Tom Petri

Mr. PETRI

Mr. PETRI. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PETRI. I yield such time as he may consume to the ranking minority member of the full committee, my colleague from Florida, Representative John Mica.

Mr. PETRI. I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PETRI

Mr. PETRI. Madam Speaker, the American people want health reform. They want affordable, reliable care. But after watching the current majority wrangle for over a year to produce gargantuan bills filled with complicated and punitive policies, tax increases and special deals, the American people are right to say, no, we don't trust the current Congress to do this right. They have seen how the Congress has worked over the past year and have rightfully said that it's crazy to give the government greater control over our health care. They look at aspects of the legislation before us and say, yes, there are provisions here that we like, but at what cost? They have projected trillion- dollar deficits stretching to the horizon. And we are told that this big, new entitlement will truly restrain costs. Is that credible? I believe the more sensible approach is a simpler approach. I would favor expanding health savings accounts coupled with catastrophic insurance and paid for with subsidies when necessary. It is a simple arrangement that everyone can understand and would help to restrain costs because everyone would have incentives to spend carefully. It's not all I would do, but it's understandable. Instead, the current majority is pushing ahead with a breathtakingly expensive bureaucratic and regulatory monstrosity. This is no way to restructure one-sixth of our economy.

Mr. PETRI

Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of the resolution before us, House Resolution 1047, commending the Ohio State University Buckeyes football team for its victory in 2010's Rose Bowl game. In the 2010 Rose Bowl, the Ohio State University Buckeyes defeated the University of Oregon on January 1, 2010. Sophomore quarterback Terrelle Pryor scored two touchdowns and was Rose Bowl's offensive most valuable player. Although Oregon's team fought valiantly, the Buckeyes' defense held fast. Despite the Ducks' lead early in the third quarter, the Buckeyes' defense marched forward to win the game 26-17. Known as ``The Granddaddy of Them All,'' the Rose Bowl game kicked off a myriad of college football legacies in 1902. Since then, the game has showcased 18 Heisman Trophy winners, produced 32 national champions, featured 197 consensus All-Americans, and honored 98 college football legends by inducting them into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame. The 2010 Rose Bowl was the seventh Rose Bowl won by the Buckeyes. The 2009-2010 season marked the fifth consecutive Big Ten title for the Buckeyes and the fifth consecutive BCS Bowl for the team. Ohio State was ranked fifth nationally and competed in a manner unparalleled in the Rose Bowl game. The Buckeyes have won seven national championships and produced seven Heisman Trophy winners. While the tradition of excellence certainly presents itself on the gridiron, Ohio State University's commitment to academic excellence is equally abundant. Ohio State University is the flagship institution of Ohio's public university system. It has been ranked as the 18th best public university by U.S. News & World Report and houses several programs that were ranked among the top 10 in these United States. The university was established in 1870, and its students have excelled since that time. I extend my congratulations to head coach Jim Tressel and all of the hardworking players, the fans, and to Ohio State University. I am happy to join in recognizing the Ohio State Buckeyes for their accomplishment, and wish all involved continued success, except of course when they are playing the Wisconsin Badgers. I ask my colleagues to support this resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PETRI. I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PETRI

Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of House Resolution 1142, congratulating Silver Lake College for 75 years of service as an undergraduate institution of higher education. Silver Lake College is a 4-year Catholic liberal arts college located in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, which is in the congressional district I represent. The college was founded in the late 1800s by the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity. In 1935, the State of Wisconsin granted Silver Lake its charter as a 4-year undergraduate liberal arts institution, and it conferred its first degree 4 years later. The college began admitting lay women on a regular basis in 1957, and became coeducational in 1969 to better meet the educational needs of the local area. Today, Silver Lake serves over 1,000 students and offers a seven-to- one student-to-teacher ratio. It offers 11 different degree programs in 24 areas of study. A pioneer in the music field, Silver Lake College is the only college in the country to have an established undergraduate Kodaly concept of music education concentration. In addition to music, Silver Lake College has a highly regarded reputation for its undergraduate and graduate education programs. The college also has expanded its reach throughout the State of Wisconsin, offering classes in a variety of communities, including Green Bay, Marinette, Rhinelander, and Sheboygan. Silver Lake College strives to develop a community of lifelong learners, to provide educational opportunities for professional preparation within a liberal arts experience, to prepare students for self-directed intellectual inquiry and aesthetic appreciation, and to foster commitment to Christian values, service, and leadership in the world community. This past fall, as part of a 10-year campus master plan, Silver Lake College opened its first on-campus residence hall. As its growth continues, plans are in the works for the construction of a new music education and performance center, along with an athletics and events center. I have had the opportunity to visit the college on numerous occasions, and commend Dr. George Arnold, Silver Lake's president, for his efforts in working with the local Manitowoc community and businesses to enhance student learning opportunities. Strong institutions help to make strong communities, and the people of Wisconsin, especially those in and near Manitowoc, are proud of the 75 years of service that Silver Lake College has provided. The growth, strength, and vitality of Silver Lake College is an achievement well worth special recognition. I extend my congratulations to Silver Lake College on its 75th anniversary, and wish all of its faculty, staff, students, and alumni continued success in their endeavors. I ask my colleagues to support this resolution. I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PETRI

Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the resolution before us, House Resolution 1091, expressing support for designation of the week now passed of February 28 through March 6, 2010, as ``School Social Work Week.'' School social work is a specialized area of practice within the broad field of the social work profession. School social workers bring unique knowledge and skills to the school system and the student services team. School social workers are instrumental in furthering the purposes of education, which is to provide a setting for teaching, learning, and for the attainment of competence and confidence. School social workers are hired by school districts to enhance the district's ability to meet its academic mission. Within the school setting, school social workers are a link between the student, the student's family, the school, and the community. The efficacy of this link is considerably dependent upon professional relationships developed with the student and the student's family, as well as with other school personnel. School social workers are concerned with the student's education as well as their emotional and mental well-being. School social workers play an important part in the academic and emotional development of students in schools. They provide services to students who face challenges that might be a barrier to learning, such as poverty, disability, abuse, loss of a loved one, or divorce. School social workers are critical to the identification of mental health problems and the provision of services when needed. Today, we honor and recognize the contributions of school social workers to the success of students in the schools throughout our Nation. I ask my colleagues to support this resolution. Having no requests for time, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PETRI

Mr. PETRI. Madam Speaker, this week is National Peace Corps Week, so I want to take a moment to recognize the tremendous work done by Peace Corps volunteers around the world. I myself served in the Peace Corps in Somalia in the mid-1960s and saw first hand the contribution that Peace Corps volunteers make to the communities in which they serve. Since the founding of the Peace Corps in 1961, nearly 200,000 volunteers have served in 139 countries around the world. Over 7,000 volunteers are currently providing services in 76 countries, making contributions in agriculture, business development, information technology, education, health and HIV/AIDS, youth, and the environment. Twelve of my own constituents are serving around the world in such countries as Panama, Kenya, and Cambodia. Next year the Peace Corps will celebrate its 50th anniversary. During this anniversary year, we will rightly recognize the achievements of the Peace Corps and its volunteers over the past five decades. However, I hope we also recognize that the mission of the Peace Corps is as important as it has ever been. At a time when there is still tremendous need outside our borders, Peace Corps volunteers must continue their mission of helping others help themselves. Additionally, those volunteers must continue to serve--as they have in the past--as our nation's citizen ambassadors to people in other countries, and, once they arrive back home, as liaisons between the citizens of our country and the citizens of the country where they served. I hope that Congress will continue to support and expand this vital institution for decades to come.

Mr. PETRI

Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I want to acknowledge one of our most devoted and respected colleagues, Representative Dale Kildee, and congratulate him on the casting of his historic 20,000th vote in the U.S. House of Representatives. For those of us in this chamber who have been fortunate enough to work with the gentleman from Michigan, such a remarkable achievement comes as no surprise. As my colleagues have justly pointed out, it is not only the quantity of votes that makes this feat remarkable, but it is the consistency with which he has cast them that proves to be especially noteworthy. Missing only 27 votes since 1977 is a reflection of the pride and seriousness he takes in representing the people of Michigan's Fifth District. Since entering Congress, I have had the honor of serving with Mr. Kildee on the Education and Labor Committee. He brings the same work ethic to the committee as he has on the floor of the House. Representative Kildee has set a standard here in Congress that most will not replicate, but it will indeed continue to inspire and serve as an example for me and his other colleagues in the House. Once again, I send my congratulations on this historic achievement and thank Representative Kildee for his service to his district in Michigan and to this institution.

