Jackie Walorski

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Hartzler), the chairwoman of our Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee.

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Montana (Mr. Zinke).

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Chairman, I oppose this amendment. Everything that has happened since last year's debate should force us to be more careful with detainee decisions, not less careful. The rise of ISIL, the alarming release of the Taliban Five, and the war in Yemen are just a few events that remind us of the urgency of this debate, and it is an urgent debate. Potentially most troubling is the growing threat of AQAP, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Enabled by the complete power vacuum in Yemen, AQAP was formed by GTMO detainees, the group arguably most capable and most committed to attacking the United States homeland. Mr. Chairman, I believe we need a commonsense detainee policy that protects Americans. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' and oppose this amendment.

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Wenstrup), an original cosponsor of this bill.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Madam Speaker, I rise today because I believe that all human life is worth protecting. Each of us are here today because we all stand for something greater. We believe that all human life is precious. We believe that each life is worth living, that life deserves respect and protection, and every human being has equal worth and dignity. That is why everybody matters. That is why everyone counts. The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act protects life, empowers women, and will save lives. This legislation represents the will of the American people. Over 60 percent of Americans support protecting unborn children after 20 weeks. A critical component of this legislation ensures that women receive counseling or medical care for a traumatic event that precipitated her pregnancy prior to obtaining an abortion. Because the pain of an abortion is felt by both mother and child, a woman who feels that abortion is her only option over halfway through her pregnancy deserves medical treatment and emotional assistance beyond what can be provided by an abortionist. We have a responsibility, as the elected body representing our constituents, to protect the most vulnerable among us and ensure that women facing unwanted pregnancies do not face judgment or condemnation but have positive support structures and access to health care to help them through their pregnancies. This bill protects life.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to congratulate a fellow Hoosier who is celebrating her 97th birthday, Mrs. Nellie Esther Hunter. Mrs. Hunter is a truly remarkable woman who embodies Hoosier values to the fullest. A native of Argos, Indiana she attended the one- room Santa Ana School House. Like many Hoosiers, she worked on her family's farm where she learned a strong work ethic, something she has utilized throughout her life. She has been blessed with three children, four grandchildren and one great grandchild. At the age of 81, she earned her General Education Development degree and was awarded ``Adult Student of the Year'' by the State of Indiana. A woman deeply committed to the community around her, she continued to serve others by working as a tutor at a local private school until last year and volunteered at the local food pantry. I want to sincerely thank Mrs. Hunter for her service and recognize her unwavering commitment to her community. It is my honor to offer my congratulations to Mrs. Hunter on this special occasion. I wish her a very happy birthday and many more years of continued health and happiness.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to congratulate a truly remarkable woman who is celebrating her 97th birthday, Mrs. Trellie Elizabeth Hartman. It is with great enthusiasm that I join her family and friends in celebrating this milestone and her many lifetime achievements that exemplify her Hoosier values. A native of Argos, Indiana, she worked on her family's farm where she gained a strong work ethic at a young age. Trellie took her work ethic and Hoosier values to Contra Costa College in California, where she earned a degree in nursing. For more than 35 years, she worked as a nurse and cared for others in need. Since her retirement, she has stayed involved in her community by volunteering for Kaiser Hospital, oftentimes working double shifts. Mrs. Hartman has been blessed with three children, nine grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren, and five great-great grandchildren. Although Trellie no longer lives in Indiana, she exemplifies what it means to be a Hoosier and continues to act as a strong role model for future generations. I want to sincerely thank Trellie for her service and recognize her unwavering commitment to the healthcare field. It is my honor to offer my sincere congratulations to Mrs. Hartman on this special occasion. I wish her a very happy birthday and many more years of continued health and happiness.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor Jack Hiler, who will retire as the President and CEO of Stripco. During his more than 30 years of service, Mr. Hiler grew Stripco from a small steel company to a bustling family business. Born in 1947, Mr. Hiler graduated from Penn High School and married Kathy, his high school sweetheart. In 1984, Mr. Hiler, along with his brother Ed, and his business partner Jerry Munger, purchased a portion of Sharp Steel and founded Stripco. Thanks to the success of the new company, two years later Stripco expanded and moved to a new 26 acre property in Osceola, Indiana. For the past 43 years, Mr. Hiler and his wife have lived in Osceola, raising three sons and enjoying their ten grandchildren and recently built a home in Jimtown where they plan to live out their retirement. Family has been such an integral part of Mr. Hiler's life that his sons have followed into the family business of working at Stripco. Through all of this, Mr. Hiler has led the business to major growth and expansion to the benefit of the local community and his family. Today, Stripco employs over 140 employees and provides a wide variety of value-added steel processes and produces and ships more than 100,000 tons of products. Mr. Hiler has also been a dedicated public servant to his community, giving generously to Grace Baptist Church in Osceola to support missions and faith-based organizations that provide medical care, clean water to people across the world. He is a longtime supporter of local 4-H programs and is known for his willingness to help his employees and support causes important to them. Mr. Hiler's work both in founding Stripco and as a community servant exemplify his dedication to Indiana. It is an honor to recognize Mr. Hiler on the occasion of his retirement from over three decades of contributions. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Mr. Jack Hiler upon his retirement from Stripco. He has brought joy to countless individuals through his support and leadership and I sincerely thank him for his service, and wish him the very best in all of his future endeavors.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the dedicated Hoosiers of Kem Krest Corporation headquartered in Elkhart, Indiana. They have recently been named the General Motors 2014 Supplier of the Year. Kem Krest started in 1979 and since then has grown and expanded their customer base beyond the automotive industry to include the agriculture and defense industries. The exceptional quality of products from this supplier reflects the hard work of their Hoosier employees. They have demonstrated a clear commitment to go above and beyond as well as take the utmost pride in the products they supply. I would like to personally thank the Hoosiers of Kem Krest Corporation for their hard work and dedication. Kem Krest Corporation serves as another great example of a successful business in Northern Indiana and their devotion to making quality products should be recognized. The dedication Kem Krest has shown makes me proud to represent Indiana's Second Congressional District.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I unfortunately missed votes on March 23, 2015, due to weather. I missed recorded votes #130 and #131. I would like to reflect how I would have voted if I were present. On Roll Call #130, I would have voted ``no'' (Passage of H.R. 360, Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Reauthorization Act of 2015). On Roll Call #131, I would have voted ``yea'' (Passage of H. Res. 162, Calling on the President to provide Ukraine with military assistance to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity).

