Todd Rokita

Mr. ROKITA

Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROKITA

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

Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank Chairman Calvert for managing the time tonight and for getting us to this point. By my calculation, it has been 5 years since we have been able to have these kind of debates on the floor of the House, and here we are, at 12:30 at night. Speaking for myself, I have listened to the entire debate here tonight on the floor, starting with votes after 6:30. Mr. Chairman, I was struck by the amount of amendments having to do with the Endangered Species Act, number one; and, number two, having to deal with the lists, whether threatened or endangered lists of Endangered Species Act. Clearly--and I would agree with the gentlewoman on the other side of the aisle on this--reform and major reform of the Endangered Species Act is needed. That will take some time. That discussion has been ongoing. It is nothing that hasn't already started in this Congress or in previous Congresses. I look forward to being a part of that solution in a very constructive way. What about the near term? We have people, human constituents who are really suffering; and that is what my amendment, Mr. Chairman, is about tonight. Summer is a big time for any industry that depends on tourism to survive. I offer this amendment out of concern for two lake communities in my district. Just last year, during the height of the summer's busy tourist season, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service required that the Northern Indiana Public Service Company, locally known as NIPSCO, release more water into the Tippecanoe River from Lake Freeman to protect a bed of endangered freshwater mussels that live further down the Tippecanoe River, all under the guise of the Endangered Species Act. As a result, in a matter of days, water levels on Lake Freeman dropped dramatically. I have visited with local residents near Lake Freeman multiple times and have seen the lake in person. Growing up during the summers, I spent my time on the sister lake, Lake Shafer. Many who live and work near the lake discovered, to their surprise, their boats were stuck, businesses were in jeopardy, and home values were going down; but more than that, stumps were rising out of the water, and personal health and safety were also in jeopardy as a result. Now, I immediately contacted Fish and Wildlife, and I want to applaud them for their responsiveness and NIPSCO for working together. We created a technical assistance letter, otherwise known as a TAL. It is my estimation that that is going to have some effect. Again, I appreciate the reasonableness of all involved. The current plan there is a temporary fix, and really, we ought to be able to do more. Now, currently, Fish and Wildlife receives funding to enforce the Endangered Species Act, which protects six species of mussels that live in the river, as the Clerk mentioned as he read the amendment. The Endangered Species Act gives the highest priority to protected and listed species, and there is little anyone can do in terms of exceptions or exemptions or even any kind of balancing test to make sure that there is not a solution that could be a win-win. It is a very draconian law--strict compliance, no balancing test, no room for discretion or creative solution. That is where this reform is needed. The statute, like I said, provides no balancing test for weighing the economic harms, and the Supreme Court of this land has refused to allow us or even lower courts to construct their own test, us as citizens. Compliance with this law, as currently written, requires diverting water from Lake Freeman to the Tippecanoe River to balance water levels, despite consideration of the economic impact and human safety. In essence, my amendment limits the funding mechanism Fish and Wildlife would be able to use to enforce the Endangered Species Act with respect to these six types of mussels and eliminates the financial repercussions for failing to enforce the law. Speaking firsthand with residents, lowering these water levels in Lake Freeman negatively affects the community and small businesses that rely on the tourists who enjoy the lake and the steady water level. Lower water levels also pose dangerous swimming conditions to both boaters and swimmers as formerly underwater tree stumps breach the water. This is unnecessary and a preventable hazard to those who use the lake and, again, in a win-win way. It is all because of this draconian law that, although well intended, is badly in need of reform so that its practical effect can be overhauled and any of its misguided applications halted. Hoosiers, like myself, are just as concerned for the environment as they are for their incomes and family recreation. It is not about antienvironmentalism, but they believe, like I said, there is a win-win solution here, if only the law would allow such a solution to exist. In the meantime, we ought to defund Fish and Wildlife's ability to enforce this law as it is written. While I value nature and seek to protect endangered animals, the reward of protecting the mussel does not outweigh the economic damage done to this community or the personal safety or health of my human constituents.

