Frank Pallone

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, do I still have 3 minutes?

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. First of all, Mr. Speaker, I would like to point out and I would like to enter into the Record a letter from the American Medical Association and many, many other physicians' groups, as well as State medical societies, in opposition to the legislation. Let me just read the first paragraph. It is addressed to the Speaker and to the Democratic leader. It says: On behalf of the undersigned physician organizations, we are writing to express our strong opposition to H.R. 4302, and we urge you to vote against the bill when it is considered on the floor. Again, that is from the AMA, many specialty doctor groups, and a number of State medical societies. I would also point out that it is my strong belief--and I know that my chairman of the subcommittee disagrees on this, but it is my strong belief that if this bill passes, that we will not have an opportunity to bring up the larger permanent fix. We will not negotiate that. I doubt very much that that would be the case. March 26, 2014. Hon. John A. Boehner, Speaker, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Hon. Nancy Pelosi, Minority Leader, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Speaker Boehner and Representative Pelosi: On behalf of the undersigned physician organizations, we are writing to express our strong opposition to H.R. 4302, the ``Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014,'' and we urge you to vote against the bill when it is considered on the floor. Instead of reforming the Medicare physician payment system, Congress seems intent on imposing yet another round of arbitrary provider payment reductions to maintain a corrosive policy that essentially every Member of Congress says should be scrapped. Importantly, by selectively choosing cost savings proposals that were included in the bipartisan, bicameral policy framework set forth in H.R. 4015 and S. 2000, the bill being considered would undermine future passage of that framework and add to the instability that now impedes the development and adoption of health care delivery and payment innovations that can strengthen the Medicare program. It appears that an unprecedented, bipartisan agreement on Medicare reform is on the verge of being cast aside because elected leaders are unwilling to make tough choices to strengthen programs serving 50 million Americans. We strongly urge Members to vote against this legislation and renew our call for all parties to engage in good faith, bipartisan efforts to enact the physician payment and delivery system reform policy contained in H.R. 4015/S. 2000, the SGR Repeal and Medicare Provider Payment Modernization Act. The endless cycle of short-term remedies that serve to support a failed policy are no longer acceptable. Sincerely, American Medical Association; American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology; American Academy of Dermatology Association; American Academy of Neurology; American Academy of Ophthalmology; American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery; American Academy of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation; American Academy of Sleep Medicine; American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry; American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons; American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons; American College of Emergency Physicians; American College of Gastroenterology; American College of Mohs Surgery; American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine; American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians; American College of Osteopathic Internists; American College of Osteopathic Surgeons; American College of Phlebology; American College of Physicians. American College of Surgeons; American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; American Gastroenterological Association; American Geriatrics Society; American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society; American Osteopathic Association; American Pediatric Surgical Association; American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Association; American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy; American Society for Reproductive Medicine; American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery; American Society of Disability Evaluating Physicians; American Society of General Surgeons; American Society of Hematology; American Society of Nephrology; American Urogynecologic Society; American Urological Association; College of American Pathologists; Infectious Diseases Society of America; Medical Group Management Association. National Association of Medical Examiners; North American Spine Society; National Association of Spine Specialists; Renal Physicians Association; Society of Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions; Society of Critical Care Medicine; Society of Gynecologic Oncology; Society of Hospital Medicine; Society of Thoracic Surgeons; Alaska State Medical Association; Arkansas Medical Society; Connecticut State Medical Society; Medical Society of the District of Columbia; Medical Association of Georgia; Hawaii Medical Association; Idaho Medical Association; Illinois State Medical Society; Indiana State Medical Association; Iowa Medical Society; Kentucky Medical Association; Maine Medical Association. Massachusetts Medical Society; Michigan State Medical Society; Minnesota Medical Association; Mississippi State Medical Association; Missouri State Medical Association; Montana Medical Association; Nebraska Medical Association; Nevada State Medical Association; Medical Society of the State of New York; North Dakota Medical Association; Ohio State Medical Association; Oregon Medical Association; Pennsylvania Medical Society; Rhode Island Medical Society; South Dakota State Medical Association; Utah Medical Association; Vermont Medical Society; Medical Society of Virginia; Washington State Medical Association; Wisconsin Medical Society; Wyoming Medical Society. