Peter Roskam

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, as the Representative of the Sixth District of Illinois and the son of a Korean war veteran, I'm honored to serve over 34,000 veterans. We have a deep commitment, as we know, to support those who've risked their lives to defend our freedom and help them in their transition back to civilian life. I've been active in a program called Helmets to Hard Hats, and there's a jarring unemployment figure for veterans that we are all sobered by. More than 844,000 veterans currently face unemployment, and veterans aged 18 to 24 face a staggering 31 percent unemployment rate. There's an opportunity for us to work together, and I'm pleased to have recently joined the Congressional Veterans Jobs Caucus in an effort to bring Republicans and Democrats together to be like-minded as we seek to serve those who have served us so well. There's a myriad of obstacles that are in place that need to be remedied, and together we can join with the Disabled American Veterans organization, which is here in Washington, D.C. this week to celebrate their success and our obligation to them.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Look, here is an opportunity. There is an opportunity to find common ground. There is an opportunity to do something that makes common sense, that is not just common ground. It is common sense to require people, if they're getting compensation, to do their jobs. It has been 4 years. Ironically, it has been since the day Rod Blagojevich, the Governor of Illinois, was indicted that the United States Senate has passed a budget, and now we have an opportunity to put pressure on the other body, which is for them to do their work. We don't do ourselves, we don't do our children, we don't do the taxpayers any favors by creating a climate that says ``folks don't have to do their work.'' We don't get to a solution or a remedy unless we pass budgets. This is an opportunity to get on record and put the other body out into the open field so we can have a discussion and move this country on a pathway that makes sense. We ought to pass this and pass it quickly.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 60th anniversary of the Illinois Poison Center (IPC), the oldest poison center in the United States. Their services in poison treatment and prevention have made the Illinois Poison Center a great contributor to the Illinois emergency medical community. Increased awareness of the potential dangers of over the counter and prescription medications as well as common household products is a crucial step toward better poison safety and prevention, especially for children. Nearly half of the 77,000 poisonings reported to the Illinois Poison Center last year involved children under the age of five. Most of these cases could be prevented by greater awareness of potential risks posed by household substances. The Illinois Poison Center has proven its dedication to educating the citizens of Illinois in better poison prevention. Thanks to its trained medical staff, the Illinois Poison Center treats over 90 percent of calls reporting poisoning over the phone, reducing the need for doctor's visits and emergency room care. Mr. Speaker and Distinguished Colleagues, please join me in recognizing March 2013 as Poison Prevention Month in Illinois, and in commending the Illinois Poison Center on 6 decades of excellence in poison education and treatment to the State of Illinois.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. I thank the chairman. Madam Speaker, a couple months ago I pick up the phone and I'm talking to one of your constituent companies in Naperville, Illinois. It's a company that you've represented well for the past 14 years. I was talking to the manufacturer, talking about Russian PNTR, and I posed a simple question: How much business are you doing now, and what kind of business would you be able to do in Russia if we normalize the trade relationships? Without batting an eye he said, currently, Congressman, we do $15 million worth of exports into Russia. If Congress changes this and we regularize this status, that number overnight would jump to $30 million. Now, the State of Illinois currently is one of the largest States as it relates to exports to Russia--$70 million worth of business, Madam Speaker, coming out of our home State. So we've got a chance today to do something great, and to do something great is to allow worldwide American companies to get a sure footing in a growing marketplace that's only going to get bigger, and to do it in a thoughtful way. This helps to meet President Obama's goal of doubling exports in 5 years--this is inextricably linked to that goal--and this is an opportunity for us to create jobs where we want to create them, that is, here at home, exporting into markets abroad.