Mr. ROKITA

Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Ron Dickerson on his retirement from Nucor Steel Indiana after 27 years with the company. As a student at Wabash College, I can remember the steel mill being built and the excitement it brought to the community as they moved closer to production. Like Wabash College, Nucor Steel Indiana calls the Fourth District's Crawfordsville home. Ron has been with Nucor Steel Indiana from the beginning when he was hired as a frontline worker in the hot rolling mill. He worked his way up to the top job, serving as Vice President and General Manager of the mill for the past 13 years. As a native of Crawfordsville, Ron understands as well as anyone the positive impact the mill has had on the city of 16,000. Nucor Steel Indiana is a major employer, providing high-paying jobs and supporting the work of nonprofit organizations in the community. Nucor's culture emphasizes the importance of its teammates and Ron embodies that culture. Nucor Steel Indiana has enjoyed great success under Ron's leadership, but he would be the first to tell you that success is the result of the hard work of Nucor's 742 teammates in Crawfordsville. For Ron, nothing is more important than the men and women who work at the mill. I have known Ron for a number of years, and have always been impressed with his work ethic and desire to succeed. We have a shared love for classic cars, and his 1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1 embodies that American desire and work ethic. I have always valued Ron's counsel and appreciate his friendship and leadership. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in honoring Ron Dickerson for his outstanding career in the steel industry and his commitment to the community of Crawfordsville. I wish him all the best in his retirement.

Mr. ROKITA

Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Chair, I thank Mr. Gosar, Mr. Calvert, and Ms. McCollum for their help in all this. This amendment, which I support, would fund the BIE to the administration's fiscal year 2016 request, but unlike that request, it is paid for and adheres to our budget cap. This year, as the chairman of the Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education Subcommittee, I have had the opportunity to visit several BIE schools in Arizona and Minnesota. During these visits, I have seen firsthand the challenges that the BIE faces. These challenges consist of crumbling school buildings, inadequate technology and Internet connectivity, transportation issues, and inconsistent management. These are all serious challenges, and they are all well documented by my official visits, by committee hearings--such as those being done by Mr. Calvert's subcommittee and mine--by GAO reports, and by the media. This increase in funds will help address the identified challenges by providing the resources needed to improve the academic achievement and increase the graduation rates of Native American students that attend BIE schools. This is the goal of all of us for Native American children. Mr. Chairman, I look at this as a bipartisan issue and appreciate my colleagues' support of Mr. Gosar's amendment.

Mr. ROKITA

Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Minnesota for yielding the time. He has been the leader on this from day one, and I am happy to join him. I also thank Chairman Ryan of the Ways and Means Committee for allowing this to come to the floor the way it has. I think it is very important. Most of America thinks this is very important, and to have it stand alone here where it can be debated, hopefully honestly, I think speaks well to the process, I think it speaks well to the leadership of Chairman Ryan and Member Paulsen and others who are behind this. Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to be back on the floor to support this. It is long overdue. It needs to happen. There is an old adage, Mr. Speaker, and that is, if you want less of something, tax it. The same is true here. If you want less jobs in this area, like the 56,000 jobs in Indiana alone, tax the devices that those jobs produce. If you want less innovation, tax these medical devices. If you want America to be less of a leader in the world when it comes to this industry, tax it. That is all their argument, Mr. Speaker, is saying, and our bill corrects that. Let the free market work, and let innovation work. Let's keep us a leader in the world in this area.

Mr. ROKITA

Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a distinguished Hoosier and American, Major General R. Martin Umbarger, the Adjutant General of Indiana. Major General Umbarger is retiring after eleven years as the leader of the Indiana Army and Air National Guard, the Indiana Guard Reserve and support staff totaling more than 15,800 personnel. Major General Umbarger began his career as an enlisted soldier for the Indiana Army National Guard in 1969. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant after graduating from the Indiana Military Academy as a distinguished military graduate. He has served as the Deputy Commanding General for the Reserve Component in the U.S. Army Forces Command, Assistant Division Commander for Training for the 38th Infantry Division, and as Commanding General of the 76th Infantry Brigade. Major General Umbarger earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in business from the University of Evansville and attended the United States Command and General Staff College and United States Army War College. Major General Umbarger has directed the pre-mobilized training, deployment and redeployment of most of the Indiana Army and Air National Guard in support of the Global War on Terrorism. He has served as a member of the Secretary of the Army's Reserve Forces Policy Committee and currently serves on the Secretary of Defense's Reserve Forces Policy Board. As Secretary of State, I had the privilege of working with Major General Umbarger to protect Hoosiers serving in the military, both out- of-state and overseas, by promoting and improving absentee voting processes. Major General Umbarger recognized the importance of ensuring that those fighting for our freedom had the opportunity to vote for those sending them into harm's way. He truly values the rights of the men and women under his command, and they know it. As Indiana's Fourth District Representative, I have also worked with Major General Umbarger on legislation which would study the structure of our military and how reserve components can be best utilized. Major General Umbarger is one of the most accomplished adjutant generals in the country and a valuable leader in Indiana. He has led the Indiana National Guard and served our state and nation with integrity and distinction over his 45 year career in the Armed Forces. I wish him and his family the best of luck as they prepare for the next chapter of their lives.

