H5930 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE September 13, 2012 

on the credit card; nation-building in 

Afghanistan on the credit card; the 

prescription drug program unpaid for 

on the credit card. Those policies 

played a very big role in getting us 

into the debt that we have. 

Then the Ryan budget, which is supposedly the blueprint to reduce the 

debt, increases it by $6 trillion in 10 

years. Why? Because it increases those 

Bush tax cuts that were never paid for 

and would lower their Republican Presidential candidate’s effective tax rate 

to 1 percent. Secondly, it vastly increases Pentagon spending beyond 

what even the Pentagon is asking for. 

Even though it then imposes savage 

cuts on domestic discretionary spending—making it really difficult to do 

scientific research, to help our kids go 

to college—the net result is a $6 trillion increase in the debt. 

On foreign policy, no responsibility is 

so vested in one person—the President 

of the United States—when guiding 

American foreign policy. It needs a 

firm hand, a calm voice, a person who 

thinks before he speaks, who aims before he fires. The recent tragedy of losing our ambassador and three other 

brave civil servants from the State Department is an indication that the Republican Presidential candidate lacks 

the temperament to do that job. 

Why is it that in the first statement 

that he made after the loss of four 

American lives he descended into what 

essentially was tactical politics—arguing about the wording of a communique from the American Embassy in 

Egypt? Is it really the case that we in 

America cannot defend the right of free 

speech and promote religious tolerance? 

We need a President—and have a 

President—who is thoughtful, who is 

firm, who can act with conviction and 

clarity, and does it in a sober way that 

is going to defend and promote American political and foreign policy 

interests. 

f 

NO MORE SOLYNDRAS ACT 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The 

Chair recognizes the gentleman from 

Florida (Mr. STEARNS) for 5 minutes. 

Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker and my 

colleagues, later today, we will begin 

debate on the rule for H.R. 6213, the No 

More Solyndras Act, which, along with 

my chairman, FRED UPTON of Michigan, I am proud to sponsor. This legislation is a culmination of an intensive 

and thorough 18-month investigation 

by the Subcommittee on Oversight and 

Investigations, which I chair, and will 

fix the problems we have uncovered. 

Specifically, the No More Solyndras 

Act will phase out the Department of 

Energy’s grossly mismanaged loan 

guarantee program by prohibiting DOE 

from issuing any loan guarantees for 

applications submitted after December 

31, 2011, and it will provide taxpayers 

strong, new protection for any pending 

participants in this program. 

b 1050 

The bill provides greater loan guarantee transparency by requiring the 

DOE to report to Congress on the decisionmaking process, and, of course, the 

details of the loan. The bill also prohibits DOE from restructuring the 

terms of any guarantee and forbids the 

subordination of United States taxpayers’ dollars at any time to private 

investors and holds the Department of 

Energy officials accountable for their 

actions by imposing penalties by failing to follow this law. 

As many of you know, Solyndra was 

the first recipient of a DOE loan guarantee from title XVII of the Energy 

Policy Act of 2005 and, frankly, was the 

poster child for President Obama’s 

stimulus-driven green economy. It was 

also the first stimulus-backed recipient 

of a DOE loan guarantee to file for 

bankruptcy just 2 years after the loan 

closed, and 6 months after DOE restructured the loan and subordinated 

taxpayers’ interest to two wealthy and 

well-connected investors, all but ensuring taxpayers won’t see a dime. 

Other DOE loan recipients have also 

struggled. Three of the first five companies which received loan guarantees 

issued by the DOE Loan Guarantee program—Solyndra, Beacon, and Abound 

Solar—have all filed for bankruptcy, 

losing hundreds of millions of dollars of 

taxpayers’ money that will never, ever 

be recovered. The other two companies 

are struggling, also. Nevada Geothermal has substantial debts and no 

positive cash flow, and First Wind had 

to withdraw their planned IPO and also 

has substantial debt to boot. 

On behalf of the American taxpayers, 

we had a duty to figure out what went 

wrong with Solyndra, the loan guarantee, and whether the loan guarantee 

program was properly managed. The 

Solyndra investigation has been thorough and methodical. The Energy and 

Commerce Committee requested and 

received and reviewed documents from 

every executive branch agency connected to Solyndra, and interviewed 

more than a dozen administration officials who played key roles in the loan 

guarantee program. The committee has 

also reviewed documents produced by 

the Solyndra investors, as well as 

DOE’s independent consultant and 

their legal advisers. 

As the committee’s investigation revealed, the Obama administration put 

Solyndra’s loan on the fast track for 

political reasons, despite repeated red 

flags and warnings in 2009 from the Office of Management and Budget and 

DOE officials about the company’s financial condition in the market for 

Solyndra’s product. Were they viable? 

