Keith Rothfus

Mr. ROTHFUS

Mr. ROTHFUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Research for Lifesaving Cures Act. To take a minute, you wonder why we're here right now. It's because the NIH has been closed. Why is it closed? We passed a bill just the other night to keep the NIH open and to hold government open, but we wanted to stop the special treatment that Members of Congress were getting. As a cancer survivor and someone who has benefited from work by doctors who have worked at the National Cancer Institute at NIH, it's important that we continue to fund NIH. And I rise in strong support of this legislation. It's time to end Senator Reid's government shutdown, which threatens not only research at the NIH, but work across the government. It's very simple to do it. Just stop the special treatment for Members of Congress, and stop the special treatment for the friends of the administration.

Mr. ROTHFUS

Mr. ROTHFUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my constituents' frustration with Washington, D.C. After a long career in the private sector, I share their frustration. I have negotiated many contracts where I used to work. To negotiate a contract, you need two parties to come to the table. Last night, the House sent a reasonable compromise to the Senate that subjects the rulers in Washington, D.C., to the effects of the health care law like the rest of the American people, and provides the American people with the same deal that President Obama gave big businesses and his friends. Members of Congress should not get a special deal when the American people do not. Senator Reid's refusal to talk, negotiate, compromise, and work with the House resulted in the shutdown of the Federal Government. The refusal to negotiate in order to protect congressional perks is indefensible. The American people expect and deserve better. The Senate must now come to the table.

Mr. ROTHFUS

Mr. ROTHFUS. Mr. Speaker, sometimes I wonder if we are discussing the same bill. This is a bill that is to keep the government open. I looked at the Affordable Care Act. The President made a guarantee, a simple guarantee: If you like your health care plan, you can keep it. When I go to a store and I buy a product and it comes with a guarantee and it doesn't work, you take it back; you get your money back; and you look for a new product. People are losing their health care plans. Now is the time to take some time for what would be bipartisan health care reform, not a bill that was rammed through on a party-line vote so that we could pass it to find out what was in it. The American people are finding out what's in it. It's time for a new product, and it's time for bipartisan health care reform. I ask for the folks across the aisle to come together, and let's do something that empowers the American people and not the elites at HHS here in Washington, D.C.

Mr. ROTHFUS

Mr. ROTHFUS. I thank the gentlelady from Minnesota for yielding and organizing this important discussion. I have been hearing a lot from the folks back home. Robert from the North Hills of Pittsburgh wrote to us: When Congress debated the health care law under original objective of health care reform, we thought that meant control and reduction of health care costs. We were wrong. Stephanie from the North Hills said: Add us to the statistics of those who can't keep our insurance plans or doctors. Our family is being kicked off our health care plan and is being forced into the exchanges. Mark from Somerset County said: Defunding ObamaCare is a great first step. But the next step is total repeal, and I urge you to work toward that goal at every opportunity. His premiums are going up 43 percent. Francis from Beaver County: My hours were reduced to 29 per week. And now I've been informed by my employer that I can't participate in the corporate health insurance plan because ObamaCare prohibits it. Paul from Cambria County works in an auto parts store. His annual costs are going up 16 percent. These problems weren't supposed to happen. The President guaranteed that if you like your health care plan, you can keep it. You know, when you buy a product with a guarantee that doesn't work, you take it back to the store and you get a refund. The good news is there's a new product that we can shop for. Last week, we introduced the American Health Care Reform Act. It's the new product. This proposal would lower health care costs by allowing Americans to purchase coverage across State lines and enabling small businesses to pool together to increase their buying power. It provides tax fairness for people who purchase their own insurance and provides the same tax benefit as those who get insurance through their employer. It provides tax credits for people who purchase their own insurance. And, importantly, and if there's one thing that you have to remember, unlike ObamaCare, which penalizes you with taxes, it gives you a tax benefit. You are rewarded if you buy insurance, not penalized. Also, importantly, the American Health Care Reform Act provides significant funding for State-based high-risk pools, a place where individuals with preexisting conditions can obtain health coverage when doing so would otherwise have been unaffordable. And it does so without increasing costs on those who currently have insurance. It is time for a new beginning. It's time for bipartisan health care reform and for that discussion to begin. It's time to bring Republicans and Democrats together for real solutions. As President Kennedy once said: Let's not seek the Republican answer. Let's not seek the Democrat answer. But let's seek the right answer. We know that ObamaCare is the wrong answer.