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), our Democratic whip.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Councilman James (Jim) A. Wallace, Jr. for his 45 years of service to the Metuchen Fire Department. Councilman Wallace's outstanding contributions to his community are to be celebrated by the Metuchen Fire Department at its 2014 Chief's Dinner and Installation of Officers. A lifelong resident of Metuchen, Councilman Wallace serves his community in many capacities. He was recently re-elected to his second term on the Metuchen Borough Council. In addition, Councilman Wallace served on the Metuchen Police Department for 27 years, retiring in 1992 as a sergeant. Before joining the police force, Councilman Wallace volunteered with the Washington Hose Co. for 4 years. In 1971, he rejoined the Metuchen Fire Department with the Eagle Hook and Ladder Co. and was elected Captain a year later. He also served as treasurer, Assistant Fire Chief and Chief. In 2010, the Washington Hose Co. and the Eagle Hook and Ladder Co. merged to become the Metuchen Volunteer Fire Co. Councilman Wallace was elected treasurer of the newly formed company in 2011. Councilman Wallace was a member of the Metuchen Fireman's Relief Association, serving as treasurer for many years, and the Middlesex County Fireman's Association, where he served as president for several years. He was also a member of the board that created the Middlesex County Fire Academy, which has trained thousands of firefighters since opening in 1992. Mr. Speaker, once again, please join me in thanking Councilman Wallace for his service to the Metuchen Fire Department and the greater Metuchen community. He has dutifully served Metuchen for 45 years and his selfless commitment is truly deserving of this body's recognition.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Congregation Ahavas Achim in Highland Park, New Jersey as it celebrates its 125th Anniversary this year. Since its incorporation in 1889, Congregation Ahavas Achim has provided a spiritual center for prayer, education and community to Middlesex County residents. Upon its incorporation, Congregation Ahavas Achim began humbly, meeting in members' homes or rented stores in New Brunswick. Over the next several years, it grew, purchasing land and a building and continued to enlarge and remodel to meet the needs of a growing membership. Congregation Ahavas Achim relocated to Highland Park in 1987 and its new building was dedicated in 1989. The synagogue expanded once again and was re-dedicated in 2010. Congregation Ahavas Achim is a Torah-observant congregation and member congregation of the Orthodox Union. It is open to Jews of all backgrounds and strives to include all members in synagogue life. Over the years, Congregation Ahavas Achim has been led by Rabbi Israel Marcus, Rabbi Samuel Baskin, Rabbi Abraham Shapiro and Rabbi Ronald L. Schwarzberg. After serving as Assistant Rabbi, Interim Rabbi and Program Director, Rabbi Steven Miodownik became Rabbi of the congregation in 2006 and continues to provide spiritual leadership and guidance today. In addition to the Rabbi, the officers, staff and members of Congregation Ahavas Achim endeavor to carry on its mission and commit to a Halakhic life. Mr. Speaker, once again, please join me in celebrating Congregation Ahavas Achim as its members and supporters gather to celebrate its 125th Anniversary on March 30, 2014 and honor Marcia and Barry Levinson and Jennie and Josh Fine. Congregation Ahavas Achim and the esteemed honorees and guests of honor are truly deserving of this body's recognition.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Waxman. Mr. Speaker, today the Republican leadership once again chooses politics over substance and what is good for the American people. The current SGR patch will expire on March 31, at which point Medicare's payment to physicians will be cut by almost 24 percent. It is critical that we take meaningful action to fix the SGR before the end of the month. We all know that the SGR formula is flawed. After 10 years of patching these cuts, after wasting $150 billion, enough is enough. It is why we began last year seriously looking at this issue, and we came up with a bipartisan, bicameral solution. In fact, if was quite the lesson in legislating. Particularly, we ended up arriving at a consensus bill on the SGR. So I ask the Republican leadership: For what reason have you poisoned this process with an unacceptable pay-for? This bill will pass today and go nowhere. It will not be taken up by the Senate or signed by the President. You have singlehandedly, in my belief, stomped on months and months of hard work and effort by my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and our staffs. Late nights, weekends, hard compromises. We all saw the greater