E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 112 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 158 WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27, 2012 No. 98 House of Representatives The House met at 10 a.m. and was ades now, the exemption has helped fect. Seniors, those with disabilities, called to order by the Speaker pro tem- seniors and individuals with disabil- and their families are often unable to pore (Mr. NUGENT). ities maintain access to affordable in- pay higher prices for the overtime re- f home care. quirement, forcing them to take on dif- Companion care workers play a cru- ferent caregivers throughout the day. DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO cial role for those who desire to remain This disruption to their schedule takes TEMPORE independent, performing a range of ev- away the certainty of working with The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- eryday tasks like helping to prepare trusted caregivers. Many seniors and fore the House the following commu- meals, opening the mail, providing individuals with disabilities are then nication from the Speaker: light housekeeping, and even offering left with no choice but to leave their WASHINGTON, DC, someone to talk with, which is im- own homes because of the cost. June 27, 2012. mensely helpful. However, the greatest In response, I have introduced two I hereby appoint the Honorable RICHARD B. service these individuals play is pro- bills to ensure seniors and individuals NUGENT to act as Speaker pro tempore on viding families with a sense that mom with disabilities keep their access to this day. or dad or their loved ones are not alone affordable companion care. Both bills JOHN A. BOEHNER, when we need to be away. will also prevent the Federal Govern- Speaker of the House of Representatives. But in December of 2011, the Depart- ment from interfering with decisions f ment of Labor introduced a proposal that should be made by families. The championed by President Obama to re- MORNING-HOUR DEBATE first bill, H.R. 5969, the Ensuring Ac- move the companionship exemption cess to Affordable and Quality Com- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- from the Fair Labor Standards Act, a panion Care Act, will clarify that home ant to the order of the House of Janu- move which would virtually eliminate caregivers employed by a third-party ary 17, 2012, the Chair will now recog- the current exemption. On top of that, employer or living with the individuals nize Members from lists submitted by it will raise costs for businesses and receiving care continue to be exempt the majority and minority leaders for families and lead to reduced hours for from the requirements of the Fair morning-hour debate. home companion care workers. Even Labor Standards Act. The second, H.R. The Chair will alternate recognition the Department estimates the cost of 5970, The Protecting in-Home Care between the parties, with each party companion care under the proposed From Government Intrusion Act, will limited to 1 hour and each Member rule may increase by up to $2.3 billion stop the Secretary of Labor from final- other than the majority and minority over the first 10 years. It will be fami- izing or enforcing a proposed rule that leaders and the minority whip limited lies and seniors and the disabled that severely narrows the Fair Labor Stand- to 5 minutes each, but in no event shall will struggle to pay these costs out of ards Act exemption for in-home care- debate continue beyond 11:50 a.m. their own pockets. These changes run givers. f in stark contrast to what Congress in- If the Obama administration’s pro- tended when it first established this posal is not stopped, home care work- COMPANION CARE WORKERS BILL important exemption nearly four dec- ers will lose hours and possibly their The SPEAKER pro tempore. The ades ago. While I recognize the delivery jobs. Seniors and those with disabil- Chair recognizes the gentleman from of services has evolved over the years, ities will lose affordable care they Michigan (Mr. WALBERG) for 5 minutes. the need to maintain access to afford- want and need. This is simply a risk Mr. WALBERG. Rising health care able in-home care has not. that we cannot afford to take. costs remain a top concern for many Seniors and the disabled in my home f Americans, particularly the Baby State of Michigan have been dev- Boomers heading off into retirement astated by the fallout from this flawed TRANSPORTATION BILL and individuals with disabilities. How- policy. In 2006, Michigan made similar The SPEAKER pro tempore. The ever, one service in particular—home changes to the State law that the De- Chair recognizes the gentleman from companion care—has come under at- partment of Labor is currently consid- Oregon (Mr. BLUMENAUER) for 5 min- tack from the Department of Labor ering. This was confirmed by a con- utes. and faces a sharp rise in costs. Cur- stituent in my home State who testi- Mr. BLUMENAUER. There’s a trans- rently, the Fair Labor Standards Act fied that his home companion care portation agreement rumored to be in provides exemptions for home care business, employees, and clients are the works that would be shortsighted workers. And for more than four dec- worse off since the change went into ef- in the extreme if these rumors prove to 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. H4067 . VerDate Mar 15 2010 01:13 Jun 28, 2012 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A27JN7.000 H27JNPT1 smartinez on DSK6TPTVN1PROD with HOUSE H4068 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE June 27, 2012 be accurate. Our problem was created I will be extremely disappointed if stan. It is borrowed money from the because for years Congress and the last the legislation shatters the coalition Chinese, and there is no concern. We two administrations have been unwill- that I have been working for years to just spend more and more money to ing to deal meaningfully with the large develop for the big picture, the big pro- support President Karzai, who is a cor- gap of funding for transportation cre- grams, and proper funding that’s going rupt leader. And as this book says, ated because we rely on an outmoded to be necessary if we’re going to be suc- have the American taxpayer bankroll funding system based on the number of cessful. It will be wrong if we have a the Taliban. gallons of fuel consumed. With more ef- scaled-down 2-year extension that will The American people have said in ficient gas and diesel vehicles aug- make it harder to give the American poll after poll: Bring our troops home mented by more hybrids, plug-in hy- public what they need, adequate re- now. As many as 72 to 73 percent of the brids, and electric cars, the transpor- sources that are sustainable over time, American people say bring our people tation trust fund is locked into an in- more economic opportunity, and more home now. Our soldiers have won the evitable downward spiral. Like the construction and maintenance employ- war. Bin Laden is dead; al Qaeda is dis- looming Social Security deficit, the ment. persed. longer we wait, the worse it will get. A good transportation program will I hope that Members of Congress will Not this year, but over the next few protect the environment, enhance the find the time to read this book, and I years, we should temporarily increase quality of life, making our commu- hope the American people will read and then replace the gas tax with a nities more livable and our families this book and be outraged, as I am out- system that is based on the amount of safer, healthier and more economically raged, how our taxpayers are funding road use. The new legislation should be secure. the Taliban so they can kill Ameri- laying the foundation for this transi- f cans. tion. Unfortunately, it doesn’t. Wake up, Congress. Let’s get to- The rumored agreement would also b 1010 gether and bring our troops home from take us backward on enabling alter- AFGHANISTAN Afghanistan and do what’s right for the native modes of transportation. In the The SPEAKER pro tempore. The American people. But more impor- last 20 years of transportation reform Chair recognizes the gentleman from tantly, do what’s right for our men and we’ve used enhancement funding to get North Carolina (Mr. JONES) for 5 min- women in uniform. more out of the transportation utes. Mr. Speaker, I close by asking God to projects. These include long-neglected Mr. JONES. Mr. Speaker, it has been please bless our men and women in uni- and wildly popular bike and pedestrian very interesting the last couple of form, to please bless the families of our safety programs such as Safe Routes to weeks. I have been listening to my col- men and women in uniform. And God, School. In a recent Princeton survey, leagues on both sides talking about the within Your loving arms, hold the fam- 83 percent of the public wanted these debt, the deficit, spending, cutting, all ilies who’ve given a child dying for programs maintained or the funding in- of this, going on and on. Then I got to freedom in Afghanistan and Iraq.