David Reichert

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I think it's very clear that this is a very bipartisan piece of legislation which is really focused on strengthening the family, protecting children, and, for parents who have left their homes, reengaging them with their families, getting them involved in their children's activities and providing for them financially. One statistic that I recall when I first became sheriff in 1997 is that we began this program at the State level. Since 72 percent of juvenile males were without fathers, 72 percent of those committed homicide. It's just a stark figure, a stark statistic, that really highlights the need for parents to be involved in their children's lives. So, Mr. Speaker, once again, I wholeheartedly, of course, endorse this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1896) to amend part D of title IV of the Social Security Act to ensure that the United States can comply fully with the obligations of the Hague Convention of 23 November 2007 on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance, and for other purposes.

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the subject of the bill under consideration.

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with my colleague from Texas (Mr. Doggett) to urge support of H.R. 1896, the International Child Support Recovery Improvement Act of 2013. This bill provides the implementing legislation for The Hague Convention on International Recovery of Child Support and other forms of family maintenance, ensuring that law enforcement authorities will be able to enforce child support orders even when a child or parent lives overseas. Mr. Speaker, as a former sheriff in King County, which is in Seattle, Washington--for those in the Chamber who may not know, I worked there for 33 years--I had the opportunity of putting together a unit that was devoted to finding parents who weren't taking on their financial responsibility for their children and providing those financial needs. What we learned was not only is it important for the parents to be a part of their child's life when they leave financially--to give them the health care benefits they need, the education that they might need, any other financial needs that the child might need--but it also provides a social benefit, a real benefit of involvement by that parent. Once that parent gets financially involved, that parent is intimately involved with that child's life. Usually it is the father--sad to say just a couple of days after Father's Day. Ninety-five to 98 percent of the parents who leave and don't continue to support their child financially, it is usually the father. When that father and that parent gets involved financially, they all of a sudden realize they've missed out on that child's life. They've missed soccer games, baseball games. They've missed their theatrical performances, their participation in every school support, and the rest of their lives. This also reduces crime in my experience--again, going back as the sheriff--if these kids have both parents involved. It keeps them involved with the family and not in other activities that we would really prefer them not to be involved in. Currently, States have the option to recognize child support orders from other countries--and many of them do. However, States have found that other countries are less cooperative in recognizing our orders. The Hague Convention seeks to address this issue by establishing a standardized process so more countries cooperate in collecting child support. Negotiation of this treaty began in 2003, and it was signed eventually in 2007. The Senate acted on this in 2010. They gave their consent. The treaty provides many protections for our children, but States cannot take advantage of the benefits until Congress moves forward. Enforcement of child support orders should not end at the water's edge. Children, regardless of where they or their parents live, should receive financial support from their parents. The United States cannot ratify The Hague Convention until all States make the necessary changes, so the time to act is now. This bill also includes a continuation of our subcommittee's bipartisan efforts to standardize and improve the exchange of data within human services programs. While the child support system already relies heavily on data exchanges, it is important for those exchange efforts to be consistent with the provisions we've recently enacted in the child welfare, TANF, and unemployment programs. The goal is simple: improve government efficiency, provide benefits to those who are eligible, and drive out waste, fraud, and abuse. Finally, this bill expands researcher access to a database maintained by the Office of Child Support Enforcement. The National Directory of New Hires collects employment outcome information for individuals working in most jobs in the United States. Expanding access to earnings data in the Directory will improve our ability to determine whether Federal education, training, and social service programs help people find and keep their jobs. According to the administration, most Federal agencies do not currently have reliable access to data that can show the impact of their programs on participants' employment or their earnings. In an era of tighter resources, it is crucial that we have reliable data to conduct rigorous evaluations to make sure that Federal programs are getting results. Mr. Speaker, I would like to insert into the Record letters of support for this legislation from MDRC and the National Child Support Enforcement Association. In addition, key parts of this legislation are supported by respected organizations like the Conference of State Court Administrators, the Conference of Chief Justices, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor, the Office of Management and Budget, and from the research community, Abt Associates, Mathematica Policy Research, RAND, Social Policy Research, and the Urban Institute. I want to thank the subcommittee's ranking member, Mr. Doggett, who joins me on the floor today, and other members of the subcommittee for their support as original cosponsors. I invite all Members to join us in supporting this important bipartisan legislation. It will move us a step closer to ratifying The Hague Convention on the International Recovery of Child Support and will ensure that more children living in the U.S. receive the financial support they deserve. I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time. National Child Support Endangerment Association, May 3, 2013. Hon. David G. Reichert, Chairman, Hon. Lloyd Doggett, Ranking Member, Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Resources, Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Reichert and Ranking Member Doggett: The National Child Support Enforcement Association (NCSEA) supports the bipartisan International Child Support Recovery Improvement Act of 2013 (H.R. 1896) and urges the Committee to consider it as soon as possible. NCSEA members helped craft the language in the 2007 Hague Convention Treaty on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance. The provisions in Section 2 of the bill provide the language necessary to implement it. The Treaty contains procedures for processing international child support cases that are uniform, simple, efficient, accessible, and cost-free to U.S. citizens seeking support in other countries. It is founded on the agreement of countries ratifying the Convention to recognize and enforce each other's support orders. This bill will assist state and county child support staff who encounter challenging and time-consuming international cases. Presently, there are no agreed upon standards of proof, forms or methods of communication. As more parents cross international borders leaving children behind, international child support enforcement is more important than ever. Ratification of the Convention by the United States will mean that more children will receive financial support from their parents residing in countries that are also signatories to the Convention. NCSEA has long sought congressional action on this issue, and welcomed last year's bipartisan action by the full House which adopted a nearly identical bill. This measure will help to ensure our nation's children receive the financial support to which they are entitled. Thank you again for your leadership on this bill. Sincerely, Colleen Delaney Eubanks, Executive Director.

