Bobby Schilling

Mr. SCHILLING

Mr. SCHILLING. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Tom Dufford on his recent retirement. For more than 40 years Tom has faithfully carried out the mission of the Social Security Administration, and I applaud and admire his dedication to those he serves. From his start as an intern back in 1972 and to his rise to Operations Supervisor in 2009, Tom has been a leader with tremendous loyalty and a passion for service. Over the course of his career he has received many awards for his work at the Social Security Administration, including the 2009 Regional Commissioner's Citation for Area 2. I join the many who have commended Tom's efforts in saying ``thank you.'' It is stories like this that make me proud to serve the 171 District and all the hard-working individuals who reside there. I am honored to have Tom as my constituent.

Mr. SCHILLING

Mr. SCHILLING. Mr. Speaker, on September 1 of 2012, a tragedy occurred at the Quad City Air Show when a 30-year-old L-39 fighter jet fell from the sky, claiming the life of a veteran pilot. Glenn Smith, or ``Skids,'' as he is remembered by his fellow Hoppers of Frisco, Texas, never shied away from adventure. He lived life to the fullest as a certified scuba diver, as a licensed sailor, and as a self-proclaimed ``struggling'' golfer. Nearly three decades ago, he took one of the greatest risks and started what would eventually become a successful business. In 2006, Skids retired to pursue his true passion--flying. Restoring and flying fighter jets wasn't just a hobby to him; it was a way to share a piece of our Nation's history with people across the country. Skids will always be remembered by those he motivated through his mission to educate the general public and to inspire kids to work hard in school, aim high in life, and have fun. Skids' enthusiasm for life will truly be missed. My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends and teammates he leaves behind.

Mr. SCHILLING

Mr. SCHILLING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Jerry Costello, who will be retiring at the end of the 112th Congress. We need more Members of Congress like Jerry--Representatives who are willing to reach across the aisle and work to get the job done regardless of party. There is no limit to what you can accomplish when you don't care who gets the credit. Jerry is one of those guys, and his commitment to Illinois and our country will definitely be missed. Jerry has served on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and has helped enact national highway policy to improve our country's roads and bridges. This is a bipartisan issue and after nine term extensions I am glad that this Congress came together to pass the first multiyear highway bill since 2005. Jerry has been extremely strong on transportation and infrastructure issues and future representatives will have large shoes to fill. Jerry is a committed family man and early on in my first term, I quickly realized how hard it is to be away from your wife and children so frequently. I respect him for keeping his family home in Illinois, traveling to DC to serve, and returning home. Public service is about serving the people, not serving one's own self. Over the past 24 years, the people of the 12th district have been fortunate to call Jerry Costello their Congressman. His leadership, bipartisanship, hard work, and dedication to public service will not soon be forgotten. On behalf of the 17th district, I wish Congressman Costello a happy and healthy retirement. Than you for your service.

Mr. SCHILLING

Mr. SCHILLING. Mr. Speaker, I wish to rise and say just a few words to honor the remarkable life and note the passing of a constituent of mine and an accomplished small business man from central Illinois, a businessman named Mel Feldman. I had the privilege of meeting Mr. Feldman in 2010, when he shared with me the story of his life and times. I'd like to share some of that with you, for it encapsulates much of what we all love about our country and what I love about central Illinois. Mel was born in Poland in 1913, which he and his family fled soon thereafter to escape the pogroms that arose during the First World War. The family eventually settled in St. Louis, where Mel studied engineering. He began a career in the radio business, hustling a job as a remote engineer with KMOX during the 1930s, where he courted his wife, Ruth, while doing remote broadcasts of big band concerts on Saturday nights. Later, he was an engineer and sidekick of a young broadcaster named Harry Carey, of who we're very familiar with. Mel fought in World War II, and upon returning home, he and a friend bought a radio station in Springfield, Illinois. Operating on a shoestring budget, they worked day and night for years to get established, eventually buying two other radio stations in Peoria and coming to employ nearly 100 workers. He and his wife, Ruth, became pillars of the community at the synagogue there in the central Illinois area, where she helped run the preschool. In the 1980s, they sold their stations and retired, choosing to remain in the area to be near their family. To go from the streets of Eastern Europe to the prosperity and stability of central Illinois in the 21st century is a journey that is difficult for many of us to fathom. It is to the enormous benefit of our community that people like Mel came to the United States and braved war and oppression and poverty and all kinds of other tribulations for the chance to settle down and raise their families amongst us. They are one of the things that make Illinois such a great and rewarding place to live and raise our families. America owes much to immigrants, and central Illinois owes much to the contributions of Mel and Ruth Feldman, whose legacy goes beyond the radio stations he established, the synagogue they served, and the family they raised. Their lives touched and bettered so many friends and neighbors in Peoria, who I know are mourning Mel's passing but, at the same time, celebrating his life.

