Dina Titus

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of Barbara Greenspun whose recent death marks the end of an era in Nevada. With her sad passing, we have lost a remarkable individual who gave so much of herself to our community. Together, Hank and Barbara Greenspun poured their heart and soul into the Las Vegas Sun, showing a dedication and commitment that would turn the paper into a leading publication. Then moving from behind the scenes to publisher after Hank's death, Barbara built upon his legacy as the paper earned journalism's most prestigious award, the Pulitzer Prize. Known for her grace and generous spirit, Barbara also committed herself to a number of important causes, including higher education and women's health that touched the lives of so many. While she will be truly missed, her legacy will live on through her remarkable family, the landmark Greenspun building at UNLV, and the continued excellence of the Las Vegas Sun.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. I thank the chairman. The purpose of this amendment is to provide the Secretary of Defense the flexibility to change the effective date of the Homeowners Assistance Program for members of the Armed Forces permanently reassigned during the mortgage crisis. The program, as approved by Congress last year, allows active-duty servicemembers to be partially reimbursed for losses occurring as a result of having to sell their home upon being reassigned. Under current law, a servicemember must have purchased his or her home before July 1, 2006, in order to qualify for assistance. My congressional district is home to a number of servicemembers from Nellis Air Force Base and the Remotely Piloted Aircraft Program at Creech Air Force Base. Many of these armed servicemembers were assigned to southern Nevada at the height of the housing boom when prices were fueled by out-of- control and reckless speculators. They, and others around the country, purchased homes at what was then a fair market price. Now, due to no fault of their own, however, many of these homes have lost a significant amount of their value. A problem arises because servicemembers are now receiving Permanent Change of Station orders and are being reassigned to a new area. A number of servicemembers from around the world have contacted us saying that this date, July 1, 2006, was set too early to achieve the intended goals of the program. Accordingly, our amendment provides the necessary flexibility to the Secretary of Defense to change this date in specific geographic areas where housing price declines trended behind the national average. It's important to keep in mind that most of these servicemembers had no choice in the timing of their transfer and relocation and are, therefore, unintended victims of the arbitrary deadline. This amendment is modeled after legislation introduced in December, which had 27 bipartisan cosponsors. It's also been endorsed by a number of military family organizations who recognize its importance. I thank Chairman Skelton for his support in working with me, and I urge our colleagues to vote for the amendment.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, as Memorial Day approaches, I want to take this opportunity to thank all of the brave men and women who have served in our Armed Forces and to honor the cherished memories of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our precious democratic way of life. I also want to take a moment to honor a veteran who not only fought for his country, but returned from war and dedicated his life to helping veterans here at home. R.H. ``Bob'' Goldberg celebrated his 75th birthday just a few months ago, on October 8. I rise today to wish him a belated happy birthday, and thank him for his service to our Nation and for his tireless efforts on behalf of his fellow veterans in southern Nevada. Bob has served as commander of Post 711 of the Jewish War Veterans of America, and worked for many years as an Indian Affairs Officer for the State of Nevada. Bob personified valor on the battlefield and devotion on the home front.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 996, a resolution to recognize September as National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, and I applaud Congresswoman Fudge for introducing this resolution to bring awareness to such an important issue. Obesity has been linked to a wide range of negative health outcomes, and the alarming rise of childhood obesity, if left unchecked, could lead to a national health crisis. Obese children are at greater risk for a number of diseases and are more likely to have health problems that put them at risk throughout their life for diabetes, cardiovascular illness, and cancer. According to the Centers for Disease Control, childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years, so it is vital that we take action, recognize the problem, and begin to address it. I, too, would like to commend First Lady Michele Obama and, in Nevada, State Senator Valerie Weiner for their tireless efforts to combat this problem. I am also proud to serve on the Education and Labor Committee which will soon be taking up reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act. I look forward to the opportunity to address childhood obesity and the crisis it creates through that important legislation. In the meantime, I am pleased to support the resolution before us today, H. Res. 996, brought by the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Fudge) because it will help raise awareness of childhood obesity, acknowledge its adverse lifetime consequences, and offer ways to combat the growing problem.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Madam Chair, I thank Chairman Gordon for his leadership on this important legislation that will strengthen American competitiveness. I rise today in support of my amendment, which is part of the en bloc amendment, which clarifies that both preservice and in-service teacher training and professional development shall be considered when identifying the grand challenges in pre-K through 12 STEM education. For our country to be economically competitive in the 21st century, we must ensure that all of our students have a strong foundation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, the STEM fields. The underlying bill before us recognizes this fact and instructs the director of the National Science Foundation and the Secretary of Education to work together to identify the grand challenges in STEM education and how to best address them. While the bill currently includes the effectiveness of STEM teacher professional development as a subject to be studied as a grand challenge, the bill does not mention the training that soon-to-be- teachers receive before they enter the classroom. My amendment highlights the fact that teacher pre-service and training preparation programs have an important part to play in ensuring that future teachers will be well-equipped to give our students a strong foundation in the STEM fields. Teacher preparations generally provide future teachers with the knowledge and skills they need to be effective classroom instructors, so we must be sure that that includes preparation they need to teach the STEM subjects. Future teachers must be educated in the latest technology, the newest theories, the cutting-edge developments in the STEM fields so they can give our students the tools they need to compete in the global economy. My amendment therefore directs that pre- service teacher training and professional development shall also be considered when addressing the grand challenges of K-12 STEM education. So I would urge my colleagues to support this important bill, to support this en bloc amendment, and to help prepare our teachers to prepare our children for the jobs of tomorrow.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1338) recognizing the significant accomplishments of AmeriCorps and encouraging all citizens to join in a national effort to raise awareness about the importance of national and community service.