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the life of Washington State Trooper Sean O'Connell. Trooper O'Connell was respected by both community and colleagues, and deeply loved by his family and friends. His life was cut tragically short when he was struck by a truck while redirecting traffic on his motorcycle near the site of the 1-5 bridge collapse. He was 38 years old and left behind a wife and a young son and daughter. His memorial service, held last Thursday, was attended by thousands. Officers and troopers came from across the United States and even Canada to honor him. Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste called Trooper O'Connell a ``tremendous human being'' who ``exemplified service with humility.'' This husband, father, and friend cannot be replaced, but his sacrifice will always be remembered and his legacy of compassion and service will live on after him. He is gone but not forgotten. Mr. Speaker, I salute Trooper Sean O'Connell, badge 1076, and I thank him for all he gave back to the people of Washington State.

Mr. REICHERT

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

Mr. REICHERT. I rise to offer an amendment to H.R. 2217, and I thank the chairman and Mr. Delaney. As a former law enforcement officer, I know very well the needs of first responders. That is why I am proposing that we increase funding for the United States Fire Administration by $1.8 million. This would restore total funding for the administration to the fiscal year 2013 level of $44 million. My amendment is offset by cutting $2.8 million from the Secretary of Homeland Security's departmental operation and administrative account. According to the CBO, the amendment would reduce net budget authority by $1 million and will have no impact on fiscal year 2014 outlays. Continued funding for the brave men and women who protect American citizens by fighting fires is extremely critical, as we all know. The fire death rate in the United States is one of the highest in the industrialized world. We can prevent deaths by ensuring that the USFA has better resources. Data collection, public education, research, and training are all ways the USFA works to reduce the Nation's fire death rate. Last year, my district experienced record devastation from forest fires, fires that quickly burned out of control and threatened both homes and entire communities. Tens of thousands of acres were destroyed, and it took over 1,000 firefighters and volunteers to get them under control. Hundreds of families lost their homes, and it was only due to the valiant efforts of our fire personnel that more were not lost. One of the key roles of the USFA is to work to prepare and prevent those types of fires from happening. They do this by working directly with the local communities and stakeholders. They work to promote the adoption of local codes, protection plans, preventative measures, and much more. They are also a key component of the National Wildfire Coordinating Group, which coordinated wildland fire prevention, preparedness, mitigation, and response programs of various Federal agencies. They do all of this, not just to fight a common natural menace, but to protect lives. I urge my colleagues to support this important amendment, which is endorsed by the International Association of Firefighters, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, and the Congressional Fire Services Institute. Together, we can ensure the safety of our first responders and the American people they serve. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, today I, along with Ranking Member Doggett and other Members of the Human Resources Subcommittee, introduce the International Child Support Recovery Improvement Act of 2013. This bill is nearly identical to H.R. 4282, which passed the House by voice vote on June 5, 2012, and serves as the implementing legislation for the Hague Convention on International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance. This multilateral treaty, to which the Senate provided its consent in 2010, provides for the structured exchange of information and consistent enforcement of international cases of child support. The bill also builds on the Subcommittee's recent bipartisan efforts to standardize data within and across social programs. This includes applying to the child support enforcement program the same no-cost data standardization provision recently enacted in the child welfare, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and unemployment insurance programs. The data provision is designed to recognize the need for standards in the exchange of data both across state-level programs and between states and the federal government. The goal is to better organize data within programs so that data can then be more easily shared across multiple human services programs that serve similar populations. The data provision recognizes that multiple standards may well be needed to address different types of data exchanges, and that some data exchanges may already be standardized. It provides some authority to the Secretary of Health and Human Services to exercise some flexibility in situations where standardized systems are found to operate efficiently. Certain sectors, such as financial institutions, that interact with covered programs have well-established data exchange standards that need to be taken into account and should serve as the base for moving forward. In the case of child support, this data provision does not require that systems such as the Federal Parent Locator Service (FPLS) be retrofitted, but instead encourages incremental, cost-effective implementation of consistent data standards across human services programs. I invite all Members to join me in supporting this important legislation and look forward to its speedy consideration. That way we can take the next step toward ratifying the Hague Convention so that more child support is collected in international cases, providing more children the financial support they deserve.

