Timothy Walz

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. Parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Van Hollen), a true champion of transparency and openness in government and our elections.

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. I am.

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise today to state my strong opposition to the repealing of the Affordable Care Act. Repealing this law will eliminate consumer protections, raise taxes on small business, explode the deficit, and put insurance company CEOs directly between Americans and their doctor. I'm very proud to represent the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. They're a symbol of what we can achieve when we deliver the world's highest quality care at the most efficient and effective costs. When we passed this law last year, they said it was a good first step. And I agree. Now is not the time to step backwards. Folks in my district are already seeing the benefits of this new law. Seniors have received help paying for their expensive prescription drugs and have better access to preventative care saving money. And just a few weeks ago, I received a letter from a dad in my district named Paul. Paul's son Joe is 21, works part-time and has diabetes. Joe couldn't get the insurance he needed to pay for the expensive equipment and treatment he needs to stay healthy and alive. Paul wrote to say thank you for passing the Affordable Care Act. Because of the new law, Joe got back on his parents' insurance, and a new insurance card came in the mail on January 3. A vote to repeal this legislation pulls that card away.

Mr. WALZ

Mr. WALZ. Madam Speaker, today I rise after some of the saddest days I have ever lived through. A friend and a colleague, an exemplary member of this body was gunned down while doing her job. Innocent lives were lost and a Nation grieves for their family and friends. Gabrielle is one of the finest public servants I have ever had the privilege of knowing. When Gabrielle and I first arrived here in the beginning of 2007, it was with a deep pride in our home districts and the commitment that we would do whatever it took to work hard for the people we were so honored to represent. Gabrielle's passion for her job and her constituents is an inspiration to me and to this Congress. My greatest hope is that she will recovery as quickly as possible and come back to join her colleagues who miss her. My wife Gwen and I are praying for her recovery and our thoughts are with her wonderful husband Mark and her wonderful family. Gwen, my staff and I all grieve for the loss of her Director of Outreach, Gabe Zimmerman and we are praying for the speedy recovery of Ron and Pam, two staffers who are still recovering from gunshot wounds. In a Politico story this week, Doug Hart, president for the Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans said of Gabe, ``He just had a heart for people.'' Politico also reported Gabe told the Tucson Citizen in 2007, ``We serve who walks into our office and we don't even ask what party they belong to.'' In Gabe's memory, let us continue to serve our constituents to the best of our ability, regardless of their political beliefs. And today, let us remember Gabe and all those members of our own staff who come to work every day dedicated to helping the Americans we serve. I also want to express my deepest condolences to Judge John Roll's family. In the stories that have emerged in recent days, we can see he was a dedicated public servant and a distinguished member of our judicial system. My thoughts and prayers are also with all the families of Gabrielle's constituents who were victims in this horrific attack. They were doing what we hope our constituents will do every day. Come to our events and lend us their wisdom and ideas. These civic minded Americans make our jobs possible and we grieve over losing them. As I think about the event that Gabrielle hosted on Saturday and the kind of Arizonians who attended her event, I am reminded of the very best in the American people. A young girl born in the depths of tragedy who wanted to make the world better for her classmates and her generation. A husband who's final act was protecting his wife. A passionate advocate for justice who wanted to share his thoughts with his Representative. They were all people who wanted to make a difference in the direction of the country they loved and their attendance at Saturday's event was no less than the dream and vision of our founding fathers. I don't know whether the heated political rhetoric caused the terrible events on Saturday. We may never know the answer to that question. But surely we can all agree that our politics have been too divisive, our debates too heated and our words too harsh. In the honor of the victims of Saturday's attack, we must rededicate ourselves to civility. To passionate, but never angry, public debate. To respectful disagreements. To rededicate ourselves to accessibility to the people we represent and to the notion that debate without violence is the cornerstone of our representative democracy.