Mr. ROKITA

Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a distinguished Hoosier and American, Major General R. Martin Umbarger, the Adjutant General of Indiana, who is retiring after 11 years as the leader of the Indiana Guard Reserve and the Indiana Army and Air National Guard. Major General Umbarger's distinguished career in the military spans five decades and began when he enlisted as a soldier in the Indiana Army National Guard in 1969. As secretary of state, I had the privilege of working with Major General Umbarger to protect Hoosiers serving in the military, both out of State and overseas, by promoting and improving absentee voting processes. As Indiana's Fourth District Representative, I have also worked with Major General Umbarger on legislation which would study the structure of our military and how Reserve components can be best utilized. In short, Major General Umbarger is one of the most accomplished adjutant generals in the country and a valuable leader in Indiana and the USA. He has led our National Guard and served our State and Nation with integrity and distinction over his 45-year military career. I would like to thank Major General Umbarger for his selfless service and wish him well in his retirement.

Mr. ROKITA

Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Speaker, as you know the words spoken on the Floor of this House in many ways become the official record of our great Nation, as each word spoken here is made part of the official House Record. As such, I rise today to honor a great American, philanthropist, my Sigma Chi brother and good friend, Donald Danielson. Danny was widely known for his nearly 40-year career at City Securities, one of Indianapolis' oldest investment firms. He was the former president of New Castle-based Modernfold, the company whose accordion-fold door helped change the way businesses, schools and churches utilized interior space. As a Sigma Chi, Danny was devoted to the ideals of the White Cross we wear. To all he came to know, his friendship was enduring; his generosities were large; and his life was an inspiration. He loved his Fraternity, but he knew that its helpfulness and sympathies were meant to broaden more than the bounds of an organization. To that end, his loyalty was grounded in the faith that fraternalism stands for better citizenship, for a more noble civilization, and for the higher ideals of life in its service to man and reverence to God. And in that, Mr. Speaker, we have found in Mr. Danielson not only the ideals of Sigma Chi, but the essence of America. He was accepted to Indiana University on a baseball scholarship, graduated and became one of the longest-serving trustees on record at the University, serving as its president for 11 of his 22 years of service. He helped create IU's Wells Scholar program and in 1994 was awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree. After graduation, Danny served his Country in the U.S. Navy in both the Pacific and Atlantic theaters of World War II being discharged in 1946 with a rank of Lieutenant. He married his wife Patricia in 1947 and though being signed to play professional baseball by the Brooklyn Dodgers, decided to take a job at the IU Alumni Association instead. In 2009, Danielson received the Sachem award, the highest honor given by the state of Indiana. He received several Sagamore of the Wabash awards from Indiana Governors, and in 2014, the Indiana Historical Society named him a Living Legend. He was inducted into the Junior Achievement of Central Indiana Business Hall of Fame in 2010, and was appointed by President George H.W. Bush to the Credit Standards Advisory Committee. Preceded in death by his beloved wife Patti, Danny leaves three daughters, Mary, Susie and Amy, eight cherished grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. On behalf of many Hoosiers, I offer to all of them, their extended families, and all those who share the grief of his loss, my sincerest condolences.

Mr. ROKITA

Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Speaker, on roll call nos. 216, 217, 218, 219, and 220 I am not recorded because I was unavoidably detained due to travel. Had I been present, I would have voted aye on roll call 216. Had I been present, I would have voted nay on roll call 217. Had I been present, I would have voted nay on roll call 218. Had I been present, I would have voted aye on roll call 219. Had I been present, I would have voted aye on roll call 220.

Mr. ROKITA

Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Price for his extraordinary leadership throughout this entire process. And I want to thank my fellow conferees for their hard work, many hours over many days, to get us to where we are today and, of course, my fellow Budget Committee members, both Republican and Democrat, for the robust discussion, debate, spirit, as it was sometimes. The process worked. We did go late into the night a few times. But we came out of those late nights, those long hours, with the product here today. The product here today, unfortunately, is a more rare product than it should be. Mr. Speaker, for the first time since 2001, 14 years, we have a balanced joint budget resolution, bicameral. As a relatively new person to this Chamber, in my fifth year, and you think about why that is the case, you, unfortunately, in my opinion, have to conclude it is because most of the time we are talking about the demagoguery, like some of which we just heard, half the story, so to speak, about what is really going on here. If we had full discussions about where this country really needs to go, where this Federal Government needs to go in terms of improving its debt and deficit picture, the whole budget picture, you would really see that the economy in this country could be better off with those honest, full discussions. This budget, for example, does balance in less than 10 years without raising taxes--without raising taxes. The gentleman very much knows that the Budget Committee doesn't write tax prescriptions; it is the Ways and Means Committee. We say in our budget document that the Ways and Means Committee should get on with the business of tax reform. What the Congressional Budget Office that the gentleman mentioned says is that over the 10-year window of this budget agreement, the economy will grow $400 billion. That is hardly a contraction. $400 billion, at least to some of us, is a lot of money, and that is great for economic growth. This budget agreement does that. Do you see what I mean, Mr. Speaker, by ``the whole story''? It also ensures a strong national defense, making sure that our troops have the money they need, but remain accountable to the money that is given. It gives us a chance to repeal in full, taxes and all, ObamaCare, and allows us a chance to start over with patient-centered health reform. It hasn't been done. We haven't had that chance in a long time. ObamaCare, Mr. Speaker, is an expensive proposition, and we are seeing more and more proof of that every day. It strengthens Medicare in the future without affecting those in or near retirement now. This is important. Some of us, for my friends on the conservative side, have looked at the press reports and found, hey, we have given up on Medicare. Absolutely not; nor for Social Security. These are the drivers of our debt, Mr. Speaker, and our budget language remains intact. The fact of the matter is this conference committee report is numerically driven, not policy driven.