Mr. SCHILLING

Mr. SCHILLING. Mr. Speaker, like many in Illinois' 17th District, I'm disappointed that the Supreme Court decided to uphold the President's health care reform law. The Court ruled what we all knew from the beginning, but the President wouldn't acknowledge, the law's individual mandate is really a tax on the American people and businesses that create jobs. Under this law, the health care costs remain too high. Government bureaucrats remain between patients and their doctors. Too many Americans remain unemployed, with national unemployment hovering above 8 percent for the last 41 straight months. The law's medical device tax will continue to raise health care costs and limit the ability of facilities, like Cook Medical in Canton, Illinois, to expand and grow jobs. And the law's employer mandate will continue to force employers to choose between paying a penalty, increasing the number of employees eligible for health care coverage, replacing full-time staff with part-time employees, or laying folks off. Mr. Speaker, now is not the time to raise taxes on working-class families or employers. We need to repeal this law and get to work on bipartisan health care reform that lowers costs and makes health care more convenient and more affordable. I'm new to Congress, but I have a plan to address rising health care costs while ensuring those who need it have access to coverage. I urge men and women from across America to visit schilling.house.gov to take a look.

Mr. SCHILLING

Mr. SCHILLING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to wish the Rock Island Arsenal in the 17th District of Illinois a happy 150th Birthday. An act of Congress in 1809 first established the Rock Island facility as a military reservation. In 1862 Congress officially established Rock Island Arsenal as a facility for the deposit and repair of military materiel in a bill that President Abraham Lincoln signed into law on July 11, 1862. This Arsenal has provided equipment for our military in every major conflict since the Spanish-American War. It has supported our Army's readiness in times of both peace and war. I am proud of the work that the men and women at Rock Island Arsenal have done and are still doing because they have played a role in making our military become the best in the world. In addition to supporting our troops and contributing our national defense capabilities, the Rock Island Aresnal has taken an active role in job creation and economic development in our region. For that reason, I am proud to be an original cosponsor of a resolution by Congressman Dave Loebsack that recognizes and honors this great facility. I am also proud to have worked hard for the Rock Island Arsenal with Congressman Loebsack on getting important provisions in the Fiscal Year 2012 and 2013 National Defense Authorization Acts that will help strengthen this national treasure and recognize the critical manufacturing capability of the organic base. I will continue to support this important facility. I want to thank the past and current men and women of the Rock Island Arsenal for everything they have done for the Army and our country as a whole and I want to wish them a Happy Birthday. Here is to 150 more years.

Mr. SCHILLING

Mr. SCHILLING. Mr. Speaker, on Monday, June 18, 2012, I attended a visitation in the 17th District of Illinois and was unable to cast my vote for rollcall Nos. 379 and 380. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on the bill by Senator Mike Lee, S. 684, to provide for the conveyance of certain parcels of land to the town of Alta, Utah, which passed by an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 383-3. I would also have voted ``yea'' on the bill by Senator Carl Levin, S. 404, to provide for the conveyance of certain parcels of land to the town of Alta, Utah, which also passed by an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 380-0.

Mr. SCHILLING

Mr. SCHILLING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the Quad City International Airport for its selection as the ``Illinois Primary Airport of the Year'' at the Illinois Aviation Conference held in St. Charles, Illinois, on May 23, 2012. Success does not come without hard work and commitment. The efforts of the employees of the Metropolitan Airport Authority, MAA, have helped the Quad City International Airport win its first ``Illinois Primary Airport of the Year'' award since 2004, and I applaud their dedication. The improvements to the airport's infrastructure over the past several months and years due to partnerships with the Division of Aeronautics and the Federal Aviation Administration have been excellent and contributed to the winning of this award. I frequently use the Quad City International Airport and am excited as the airport continues to make improvements and pursue excellence. I am pleased to see that this progress has been recognized state-wide by the Illinois Aviation Conference. I congratulate the Quad City International Airport on this much-deserved achievement and look forward to traveling to and from this site in the future.

Mr. SCHILLING

Mr. SCHILLING. Thank you, Mr. Camp. I appreciate your hard work on this. Unemployment is the largest problem we face today, so why would anyone want to punish innovation by forcing more taxes on American medical device companies. That is exactly what the President's health care law does, but we have a chance to repeal this tax today. I hope the Senate will follow suit. This tax will hurt the medical device industry, including companies like Cook Medical, which has two facilities in my district in Canton, Illinois. Cook currently has 100 employees, but is looking to expand and provide more jobs for men and women in Illinois. Support H.R. 436 to promote innovation, jobs and growth across our country.

