Glenn Thompson

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, when I hear the word ``reform'' in the same sentence as health care, I wonder what is being reformed. Fact 1: Some 80 percent of Americans are satisfied with their present health care. Fact 2: Do we know what we're reforming? No. According to the Washington Post, the Democrats jumped at a chance to brief on what is in their 1,700-page Democrat health care bill. ``The bill is so complex,'' said Ways and Means Chairman Rangel, ``that when staff agreed to hold the session, response was overwhelming.'' Fact 3: The Democratic plan will not save money. The nonpartisan CBO projected $1 trillion in costs and mounting deficits, and they ``do not see the sort of fundamental changes that would be necessary to reduce the trajectory of Federal spending by a significant amount.'' Fact 4: The bill has harmful cuts to Medicare Advantage that will result in more than 10 million seniors losing the program on which they rely. This plan would have your money spent, your current health care gone, no guarantee of satisfaction, all in the name of ``reform.''

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 1803, the Veterans Business Center Act of 2009. Today's current economic climate provides a hard path to success. While it has never been easy for small business owners, obligations for increases in taxes, utilities, high health care costs and loan payments make it even more difficult. With this ever-increasing burden, it is no wonder that small businesses are not thriving. And despite the barriers that are placed in front of them, small business owners are using their creativity to survive. The Small Business Administration has entrepreneurial technical assistance programs that must be reassessed in order to ensure that they are providing the most effective assistance to small business. When the men and women who have chosen to serve their country honorably in the armed services retire and return home, they are often faced with a daunting task of beginning new careers. Many times, they choose to serve their country in another way. These brave Americans frequently choose to open up a small business and contribute to the growth of America's economy. For these great Americans, we must provide them with the very best training to ensure the ease of transition to their new civilian lives. This important legislation modernizes one of SBA's most critical programs, the Veterans Business Center program, so it can help them become entrepreneurs during these difficult economic times. It will show them how to use their skills and creativity to establish small businesses and survive until such time as the economic climate allows their businesses to thrive. Then it will provide them with the assistance they need to help grow their business. Currently, the Office of Veterans Affairs at the SBA oversees five Veterans Business Centers that serve our veterans. Under this legislation, a Veterans Business Center program will be established to develop and run a larger network of Veterans Business Centers. Special attention will be paid to the areas of the country with dense veteran populations, such as those surrounding military facilities. These centers will offer counseling to veterans through one-on-one instruction. It will also provide continuing education to those who may have run a small business before entering the armed services and have returned to their business after a tour of duty. Frequently overlooked and underappreciated are the spouses of Americans who have served in the Armed Forces. These individuals also face the challenges that a life in the armed services may present, including providing for a family in the absence of the servicemember. Under this legislation, spouses of deceased servicemembers will also benefit from the counseling and training of Veterans Business Centers if they are starting or running a small business. Enlisted personnel are not the only ones serving our country. Members of the National Guard are frequently called upon at a moment's notice to provide assistance, whether in disaster relief efforts or in tours of duty overseas during wartime. Given the service they provide to the country, they should have the same resources as enlisted members of the armed services when their commitment to their fellow citizens is over. This bill would open Veterans Business Centers to members of the National Guard. Everyone knows that a good business plan is the cornerstone of any successful small business. Creating and executing the business plan requires extensive business knowledge and ingenuity, including the ability to predict potential obstacles to the success that may unfold at any time. This bill fortifies an already existing program that teaches America's veterans how to tackle their problems head on. In short, this bill sharpens an already existing tool employed by the SBA to cultivate one of our Nation's greatest natural resources, its veteran entrepreneurs. Mr. Speaker, this legislation makes crucial changes to an important program at a critical time. I commend Mr. Nye for his hard work on this bill. I also commend Chairwoman Velazquez for moving this bill so swiftly through committee. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. I yield as much time as she may consume to the gentlelady from Florida (Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite).