Ms. TITUS. Madam Speaker, I would just reiterate the points that have been made earlier but in a more brief fashion to say that I hope our colleagues will join in supporting this resolution and to say thank you to the many volunteers who are on the front lines helping us during times of crisis, whether it's economic, physical disaster or sociological change. We need their help, and we appreciate it. This is a resolution to do that. So I thank the sponsors. I thank the chairman of the Service Caucus and urge your support.

Ms. TITUS. Madam Speaker, I am pleased at this time to yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Matsui), the sponsor of the resolution.

Ms. TITUS. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. TITUS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may require. I rise today in full support of House Resolution 1338, which recognizes the substantial contributions of AmeriCorps. Since 1994, AmeriCorps programs have engaged over 570,000 individuals of all ages in national service programs, totaling 705 million hours of service to our Nation. AmeriCorps was launched following the establishment of the Corporation for National and Community Service under the National and Community Service Trust Act. The organization is composed of AmeriCorps State and national programs: the National Civilian Community Corps, or NCCC, and the Volunteers in Service to America, or VISTA program. The initial class of 20,000 volunteers helped establish and grow this wonderful program of volunteer service. AmeriCorps now involves 75,000 individuals each year to improve the lives of the Nation's most vulnerable citizens, protect the environment, contribute to public safety, respond to disasters, and strengthen our educational system. AmeriCorps participants have tackled many timely and important issues, including health care, gang violence, drug abuse, environmental cleanup, and homelessness. They have partnered with thousands of organizations, including Habitat for Humanity and the Red Cross. AmeriCorps VISTA participants have been on the front lines in the fight against poverty in America. VISTA's 6,500 participants provide assistance each year to low-income communities by helping businesses, expanding access to technology, recruiting literacy volunteers, strengthening antipoverty groups, and creating sustainable programs that help people rise out of poverty. National Civilian Community Corps participants have led service projects in areas of critical national need, including disaster response, infrastructure improvement, environment and energy conservation, and urban and rural development. Corps volunteers have responded to every nationally declared disaster since 1994 as well as helped communities prepare for the next emergency. Most importantly, AmeriCorps members continue to serve their community even after their terms of service. In fact, many former workers continue as volunteers, teachers, nonprofit professionals, and government employees. Madam Speaker, for those struggling to make ends meet during this tough economy, volunteers in the national service are more important than ever. The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act signed in 2009 by President Obama expands the AmeriCorps program to incorporate 250,000 volunteers each year, and the strength of our Nation depends on individuals who take action towards building better communities. This week is AmeriCorps Week, when we recognize and thank the commitment of these volunteers so that future generations will continue to support the ideal of national service. It's important for us to highlight the important work done by the organization and to motivate others to become engaged and to volunteer, whether through AmeriCorps or other service opportunities throughout the country. So I would ask that my colleagues join me in full support of House Resolution 1338 and to take a moment and appreciate the contributions by our many AmeriCorps participants. I want to thank Representative Matsui for bringing this resolution to the floor, and I urge my colleagues to pass it. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. TITUS. Madam Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which time Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on H. Res. 1338 into the Record.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Rev. Jesse Scott, a fine hero and a lifelong civil rights leader who passed away on Monday. A native of Louisiana, Reverend. Scott moved to Las Vegas in 1970 to become president of the local NAACP chapter. In that role, and later as executive director of the Nevada Equal Rights Commission, Reverend Scott was a loved and respected leader whose commitment to justice was unparalleled. Reverend Scott once said, ``God placed me in the position to help others as I have been helped by others.'' And by all accounts, that is exactly what he did. His legacy will live on in the lives of all those he touched in his fight for equality, in his work at the Second Baptist Church, and in the acts of many public servants, including myself, whom he inspired and mentored. My thoughts and prayers are with Reverend Scott's family and friends during this sad time.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, today, I join with people across the country to celebrate National Teacher Week, which recognizes the exemplary and important work that teachers do in classrooms every day. Research has shown that a good teacher is one of the most important factors in a student's academic success, so it is only appropriate that we take time during National Teacher Week to say ``thank you'' to these heroes who positively affect so many lives. We must also support teachers during these tough economic times by investing in education. I was proud to support the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which saved more than 1,000 jobs for teachers in southern Nevada, and the Jobs for Main Street Act, which passed the House and included a $23 billion jobs for education fund. With hundreds of thousands of teachers across the country facing potential pink slips because of budget crises at the local and State levels, I urge my colleagues in both Houses to work quickly to support education by saving vital teaching jobs throughout the country.