Martha Roby

Mrs. ROBY

Mrs. ROBY. We don't have to yield. You can just talk.

Mrs. ROBY. I want to say to both gentlemen, what we're talking about tonight is kitchen table stuff. Americans all across this country sit down across the table from their loved one and they balance their budgets. Why do we hold the Federal Government to any standard other than that? We're addicted to spending. We are on an unsustainable path for the next generation. Tax reform, energy, and removing burdens on the working families are all such important concepts to making life work for American families. We're joined by another colleague. I just want to introduce our newly elected Member of the House of Representatives joining us in the 113th Congress, Mrs. Ann Wagner, the gentlelady from Missouri. Please join us in this conversation and offer your perspective.

Mrs. ROBY. That's great. I serve on the Education and Workforce Committee. Of course, that bill was reported out, as well as the Working Families Flexibility Act. Again, kitchen table stuff. We've got to balance our budget. Everybody here tonight voted in favor of a budget that would balance in 10 years. We understand that that's the key. We're about to enter into a district work week, and I'd love for the gentlelady from Washington to speak on this because you always have great examples of this, too, but we're all about to get on the plane or get in our cars and go home for the week. And we're going to be with our small business owners and with our employees. Quite frankly, the employers, yes, they provide the jobs. The employees, we need to spend a little bit more time talking about those moms and dads sitting at the table, making it work. And they are the ones who are suffering at the hand of these duplicative programs that are sucking up precious taxpayer dollars that--at the end of the day we can be doing a much more efficient job of helping American families and making life work.

Mrs. ROBY. Let's talk about one other thing, and I'm sorry to open another door, but I think it's important because of what you heard on airplanes today, about the sequester and what's going on in defense spending. Can we talk just a minute about our military families? You're talking about making life work. The people that we have a direct charge to make life work for are those who sacrifice on behalf of all of our freedoms and their families--our military men and women. I'm going to circle back to the bill, the Working Families Flexibility Act of 2013. Think about that military mom or dad that's getting ready to deploy and they're an hourly wage employee, and they don't have, under the current law, the option to exercise compensatory time. Yet their spouse is about to leave for a 1-year deployment to Afghanistan, and they've got to get their house in order. They've got to have flexibility to handle life outside of their job, whether it's their children or their aging parents, while their spouse is deployed. Let's talk about making sure that those men and women, as they're deployed, have everything that they need to accomplish the mission that we've given them. And yet through the sequester we know that we are going to have a smaller force. And our commanders say not less capable but we're going to have to make some really tough decisions about where we are in the world and what we can do with our capabilities. And I'll just tell you, all you have to do is go to the military installation closest to your home and look into the eyes of that spouse whose family member is currently deployed in harm's way, and it will change our outlook, as it should. Making life work for military families, making life work for Margaret and George, my kids, and yours, that's what we're talking about tonight. Mr. Speaker, I want to just remind that we are, throughout this discussion, looking on Twitter, #makinglifework, taking input, Mr. Speaker, from our constituents as we have this conversation. I yield to the gentleman from Indiana.

Mrs. ROBY. All you have to do is pull out your copy of the Constitution, and what does it say? Our charge as Members of Congress is to provide for a strong national defense. If we're not taking care of those men and women in uniform who have fought and died for the very freedoms that allow for us to stand in this room today and talk about making life work, if we don't have enough respect for that, to do our job in Congress and set priorities when it comes to wasteful spending on behalf of them, then we all need to take a long, hard look at ourselves in the mirror.

Mrs. ROBY. To the gentleman from Indiana, we appreciate the hard work that you're doing on the Ways and Means Committee. All of us here look forward to helping making life work for American families through a simpler, flatter, fairer Tax Code that does just that.

Mrs. ROBY. I just want to remind you, Mr. Speaker, that tonight we are grateful to be on the floor talking about making life work. Mr. Speaker, one of the ways that we're doing that tonight is engaging our constituents through #makinglifework. We want to hear, as we continue through this discussion, from the people from Missouri's Second District or Alabama's Second District or the other districts represented in this room, Mr. Speaker. We want to hear from those folks as we continue this conversation tonight about how to make life work on behalf of Americans. As I've talked about on several occasions tonight, the Working Families Flexibility Act, which will be on the floor for a vote in 2 weeks, is about a voluntary agreement between an employer and an employee, only at the option of the employee, in the private sector-- which is currently not legal, and the private sector removing this regulation so that employee has the opportunity to say, you know what, time is more precious than money. As a working mother with two small kids, I get that. I get that and I can relate to that. This bill is about allowing in the private sector that employer and that employee to come to an agreement and that employee exercising their right to say I'd rather have comp time, paid time off, than overtime payments and cash payments. So we're talking about not just through tax reform or energy or health care--all of these things that have been discussed tonight-- we're talking about how do we make life just a little bit easier for hardworking tax-paying Americans? They sit around their kitchen tables, balance their budgets, live within their means, and the Federal Government, quite frankly, doesn't do that, and we should be held to that same standard.