Mr. PETRI

Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of the resolution before us, House Resolution 1043, recognizing Brescia University for 60 years of leadership in higher education. Brescia University, located in Owensboro, Kentucky, was founded by the Ursuline Sisters of Mount St. Joseph in 1950. Brescia began as Brescia Hall, was founded as Brescia College in 1950, and became Brescia University in 1998. The university now offers undergraduate and graduate course work for career preparation firmly rooted in the liberal arts. Brescia University offers various degrees, including associate degrees, bachelor degrees, and master degrees. The institution offers degrees in various programs, including education, medical technology, and computer and mathematical science. Brescia also aims to meet the needs of the adult learners by providing tailored programs in their STARS program for adults returning to school. Brescia University Bearcats have 15 intercollegiate athletic teams. The Bearcats participate in baseball, basketball, cross-country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, volleyball, and outdoor track as of this spring. Brescia competes in the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and has excelled in such. Brescia provides invaluable services to its students, as well as to the community. Since the founding of the university, Brescia has emphasized service to others. In keeping with the tradition of the founders, Brescia students are encouraged to assist and serve the Owensboro community and the surrounding region. It is a privilege to stand before the House today to congratulate Brescia University on the occasion of their 60th anniversary and to recognize the university for 60 years of leadership in higher education. I extend my congratulations to Brescia University, the faculty and staff, the students and the alumni. I also want to thank my colleague from Kentucky, Brett Guthrie, for introducing this resolution. I ask my colleagues to support this resolution, and I yield such time as he might consume to my colleague, Brett Guthrie.

Mr. PETRI. I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PETRI

Mr. PETRI. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to yield such time as he may consume to my colleague, the Representative from New Orleans, Louisiana, Joseph Cao.

Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am delighted today to rise in support of the resolution before us, House Resolution 901, introduced by my colleague from the State of Wisconsin, Gwen Moore, recognizing November 14, 2009, as the 49th anniversary of the first day of integrated schools in New Orleans, Louisiana. In 1954, the United States Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka that State laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students denied black children equal educational opportunities. Louisiana District Judge J. Skelly Wright ordered the Orleans Parish Board to carry out a plan to integrate the State's schools. After a 6-year delay, Ruby Bridges became the first African American to attend the all-white William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans, Louisiana. Ruby Bridges faced many challenges during her first day and ongoing years at William Frantz. Only Barbara Henry was willing to teach Ruby, and for over a year Mrs. Henry taught her alone. Mrs. Henry's lessons left an indelible mark on Ruby and remain with her to this day. Ruby and her family suffered many hardships as a result of Ruby's attendance at William Frantz. However, many of the community showed support in a variety of ways. Some white families continued to send their children to Frantz, despite the protests, and local members of the community walked behind the Federal marshals' car on the trips to school. Today, Ruby Bridges is the chair of the Ruby Bridges Foundation, which she formed in 1999 to promote the values of tolerance, respect, and appreciation of all differences. In 2002, the Ruby Bridges Foundation, along with the Simon Wiesenthal Center Museum for Tolerance in Los Angeles, launched the Ruby's Bridges Project. The project brought together students from diverse backgrounds to develop relationship-building skills and promote an appreciation of one another. So I stand before you today to recognize the 49th anniversary of the first integrated schools in New Orleans, Louisiana. I also want to acknowledge Judge J. Skelly Wright and Mrs. Barbara Henry for their support and lifelong commitment to civil rights and equal opportunity. In addition, I want to commend Ruby Bridges for her bravery and courage 49 years ago and for her commitment to raising awareness of diversity through educational opportunities for all children. I thank my colleague, Gwen Moore of the State of Wisconsin, for giving us an opportunity to recognize her contribution. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PETRI

Mr. PETRI. In the 110th Congress, the House passed the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2007, and that legislation reauthorized FAA for 4 years. In May of this year, the House voted again to pass a comprehensive reauthorization bill, this time H.R. 915, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2009. Unfortunately, the Senate has been unable to come to an agreement on its bill over the last two Congresses. So, for the past 2 years, Congress has passed extensions of the Federal Aviation Administration's funding and authority through the end of calendar year 2009. The latest extension expires at the end of this month, so today we're considering another extension. H.R. 4217 would extend the taxes, programs, and funding of the FAA through March of 2010. This bill extends FAA funding and contract authority for 3 months, provides $1 billion in airport improvement funding through March 2010, extends the War Risk Insurance program, and extends the Small Community Air Service Development Program. The bill before us, H.R. 4217, will ensure that our national aviation system continues to operate until a full FAA reauthorization can be enacted. As I've indicated many times since the passage of the House FAA reauthorization bill back in 2007, we need to pass a long-term bill so that we can meet the growing demands placed on our Nation's aviation infrastructure. Modernizing our antiquated air traffic control system and repairing our crumbling infrastructure need to be at the top of our priorities. While I have some concerns with the House-passed bill, I look forward to addressing these issues in conference to develop bipartisan solutions on some of the more controversial provisions of the act. I urge my colleagues in the other body to complete their work on a comprehensive FAA reauthorization package in a timely fashion. And while I'm disappointed that the FAA has gone so long without a comprehensive reauthorization, I support this extension as the best alternative to keep the FAA and the National Airspace System running safely until we can take up and pass a bipartisan and bicameral bill.