Mr. ROKITA. And for everyone, this is what is driving our debt. These pieces of the pie. They are all attached together, whether it is Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid, or the interest we owe ourselves and others for the amount of money we are borrowing. Our ideas for correcting this debt, the drivers of our debt, are still in place. I call upon the authorizing committees, whether it be Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, Education and the Workforce, or any other committee, to start working on reforming this debt. This budget agreement, Mr. Speaker, gives us the opportunity, finally, after 14 years, to start down that road. This is not a conclusion; this is a beginning, and I ask my Democratic friends to join us down that road.

Mr. ROKITA

Mr. ROKITA. Madam Chair, I rise today in strong support of the amendment offered by my friend, the gentleman from Pennsylvania. I would also like to thank the gentlewoman from Tennessee for her continued work on this matter. Frankly, as I look around the room tonight, I think it is kind of ridiculous that we are sitting here talking, standing here talking about ceiling fans. This is what it has come to. The bureaucracy in this town is now telling the American people that they know what belongs on their ceiling more than those people do. It is government run amuck. It is an example of the complete disregard bureaucrats have for the practical implications of the regulations they issue. The Department of Energy, as is stated, contends that a certain amount of energy would be saved by requiring greater efficiency from ceiling fans, completely disregarding the fact that if you price people out of this market, as the gentlewoman from Tennessee said, they are going to have to buy cooling systems that are even more expensive, buy fans that are even more expensive. Let's get out of this business. We have more important things to do than worrying about bureaucrats and what they decide people need on their ceilings. Let's remember, this amendment was adopted in 2014 on the floor, and it was in the base text of the 2015 bill. I urge a ``yes'' vote on this amendment.

Mr. ROKITA

Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a notable Hoosier, Mr. Donald S. Powers, who passed away on April 21, 2015. I would like to express my gratitude for his community service and economic development in my hometown of Munster, Indiana. Most important to me, he was a friend and mentor who was always ready to provide sound guidance. He was among my very first supporters in my first run for Indiana Secretary of State, and he, Margo, and their family have been close friends for nearly my entire life. More than that though, many people who call Northwest Indiana home can rightfully claim the same kind of relationship with Don Powers. Mr. Powers proudly fought for our nation during World War II as a Navy fighter pilot and was called into service again during the Korean War. I know it was an honor for him, as a member of the United States Navy to protect the country he loved, the greatest nation the world has ever seen. His fearless exploits as a fighter pilot on an aircraft carrier would shape his business approach leading to a willingness to take risks that others would not. After his contributions to our nation, Mr. Powers moved to Munster from Kentucky, where he spent many years farming and managing farms for others. He was a graduate of Indiana's 4th District beloved Purdue University. He also helped develop Purdue University Calumet where he served on the university's board of trustees for 15 years, including several as president. Mr. Powers went on to establish a real estate firm and developed much of Munster's residential neighborhoods. He also developed the golf course community of Briar Ridge that many of the region's families call home. His annual Purdue golf outings at the course were major fundraisers that brought Boilermaker coaches and athletes into town. In 1973, Mr. Powers took part in the creation of Community Hospital in Munster, voted one of ``America's 50 Best Hospitals'' seven years in a row. In 1989, he developed the Center for the Visual and Performing Arts, home to the Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra and South Shore Arts. His efforts in developing Munster led to nationwide accolades for the community, even making Forbes Magazine's ``25 Top Suburbs for Retirement.'' Mr. Powers was highly regarded in the community for his philanthropic and business endeavors. He served on the Board of Directors of the Munster Medical Research Foundation and most recently as the CE of Community Healthcare System. He personally funded nursing scholarships at Purdue University and Indiana University Northwest. Mr. Powers received many honors including the Northwest Indiana Quality of Life Council's Lifetime Achievement Award, the Lifetime Achievement Award and Entrepreneurial Excellence Award from the Northwest Indiana Small business Development Center. He was twice recognized as a Sagamore of the Wabash recipient, by Indiana Governors. Mr. Powers leaves behind his beloved wife Margo, daughter Frankie Fesko, three grandchildren, Heather, Donald and Timothy, and six great- grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Trena. Indiana and the nation lost a committed leader, but his legacy can be found in the hundreds of lives he positively affected over the years.