Mr. SCHILLING

Mr. SCHILLING. Mr. Speaker, on Friday June 1, 2012, I attended a family funeral and was unable to cast my votes for Roll Numbers 306 through 313. These were amendments to H.R. 5325, the fiscal year 2013 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. Had I been present, my votes would have been as follows: For roll No. 306, an amendment by Congressman Scalise of Louisiana Page 3, Line 16--Transfers $10 million from Department of Energy Salaries & Expenses to Corps of Engineers construction account. I would have voted ``aye''. For roll No. 307, an amendment by Congressman King of Iowa Page 3, Line 16--Strikes $1 million from Fish and Wildlife and adds $571,000 to Operations and Maintenance. I would have voted ``aye''. For roll No. 308, an amendment by Congressman Moran of Virginia, Page 12, Line 16--Strikes Sec. 110. Sec. 110 prevents the Corps of Engineers from updating guidance concerning federal jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act. I would have voted ``no''. For roll No. 309, an amendment by Congressman Hultgren of Illinois, Page 20, Line 15--Takes $30 million from Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and puts $15 million in the Office of Science. I would have voted ``aye''. For roll No. 310, an amendment by Congressman Chaffetz of Utah, Page 20, Line 15--Reduces Advanced Manufacturing by $74 million, to FY 2011 spending levels, and transfers this amount to the Spending Reduction Account. I would have voted ``aye''. For roll No. 311, an amendment by Congressman McClintock of California, Amendment No. 6--Reduces Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy by $1.45 billion and puts the savings in the Spending Reduction Account. I would have voted ``no''. For roll No. 312, an amendment by Congresswoman Kaptur of Ohio, Page 20, Line 15--Transfers $10 million from the Department of Energy Administrative accounts to Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. I would have voted ``no''. For roll No. 313, an amendment by Congressman Tonko of New York, Page 20, Line 15--Transfers $180 million from National Nuclear Security Administration--Weapons Activities to Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy for Weatherization assistance and state energy programs. I would have voted ``no''. For roll No. 314, an amendment by Congresswoman Hahn of California, Page 20, Line 15--Adds $50 million to Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy offset by a $100 million reduction in Fossil Energy Research and Development. I would have voted ``no''. It is an honor to serve the people of the 17th Congressional District of Illinois.

Mr. SCHILLING

Mr. SCHILLING. I believe in the concept of allowing our veterans to receive medical care closer to home. I remember taking care of my dad during the last few months of his life and driving him back and forth from Iowa City hospitals several hours at a time for my dad to get the care he needed. While we appreciated the service and the care provided through the VA, I believe that we must continue to make improvements to the care our veterans receive. I talked to many constituents in the Illinois 17th District who feel the same way. In 2008, a law was passed that created a pilot program called Access Received Closer to Home, also known as Project ARCH. This program helps veterans who are more than 60 minutes away from the nearest VA health care facility to receive primary care for services at non-VA health centers that contract with the VA. I believe this is a very promising program for our veterans, and this amendment would allow Project ARCH to serve more veterans, and here's how: A 2011 audit of the Office of Rural Health found that, at the end of fiscal year 2010, the Office of Rural Health had obligated $16 million of its budget. The audit went on to find examples of lapsed funding that ``constituted missing opportunities for the Office of Rural Health to improve access and quality of care for rural veterans.'' This amendment would help turn these missed opportunities into more veterans served. This amendment by Representative Schock and myself would take unused and unobligated funds from the Office of Rural Health and devote this money to Project ARCH so that it can serve more of our veterans. I support Project ARCH's goals of improving access for veterans in cost-effective ways and provide an easing of travel requirements for the care that our servicemembers receive. I also support another program similar to Project ARCH. In 2006, Congress directed the Veterans Health Administration to implement a contracting pilot program to better manage the fee-basis care program that the VA runs for veterans seeking care outside the VA system. That pilot project is called Project HERO. The VA has stated that Project HERO has resulted in annual savings of $16 million in the four VISNs it operates in with less than 20 percent of the potential workload. This means that the savings figure will be much higher if Project HERO is utilized across all of the VISNs and at a higher workload level. That is why I believe that we should support this program and provide it funding so it can help more veterans who do not have easy access to facilities across the United States of America.

