[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5262]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, over the last 4 years, House Republicans have 
worked hard to put this Nation on a better path forward. We have passed 
numerous pieces of legislation to encourage job growth and strengthen 
America's standing in the global economy. We have also passed bills 
that would decrease energy costs and increase transparency in how tax 
dollars are spent.
  Despite the short time we have had, the obstacles we have faced, and 
the enormity of our task, House Republicans have managed a number of 
conservative victories. For example, legislation I authored was signed 
into law last summer to streamline the Federal workforce development 
system, including the elimination of 15 duplicative programs.
  We have worked tirelessly to minimize the damage caused by ObamaCare. 
The first pieces of legislation to pass in the 114th Congress included 
the Hire More Heroes Act, which would make it easier to hire veterans 
by exempting those who already have health insurance from being subject 
to the employer mandate in the President's health care law, and the 
Save American Workers Act to change ObamaCare's 30-hour definition of 
full-time employment and restore the traditional 40-hour workweek, 
which has long been the standard for full-time work.
  Additionally, the House Republican working group has laid out an 
alternative vision to ObamaCare. It includes allowing affected States 
to opt out of ObamaCare's costly rules and regulations and to opt into 
a patient-centered system focused on choice and lower cost.
  House Republicans have been vigilant against any attempt that would 
impugn the Second Amendment rights of all Americans to own and bear 
firearms. Our Republican committee chairmen are using their gavels to 
exercise the constitutionally prescribed system of checks and balances 
to hold oversight hearings exposing the Obama administration for its 
unconstitutional overreach.
  Much of the economic turmoil that has gripped this Nation is the 
result of the Federal Government spending beyond its means. In North 
Carolina I often hear from constituents who are worried that our 
ballooning national debt threatens economic stability and jeopardizes 
the American Dream for their families.
  House Republicans have responded to those concerns by passing laws 
cutting Federal spending 2 years in a row for the first time since the 
Korean war. We banned earmarks and achieved the most significant 
spending reductions in modern history. We have protected tax cuts for 
individuals and families.
  Unfortunately, President Obama's budget ignores our crushing debt 
burden. Despite proposing $2.1 trillion in new tax increases, the 
President's budget never balances because it spends too much.
  In contrast to the President's budget proposal that ignores our 
crushing debt burden, House Republicans recently approved a budget that 
balances in less than 10 years without raising taxes while cutting $5.5 
trillion in unnecessary spending. This budget not only places our 
country on a path to pay off the overwhelming mound of debt we face but 
will also spur economic growth and increase opportunity.
  Balanced Budget for a Stronger America also provides a framework for 
completely repealing ObamaCare and calls on Congress to pass 
comprehensive tax reform that lowers rates for individuals, families, 
and employers.
  Following approval of the budget, the House continued its record of 
tackling tough issues by passing bipartisan legislation to help 
stabilize Medicare and secure seniors' access to their doctors. By 
transitioning to a new provider payment system focused on quality, 
value, and accountability, we have laid the groundwork for future 
Medicare reforms.
  It has been said that no one hears the plane that landed safely. What 
that very apt adage suggests is that we are often unaware of the good 
work being done every day, and it isn't until something goes wrong that 
people take notice.
  House Republicans are working hard to continue our good work and 
advance solutions that will build a healthy economy, empowering all 
Americans to seek new opportunities and achieve a better life.

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