Mrs. ROBY. My farmers in Alabama are very, very familiar with all those regulations. We've worked hard through the Committee on Agriculture to do all that we can to remove that heavy hand of the Federal Government. Our farmers just want to farm. Let me tell you, when we talk about national security, the day that our farmers in the United States of America can't feed, not just the world, but can't feed America, do you want to talk about a national security interest? Those are great examples of how we can remove those regulatory burdens.

Mrs. ROBY. We've sat on this floor for the past couple of years, and glad to have our new colleague join us tonight, but we've all given examples, and one of my favorite examples, although it's not funny, it's real, is the owner of a construction company that came to one of my NFIB roundtable discussions back in my district during a district workweek. Let me just give you this as an example. He said, The regulator drives by my job site and there was a ladder propped up against the eave. Let's say the guy stood to make an $800 profit off of this construction job. His workers have been going up and down the ladder all day safely. And the regulator on his way home from his job slows down, because it happened to be on his street, and he says, That ladder does not meet regulation. This guy gets slapped with like an $8,000 fine on a job that he only stood to make an $800 profit on. That is not making life work. This administration and our colleagues in the Senate have got to wake up to what we're doing strangling small businesses. But, again, it's not just about the employer. I think we've got to remember and remind ourselves that it's not just about the employer that creates the jobs. We get that and we applaud that. We want to make it as easy for people to create jobs as we can in this country because that's innovation and that's what this country is about, but it's also about that hardworking employee. And we've got to remember that clearing this regulatory environment, it helps that American family, it helps that American family when they're sitting around their dinner table and they're trying to make life work. Again, real quick, we've got a few more minutes, I just want to remind, Mr. Speaker, tonight, we are hoping to receive input from our constituents at #makinglifework. Throughout our conversation tonight we've been hearing from folks that have been reminding us of issues that are important to them. And I think this is, Mr. Speaker, a very unique opportunity to have this conversation.

Mrs. ROBY. One of the things we haven't really spent time on--and the gentlelady from Washington wants to talk about--is health care and things that we are doing to make sure that American families have the access. I think we can all agree that we want health care to be more affordable and more accessible by all Americans, but as we move closer and closer to the full implementation of ObamaCare in 2014, we're finding that that doesn't work.

Mrs. ROBY. Didn't the President, himself, promise that those individuals would receive that care?

Mrs. ROBY. We look forward to that debate in the next 2 days. We are closing in on the end of our hour, but we have just been joined by the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Griffin). As you know, tonight, we are talking about this #makinglifework for American families. So I want you to jump in, but we do have, just as a reminder, about 2 minutes tops.

Mrs. ROBY. We do. I thank the gentleman from Arkansas. I know you ran over here to join us tonight. I thank all of those States and districts that are represented here tonight. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. ROBY

Mrs. ROBY. Madam Chair, I thank the gentleman. I rise today in support of H.R. 803, the Supporting Knowledge and Investing in Lifelong Skills Act, of which I'm a proud cosponsor. This bill reforms and streamlines our Nation's critical job-training programs. Currently, over 30 different agencies are involved in workforce development or unemployment services. Why? Because Washington loves creating a bureaucracy, but rarely ever ends one. The SKILLS Act changes that by consolidating these myriad departments into one workforce development platform tasked with equipping unemployed or underemployed workers with the skills that they need to land a good job. This bill also enhances flexibility by giving States more authority to direct resources based on their individual needs. It empowers State workforce development agencies to collaborate more with community colleges by removing bureaucratic red tape. In addition, it repeals 19 Federal mandates that previously dictated who was even able to serve on these State workforce boards. Also, I'm pleased that the legislation that we're debating today also reflects an amendment that I offered in the markup last week to strengthen the underlying bill. My colleagues accepted my amendment that prohibits any State or local agency from using Federal workforce funds authorized by the SKILLS Act to turn around and lobby for more funding or to engage in political activities. We can all agree that Federal funds provided to State and local areas should be used to provide workers the training and support they need to find a job, especially when there are 12 million Americans searching for work. Workforce development agencies need to be using precious Federal resources to help their unemployed workers land jobs, not to lobby Congress for more funds and certainly not to advance political beliefs. I am proud to vote in favor of H.R. 803. I encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this bill so we can streamline government spending, eliminate duplication, and allow States to build more effective workforce development programs.

