Alan Nunnelee

Mr. NUNNELEE

Mr. NUNNELEE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. NUNNELEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentlelady from Ohio (Mrs. Schmidt).

Mr. NUNNELEE. Mr. Speaker, the House has before it today an important question, but it's not a new question. It's a question of old. This day I put before you the choice of life or death. Today we choose life.

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

Mr. NUNNELEE

Mr. NUNNELEE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We're engaged in a budget battle for the future of our country, but we have the freedom to engage in that battle because of the brave men and women that have their lives on the line fighting for that freedom. Have we forgotten? Only 10 years ago, there were those who would have destroyed this very building and disrupted these proceedings by an act of terror, and we have men and women today fighting to make sure that those acts of terror are never repeated. That's their mission. It's unconscionable that we would send men and women into harm's way and not fund their efforts. That's why we need to pass this bill, because if we do, we will have the liberty to pursue our mission while our men and women in uniform have the liberty to pursue theirs. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr. NUNNELEE

Mr. NUNNELEE. I thank the gentleman. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this bill as a cosponsor. It has been over 40 days, and the Democratic leadership in the Senate has failed to act on a spending plan. If our government shuts down, our troops won't get paid. Now, they will still be serving this great Nation, but without pay. We need to ensure there are no political burdens that affect our troops while they are at war. As the Department of Defense has indicated, a funding lapse does impact their military's operational readiness. The American people cannot wait; Congress cannot wait while the Democrats in the Senate continue to play politics. We have given them ample time to put forth a reasonable plan, yet the majority leader in the Senate is not serious about spending reform. While the Democrats have been cheering for a government shutdown, Republicans have passed the largest spending cut in American history, and our actions are having results. Just this morning it was announced that the unemployment rate is at a 2-year low. Americans are going back to work because of our efforts. Meanwhile, what has happened this week? The Senate Democrats have spent the week diverting attention, trying to figure out how to spin to reporters. And today, while the shutdown is imminent, they have gone home. The cuts that the American people want are not extreme. They are necessary. When we are borrowing 42 cents out of every dollar, when our children and grandchildren's future is in jeopardy, these cuts are far from extreme. It is time for the Senate to act. Our goal is to cut spending, not to shut down the government. Back in Mississippi we have a saying: Lead, follow, or get out of the way. Mr. Reid, today you are in the way. So I challenge you today to lead by passing a plan of your own, to follow by adopting the plan that we have already passed. But if you can't do either of those, get out of the way and allow the Senate to act.

Mr. NUNNELEE

Mr. NUNNELEE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today on a motion offered pursuant to this order, it adjourn to meet at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 18, 2011, unless it sooner has received a message from the Senate transmitting its concurrence in House Concurrent Resolution 30, in which case the House shall stand adjourned pursuant to that concurrent resolution.

Mr. NUNNELEE

Mr. NUNNELEE. Mr. Speaker, it is time for the United States Senate to act. The Democrats in the United States Senate, the Democrat leadership in the United States Senate, have failed the American people. Last year when the Democrats controlled the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the White House, their leadership failed to adopt a budget. In fact, for the first time since adopting the Budget Act of 1974, the House of Representatives failed to pass a budget. Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid left our country in a mess. Today, we are operating without a long-term spending plan. It must stop. Earlier this year, a new majority came in to the House of Representatives; and under the leadership of John Boehner, this new majority adopted a long-term spending plan that would outline the priorities of our government through September 30 of this year. In this very Chamber, we stayed up late at night for four nights in a row. We debated and we hammered out a long-term spending plan. That plan included the largest cut in spending in American history. We defunded Planned Parenthood, we defunded NPR, we defunded ObamaCare. We placed significant restraints on regulatory agencies that have gone out of control, such as the EPA. And then the bill moved down to the Senate, and the Senate has failed to act. Since then, in order to give them more time, we have granted two budget extensions, one for 2 weeks and then earlier this week we extended it for 3 more weeks. But included in those budget extensions were $10 billion worth of spending cuts. While we have offered those temporary extensions, the permanent plan that has passed this Chamber still languishes in the Senate. The leadership of that body has not passed our spending plan, or, for that matter, any spending plan. We are waiting. But, more importantly, the American people are waiting. We cannot negotiate with silence. If they don't like our spending plan, then let them put forth one of their own. But it is time for the Senate to act. These temporary extensions are no way to run a business, and they are certainly no way to run a country. Earlier this week our negotiators asked for 3 more weeks. Since we have only been in office for a little over 10 weeks, I thought it was wise to grant that extension and I voted for it. Here the House has been doing the work of the American people. We have passed H.R. 2, the bill that repeals ObamaCare. We have defunded ObamaCare in its entirety, including the $105 billion of preapproved spending; and we are moving forward. In fact, I don't think we should stop until ObamaCare is completely defunded. The House is working on legislation that will eliminate permanently that mandatory slush fund, and I hope we will vote on that in the upcoming weeks. But it is time for the Senate to act. America wants real spending reform so that we can give businesses large and small the confidence they need, the predictability they need, and they can go out and be about the business of creating jobs that will grow our economy. It is time for the White House and the Senate to listen. House Republicans can only do so much. We only have control of one-half of one-third of the government, so we cannot act by ourselves. It is past time for the Senate to act. Over the next 3 weeks we will be waiting, and we will be watching, to negotiate a long-term solution that will get us out of this mess that they left us in when they concluded last year.