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I would like to express my support for the ongoing efforts of this body and the American people to conquer the devastating disease of Alzheimer's. Alzheimer's is one of the top 10 causes of death in America, and the only one without a way to prevent, cure, or even slow its progression. While death rates from diseases such as stroke, heart disease, and breast cancer have fallen since the year 2000, deaths from Alzheimer's have increased by 66 percent. Alzheimer's disease affects over 5 million Americans who are cared for by more than 15 million caregivers. These caregivers shoulder the heavy burden of caring for their loved ones and forgoing paid positions while watching the disease progress without the possibility of a cure. I have several constituents who have been impacted by this disease but two stand out for me personally. Cathy and her daughter Grace have been tireless advocates for their cause. Cathy's husband was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's and she has seen the effects up close. Each year they have taken time out of their schedules to travel to DC and as well as my district office to update me on her husband's condition and express their hopes that we can get closer to curing this awful disease. Grace has even taken her advocacy to the Roll Call Forum to speak on her mother and father's behalf. This is why I support the National Alzheimer's Plan.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. I thank the chairman. I for the life of me don't understand why our friends on the other side of the aisle are defensive about this. This is nothing to defend. This is to say the White House made an error in engaging substantively in downgrading work requirements for welfare. And rather than being defensive about it, say, look, they messed up. Let's not defend them; let's make sure that they don't color outside the lines. This is not some abstract thing, Mr. Speaker. There are very serious voices that have come out, and they've made this argument that the following things are work and should be included, Mr. Speaker, under the work definitions for welfare, things like: bed rest, personal care activities, massage, exercise, journaling, motivational reading, smoking cessation, weight-loss promotion, participation in parent/ teacher meetings, and helping a friend or relative with household tasks or errands. So there are some folks that are making the argument that if you go help your neighbor rake the lawn, then somehow that's work under the welfare-to-work requirement. This is not some abstract thing. This is not something that the GOP is looking for. This is a sense of clarity that most Americans said, look, we recognize that if people need help, they should get help, but not to be manipulated through absurd definitions that are coming from who knows where--some States with a straight face that actually want to manipulate this to their benefit. This is an area where everybody should come together. This should pass with a voice vote. This is an admonition to the White House to say: don't do this; do not weaken these work requirements. Instead, make sure that they're fast and solid and that they move people to work. But don't subsidize massage therapy and pump a lot of sunshine and tell hardworking Americans that that's work because it's not. Let's do the right thing. Let's pass this quickly.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support for H.R. 6118, the ``Taking Essential Steps for Testing Act of 2012'' or TEST Act. This legislation will give the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) greater leeway when dealing with hospitals and laboratories across the nation. Last year I was contacted by a hospital in my Congressional District who informed me that they had unintentionally referred a proficiency test to an outside lab because the lab technician was following patient procedure. They informed me that because of this error they would be forced to potentially close the lab and essentially fire the lab director. Upon further investigation, I was troubled to learn that the same problem was occurring across the country because CMS lacked the authority to handle these cases in any other fashion. This is why I was happy to work with my good friend from New York, Mr. Grimm, and Mr. Ross from Arkansas, as well as Senators Boozman, Klobuchar, and Shaheen, to come up with a simple, commonsense solution to the problem. While working with CMS and our friends across the aisle, we were able to demonstrate that this institution is still capable of recognizing problems and pursuing solutions for the people we represent back home. It is my hope that the Senate will quickly take up this legislation and send it to the President for signature so we can help provide regulatory relief to our nation's hospitals and labs.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, today, we take time to honor our friend and colleague Congressman Jerry Costello, who retires this year after 24 proud years representing the 12th District of Illinois. Throughout his career, Jerry earned the respect of his colleagues on both sides of the aisle, and is known as a man dedicated to his family, his community, and public service. Born and raised in East Saint Louis, Jerry spent his career representing his friends and neighbors first as the Chairman of the St. Clair County Board, and then as a Member of Congress. Since coming to Washington, Jerry has worked tirelessly on behalf of his constituents, Illinois farmers, the transportation community and Scott Air Force Base. The State of Illinois will certainly miss having such a senior legislator and consummate professional in Congress. But this body's loss is the gain of the entire Costello family, especially his wife Georgia, their three children and eight grandchildren. I wish them all the best as they embark on this new chapter of their lives, and congratulate Congressman Jerry Costello on a career of service to Southwestern Illinois.