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. Yesterday a new Congress was sworn into office, and just like the one before it, a top priority is to get our economy moving in the right direction. I'm profoundly disappointed, though, that the new majority of the Republicans has decided to take the opposite approach: skyrocketing the debt, denying rights, and making sure we kill jobs. Seniors in my district now have access to better preventative care and help with paying for expensive drugs. Americans who have worked long and hard throughout their life have earned that peace of mind. Young people in my district are now being put back on their parents' insurance after being denied for preexisting conditions. Repealing the health care bill will take those benefits away, will kill jobs, will skyrocket the debt, and will ensure that insurance company CEOs make health decisions for you, not you and your doctor. Many of you may know I represent the world-famous Mayo Clinic in my district. They provide the highest quality patient-centered and affordable care the world has ever known, and I would like to leave you with a short quote they put out right before we voted on the health care bill last year: ``Reforming health care in America is essential. The status quo is not sustainable.''

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. The Ninth Amendment: ``The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.''

Mr. WALZ

Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from California and my friend from Pennsylvania. The greatest privilege I have had in my life has been serving this country in uniform for 24 years and helping to preserve the freedoms and liberties of this country for all Americans. I had the honor of training soldiers from all walks of life, and at the end of the day my top priority was whether they could meet the standards and do the job. As a career enlisted soldier, I know how important it is to fill our military with qualified, professional, motivated volunteers. And we are blessed in this Nation that our young people are signing up. I have no doubt that the brave men and women who serve our country have the professionalism to end this discriminatory policy. I am offended by the idea and the notion that they are not able to handle change in policy. These men and women make up the greatest fighting force the world has ever seen. They accept and complete missions every day that require incredible discipline and bravery. This discriminatory policy is hurting our military readiness and weakening our Nation, such as releasing dozens of Arabic linguists simply because they were homosexual. Serving in the military, we believe in duty, honor and country. Asking these brave people to lie goes against all of our values. Our military heroes know that it is time to end this policy, the American people know it is time to end this policy, and in a few moments we will take the step to end it.

Mr. WALZ

Mr. WALZ. Thank you to my colleague from St. Paul and to all my colleagues from Minnesota. Coming here today, the honor to speak of Jim Oberstar as a Minnesotan, no one quite personifies what it means to be Minnesotan as Jim Oberstar--a man of quiet passion; a work ethic that knows no limits; a sense of humor in the face of tragedy that can lift others; a man of compassion; someone who exemplifies the very fiber of how we see ourselves as people of the prairie, people of the Iron Range, that can withstand the cold winters and the hot summers. But something that Jim Oberstar I think taught me more than anything else, and today, coming to talk about him, it's never about looking backward; it's always about looking forward. Someone who spent their life to create a better tomorrow, a champion of the future and a champion of progress. No one in this Congress has had a more profound impact on me as a high school social studies and history teacher than Jim Oberstar, someone who understands the importance of history for what it means. It's not just a theoretical exercise to see the past. It's about understanding how to take those lessons, how to take the words that work and didn't work, and to move forward to make a better tomorrow. There's nothing we did in this Congress that dealt with Jim Oberstar that didn't have an understanding of that; that didn't connect what happened in the past to what could be in the future. And I think of just the things across Minnesota, the so many things that he touched, but one that was just so profound of an impact on me is decades ago, when the growing city of Rochester and the Mayo Clinic, the heart of one of our biggest industries in Minnesota was growing, someone that had the foresight to invest in flood mitigation that would have surely drowned out the Mayo Clinic probably three times in the last 13 years alone, with the rains that we have seen; someone who understood that those infrastructure projects allowed the growth of that community and the growth of that industry and the growth of that knowledge and the human spirit to prosper in that community on the prairie because we had the foresight to invest where we needed to. So to see someone around here who, as the majority leader so eloquently put, is a legend amongst all of us here--a chairman; a mentor; to me, a friend--the dignity and passion with which Chairman Oberstar conducts himself, has shaped how I would like to conduct myself. Anyone who serves the people of Minnesota and serves this Nation, if they want to see a role model for how this job should be done, they need to look no further than Jim Oberstar. He gets remembered a lot, I notice, for transportation issues; but I would have to say the transportation issues were a means to an end. The end was always working for working families; making life better for those people; a man who understood hard work, who came from a family that worked in the mines, that understood what needed to be done to get a day's work but understands how those jobs could sap life out of people, who could take life, they could be unsafe; someone who spent a lifetime making sure that a worker could go with dignity, earn a day's wage, but not be subject to toxic chemicals, not be subject to unsafe working conditions, and have the opportunity to earn a living wage and to have some health insurance and maybe a retirement for them when they got done with those years of hard work. That type of work ethic and that type of focus is something, as I said again, that has profoundly impacted me. I think all of us saw here what a lifetime of experiences and a lifetime of work in this Congress came to on that day in August 2007, on the day of the tragedy of the I-35 bridge falling down. I think, for many Minnesotans--myself included--to see that rock of someone who knew this issue better than anyone in this country stand firmly and say, We will not allow this to happen again. We will rebuild this bridge. It will be better than it was. Commerce and safety and infrastructure will move forward--that was a moment that will always stick with me. Going back to understanding the history, I saw some of the transcripts--I believe they were from 1987--that Jim Oberstar took in a hearing. He was talking about substandard bridges and predicting that some day we would see one of these bridges fall, causing a great loss of life. That's what a true leader does--predicts the future and sees what needs to be done to avert those things. So, as Steny Hoyer said, this House will sorely miss Jim Oberstar. This country has lost an incredible leader in this House, but it has not lost that leader completely. That voice will continue on. It shapes each and every one of us. That passion, that insight that you brought to the table, Jim Oberstar, will live on in anyone who serves here. For that, I thank you. I yield back.