Mr. ROKITA

Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a significant Hoosier, Mr. Donald S. Powers, who passed away on April 21, 2015. I would like to express my gratitude for his community service and economic development efforts in my hometown of Munster, Indiana. Most importantly to me, he was a friend and a mentor who was always ready to provide some guidance. More than that, those who claim northwest Indiana as their home can also rightfully claim the same kind of relationship with Don Powers. Mr. Powers proudly fought for our Nation during World War II as a Navy fighter pilot and then again in the Korean war. He was a graduate of Indiana's beloved Purdue University where he spent several years as president of the board of trustees. Mr. Powers went on to develop much of Munster's residential neighborhoods; and, in 1973, Mr. Powers took part in the creation of Community Hospital, which was voted as one of America's 50 best hospitals 7 years in a row. In 1989, he developed the Center for the Visual and Performing Arts, home to the Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra and South Shore Arts. His efforts in developing Munster led to nationwide accolades for the community, even having the town make Forbes Magazine's 25 top suburbs for retirement. Mr. Powers was highly regarded in the community and throughout Indiana for his philanthropic and business endeavors. Indiana and, indeed, the Nation, Mr. Speaker, lost one of its best leaders this week, but his legacy will certainly endure in the many lives he positively affected.

Mr. ROKITA

Mr. ROKITA. We cannot let that happen. This is what we came to Congress to solve, at least for many of us, hopefully, Republicans and Democrats, so that we are not the first generation in American history to leave the next one worse off.

Mr. ROKITA. I thank the chairman for this process. All day today, we have been considering substitute budgets, laid bare, in the people's House, in this Chamber, for everyone to view and critique; and I think that is a good thing. Considering the Democrat substitute amendment, their budget, it adds an additional $4.7 trillion to the debt versus our budget. As we stand here today, we already have $18 trillion worth of debt and another at least $100 trillion on the way over the next several decades, completely unsustainable. This comes despite, under their plan, a $1.9 trillion tax hike that we have already talked about. This shows, once again, that you can't solve our debt problems by chasing ever higher spending with ever higher taxes. The fact of the matter is, right now, we take in, as a Federal Government, over $2.5 trillion of the people's property. It is the people's property that we confiscate, some of it rightly so, to run the things that we need--but $2.5 trillion, Mr. Chairman, we have a spending problem, not a revenue problem when you consider that we-- excuse me. It is probably nearly $3 trillion now when we kick in nearly $3.5 trillion of spending also. When you analyze this, if you look at it, the CBO said--and this was in a letter to former Chairman Ryan--that tax rates would have to nearly double by 2030 if we are to stabilize our debt by using tax increases alone, as this Democratic substitute would do. Now, here is what CBO says about rates. By 2023, everyone's income tax would have to increase by 33 percent; by 2030, rates would have to increase by 48 percent, and by 2050, rates would have to increase by 86 percent in order to account for the debt load that the Democratic budget wants to put not only on us, but our children and grandchildren. We stand here today as the first generation in American history that, by any objective measure, is going to leave the next one worse off.

