Robert Pittenger

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Mr. Chairman, I thank Chairman Hensarling for the time and for allowing me to speak on this important issue; and I also thank the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Duffy) for his the leadership on this legislation. This legislation is absolutely necessary to bring pragmatic reforms to CFPB. The CFPB needs transparency. It needs accountability. It needs privacy reforms. The first main goal of this legislation is to replace the single all- powerful director with a five-person independent commission. This will allow for a healthy debate and to bring rules and regulations that are proposed at this agency. It would put CFPB on a regular budgetary cycle with annual appropriations. This will shield the very American taxpayer from wasteful spending and allow Congress the proper oversight that this agency absolutely needs. One of the key provisions of this bill prohibits CFPB from accessing, collecting, and analyzing the American people's personal financial data without their express permission. In the wake of the regulation tsunami coming from D.C., it is time that Congress exercise its authority to help rein in government bureaucrats and help provide the clarity to business owners across the country. I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Thank you, Congressman Smith. I am so grateful for your leadership, having known you now for the last 30 years and watched the true commitment that you have for the calls of life. I just appreciate the spirit of which you come and your dedication. Mr. Speaker, before I got in Congress, I spent a lot of time committed to the pro-life mission. My interest really was elevated about 25 years ago when I was in London with my family, and we visited the British Museum. After a long day, we were tired and we went into a little booth and sat down. There were a number of chairs. There was a little TV screen, and I just pushed the button to see what was there. What came on was a little film about life and about birth and about this little baby. They referred to the baby time and again: the baby is a week old, the baby is 2 weeks old, the baby is 3 weeks old. Here is a chart, Mr. Speaker, that says that baby at 4 weeks has the eyes and the heart, 5 weeks greater development with the limbs, 6 weeks having the teeth and the palate and the ears. You will see there, Mr. Speaker, about the 16th week the brain is fully formed; and, at that point, at fully formed, the nervous system is in. That baby can feel pain. So I want those who can see us today and feel the heart and commitment, that this is a baby, and this is the life of that baby as it is processed. The Lord said: ``I knew you even when you were in your mother's womb.'' This is something that we cannot remove ourselves from. As you think of this baby and the loss of these babies, some 56 million, your mind's eye looks through all of recorded history and what has happened in the period of history that those babies were born and what would happen with their lives. Did we eliminate the life of one who would have helped to cure cancer or diabetes or any other disease? Was that life taken that God had put in that little baby's mind and heart the knowledge to do what was needed to be done to cure a major disease today? We will never know that until eternity. For that, I think it is a very sober thought to know that the Lord watches over us day and night, and his thoughts toward us are good and not of evil, to give us a future and a hope. He has hope to all. We need to respect the fact and know the fact that that loving God provided this life to be a blessing on this Earth. It is something that we should consider very seriously, the impact of what has happened in God's plan for this Earth by what we have taken away from the life that he has given. So I share this time with you and I am grateful for your leadership. As I join with you next week, this will be a moment to continue to ask God to help preserve these lives.

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to question why banks and their customers are still burdened by rules designed in an era that, when most bank transactions ended, a free lollipop was given to the customer. Regulation D, which was implemented in the 1980s, restricts customers to just six transfers between their accounts for 1 month. These rules made a lot of sense in an era when most bank transactions were done manually; but today, through modern technology, this is truly obsolete. Mr. Speaker, I therefore ask support for H.R. 3240, the Regulation D Study Act. This bill will direct the GAO, the Government Accountability Office, to study Regulation D and recommend appropriate changes to modernize the regulation. H.R. 3240 has strong bipartisan support. I am grateful for Congresswoman Maloney's being the lead Democrat sponsor for the bill. Credit unions tell us that modern customers today hit the six- transfer limit just in a matter of moments as they work online. We need to change this, Mr. Speaker, so that individuals can manage their money on a daily basis. Updating this regulation is important to benefit consumers and bank institutions.

