Chellie Pingree

Ms. PINGREE of Maine

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Mr. Speaker, in 1911, the Animal Refuge League in Portland, Maine was incorporated and in 1956, former Maine Governor Percival Baxter helped fund and establish the League's new location on Stroudwater Street in Westbrook, Maine. Each year, the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland (ARLGP) rescues and places more than 4,000 dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, gerbils and other animals all around Maine each year. The dedicated staff and volunteers nurture wounded, neglected and abandoned animals so they can be placed in loving homes. The organization has an impressive 92 percent placement rate for cats and dogs, which is among the highest in the country. This year, the Animal Refuge League marks its one hundredth anniversary. In addition to fulfilling its original mission to provide temporary care and permanent shelter for stray, abandoned and relinquished animals, the ARLGP is also developing innovative programs to meet the needs of Maine communities in new ways. Through Paws in Stripes, the ARLGP maintains a working relationship with Maine Correctional Center in Windham whereby the prisoners play a major role in the socialization of select puppies from the shelter. A new Seniors to Seniors program matches senior citizens with senior cats, and the ongoing foster program works with families to provide temporary homes to animals who need time, rest, recuperation, medical care or socialization before they are ready for adoption. Humane Education is a program that teaches children of all ages respect for all living things. As someone who spent years working as an organic farmer, I have a deep appreciation for the many roles that animals play in all our lives. Today, I am happy to celebrate the ALRGP's one hundred years of successful work rescuing animals. Congratulations, and thank you for the work that you do.

Ms. PINGREE of Maine

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Mr. Speaker, this summer marked the one- hundred-and-fiftieth anniversary of organized camp in the United States. Summer camps throughout the nation provide valuable educational experiences and offer the chance for children from all different backgrounds to spend time outdoors, connect with their peers, and learn life-long skills. In the summer of 1861, William Frederick Gunn and his wife Abigail organized the first summer camp in America by taking a group of kids into the wilderness along the Long Island Sound for two weeks. Since then, thousands of camps have been founded, and 150 years later there are over 12,000 summer camps nationwide. While times have changed, the purpose of summer camp has remained the same--to provide our youth with havens in which to grow and learn in nature. In the State of Maine, we have nearly 200 camps--most of which are accredited by the American Camp Association--including sleep-away camps, day camps, and specialty camps. More than 18 of those have been operating for more than 100 years. In 1902, Wyonegonic Camps in Denmark, Maine opened its doors to girls and, today, remains the oldest continuously operating camp for girls in the country. Girls' camps play a pivotal role in young women's lives--providing settings in which they can grow confidence and develop as bright young women. Also in 1902, Pine Island Camp for boys opened in Belgrade Lakes, Maine and remains the oldest continuously operating camp for boys in the state. In 1908, two camps were opened by non-profit agencies in Maine: West End House Camp in East Parsonfield and Camp Jordan YMCA in Ellsworth. Camp is a special place where kids get a chance to re-create themselves, develop independence, be physically active, and learn new skills outside of the traditional school setting. And, through exposure to new experiences, friendships with kids from other states and around the globe, campers gain perspectives on their own lives that augment their education during the school year. Camps are also a place to build lasting friendships--a home away from home where the camp community becomes a second family. In a fast changing world, summer camps continue to be a mainstay of American society--providing kids a time for quiet reflection away from the pressures of growing up in a modern world. As millions of summer campers head back to start another year of school, let's remember the valuable role that summer camps play in the year-round education of children.

Ms. PINGREE of Maine

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. I thank my former colleague for her wonderful work and for recognizing me today. Mr. Speaker, about an hour ago, I met with a wonderful group of religious and civic leaders from around this country. After our meeting, they walked into the Capitol Rotunda, they got down on their knees to pray, and at this moment, they are being arrested. They were praying for those who will be hurt the hardest by the bill that we are considering today. They were praying for seniors who will face rising costs for their prescription drugs. They were praying for low-income Americans who depend on heating assistance to stay warm in the winter. They were praying for working families who already struggle to make ends meet and find a way to send their kids to college. They were praying for the millions of Americans who don't have high-priced lobbyists to protect them. You know who can afford those lobbyists? Corporations who ship jobs overseas and are protected by this bill, the big oil companies whose subsidies are protected in this bill, the millionaires and billionaires whose tax breaks are protected in this bill. Mr. Speaker, the men and women arrested today were standing up for the families that find it harder and harder to afford basics like groceries and heat and health care. I urge you to vote against this rule and against this bill and join them, the members of the faith and civic community, who are standing up for those Americans.

