Keith Rothfus

Mr. ROTHFUS

Mr. ROTHFUS. I am happy to yield to the gentleman from Georgia.

Mr. ROTHFUS. I thank the gentleman from Georgia for organizing this very informative Special Order tonight. You are right: I came here to make a difference. I came here to be part of a team that wants to relight America, relight the job market, relight opportunity, relight the American Dream, because people are hungry for it. They see this town that is out of control, they look at this town, and if they visit this town, they marvel at the growth that is happening in Washington, D.C. I challenge everybody who visits Washington to count the construction cranes they see and the explosive growth and the high-end shops that open here and the concentration of wealth and power in this town. It is a scandal to the rest of the country. I see these construction cranes here on Pennsylvania Avenue. I would like to see those construction cranes back in Pennsylvania, Mr. Speaker. But this is a very important discussion we are having about the actions that this House is taking to relight the American economy and how it gets snuffed out in the Senate. As we have reviewed this evening, Mr. Speaker, the House has continued to pass legislation that would move our country ahead, grow our economy, add more jobs, and increase wages and prosperity. Then there is the brick wall across the other side of the Capitol. Nowhere is the Senate's inaction more evident than in the budgeting and appropriations process we have here in Washington, D.C. The Senate and House have together managed to pass all 12 appropriations bills and complete the appropriations process on time by September 30 only four times since 1977. It is shocking. This House, Mr. Speaker, has been working to correct this problem. I want to recognize the hard work of the House Appropriations Committee and my colleagues from both sides of the aisle. This year, the Appropriations Committee has already passed 11 out of the 12 appropriations bills out of committee. Seven of those bills have already passed the House here, most of them with strong bipartisan majorities. How many bills, how many appropriations bills has the Senate passed? Zero. They have yet to pass a single one. The Senate's failure to do its work is disappointing, but it is not surprising. That is why I introduced the Congressional Pay for Performance Act earlier this year. The bill is simple. The House and Senate must each pass a budget and all annual appropriations bills by August 1 or have their pay withheld until the job is done. It applies that fundamental lesson that we learn in our first job: if you don't do your work, you don't get paid until you do. That is the lesson that millions of young Americans learned working their first job this summer. It is the lesson I learned on my first paper route. I didn't get paid if I didn't deliver the newspaper. It is past time for Members of Congress to live by that lesson. Beyond the Senate's failure to execute their constitutionally prescribed job of appropriations, the House has passed, as you noted, more than 350 bills, including many jobs bills, that Senator Reid allows to collect dust in the Senate. Over 98 percent of these bills have passed with bipartisan support, both Republicans and Democrats. As of this morning, Mr. Speaker, 195 of these bills passed without opposition. House Democrats introduced 60 of these bills that now gather dust in the Senate. Again and again, the Senate refuses to act.

Mr. ROTHFUS

Mr. ROTHFUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to remember Demi Brae Cuccia. Demi was a student and cheerleader at Gateway High School in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, with an outgoing personality and big aspirations for a successful future. Next month, on August 15, we will mark the seventh anniversary of Demi's tragic death. She was murdered just one day after her 16th birthday. Teen dating violence, like stalking and other kinds of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, are reprehensible. No child should be subjected to abuse and violence. As a father of six, my heart goes out to Demi's family and friends, especially her parents, Dr. Gary and Jodi Cuccia. The Cuccia family is working to educate western Pennsylvania students and families about how to recognize and prevent teen dating violence through the Demi Brae Cuccia Awareness Organization. It is my hope that their efforts can help spare other families from the tragedy of teen dating violence. Please join me in remembering Demi and in thanking the Cuccias for their commitment to ending dating violence.