good in finally getting a permanent policy replacement for the SGR. But instead of working with our leadership, the Republicans have turned this into their 51st vote to repeal or undermine the ACA, and you are going to leave 13 million Americans uninsured if you were ever to succeed in repealing the ACA. This is just a poison pill. The pay-for is a poison pill for something that we agreed on in terms of the substance of fixing the SGR. You could have picked other ways of paying for this. I think we are close to a consensus on the pay-for. Instead, you put in this poison pill. You are wasting valuable time where you will basically do nothing. We only have 2 weeks left. Let's defeat this bill today, sit down over the next 2 weeks and come up with a pay-for that makes sense, not a pay-for that simply repeals the Affordable Care Act, which is working well. More and more people are signing up. I had an enrollment event this weekend in my district. People are signing up. Don't destroy the process. We have a good SGR fix.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the Sumgait pogroms. The Sumgait pogroms consisted of the murder of hundreds of Armenians, making it a particularly atrocious event in a long history of hostility against the Armenian people. I would like to recognize the anniversary of the Sumgait pogroms and remind all of us that it is our duty to act when a people are targeted with violence. Our commitment to remembering this injustice strengthens our determination to obtain peace. In 1988, hundreds of Armenians were brutally murdered, some of them burned alive and thrown from windows. Women and children were raped and maimed by Azerbaijani rioters. Apartments were robbed, shops demolished, and thousands of people became refugees. Despite Sumgait's proximity to Baku, police turned a blind eye to this dire situation, allowing the pogroms to go on for three days. And since that time, authorities in Azerbaijan have sought to erase all traces of these crimes. Yet, the Congressional Armenian Issues Caucus is resolutely committed to ensure that those Armenians who lost their lives are not forgotten. I ask my colleagues to solemnly condemn all intimidations and acts of aggression against the Armenian people. The Congressional Armenian Issues Caucus will do its very best to ensure that basic rights to life, liberty and security are not violated. I also ask my colleagues to join me in calling upon the Azerbaijani government to acknowledge Ramil Safarov as a convicted murderer and immediately take action to bring him to justice for the murder that he committed against an innocent Armenian man. As co-chair and founder of the Congressional Armenian Issues Caucus, I will continue to promote peace and security throughout the Caucasus region. I look forward to the day when the Armenian people never have to fear such attacks.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Major Carlo Roberto Brancato as he is honored as the Man of the Year by the Amerigo Vespucci Society of Long Branch, New Jersey. Major Brancato is truly deserving of this recognition for his service to the Amerigo Vespucci Society, his community and our great nation. Major Brancato joined the Marine Corps Reserve in 1995 and worked his way up the ranks, earning his promotion to Major in 2012. He served as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom and the U.S. Southern Command's Tradewinds operations in Belize and Antigua- Barbuda. He is the recipient of the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Service Medal for Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Operation Enduring Freedom Campaign Medal and the NATO ISAF Medal for service in Afghanistan. He is currently demobilized and serving as an artillery officer with the Third Battalion, 14th Regiment in Bristol, Pennsylvania and attending the Marine Corps' Command and Staff College Distance Education Program. In addition to his service with the Marine Corps, Major Brancato is active in his local community. He is a Trustee with the Amerigo Vespucci Society, a member of the Marine Corps League and a member of the Knights of Columbus. He is currently pursuing his master's degree in history at Monmouth University in West Long Branch. Major Brancato is the son of Charles Erasmus Brancato and Berenice Viali Johansson and a graduate of Middletown High School North. He received his bachelor's degree in history from Loyola College, where he was also a member of the Men's Varsity Rowing Team and an inductee into Phi Alpha Theta historical honor society. Mr. Speaker, once again, please join me in congratulating Major Brancato on his recognition as Man of the Year by the Amerigo Vespucci Society and thanking him for his honorable service to our nation.