Ms. PINGREE of Maine

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Mr. Speaker, in the past few weeks, the phones in my office have been ringing off the hook. The message from my constituents is clear: Please don't touch Medicare, Medicaid, or Social Security. Some are angry, and some are tearful. All are sick with worry over the threat of losing benefits they have earned and depend on. Sadly, these effective programs have become targets for those who would balance the Federal budget on the backs of seniors and the middle class rather than restoring tax rates for millionaires. It's unthinkable, and it's unfair. I plan to do everything I can to protect these critical programs because they work. When Medicare started 45 years ago, a third of our seniors lived in poverty; half had no health care coverage. Today the poverty rate for seniors has been slashed, and nearly all of our seniors have access to quality care. And thanks to the Affordable Care Act, seniors won't have to worry about paying for preventative care or falling into the prescription drug doughnut hole. After working hard their entire lives, seniors should be able to feel confident that the system they faithfully paid into will be there for them when they need it most.

Ms. PINGREE of Maine

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Madam Speaker, I want to take a moment to recognize the crew of the Amtrak Downeaster who quickly guided 112 passengers to safety after the train was involved in an accident this week in Maine. With the engine engulfed in flames, two conductors and one engineer reacted calmly and professionally to evacuate the train. Although the tragedy sadly took the life of a truck driver whose vehicle was on the tracks, no one in the train was seriously injured. This accident could have been much, much worse, and in part we have the crew of the Downeaster to thank that all of these passengers escaped without a serious injury. Over the last 10 years, the Downeaster has made 30,000 trips between Portland and Boston and transported 3\1/2\ million passengers without a serious incident. And the next morning, the train left Portland on schedule and arrived in Boston 3 minutes early. We should all take a minute today to think about the men and women who work in our transportation system, who day in and day out make sure we are safe, whether we are driving in our own cars or riding on a bus, plane, train, or, like my hometown, a ferry.

Ms. PINGREE of Maine

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Mr. Joseph Littlefield of Ogunquit, Maine. Mr. Littlefield, through lifelong service to his community and state, exemplifies Maine's great tradition of philanthropy. Last year, Mr. Littlefield was named the `Ogunquit Outstanding Citizen.' In addition to his many other generous contributions to the community, Mr. Littlefield recently donated Beach Plum Farm to the Great Works Regional Land Trust. Beach Plum Farm is a 23-acre parcel of land that includes paths, gardens, and beach plums. Residents of Ogunquit will have this wonderful gift forever. Mr. Littlefield's continued passion for life and his generosity to his fellow Mainers is extraordinary. Maine is fortunate to have Mr. Littlefield in our community.

Ms. PINGREE of Maine

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Mr. Speaker, last month, when I was standing on the banks of the York River in Maine, I learned that the river serves as a home for species like the New England Cottontail, the Eastern Box Turtle and the threatened Harlequin Duck; but the York River is also a place where people are making their livings. Fishermen depend on the good quality of the water and access to the waterfront, and farmers in the York River Watershed grow pumpkins, potatoes and other produce that keep Maine communities healthy. The natural beauty of the river draws visitors to the area from around the State and around the country. Mr. Speaker, later today, I am introducing the York River Wild and Scenic River Study Act, which would commission a feasibility study to find out if the river qualifies as a ``Wild and Scenic Partnership River''--a designation that would help preserve the river as an economic and natural resource for generations to come.

