Peter Roskam

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate an aspiring leader from my Congressional District, Madeleine Jaras. Madeleine's essay was recently selected as the winner of the City of Elmhurst's ``Mayor for a Day'' competition. On behalf of this Congressional body, I welcome Madeleine and her family to our nation's capital. The text of Madeleine's essay reads as follows: ``If I were Mayor of Elmhurst, I would demonstrate my Trustworthiness to the citizens of Elmhurst by following through with my promises, being honest, being reliable, being loyal, being dependable, and having the courage to do the right thing, not always the easy thing. All these things are hard sometimes, but if I were Mayor, I would try my hardest to make the citizens safe, happy, and help the city of Elmhurst blossom into an even greater community than the past leaders have made it.'' Even in her youth, Madeleine recognizes that in light of today's critical debates, tough decisions need to be made with great integrity. Madeleine's virtuous beliefs should serve as a reminder to all citizens and leaders that we should be courteous of others, and that honesty is of utmost importance. Her positive outlook is exemplary of her outstanding character. Mr. Speaker and Distinguished Colleagues, Madeleine Jaras is a promising young leader, full of modesty and confidence. It is truly a privilege to serve as her Representative. Please join me in honoring Madeleine's spirit and wishing her all the best in her future endeavors.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to recognize Kevin and Sarah Diamond of Elmhurst, Illinois, for their outstanding display of service. On May 5, 2011, Kevin and Sarah were presented with the Elmhurst Jaycees Distinguished Service Award. Each year, this award is given to a resident in recognition of one's dedication to bettering the City of Elmhurst. Typically, the Distinguished Service Award is reserved for a single person, but in this case, both were seen as deserving of this honor. Kevin and Sarah have been involved with numerous improvement projects in Elmhurst. In particular, Kevin led the passage of a referendum that brought new classrooms to every school in District 205. Kevin is especially active with the Elmhurst Children's Assistance Fund, which provides assistance to families with children impacted by a serious medical or disabling condition. Sarah serves on the board of the local YMCA and has assisted with the organization's fundraising efforts. She previously served on the District 205 Foundation Board, and has recently joined the Hospital Board. In addition to participating in all these volunteer activities, Kevin and Sarah are also busy raising three daughters. The Diamonds have demonstrated exceptional civic service, and I am proud to represent them. Mr. Speaker and Distinguished Colleagues, please join me in commending Kevin and Sarah Diamond for their extraordinary commitment to their community.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to recognize the valiant efforts of Joel Arnier, an 18-year firefighter-paramedic from Addison, Illinois. A few weeks ago, while fishing on the Fox River, Joel heard a woman screaming for help in the distance. Sensing trouble, Joel rushed to the scene and discovered that the woman's infant daughter had fallen into the water. Joel immediately recognized the urgency of the situation and quickly began performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. After a few critical minutes of attentive care, Joel was able to successfully revive the infant and save her life. Although Joel was off-duty that day, he did not hesitate to come to the mother's assistance. Joel's training and expertise allowed him to respond promptly and effectively to such an urgent and terrifying incident. Every day, heroic men and women like Joel keep our communities safe, and they deserve to be recognized. Mr. Speaker and Distinguished Colleagues, please join me in commending Joel Arnier for his extraordinary effort.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. I thank the gentleman for yielding. My colleague from Connecticut talked about a guarantee. Well, there is one guarantee that is for sure, Mr. Chairman, and that is the guarantee that Medicare as we know it is a pipe dream into perpetuity. It's going broke. The guarantee that the Democratic House has brought us in the past is a guarantee that says 47 percent of our debt obligations are to foreigners. We are guaranteed right now to borrow 40 cents on every dollar unless we do something about it. So what do we do about it? There are famous themes in literature that fast-forward into the future. You get a glimpse of the reality of the future, and then we always love it when the hero comes back and says, Oh, here's what's going on. There's a choice. Let's make a good choice and let's move forward. Well, we don't need fiction today. What we need is the clear-eyed reality of what these numbers present to us, and they present to us a choice: We can either choose to do nothing, and I would say that is choosing, or we can choose to do something. We can choose to do a historic plan that brings a brightness to the economy, that creates jobs and opportunity, that doesn't mortgage our children's future to China and ultimately puts the U.S. on a global competitive basis, the likes of which the world will have never seen. This is a time of choosing. Let's move forward and choose the House Republican plan, which makes guarantees and makes promises that we can keep with.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the vital contributions made by our nation's nurses and call attention to the quality healthcare services that nurses provide to patients within my district and across the nation. As the largest group of health professionals, nurses serve among healthcare providers on the front lines of our delivery system. Whether in a school, a physician's office, or a hospital setting, nurses provide the personal attention that is necessary for their patients. I commend the great commitment that these educated and qualified nurses consistently give to their profession and to their patients, despite the challenges they face. Recently, I had the opportunity to meet with a registered school nurse, Susan Voss, from Elk Grove Village, Illinois. She came to our nation's Capitol as part of the Nurse in Washington Internship Program to share her own experiences in the healthcare field. In our meeting, Ms. Voss spoke passionately about her work and the students she serves. The devotion she has towards her profession is extraordinary. Every day, Susan drives over one hundred miles to help students and faculty with their routine treatments. In addition to her daily duties, she assists and monitors students with special needs. Her love for nursing and her dedication make her a powerful advocate for the nursing profession. I ask my colleagues to join me in applauding Ms. Voss and nurses throughout the U.S. that help deliver quality healthcare services to American families.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to recognize Tristan Fissette, an exceptional and accomplished young man from the Sixth District of Illinois. Tristan is a recent recipient of a grant award from Our Military Kids and was selected as one of four honorary ``Our Military Kids of the Year.'' Serving our country requires an extraordinary sacrifice from service members and their families. Founded in 2004, Our Military Kids has provided grants to children of deployed military personnel to be put towards fine arts activities, sports programs and academic tutoring. At the early age of eight, Tristan began taking karate lessons. His primary aspiration was to obtain a black belt by the time his father returned from his second deployment to Kuwait. With the help of a grant from Our Military Kids, and personal determination, Tristan was able to reach this goal. Tristan has also been involved in ``Feed My Starving Children,'' a distribution program that prepares bags of food for children in need in developing countries. At home, Tristan has demonstrated an unwavering dedication to his family and community. In his father's absence, Tristan has been diligent about completing household chores and maintains excellent grades in school. As the eldest child, he has set a good example for his younger brother and sister. Tristan possesses great potential, and it will be incredible to see how he applies his talents in the future. April is the Month of the Military Child, and as such, I would like to take this opportunity to celebrate this special occasion. Mr. Speaker and Distinguished Colleagues, please join me in honoring Tristan for his remarkable achievements.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Republican Conference, I send to the desk a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate Linda Jackson's 20th anniversary of serving on the Glendale Heights Village Board, and her 10th anniversary serving as Village President. This is an extraordinary milestone in that it makes her the longest serving public official on the Glendale Heights Village Board as well as the longest serving Village President. As a resident of Glendale Heights for 37 years, Mayor Jackson has distinguished herself as a well-respected leader. Prior to becoming Mayor, she was an Elected Trustee in 1991, 1995 and 1999. Throughout her career, Mayor Jackson has served on numerous Village Committees and Commissions and has played a primary role in the improvement of several public buildings and parks within Glendale Heights. Among other projects, Mayor Jackson has overseen the development of Camera Park, the Glendale Heights Aquatic Center, Veterans Memorial Park and the Glendale Lakes Golf Club and Banquet Facility. She is an active member of the community, serving as a member of the DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus and the Neighborhood Watch. Mayor Jackson has also been a recipient of several notable awards, including the Illinois Woman of Achievement Award in 2000 and the Outstanding Patriotism Award from the State of Illinois V.F.W. in 2006. She is truly a committed public servant and a model citizen. Mr. Speaker and Distinguished Colleagues, please join me in recognizing this special occasion as we celebrate Mayor Jackson's faithful service to the Village of Glendale Heights.