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. Srinivasa Yegnasubramnian (Dr. Mani). The title of Dharmatma was recently bestowed upon Dr. Mani by His Holiness Shankarachari. As the first United States citizen and only the third person to be awarded this title, Dr. Mani's prestigious honor is truly deserving of this body's recognition. Dr. Mani serves as Chairman of the Hindu American Temple and Cultural Center in Morganville, New Jersey and Chairman of Sringeri Vidya Bharati Foundation, USA (SVBF) in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. As the leader of these organizations, Dr. Mani oversees the many activities and outreach efforts provided to the communities and ensure that the centers provide outstanding spiritual and community service. Additionally, under Dr. Mani's leadership, SVBF has seen significant accomplishments and growth, including the establishment of the first goshala to be associated with a Hindu Temple in the United States and the construction of a monastery and temple in Toronto, Canada. Over the years, Dr. Mani has been recognized by various organizations in both the United States and India for his humanitarian efforts. In addition to his most recent title of Dharmatma, Dr. Mani has also been honored with the titles of Dharma Chintamani (the crown-Pearl of Righteous Thoughts) and Dharma Rakshamani (the crown-pearl of protector of Dharma), among many other honors. Mr. Speaker, once again, please join me in celebrating Dr. Srinivasa Yegnasubramnian's honor of being conferred as Dharmatma. He continues to provide outstanding leadership, service and dedication to the Hindu faith and the community.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Saunders, Sr. on his 25th Pastoral Anniversary. As the pastor of North Stelton A.M.E. Church, Rev. Saunders continues to provide outstanding spiritual leadership to the Piscataway community. Rev. Saunders was ordained Itinerant Elder of the A.M.E. Church in 1977 and became pastor of Bright's Temple A.M.E. Church in Warwick, Bermuda. Immediately prior to his service as pastor of North Stelton A.M.E. Church, Rev. Saunders served at Bethel A.M.E. Church in Madison, New Jersey. During the 11 years at Bethel A.M.E., Rev. Saunders oversaw the growth of the church from 7 congregants to 375. In addition to his service to North Stelton A.M.E. Church, Rev. Saunders is an active member of his community. He has served as a member of the New Jersey State Parole Board, a Councilman-at-Large and Police Chaplain in Piscataway and has been recognized for his many contributions to the community. Rev. Saunders was born in Jersey City, New Jersey and worshipped at Mt. Pisgah A.M.E. Church as a child. He was honorably discharged from the United States Army, which he joined after high school. He also worked for the United States Postal Service and enrolled in the Newark College of Engineering before entering the ministry. Rev. Saunders has been married to Sis. Shirley Harris for over 35 years and together they have a son, Kenneth, Jr. Mr. Speaker, once again, please join me in celebrating the 25th Pastoral Anniversary of Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Saunders, Sr. His leadership, service and dedication to the church and community are truly deserving of this body's recognition.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 7. This legislation does nothing but impede women's access to health care in this country and turns the clock back on reproductive rights by 38 years. The bill's sponsors claim it will prevent taxpayer dollars from paying for abortions. However, we already know that Federal funds do not go to abortions except in the limited cases of rape, incest, or to save the mother's life. This bill does not simply codify the Hyde amendment. That is bogus. What this bill does is prohibit millions of American families from using their own money to buy health plans that include abortion coverage. Madam Speaker, spending time attacking women's health shows just how far out of touch Republicans in Washington are. Instead of focusing on the economy and job creation, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle would rather focus on legislation that puts access to reproductive health care in danger and undermines a woman's right to choose. On December 28, unemployment insurance expired for Americans still struggling to find work. Meanwhile, Democrats have a bill that would raise the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, generating economic activity, creating jobs, and growing the middle class. These should be the priorities of the House of Representatives, not this phony bill before us. This legislation is an unprecedented, radical assault on women's health care. I strongly urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Joseph Koisa as he retires from the Union Beach Fire Department. Mr. Koisa dedicated 50 years to serving the Union Beach community and is truly deserving of this body's recognition. Joseph Koisa joined the Harris Gardens Fire Company in 1959. Among many other officer positions, he was elected Captain, Third Deputy Chief and Department Chief over the years. In addition, he served as Chief Engineer from 1984 until 2012. Throughout Mr. Koisa's tenure as Deputy Chief and Chief, Union Beach experienced three major fires, one of which required assistance from additional towns, which Mr. Koisa had to coordinate. As Chief Engineer, Mr. Koisa ensured that the department's trucks and apparatus were properly maintained and worked on securing the best equipment available. Mr. Koisa was also active outside of the Harris Gardens Fire Company, joining the New Jersey Relief Association and the New Jersey Exempt Association of Union Beach in 1966. In 1980, he became a member of the Bayshore Active Fire Chiefs Association and served on the Historic Committee and Membership Audit Committee. He is currently a Life Member of all three associations. Together with Lorraine, his wife of over 44 years, he has a daughter Annie, a son Joey and two grandsons Sean and Kyle. Joey is also a member of the Harris Gardens Fire Company and currently serves as Chief Engineer. Mr. Speaker, once again, please join me in congratulating Joseph Koisa on his retirement from the Union Beach Fire Department and thanking him for his 50 years of dutiful service to the residents of Union Beach.