Mr. PETRI

Mr. PETRI. Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 931, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. PETRI

Mr. PETRI. Madam Speaker, as Bill Gates once said, ``Great organizations demand a high level of commitment by the people involved.'' I rise today to recognize Rick Kessler, whose commitment to one particular organization--the Ripon Society--has not only spanned three decades, but has left a lasting impact on public policy debate in the United States. In 1962, as a student attending Harvard University, I helped found the Ripon Society. The intent was to provide Republicans with a place where they could debate the issues and discuss the challenges of the day. Rick's involvement with Ripon dates back to the early 1980s. He had been involved with John Anderson's presidential campaign, where he served as National Finance Director before going on to serve on the Inaugural Committee for President Reagan. Rick joined the Ripon Society as Executive Director in 1981 and immediately set out to revitalize the organization. Among his accomplishments, Rick created the Congressional Advisory Board; the nonpartisan Ripon Educational Fund Transatlantic Conference; the Congressional Liaison Board; the Rough Rider Awards Dinner; and he oversaw the rejuvenation of The Ripon Forum, the Society's journal of thought and opinion. More than anything, though, Rick carried the organization on his shoulders through good times and bad. In 2004, Rick was invited to follow in the footsteps of the Honorable Bill Frenzel and become the President of the Ripon Society. He has served in this role with great distinction. Rick also was busy raising a family. He and his wife Daphne have been married for 21 years, and are the proud parents of two wonderful children, their daughter Sam and son Ryan. After five years as President, Rick recently announced that he is stepping down and becoming President Emeritus of the Ripon Society. I would like to take this opportunity to thank him for all that he has done for Ripon. What started out 47 years ago as a seed on the Harvard campus has become a strong and sturdy tree in Washington, DC, today. It is a tree rooted in ideas, and one whose growth over the past 30 years would not have been possible without the dedication and commitment of Rick Kessler. I thank him for his service.

Mr. PETRI

Mr. PETRI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize George McNeill for his many years of service to the Ripon Society. For the past five years, George has served as Chief Administrative Officer of the organization. In this position, he has not only run the day-to-day affairs of the group, he has also helped position it as one of the leading voices of centrist Republican thought in Washington, D.C. As one of the founders of the Ripon Society, I have to confess--when we established the organization in 1962, we could only dream of some of the things it has achieved since that time. Through his hard work and dedication, not only as the Chief Administrative Officer since 2004, but also as a member of the Ripon Board of Directors dating back to 2001, George has helped turn that dream into a reality. In the process, he has not only made a difference in the life of the Ripon Society, he has also added another impressive chapter to his own rich and full life. It is a life that has taken George from the streets of his birthplace in the Bronx to the hills of his ancestral home in Scotland, from the jungles of his tour of duty in Vietnam to the meadows of his current home in Danby, Vermont. It is also a life dedicated to service, and one that has revolved around his loving family and devoted friends. George has indeed worn many titles in his lifetime, earning the respect of friend and foe alike along the way. But the title that he is perhaps most proud of is that of husband and father. George and his wife Barbara are the proud parents of two wonderful daughters--Megan and Caitlin. George recently announced that he is retiring as Chief Administrative Officer of the Ripon Society. It is a real loss for the organization. Those of us who have worked with and gotten to know George over the past several years will miss him and are sorry to see him go. But we also understand that, after five years of commuting weekly back and forth between Vermont and Washington, the time has come to return home. We thank George McNeill for his service to the Ripon Society. We honor him for his many contributions to the group and for advancing policy debate in Washington. And we wish him all the best in the years ahead.