Ms. PINGREE of Maine

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Mr. Speaker, the York River in Maine is the cultural and economic heart of the York River watershed community. Standing on the banks of the river, I heard from community members about what the river means to them and how they have pulled together to protect this waterway. I also heard from the community about how the York River needs additional protections from increasing development pressures. The bill that I am introducing today commissions a feasibility study which will provide a comprehensive overview of the river and will evaluate whether the York River qualifies as a Wild and Scenic Partnership River within the National Park Service's Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Watching two York River lobstermen tie up their boat, I wouldn't have guessed that the York River area is on the northern fringe of the Boston megalopolis in terms of population and development pressures. The towns of York, Eliot, Kittery, and South Berwick recognize that without additional knowledge and management tools, the river's unique cultural, recreational, commercial, and natural resources will be threatened. Support for the York River Study Bill was the result of a partnership between the local environmental community, a local land trust, support from the state, and, most importantly, support from an entire community of Mainers with the foresight to recognize the value of the river to the business community. The York River is located in southern Maine and runs 11.25 miles from the York Pond in Eliot to the mouth of the river harbor in the town of York. On its way from the land to the sea, this river passes by farms, old mills that date back to the 1600s, wharves and warehouses from the 1700s that tell the story of Maine's rich fishing heritage, public boat launches, working waterfronts, and recreational spots for lunching, fishing and kayaking. There have been concerted and successful efforts over the past ten years by the York Land Trust and the Mount Agamenticus to the Sea Conservation Initiative to protect land in the watershed. These efforts have included preserving historic waterfront access, preventing the subdivision of farms, and restoring habitat. Listed as a Priority Coastal Watershed by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, the York River watershed encompasses a wide diversity of habitats and ecological communities that support species including the wild brook trout, the Atlantic Salmon, the New England Cottontail, and Maine endangered species, such as the Eastern Box Turtle. Birders come to the York River to see exceptional varieties of birds including the threatened Harlequin Duck, which is seldom seen from shore anywhere in Maine except York County, as well as other species that call the York River home, like great blue herons, bald eagles and ospreys. The York River is also a classroom for young environmentalists--a place where students actively learn about the values and ecology of the river habitat through forward-looking environmental curricula developed by the public schools. In addition to its value as a natural setting for young and old learners alike, the river also serves as a recreational center. The waterways of the York River provide fishing grounds for residents and visitors who fish for striped bass and flounder, and the river is increasingly used for sailing, canoeing, and kayaking. But, the York River is more than a beautiful place with abundant natural resources. It is also a place where people are making their living. Small fishing operations carry on trades that have been practiced on the river for hundreds of years. Sections of the York River are nationally recognized historic working waterfronts, and continue to provide access to the river for water-dependent businesses. Through preservation of historic waterfront access points such as Sewall's Bridge, the York River community has made it possible for local lobstermen to continue to engage in a trade that has shaped and continues to define the spirit of Maine. And, the York River watershed is a place where farmers carry on Maine tradition, growing pumpkins, potatoes and other produce that keep Maine communities healthy. These farmers face the same development pressures that waterfront businesses do, and the York River community has made it possible for farms like Highland Farm to keep providing sustainable local food sources. Visitors come to the York River to enjoy its unique recreational, scenic, and historic values, and the York River community welcomes them and recognizes that preserving and maintaining this vibrant landscape is of critical economic importance. The York River community's investments in conservation have been substantial and have resulted in the preservation of natural and historical aspects of the river that draw visitors from throughout Maine and throughout the nation. This study bill will be a vital means of continuing to support these important efforts so that the York River can remain a community resource for future generations.

Ms. PINGREE of Maine

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Absolutely not. As much as I appreciate my colleague from North Carolina, I'm not giving up one second to talk about the fact that in my State, we are proud of our farmers. We are proud of our big farms that grow potatoes and blueberries and that grow apples. We are proud of our fishermen, and we are proud of the fact that more young people want to get into farming. There are more markets for farming than there ever were before today. Part of it is because people like to buy their food locally because they are so excited about the opportunity of going to a farm stand where you actually see the farmer, where you see how it's grown, where you feel comfortable about what goes into your food, where you know how it was slaughtered, where you know so much more about it, where we're raising our kids to say, ``You know what? Vegetables are good for you,'' and here they are right in front of you. I can't possibly imagine why this report language was there in the first place, why my colleague would want to strike everything about Know Your Farmer--Know Your Food. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Mr. Chair, I move to strike the last word.