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. I just want to thank the chairwoman for her leadership with this and Mr. Nye for this piece of legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. I rise today in support of H.R. 1807, the Educating Entrepreneurs through Today's Technology Act. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, employing roughly half of United States workers. While our communities are experiencing high unemployment rates, the entrepreneurial spirit remains alive and well. For many underserved and rural areas, it is critical to have the opportunity and the ability to tap into resources that will foster further economic development and provide prospective entrepreneurs with the same access afforded to their suburban and urban counterparts. H.R. 1807 will allow third parties the opportunity to provide high- quality tele-distance training through a competitive grants process administered by the SBA. The measure will provide for third-party vendors with experience in distance learning content and communications technology. It will employ online, satellite, video-connected, community-based organizations to distribute and conduct distance learning related to entrepreneurship, credit management, financial literacy, homeownership and Federal small business development programs. The Small Business Administration will ensure that the communications technology is distributed through all 50 States and U.S. territories to home-based businesses, Small Business Development Centers, Women's Business Centers, Veterans Business Centers and SBA district offices. Additionally, this measure would require that the online distance learning program provided for in title II of the bill, include the establishment of an online networking site where entrepreneurs and small business owners can go to interact with one another. The goal of this networking site is to facilitate the exchange of peer-to-peer technical assistance. This will allow for prospective and established entrepreneurs and small business owners to interact with each other to troubleshoot problems and share best practices for interacting with SBA, securing financing, navigating government regulations, and the slew of odds and ends that arise when getting a small business off the ground. There is no substitute for being able to fall back on lessons learned from experience, and peer to peer will arm current and prospective entrepreneurs with this priceless information from individuals who have been there before. Mr. Speaker, for many entrepreneurs across the country, in order to access SBA and Small Business Development Centers they have to drive long distances. In my rural district, we have learned to use our limited resources wisely, and this can also be said for rural and underserved communities across the Nation. This measure recognizes a one-size-fits-all textbook approach to addressing entrepreneurial concerns is seldom the solution. Passage of this measure will empower these very entrepreneurs to navigate the many hurdles facing emerging businesses. I encourage my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 1807 and continue the House's commitment to our Nation's entrepreneurs. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as a part of H.R. 3288, the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010. The entity to receive funding is the Deane Center for the Performing Arts, P.O. Box 102, Wellsboro, PA 16901, in the amount of $100,000. Funding will be used for construction and renovation of the Deane Center for the Performing Arts.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as a part of H.R. 3288, the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010. The entity to receive funding is the Centre County Commissioners, 420 Homes Street, Willowbank Building, Bellefonte, PA 16823, in the amount of $750,000. Funding will be used for Safety Improvements along the US Route 322 Corridor in Centre County.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as a part of H.R. 3288, the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010. The entity to receive funding is the Area Transportation Authority of North Central PA, 44 Transportation Center, Johnsonburg, PA 15845, in the amount of $360,000. Funding will be used for the replacement of four paratransit vehicles that serve 7 counties in rural Pennsylvania.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as a part of H.R. 3288, the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010. The entity to receive funding is the Centre Area Transportation Authority, 2081 West Whitehall Road, State College, PA 16801, in the amount of $300,000. Funding will be used for compressed natural gas powered articulated transit buses.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as a part of H.R.3293, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010. The entity to receive funding is the Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology, 540 North Harrison Road, Pleasant Gap, PA 16823, in the amount of $250,000. Funding will be used for energy related workforce training.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as a part of H.R. 3293, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010. The entity to receive funding is the DuBois Regional Medical Center, 100 Hospital Avenue, P.O. Box 447, DuBois, PA 15801, in the amount of $100,000. Funding will be used for the purchase of a Digital C-Arm.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as a part of H.R.3293, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010. The entity to receive funding is the Mount Nittany Medical Center, 1800 East Park Avenue, State College, PA 16803, in the amount of $150,000. Funding will be used to support the expansion of its East Wing.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as a part of H.R. 3293, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010. The entity to receive funding is the Warren County Planning Commission, Warren County Courthouse, 204 Fourth Avenue, Warren, PA 16365, in the amount of $350,000. Funding will be used to assist the construction of a building to provide health care services to residents in Warren County.