Mr. ROTHFUS

Mr. ROTHFUS. I thank the gentleman from South Carolina for yielding and for organizing this important discussion about energy. Mr. Speaker, I talk a lot in my district, District 12 back in western Pennsylvania. Western PA is where you had the start of the oil industry back in the 19th century and, of course, the development of coal, and we are seeing this explosion in the development of the gas industry out there that is creating lots of jobs. I talk a lot about energy in western PA because I contend that we can relight America from western Pennsylvania. We need to relight America. We need to boom again. A lot of people have given up on the idea that America can boom again, but for us to get this economy growing, energy is a huge part of it. Again, we are seeing thousands of jobs throughout Pennsylvania because of the gas industry, and we are seeing people who are able to stay on their farms. Imagine that. They are fracturing the shale in Pennsylvania to release the energy. They are not fracturing families, because the families can stay on those farms and get the revenues from that gas to help them keep their farms in business. Growing our energy economy means more family-sustaining jobs and lower energy prices for families in western Pennsylvania and around the Nation. Developing our Nation's plentiful natural resources and being good stewards of the environment need not be mutually exclusive. I want to bring attention, Mr. Speaker, to a little known area of energy that uses something known as refuse coal. Refuse coal was coal that was mined decades ago, often for the steel industry, and it was determined not to be of sufficient quality for use in the industry, so it was left. It was left on hillsides throughout Pennsylvania, throughout Appalachia, but technological advancements have allowed certain power plans to turn piles of this low-quality coal that has been left throughout Pennsylvania's countryside into cheap domestic energy. This has allowed for cleaning up the environment and restoring landscapes and rivers. Just take a look at the remarkable difference here in these before and after pictures of the Barnes-Watkins coal refuse pile in Cambria County, in my district. Plants across Pennsylvania and States including Illinois, Montana, Utah, and West Virginia are doing tremendous work to clean up the environment and generate affordable electricity. Unfortunately, the unelected Federal elites at the EPA with their one-size-fits-all rules are threatening to shut down the plants that use this waste coal and stop the progress on cleaning up places like what you see right here. This will cost middle class jobs. It will raise energy prices for many Americans and put an end to the positive work that these plants do to clean up our environment. To address this very problem, I introduced H.R. 3138, the Satisfying Energy Needs and Saving the Environment; it is the SENSE Act, S-E-N-S- E, because it makes sense. This commonsense legislation recognizes the important energy and environmental benefits that power plants like the ones in Cambria County provide. The SENSE Act offers a reasonable balance that keeps these plants open, saves local middle class jobs, preserves important domestic electricity generating capacity, and helps to continue cleaning up the environment. I would urge my colleagues to take a look at this legislation and help us get it through. But, again, we need to boom. We need to boom again because when America is booming again, that is when the jobs come in. And when we get people back to work, every person we get back to work, that person is paying Social Security tax, that person is paying Medicare tax, that person is paying income tax that allows us to pay for the critical social service programs that we need like Social Security, Medicare, veterans benefits. A booming economy is going to do that, and a key to the booming economy is the booming energy sector. I, again, thank my colleague from South Carolina for highlighting the important role that the energy economy is going to play in relighting America.

Mr. ROTHFUS

Mr. ROTHFUS. Mr. Speaker, Washington, D.C., is increasingly detached from the needs and concerns of western Pennsylvanians. The Spina Bifida Association of Western Pennsylvania works to improve the quality of life for people with spina bifida and their families by providing much-needed service, education, advocacy, and housing. Mr. Speaker, I recently visited with the men and women who work there, as well as the residents and program participants of the facilities and programs they operate. The workers are dedicated and caring people, and they do tremendous work. As of July 1, 2014, Mr. Speaker, the Spina Bifida Association was forced to discontinue coverage for its 25 full-time employees because President Obama's health care law made it so unaffordable for them to continue-- another broken promise of President Obama's oversold health care law. It is past time for President Obama and his unelected Federal elites to change course and begin pursuing policies that help people and not his out-of-touch and out-of-control Washington, D.C.

Mr. ROTHFUS

Mr. ROTHFUS. Mr. Speaker, the crisis on our southern border is one of the President's making. His policies and failure to secure the border have encouraged tens of thousands of unaccompanied alien children to attempt to enter the United States. On the way, they are exposed to exploitation, violence, sex trafficking, health risks, and other dangers. The situation on the border is a humanitarian crisis, and it requires our Chief Executive's immediate and decisive action. Rather than leading from behind, President Obama should convene a meeting with the leaders of Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras and demand their cooperation in finding a solution. He should work with our border State Governors and deploy the National Guard to provide security and humanitarian relief. President Obama should work with Congress to actually solve the problem. That would include changing the law to allow for the prompt repatriation of those coming from Central America and providing the administrative and social service resources needed to reunite the children with their relatives in their native countries. The President bears responsibility for the chaos on the border and in these children's lives. It is time for him to lead.