Mr. ROSKAM

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

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today in recognition of the long and distinguished service of James D. MacArthur on the occasion of his retirement. On March 31st of this year, Mr. MacArthur will conclude his loyal service as Fire Chief of the Itasca Fire Protection District. Chief MacArthur has served the community for a total of 38 years, including 8 years as Fire Chief of the Itasca Fire Protection District No. 1 and 15 years as Fire Chief of the Elk Grove Village Fire Department. Throughout his career, his extraordinary leadership has earned him great respect among colleagues and members of the community. He has held many noteworthy positions, including President of the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association and the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association. Along with other members of the Illinois fire service task force, Chief MacArthur assisted in the Louisiana response and relief efforts following Hurricane Katrina. Time and time again, Chief MacArthur has exhibited the characteristics this line of duty necessitates: enormous sacrifice and courage. Mr. Speaker and distinguished colleagues, please join me in celebrating this special occasion and wishing him every happiness in the well deserved respite of his retirement.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mark Dyer, a resident of Elmhurst, Illinois. Mark was recently recognized along with other volunteers for their efforts in furthering disaster relief efforts through ShelterBox USA. ShelterBox USA is a worldwide relief organization that specializes in providing emergency shelter to those displaced by natural disasters. As the horrific events unfolded in the wake of Haiti's devastating earthquake, many watched as news reports flashed images of human tragedy and suffering, but Mark Dyer was moved to action. Through Mr. Dyer's hard work to raise awareness and funds, ShelterBox was able to provide more than 28,000 ShelterBoxes full of cooking sets, tents, water purification supplies, and other essential items to the survivors in Haiti. Mark's determination is reflected in the fact that those 28,000 ShelterBoxes accounted for one-quarter of all the tented shelters in Haiti. Mark is also a ShelterBox Response Team member who volunteers his time all over the world. In the past two years Mark has deployed to Somaliland, Niger, Columbia, and Haiti to deliver much needed assistance following disasters. Few are willing to heed the call to service following devastating natural disasters, and even fewer are willing to commit to such a level, and with as much passion, as Mark Dyer. His efforts were recently recognized with The President's Volunteer Service Award, a special recognition presented on behalf of President Barack Obama for those who contribute a significant amount of time to volunteer activities. Mr. Speaker and Distinguished Colleagues, Mark Dyer deserves our recognition and commendation. Please join me in recognizing the impressive work of Mark Dyer and the volunteers of ShelterBox USA while wishing them every success in their future endeavors.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, today the folks on the other side of the aisle are actually arguing in the alternative. We heard the gentleman from New Jersey say, well, Republicans at least are finally getting to it. You don't need this resolution. And the gentlelady from California says, the resolution isn't good enough. I think what is clear is one thing. What we've seen from the past 2 years has been failure. I mean, it's ironic. There's nobody, Mr. Speaker, that's on the floor today defending the economic policies of the past 2 years, the stimulus that promised 8 percent and obviously, the overpromising and under-delivering. Jobs are job one of this Congress. It is imperative that we focus. And what we're doing with this resolution is putting an imprimatur of the work of these committees, saying your priority is to go through chapter and verse on these regulations and separate that out. The ones that don't add value, the ones that aren't making people safer, the ones that are complete nonsense, let's focus in on them, highlight them, and remove them. We have to remove the barriers to job creation. That is our responsibility. That is what should be bringing us all together. I urge the swift passage of this resolution.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Schock).

