Glenn Thompson

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. There was a recent study done just in Pennsylvania that showed that 93 percent of physicians in Pennsylvania practice some form of defensive medicine. Ninety-three percent, for that very reason. You invest $200,000 to a half a million dollars in a medical education career and then because of these lawsuits and because of medical malpractice and the lack of tort reform, you're at risk of losing not just your practice but your family's home. I understand why defensive medicine occurs. We've got the solution. H.R. 3400 would address that.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Will the gentleman yield for one quick point?

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Tort reform. Premiums annually in this country are paid in the amount of $26 billion. The average award under malpractice is $4.1 million in this country. And so there's a line item that actually is in health care budgets and all the providers across this Nation that we could take that money--and we've got great proposals. The Republicans have H.R. 3400 that's out there that would address tort reform, that would do it in a way that would limit punitive damages. It would set up panels to be able to deal with those situations using judges that have health care experience. So we have bills out there that if we could get our colleagues' support tomorrow or today, we could actually eliminate what I consider $26 billion of waste from health care.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. There are line items in physician budgets, in hospital budgets; and we could eliminate that cost to health care today by passing medical malpractice tort reform.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. I appreciate that, and I thank my good friend. I want to come back to the waste and abuse claim, that in addition to obviously significant taxes, that there's all these savings under waste and abuse. It's being presented and proposed by the Democratic Party like this is something new that we're looking at. I have to tell you that I was working in health care in 1983 when diagnostic-related groups and the first prospective payment system came into health care. Soon after that, we began to hear about and work on eliminating fraud and abuse. Professionally and ethically, that's a responsibility that health care professionals have to do. The fact is that is something that has been ongoing. So now this claim that we're going to find these massive amounts of money as a result of waste and abuse that we can use and save and help to fund this government-run health care program is just false, absolutely false. Now I do think there's waste in health care, and I can point to annually $26 billion. We can take $26 billion annually, and we can find that like this if we had the courage of my colleagues on that side of the aisle to address medical malpractice.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Absolutely not.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. No. Because out of that 1 to 3 percent, hopefully they're able to give some type of cost-of-living adjustments to keep the best and the brightest in terms of physicians and therapists and nurses and health care professionals. They also need to be investing in new lifesaving technology that is being developed all the time. And so we see these Medicare cuts in particular. I also put out there the public option, because the public option will pay by statute, what I saw in the Education and Labor Committee, pays Medicare rates 80 to 90 cents on the dollar of costs, essentially what you will do is bankrupt hospitals and physicians. And I project that that will hit first in rural America and underserved urban areas. That's rationing. When you close facilities, when physicians no longer are in practice because they can't balance their books, that is the purest form of rationing services.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 754. It was an emotional time in Pennsylvania as members of the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team came home from Iraq to a tribute of yellow ribbons and flying flags. The homecoming elation belies the fear that always accompanies soldiers at war. NBC correspondent Richard Engel described one of the uses of a Stryker vehicle now in Afghanistan: ``We're warned about IEDs, improvised explosive devices, a somewhat desensitized way of saying bombs that can blow you to pieces and throw your body 75 feet in the air. ``Some of the Strykers, the soldier's armored vehicles, are fitted with giant rollers. They stick out in front of the big armored trucks, making the Strykers look like the machines that pick up golf balls at a driving range. The Strykers push the heavy wheels of the rollers over the sand. If the wheels hit an IED, the device will blow up; if not, the ground is safe. ``We walk in a double-file line in the tracks left by the rollers. I try to walk in the footsteps of the soldier in front of me.'' This is a stark reality of the job the Stryker Brigade performs in both Iraq and Afghanistan. It is just one of the reasons we honor their service today.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, this is National Fire Prevention Week. Last weekend, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation held their memorial service out in Emmitsburg, Maryland. They added the names of 103 firefighters who died this year in the line of duty. That brings the total to 3,330 names on the memorial to fallen firefighters since it was established in 1981. As a volunteer firefighter and EMT, I've seen the bravery and dedication of the men and women who face infernos to save lives and property. They walk into hell, and they do so knowingly. Many never walk out again. That was the case on September 11, 2001, when 343 firefighters lost their lives. There are more than a million firefighters across this country who respond to more than 2 million calls per year. We owe them a debt of gratitude that cannot be repaid. But there is something we can do. This week I cosponsored H. Res. 729, a measure to request that the President designate a day as National Firefighters Memorial Day to commemorate Federal, State, and local firefighters killed or disabled in the line of duty. It's the least we can do for these heroes.