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Mr. Speaker, I stand regarding the qualified mortgage rule that will go into effect this Friday. This rule is going to have a devastating effect on the housing industry. Once again, the long hand of the Federal Government goes out to dictate policy to the financial industry on whom they should make loans to. Once again, we face another crisis in the housing industry. The Federal Government, frankly, was one of the major culprits in the housing demise that we have just gone through, making easy credit for borrowers. Now they are telling financial institutions clearly the wrong direction in which to go. We need the markets to work. The Federal Government has proven also that they sure cannot handle health care through ObamaCare. Why do we think that the government knows best when it comes to telling community banks and others who they should make their loans to? Fifty percent of the loans made in 2013 will not be made for 2014 with these guidelines. Mr. Speaker, we call for this rule to be delayed for a year to allow Congress to improve it.

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Thank you, Mr. Collins. Mr. Speaker, I rise on behalf of precious Kilah Davenport, a sweet little girl at the age of 3 years old, who was taken by her caregiver and bashed her head against the wall. As a result, Kilah has suffered irreparable damage to the extent that at this point she is immobile, she is paralyzed and has suffered severe brain damage. You can see pictures right here of Kilah, a young girl, and then the next day the condition that she is in. She has made some progress. Her family is encouraged. They assist her 24/7. It has changed their lives. But to the credit of the Davenport family, they wanted what occurred to their child to make sure that that never happened again. They focused their intention and their efforts, their commitment, to passing a law in North Carolina where I live. Now we have a statute that gives a minimum sentence of 10 years to anyone who is convicted of this type of egregious child abuse. Prior to this time, the minimum sentence for such an abuse was 4 years, maximum 6 years. This type of severe cruelty warrants a measure of sentencing commensurate with what has been enacted. So I congratulate my colleagues, whom I served with at one time in the North Carolina Senate and the House--Senator Tarte, Senator Tucker, and Senator Curtis; and House members Horn and Arp--for the leadership that they gave in North Carolina and provided what will be, I truly believe, a role model for the rest of the country because, Mr. Speaker, the purpose of the Kilah Davenport Child Protection Act is to give a basis for other States, appealing to them through their attorney generals, to issue these reports, the first one in 6 months, the next one 3 years following, of their current statutes on child abuse in their sentencing. We have found in many States that there are very minimum and lax sentences. In the South, there is one State that a year and a day could be the maximum sentence; one State in the Northeast is 7 years; one State out west, 5 years is the max sentence. This shouldn't be. We feel like there are many States who once they understand how limited the scope is of their sentencing that they would want to change it. And yes, Mr. Speaker, I do believe that these types of bills are better addressed in our States. I believe that other States will take the proper action as North Carolina did. As I consulted with law enforcement and with judges who handle child abuse daily, that is why I introduced H.R. 3627, which is bipartisan legislation that will address this severe need to make sure that children in the future are not harmed in the same way. This bill will ensure that those who suffer serious bodily injury, mental and emotional disparity and function, would be addressed with the types of sentencing that would warrant the type of crime committed. I believe, Mr. Speaker, as we enact this bill, that we will see a tremendous impact throughout the country to prevent this type of scourge from occurring again. So I commit it to our Congress--I thank the great support of the Members--to make sure that this bill is enacted, and I thank Senator Burr for his leadership in the Senate.

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at noon tomorrow for morning- hour debate and 2 p.m. for legislative business.

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my fastest constituent, Jimmie Johnson, who recently won his sixth NASCAR Sprint Cup championship. In a remarkable display of teamwork, consistency, and a burning desire to always improve, Jimmie Johnson won six NASCAR championships in the last 8 years. More importantly, Jimmie is a champion off the track. Since 2006, the Jimmie Johnson Foundation has contributed more than $5 million to charity, with a special focus on improving K-12 education in North Carolina, Oklahoma, and California. In Charlotte, Jimmie is a supporter of Project LIFT, a private-public partnership working to improve the graduation rate in some of Charlotte's toughest neighborhoods. Thank you, Jimmie, for using your on-track success to make a lasting impact on the lives of thousands of children.

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 593, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.'' personal explanation

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of Martha Staley, a constituent from Cornelius, North Carolina. Ms. Staley is a retired registered nurse and a retired insurance agent. She understands health insurance better than most. Recently, she received this letter, explaining that her current insurance was canceled due to ObamaCare and that her new plan would be twice as expensive. Quoting Ms. Staley: There was nothing in the world wrong with my plan. What they are giving me is worse. I was told by the President that, if I liked my health care plan--which I do--I could keep it. I was told by the President that the ACA would help lower my costs. President Obama made a simple direct promise to Ms. Staley. Tomorrow, I urge you to join me in voting for H.R. 3350, the Keep Your Health Plan Act. The American people don't need more apologies from the President. They need results.