Mr. ROTHFUS

Mr. ROTHFUS. Mr. Speaker, when President Obama sold his health care law to the American people, he made many promises. He promised--he guaranteed--that if you like your doctor or your health care plan, you could keep it. He promised that his law would not raise your health insurance costs. My constituents will tell you that the health care law has broken these promises, that these guarantees are no good. Nearly every day I hear from folks, moms and dads, teachers, bus drivers, small business owners, health care providers, who are being hurt by the health care law. A woman I met recently, who had just started a new job, making $8.50, learned that her hours would be cut from 35 to 29. If you do the math, that's about $50 a week, $200 a month, $2,500 a year. That may not sound like a lot of money to the elites here in Washington, D.C., but for a working person in western Pennsylvania, that can make a big difference with gas, groceries, or helping to pay the rent. A chemistry teacher recently called my office in Beaver County to share her story about the health care law hurting her coworkers. The special needs teachers' aides in her school recently had their hours cut from 37\1/2\ hours to 28. That's a loss of $180 per paycheck. Many of these aides depend on this job to provide health insurance for their families. Thanks to the health care law, these teachers' aides and their families will lose their health care coverage. A mom from the North Hills of Pittsburgh recently got in touch with me to tell me about the impact of the health care law on her family's small business. Kathy and her husband recently learned that their health care plan will be discontinued December 31. Kathy told me that since ObamaCare was voted into law, we have watched our deductible soar, our premiums soar, and our blood pressures soar. Enough already. Kathy's sentiment is shared by many of the western Pennsylvanians who called the office and whom I've talked to at small business and constituent gatherings around the district. In the real world, when you buy a product that comes with a guarantee, if the guarantee is not met, you get your money back and you look for a new product. With only 13 days until the law begins to take full effect, more and more flaws are increasingly evident, and the President continues to delay, arbitrarily, major provisions of his health care law. We need to delay and dismantle the entire law so that a process of bipartisan health care reform can finally begin. It's time for a new beginning. It's time for a government that looks to the American people and our doctors and health care providers, not as subjects to be managed, but as partners who can help solve problems. It's time for a new beginning that brings Republicans and Democrats in support of bipartisan solutions together. As President Kennedy once said, let us not seek the Republican answer, let us not seek the Democratic answer, but the right answer.

Mr. ROTHFUS

Mr. ROTHFUS. Mr. Speaker, we rise to pay special tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African American servicemembers who served our nation honorably and with distinction in World War II. In recognition of their service and sacrifice, the Tuskegee Airmen were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal on March 29, 2007. Although the Airmen are now well known for their wartime accomplishments, their feats of heroism went unheralded for decades. Western Pennsylvania produced more Tuskegee Airmen than any other region in the United States. Hailing from cities and towns across Western Pennsylvania, including places like Erie, Aliquippa, Washington, Pittsburgh and Johnstown, ninety-five men and one woman served as flight instructors, pilots, bombardiers, navigators, and flight-line personnel. They and their fellow Airmen served in the 332nd Fighter Group, which was based at the Tuskegee Army Air Field in Tuskegee, Alabama. By the end of the war, the Airmen flew more than 1,500 missions and 15,500 sorties in North Africa, continental Europe, and Sicily. The Fighter Group shot down 112 enemy aircraft, destroyed 150 planes on the ground, and boasted one of the most successful escort records in the military. Western Pennsylvanians contributed honorably to this legacy. Lieutenant Robert Johnson, an honors graduate of Schenley High School in Pittsburgh, was the youngest Tuskegee pilot commissioned in the Army Air Corps. Lieutenants Elmer Taylor and James Wright of Pittsburgh and Carl Woods of Mars were killed in action. Lieutenant Cornelius Gould, a graduate of Westinghouse High School in Pittsburgh, was shot down, captured, and held as a prisoner of war. Lieutenant Calvin Smith of Aliquippa stood against discrimination when a group of African American officers were denied entry into an officers' club at Freeman Field. Rosa Alford, the lone female from Western Pennsylvania, returned after serving honorably during the war to give back to her community, as a counselor at New Brighton High School in Beaver County. On September 15, 2013, the country's largest outdoor memorial for the Tuskegee Airmen will be dedicated in Sewickley, Pennsylvania. This memorial will serve as fitting tribute to these individuals and all Tuskegee Airmen who served the United States with bravery, honor and distinction. They exemplify the very best our Commonwealth and nation have to offer. Amidst hardship and discrimination, the Airmen rose to the challenge and answered the call to service. We are proud of these Western Pennsylvanians and honored to recognize them today.

