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, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012 No. 151 House of Representatives The House met at 10 a.m. and was Mr. JONES. Mr. Speaker, yesterday not print those names, but almost ev- called to order by the Speaker pro tem- in the Republican Conference, I ac- eryone in the country knows Paula pore (Mr. FLEISCHMANN). knowledged that five marines and one Broadwell. That’s such a tragedy, Mr. f soldier from my district, the Third Dis- Speaker, that our troops are dying in trict of North Carolina, had been killed Afghanistan, and we’re writing about DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO in Afghanistan by the Afghans they generals having relationships outside TEMPORE were training. This, to me, just does of a marriage. It makes no sense. The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- not make any sense at all as to why we We lost 32 Americans in October and fore the House the following commu- stay in Afghanistan. November. I want to know, where is nication from the Speaker: I also shared with the Conference an the outrage here in Congress? Why are WASHINGTON, DC, email I got from the former Com- we spending money we don’t have? Why November 29, 2012. mandant of the United States Marine are our troops dying, and yet we just I hereby appoint the Honorable CHARLES J. Corps, who has actually been my ad- seem to go on and on talking about the FLEISCHMANN to act as Speaker pro tempore viser on Afghanistan for 3 years. I said, fiscal cliff? Well, I know that’s impor- on this day. Mr. Commandant, why do we stand by tant. JOHN A. BOEHNER, Speaker of the House of Representatives. and see our American soldiers, Ma- Mr. Speaker, it is time for Congress rines, killed by those people we’re to realize that we are having young f training? I said, Mr. Commandant, how men and women die in Afghanistan for MESSAGE FROM THE SENATE many more have to die, killed at the a failed policy that will not change one A message from the Senate by Ms. hands of the people they’re trying to thing. Curtis, one of its clerks, announced help? Mr. Speaker, before closing, I make that the Senate has passed a bill of the And I read this from the Com- reference to this poster of a young following title in which the concur- mandant: American in a casket being carried by rence of the House is requested: At the end of the day, I am more convinced his colleagues to be buried. Please, than ever that we need to get out of Afghani- S. 1998. An act to obtain an unqualified American people, put pressure on Con- stan. When our friends turn out to be our gress to bring our troops home now and audit opinion, and improve financial ac- enemy, it is time to pull the plug. The idea countability and management at the Depart- not wait until December 2014. that troops we have trained and equipped I ask God to please bless our men and ment of Homeland Security. now turn that training and equipment on us f is simply unconscionable. Whether we leave women in uniform, to please bless the families of those who’ve lost loved ones MORNING-HOUR DEBATE tomorrow or 1,000 tomorrows from now, nothing will really change. We are now noth- in Afghanistan and Iraq. I ask God to The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- ing more than a recruiting poster for every please bless the United States of Amer- ant to the order of the House of Janu- malcontent in the Middle East. We need to ica. And please, God, help us get our ary 17, 2012, the Chair will now recog- wake up. troops home now and not later. nize Members from lists submitted by I read that yesterday in the Con- f the majority and minority leaders for ference, Mr. Speaker. I want my party morning-hour debate. and the Democratic party to wake up HOW BIG IS YOUR FEMA? The Chair will alternate recognition and get our troops home. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The between the parties, with each party Mr. Speaker, recently on CNN’s Reli- Chair recognizes the gentleman from limited to 1 hour and each Member able Sources with Howard Kurtz, a Oregon (Mr. BLUMENAUER) for 5 min- other than the majority and minority well-known journalist, Tom Ricks, utes. leaders and the minority whip limited made the following statement: Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, to 5 minutes each, but in no event shall We, as a Nation, seem to care more about Mitt Romney weathered a storm of debate continue beyond 11:50 a.m. the sex lives of our generals than the real criticism late in the campaign after lives of our soldiers. f Hurricane Sandy for his earlier com- Mr. Ricks went on to say that prob- ments about privatizing FEMA and AFGHANISTAN ably no one knew who Sergeant Chan- turning responsibility back to State The SPEAKER pro tempore. The ning Hicks and Specialist Joseph Rich- and local governments. But during an Chair recognizes the gentleman from ardson were. They were two Americans era of fiscal restraint and global warm- North Carolina (Mr. JONES) for 5 min- killed in Afghanistan the Friday before ing, it’s high time that we start this utes. Ricks was interviewed. The media will conversation in earnest. How big do 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. H6507 . VerDate Mar 15 2010 00:09 Nov 30, 2012 Jkt 029060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A29NO7.000 H29NOPT1 pwalker on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with HOUSE H6508 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 29, 2012 you want your FEMA to be, how gen- true disasters. That’s precisely the means we need to help our businesses erous your disaster relief payments, time that the local economy and tax- grow and hire. That has become way and how much do you want to pay? payer are least able to pay the full cost too hard to do in the past couple of In today’s New York Times op-ed sec- of recovery. They need money, per- years. A businessman in Dutchess tion, there is an article that points out sonnel, and assistance, but that doesn’t County, New York, told me that he’s the potential liability for flood insur- mean a permanent entitlement to going to have to limit the number of ance alone is $1.25 trillion, second only risky behavior. The Federal Govern- employees he has to fewer than 50 so to the liability for Social Security. ment should deal with what is truly that he won’t be subject to penalties Right now, we have arguably the worst catastrophic and with the humani- under the 2010 health law. So, right of both worlds. The Federal Govern- tarian costs. Families obviously should now, the Federal Government is keep- ment responds to disaster, usually pay- not be left destitute, hungry, and ing him from offering jobs. That hurts ing too much for the wrong people to homeless in the aftermath of natural the people who need jobs and who do the wrong things. We provide Fed- disaster. There is, however, no reason would be happy to be on a payroll on eral money to put people back in that we encourage the repetition of which they would be putting their own harm’s way and sometimes provide in- these terrible events. contributions into Social Security and frastructure to make future, risky de- In a time of fiscal stress and budg- Medicare. velopment worse. We often take reme- etary realignment, we should include Increasing taxes means less growth dial action like fortifying beaches, a government disaster spending, liability and fewer jobs, and that’s not balanced. temporary solution that can actually and development policy as we address Three years ago, I made a pledge to op- accelerate erosion elsewhere, shift the fiscal cliff. Done right, this will not pose tax increases. I made that pledge storm damage down the coast to an- only save money, but countless lives, to the citizens I serve and to no one other spot or more serious flooding as well. else, and I made it because tax in- down river. By giving the illusion of f creases will hurt them. When Jen, the protection, more people locate in dan- owner of La Petite Cuisine in Warwick, gerous areas, and the vicious cycle is b 1010 New York, tells me that the best thing repeated with untold damage to fami- THE TRUE MEANING OF THE I can do for her small business is to lies, with loss of life, loss of property, FISCAL CLIFF give her a break from high taxes, I be- disruption of business. lieve her. I ran for Congress to help Jen Perhaps we’d be better off if we began The SPEAKER pro tempore. The and all the small business people like with a serious conversation about what Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from her, who are the engines of job cre- people expect from FEMA and heavily New York (Ms. HAYWORTH) for 5 min- ation. I ran for Congress to help all the subsidized flood insurance.