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall vote Nos. 571-572, I am not recorded because I was absent from the U.S House of Representatives. Had I been present, I would have voted in the following manner. On rollcall No. 571, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea''. On rollcall No. 572, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea''.

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Mr. Speaker, much attention has been focused recently on the flawed rollout of ObamaCare. Sadly, a potential bigger problem has now emerged. Once consumers battle their way through the glitchy Web site, much of the highly sensitive personal information sent to the insurers is wrong. According to The Washington Post and Wall Street Journal, the ObamaCare Web site is sending garbled data to insurers, claiming, for example, that some enrollees have three spouses or that someone has signed up for three separate insurance plans or has enrolled and then unenrolled and then reenrolled multiple times in one day. In short, you could fight your way through the Web site, fill out all the forms correctly, and end up with the wrong insurance, the wrong subsidy, and the wrong coverage. Now is the time to end this madness. The individual mandate must be delayed by a year, and President Obama and Senator Reid must be willing to sit down with Republicans and discuss real reforms to what is quickly becoming a national disaster.

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a great concern over the lack of accountability and transparency we continue to see from the President and his administration as they scramble to fix the problems in the health care exchange and their Web site platform. Mr. Speaker, we have walked through the tragedy of Benghazi, the abuse of the IRS, the lack of real commitment from the Attorney General. Mr. Speaker, this isn't right. We need a government that is transparent, that is willing to tell the truth to the American people. Three weeks after the rollout of these exchanges, the administration finally has come to Capitol Hill, but they are coming, Mr. Speaker, only to speak to House Democrats. Now figure that out. Where is the transparency there? The American people deserve to know the truth of what happened with the $400 million that was spent on a Web site to try to enlist people to join this health care exchange. The American people are being left on the hook for a Web site that cost hundreds of millions of dollars, and they deserve better.

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Mr. Speaker, in honor of Throwback Thursday, I would like to read to my colleagues the words of then-Senator Barack Obama during the debate on March 16, 2006, about raising the debt limit: The fact that we are here today to debate raising America's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can't pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our government's reckless fiscal policies. Increasing America's debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that the buck stops here. Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better. I therefore intend to oppose the effort to increase America's debt limit. That was spoken by Senator Barack Obama on March 16, 2006. Mr. Speaker, we have a $17 trillion debt today under the leadership of President Obama. I would say today is the day to come together as reasonable people to resolve this crisis.

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask if we've entered the twilight zone. Last Friday, a bipartisan coalition in the House of Representatives passed House Joint Resolution 75, which ensures the proper funding for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, better known as WIC. Senate Democrats have refused to take action on this legislation, choosing to play political games instead of providing nutritional assistance to low-income pregnant women, new mothers, infants, and young children. Here's where it gets stranger. President Obama has actually threatened to veto the legislation. The President of the United States is threatening to veto nutritional assistance for little babies and preschoolers? This isn't a game. Yesterday, North Carolina stopped using WIC benefits because of this unfortunate shutdown. America elected a divided government, but they expect us to work together. Mr. Speaker, the President needs to convey to the Senate Democrats that they must come to the negotiating table. Senate Democrats must rejoin the normal legislative process. Let's talk.

