Earlier this month, the Air Force announced that it would be retiring 65 C-130 aircraft, including seven planes at the 911^th Air Reserve Station – forcing the closure of the entire base.  

Congressman Critz: “Secretary Panetta, the Air Force recently announced force structure changes in light of the new National Defense strategy.  These changes included major aircraft reductions to both combat and mobility forces, and announced the closing of an Air Reserve Station in Pittsburgh, PA outside of the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process.  This base serves 1,400 active, reserve, and guard units of both the Navy and Air Force, and has tens of millions of dollars appropriated for improvements.  Can you tell me if the decision to close the base made in coordination with your office or with other stakeholders and how many other bases are being identified for unilateral Department of Defense closure outside of the BRAC process?”

Secretary Panetta: “Congressman, I really recommend that you ask the Chief of the Air Force that question because the decision to make that decision was in his hands as part of the strategy that was being implemented to fulfill the strategic goals that we are after.  On that specific decision, I would recommend that you ask him that question.”

Congressman Critz: “It plays actually into a larger role because as you know, and are aware, the Air Force restructuring plan proposes a reduction of 65 C-130 tactical airlifters – getting us to a total fleet projection of 318 aircraft.  Part of that is because we are going to be lowering the Army to a structure of about 490,000 members.  My concern is that pre-911 the Army was at about 480,000, so very similarly sized, and we had 530 C-130 tactical airlifters.  I’m just curious as to whether the Air Force’s new restructuring plan is realistic given previous demands for tactical airlift and future demands in this new strategy.  Can you elaborate on any of this Mr. Secretary or General Dempsey?”

General Dempsey: “I cannot elaborate on that specific issue except to say that the collaboration between the Air Force and the Army on their life requirements – that has been accomplished.  This is about accounting rules, so if you have x-number of airborne brigades, how much lift do you need?  X-number of ground combat brigades, how much lift do you need?  And those accounting rules have been adjusted over time based on lessons learned.”

Secretary Hale: “I would add that the C-130’s are very important to us, but all of our studies show that we have too many.  Frankly, what you’re seeing is adjusting in tough budget times to go down to, what we believe, are the minimum requirements to meet our wartime needs.”

Congressman Critz: “Part of my concern is that we are actually adding duties to the Air Force’s C-130’s, because they are going to be doing the C-27J lift as well.  Just as a sort of general idea, I look at the C-27J, it was going to be sort of the pick-up truck and the C-130 might be more like a tractor trailer truck.  I’m just curious if the C-130 is going to be able to get into the same airports as the C-27, and is it really a cost savings or are we going to start saying well we can’t get into these places so we’re going to up the tempo for the Chinook’s to do what the C-130’s can’t do.  My question is, long-term - this is a short-term savings - is it also a long-term savings?  Have we looked at the 20-30 year life cycle of these aircraft? 

Secretary Panetta: “I think they have looked at the long-term savings that will be achieved here.  Part of the goal in developing our strategy was obviously to ensure that we had not only agility and ability to deploy quickly, but that what we were using was multi-mission and designed to accomplish a series of missions, not just one.  The problem with that one aircraft was that it was kind of single mission oriented, and that’s why I think the Air Force recommended that we move towards the C-130’s.”

Congressman Critz: “I’ve just heard from some of my Army friends that they like the greens, they like the same uniform and the aircraft above them, and it makes them a little more comfortable....”

General Dempsey: “That shocks me Congressman, for the record.” (Laughter)

Congressman Critz: “My last question, in the very short amount of time, is that we’ve used the National Guard at a level in the last ten years in OIF/OEF that we’ve never seen in the past.  The future defense plan, does it maintain that same tempo of use of the National Guards, or are we going to see a much less use of National Guards in forward operations?”

General Dempsey: “What we do sir is we respond to the demands.  So, as the Combatant Commands put a demand on the system, the Service Chiefs meet it.  The answer to your question is we will have active component and notably Guard and Reserve in an R4 gen cycle that meets the demand.  If the demand goes down, there will be fewer then demanded.”