Mr. ROTHFUS

Mr. ROTHFUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the memory of Simmie Jesse Hill, Jr. of Midland, Pennsylvania. He was born on November 14, 1946 and grew up to become one of the greatest basketball players to come from Western Pennsylvania. Simmie Hill starred on the 1965 Midland High School men's basketball team, considered by many to be one of the best in Pennsylvania's history. The Midland Leopards won the State title that year, finishing the season 28-0. Mr. Hill scored over 650 points that season, and he led the team to victory with his thirty-one points in the championship game. The Sporting News named Mr. Hill a First-Team All-American when he was a senior at West Texas State University. Following his college career, Mr. Hill played four seasons of professional basketball in the American Basketball Association and retired in 1974. In 2010, he was inducted into the Midland Sports Hall of Fame. Simmie Hill passed away in Pittsburgh on July 14, 2013 at the age of sixty-six. He is survived by four daughters and nine grandchildren, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family. Mr. Speaker, Western Pennsylvania has a strong sports legacy, and I am pleased to honor the memory of one of our greatest basketball players.

Mr. ROTHFUS

Mr. ROTHFUS. Ms. Speaker, I rise to honor the Borough of Baden on the 175th anniversary of its founding. I join residents of Baden and citizens from across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in celebrating this historic event. The Borough of Baden has a rich history. Long before Christian Burkhardt founded it in 1838, settlers and Native Americans gathered there to draft early treaties and hold councils. The area also welcomed many French, English, and colonial traders as they traveled to Pittsburgh to sell their wares. Baden grew from a small village with only two boat-building yards and quarries into a bustling town with steel mills, coal mines, and oil and gas wells. Today, more than four thousand hardworking men and women call the Borough of Baden home. It is also home to an exceptional volunteer fire department, a thriving American Legion Post 641, and the Sisters of St. Joseph who continue to serve folks in need in the greater Pittsburgh area. Mr. Speaker, fellow Members, please join me in extending warm regards to residents of the Borough of Baden on the historic occasion of its 175th anniversary.

Mr. ROTHFUS

Mr. ROTHFUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the exemplary military service of Lance Corporal William Raymond Prom. Lance Corporal Prom gave his life in service to our nation in Vietnam. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania recently renamed Pittsburgh's 31st Street Bridge the William Raymond Prom Memorial Bridge in a fitting tribute to his sacrifice. Lance Corporal Prom began his tour of duty in the Vietnam War on June 13, 1968, when he was twenty years old. He served as a Machine Gun Squad Leader with Company I, Third Battalion, Third Marines, Third Marine Division. On February 9, 1969, Lance Corporal Prom was participating in Operation Taylor Common near An Hoa, Vietnam when his platoon came under intense fire, wounding many. Without concern for his own safety, Lance Corporal Prom provided cover fire while others administered vital first aid to his fellow Marines. Soon afterwards, his platoon came under attack again. A wounded Lance Corporal Prom returned fire, coming to the aid of a fellow Marine who was critically wounded. Unable to effectively return fire because of his wounds, Lance Corporal Prom courageously advanced, in full view of the enemy, to direct other Marines until he was killed. His heroic actions inspired his fellow Marines to launch a successful assault that crushed the enemy. For his exemplary service and heroic sacrifice, Lance Corporal Prom received the Medal of Honor, the Purple Heart, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal. Mr. Speaker, we name our buildings, bridges, and monuments after those who have served and sacrificed for our nation in extraordinary ways, and the William Raymond Prom Memorial Bridge is a fitting tribute to one of these courageous Americans. I join all Western Pennsylvanians in honoring Lance Corporal William Raymond Prom, a Marine who went above and beyond the call of duty in giving his life for his fellow Marines and his country.

