Erik Paulsen

Mr. PAULSEN

Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, I encourage strong support of this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PAULSEN

Mr. PAULSEN. Madam Speaker, this past weekend, Minnesota officially said ``Welcome Home'' to over 1,000 citizen soldiers who had been serving in Iraq. Today, I ask Congress to join me in also saying thank you to these men and women of the Minnesota National Guard's 34th Infantry Division, also known as the Red Bulls. These brave servicemembers were among the longest-serving National Guard units in all of Iraq. They endured long deployments away from family, away from friends, and they even faced bureaucratic delays in receiving the bonus pay that they had been promised and earned, an unacceptable mistake that was finally addressed in recent weeks. All the while, they did what they always do: they fulfilled their mission to the very best of their abilities. The Red Bulls' accomplishments have been vital to ensuring safety for both Iraqis and Americans serving. And on behalf of a grateful station and a grateful Nation, I say thank you for a job well done.

Mr. PAULSEN

Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to congratulate the Edina High School boys' hockey team on their recent Minnesota Class 2-A State championship title. In a highly anticipated championship game, Edina beat a very strong Minnetonka team to clinch their seventh State hockey title. After jumping out to a 4-0 lead after the first two periods, the Hornets had to hold off a strong third-period charge from Minnetonka before finishing with an impressive 4-2 victory. The win was a total team effort, with four different players scoring goals and the Hornet defense and goaltending protecting the lead until the final horn sounded. Edina was led by a great coaching staff and, more importantly, was supported by a large contingent of students, faculty, parents, friends and family throughout the tournament. To each of them, as well as every member of the championship team, I want to offer my congratulations.

Mr. PAULSEN

Mr. PAULSEN. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to this flawed health care bill.

Mr. PAULSEN

Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, this body is nearing what will be a defining vote for the future of our nation. While Majority Leadership continued the arm twisting until enough members would vote for the bill, the voice of the American people got louder. They have made it clear they do not want this bill. My constituents, by a margin of over 3 to 1, have told me they don't like this plan--and with good reason. This bill will cost nearly 1 trillion dollars in the next decade alone--and the true cost of this bill will surely go higher as entitlement spending soars and other provisions are fully phased in. The bill is loaded with job-killing tax increases--and an Associated Press analysis said health care premiums will actually go up under this plan. The bill will also allow the IRS to verify if you have ``acceptable'' health care coverage and fine you if you don't! This bill will cut $500 billion from Medicare and in turn use that money for new entitlement spending. And history has shown entitlement spending goes up, not down, over time. With our current entitlement programs already headed for insolvency, why on earth would you exacerbate the problem? I would be remiss if I didn't mention that this legislation also negatively impacts our Nation's veterans. It betrays the promise that this county made to honor their sacrifice by failing to cover millions of beneficiaries including dependents, widows, survivors and orphans. The VFW has expressed their opposition to this bill and this body should not pass any bill that negatively impacts our veterans. Those families who have proudly served this country deserve better. Finally, the legislation contains a $20-billion tax on American medical manufacturers. This tax--which will hit manufacturers of technologies now common in modern medicine such as pacemakers, stents and MRI scanners--will be levied against many medical device manufacturers in my home state of Minnesota. In the end, this will harm jobs and cause patients to pay more for fewer medical technologies--the exact opposite of what we need. I believe this Nation needs real, bipartisan health care reform the American people can support. This bill should be set aside and replaced with common sense measures that will actually lower costs for everyone.