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of order against the amendment.

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the amendment.

Mr. ROSKAM. I wholeheartedly agree and ask that it be passed. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Womack).

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, there is really no sense of irony here, is there, that the proponents, the self-described proponents of transparency and openness, in the twinkling of an eye before a vote on an adjournment day come over and say there's your motion to recommit? This was posted online, Mr. Speaker, on Thursday of last week. The proponents--and this is a modified open rule--the proponents had an opportunity, Mr. Speaker, on Friday to file an amendment, on Monday to file an amendment, on Tuesday to file an amendment. But the very described people who are now cloaking themselves in a mantle of openness and transparency say, ``There you go''--moments ago. Okay, that's the program. I get the program. What is this ultimately all about? There is a sincere effort on the part of this majority, and I think some folks on the minority as well, to take the President up. There is a real attempt on the part of the proponents of this bill, Mr. Cole of Oklahoma, to try and save money, to look out over the entire course of this budget and all of these challenges. And Mr. Cole and the folks that are behind H.R. 359, the underlying bill, are ultimately saying we can save $617 million over a 10-year period. Mr. Speaker, that's according to the CBO. So it comes down to a very simple thing. If you want to save the money, you defeat the amendment. If you want to play games on the day that we're all heading out, trying to act like you are full of transparency and openness, support the amendment. I urge a ``no'' vote. I yield back the balance of my time. Parliamentary Inquiry

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the motion to recommit.

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of order against the amendment.

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Chairman, I must insist on the point of order. I raise a point of order against the amendment because it violates clause 10 of rule XXI, known as the CutGo rule. The amendment proposed increased mandatory spending without an equal or great reduction in existing mandatory spending relative to the underlying bill in violation of the rule.

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of order against the amendment.

Mr. ROSKAM. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, last night, the President in this very Chamber issued us an invitation. In that invitation, there were several opportunities, but two of them I would like to highlight. One is, he said this: He said he is willing to eliminate whatever we can honestly afford to do without. I take the President at face value that he's interested in doing that. The thing that the President issued was an invitation where he said this: He said, in fact, the best thing we could do on taxes for all Americans is to simplify the Tax Code. Well, the law of governing Presidential election campaign funds in the Presidential Primary Matching Payment Account is located in the Internal Revenue Code, which really inherently makes no sense. And I think during the course of this debate, Mr. Chairman, we're going to lay out the argument as to why the President's first point can be greeted and agreed to, that first goal that this is simply something that we can do without. Let me make a couple of quick points. I think it's important to recognize the irony of the Statement of Administration Policy that was published on January 25, and I'm reading in the third paragraph, he says--the administration, in criticism of this effort, says, ``Its effect would be to expand the power of corporations and special interests in the Nation's elections to force many candidates into an endless cycle of fundraising at the expense of engagement with voters on the issues.'' How can that be, Mr. Chairman? President Obama, when he was a candidate in 2000 for the United States Presidency, declined to participate in this fund, both in his primary and in his general election. And if President Obama has been able to rise above that, I think other Americans can rise above that. Also, I would just like to bring your attention to that same argument, and that is, a ``Dear colleague'' that was sent criticizing this bill said basically the same thing: By creating a viable alternative to private fundraising, the public financing system was designed to level the electoral playing field and ensure that candidates remain accountable to voters, not special interests. So does that mean, implicitly, Mr. Chairman, that candidates who didn't participate in the program are somehow not accountable to voters? I think President Obama would say he's really accountable to voters. I reserve the balance of my time.