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to praise the ``Buddy Walk'' being held this Saturday in State College, Pennsylvania. It is sponsored by the Centre County Down Syndrome Society. The society exists to be a resource for families with a child with Down syndrome and for those who are expecting a child with Down syndrome. Their goal is to educate friends, relatives and even communities that individuals with Down syndrome are energetic, capable and loving people who play, work and go to school just like the rest of us. The statistics on their Web site change some of the preconceived stereotypes many people have. For example, half of all Down syndrome children go to mainstream school classes, one out of every five plays a musical instrument, and three out of five know how to operate a computer. I am a member of the Congressional Down Syndrome Caucus who supports legislative activities that would improve Down syndrome research, education, treatment and promote public policies that would enhance the quality of life for those with Down syndrome. The Centre County Down Syndrome Society does a great deal to educate people that those with Down syndrome do lead productive lives, and they deserve to be commended.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. You sure did, Judge. I want to thank you for bringing this up. It's just not who these folks are that we don't know; it's what they step on. I look at this as sort of the fourth or the stealth branch of government. I came here, I know all my colleagues here, certainly the freshmen, we came knowing that we have a serious responsibility to fulfill on the different committees of jurisdiction that we're appointed to. I bring up just one example, the car czar, and what has happened to the auto industry in this country. As I could tell, I expected when we had these issues, that we have a committee, I believe it's called Energy and Commerce, that would have dealt with the issues surrounding that industry. And yet everything that has happened in the car industry, of firing an executive from a private organization, to taking over ownership of General Motors, to dictating winners and losers in terms of the auto dealerships, all directed under the leadership of a czar. Frankly, I know that that's the responsibility of Congress. We have a responsibility to approach that carefully and judiciously and make those types of decisions. The Constitution provided us that authority and that responsibility, and the czars are just stepping all over the Constitution.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. I thank my good friend from Illinois for yielding and thank him for coordinating this time tonight when we truly do talk about our most important ally, a friend that we have and a good democratic friend in a very dangerous part of the world in the Jewish State of Israel. It was a privilege to be able to visit the country of Israel and to go with other colleagues, to go there with an open mind and to be able to sit down and to visit and talk face to face with the President of Israel, with the Prime Minister of Israel, to meet with the military, to go into the West Bank and sit down with the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority and to look at the defense issues that Israel lives with each day and has since the beginning of that democratic nation; to visit all the borders on all sides of Israel and to look out into, whether it was Jordan or Syria or Lebanon, places where, at one time or different times during their short history where missiles rained from and mortars came down on men, women and children in that State of Israel. It's a country that is very familiar and lives every day where defense is on their mind, and a strong defense. In particular, it was striking to me when we were in the southern part of Israel, and we were overlooking the Gaza Strip. All the borders are being relatively peaceful right now, but at the Gaza Strip and just outside of this small farming community of Sderot where we looked and the leaders of Israel chose, in a goodwill, good-faith offer of peace, gave up what I thought looked like a pretty good piece of real estate that sat along the Mediterranean Sea, and that was the Gaza Strip. They moved the citizens of Israel out of there, and relocated them into other parts of Israel in the hopes of obtaining a lasting peace and long peace with the Palestinians; and in exchange, what they received is about 3,000 missiles and mortars that came raining down on them. I think the most striking conversation I had--and I know my good friend was there--was with a young mom of a 9-year-old, and she had grown up in that farming community. Her grandparents lived there. Her parents lived there. She lived her entire life there, and she lived through that time when those missiles rained. She talked about how--and we saw as we were driving in to Sderot bus stations that looked a little unusual but that was because they were designed also as bomb shelters. We saw the playground, which had a great piece of equipment sitting in it. My kids are grown now, but my boys would have loved it. It looked like a giant caterpillar and kind of weaved around. But to look closer, it actually was a bomb shelter for children that they would run to whenever a missile was launched and would soon be landing. Now from the time the siren sounds in Israel, they have about 20 seconds until that missile lands and explodes. That young mom I think put it so striking for me. Her words I hear over and over again in my mind, Imagine yourself, you are a parent, and you are driving down the road. That siren sounds, and you've got 20 seconds to get to safety. You've got two children. They're both strapped in car seats in the back seat. Which one do you pick? I think we take for granted our safety and security in this country. We certainly have had our attacks here. We've been relatively safe since 2001 because of the measures that were taken by President Bush and by the Congress at that point, and we have not experienced another attack on our soil in those 8 years. But we certainly have issues that I look forward to talking about further tonight in terms of future threats to not just our country but to the country of Israel. And I thank my good friend for yielding.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Will the gentleman yield for a question? Actually, both of my colleagues. When we were there, we had an opportunity to visit a number of the settlements, and I have been distressed that our President, President Obama, has been almost dictating that Israel give up part of its sovereign nation, these settlements. We were there. We walked them. We saw the strategic location of them. I wanted to get your impressions of what your thoughts were. Should Israel give in to that direction and give up its sovereign land, those settlements that it has today?

