Kyrsten Sinema

Ms. SINEMA

Ms. SINEMA. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Ms. SINEMA

Ms. SINEMA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlelady for yielding. I do not believe that the Affordable Care Act is perfect. I also do not believe that Congress serves the American people by engaging in a partisan fight on this floor for the 37th time. Is the law perfect? No. Can we--and should we--come together, stop fighting, and get back to the work of the people? Yes. There is broad agreement in our country that the Affordable Care Act is not perfect. So let's start there. Instead of fighting, Congress should work together to fix this law and make it work for Americans. Today, I believe our time is best served by working together to create that which our country so badly needs--jobs. Hardworking families are waiting for us to deliver on a promise that brought many of us to this Chamber--a jobs bill that puts Americans back to work. My amendment, the Security in Energy and Manufacturing Act, creates high-paying clean-energy jobs. It supports American businesses that create innovative energy products and hire workers here in America. This is a jobs proposal to help American businesses grow and stay competitive in a global marketplace. I want businesses in my community to put their innovative energy products right into our economy. Energy innovation is quickly becoming one of the world's largest industries. Countries all over the world purchase billions of dollars worth of innovative products. I want to see those products made in America, not China. I want Arizona and America to be globally competitive. By defeating the previous question, we have the opportunity to restore U.S. manufacturing jobs. Our constituents sent us here-- Democrats and Republicans alike--to work together and get Americans back to work. My proposal does just that.

Ms. SINEMA

Ms. SINEMA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a proud college instructor of over a decade and perhaps, most importantly, a proud Sun Devil from Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, the largest and, yes, the brightest public university in our country. May 9 is Graduation Day for many of my students, and while I cannot be with them on their special day, I introduce a bill today in their honor, in honor of their hard work and their future contributions to our community and our economy. Today, I have introduced the Stability to Ensure the American Dream for Youth Act, the STEADY Act. The STEADY Act extends the 3.4 percent for Stafford student loans until June 30 of 2017. As we all know, if Congress fails to act by June 30 of this year, the interest rate on student loans will double from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent. This will have an enormous impact on the cash flow and economic participation of students entering the workforce, starting a family, planing for the future. In college communities like the one I have the pleasure of representing, the economics of higher education are directly linked to every part of our daily economic activity. Consumer spending, home ownership, and employment opportunity are inexorably tied to the cost of education. My bill ensures that those who are in college or planning for college can continue to do so without worry of cutting their paychecks by an additional $1,000 of interest a year paid to the Federal Government. The STEADY Act ensures that they can plan for their future, plan for their family's future, and continue to contribute to our local economy. It allows added stability to get the education they need and find the job they want. Our communities sent us to Congress to fight for them and get things done. Today I'm thinking of my students who need a voice in this Congress. It's my hope that we will get this done for them. I think about Ariel Carlos, my student in ASU's School of Social Work. Ariel hopes to give back to our community as a social worker for seniors. He wants to help seniors who have worked and contributed their entire lives, help them continue to do so with health and support. Ariel and his wife, May, have kids, and they support each other by working hard. Ariel has had to work for a paycheck. He worked hard through his entire college career, taking out student loans along the way so that he and May could care for their family while he studied. At the end of his college career, Ariel found himself with a student loan debt of $45,000. I would be remiss if I didn't mention that a new social worker in Arizona is likely to start his career making about $30,000 a year or less. For Ariel and his family, an added expense of $1,000 a year means less money for child care, less money for school books, less money for groceries. $1,000 a year from his family's budget--to pay to the Federal Government--means less spending in our local economy and less savings for the future. The New York Federal Reserve recently noted that student loan debt is slowing our economy. Those with large student debt participate less in their local economies, delaying home ownership and family planning while forgoing long-term job opportunities. Students who should be planning their lives are instead nervous about their future and concerned about debt impeding their ability to get ahead. We have the opportunity to set things right for Ariel and May, to maintain a steady road for our economic future, and to make certain that the hard work that goes into our community stays in our community and pays off in our community. I ask my colleagues to join me today in support of the STEADY Act of 2013. I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin for yielding.