Mr. SCHILLING

Mr. SCHILLING. Mr. Speaker, as the House and Senate continue to work in a bipartisan fashion to produce a transportation reauthorization, I wanted to submit for the Congressional Record a copy of a letter I sent to Senate Chairman Barbara Boxer of the Environment and Public Works Committee and House Chairman John Mica of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. But first I wanted to clarify my vote on the Rahall Motion to Instruct Conferees on the Transportation Bill that occurred on May 18, 2012. According to the House Clerk, the instructions contained in the motion ``seek to require the managers on the part of the House at the conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on the Senate amendment to the bill H.R. 4348 to be instructed to agree to sections 1528, 20017 (to the extent that such section amends section 5323 of title 49, United States Code, to provide subsection (k) relating to Buy America), 33007, 33008, and 35210 of the Senate amendment.'' This motion urges House conferees to agree to the Senate provisions in their transportation bill that pertain to Buy American requirements for highway projects, Buy American Waiver Requirements, and the Make It In America Initiative. I agree with the sentiments of this motion and intended to vote ``aye'' but voted ``nay'' in error. I support American jobs and American workers and believe that we should be using American made goods when growing our infrastructure. If the Buy America provisions are offered as a Motion to Instruct on the Transportation Conference in the future, I intend to vote ``aye''. I urge the Conferees to push for a multi-year transportation bill. Congress has a tremendous opportunity to provide five or six years of certainty when it comes to transportation policy and projects. The construction industry in particular suffers from 14.5 percent unemployment and we can put these men and women back to work by agreeing to a long term bill that includes transportation priorities like the Keystone XL Pipeline project. I refer to these subjects in my letter to Chairmen Boxer and Mica below, but this Congress has proven it can provide certainty and bipartisanship when it passed a four-year Federal Aviation Administration law. It took five years and 23 short-term extensions, but this Congress was able to get the job done. It should be the goal of this Congress to achieve similar success this year with a multi-year transportation bill. May 8, 2012. Hon. John L. Mica, Chairman, Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure, Washington, DC. Hon. Barbara Boxer, Chairman, Environment & Public Works, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Mica, Chairman Boxer, and Conferees, our country as a whole is in need of a long, multi-year surface transportation authorization bill. This long-term certainty will allow our state departments of transportation to truly address our infrastructure needs and not push them off down the road until it is too late and too expensive. Our country is closing in on $16 trillion in debt--totaling more than $50,000 per American. We must invest wisely, while also coming to grips with our fiscal situation. I would like to share with you some priorities from the people I have the privilege of representing. When the near-trillion dollar stimulus was signed into law in 2009, many citizens wondered why Congress was not focused on a true job-creating measure like a long-term highway plan. The fact that such a small percentage of the stimulus plan was devoted to transportation and infrastructure represents an unfortunate missed opportunity, especially at a time when our infrastructure is rated as ``D'' by the American Society of Civil Engineers and construction unemployment in the industry is 14.5 percent. The time to focus on a long-term transportation bill is now. The certainty that a long-term bill will would provide would allow programs like the Projects of National and Regional Significance to help build much-needed infrastructure in our country. Projects that fall in this category are high in cost and large in scope and for that reason federal support is necessary for them to go forward. These projects affect localities directly through economic development and more jobs. I encourage you to continue to support the Projects of National and Regional Significance program within the surface transportation authorization bill you are currently conferencing. Projects that do not reach the threshold of National and Regional Significance, such as highway expansions and overpasses, can bring in a great amount of economic development as well. We must continue to support programs and grants that would allow these projects to go forward so they are not politicized. Another important issue for Illinois is our rail system. We are at a crossroads for this mode of transportation, and it is vital that we take care of that infrastructure so that existing lines which contribute to both commuter mobility and freight shipments are not shortchanged. Rail allows people and products to travel to and from all over the country, and from there to ports across the world. While we must be careful to separate needs from wants, growth in our economy and long-term sustainability must always weigh heavily when making decisions on infrastructure priorities. I also encourage you to include provisions that would address the job-creating Keystone Pipeline. This pipeline and other projects like it can help ease global energy strains due to our reliance on oil from foreign countries. Pipelines are the energy lifelines of our country and will not only address access to oil, but will also encourage job growth and therefore growth in our economy. This is a project that has the support of Republicans, Democrats, labor and business. Another important issue that we must not overlook is our locks and dams. These vital pieces of our infrastructure need to have dedicated work and funding. After all, this infrastructure is vital to both commerce and jobs. More than 30,000 workers are employed on vessels and an additional 800,000 jobs are dependent on our waterways. That is why I support the continued inclusion of the RAMP Act, H.R. 104, in the final Surface Transportation bill. This would guarantee that the total amount available for spending from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund be equal to the Trust Fund receipts as estimated by the President's budget for that year. This is important to addressing our nation's dredging requirements and keeps our ports and waterways at a competitive advantage with the rest of the world's waterways. I also support the inclusion of the bipartisan, House- passed H.R. 2273, the Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act, into a final transportation package. There are many types of projects across this great country that require the use of concrete, and proposed regulations on coal ash can be detrimental to getting our economy back on track and our infrastructure back up to the appropriate safety standards. This is symptomatic of large issues of overregulation that place unnecessary hindrances on meeting our infrastructure needs. Finally, I encourage you to carefully consider the need for farmers to transport all farm supplies from any distribution point to a local farm retailer or end consumer. The restriction to a single farm supply excludes multiple other critical farm supplies and severely hinders the flexibility of farmers during planting and harvesting season. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has granted several wavers over the last two years because it has recognized the need to exempt these supplies. Please consider making this exemption of agriculture hours of service permanent. Conventional wisdom is that Congress cannot get anything done, but in the spirit of Mark Twain, I believe that reports on the death of bipartisanship have been greatly exaggerated. After all, it was this Congress that advanced three market- opening trade agreements, passed the VOW to Hire Heroes jobs bill for veterans, passed the STOCK Act, passed a Defense Authorization that will benefit manufacturing and our industrial base, and passed the Jumpstart our Business Startups legislation. These are all now the law of the land and were accomplished through bipartisanship. Perhaps one of the best examples is the four-year Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization. It took five years and 23 short-term extensions, but this Congress finally got the job done. It should be the goal of this Congress to achieve similar success this year with a multi-year transportation bill. I appreciate your time and consideration of my concerns and the priorities of the 17th District of Illinois. Sincerely, Bobby Schilling, House of Representatives.

