Hal Rogers

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, I have a motion at the desk.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the consideration of H.R. 3547, and that I may include tabular material on the same.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Dent), a member of our committee.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 106) making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2014, and for other purposes.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.J. Res. 106.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. This is a very, very short-term continuing resolution to keep the government open and operating until January 18. The continuing resolution that ended the government shutdown in October provided funding only until January 15, which is, of course, tomorrow. As you know, yesterday I posted the full fiscal year 2014 omnibus to fund the government for the rest of the year. We hope to pass this comprehensive legislation tomorrow and send it to the Senate in short order. However, in order to allow for the Senate and White House to process, pass, and then sign the omnibus, we simply needed a little extra time for the Senate to take up the matter and work it through their process. This legislation extends the deadline by 3 days and prevents a potential lapse in appropriations that would cause unnecessary problems for government operations. I ask that my colleagues vote ``yes'' on this necessary bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.J. Res. 59, the Ryan-Murray budget agreement. First, I want to commend Chairman Ryan on achieving a resolution to our immediate budget challenges. It takes a good deal of courage; it takes persistence; it takes dedication to reach a bipartisan agreement such as this, and I want the chairman of the Budget Committee to know that we deeply appreciate his hard work on our behalf. Great job. While everyone might not like everything in this bill, it is the best product that is achievable right now, and I urge that it be passed. As our Budget chairman has said, this agreement reflects a compromise in policies but not in our conservative principles. Not only does this deal hold the line on spending, it actually puts a dent in our annual deficit--a very significant accomplishment. Plus, it opens the door for future progress on the problem of runaway entitlements. It paves the way toward budget and economic stability for the next 2 years. The legislation before us will also accomplish several other critically important goals: First and foremost, it will turn off the potentially devastating $20 billion sequestration cut to our national defense. Even if Congress provided what flexibility we could, which isn't much, a cut of this magnitude would cripple readiness programs and leave us all at risk; Second, this bill will allow Congress to avoid another shutdown showdown and help us return to regular order. As I have said many, many times before: the best way to trim spending, ensure wise investments of taxpayer dollars, and provide stability for our government and our economy is to do appropriations bills on an annual basis, each one separately brought to the floor, as the Constitution intends. This budget conference agreement will now permit bicameral negotiations on the fiscal year 2014 appropriations bills to begin, allowing my committee to get to work and make the hard, thoughtful, responsible, line-by-line funding decisions that are Congress' duty to make. It is important to remember that this is just the first step in the current budget process. My committee will now begin to negotiate and craft an omnibus appropriations bill that will fund the government for the rest of the fiscal year, with the goal of completing it before the end of the CR, January 15. The omnibus will reflect the budget outline that is the Ryan-Murray bill before us now and will make the hard choices to implement this budget agreement into actual funding levels. Mr. Speaker, this is a good bill. It makes a significant first step to putting us on a more stable and responsible fiscal path. Again, I want to commend the chairman, the ranking member, and all of the members of the conference committee for the hard work and difficult decisions that they had to make to bring this bill to us now. I urge our colleagues to support it.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a dedicated and compassionate leader in emergency management, Mr. Larry Dixon of Morehead, upon his retirement from Kentucky Emergency Management (KYEM). With more than 20 years of experience as an Area Manager, including 30 presidential disaster declarations, Larry has earned the respect of his peers across the Commonwealth for his outstanding efforts to aid our communities during their darkest hours. He has guided projects in 13 counties, helped update disaster plans, trained officials, and assisted local first responders. Statewide, he served as the lead instructor for ten emergency management courses. He's the go-to guy. Yet, even with a wealth of knowledge and his tenacious ability to work through devastating circumstances, he'll tell you no storm proved more challenging than the March 2012 EF-3 tornado that ripped through West Liberty, Kentucky. Comforting families and friends in his neighboring county through the aftermath, Larry pressed forward to ensure relief efforts were prompt and thorough. Larry has also gained recognition on the national stage. He never hesitated to lend a hand when hurricanes disrupted our southeastern seaboard, or when wildfires spread out of control in Montana. As a result of his excellence in emergency management, Larry was selected to join the Emergency Management System Compact Executive Task Force and helped craft national policy for sharing state resources during disasters. For his remarkable work, Larry Dixon was honored as the Regional Response Manager of the Year and has been inducted into the Kentucky Emergency Management Association Hall of Fame. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating and honoring a real hero during disasters in Kentucky, Mr. Larry Dixon on his retirement. I wish him and his wife, Tully, the very best in the years to come.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a dear friend and true leader for southern Kentucky, Charley Greene Dixon, Jr., in honor of his selection as the 2013 Knox County Chamber of Commerce Man of the Year. During his ten-year service as the Knox County Attorney, Charley Greene Dixon witnessed first-hand how the prescription drug abuse epidemic destroyed the lives of countless families in our region. The rapid rate of overdose deaths and repeat drug trafficking offenders funneling through his courtroom stirred a passion within him to do more--to try to save the lives of his neighbors and their children. In response, Charley played a key role in establishing Juvenile, Family and Adult Drug Courts in his hometown, and he remains a steadfast advocate for expanding drug-free education and treatment efforts across our region. I count it an honor to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Charley in this fight for our communities. Outside of the courtroom, Charley Greene Dixon has rallied efforts in our schools and communities, as Chairman of the Knox County UNITE Coalition. Through his dedicated support, thousands of young people have had the opportunity to attend drug-free events like, Hooked on Fishing Not on Drugs, a prevention camp, as well as faith-based walks, parades, along with basketball and cheerleading programs. He has undoubtedly inspired countless young people to break the cycle of addiction in their families, encouraging them to dream big and to accomplish great things through a life of sobriety. Additionally, Charley has worked diligently to obtain several instrumental grants for Knox County, including a victim advocate grant, a truancy prevention grant, and an environmental PRIDE award. Those grant dollars have been vital to the growth, security, and health of area communities. Despite his battle with cancer, Charley's passion for progress in Knox County is still holding strong. He continues to serve as a member of the Knox County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and President of the region's Bar Association. He is also very active in his church, serving as an usher for the past 15 years and a trustee for two years. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring a champion for southern Kentucky, Charley Greene Dixon, Jr. His recognition as the Knox County Chamber of Commerce Man of the Year is duly warranted and I wish Charley the very best in the years to come.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Let me thank my colleague from Florida for yielding me this time. Madam Speaker, I rise today with a very heavy heart to honor the memory and service of our dear friend and colleague, Bill Young. Bill served in this House and he served this country for decades with compassion and distinction. I have not known this institution without him--most of us are in that same situation--and I believe it will take a long time to fill the hole that his absence has left. As an appropriator, he was a role model for all of us. When I became chairman of the committee, I knew I had some very large shoes to fill in following in the footsteps of Chairman Young, among others. He fought with determination and enthusiasm to make this country a better place. Bill was a champion for our troops and veterans especially, both in the Halls of the Congress and outside. His fierce determination and dedication to our troops and veterans never wavered. As we all know, he and his dear wife, Beverly, were to be found very frequently at Bethesda or at Walter Reed in the city or at a hospital overseas where troops were sick, and they spent hours and hours helping those who were injured. He was, of course, the chairman of the Defense Subcommittee on the Appropriations Committee for many years. He also served on the Military Construction and Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee, and his thumbprint is very visible in the improved medical care and in the quality of life of our troops, among the many other issues that he held dear to his heart. Bill was a leader in this House who was able to make his mark with grace and fortitude. He was a lion about the things that he cared about; but he was a gentle lion, and he did things with grace and with a quiet voice until you crossed him on the betterment of our troops. Then Bill Young would let you know where to get off. I will miss Bill Young greatly as I know all of us will. My prayers are with his family, with Beverly, with his many friends, and with all of those who had the privilege of knowing and working with Bill Young. He will be greatly missed.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus), the former chairman of the Financial Services Committee of the House.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe).

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, I urge passage of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, might I inquire of my colleague if she has further speakers and is prepared to yield back?