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall votes No. 517-526, I am not recorded because I was absent from the U.S. House of Representatives. Had I been present, I would have voted in the following manner: On rollcall No. 517, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.'' On rollcall No. 518, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.'' On rollcall No. 519, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.'' On rollcall No. 520, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.'' On rollcall No. 521, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.'' On rollcall No. 522, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.'' On rollcall No. 523, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.'' On rollcall No. 524, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.'' On rollcall No. 525, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.'' On rollcall No. 526, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Mr. Speaker, I was frankly disappointed and really perplexed yesterday when the President of the United States called a meeting in the White House and asked the Speaker of the House to come and meet. He asked the leader of the Democrats in the House to come and meet. He asked the majority leader in the Senate to meet. And at the same time, his pressman, Jay Carney, was on TV saying: We're not going to negotiate. When they ended the meeting, Senator Reid and Ms. Pelosi said: We're not going to negotiate. Mr. Speaker, I'm aware that this bill has been 50 years in the making. The Democrats have wanted to nationalize health care for 50 years. They found their political timing to do it when they controlled the House and the Senate, when President Obama was President, and with a total partisan vote, they got what they wanted--even without even reading the bill. As Ms. Pelosi said: We're going to pass it and then we're going to read it. Yet Mr. Obama has said that House Republicans are on an ideological crusade, Mr. Speaker. His staff has referred to us as suicide bombers. Really? You know, Mr. Speaker, we were all elected to serve our constituents. The President was, and so was I. So was the Speaker of the House. We don't have a monarch in this country, Mr. Speaker, we have a representative government, and our role is to listen and to respond to our constituents. They are writing us, they're emailing us constantly telling us their concerns. Let's hear about one from Cornelius, North Carolina: Just received my new monthly premium from Blue Cross/Blue Shield of North Carolina for 2014. With ObamaCare, my monthly cost now has tripled with more limited coverage. But what the heck, now I can get pregnant at 58 years old since I now have my mandatory maternity coverage. Please continue to push to stop this horrible mandate. Here is another constituent from Huntersville, North Carolina: We are currently paying $270 per month for our high deductible health insurance policy through Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Today, we received our new rate for our family for 2014. A comparable plan now with Blue Cross/Blue Shield is $1,037.02. Mr. Speaker, this is deplorable. She goes on to write: It was my understanding that under ObamaCare, premiums would go down. It was my understanding that this would be good for everyone. If ObamaCare is not good enough for government employees, like Members of Congress and the White House, why is it being delayed for certain corporations and labor unions who are asking for an exemption, and why can't I get out of this program? She goes on to write: I'm asking you to stand up for freedom, for choice, for the citizens of this country, to delay ObamaCare for at least a year, at the very minimum, or even better, to repeal the law in its entirety. Mr. Speaker, this is not an ideological crusade; this is about meeting the needs of our constituents. There are other concerns out there with jobs. Companies aren't hiring full-time people. They are hiring part-time so they can stay under that threshold. The cost of this health care plan has gone up dramatically. The Congressional Budget Office says it is unsustainable. Why should we allow for corporations--there's 1,100 of them today, friends of the President--to receive a delay in ObamaCare, and yet ordinary Americans cannot do that? That's why we proposed an amendment for an individual mandate deferment, that they would not be obligated at this time. We also said that Members of Congress should not receive the subsidy, nor should the White House staff, the President, and his Cabinet Secretaries. Why should we get something special that ordinary American people don't get? And yet these bills are lying on the desk of Harry Reid because he tabled them. Mr. Speaker, it is time to bring sound reasoning to this process. Let's meet and negotiate, Mr. President and Senator Reid.