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Mr. Chairman, I just wanted to engage a little bit more in this conversation that we had, both about the previous amendment and about my good friend from North Carolina's concern about this particular program called Know Your Farmer--Know Your Food. I have the great privilege of serving on the Agriculture Committee. I've heard the Secretary speak to us about his interest in increasing the number of farms in our country, in getting to know our farmers better, and in making sure people have more knowledge about where their food comes from. I have to just stand back and say for a minute that it's after 8:30 on a busy night. We're still in the middle of debating this bill at a time when our economy is in peril, when we have huge challenges before us, when we are at war in two countries. I just personally have to say I am baffled about why we are even having this debate. I was baffled about why this report language would be there that slows down research on local farming, that tries to stop a program that's not even funded, and that coordinates a lot of good efforts going on in the Department of Agriculture. I will say, I kind of think back to the way I look at our country. We were based on agriculture and farming. I had the good fortune to be born in Minnesota even though I represent Maine. Both sets of my grandparents were Scandinavian immigrants. They came because there was rich farmland, beautiful opportunities. My grandfather was a dairy farmer. My uncle was a dairy farmer. My cousin still runs a farm and works with livestock. I went to college to study agriculture, and I own my own farm today. So I think about, isn't this what America is all about--knowing your farmer? knowing where your food came from? understanding what the basic principles are of growing and of using our land? What in the world are we talking about? It's as if black is white and white is black and as if everything is turned upside down. I grew up in Minnesota and Maine. Both States have a rich farming heritage. We couldn't be more proud of the families and of the people who work hard on the land. We couldn't be more proud of having vigorous farmers' markets, of having people who are able to go to a farm stand and say to the farmer, ``How did you grow this? What's behind this? Tell me about what's growing in your field.'' I mean, this is America. This is how our country was built. If there is one tragedy that's going on today, it's the reduction in the number of farms and in the families who can no longer hold onto their farms, whose mortgages are being foreclosed on, who don't have enough markets. If there is anything the Secretary is telling us it is that we want more people to know about their farms, that we want to have local access to farming, that we want to have people come to farmers' markets. I spend a lot of time visiting school cafeterias, and many of the schools in my district are very engaged with buying food locally. They realize that, if they're going to deal with childhood obesity, one of the things they have to do is get kids to eat more vegetables. One thing that really works is to have those young people know the farmers, and many schools have little gardens out back. I visited Longfellow Elementary School in Portland, Maine, just recently. Those kids have a little plot of carrots. It's not that every lunch has one of those carrots on the menu, but it's for those kids to say, ``I grew a carrot, and now I want to eat more of them.'' I was at the Bonny Eagle Middle School. They have a little greenhouse. I sat down to eat with those kids, and they were eating kale, kale and garlic; and they were proudly showing it off to me about how they grow kale, about how they know where it comes from. Many of them have visited with farmers. They've seen the farmers come down the road. I can't possibly imagine why anyone would want to put language in that says you have to strike a program like this that's not even funded, that's just a way of the Secretary saying this is a good American tradition. It's a tradition in North Carolina, I am sure, where people are proud of their farmers and, in Maine, where we are exceptionally proud of the fact that the average age of our farmer is going down. We have more young people who want to go into farming. We have more and more acreage going into farming, which is a reversal of the trend that has been going on in our country for a long time. This is good for our health, and it's good for our environment. Fundamentally, this is a jobs bill, and that's what we're supposed to be here talking about. Every young person who has an opportunity to go into farming today and every family that gets to hang onto a family farm increases the number of jobs that are going on in our country. What do we want this to turn into, big corporate agriculture where everything has to be trucked around the world?--where our carrots come from Brazil and our strawberries come from somewhere else in South America and where we buy our food from China? I mean this is America. This is a tradition of our country. How could we possibly think that anything is wrong with promoting or researching local foods and having a program that just coordinates it all?