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize Ms. Maxine Milner, who is turning 100 years old March 23rd, 2015. She embodies the American dream as someone who has worked every day to improve the lives of her family and loved ones. As we celebrate Ms. Milner's birth we can look back on a century filled with family and hard work. She was born in Kokomo, Indiana, and has remained a lifelong Hoosier who has never strayed far from home. In 1932, she married Edward V. Brown, and they were married for 74 years before he passed away in 2008. Shortly after marrying Edward, Maxine began working in 1935 at Crosley Radio. Crosley was eventually bought by Delco Radio where she continued to work for 39 years. Maxine was blessed with three children, four grandchildren, and is also a proud great grandmother of two. Since her retirement in 1974 she has been living out her retirement on Grissom Air Force base in Peru, Indiana. It is an honor to wish Ms. Maxine Milner a very happy birthday and to celebrate a century of achievement. On behalf of Indiana's Second District, I am proud to recognize Maxine's birthday and wish her good health and many more birthdays.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. I thank the gentleman from Utah, and I commend those of my colleagues tonight who are here as well talking about the existential threat of a nuclear Iran. Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my deepest concern over the growing threat of a nuclear Iran and the threat it poses to the rest of the world. Satellite images show that Iran's nuclear weapons can reach the eastern seaboard of the United States. If Iran, the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism, achieves nuclear weapons capability, the effects would be catastrophic. While it is certain that a rogue Iran would target Israel as a one-bomb country, it is also certain that the U.S. is their target and final target. News from last week's nuclear negotiations with Iran is troubling. Iran will be allowed the right to enrich, retain thousands of centrifuges--which they don't deserve--and build a plutonium reactor, which they should never have practical need of; yet during these talks, they continue to obstruct inspectors, who reported last week about the possible existence in Iran of undisclosed development of a nuclear payload for a missile. What is more disturbing is that amidst of a hurting economy and harsh sanctions, Iran still managed to find a way to build, develop, and test their nuclear weapons capability. Can you imagine the possibility of their capability if the current administration were to even lift those sanctions? One thing is very clear. We have made too many compromises since trying to broker a deal with Iran, and there have been too little consequences for their unwillingness to cooperate. Past administrations were adamant that our position was zero enrichment and zero centrifuges. Under President Obama, this has been abandoned as being unrealistic. Negotiations began with an offer to end Iranian enrichment. Now, today, the deal is a temporary arrangement that allows a strong, internationally authorized nuclear program. If we lift sanctions and legitimize their nuclear developments, we are sending a signal to the rest of the world that a rogue state can disobey all rules, maintain their supply of illegal enrichment, and still get international leaders to approve an enrichment program. A nuclear-armed Iran would dramatically change the balance of power in the Middle East and threaten freedom and peace for the rest of the world. They would clearly spark a nuclear arms race in the Middle East and destabilize the entire region. Other nations, like Egypt, Turkey, and others will have no choice but to develop their own nuclear programs to protect their countries from the threat of Iran, not to mention that Iran will likely share their nuclear technology and know-how with extremist groups hostile to not only the United States, but also to our allies in the West. If there is to be any hope of reaching a peaceful deal and if Iran wants prosperity and success for its own people, it must stop its pursuit of a nuclear weapon, sponsorship of terrorism, and human rights abuses. If they truly want to move forward, they must give inspectors unfettered access to covert facilities. Iran has to cooperate and stop obstructing inspectors. Preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability is the surest way to prevent war and preserve peace. As this unrest continues, the United States must maintain our rich partnership with our allies, including Israel, who is our closest ally in the Middle East. I welcome Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to the people's House tomorrow.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to congratulate and honor a young student from my district who has achieved national recognition for exemplary volunteer service in her community. Ms. Korinna Brown of Bunker Hill has just been named one of the top honorees in Indiana by the 2015 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program, an annual honor bestowed upon the most impressive student volunteers in every state, including the District of Columbia. Ms. Brown is being recognized for her passion of volunteer service that began with her diagnosis of primary immune deficiency at age six. Since that time, she has raised $150,000 through organizing Relay for Life teams and creating the iroK Foundation in 2009 to help support children diagnosed with cancer and blood diseases. Given the challenges we face today, it is vital that we encourage and recognize the kind of selfless contributions that these young citizens have made. Young volunteers like Ms. Brown are inspiring examples to all of us, and are among our brightest hopes for a better tomorrow. The program that brought this young role model to our attention--The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards--was created by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals in 1995. It is used to impress upon all youth volunteers that their contributions are critical and highly valued, and inspire other young people to follow their example. Over the past 20 years, the program has become the nation's largest youth recognition effort based solely on community service, and has honored more than 100,000 young volunteers at the local, state and national level. Ms. Brown should be extremely proud to have been singled out from the thousands of dedicated volunteers who participated in this year's program. I heartily applaud Ms. Brown for her initiative in seeking to make her community a better place to live, and for the positive impact she has had on the lives of others. She has demonstrated a level of commitment and accomplishment that is truly extraordinary in today's world, and deserves our sincere admiration and respect. Her actions show that young Americans can--and do--play important roles in our communities, and continue to hold tremendous promise for our future.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, on February 12, 2015, I missed two votes because I had the honor to be at the White House for the bill signing ceremony of H.R. 203, the Clay Hunt SAV Act. I missed recorded votes No. 77-78. I would like the Record to reflect how I would have voted if I were present. On rollcall No. 77, I would have voted ``yea,'' on rollcall No. 78, I would have voted ``yea.'' personal explanation