Mr. ROTHFUS

Mr. ROTHFUS. I thank the gentleman for his offer to engage in a colloquy. Mr. Chairman, as you know, money market funds are an important tool used by a variety of different organizations, such as businesses, State and local governments, school districts, pension funds, nonprofits, and more. In fact, it is estimated that between 1985 and 2008, people and organizations that invested in money market funds have earned $450 billion more than they otherwise would have earned. Since the financial crisis, there has been significant discussion about regulating the industry further. In 2010, the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, put in place new rules to prevent future runs by imposing additional disclosure and liquidity standards. Even after these changes, the Federal Reserve, through the Financial Stability Oversight Council, has attempted to usurp the jurisdiction and expertise of the SEC and proposed additional regulations on money markets. While the FSOC has since backed off their proposal, the SEC is poised to vote soon on a rule to impose a floating net asset value on certain funds. I share many of the concerns that commenters on the SEC's rule raised about how a floating net asset value would adversely impact money market funds and the people and organizations that rely on them. In fact, it is worth noting that, of the 1,428 comments on the rule, 98 percent were against the floating net asset value. Before regulators impose any additional changes on money markets, they must be certain that the costs and benefits have been thoroughly weighed. This includes ensuring that the likely tax changes that will need to be considered with a floating NAV are reviewed by the public in an open and transparent manner before moving forward. We should not eliminate money markets as an option for businesses, communities, workers, and retirees to grow and thrive. In closing, I would like to thank the committee for its positive report language with respect to money market funds and thank the chairman for his time and consideration of this important matter.

Mr. ROTHFUS. I thank the gentleman and look forward to working with him on this important issue.

Mr. ROTHFUS

Mr. ROTHFUS. Mr. Speaker, we rise to honor the memory of Mr. Charles Henry ``Chuck'' Noll of Sewickley, Pennsylvania. Mr. Noll passed away on June, 13, 2014 at the age of 82. Chuck Noll was born in Cleveland on January 5, 1932, but he will be remembered best in Pittsburgh: the city that he transformed through his legendary coaching of the Pittsburgh Steelers. A Pro Football Hall of Famer, Mr. Noll led the Pittsburgh Steelers to four Super Bowl championships in twenty-three seasons. He holds the record of being the only coach to win four Super Bowl trophies, a feat the team accomplished between 1975 and 1980. This achievement did not come without perseverance. Mr. Noll began his football career as a linebacker and guard for the Cleveland Browns, where he played until he retired at twenty-seven. He then dedicated his life to coaching, eventually becoming the then youngest head coach in NFL history when the Steelers hired him on January 27, 1969. Steelers President Art Rooney II said, ``He set a new standard for the Steelers that still is the foundation of what we do and who we are. From the players to the coaches to the front office down to the ball boys, he taught us all what it took to be a winner.'' At just thirty-seven years old, Mr. Noll turned the struggling franchise into an unbeatable powerhouse, leading the team to their first playoff appearance in thirty-nine years in 1972. Two years later, Mr. Noll took the team even further, winning the team's first Super Bowl in a classic against the Minnesota Vikings. The ``City of Champions'' would not be what it is today without Mr. Noll. Former Steelers wide receiver Lynn Swann said, ``He built a foundation . . . This entire organization will be a part of his legacy.'' Mr. Noll's passion and love of coaching and contributions will always be remembered by the Steelers, by Western Pennsylvanians, and by all members of ``Steelers Nation.'' Chuck Noll was so much more than a coach. He was a licensed pilot and sailor, played musical instruments, spoke French, and was well versed in cooking, gardening, and home repairs. Team members would often try to find topics that Mr. Noll did not know about, almost always to no avail. Mr. Noll once said that he would have been a history teacher if not a football coach, but by making the football field his classroom, he in a sense fulfilled both these careers. Perhaps what Mr. Noll was best at was bringing people together and being a source of encouragement. He focused on building a sense of family among the team; he taught players the importance of sacrifice, humility, and winning both on and off the field. He never ceased to remind players that their actions today would affect tomorrow, a mentality that made him a role model for everyone. Bishop David Zubik said, ``Let's learn this lesson from coach. That we should all recognize what we can be, recognize what we are capable of doing and encourage other people to be their best. That's greatness. And that's why today we thank God for the coach.'' We are pleased to honor the memory of one of our nation's greatest football coaches, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time.