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Mr. Chair, this amendment would combat the misguided report language written to attack local and regional food systems. By passing this amendment, we will send an important message to farmers, consumers, and community leaders around the country: Local and regional food systems are critically important. They provide economic opportunities for rural communities and healthy food for consumers. Local food systems are the backbone of economies across the country. In order to ensure local food systems work to their maximum potential, Congress must support research, thriving programs, and devote more, not less, funding to enhance this work. You know, no matter what group I'm talking to, whether it's members of the credit unions or realtors or teachers, when I start talking about improving the quality of food we serve our kids, improving local food systems, and knowing where your food comes from, I look around the room and everybody is nodding. Across the board, these issues are important to people, and this is where there is real energy for growth in the economy. The language included in the report was designed to criticize and hamstring efforts that are underway at the USDA to create jobs, to increase farm income, and to bolster the economy through the development of local and regional food systems. The language targets local and regional food system development in two ways: First, it demands overly burdensome reporting requirements of the USDA's Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative. USDA developed this initiative to streamline the implementation of existing programs authorized by Congress in the last farm bill. ``Know Your Farmer--Know Your Food'' is not a standalone program and does not have its own budget. Creating additional burdensome reporting requirements would delay program implementation and distract the USDA from addressing the economic challenges of rural communities. Second, the report language expresses concern with USDA research, education, and extension activities associated with local and regional food systems through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, AFRI. While Congress sets broad research policies for USDA, Congress does not usually dictate what research USDA cannot do; nor does Congress usually substitute its opinion of what's good science for the professional judgments of competitive grant peer review panels. By singling out a small piece of the agricultural research agenda and by substituting the committee's judgment for that of researchers and educators, the Agriculture appropriations bill report sets up a roadblock to innovation and diversity in American agriculture and growth in the rural economy. In response to this misguided report language, this amendment will prohibit the USDA from using funds to fulfill the additional and burdensome reporting requirements proposed for Know Your Farmer--Know Your Food. The amendment would also prohibit USDA from using funds to carry out activities contrary to the current research priorities that Congress established in the last farm bill. I know my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are going to say it's time to cut budgets and reduce deficits. I also believe in fiscal responsibility. This is not about fiscal discipline; this is about priorities. Last year, we spent a staggering $548 billion to fund the Department of Defense and an equally unbelievable $158 billion on continued operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. By comparison, the entire Agriculture Department is funded with 20 percent of what we spend on defense, and the research priorities we are talking about in this amendment are funded with one-half of 1 percent of the total agriculture budget. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting farmers, in supporting local food production, and consumers who want to know where their food comes from. It's good for our local communities, our local economies, and it's good for our country. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. PINGREE of Maine

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Mr. Speaker, all over this country, small, independent farmers are making a living by farming in a way our parents or grandparents would recognize--raising high quality food and selling it close to home. The USDA recognizes the importance of this growing economy and has developed programs like ``Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food'' and research focused on local food systems. These programs are critically important. Later today, we will take up a bill that is accompanied by a report that will cripple these efforts with unnecessary bureaucratic requirements and by prohibiting research on local and regional food systems. That's right, the committee report actually urges USDA to stop doing research on the benefits of local and regional food systems. Mr. Speaker, more and more American families want to know where their food is coming from and want to buy it locally. Now is not the time to make it harder for small farmers to give consumers what they want.

Ms. PINGREE of Maine

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. I thank my colleague from New York, former chair of the Rules Committee, who I had the privilege of serving under, for allowing me this time. Madam Speaker, I am here today to speak against the rule and against the Republican budget. Last year was a good year for CEOs at America's biggest companies. The average CEO got a 12 percent raise and made about $10 million. Now the Republicans want to give that same CEO a 30 percent tax cut. That's right. While the average American family is struggling with gas prices that went up 93 cents in the last year, while working Americans tried to figure out how to afford health care or how to send their children to college, the Republicans have been busy trying to figure out how to cut taxes for CEOs by one-third. Of course, you can't cut taxes that dramatically for the richest Americans without cutting spending somewhere else. Someone has to pay for the tax cuts. And in the Republican budget, the people who pay the price are seniors and the middle class. Under their budget, seniors will pay when Medicare as we know it is ended and replaced with a voucher system that will be a windfall for insurance companies but will double health care costs for seniors. And the middle class will pay when deductions for home mortgages or health insurance are repealed to pay for those CEO tax cuts. Madam Speaker, Republicans simply have the wrong priorities, putting the burden of the budget on seniors and the middle class while giving big tax breaks to the wealthy and handing out handouts to insurance companies. I don't share those values. This is not a budget that serves the American people well.