Mr. SCHILLING

Mr. SCHILLING. Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, May 18, 2012, during a rapid succession of two-minute votes, I was unable to cast my vote for rollcall Number 288. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on the Rehberg Amendment No. 59 to H.R. 4310, which passed with a bipartisan vote of 238 162. Our nuclear deterrent is a vital part of our continued military strength and global presence. Our nuclear deterrent through our nuclear triad continues to keep the peace, and we must ensure that any reductions that may occur to our nuclear triad are certified by the Secretary of Defense to be needed and in compliance. Congress must exercise its oversight to ensure that our national security is not placed at risk by political ideologies. The Rehberg Amendment ensures that Congress does have that oversight while still complying with the international agreements we have made as a country. We also need to show Russia that we take their disingenuousness about the number of working missiles and platforms very seriously. Again, had I not been delayed, I would have voted in support of Rehberg Amendment No. 59 to H.R. 4310.

Mr. SCHILLING

Mr. SCHILLING. Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, May 17, 2012, during a rapid succession of two-minute votes, I was unable to cast my vote for Roll Number 265. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on the Connolly Amendment No. 6 to H.R. 4310, which passed, by an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 412 1. I believe that our allies should keep their commitments, and Pakistan is no different. Pakistan has been allowing terrorists to hide out within their borders and has not been meeting the certifications put in place by U.S. aid agreements to receive funds through the Department of Defense. In fact, Pakistan has not received Department of Defense funding since June 2010. This continued disregard for our mutual agreements is disconcerting and the U.S. needs to show Pakistan that we do not take our commitments lightly. The Connolly Amendment ensures that Pakistan will follow through with its commitments and will force them to reconsider closing their borders. We must encourage them to maintain open Ground Lines of Communication and allow the transportation of NATO supplies. Again, had I not been delayed, I would have voted in support of Connolly Amendment No. 6 to H.R. 4310.

Mr. SCHILLING

Mr. SCHILLING. I'd like to thank Chairman Buck McKeon for his hard work and dedication to getting this put together, and all of the staff members. I rise today in support of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013. This bill shows our support for our troops and allows them to continue their mission in defending our country. We are facing difficult fiscal choices, but we must not penalize our brave men and women who are in harm's way. I am particularly supportive of how this bill supports small businesses that contract with the Department of Defense, our organic base that ensures our soldiers are equipped and ensures that those who would do harm to our Nation are not allowed within its borders. I am also pleased that it will provide insight on how TRICARE can be better suited to the needs of the children of our warfighters, and that it will provide more flexibility for the DOD to bring our soldiers who are missing in action home from previous conflicts. I am privileged to represent the Rock Island Arsenal in the Illinois 17th District. These hardworking men and women support our warfighters with the tools they need to accomplish their goals and missions. I look forward to continuing my work on the House Armed Services Committee with my colleagues to ensure that our organic base is ready and able to respond when our warfighters need them. I urge all of my colleagues to join me in support of this important bill and pass it for the 51st year in a row.