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today after listening to the stories of veterans and their families. It is very apparent the VA is not doing enough to help victims overcome the physical and psychological pain of military sexual trauma. This week, I introduced H.R. 642, a bill that would make victims of military sexual trauma eligible for VA travel benefits. Those who fight for our freedom have faced enough challenges along the way. Expecting them to pay for their own travel to receive care or treatment for the sexual trauma they endured by serving our country is unfair. I am grateful today to work with Representative Kuster, Representative Coffman, and Representative Ruiz on this important legislation, and I am hopeful it is a step in the right direction by helping veterans access much-needed care. I encourage support for H.R. 642.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, on February 2, 2015, I missed several votes due to weather. I missed recorded votes #51-53. I would like to reflect how I would have voted if I were present. On Roll Call #51, I would have voted YEA. On Roll Call #52, I would have voted YEA. On Roll Call #53, I would have voted YEA.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I unfortunately missed votes on January 27, 2015. I missed recorded votes # 46-48. I would like to reflect how I would have voted if I were present. On Roll Call #46, I would have voted YEA (Adoption of H. Res. 48--The rule providing for consideration of H.R. 351--LNG Permitting Certainty and Transparency Act). On Roll Call #47, I would have voted YEA (Passage of H.R. 469, Strengthening Child Welfare Response to Trafficking Act). On Roll Call #48, I would have voted YEA (Passage of H.R. 246, To improve the response to victims of child sex trafficking).