Mr. WALZ

Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about roadway safety and infrastructure and the role it plays in saving lives and growing our economy. Every year, approximately 34,000 men, women, and children die on our Nation's roadways. Although this number has decreased dramatically over recent years, we still have a long way to go. One of the major factors in that decrease was a program this body created in the last transportation authorization bill called the Highway Safety Improvement Program. This commonsense program seeks to reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries by making improvements to infrastructure such as road signs, guardrails, rumble strips, and other safety measures. According to a study commissioned by the American Traffic Safety Services Association, for every $1 million invested in roadway safety, we save seven lives. Taking away the tragedy of all of those lost lives, that number, in terms of economic benefit, is $42 million saved by saving these lives--a 42 to 1 return on our money is pretty darn good. I applaud Chairman Oberstar and Ranking Member Mica for including the Highway Safety Improvement Program in their current reauthorization draft. This program saves lives, puts people to work, and strengthens America's transportation system. I urge my colleagues to work diligently to pass a new multiyear transportation bill.

Mr. WALZ

Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, the same challenges that faced this Nation on November 1 still faced us when we woke up on November 3. We still have too many Americans without jobs, and we still have work to do to grow our economy and put our country back on a path of prosperity. We need initiatives that make America more competitive. We need to tap into the can-do spirit that made this country so great. Folks in my district in southern Minnesota know that a new clean energy economy means jobs and securities right here at home. I hope my friends across the aisle now understand that Americans expect them to actually do something. They expect them to grow our economy, create jobs here at home and not ship them overseas, and hold Wall Street accountable. Catchy campaign slogans might be great to win elections, but they won't fix a single problem. They won't create more jobs. They won't put America back to work. Now the hard work really begins, and we must be up to the task. Winston Churchill once said: Democracy is the worst form of government, except for every other one that has been tried. Democracy is hard work. It needs to start right here, and we need to put America back on a path to prosperity.