Ms. SINEMA

Ms. SINEMA. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the India Plaza of Tempe, Arizona for its 10 years of dedicated service to the community. Since 2003, India Plaza has served as a meeting place gateway for Arizonans into Indian culture, a center for education and celebrating diversity. They have also been actively engaged with the wider community, donating land and funds to various causes and working with both local government and Arizona State University to promote a more accessible city. India Plaza is a true community partner, receiving awards such as the ``Best of Phoenix'' and an Honorable Mention as ``Tempe's Good Neighbor of the Year''. India Plaza serves as an excellent example to the rest of the Nation of what can be accomplished when people come together to promote diversity and understanding. It is my privilege to serve this great community. I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating India Plaza on its 10 years of service and in wishing it many more.

Ms. SINEMA

Ms. SINEMA. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Maffei).

Ms. SINEMA. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. SINEMA. Mr. Chairman, I just want to emphasize again that this amendment helps add another layer of accountability. It includes the Homeland Security Department as a civilian interface for Congress in both the Homeland Security Committee and the Intelligence Committee. I want to thank, in particular, the chair and the ranking member for their leadership on this issue over the course of several years. I know in my district it's important not just to consumers, but also to industry leaders who are leading the way forward on American innovation. I want to thank them for that. I encourage Members to support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. SINEMA. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. My amendment is simple and straightforward. Currently, this bill, H.R. 624, requires the inspectors general of the intelligence community, Departments of Justice and Defense, as well as the Privacy and Civil Liberties Board to submit a report to Congress every year regarding the use of the information shared with the Federal Government. This amendment adds the inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security to the list of inspectors general that are required to submit the report. It also adds the House and Senate Committees on Homeland Security to the list of committees that will receive the report. Currently, only the House and Senate Intelligence Committee will receive the report. Having the Department of Homeland Security, a civilian department, included in this reporting requirement adds one more layer of accountability to this review and report. Allow me to briefly talk about the overall bill and why it has my support. I believe we need a 21st century solution for this 21st century problem. I've heard from businesses and constituents in Arizona who have firsthand knowledge of this issue. It's affecting both large corporations and small businesses alike. Our national security, our financial security, and our innovations are under very serious threat. This bill ensures that research and development, intellectual property, and software code is no longer being stolen by China, Iran, and Russia. Countries and cyber hackers steal trade secrets and they steal innovation and research, but they also steal American jobs. Americans are known for their ingenuity and hard work, but we are losing that hard work to hackers. One of the biggest cyber threats is to an American's personal information--information like bank accounts, health records, and Social Security numbers. This is very, very serious and a real threat to all Americans, and this threat is growing. Terrorist organizations have taken credit for taking down the online systems at Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, and Bank of America. Three weeks ago, American Express also admitted that they were hacked. Cyber attacks are becoming more sophisticated. Instead of merely disrupting commerce and stealing information, the attacks are focused on destroying our Nation's digital systems, destroying our national security, our infrastructure and financial systems that Americans depend on every day. It is imperative that we partner with private companies to discover, and then prevent, more attacks such as these. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. SINEMA. Mr. Chair, how much time do I have remaining?