Mr. PAULSEN

Mr. PAULSEN. Madam Speaker, this body is nearing what will be a defining vote for the future of our Nation. While the majority leadership continues the arm-twisting to sway enough votes to push the health care bill through the House, the American people are left wondering: Who is listening? Who is listening to us in Washington? The American people have said loud and clear they don't want this bill; they want health care reform, but they don't want this bill. My constituents, by a margin of 3:1, have been contacting me saying they don't want this approach, and with good reason. The bill will cost nearly $1 trillion in the next decade alone. That is more Washington spending, that is more Federal borrowing, and it is more debt for our children and grandchildren, and it is surely going to go higher as entitlement spending soars as other provisions of the bill are phased in. The bill is loaded with job-killing tax increases. An Associated Press analysis has even said that health care premiums will actually increase, will actually go up under this plan. The bill will also allow the IRS, for the first time, to charge up to 2 percent of income and confiscate tax refunds if Americans do not seek what is actually government approved, minimum insurance coverage. The bill will cut $500 billion from Medicare and, in turn, use that money for new entitlement spending. History has certainly shown us that entitlement spending goes up, not down. Finally, this bill hits my district in Minnesota especially hard with a $20 billion tax increase on medical devices and medical technology. Shouldn't we be enhancing and giving opportunities for encouraging innovation in these technologies rather than taxing them and pushing these jobs offshore? Given these provisions are out there, it is no wonder that we have seen a process that is riddled with special favors to gain votes. And it's no wonder that the ultimate passage of this bill may only come through procedural tactics rather than having an up-or-down vote on the bill. Madam Speaker, simply put, if this bill was good policy, you wouldn't have to resort to those types of moves and tactics to actually pass it.

Mr. PAULSEN. If we want real health care reform in this country that the American people and many of us in Congress believe in on a bipartisan level, this bill should be set aside and replaced with commonsense approaches that lower the cost for everyone in America.

Mr. PAULSEN

Mr. PAULSEN. Madam Speaker, the health care debate has roused the American public like few other issues ever have. For months, the American people have stood up and said they don't want the government in charge of health care and they don't want the bill that's currently moving through Congress. Now I've received thousands of emails and phone calls and letters from my constituents, and the vast majority of them are opposed to this bill. But how long will it take for Washington to listen to the American public? Congress should heed the will of the American people and start over on bipartisan reform that will lower health care costs for everyone. But instead, the Speaker and the House leadership are now suggesting they may pass this controversial bill without Members even actually having to vote on it. Using a legislative sleight-of-hand to pass an unpopular bill represents an arrogance in Washington that Americans find so frustrating about politics and business as usual in Congress.

Mr. PAULSEN

Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to call attention to the month of March as being National Women's History Month. I am happy to stand here today, not only as a proud husband but also as a proud father of four daughters. National Women's History Month actually started in March of 1980 as National Women's History Week. In 1987, the celebration was expanded to a full month. This month, we mark 30 years of shining a bright light on the importance that women have played in shaping the great Nation we live in today. This year's theme is ``writing women back into history.'' Through events, celebrations, and many additional measures, 2010 will help ensure that the historical and groundbreaking achievements made by thousands of women will find their rightful place in our history books. Today, I am proud to recognize the grandmothers, the mothers, and the daughters who have given us so many reasons to celebrate National Women's History Month. I look forward to witnessing other young women become future leaders and history makers.

Mr. PAULSEN

Mr. PAULSEN. Madam Speaker, it's come to my attention that I was incorrectly added as a cosponsor to H.R. 4529 due to another Member's staff error. They have apologized and made the correction.

Mr. PAULSEN

Mr. PAULSEN. Madam Speaker, I wish to recognize Judy Soderberg of Minnetonka, who was introduced into the 2009 Multiple Sclerosis Society Health Professionals Hall of Fame. Judy received this honor for nearly three decades of passionate work on behalf of those with MS, which included her work to help launch a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive MS center. The National MS Society recently acknowledged Judy as ``a leading advocate for the MS community, Judy empowers people touched by the disease to be their own advocates.'' I would like to thank Judy Soderberg for her commitment to bettering the MS community.

Mr. PAULSEN

Mr. PAULSEN. Madam Speaker, I would like to recognize Christi Minister of Eden Prairie. She received the national Catholic Charities USA ``Keep the Dream Alive'' award on Martin Luther King Day. Catholic Charities, which Christi had been a part of for more than 25 years, has worked to acknowledge those who give their time and energy to reducing poverty, supporting families and empowering communities. This award, created this year, honors those who have made community service an integral part of their lives. Christi believes focusing on education for all gives everyone an opportunity to experience the American dream. I would like to thank Christi Minister for her commitment to helping others, and for ``keeping the dream alive.''

