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E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 114 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 161 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2015 No. 31 House of Representatives The House met at noon and was budget of the Department of Homeland At the time, it was understood that called to order by the Speaker pro tem- Security, we face a situation where we there would be a need for more action pore (Mr. DENHAM). will either shut down those operations dealing with disability because of a f or, hopefully, people will come to their very fundamental demographic change: senses and take action. But, again, it is we have a lot more women in the work- DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO government by cliff. force and the baby boom generation is TEMPORE In March, we are facing the SGR moving into the years in their careers The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- cliff. If the government doesn’t move where they are more prone to dis- fore the House the following commu- forward to deal with a meaningful solu- ability claims. And, sure enough, that nication from the Speaker: tion to the sustainable growth rate, we projection is right. Around December are going to see a dramatic reduction of next year, we will no longer be able WASHINGTON, DC, in government reimbursement under February 24, 2015. to pay full disability payments unless I hereby appoint the Honorable JEFF Medicare to providers. there is an adjustment. And looming in the background— DENHAM to act as Speaker pro tempore on Well, the fix that has been done 11 this day. something that we talked about last times over the years, on a bipartisan JOHN A. BOEHNER, summer because Congress refused to basis, has been made infinitely more Speaker of the House of Representatives. deal meaningfully with transportation difficult because of a rule change that funding—there will be another cliff f our friends on the Republican side have May 31 as the transportation fund loses adopted for this Congress. Under what MORNING-HOUR DEBATE its ability to fund. Already, there are they have approved, it will be impos- programs around the country in local The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- sible to make that simple adjustment and State government that are trying ant to the order of the House of Janu- that we have done time and time again ary 6, 2015, the Chair will now recog- to factor in reductions of important construction work that they aren’t cer- if a single Member of the House of Rep- nize Members from lists submitted by resentatives objects. the majority and minority leaders for tain they can do this summer. Well, we are putting in the back- This is setting up an artificial crisis. morning-hour debate. There is a need to adjust funding for The Chair will alternate recognition ground another cliff. It is one that will probably not get the attention that it both Social Security and disability be- between the parties, with each party deserves, but one that deserves people cause, combined, in about 2033 or 2034 limited to 1 hour and each Member to focus on because it will impact 11 they will not be able to pay out full other than the majority and minority million of our most vulnerable citizens. benefits. That is why it is important leaders and the minority whip limited Over the course of the years, there for Congress to be able to step forward to 5 minutes, but in no event shall de- have been opportunities within the and deal with it meaningfully, but it is bate continue beyond 1:50 p.m. trust fund that funds retirement and not something you do in a crisis, and it f disability, which are basically, for is not something that should be done by picking out the one area in which 11 CONGRESS OF CLIFFS most people, synonymous—they are paid for by the same tax on our earn- million citizens rely on these for dis- The SPEAKER pro tempore. The ings and that our employers pay, but ability payments. It should be done Chair recognizes the gentleman from they have been segregated into two ac- thoughtfully and carefully. Oregon (Mr. BLUMENAUER) for 5 min- counts, one dealing with disability and If people are concerned about fraud utes. one dealing with retirement. and misuse, I would suggest that my Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, Over the history of these two pro- Republican friends look at what they there is a lot of talk of cliffs here in grams they have spent at different did in the budget process. Over the last our Nation’s Capital. We have fiscal rates. Eleven times in the past, under 3 years, they have cut 7 percent out of cliffs that we faced with the debt ceil- Republican and Democratic Presidents the budget for the Social Security Ad- ing. There was the sequestration cliff. alike, Congress has moved to shift ministration that could have gone to We had, obviously, the cliffs sur- money from one trust fund to another deal with enforcement and that could rounding the government shutdown. to be able to even it out and not run have gone to deal with fraud and abuse. This week, we face a Homeland Secu- out of the ability to pay benefits. The It could have gone to make sure that rity cliff. Because our Republican last adjustment was made in 1994, but the program is operating properly. friends have been unable to reach the disability account was only ad- Instead, we have set up a crisis to try agreement and have held hostage the justed for about 20 years. and force reductions in benefits for b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. H1087 . VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:46 Feb 25, 2015 Jkt 049060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A24FE7.000 H24FEPT1 SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with HOUSE H1088 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE February 24, 2015 some of our most vulnerable. I think it Twitter has argued that the Feds do tant—essential employees who are on is not the way we should go. We not want the terrorists’ Twitter ac- the front line—will work, but they shouldn’t be having government by counts taken down because they, the won’t get paid. cliff, but we also ought to be dealing Feds, want to track the bad guys. How- We can lament what others have with it in a thoughtful and reasonable ever, keeping these Twitter accounts done to undermine our national secu- fashion to make the adjustments that up has neither stopped nor slowed the rity and share—I think in a bipartisan make it sustainable. terrorists’ recruitment, propaganda, way—the conclusion that we ought not In the meantime, the Republican calls for violence, or fundraising ef- to further those enterprises, but as I leadership ought to waive that rule— forts. Instead, allowing the terrorists said, Mr. Speaker, by our own hand we like they routinely do for things that to continue using Twitter has helped are about to shut down the Department they care about, like passing billions of radicalize hundreds of foreign fighters of Homeland Security. We have but 4 dollars of unfunded tax cuts—to be able and raised millions of dollars for them. days to pass a bill continuing its fund- to allow the rebalancing to occur and The sad reality is that today, there ing. the decisionmaking to be made in a are more terrorists using social media I will say with all due respect, Mr. thoughtful and reasonable fashion. than ever before. Private American Speaker, to my friends on the other f companies should not be operating as side of the aisle, shutting down the TWITTER AND FOREIGN the propaganda mouthpiece of des- government is a strategy they have TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS ignated foreign terrorist organizations. employed on a number of occasions. In Mr. Speaker, during World War II, we 1995, we shut it down twice, for almost The SPEAKER pro tempore. The never would have allowed America’s a month, maybe a little longer. Chair recognizes the gentleman from foreign enemies to take out ads in The b 1215 Texas (Mr. POE) for 5 minutes. New York Times recruiting Americans Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, this to join the Nazis and go abroad and Just a few months ago, we shut it week we learned that three British fight and kill Americans. Today is no down again as a strategy—not as a hap- school girls between the ages of 15 and different. Social media companies need penstance, but as a strategy. 16 left their families and have gone to to do more. Private companies not only Again, Mr. Speaker, there are those fight with ISIS in Syria. have a public responsibility but a legal who are saying in this House: Well, it How were they recruited to join? won’t matter if we shut down the De- Well, apparently through social media. obligation to be proactive. Section 219 of the Immigration and partment of Homeland Security. Some And they are not alone. Terrorists have of the folks are funded on fees, others used Twitter to radicalize thousands of Nationality Act states that it is unlaw- ful to provide a designated Foreign will be required to work anyway, so young impressionable minds through- let’s just keep playing this Russian out the world and recruit new Terrorist Organization—like ISIS— with ‘‘material support or resources,’’ roulette with America’s security and jihadists.