Mr. ROTHFUS

Mr. ROTHFUS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and then submit extraneous materials for the Record on the topic of this Special Order.

Mr. ROTHFUS. Mr. Speaker, next week, on the Fourth of July, we celebrate our Nation's birthday. The Declaration of Independence, signed 238 years ago, laid the groundwork for the greatest Nation in history. The Founders, in the Declaration of Independence and our Constitution, created a novel system of government, one of the people, by the people, and for the people, that recognizes God-given unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Although the Declaration was written over two centuries ago, our Founders' sage words are just as relevant and just as important today, especially those who work in public service. As a Pennsylvanian, I am proud that the Declaration was signed in Philadelphia. It is truly humbling to read these important words on the floor of the House of Representatives, and I thank my colleagues for joining me this afternoon: In Congress, July 4, 1776. The unanimous Declaration of the 13 United States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the Earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world. He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good. He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them. He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only. He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures. He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people. He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within. He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States, for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners, refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands. He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers. For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our Governments. For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever. He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us. He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people. He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation. He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands. I am privileged to be joined here with a colleague from the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Congressman Andy Barr, from Kentucky's Sixth District, who will continue with the recitation of the Declaration.

Mr. ROTHFUS. Joining me is my colleague from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, who will continue with the recitation of the Declaration, Congressman Scott Perry.

Mr. ROTHFUS. Thank you, Congressman Perry. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for their help in reviewing and reading the words of the Declaration of Independence, the words that birthed our Nation. As families gather next week to celebrate our Nation's birthday, let us not forget these words, and let us not forget those who gave all for freedom, those in our military, especially those who are deployed today in harm's way. May God bless and protect them, and may God bless and protect the United States of America. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROTHFUS

Mr. ROTHFUS. Mr. Speaker, the situation unfolding in Iraq is a tragedy. Almost 4,500 fellow Americans made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq defending our freedom and fighting oppression and tyranny. More than 32,000 men and women who served our country in Iraq bear the wounds of war, and all who served had extraordinary pressures put on their families. Unless you have lived it, one cannot begin to know the pain experienced by the families of the fallen and the wounded. Our men and women in uniform fought for an ideal. That ideal is freedom: the freedom of religion, the freedom of speech, the freedom to assemble and vote and make one's voice heard, freedoms like those we have right here in this Chamber. That ideal will never die. During these difficult days, Mr. Speaker, let us make sure we are mindful of the sacrifice of so many and let us always rally to the families of the fallen and stand in solidarity with all of our veterans.

Mr. ROTHFUS

Mr. ROTHFUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the American Society of Clinical Oncology's (ASCO) fiftieth anniversary. Since ASCO's founding in 1964, it has made tremendous gains to improve the lives of Americans diagnosed with cancer. When the Society was formed, cancer was often fatal with few effective treatments. Today, new and innovative treatments have developed that are changing what it means to receive a cancer diagnosis. As a survivor of cancer of the appendix, I can attest to this personally. In 2007 I received an innovative treatment called hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy. This involves washing the abdomen with heated chemotherapy to eliminate cancerous cells. A little more than a year after receiving this treatment, I ran my first marathon. Three years later I began my first campaign for Congress, and seven years later I am still cancer-free. Advancements in cancer treatments like this bring hope to the millions of Americans suffering from cancer, and the 1.6 million Americans who will receive a cancer diagnosis this year. I thank the ASCO for its continued research and contributions to the science in the last fifty years, and I look forward to the development of even more innovations to fight and cure cancer.

