[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16673]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   H.R. 3762, GOP RECONCILIATION ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. KATHY CASTOR

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 27, 2015

  Ms. CASTOR of Florida. Mr. Speaker, on October 23, 2015, I was unable 
to be here to vote on H.R. 3762 (Roll Call 568), the GOP Reconciliation 
Act. Had I been present, I would have voted no on H.R. 3762. I have 
voted against this bill twice, once in the Energy & Commerce Committee 
and again in the Budget Committee. I was unable to make the vote 
because I was back in my district to attend a meeting with Secretary of 
Education Arne Duncan, parents, students and teachers to work directly 
on a huge challenge of improving schools in that community that are 
failing our children.
  Below are the statements I made during the Energy & Commerce 
Committee and Budget Committee markups of H.R. 3762.


                            Budget Committee

       ``This is creating great economic uncertainty. Back home, I 
     represent a district with an Air Force base that is home to 
     U.S. Central Command and Special Operations Command. They are 
     beside themselves about the inability of the Congress to move 
     forward with a reasonable budget plan. It is now complicating 
     the military missions of our country. They don't want another 
     CR. That is a dead end. They don't want an OCO gimmick that 
     doesn't serve our country well. They want those monies in the 
     base defense budget, and have spoken out loudly.
       And then on the domestic side our medical researchers, 
     transportation, infrastructure, all of those important jobs 
     that help lift America are also being undercut by the 
     uncertainty created here in the Congress.
       Now, I am very happy this is being done in an open setting 
     today, because it really lays bare the priorities of the two 
     parties here in Congress. The Democratic priority is to 
     address the budget uncertainty, come together, work out a 
     plan to move forward and avoid the government shutdown. The 
     Republican priority, however, is to continue to attack 
     women's health care and intimidate Planned Parenthood 
     nonprofit clinics and the women that go there for their 
     health services. This witch hunt continues, and it is not 
     serving the interests of our great country. It is beneath the 
     dignity of this Congress, because what is going to happen 
     when we come back after next week? There is a new Benghazi-
     like select committee to continue this witch hunt.
       I mean, this is really an all-time low. There has been an 
     attack on women's health now for decades, but now the all-
     time low is what happened this summer with these manufactured 
     YouTube videos now becoming the basis of public policy in 
     America while all the investigations done here in the 
     Congress and in States across the country have demonstrated 
     no wrongdoing whatsoever. So we are going to waste taxpayer 
     funds and important time on this witch hunt? I think it is 
     very unfortunate.
       You know, the approval ratings of Congress are at an all-
     time low, and I have to say, this demonstrates why that is, 
     because it is Congress and the governing--so called governing 
     party, is not focused on the priorities for our great 
     country, instead, focused on intimidating women and trusted 
     clinics across the country. I urge a no vote on this and the 
     reconciliation package. Thank you.''


                       Energy & Commerce Committee

       ``Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I have to say, the 
     Republican majority has really taken us back in a time warp 
     today. It feels like we are probably back in the 1950s. The 
     first half of the hearing was on energy policy, was very 
     anti-science. It was practically the world is flat. They 
     refused to address the changing climate, and the challenges 
     that poses for our country and our communities, refused to 
     modernize America's energy policy by unleashing innovation to 
     benefit consumers and businesses all across America. But now 
     the GOP majority wants to restrict contraceptives, and family 
     planning services. This is decades old in--and it is another 
     unconscionable attack on women's health and Planned 
     Parenthood.
       And I wanted to pose a question, which is doing more today 
     in America to reduce the number of unplanned pregnancies. 
     Certainly not the Republicans in Congress, who continue to 
     vote to block access to contraceptives, and family planning, 
     as they are . . . .
       . . . No, it is Planned Parenthood that is doing more to 
     reduce the number of unplanned pregnancies in America.
       Now, although the GOP attacks on women's health have gone 
     on for years here in the Congress, we recently hit a new low 
     this summer, when a shady group, that is actually under 
     criminal investigation, helped launch a broad-based smear 
     campaign against Planned Parenthood. To date, all of the 
     investigations that have been launched have turned up there 
     is no evidence to substantiate the allegations that Planned 
     Parenthood, or any of its affiliates, violated the law, 
     including an investigation by this very Committee.
       Actually, what the evidence has turned up so far is that 
     Mr. Dunliden, and his organization that doctored the YouTube 
     videos, misrepresented itself to gain access to medical 
     conferences and Planned Parenthood facilities. They should be 
     the ones that are under investigation and brought to account. 
     The investigations out there so far have showed that the 
     videos are selectively edited, they repeatedly omit 
     exculpatory statements about compliance with the law. We 
     simply cannot allow Republicans in Congress to use these 
     falsified videos to continue their extremist agenda against 
     women and deny women access to comprehensive healthcare.
       You know, this is the House of Representatives, and the 
     population of the United States of America is a little more 
     female, about 50--a little over 50 percent. But here in the 
     Congress, you all know what the percentage is. It is under 20 
     percent female. Well, it certainly shows. I will urge my 
     colleagues to defeat this attempt, again, to paint another 
     chapter in the radical agenda against women's health. . . . I 
     hope you have read the legislation that will be considered 
     today, because what it will do is eliminate access to 
     contraceptives and family planning. If my Republican 
     colleagues truly believe that there should be family planning 
     services, and contraceptives allowed to women and families 
     across America, they should vote no on this radical idea, and 
     this idea of reconciliation today. I will yield back the 
     balance of my time.''
       Again, if I was present for the vote today on H.R. 3762, I 
     would have voted no.

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