Carol Shea-Porter

Ms. SHEA-PORTER

Ms. SHEA-PORTER. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my strong support for the conference report on H.R. 4137, the Higher Education Opportunity Act. I am a proud cosponsor of this legislation; and I thank Chairman Miller, Ranking Member McKeon, and the conferees. I want to highlight two achievements of particular importance to my constituents. The first is a provision that broadens the discretion afforded to school financial aid administrators. It allows them to take into account expenses incurred by families who are caring for an adult dependent when calculating a student's financial aid package. This sounds like a minor technical change, but it is not. A constituent of mine shared a very personal story about her family's struggle to make ends meet while caring for their eldest child, who is a disabled adult, and also trying to send their youngest to college. In determining whether this family qualified for financial aid, an administrator could not take this situation into consideration. With the provision included in this bill, they now can. We have also taken great steps in this legislation to ensure the continued success of the Upward Bound Program. This program plays a very important role in my district helping first generation and low- income high school students achieve their dreams of a college education. These programs have faced challenges over the past year. I am proud we have been able to resolve these issues. We have simplified the FAFSA form and done many other steps. I thank you for your efforts.

Ms. SHEA-PORTER

Ms. SHEA-PORTER. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Ms. SHEA-PORTER. Mr. Chairman, I rise for the purpose of engaging in a colloquy with the chairman. Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank you for your leadership in supporting our veterans and particularly on this bill. The 110th Congress has made great strides in fulfilling the promises made to our veterans. Mr. Chairman, there are more than 130,000 veterans in New Hampshire. Those veterans have gone without a full service VA hospital for the past 7 years. Last year, over 700 veterans who visited our VA facility in Manchester for acute care were transported to Boston VA facilities or to the White River Junction in Vermont. For some of our more rural northern residents, this can be an arduous ordeal. Hours can be spent in a car or bus traveling for medical care. To address this inequity, I introduced legislation this week that would require the VA to either provide full-service hospital care or comparable services to veterans in every State. Mr. Chairman, the legislation before us also includes an increase of $200 million in fee-based care funding, care that our veterans can receive in local non-VA medical facilities. This program can provide much-needed assistance to veterans in New Hampshire, and I wanted to receive your assurances that we would continue to work together to ensure that New Hampshire veterans have adequate access to in-State health care. At this time, I would like to yield to my friend and colleague from the Second District of New Hampshire.

Ms. SHEA-PORTER. Thank you. I yield back.

Ms. SHEA-PORTER

Ms. SHEA-PORTER. Mr. Speaker, today a terrible storm hit across the State of New Hampshire. There has been death and destruction in five counties, and we have declared a state of emergency there. I am asking for the prayers of this country for the people of New Hampshire. They're a strong lot. For ages they have helped one another build their homes, their barns, their stone walls, their businesses. I know that they will find the resources once again to help each other through this calamity. I ask the people of the country and the Congress to keep their thoughts and prayers on the people of New Hampshire tonight.

Ms. SHEA-PORTER

Ms. SHEA-PORTER. Madam Speaker, it may be July, but New Hampshire families are already worried about how are they going to heat their homes this winter. The cost of heating oil has been rising dramatically all year. With $5 a gallon heating oil forecast, the average New Hampshire family could be spending $4,000 to heat their homes. This is a daunting figure for most families. With so many households relying on heating oil and with the Bush administration recommending a $500,000 cut to the Low Income Heating Energy Assistance Program, LIHEAP, for fiscal year 2009, Congress simply must step in and provide the kind of funding relief Americans need. I have introduced legislation that would provide $9 billion in emergency funding for LIHEAP, as well as an additional $1 billion for weatherization programs. Not only would this proposal ensure that Northern States receive increased aid to get through the long winter, but it would also help the Southern States get through their hot summers. Increased funding for LIHEAP must be a national priority. The administration's effort to slash funding is absolutely inexcusable. Congress must step in and provide adequate funding.