Mr. WALZ

Mr. WALZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the accomplishments of Lewiston-Altura Elementary School in Lewiston, Minnesota. Last week, Lewiston-Altura Elementary School was named one of two schools from the First District of Minnesota to be designated as a 2010 National Blue Ribbon School. This award recognizes exemplary schools like Lewiston-Altura Elementary where students have made significant progress and the gaps in achievement, especially among disadvantaged and minority students, have decreased. Schools that receive this award truly exemplify the belief that every child has promise and must receive a high-quality education. As a teacher on leave from Mankato West, I know that achieving success for all students takes a commitment from the entire school, from the principal to the counselors to the teachers. When students see every adult in their school dedicated to their success and achieving a higher goal, they are motivated to do their best. This is exactly what Lewiston-Altura Elementary has done for its students. Under the leadership of Principal David Riebel, they have focused on building relationships with every student, identifying struggling students early and setting high standards for achievement. This award recognizes what the Lewiston-Altura community already knows--Lewiston-Altura Elementary is a place where every student, no matter their background, can fulfill their potential. Lewiston-Altura Elementary is an outstanding model of achievement for schools across Minnesota and the country. Madam Speaker, please join me in honoring Lewiston-Altura Elementary School for its dedication to the students of Lewiston.

Mr. WALZ

Mr. WALZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the accomplishments of Byron High School in Byron, Minnesota. Last week, Byron High School was one of two schools in the First District of Minnesota to be recognized as a 2010 National Blue Ribbon School. This award recognizes consistently high performing schools that continue to hold its students and teachers to the highest standards. As a teacher on leave from Mankato West, I know how important and challenging it can be to keep student achievement high from year to year. It takes an outstanding commitment to improving education, a strong push for high expectations and incredible amounts of work. But, when students see every adult in their school dedicated to their success, they are motivated to do their best. Byron High School's strong reading and math scores show how all staff members, from the principal to the counselors to the teachers, are devoted to students reaching their full potential. Under the leadership of Principal Michael Duffy, Bryon High School is a place where every student, every year, will receive a high-quality education that will help them succeed. This award recognizes what the Byron community already knows--Byron High School is a place where every student, no matter their background, can fulfill their potential. Byron High School is an outstanding model of achievement for schools across Minnesota and the country. Madam Speaker, please join me in honoring Byron High School for their outstanding commitment to the students of Minnesota.

Mr. WALZ

Mr. WALZ. Madam Speaker, perhaps my career as a public schoolteacher and having survived 20 years of the high school lunchroom makes me more optimistic than some of my colleagues in here--the idea of the trust that I have in our young people and in this country to overcome any adversities we see. This weekend, I was out in Winona, Minnesota, at Peerless Chain Company, the number one producer of chain in this country, from tying down our jet fighters on aircraft carriers to providing the chains and the booms protecting the gulf coast. This is an American company who's standing with me in making sure that we get our provisions here, that don't extend long-range plans to outsource jobs, to allow people to take tax cuts to end jobs overseas but to keep them here in America. They were there also to focus on hiring veterans. A company founded by Polish immigrants in 1917 who fought in World War I protecting American jobs, now we have the largest manufacturer of chain in North America, the fourth largest in the world, producing good American jobs by veterans and stamping those crates that go over to Asia with ``Made in America'' with a big American flag. That's our job creation policy. That's what America can be, and that's what going forward means instead of turning back to disastrous policies that outsource those jobs.

Mr. WALZ

Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, as we approach the 75th anniversary of the founding of Social Security, it's a time to reflect on the generations and the hundreds of millions of Americans who through good times and bad counted on Social Security to be there to have dignity in retirement, to provide quality of life. There is millions of stories out there very similar to the one in my family. As a young man watching my father die of a lengthy illness, and a 9-year old brother at home, and a stay-at-home mother, watching Social Security survivor benefits be there to allow my little brother to go on and go to college and my mother to retrain as a nurse and go back into the workforce. Many people will say, and they're absolutely right, pull yourself up by your bootstraps. They are right about that. We just didn't have any boots. They were loaned to us by Social Security. And for that we have paid that back 10 times over. A family is stronger, a community is stronger, our country is stronger. In August we should celebrate the 75th anniversary and many more to come.

