[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 14951]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          THE SENATE MUST ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Mica). The Chair recognizes the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, this morning, one of my 
colleagues across the aisle said--very accurately--in quoting another 
elected official, that everything that gets done, gets done in the 
middle. I happen to believe that the only type of legislation that 
really passes and lasts is that which is done in a bipartisan way. 
That's why I commit in every bill that I author and I work on to reach 
across the aisle and find a friend to be the lead coauthor, and we 
build support on both sides of the aisle.
  But, Mr. Speaker, based on the comments of my colleague and my own 
personal beliefs, I believe that's why this health care law is so 
flawed and has so many flaws in it, because it was not done in that 
spirit. It did not honor that principle. It was done unilaterally, in 
the most partisan way, and shoved upon the American people.
  It is publicly acknowledged that it has flaws. The majority of 
Americans are demanding fixes of the publicly acknowledged flaws in the 
health care law--flaws that are acknowledged by Republicans and 
Democrats alike.
  So instead of protecting perhaps the President's legacy, it's time to 
come together. Republicans are only seeking commonsense fixes to 
decrease costs and increase access, and fixes that are bipartisan and 
common sense.
  Last night, I was very disappointed on this House floor. I voted to 
protect our veterans and to protect the citizens of the District of 
Columbia. Last night, we had a bill that would just allow them to use 
their own money--money that they pay in taxes to the municipality that 
they contribute through the parking meters and the fines and the fees 
that they pay and just be able to use their own money, and also be able 
to open our monuments and our parks to the American tourists. And our 
American heroes, our honor flights, are coming in each and every day, 
World War II, part of that Greatest Generation.
  And yet it was defeated by votes from my colleagues on the other side 
of the aisle for political purposes; and I know politics within the 
Beltway, but those were bipartisan solutions to help key individuals.
  Mr. Speaker, it's troubling that the Senate leader has prevented 
consideration of even the most commonsense changes to the President's 
health care law, including one that has bipartisan support and 
previously passed his own Chamber. Lawmakers on both sides of the 
aisle--in both parties--already have overwhelmingly rejected the 
medical device tax.
  Last year, 37 House Democrats voted with all Republicans to repeal 
the tax, with a large bipartisan majority of 270-146. In March, the 
Democratic-led Senate voted 79-20 to repeal the tax.
  The Senators from my own home State of Pennsylvania--one Democrat, 
Senator Bob Casey, and one Republican, Senator Pat Toomey--supported 
the bill. In fact, Senator Casey was its chief author and sponsor.
  The medical device tax repeal was part of the House continuing 
resolution. It was blocked from consideration by Leader Reid. For the 
past 2 weeks, the House has worked to fund the government, prevent a 
shutdown, and protect the American people from the President's health 
care law. The Senate has decided to drag its feet and reject these 
reasonable proposals.
  There is an appropriate way to conduct budget negotiations, and that 
is through the normal procedure of appointing a conference committee--
that's appointing negotiators, Republicans and Democrats alike, from 
both the House and the Senate--to get to the table and sit down and 
work out our differences. That is elementary civics. Unfortunately, the 
Senate leader has prevented regular order from proceeding.
  Mr. Speaker, I was elected to represent my constituents and reform 
government, and I will continue fighting on their behalf. Congress must 
act now to end this shutdown and get to work on the many challenges 
facing this great Nation.

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