E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 115 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION

Vol. 163 WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2017 No. 177 House of Representatives The House met at 10 a.m. and was about opportunities in their commu- board meeting where the topic of ro- called to order by the Speaker pro tem- nity that allow for civic engagement bots was discussed. As a member of a pore (Mr. MARSHALL). and encourage citizens to volunteer to small competition group, we were able f help with local challenges. to present our success and the benefit Today, I would like to share a por- of curriculum that includes new tech- DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO tion of Michelle’s essay: nology. One month later, it was an- TEMPORE ‘‘When I hear the word ‘civic,’ I think nounced that a robotics class will be The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- of governmental duties. I understand offered in the upcoming school year. fore the House the following commu- my duty as an American citizen to This will allow even more students to nication from the Speaker: vote, obey laws, pay taxes, and serve enhance their education and perhaps WASHINGTON, DC, on juries. These activities all involve encourage new career choices. November 1, 2017. one person: yourself. In reality, our civic engagement as Americans ex- ‘‘In my community, the civic engage- I hereby appoint the Honorable ROGER W. ments do not stop on the political MARSHALL to act as Speaker pro tempore on pands beyond a single individual and this day. encompasses entire communities. The level. One of the most prominent forms PAUL D. RYAN, definition of a civic engagement is an of civic engagement I see in my com- Speaker of the House of Representatives. activity that includes both paid and munity that is not related to politics is f unpaid forms of political activism, the placing of wreaths on the grave- stones of fallen soldiers for Memorial MORNING-HOUR DEBATE environmentalism, and service. As I look at my community, it is apparent Day. Citizens from all over town come The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- that we have a lot of civic engage- together the weekend before Memorial ant to the order of the House of Janu- ments. Day and walk through the entire ceme- ary 3, 2017, the Chair will now recog- ‘‘As with most towns, mine has a city tery adorning and honoring the heroes nize Members from lists submitted by council that holds meetings and elec- of our country. This event is not for the majority and minority leaders for tions for positions on the council. publicity or money but instead is for morning-hour debate. These elections are open to every mem- respecting our veterans. Additionally, The Chair will alternate recognition ber of the city and are an excellent way it is for the betterment of our commu- between the parties. All time shall be for citizens to have a say in the politics nity by presenting a beautiful scene to equally allocated between the parties, of the town. Just as the elections are those passing by.’’ and in no event shall debate continue open to all citizens so are the weekly Michelle goes on to write: beyond 11:50 a.m. Each Member, other meetings. A unique feature about my ‘‘Onlookers can also be mesmerized than the majority and minority leaders town’s council meetings is that they by the beauty of the mountainous rural and the minority whip, shall be limited are televised on a local channel. For in- area. Unfortunately, garbage and litter to 5 minutes. dividuals who are unable to physically on the side of roads and highways is so f be present at the meeting or have com- mitments that require attention, this commonplace that most individuals do CONGRATULATING MICHELLE televised version provides a perfect so- not even do a double-take when they BAUER lution to keep abreast of the issues af- see it. The highway through my town The SPEAKER pro tempore. The fecting our citizens. is an area where individuals think it is Chair recognizes the gentleman from ‘‘Along with a local city council, it is acceptable to throw garbage out of Pennsylvania (Mr. THOMPSON) for 5 also a civic duty of individuals in my their vehicles or litter the sides of the minutes. community to vote and participate in road with cigarette butts and wrappers. Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. elections and meetings at the school For the past 7 years, I have been a part Mr. Speaker, last week, I congratu- district level. Anyone is able to run for of the National Honor Society highway lated St. Marys Area High School stu- a position on the school board as well cleanup. Every spring and fall, the so- dent Michelle Bauer on winning first as attend the meetings. For me, our ciety walks the sides of the roads pick- place in the 34th annual Pennsylvania school board is a great way of civic in- ing up trash and making our town look Municipal League high school essay volvement because the board is inter- beautiful.’’ contest. ested in new opportunities that can be Mr. Speaker, this is just a portion of Participants were asked to reflect on incorporated into the education of our Michelle’s essay, and I include in the the theme ‘‘Civics and You’’ by writing youth. Just recently, I attended a RECORD the full essay.

b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor.

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34TH ANNUAL PENNSYLVANIA MUNICIPAL required the assistance of a fire department. lenges and create a better community for all LEAGUE HIGH SCHOOL ESSAY CONTEST WINNER The fire department is a critical part of a of its members. 1ST PLACE HIGH SCHOOL ESSAY WINNER: city keeping fires at bay and lending a hand Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. MICHELLE BAUER—ST. MARYS AREA HIGH wherever needed. In my community, these Mr. Speaker, I will close with her final SCHOOL people work tirelessly day in and day out for the good of the community. Much of their paragraph: When I hear the word civic, I think of gov- assistance is not what would be depicted as ‘‘Civic engagements are abundant in ernmental duties. I understand my duty as heroic but rather, responding to flooding our community. From the local fire- an American citizen to vote, obey laws, pay issues, weather related emergencies, traffic man’s pancake breakfast to the city taxes, and serve on juries. These activities control, helicopter landing zones, and all involve one person: yourself. In reality, council meetings, civic activities are searching for missing hunters in addition to our civic engagement as Americans expands occurring all around us. It is the obli- the rescue and fire calls. They are all volun- gation of the citizens to engage in beyond a single individual and encompasses teers that give up their precious time as a entire communities. The definition of a civic civic duty to their community without ex- these activities to assist with local engagement is an activity that includes both pecting recognition. We, the rest of the com- challenges and create a better commu- paid and unpaid forms of political activism, munity, have a duty to help support these nity for all of its members.’’ environmentalism, and service. As I look at people. One of the best ways to do this is to Mr. Speaker, I couldn’t agree more. my community, it is apparent that we have attend their pancake breakfasts that are f a lot of civic engagements. used as a fundraiser. I am not a huge fan of As with most towns, mine has a city coun- pancakes and sausage so instead of helping DOWN SYNDROME cil that holds meetings and elections for po- the firefighters out by purchasing a meal, I sitions on the council. These elections are The SPEAKER pro tempore. The volunteer to serve the meals to customers. It Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from open to every member of the city and are an is the civic duty of individuals in my city to excellent way for citizens to have a say in attend this pancake breakfast and show sup- California (Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD) for 5 the politics of the town. Just as the elections port to the members of this department who minutes. are open to all citizens so are the weekly tirelessly serve and assist us. Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, meetings. A unique feature about my town’s Reporting for standby at a yearly event in last week, the Labor-HHS Appropria- council meetings is that they are televised July is another aspect of service that our tions Subcommittee had a most re- on a local channel. For individuals who are firefighters join their community for. There markable hearing on Down syndrome, unable to physically be present at the meet- are loud BOOMS echoing across the city and which moved us to a new under- ing or have commitments that require atten- suddenly bright orbs of colorful lights burst- tion, this televised version provides a perfect ing in the sky. This grand spectacle en- standing of this disability. solution to keep abreast of the issues affect- trances onlookers for half an hour with its DS is a genetic disorder that affects ing our citizens. bright lights and fun designs. A Fourth of over 300,000 men, women, and children Along with a local city council, it is also a July fireworks display like this costs money. in America. It is the most common civic duty of individuals in my community Every year, our city struggles to come up chromosomal disorder and the most to vote and participate in elections and with the funds needed to purchase fireworks. frequent genetic cause of learning dis- meetings at the school district level. Anyone Businesses around the town make it their abilities in children. is able to run for a position on the school civic duty to help by setting out donation Each year, approximately 6,000 babies board as well as attend the meetings. For cans in their businesses. The local Dairy me, our school board is a great way for civic Queen even has a day where 30% of the prof- in the United States are born with involvement because the board is interested its from every blizzard purchased go to the Down syndrome, a condition resulting in new opportunities that can be incor- city fireworks fund. As citizens in the com- from an extra 21st chromosome. Sixty porated into the education of our youth. Just munity, it is our duty to go to Dairy Queen years ago, people with DS had a life ex- recently, I attended a board meeting where on this day and purchase a blizzard as well as pectancy of less than 20 years, and the topic of robots was discussed. As a mem- make donations in the cans set up at local most lived their lives in institutions. ber of a small competition group, we were businesses. Eating ice cream is certainly an Today, due to early medical care and able to present our success and the benefit of enjoyable way to carry out a civic duty. The being raised in loving homes, these curriculum that includes new technology. July show has been an important part of our One month later, it was announced that a ro- community for many years thanks to the nu- children can expect to live well into botics class will be offered in the upcoming merous supporters. their sixties. school year. This will allow even more stu- We have many such events traced back in Last week’s hearing was one of the dents to enhance their education and per- our records. Local history is like the heart of most emotionally charged and inspira- haps encourage new career choices. the human body. It shapes us, powers our tional hearings I can recall as a mem- In my community, the civic engagements being, and makes us unique. Without his- ber of this subcommittee. The room do not stop on the political level. One of the tory, individuals would not even be alive. A was filled with children and adults most prominent forms of civic engagement I great example would be the Forty-Second see in my community that is not related to Pennsylvania Volunteer Regiment with DS and their families, including politics is the placing of wreaths on the (Bucktails) who were part of the Civil War. my young constituent, Jose Cisneros. gravestones of fallen soldiers for Memorial These rugged woodsmen were skilled marks- Amidst the tears, laughter, and ap- Day. Citizens from all over town come to- men and ideally suited to the challenges of plause, we heard inspiring stories gether the weekend before Memorial Day and battle. Stories say that this group was so in- about the amazing accomplishments of walk through the entire cemetery adorning fluential in fighting the war at Gettysburg DS teens and young adults in sports, and honoring the heroes of our country. This that the entire outcome could have been dif- scouting, community activism, and event is not for publicity or money but in- ferent without them. The grit and deter- film acting. stead is for respecting our veterans. Addi- mination of our local ancestors remains in tionally, it is for the betterment of our com- current day lineage within our community. We learned that they are graduating munity by presenting a beautiful scene to By knowing local history, members of the from high schools, attending colleges, those passing by. community have a sense of pride and can and working at jobs in their commu- Onlookers can also be mesmerized by the even feel at ease understanding that future nities. beauty of the mountainous rural area. Unfor- generations will uphold the same virtues. My And, most importantly, we saw how tunately, garbage and litter on the side of town has a Historical Society that is free to these young Americans are teaching roads and highways is so commonplace that enter and accepts donations of local artifacts our country about the value of diver- most individuals do not even do a double- and history. As a member of the community, sity and inclusion, while at the same take when they see it. The highway through it is my civic engagement to donate any my town is an area where individuals think pieces of history I have so that others may time increasing the happiness it is acceptable to throw garbage out of their benefit from it as well. It is also the duty of quotients of those lucky enough to be vehicles or litter the sides of the road with our community to visit the Historical Soci- in their very wide circle of friends. cigarette butts and wrappers. For the past ety and learn about our heritage and how we We also learned some very surprising seven years, I have been a part of the Na- can use the skills of our people to better our and amazing facts about Down syn- tional Honor Society highway cleanup. society just like the Bucktails did in the drome. Researchers told us that indi- Every spring and fall, the society walks the Civil War. viduals with DS are medically very sides of the roads picking up trash and mak- Civic engagements are abundant in our special. On the one hand, they are ing our town look beautiful. community. From the local fireman’s pan- Volunteering to pick up the litter is not cake breakfast to the city council meetings, highly predisposed to autoimmune dis- the only way to carry out civic responsi- civic activities are occurring all around us. orders such as thyroid disease and bility. Everybody has either witnessed or di- It is the obligation of the citizens to engage rheumatoid arthritis; children with DS rectly experienced an accident or fire that in these activities to assist with local chal- are 50 times more likely to develop

VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:38 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A01NO7.002 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8299 childhood leukemia, and virtually all felt like all of her dreams had come her, and the local law enforcement adults with DS will develop the brain true, so she eagerly accepted. didn’t help her. pathology of Alzheimer’s by the age of She pulled out of her driveway with b 1015 40. her packed clothes and hockey gear, But they also said that due to a but she could have never known that in In Megan’s case, because she was small difference in their genetic make- a few days her life would change for- alone and abandoned by all three of up, persons with Down syndrome are ever. She could not have foreseen how those entities, when she returned to naturally protected from heart disease, a lifetime of hard work and ambition Texas, she later committed suicide. Anyway, after the rape of Silvana, high blood pressure, and most solid-tis- would suddenly disappear tragically. the university left Silvana to pick up Like all new students, she was eager sue cancers. Researchers said studying the pieces of her shattered life. She was to immerse herself in her new college these unique genetics could help dis- traumatized and depressed. Claiming life. On the third day at the university, cover ways to prevent or cure diseases that she wasn’t stable enough, the Silvana went to a house party with such as cancer, autoimmune disorders, hockey coach removed her from the and Alzheimer’s disease. some new friends she met. But, after team. She never played a single game With such promising potential, one two drinks, she began to feel dizzy, of hockey in college. She withdrew would think the Federal Government numb, and lethargic. She quickly lost from the University of Connecticut would invest heavily in Down syn- the ability to walk, and she became shortly thereafter, but her rapist drome research. Unfortunately, what very ill. As she drifted out of con- stayed on his hockey team and played we learned was that over the last two sciousness, a male hockey player at the for the university. Silvana had to suc- decades, DS has been one of the least party instructed others to carry her to cessfully sue the university to get jus- funded genetic conditions at the NIH. his bedroom. When she woke up, she tice. She had to take the matter to This hearing left no doubt about the found him on top of her, sexually as- court, where society and our justice need for a significant and sustained in- saulting her. system should have helped her ini- vestment in Down syndrome research. She immediately turned to the uni- tially. A trans-NIH DS initiative could help versity for help and reported the as- Mr. Speaker, rape is never the fault not only find answers and cures for DS, sault at The Women’s Center. But the of the victim, yet Silvana felt that she but discover its mysteries, which could counselor did not tell her to call the was the one being blamed for what hap- answer questions about other serious police, advise her to press charges, or pened to her. and life-threatening diseases. help her in any way. We as a society must demand our While the benefits of DS research are Silvana then went to the on-campus universities and hospitals protect and unquestionable, it will take time to re- doctor. But instead of treating her like care for sexual assault victims. No alize its full potential. In the mean- a victim and offering her the care and longer should they be allowed to suffer time, we must ensure those living with support she needed, the doctor told her alone and be abandoned. No more ex- DS can access and afford high-quality, that he didn’t want to know who as- cuses. coordinated healthcare and the long- saulted her. Get this, Mr. Speaker: the And that is just the way it is. term services and support they need to doctor told her, the remedy was for her f live productive lives in their commu- to transfer to another university. This REPUBLICAN TAX PLAN nities. is awful. Medicaid long-term supports and One in five women on our university The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Medicaid community-based services campuses are sexually assaulted. Of Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from gives them that opportunity by ena- those, less than 25 percent even report Wisconsin (Ms. MOORE) for 5 minutes. Ms. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I rise bling them to maintain gainful em- the rape. today under the ‘‘E Pluribus Unum’’ to ployment and stay in their homes and It took an extraordinary amount of give voice to the elderly, the children, in their communities. Sadly, across our courage for Silvana to report that sex- the disabled, the most vulnerable who country, thousands of people with ual assault, especially to multiple peo- are once again facing your proposal, Down syndrome are on very long wait- ple she didn’t even know. She was of- Mr. Speaker, to rip healthcare and the ing lists for those services. fered no help or no support by anyone. She was alone, and she felt it. safety net from them. As lawmakers, we have an obligation Is this the best you can do, Mr. The doctor wasn’t trained to deal to find a bipartisan way to protect and Speaker, to once again, over and over with rape victims and made it clear he expand Medicaid services so all individ- again, propose this legislation to cut wanted nothing more to do with uals with DS and other debilitating trillions of dollars from Medicaid and Silvana. The university clearly viewed diseases have access to the lifelong Medicare to fund tax cuts for corpora- Silvana as a burden, just another sta- interventions and support they need. tions and for billionaires, and to do tistic they didn’t want to deal with. The time has come for this country this, to slam this through the House Mr. Speaker, universities in the to embrace the gift and potential that without transparency? Down syndrome brings to our society. United States should be required to Mr. Speaker, Republicans like to call The 300,000-plus Americans living with have a victim advocate on staff, a sex- me a ‘‘tax and spend liberal,’’ but DS today want and deserve the same ual assault victim advocate. Also, to today we see this GOP fiscal plan as opportunities available to all of us: to ensure that this doesn’t happen to another ‘‘borrow and spend to pay for live a full life and to reach their true more victims at hospitals, I have intro- billionaires tax cuts.’’ potential. duced legislation that would require a Now, the Wharton School and the f hospital to provide access to a staffer— Goldman Sachs studies both show that, it is called a SAFE, sexual assault fo- at best, this plan would produce a pal- CARE FOR UNIVERSITY RAPE rensic examiner—who is trained to pro- VICTIMS try one-tenth, maybe two-tenths of 1 vide care and be sensitive to trauma percent growth, but we all know that it The SPEAKER pro tempore. The rape victims, or have a plan to get that will increase the national debt by tril- Chair recognizes the gentleman from victim to a nearby hospital that does. lions of dollars. Texas (Mr. POE) for 5 minutes. Universities and nearby hospitals need This is a horrible investment, a hor- Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, ever to work together to make sure that rible return, a negative return on in- since she was a little girl, Silvana rape victims are treated appropriately vestment. It is a terrible process. This loved to play hockey. In her Massachu- when they are assaulted on campus. is terrible legislation. It will produce setts hometown, hockey was more of a The bill that I just mentioned is terrible results for the overwhelming way of life than just a sport. named the Megan Rondini Act. It is in majority of Americans, especially the Her parents knew she was talented, honor of a college sexual assault vic- millions who rely on Medicaid and and supported her dream to play even tim on the University of Alabama cam- Medicare. in college. When she was offered a pus, who was a Texas student, who was Now, here is the deal, Mr. Speaker, scholarship in 2011, to be the goalie for denied access to post-rape treatment at that you are trying to push: if Ameri- the University of Connecticut, Silvana a hospital. The university didn’t help cans are willing to give billionaires

VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:38 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.003 H01NOPT1 H8300 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 windfall tax cuts today and also trade teach our children the value of practice The LGBT senior population is grow- their health security and safety net, and perseverance, and they teach our ing and is estimated to include nearly then you, Mr. Speaker, will give aver- kids how to compete with honor, dig- 6 million Americans by 2030. Unfortu- age Americans the empty promise of nity, and how to win with grace. nately, the same generation of LGBT wage growth tomorrow and you will be A good coach guides our kids along people who fought for rights in the able to file your taxes on a postcard. the road to success, which is why I am workplace, equal marriage, and soci- I say ‘‘empty promises’’ because so happy that we have a coach like etal recognition are once again studies and our experience have shown Skip Dolan in our community. We can marginalized as they age. that this unicorn of wage growth from never thank him enough for working LGBT seniors have fewer support tax cuts will never, in fact, happen. It with and teaching our kids, and we services, higher poverty rates, more so- is reminiscent, Mr. Speaker, of the congratulate him on this incredible cial isolation, and inadequate access to gluttonous Wimpy in the ‘‘Popeye’’ honor. healthcare services compared to the cartoon: ‘‘I will gladly pay you Tues- A RETIRING PUBLIC SERVANT rest of older Americans. One of the pri- day for a hamburger today.’’ Mr. EMMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise mary barriers to providing services to Now, this is a great plan if you are today to thank Monticello Public LGBT seniors is a basic lack of infor- rich. It is dollars for fool’s gold, but Schools Superintendent Jim Johnson mation. the American people are not fools, Mr. for his work and dedication to Min- The Older Americans Act, or OAA, Speaker, and that is why the Repub- nesota’s children. already requires the Administration on licans want to rush this through with After 18 years serving Monticello, 12 Aging to collect data on the individ- minimum transparency. of them spent as superintendent, Jim is uals receiving OAA services and the ef- This is madness. Trickle down has heading into a well-deserved retire- ficacy of OAA programs; but if we col- not worked, it does not work, and it ment. lected data on sexual orientation and will never work. We have got deficits Under Jim’s close supervision, gender identity, we could better under- under Reagan and under George W. schools within his district have pro- stand this population and provide serv- Bush to prove it. duced outstanding test scores, in- ices that best fit their needs. The tax cuts will not pay for them- creased graduation rates, and higher Unfortunately, the data we do have selves, Mr. Speaker. The tax cuts won’t enrollment in AP classes. He also shows that the poverty rate is higher magically produce increased salaries played an important role improving his for LGBT seniors, which is likely be- for workers. The tax plan will not lead district’s athletic facilities. cause many have faced discrimination to these claims of economic growth. Not only did Jim help better aca- while working, they have historically Mr. Speaker, we have all lived long demics at the schools under his careful been unable to legally marry, and they enough to know that these are all lies. watch, he also helped ensure that his have experienced gender and racial in- It is not even wishful thinking any- district’s students had everything they equalities. We also know that LGBT el- more, because we know better. needed to succeed in life. ders are less likely than their peers to Congress should not be considering Jim, we can’t thank you enough for have community support and care- tax cuts for the rich and opening up the work you have done to educate our takers to help them. even more tax loopholes. Mr. Speaker, kids. Our kids are our future, and be- I know from speaking with LGBT we cannot spin gold out of straw, and cause of you, our future is very bright. seniors that many fear discrimination that is what we have here. THE NEWEST SAUK RAPIDS AMBASSADORS when receiving home healthcare serv- This plan will make most Americans Mr. EMMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise ices. They are twice as likely to be sin- poorer and sicker, if not dead. I urge today to congratulate three young gle and four times more likely to not all my colleagues to reject this bill. women in my district who have earned have children. These are complex and Instead, Mr. Speaker, I urge my col- an exciting leadership role in the com- important issues that require a person- leagues to fortify our election system munity. alized solution. from Russian further interference; Bethlehem Kobluk, Brooklyn Harren, The bill I am introducing today with build new infrastructure, that is what and Madeline Bell have all been named Colorado Senator MICHAEL BENNET and creates jobs; fund the Child Health In- 2017 Sauk Rapids Community Ambas- Florida Representatives TED DEUTCH surance Program that Republicans let sadors. and CHARLIE CRIST would help bridge expire; ensure that all 31⁄2 million As community ambassadors, Beth- the gap between LGBT seniors and the American citizens in Puerto Rico and lehem, Brooklyn, and Madeline will services they need. the Virgin Islands can have access to participate in a 9-week program that The bill is named for Ruthie Berman water, power, and healthcare this holi- will help them develop their leadership and Connie Kurtz, who sued the New day season. That is what we should be skills by participating in activities York City Board of Education years doing. that engage the community. ago for domestic partner benefits, and f The people who end up making the won their landmark case in 1994. In the most difference in this world are the decades since, Ruthie and Connie have MINNESOTA’S NEW HALL OF continued their advocacy and fight as FAMER ones who show up for others. We want to congratulate these young champions of LGBT rights. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The women on their new roles and thank Our bill would amend the Older Chair recognizes the gentleman from them for their interest in making life Americans Act to improve services for Minnesota (Mr. EMMER) for 5 minutes. better for those around them. LGBT seniors and require data collec- Mr. EMMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise Thank you, Bethlehem, Brooklyn, tion on sexual orientation so better de- today to recognize a leader in our com- and Madeline, for showing up for Sauk cisions can be made. munity who has received a great honor. Rapids. I know you all have bright fu- Additionally, the bill would perma- Skip Dolan, the head boys basketball tures ahead, and we look forward to nently establish a National Resource coach for the Annandale Cardinals, was seeing what you will accomplish next. Center on LGBT Aging and provide inducted into the Minnesota Basket- f grants for organizations working to ball Coaches Hall of Fame in October. I improve LGBT services, including ac- am not going to go through all of his RUTHIE AND CONNIE LGBT ELDER cess to healthcare and long-term care. statistics, although they are quite im- AMERICANS The resource centers and the grants pressive. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The will help States and localities reach I think it is important that we note Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from out to LGBT older adults and provide that a good coach can have a major im- Oregon (Ms. BONAMICI) for 5 minutes. culturally competent support. pact on a kid’s life. Coaches don’t just Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I rise By requiring specific consideration teach a game to our kids, they ingrain today in support of the Ruthie and for LGBT seniors in the Older Ameri- important life skills in their minds. Connie LGBT Elder Americans Act, cans Act, we can provide needed sup- They teach our kids how to work with legislation I am introducing to support port to a vulnerable yet overlooked others and how to act as a team. They our country’s LGBT seniors. population.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:38 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.004 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8301 I thank my colleagues for their work GUN VIOLENCE IN LAS VEGAS talk about it, and then San Bernardino on this important issue, and I hope The SPEAKER pro tempore. The happened. We still couldn’t bring our- many others will join us in supporting Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from selves to discuss gun control, and then this bill to help our LGBT senior com- Washington (Ms. JAYAPAL) for 5 min- the Pulse nightclub shooting happened. munities. utes. ‘‘Lord knows we can’t do anything Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, I rise about guns, and then Las Vegas hap- f today because we do have a gun vio- pened. And we are still being told that lence epidemic in this country, and the now is not the time, let healing begin, ATLANTIC COAST YOUNG MARINES time to act is now. don’t politicize tragedy, but by all Exactly 1 month ago today, we wit- means send thoughts and prayers to all The SPEAKER pro tempore. The nessed one of the most horrific mass affected by ‘insert massacre here.’ Chair recognizes the gentleman from shootings in our country’s history, and ‘‘There is no place in society for any Florida (Mr. RUTHERFORD) for 5 min- Congress has done nothing. One month weapon which has the singular purpose utes. later, legislation on bump stocks has to kill people. The man who killed and Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker, I stalled. There is a deafening silence injured more than any massacre in rise today to ask the United States from the majority on any responsible America’s history broke the mold for House of Representatives to join me in actions on this public health crisis, who commits mass shootings. He would recognizing the Atlantic Coast Young even though, Mr. Speaker, a majority have easily passed a background check Marines and their hard work during of Americans, including responsible and psych evaluation. He was affluent Red Ribbon Week. gun owners, support responsible gun and had no known ties to terrorist or- The Florida regiment of Young Ma- safety legislation. ganizations, but he is certainly a ter- rines has performed more than 50,000 Today, Mr. Speaker, I rise to share a rorist. The system we have in place al- service hours since last October, with statement written by my constituent lowed him to accumulate dozens of as- more than 35,000 hours of community Zach Elmore, who is here with us this sault weapons and thousands of rounds service dedicated to our veterans. morning. Zach’s sister, Alicia Johnson, of ammunition because, for all intents As you can see, the Atlantic Coast was shot in Las Vegas. Thankfully, she and purposes, he was not a risk to soci- Young Marines and their fellow Young survived. This is what he wrote as he ety. Marines throughout Florida are very sat next to her hospital bed as she re- ‘‘Let’s keep in mind, the Second active in their local communities. covered: Amendment of the Constitution was Reduction of drug demand is a major ‘‘My sister was shot in Las Vegas. I written over 200 years ago when a good issue of the Young Marine program, have never been more afraid, more gunman might get three shots off a and Red Ribbon Week is an excellent angry in my entire life. The problem minute with a musket. It is hard for opportunity to recognize the Atlantic with shootings around the country is me to believe the Founding Fathers en- Coast Young Marines’ emphasis on this that, unless you know someone di- visioned a world where one man could mission. rectly affected, it is easy to say ‘what or would fire 400 rounds a minute into Red Ribbon Week is the oldest drug a tragedy,’ and move on with your a crowd of people. prevention program in the Nation, daily life. ‘‘This should not be difficult. How reaching millions of Americans during ‘‘It is not so easy when you are get- many people have to die before people the last week of October each year. By ting ready for bed and one of your sis- will apply a little logic to gun laws? Do wearing red ribbons and participating ters calls inconsolably crying to tell more children need to die? Does a hos- in community antidrug events, Young you that another one of your sisters pital need to be attacked? What is your Marines pledge to live a drug-free life has been shot. It is not so easy when limit? Does it have to happen to you or and pay tribute to DEA Special Agent you call your mother and she is terri- a loved one before you start to think Enrique ‘‘Kiki’’ Camarena. fied and crying and all you can do is differently about gun laws? Special Agent Camarena was a vet- try to calm her down while you figure ‘‘The people of this country have so eran of the DEA assigned to Guadala- out how to get to your sister as quickly much power. We have protested, pres- jara, Mexico, where he was on the trail as possible. It is not so easy to see your sured our Congressmen and -women, of the country’s biggest drug traf- brother-in-law with blood still on his and we have seen that work. Why can’t fickers. Because he was so close to hands from doing whatever he could to we do the same to reduce and hopefully unlocking a billion-dollar drug pipe- keep your sister alive. It is not so easy eliminate the insane amount of gun vi- line, he was kidnapped and murdered to see your sister in a hospital bed, un- olence in America? by drug traffickers. His tragic death able to move due to a gunshot wound ‘‘Excuse me for not being willing to opened the eyes of many Americans to in her back and staples in her stomach wait to let healing begin, for not ac- the dangerous illicit drug trade. from surgery to check for organ dam- cepting that now is not the time to Red Ribbon Week celebrates Agent age. We are among the luckiest ones. talk about a major problem in this Camarena’s life and his vision for a ‘‘I am sick and tired of thoughts and country. There is never a wrong time drug-free America. prayers. If thoughts and prayers had to stand up for what you think is right. Last week, the Atlantic Coast Young any affect whatsoever, there would be a ‘‘My sister was shot in Las Vegas in Marines honored his life through lot of people still alive today. All these the latest of a devastatingly long line events that helped reduce the demand thoughts and prayers would have mi- of mass shootings in this country. We for drugs throughout northeast Flor- raculously pulled bullets out of victims are luckier than 58 people and their ida. and healed wounds, would have stopped families, and likely luckier than many These young men and women who these massacres before they started. of the over 500 other people who were participate in this education and serv- ‘‘You know what is better than injured. If I don’t talk about it, if we ice program are known to be excellent thoughts and prayers and lines around don’t truly take steps to effect positive leaders inside and outside of the class- the block at blood banks and enormous change, everyone reading this will for- room. The Atlantic Coast Young Ma- relief funds for victims of tragedy? Cre- get it happened because they will be rines are a shining example of our First ating a society where we don’t have to sending thoughts and prayers to the Coast youth. do these things many times a year. victims of the next mass shooting in They also serve our veterans in nu- ‘‘We waited so long to do anything America.’’ merous ways, by cleaning yards, mak- after Columbine that Virginia Tech Mr. Speaker, that is the end of the ing hospital visits, and simply writing happened. We still couldn’t talk about excerpt of his letter. Zach’s family’s cards. Their dedication to community it when the Aurora theater shooting experience illustrates why it is crucial service and our veterans is a shining happened. That didn’t change any- for us to take a hard look at gun vio- example of noble selflessness. thing, and then 20 children were mur- lence policies. Mr. Speaker, I applaud the Atlantic dered at Sandy Hook. Even that wasn’t Mr. Speaker, I hope that we will, Coast Young Marines for their service enough to promote change. When across the aisle, in a bipartisan fash- to Florida’s First Coast community. Dylann Roof happened, still couldn’t ion, do what is right for the American

VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:38 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.005 H01NOPT1 H8302 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 people and protect families like Zach’s Ethiopian Orthodox Church located in UNDERSTANDING THE RYAN- across the country. Aurora, Colorado. Deacon Yoseph was MCCONNELL TAX GIVEAWAYS f raised in Ethiopia and has experienced The SPEAKER pro tempore. The the daily struggles too many Ethio- Chair recognizes the gentleman from THE GOVERNMENT OF ETHIOPIA pians have faced living in abject pov- HAS A HUMAN RIGHTS CRISIS California (Mr. CA´ RDENAS) for 5 min- erty under an oppressive government. utes. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Deacon Yoseph fled from Ethiopia in Mr. CA´ RDENAS. Mr. Speaker, it is a Chair recognizes the gentleman from 1976 and came to the United States as privilege and an honor to represent the Colorado (Mr. COFFMAN) for 5 minutes. a refugee. He and many of the members community of the San Fernando Valley Mr. COFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise of the Ethiopian community in my here in the United States Congress. I today to call attention to the Govern- congressional district of Colorado, in- think it is my duty and responsibility ment of Ethiopia’s continued pattern cluding the Oromo and Amharas, have to make sure that when something is of repression and violence against its worked diligently to organize and as- going on in Washington, people should own people, and I urge the House of sist those still suffering from repres- know what is going to happen to them Representatives to vote on H. Res. 128, sion in their home country. and how it affects them. the Supporting Respect for Human Oromo community president of Colo- I think it is really important for ev- Rights and Encouraging Inclusive Gov- rado, Jamal Said, has also shared his erybody to understand that right now ernance in Ethiopia resolution. concerns with me, and both of these in the workings—and it is probably This resolution calls on the Govern- gentlemen have no motives other than going to come to this floor in just a few ment of Ethiopia to take clear, deci- a concern about the safety and state of days—is the Speaker Ryan-McConnell sive steps towards becoming more in- democracy in Ethiopia. I appreciate tax giveaways to big corporations, clusive, more democratic, and more re- their leadership in the community as which will actually increase taxes for spectful of the basic human rights of they continue to fight for democracy in working families, working mothers and its own people. their homeland. fathers. This resolution has overwhelming bi- Unfortunately, stories like this are I think it is important for people to partisan support, with more than 70 co- not uncommon in my district, and I am understand that this is something that sponsors, and it passed out of the disappointed that the House has not is being sold as a middle-income tax House Foreign Affairs Committee yet scheduled a floor vote on H. Res. cut. Actually, what it is going to do is unanimously on July 27. 128. I note that on two prior occasions it is going to cut the take-home in- The ongoing human rights crisis in a vote was tentatively scheduled. In come to middle class families. Ethiopia is extremely troubling to me, both of these instances, it is my under- What it is going to mean is if you are to the resolution’s other cosponsors, standing that the vote was postponed a police officer or a teacher or a wait- the many Americans of Ethiopian her- due to pressure from the Ethiopian ress, you are going to see less money itage, and too numerous to list human Government, which continues to make every week. It might be $5 less a week, rights groups. I firmly believe that the promises to curb human rights abuses it might be $50 less a week, it might be passage of this resolution will encour- against their own people, but fail to de- $100. age the Ethiopian Government to end liver. Let me tell you, the opposite of what its practice of violence and repression Additionally, it has been brought to is going to happen should this become and provide a strong basis for an inclu- my attention that the Ethiopian Gov- law is that the biggest corporations in ernment has threatened to cut off secu- sive government. America are going to see $1 million less Specifically, this resolution con- rity cooperation with United States in taxes a week, maybe $50 million less demns the excessive use of force by should we proceed with H. Res. 128. in taxes paid a week, maybe $100 mil- I am particularly dismayed that Ethiopian security forces and the kill- lion less per week paid in taxes. rather than solving their problems and ing of peaceful protestors; the arrests Some people are thinking: Well, they moving towards becoming a more and detention of journalists, students, earned it. They should keep it. democratic country, the Ethiopian Well, okay. I understand what you activists, and political leaders; and the Government has chosen instead to hire are saying. But, see, this is the funda- Ethiopian Government’s abuse of the a D.C. lobbying firm at a cost of mental problem of this $1.5 trillion re- anti-terrorism proclamation to stifle $150,000 a month to ‘‘work with the duction in the ability for our Federal political and civil dissent. Ethiopian Government to develop and Government to fund things like Med- The resolution does not simply high- execute a public affairs plan to en- icaid and Medicare. Because when we light the Ethiopian Government’s in- hance the dialogue and relationships see less money, you are going to see creasingly authoritarian acts, but it with policymakers, media, opinion Members on this floor and in commit- also encourages the United States to leaders, and business leaders,’’ in addi- tees throughout this House and in the support efforts to improve democracy tion to ‘‘meetings with Members of United States Senate saying: Well, we and governance in Ethiopia. Congress, their staffs, and executive don’t have the money. I believe that the United States can branch officials.’’ When they see a mother whose child take actions that will positively influ- The issue the Ethiopian Government has cerebral palsy and she is saying, ‘‘I ence the Ethiopian Government and needs to address is the repression of de- go to work every single day, and thank use our existing institutions to further mocracy and its citizens in Ethiopia. you, government, for allowing my child democracy and effective governance in The solution to whatever negative per- to be in a program so that he or she Ethiopia. ception it has in the Halls of the U.S. can be safe while I go to work,’’ they Critically, the resolution calls on the Congress is not a public affairs one, are going to say, ‘‘You know what? I Ethiopian Government to admit U.N. but, rather, what concrete steps are agree with you, ma’am. We should fund human rights observers so they can being taken against democracy in Ethi- that, but since we don’t have the conduct an independent and thorough opia. money anymore, we are going to stop examination of the current state of That is why I remain committed to funding that.’’ human rights in Ethiopia. working with House leadership to have This is a woman who just wants to On March 9 of this year, the House a vote scheduled on H. Res. 128. work for a living. This is a person who Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Afri- Mr. Speaker, I encourage leadership just wants to make sure that she can ca, Global Health, Global Human to schedule a vote, and I call on my have the dignity of work and have her Rights, and International Organiza- colleagues to vote in favor of and pass child in a safe place, but we are going tions held a hearing to discuss specific H. Res. 128. I will continue working to cut those programs if we have this steps the United States can take to with local Ethiopian community lead- tax giveaway go through Congress and bring about positive changes for the ers in Colorado and across the country signed by this President. Ethiopian Government and their peo- to raise awareness of the human rights ple. abuses occurring in Ethiopia and to b 1045 Among those who testified was Dea- bring relief from oppression to the You see, it is a multistep process. con Yoseph Tafari of the St. Mary’s Ethiopian people. And what some of my colleagues—and

VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:35 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.007 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8303 so far, the only ones voting for this tax an AT&T map showing its coverage. That is an issue with controlling the giveaway are my Republican col- What this is is a snapshot, a moment in gates at the airport, and that goes leagues. I say that accurately, not to time, of the number of airplanes in the back to the airlines. be partisan, but just to be honest and United States’ airspace at any mo- How many of us have been delayed accurate. They say we have to do this; ment, over 90,000 flights a day. Think because they come on and when we are it is going to stimulate the economy. about that. That is over 200,000 takeoffs just fixing to board the plane, oh, you Well, also, in this package, this plan and landings. have a maintenance issue, or we are that they want to make into a law, ba- We, in the United States, have the waiting for another pilot crew to get sically what it will do, it will actually safest and the busiest airspace in the off one aircraft to pilot your aircraft? incentivize the biggest corporations in world; yet there are some in Congress Again, those who would want to pass America, American corporations. It is who want to privatize this to a board this act would make you believe that going to incentivize them to go ahead made up of 13 members only. I person- that is air traffic control’s fault. No, it and close up shop in your neighborhood ally think it is more of a monopoliza- does not have to do with air traffic and go set up shop somewhere else in tion, not a privatization of our air- control. the world. space. CBO has said that if we give this air- And the only connection they are This is the taxpayers’ airspace. This space control to a 13-member private going to have with you, ladies and gen- is not the airspace that we should be board, it will cause a $100 billion deficit tlemen, is they are going to want to giving away to a 13-member board, or addition—$100 billion. The Congres- sell those products to you, built by the control of. sional Review Service has said that if other than American hands in other Those who want to pass this AIRR we do that, that automatically allows parts of the world. The only other con- Act, H.R. 2997, want us to compare it to sequester to take place. We don’t need nection they are going to have is this: Canada. Well, I have flown in Canada. that. We are trying to get out of that They are going to be able to bring their Look at the map: below the line in the now. Our wonderful men and women in money, their profits, back to the United States, above the line in Can- uniform are having a hard enough time United States, pretty much free and ada. It is not even apples to apples. It meeting quotas, meeting equipment, clear, and just count their money here, is not apples to oranges. It is apples to meeting training, everything, because where they call themselves an Amer- elephants. of the sequester. ican corporation. And you say, well, that makes no This would hurt military retirement I think it is important, ladies and sense. No, it doesn’t. It does not make funding. This would hurt our Border gentlemen, that we recognize that this any sense to give control of this air- Patrol, men and women there pro- is something that is wrong. This is space, where our wonderful men in uni- tecting us from terrorist activity on a something that is going to hurt the form and women who fly the military daily basis. middle class. This is something, again, aircraft, the pilots like myself, but, Mr. Speaker, we need modernization, if you are a teacher, if you are a police more importantly, the carriers that but we don’t need privatization. It is a officer, if you are busdriver, this is carry all of us to here and there, the bad idea any way you look at it. going to hurt you. ability to control this airspace. We do need to pass a long-term FAA If you are a single mother who is I am a small-government guy, Mr. reauthorization act. I am all for that. working every single day, proud to do Speaker, but there are three instances Our FAA needs to have the stability of that, you are going to see that you are where government needs to be involved funding where they can look down the not going to have the support you need in the lives of our citizens: national de- road more than 6 months at a time and to make sure that that childcare con- fense, national intelligence, and na- plan for what is coming down and what tinues for your child. tional airspace. they need to do to keep our airspace If you are a family member that has I would argue that I have probably safe. a mother or father whose only income been in more control towers than any So, Mr. Speaker, we don’t need this is Social Security, they probably de- Member of Congress, and when you H.R. 2997 passed. We need just to fund pend on Meals on Wheels. They prob- walk in, there are wonderful control- FAA for a long time. ably depend on programs like that. lers who are looking at modern equip- f Some of that comes from your Federal ment, computer screens, display lights, TAKING A KNEE FOR WHAT IS Government. But when these Repub- who are moving aircraft here and RIGHT lican colleagues cut $1.5 trillion out of there, very efficiently, very profes- the United States budget, it is going to sionally. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The come out of you, ladies and gentlemen. There are those who have stood at Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from The people who have worked hard, sen- this podium, Mr. Speaker, and held up Texas (Ms. JACKSON LEE) for 5 minutes. iors who are finally retired and should pieces of paper like this and have Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I have the dignity of having a dignified scared our people into saying: Oh, this think it is appropriate this morning to life and having at least one darned is the way controllers transfer control rise to share my passion and my love meal a day, that is where it is going to of airplanes from airspace to airspace. for this country, but also my frustra- come out of. That is a gross mischaracterization tion. I will use this graphic to set the Ladies and gentlemen, I am here to of what is happening. They use this as tone for my remarks this morning. warn you, please call your Members of a backup if a grid goes down, but they Although the Republican tax pro- Congress. Please make sure that you don’t use it to move traffic. They use posal will be introduced tomorrow, I let them know: I don’t want that kind modern computers. believe, if you look at this graphic and of giveaway. The NextGen, or what we call the the headlines, it says that 80 percent of The SPEAKER pro tempore. Mem- next generation of modernization of the tax relief will not go to you and bers are reminded to direct their re- FAA, is called ADS-B, Automatic De- you and you and to the American peo- marks to the Chair and not to a per- pendent Surveillance-Broadcast. It al- ple, or maybe even staff and Members ceived viewing audience. lows separation of aircraft to come who are here who are Americans, sala- f down. It has saved billions—that is ried individuals; it will go, 80 percent, with a B—in fuel and other costs, and to the 1 percent of Americans. SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT yet we want to give all this modern Now, I am not going to talk about ON OUR AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL equipment to the control of a 13-mem- the tax legislation this morning. I SYSTEM ber board? I think not. want this to be a symbol of the wrong- The SPEAKER pro tempore. The We have all had delays in airports. ness of the direction of this country Chair recognizes the gentleman from Most of them, I will tell you, are and the leader who leads this Nation. Louisiana (Mr. ABRAHAM) for 5 min- weather. But how many of us have We are going down a wrong path. utes. pulled up in a plane and we are waiting Many of us thought we had come to- Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. Speaker, I have for another plane to back out of a gate? gether in unity, we had overcome the a map beside me. It is not a Verizon or That is not an air traffic control issue. divisiveness because we were different,

VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:35 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.010 H01NOPT1 H8304 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 we had recognized the beauty of all of ments of his chief of staff about the over 130,000 jobs lost and almost $300 us, rural citizens in West Virginia, civil war and NFL players being called billion in GDP lost. When unemploy- Ohioans in the mountains of the Appa- inmates in a prison. ment goes down and wages go down in lachian area, Midwesterners, South- Mr. Speaker, I am fed up with divid- those small towns, folks move away in erners, Northerners, Westerners, Far ing this Nation. We are going in the search of better opportunities. West, immigrant and nonimmigrant. wrong direction, and I am not going to In order to sustain the critical life- But, unfortunately, in 2016, although accept it. I am taking a knee with all line hospitals provide for our rural some lost and some won, as we moved of those who believe in justice and communities, I have introduced H.R. toward a new administration with the what is right. I did it before. I do it 4178, the Healthcare Enhancement for hopes and dreams of those who had now. I take a knee. America’s Rural Towns Act, or the voted, we looked for the unifying of f HEART Act. Why? Because small what I know that all Presidents have towns are the heartbeat of America; done. b 1100 the heart of our food, fuel, and fiber It has been a privilege of mine to PROTECT RURAL AMERICA production; the heart of traditional work with President William Jefferson HOSPITALS American values. This legislation ex- Clinton, who didn’t have an easy time tends two programs vital to the sus- but sought to unify the country. I The SPEAKER pro tempore. The tainability of rural hospitals and the worked with President George W. Bush, Chair recognizes the gentleman from community they deserve: the Low-Vol- who did not have an easy time or an Texas (Mr. ARRINGTON) for 5 minutes. ume Adjustment program and the unconflicted election but sought to Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, if the Medicare-Dependent Hospital program. unify the country, in fact, was an en- United States is going to maintain the These programs account for less than thusiastic signer of the reauthorization ability to feed and clothe our own peo- one-tenth of 1 percent of all Medicare of the Voting Rights Act; and Presi- ple and fuel this American economy, expenditures, but they go a long way to dent Barack Obama, who rode in on a we need a strong and sustainable rural ensuring that rural community hos- sense of hope and unity. That is the America like the district I represent in pitals with a higher percentage of task of a President. west Texas. Medicare patients have adequate fund- In the midst of this, again, having What would this country be without ing to serve the unique populations. been appointed to the Homeland Secu- the hardworking energy and agri- By extending the Medicare Low-Vol- rity Committee in the ashes of 9/11, culture producers in small towns ume Adjustment program for 2 years, having gone to Ground Zero while our across this great land? The heart of and for the first time permanently ex- brave first responders were recovering, small-town sustainability is access to tending the Medicare-Dependent Hos- were still looking for remains—it will healthcare. There are over 5,000 hos- pital program, we can provide the as- penetrate my soul forever—unity was pitals in the United States, and rough- surance and continuity that our rural what we sought in spite of our dif- ly half of them are in rural America, hospitals desperately need in order to ference of opinions. serving one out of every five Ameri- serve our communities in the future. So I rise to thank the first respond- cans. Without access to basic medical Just as importantly, we do this in a ers and the quick response of the services, communities in America’s way that is budget neutral and without NYPD and Fire Department on yester- breadbasket and energy basin would spending any additional taxpayer mon- day’s terrorist act. Yes, it was a ter- not survive. eys. rorist act. We live in a different world. Hospitals serving rural communities Let’s pass this legislation. Let’s pro- But rather than rise to the occasion, face unique challenges: an aging popu- tect the heart of rural America and this morning the words come from the lation, low patient volume, higher per- give our community hospitals the cer- White House: centages of Medicare beneficiaries, to tainty that they need to keep our peo- The terrorist came into our country name a few. Each translates into a ple and our communities healthy. higher per-patient cost which has left through what is called the ‘‘Diversity Visa f Lottery Program,’’ a Chuck Schumer beau- 41 percent of rural hospitals operating ty. I want merit-based immigration. at a loss. AMERICANS BEWARE OF TAX BILL You tell me how many immigrants, On top of this problematic patient The SPEAKER pro tempore. The how many Italians, how many Irish, volume and patient mix, ObamaCare Chair recognizes the gentleman from and how many of those who escaped has heaped a backbreaking $54 billion Maryland (Mr. RASKIN) for 5 minutes. the Holocaust, who came before that in additional regulatory burden in un- Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to from the Jewish community, how funded mandates. Since 2010, the year talk about a job-killer tax bill that is many of them would have met any test ObamaCare was enacted, 80 rural hos- coming to Congress this week, and if of merit. Did the slaves who were pitals have shut down, 11 of which were you don’t watch out, it could be com- brought here as slaves meet a test of in my home State of Texas. If this rate ing to your hometown soon. merit? All of these individuals helped continues, in less than 10 years, an un- Up until yesterday, Mr. Speaker, I build this Nation. imaginable 25 percent of our Nation’s thought the new GOP tax plan was just And on the morning when people are rural hospitals will close. That would run-of-the-mill, upside-down class war- mourning of their lost loved ones, rath- cripple rural communities across this fare waged by the wealthiest people in er than bringing the country together, country and deliver a devastating blow the country against everybody else. I there is a politicizing, calling out to our agriculture and energy econ- knew 80 percent of the windfall of the names of Members. We are working on omy, affecting all Americans, includ- tax cut would go to people making merit based. ing our neighbors in urban and subur- $912,000 a year or more—the richest 1 Does he even understand what merit ban America. percent of the country. I knew it would based is? Absolutely not. For some Texans, the nearest hos- repeal the alternative minimum tax, Taking away from the conspiracy pital is already 100 miles away. In an the only reason that Donald Trump charge against Manafort, taking away emergency, this distance can mean the paid any taxes at all in the 1 year we from the conspicuous collusion with difference between life and death. know he paid taxes over the last few Russians that George Papadopoulos Point of fact: 60 percent of all trauma decades in 2005. I knew it would repeal has indicated, oh, he is worrying about deaths occur in rural America, despite the State and local income tax deduc- him lying. But I am worrying about the fact that rural America only makes tion, which would be terrible news for him telling the truth, and he is. They up 20 percent of the country’s popu- tens of millions of middle class people wanted dirty stuff on the opponent; lation. in States across the country, including they wanted to work with Russia; they Here is a startling fact and outright mine in Maryland. wanted to work with Putin; and they scary scenario: one-third of rural hos- I knew it would repeal the estate tax wanted to conspire against the United pitals have been deemed vulnerable to which only affects the wealthiest one- States of America—as well as the mis- closure. If all 673 of those hospitals half of 1 percent of the country. All of understanding or the devastating com- were to close down, it could result in these provisions would help to create a

VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:35 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.011 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8305 hereditary oligarchical elite like the hearings, maybe one or two hearings; mitment to ending pediatric HIV/AIDS hereditary oligarchical elite in Russia and you know why? Because they are worldwide. today. tucking the most massive job-killing It is a resolution that I introduced This huge penthouse suite party will provision anyone has ever seen into with my friend, Congresswoman BAR- be paid for by the rest of us and blow a this bill. BARA LEE. The fight against pediatric record-smashing $2 trillion deficit hole If anything, we should be imposing AIDS is a great example of how our into our economy and programs like higher taxes on those businesses that country is a positive and trans- Medicare and Medicaid. I knew all of ship our jobs overseas—not lower formative force in the lives of many this. It is predictable enough. taxes—or they should pay the same. across the world. Because of our leader- But then I noticed a provision yester- But this plan would wipe out any taxes ship here in the United States over the day that is absolutely gobstopping, at all, and it is dumbfounding that past 12 years, there has been a 62 per- shocking, startling, eye-popping, unbe- they would think this is something cent increase in the number of women lievable in the GOP tax blueprint. It is that Congress would put up with—just receiving mother-to-child trans- called the territorial system, and what like they tried to slam through Con- missions prevention services. Wow. it means is simple. We will tax Amer- gress the ACA repeal and we stopped it Thanks to positive American involve- ican businesses only when their oper- when people got the word. ment through programs like PEPFAR, ations are here in America. Here is We have got to make sure, Mr. more than 11.5 million expectant moth- what that means: if I am a business- Speaker, that every American under- ers around the world have received HIV man and I am going to set up a manu- stands what is really in this tax bill testing and counseling, and nearly 2 facturing plant on main street in my coming our way. million babies have been born HIV-free. hometown, I have to pay the full f However, even though we have made freight of taxes. I pay everything. great strides in a fight against pedi- If I set my business, my new manu- HIGHLIGHTING THE STEP FOR- atric AIDS over the last few years, we facturing plant, up in Mexico, or Ban- WARD TO CURE TSC MIAMI cannot rest, Mr. Speaker. We cannot gladesh, or Ireland, I pay zero taxes. WALK rest while more than 400 children Let me repeat that: if I decide to set up The SPEAKER pro tempore. The around the world are born with HIV my business in America, I pay 100 per- Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from every day; 400. We cannot rest when cent of the taxes I am going to owe. If Florida (Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN) for 5 min- less than half of the children suffering I decide to relocate my business and all utes. from HIV have access to the lifesaving of the jobs abroad, I will pay zero Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I treatments they so desperately need; taxes. That works even if I have al- wish to highlight the Step Forward to less than half. Indeed, we must redou- ready got the business in place here Cure TSC Miami Walk, which took ble our efforts to reach every single and I decide to ship everything over- place last weekend at my alma mater, mother and child impacted by this ter- seas. Suddenly, I get a 100 percent tax Florida International University. Tu- rible disease. break for all the profits that I earn berous sclerosis complex, or TSC, is a For this reason, my friend, Congress- overseas. rare genetic disease that causes uncon- woman BARBARA LEE, and I just re- Mr. Speaker, perhaps I misunder- trollable tumor growth across the face, introduced H. Res. 593, a bipartisan res- stand it. I am not a professor of tax body, and organs of impacted individ- olution recommitting our country, the law. I am a professor of constitutional uals. United States, to eradicating pediatric law. So maybe I am not interpreting it Unfortunately, there is no cure for AIDS worldwide and supporting those right. I would love nothing more than TSC. South Florida’s own hero, Max who have been impacted by this epi- for one of my colleagues from the other Lucca, pictured here, was diagnosed demic. Our resolution also supports our side of the aisle to get up and tell me with TSC when he was only 2 weeks national efforts to provide women and it is not true, and correct me, and ex- old. Now, he is 9 years old, and he has children with HIV counseling, with plain what I have got wrong. thrived because of the constant love HIV testing services, as well as expand- But if I have got it right, this shock- and care provided by his parents, ing their access to lifesaving treat- ing provision tucked into the bill that Vanessa and Max. The TSC Miami ments. we are about to see is a job killer, a na- Walk brings together patients like Max America’s ongoing commitment has tional emergency, and a dagger pointed Lucca and their families with sup- helped save the lives of many, but so at the heart of the American economy porters who are committed to improv- much more remains to be done. We are and our jobs. It is only a few, small, big ing their lives. one of the greatest hopes for a better businesses, a few big businesses that Every year, the walk plays an essen- future for countless others. Now, more will benefit. tial role in advancing lifesaving re- than ever, it is essential to ensure that Small businesses are not going to be search and programs to increase aware- we remain committed as a nation to benefited at all. The small businesses ness of TSC, and expanding the net- creating a future where no child suffers do not set up tax-dodging corporate work of resources that improve the from HIV/AIDS. subsidiaries in the Cayman Islands, or lives of patients and their families. I urge my colleagues to support this the Bahamas, or in Ireland. They don’t Mr. Speaker, I would like to recog- worthwhile cause and cosponsor our ship overseas. So this is for a tiny per- nize the work of Vanessa Vazquez; her resolution, H. Res. 593. centage of the largest corporations in husband, Max; and all of the other ac- f America, leaving the small businesses tivists who are so needed from the Tu- behind and taking millions of Amer- berous Sclerosis Alliance who work so SIGN UP FOR HEALTHCARE NOW ican jobs with them. hard to make this walk a reality. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Why would the majority do this to us I want to thank everyone who came Chair recognizes the gentleman from when Donald Trump campaigned on a out to FIU last Saturday and made this Tennessee (Mr. COHEN) for 5 minutes. platform of putting America first and event a resounding success. Due to Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, today is promising to bring American jobs back your efforts, due to your commitment, the last day of baseball, but, more im- home—not export millions more with a I am confident that we will be able to portantly, it is the first day of open en- devastating tax plan? increase the research and education rollment for the Patient Protection Now I see why they are hurdling this needed to find a cure for this tragic dis- and Affordable Care Act. through Congress. In 1986, with the tax ease. This year, enrollment only runs from reform plan, there were 63 days of hear- Meanwhile, go Max Lucca. November 1, today, through December ings, and more than 450 witnesses in COMMIT TO ENDING PEDIATRIC HIV/AIDS 15. This is half the length of last year Ways and Means and the Senate Fi- WORLDWIDE when open enrollment extended until nance Committee. It took 2 years and Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I January 30. It is 6 weeks shorter, so to 10 months. This plan they want to slam would like to encourage my colleagues sign up, get started today. You only through Congress in less than 2 weeks, to support H. Res. 593, a bipartisan res- have 45 days to do it. This is something with barely any witnesses, maybe no olution reaffirming our national com- the Trump administration is doing to

VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:38 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.012 H01NOPT1 H8306 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 make it more difficult and less likely reduce or even eliminate copayments Mr. ROSKAM led the Pledge of Alle- people will sign up. that women have to pay for preventive giance as follows: Don’t let them do this. Sign up for screenings, including mammograms. I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the your healthcare. During this shortened Access to affordable healthcare has United States of America, and to the Repub- enrollment period, there will also be 12- saved lives in Memphis and throughout lic for which it stands, one nation under God, hour periods of scheduled maintenance this country. The open enrollment for indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. when the website will be inaccessible. the Affordable Care Act starts today f These periods will occur every Sunday and runs through December 15. Avail morning, except one, during the open yourselves of those opportunities. WELCOMING REVEREND DR. MICHAEL W. WATERS enrollment period. December 15 is the f last chance for individuals to sign up The SPEAKER. Without objection, for health insurance for 2018, unless RECESS the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. you have a major event like getting The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON) is recognized married, having a child, or moving. ant to clause 12(a) of rule I, the Chair for 1 minute. In previous years, individuals were declares the House in recess until noon There was no objection. notified of autoenrollment with time today. Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of to change their choice. This year, that Accordingly (at 11 o’clock and 16 Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to happens on December 16, a day after minutes a.m.), the House stood in re- host Reverend Waters as our guest open enrollment ends, so there is no cess. chaplain today. reason to do it. It just tells you what f Reverend Waters is a true commu- you have got, and you don’t have the nity servant and a man of God. He is opportunity to change. So individuals 1200 the founding pastor of Joy Tabernacle should not rely on autoenrollment. AFTER RECESS African Methodist Episcopal Church— They should use healthcare.gov to find AME—of Dallas, Texas. the best plan for them and their fami- The recess having expired, the House Reverend Waters is a pastor, a pro- lies. was called to order by the Speaker at fessor, an award-winning author, a In many cases, there are affordable noon. community leader, and a social com- plans. In 2018, in Tennessee, 88 percent f mentator. Reverend Waters’ words of can find a bronze plan for under $75. hope and empowerment inspire na- PRAYER b 1115 tional and international audiences. Reverend Dr. Michael W. Waters, Joy As a notable friend of the commu- In Memphis, many consumers earn- Tabernacle AME Church, Dallas, nity, Reverend Waters served as a key- ing $30,000 to $48,000 a year can find sil- Texas, offered the following prayer: note speaker at my Annual Dallas ver plans for under $100. This is par- Immutable God, greater than all that Prayer Breakfast this year. His engag- ticularly true for those in their late has or ever will be conceived, hear our ing personality and purposeful speech forties to age 64. prayer: captivated the attention of all those You may qualify for premiums and For ancestors at rest in the abode of who attended. cost-sharing reductions like in past angels, accosted and assaulted while As a strong leader, Reverend Waters years. In 2016, 88 percent of Ten- present upon these shores, enduring is able to understand the unique needs nesseans on the exchanges received avalanches of animus never atoned; for of our community. He knows no premium assistance, and 58 percent re- babies bombarded by bombs, bounties stranger when he walks into the room, ceived cost-sharing reduction sub- placed upon their beautiful heads at and his charismatic nature allows him sidies. birth; for the cacophony of cries citing This is still true even as the Presi- to connect with everyone he meets. crimes against humanity, callous cy- dent attempts to sabotage the Patient It is my pleasure that he has come cles of crisis, casualties colored in Protection and Affordable Care Act. today to be our guest chaplain. May chalk. Marketing funding and funds for God continue to bless him. In Your name, we shall resist evil by navigators to help people through the f loving our neighbors as ourselves. process have both been slashed. In spite Grant that we become drum majors ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER of that fact, we are going to try to find of justice, promulgators of peace, ar- PRO TEMPORE some navigators still around and have chitects of an America freed from a townhall in Memphis possibly Satur- The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. greed, hate, oppression, racism, sup- day, November 11. We are still in the SIMPSON). The Chair will entertain up pression, indeed, the very threat of tyr- process of scheduling that, but we want to 15 further requests for 1-minute anny, replete with liberty and justice all of our people to get that chance. So speeches on each side of the aisle. for all, till that great day when lions we encourage all Americans to get that shall lie down with lambs and we study f chance. war no more, when justice flows like Cost-sharing reduction subsidies will CRUELTY TO ANIMALS waters, and righteousness, like a be available for individuals who qualify (Mr. ROSKAM asked and was given mighty stream, and all God’s children for silver plans despite Trump’s deci- permission to address the House for 1 are finally free. sion to stop the government from reim- minute and to revise and extend his re- Amen. bursing insurers. marks.) The Patient Protection and Afford- f Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, cruelty to animals is a scourge, and there is no able Care Act is the law of the land. All THE JOURNAL current efforts to repeal and replace worse example than animal fighting have failed because they have not come The SPEAKER. The Chair has exam- that is for so-called pleasure and defi- up with a better plan. Healthcare is dif- ined the Journal of the last day’s pro- nite profit. ficult, and we came up with a plan that ceedings and announces to the House I am pleased today to introduce the needs some tweaking but not repealing. his approval thereof. Parity in Animal Cruelty Enforcement Memphis has recently seen a decrease Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Jour- Act, which is to close a loophole. in the disparity of breast cancer mor- nal stands approved. Animal fighting is prohibited in the tality rates between Black and White f United States, but it is allowed in some women, a clear indication that access U.S. territories. This is important for to affordable care saves lives. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE us because what we have is a situation Memphis has done excellent work at The SPEAKER. Will the gentleman where animals are manipulated, expanding access to screenings and from Illinois (Mr. ROSKAM) come for- drugged, and put into situations where coverage. In addition to local efforts, ward and lead the House in the Pledge their aggression is heightened. It is dis- the Affordable Care Act has helped to of Allegiance. gusting.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:38 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.014 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8307 I am pleased to join with friends on to expedite and increase the scale and should be commended for this accom- the other side of the aisle—Messrs. efficiency of forest management plishment. Congratulations, again, to BLUMENAUER and NOLAN—and Rep- projects without sacrificing environ- Oakwood Elementary School for being resentatives on the Republican side— mental protections. named a National Blue Ribbon School. Mr. Speaker, we must do everything Messrs. RODNEY DAVIS, YODER, and f KNIGHT—to come together on a bipar- in our power to stop these catastrophic tisan basis to address this trouble. I wildfires and encourage better land FLIGHT STANDARDS ask for cosponsors. management of our forests. (Mr. HIGGINS of New York asked and Today’s bill is one step in the right f was given permission to address the direction and I encourage my col- House for 1 minute.) BIPARTISAN TAX REFORM leagues to support this important leg- Mr. HIGGINS of New York. Mr. islation. (Mr. KILDEE asked and was given Speaker, no family or community permission to address the House for 1 f should have to relive the devastating minute.) loss we felt on February 12, 2009, the Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, well, not OPEN ENROLLMENT day Colgan Air Flight 3407 crashed in surprisingly, Republicans have had to (Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas asked western New York, killing all aboard delay the release of their tax plan be- and was given permission to address and one on the ground. cause it is so deeply unpopular. We the House for 1 minute.) Thanks to the tireless efforts of the haven’t seen all of the details yet, but Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Flight 3407 families and a bipartisan what we know about it is that this is Speaker, beginning today, millions of collection of Members of Congress, new really bad for working families. Americans have the opportunity to buy The nonpartisan Tax Policy Center or change their healthcare plan flight safety standards have saved says that the Republican plan raises through the Affordable Care Act ex- other families from similar pain, taxes on many middle class families to change. achieving 7 years of no commercial air- pay for a massive tax cut for the people The open enrollment period ends De- line fatalities. at the very top, the wealthiest Ameri- cember 15, so consumers need to act Yet some, including the new nominee cans. now. We only have 45 days to shop to the National Transportation Safety The details matter. A family of four around, receive assistance from local Board, are questioning the need for earning $50,000 could see their taxes go organizations, and make a final deci- these hard-fought, commonsense flight up 380 percent. Meanwhile, 80 percent sion. But many people may not know safety and training standards. of the benefits of this ‘‘billionaires that because the Trump administration You have a right to know which air- first’’ tax plan go to the richest 1 per- has taken several administrative ac- line is flying your plane, you have a cent—80 percent of the benefits to the tions to undermine the ACA. right to know that your pilot is well richest 1 percent. That is not middle Cutting the open enrollment period rested, and you have a right to know class tax relief. in half, to slashing advertising and out- that the pilot is adequately trained to And how do we pay for these massive reach funding by 90 percent, to an- handle any challenges that might tax cuts to the wealthy? What are we nouncing a shutdown of healthcare.gov occur in flight. For these rights and for going to do? on Sundays during open enrollment enhanced safety, you can thank the We are going to see cuts in Medicare, and other sabotage efforts, the Trump families of Flight 3407 for their work in Medicaid, and education. administration and the Republican ma- reaching these standards, and you can If anybody thinks we can do this and jority have tried to restrict the access join me in fighting to make sure that go big on infrastructure and rebuild to healthcare for Americans. we keep them. America’s capacity to produce, they I encourage every American who f better think twice. Plus, saddling our needs health insurance to visit grandkids with a huge debt. healthcare.gov and get covered. Finan- CHAMPIONING HEALTHY KIDS What happened to the deficit hawks cial assistance is available, and about (Mr. DENHAM asked and was given in this place? 80 percent of the enrollees who pick permission to address the House for 1 This is wrong, and we ought to reject plans on healthcare.gov will be able to minute and to revise and extend his re- it. get insurance for $75 a month or less. marks.) f f Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, this IMPROVE FOREST MANAGEMENT CONGRATULATING OAKWOOD week, we will see on the floor the Championing Healthy Kids Act. It will (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania ELEMENTARY SCHOOL include a number of different reforms, asked and was given permission to ad- (Mr. PAULSEN asked and was given which will include the Children’s dress the House for 1 minute and to re- permission to address the House for 1 Health Insurance Program, the CHAM- vise and extend his remarks.) minute and to revise and extend his re- PION Act, and my bill, the CARE Act. Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. marks.) We must increase access throughout Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong sup- Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to our communities across the country. port of H.R. 2936, the Resilient Federal congratulate Oakwood Elementary By expanding our residency program, Forests Act of 2017, that was intro- School in Wayzata for being recognized we will see new doctors, especially in duced by Congressman WESTERMAN. as a National Blue Ribbon School for these underserved areas. Expanding our The House will consider this bill academic excellence. today, which will improve forest man- This is a big honor. It is a big deal. I residency program will allow our med- agement and cut the bureaucratic red visited Oakwood myself, and only eight ical schools to have people in our com- tape that has been preventing sound schools in Minnesota have received this munities practicing medicine, and, ul- management practices for the Forest recognition this year. That is because timately, filling this doctor shortage Service. exemplary, high-performing schools that we have today. Mr. Speaker, devastating wildfires like Oakwood rank among the highest I look forward to the passing of the have resulted in the loss of property, performing schools with top scores in Championing Healthy Kids Act, which loss of pristine landscapes, and, most State assessments. will, again, help our children with their importantly, the loss of life. 2017 has One important note worth men- health insurance coverage and expand been the costliest wildfire season on tioning is that Oakwood Elementary our residency program at a much-need- record, with the Forest Service spend- School has done significant work ad- ed time. ing over $2 billion. While not the only dressing the achievement gap in their f issue, the greatest cause for this in- community so that every one of their crease in wildfire is a severe lack of students has what they need to be suc- TAX REFORM forest management. cessful. (Mr. CICILLINE asked and was given This bill provides Federal land man- Mr. Speaker, every one of Oakwood’s permission to address the House for 1 agement agencies the immediate tools teachers, staff, students, and parents minute.)

VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:38 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.019 H01NOPT1 H8308 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, right b 1215 Mr. SCHRADER. Mr. Speaker, I rise now, President Trump and the Repub- HONORING THE LIFE OF HEATHER today to share the story of Juan licans are trying to pass a massive tax ALVARADO Navarro in Monmouth, Oregon, and to cut for billionaires, millionaires, and continue to urge Speaker RYAN to put wealthy corporations, and reward com- (Mr. KIHUEN asked and was given forth a clean Dream Act bill. panies that ship American jobs over- permission to address the House for 1 Juan was brought to the United seas. The only way they can pay for it minute.) States, when he was 3 years old, from is by raising taxes on working people Mr. KIHUEN. Mr. Speaker, today Guadalajara, Mexico. Juan suffers from and cutting more than $1 trillion from marks the 1-month anniversary of the cerebral palsy and was unable to walk. Medicare and Medicaid. terrible shooting that happened in my Juan was admitted as a research pa- hometown, Las Vegas, on October 1. This is not what Donald Trump, the tient in Shriners Hospital, and after I rise to remember the life of Heather candidate, promised the American peo- multiple surgeries and 12 long years of Alvarado, a woman who was known for ple when he ran for President. He physical therapy, Juan now is able to her hugs, her love of hot pink, and her promised he would protect Social Secu- walk without any support. beautiful green eyes. rity, Medicare, and Medicaid, but it While Juan was receiving care, his Heather lived for her kids, Syrus, turns out that wasn’t true. parents had to work two jobs, some- Albie, and Charlie, and had traveled to thing we all used to do. They did this Wealthy Americans are doing better Las Vegas to attend the Route 91 con- to provide a better life for Juan. than ever. The top 1 percent are earn- cert with her daughter. Over time, Juan excelled in school, ing three times as much as they did 30 Heather loved going on vacation with and Oregon became his home. years ago, but working people haven’t her family and spending time outdoors. Juan is an active member in the seen their pay go up at all. She loved planning parties for her chil- Monmouth and Western Oregon Univer- Let’s get serious. Let’s get working dren and friends, including hosting sity communities. He serves as a diver- people a better deal that cuts their elaborate Halloween parties every sity student mentor, works with the taxes. Let’s get them a better deal that year. She was known for her caring na- faculty at Western Oregon to create a protects Social Security and Medicare. ture and kindness. Heather’s husband, campus website that lists available re- Let’s not give tax breaks to companies Albert, said that she saw the good in sources for undocumented students, that ship American jobs overseas. everyone and would do almost any- works for the city of Monmouth as a The American people deserve a better thing to help others. community liaison, and started a sup- deal, not this raw deal that hurts work- I would like to extend my deepest port group for DREAMers at Western ing families. condolences to Heather’s friends and Oregon University. family. Please know that the city of Juan is the first person in his family f Las Vegas and the State of Nevada and to graduate from college and is cur- the whole country grieve with you. rently attending graduate school at Or- HONORING HERSHEL ‘‘WOODY’’ f egon State University’s College Stu- dent Services Administration program. WILLIAMS NEEDVILLE HARVEST FESTIVAL He currently works as a graduate as- (Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia asked (Mr. OLSON asked and was given per- sistant and hopes to bring more insti- and was given permission to address mission to address the House for 1 tutional changes for students of color. the House for 1 minute and to revise minute and to revise and extend his re- Without DACA, none of this would and extend his remarks.) marks.) have been possible for Juan, and our Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia. Mr. Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, there is a country would have lost out on a moti- Speaker, I rise today to honor Hershel great town back home in Texas 22, vated and talented person. ‘‘Woody’’ Williams and commemorate a which some people think has a strange Young people across the country are naval vessel, which was christened in name. It is called Needville, Texas. relying on us. We need to pass a clean his honor on Saturday, October 21, in The folks in Needville need nothing Dream Act that will recognize Juan San Diego, California. The ship will except open ground and clear skies and the over 800,000 DREAMers as provide for accommodations for up to with millions of bright stars visible at equal members of our community. 250 personnel, will offer a 52,000-square- night. On the third weekend in October f foot flight deck, and will support heli- for the last 34 years, the whole town NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE copters and tilt-rotor aircraft. turns out for the Needville Harvest MONTH Woody Williams grew up on a dairy Festival. farm in Fairmont, West Virginia, and The Harvest Fest is all Texas. There (Mr. BIGGS asked and was given per- enlisted in the United States Marine is a talent show with twirlers and clog mission to address the House for 1 Corps Reserve in Charleston, West Vir- dancers; barbecue cook-offs; contests minute and to revise and extend his re- ginia, on May 26, 1943. for the best fajitas, the best pork loins, marks.) the best chicken, and the best pork Mr. BIGGS. Mr. Speaker, every No- Woody landed in Iwo Jima on Feb- ribs; and they give away a 4-by-4 Gator. vember we commemorate Native Amer- ruary 21, 1945. Woody fought through City slickers think that is some sort of ican Heritage Month. I am honored to the remainder of the 5-week-long bat- lizard. It is a big farm tool, a farm share a long-standing partnership with tle and was wounded on March 6, for tractor. Indian Tribes located in Arizona and which he was awarded the Purple The best part is all the money they across the United States. This includes Heart. raise goes to their city to improve our most recent efforts to extend the As a result of Woody Williams’ coura- their 60-acre Harvest Park and the AMBER Alert program to Indian Coun- geous service in the 21st Marines, 3rd Needville schools. try, which will ensure that every fam- Marine Division in the Battle of Iwo I will close with a message from ily in Indian Country is afforded the Jima, he received the Congressional Mayor Ernie Stuart, Harvest Festival same resources to find a missing child. Medal of Honor from President Tru- President Chris Janicek, and my guest Today I am especially grateful to man. Today, at 93 years old, he is the for President Trump’s speech this up- recognize the valiant service of Native last living Medal of Honor recipient coming February, Katie Vacek. They American U.S. Marines during the Iwo from that battle. all say, ‘‘Go Astros. Beat L.A.’’ Jima campaign: I join all West Virginians in con- f Ira Hayes, a member of the Gila gratulating Woody Williams for this River Pima Indian community, is most incredible honor. He is an unparalleled THE STORY OF JUAN NAVARRO notably remembered as one of the serv- advocate for veterans from all eras and (Mr. SCHRADER asked and was icemen who raised the American flag a fine example of what it means not given permission to address the House over Mount Suribachi. only to be a West Virginian but an for 1 minute and to revise and extend The Navajo Code Talkers were also American. his remarks.) irreplaceable during World War II. The

VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:38 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.021 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8309 Code Talkers effectively transmitted State and numerous others; yet 300,000 ments as may have been adopted. Any Mem- combat messages across enemy lines to kids are enrolled in CHIP, which will ber may demand a separate vote in the avoid interception and decryption. soon run out of money to pay for their House on any amendment adopted in the Major Howard Connor said it best: care. Committee of the Whole to the bill or to the The kids who rely on CHIP funding amendment in the nature of a substitute ‘‘Were it not for the Navajos, the Ma- made in order as original text. The previous rines would never have taken Iwo are some of the most vulnerable in our question shall be considered as ordered on Jima.’’ State, and, frankly, they need action the bill and amendments thereto to final Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to high- now. The solution doesn’t have to be passage without intervening motion except light their contributions to Arizona partisan. Providing low-income kids one motion to recommit with or without in- and the United States. and the hospitals that serve them isn’t structions. f a Democratic or Republican issue; it is The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gen- a commonsense issue. The failure to tleman from Washington is recognized CHILDREN’S HEALTH INSURANCE act is unacceptable, so I say now we for 1 hour. PROGRAM need to do something. Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, for (Ms. GABBARD asked and was given I urge my colleagues in the GOP to the purpose of debate only, I yield the permission to address the House for 1 get to work on a bipartisan solution. customary 30 minutes to the gen- minute.) f tleman from Florida (Mr. HASTINGS), Ms. GABBARD. Mr. Speaker, the pending which I yield myself such time PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION Children’s Health Insurance Program, as I may consume. During consider- OF H.R. 2936, RESILIENT FED- which is also known as CHIP, provides ation of this resolution, all time yield- ERAL FORESTS ACT OF 2017 low-cost health insurance to nearly 9 ed is for the purpose of debate only. million children all across the country, Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, by di- GENERAL LEAVE including over 25,000 children in my rection of the Committee on Rules, I Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I ask home State of Hawaii. Together with call up House Resolution 595 and ask unanimous consent that all Members Medicaid, these programs have reduced for its immediate consideration. have 5 legislative days to revise and ex- the Nation’s uninsured rate for chil- The Clerk read the resolution, as fol- tend their remarks. dren to a record low of 5 percent. lows: The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there Republicans in Congress let CHIP ex- H. RES. 595 objection to the request of the gen- pire back in September, jeopardizing Resolved, That at any time after adoption tleman from Washington? the healthcare of millions of children. of this resolution the Speaker may, pursuant There was no objection. At the current pace, my home State to clause 2(b) of rule XVIII, declare the Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, on of Hawaii will exhaust all current CHIP House resolved into the Committee of the Tuesday, just yesterday, the Rules Whole House on the state of the Union for funding by the end of this year, leaving consideration of the bill (H.R. 2936) to expe- Committee met and reported a rule, thousands of our keiki unable to visit a dite under the National Environmental Pol- House Resolution 595, providing for doctor for routine checkups and to re- icy Act of 1969 and improve forest manage- consideration of an important piece of ceive immunizations, prescriptions, or ment activities on National Forest System legislation, H.R. 2936, the Resilient more. lands, on public lands under the jurisdiction Federal Forests Act of 2017. We must act now to reauthorize this of the Bureau of Land Management, and on The rule provides for consideration of CHIP program to ensure that our chil- Tribal lands to return resilience to over- H.R. 2936 under a structured rule, with dren have access to the healthcare that grown, fire-prone forested lands, and for four Democratic amendments made in other purposes. The first reading of the bill they need. We cannot neglect those shall be dispensed with. All points of order order and two bipartisan amendments who need help the most by failing to against consideration of the bill are waived. and one Republican-led amendment act and reauthorize this legislation. We General debate shall be confined to the bill made in order. must act now. and amendments specified in this resolution Mr. Speaker, this rule provides for f and shall not exceed one hour equally di- consideration of H.R. 2936, the Resil- vided among and controlled by the chair and ient Federal Forests Act of 2017, a bill WE NEED A BIPARTISAN SOLU- ranking minority member of the Committee that is critically important to my dis- TION TO REAUTHORIZE CHIL- on Agriculture and the chair and ranking trict in central Washington State and DREN’S HEALTH INSURANCE minority member of the Committee on Nat- to rural, forested districts like it PROGRAM ural Resources. After general debate the bill shall be considered for amendment under the across the United States who continue (Mr. EVANS asked and was given five-minute rule. In lieu of the amendments to face devastation from catastrophic permission to address the House for 1 in the nature of a substitute recommended wildfires as we have seen, just this last minute and to revise and extend his re- by the Committees on Agriculture and Nat- year, a great example of. marks.) ural Resources now printed in the bill, it This bipartisan, comprehensive legis- Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, this year shall be in order to consider as an original lation is aimed at addressing the disas- my colleagues on the other side of the bill for the purpose of amendment under the trous consequences of wildfires by uti- aisle have wasted months in often mis- five-minute rule an amendment in the na- lizing the tools the Forest Service and guided debate over repealing the Af- ture of a substitute consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print 115-36. That amend- other agencies have to reduce the fordable Care Act. While this debate ment in the nature of a substitute shall be threats posed by these wildfires, by in- has raged within one political party, considered as read. All points of order sects, by disease infestation, and by the Children’s Health Insurance Pro- against that amendment in the nature of a dangerous old forest overgrowth that gram has expired. substitute are waived. No amendment to serves as a literal tinderbox for I received a letter last night from that amendment in the nature of a sub- wildfires. This legislation will expedite Governor Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania. stitute shall be in order except those printed and improve forest management activi- He wants us to act to protect the hun- in the report of the Committee on Rules ac- ties in Federal forests to counteract dreds of thousands of children in our companying this resolution. Each such amendment may be offered only in the order these threats. Commonwealth who depend on CHIP printed in the report, may be offered only by This legislation, spearheaded by my funding to meet their basic healthcare a Member designated in the report, shall be friend and colleague from Arkansas, needs. considered as read, shall be debatable for the Representative BRUCE WESTERMAN, The GOP has failed to reauthorize time specified in the report equally divided who is a trained forester himself, is CHIP over arguments of how to pay for and controlled by the proponent and an op- comprised of a truly comprehensive ef- it and the distractions of a failed effort ponent, shall not be subject to amendment, fort developed here in the people’s to repeal the Affordable Care Act. That and shall not be subject to a demand for divi- House. It is bipartisan. This bipartisan puts us in a tough spot in Philadelphia sion of the question in the House or in the support demonstrates that the threat Committee of the Whole. All points of order and the Commonwealth. against such amendments are waived. At the of catastrophic wildfires does not just I am convinced that something must conclusion of consideration of the bill for impact a red or a blue district, but, be done because, as Governor Wolf amendment the Committee shall rise and re- rather, it poses a threat to commu- points out, time is essential for our port the bill to the House with such amend- nities across the United States.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:38 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00013 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.023 H01NOPT1 H8310 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 b 1230 will allow us to do just that. We must highlight, rightly, concerns not only H.R. 2936 would provide Federal land begin to prevent, to suppress, to miti- for his congressional district, but areas management agencies immediate tools gate the threat of catastrophic throughout the country that have ex- to increase the pace and the scale of wildfires, and the Resilient Federal perienced wildfires. forest management projects to dra- Forests Act of 2017 will be a momen- Many of us have talked about this in matically improve the health and resil- tous opportunity to turn around our conjunction with other disasters and a iency of our national forests, ensuring diseased and overgrown Federal for- need for this Congress to be able to ad- robust protection of the environment. ests. This legislation is essential and dress the shortfall in funding for such Active management leads to healthier desperately needed to change the cur- important measures. forests. It is that simple. rent path of forest management on During this Congress alone, my Re- This legislation also allows expedited public lands. It is outdated, publican friends have brought to the review for collaborative projects in unsustainable, and dangerous. floor bills that undermine the ability Federal forests and removes incentives Mr. Speaker, this is a straight- of the Environmental Protection Agen- for special interest groups to file frivo- forward rule allowing for consideration cy to issue independent and objective lous lawsuits. By requiring litigants of this critical piece of legislation that scientific conclusions, weaken regula- opposing active management projects will help protect our rural commu- tions of pesticides, and repeal to propose an alternative management nities and ensure that we are prepared rulemakings aimed at effective, option, we can instill accountability to respond to devastating and cata- science-based management of public into a system that is wrought with liti- strophic wildfires that have plagued lands, just to name a few things. gation. many areas of our country in the last Repeatedly, my Republican friends Additionally, the legislation bolsters few years. ignore science and attack environ- locally led forest management and haz- Mr. Speaker, I support the rule’s mental protections all in an all-too-ob- ardous fuel reduction projects to im- adoption, I urge my colleagues to sup- vious attempt to help commercial in- prove forest health. port both the rule and the underlying terests over sound conservation policy. By engaging local stakeholders, we bill. This focus not only undermines our can lessen the severity and the costs of Mr. Speaker, before I yield to my col- public lands, but it also harms the wildfires, while protecting the commu- league from Florida, I would like to health and safety of the American peo- share one last note. Just a few weeks nities and the environment. ple. Mr. Speaker, another major compo- ago, the new chief of the U.S. Forest This bill continues the assault on our nent of our Nation’s wildfire crisis is Service, Tony Tooke, came to Capitol Nation’s environmental protections, the broken system with which we fund Hill and briefed some of my colleagues, and it may be one of the most irrespon- firefighting suppression. When these including me, regarding this year’s sible examples yet. firefighting costs exceed the existing devastating wildfire season. Under the guise of responding to the He reported to us that over 8 million budget, the U.S. Forest Service trans- recent tragic wildfires in California acres, just this year, have burned. We fers funds from other vital forest man- and elsewhere in this Nation, this leg- have also lost dozens of lives, thou- agement program accounts in order to islation attacks the National Environ- sands of homes. Chief Tooke left us pay for wildfire suppression. I and a lot mental Policy Act, known as NEPA, with the stark fact that while more which requires Federal agencies to as- of other people in this Chamber have than 8 million acres burned this year, sess the environmental effects of their been outspoken critics of this dan- another 80 million acres across the actions. gerous broken cycle known as fire bor- United States are at high risk of catch- The bill also attacks the Endangered rowing. That also is a very bipartisan ing fire—80 million acres. Mr. Speaker, Species Act by requiring redundant and position that is taken. H.R. 2936 pro- if that does not show how dire this unnecessary reporting requirements. It vides a major step forward in ending problem is, then I certainly can’t tell blocks access to the courts and limits this cycle. By raiding accounts that you what does. provide for forest management pro- Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of recovery in environmental justice grams which help prevent wildfires, we my time. cases. Just for good measure, this bill tie one hand behind our back in an ef- Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield effectively overturns President fort to both prevent and suppress these myself such time as I may consume. Obama’s administration’s monument catastrophic wildfires. This legislation Mr. Speaker, before beginning my re- expansion. will help to put an end to this long- marks, I would offer condolences to the The bill does little to fix the true standing problem. grieving families who lost loved ones in problem of wildfire management, Mr. Speaker, my constituents know yesterday’s terrorist attack in New namely the chronic underfunding of as well as anyone the immense threat York City, and to have the people of wildfire management. Any serious pro- that wildfires pose to local commu- New York know—and I know I speak posal must address the constant fund- nities. In just the past 4 years, the for all of us, and there will be a more ing shortages at the U.S. Forest Serv- fourth district of my State, my dis- appropriate recognition at a time in ice by increasing the amount of Fed- trict, has seen the two largest fires in the future, I am sure, but to have them eral funding available for wildfire sup- Washington State’s history. We have know that all of us grieve with them pression. A successful solution needs to lost hundreds of homes and businesses and are concerned not only for those provide advanced access to emergency and structures. My constituents are who lost their lives, but to assist in funding. still struggling to recover from the preventing measures of this type in the Unfortunately, today’s legislation Carlton Complex Fire of 2014 and the future. does no such thing. Yesterday, the ad- Okanogan Complex Fire of 2015. We lost Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from ministration offered its statement of three firefighters that year. That truly Washington for yielding to me the cus- administration policy, and, at best, it is a high cost. tomary 30 minutes for debate. is tepid. It says, ‘‘The administration Active forest management is a mat- This bill is a sweeping attack on re- appreciates the intent of H.R. 2936 . . . ter of saving lives and livelihoods, of sponsible forest management policy and is supportive of land management protecting our communities, and en- that upends key environmental safe- reforms like those outlined in the leg- suring our constituents’ health and guards, limits public participation in islation,’’ and then comes the however. safety, which is why I am proud to sup- land management decisions, and ‘‘The administration, however, has port this rule and the underlying legis- prioritizes commercial timber harvest concerns about the legislation’s revi- lation that it represents today. over transparent, science-based man- sions to the Stafford Act, which would Mr. Speaker, as I have often said, we agement. In other words, this is busi- force competition for funding between cannot continue to limp from one dev- ness as usual for this Republican ma- wildfires on Federal land and other dis- astating fire season to the next. We jority when it comes to protecting our asters already covered by the Stafford must take significant steps toward re- environment. Act, including hurricanes.’’ forestation, rehabilitation, and overall A footnote right there, my friend It goes on to say, ‘‘ . . . the adminis- forest management. This legislation from the State of Washington does tration supports a separate, annual cap

VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:38 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.025 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8311 adjustment for wildfire suppression op- ience to destructive wildfires must be a part asters and how we respond to them, I erations, which will resolve concerns of any permanent solution. H.R. 2936’s provi- encourage my friends on the other side about the sufficiency of funds for wild- sions that expedite environmental approval of the aisle to put aside their partisan- fire suppression and avoid unnecessary for proactive forest management, including ship, reconsider their denial of climate hazardous fuel reduction and post-fire timber competition for Stafford Act funds.’’ salvage and reforestation actions, are impor- change and its effects on our environ- Mr. Speaker, I include in the RECORD tant steps forward. The Administration sup- ment, and join Democrats in working the Statement of Administration Pol- ports and will continue to work with Con- together to address this and other im- icy. gress on the details of the forest manage- portant issues faced by all Americans. STATEMENT OF ADMINISTRATION POLICY ment reform proposals. There were two amendments that Although the Administration has concerns H.R. 2936—RESILIENT FEDERAL FORESTS ACT OF were offered yesterday by my col- with H.R. 2936’s modifications to the Staf- 2017—REP. WESTERMAN R–AR, AND COSPONSORS leagues from California. Both of those ford Act, the Administration will continue amendments were not made in order. I The Administration strongly believes that working with Congress to enact a sustain- funding for wildland fire management must able solution to ‘‘fire borrowing’’ that does don’t think it is right when people be addressed in order to enable the Forest not adversely affect FEMA’s critical disaster offer legislation, particularly those Service and the Department of the Interior relief funding and that recognizes the need that have just been damaged, as our to better manage the Nation’s forests and for a comprehensive solution to the problem colleagues, Congressmen Thompson other public lands. The Administration’s sec- of wildfires. and Matsui, and others in the northern ond disaster funding request, submitted to Congress on October 4, 2017, underscored this Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, as I in- California region. They at least should belief. The request also noted the Adminis- dicated, the bill does little to fix the have had an opportunity to offer up tration’s belief that land management re- true problem of wildfire management. their amendment and have it voted forms are critical to solving the problem of Any serious proposal, as I have said, against if people felt so here in this ‘‘fire borrowing’’—taking funds from forest must address the constant funding body. management programs to cover fire costs shortages, and that is what, among I would hope, in the future, we would that exceed appropriations—in a comprehen- other things, the administration sug- make a correction of that kind of un- sive manner, rather than through a funding- dertaking. I would hope all Members of only appropriations approach. gested. The Administration appreciates the intent Mr. Speaker, this year has been a this body would have an opportunity to of H.R. 2936, the Resilient Federal Forests wake-up call. We must do more to re- present their ideas on any legislation, Act of 2017, and is supportive of land man- spond to the natural disasters that face and something as important as this agement reforms like those outlined in the our Nation. After three major hurri- could have allowed for an open rule, legislation. The Administration, however, canes and devastating wildfires in my rather than for partisan activity to has concerns about the legislation’s revi- friend from Washington’s State, in reign supreme. sions to the Stafford Act, which would force California, in Montana, and even in the Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of competition for funding between wildfires on my time. Federal land and other disasters already cov- Everglades of Florida we have experi- ered by the Stafford Act, including hurri- enced some wildfires, albeit not at the Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I canes. magnitude of loss of life or property as would just note that the admonition of Wildland Fire Management Funding existed in some of the others, our re- my friend from Florida, that to bring bipartisan proposals forward, this abso- Last year, Federal wildfire suppression sources and agencies are stretched to spending reached $2.9 billion, an amount that the brink. lutely is a bipartisan bill; support from signals clearly the need for Congress to ad- Weeks after the storms, millions of both sides of the aisle, because, as I dress the rising cost of fire suppression oper- people across the Virgin Islands and said in my opening comments, these ations. The dependence on ‘‘fire borrowing’’ Puerto Rico are without power and kind of fires know no political bound- to cover funding shortfalls in times of severe without reliable access to clean drink- aries, know no political lines. So I am wildfire impedes the missions of our land ing water. FEMA Administrator Brock very happy to report that we have a management agencies, including by taking Long testified just yesterday that the strong bipartisan effort right here in critical funding from programs that help re- front of us. duce the risk of catastrophic fire, restore response to these storms and wildfires and maintain healthy functioning eco- and other disasters—we have had tor- Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the systems, and yield timber production. nadoes that have come along as well— gentleman from the Maine (Mr. The Administration, however, has concerns is costing the Federal Government $200 POLIQUIN). with re-purposing the Stafford Act to ad- million a day. Mr. POLIQUIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in dress wildfires. The purpose of the Stafford Mr. Speaker, I understand that the support of the rule and the underlying Act is to assist State, local, tribal, and terri- Office of Management and Budget is bill, Resilient Federal Forests Act of torial (SLTT) governments that become currently working to send a proposal 2017. overwhelmed when responding to and recov- to Congress for a third supplemental I do thank the gentleman from Wash- ering from natural disasters affecting their ington State for this time. I urge all jurisdictions. H.R. 2936 would modify the spending package to address the recov- Stafford Act by creating a new type of dis- ery needs in the affected areas. I urge Members, Republicans and Democrats, aster declaration to address the cost of wild- them and my colleagues here in Con- to support the rule and the underlying fire suppression on Federal land, thereby gress to act swiftly to provide the re- bill. changing long-standing principles governing sources that so many people des- Mr. Speaker, I want to focus my re- Federal support to SLTT governments. As perately need. In the meantime, what marks on one specific and very impor- we have seen in this year’s historic Atlantic have we gotten from Republicans? Bi- tant section of the underlying bill. hurricane season, the Federal Emergency partisanship? Sound science-based pro- This pertains to allowing young men Management Agency (FEMA) must continue and young women the opportunity to to be focused on its existing mission, and the posals? No. Instead, the Republican Stafford Act’s Disaster Relief Fund must re- majority has ignored bipartisanship, work and to learn the family trade of main dedicated solely to that mission. and, yesterday, in the Rules Com- logging. Instead of the approach outlined in H.R. mittee, a bipartisan measure was of- Now, logging is a very big business in 2936, the Administration supports a separate, fered that was a thoughtful proposal on the State of Maine. About 90 percent of annual cap adjustment for wildfire suppres- this topic, and was rejected, and pre- our State, Mr. Speaker, is forested, and sion operations, which will resolve concerns we have generations and traditions of about the sufficiency of funds for wildfire sented this bill that we have here now that doesn’t address the real issues fac- logging in the State of Maine. Logging suppression and avoid unnecessary competi- is often a family-run business where tion for Stafford Act funds. ing public land and wildfire manage- the practice and the technique of har- Improving Forest Management ment, but, rather, guts environmental protection and overturns President vesting and then transporting saw logs The Administration appreciates H.R. 2936’s to mills are passed down from one gen- recognition that fixing the funding compo- Obama’s monument expansion. eration to another. nent of fire borrowing will not, on its own, b 1245 stop the worsening trend of catastrophic Now, H.R. 2936 brings Federal regula- wildfires. Meaningful forest management re- Mr. Speaker, this is business as usual tions in line with this new technology forms to strengthen our ability to restore for House Republicans. But if we are and new standards of safety by allow- the Nation’s forests and improve their resil- going to seriously address natural dis- ing family-owned logging businesses