Mr. PAULSEN

Mr. PAULSEN. Madam Speaker, this past August, Dave Anderson of Minnetonka was selected into the Multiple Sclerosis Society Volunteer Hall of Fame for Programs and Services. He has been serving as vice president of MSWorld, an organization whose goal is to be a national source of support and information for those living with MS. In addition, Dave founded the Brainerd Lakes Chapter of ``Fishing Has No Boundaries,'' which provides people with MS a weekend of fishing and socializing. I would like to recognize Dave Anderson for his commitment to improving communication between those in the MS community, as well as for integrating social networking into the lives of people with multiple sclerosis.

Mr. PAULSEN

Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, the amount of sacrifice given to this Nation by those serving in our Armed Forces is truly inspiring. American men and women in uniform are a remarkable symbol for our country, and we are truly proud of their dedication. The Minnesota National Guard's 34th Infantry Division, known as the Red Bulls, have served our State and our country with honor and are truly the best our Nation has to offer. Their dedication to ensure freedom has been a momentous task, and they continue to succeed with utmost bravery. This responsibility is no small task. Indeed, ensuring democracy in a fragile state is something that takes courage and trust. Most recently, more than 1,000 members of the Red Bulls were deployed to Basra, Iraq, where they took command of 14,000 troops in nine of Iraq's 18 provinces. After serving long hours and giving up days and years of their lives, the Red Bulls have finally returned home to Minnesota, and it was a joyous occasion. Families and friends were reunited after serving our country and representing our State. These heroes took part in the Minnesota National Guard's nationally recognized ``Return to Yellow Ribbon'' reintegration program which helps soldiers ease back into everyday life. To give thanks for their extended service, in January 2007, the Post- Deployment Mobilization Respite Absence program, PDMRA, was implemented to offer extra pay for those who served extended time overseas during deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. But despite this promise, more than 23,000 troops did not receive the benefits they were promised due to the bureaucracy and the red tape within the Department of Defense. Troops that were owed thousands of dollars, they didn't see a dime. This was entirely unacceptable. This type of delay, whatever the excuse, was certainly outrageous. And although this was not a new issue, I was proud to work on this issue as soon as I arrived in Congress. In fact, the effort was led by Representatives John Kline and Tim Walz from Minnesota, along with the rest of the Minnesota delegation, and Representative Bruce Braley from Iowa, whose tireless work on this issue should not go unnoticed. Mr. Speaker, when it comes to our veterans' issues, partisan politics are not an option. We all share a common goal in Congress to support our troops, and have worked together to ensure that those who serve our Nation get the respect and the recognition that they deserve. While we authored legislation that would have provided an immediate fix for this issue, a major hurdle was that many Members of Congress did not know the problem ever existed. Despite the fact that 19 States had 500 or more constituents who had not received money, many Members were unfortunately unaware, which was a major hurdle in passing this legislation. And so we made it our mission personally to educate Members of Congress about the problem, and we tried to raise awareness about the issue. We also sent numerous letters to the Defense Appropriation and authorization committees so we could begin to address the problem in Congress, while thousands, in the meantime, continued to wait for the DOD to act. In the House, we were successful in getting language in the Defense authorization bill, and we got money allocated in the Defense appropriation bill. Unfortunately, the Senate authorization bill had language to fix the problem but their appropriations bill did not include the funding. Sadly, after all of our efforts, the final Defense appropriations bill that the President signed into law did not contain the funding that was needed to provide the fix to this problem for our troops. But we kept on fighting. We did not give up, and the issue was raised in a question by Representative Kline to Defense Secretary Gates during a House Armed Services Committee hearing recently, and it was just shortly after that the Department of Defense announced it was changing its policy and that they would end these burdensome regulations in order for the soldiers to get the money that they were promised a long time ago. So I am proud to report that now the first checks have been mailed out to our deserving troops. The Red Bulls, without a doubt, deserve every dollar they will be receiving after this 3-year wait. I want to take this opportunity to thank them again for their service and pledge to them that we will fight to make sure that a similar situation never happens again in the future.