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. I also want to thank my good friend from Illinois and my good friend from Louisiana for being here tonight on this important topic. I mean, the Constitution, when we were sworn in which seems like a lifetime ago back in January, we placed our hand on the Bible, raised our hand, and we swore to uphold and defend that Constitution. And within that, one of the first responsibilities is for common defense. That's the first, and I think the most responsibility that we have as Members of Congress is our safety and security, and certainly, this issue is one that is all about safety and security. Frankly, history shows, and we know, that a strong defense is a strong deterrent. We want peace. We pray for peace. I long for a day when the whole world is at peace, but we know that we need a strong defense in order to serve as a deterrent to achieve peace. And I'm hopeful that we will see the day that--and I believe it was the President of Israel, Shimon Peres, who said he longs for a day when rising out of the desert we see buildings and not missiles and that we know the economic impact and that we have peace that we can also cherish. So I thank Mr. Schock for coordinating this evening.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. If the gentleman will yield.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. It struck me that many of those settlements are in strategic locations. They're high ground from which terrorists, the Palestinians, lobbed missiles and rockets onto the men, women, and children of Israel. And those were taken as a part of the war in 1948, and frankly, they're extremely important areas to hold on to. I kind of think of the--as I think about our President, President Obama, dictating onto the Israeli nation that they should give up the space, it's a little bit like somebody coming to us and saying, okay, now you need to give back New Mexico, California, and Nevada to the sovereign nation of Mexico. We wouldn't stand for that. I would certainly hope that the sovereign nation of Israel would not stand for that as well.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Yes.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Please.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. I thank the gentleman. I certainly thank you for naming those pieces of legislation. They are extremely important. They do have the large support of this entire Chamber. I would ask the Speaker support that bill and to bring that bill to the floor so that we can do the right thing by this most important ally that we have in the Middle East and would serve the needs. I think what you have talked about tonight really most recently addresses the most immediate threat in Israel and I think the most immediate threat to the United States, and that is the situation in Iran. Mr. Speaker, Iran has recently revealed the development of a secret nuclear facility. And Iran's admission of the operations of a secret nuclear facility is a serious problem and a serious threat. While this new revelation is alarming, it's not unexpected. Iran has deceived the world time and time again. And any attempts to assure the world that their nuclear program is peaceful should be seen for what it is, and that is just another lie. Now, Mr. Speaker, it's time to impose meaningful sanctions on the Iranian Government. We have legislation that has been drafted and introduced and has the support of the majority Members of this Chamber. We must not continue a foreign policy that extends a hand of cooperation to our enemies while they continue dangerous acts of deception. If the nuclear facility was designed for civilian purposes, we have to ask, why did Iran conceal its existence? We must impose meaningful sanctions on the threat that endangers the safety of American citizens and America's allies. Now, the confirmation of this secret nuclear facility is troubling, especially to me at a time just days after the Obama administration announced plans to abandon the placement of a missile defense system in the Czech Republic and Poland and all because Russia was not happy with the idea. Only 1 year since Russia invaded Georgia and 70 years to the day since the Soviet Union invaded Poland, the administration has announced the dismantling of one our most important missile defense systems at the expense of our allies. Mr. Speaker, the abandonment of the European missile defense site, which could have protected the homeland of the United States against Iranian long-range missiles, is unacceptable. As I was talking with one of the Chairs of our missile defense caucus in this body, he described to me that there are plans for a better system to be put in place. However, that new missile defense program will not be operational until 2018 or 2020. And while we do have other missile defense shields in place that will remain, he described it like this: it's like trying to bring down an airplane with a baseball. He supposed it could be possible, but it's a one-in-a-million chance. When you think of intercontinental ballistic missiles that travel the speed of 10,000 miles per hour, to me it's unacceptable at this point in time in our history when we have threats that sometimes come from other countries, such as Iran, sometimes from terrorists that hold no national identity, and it's alarming to me that we are taking down this missile defense program.