Mr. ROTHFUS

Mr. ROTHFUS. Mr. Speaker, on June 4, we mark the 25th anniversary of the massacre of peaceful protesters in Tiananmen Square in the People's Republic of China. These protesters were merely calling for democracy, an end to the dictatorship of the Communist Party, and an end to government corruption. The Chinese Government has tried to remove Tiananmen Square from the consciousness of its people by censoring social media and preemptively arresting those who would raise questions, pick quarrels, and provoke trouble. We will always remember. We will remember the art students who sculpted the ``Goddess of Democracy,'' a defining image of the Tiananmen Square protests, inspired by the Statue of Liberty. We will remember the Tank Man, who singlehandedly stopped Chinese tanks in their tracks. We will remember the hundreds, perhaps thousands--there has never been an official counting--of those who died that day. The spirit of the protesters lives on in these stories of heroism. That spirit lives on in all those around the world who value freedom and human rights. We will always remember the students of Tiananmen Square. And to the Chinese people who yearn for freedom, do not give up hope. One day, you too will breathe free.

Mr. ROTHFUS

Mr. ROTHFUS. Mr. Speaker, in having stepped forward to defend our country with their very lives, our veterans deserve a health care system and a claims process that are both of high quality and that are accountable. Unfortunately, the VA has failed veterans in Pittsburgh, Phoenix, and across the Nation. William Nicklas, a World War II veteran from western Pennsylvania, survived Guam, Saipan, and Okinawa, but fell victim to Legionnaires' disease at the Pittsburgh VA. It has been 1\1/2\ years since Mr. Nicklas died, and the Nicklas family is still waiting for answers and accountability, so are the families of John Ciarolla, Clark Compston, John McChesney, Lloyd Wanstreet, and Frank ``Sonny'' Calcagno. Unfortunately, the world now knows that these are not isolated incidents. Significant changes in accountability must be made at the VA to solve these problems. I urge all of my colleagues to support the Department of Veterans Affairs Management Accountability Act. This bill is an important step in that direction. Thank you to Chairman Miller for conducting the oversight necessary to bring these issues into the light.

Mr. ROTHFUS

Mr. ROTHFUS. I thank the chairman. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Stop Advertising Victims of Exploitation Act, which will make the advertising of a trafficking victim for a commercial sex act a crime. Human trafficking is despicable and unacceptable. It is horrific that millions of victims worldwide are trafficked each year, and it is happening in our local communities. Last month, I hosted a trafficking roundtable in Ross Township, Pennsylvania, with community organizations and law enforcement agencies to discuss ways to combat trafficking in western Pennsylvania. Sadly, this problem exists in cities and towns across America, and together we can do something to eliminate it. As a father of six, I cannot imagine the horrible situations to which trafficking victims are exposed. We must put a stop to these crimes, and today's bill is an important way to do this. I thank my friend, Congresswoman Wagner, for her efforts on the SAVE Act, as well as the sponsors of today's bills, as we work to raise awareness about and combat human trafficking.

Mr. ROTHFUS

Mr. ROTHFUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Demi Brae Cuccia. Demi was a student and cheerleader at Gateway High School in Monroeville, PA with an outgoing personality and big aspirations for a successful future. Tragically, Demi was a victim of teen-dating violence, murdered just one day after her sixteenth birthday on August 15, 2007. Teen-dating violence such as physical, emotional, or sexual abuse and stalking is unacceptable. No child deserves to be subjected to abuse and violence. As a father of six, my heart goes out to the family and friends of Demi, especially her parents, Dr. Gary and Jodi Cuccia. More must be done in our communities to prevent future tragedies like the one that took Demi. The Cuccia family is working hard to educate Western Pennsylvania students and families about how to recognize and prevent teen-dating violence through the Demi Brae Cuccia Awareness Organization. Because of the Cuccias efforts, Demi's story has also been recognized by national news outlets and in the documentary Teen Dating Violence: The Murder of Demi Cuccia. It is my hope that thanks to the Cuccias efforts more families can be spared from the tragedy of teen-dating violence. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in remembering Demi today and in thanking the Cuccias for their commitment to end teen-dating violence.