Mr. PAULSEN

Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Edina High School Principal Dr. Bruce Locklear, who was recently named the 2010 Minnesota High School Principal of the Year by the Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals. Members of the association chose Bruce for his collaborative leadership style and his effort to create a more personal school environment, and those traits have certainly paid off. Under the leadership of Principal Locklear, Edina High School has gained praise and recognition, both in Minnesota and throughout the Nation. Edina was ranked among the top 2 percent of high schools in the Nation last year by U.S. News & World Report, and ranked 91st overall in the latest poll by Newsweek. Additionally, Edina has introduced several innovative education programs and a new student leadership program during his tenure. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to congratulate Dr. Locklear on this well- deserved achievement.

Mr. PAULSEN

Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, I recently held a job fair in my district, and despite one of the snowiest travel days of the entire winter, more than 2,000 people showed up. The overwhelming turnout makes one thing clear: We have a long, long way to go to create real jobs. But instead, Congress has embraced record borrowing and record spending while unemployment now hovers at about 10 percent. Millions of Americans are scraping by wondering why hundreds of billions of dollars of their tax money is being wasted, with millions of lost jobs to show for it. An economic recovery without jobs is not a recovery. We need to strengthen small business and create the private sector jobs. If we want to boost our economy and put people back to work, we have got to get our priorities straight to help the entrepreneurs, the risk-takers, the innovators, the dreamers, instead of growing government.

Mr. PAULSEN

Mr. PAULSEN. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to this self- executing rule which will raise our national debt to nearly $2 trillion. That's 12 zeros. I urge Members to vote ``no'' on the previous question so that we can immediately have the House consider H.R. 4566, the END TARP Act, that will end the TARP bailout program once and for all, saving taxpayers about $200 billion. In the most recent report, the Special Inspector General of TARP himself said the program has failed to boost bank lending and it's also failed in halting the spread of home foreclosures. If the program isn't helping small businesses, if the program isn't helping homeowners, two of its major goals, why do we consider to throw hundreds of billions of dollars of taxpayer money at it? It's time we got serious about fixing our national fiscal house and spending problems. I urge Members to vote ``no'' on the previous question so that they can bring up the END TARP Act. We can end the bailouts once and for all and not raise the debt ceiling by nearly $2 trillion.

