Frank Pallone

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Colorado.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings), the ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

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

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I just want to say, again, I am not saying that I am opposed to some kind of security notification. In fact, it already exists and there is a protocol in place with the Department of Health and Human Services. The point is that this Republican bill is simply not necessary. That security already exists. The fact of the matter is there have not been any security breaches. Once again, we are simply seeing the Republicans get up and try to scare people so that they don't go and use healthcare.gov, the Web site. What we would really like to see, Mr. Speaker, is the day when, on both sides of the aisle here, we can simply get up and talk about legislation that continues to provide outreach and encourage people to sign up for the Web site and get the health insurance that they need. I still honestly believe that most Republicans and Democrats collectively would like to see most Americans covered with health insurance. That was the purpose of the Affordable Care Act. I think my one optimistic note today could be at least we are not seeing another bill on the floor that would seek to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Hopefully, that is some recognition on the Republican side that the Affordable Care Act is actually accomplishing its goal of trying to cover most Americans, if not all Americans. With that, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose this unnecessary bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

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

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

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

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, once again I hear my colleagues on the other side repeating the same things that are not accurate. You do not have to go on healthcare.gov to sign up for health insurance. Mr. Waxman said you can go to a private insurance broker or call an 800 number. You can go through various nonprofits. They keep repeating the same thing, and we keep having to say that there have been no breaches. The gentleman mentioned the administration. The administration statement, which I read before and I will only summarize part of it now, it says that the Federal Government has already put in place an effective and efficient system for securing personally identifiable information in the health insurance marketplace. The administration opposes the bill because it would create unrealistic and costly paperwork requirements that do not improve the safety or security of personally identifiable information in the health insurance marketplace. The purpose of the bill I understand; but it is simply not necessary, and it is just making people fearful of signing up. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Sheila Jackson Lee).

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley), the vice chair of the Democratic Caucus.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to Mr. Waxman.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman), ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. PALLONE. I yield the gentleman from Maryland an additional 1 minute.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank my colleague from New York, the ranking member of the subcommittee. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on H.R. 2279. This is an unnecessary and ill-advised piece of legislation that would significantly weaken our country's hazardous waste laws and further shift the burden of cleaning up these sites from the entities responsible for the contamination to the taxpayer instead. Mr. Chairman, polluters are already not paying their fair share to help clean up America's worst toxic sites, and this bill only makes things worse. Since 1995 when the Superfund taxes expired, taxpayers have shouldered an unreasonable responsibility to pay for these cleanups. I have a bill, the Superfund Polluter Pays Act, which would reauthorize the original Superfund fees and make polluters, not taxpayers, pay the costs of cleaning up Superfund sites. Congress needs to reinstate the ``polluter pays'' taxes so the industries most responsible for polluting our land and water are held responsible for cleaning up our toxic legacy, a legacy which severely affects my home State of New Jersey. But again we face the prospect of the Republican majority dismantling our Nation's critical environmental laws. The bill before us today is really a combination of three bills, all of which will hinder hazardous cleanup across the country. And I am especially troubled by provisions in the bill that enable sites to veto sites from being added to the Superfund National Priorities List, as well as the provision that weakens the requirement for companies who deal with hazardous materials to carry insurance to cover contamination threats. Absent this insurance requirement, it will be easier for a company to go bankrupt and shirk its responsibility to clean up contamination that it has caused. Mr. Chairman, cleaning up Superfund sites creates jobs by converting the contaminated areas into productive land ready for redevelopment and employing engineers, construction workers, and others engaged in the cleanup. I have seen this in my home State. New Jersey has more Superfund sites than any other State, and my county of Middlesex actually has more sites than any other county. But we have cleaned up a lot of these sites and created jobs. They are now used for recreation, for manufacturing, for shopping centers, so many other things. We don't want to weaken the Superfund law. That would be a huge mistake. So I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this legislation.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3527, the Poison Center Network Act. This bipartisan legislation will continue the important grants to our nation's 56 poison centers. These centers provide critical public health support to every state and are responsible for helping to reduce the number of deaths and the severity of illness caused by poisoning. They offer critical poison treatment advice and, in some cases, function as direct-service providers. Poison exposure is a leading cause of unintentional injury in the United States. In fact, poison centers field approximately 3.6 million calls every year, including 2.3 million calls about exposures to poisons and adverse reactions to prescription drugs. By playing a role within the health care infrastructure, poison control centers reduce the cost burden on our health system. Annually, of all the calls to a poison control centers about a potential poisoning, nearly 90 percent of the calls are managed on-site and outside of a health care facility. This means that a caller gets the help they need over the phone without having to go to a doctor or the hospital. Both of which would be much more costly to the system. In addition, these services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at no direct cost to the people who call. The poison control centers also help provide education and surveillance through operation of their toll-free national poison help line. In fact, poison centers are often the first to identify emerging public health threats. In the past few years, they were credited with identifying key health issues, for example regarding, energy drinks. They also were able to track the incidence of numerous food-borne illnesses. Today's bill will continue these grants to support the work of these critical poison control centers. The return on federal investment is substantial and the work of the centers is proven to be valuable and effective. Thank you to our Energy and Commerce Committee Members, Mr. Engel and Mr. Terry, for their leadership on this bill. I urge all Members to support its passage.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Sewaren Free Public Library on its 100th Anniversary. The library has been an integral part of the local community since 1913 and continues to provide residents an opportunity to learn and a place to gather. Officially opened in December of 1913, the idea for the Sewaren Free Public Library was proposed in August of 1913 by a member of the Sewaren Civic Association, Mrs. Blanche B. Balfour. Fundraisers were held by supporters, and within a few months, committees were formed and requests were sent out for books and periodicals. Upon its opening, the library had acquired about 417 volumes. By 1994, the Sewaren Free Public Library was one of many small branches within the Woodbridge Township Public Library system. After being closed due to funding cuts by the Woodbridge Township Public Library system, it was re-opened as an independent library. The Sewaren Free Public Library is currently run by a volunteer Board of Trustees. Since its founding, the Sewaren Free Public Library has supported and been supported by the local community. It provides services and resources to residents, offering computer access, media services, pre- school programs, and bingo for senior citizens. Mr. Speaker, once again, please join me in celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Sewaren Free Public Library. Its continued service to the community is truly deserving of this body's recognition.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Cravings Bakery of Allenhurst, New Jersey on its 25th Anniversary. Cravings Bakery continues to provide quality products and outstanding customer service to the local community. Wanting to share her passion for cookies with others, Jan Walker opened Cravings Bakery in the fall of 1988. She met her husband, Stu Kramer, while working at the bakery through his aunt, a customer. Less than a year later they were married, and they've been working in the bakery together ever since. The bakery offers a variety of homemade baked goods, including cookies, muffins, scones, danish, brownies, cakes and pies. It also offers coffee, cappuccino and lattes, which are enjoyed by a group of regular customers known as the ``Coffee Clatch.'' Its exceptional desserts and service make Cravings Bakery a premier establishment for the Allenhurst and surrounding communities to enjoy. For 10 years in a row, Cravings Bakery was voted ``Best Desserts'' in Monmouth and Ocean Counties by the readers of the Asbury Park Press. Mr. Speaker, once again, please join me in congratulating Cravings Bakery on its 25th Anniversary. Jan and Stu's hard work and commitment to quality are truly deserving of this body's recognition.

Mr. PALLONE

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

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

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional minute to the gentlewoman from Connecticut.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), our Democratic whip.

Mr. PALLONE. I yield an additional minute to the gentleman from Maryland.

Mr. PALLONE. I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Maryland.