Mr. ROTHFUS

Mr. ROTHFUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Sergeant George Thursby. Sergeant Thursby, who I met last week, is a resident of New Florence, Pennsylvania. He was a B-24 gunner in the Army Air Forces during World War II. Sergeant Thursby was forced to land and was taken prisoner of war after his aircraft was hit while bombing Munich. He attempted to escape but was arrested and returned to the POW camp. Conditions were abysmal, and Sergeant Thursby was skinny as a rail. He attempted to escape again and reached American lines in France. When Sergeant Thursby returned home, he had a long and productive career working at U.S. Steel's Homestead Works and retired in 1983. Last week, almost 70 years after his successful escape, Sergeant Thursby finally received his long overdue and well-deserved recognition in a ceremony at the Pentagon. He was awarded the Prisoner of War Medal. Sergeant Thursby's bravery, strength, and spirit serves as an inspiration to all Americans. It is fitting that we honor him on Victory in Europe Day. Let us all take time to thank World War II veterans like Sergeant Thursby today for their service and sacrifice.

Mr. ROTHFUS

Mr. ROTHFUS. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to stand with our Nation's veterans and their families. This morning, I had an opportunity to honor and thank Sergeant George Thursby. Sergeant Thursby served in the Army Air Force during World War II and was held as a prisoner of war. Today, decades after his release, he finally received his long- overdue recognition. You should have heard the rapturous applause he received from the families, servicemembers, and citizens. We owe veterans like Sergeant Thursby a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid. That is why I rise in strong support of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act under consideration today. It is also why this amendment I am offering today is so important. As public servants, employees of the VA have a solemn obligation to ensure that veterans receive the respect, support, and care they have earned and rightly expect. Unfortunately, the VA has failed veterans in western Pennsylvania and across the country. At least six veterans contracted Legionnaires' disease and died because of mismanagement, mistakes, and systemic failures at the Pittsburgh VA. William Nicklas, one of these veterans, was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. Nicklas was known for his practical jokes, his love of sports, and being the first and last person on the dance floor. He started an auto body shop when he returned to civilian life and helped two of his sons begin their own business as contractors. More than anything, he was uncommonly dedicated to his family, his fellow servicemembers, veterans, and his country. A proud and loyal veteran from Hampton Township in Pennsylvania's 12th District, Mr. Nicklas was a tail gunner in the Navy air-sea rescue force during World War II. Mr. Nicklas survived Guam, Saipan, and Okinawa, but fell victim to Legionnaires' disease in Pittsburgh. Over the last year, I have worked with my colleagues to find answers and demand accountability for the families of Bill Nicklas, John Ciarolla, Clark Compston, John McChesney, Lloyd Wanstreet, and Frank ``Sonny'' Calcagno. John Ciarolla, the first of these veterans to fall to Legionnaires' disease, died in July 2011. Bill Nicklas, the last, died in November 2012. It has been almost 1\1/2\ years since Mr. Nicklas died and almost 3 years since Mr. Ciarolla died. Where is the accountability? Where is the transparency? My colleagues and I have asked VA Secretary Shinseki and Under Secretary for Health Petzel what actions they will take to hold accountable those responsible for these deaths. Officials at the VA owe the families answers, but they have provided none. Even more outrageous, the regional director responsible for leading the Pittsburgh VA at the time of these deaths--he is now retired--was awarded and accepted the government's highest award for civil servants and a $63,000 bonus only 3 days after the inspector general found that systemic failures resulted in these deaths. Across the Nation, the VA has demonstrated a widespread and systemic lack of accountability, according to a recent investigation by the Veterans' Affairs Committee. This has manifested itself in not just infectious disease outbreaks and preventable deaths, but also in wasteful spending and backlogged disability claims. I thank the Veterans' Affairs Committee and Chairman Jeff Miller for their tremendous work fighting for our Nation's veterans and promoting accountability and transparency at the VA. Paying bonuses to senior executives of an organization with an abysmal performance record is ridiculous; yet the VA gave its senior executives bonuses totaling $2.8 million in 2011 and $2.3 million in 2012. These valuable resources should be used to ensure that our veterans receive the first-rate service and care they rightly deserve. VA executives need to take responsibility, fix the problems, and do their jobs. Last year, I offered an amendment directing that none of the funds appropriated may be used to pay for senior executive bonuses. The amendment was adopted by voice vote and was included in last year's MilCon-VA bill, which passed the House by a vote of 421-4. The Senate did not consider a MilCon bill last year, and the measure was not included in the omnibus. Unfortunately, 1 year has passed, and this measure is still needed. I thank Chairman Miller and Congressmen Gosar, Olson, Benishek, McKinley, Tipton, Huelskamp, Crawford, Kelly, Lance, Collins, LaMalfa, Goodlatte, and Meadows for their support of our Nation's veterans and this amendment. I urge my other colleagues to stand with our Nation's veterans and support increased transparency and accountability at the VA by voting ``yea'' on this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROTHFUS. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk printed as No. 1 in the Congressional Record.