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today, on National Teacher's Appreciation Day, to recognize and honor the teachers of America. Year in and year out, they dedicate their lives to educating our children and helping them to succeed both in and out of the classroom. They not only teach us to read and write, but for many of us, it is a teacher who first shows us that we can achieve whatever we put our minds to; they tell us that anything is possible, that it is okay to dream. The confidence and curiosity that teachers instill in their students are just as important as the traditional subjects they teach; it is these life lessons that will resonate with our children well into adulthood. In my own experience, the teacher who brought these truths home to me was Mr. Gowenlock. Mr. Gowenlock was my high school geometry teacher as well as one of my football coaches. He made sure I knew that I had the ability to be a great man, and the only thing that would get in the way was my own doubt. He was one of the first to fully believe in me, and that is a gift that has made it possible for me to be where I am today. I hope that students and parents everywhere will join with me in recognizing the importance and value of good teachers. Without them, America would not be the beacon of hope that it is today. We owe them our gratitude and our respect. I have fought for teachers in the past, with legislation such as the Teacher Tax Relief Act, and I will continue to fight for them. Teachers must have the tools and support they need to ensure our children receive the best education possible for they will be the ones shaping the future of this great nation. Thank you.

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor and remember the life of Washington State Governor Booth Gardner. He brought thought and care to everything he did. While running for King County Sheriff, Governor Gardner and four other Washington State governors came together to an event to show their support for me. It touched me deeply that he would take the time to make that public gesture, and his words of encouragement still resonate with me today. Governor Gardner fought for what he believed in with passion and conviction, and was a champion of many of the causes close to my own heart, such as improving U.S. trade relations and the education of our children. With his death last month, Washington lost one of its fiercest advocates, but his legacy lives on.

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to applaud the Kittitas Valley Healthcare (KVH) Hospital for being named among the top 100 critical access hospitals in the nation. Having immediate, quality care can make the difference between saving a life and losing it, and I am so proud that a facility like KVH is serving the constituents of Washington's 8th District. Critical access hospitals are institutions that are at least 35 miles away from another hospital and have a maximum of 27 acute care beds. All 100 of these institutions are to be commended for their work ensuring access to quality healthcare for all citizens, and especially those living in rural areas. KVH was chosen to be in the top 100 because it provides exceptional quality of care, patient outcomes post-hospitalization, patient satisfaction, and affordability. This is only the second time such a list has been released and KVH Hospital has been on the list both times. KVH is one of only two hospitals in Washington State to receive this distinction and has repeatedly shown itself to be a champion for the well-being of their patients. It is truly committed to improving the communities it serves. Again, I applaud KVH for its dedication to providing communities with superior patient care and achieving this high honor. I encourage it to continue its practices shown to improve patient health outcomes and satisfaction, and I hope that other critical access hospitals from Washington State and across the nation will strive to copy KVH's success.