Mr. SCHILLING

Mr. SCHILLING. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Congresswoman Roby for holding this important leadership hour. I rise today to speak on some important issues facing our military as well as some provisions within the National Defense Authorization Act. Here is the bottom line: Our national debt, which is approaching $16 trillion--or $50,000 for every person in this country--is a national security threat and we must find ways to bring our spending under control. This House has acted to change the debate from how much can Washington spend to how much spending can we cut? We've led by example and cut our own office budgets by almost 12 percent. With the belief that more common sense in Washington can lead to uncommon savings for the taxpayer we have taken a government wide approach to cutting spending The House has also stressed efficiencies when it passed a bill by my colleague Allen West that would cut the Department of Defense's printing budget by 10 percent. However, placing our warfighters at risk is not the solution to our debt problem. There are proposals out there to make deep cuts to the Department of Defense that would only create dangerous consequences for the stability of our fighting forces. One proposal would reduce Department of Defense civilian employee levels beyond what our organic industrial base can handle. As a member who represents a vital part of our organic base, the Rock Island Arsenal, these proposals strongly concern me. The largest concentration of civilians in the Army is within the Army Materiel Command and the largest concentration of civilians within Army Materiel Command is found in our arsenals and depots--or our organic base. This organic base is what ensures that our military is warm and ready to go at a moment's notice. That is why I am also concerned about proposals that would reduce organic base specialization in areas like manufacturing. Without the ability to specialize in these areas, our warfighters could be left flatfooted when emergencies happen. For example, the Rock Island Arsenal was able to produce up-armor kits for the doors of Humvees for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan when their vehicles were being attacked with IEDs. The Arsenal's ability to do this work quickly gave industry the time it needed to create long-term fixes for them and provided our troops with the tools they needed to most safely and effectively accomplish their missions. During this time of fiscal constraint we must be careful not to penalize our organic base--which provides quality to the warfighter and value to the taxpayer. We must preserve and strengthen our organic base, not weaken it. The workers at the Rock Island Arsenal are a great example of how manufacturing skill can yield success for our warfighters. In addition to serving on the House Armed Services Committee, I also serve on the Small Business Committee where our focus is solely on job creation through helping small businesses. Small businesses have proven that they can perform a service or produce goods for the government at a lower cost and often at a faster pace than their larger counterparts, but many challenges remain for businesspeople seeking to break through the bureaucracy. My colleague on the Small Business Committee, Representative Judy Chu, and I introduced H.R. 3985, the Building Better Business Partnerships Act in February, which passed through the Small Business Committee last month, to reform mentor-protege programs that exist to help small businesses win government contracts. The Building Better Business Partnerships Act allows the Small Business Administration to oversee civilian mentor-protege programs to streamline the process for each agency and ensure the programs are benefitting all small businesses. This bipartisan language was successfully included in the FY 2013 NDAA in Committee to help small businesses compete for and win more government contracts so they can create jobs and get folks back to work. This week, the House will debate the Defense Authorization bill. Our Constitution requires that we ``provide for the common defense'' and for fifty years in a row, Congress has acted to authorize defense programs. I look forward to working on a bipartisan basis to deliver a strong, common sense defense bill for the United States of America. Again, I want to thank Congresswoman Roby for holding this leadership hour. This July, the Rock Island Arsenal will celebrate 150 years of protecting our brave men and women. As a member of the House I will continue to pursue policies that allow our arsenals to thrive and grow their workload so that the Rock Island Arsenal can celebrate another 150 years and beyond.

Mr. SCHILLING

Mr. SCHILLING. Mr. Speaker, a few months ago I had the opportunity to visit the Children's Advocacy Center in my hometown of Rock Island, Illinois. The work that they do there to help children and their families that are victims of crimes is truly amazing, and I am grateful for their commitment to helping the children that need it the most. April is recognized as National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Unfortunately, sexual abuse of children is still a serious problem in our country, and too many cases go unreported. My colleague from California and I have introduced H.R. 3486, the Speak Out to Stop Child Abuse Act, which would require States that receive Federal funding under their Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to have a law on the books that makes it a criminal penalty for any adult who knowingly fails to report the sexual abuse of a child. H.R. 3486 simply asks States to help by requiring adults who witness the sexual abuse of a child to report it. I want to thank Congresswoman Bass for introducing this legislation, and I also recommend all of my colleagues help support this, also.

Mr. SCHILLING

Mr. SCHILLING. Thank you, Chairman Lucas. I rise in support of H.R. 3336, the Small Business Credit Availability Act. Madam Speaker, I've only been in Congress for a little over a year, but I have found the House Committee on Agriculture to be very bipartisan, and I believe that it is in large part due to the leadership of Chairman Lucas and Ranking Member Peterson. I come to the floor today to speak in support of a bipartisan provision in the bill that is important to the American manufacturing sector--and particularly to Illinois companies like John Deere and Caterpillar, which employ almost 150,000 men and women. Many of the manufacturers here at home have what are called ``captive finance affiliates'' whose function is to provide loans and leases to customers to purchase the goods they make. The credit that captive finance companies provide is essential to agricultural producers, construction contractors, and manufacturers, and the jobs they support here at home. Congress provided an exemption in the current law for captive finance affiliates so that when they hedge risks associated with providing loans to their customers, they receive the same exemptions available to the parent company and other end-users. However, there is a lack of guidance in the CFTC's implementation of the exemption, leading to concern that these captive finance companies could be subject to mandatory clearing requirements or regulated as major swap participants. There is bipartisan agreement that this is not what Congress originally intended. H.R. 3336 will provide the needed clarification for our manufacturers and their captive affiliates. It does so while also providing safeguards against abuse. First and foremost, this only applies to entities that use derivatives to manage their risks, meaning they cannot use derivatives to speculate. In addition, these entities cannot engage in financing that does not facilitate the sale of their manufactured products. The CFTC will have the authority to prevent affiliates from qualifying for this exemption. Again, I appreciate the bipartisan nature of providing certainty on this issue. I want to thank Chairman Lucas, Ranking Member Peterson, Congressman Bill Owens, Congressman Mike McIntyre, and Congressman Randy Neugebauer for their efforts on this issue. I also really want to thank the majority and minority House Ag Committee and their staff for their work on this issue, especially Ryan McKee and Clarke Ogilvie. It is important to provide certainty for our folks back home.