China’s Ministry of Commerce recently announced that China will levy antidumping and countervailing duties on imports from the United States of some vehicles with engine capacities over 2.5 liters.  Before these new duties took effect on December 15, 2011, already existing taxes and duties could add 25 percent or more to the cost of an American vehicle imported to China.  The new antidumping and countervailing duties could add up to 21.5 percent and 12.9 percent respectively to the cost of imported American vehicles, making them significantly less competitive in the Chinese market.

“American workers are the best in the world and we must allow them to compete on a level playing field,” wrote the lawmakers.  “…your Administration must continue working to help American manufacturers fight foreign trade barriers, boost exports, and create jobs.”

Earlier this month, Congressman Critz wrote to United States Trade Representative (USTR) Ronald Kirk calling for the immediate initiation of a WTO dispute on this matter.  Critz said, “In the last decade alone, six million American manufacturing jobs and 55,000 plants have been lost.  We must stop China’s abusive practices that cost countless American jobs and contribute to our enormous trade deficit.  Stronger U.S. manufacturing will help keep America a place of world-leading innovation with a strong middle class.”

In September 2010, Critz urged the Obama Administration to begin an immediate investigation into China’s wind power equipment subsidies.  An investigation by the USTR was initiated on October 15, 2010 and in June 2011 China ended these subsidies.   

“We count on our firefighters and first responders to protect our homes and loved ones, and they need to know that they can count on us,” commented Congressman Critz.  “I’m proud to support legislation that supports them.”

Critz is an original co-sponsor of H.R. 2269, The Fire Grants Reauthorization Act, which reauthorizes the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) federal grant programs.  Through this grant program, millions of dollars have been distributed to local fire departments, assisting them with the resources to obtain new equipment, training and personnel. 

Critz is also a co-sponsor of H.R 1348, The Fire Police Fairness Act.  This legislation would extend public safety officer death benefits to fire police.  Fire police officers provide unique and varying emergency response services in several states, including Pennsylvania.  Because there is no uniform national designation for fire police, many of these public servants face additional hurdles in accessing benefits that other public safety officers receive.  H.R. 1348 would ensure fair treatment of fire police within the Public Safety Officer’s Benefit (PSOB) program, clarifying their eligibility for benefits.

Critz is a co-sponsor of H.R. 376, the Volunteer Emergency Services Recruitment and Retention Act, which clarifies the treatment of length-of-service award programs (LOSAPs) by amending the Internal Revenue Code.  LOSAPs are similar to pensions, and nearly 20 percent of the nation’s volunteer firefighters participate in some form of a LOSAP.  This legislation would make it easier for communities to provide such financial incentives to emergency-service volunteers – helping with retaining and recruiting members.

Critz is also a co-sponsor of H.R. 607, The Broadband for First Responders Act, which will strengthen the communication capabilities of America’s first responders by reallocating the portion of the communications spectrum referred to as “D Block” for public safety.  This legislation ensures that first responders have a secure, reliable, and up-to-date wireless broadband network. 

China’s Ministry of Commerce recently announced that China will levy antidumping and countervailing duties on certain U.S. vehicle imports.  The tariffs will be applied to passenger cars and sports utility vehicles with engine capacities of 2.5 liters or more. 

Congressman Critz, who noted that China is now the world’s largest auto market, called these duties, “unacceptable and unjustified - the latest in a continued pattern of unfair trade practices by the Chinese government.”

In a letter today to United States Trade Representative (USTR) Ronald Kirk, Critz said, “In the last decade alone, six million American manufacturing jobs and 55,000 plants have been lost.  We must stop China’s abusive practices that cost countless American jobs and contribute to our enormous trade deficit.  Stronger U.S. manufacturing will help keep America a place of world-leading innovation with a strong middle class.”

Just last week, a new report by the Economic Policy Institute showed that more than 400,000 jobs in the U.S. auto supply chain have been lost since 2000 and another 1.6 million are at risk unless China’s illegal trading practices are curtailed.  The report cites $27.5 billion in government subsidies to the Chinese auto-parts industry from 2001 to 2011, contributing to a surge in China’s exports of products including tires, engines, electrical and electronic equipment, and others.