Mr. ROKITA

Mr. ROKITA. I thank the chairman for his hard work. I thank all of my Budget Committee colleagues for their hard work. Mr. Chairman, it has been hard work--it continues to be--to have this honest conversation with the American people. The whole goal here is to allow the opportunity for Americans to build better lives for themselves and their families, not for the Federal Government to attempt to provide that better life because, Mr. Chairman, after 50 years of the War on Poverty, for example, we know that the Federal Government can't do the job. There is a lot of rhetoric out there. Certainly, Mr. Chairman, for the committee, it is not positive and not right either. It is just plain wrong. We talk about hard work. You know what is hard work? Getting the competing priorities and a continuing usurpation of our limited moneys in terms of our mandatory spending and getting a budget to balance in 10 years. Yet again, this Budget Committee and this House of Representatives has a plan to do it and, unlike you have heard, to do it honestly. What is not hard work, quite frankly, Mr. Chairman, what is easier to do is to never balance, and this chart shows that. The President's budget never balances, ever. Of course, Mr. Chairman, you know that you can't start paying down the $18 trillion of debt that we have with another $100 trillion on the way until you first count the balance. We do that in a responsible, honest way. We don't try to do it in a year. We do it in a responsible, logical 10-year window. The Federal budget is very big. It is like an aircraft carrier, Mr. Chairman. You have got to turn it, and you have got to turn it decisively, but it doesn't turn on a dime. And that is what we show here. That is what we do here. Again, it is hard work. It is also hard work, as I mentioned earlier, because, as time goes on, more and more of our over $3 trillion worth of spending per year is spent on programs that are eventually going to bankrupt us if we don't reform them. If we don't strengthen them and save them for future generations, no one will be able to take advantage of Medicaid, of Medicare, of Social Security. And I know we all put money into those programs--especially Medicare and Social Security--but on average, we only put about 30 percent into them, Medicare, for example. And that 70 percent delta goes on the backs of our children and grandchildren, a lot of whom haven't yet been born. Talk about taxation without representation. Our budget solves this problem. We have the ability, and we on the committee have had the honesty to have this direct, forthright conversation with the American people, frankly, now for 5 years. The worst thing we could have done is to turn tail and run and not have this honest conversation.

Mr. ROKITA. But we did it 5 years ago when the new crew came in. We continue to do it. And I am encouraged, Mr. Chairman. I think the American people see the light. They see that unless we correct and reform this mandatory overspending, no one can be helped. We can't have Americans building better lives for themselves and their families. We are going to have them more dependent on the Federal Government, and in doing so, more and more people will be hurt. Slush fund, no. A very important fund to fight the global war on terror, to keep our troops safe and effective. That is an important fund. I wouldn't call that a slush fund. And I wouldn't call dependency on broken programs good or positive either. Republicans on the Budget Committee, Republicans in this Congress, I hope all of us eventually will have the courage and ability to not only have this conversation with the American people but to start putting this conversation into direct action.

Mr. ROKITA

Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an exemplary partnership between the AbilityOne Program, an extraordinary initiative that helps people with disabilities, and Indiana's own Bosma Enterprises. For the past 25 years of Bosma's 100 years in business, their partnership with AbilityOne has helped disabled Hoosiers achieve a greater level of independence and enabled many to gain employment in good-paying jobs. Nearly 60 percent of all employees there are blind or suffer some degree of visual impairment. One such man is Don Green. Don is totally blind and found it very difficult to reenter the job market. About to give up after almost 200 job rejections, Don applied to Bosma, which, because of its contracts through AbilityOne, was able to hire him as a material handler. Just 6 years later, Mr. Speaker, Don is a production supervisor, managing 40 people. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to recognize the work that Bosma Enterprises is doing in partnership with the AbilityOne Program. They open doors of opportunity and help make the State of Indiana, my beloved State, a better place to live each and every day.

Mr. ROKITA

Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an exemplary partnership between the AbilityOne Program and Indiana's own Bosma Enterprises. AbilityOne is an extraordinary initiative that helps people with disabilities. It is the largest single provider of employment for people who are blind or face other significant disabilities. The Program puts more than 47,000 Americans to work by providing products and services to both federal government and commercial customers. For twenty five of the past 100 years that Bosma Enterprises has been in business it has partnered with the AbilityOne Program to serve hundreds of Hoosiers each year through Community and Center-Based Services; services that have helped disabled Hoosiers achieve a greater level of independence and self-esteem. Their partnership has also enabled many people to gain employment in good paying Indiana jobs. Nearly 60 percent of all employees at Bosma Enterprises are blind or suffer some degree of visual impairment. But Bosma's partnership with AbilityOne is about more than just the number of people. It is about the individuals that are being assisted. One such man was stay-at-home dad Don Green. Retinitis pigmentosa left Don totally blind making it very difficult for him to reenter the job market after taking time off to care for his twins. On more than one occasion he was asked why potential employers ``should have to make accommodations for someone who is blind.'' Almost 200 applications later, Don was disenchanted, dismayed and about to give up when a friend encouraged him to check into the opportunities provided by Bosma Enterprises. That application changed his life as Bosma hired Don as a material handler in its warehouse. Bosma Enterprises was able to offer Don a job because of its contracts through the AbilityOne Program. Through this important program, Bosma provides exam and surgical gloves to VA hospitals across the country and has created nearly 100 jobs for people who are blind or visually impaired in Indiana. Today, just six years later, Don is the Production Supervisor managing 40 people working on the exam glove lines. Mr. Speaker, I am proud of the work Bosma Enterprises is doing in partnership with the AbilityOne Program and ask all Hoosiers to join me in recognizing the life altering work they do each and every day. They open doors of opportunity and help make the state of Indiana a better place to live. In the words of Don Green, ``It means everything to be able to have a job. I am so glad that I am able to take care of my family and give them a better life.''