Mr. ROTHFUS

Mr. ROTHFUS. I thank Chairman Ryan of the Budget Committee for the hard work that he has been doing over the last several years as we look to get a handle on the spending problem we have here in Washington, D.C. Mr. Chairman, our debt is out of control. In the past 10 years, it has more than doubled, from $7.1 trillion to $17.6 trillion today. We paid almost $416 billion in interest just last year. Imagine where that money could have been better spent. The failure to address the debt and deficits reduces opportunity and prosperity for future generations. It directly threatens our ability to pay for our priorities like Social Security, Medicare, a strong national defense, and taking care of our veterans. Unfortunately, President Obama has offered another budget that increases taxes, that expands the government, that does nothing to save Medicare or Social Security, and that never balances. Harry Reid's Senate will not even consider a budget this year. The budget we offer to the American people protects and preserves Medicare and Social Security, and it balances in 10 years. When Congress responsibly budgets, we increase economic security for our families and ensure that we leave our children and grandchildren with more opportunities and a brighter future. Mr. Chairman, I call on my colleagues to do the right thing by workers, families, and future generations. Pass this budget.

Mr. ROTHFUS

Mr. ROTHFUS. Mr. Speaker, workers in western Pennsylvania and across the Nation are seeing their hours cut and wages reduced due to the employer mandate in President Obama's health care law. This mandate hurts our friends and neighbors who are working to provide for their families. Last July, a mom working in the food service industry in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, told me about how her hours had been cut nearly in half because of the employer mandate. Sadly, her story is not unique or an isolated incident. Brian in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, called the office to let me know that his daughter would have her hours cut at a bridal shop. She is yet another victim of this 30-hour workweek rule. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median hourly wage for someone working in sales in Pennsylvania was $12.18 in 2013. Losing 10 hours a week will cost that worker almost $6,000 annually. Many small business owners want to add jobs and increase wages but cannot afford to because of the employer mandate. As Brandon from Ellwood City said: ``Small companies like ours try to do the right thing for us. They probably won't be hiring someone who can really use a job.'' Washington should be working to grow the economy and add jobs, not making it harder for employees to earn more and get ahead or for employers to hire more people. The Save American Workers Act will restore the traditional 40-hour workweek and help those who want the opportunity to work more hours and see their wages rise. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to stand in solidarity with these workers and support this legislation.

Mr. ROTHFUS

Mr. ROTHFUS. I thank the gentleman from Texas. I also want to thank the gentlelady from Missouri for organizing the previous hour's discussion on this very important issue. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the people of faith at companies like Hobby Lobby and Pennsylvania's Conestoga Wood. These companies want to provide health insurance for their workers, and they should be able to do that without violating their deeply held religious and moral convictions. It is simply unacceptable that President Obama's health care law requires people of faith to violate their conscience rights. This happens when regulations issued pursuant to the law forces them to pay for services such as abortifacient drugs when they provide health insurance for their employees. The hostility in the President's health care law towards people of faith is made clear when you consider the penalty scheme in the law. If these family-owned businesses do not comply with the mandate, they could be fined $100 per day per employee. That amounts to $36,500 per year per employee, even if the health insurance provided is of excellent quality. Compare that with the $2,000 fine per year per employee if they stopped offering insurance altogether. How is that fair, just, or respectful of their beliefs? This poster, Mr. Speaker, is striking. This discrepancy is simply indefensible. Looking at these numbers, you would think that this administration thinks that it is more important for an employer to provide abortifacient drug coverage than it is to provide comprehensive health insurance coverage that would cover items such as cancer treatment. As the Supreme Court considers this case tomorrow and hears oral arguments, I join men and women of faith from western Pennsylvania and across the country in defending conscience rights and religious liberty, and standing with Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood. I thank the gentleman from Texas.