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. We were elected to be Representatives--to represent our districts, to represent our constituents, to listen, and to respond. Mr. Speaker, I have been listening. I have been listening to phone calls. I have been reading emails. I have been hearing what my constituents have to say, and I can tell you that they are deeply concerned. They are concerned with the direction of our country. Yes, they are concerned with a body that can't seem to come together, that can't seem to listen to each other. One of them wrote me just today. He said: I have watched with great interest the ongoing debate between the House and the Senate regarding the new Federal health care law. Quite frankly, I was of the opinion that an absolute stand by House Republicans to defund ObamaCare was an inappropriate step as compared to less drastic measures . . . However, in the mail today, we received a 92 percent proposed increase from Blue Cross-Blue Shield for our current plan in 2014. The explanation of the increase all boiled down to the changes in the insurance market required as a result of the full implementation of ObamaCare. You can easily understand why we are astounded that this is the best health care direction that our country can embark upon. I encourage you to take whatever opportunities come your way to stop this disaster that is looming. The financial impact on people who are not a drain on the government will be immense. Here is another one, Mr. Speaker: I just received a letter from Blue Cross informing me that my current coverage has been outlawed by ObamaCare and that the premium for my family will increase by 400 percent if I switch to a legal coverage option. This increase is over $9,000 a year . . . I don't care if you have to risk shutting down the government or defaulting on the debt. It is just postponing the inevitable default if ObamaCare is allowed to exist. Mr. Speaker, we are not here because we want to shut down the government. We have made every effort possible. We have gone to great lengths--the extra mile--to the other side to present to them alternatives, to present to them ways that we could come together and agree. We had three proposals there on the table. Now we have offered to go and sit down and talk. That's what our body does. When we have disagreements between the House and the Senate, our formal agreement is to meet and we confer. We bring in negotiators. We talk, and we try to reason this out. We do this in our families, don't we? That's what is done in this body in the normal course of business. However, in our efforts of trying to bring resolution and sound reasoning to this process, we can't get a response. They say, No, we don't want to talk to you. We don't want to reason with you. We don't want to hear what your constituents are saying. We don't want to hear the problems. We just want to ram this through. Where is that in a representative government? Where is that in being responsive to the American people? Mr. Speaker, if we really want good policy--and I have to believe that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle truly want good policy--then we need to take politics out of this. We need to take self-service out of this. We need to come together like adults and sit down and talk this through and come up with a reasonable solution that would bring the best outcome for the American people. That's what our hope is. We invite, still today, the leadership of the Senate to come and sit down and to conference with us--to negotiate with us, to lay out their concerns and their thoughts. Let's be adults. Let's do the right thing for the American people.

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Let's talk about responsibility tonight, Mr. Speaker. You know, we've gotten notices from our constituents for the last many weeks that their premiums now, they're getting their notices, they're going up. I had one doctor who wrote me with his family that's gone up 200 percent--$11,000 deductible; yet he has to pay $1,100 a month. Another friend called me, his premium is 250 percent more. So let's talk about responsibility. Let's talk about what made America great in terms of health care. People come from all over the world to our shores for great health care. Do you know why, Mr. Speaker? Innovation. America has the greatest health care in the world; yet innovation now is going to be curtailed. The great research hospitals of this country now are having to cut back because they don't see that opportunity. We have changed the whole direction through centralized planning, through a great bureaucracy running health care that's going to cut into innovation. It's not going to make us the country we were. You know, there was a time when we used to have to pay about $9,000 for laser surgery, and today it's about $1,500. That's because of innovation; it's because of competition. We're going to lose competition in the market today, Mr. Speaker. That doesn't make sense. I would like to say a bit about this investment tax, 3.8 percent. I wonder how many people in the country right now are just waking up to the fact that when they go sell their home, they're going to pay another 3.8 percent tax. All that was written in that 2,000-page document has finally come to light, and that's why people are so concerned. We have got to change this, Mr. Speaker. That's why I want to advocate that we defer this for a whole year. Let the truth come out, and then let's make a wise decision for the American people.

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Speaker, this discussion tonight reminds me of a courtroom scene with Jack Nicholson in ``A Few Good Men'': The truth? You can't handle the truth. Mr. Speaker, we have shown the other side how premiums are going up, 200 percent and 300 percent. We've told them about the loss of jobs, that we lost full-time jobs; the unions don't like it; we've lost innovation; we have enormous tax increases. They just don't hear it. Mr. Speaker, the American people are not lemmings, and they don't want to follow the lemmings going off the cliff. Mr. Speaker, it's time that we recheck this and stop this crazy, delusional idea that nationalized, centralized planning will work.

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Mr. Speaker, attached is a letter from Rev. Billy Graham to President Rouhani of the Islamic Republic of Iran. This is the letter I referenced in my one minute speech on September 26, 2013. Montreal, North Carolina, September 23, 2013. President Hassan Rouhani, Islamic Republic of Iran. Dear President Rouhani, I have been watching with great concern about the case of Pastor Saeed Abedini, an American citizen who is currently a prisoner in your country. He was in Iran working to build an orphanage when he was arrested and later sentenced to eight years in prison. His situation has been receiving an increasingly high level of attention in the United States. Unfortunately this publicity has been entirely negative for Iran, with the belief that the primary reason for Pastor Abedini's imprisonment was because of his Christian faith. As you may know, as a religious leader I have often spoken (both publicly and also privately with our national leadership) about the need for greater understanding and peace among the nations of the world. As you come to the United States this week for the UN General Assembly in New York, it is my sincere hope that ways may be found to reduce the current tensions between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran. The announcement on Monday that your country has freed eighty political prisoners is very encouraging. I fear, however, that the current publicity surrounding the continued imprisonment of Pastor Abedini, an American citizen, may further harm the already fragile relationship that presently exists between our two nations. On September 26, the one-year anniversary of Pastor Abedini's imprisonment, thousands will attend prayer vigils in more than seventy U.S. cities, calling on your country to release this husband, father, and servant of God. I join them by respectfully asking you to release Pastor Saeed Abedini from prison. Such an action would, I believe, have a positive impact in our nation, and might well be perceived by our leadership as a significant step in reducing tensions. Respectfully yours, Billy Graham.