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the further consideration of H.R. 2775.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Dent), a very hardworking member of the Appropriations Committee.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the previous order of the House, I call up the bill, (H.R. 2775) to condition the provision of premium and cost-sharing subsidies under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act upon a certification that a program to verify household income and other qualifications for such subsidies is operational, and for other purposes, with the Senate amendments thereto, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, I have a motion at the desk.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I rise today to present H.R. 2775. This legislation will raise the Nation's debt ceiling to avoid default, reopen the doors of the Federal Government, and end this unfortunate shutdown. The legislation before us is Senate amendments to H.R. 2775. The Senate has just passed this bill, and now it is up to the House to send it to the President for his signature. It is the product of a final agreement between Republicans and Democrats to help put us back on stable ground with an open government and without the threat of default as we look to find a long-term comprehensive solution to our multitude of fiscal problems. First and foremost, it provides critical funding for operating the Federal Government at the current annual rate of $986 billion through January 15 of next year to end the government shutdown. The resolution includes a limited number of noncontroversial or technical changes called ``anomalies.'' Many have already been passed by the House and the Senate. A few are new, such as provisions to ensure the smooth reopening of the government, to provide due compensation for Federal employees and other funding for shutdown costs, to provide funding for the FAA to continue current operations without interruption, and so on. These have been included to prevent irrevocable harm to vital government programs, to continue critical services, and to ensure good governance. To be clear, Madam Speaker, the CR portion of this resolution is virtually clean and is essentially identical to the legislation I introduced in the House in early September. Secondly, this legislation will increase the debt limit until February 7 of next year. By extending our borrowing ability, these amendments will avoid the damage a default would cause to our recovering economy, to businesses large and small, and to our people who desperately need a stable economy and continued job growth. Lastly, the resolution before us will help protect against fraud and abuse by requiring income verifications for individuals seeking subsidies under the ObamaCare act. Essentially, this bill before us tonight allows us to move on. It deals with the Nation's immediate short-term problem and allows time for Congress to address the broader picture: what the real drivers of our debt are, how we can keep from reaching the debt limit in the future, and how we avoid staggering from fiscal crisis to fiscal crisis. After 2 long weeks, it is time to end the government shutdown. It is time to take the threat of default off the table. It is time to restore some sanity to this place. To do this, we have all got to give a little. Clearly no one on either side has received everything they wanted, but I believe that now we all should act for the greater needs of our Nation. If we want to get anywhere, we must be willing to negotiate, and we should be willing to put partisanship aside and govern for the greater good. The House must realize it is just one-half of one-third of this government and that no laws can be made without the consent of the Senate and the President, just as they can't enact laws without us. We must also acknowledge the profligate spending and borrowing that is driving us into unsustainable debt and hurting this Nation and the people who call it home. I am optimistic that once this resolution is passed, the House and the Senate will come together in a budget conference to work out our broad fiscal and budgetary challenges. It is my hope that a common, topline discretionary number for fiscal year 2014 will be established that will allow Congress to enact full- year appropriations bills and avoid shutdowns like this in the future; and it is also my hope that Congress can address head-on the problem of unsustainable growth in our mandatory and entitlement programs and work to reform our overly complicated growth-stifling Tax Code. The resolution before us will buy us some time to accomplish this must-do list, and it will ensure that our people have access to the critical government services they rely on in the meantime. We must take actions that will help restore the people's confidence in their elected officials and in the economic future of this Nation. We must. The sooner we pass this resolution, the sooner we can move on to the many tasks before us that the people have sent us here to work on. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Nuclear Weapon Security and Non-Proliferation Act. Yes, it is a narrow scope, but it is a terribly important piece of the government. Like the bill we passed yesterday, this legislation addresses matters of critical importance to our national security. The National Nuclear Security Administration maintains our nuclear deterrents here at home, but it also helps to ensure that nuclear weapons and materials don't fall into the wrong hands--those of terrorists and other enemies of our Nation. H.J. Res. 76 provides funding for the NNSA to continue this vital work--to keep our nuclear arsenal at the ready and our Navy ships powered--and, ultimately, to keep this country safe and secure and protected. This is particularly important at a time when we face multiple threats from unpredictable nations and groups. When our government shut down, it did not also shut down nuclear power reactors, research and testing in Iraq, Iran, or North Korea. Funding is provided at the current annual rate of $10.59 billion to sustain the national labs, to continue the work of skilled workers and scientists, to conduct ongoing nonproliferation intelligence operations, and to maintain the safety and readiness of our nuclear stockpile. As with the prior 14 mini-CRs this House has passed in the last week, this language is essentially identical to what was included in my initial short-term continuing resolution. So this is a clean bill, Mr. Speaker, adhering to the Senate's demands in that regard. Also, as with the prior bills, this funding will last until December 15 or until full-year appropriations are enacted. It is my hope that the latter is what happens. Our Nation deserves the certainty of an adequately funded government with appropriations bills that reflect current needs but also current fiscal restraints. To achieve this, we must come together with our Senate counterparts and have a meaningful discussion that establishes a single, common, top-line number for discretionary spending that Members of both parties and both Houses of Congress can work toward. The ongoing standoffs are not productive. They aren't getting us any closer to reopening the government. While it is not the ideal path forward at this time, passing this funding bill does get us a step closer to ending the shutdown, which I know is the goal of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle. So far, this House has voted on a bipartisan basis to reopen critical government functions, including the support for those who serve the country in the Department of Defense. Our nuclear security efforts are equally important to our defense and should have ongoing funding to keep the country safe and sound. So I urge my colleagues to support this bill, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. I thank the chairman for yielding, and I rise in support of his bill. Mr. Speaker, this is around the 15th time that we have been trying to engage the other body in conversation about how we can reopen the government. They just simply refuse to talk about anything. We have sent over CRs. We have sent over amendments. We have sent over bills. This is the 11th of the many appropriations bills--CRs--at the sequester level that we are going to send to the Senate, and they just simply refuse to talk. I have never seen such a show of negligence and attendance to public duties. Normally, the time-honored tradition in the Congress--since the founding of this great country--is that, when the House passes a measure and when the Senate passes a measure and they differ, we appoint conferees: the Senate picks out some Members, the House picks out some Members, and we send them off to the back room to work out the differences and to bring the bills back. That is the way it has operated for all of these years. Yet the Senate just simply refuses to talk anything about how to reopen the government. This bill will help protect our homeland from terrorists, drug traffickers, smugglers, other criminals, and it facilitates legal immigration and ongoing investigations. Right now, our frontline operations are operating at a bare minimum. The men and women who are at work to protect our borders and our ports of entry are working without pay, and employers cannot guarantee the lawful immigration status of their prospective employees. To reinstate these critical functions, H.J. Res. 79 provides funding for border security efforts at the current annual rate of $18.8 billion. This includes funding for the Customs and Border Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Coast Guard, Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the Office of Biometric Identity Management. These are functions of the Federal Government that are critical to our safety and well-being. They should not have to suffer the effects of this shutdown, but if we pass this bill today and if the Senate passes it and if the President signs it into law, it will stop any further adverse effects from befalling our border security while we work toward reopening the entire Federal Government. Piece by piece, the Republican House has been working toward reopening the government over the past week. We have done this all with no help--no input--from the Senate. The only thing we have heard from the Senate is a resounding ``no''--``no'' to working with us on a task force or on a committee to reopen the Federal Government and ``no'' to talking with us about our concerns over the multitude of fiscal crises we face. Despite this, the House has passed 15 bills over the past week to fund the government. This is on top of the continuing resolutions we put forward prior to the end of the fiscal year and the regular appropriations bills the House passed. Imagine what we could do if the Senate would come to the table and work with us. We could solve the problem. There is no question about it that we are never going to be able to get out of this mess if we don't come together, have a real, adult conversation, listen to each other earnestly, and negotiate in good faith. This crisis can't be solved by one party alone or by one body of the Congress alone. This bill is an effort to keep the ball moving toward our goal of ending the entire government shutdown. The Senate has asked for a clean CR to achieve that end. The funding in this bill is clean and in line with the spending from the last fiscal year. It is essentially what I put forward in my initial, clean CR. So I hope, with that in mind, the House and the Senate will pass this bill in short order.