Mr. ROTHFUS

Mr. ROTHFUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the Nanty Glo Volunteer Fire Department on its one hundredth anniversary, and to thank our brave volunteers for their service. The Nanty Glo Volunteer Fire Department was founded on June 14, 1913 in a garage with only a two-wheeled, hand-drawn cart. In the one hundred years since its founding, the fire department has grown to six vehicles and many more volunteers. These volunteers provide critical services to their community including fire prevention, fire suppression, and emergency rescue. Mr. Speaker, it is truly an honor to recognize the Nanty Glo Volunteer Fire Department on its one hundredth year of service. I join the residents of Nanty Glo, Pennsylvania in remembering the firefighters who have served with this fire department through the past century, and I extend my thanks, best wishes and congratulations to the brave men and women who continue to serve their community with pride, selflessness, and dedication.

Mr. ROTHFUS

Mr. ROTHFUS. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the REINS Act. The REINS Act is needed, frankly, because for decades now Congress has abdicated its responsibility for lawmaking to unelected Federal elites in the executive branch. They often create overbearing regulations that stifle innovation, reduce productivity, prevent businesses from growing and adding jobs, and increase prices on everything from gasoline to groceries. Don't get me wrong; some regulations are good and necessary, but they come with substantial cost, and there is not enough accountability for them. I would look forward to voting for good regulations, and I would think my colleagues across the aisle would also look forward to voting for good regulations and taking credit for them. At this moment, however, the Obama administration has regulations in the pipeline that could cost the American people more than $50 billion. The Competitive Enterprise Institute estimates the regulatory burden to be almost $15,000 a year per family. Another study estimates that just six EPA regulations will cause the loss of almost 10 million jobs. These rules are written by unelected elites with very little accountability to individual citizens across my district in western Pennsylvania, from Ellwood City to Lower Burrell to Somerset. The REINS Act requires your elected representatives to be more accountable for regulations. Very simply, if the regulations will cost Americans more than $100 million, then Congress has to vote on it. Good regulations will be approved, and others will not. But your representative will have to declare a position, and you can hold them accountable for their votes. Mr. Chairman, the REINS Act makes sense to me, it makes sense to my constituents in western Pennsylvania, and I encourage my colleagues to support the bill.