Mr. WALZ

Mr. WALZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the accomplishments of Scott Urban, a teacher from Mankato West High School in Mankato, MN. Scott was one of two recipients this year to receive the Minnesota WEM Foundation Outstanding Educator Award for Teacher Achievement. This award recognizes exemplary teachers who support, inspire and assist students to attain greater learning. The recipients of this award are nominated by students, parents, colleagues, and community members--the people who know the difference a good teacher can make. As a teacher on leave from Mankato West, I have had the honor to teach with Scott. I've seen how Scott's passion for teaching and outstanding leadership inspires students to achieve their true potential. He encourages students to learn the material not for a test, but to increase their knowledge and shape their world view. Scott's success with students is truly unmatched. Over the past 11 years at Mankato West, students in his AP government and politics class have maintained an 80 percent pass rate on the national AP exam, well above the state and national averages. Last year, 85 students took the exam in his class and 46 achieved the highest possible score, five out of five. Students in Scott's advanced placement government and politics class come away with a superior knowledge of our political system and a deep appreciation for our democracy. For 27 years Scott has challenged every student that walks into his classroom to go beyond what is expected. His efforts have impacted a generation of students and we in Minnesota are lucky to have him. I can think of no one else who deserves this award as much as he does. Madam Speaker, please join me in honoring Scott Urban for his life of dedication and service to his community and his country.

Mr. WALZ

Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Scott Urban, a teacher from Mankato West High School in Mankato, Minnesota. Scott was this year's recipient of the Minnesota WEM Foundation's Outstanding Educator Award. This award recognizes exemplary teachers who support, inspire, and assist students to achieve their full potential. They are nominated by students, parents, colleagues, and community leaders, the people that matter most As a teacher on leave myself from Mankato West High School, I had the honor of teaching in the classroom next to Scott. I have seen his passion and outstanding leadership inspire students to achieve far more than they ever dream. He encourages his students to learn the material, not simply for a test but to test their knowledge and their limits. Scott's success with students is unparalleled. Over the past 11 years at Mankato West, the students in his rigorous advanced placement government and politics class have maintained an 80 percent pass rate on the national exam, well above all averages. Last year, 85 students took the exam with a pass rate of 94 percent, and 54 percent achieved five out of five. Students in Scott's advanced placement government class come away with not only superior knowledge of our political system but a deep love for our democracy. For 27 years, he has challenged and inspired, and I hope it's another 27. Congratulations, Scott.

Mr. WALZ

Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call on Members of Congress and the Wall Street reform conference committee to stand up for hardworking Americans and send us a strong bill that protects the interests of those on Main Street who have been continuing and will continue to pay the price for Wall Street excesses. Over the past few weeks, I've been meeting with small business owners, like Joe Lorentz of Myles Lorentz Trucking Company in Mankato, Minnesota. Community leaders, like Owatonna Mayor Tom Kuntz, Waseca Mayor Roy Srp, and New Ulm Mayor Joel Albrecht, and all of them have delivered a very simple message: We must end too big to fail by ensuring large financial firms are allowed to fail without burdening the taxpayer. We must protect Main Street businesses and consumers from the negative effects of greed run amuck. And we must not penalize Main Street institutions that work, community banks, credit unions and auto dealerships. So on behalf of Main Street Minnesota, I urge my colleagues to send us a tough bill that restores transparency and accountability to America.

Mr. WALZ

Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, last week I had the opportunity to welcome Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to my district and to the city of Rochester, Minnesota, home to the Mayo Clinic, to talk about the positive influence that the health care reform bill will have on Medicare reform, paying for value over volume and continuing to provide the highest quality care to our citizens at the lowest possible cost. I also went over with my friend Ron Kind into La Crosse, Wisconsin, to talk to seniors. We heard a lot about the Medicare part D doughnut hole. As my colleague from Pennsylvania said, this week $250 rebate checks will be going to them to allow those seniors who have worked their entire life to build this Nation and to prepare for a prosperous and comfortable retirement to be able to pay for that expensive doughnut hole as it was crafted under the previous law. There are 63,000 Minnesotans who will see that 3 weeks in advance. This is just one of the many benefits that will come to them. It's absolutely critical our seniors in this country hear the facts, the real facts about health care reform, how it will end up bringing higher quality of care and lower costs paying down the national debt. I am proud that the Secretary could see that at the world-famous Mayo Clinic.