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Madam Speaker, I rise today because I believe all human life is worth protecting. Each one is worth saving and deserves respect and protection. For years now, pro-life Americans have been forced to watch as their tax dollars subsidize abortion procedures that they are morally opposed to. The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion legislation prohibits taxpayer funding of elective abortions no matter where in the Federal system these may occur. This principle is supported by a majority of Americans. In fact, 56 percent of Americans are opposed to taxpayer funding of abortions. Later today, I will join half a million people who believe that life is a gift at the annual March for Life rally, the largest ongoing march in American history. We have a responsibility, as the elected body representing our constituents, to protect the most vulnerable among us and ensure that women facing unwanted pregnancies do not face judgment or condemnation but have positive support structures and access to health care to help them through their pregnancies. This bill is an important step in the right direction to protecting life.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of legislation I introduced last week as a companion piece to a bill offered by Senator Kelly Ayotte to protect the safety of the United States and its allies and restrict the transfers of detainees from Guantanamo Bay. Since mid-November, the President and his administration have ramped up an effort to make good on a campaign promise to increase the number of Guantanamo detainee transfers. Last night during his State of the Union Address, the President reaffirmed his commitment to close this facility once and for all, and he is releasing prisoners at an alarming rate. Twenty-one terrorists have been released just in November alone to foreign countries. This comes at the expense of our own national security. H.R. 401, the Detaining Terrorists to Protect America Act of 2015, would suspend the transfer of high- and medium-risk detainees and prohibit any detainee transfers to Yemen as well as increase transparency regarding the remaining Guantanamo detainees. Detainees at GTMO pose a real threat to our national security. When I speak with folks at home, my constituents, moms and dads, and they ask me how safe we really are, this rate of reengagement comes to mind. The U.S. intelligence community reports that the number of former GTMO detainees who reengage in terrorism has steadily increased since 2002. According to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, they reported the combined and suspected confirmed reengagement rate of former GTMO detainees has risen to more than an alarming 30 percent. Before we proceed with any more additional transfers, we must ensure the transfer process is further examined and improved. In order to protect our fellow Americans, we must stop releasing some of the world's most dangerous terrorists, especially given the fact that they are already reengaging in hostilities against the United States and our allies. This measure would repeal current law that has allowed the administration to transfer prisoners to foreign countries and reduce the population at GTMO down to 127. The bill also would prohibit transfers of terror suspects to a foreign country if there has been a confirmed case where an individual was transferred from GTMO and engaged in any other terrorist activity. The bill would also prohibit the transfer of terror suspects considered to be high or medium risk. Some of the most recent transfer detainees fell into those categories. In addition, this bill would stop the transfer of detainees to Yemen because the country has become a hotbed for terrorist activities. It makes no sense to send terrorists to a country where there is an active al Qaeda network that we know has been engaged in targeting the U.S. Most importantly, Yemen's branch of al Qaeda, commonly known as AQAP, was founded by former GTMO detainees. Counterterrorism experts have declared AQAP to be al Qaeda's most effective affiliate, posing the greatest danger to the American homeland. We cannot risk trusting the world's most dangerous terrorists to its most dangerous places, nor should we simply cut them loose in rich, stable countries with no security safeguards in place. We have to ask ourselves today: How much are we really willing to risk with our own national security in our American homeland? I want to thank Senator Ayotte for working with me, and I look forward to working with her to advance this legislation. I look forward to continuing our partnership to prevent the release of dangerous terrorists who seek to reengage in terrorism against the U.S. and our allies. This bill ensures our homeland remains safe from those terrorist attacks. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to remove myself as a cosponsor of H.R. 36.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of our opportunity as a Congress to stop an unconstitutional action by the President and allow Congress to perform its constitutional responsibilities: to write and create the laws of this great land. Article I, section 8 of the Constitution is clear. It is Congress' responsibility to write the law; the President's job is to simply enforce those laws. Unfortunately, President Obama has initiated some of the largest executive power grabs in American history by unilaterally rewriting our Nation's immigration laws. These actions have ignored the will of the American people. This week, the House will address those reforms and prevent the President and future Presidents from abusing that authority, breaking the law, and ignoring the Constitution at the expense of resolving a national crisis.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman from Florida for yielding, and I am grateful to be here today to support the Clay Hunt SAV Act. Every day, 22 veterans take their own lives. We have all experienced this in our districts; I have as well. On March 31, 2011, Clay Hunt was one of those 22 veterans that day who took his own life. Today, we honor Clay and his family with the Clay Hunt SAV Act. Clay's story was one of bravery and dedication. He relied on the VA for care and received a 30 percent disability rating for PTSD brought on during his service. He appealed the rating and encountered a bureaucratic nightmare. Clay had to wait months to see a psychiatrist at a VA Medical Center. Two weeks later, Clay took his own life. Five weeks after his death and 18 months after filing an appeal with the VA for his PTSD rating, his appeal was approved. Clay's story details the urgency that our Nation's heroes deserve. The Clay Hunt SAV Act will increase access to mental health care and improve the quality of care troops and veterans receive. Together, we can change this system so that no other veteran ever has to endure what thousands of veterans have already gone through, including Clay. I am honored to stand here today and am grateful to my colleagues. I urge support for this legislation.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Amendment VII: ``In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.''