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to congratulate Zion Lutheran Church on its 175th Anniversary. On September 30th, Zion Lutheran Church will celebrate its legacy of faith and service. Founded in 1837, Zion Lutheran Church is the second oldest established church in the State of Illinois. Spanning three different centuries, Zion Lutheran Church has helped make Bensenville a better place to live, learn, and worship. Members of the Zion Lutheran Church community have helped share the grace of God with others by helping establish 11 additional Lutheran churches in DuPage County. Over the years, Zion Lutheran Church has brought hope and fellowship to countless individuals and families. Zion-Concord Lutheran School is also commemorating its 156th Anniversary this year. Since its inception, Zion-Concord Lutheran School has succeeded in its mission to provide families with a high quality Christian education and to nurture and enrich its students through the teaching of Holy Scripture. Mr. Speaker and Distinguished Colleagues, please join me in recognizing these significant milestones for the Zion Lutheran Church and Zion-Concord Lutheran School, and in wishing them many more years of achievement and faithful service. May God bless the congregation on this special occasion.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Today is a day when we can celebrate accomplishment in the private sector and in the volunteer sector, and to celebrate a rich history and a century of accomplishment--accomplishment that is borne of service to one another. The gentleman from Illinois a minute ago gave a brief history of the Lions Club International. I am honored to serve as the representative for the Lions Club International headquarters. They're an organization that not only, as was previously mentioned, has an impact here in the United States but has had an impact around the world. And I would argue that if you have an impact on vision for children, if you have an impact on vision for others, you're not just having an impact on that family but you're having a generational impact. And so here we are today, celebrating the Lions Club International as they're on the cusp of a new century. So there's a lot to celebrate. There's a lot to be proud of here. And I want to thank also Chairman Bachus and Ranking Member Frank and the staff of the Financial Services Committee and the Lions around the world who reached out and built a constituency for this legislation today. I am a strong supporter, and I am pleased to be a part of this bipartisan effort. I urge its passage.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I was listening to the gentleman from New York, and I sincerely appreciate his warm, heartfelt advice for the Republican Party. I am amazed at the characterization of being in opposition to a President's policies as somehow being in opposition to the country. I fundamentally reject that. I think that that is a gross characterization. I think, on behalf of everybody on the GOP side, that that is an absurd argument. I want to pick up on a thread and a subtext of what we heard from our friends on the other side of the aisle. It's a very interesting thing, and I'm not being sarcastic. It is a very hopeful thing, which is this, Mr. Speaker: Did you notice today that there is nobody who is defending the status quo of our current Tax Code? Nobody. We will not hear any voice from our friends on the other side defending the current Tax Code. We will hear no voice today on this side or on the other side among all of those Members--and I haven't listened to our friends on the other side of the dome, but I'm hunching that there is nobody--who is defending the status quo. So what does that mean for us today? That means there is an unbelievable opportunity. There is an opportunity that is born of recognition of a failed system. Some characterize it as ``crony capitalism,'' which is, if you're connected, if you're somebody of means, if you're able to come into this town and with a sharp elbow insert something into the Tax Code and manipulate it, then you get an economic win at the expense of everybody else. The gentleman from New York asked a rhetorical question a couple of minutes ago, and I jotted it down. He asked: What do we need a path for? We need a path to get out of this. That's what we need a path for. With all due respect to the President, the President is not leading on a pathway that shows us how to get out of this. So what do you have the chairman of the committee and the GOP in the House doing right now? They're saying, look, let's not defend the status quo. Let's instead completely transform this debate, and let's focus in on one word, and that is the word ``competitiveness.'' How do we create in this country the most competitive tax jurisdiction in the world? Could you imagine how great it could be? Could you imagine what it would be like if our Tax Code were a foundation upon which--what could happen? You could have entrepreneurs who are willing to take risks because there is a possibility of reward in the future. Right now, they're being told from this town that if you built it, you didn't really build it, and we don't want to have you take credit for it. That's ridiculous. That's absurd. That's a world view that we should shun and reject and move away from. We need to pass this. We need to pass this urgently, and I urge an ``aye'' vote.