Mr. ROTHFUS

Mr. ROTHFUS. Mr. Speaker, from time to time in our Nation's history, people of faith have stepped forward to call this Nation to something greater. This is steeped in our culture, our tradition, and our founding documents. It goes back to the cross at Cape Henry and to the landing at Plymouth Rock. You see it in our Declaration of Independence and again in the movement to abolish slavery. Then, in the 1950s and 1960s, it was people of faith who birthed the new civil rights movement. No figure cast a wider shadow on that movement than the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King. This month, we mark the 50th anniversary of one of the most iconic speeches in American history--Dr. King's address at the Lincoln Memorial. It is a great honor for me to stand here today to recollect the words of Dr. King, a man who stands among the heroes of our Nation. Dr. King was a pastor. He received a divinity degree from Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania. His call to the ministry led him to the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, where, in the church's basement, he helped to plan the Montgomery bus boycott of 1955. That Dr. King's actions were motivated by his faith in a just God is evident when you read his words. From the marble steps of the Lincoln Memorial, he used the words of the prophet Isaiah to articulate his dream of an end to injustice and oppression: That one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low; the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. Martin Luther King, Jr., looked not for a revolution but for an affirmation of the country's founding principles when he declared: That we have come to our Nation's Capital to cash a check. When the architects of our Republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It was not the first time that Dr. King had alluded to the promise of our founding documents. Just 4 months before the March on Washington, in writing from a Birmingham jail, he wrote that African Americans had waited for more than 340 years for their constitutional and God-given rights. King's letter from a Birmingham jail could not be clearer in its articulation of the moral status of law and the role that religion plays in a just society: Now [King wrote] what is the difference between a ``just'' and an ``unjust'' law? How does one determine whether a law is just or unjust? A just law is a manmade code that squares with the moral law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. Yes, Dr. King appealed to the Nation's religious roots to encourage social change, and from a Birmingham jail, he encouraged individuals to confront unjust laws: [T]here is nothing new [King wrote] about this kind of civil disobedience. It was evidenced sublimely in the refusal of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to obey the laws of Nebuchadnezzar, on the ground that a higher moral law was at stake. It was practiced superbly by the early Christians, who were willing to face hungry lions . . . rather than submit to certain unjust laws of the Roman Empire. . . . In our own Nation, the Boston Tea Party represented a massive act of civil disobedience. We should never forget [King continued] that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was ``legal'' and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was ``illegal.'' It was ``illegal'' to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitler's Germany. Even so, I am sure [King proclaimed] that, had I lived in Germany at the time, I would have aided and comforted my Jewish brothers. If today I lived [King continued] in a Communist country, where certain principles dear to the Christian faith are suppressed, I would openly advocate disobeying that country's anti-religious laws. King's letter from a Birmingham jail and his ``I Have a Dream'' speech should be required reading for every American high school student and for every Member of Congress. With the 50th anniversary of Dr. King's speech upon us, it is good to remember his words. It is good to appreciate all that faith in God and the moral law have done to advance the cause of freedom in our country. It is good to reflect on whether policies enacted by government in our time are a step back from, or show a rising intolerance of, the religious freedom that has been instrumental in defining our country and defending our rights.

Mr. ROTHFUS

Mr. ROTHFUS. Madam Chairman, I rise in support of the Energy Consumers Relief Act. This commonsense legislation will protect workers, families, small businesses, and manufacturers by providing for more rigorous oversight and public disclosure of expensive and job-killing EPA regulations. Yesterday, President Obama's new EPA Administrator demonstrated how out of touch she was by denying that regulations have an impact on jobs. She is quoted as saying: ``Can we stop talking about environmental regulations killing jobs, please, at least for today?'' We'll stop talking about it when they stop robbing us of the jobs that support our communities. Within the last month, regulations have cost another 300 jobs in western Pennsylvania. The damage wrought by these regulations extends far beyond the individual families affected. They hurt their surrounding communities where these moms and dads live, work, and send their kids to school. They increase the cost of energy, which is a direct cost on families and businesses. It is especially painful for seniors and others who live on fixed incomes. I urge my colleagues to vote for this legislation that will protect workers, families, and businesses from higher electricity prices, less reliable energy, and more lost jobs.

Mr. ROTHFUS

Mr. ROTHFUS. Mr. Speaker, President Obama yesterday pivoted to jobs, or so it has been reported, during another campaign-style speech at Knox College in Illinois. During his hour-long speech, we heard no new ideas. Instead, President Obama battened down the hatches on his economic policies. Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York recently reported that more than 50 percent of college graduates are either unemployed or underemployed. Unfortunately, President Obama's economic policies have failed the class of 2013. Since he took office, President Obama has never really pivoted to jobs. Instead, he's always pivoted to Big Government. What's really grown over the last 4 years is President Obama's Washington. It's a Big Government boomtown. In contrast, the House has passed several pieces of legislation that would enable job growth. Let me name just a few of those initiatives: the SKILLS Act, the Keystone pipeline, and expanded offshore domestic energy production. If the President and the Senate would like to get serious about job creation, let me suggest they go to www.gop.gov/jobs. Unless the President truly pivots away from Big Government, we won't see real economic recovery until the class of 2017 graduates.