Mrs. ROBY

Mrs. ROBY. In closing, I just want to make sure that we're clear: Republicans have committed to standing for all victims. This bill, or amendment, strengthens penalties for sexual assault, improves the Federal stalking statute, provides for enhanced investigation and prosecution of sexual assault, and provides services for victims. Most importantly, our amendment is constitutional, and it will stand up to constitutional muster from the court. The Senate passed a weakened bill that has a real chance of being overturned by the courts. I urge support for the House amendment.

Mrs. ROBY

Mrs. ROBY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 273, a bill that would prevent the President's pay hike for federal workers and Members of Congress. H.R. 273 is a good bill that deserves our support. In a time of historic budget difficulty, the bill rightly seeks to limit federal spending on the government workforce. The bill also recognizes what the American People know to be true: too many private sector employees remain without work during this protracted period of high unemployment. I will vote in support of H.R. 273 later today. While this legislation is a step in the right direction, we should go further to prevent excessive spending by also suspending the automatic step increases that federal employees will continue to receive even if H.R. 273 is enacted into law. I have been disappointed that over the past two years of the President's so-called ``freeze'' on federal pay, federal employees have continued to receive step increases. According to the Office of Personnel Management, these increases have resulted in a median pay increase of approximately $3,164 per federal employee--all during the so-called pay freeze. These step increases are not based on merit, and there are serious flaws with this system. For example, all employees in the Government Service pay plan who completed their ``waiting period'' received a three percent raise in pay during this period. Mr. Speaker, do private sector workers receive a three percent salary increase for simply completing a ``waiting period?'' No, of course not. During this time, salaries in the private sector only increased by $1,404, less than half of what federal salaries gained on average, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. If the President is going to say he is freezing pay, he must do exactly that--freeze pay. Anything less is a budget gimmick that creates only the illusion of savings. Last Congress I worked to stop budget loopholes like this in a bill I introduced, the Honest Budget Act. Working with the Senate, I aimed to enact changes that would bring more honesty and transparency to budgeting process. I authored an amendment to H.R. 273 based on the provisions of the Honest Budget Act, but unfortunately this chamber is not able to consider it today under the closed procedural rule for H.R. 273. I intend to continue to pursue the issue later this year. Since I've been in Congress, we have fought to reduce excessive spending to get our nation's deficits under control. We've enjoyed successes, but we have also seen firsthand the tricks of trade-- gimmicks used to distort the truth and hide new spending. Soon I will be re-introducing the Honest Budget Act in the 113th Congress, and I ask my colleagues to join me in this fight for honesty and accountability in the budget. A budget is a plan for the future and a financial report to the stockholders of the company--in this case, the American people. I am convinced that we can do better in the future.

