Tom Rice

The families of anyone who perishes while wearing the uniform--whether on an IDT status or active duty status--deserves to have their survivor benefits calculated with consistency and equity.

Utilizing the H-2B program is a time-consuming and costly process which involves several agencies.

So just so I can be crystal clear about this, if somebody elects to participate in the H-2B program, then the Department of Labor sets the wage rate they have to pay.

The simple fact of the matter is we do not have the number of American workers to fill those jobs during the peak season, and we simply have to utilize the H-2B visa program.

We hear on this Committee a lot about the amount of red tape and bureaucracy that hurts small businesses from developing, from growing, and I really want to make sure that we are doing everything we can to reduce or eliminate it.

Employers that cannot find American workers to fill these seasonal jobs rely on H-2B visa programs to supplement their local workforce.

Our small businesses in the tourism industry need to significantly increase their workforce during peak seasons.

Thank you Chairman Rice for this opportunity to appear before your subcommittee.

it is a real serious crux issue for this country.

we have got to get ourselves out of the way and get these infrastructure projects built

I think we are feeling a little bit in that regard not because of your efforts but because of ours, and infrastructure is the key to that.

Obviously, we are not doing something right. Do you guys have any suggestions for how we can make our American commercial fleet more competitive in the world?

There needs to be a balance between, you know, regulation and cost.

Gosh, we need to reexamine this. We are doing something very, very clearly wrong.

I guess, you know, the definition of 'insanity' is to keep doing the same thing and expect a different outcome.

What I want to do is change whatever that is to make us more competitive.

I would like to get our volume up.

I think that is a very sad commentary. Are any of those going to be flagged in the United States? Any of them?

Seems like the Jones Act is--it seems like we are backing up. I mean, clearly, this is not working. What can we do? How can we make ourselves more competitive?

We are the greatest Nation on Earth. And to sit here and watch our industry die makes absolutely no sense to me.

I don't think I have ever seen a more clear example of a failure of a protectionist policy, and I really don't want to sit here and continue what we are doing and watch our maritime industry disappear.

I want to start out by saying I ran a small business for 25 years before entering Congress, and I always carried health insurance on my employees. But the required coverages under ObamaCare are far in excess of the coverage I ever carried…

This may be the 37th time that the House has taken up the repeal of ObamaCare, but this is my first time; and I and the constituents that sent me here want my vote recorded to repeal this poorly crafted, job-killing law. Last week…

Complying with that is too expensive, too time-consuming and it forces businesses overseas.

I am real concerned about American competitiveness. And I have got some graphs and figures here that show that, you know, in fact regulations have just ballooned in the last 4 years, growing by, you know, 30, 40 percent.