Mr. ROTHFUS

Mr. ROTHFUS. You think of the mom who no longer has the free checking. They're paying the monthly bills. They're looking at that utility bill. The electric bill is coming in. And remember when the President in 2008 said that electricity rates are necessarily going to skyrocket with his plan? Well, there's the mom who's going through the monthly bills, wondering how she's going to make ends meet. And all of a sudden there's another $5 or $10 or whatever the charge is going to be for losing the free checking. That's real money. And then she goes to the gas tank and all of a sudden prices are going up at the gas tank again. Another $10 there, $10 for the checking. That's $20 right there. And it grows and it grows and it grows.

Mr. ROTHFUS. When you look at the regulatory framework that we have, this House is soon to consider a bill known as the REINS Act. It's a very simple bill. It basically says to the agencies that are staffed by bureaucrats, not by individuals who are elected, who are accountable-- the people in this House are accountable. We stand for election every 2 years. We get a performance review every 2 years. I tell the people in my district I'm their employee. I'm the employee of about 705,000 people, and I get a performance review every couple of years. Well, you know, the regulators, we need a check and a balance on them. So there's a thing called the REINS Act, a very simple bill that talks about if an agency puts out a regulation that's going to have an impact on this economy of $100 million or more. And as the gentleman from Colorado said earlier, the SBA, the Small Business Administration, has said that the cost of complying with all the regulations in our Federal Register is $1.8 trillion across the economy. The REINS Act says if you have $100 million or more in a regulation that's going to go on the economy, it comes back to the Congress for a vote. We get to take accountability there. And so we get to assess whether the cost benefit is going to be good for this economy and good for the American people. Otherwise, the out- of-control government is going to continue to choke our communities and our businesses. And what happens? Middle class jobs are lost. Power plant workers. You can't replace jobs like that.

Mr. ROTHFUS. It's a pleasure to join this conversation. I thank the gentlelady from Alabama for starting it. And we've heard this phrase for years now, ``pivot to jobs.'' And, frankly, I'm new here. I've been here a little over 6 months, maybe 7 months, and I've been looking at it from the outside, and I haven't seen that pivot to jobs. And sometimes folks hear that phrase in Washington, D.C., and they think ``pivot to jobs.'' Well, what they really mean is pivot to government, and that's certainly what we've seen. Every time they think they're going to do something to help the job market, they pivot to more and more government. Remember when they passed the health care bill, it was suggested that this is going to be a job creator. Well, it really hasn't been, and we're talking to businesses time and again who are not hiring people. I had a great conversation with somebody in my district, a very tough conversation, and she was upset because her hours are being cut back because of the health care bill. And of course we see this across the country, not just in my district. And then we see more government as a proposal for more jobs, but we see the regulations coming out of this town that are hurting the jobs in my district. Just last week, we learned that some power plants are going to be closing in western Pennsylvania. These power plants are not in my district, but you know what? There are people who support those power plants by providing things to those power plants. You have jobs of truckers, of shippers, miners. More regulations coming out of this town by these Federal elites doesn't help jobs. I'm glad that we're going to pivot to jobs. I've talked about how you get jobs going in this country for quite a long time now, and I've stumbled on to three Rs. You remember the three Rs from going to school. Well, the three Rs, I think the number one R, or the first R is ``repeal.'' Repeal ObamaCare. The administration acknowledged, I think, the problems with this bill by coming out with a unilateral action just a couple of weeks ago, saying, Don't worry, big business; you don't have to comply for another year with the mandates here; but the everyday folks, you still have to comply. So this House, last week, took an action to provide some relief there. We'll give the President the authority that he assumed unilaterally, but it needs to come from this House, and it's called the rule of law, that the President--it's our authority to give that waiver. And so we passed a bill last week to say, You know what? Take another year. And to the individuals who are going to be struggling, give them the same break, too.