Mrs. ROBY

Mrs. ROBY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the heroic actions of Mr. Charles ``Chuck'' Albert Poland, Jr., a school bus driver from Southeast Alabama who died protecting the lives of the children in his care. Tuesday, January 29, started out just like another day for Mr. Poland, who had worked as a school bus driver for the Dale County Schools system since 2009. However, that afternoon while completing his route, an armed man entered Mr. Poland's school bus and demanded to take children hostage. Faced with this perilous situation, Mr. Poland rushed the children out the bus emergency exit and to safety. Standing between the gunman and the children, Mr. Poland was shot four times and killed. There is little doubt that Mr. Poland's actions saved lives. This, of course, began the week-long hostage standoff, which, thankfully, ended with the amazing rescue of the child hostage. But who knows how the situation might have ended had Mr. Poland not bravely stood in the gunman's way. Mr. Speaker, as a mother of two young children, I am particularly moved by the actions Chuck Poland took to protect the children in his care. It is difficult to even imagine our children being in such danger. How heartening to know that--whether in a classroom or on a school bus--people like Mr. Poland are looking out for students and protecting them. Those who know Chuck Poland best speak to his quiet, humble spirit. They note that he would likely shy away from the attention. Born in Idaho, Mr. Poland made Southeast Alabama his home in the 1960s. He served in the Army before settling down as a diesel mechanic. When he retired, he took up a part-time job as a bus driver. Ultimately, Mr. Poland was asked to become a full-time bus driver in 2009. Mr. Poland was a beloved husband to Jan, his wife of over 40 years; a loving father to his son, Aaron, and daughter, Lydia; and doting ``Paw-Paw'' to his three grandsons, Timothy, Ryan, and Blake. Mr. Poland and his wife shared a favorite Bible verse, which, in this moment seems very fitting. ``For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.''--2 Timothy 1:12 According to his son, Mr. Poland viewed his students as his own children, and he looked after them as though they were his own. Chuck Poland would be proud to watch them grow up; to see the men and women they become. One of the children might grow up to be a scientist who makes the next big discovery or cures a disease. One might start a major company that employs thousands. One might be a soldier who fights valiantly for our country. One might be a teacher, a nurse or a firefighter who makes a difference in the lives of others. But one thing is for sure--they each have the chance to live a full and happy life because their bus driver, Mr. Poland, was willing to give his life for theirs. The author Joseph Campbell wrote, ``A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.'' Mr. Speaker, today we recognize a true hero. Chuck Poland gave his life so that others may live and, for that, he will always be remembered.

Mrs. ROBY

Mrs. ROBY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 40th anniversary of the monumental court decision Roe v. Wade. Since the Supreme Court legalized abortion in 1973, 40 years ago today, 54 million abortions have been performed throughout the United States. Over 4,000 babies will be aborted today alone and over the course of 2013, 1.4 million children in the United States will not be granted the gift of life. Mr. Speaker, I am unapologetically pro-life. I believe that the miracle of human life begins at conception. I believe that every human being has the unalienable right to life and that this right must be protected by law. As a proud member of the Pro-Life Caucus, I respect the sanctity of human life in all of its stages. Science proves that human beings develop at an astonishingly rapid pace and that the life of a child begins long before he or she is born into this world. At about 22 days after conception, a child's heart begins to circulate his own blood, unique to that of his mother's and his heartbeat can be detected on ultrasound. Americans have a proud tradition of standing up and fighting for those who can't fight for themselves. As a woman, a wife, a mother of two children, and as the Representative of Alabama's Second Congressional District, I'm committed to fighting for the unborn. Recently, my home state of Alabama became the fifth state in the Nation to pass a measure banning abortions after 20 weeks, which is the point where unborn children can feel pain. I applaud the Alabama Legislature for taking such a strong stance on abortion and for protecting those who do not have a voice. As the 113th Congress begins, I will continue to do everything in my power to fight for the unborn, prevent taxpayer money from funding abortions, and protect our democratic system from the encroachment of an all-powerful judiciary. Mr. Speaker, today is a time to celebrate the miracle of life and mourn those whose lives were unjustly ended. Let us use the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade as an occasion to reaffirm our beliefs and vow to fight for the life of every child.

Mrs. ROBY

Mrs. ROBY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 773--the Recalcitrant Cancer Research Act. The incredible team at the National Cancer Institute has provided extraordinary research that has been vital to our ability to combat cancer in all its forms. Still, research for the deadliest cancers--called recalcitrant cancers--remains only a small portion of the Institute's total funding. Recalcitrant cancers are defined by those that average a less than fifty percent survival rate beyond five years. It's these cancers, which hide in hard-to-detect places, that can be the most dangerous for victims and most painful for families. I know this to be true, Mr. Speaker, because my dear friend from childhood, Mrs. Kathryn Elliot Williams, lost a grueling battle with ovarian cancer earlier this year at the young age of 36. Elliot wasn't just my friend. She was a loving wife, a nurturing mother, a daughter, a sister and a true servant of her Lord and her neighbor. After Elliot passed away I came to this floor to memorialize her life. But I cannot think of a better way to honor her memory than for the Congress to do its part to ensure that more women faced with this terrible disease have hope for the future. September, Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, is the most appropriate time to remind women young and old of the risks and ensure that research for ovarian cancer and other recalcitrant cancers will remain a priority for this country.

Mrs. ROBY

Mrs. ROBY. Absolutely.

Mrs. ROBY. Absolutely. Again, by virtue of a comparison, with the President's proposed tax hike, deficits would still total 6.6 trillion over the next 10 years according to his own budget. But by comparison, our budget, the House Republican budget, would reduce deficits compared to his by 3.3 trillion while lowering taxes on small businesses and spurring economic growth. That's the difference.