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, on a daily basis we make our own choices. From decisions as simple as paper or plastic, diet or regular, decaffeinated or high-test to ones as profound as Republican or Democrat and temple or church as the place we choose to worship. We come from a Nation of freedom that has allowed us to make choices in our lives. But if Democrats have their way, government bureaucrats will soon choose our health care. There is a television advertisement about a woman whose doctor told her to go get her affairs in order because she had cancer and less than 6 months to live. She then chose to go to a different provider, and several years later, she is still alive and healthy. Under the Democratic proposal, an unelected official in Washington will be making health decisions for individuals and families across this Nation. Patient choice will be a thing of the past unless you are wealthy enough to go outside the system. When competition dies, so does quality. Mr. Speaker, one of the reasons this Nation has the best health care in the world is competition and compassion. Let's choose not to lose that quality and to continue to be able to go to the physician who can best serve our needs.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the issue of job loss at rural hospitals if the current health proposal were to become law. The Democrats' public plan assumes reimbursement rates based on Medicare. In the July letter from the Blue Dog Coalition to Speaker Pelosi, the coalition reported that Medicare reimbursement pays, on average, 20-30 percent lower than private plans. Actual costs are made up through private insurance reimbursement, which will be gone if the Democratic plan plays out. This will have a severe negative impact on rural hospitals, and it will leave us asking: Where are the jobs? Many providers suffer financial losses as a result of treating Medicare patients. The lower rates make it more difficult for rural providers, who serve higher percentages of elderly and low-income patients. A new public plan with rates similar to Medicare's will create a financial result that will be unsustainable for even the Nation's most efficient, high-quality providers. The result is a loss of good jobs in rural America. During this time of economic downturn, we need to be focused on the retention of existing jobs and on encouraging and not discouraging our rural hospitals.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. I thank my good friend from Utah (Mr. Bishop) for coordinating this event tonight. I'm very proud to represent Pennsylvania's Fifth District and am very proud be a part of the Western Caucus. We have a lot of wonderful natural resources that, frankly, help to make, Mr. Speaker, make this country strong, and I believe as a part of our promising future if we use them and use them wisely. Federal policies that lead to job losses is a very personal one for me and many of my constituents in Pennsylvania's Fifth Congressional District. My district is home to Pennsylvania's only national forest, the Allegheny, or the ANF as we often refer to it--513,000 acres. The ANF is as special as the district that I represent and has a long history as an economic and a tourism center for the region. Nearby, in Titusville, Pennsylvania, Colonel Edwin Drake founded the world's very first commercial oil well in 1859. The energy industry has been the economic engine in that region in my district ever since. Now this includes the ANF. For 86 years, the forest has successfully operated for multiuse purposes. These uses include recreation tourism as well as timber harvesting, oil, and natural gas production. Frankly, before this forest was formed 86 years ago, it was an oil and gas field. Since oil and gas has been the economic engine in the region for over 60 years, when the ANF was created, the Federal Government only purchased the surface rights. This was done intentionally by the Federal Government in order to leave the mineral rights, meaning the rights to oil and gas and minerals, in private hands. And for some 85- plus years there's been a positive working relationship between the Federal Government, who owns the surface rights, and the private and oil gas developers, who own the mineral rights. However, this longstanding and beneficial relationship recently has been ruptured. Last fall, the Forest Service was sued by three environmental groups: Sierra Club, the Allegheny Defense Project, and the Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics. The Sierra Club is based in the Speaker's home district in San Francisco, California. The Allegheny Defense Fund is based somewhere in Oregon. And the Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics--well, they won't identify themselves. We don't know. These groups are attempting to apply the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, to the permitting processes, which effectively will shut down energy production in the forests. Let me be clear, oil and gas production is the major economic force in the region, and has been since that first oil well was drilled 150 years ago. Penn State University performed a study and concluded that for every 100 direct oil and gas sector jobs in northwestern Pennsylvania, 23 industry support jobs are created, with an additional 40 ancillary jobs in the retail and residential sectors. Want a true economic stimulus that leads us to energy independence? Let's support that industry. Again, I can't emphasize enough how important these jobs are to our region and the local economy. As a direct result of the lawsuit, the forest service indefinitely suspended the permitting process for all new oil and gas leases in January of this year. To make matters worse, the Forest Service released a settlement this past April that sides entirely with the environmental groups. This settlement was reached behind closed doors and was reached with no industry input. There was no judge, no court that told them to do this. Applying NEPA was a