEAP, immunizations, disability education assistance. This is a key to what--a key to a government careening toward default? It is a government that has defaulted on the future of our children. Let's shut down the shutdown.

Ms. MOORE

Ms. MOORE. Madam Speaker, today's consideration of H.J. Res. 75 is a sham, a masquerade, a charade, and it features this relentless drumbeat and parade of pretentious concern for suckling babes and lactating women. Who do you think you're fooling? You're not fooling the National WIC Association. After all, they have watched the Appropriations Committee of this majority vote out up to half a billion dollars in cuts in the WIC program for these 8.6 million suckling babes. And what of these lactating women? I breastfed my kids; and I tell you that when you cut $40 billion out of food stamps, women cannot produce milk because they won't have fresh fruits and vegetables and lean meats. And what about the siblings of these children--school-age children who are the 210,000 who rely on free lunch that this bill does not address? Madam Speaker, I would hope that we would not deny 859,000 children, elderly, and disabled. Enough of this carnival. Let's get off this merry-go-round and reject this chicanery.

Ms. MOORE

Ms. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Sarah Berndt, a Milwaukee Public School teacher at Ronald Reagan College Preparatory High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Ms. Berndt, recipient of the 2013 Milken Educator Award, teaches ninth grade Spanish and an introductory international baccalaureate class. Ms. Berndt, one of only 40 teachers in the United States to receive this prestigious award in 2013, was honored before her peers, students and dignitaries at Ronald Reagan High School on October 2, 2013. The Milken Educator Award was founded in 1985 by the Milken Family Foundation. The award recognizes early and midcareer teachers who have made a significant impact and have promising futures in the field. Ms. Berndt pursued teaching as a career because: ``I wanted to inspire and be inspired. I wanted it to be more of a collaborative adventure than a dictatorship. I wanted to be different.'' Ms. Berndt has taught at Ronald Reagan High School for three years and is respected by students and faculty alike. In order to be considered for a Milken Award, the individual must exhibit the following attributes: exhibit exceptional instructional talent and student learning results; demonstrate accomplishments outside the classroom that provide a model of professional excellence; be an early to midcareer educator who offers long-range potential for leadership; and be an educator whose contributions may be unheralded but worthy of the spotlight. Ms. Berndt has met all the criteria and has made a difference in the lives of her students and faculty at Ronald Reagan College Preparatory High School. She has inspired the entire Milwaukee Public System with her achievement. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor Sarah Berndt. The citizens of the Fourth Congressional District and the state of Wisconsin are privileged to have someone of her ability and dedicated service teaching and guiding our future leaders. I am honored, for these reasons, to pay tribute to Sarah Berndt.

Ms. MOORE

Ms. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, be not deceived. The people are not mocked. In 24 hours, if we don't send an exact bill back to the Senate, not a colon, not a semicolon, not a paragraph, not a word different, the government will shut down. This debate is not about medical devices, about birth control, about ObamaCare, the Affordable Care Act; it is about continuing to have our government operate for another few days. We have 24 hours for this Congress to agree on the exact bill. And I agree with my other colleagues, this whole debate is a subterfuge and a proxy for a strong desire to bring this Nation to its knees and to punish the people for electing Barack Obama President of the United States.

Ms. MOORE

Ms. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today regarding my absence from the House for votes on the evening of September 25, 2013. I would like to submit how I would have voted had I been in attendance for the following vote: Rollcall No. 485, providing for the concurrence by the House in the Senate amendment to H.R. 527, Responsible Helium Administration and Stewardship Act, with an amendment, I would have voted ``yea.''

Ms. MOORE

Ms. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, the Nutrition Reform and Work Opportunity Act of 2013 is rife with fraud, waste and abuse. This bill is fraudulent in its claims that it's a benevolent bill that merely institutes work requirements and won't hurt children. In my very own State of Wisconsin, 4,000 children will lose free and reduced lunch, and as the entire family will be able to be penalized, it will also hurt the elderly and disabled who live in these households. It's fraudulent. It's a bill that is a waste of our constituents' belief and stewardship in us that we would do the conscientious and right thing for the American people. We just don't throw people under the bus when they're in a recession and they can't find employment. It's a waste, and it is abusive of 15 percent of Americans and 22 percent of children who live in abject poverty. I ask my colleagues to reject this bill rife with fraud, waste, and abuse.

