September 20, 2012 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H6161 

Now, in responding to them, I’ve 

often discussed a piece of legislation 

that’s very important to the debate on 

budget priorities and the so-called ‘‘fiscal cliff’’; that’s the Sequestration 

Transparency Act. This bill passed the 

Budget Committee by voice vote and 

was later approved in the House, with 

only two in opposition. After the Senate passed it with unanimous consent, 

the President signed it into law. So 

this was truly a bipartisan effort, a 

statement by almost every one of us 

working together that we’re concerned 

about the impact that sequestration 

might have on our constituents, and an 

effort to get more information about 

the true harm that that sequestration 

will cause. 

Now, following the administration’s 

recent report detailing those cuts that 

would come under sequestration, I am 

even more concerned than before, and 

my constituents are concerned. And I 

know constituents all across this country are concerned as well. Mr. Speaker, 

there is bipartisan concern about the 

impact that sequestration might have, 

and yet we haven’t been able to come 

to a bipartisan consensus to avoid it. 

We’ve identified a problem; now we 

must identify a solution. This should 

be a balanced solution, working together, and I look forward to working 

with all of my colleagues on both sides 

of the aisle to arrive at that solution. 

It’s a solution for my district in Oregon, for all of the great State, and, 

importantly, for all of this great Nation. 

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RECESS 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 12(a) of rule I, the Chair 

declares the House in recess until noon 

today. 

Accordingly (at 11 o’clock and 8 minutes a.m.), the House stood in recess. 

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b 1200 

AFTER RECESS 

The recess having expired, the House 

was called to order by the Speaker at 

noon. 

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PRAYER 

Rabbi Steven Weil, Orthodox Union, 

New York, New York, offered the following prayer: 

Master of the Universe, today we 

stand before You in this hallowed Hall, 

grateful for the freedoms we have been 

granted here, grateful for the men and 

women in this room who You imbued 

with wisdom and blessed with the courage to make the difficult decisions that 

will impact the destiny of all humanity. 

Allow the Members of Congress to be 

Your partners in making a more perfect world, and grant them the insight 

and the vision to always be mindful of 

the responsibilities they bear. We implore You to guide and strengthen 

them so that they can do what must be 

done to save the world from those who 

wish to perpetrate terrorism and evil. 

Dear God, enable them to do what 

must be done to plant the seeds for a 

brighter and more prosperous economic 

future. Dear God, support them in providing our children with a strong education to meet the challenges of tomorrow. Thank You for giving us such 

wonderful shepherds and allowing us to 

be their cherished flock. 

Amen. 

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THE JOURNAL 

The SPEAKER. The Chair has examined the Journal of the last day’s proceedings and announces to the House 

his approval thereof. 

Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Journal stands approved. 

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PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 

The SPEAKER. Will the gentleman 

from Texas (Mr. POE) come forward and 

lead the House in the Pledge of Allegiance. 

Mr. POE of Texas led the Pledge of 

Allegiance as follows: 

I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the 

United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, 

indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. 

ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER 

The SPEAKER. The Chair will entertain up to 15 requests for 1-minute 

speeches on each side of the aisle. 

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VOICE OF TEXAS: ELIZABETH 

FROM HOUSTON, TEXAS 

(Mr. POE of Texas asked and was 

given permission to address the House 

for 1 minute.) 

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Elizabeth from Houston wrote me this 

about her business: 

My immigrant parents came to the United 

States legally. They had to learn English. 

My dad worked very hard. He opened several 

bars and restaurants, hired wait staff, cooks, 

bartenders, and cleaning people. There was 

never a dime of government assistance. Hard 

work, long hours, and sleepless nights were 

the norm for all of us. I learned their work 

ethic early, and I also have worked very hard 

for my family. No welfare, no government 

handouts. 

This is my country, and I love this country 

as much as my parents did. But I do not respect the current President or his administration. They want to be in charge of all of 

us, from cradle to grave. That is not the 

American way. That is exactly what my parents and grandparents fled from. Please take 

us back to the right way. 

Mr. Speaker, Elizabeth’s family did 

it the right way—and without Big Government getting in the way. They built 

their American Dream all on their 

own. 

And that’s just the way it is. 

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ALL THE APPEARANCES OF A 

SWINDLE 

(Mr. KUCINICH asked and was given 

permission to address the House for 1 

minute.) 

Mr. KUCINICH. Did Peabody Energy 

Company deliberately unload a bad investment on public power organizations serving 217 cities and villages 

across the Midwest? Congress must 

find out because Peabody Energy lured 

public power organizations into contracts that forced municipal utilities 

to pay up to twice the market rate for 

electricity. At a time when private 

funding could not be had for new coalfired utilities, Peabody Energy unloaded 95 percent of its investment 

onto public power customers in what 

became an almost triple cost overrun, 

with a coal mine that lasts 22 years, instead of 30 years as promised, and an 

ashfill that was supposed to last 23 

years, and will last only 12 to 14 years. 

The contract which municipals are 

tied into forces them to pay for power 

42 percent above the market rate, 

whether the plant is producing energy 

or not. Billions of dollars were issued 

for bond financing for the project, and 

utility customers are vulnerable to 

huge costs for debt retirement. Wall 

Street wouldn’t invest in the project, 

so Peabody went to Main Street, and 

now millions of public power customers 

will pay sky-high electric rates in what 

has all the appearances of a swindle. 

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SEQUESTRATION TRANSPARENCY 

REPORT SHOWS LACK OF LEADERSHIP 

(Mr. WILSON of South Carolina 

asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.) 

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. 

Speaker, on Friday, the administration 

released a report on how the President 

plans to implement the $600 billion defense sequester, threatening servicemembers, military families, and veterans. Politico explained it ‘‘shed little 

new light on the sword of Damocles.’’ 

This report, required by the passage of 

the Sequestration Transparency Act, 

arrived 1 week late, confirming that 

the President and the liberal-controlled Senate have refused to take sequestration as a top priority. 

Today, the House Armed Services 

Committee held a hearing to receive 

testimony from key government officials who will implement sequestration. Based upon the minimal information provided, it’s clear the administration has not made appropriate plans for 

the drastic budget cuts, even though 

the White House is responsible for proposing the disastrous proposal. House 

Republicans have voted five times, led 

by Chairman BUCK MCKEON, to replace 

sequestration with commonsense reforms to avoid the threat to national 

security or destroying jobs. I urge the 

President and the Senate to begin 

working with the House before it’s too 

late. 

In conclusion, God bless our troops, 

and we will never forget September 

11th in the global war on terrorism. 


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