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Today I join with people across the country to commemorate Workers' Memorial Day, honoring workers killed, injured, or harmed at work. Unfortunately, workers in Nevada are all too aware of the dangers they face in the workplace. A number of deaths on the job in recent years led to Nevada's being the first State in the country to undergo an in-depth review that highlighted the problems facing the State's OSHA program. This review made it clear to me that Federal OSHA needs an additional option to work with States that are not meeting Federal standards. Currently, OSHA can only suggest improvements or completely take over the State's program. That's why I introduced the Ensuring Worker Safety Act. This legislation aims to protect both workers and States' rights by giving Federal OSHA additional tools to make sure that State OSHA plans like Nevada's are at least as effective as Federal standards and enforcement. The slogan of Workers' Memorial Day is ``Remember the Dead and Fight for the Living.'' That's what I intend to do in Congress.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, later today the House will consider legislation to stop the automatic pay raise for Members of Congress during this fiscal year. I am proud to be a cosponsor of this bill because I believe strongly that Members of Congress should not receive a pay raise when so many families in Nevada are struggling with job loss, homes that are under water, and uncertainty about their economic future. Unemployment in my district has reached record levels, the highest in 25 years. Families are tightening their belts and too many hardworking Nevadans are desperate to find a job. It would be unconscionable during this time of economic hardship for Members of Congress to receive an automatic pay raise. Our action today will send a message to the American people that we are changing the way that business is done in Washington and we are serious about putting our economy on the path to recovery and restoring economic security for all Americans.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, 2 years ago our Nation suffered one of the greatest economic meltdowns in history when the financial markets nearly collapsed and sent the country into the deepest recession in a generation, one that my State of Nevada is still working to pull itself out of. The hardworking people of southern Nevada have paid a steep price for the greed and dangerous under-regulation of Wall Street that created a foreclosure crisis resulting in far too many families losing their homes. Seniors lost their retirement nest eggs, and parents lost their savings to pay for their children to go to college. It's time to ensure that the proper safeguards are in place so that we can prevent a crisis of this magnitude in the future. We must rein in Wall Street banks that gave their executives obscene bonuses while steering our economy into the ditch. We must close regulatory loopholes and strengthen oversight enforcement so that government agencies cannot fall asleep at the wheel. The House has already passed this important legislation that will permanently end taxpayer bailouts and hold Wall Street accountable. I urge the Senate to do so.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, since coming to Congress, I have kept my promise to provide tax relief to middle-class families and small businesses in my district; and I am proud to report that on Tax Day millions of Americans will pay less in taxes and keep more of their hard-earned money in their own pockets, where it belongs. In the past year, Congress has enacted over $800 billion in tax cuts, including the largest package of tax cuts in history in the Recovery Act, leading Reagan's adviser Bruce Bartlett to say that Federal taxes are very considerably lower by every measure since Obama became President. A recent report by Citizens for Tax Justice has found that, for 2009, 98 percent of working families and individuals in Nevada benefited from at least one of the tax cuts in the Recovery Act, saving an average of $841. For folks in my district struggling to make ends meet, $841 could be a mortgage payment that helps them avoid foreclosure and could make a real difference in their lives.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for the courtesy of yielding. I rise today in support of this legislation and in support of the provision that includes ``to distribute funds for the projects of national significance and National Corridor Grant programs through existing formulas.'' Under the HIRE Act, funds for these programs went to only 29 States based on whether they had earmarked projects under SAFETEA-LU. Some States were big winners, and others were big losers. Twenty-two States would receive no funding at all, including my State of Nevada. California, Illinois, Louisiana, and Washington, however, would get $543 million of the $932 million allocated. The legislation we are considering today would correct this inequity. In Nevada, it would mean an additional $7.7 million for transportation programs. It is an important piece of legislation, and I urge its passage.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Madam Speaker, yesterday marked a historic day as President Obama signed the reform legislation that will give families more control over their health care and the same kind of choices that Members of Congress have. Yet before the ink was even dry on the President's signature, Republicans pledged they would repeal health care reform if given the opportunity. Reform that will end discrimination from preexisting conditions, Republicans would repeal it. Reform that will close the prescription drug doughnut hole that so many seniors fall into, Republicans would repeal it. Reform that will give the largest health care tax cut in history to families and small businesses to purchase insurance, Republicans would repeal it. Yesterday we took an important step forward with commonsense reform that will improve coverage for over 1.1 million people in southern Nevada. Nevada's families cannot afford a return to the status quo of skyrocketing costs, of living every day with the fear that they are just one illness or one injury away from losing it all. We cannot repeal that.