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize the program Washington's Most Wanted. This television program began in Washington State in partnership with Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound and Tacoma- Pierce County Crime Stoppers in November of 2008 and expanded to Spokane, Yakima, and the Tri-Cities as well as Portland, OR in February of 2009. The weekly half hour telecast was created by Seattle's Q13 FOX General Manager Pam Pearson and hosted by anchor David Rose and has evolved into a state-wide effort to encompass much of the Pacific Northwest region. This month, the program saw its 400th capture. This means that 400 individuals were arrested for such crimes as murder, rape, theft, assault and other travesties. I applaud Washington's Most Wanted for its successful efforts towards creating safer communities and giving a voice to the victims of violent crime.

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, in addition to Chairman Camp's arguments against the Motion to Recommit, the following are additional reasons for opposing this motion. 1. Totally unnecessary and obviously political. The States already have complete flexibility to decide which needy families with children to cover. So States can and should place a priority on the groups the MTR specified--the unemployed, veterans, victims of violence, grandparents, as well as anyone caring for children with financial need. Democrats argued in the general debate on H.R. 890 that States should be trusted when it comes to the work requirements and that States should have virtually unlimited flexibility in implementing them. Why do they think in their MTR that States cannot be trusted when it comes to the even more elemental issue of whom to cover with TANF assistance? The answer is the MTR is an obviously political statement in search of a problem. 2. Potentially harmful. Current law includes a broad provision allowing States to screen for and identify victims of domestic violence and then create special programs and services designed to address their needs, such as waiving time limits, child support cooperation and related requirements as appropriate. Many States have done so. The MTR, coming afterward, suggests that ``Nothing in this Act shall prohibit or limit'' States from ``providing assistance, job opportunities, or educational training'' for ``women who are victims of domestic violence.'' Why is this necessary? Are the current law protections applied by States, which would be extended for nine months under H.R. 890, not sufficient? Are States implementing them poorly or not at all? The MTR does not say. But given that the current protections afforded by States may be broader than the short list of protections in the MTR, is the MTR supposed to be limiting on States in terms of how and what they provide in terms of special help for such individuals? Again, the MTR does not say, creating confusion and potentially narrowing protections for a sensitive group. 3. Restoring the individual entitlement to welfare benefits-- regardless of income? The MTR suggests a fundamental change in the nature of the TANF program. States must now spend TANF funds on ``needy'' families with children, with States defining financial need. However, the MTR suggests that ``Nothing in this Act'' (which if added to the underlying bill would mean effectively the TANF program) ``shall prohibit or limit'' States from providing ``assistance'' to ``unemployed parents'' or ``grandparents'' caring for the children of individuals in, or who died while serving in, the Armed Forces. It does not State that such adults and families must be ``needy.'' While many of these families will no doubt be ``needy'' by States'' definition, not all will be. Yet the MTR says that all must receive ``assistance'' (which generally means a welfare check) from the TANF program. Is it really the intention of the authors of the MTR to require the payment of welfare checks to families that are not ``needy''? This smacks of a return to the pre-TANF era when there was an individual entitlement to welfare benefits in Federal law, which was a key impediment to States' engaging low-income families in work and productive activities needed to help them support themselves. Even worse, especially given the capped nature of TANF funds, requiring States to provide welfare checks to households in which one parent may be unemployed, for example, while the other works full-time in a high-paying job, would certainly diminish funds available to assist truly needy families with children. 4. Points to other key flaws in the Administration's waiver proposal. When Ways and Means staff reviewed HHS internal documents about their waiver plan on February 8, 2013, one of the key findings was that HHS staff has long believed the Secretary has the authority not only to waive work requirements for welfare recipients, but also other key program features like time limits and even the requirement that States must limit TANF benefits to families that include children. Yet the MTR, whose supporters argued in support of the Administration's waiver authority, lists supposed protections for parents and grandparents caring for children. Which begs the question--do supporters of the Administration's waiver authority and MTR want to allow States to pay welfare checks to single adults without children, as the Administration believes it has the authority to do? Or do they think that TANF assistance should continue to be payable only to families with children, as current law provides and the MTR seems to suggest?