Mr. PETRI

Mr. PETRI. I thank my colleague from Minnesota. Madam Speaker, unemployment is 10.2 percent, the highest in 26 years, yet here we are being asked to vote on a bill which will radically alter and disrupt one-sixth of our economy, hit businesses with costly new regulations, ratchet up monstrous Medicaid mandates on the 50 States, raise taxes on job creators, impose skyrocketing insurance premiums on individuals and families, and destroy popular Medicare Advantage plans, all this while failing to bend the cost curve down and providing no real liability reform. At a time of record deficits, this bill spends over $1 trillion to provide health insurance to less than 15 percent of Americans. To pay for this budgetary train wreck, it imposes $730 billion in new taxes and relies on a series of budget gimmicks in a slippery attempt to claim it won't contribute to our deficit tsunami. This legislation will bring about a radical intrusion of government into every sector of health care. It puts bureaucrats between patients and their doctors. It doesn't make sense, isn't very smart. Let's not pass this monstrosity. I certainly agree that it is time to fix the health care system in the United States so that all Americans have access to quality, affordable health care. In order to achieve this goal, I strongly believe that any bill that is approved by Congress must institute reforms that will address the rising cost of health care. The majority of Americans have some kind of health insurance they are generally satisfied with. What they really care about is rising costs. Spending on health care services already accounts for about 17 percent of gross domestic product (GDP)--an expected total of about $2.6 trillion in 2009. Health care inflation has outpaced general inflation by approximately 2.5 percent a year. Government spending on health care continues to grow exponentially and without action, spending on Medicare and Medicaid will rise from 4 percent to 19 percent of GDP in 2082. However, the bill we are considering today takes us in the entirely wrong direction by instituting reforms that will increase health care spending while doing little to bend the cost curve. This legislation is best categorized as an entitlement expansion rather than health care reform. At a time of record deficits, H.R. 3962 spends $1.055 trillion to provide health insurance to less than 15 percent of Americans. Furthermore, almost 15 million of these individuals will receive insurance coverage by expanding the eligibility of Medicaid. This results in the largest expansion of Medicaid since its inception almost forty years ago. In fact, according to the Congressional Budget Office, the bill will increase the federal budgetary commitment to health care by $598 billion in the first ten years alone! To pay for this budgetary train wreck, H.R. 3962 imposes $729.5 billion in new taxes on small businesses, individuals who cannot afford health insurance, and employers who cannot afford to provide coverage that meets new insurance standards. In Wisconsin, the ``surtax'' that provides the largest source of funding for the bill will hit 11,900 small businesses--at a time when unemployment is hovering around nine percent. Individuals who are dependent on medical equipment such as wheelchairs and hearing aids will also face increased costs because of additional taxes in this bill--at a time when many families are struggling to pay their monthly bills. Furthermore, H.R. 3962 relies on a series of budget gimmicks to make it appear that the bill would not increase the federal deficit. First, the legislation fails to account for this year's projected 21 percent cut to Medicare physician reimbursements, which if allowed to go through would severely threaten seniors' access to physicians. However, preventing this and future cuts will cost over $200 billion. Instead of making this fix in H.R. 3962 and accounting for its cost, the Democratic House leadership introduced it as a stand-alone bill without offsets--despite the fact that the Senate already rejected this approach. H.R. 3962 also proposes over $400 billion in cuts to Medicare. However, as many acknowledge, Congress has a history of reversing itself on unpopular cuts to Medicare, so it is very questionable as to whether these savings will be realized. The legislation also authorizes a new long-term care program which is funded through a voluntary payroll tax. H.R. 3962 uses these pay roll contributions for other spending priorities in the bill, instead of the benefits that will eventually have to be paid out under the new program. Even the Democratic Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, Kent Conrad, called the inclusion of this program a ``Ponzi scheme.'' Finally, only 7/10th of a percent of new spending occurs in the first three years, while most of the tax increases begin at enactment, representing a debt and ``tax'' time bomb. Besides increasing taxes and adding to the exploding deficit, this legislation represents a radical intrusion of government into every sector of health care. H.R. 3962 gives the government unprecedented authority over the regulation of health insurance. The top-down bureaucratic model of mandating extensive cost sharing and coverage requirements will do very little to ensure high quality care and will certainly lead to increased costs. We should be doing the exact opposite and giving consumers, rather than government bureaucrats or insurance companies, more responsibility for decisions regarding their health care. This bill does nothing to incentivize consumer driven health plans which encourage individuals to take care of themselves, save for future medical expenses and comparison shop to find the best health care at the most reasonable cost. Most importantly, consumer driven plans put into motion the incentive structure throughout the health care delivery system that will slow the rising cost of health care. In fact, many of the reforms and new mandates in H.R. 3962 will actually raise the cost of health insurance for those that are now covered. Multiple studies have demonstrated that younger and healthier Americans could see their health care premiums triple, and a family of four could see its health care premiums more than double. While H.R. 3962 mandates that all citizens purchase ``acceptable coverage,'' in reality many young and healthy individuals may find it more economical to forego coverage and pay the penalty which is less expensive than the cost of buying health insurance. Should younger and healthy people forego coverage, premiums for everyone else will increase. In fact, because of the bill's ban on insurance companies discriminating against pre-existing conditions, younger healthier people will have even more of an incentive to wait until they are sick to purchase health insurance. The legislation also breaks the President's promise that if you like your health insurance you will be able to keep it. The legislation makes significant cuts to Medicare Advantage Plans which will surely eliminate or reduce benefits to the 216,000 beneficiaries in Wisconsin. Furthermore, the legislation places an 8 percent tax on businesses that don't offer acceptable coverage, as defined by federal bureaucrats. According to the Galen Institute, a non-profit think tank, ``data from a 2009 Kaiser Family Foundation survey suggest that at least 30 percent of firms with fewer than 200 employees that now offer insurance would fail the test for family coverage, and about 20 percent would fail individual coverage.'' However, instead of complying with the new mandates, many employers will likely stop offering health insurance to their employees because the 8 percent payroll tax penalty is less than the cost to provide coverage. Furthermore, the extensive new federal record keeping and audit requirements provide further incentives to stop offering coverage. In fact, a study by Blue Cross and Blue Shield demonstrated that ``complying with the new actuarial standards in the bill would increase average costs by 17 percent for individuals and almost 10 percent for small employers.'' Over 80 percent of the money spent on health care in the United States today is spent on the delivery of health care. Yet, what we see in today's bill is just ``more of the same'' in the delivery of care instead of making fundamental changes to reward high quality, low cost care. The bill authorizes hundreds of Medicare pilot programs to test different ways to pay doctors and hospitals for quality of care. But once again, these pilots are governed from the top-down and typically take years to initiate and rarely result in reforms applied throughout the system. Instead, we should be supporting efforts that are coming out of both the states and multi-collaborative projects between networks of hospitals, businesses and physicians. Wisconsin hospitals such as ThedaCare, Marshfield Clinic, Gunderson Lutheran, and Aurora Health Care have long been engaged in transforming the delivery of care to get rid of the inefficiencies and provide low cost, high quality care. We should be supporting these reforms from the bottom-up, instead of repeating the work that has already been done. And finally, I have grave concerns that the legislation will allow for government funding of abortions and threaten current conscience protections for health care providers. I strongly believe that the Hyde Amendment should be codified in this legislation. Today, I will vote in support of Congressman Boehner's substitute amendment which is a good step forward in lowering health care premiums for families and small businesses, increasing access to affordable high quality care, and promoting healthier life styles--without adding to the deficit. Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Mr. PETRI

Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, health care reform is important, but it shouldn't come at the expense of the public's number one concern: the gut-punch of joblessness. The massive plans now under consideration threaten to disrupt one-sixth of our economy through tax hikes and punishing regulations. This is all in the service of a health care bill that is a budgetary train wreck. This bill forces drastic changes on a deeply divided public. It promises radical government intrusion in every sector of health care. It will have the effect of breaking the President's promise that you can keep what you have. It will not bend the cost curve down. It will burden the States with huge new mandates. It will send insurance premiums through the roof. It cuts Medicare, seriously threatening popular Medicare Advantage plans; it allows for government funding of abortion; and there is no real liability reform. We need health care reform, but we can do better than this. We must do better than this.

Mr. PETRI

Mr. PETRI. Thank you. And thank you for your leadership on this important matter.

Mr. PETRI. I thank my colleague from New Jersey. Mr. Chairman, I would like to engage in a colloquy about a provision in the manager's amendment.

Mr. PETRI. I will yield to the gentleman for that purpose. Could the chairman clarify that the provision concerning the delegation of certain Coast Guard functions to nongovernmental classification societies is intended to direct that the authorization to perform inspection services should be delegated by the Coast Guard to any classification society, foreign or domestic, provided that the government of a foreign classification society's home country accepts plans, reviews, examinations, inspections, certifications and other related services from the American Bureau of Shipping in a manner equivalent to that which the Coast Guard allows foreign classification societies from that country?

Mr. PETRI

Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield such time as he may consume to an original coauthor of the bill who is before us who has been heavily involved in the deliberations on the bill from its inception, our colleague from New York, Representative Chris Lee.