Ms. SHEA-PORTER

Ms. SHEA-PORTER. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Ms. SHEA-PORTER. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I'd like to thank Chairman Oberstar and Subcommittee Chairman DeFazio for working with me on this amendment. Mr. Chairman, it is critical that we take a serious look at our Nation's bridge infrastructure and take the necessary steps to ensure that we invest in the maintenance and modernization of that infrastructure. The underlying legislation accomplishes this, and I applaud the chairman for his work on this and look forward to voting for this bill when the time comes. However, whenever possible, we must take care to protect our Nation's historic bridges, while ensuring their safety. My amendment accomplishes this by allowing States the option to provide for more frequent and in-depth inspection of historic bridges, in lieu of their replacement under the 5-year performance plan outlined in this underlying legislation. Under my amendment, the safety of these historic bridges is ensured by requiring that States choosing to take advantage of this exception subject these bridges to more vigorous inspections. At the same time it also makes approval of the exception contingent upon the Secretary's determination that the overall safety of the State's bridge inventory will be increased by granting the exception. Mr. Chairman, this is by no means a blanket exception for historic bridges, as it rightfully puts safety first. But it does provide the necessary flexibility for those States that wish to preserve their historic bridges. I urge my colleagues to support my amendment and the underlying legislation. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. SHEA-PORTER. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. SHEA-PORTER

Ms. SHEA-PORTER. Mr. Speaker, almost 8 years ago two oilmen arrived at the White House. They devised an oil policy that left everybody else out. And now we are seeing their very successful oil policy where we are paying for their secret policy. And yet we didn't hear a word from the Republican side of the aisle. And now, when we are paying almost $5 a gallon, suddenly they are talking about drilling in ANWR. Now, they know, as well as we do, as well as the Department of Energy knows and says, that it would take 10 years to get any gas from that. The American family would spend $57,000 before they saw one penny from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. We need to drill now and we need to drill domestically, and they have the leases. And don't ever be surprised by the fact that the oil companies are claiming there is nothing underneath there anyway, because what they are really doing is buying back their stock. So my suggestion to the oil companies is to get to work now. Start drilling domestically with what you have. You have 80 percent of the leased land. Use it or lose it.

Ms. SHEA-PORTER

Ms. SHEA-PORTER. Mr. Speaker, gas prices are hovering around $4 a gallon now. Americans are having difficulty just finding the money to drive to the store. The energy policies of the Bush administration over the past 7 years have helped only one group, Big Oil. They're doing just fine, thank you very much. House Democrats are moving America in a new direction towards energy independence. We raised the miles-per-gallon requirement for the first time in over 30 years. We are putting money into research and development. We're requiring energy-efficient appliances, and we are creating green jobs, among other things. We're also demanding that oil companies drill now. They have 68 million acres of land that they could drill on. They have their permits. They need to get to work now. Last month, House Republicans could have joined us in sending a strong message to oil companies that they need to start drilling on already approved lands. But instead, House Republicans once again sided with both Big Oil and President Bush. Mr. Speaker, the oil companies need to use those permits or lose those permits. America wants oil companies to get to work now and stop playing politics.

Ms. SHEA-PORTER

Ms. SHEA-PORTER. Mr. Speaker, every day, American consumers are being squeezed at the pump. They can no longer afford for Congress to be divided on this issue. I urge every Member of Congress to support legislation on the floor that would compel the oil industry to drill on the public lands it already controls. Big Oil would either have to produce from these lands, would have to show they are being diligent in their development or would have to give up the right to control even more Federal energy resources. Simply put, we are telling Big Oil to either use it or lose it. Experts estimate that 68 million acres of leased land could produce 4.8 million barrels of oil, which would nearly double the Nation's total oil production. Congressional Republicans and President Bush are calling for domestic drilling, saying it is the only solution to control high prices. Republicans should then be demanding that Big Oil drill on the 68 million acres where they already have leases. Mr. Speaker, Americans have been deeply hurt by the prices at the pump. Republicans should join with the Democrats and should tell Big Oil companies to get to work now.