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the extraordinary merit of the Seattle Seahawks today, March 18, 2013. The Seattle Seahawks finished the 2012 season with an overall record of 11-5, including a perfect home field record of 8-0 in an entertaining season. Included in their 11-5 record, they dominated with back to back 50 point games against their opponents. They advanced to the playoffs, winning the NFC wild card and fighting through two rollercoaster playoff games--the spirit of the ``12th man'' supporting and driving them forward. With six Seahawks players, one being their rookie quarterback, on the roster for the 2013 Pro Bowl, they helped ensure a NFC victory. Seattle demonstrated great cohesion and teamwork throughout the season, being ranked number one in the NFL in scoring defense. The offense set single season records for total rushing yards, average rushing yards and per carry average during the 2012 regular season. Coach Pete Carroll has been an inspirational leader rebuilding the Seahawks and strengthening team unity. He has also been instrumental working with youth in our communities through A Better Seattle, a partnership to help create a culture for safety and peace while reducing violence in our communities. As the Chairman of the Charitable/Exempt Organizations Tax Reform Working Group, I am pleased that, in addition to Coach Carroll, there are so many players from my hometown sports team that have Charitable Foundations. Their passion for giving back to their community exemplifies the spirit of the Pacific Northwest. Mr. Speaker, I again offer my appreciation for the community spirit of Seattle Seahawks and congratulations for an outstanding and entertaining 2012 season and look forward to their 2013 season. Go Hawks.

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. I thank the gentleman for yielding time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the bill before us today because Congress must ensure that work continues to be the centerpiece of the TANF welfare program, and I regret that we are here today debating the Obama administration's efforts to undermine work requirements. I think that my Democrat colleagues would agree that our time would be better spent discussing bipartisan improvements to TANF and other programs designed to help low-income parents find and go to work. I look forward to having those discussions and conversations as the chairman of the Ways and Means Human Resources Subcommittee. In fact, Mr. Speaker, bipartisan discussions were actually happening before the Obama administration announced they would waive work requirements for welfare recipients last summer. That announcement completely undermined bipartisan negotiations in our committee about ways to strengthen this program. Incredibly, administration officials knew about those negotiations and even had a draft of bipartisan legislation in hand before they announced their misguided waiver policy. Usually, if an administration wants to change the law, they must submit a legislative proposal for Congress to consider, but that's not what the Obama administration did with its proposal to waive the TANF work requirements. Even though the administration had said repeatedly in their annual budget they would work with Congress to reform welfare, they didn't propose any changes to the program. Instead, they simply claimed they could waive the current work requirements at the heart of welfare reform without even notifying Congress. Mr. Speaker, I'm surprised that the administration would proceed with its waiver policy, especially knowing that real bipartisan progress was being made. The truth is, Mr. Speaker, the President's waiver policy increases spending by $61 million, according to CBO. There are currently 240 combinations of work, education, and training requirements falling under the 12 definitions included in this law. The administration does not have the authority to waive work requirements; that authority is not granted under the law. Therefore--this is very important--the misuse of authority is subject to congressional review and disapproval. That's why we are here today. This is Congress' responsibility, and we were working together with the White House, which is also our responsibility. Today I'm standing here asking my colleagues across the aisle and on my side of the aisle to support this bill and reject the administration's waiver proposal. That way we can get back to working together to close loopholes, strengthen work requirements and ensure that more welfare recipients go back to work and move up the economic ladder.

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall no. 48 I mistakenly voted ``yea.'' I meant to vote ``nay.''

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, as the member with the honor of representing this city, I rise to honor the centennial anniversary of the City of Enumclaw, celebrated Sunday, January 27, 2013. Enumclaw was platted on October 31, 1885, when the railroad decided to come through the area, and was incorporated in 1913. With a population of 11,490, they are the ``Gateway'' to Mt. Rainier, lying just on the north edge of the national park. Over the last century, Enumclaw evolved from a railroad town, reliant on the logging industry, to a vibrant community contributing much to the economic growth of the region. Today, it is home to a wide range of companies large and small such as the Helac Corporation, Mutual of Enumclaw, and Enumclaw Regional Hospital. Enumclaw is a small city with a big heart and fully embraces its role helping people from around the world experience the beauty of Mount Rainier National Park. With all this growth and change, Enumclaw continues to maintain a deep sense of friendship and community. For example, Mr. Speaker, the Pacific Northwest Highland Games, a city celebration that grew from a group of Scots eager to keep their ethnic origin alive. I have enjoyed participating in many activities and events, going back to my days as a King County Sheriff Deputy working the King County Fair in beautiful Enumclaw and am honored to represent the great people of this city. Enumclaw held on to its agricultural roots, evident by the large number of farms and equestrian activities. The city is recognized as a great place to live, work and raise a family. As Mayor Reynolds, along with all of Enumclaw's dedicated City Council members, continue to build on Enumclaw's rich history, we look forward to partnering with and aiding the city's success in years to come. Mr. Speaker, I again offer congratulations to the City of Enumclaw for a wonderful, rich first century and wish them the best as they move into their second century of prosperity.