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I would like to pause and just listen and think through a couple of the arguments that we've been hearing over the past couple of weeks from our friends on the other side of the aisle and from the President of the United States, and one is that people should pay their fair share. Now, that's an interesting argument, Mr. Speaker, and let's look at that a little bit closer. So, if the President's will were to prevail on this, in other words, if this tax hike goes into place, then the top tax rate for some small businesses would be over 44 percent. Now, contrast that to the top tax rate that President Obama is proposing, which would be 28 percent. All afternoon you are going to hear a lot of things go back and forth, but you won't hear anyone contradict those numbers and that disparity, Mr. Speaker, because they are true. There is no sense in telling corporations, You get a 28 percent rate, and the top rate for small business is 44 percent. There's nothing fair about that. All right. Well, let's look at another argument. Another argument is that this somehow closes a budget gap and this is deficit reduction, and we're all about deficit reduction and let's have at it. Well, a little secret on the deficit reduction is, at best, the most generous estimate is this would take care of--what?--maybe 7, 8, 9, 10 days of spending, maybe. But who would pay the cost for that? I'll tell you who pays the cost for that. The job creators and the people that are looking for jobs right now, Mr. Speaker, according to Ernst & Young and others that have looked at this. Some estimates are that it would cost 700,000 jobs. Now, I know nobody that is willing to say, You know what? We've just got too many jobs. Let's just thin the herd. There are too many people working. Let's thin the herd. There are too many people working. And let's do it because of Democratic dogma. We have got leading Democrats on the other side of the rotunda who have said, Let's embrace the fiscal cliff. Let's just grab onto the dogma and go right off the cliff, regardless of the outcome. Well, you know what? That's ridiculous. And we have an opportunity here to make some certainty to move to the next year--not to move to the next year just for the sake of another year, but to move to next year to fundamentally reform our tax system, to create a more competitive Tax Code that is broad and fair and wise and well thought out and that does what--that creates the most competitive Tax Code in the world right here in the United States. Mr. Speaker, it could be great. We could have a great Tax Code, but what we've got to do is create a year of certainty to move forward. I urge passage of this.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. I thank the gentleman for yielding. One of the points I think that's important to focus in on is the last time this Congress dealt with the '01 and the '03 tax rates was not in '01, not in '03, but in December of 2010 when President Obama signed these into law. So this is an arena where we do reflect back, but ultimately we need to look forward. So the question is how do you create a sense of predictability by which businesses can deal with these situations? So the gentleman is right to point out past forecasts that were incorrect. But it's also correct to point out that the White House made one error after another--this White House--one error after another as it relates to the predictions of the stimulus, for example, where unemployment was promised to peak at 8 percent, and it didn't turn out to be so. So as we move forward, this is not new ground, these are not new concepts, and it's consistent with what then-Minority Leader Boehner said in the Pledge to America. This process has been open, this process has been dynamic, this process has been participatory, and this bill will be considered under the same rules and the same commitments that were made in the Pledge to America. Moving forward, what I would like to announce to the gentleman and to the membership is that there will be an opportunity, I'm told, for the minority party to offer the President's alternative as an amendment on the floor, to have the debate. Because as the gentleman and I both know, that's really the crux of the matter. So to have an up-or-down vote, as I would characterize it, is a bad idea. I know the gentleman has a different view of that, but I think, particularly in light of this week's study from Ernst & Young, I think we should be chastened, actually, with the notion of moving forward and raising taxes on anybody. I accept the world view of the gentleman who has been articulate in the past in communicating that. But I think that really is the crystallization of these two competing views of how to create economic growth, and I think the gentleman will be fully satisfied.

