October is National Farm to School Month. It is time when we celebrate food education, school gardens, and lunch trays filled with healthy, local ingredients. Farm to School brings healthy foods from local farms to schoolchildren…

This Friday is National Manufacturing Day. We celebrate Manufacturing Day annually in order to recognize the manufacturing industry's part in the growth and prosperity of the United States economy, as well as raise awareness of the…

I would just ask my colleagues to support this piece of legislation. I am very appreciative to the author of this bill for his leadership. Having a congressional district that has significant presence of abandoned mine lands, I know that…

I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I thank leadership for allowing H.R. 2937 to come to the floor. This legislation, introduced by my friend from Illinois (Mr. LaHood), will help address the challenge of abandoned coal…

I have no additional speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill…

I have no additional speakers. I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R…

I encourage support for this piece of legislation and thank the gentlewoman from New Hampshire (Ms. Kuster) for putting this forward, and I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered…

Being from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) that the House suspend the rules and pass…

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and it is a time when we celebrate the numerous contributions and skills of American workers with disabilities. Many Americans with disabilities struggle to find employment…

Tomorrow marks the 40th anniversary of the Food Stamp Act of 1977, which was a landmark bill that made the program more effective and more efficient. Today, we no longer refer to it as food stamps, but as the Supplemental Nutrition…

Sunday marked a special kind of Mother's Day: Gold Star Mother's Day. Since 1936, the Nation has observed Gold Star Mother's Day on the last Sunday in September. The President humbly proclaimed Gold Star Mother's and Families' Day this…

Over the course of the summer, I was able to join some farm bill listening sessions with Chairman Mike Conaway and Ranking Member Collin Peterson. These sessions were titled ``The Next Farm Bill, Conversations in the Field,'' and they…

During the August in- district work period, I had the privilege of visiting CPI in Pleasant Gap, Pennsylvania. CPI is the Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology. I was proud that my colleague, Congressman Raja…

I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Page 28, line 8, after the dollar amount, insert ``(increased by $32,491,000)''. Page 64, line 1, after the…

I thank the chairman of the subcommittee for the opportunity to offer this amendment. Mr. Chairman, prior to the enactment of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977, coal mining played an important role in the United States…

I thank the gentlewoman for those comments. My point is, though, that this actually takes $32 million and puts it like a laser on an area where we know that environmental damage is well documented and we have very effective public-private…

I am not sure. I appreciate the gentleman's opinion, but I don't see where Congress does not have input into a Federal highway, and that is what Interstate 80 is. It is approximately 311 miles. It is more than well-maintained. The cost of…

I made my arguments clear, and I yield back the balance of my time. The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson). The amendment was agreed to. The Acting CHAIR. It is now in…

As we prepare the next farm bill, I rise today to speak about the impact that agriculture has on the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, our farmers, our economy, and our communities. Agriculture is the number one industry in the Commonwealth of…

I would like to recognize a member of the medical community whom we recently lost. Today, I honor the life and memory of Dr. Howard Kirtland, who passed away last week after years of selfless service to his community and employees through…

Yesterday, I had the privilege of touring Pennsylvania's only State-owned 2-year technical college, Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, named after an individual, a former Member of Congress that served in the era of Abraham Lincoln in…

Last week the Nutrition Subcommittee hosted a hearing on how eligible SNAP participants can improve their education and labor force involvement as they aim for independence. Over the past 2\1/2\ years, the House Agriculture Committee has…

As chairman of the Nutrition Subcommittee, I rise today to speak about an important program that gives SNAP participants access to more fruits and vegetables. SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, helps provide low-income…

Saturday marked World Youth Skills Day. The United Nations General Assembly started this initiative to raise awareness about the importance of investing in youth skills development. Young people are almost three times more likely to be…

We strongly urge the Committee to at a minimum keep funding research at current levels.