Mr. SCHILLING

Mr. SCHILLING. I thank Leader Cantor for giving me the opportunity to be here today and speak in favor of the Small Business Tax Cut Act. As Illinoisans filed their tax returns, folks in my district felt the pinch of the tax increases imposed on them by our State's lawmakers, who last year raised personal income taxes by 66 percent and corporate taxes by 45 percent. State lawmakers told us that taxes would be used to pay Illinois debt and prevent budget deficits down the line; but the truth, as many of us feared, is that these tax hikes have done nothing to help our State. In fact, Illinois unemployment has remained above 9 percent for 36 straight months, since March of 2009. And thanks to Illinois tax hikes, rising gas prices, and Federal tax rates as high as 35 percent, our small businesses are strapped for cash. As a small business owner, I know the pain all too well. Rather than advancing partisan and un-serious show votes--votes that don't lower gas prices, don't encourage economic growth, and don't impact our deficit--we in the House want to ensure more opportunities for job seekers and job creators.

Mr. SCHILLING

Mr. SCHILLING. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure and honor that I congratulate Ms. Gladys L. Williams of East Moline, Illinois on a momentous milestone, her 100th birthday, which will be on April 15, 2012. Born in Kansas on April 15, 1912, the very day the Titanic sank, Gladys grew up to be tough, but a dedicated and wonderful mother whose kids always knew she had their backs. Along with her husband A.H. and her three children, Gladys moved around the country more than 30 times over the years due to her husband's job with the Rock Island Railroad. The family moved in and out of the Quad Cities nearly a dozen times until they finally made Moline home in 1954, around the time A.H. was named General Manager. Gladys and her family have been active in Moline's First Baptist Church, and she worked in an area high school's cafeteria before eventually relocating to East Moline 16 years ago. Her family did the math recently, and determined that Gladys has been blessed with 17 grandchildren, 36 great-grandchildren, and 21 great-great- grandchildren. East Moline Mayor John Thodos declared April 15th, 2012 ``Gladys Williams Day'' in honor of this remarkable woman. Mr. Speaker and my distinguished colleagues, I respectfully ask that you join me in wishing Gladys a very happy 100th birthday, and the best as she celebrates this joyous occasion with her friends and many members of her family.

Mr. SCHILLING

Mr. SCHILLING. Mr. Speaker, on Monday, March 19, 2012, due to an unexpected flight delay in Chicago, Illinois that prevented my travel, I was unable to cast my vote for roll Number 111. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on H.R. 3992 which passed by an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 371 0. I believe by allowing our allies, such as Israel, to invest in businesses in the United States, we are encouraging job creation and bringing more innovative ideas that will benefit all Americans. Currently, citizens in 75 countries are eligible to apply for E 2 visas which are non-immigrant visas valid for up to two years and allow visa holders to oversee businesses in which they have considerable capital invested. Prior to 2003, countries could become eligible if specified in trade agreements but now separate legislation is required to add countries to the program. Countries eligible for E 2 visas span from Albania to Pakistan to the United Kingdom and in Fiscal Year 2010, more than 25,000 E 2 visas were granted. Israel has a reciprocal program allowing United States investors the same ability. E 2 visas invest in our economy and foster working relationships with other countries. Adding Israel to this list will only continue these efforts. Again, had my flight from Chicago to Washington, DC had not been delayed, I would have voted in support of H.R. 3992.

Mr. SCHILLING

Mr. SCHILLING. Mr. Speaker, when small businesses compete for government contracts, the government saves billions of dollars, and thousands of private sector jobs are created through these investments. However, the process of contracting can be needlessly time-consuming and onerous for small businesses to navigate. Last year, the Federal Government failed to meet the requirement for contracts awarded to small businesses. This complicated procurement procedure is hindering job creation and slowing our economic recovery. Last week I introduced--along with my colleague, Representative Judy Chu from California--H.R. 3985, Building Better Business Partnerships Act of 2012. H.R. 3985 focuses on improving and streamlining mentor- protege programs which pair new businesses looking to increase their government contracts with more experienced businesses. My bill will make mentor-protege programs more efficient and successful by placing the SBA in charge of overseeing and setting standards for programs based on what we know works. Ultimately, H.R. 3985 will make it easier for small business firms to compete.