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. For over 1 year, I have listened to the voices of District 3 and heard heartbreaking stories of children denied coverage because of a preexisting condition, small business owners who can't afford to insure their employees, and single moms who have lost their jobs and their insurance. They are the reasons I am voting for reform. In District 3 alone, reform will improve coverage for more than 600,000 people. It will strengthen Medicare for 120,000 seniors and close the prescription drug doughnut hole. It will create health care tax breaks for over 200,000 families and 17,000 small businesses, and lets 72,000 young adults stay on their parents' policy. Insurance companies and others opposed to reform have spent over $1.3 million in southern Nevada, but I won't be intimidated. Today, as I have always done, I am standing up for what I believe is in the best interest of my constituents. As has been said, it is the price of leadership to do the thing you believe has to be done at the time it must be done. Now is the time to get it done and pass health care reform.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, the need for health care reform is critical for so many in America, but for women, the need is even greater. With health care costs weighing heavily on our small businesses, and with women more likely to own or work for small businesses, it's critical that real reform help those businesses compete by lowering health care costs. In Nevada, insurers are allowed to consider gender when setting premium rates in the individual health insurance market. And as a result of this gender rating, women are often charged more than men for the exact same coverage. Insurers can also exclude coverage for certain preexisting conditions, such as having had a C-section and even being pregnant. And it can be difficult, sometimes impossible in certain markets for women to find coverage for maternity care in the individual health market. I say it's time to tell insurance companies that being a woman is not a preexisting condition.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Well, thank you very much. And thank you for your leadership on this issue and for organizing tonight's discussion about something that is so important. Nevada has had the fastest growing senior population in the country for the last decade. And even though we have slowed down a little generally, that percentage is expected to continue. So you can imagine what an important issue this is for me. And, like Mr. Garamendi, my mother, too, is on Medicare. So I can't imagine why anybody would think we would want to hurt Medicare benefits when our own mothers are beneficiaries, along with so many other seniors in this country. I share your frustration, because I have had a lady following me around to some of our town hall meetings wearing a T-shirt that says ``I am the grandmother you want to kill.'' She believed those early ads about the death panels in the health care bill. So there is an awful lot of misinformation out there that we need to correct, and that is why a discussion like this is so important. You know, generations of America's seniors have relied on Medicare in their golden years, and we must ensure that it is there for them in the future. This means that we need health reform, health care reform as you have described on your chart there, that strengthens Medicare. Rising health care costs threaten our current Medicare system, and we need to be sure that it remains solvent. And we have to enact reform that strengthens Medicare's financial footing and extends the lifetime of the Medicare trust fund. We also must bring down those prescription costs. We need to reduce costs for both Medicare and for seniors, individually, and close the doughnut hole that so many of our seniors fall into, forcing them to choose between life-saving medication and other necessities like buying groceries or paying the power bill. It's because of my commitment to seniors that I was proud to support the House health care reform bill, because in addition to the things that I just mentioned and you all have been talking about, it also benefited seniors by removing lifetime caps on coverage and included free preventive care; in other words, no copays on important tests like mammograms and colonoscopies. So I'm hopeful that these reforms will be things that we can enact in the coming days, and I look forward to seeing that final health care language to be sure that they're in there. You know, I'm dedicated to protecting Medicare, and I know how important it is for the seniors in District Three. I would never do anything that would reduce or undermine the care that they receive. That's why I introduced legislation--and I appreciate all of your support on it--that protected seniors from increases in their Medicare premiums. It was called the Medicare Premium Fairness Act. We introduced it last year. It would protect seniors from an increase in their premiums. In the past years, seniors have received a cost-of-living increase in their Social Security to offset any increase in the Medicare premium. Well, this year, for the first time in 35 years, seniors aren't receiving that cost-of-living increase, meaning that higher Medicare premiums would result in lower Social Security benefits, for a net loss. For seniors on fixed incomes who count on every dollar just to get by, this is unacceptable, because they will be receiving less in Social Security. My bill would protect all seniors from an increase in those Medicare premiums this year until the cost-of-living kicks in in the future. Unfortunately, and how many times have we seen this--and I'm expressing my personal frustration, but also of this body, I believe-- one Republican in the Senate has held up the speedy passage of this bill that's so important to seniors. This shouldn't be allowed to happen because it's too important to happen in the lives of the American people. So I'm going to continue to fight to see that that bill becomes law and in a way that would be retroactive to help the seniors who may have already seen those deductions kick in. So thank you again for having this discussion. Medicare is critical to the health and well-being of our seniors, and I look forward to working with you on the senior task force to highlight and advocate on these important issues that affect our senior population.