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate His Eminence Metropolitan Evangelos of New Jersey as he is honored by the Hellenic Federation of New Jersey with the Alexander the Great Achievement Award at its Fourth Annual Banquet. Metropolitan Evangelos is celebrating his 10th anniversary as Metropolitan of New Jersey and is truly deserving of this body's recognition. Metropolitan Evangelos began his service to the Greek Orthodox church as a Deacon in 1987 and 2 years later was ordained into priesthood. In 1991, he was ordained Archimandrite by His Eminence Archbishop Iakovos of North and South America. As a Deacon, he served at the Orthodox Center of Ecumenical Patriarchate in Geneva and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese. In addition to his role as Deacon, Metropolitan Evangelos also served as Assistant Director of Archives and Director of the Department of Registry of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese. He also served as assistant to the Dean of St. Demetrios Cathedral in New York, President of the Spiritual Court for the Archdiocesan District and Dean of the Hellenic Orthodox Community of Astoria ``St. Demetrios Cathedral.'' Metropolitan Evangelos was elected Bishop on April 12, 2003. A month later, he was ordained to the Episcopacy and he was enthroned as the Spiritual Leader of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of New Jersey on May 11, 2003. Founded in 2009, the Hellenic Federation of New Jersey is led by President Savas Tsivicos. Its mission aims to preserve and promote the history and culture of the Hellenic community. It is currently comprised of 44 Greek American organizations from across New Jersey. The Fourth Annual Banquet is chaired by the Federation's immediate past president Tassos Efstratiades. Mr. Speaker, once again, please join me in congratulating Metropolitan Evangelos on his selection as recipient of the Alexander the Great Achievement Award and thanking the Hellenic Federation of New Jersey for its continued efforts to honor the Hellenic heritage.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman an additional minute.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to my colleague from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews), who has spent so much effort in passing and drafting the Affordable Care Act. (Mr. ANDREWS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

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

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Ellison).

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, again, this GOP bill is designed to harass the Department, preventing it from doing its job. It is an unworkable, unnecessary bill that places onerous, unrealistic, and costly reporting requirements on HHS, with no benefit to the general public. I heard my colleagues say over and over again, Oh, nobody is going to enroll. Now people are enrolling, and they say they want to know whether they paid or not. Where does it end? Why don't you spend your time trying to get people to enroll, trying to give people information and do more outreach so people actually are able to get health insurance? That is what we are trying to do with the Affordable Care Act--make people who don't have insurance get insurance, make people who do have it, have it more affordable and have a better benefit package. All these things are wonderful. This is what people want. That is why so many people are, in fact, signing up. And I just cannot help but think that this is nothing but another effort to make it more burdensome, to scare people to make it less likely that people actually enroll. Mr. Speaker, I wanted to mention that the administration opposed the bill. The administration said that they oppose the passage because it would require unfunded, unprecedented, and unnecessary reporting requirements that exceed those of other public and private programs. I urge a ``no'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina, G.K. Butterfield, a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am afraid the bill before the House today, H.R. 3362, the Exchange Information Disclosure Act, is simply an effort by Republicans to continue to impede the efforts of the administration to implement the Affordable Care Act. Transparency and enrollment information is important for Members of this body to receive. But this bill's requirements on the Secretary go way above and beyond what I think is necessary and valuable information. This is just an attempt to pile so many requirements on the administration that they are taking away from the true job of enrolling people in the law. Enrollment numbers and visitors to the site are important pieces of information, and we certainly all know that, but this bill is simply unnecessary. There is already extensive disclosure of data on health insurance enrollments being provided. The administration releases enrollment data monthly, just like they do with Medicare and the children's health insurance program and other Federal programs. The monthly HHS enrollment reports are excellent, detailed reports. In fact, the newest HHS monthly enrollment report, which was issued this Monday, which covers enrollment through December, has even more extensive data than the two earlier