Mr. PAULSEN

Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer an amendment that would require that the cybersecurity strategic research and development plan to also include how we can work with international partners to make our technology infrastructure even safer. Throughout most of our Nation's history, our security concerns have evolved around our national security of military security, intelligence, and protection of our borders. Now, over the past few decades, our technological advances and our ever-increasing reliance on that technology are increasingly important and have drastically expanded. This, naturally, makes our technology a likely target for attack by those that would like to harm the United States. Furthermore, as Minnesota's Chief Information Officer, Gopal Khanna, says, ``Cybersecurity is not just a Federal issue; it is also a national policy issue with huge global ramifications.'' And he is absolutely correct, Mr. Chairman. We must view the issue of cybersecurity from both a domestic and a foreign perspective. His article, ``Mutually Assured Survival in Cyber Space,'' which I do intend to offer into the Record, outlines the critical importance of our Nation's cybersecurity infrastructure. As Mr. Khanna states, a cybersecurity attack on our most vulnerable assets--that's the data and information that power our productivity and support the United States and global economies--will be utterly devastating. An attack would not only affect us here at home, but it would have a very adverse impact on our trading partners and the flow of commerce every day. Today's technology-driven economy makes cybersecurity an essential national security issue, one with ramifications that stretch across our Nation and far beyond our borders. We must remember this as we look at ways to strengthen cybersecurity. We need to think about our alliances abroad in the general context of new geopolitical realities of the digital cyberworld in which we live and operate today, and this amendment recognizes those realities. [From Governing, Sept. 8, 2009] Mutually Assured Survival in Cyber Space (By Gopal Khanna) We must pool resources to focus on an all-encompassing national approach to defending our information infrastructure from attacks. For the better part of the 20th century, America's greatest threat came from the expansionist strategies of Communism, with its values and aspirations so contradictory to our own free and open democratic society. At the heart of the conflict was the proliferation of nuclear arsenals and the horrific potential to kill millions with one strike. Baby boomers who were schoolchildren at the time remember the drills when they were instructed to hide under their desks in the event of an attack. While nuclear proliferation is still a threat, America is beginning to recognize a sleeper threat of a different kind: the devastation that can result from the mass disruption of business communications and the workings of government through cyber attacks. As we reflect on the results of President Obama's 60-day Cyberspace Policy Review, policy makers and private-sector leaders need to come together to apply great effort and creativity in crafting safeguards against these vulnerabilities. The series of apparently orchestrated attacks on U.S. Web sites in July--directed at such critical entities as the Treasury Department, Secret Service, Federal Trade Commission and New York Stock Exchange--is precisely why the U.S. should become a leader in thwarting cyber attacks on our national and international information infrastructure. In his May 29 remarks on securing the nation's information infrastructure, President Obama stated that ``the status quo is no longer acceptable'' and called our attention to the critical work ahead. To reiterate that point, last month Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano emphasized how important the role of state and local governments will be in meeting today's cyber security threats and that ``it is important to recognize that there is no international structure'' where cyber crime is concerned. The Cyberspace Policy Review has validated our understanding that it is not only corporate America that is now under siege, but the federal, state and local governments, private institutions and non-governmental organizations as well. Capable of wreaking a different sort of havoc, and easier to execute, today's menace comes from cyber security attacks on our most valuable assets--the data and information that power our productivity and support the economy of the United States and the world. That is why we must pool resources to focus on an all- encompassing national approach to defending our assets within the context of the new geopolitical realities of the digital world we live in. We need to apply all of our tools and our finest minds to harness our capabilities and competencies in the interest of protecting an infrastructure that supports our way of life. Just as ducking under desks would have done little to protect schoolchildren in the 1950s from a nuclear attack, simply hiding behind new software or the latest firewall will not protect us from tomorrow's range of cyber threats. We must do more. To this end, the United States should take the lead in an international endeavor to address these threats; not only the risks to our own country but also the risks to our allies in free economies and open governments around the world. Every attack, regardless of its target, poses global dangers, due to the interconnections of digital infrastructure and networks as well as the interdependencies of national and regional economies, and imperils commerce and communications among all nations. In the past, the doctrine of Mutually Assured Destruction acted as a deterrent to prevent a nuclear first-strike by either side. Both the United States and the Soviet Union knew that a strike would mean mutual annihilation. As a result, although the doctrine has not contained the spread of nuclear technology to rogue states, a nuclear weapon has not been detonated in military conflict since World War II. We need to develop an analogous approach against these new dangers--one that fends off the cyber anarchy envisioned by some nation-states and fringe borderless entities. The G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh this month is an ideal forum to establish America's leadership in cyber security. It's important that the international community come together to answer some basic, foundational questions about cyber attacks as a tactic of warfare: Should attacks of a cyber-nature be condemned in the same manner as chemical and biological weapons? How should a country respond to a cyber attack from another nation-state? How should the international community respond to such an attack? The potential for mass disruption to all aspects of social, economic and political workings of nations requires that the G-20 country CIOs who are responsible for policies, practices and management of the digital infrastructure in their respective jurisdictions be a part of this discussion. By working together, perhaps it will be understood that a cyber attack against one country is an attack against all countries, justifying a response--maybe even an international response. Time will tell if the international community will embrace as bold a deterrent as ``Mutually Assured Survival in Cyber Space.'' Still, now is the time to develop a doctrine of accountability and consequences that will serve as a deterrent to nation-states and rogue entities and prevent levels of cyber warfare that could jeopardize international trade, our government services, our security, our corporate and business interests, and most important, our open, democratic way of life. I yield such time as he may consume to my colleague from Texas (Mr. McCaul).

Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Chairman, just in closing, I know that by working together on the commonsense approach--I thank the gentleman--I look forward to support of this amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PAULSEN. I reserve the balance of my time, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. PAULSEN

Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to say welcome home to a group of Minnesota heroes, the National Guard's 34th Infantry Division, known as the Red Bulls. Many of the Red Bulls have begun arriving home from their most recent tour of duty in Iraq. These brave Minnesotans have played a very crucial role in transitioning security responsibilities from American troops to the Iraqi forces, as well as leading more than 1,000 new reconstruction projects to help the Iraqi people. The 1,200 soldiers that are now returning home come from more than 275 communities in Minnesota and represent the American spirit of selflessness, sacrifice, and service. I had the chance to personally meet with some of the Red Bulls when I visited Iraq not too long ago. I was humbled to see their selfless work that they accomplish every single day. Today, I'm thrilled to see them returning home from Iraq safely to their friends, to their families, and to a State that is especially grateful for all that they do.

Mr. PAULSEN

Mr. PAULSEN. Madam Speaker, I rise in honor of Nicholas D. Turcotte, a citizen-soldier gave his life on December 4, 2006 while serving in Iraq. As a member of the Minnesota National Guard, Nick distinguished himself. In just 2 years he rose to the rank of Sergeant, and was known as a soldier's soldier; dependable, helpful, and an outstanding example to those around him. Sergeant Turcotte was born in Highland Park, Illinois. After living in Colorado, he moved to Maple Grove, Minnesota with his grandparents. He enjoyed playing hockey, paintball, singing and playing trombone. He contemplated a career in law enforcement and joined the Maple Grove Police Explorers until he entered basic training with the Minnesota National Guard. Nick married his high school sweetheart, Jennifer, in September 2004. Inspired by his enthusiasm for service and commitment to his country, Nicholas Turcotte's family has established a scholarship in his name that supports the Minnesota Law Enforcement Explorer Association. This scholarship will allow other young people to participate in the educational programs the Explorers offer, as well as providing money for secondary education. Madam Speaker, it is with the greatest respect and admiration that I honor Sergeant Turcotte's sacrifice on behalf of the Nation today. We are ever grateful for his service, and continue to grieve with his family, who is keeping his memory alive each and every day.

Mr. PAULSEN

Mr. PAULSEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Oak Grove Presbyterian Church of Bloomington, Minnesota, for receiving the 2009 Omar Bonderud Human Rights Award. Named for the first chairperson of the Bloomington Human Rights Commission, the award is given to individuals and organizations that have made a significant contribution to improving the rights of people in their community. The selfless works of Oak Grove Presbyterian Church include tutoring for the economically disadvantaged, as well as improving dialogue and understanding across different religions and cultures. In a letter to the Human Rights Commission, Oak Grove was described as ``an outstanding community organization with a long history of working with community partners to improve the lives of the diverse residents of Bloomington.'' This award shows the dedication of Oak Grove to the pursuit of justice and freedom, rights that we can all aspire to protect. I am honored to congratulate them today.

Mr. PAULSEN

Mr. PAULSEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to call attention to Mike Siitari, a 31 year veteran of the Edina Police Department and who will retire as its Chief at the end of January. For more than three decades, Edina law enforcement has seen Chief Siitari rise through the ranks from police dispatcher to patrol officer to lieutenant and finally, a decade long stint in the Department's highest post. Even after dedicating a lifetime to public service, Chief Siitari has no intention of quietly retiring; instead he will take on a role at the School Safety Center in St. Paul. There, he will work with the Minnesota Department of Safety to make schools safer by minimizing violence and maximizing prepared emergency procedures. As the community congratulates Chief Siitari on his new opportunity, we would also like to thank him for what he leaves behind. Because of his dedicated work, Edina is a safer, more enjoyable community.