It is clear that DOE failed to adequately monitor the loan guarantee, 

blindly writing checks to Solyndra as 

the company hemorrhaged cash 

throughout the year 2010. 

When the warnings came to fruition 

and Solyndra was out of cash in the autumn of 2010, the Obama administration doubled down on its bad debt and 

bad bet, restructuring Solyndra’s loan 

in early 2011 and putting wealthy investors at the front of the line in front 

of taxpayers, which is a clear violation 

of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Right 

up to the bankruptcy filing, the administration was willing to take extraordinary measures to keep Solyndra 

afloat for political reasons and ensure 

that the first loan guarantee was not 

going to be a failure. 

The investigation also showed that 

the DOE failed to consult with the 

Treasury Department as simply required by the Energy Policy Act prior 

to issuing a conditional commitment 

to Solyndra and that Treasury didn’t 

even play a role in simply reviewing 

the restructuring. The No More 

Solyndras Act will correct this by ensuring that Treasury is actively involved in the loan process to protect 

our taxpayers. 

Mr. Speaker, the Solyndra investigation and the No More Solyndras Act 

are a great example of how congressional oversight should work. We asked 

the tough questions, collected all the 

facts, identified the problem, and now 

we’re offering good legislation. 

I encourage all my colleagues to support H.R. 6213, the No More Solyndras 

Act, to ensure that the mistakes and 

misguided decisions that occurred 

never, ever happen again. 

f 

IN CELEBRATION OF BILL KLING 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The 

Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 

Florida (Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ) for 5 

minutes. 

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. 

Speaker, I rise to celebrate the life of a 

beloved member of our south Florida 

veterans community, William ‘‘Bill’’ 

Kling, who passed away on August 6 at 

the age of 84. 

Bill was a devoted husband and father; and he is survived by his two children, Marsha Mittentag and Steven 

Kling. My thoughts and prayers go out 

to them, to Bill’s extended family, and 

to all of his friends and colleagues who 

share in mourning this loss. 

Bill was a member of our Greatest 

Generation of Americans who served 

our Nation as a radar technician for 

the Navy during World War II. But 

Bill’s service to our Nation was far 

from over when he returned from war. 

In fact, it was just beginning. 

Bill Kling became a national leader 

and one of the strongest advocates for 

our Nation’s veterans. He was dedicated to helping generations of veterans as they returned to civilian life. 

He worked tirelessly to make sure our 

veterans were getting the benefits they 

deserved—from education under the GI 

Bill to quality health care through our 

VA system. 

I’m sure my Florida colleagues will 

agree that Bill was a force to be reckoned with, ever brightening our congressional doorways, pushing the urgency of the issue at hand. I know we 

are grateful for the remarkable legacy 


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September 13, 2012 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H5931 

he leaves behind, and he will be sorely 

missed. 

I had the distinct pleasure of working 

with Bill for the last 23 years and have 

witnessed firsthand the many ways he 

helped thousands of veterans in Florida. I’m also proud to have called Bill 

my friend. For the past 7 years, Bill 

served as the chairman of my Military 

Academy Nominations Board where he 

helped the next generation of military 

leaders realize the dream of serving the 

country they love. 

For 8 years, he served on the Florida 

Commission on Veterans’ Affairs, and 

for the past 27 years he was the president of the Broward County Veterans 

Council. He also led the Jewish War 

Veterans and was a member of the 

American Legion, Veterans of Foreign 

Wars, and the Disabled American Veterans. 

The list of superlatives for Bill shows 

him as the great American that he was. 

Bill was inducted into the Broward 

Senior Hall of Fame, received the Humanitarian of the Year award from the 

Dolphin Democrats, and changed the 

shape of veterans services in south 

Florida. In particular, he helped bring 

the Alexander ‘‘Sandy’’ Nininger Veterans’ Nursing Home to Pembroke 

Pines in 2001 and worked with other 

veterans to create the South Florida 

National Cemetery in Palm Beach in 

2007. 

One of Bill’s greatest accomplishments and lasting legacies was ensuring that veterans would have easy access to quality medical care. Bill noticed that too often veterans in 

Broward County had to travel too far 

to go to a VA facility to get the care 

that they needed. With that in mind, 

he helped open the Oakland Park VA 

Outpatient Clinic more than two decades ago. 

When the building the clinic occupied 

began deteriorating, Bill worked to 

open a brand-new facility. Even though 

this effort took years, Bill kept a smile 

on his face and kept working to overcome every obstacle, because that’s 

just how Bill operated. 