Mr. ROKITA

Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Speaker, we are here today to talk about the Republican budget that was just announced today, and I do that with a great amount of pride and excitement as vice chairman of that committee. I also look forward to working with the gentlelady who just spoke during the 1-minute speeches, not only to create a sustainable budget and priorities for America, but to debunk many of the things that she just said. I am pleased to be joined by several members of the Committee on the Budget to help me do this. Before we get into the details, I feel it appropriate, Mr. Speaker, and absolutely necessary to yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Scalise), the majority whip of the House of Representatives, a friend of mine, to discuss some of the things that have happened to the great citizens in Louisiana. Honoring the Louisiana Guardsmen Who Perished Last Week

Mr. ROKITA. I thank the gentleman from Louisiana for those eulogies and for being all too appropriate in the honor that we should give these fallen Americans, as great as they have been. Today, after votes for the day, Mr. Speaker, I want to recap some of the things that happened earlier in the day. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor to say that at about 10:45 this morning, the Republican members of the Budget Committee held a press conference where we explained to the American people our vision for our priorities and for the priorities of America to get us back on track. ``A Balanced Budget for a Stronger America,'' is our theme. Mr. Speaker, I am also pleased and proud to say that this theme isn't altogether new for the United States House of Representatives Republicans. In fact, in large part, this is the fifth year in a row that we have proposed these kinds of ideas so that we can live responsibly in the here and now to produce and afford a better tomorrow for our children and grandchildren. Isn't that, Mr. Speaker, what we are here to be about? Hasn't it always been the history of these great United States that we would leave the next generation better off than the current generation has had it? As you know, Mr. Speaker, and as my colleagues will help me point out here over the next hour, we stand here as actually the first generation in American history that is poised to leave the next one worse off by any objective measure. That is why the budgets that we produce, the spending that we promulgate here in the United States Congress really needs to be scrutinized, really needs to be prioritized. It is going to take people with a great degree of personal responsibility and leadership, Mr. Speaker, to have a great, truthful conversation with the American people to, number one, tell them what the situation really is, but just as important, number two, to let them know that there are solutions, that we can fix it if we just show them what they are. Let me quickly go through some of the points of our budget that we will mark up in committee tomorrow and expect to be on the floor next week for a vote. Again, the first point, this plan will balance the budget in less than 10 years. That is faster than any of the recent House Republican budgets. Mr. Speaker, it is in stark contrast to the President's budget, which never balances, ever. How can we pay off this $18 trillion-plus in debt that we have right now, plus the hundred trillion that is on the way over the next several decades, if we never first get it to balance? This Republican budget does that. We do it in less than 10 years. Now, many American families are saying, 10 years? I wish I had 10 years to balance our budget. I have to balance it immediately in our households, some might say. For a government that spends over $3 trillion a year, it takes a while to turn that big aircraft carrier, so to speak, around. That is why I use the word ``responsible,'' Mr. Speaker. We are being responsible in these reforms, in these priority changes, so that people have time to adapt, so that we can get the economy going again to produce more revenue to make perhaps that 10 years even go by quicker, but this is a responsible way to do it. All we have to do is show the rest of the world that we have a pathway to prosperity and we will continue to be the best place in the world to invest, to grow a business, to grow a family for the next several decades, as we have been for the last several hundred years. The other thing our budget does, Mr. Speaker, is it repeals ObamaCare, saving nearly $2 trillion in the process. This is government-controlled health care. It has never worked in the past. It is not going to work now. We get rid of it, encouraging us to start over with health care reforms in a way that Americans feel comfortable in keeping their doctor, for example, in ways that respect free market principles of supply and demand, in ways that naturally stop us from overconsuming. That is the baseline from which we should have a health care reform debate and policy, not from a government-controlled perspective. Our budget also proudly relies on a fairer and simpler Tax Code. It is interesting to note, Mr. Speaker, that the Congressional Budget Office, those that are tasked with keeping track of our economic indicators and scoring the different bills that come through Congress, has indicated that our GDP--our gross domestic product in this country--will be assumed to be about 2.3 percent over the next several years. Now, that is new information, Mr. Speaker. Never before has our GDP growth been calculated to be that low; yet it is because of our current policies over the last several years that they must calculate our GDP growth to be that low. We call for changing that formula. A fairer, simpler Tax Code allows for job creators to create those jobs, to create more investment, and to invest more in their people and businesses. That creates a net economic positive effect that creates economic value that ultimately, Mr. Speaker, will allow more tax revenue into the government's coffers to help balance the budget and then begin to pay off our debt. Mr. Speaker, our budget also proudly provides for a strong national defense. As we have heard now for the last several weeks, months, and years, the global war on terror is very much alive, very much real, very much a serious threat, and it would be irresponsible of us to continue cutting our military at a time when these threats exist. Our budget recognizes that. Our budget calls for more spending in our military than President Obama, the Commander in Chief, has said he needs; and I think it reflects the reality of the situation around the world today, Mr. Speaker. You will see the Republicans stand strong for our military men and women and the defense budget that they need. This budget also, Mr. Speaker, gives power back to the States. In legislative parlance and philosophical parlance, that is called federalism. Really what this budget is and recognizes is that those individuals and the States are much better at governing the affairs of their respective lives and their respective people than a prescriptive, one-size-fits-all recipe from Washington. Our budget calls for flexibility, giving the property of individuals and States, i.e., their tax dollars, back to them so they can run social programs that they think are important, that fit the needs of their constituencies and their communities, and that gets Washington out of the way. Our Medicaid reform proposals, for example, are a great example of this concept, where we send the States' and the individuals' property back to them--their tax dollars, in terms of Medicaid--and say: You know what, you are better at determining who is really poor in your communities and your States and what kind and what amounts of health care those people need. Then, finally, the third leg to that is what the delivery system for those services would look like. Who says that we have the answers to all this? It is no one-size- fits-all, prescriptive policy. The States are where it is at. The individuals and their communities know better than we do how to serve those most in need. That gets right to the heart of Ms. Bonamici's allegations during her 1-minute speech. Throwing money at something--into a system that is broken, that doesn't work--is no way to fix a problem. It only grows our debt and makes people more dependent on broken programs. Let's trust our fellow citizens. Let's trust our local elected officials to know their communities and their constituencies best. That is how you get people out of dependency. Our goal with the Republican budget is to get people off these programs, not to make them lifetime dependents. There is no freedom, there is no liberty, there is no personal responsibility in that. The Republican budget also recognizes and focuses on the dignity that comes with a job, the dignity that comes with work. That is altogether important and, Mr. Speaker, altogether lost in so many ways in so many places in this city and in this Congress--the dignity of work, earning the success, the happiness that comes with that. This Republican budget reflects all of that. I am pleased at this time to yield the floor to several members of the Budget Committee, all of whom have helped put this document together, all of whom have worked diligently and seriously on behalf of the American people--and especially their constituents--to make this document not only bold, but accurate, in terms of its numbers and philosophically correct. First, I yield to the gentleman from West Virginia, a new Member to this body, Congressman Alex Mooney. He lives in Charles Town in Jefferson County in West Virginia and has three children. He is the son of a Cuban refugee and Vietnam veteran. Alex grew up with a deep sense of appreciation for the American ideals of individual freedom and personal responsibility. That, Mr. Speaker, is what makes him a great member of the House Budget Committee.