Mr. WALZ

Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, this Monday, Memorial Day, gives citizens from around the country the opportunity to pause, come together, and remember those who have laid down their lives in protection of freedom. The debt we owe our Nation's members of the armed services, our veterans and their families can never be fully repaid. Today we continue to be engaged in hostilities in Iraq and Afghanistan, and young men and women will continue to pay the ultimate price for this Nation. As a 24-year veteran of the Army National Guard, I'm proud of the work we have done together in this Congress to support our veterans and military families. Although we have come a long way concerning care for our veterans, there's always more work to be done. We must ensure that our veterans do not fall through the cracks as they transition from the military to civilian life. Back in Minnesota, as the 34th Infantry Division of the Minnesota National Guard prepare to deploy again to the Middle East, it's more critical than ever we back up those words with actions. We do so because it's the right thing to do for our veterans and the moral health of this Nation. On behalf of a grateful Nation, we thank our current servicemembers, veterans, and their families for their service.

Mr. WALZ

Mr. WALZ. I thank the gentleman. Madam Chair, the greatest privilege I've had in my life has been in serving this Nation for almost 25 years in uniform. I know how important it is to fill our military with qualified professional and motivated volunteers. We are blessed in this Nation. That's exactly what we have. It is time for us to honor their professionalism and know that they are ready to end this discriminatory practice. I support this amendment because it allows for the study of implementation, and it allows the Department of Defense to implement it after their study is done. We do this all the time in the military. It took us 6 months to change from hats to berets. The process will be orderly. It will be right down the line the way it needs to be, and at the end of the day, don't question their ability to do it. I support the amendment.

Mr. WALZ

Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, 2 years ago, our Nation experienced the beginning of the worst financial crisis since the stock market crash of 1929, resulting in the longest, deepest financial downturn since the Great Depression. While the factors that contributed to the crash were numerous and complicated, there's one simple underlying cause: Unchecked greed. Our history teaches us the best way to focus this greed into something constructive is to have rules to protect consumers and investors and to put cops on the beat to ensure those rules are enforced. But for decades, this country has pursued a policy of deregulation and lax enforcement, believing that ``greed is good'' and the ``invisible hand of the market'' would protect hardworking Americans. Well, that invisible hand did something. It gave billions in bonuses to those who used other people's money like poker chips. When that game went bust, it slapped the American taxpayers to the tune of 8 million jobs and billions in bailouts. Now that this Congress is moving to restore fairness and accountability, there are those among us who would prefer to huddle with Wall Street and delay or dilute our efforts. The status quo is bailouts for too-big-to-fail banks. I urge my colleagues, both here and in the Senate, to stand with the American people, pass reform, end bailouts.

Mr. WALZ

Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, last week I had the opportunity to travel around my southern Minnesota district talking to local business owners on the best ways to grow and revitalize our economy. Businesses, working families, including the Mayo Clinic centered in my district, talked about the improvements to the health care system was a good first step in moving that. They also explained to me that the policies on tax relief that you heard here help. Now be very clear about this. If you think it's a game of he said, he said and back and forth and the pundits on TV can tell one way to think, this is a very simple proposition. This Congress has cut taxes for the middle class more than any Congress in history. Go do your own taxes, compare them side by side, apples to apples, and you'll see that's true. What that means is 98 percent of southern Minnesota has benefited from the working class tax cuts. Families and students are eligible for up to $2,500 in tax savings. First-time home buyers got $8,000 to buy their homes--others, 6,500-- revitalizing the housing market. Taxpayers are eligible for making their homes energy efficient and growing the renewable economy. By enacting these job-saving incentives, small local businesses can grow and expand and inject consumer demand in the economy. Those are facts, not political myth.

Mr. WALZ

Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that in the engrossment of the bill (H.R. 4360) to designate the Department of Veterans Affairs blind rehabilitation center in Long Beach, California, as the ``Major Charles R. Soltes, Jr., O.D. Department of Veterans Affairs Blind Rehabilitation Center'', the Clerk be directed to make the following correction in both the text and the title: In each place it appears, strike ``Major Charles R. Soltes'' and insert in lieu thereof ``Major Charles Robert Soltes.''