Ms. PINGREE of Maine

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Madam Speaker, later today we are taking up a bill to repeal funding for prevention and public health. Members will have a simple choice; the choice is to pay now or pay later. Staying healthy and treating disease will always have a price. In my State of Maine, treating preventable chronic diseases held a price tag of $1.4 billion last year alone. But there is a better way. We can invest in preventing these life-threatening expensive illnesses, we can invest in slowing the spread of HIV/AIDS, and we can promote better nutrition to reduce obesity. That is exactly what the Prevention and Public Health fund does in my State and throughout the country. It invests in prevention and good health, and it reduces chronic disease. Spending just $10 per person in preventative programs will save this country $16 billion a year in health care costs. Madam Speaker, our choice is not just pay now or pay later; it's pay less now or pay a lot more later. And that's a choice we can't afford to make.

Ms. PINGREE of Maine

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Madam Speaker, we are facing some very important and difficult decisions in the coming weeks as we debate both the continuing resolution and the President's budget. I would like to talk just a little bit about some of the decisions that we have to make today as we discuss this this morning. As some of my colleagues have already mentioned, the proposed continuing resolution that the Republicans have put on the table has draconian cuts that will not move our country forward. Whether it's cuts to the National Institutes of Health and investigating important research that we have before us, cuts to our infrastructure or education, arts and culture, cuts to our police protection and fire protection in our home communities, this budget does not do what the American people need, and it will not move us forward. The proposed continuing resolution has made one particular cut that I want to discuss in more detail. For a party that refers to itself as ``the party of jobs'' and says they want to move the economy forward, I am very disturbed to see that they are slashing the funding for the Economic Development Administration, and I am here to say that doing so will pull the rug out from the very people who are creating jobs and helping turn our economy around. Last year, I brought the administrator of the Economic Development Administration to Maine; and he saw firsthand, as he well knew, how EDA funding could help make it possible to build a new freezer facility in the city of Portland. This is a critical infrastructure improvement for our already struggling Maine fishermen. This would make it possible so that they would not have to send their catch off to another State or even another country to be processed. If we can build that freezer in Portland, hundreds of jobs could be created, and our working waterfronts could be strengthened. Also in Maine, the community of Brunswick has been hit by BRAC, a base closure; and they have worked long and hard to develop economic development opportunities that will strengthen that community and reuse the base. They have successfully attracted exciting new projects, including an aircraft manufacturing facility using carbon fiber, high- technology materials and the highest technology in new engineering and building on the site of the former air base. But those projects and the hundreds of jobs that they will create are counting on the EDA funding to help transform what was once a former Navy base into a civilian economic engine. The economy is just starting to turn around, and eliminating the critical investments we need to keep it going is the last thing we should be doing right now. I want to say a couple of things too about the President's budget. The President has put forward a budget on the table that does many of the things that we need to have done: investing in infrastructure, science and technology, education, the very kinds of things that will make our country competitive and move us forward. There are many good things in this budget, whether it's eliminating the tax breaks for big oil companies, or no further extensions of tax cuts for the wealthy, or making sure we do increase the Economic Development Administration and invest in economic development. Investing in health care, continuing to implement the health care reform bill where we are putting money into the critical training of 4,000 more primary care providers--I know that's a huge need in my State and so many other States--as well as working to move forward on the permanent fix to the SGR so that our physicians are adequately reimbursed. Investments in housing, making sure that the homeless veterans are no longer on the streets anymore and that people have more choices to move forward in housing. Eliminating tax breaks for big oil companies. Making our commercial buildings more efficient, even cutting defense in strategic ways. Up to $78 billion in wasteful spending is cut out of the President's budget. Cutting of the alternative engine for the F-35, which is just wasteful, unnecessary while at the same time he is making sure that our military personnel get a pay raise and that they are recognized and supported. I do need to discuss one issue in the President's budget that will be a problem for my constituents in Maine. The President's budget proposes to cut LIHEAP funding. LIHEAP funding helps nearly 70,000 Maine households make ends meet by offsetting home heating costs. Funding is especially important for Maine. We have some of the country's oldest housing stock, and we are heavily dependent on oil for heating. In fact, we are the most dependent State in the Nation on oil heat. The cost of heating oil is going up, from a low of about $2.25 at the beginning of the economic downturn to about $3.35 now. Maine communities are still struggling in the down economy. Slashing funding for this program would not be appropriate, and it must be changed in the President's budget.