Ms. SHEA-PORTER

Ms. SHEA-PORTER. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to voice my support for H.R. 6003, the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008. And I would like to thank Chairman Oberstar for his leadership on this issue. Mr. Chairman, as gas prices continue to rise and our highways become more congested, it becomes even more critical for us to support and encourage mass-transit alternatives. Amtrak will surely continue to play a significant role as one of these alternatives. My home State of New Hampshire is served by the Amtrak Downeaster, connecting Portland, Maine to Boston. The Downeaster has truly been a success story from the beginning of its service in 2001. Ridership numbers have continued to increase year after year, highlighting the importance of Amtrak service to the region. In fact, so far this fiscal year, ridership of the Downeaster has reached nearly 300,000. Yet even a rail line as successful and as important to our region as the Downeaster has difficulties turning a profit. While there are improvements to be made at Amtrak overall, passenger rail service in general requires investment and dedication. As we have seen with the Downeaster, this dedication yields significant returns in tourism and business dollars that come as a result of improving access to the communities served. I look forward to voting in favor of H.R. 6003 and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Ms. SHEA-PORTER

Ms. SHEA-PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend and colleague for his support on this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased today to rise today to recognize the 100th anniversary of our Nation's first credit union. In 1908, St. Mary's Cooperative Credit Association, later to be renamed the Bank of the People, was established in Manchester, New Hampshire. Manchester had textile mills then. The mill workers' resources were pooled to create credit and savings opportunities for workers, many of whom were immigrants. In 1934, 26 years after the establishment of St. Mary's, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Federal Credit Union Act into law, allowing for the organization of credit unions under charters approved by the Federal Government. Today there are over 8,500 credit unions nationwide, and I think it's fair to say that St. Mary's truly laid the foundation for the success of credit unions nationwide. This credit union model has withstood the test of time. From the Great Depression to modern-day globalization, the emphasis on local communities that is embodied in the concept of the credit union has earned these institutions a special place among our Nation's financial institutions. St. Mary's even stayed open during the bank holiday of 1933, providing reassurance and help to its worried community. This commitment to community and access to credit and savings services is easy to see. For example, in 1908, the cost of becoming a member of the St. Mary's Cooperative Credit Association was $5. Today, after 100 years, the cost of signing up for anyone who lives or works in New Hampshire is $5. That is pretty remarkable. So, Mr. Chairman, I am proud to honor St. Mary's 100th anniversary, and I urge my colleagues to join me in support of H. Res. 1145.

Ms. SHEA-PORTER

Ms. SHEA-PORTER. I am proud to offer this amendment alongside my colleagues, Representatives Welch, Arcuri, and Hodes, and I thank them for their hard work on this amendment. I would also like to thank Chairman Miller, Subcommittee Chairman Kildee, and Representatives Chandler and Loebsack for their hard work on this legislation. Madam Chairman, energy and heating costs are on the rise and communities across the country are feeling the pinch. Now more than ever, it's important to focus on sustainable forms of energy and heating production. Going green is not only the right thing to do for our environment and for national security reasons, but it's the financially responsible thing to do as well. The Shea-Porter/Welch/Acuri/Hodes amendment builds on the positive steps taken in H.R. 3021 by specifying that the funds authorized by this act may be used to invest in sustainable solutions that meet the energy and heating needs of our Nation's school facilities. Sustainable solutions such as geothermal, solar, wind, and biomass technologies will help to mitigate the costs of the increasing traditional energy sources on our schools by reducing the schools' dependence on traditional sources. This amendment makes a simple change, but it is an important one, as it serves to provide school districts with greater flexibility in the use of these dollars. Madam Chairman, 82 percent of the 475 public schools in my home State of New Hampshire were built prior to 1981, and 36 were built prior to 1951. Just think of all the advances that have been made in heating and energy efficiency technologies since then. The underlying legislation will certainly help modernize these schools, and with our amendment, H.R. 3021, will do even more by allowing school districts to make critical investments in sustainable heating and energy solutions. Madam Chairman, the Shea-Porter/Welch/Arcuri/Hodes amendment is supported by the National Education Association, and it deserves the support of our colleagues as well. I urge a ``yea'' vote on this amendment and the underlying legislation. Let's invest in our school infrastructure in an environmentally and economically sound way.

Ms. SHEA-PORTER

Ms. SHEA-PORTER. I would like to thank my colleague and my friend from Rhode Island for his hard work to bring this bill to the floor. Mr. Patrick Kennedy has been an advocate for improving health care in the Congress, a tradition that we know is a very proud family legacy. This amendment will provide for a new pilot program that connects Reservists to behavioral health care that they need. It will establish a call center that is available to assist servicemembers and their families around the clock. This commonsense provision helps us fulfill the promises that we have made to care for our troops. I am proud to be here with my friend from Rhode Island to offer it.