decision made by the Forest Service and did not even take into account the people that it would hurt directly and the most. No court told them to do this, which means that it was a policy change that occurred within the National Forest Service. Now, while these environmental groups would like everyone to think that oil and gas production in the ANF goes unregulated, it's rigorously regulated by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. And they do a great job. They always have. Today, I, along with Mr. Bishop and 18 other members of the Congressional Western Caucus, sent a letter on this topic to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. The Secretary, unlike some Members of Congress and environmental groups, knows that the Forest Service is a part of the Agriculture Department, not the Interior Department. The bottom line is that Congress and the President have this year alone spent about a trillion dollars in the name of job creation. Yet, some within the administration are also actively trying to make policy changes like this that kill good-paying jobs which have existed for 86 years. Not too long ago, I was in Bradford, Pennsylvania, on a Sunday morning, and I picked out a small church to worship in. And at the end of the service I had a young mom come up to me. She had three little kids in tow. They weren't very big. The oldest maybe was four years old. And she came up to me and she said, You're Mr. Thompson. She said, I want to thank you for what you're trying to do to stand up for the right things of making sure that we have the rights to access to subsurface rights. You see, her husband makes his living working on oil wells. At that point, he was struggling to find a job and struggling to be able to support his family because of a policy change by this administration which attacks the subsurface private property rights. And that's not right. I've talked with businesses that have been in the business, have lived their entire life for generations in the Allegheny National Forest, that own subsurface rights and have every right for 86 years to access oil, natural gas, and minerals that they own. And, because of that arbitrary policy change by this administration, that's been shut down. And these folks who have been in business for just generations are no longer able to support themselves. This type of attack, this type of policy by this administration on private property owners, it impacts timber workers, it impacts drillers, excavation companies, businesses, schools, townships, and families. Frankly, they're all suffering. And they're suffering because of the arbitrary and devastating policies of this administration on private-property-right owners. I thank the gentleman from Utah and I yield back.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Scalise).

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

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. I yield as much time as he may consume to Dr. Broun of Georgia.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I inquire as to how much time is remaining.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. I yield 1 additional minute to the gentleman from Louisiana.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I might consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Concurrent Resolution 123, recognizing the historic and national significance of the many contributions of John William Heisman to the sport of football. John William Heisman was one of the single most influential individuals in the sport of football, the most watched sport in the United States. John Heisman was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on October 23, 1869. He began his football career at Titusville High School. He was introduced to football through the Titusville Rockets and continued at Brown University and the University of Pennsylvania, where he received his law degree in 1892. He served as the head coach for a total of eight university football teams, including 16 years at Georgia Tech and 3 years at the University of Pennsylvania. He coached Georgia Tech in the most one-sided football game ever played--with a final score of 222-0--and led them in a 33- game winning streak. Of the 271 games John Heisman coached, in only 68 of those games did the opponents finish the game with a win. He retired in 1927 and passed away in 1936. John Heisman's influence on football is undeniable but the history of football itself began before John Heisman's birth. American football was started sometime in the mid-19th century and was a divergence from the game of rugby. College students in the late 19th century took the lead in turning the evolving game of football into an organized support. In 1920 the American Professional Football Association was formed and 2 years later became the National Football League. The game of football has continued to evolve from that time to today with the influence of various coaches, rule makers and organization heads. John William Heisman's influence on the game of football helped to make the game what it is today. His inventions include the four-quarter game, the ``hike,'' the center snap and the forward pass. In addition, he created many innovative plays that led to some of the basic formations used in today's games. John William Heisman was a nationally recognized collegiate coach and an influential innovator. In the time before and after his death, his accomplishments were recognized by many nationwide. John Heisman had several articles published in magazines such as ``American Liberty'' and was the football editor of the ``Sporting Goods Journal.'' He served as the director of the Downtown Athletic Club in Manhattan, and in 1935 helped to create the award that would later be renamed the ``Heisman Memorial Trophy.'' John Heisman's accomplishments and contributions to the sport of football are many in number. His ideas and coaching helped to create the game that has become so imbedded in the culture of our Nation. I ask my colleagues to support this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back my time.