In September 2010, Critz urged the Obama Administration to begin an immediate investigation into China’s wind power equipment subsidies.  An investigation by the USTR was initiated on October 15, 2010 and in June 2011 China ended these subsidies.   

“Last year, Congress required the Defense Department to cut defense spending by $487 billion over the next ten years.  While I understand the current budget strains, the Air Force’s decision to close the 911^th is a significant blow to western Pennsylvania and I will work with my colleagues to fight this decision.”  

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The House Small Business Committee Subcommittee on Agriculture, Energy and Trade held a hearing today entitled, “The Future of the Family Farm: The Effect of Proposed DOL Regulations on Small Business Producers.”

The purpose of the hearing was to examine the effects of new regulations announced on September 2, 2011, by the U.S. Department of Labor for the employment of youths on farming and ranching operations.  The hearing examined these rules so that Members of the Committee could have a better understanding of their potential effect on small business farm operations as well as youths working in or training for occupations in agriculture.

Congressman Mark S. Critz (PA-12), the Ranking Democrat on the Subcommittee, invited Blairsville farmer Rick Ebert, to testify.  Mr. Ebert is Vice President of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau and the 1983 recipient of the Westmoreland County Conservation Award. 

Congressman Critz provided the following opening statement for the hearing:

“Across America, farming is not just a source of food, but a way of life. In my home state of Pennsylvania, there are more than 63,000 farms, and more than 90 percent are family-owned and operated.  This means that while they bring food to the nation’s table, they also are an essential ingredient to rural economies, driving employment, innovation, and the quality of life.  Making sure that this remains so is a top priority of mine.

“Central to family farming is the notion that children and local youths can participate in the agricultural way of life. For many, this may mean milking cows, cultivating a field, or repairing a barn.  The skills and the responsibility these adolescents receive at such a young age help them become trustworthy and hard-working adults.  Instilling such values is just as much a part of the family farm as is harvesting crops.

“In this regard, farmers have always prioritized health and safety in their fields and silos.  Doing so not only safeguards their very own families, but also is necessary if they want to be successful. 

“With this in mind, it is unfortunate that the Department of Labor’s proposed regulation on child labor in agriculture could undermine much of what makes family farms so special.  If enacted, the rule would equate agricultural labor with non-agricultural labor, something that makes no sense to anyone that has ever stepped foot in a rural community. 

“Until yesterday, the most concerning part of the regulation was the narrowness in how DOL defines “family farm.”  While it is promising that the agency has decided to re-propose this portion of the rule, works still needs to be done.

“The matter at hand concerns the parental exemption from the regulation.  Current law provides an exclusion for farms owned by a parent.  This has generally been interpreted to include arrangements where the parent has an ownership interest, such as a partnership or a corporation.  Such instances are fairly common among family farms, as multi-generational families – including grandparents, uncles, and aunts – may operate one entity instead of several. 

“This is no trivial matter as Pennsylvania alone has nearly 5,000 family-held corporations and partnerships.  Re-proposing this aspect of the rule is a step in the right direction – and if done properly, will ensure that children can continue to work on the very family-owned farms as the generations before them have done. 

“In rural communities, farms are also centers of learning.  In many areas of agriculture hands-on experience in critical.  No longer will 14 and 15 year old children be able to readily participate in many aspects of farming operations, potentially short-changing their careers.  This change is ironic because during a period of high unemployment, particularly in rural communities, we should be expanding vocational education opportunities, not restricting them.

“At the center of the rule are changes to DOL’s Hazardous Occupation orders.  These orders provide the limits on what tasks adolescents can perform on a farm.  While unchanged since 1970, a review is reasonable.  However, in several instances the DOL has gone too far.  Prohibiting children under 16 from using power-driven machinery, whether self-propelled or not, could restrict their access to nearly all aspects of farming, such as harvesting crops, repair work, or raising animals.  Such a ban would be a real burden of farmers, who often rely on local youth to fill many jobs.