Mr. ROKITA. I thank the gentleman. If the gentleman would stay, I would like to engage him in a question if he could. I am very interested in what you are saying. You come from an area of this country, like so many areas of this country, that understand the meaning of the fact that when you pull something out of the ground and you process it, you have just created wealth. You have just created jobs for people. That is not a dirty thing. And, in fact, the coal industry and the fossil fuel industry today, they are the cleanest they have ever been and have done so much good work. They have been chided and bullied for so many years now. But I want you to tell us about how the electricity that comes from coal eventually not just is less dirty than it was before, but that it produces the electricity that gives people clean water, and not just in West Virginia or in Indiana, but in Africa. It raises people altogether out of poverty. Could you talk more about what happens in West Virginia and the good it brings to people there and around the world?

Mr. ROKITA. Right. Reclaiming my time, I would say that every person we employ in West Virginia, in Indiana, and anywhere else in the country, gets a paycheck for sure. That is a great thing. The government, both at the State and Federal levels and maybe even the local level, gets a cut of that, right? And that eventually gets here to Washington, D.C. Sir, does it not make sense then that that would help pay down-- excuse me, let's look at your chart--pay down the deficits, eventually getting us to balance, as we stated, in less than 10 years, and then allowing us to begin to work on our surplus over the next several decades? So we certainly have to cut spending, and that is the main driver of our debt, and reform the social entitlement programs that are driving the debt. But every little bit of economic growth, economic activity that comes with a job, that comes with a paycheck, allows us, if we wanted to, like we do in this budget, to pay down those deficits in the debt. I yield to the gentleman.