Ms. MOORE

Ms. MOORE. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I'm sure my colleague agrees with me that we should not add hurdles. We've passed 11 bills since September on behalf of veterans, including the following kinds of initiatives: the 9/11 GI Bill, which we all agreed upon; copayments for medication; and resources for radiation poisoning. Had we had this bill in place, each and every one of these initiatives would have required a joint resolution from Congress each time the VA promulgated these rules. If those sessions of Congress were anything like the majority's calendar for this year, we would not have had a lot of time to have completed work. This year we've only passed 15 bills into law. That's a record low compared to last year. As the Speaker just recently said--I suppose it would apply here--we should not be judged on how many laws we create; we should be judged on how many laws we repeal. Certainly, we would not have been able to do things like the GI Bill or reduce copayments for medications for veterans had we had this bill in place. The other thing is you would think that my colleagues would have some pride in this institution. All this bill will do is put much more power within the hands of the executive. We can't appoint bureaucrats to conference committees on the budget. I yield back the balance of my time. Disabled American Veterans National Service & Legislative Headquarters, Washington, DC, July 31, 2013. Hon. Gwen Moore, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Representative Moore: On behalf of DAV (Disabled American Veterans), an organization of 1.2 million wartime wounded, injured, and ill veterans, I am writing with respect to your proposed amendment to H.R. 367, the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2013, or the ``REIN'' Act. Your proposed amendment, if accepted, would exempt veterans and veterans affairs from the requirements of the bill that all proposed federal rules that convey a cost of $100 million or more, or that are subject to other circumstances described in the bill, be submitted to Congress before promulgation by the Executive Branch. Under the bill, Congress would require itself to mandatorily act to approve or disapprove any such regulation through fixed rules of procedure and calendars. Your effort to protect veterans to ensure their benefits and services are provided in an expeditious manner, as proposed by an Executive Branch agency, is deeply appreciated. Under the DAV Constitution and By-Laws, any federal legislation or policy that furthers the interests of wounded and injured veterans carries DAV's strong support. While endorsing your specific amendment, DAV takes no position on the underlying bill itself, because our membership has not approved a resolution specific to the purpose of Congress generally limiting government regulation- making across the vast federal landscape. Thank you for proposing your amendment, and please advise me how DAV can aid you in gaining its acceptance by the House as it concludes consideration of the REIN Act. Sincerely, Barry A. Jesinoski, Executive Director, Washington Headquarters.

Ms. MOORE. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. MOORE. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. MOORE. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer an amendment to H.R. 367, the REINS Act, and I yield myself 3 minutes of my time. Today's REINS Act would require a joint resolution approval of Congress every time the executive branch promulgates a major rule. My amendment would simply exempt our Nation's veterans from the burdensome layers and hurdles that H.R. 367 will add to the administration's rulemaking process. I oppose the underlying bill because it will severely restrict agency or department action when many vulnerable veterans need help. It is just simply unacceptable every single time our Nation's veterans are held hostage by the gridlock we experience in Congress. This is yet another moment. This amendment offers an opportunity to exempt them from that. Mr. Chairman, just a few little facts: Today's veterans need help more than ever, and they really deserve it. Unfortunately, over 3,000 Active Duty troops have taken their lives since 2011. We have an estimated 22 veteran suicides per day. We've had over 2 million Active Duty soldiers deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, many of whom are struggling to transition and trying to find employment. While the VA has made some progress in recent months, Mr. Chairman, the backlog of over 500,000 claims--those older than 125 days--is simply unacceptable. Some veterans have had to wait up to 2 years for an administrative decision on a claim, and we're adding more administrative requirements for them. We're gravely concerned, all of us are here, on a bipartisan basis, about the growing backlog of appeals pending with the VA as resources are shifted. The amount of claims waiting to be heard by the Board of Veterans Affairs is currently over 45,000 and estimated to increase to approximately 102,000 by 2017. The average length of an appeal completed in fiscal year 2012 was 903 days, Mr. Chairman. Adding hurdles now will do nothing but curtail options available to the administration as it works toward solving these serious problems. I appeal to the common sense and compassion for veterans of my colleagues. My amendment is simple. Veterans deserve to be left out of this political fight. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. MOORE

Ms. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the accomplishments of the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE). MSOE recently earned the top engineering evaluation score in this year's Marine Advanced Technology Education Center's International competition for Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV). This year marks the first time MSOE has participated in this competition, and I am proud to support this great achievement. For the past 11 years, Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Center, which is funded by the National Science Foundation, has used its underwater robotics competition to help students obtain hands on science, technology, engineering and math experience, thereby preparing them for careers in the STEM fields. Through the ROV competition, students gain specialized knowledge and apply their skills in a teamwork oriented setting. Students produce technical reports as well as presentations and displays to showcase their engineering work to competition judges currently in the field. In addition, each team is required to exemplify an entrepreneurial spirit in each stage of the competition. The benefits of participating are far reaching. A total of 53 teams participated in the 2013 international competition, and 23 teams entered MSOE's competition category. As the theme was ocean observing systems, MSOE's competition mission was to create technology that would assist in installing and maintaining instrumentation to monitor ocean activity in real time to then determine the ocean's impact on the weather. In successfully doing so, they earned the top engineering evaluation score. They demonstrated exemplary efforts and should be proud of their accomplishment. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to recognize the Milwaukee School of Engineering Underwater Robotics team. Through their ability and diligence, they have distinguished their school and the district. I am honored to pay tribute to MSOE.

Ms. MOORE

Ms. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today regarding my absence from the House for the first vote on July 25, 2013. I was unfortunately absent because I was detained in traffic, as I returned from an event. I would like to submit how I would have voted had I been in attendance for the following vote: Rollcall No. 415, on agreeing to the Waxman amendment, I would have voted ``aye.''