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman. Let me just see if I can simplify this just a little bit. There are three branches of government. Two branches of the government have responsibility for the budget, and there are three pieces to those two branches. The White House is one--the administration needs to produce a budget; the House Republicans need to produce a budget; and the Senate Democrats need to produce a budget for the system to work. Even though we may not agree with it on this side of the aisle, the President has produced his budget. It's increased our deficit from $11.4- to $16.4 trillion or $16.5 trillion. And some people at home may not really grasp the concept of $16 trillion. Let's just talk about $1 trillion. If we spent a dollar a second, Mr. Speaker, how long would it take us to spend that $1 trillion? It would take 36,000 years. We are 16 of those in debt. It's time for the Senate to do their job. Even though Admiral Mullen has said our greatest national security threat is our deficit, and even though the Senate has raised their right hand and took an oath to protect and defend this great Nation of ours and defend the Constitution, they still have not acted. They still have not done their job to protect and defend, to uphold the oath that they took. Again, Admiral Mullen has said--and I repeat--that national security is at great risk because of our $16 trillion deficit. Look, you own a home and you have a $50,000-a-year job and you're making your payments on a car and a house and you're thinking things are going just fine, but I want to add to that. I'm going to buy a new big screen TV, I'm going to put a pool table in, I'm going to buy two more cars, I'm going to put a pool in the back, I'm just going to fix the place up. All the sudden you realize, I can't pay for it. You have some options available. You have to raise revenue. You go out and get two or three more jobs maybe, or your wife goes to work or your kids have to go to work. And that still doesn't meet your responsibilities. Then you have to stop spending, right? Stop spending. The only other option now is to get rid of some of the stuff you can't pay for because even though you might have stopped spending and you've taken another job and you've raised some revenue, now you've got to get rid of stuff.

Mr. REICHERT. Let's get rid of the pool table, let's get rid of the big screen TV. We've got to start cutting things. We need to stop spending in this country. The Senate needs to do their job. No budget, no pay.

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, as the two members who have the honor of representing this city today and in the future, I rise with my colleague Representative Suzan DelBene to honor the centennial anniversary of the City of Redmond, celebrated today, December 31, 2012. First incorporated in 1912, eligible thanks to the birth of its 300th citizen, Redmond began as a small logging community. A century later, it has turned into a vibrant urban center of 55,000 that still maintains its strong sense of community and is proud of its small-town feel. Over the last century, Redmond has evolved from logging town, to a small bedroom community east of the big city, to a bustling city in itself. Today, it's home to some of the most prominent high tech companies in the world. Redmond's tremendous growth has been fueled by the pioneering, entrepreneurial spirit of the town's first settlers and, in the century since, has attracted and inspired generations of Washingtonians to turn Redmond into a premier economic engine for the 21st century. With all this growth and change, Redmond continues to maintain a deep sense of friendship and community. For example, Mr. Speaker, the Redmond Derby Days, a city celebration that grew out of a bicycle race among local paperboys after the depression, is going strong after 70 years. The Derby Days are bigger and better than ever and today, the signature event has the honor of being the nation's longest running bicycle race. Over the last few years, we have both enjoyed participating in so many activities and events in beautiful Redmond and are honored to represent the great people of this city. With the further expansion of mass transit, Redmond has an amazing opportunity to continue its growth and impact neighboring cities. Together with Seattle and environs, its influence contributes to form a region that is vibrant, attractive for business and a great place to live, work and raise a family. As Mayor Marchione, along with all of Redmond's dedicated City Council members, continue to build on Redmond's rich history, we look forward to watching and aiding with the city's success in years to come. Mr. Speaker, Representative DelBene and I again offer congratulations to the City of Redmond for a wonderful, rich first century and together wish them the best as they move into their second century of prosperity.