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Mr. Speaker, the false promises of ObamaCare are now coming to light. The President promised a $2,500 reduction in premiums. Well, the average now is $3,000. I get countless calls every day and emails from my constituents about the increase in their premiums. One emailed me today that his increase was 200 percent. An $11,000 deductible cost him $1,100 a month. That is intolerable. Mr. Speaker, we have to address this today. Another one called and said: Robert, it's gone up 250 percent on my premiums. This is wrong. We were promised jobs. Speaker Pelosi said: Well, we are going to have 4 million new jobs, 400,000 almost immediately. Well, what's happened? Seventy-one percent of all the new businesses, they're not hiring today. They're certainly not hiring full-time people. We lost 250,000 full-time jobs just in the month of June. It's killing jobs in this country. It's a false promise on keeping your own health care plan. Seven million new people now cannot keep the health care plan that they were promised. Mr. Speaker, it's time we address this today and relieve the American people from ObamaCare.

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share a letter from Dr. Billy Graham to Iranian President Rouhani, calling for the release of an American citizen currently imprisoned in Iran due to his faith. I quote from Dr. Graham: The announcement on Monday that your country has freed 80 political prisoners is very encouraging. I fear, however, that the current publicity surrounding the continued imprisonment of Pastor Abedini, an American citizen, may further harm the already fragile relationship that presently exists between our two nations. Today, thousands will attend prayer vigils in more than 70 U.S. cities, calling on your country to release this husband, father, and servant of God. I join them by respectfully asking you to release Pastor Saeed Abedini from prison. Such an action would, I believe, have a positive impact in our Nation, and might well be perceived by our leadership as a significant step in reducing tensions. Respectfully yours, Billy Graham. Today, I also wrote President Obama, with other House Members, asking that he call on Iran to free this American citizen and humanitarian. I urge you to join me in this effort.

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose the President's action in Syria. I just returned from the Middle East, meeting with heads of state in Qatar, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and our ambassador to NATO. I'm firmly convinced that any action on our part will further destabilize Syria and cause a collapse of the government. What will happen then? What will happen is that country will then fall in the hands of Hezbollah, Hamas, al Qaeda, and the Muslim Brotherhood. At the end of the day, what's important, Mr. Speaker, is who has control of those weapons of mass destruction. While what Mr. Assad has done has been barbaric and evil, we will never forgive ourselves for the havoc that will be played upon this world if those weapons fall into the hands of Islamic extremists. We need to work together collectively to address the problem of identifying and finding those weapons of mass destruction and securing those for the future. There are many people who are living outside of their country now as refugees. There are tens of thousands of able men who could be recruited to be a part of that solution.

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a few questions: Should 16,000 IRS bureaucrats have the power to penalize the American people if they don't like your health care decisions? Will the quality of your health care depend on whether or not you support the President's political views? The IRS has already targeted conservative political groups. Will this intimidation be intensified once the IRS is enforcing ObamaCare? Is Sarah Hall Ingram, the IRS bureaucrat who previously managed the tax exemption department, really qualified to run the IRS-ObamaCare enforcement division? Abuse of American citizens occurred on her watch. Is anyone worried--at least a little bit--that she now oversees our health care decisions? Mr. Speaker, the IRS has forfeited any claim to impartiality and has violated the trust of the American people. The IRS must not be involved in the health care decisions of ordinary Americans. On Friday, I urge you to join me in supporting H.R. 2009, the Keep the IRS Off Your Health Care Act.