Ms. SHEA-PORTER

Ms. SHEA-PORTER. I rise today in support of this bill, and I thank Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter for bringing it to the floor and for their great work. I want to also thank Chairman Ortiz and Chairwoman Davis for their work during the subcommittee markup and the committee staff for their hard work throughout the process. Mr. Chairman, this is an excellent bill that will have a tremendous impact on our servicemembers and their families, and I am proud to support it. As a former military spouse, I know how much our troops and their families depend on the strong support from Congress. In this year's bill, we grow the military, adding 7,000 soldiers, 5,000 marines, 1,000 sailors, and 450 airmen to take the pressure off the current military. We add a 3.9 percent pay increase and increase existing bonuses. We provide nearly $25 billion for the defense health program without increasing TRICARE fees. We increase benefits for Guardsmen and Reservists as well. These actions are the way that we show that we do support the troops and their families, and this is the way we thank them for their service. We designate money to keep F-22 fighters and C-17s rolling off the production line. These two programs are vital to our Air Force. We add a second Virginia class sub and the resources in our shipyard system to maintain them. We include more than $12 million for cold weather clothing systems that keep our men and women warm in the mountains of Afghanistan. In this year's bill we provide our Army aviation assets with advanced self-protection systems that keep our soldiers safe in harm's way. We also fund programs at home, like the Swimmer Detection Network that protects our Los Angeles and Virginia class submarines at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in my district. We fund military construction projects at our shipyards and depots that are vital to our Nation's defenses, and we add billions for housing at our bases that ensure our servicemembers and their families are safe and comfortable. I am proud that we worked together in a truly bipartisan manner to produce this bill that cares for our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines and their families. I urge the House to pass this bill.

Ms. SHEA-PORTER

Ms. SHEA-PORTER. I would like to thank the sponsor of this important resolution, the gentlewoman from California, Susan Davis. Congresswoman Davis is the Chair of the Military Personnel Subcommittee, and it is my great honor to serve with her. As we prepare to honor our military and our fallen on Memorial Day, it is appropriate to honor the women who have served, also. Almost 800,000 have served since World War I, and together, women make up almost 15 percent of our active military and 17 percent of our National Guard Reserve forces. Sadly, many of the women who earned medals and served this country never collect those medals. They served quietly and they left quietly, too humble to tell their tale and too humble to ask for their medals. In New Hampshire, I recently had the great pleasure to present medals to Hazel Jones, 50 years after she had earned them in World War II. The Dover resident enlisted in the Army in 1944, completed her basic training, and went on to serve her country for the next 17 months, transporting troops and the mail and protecting our national security. I was really proud to present Hazel with her medals, and I am proud today to honor the hundreds of thousands of other women who have nobly served our beloved country. While women may not make up the majority of our Armed Forces, they stand and work side by side with the men, and they are critical to our mission. As we celebrate Memorial Day, it is fitting that we take this moment to celebrate their service. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Ms. SHEA-PORTER

Ms. SHEA-PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the sponsor of this legislation, the gentleman from Illinois, Phil Hare, who's a leader and a tireless advocate for veterans. This Memorial Day we honor the memory of so many who have served this Nation. In honor of their memory, it's fitting that we consider legislation today that will help deliver the benefits that were promised to our veterans and which they earned by their selfless service to our Nation. The bill before us, H.R. 2790, will create the position of Director of Physician Assistant Services in the VA to manage the education, training, and utilization of physician assistants within the Veterans Health Administration. PAs play an important part in the health care of our veterans, providing a whole range of diagnostic and therapeutic services, administering physicals, taking patient histories, diagnosing and treating patients. The first PAs were former corpsmen who had served in Vietnam. Their extensive medical training made them ideal candidates for further medical education and the perfect fit for the continuing medical care of their fellow veterans. Since the PA Advisor position was created in the VA in 2000, their ranks have grown, and today almost 1,600 PAs serve in the VA. PAs go through a very vigorous 2-year-long certification program, and by creating a Director of Physician Assistant Services in the VA, we can help ensure that their expertise is properly utilized and that our veterans receive the care they deserve. Their utilization may also mean in rural States like mine that veterans have greater access to health care. It's appropriate that we will pass this legislation today in honor of the veterans who have served our country so bravely. As a proud wife of a veteran myself, working to improve the care veterans were promised and have earned is a top priority for me, and I enthusiastically support this legislation. I urge my colleagues to support this also.