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Madam Speaker, last week I hosted a telephone town hall with more than 3,500 people tuned in from District Three. This was an excellent opportunity to hear directly from my constituents about the issues that are important to their lives. This was the sixth telephone town hall that I participated in. In addition, we've answered some 95,000 letters, held 10 Congress on the Corners, and hosted five housing workshops. These means of communication have helped me to be a powerful voice for the people of District Three and to provide as much transparency as possible about the proceedings here in Washington. In fact, thanks to these efforts, I've put $1.6 million directly into the pockets of southern Nevadans by fighting for veterans to get their benefits, seniors to get their Social Security benefits, and homeowners to receive loan modifications that keep them in their homes. I've made it a top priority to stay closely connected to my constituents, fighting for them in Washington while serving them in southern Nevada. I encourage them to call on me any time.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2377, a bill to establish a National Classified School Employees of the Year Award. For teachers to teach and students to learn, schools must be well maintained; students must be kept healthy and safe; and all of the adults with whom students interact throughout their day, whether on the playground or in the lunch room, must support a school's culture of excellence. Classified employees help to create and maintain an atmosphere that fosters achievement by working tirelessly to ensure the success of our Nation's students in public schools, colleges, and universities. They provide essential services, including transportation, facilities maintenance and operations, food service, safety, health care, and others. Whether they are in the classroom alongside teachers, helping to establish and promote a high-quality instructional environment, or in a bus, making sure that students arrive at school on time so they are ready to learn, these classified employees play a vital role in our schools, and they should be recognized for the outstanding work that they do. There are approximately 2.8 million education support professionals across the country, yet too often their contributions go unrecognized. And that is why I am so pleased to have worked with you, Madam Speaker, as the lead sponsor of H.R. 2377, a bill that would establish a National Classified School Employees of the Year Award, and I am proud that this legislation has 57 bipartisan supporters and cosponsors. This award would be very similar to the Teacher of the Year Award but would recognize outstanding public school employees who provide support services to students from pre-kindergarten through their education in nine different categories: paraprofessionals, clerical services, custodial and maintenance services, transportation services, food services, skilled trades, health and students services, security services, and technical services. The Secretary of Education will solicit nominations from the States in each of these occupational specialties. Nominees must demonstrate excellence in work performance, school and community involvement, leadership and commitment, local support, enhancement of classified school employees' image in the community and the school, and any other area of superior performance that is determined by the Secretary. The award winners will then be recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the President. Let me be clear, this is not a new government program, and honoring these special employees will not cost the government any money. Nor would this be the first time that government agencies have presented such awards to individuals who make important contributions. Both the Department of Defense and the Department of Commerce currently give such awards. Honoring our classified school employees will provide the recognition and appreciation they deserve for the important work they do every day on the front lines to help our students succeed. As Booker T. Washington said, ``Excellence is to do a common thing in an uncommon way.'' So I urge my colleagues to reward the uncommon excellence of classified school employees by supporting H.R. 2377.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, we've heard a lot about health care today and for the past month and, actually, for the past year as this issue has been debated as one of the most important things facing this country and the people in all our districts. We know that we need better access to health care. We need more affordable health care. We need to protect Medicare as we move forward with meaningful reforms. These reforms need to include issues involving the insurance companies, the insurance companies that are today advertising on television against reform, are sending their lobbyists to the Hill against reform, who are resisting any kind of meaningful reform in hopes of protecting their bottom line. I welcome additional comments from some of my colleagues. I will reserve my time for a few minutes. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.