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. I thank the chairman. Mr. Speaker, I, too, am pleased to stand here today to support the Save American Workers Act. I also want to thank my colleague and fellow Hoosier, Representative Todd Young, for sponsoring this bill. This bipartisan legislation would restore the traditional 40-hour workweek and help employers and employees. Right now, the Affordable Care Act defines full-time employees as those who work 30 hours or more a week, not the standard, more traditional 40 hours. My district is the RV capital of the world. Businesses are ripe for growth. Expansion is on the horizon. They are afraid to hire and be forced to lay off if this 30-hour definition is not changed. Our businesses, like the School City of Mishawaka that educates kids, need permanent relief from the burdensome and costly requirements of ObamaCare. The Save American Workers Act will create jobs in my State and in my district for Hoosiers. Mr. Speaker, I would like to introduce a letter of support from the Precision Machined Products Association, which employs many machinists in my district--real jobs for real people. Precision Machined Products Association, January 6, 2015. Hon. Todd Young, Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC. Dear Representative Young: On behalf of the Precision Machined Products Association (PMPA), our members and the roughly 100,000 employees nationwide in our industry, thank you for your introduction of H.R. 30, the Saving American Workers Act, and your continued efforts to address the issues facing businesses manufacturing in America. Like many other manufacturers and small businesses across the country, we are concerned about the potential negative impacts caused by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's 30-hour threshold for full-time employee classification. Manufacturing businesses, especially companies with fewer than 500 employees, already face significant disadvantages when competing with foreign manufacturers in the global market and this ``30-hour rule'' is counter-productive to the goal of expanding access to affordable healthcare for employees of small businesses. Rather than providing additional employees with healthcare, the 30-hour rule will force employers to cut their part-time employees' hours in order to prevent their healthcare costs from skyrocketing. Your leadership and efforts to repeal the 30-hour rule and standardize the definition of a ``full-time'' employee to 40 hours per week would save manufacturers like us from having to reduce their employees' hours and, rather, would allow them to invest in more employees and grow their businesses. At such a crucial time in our nation's economic recovery, the Affordable Care Act's incentive for businesses to cut their employees' hours to avoid the ``full-time'' classification and dramatic increases in healthcare costs will be damaging to small businesses and to the employees' it purports to help. Thank you for your consideration and your leadership on this issue on behalf of the metalworking industry. Sincerely, Miles Free, Co-interim Executive Director,

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman and Representative Rodney Davis. Today I honor the 54,000 veterans in my district and 20 million veterans across America who deserve the opportunity to have a job with the Hire More Heroes Act. The bill makes a change to ObamaCare and encourages small businesses to hire more veterans by exempting veterans as long as they already have health insurance. Currently, the employer mandate under ObamaCare requires that all businesses with more than 50 employees provide health insurance to their employers or pay a penalty. But according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for veterans last year was 6.6 percent, for those who served on Active Duty after 9/11 it was 9 percent. What saddens me about this is both of these percentages were higher than the national average of 6.3 percent. No veteran in the United States of America should be jobless because of ObamaCare's employer mandate. Our brave men and women return from serving our Nation, return to civilian life while facing many challenges. Getting a job should not be one of them. This bill will ensure that employers can and will hire veterans and will not be penalized. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. We must do everything in our power to ensure our finest men and women who come home have every opportunity we promised them.