Mr. SCHILLING

Mr. SCHILLING. As we all know, Mr. Speaker, last week was the March for Life here in Washington. Now, as a father of 10, life is a big issue in my house. It's a big issue in other homes and businesses throughout the United States. Thousands of Americans, including some residents of my district, traveled from all corners of the country last week to express their support for the right to life for each human being, to express the desire and passion they have for the born and the unborn. Just a couple of days later, on Sunday morning, once we had all returned to Illinois, my family and I headed off to church, as we normally do. We sat in the pew and listened to the priest's homily. He read us a letter written by the Bishop of the Diocese of Peoria: ``In the history of the United States, Friday, January 20, 2012, will certainly stand out as a moment of enormous peril for religious liberty,'' the letter reads, referring to the date the Department of Health and Human Services announced that religious organizations will be forced to provide employees with insurance programs that provide abortifacients, contraceptive services, and sterilization. The letter continues: ``If these regulations are put into effect, they could close down every Catholic school, hospital, and other public ministries of our church, which is perhaps their underlying intention. What is perfectly clear is that this is a bigoted and blatant attack on the First Amendment rights of every Catholic believer. Under no circumstances, however, will our church ever abandon our unshakable commitment to the gospel of life.'' I later learned that this was one of more than 120 letters that bishops had read from the pulpit at masses across the United States. The letter written by the Bishop of Marquette reads: ``The Federal Government, which claims to be `of, by, and for the people,' has just dealt a heavy blow to almost a quarter of those people--the Catholic population--and to the millions more who are served by the Catholic faithful.'' It later says: ``Our parents and grandparents did not come to these shores to help build America's cities and towns, its infrastructure and institutions, its enterprise and culture only to have their posterity stripped of their God-given rights.'' Like many of my Catholic brothers and sisters, I do not believe it is the government's business to target religion and require that its believers violate their conscience and their religious beliefs--or suffer the consequences. I do not believe it is the role of government to persecute religions. I am proudly and passionately pro-life. But regardless of what your views may be on abortion or contraception, I imagine most Americans would be alarmed to learn of our government chipping away at the First Amendment, mandating its citizens disregard their liberty, convictions, and conscience--or else. This is totally unacceptable. No government should force its citizens to violate their religious beliefs. I recently joined with a number of my colleagues in urging that the administration reconsider this unprecedented government overreach and violation. But I would go further and encourage the administration to abandon this rule. Abandon this rule and continue to allow these Americans who oppose these services for either moral or religious reasons to live their lives in the way that they see fit and without the fear of punishment. Bishop Jenky of the Diocese of Peoria concludes his letter by saying: ``This country once fought a revolution to guarantee the freedom, but the time has clearly arrived to strongly assert our fundamental human rights.'' Our religious freedoms are under attack. I was sent here to uphold, protect, and defend the United States Constitution, and I intend to do so.

Mr. SCHILLING

Mr. SCHILLING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the distinguished life of Sergeant John Baker, Jr. Born in Davenport, Iowa, but raised within the 17th District of Illinois, in Moline, Sergeant Baker served in Vietnam as a proud member of the United States Army. His selflessness and heroism earned him the Medal of Honor, Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart as he bravely fought for God and country. Sergeant Baker would humbly say that this Medal of Honor was not actually for him, that he had done what anyone would have, that the medal belonged to all servicemen, to all veterans. Though he surely never would have said so himself, Sergeant Baker-- the Quad Cities only Medal of Honor recipient--represented all that is good about our great Nation. Although he is no longer with us, the I- 280 bridge named after John Baker, Vietnam veteran, and the monument will also serve as a constant reminder of who Sergeant Baker was and what he did for us all. Godspeed, Sergeant Baker. God bless you for your outstanding service, your remarkable courage, and your modest heroism.

Mr. SCHILLING

Mr. SCHILLING. I rise today in support of the NDAA conference agreement. First I want to thank Chairman McKeon and Ranking Member Smith for shepherding this bill through the committee and through the Armed Services Committee and for really doing a great job for our brave men and women. This marks the 50th year of the NDAA passing, and it is truly an example of bipartisan cooperation for the good of our country. I appreciate the opportunity I have had, serving on this important conference. And I believe that what we have put together is a great framework that is fiscally responsible and supportive of our troops and national security. Included in this bill were provisions that would help support our military organic base, including arsenals like the one I represent in Rock Island. I am proud to represent this national treasure found within the Department of Defense. The Rock Island Arsenal and its 8,600 employees have worked hard for our country. One of the provisions that was included in the NDAA allows our Army industrial facilities to enter into private-public partnerships under section 4544. This provision does away with the cap on these partnerships and ends the sunset date. I urge strong support and passage of the bill.