Mr. ROTHFUS. The good news is that we can do that. If we empower our communities, empower individuals, and empower families, we can do that. The solutions are not inside this Beltway. They're out there. And Washington needs to get out of the way so that people can take their own initiative and build those real economies out there. The third R I talked about--we've got repeal ObamaCare and replace it with commonsense, patient-centered reform that gets care to people. The second R is the REINS Act. Stop the overregulating. And thirdly, reform. Reform our Tax Code. We have the highest corporate tax rate in the world, the highest business taxes in the world. This is a world economy. Ninety-five percent of the consumers in the world are outside our borders. We need to be competing for the world's capital to come here to invest in our communities. I was talking with a business in my district that is a subsidiary. They have a foreign owner. But they were trying to convince the foreign owner to invest in our country, which would be a good thing because that's going to mean more jobs. The parent company said, You're just not competitive right now. And that's a lost opportunity. Our corporate tax rate is 35 percent. And do the corporations really pay that? Our Tax Code is so riddled with loopholes and picking the winners and the losers, rather than having a competitive, fair playing field. We have to move to have the most competitive tax system in the world.

Mr. ROTHFUS. It's not just costing businesses. Again, for the mom who's sitting at that kitchen table.

Mr. ROTHFUS

Mr. ROTHFUS. Mr. Speaker, this afternoon, I'm heading home, heading home to western Pennsylvania. People back home are being negatively impacted by President Obama's war on low-cost American energy and all the regulations that are emanating from the unelected Federal elites here in Washington, D.C. We've got power plants closing back in western Pennsylvania, resulting in hundreds of lost jobs. We've got miners with middle class incomes also being laid off. We've got truckers and shippers jobs also being threatened. President Obama's anti-energy agenda hurts all of those folks in western Pennsylvania and around the Nation. These hardworking moms and dads are losing their jobs, their livelihoods, and their ability to support their families and communities. This is the human toll of President Obama's war on low-cost American energy. It's a tragedy, and it must end.

Mr. ROTHFUS

Mr. ROTHFUS. I thank Dr. Price for his work on the Fairness for American Families Act, and I rise in support of the legislation. Mr. Speaker, President Obama made many promises when promoting his health care law. He promised that, if you liked your coverage, you could keep it; he promised that it would lower the cost of premiums; he promised that it would create new jobs and promote economic growth. Unfortunately, western Pennsylvania workers and families are experiencing just the opposite. A mom who works at a food service company in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, called my office last week to talk for an hour about how the law is impacting her family. She just had her hours cut by almost half thanks to the employer mandate. Her husband's job security is also now at risk. The lost hours, income, and job security have made it difficult for them to afford the necessities of life, and it will make it almost impossible to send their daughter to college next year. President Obama recently postponed the employer mandate. In so doing, he has conceded that the law is unworkable for businesses. If businesses deserve a break from ObamaCare, then why don't the rest of the American people? We need workable, commonsense, and patient-centered reforms that increase access to care and reduce costs. Today's legislation is a necessary first step in achieving the kind of health care reform that the American people deserve.