monthly reports. Mr. Speaker, in addition to providing data on total enrollments nationally and in the States, the latest report includes data both for the Nation and the States on, first, greater breakdown of those who have selected marketplace plans; second, age breakdown--I stress, age breakdown--of those who have selected marketplace plans; third, financial assistance status of those who have selected marketplace plans; and, lastly, a breakdown of the coverage level--or metal level--of the plans people have selected. So these numbers show that there is a very strong demand for the quality, affordable coverage options now available to Americans because of the Affordable Care Act. More than 6 million Americans have now either signed up for a private health insurance plan or for Medicaid, including the nearly 2.2 million who signed up for private insurance through the marketplace. Nearly 1.8 million of these consumers signed up for private plans in December, and that is nearly five times as many people as signed up in October and November combined. Frankly, Mr. Speaker, I am encouraged and excited by these numbers. Americans aren't going to the Web site because they are forced to, like the Republicans claim. They are going to the Web site because they want and need access to health insurance. This should be no surprise. Thirty percent--nearly one in three--of people who have enrolled in a marketplace plan are younger than age 35; 24 percent are between 18 and 34 years old; and there was a more than eightfold increase in December enrollments in the Federal marketplace. In addition, more than 3 million young adults have gained coverage because the Affordable Care Act allows them to stay on their parents' plan until they turn 26. So we are getting more of the younger people as well. Meanwhile, healthcare.gov and State Web sites have received more than 53 million visits, and State and Federal call centers have received more than 11 million calls. The administration has committed to release this information monthly, the way they have done with every other Federal program to date. So I am sorry to say that I simply do not believe this is a serious effort in any sense of the word by Republicans. This bill is nothing but a weak effort to smear the law. I urge Members to oppose the bill. There are only so many resources out there. Why would we want HHS to have to provide this excessive information? I would rather they spent their time trying to enroll people, doing more outreach, and encouraging people to sign up so that they actually have health insurance. So again, Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to oppose this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, may I just ask how much time remains.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman), the ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Sarbanes), a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, Republicans continue to attack the Web site, www.healthcare .gov, and this attack on the security of the Web site is just the latest in a long line of scare tactics attempting to limit enrollment and coverage under the ACA. It just bothers me so much because, as you know now, we have about 6 million people who have obtained coverage, 2.1 million receive private insurance through the Web site, and things really are moving now in terms of more and more people signing up and getting coverage. I just wish that, rather than using scare tactics and trying to talk about security concerns that don't exist, they would focus and work with us at actually trying to sign people up to get people to have health insurance, which is the goal, of course, of the Affordable Care Act. The bill suggests that there are serious security problems with www.healthcare.gov, but this unique requirement doesn't apply to other government Web sites or to private Web sites. Under the bill, HHS is required to notify individuals within 2 business days if their personally identifiable information is known to be stolen or unlawfully accessed from a marketplace computer system. If this is a good idea, then why is the GOP bill limiting this requirement to only marketplace Web sites? It is just a missed opportunity. Democrats firmly support strong data security and breach notification legislation. If the Republicans were serious about the security of personally identifiable information on the Web, instead of bringing up this bill, they could have reached out to Democrats and developed a bipartisan bill. Indeed, when Democrats were in the majority, the Democrat-run House passed bipartisan legislation to provide for consumer notification in the event of a breach, which was introduced in the previous Congress. And the Republicans are still playing political games. If they want to work with us to bring to the floor serious bipartisan data security breach notification legislation, then they should simply do it. In the Rules Committee the other day, one of the members asked, on the Republican side, if the administration has a position on the bill. And the administration clearly opposes the bill. They put out an SAP which states: The Administration believes Americans' personally identifiable information should be protected wherever it resides, and that all Americans deserve to know if that information has been improperly exposed . . . The Federal Government has already put in place an effective and efficient system for securing personally identifiable