Ms. SINEMA. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. SINEMA

Ms. SINEMA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Security in Energy and Manufacturing Act of 2013. This bill will extend the Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit program. The program provides a 30 percent tax credit, or a grant in lieu of a tax credit, to companies that are constructing, expanding, or retrofitting their facilities that manufacture renewable energy. We have seen our manufacturing base erode as a result of increased global competition. Not only will the SEAM Act help us rebuild our manufacturing industry; it will also provide an opportunity to do so while exploring responsible energy production. Energy innovation is quickly becoming one of the world's largest industries; and countries all over the world are purchasing billions of dollars' worth of wind turbines, solar panels and other green technologies. I want to see these products made in the United States and for our country to remain competitive. We know this program works. The first allocation of funding was extremely successful in leveraging private capital, and that led to the investment of over 180 energy manufacturing facilities across 43 States in our country. The number of wind turbines and their workable components made in the U.S. has more than doubled since then, and that is just one aspect of the renewable energy field. Expanding this program also means creating additional high-tech, high-wage manufacturing jobs in our own backyard. Companies like Tempe's Monarch Power could expand and increase the creation of innovative products, ranging from energy generation to energy storage, even a mobile renewable power system--all while remaining affordable. We must partner the power of American innovation with the potential of American production. My bill encourages just that. In my home State of Arizona, renewable energy enjoys broad bipartisan support. Democrats and Republicans, including Barry Goldwater, Jr. and our own Governor, Jan Brewer, have advocated for solar and renewable energy because they know that the future of our State and the future of our country depend on it. I stand today with a broad coalition of leaders from my State who have a long history of supporting energy innovation as a smart investment for America. We have the opportunity to restore U.S. manufacturing jobs, to help our country remain competitive in the manufacturing industry and to invest in a wide range of clean energy production. I ask that the body join me in supporting the SEAM Act of 2013.

Ms. SINEMA

Ms. SINEMA. Madam Speaker, my State, Arizona, has made tremendous sacrifices in the struggle to stand strong through our Nation's fiscal crisis. Today, Arizona is last in education funding, last in retail growth, and first in home foreclosures. I'm proud to say, however, that Arizonans are resilient. We are tough. Our State was forged out of rugged frontierism--we're independent and we have deep respect for the traditions that make us Arizona. We've never shrunk from a tough fight and we've never been afraid to roll up our sleeves and work hard. Right now, we're working hard to climb out of the recession that we all face together. It hasn't been easy, but we're doing it. Arizona is sixth in the Nation for defense sector jobs. Most of these are private sector jobs. Employers have come to Arizona because of our people and our work ethic. We innovate and compete alongside booming defense States like California, Texas, and Virginia. Employers are hiring thousands of skilled workers from our communities. Our State is a vital resource to our Nation's military readiness. We were able to get there through hard work, innovative thought, and intense collaboration between community and industry partners. In the greater Phoenix area, our economy is currently growing steadily at the rate of 3 percent, but the deep cuts, known as the sequester, would cut our growth in half. In fact, Arizona's potential job losses caused by sequestration rank 13th among all U.S. States. These losses will be felt by families working in Arizona's defense sector and military base operations. These are skilled, middle class jobs. Of the nearly 50,000 jobs that we expect to lose in Arizona from the sequester, approximately 35,000 are linked to military readiness and base operations. Furloughs will affect 10,000 civilian workers, and Arizonans will experience a devastating $52 million pay cut. I come home each week and I talk about the work that we're doing in Congress, but most of the time I come home to listen. A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to listen to plant engineers at General Dynamics in Scottsdale. They showed me the high-tech and innovative defense products that were coming right out of our own community, built and programmed by our friends and neighbors. This type of innovation in our own backyard is the future of our State, and that future is in danger. Last week, a bipartisan group of city elected officials, business leaders, and community advocates gave me a message to bring back to Congress. I'm proud of their joint effort, and I'm proud of their service to our community. I consider it a privilege to deliver their message. In our State, we are concerned that Congress will turn the clock back on Arizona's hard work and progress. We are worried about hardworking families losing their jobs. As the granddaughter of a World War II veteran and a proud sister of a gunner's mate in the U.S. Navy today, I remember every day that it is our moral duty to do right by the men and women in uniform who risk their lives to keep us safe. Avoiding the sequestration should not be about partisanship or finger-pointing; it's about jobs. It's that simple. I stand with the dean of our State's delegation, Senator John McCain, when I say that this sequester will be devastating for Arizona. It's bad for hardworking Americans, and it turns a blind eye to my State's proud efforts and proven perseverance. I affirm my commitment to working with anybody who's willing to put our differences aside and put the people we serve first. We still have time to stop this. Let's roll up our sleeves together and get the work done.