Mr. ROSKAM. As the gentleman knows, the 2001 and the 2003 tax rates have been well vetted and well discussed. They're not news or breaking ground in any way, shape, or form. So my understanding is that the current thinking is to bring those directly to the floor and that there's not a plan for a markup.

Mr. ROSKAM. I thank my friend for yielding. As the gentleman knows, the farm bill has created a lot of concern on our side of the aisle. It's my understanding that there is concern on the gentleman's side of the aisle. Your ranking member supports the bill. It's my understanding that Leader Pelosi does not support the bill. So we're in conversation with our Members, as I'm sure you are with yours; and we're not prepared to make an announcement today in light of continuing to get Member feedback.

Mr. ROSKAM. I don't have information to announce at this point in terms of the timing. I have a high level of confidence that no one is going to be going home for very long absent a remedy and a joint response on all of our parts.

Mr. ROSKAM. I thank the gentleman from Maryland, the Democratic whip, for yielding to me. Mr. Speaker, on Monday the House will meet at noon for morning-hour and 2 p.m. for legislative business. Votes will be postponed until 6:30 p.m. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the House will meet at 10 a.m. for morning-hour and noon for legislative business. On Thursday, the House will meet at 9 a.m. for legislative business. The last votes of the week are expected no later than 3 p.m. Mr. Speaker, the House will consider a number of bills under suspension on Monday and Tuesday, and of particular note will be H.R. 459, the Federal Reserve Transparency Act, a bipartisan bill sponsored by Congressman Ron Paul. A complete list of the suspensions will be announced by the close of business tomorrow. Beginning on Tuesday, the House will consider H.R. 6082, the Congressional Replacement of President Obama's Energy-Restricting and Job-Limiting Offshore Drilling Plan. And finally, the balance of the week will be spent on H.R. 4078, the Red Tape Reduction and Small Business Job Creation Act. This is a compilation of bills that are sponsored by Representatives Tim Griffin, Reid Ribble, Ben Quayle, Dennis Ross, Virginia Foxx, Scott Garrett, and Mike Conaway.

Mr. ROSKAM. Well, as the gentleman knows, making things permanent in this arena with this conundrum of rules and limitations--and limitations particularly in the other body--make that difficult. I, speaking on behalf of myself, think that that rate at that level permanent is a wise course. But as the gentleman knows, based on the difficulty of the rules, what I have to say on that is fairly limited based on the reality of the rules.

Mr. ROSKAM. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Yes, there is every intention to move forward on that which the gentleman and the majority leader have been working so cooperatively on, and there is an expectation that that will be done before the August recess.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. I ask unanimous consent that in the engrossment of H.R. 5856, the Clerk be permitted to make technical and conforming changes, including numerical changes, in the amendment offered by the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Walz).

Mr. ROSKAM

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

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform have until midnight on July 20, 2012, to file its report to accompany H.R. 4078.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Madam Speaker, do you remember these lines when the President was pitching the health care bill? He said: If you like what you have, you can keep it. It will not add a single dime to the deficit. This is absolutely not a tax increase, and it will bring down premiums by $2,500 for the typical family. The gentlelady from California a moment ago spoke about things to take away. Let's take this away. Let's take away the reality of this new health care law that has done this. It is now clear that 20 million Americans are likely to lose their employer-based health coverage. The law will cost $2.6 trillion if fully implemented and add over $700 billion to the deficit. It has $500 billion in new taxes that are triggered towards the middle class. And the average increase in family premiums doesn't go down $2,500; it goes up $1,200. Here is what we should take away. We should take away this albatross in the economy. We should repeal it. We should replace it. And here is the good news. The voters get the last word in November. Stay tuned.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. What I'd like to do is just reflect for a minute on some of the promises around President Obama's health care law. You remember he said during the course of the debate about the health care law, Mr. Speaker, that if you like what you have, you can keep it. But what we've found is that some estimates say that up to 30 percent of employers will actually drop their health care coverage. So those folks that have that coverage, they don't get to keep that coverage, Mr. Speaker. There was also a promise that the law would actually lower premiums, and yet family premiums are already increasing by as much as $1,600 per year. But there was one promise that was made that was actually kept, and it was a promise, Mr. Speaker, from the gentlelady from California, who, as Speaker of the House, said, in a nutshell, We've got to pass the bill so that you can know what's in it. Well, she did, and we do. What's in it was a cascading group of mistakes. One was the 1099 bill--big mistake. It wasn't found the first time around, but we were able to fix that. The second was the CLASS Act, a recognition that it was a failure and inoperable. It hasn't been dealt with by the administration, but at least they put the white flag up and said it's ridiculous. Two other things now have come to our attention. The first is well discussed. That is the medical device tax. Even the gentleman from Washington, from the other side of the aisle, makes an argument criticizing the study, but at best he creates a Hobson's choice. At best, he says, well, it may not kill jobs; but then in the alternative, Mr. Speaker, it's just going to raise health care costs. That's what that study says. The irony is now we have the chance, under the leadership of the gentlelady from Kansas (Ms. Jenkins), to make it so that working moms don't have to have the hassle of going to see a physician when their child is sick in order to buy an over-the-counter medication. This is well thought out. It makes perfect sense. We need to support this. I urge an ``aye'' vote.