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate an exceptional young man, Max Browne, who was recently named the 2012-2013 Gatorade National Football Player of the Year. Max Browne grew up in the district I represent, Washington's 8th. At 6 feet 5 inches and 218 pounds, he became Skyline High School's star quarterback this year, leading the Spartans to a 14-0 record and a Class 4A state championship this fall. Browne passed for 4,526 yards, 49 touchdowns and just five interceptions. Max Browne is not only an exceptional athlete; he is an extraordinary human being. While a star quarterback at Skyline High School in Sammamish, Washington, he maintained a 3.50 GPA, was a three-time Skyline High Student of the Month Citizenship Award recipient and volunteered on behalf of Issaquah Parks and Recreation, the Sammamish/ Issaquah Young Life ministry and as an intern with G2 Physical Therapy. He has also worked with Generation Joy and raised funds to benefit cancer research. This is the second Gatorade State Player of the Year award for Max Browne, who broke the state record for career passing yards and completions this year, surpassing Detroit Lions quarterback and Gatorade Washington Player of the Year Kellen Moore. His second award was presented by Seattle Seahawks rookie Russell Wilson, an added bonus to the wonderful honor. I am incredibly proud of this young man. The Gatorade Player of the Year program recognizes outstanding athletic excellence, academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field. It is an honor to represent him as a constituent, and I know that he will set an example for his teammates for years to come.

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my support for H.R. 1845. Title II addresses a set of issues involving the employers and the casualty insurance industry and the Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) law. However, this is not the only set of MSP issues that impact workers' compensation that also needs to be addressed. My legislation, H.R. 5284, the Medicare Secondary Payer and Workers' Compensation Settlement Agreement Act, is cosponsored by Representative Mike Thompson and has bipartisan support. This legislation aims to resolve the delays by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in reviewing workers' compensation settlements to determine the appropriate set-aside amount to be maintained by Medicare beneficiaries to pay for future medical costs in which Medicare may have an interest. H.R. 5284 creates a system of certainty and allows the workers' compensation settlement process to move forward while eliminating millions of dollars in administrative costs. It will help create clear and consistent standards, currently lacking in the process, to address workers' compensation issues. Most importantly, it will benefit all parties involved--injured workers, employers, insurers and CMS. I am hopeful that the House of Representatives will be able to move H.R. 5284 towards enactment.

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Medicare Identity Theft Prevention Act. I applaud Chairman Johnson and Representative Doggett for introducing this bill and bringing it to the floor. America's seniors are some of our most valued citizens. They have spent their lives working hard and preparing for their much deserved ``golden years.'' It seems only fitting, then, that we reward their hard work and labor by protecting them. That's our job. Under current law, Social Security numbers are used as the main component of a Medicare beneficiary's health insurance claim number and are displayed on over 50 million Medicare ID cards. This simply doesn't make sense. It puts each of these 50 million people at heightened risk for identity theft and fraud. We've already seen high rates for this type of crime: in 2010 alone over 8.6 million households were victims of ID theft, including one million seniors. Seniors' social security numbers are especially valuable because they can be used by thieves to obtain employment, benefits, and credit. The GAO first recommended removing social security numbers from government documents ten years ago. Both the private and public sectors have already taken steps to remove social security numbers from forms of public identification. However, fully aware of the risks posed to seniors, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has refused to act. Both sides of the aisle agree, this is simply unacceptable. Therefore, it is clearly time for Congress to take action. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation so that we can better protect our senior citizens.

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of Katie's Law. I rise as a Congressman, but also as a cop and a sheriff with 33 years of experience investigating crimes. This bill, simply put, assists states with the implementation of DNA arrestee collection programs so that the DNA collected can be entered into the national DNA database. DNA is an invaluable piece of evidence when solving crimes. As the lead investigator on the Green River Killer Task Force my colleagues and I started collecting evidence in the early 80's . . . hoping only for, in those days, a saliva or a blood-type match that would tie a suspect to the crimes. We worked that case for nearly two decades, continuing to collect evidence, interrogate suspects, and discover horrific murder scenes. In 2001, the technology finally caught up and through DNA we made a match and were finally able to arrest a single suspect on four counts of murder. That arrest eventually led to 49 murder convictions. This bill is named for Katie Sepich. Katie was a young woman from Carlsbad, New Mexico who was 22 years old when she was brutally raped and murdered--because of the lack of DNA collection procedures in New Mexico at the time, it was three years before Katie's parents, Jayann and David, had the closure of knowing Katie's attacker. Katie's Law provides a critical resource to aid our law enforcement officials in investigating crimes and protecting the innocent. It does so without the appropriation of new funds and with privacy protections. What happened to Katie Sepich is a shocking, horrible tragedy. It is our duty to assist law enforcement in preventing these tragedies from ever re-occurring, and to continue the tireless work of keeping our communities safe.