“Similarly broad terminology is used to prohibit work in storage facilities and on construction projects.  This would mean silos, but could also mean barns, which are used to store hay or animals.  While the intent may be appropriate, in practice it will end up limiting youth employment in historically non-hazardous and educational fields.

“Together, the DOL’s rules are a step back for family farmers and the communities that they support.  The reality is that farms are unique operations and with this comes a wide-range of tasks that you would not see in a retailer, restaurant, or office.  We have to be mindful of these differences and not simply regulate it as we would any other industry. Breaking the intergenerational bond among family farmers and increasing red tape on them is a risky proposition.  In the end, it could ultimately result in lower employment in rural areas and even higher food prices across the country.

“Family-owned farms are a critical part of America, putting dinner on the table, but also serving as a linchpin for so many of our communities.  As a key provider of jobs and education, they are central to our economy and we need to give the tools and resource they need to succeed, rather than burden them with more red tape.

“I want to thank all of the witnesses for traveling here today and I look forward to their testimony.”

“The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program helps millions of struggling families to make ends meet, but it’s outrageous that some recipients have abused this benefit.  The waste and abuse must stop, which is why I voted for today’s legislation.

“While fixing this issue is a step in the right direction, we cannot ignore the real problem – addressing poverty in this country and focusing on creating family-sustaining jobs so we can move people off the welfare rolls.  I look forward to working with my colleagues to do just that.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- With the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure set to markup the surface transportation bill this week, Congressman Mark S. Critz (PA-12) sent this letter to Chairman John Mica (FL-07) today, urging him to repeal the current toll credit language so that states can count toll credits as the required match for transportation projects in the Appalachian Development Highway System (ADHS). 

The 2005 federal transportation bill contained language that modified how the non-federal portion of transportation projects could be financed.  As a result, toll credits could no longer be utilized as part of the non-federal funding for ADHS.  This meant that dozens of highway construction projects throughout the Appalachian region – projects like the completion of US 219 from Somerset to I-68 – were stopped because of this language. 

“By investing in transportation infrastructure like road and highway construction, we put Americans back to work and provide our local communities with the tools they need to attract new businesses and economic growth,” said Critz.  “Because of the diligent work of many local officials, we’ve kept the Somerset to Meyersdale piece of 219 alive.  But one major hurdle remains before the funds for this project are secure – which is why I am fighting to ensure that the current negotiations on the transportation bill include a repeal of the toll credit language.  Doing so will ensure that this, and many other important transportation projects, can move forward.”

Last year, Critz testified, and sent this letter to the House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit on the need to repeal the toll credit language in the next surface transportation reauthorization bill.  In April, he introduced H.R. 1544, the Corridor N Extension Act of 2011.  This bill would extend Corridor N (US Route 219) of the Appalachian Development Highway System (ADHS) from its current northern terminus at Corridor M (US Route 22) in Ebensburg to Corridor T (I-86) near Salamanca, New York.  By extending Corridor N north, Route 219 would be eligible for ADHS money to develop the road as a multilane freeway.

The ADHS is a program of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), and was created to connect underserved communities in Appalachia with adequate highway infrastructure.  Because of the region’s terrain, it was difficult to connect many cities and towns to the original interstate system, and through providing money for the development of highways in Appalachia, the ADHS has helped to economically develop the region.  The ADHS has helped to develop US 219 in Cambria and Somerset Counties, and has also aided in developing other highways throughout Pennsylvania. 

“As President Obama said, this is a make or break moment for the American middle class.  American workers and American innovators are still the best in the world.  Let’s work together to make sure that they remain the best by leveling the playing field, promoting fair trade, ending foreign currency manipulation, tapping our domestic energy resources, and enacting commonsense solutions that create American jobs and strengthen American families."

Congressman Critz is an active member of the Democratic Whip’s Make It In America Task Force; whose plan would help revitalize American industry and innovation, create jobs and grow the economy by restoring our manufacturing industry and cultivating an environment for more businesses to make products here in the U.S.  The agenda is based on the conviction that when more products are made in America, more families will be able to make it in America.