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of House Resolution 696, acknowledging and congratulating Western Wyoming Community College in southwest Wyoming on the occasion of its 50th anniversary of service to the students and citizens of Wyoming. Western Wyoming Community College was established in 1959. Through the efforts of a citizens' committee, a campaign began, an election was held, and the college in the original district was created. Through the support of the community, the campus has been expanded several times since it was originally built in 1966. Student numbers have increased from 40 in 1959 to over 5,000 in 2002. Western Wyoming Community College has grown almost every year and is now one of the seven community colleges that serve the State of Wyoming. The main campus is located in Rock Springs, Wyoming, and, together with an extended campus located in Green River, comprises the fourth-largest population center in Wyoming. WWCC offers a variety of educational services to the community. They offer 2-year transfer programs for students pursuing a baccalaureate, 2-year occupational degrees, and a number of occupational certificate programs. The college has programs in humanities and fine arts; social science; science and mathematics; business; technology and industry; and health science. Western's mission statement reflects the dedication to education that has led WWCC to become the successful institution it is today. Of the 293 first-time, full-time students that enrolled in WWCC in 2005, 72 percent graduated or went on to other higher education institutions by 2008. The mission of WWCC is to provide access to postsecondary educational opportunities by offering broad, comprehensive programs in academic as well as vocational technical subjects. Committed to quality and success, Western encourages flexibility, innovation, and active learning for students, faculty, and staff. Western Wyoming Community College celebrates the 50th anniversary of their founding this month. For 50 years, WWCC has provided a quality education to the people of their community, allowing them to further their careers and better their lives. I thank Representative Lummis of Wyoming for introducing this resolution. I congratulate Western Wyoming Community College. I ask my colleagues to support this resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I don't believe I have any additional speakers on this bill, so I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 684, a resolution recognizing and honoring Howard University School of Law's 140th anniversary of legacy and social justice and its continued commitment to the training of capable and compassionate legal practitioners and scholars. Howard University was chartered by Congress as a private university in Washington, D.C., in 1867. The law school at Howard opened its doors to its first six students in 1869. By the end of the first year, the law school had enrolled a total of 22 students. The first students graduated from Howard University School of Law on February 3, 1871. The American Bar Association accredited the school in 1931. Today, Howard University School of Law graduates approximately 185 students with either a juris doctorate or a master of law degree. Students attending Howard come from all over the United States and the globe. Howard University School of Law has had a history of promoting social and civil change. In fact, it has an impressive lineup of alumni that were key figures in American history, including former Representative John Mercer Langston, the first African American Member of the House of Representatives; Charlotte E. Ray, the first African American woman to practice law in the District of Columbia; and Thurgood Marshall, a former Justice of the United States Supreme Court and lead litigator in the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education. I congratulate Howard School of Law on 140 years of academic success and wish them luck as they continue to inspire the country's next generation. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. I thank my good friend for sponsoring this resolution. I am certainly proud as a member of the Education and Labor Committee to support this resolution as well. I think, to me, more importantly, as the father of a United States soldier, thank you for this resolution. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 491, a resolution encouraging each institution of higher education in the country to seek membership in the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges, or SOC, Consortium. The SOC Consortium was created in 1972 to provide educational assistance to servicemembers who had trouble completing their postsecondary education due to their frequent moves. Today, more than 1,800 colleges and universities are a member of this important consortium with operational partnership between the Department of Defense and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. All institutions that join the consortium must agree to have military-friendly policies on campus. Generally, these institutions agree to things like reasonable transfer of credit policies, providing credit for military training and experience, and providing credit for at least one nationally recognized testing program like the college- level examination program. The consortium also assists institutions and students in following new policy changes that may benefit servicemembers or veterans. Committee Republicans have long been supportive of ensuring that America's servicemen and -women are easily able to accomplish their goal of achieving a postsecondary education degree. The Higher Education Opportunity Act passed last Congress included a number of new initiatives for servicemembers and veterans. The bill required the Secretary of Education to provide a Web site that should serve as a one-stop shop for servicemembers to access information about all education benefits. This bill also included a program to provide funds to institutions to develop on-campus centers that will help servicemembers navigate everything from course registration to educational benefits to help pay for college. These programs will help ensure that these students receive all of the information they need without having to navigate through all the red tape. I recognize that many institutions already have military-friendly policies in place whether or not they are a part of this consortium. Through this resolution, we are encouraging even more institutions to review their policies and to think about whether there is more that they could give back to those who are fighting for America's freedom. I certainly want to congratulate my colleague Mr. Adler for introducing this important resolution. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.