Mr. NUNNELEE

Mr. NUNNELEE. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the order of the House of today, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. NUNNELEE

Mr. NUNNELEE. Mr. Speaker, frustrations are growing as Americans are feeling real pain at the pumps. The rising gas prices are a serious strain on an economy that is beginning to show small signs of recovery. Right now, the average gas price in Mississippi is $3.50 a gallon, and I don't think anybody would be surprised if that number continues to rise. Every time gas prices go up by one penny, that costs American consumers $4 million a day. Families in north Mississippi have been dealing with tight budgets for the last couple of years, and rising gas prices severely impact an already tightened family budget. We all know that ultimately gas prices will be passed on in higher prices to the consumer through higher transportation costs, increased costs of groceries and other commodities. When there is no extra money in the pocketbooks, there is certainly no padding in the family budget to accommodate this increase in the cost of living associated with higher gas prices. As turmoil in the Middle East continues, coupled with emerging demand for Third World developing countries that places demand on foreign energy demands, that's going to cause gas prices to further increase. This problem is serious, and it needs to be addressed now. It needs to be addressed through exploring more domestic energy production. However, President Obama has offered a short-term solution, tapping into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve is available for national emergencies at a time of crisis. Mississippians can all agree that when President Bush tapped into the strategic reserve during the aftermath of Katrina, it was in response to a serious supply disruption and an unforeseeable disaster. But if we draw down on these reserves when gas hits $4 a gallon, what will we do if the reserves are depleted and then a real emergency hits? The President's shortsighted answer to our rapidly increasing oil and gas prices does nothing to protect America from future energy prices skyrocketing, nor does it help lead toward American energy independence. From the beginning, the Obama administration has failed to initiate a serious energy policy. Instead, this administration has actively taken steps to block or delay American energy production, therefore making us more dependent on unstable foreign countries' oil production. Recently, we remembered the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy's inauguration. Following that inauguration, the President stood in this very Chamber and challenged our Nation to make it a national goal to place a man on the Moon and return him safely back to Earth before the decade is out. Today, we should make it a national priority that before the end of this decade, the United States should achieve energy security and energy independence. By actively producing our own energy resources, America will not only be independent from volatile regions of the world, but we will supply our own energy. Now there is no single ``silver bullet'' and Republicans support an all-of-the-above approach that includes more American oil, more American natural gas, coal and nuclear energy. We need to expand U.S. oil exploration immediately in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska. The gulf produces nearly one-third of our domestic oil. Offshore natural gas produced in the gulf region accounts for 13 percent of the total U.S. production. However, a de facto moratorium still exists, even though the official moratorium was lifted last May and October. Not only has the gulf lost 12,000 quality jobs because of the moratorium, but these rigs are actively leaving that region and moving to foreign countries such as Cuba, Brazil and Mexico. In February, Federal Judge Feldman gave the Department of the Interior 30 days to rule on seven deepwater drilling permits. As of today, only one of those permits has been issued. That is simply inexcusable. This type of deliberate inaction and negligence fails to meet the needs of a struggling U.S. economy. That is why I'm a proud cosponsor of House Resolution 140, which calls for a streamlining of the permit process for shallow and deepwater drilling in the gulf. In 2008, President Obama put the entire Pacific coast, Atlantic coast and the eastern gulf coast off-limits to future energy production. This includes a large portion of Alaska's Outer Continental Shelf, even though expanding production would ultimately create upwards of 1.2 million jobs and generate $8 trillion in economic output. That's why we must immediately begin a long-term energy policy and begin to drill today to deal with higher gas prices. I also believe that it is vitally important to invest in the development of clean coal technologies. Coal is our Nation's most abundant and affordable energy resource, and another way to energy independence is through economically and environmentally sound clean coal technology. President Obama has specifically said that he would bankrupt the coal industry through regulations and impossible standards. Democrats continue to operate an anti-business agenda and restrict the advancement of domestic energy development through regulations, moratoriums and increased taxes on American energy production. The President's 2012 budget includes over $60 billion in tax and fee increases on American energy production. This will only add to the burden of families and businesses. The current unrest in the Middle East only emphasizes the importance for America to develop more of its own domestic resources. American energy production can lower prices, create good jobs and decrease our reliability on foreign oil. We need to start paying Americans and stop funding our enemies. Our country has been blessed with clean and efficient energy resources. Let's stop putting unreasonable restrictions on our natural resources and allow America to claim energy independence.