Mr. ROTHFUS

Mr. ROTHFUS. I thank the gentleman from North Dakota for yielding, and I thank the gentleman from Colorado for bringing this important discussion on energy and jobs. And it's not just the folks out west who are excited about energy. We in Pennsylvania are very excited. In fact, I'm from the southwestern part of Pennsylvania, and yesterday I was driving through the city of Pittsburgh around the same time that President Obama was renewing his war on coal from behind a podium in Washington, D.C. Our coal miners and steel workers built Pittsburgh. However, if the regime that President Obama and the unelected bureaucrats at the EPA, that regime that they're planning for the next 20 years, if that regime had been in place in the 19th century, Pittsburgh might not have become the great American city that it is today. The regulations introduced yesterday by President Obama are only the latest salvo in his war on low-cost American energy. These new regulations will result in more shuttered coal mines, power plants, and more lost jobs. When our coal miners and power plant workers lose their jobs, we lose people vital to our communities and we lose wages and tax revenues critical for supporting local small businesses and schools. These new regulations will also raise energy prices and significantly impact moms and dads sitting around the kitchen table paying their monthly utility bills. Long story short, this war on coal is a war on the livelihoods of millions of hardworking middle class men and women in western Pennsylvania and around the Nation. It's a war on good-paying American jobs, a war on American opportunity, and a war on American prosperity. And it must end. President Obama and unelected Federal elites must be held accountable for the negative impact these regulations will inflict on hardworking moms and dads. The REINS Act, which I support, would hold them accountable by requiring that any regulation with an annual economic impact of $100 million or more must be approved by Congress. Any regulation that has that much impact on our country should be voted for in Congress. Low-cost American energy is a major factor in economic growth and job creation. Every business and family uses fuel and electricity. The Federal Government needs a commonsense, straightforward, all-of-the- above energy policy to spur growth and get our economy booming again. The House Energy Action Team is a great group of Members dedicated to that goal. Coal, wind, natural gas, solar, nuclear, thermal, hydro, and oil must all play a part in powering our economy. Western Pennsylvania offers unparalleled opportunities and is benefiting economically, thanks to the development of our plentiful energy resources. The economic benefits are not limited to the energy sector. Lower energy prices resulting from increased domestic production would benefit the entire economy. For each new energy job, three or more additional new jobs are created across the economy. These are good- paying American jobs. This week, the House will consider legislation that would create over 1 million new good-paying American jobs, bring more domestic energy to the market, reducing costs for families and businesses, and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. President Obama and the Senate need to get serious about an all-of-the-above energy approach to domestic energy exploration and development so that we can grow these jobs. By safely and responsibly developing all of our Nation's natural resources, we can re-light our economy, add jobs, and move towards North American energy independence. In short, this will improve the quality of life for western Pennsylvania and all Americans.

Mr. ROTHFUS

Mr. ROTHFUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my frustration and disappointment with President Obama's war on coal. This war on coal is a war on the middle class. It's a war on good-paying jobs, and it's a war on American prosperity. You cannot pay for our critical social safety net programs unless you have a growing economy. You will not have a growing economy without low-cost American energy. President Obama's new regulations will shutter coal mines and power plants. It will raise energy costs and significantly impact moms and dads sitting around the kitchen table paying their monthly utility bills. It is time for President Obama to stop forcing Americans out of work and to stop giving a leg up to foreign competitors like China. It is time for President Obama to take his hand off the dimmer switch for the American economy. It is time to end this war on low-cost American energy so Americans can grow, prosper, and shine brightly once again.

Mr. ROTHFUS

Mr. ROTHFUS. Mr. Speaker, as I travel my district back home, folks tell stories about how the Obama economy is failing families, young people, seniors, workers, and future generations. Too many western Pennsylvanians are unemployed, underemployed, or have given up looking for work. Just last week, we learned that a Pennsylvania coal company was forced to lay off over 100 miners and other employees. These hardworking men and women are mothers and fathers. They have fallen victim to the stagnant economy and President Obama's war on coal. While the rest of the country is struggling, however, Washington, D.C. is booming. In fact, the suburbs here surrounding our capital include seven of the 10 richest counties in the country. It's easy for politicians and unelected Federal elites to spend recklessly and regulate carelessly when they are safely ensconced here in Washington. Their wasteful spending and onerous regulations have created a boomtown bubble and left the rest of the country behind. It's past time for this to change. Hardworking Americans need Washington to stop booming so the rest of the country has a chance to grow, prosper, and add jobs.

Mr. ROTHFUS

Mr. ROTHFUS. Mr. Speaker, the scandals embroiling the White House are the result of a culture of contempt for the law that we have seen since the beginning of the Obama administration. Over the past 4 years, President Obama has demonstrated that dedication to ideology and politics to the exclusion of the rule of law and effectively working to get this economy booming again. Because of this administration's agenda-driven Big Government policies, it is now more difficult for companies in western Pennsylvania to grow and hire additional staff. ObamaCare is raising costs, has discouraged hiring, and threatens access to quality health care. Regulations strangling the financial sector are limiting opportunities for small businesses to add jobs. And just last week, we learned that 134 hardworking employees of a coal company in western Pennsylvania were laid off. They can thank President Obama and his war on coal for altering the market for one of America's most valuable and abundant resources. President Obama and his administration need to stop their failed Big Government policies, and instead, we need to do all we can to get jobs back to the American people around the Nation.