Ms. SHEA-PORTER

Ms. SHEA-PORTER. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 493, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act. As a member of the Education and Labor Committee, I knew that we had served the American people well when the committee passed this bill and then the House passed it almost unanimously in April 2007. Now, a year later, we are on the verge of sending this important legislation to the President with overwhelming bipartisan support in both Chambers. Science and medicine have made great strides in recent years, especially with regard to genetic mapping and research. The potential for finding the answers we desperately seek for so many diseases and afflictions is greatly increased by the research being done. However, in order for these efforts to be successful, the public must be assured that these new discoveries will help and not hurt them. Science will soon be able to tell us about many more diseases that individuals are genetically predisposed to develop. That information should be used only for the public good. It must not be used by companies to pick and choose who gets insurance or who gets discriminated against. They should not be allowed to charge higher insurance premiums because of somebody's individual genetic makeup. This critical piece of legislation will protect individuals from discrimination. This is an important step that Congress is taking today, and I am very happy that we are doing this in a unified spirit. I commend Congresswomen Slaughter and Biggert for their efforts here. And I would also like to thank Chairman Miller and my colleagues on the Education and Labor Committee for their work on this and so many other important issues. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

Ms. SHEA-PORTER

Ms. SHEA-PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased as Speaker Pelosi decided to assert Congress' power over international trade by waiving ill- advised fast-track rules, and I hope the decision to waive the 90-day deadline for a vote on the Colombia FTA will effectively kill the agreement. This is not a good idea at this time. Colombia has not proven that they are capable of providing the human rights that the people of Colombia so desperately need. Passage of the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement would greatly diminish our Nation's reputation as a leader in the fight to end human rights abuses worldwide. Like the Peru agreement which preceded it, the Colombia FTA is based on the flawed NAFTA-CAFTA model which also led to the outsourcing of millions of high-paying American jobs. This comes at a time when our own country is in a recession and experiencing unprecedented job loss. All around, this is not a good idea, and I hope that we will kill this.

Ms. SHEA-PORTER

Ms. SHEA-PORTER. For fiscal year 2009, the President proposed just $2 billion for LIHEAP, a $570 million painful cut from what Congress provided for 2008. This irresponsible cut could force New Hampshire to lose over $2.5 million in funding next year. I applaud the committee for rejecting these proposed cuts and for increasing funding for LIHEAP and other programs that will help the middle-income and lower-income families in New Hampshire and across the country. And I thank you.

Ms. SHEA-PORTER. Thank you for the time, and I thank Chairman Spratt and the Budget Committee for producing a fair and responsible budget, a moral document that is fiscally responsible. Mr. Chairman, I have been deeply concerned about the President's proposed cuts to the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program known as LIHEAP. LIHEAP provides critical assistance to millions of families in America. Every winter, tens of thousands of families in New Hampshire rely on this program to heat their homes. Over 40,000 members each year for the past 2 years have applied to the fuel assistance program for help with heating bills. This winter, the average cost of heating a home with heating oil is expected to climb to over $2,000 per family, more than three times the $627 that it cost just 6 years ago. But LIHEAP has not failed to keep pace with the dramatic cost. It has actually dropped.

Ms. SHEA-PORTER. Yes.

Ms. SHEA-PORTER

Ms. SHEA-PORTER. Madam Chairman, as a former social worker and administrator and a cosponsor of the GIVE Act, I rise today to express my strong support for H.R. 2857. I was able to see firsthand the hard work and self-sacrifice and dedication of our AmeriCorps volunteers during the Katrina recovery effort. As a relief volunteer myself, I worked side by side with the AmeriCorps volunteers. You can't say enough about these young people who gave of themselves and worked tirelessly for many, many hours to give comfort to their fellow Americans. This convinced me how essential AmeriCorps and other national service programs really are to this Nation. My experiences as a social worker and as an administrator and relief volunteer have made the reauthorization of this program a high priority for me, and I'm proud that it's a high priority for this Congress as well. I'm also grateful that the committee passed my amendment to increase the minimum amount of the State formula grants. This increase acknowledges that these volunteer programs are equally important in smaller States such as New Hampshire. These programs and the participants who are in them work miracles for very low money, and we need to thank them.