Mr. NUNNELEE

Mr. NUNNELEE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Madam Speaker, in a day when America has been suffering for nearly 2 years from significant unemployment, when nearly one in 10 of our neighbors is unemployed, it is our duty to do everything we can to allow these employers to focus on job creation. Today, we will vote to repeal the burdensome 1099 provision included in ObamaCare. As pledged to the American people, we will work to get this unpopular job-destroying law off the books. We voted to repeal it outright, we voted to defund it, and today we begin the process of repealing it piece by piece. In order to comply with this 1099 mandate, businesses would have to spend countless hours generating and receiving needless amounts of paperwork. Now I started a small business, and I know the rewards and challenges of entrepreneurship. And I can tell you those challenges don't need to involve filing needless paperwork. Last summer, when I visited Trisha's Day Spa in Grenada, Mississippi, and I explained to Trisha Shankle the 1099 requirements in ObamaCare, she said that such a requirement would be devastating to her business. That's been the conclusion reached in small businesses around America. Today, a huge burden will be lifted from the shoulders of small businesses, and for that I am grateful. That's why I'm proud to cosponsor this legislation and why I will vote to repeal it.

Mr. NUNNELEE

Mr. NUNNELEE. Mr. Speaker, today is a memorable night throughout the State of Mississippi and indeed throughout the Southeastern Conference, when the Mississippi State University Bulldogs tip off in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The thing that will make this game memorable is that Jack Cristil will not be behind the microphone. For the past 58 years, as Mississippi State fans tuned in to listen to basketball or football games, they heard the distinctive voice of Jack Cristil. However, due to declining health, Mr. Jack called his last game over the weekend. He began his career in the golden age of radio, and learned to paint a picture with words as he recounted the events on the field or court, when no other medium was available. The first day on the job, Mississippi State Atheletic Director Dudy Noble told him, ``You tell that radio audience what the score is and who's got the ball and how much time is left and you cut out the bull.'' Throughout his 58 years, he never veered from that advice. His commitment to professionalism and excellence at his craft led him to develop a style that all Mississippians, including those from rival schools, respected. Long before Fox News, he was fair and balanced, and reported the games in that manner. His distinct style has influenced several generations of sports fans, as they could expect to hear the introduction of a six foot tall sophomore (pronounced with its proper three syllables) wearing maroon pants, a white jersey with maroon numerals, and maroon headgear. He truly was the Voice of the Bulldogs. Over the years, he has been recognized by numerous organizations including receiving an award named after another famous sportscaster, the Ronald Reagan Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Sportscasters and Sportswriters. He also was inducted into the Mississippi State University Sports Hall of Fame in 2003, named Mississippi Sportscaster of the Year 21 times and the recipient of the SEC Broadcaster of the Year award in 1988. Tonight, the game will go on, and the broadcast will be in capable hands, but Mr. Cristil, we will miss you.

Mr. NUNNELEE

Mr. NUNNELEE. I thank the gentleman for yielding. As a former Member of the Appropriations Committee in the Mississippi State Senate, I was responsible for balancing our State's budget. The Affordable Care Act will push added costs to already strapped States and will ultimately require tax increases at the State level. The overall cost to implement health reform in Mississippi is $1.7 billion over 10 years. From fiscal years 2014 to 2020, this dramatic increase in enrollment will cost our taxpayers an extra $225 million to $250 million a year. Approximately 400,000 new individuals will be added to our Medicaid rolls because of the expansion, meaning one in three Mississippians will be on Medicaid. More money devoted to Medicaid means less funding for other necessary State services and added financial burdens on our taxpayers in Mississippi, as well as the rest of the taxpayers of this Nation that will further stifle job creation. So because of that, I will proudly vote to repeal this law.

Mr. NUNNELEE

Mr. NUNNELEE. ``But this article shall not apply to any person holding the office of President when this article was proposed by the Congress, and shall not prevent any person who may be holding the office of President, or acting as President, during the term within which this article becomes operative from holding the office of President or acting as President during the remainder of such term.''