information in the Health Insurance Marketplaces. So they oppose the passage of this bill. I just wish I could convince my colleagues--again, I am happy that this is not an outright repeal and that we are not wasting time on that, but we are still wasting time with this notion of the security breach that hasn't happened when security measures are already in place. Again, this is being brought up in the first week we are back with no effort to reach out to us in any way to try to deal with this. It has a 2-day notification requirement, which is simply not workable. I cannot stress enough that we, as Democrats, would like to address this issue, but it is not being addressed. It is just being done as a way of trying to scare the public from signing up on the Web site, which is so unfortunate because people want to sign up. They shouldn't be in fear that, if they sign up, somehow there is going to be a security breach. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. First of all, Mr. Speaker, I want to point out that Republicans are using out-of-context quotes from an administration, or from administration officials, to mislead the public about the security of healthcare.gov, the Web site. The same official they keep quoting went on to say: The added protections that we have put into place are best practices above and beyond what is usually recommended. And no Web site is 100 percent secure. But this effort to scare people from signing up for coverage is simply wrong. Mr. Speaker, I am afraid the bill before the House today is simply an effort by Republicans to continue to impede the efforts of implementing the Affordable Care Act by instilling misinformation and fear in the American public. It is an egregious bill that would, in my opinion--let me point this out, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday, I was in the Rules Committee, and I pointed out that, to some extent, I was pleased, I guess, that I don't see the Republicans actually coming to the floor today to act on another repeal or outright repeal of the Affordable Care Act. I mean, we are not seeing that. We didn't see it in Rules. And hopefully, I will say to my colleague, the chairman of the Health Subcommittee, that we don't see it again, either in the committee, in Rules, or on the floor. So maybe there is some progress here, and at least the Republicans are not out there trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act anymore--at least I hope so. But they are now moving to these other methods of trying to put fear in the public so that they don't sign up or they don't go on the Web site. And the fact of the matter is that these security measures that they are talking about are addressing a reality that is not there. Do I think that security measures are critical for the Web site? Yes, absolutely. But let's recap the last few years since the ACA passed. Republicans claim the ACA kills jobs; but since the law has passed, we have added nearly 8 million jobs. Republicans claim that the ACA causes health costs to increase, but the last 4 years we have seen the slowest health care cost growth in 50 years. Republicans claim we need to address the deficit; yet they repeal the law at every turn, which increases the deficit by over $1.5 trillion. Well, now they say that healthcare.gov is going to result in widespread breaches of people's personal information, and that is simply not true. There have been no successful security attacks on healthcare.gov, and no one has maliciously accessed personal information. No Web site, public or private, is 100 percent secure, but healthcare.gov is subject to strict security standards. It is constantly monitored and tested, and its security and privacy protections go beyond Federal IT standards. And the Health and Human Services Department has standards in place, just like every other government agency, to notify individuals if their personal information is breached. So, Mr. Speaker, it is important that I note for everyone that House Democrats have always previously supported legislation to require consumer notification in the event of a breach of government and private sector computer systems. We still do. By expressing concern for the mockery of this bill, it does not mean that I don't support requiring the administration to notify individuals of breaches of their information, but this not is a serious effort to strengthen privacy laws or to strengthen the health care Web site. The Republican strategy is to scare people away from going to the Web site and signing up for health care, and I urge Members and the American public, do not be fooled by what they are doing. It is a good thing that they are not seeking to outright repeal the Affordable Care Act anymore, at least that appears to be the case, based on what happened in Rules the other night. But that doesn't mean that they are not going to continue with these efforts to try to make hay over security and other matters. And I can't stress enough that every one of the scare tactics they use, whether it is saying that the ACA is going to increase the deficit, which it doesn't, it actually decreases the deficit; or whether they say that it is going to increase health costs, which we know it doesn't, it actually decreases health costs. This is just another one of those scare tactics. And I just hope that my colleagues, both Democrats and Republicans, are not fooled by this. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. DeGette).