Mrs. ROBY. You mentioned your colleges in your district. Actually, there are some great colleges in or right nearby in Alabama's Second District: Alabama State University, Faulkner University, Troy University, and Huntingdon College. But let me just highlight real quickly Alabama's 2-year college system where we have incredible workforce development programs, honing skills in young people that can immediately go out into the workforce, and they deserve better than these lofty promises. Did you know that since President Obama was inaugurated in January of 2009, the manufacturing sector has shed 590,000 jobs, 590,000 jobs?

Mrs. ROBY. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to be here this evening alongside some of my freshman colleagues. We want to have a real frank discussion with the American people tonight about a milestone that we hit just last week. This is not a milestone of historic significance that we're proud of, and that is that our national debt has now hit $16 trillion. This brings no pride or cause to celebrate to the American people, nor should it to any Member of this body or our friends in the Senate or in the White House. That is approximately $51,000 for every man, woman, and child in this country. It's unacceptable, and it doesn't, quite frankly, have to be this way. I want to point you to a few of the President's own words that he said when he was campaigning to be the President of the United States: We can't afford another 4 years of the kind of deficits we've seen during the last 8. We can't afford to mortgage our children's future on another mountain of debt. Where are we today? Today we're at a place that is far worse than 4 years ago. With our debt now at $16 trillion, we've not seen anything significant from this White House in an effort to reduce our debt. Instead, all we hear about is new programs that are going to require more taxpayer dollars and not an effort to rein in this out-of-control spending. I want to talk about that tonight. Tonight we also want to focus on jobs. This is the number one issue facing the American people right now. We need to get America back to work. And this government, this body right here, we don't create the jobs, but we sure can help create an environment in which job creation is right. We have done a lot here in the House to do that. We've passed over 30 bills. They're sitting in the Senate awaiting action. We are going to continue to highlight what we've learned, in this hour, over the course of our time back at home. I have my friend from Colorado standing here. I would just say to you, Mr. Gardner, that I'm sure you can say the same about what you learned over the district work period. From traveling from town to town, from county to county in Alabama's Second District over and over again, I have witnessed that the debt has stifled job creation because all it has done is create more uncertainty. All of the regulation and red tape that has been passed in the previous Congress that this Congress has been unable to undue because of the lack of action in the Senate and ObamaCare, all of that has contributed to more and more uncertainty. People are hurting. I've traveled around and looked into the eyes of folks, and they can't take any more. Their businesses are on the line, and that then, in turn, is a reflection of what's going to happen in their households.

Mrs. ROBY. If we could spend some time on our young people, because that really paints the picture better than anything. The graduating class of 2012, when they were getting ready to face the real world in April of this year, the Associated Press reported that half of those college graduates were unemployed. That's half. Just to show a little bit of a comparison, since President Obama has taken office, the unemployment rate for 20-year-olds to 24-year-olds has increased more than a point from 12.4 percent to 13.9 percent. The median income for those under the age of 35 dropped by 10.5 percent from 2007 to 2010. That's more than any other age group. More of today's 20-somethings to 30-somethings are living with their parents than any of the generations that have gone before them. So by comparison--and here's what we really highlight--this President's failure and this Congress' failure to get out of the way of job creation. In 1980, 17 percent of adults, 20- to 34-year-olds, had to live with their parents, and today that number is 24 percent. At a time when these young people coming out of college face mountains of student loan debt, they can't find jobs. Instead of looking and working to find ways to provide opportunities for these young people, President Obama and his policies are setting the stage for these young people to be more dependent on the government. Anyway, that's just to highlight your point exactly that that is the sector of our population that is the promise of tomorrow, and they are unemployed.

Mrs. ROBY. This was since President Obama was inaugurated in January of 2009. The number of Americans receiving food stamps as of April 2012 was 46.1 million. I heard today one of our colleagues say one in seven, one out of every seven Americans is receiving some sort of nutritional assistance. That is astounding. That is astounding. We've painted a picture here that is bleak, and we're telling the American people what they already know because so many of them are too aware of this because they're the ones that are suffering from this administration. I just want to say that we have solutions. We have solutions where we can change things and the private sector can thrive, but that is going to mean getting the government out of the way. We need the leadership in the Senate to have the political courage to stand up and take up our jobs bills, our energy bills that reduce regulation and does just that, gets the government out of the way.