So in 2008, a new 98,000-square-foot 

clinic opened in Sunrise, and fittingly 

on Bill’s birthday. I think it’s fair to 

say that without Bill Kling, this wonderful center that serves thousands of 

our veterans each year might not ever 

exist. 

With that in mind, I’m honored to 

announce that next week my good 

friend, Congressman TED DEUTCH, also 

of Florida, and I will file legislation, 

along with many other members of the 

Florida delegation, that will rename 

the Broward Outpatient Clinic as the 

William ‘‘Bill’’ Kling VA Clinic. 

This is such a fitting way to memorialize and thank Bill Kling. With passage of this bill, every veteran who 

walks through the doors of the 

Broward VA Clinic will know the name 

of the man who did so much for so 

many. 

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to the 

passage of this legislation so we may 

pay fitting tribute to a great American, William ‘‘Bill’’ Kling. 

f 

MESSAGE FROM THE SENATE 

A message from the Senate by Ms. 

Curtis, one of its clerks, announced 

that the Senate has passed without 

amendment a bill of the House of the 

following title: 

H.R. 6336. An act to direct the Joint Committee on the Library to accept a statue depicting Frederick Douglass from the District 

of Columbia and to provide for the permanent display of the statue in Emancipation 

Hall of the United States Capitol. 

f 

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 10 o’clock and 59 

minutes a.m.), the House stood in recess. 

f 

b 1200 

AFTER RECESS 

The recess having expired, the House 

was called to order by the Speaker at 

noon. 

f 

PRAYER 

Reverend Kris Holzmeyer, Second 

Baptist Church, Clinton, Tennessee, offered the following prayer: 

Heavenly Father, we come to You 

this day with praise upon our lips. You 

are worthy of all glory and honor. You 

are faithful, and You hear us when we 

call. 

We come to You this day to say 

thank you. You have given to us a free 

and prosperous Nation in which to live. 

We know that You and You alone are 

the provider of that freedom and prosperity. 

We also come before You acknowledging our great sins as a Nation. We 

ask Your forgiveness as we seek Your 

will for the future of our country. 

As our leaders gather in this room to 

discuss the business of this day, bless 

them with wisdom and knowledge to 

make the best possible decisions for 

our citizens. And may their actions, 

their words, and their motives bring 

You honor and glory. 

We ask these things in the name of 

Jesus Christ, our Lord. 

Amen. 

f 

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. 

f 

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 

The SPEAKER. Will the gentleman 

from Illinois (Mr. SCHILLING) come forward and lead the House in the Pledge 

of Allegiance. 

Mr. SCHILLING 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. 

f 

WELCOMING REVEREND KRIS 

HOLZMEYER 

The SPEAKER. Without objection, 

the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. 

FLEISCHMANN) is recognized for 1 

minute. 

There was no objection. 

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. It is my pleasure to welcome Kris Holzmeyer in joining me here on the House floor to give 

the opening prayer. 

Pastor Holzmeyer recently served as 

an associate pastor at the Second Baptist Church in Clinton, Tennessee, a 

town in my district. With a desire to 

serve the Lord in both word and deed, 

Kris has authored two devotionals: 

‘‘The First Responder Field Manual’’ 

and ‘‘Lessons from the Locker Room.’’ 

A passionate advocate for international adoption, Kris advocated for 

adoption awareness and established the 

Kyle Reagan Foundation, which raises 

money to help adopt children from 

abroad. 

In Tennessee, Kris has been active as 

well in coordinating the 2012 Anderson 

County National Day of Prayer, in running the Summer Skills Basketball 

Camp at Second Baptist Church, and in 

ministering to local officials. 

In addition to his strong ties to Tennessee, Kris also has a Washington connection. He served as assistant communications director for the D. James 

Kennedy Center for Christian Statesmanship on Capitol Hill from 2004 to 

2006. While on Capitol Hill, he performed outreach to Members and staff. 

A native of Indiana, Kris received his 

BA from the University of Southern Indiana and his master’s degree from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. 

Along with his wife, Missy, and his 

children, Kyle and Sammi, I would like 

to thank Kris, and I am pleased that he 

could join us in prayer. 

f 

ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER 

PRO TEMPORE 

The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. 

CHAFFETZ). The Chair will entertain 15 

further requests for 1-minute speeches 

on each side of the aisle. 

f 

WE NEED A FARM BILL NOW 

(Mr. CRAWFORD asked and was 

given permission to address the House 

for 1 minute.) 

Mr. CRAWFORD. During the month 

of August, I traveled throughout my 

Arkansas district, listening to the 

challenges family farmers are facing 

with record drought conditions. Even 

though the House did pass an important drought relief package, we need to 


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