Ms. PINGREE of Maine

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Mr. Speaker, repealing the historic health care legislation that we passed last year would pull the rug out from under millions of Americans and add billions to the deficit. We can and should talk about CBO scores, tax credits, and unemployment numbers. But what this health care reform is really about is improving the lives of millions of Americans. It's about children with preexisting conditions who can no longer be denied coverage. It's about senior citizens who can now afford to get screened for diabetes or get a mammogram. It's about working families that no longer have to worry that their insurance will be canceled if they get sick. It's about people like Geralyn from South Portland, Maine, who wrote to me. She said, ``My son turned 19 last May and promptly lost his insurance coverage. He has high blood pressure and had to go to the doctor a number of times to get his medication right. It was a struggle to keep up with the bills. He works two part-time jobs, and that doesn't get him health care. As of December 1, I was able to get him back on my insurance and it is a relief knowing he is covered. If this was repealed, it would hurt my son's health.'' That's why we need to stick with the health care plan and vote ``no.''

Ms. PINGREE of Maine

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. I just again want to thank Dr. Rayle for his heroism and for his being there with Gabby in the first possible moments. We owe him our gratitude, and everyone else who worked so hard to make sure that people were safe as quickly as possible at that scene. And I echo the remarks of my earlier colleague, Dana Rohrabacher. I hope this all reminds us to think about how we speak, to think about how we speak with each other, how we conduct our business, and how we move forward. This is a solemn week. We will have many solemn weeks ahead of us, and we have a lot of work to do.

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. I thank my colleague from Iowa for yielding the time. Madam Speaker, it's hard, after a long day like this when all of us are feeling so sad and discouraged about the challenges that have been faced by Gabby and her family and others, to actually think of anything that hasn't been said. But I want to reiterate what so many of my colleagues have said, so many of us who consider ourselves friends of Gabby, who are so proud of the work that she has done, who know what a hard fighter Gabby is and hope that she continues to pull through every day. I sit near Gabby on the Armed Services Committee, and I have never seen Gabby walk into a hearing room without a pile of letters that she plans to sign, a few things that she is going to read, prepared to ask good questions and keep her eye on the conversation and the debate the whole time we are in there. That is just Gabby; she is always working, she is always thinking. You turn to her and ask her a question. She always has a smile or a little joke or is ready to make a plan for some kind of an outing or a field trip or something that we could all do together. She is a wonderful colleague, as we can see today, well respected by both sides of the aisle, well regarded by all colleagues, whether they agree or disagree, and highly well regarded back in her home community where she had another hard- fought election but came through. Our thoughts and prayers are with her. I know Gabby is on the Armed Services Committee because she's a fighter. She's a fighter for the people she represents, and I do believe she's fighting in her hospital room today, fighting for her life alongside her husband. Our thoughts and prayers are with the others who died alongside where Gabby was lying, who came to that event and were injured, innocent victims--a young woman and a staff member who was dedicated. Many of us realize when we take this job on that we take a risk, but we often forget the risk of those who serve with us, those young people who come out and stand beside us, the risk that they are also taking just to be with us everywhere we go. I also want to mention someone else who I was asked to mention who wasn't appearing in the resolution that we talked about earlier today, but Dr. Steven Rayle, a former emergency room physician was just a few feet away from Gabby when the shooting began. In the terrifying moments after the shooting, Rayle was able to use his trained first responder skills to triage what I can only imagine was a terrifying scene. And we owe him a great deal of gratitude.

Ms. PINGREE of Maine

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Madam Speaker, for the purposes of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Lincoln Diaz-Balart). All time yielded during consideration of the rule is for debate only. General Leave

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Berkley).

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Harman).

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Quigley).