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:54 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00015 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.026 H01NOPT1 H8312 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 the ability to train 16- and 17-year-olds ily saved up $1,000 to pay for an attor- debate and consideration of a bipar- under very close supervision of their ney and the DACA program application tisan bill to address the growing eco- parents. fee. All she needed was her school to nomic and environmental threats posed We need to make certain, Mr. Speak- provide her records so she could finish by catastrophic wildfires. er, that the next generation of loggers her application. This bill will give Federal agencies are able to learn what they need to But then Hurricane Harvey hit and immediate tools to increase the effec- know, how to run these family-run flooded her family’s home in east Hous- tiveness of our forest management businesses, including the operation and ton and shut down school for 2 weeks. projects while preserving environ- maintenance of their equipment. We do While Maritza and her mother were re- mental protections. this, please, by supporting the Resil- covering from Harvey’s devastation, While of immense benefit to pre- ient Federal Forests Act of 2017. they were the victims of another dis- serving our national parks, the bill This bill, Mr. Speaker, will ensure aster, but this one was created by their also supports the private sector by ad- that the long-term health of the log- own government. dressing obstructionist litigation ging business industry is supported and They watched Attorney General Jeff against management activity, and re- can continue from one generation to Sessions announce on live TV that the warding collaboration by local govern- another. Trump administration was ending ments and local stakeholders when Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield DACA and cutting off new applications they work together to foster more ef- myself such time as I may consume. for young immigrants just like her. fective management projects. If we defeat the previous question, I The devastating news crushed Maritza Mr. Speaker, North Carolina’s Fifth am going to offer an amendment to the and her family. Now they and countless District is home to pristine national rule to bring up H.R. 3440, the Dream others have waited 57 days for us to fix parks, including the scenic Blue Ridge Act. This bipartisan, bicameral legisla- it. Parkway, otherwise known as Amer- tion would help thousands of young Today we have the opportunity to ica’s favorite drive. people who are Americans in every way uphold our values and to pass the I am an unwavering supporter of our except on paper. Dream Act so that these young Ameri- Nation’s national parks, and I look for- Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous con- cans aren’t waiting in fear any longer. ward to equipping better our park man- sent to insert the text of my amend- Mr. Speaker, there is a quote directly agers to protect our forests from ment in the RECORD, along with extra- above your chair from Daniel Webster wildfires and other threats to their en- neous material, immediately prior to imploring us to do ‘‘something worthy vironmental integrity. the vote on the previous question. to be remembered.’’ Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there So how will we be remembered? Will through you, I would advise my good objection to the request of the gen- the Republican-controlled Congress friend from Washington that I have no tleman from Florida? continue to sit here and passively ac- further speakers and I will be prepared There was no objection. cept the Trump administration’s cow- to close whenever he is. Until such Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I might ardly decision to eliminate protections time, I reserve the balance of my time. add, attendant to this, on yesterday, for countless DREAMers across the Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I yield my colleagues, ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, country? Or do we want to do some- 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ar- CARLOS CURBELO, FREDERICA WILSON, thing about it? kansas (Mr. WESTERMAN), the prime and myself, introduced legislation call- We have an opportunity to protect sponsor of the bill in question today. ing for giving 300,000 migrants in this our neighbors, coworkers, classmates, Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I country, from a variety of countries, friends, constituents, and members of thank the gentleman from Washington an opportunity for permanent resi- our military who have done everything State for not only yielding me this dence—those from El Salvador, Haiti, to try to contribute to this great coun- time and for his good work on the Honduras, and Nicaragua. try. One vote would change the lives of Rules Committee, but for his support Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the nearly 800,000 Americans forever. One of my bill, H.R. 2936, the Resilient Fed- gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. vote would allow them to pursue the eral Forests Act. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM), my good American Dream, to go to school, to Mr. Speaker, I would like to speak friend, to speak to the issue that I just continue to work, to buy a house, or to right now not only as a Member of the talked about, the Dream Act. start a business. United States House of Representa- Ms. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM of Mr. Speaker, isn’t that why we were tives, but also as a forester, educated New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, it has been sent here? Wouldn’t that be something at this country’s first forestry school, 57 days since the President abruptly worthy to be remembered? licensed by my home State by exam to and irresponsibly terminated the I ask my colleagues to vote against practice forestry. If there is an issue DACA program. the previous question so that we can that I understand that comes before For 57 days, students have been pan- immediately bring the Dream Act to this Congress, it is our forests. icked about how much longer they can the floor and provide certainty for As I listen to accusations from across go to school. Brothers, sisters, sons, Americans like Maritza, who want to the aisle, I trust my colleagues are not and daughters, are terrified that they continue to work, learn, and live in the intentionally trying to mislead, but might lose their loved ones any country that they love, the only coun- they seem to know so much about just minute. Parents are afraid to take try they have ever known. We cannot what isn’t so. This is a bipartisan bill their children to the hospital or to afford to wait another day. with Democratic cosponsors and it is school, and breadwinners don’t know Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, we do based on sound scientific management. whether they will be able to continue deal with a lot of important issues on Mr. Speaker, we are on the floor to earn a paycheck to support them- this floor. Today we are talking about today to debate a rule and, as you selves and their families. something that, in this country, people know, this rule is part of the process of For 57 days, the Republican-con- are losing property, we are losing our the House of Representatives that will trolled Congress has been silent, doing natural resources, and, certainly, peo- conclude later this afternoon with nothing to provide certainty for 800,000 ple are losing their lives. votes not only on this rule, but eventu- American DREAMers who are caught Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the ally on the underlying legislation. up in Congressional dysfunction. With- gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. The process of moving this bill out a permanent legislative fix, these FOXX) to talk further on this impor- through the House began earlier this young Americans, like Maritza from tant topic. year, as I and a number of Members Texas, will be at risk of detention and Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I rise in sup- representing multiple committees deportation. port of the rule and the bill for which talked about and debated different Maritza works part time to help her it was made, the Resilient Federal For- ideas and what we hoped for in a final pay for college so she can pursue her ests Act. The rule makes in order sev- piece of legislation. After hundreds of dream career in journalism after grad- eral needed amendments, but, more im- meetings with stakeholders on all sides uation. Over months, she and her fam- portantly, it allows for much-needed of this issue, on both sides of the aisle,

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:54 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00016 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.028 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8313 and countless hours of work by Mem- our Nation’s history. We have seen ity of the Forest Service to manage bers and staff alike, I believe that the livelihoods across the West threatened their own land for years. House stands ready to vote to improve and seen the lives of our brave fire- The legislation creates an arbitration the condition of our national forest fighters put in harm’s way. These fires pilot program that requires anyone land. are deadly, and, tragically, more than suing to block a forest management ac- However, the hard work of everyone 40 people lost their lives when fast- tivity to produce an alternative solu- involved will be for naught if the Sen- moving wildfires swept through north- tion, providing effective resolutions to ate fails to act. For that reason, I en- ern California just a few weeks ago. problems rather than frivolous litigant courage our colleagues in the Senate to Mr. Speaker, we have particularly activity. The bill also puts a limit on take up this legislation, debate it, offer felt the effects in my State of Wyo- the amount of taxpayer dollars that solutions, and act to make a difference ming, where we find ourselves in an ab- can go to pay legal fees of obstruc- on our national forests and our rural solutely indefensible situation. Fires tionist groups when they sue to stop communities. are being caused and worsened by Fed- management. Mr. Speaker, let’s be clear. Our na- eral mismanagement. Eight years of It seems that every year we have a tional forests are in the poorest condi- Federal policy opposing proven meth- longer, more devastating fire season. In tion this Nation has ever seen, and will ods of forest management and, instead, my home State of California this year, continue to degrade if we fail to act focusing on efforts to prevent all it has been particularly devastating in and complete the work that has started human use of our forests have done sig- both lives and land lost. These fires de- here. However, I believe that we have nificant damage. mand that we act, and we need to act reason to be encouraged. The Senate This damage is not just to the forests now, to fix our forest management. Environment and Public Works Com- that we have had to watch burn, Mr. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the mittee recently held a hearing on a dis- Speaker, but we have also seen tremen- gentleman for his leadership on this cussion draft that includes similar for- dous damage to our water in postfire issue. est management provisions as H.R. situations where the water is contami- One last thing: Go Dodgers. 2936, and I know the other committees nated with ash; significant damage to Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, most of jurisdiction are working on forest wildlife habitat, the health of our for- all Western States were impacted in reform legislation as well. ests, to property, and, most impor- one way or another by catastrophic b 1300 tantly, Mr. Speaker, to human life. fires this summer. Particularly hard Under the bad policies and the mis- hit was the great State of Oregon. This is not only a forest health issue; management from the Federal Govern- I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman it is a public health issue that demands ment, we have seen our forests become from Oregon (Mr. WALDEN), the chair- action. Shame on us if we continue to overgrown, accumulating unsafe levels man of the Energy and Commerce Com- stand idly by and watch our treasured of hazardous biofuels that have become mittee. national forests go up in smoke while an absolute tinderbox for these fires. Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank people suffer and die. I stand here We must take action now. the gentleman from the Rules Com- today to encourage the House to adopt This bill, as my colleagues have mittee, my colleague from across the this rule and pass this bill, therefore pointed out, is a bipartisan effort to river in Washington State. My apolo- allowing the United States Senate to begin to take the steps we know will gies to Washingtonians because one of take up the legislation, or, at the very help reduce hazardous fuels and im- our fires, the Eagle Creek fire, actually least, something similar to it. Pass it prove the management of our forests. spotted across the mighty Columbia and allow us to meet at conference and We must also act, Mr. Speaker, as a River, set fire to part of the forests in work out the differences. Let us Congress, to fix the fire-borrowing Washington State down near Steven- present a workable solution to the issue. The Resilient Federal Forests son. Fortunately, that fire was extin- President for his signature. Act takes a significant step toward guished. The one on the Oregon side This year, more than 8.8 million ending the practice of fire borrowing, was terribly dangerous, man-caused, acres of wildfire burned, as has been and simplifies the process for imple- human-caused. It blew out 14 miles in pointed out, and there is an additional menting proper, effective forest man- one night headed toward Portland. 80 million acres on the verge of spawn- agement strategies. These are monster fires. We lost ing more catastrophic wildfires. How Mr. Speaker, I urge, therefore, the 678,000 acres this year to forest fires in many more acres must burn? How adoption of the rule and the underlying my great State of Oregon. It is about many more lives must be lost? two-thirds of the entire size of the The SPEAKER pro tempore. The bill. Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I yield State of Rhode Island. It is enormous. time of the gentleman has expired. Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Cali- This is happening year after year, and an additional 30 seconds to the gen- fornia (Mr. CALVERT), the chairman of the consequences are extraordinary. Smoke chokes our airsheds. Schools tleman from Arkansas. the Appropriations Subcommittee on Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, how Interior, Environment, and Related literally had to shut down and send many more dreams will be ruined be- Agencies, to demonstrate the impor- kids home because it was too smoky to fore we come together to address this tance of this particular piece of legisla- have them inside the school. The 30th critical issue? tion to the whole country. anniversary of Cycle Oregon was can- Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I thank celed. That is a major annual bicycle rule. the gentleman for yielding me the ride that occurs; 30 years, the 30th an- Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, it is time. niversary, canceled. They couldn’t find my pleasure to yield 2 minutes to the Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support a way to pull it off. The Shakespeare gentlewoman from Wyoming (Ms. CHE- of the rule for H.R. 2936, the Resilient Festival down in Ashland, nine per- NEY). Federal Forests Act of 2017. This bill is formances had to be canceled; $400,000, Ms. CHENEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank a commonsense, thoughtful approach Mr. Speaker, just in ticket receipts my colleagues, Mr. NEWHOUSE, from to restore our forests and minimize for- that had to be foregone. I am told they the Rules Committee, as well as Mr. est fire risk. had to lay off people as a result. WESTERMAN, for their work on this bill. First and foremost, I thank Rep- When you think about not only the I rise in support, Mr. Speaker, of the resentative WESTERMAN for under- lost forests—this is what a forest looks rule for consideration of H.R. 2936, the standing the need for these vital re- like after it is burned—the ground is Resilient Federal Forests Act, a bill forms. He has been a great partner to often sterilized. You can’t even go back that will help address the wildfire cri- work with and has a keen under- and replant for a year or two in some sis that is plaguing our Nation as well standing of how to restore our forests. cases because there is no soil left. as begin the very important process of This bill contains a number of needed The impacts are enormous on our en- restoring the health of our forests. reforms, but, in particular, H.R. 2936 vironment. Those of us who are con- As you know, Mr. Speaker, this has will put an end to obstructionist litiga- cerned about the environment, about been one of the largest wildfire years in tion that has been paralyzing the abil- carbon emissions into the atmosphere,

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:54 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.029 H01NOPT1 H8314 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 in 2015, when a like amount was burned Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I yield I had the opportunity to meet with in Oregon, the Forest Service esti- myself such time as I may consume. I the chief of the Forest Service just last mated the blazes emitted more than thank the gentleman from Oregon for week, and he said that he estimated 80 90,000 tons of fine particulates and 14.2 his passionate words about the impact million out of the 198 million acres million tons of greenhouse gases into of catastrophic fires in his State. that the U.S. Forest Service owns the atmosphere. That is equivalent to He is right. The fire from Oregon did needs treatment. more than 3 million cars; 3 million jump the Columbia River into Wash- The Forest Service has warned us for cars. ington, but that is not the only thing years that the forests are in terrible The cause of these increasingly cata- that they shared with us this summer. shape. It is really a result of decades of strophic fires, as Dr. John Bailey of the My own community, the Yakima Val- overregulation and frivolous lawsuits Oregon State University’s College of ley, was filled with smoke for probably that have hindered forest management, Forestry pointed out during a hearing 6 weeks this summer, causing all kinds and we are paying the price. earlier this month in our Energy and of health issues for the citizens of cen- I represent the Colville National For- Commerce Committee, in some cases, tral Washington, not just from Oregon, est which is about a million-acre for- the forest landscapes in my part of Or- but smoke also from as far away as est. It is really the engine of our econ- egon, eastern Oregon that would have Montana and Idaho, and other parts of omy in the Northwest. Because what historically held about 20 trees per the Northwest. happens in the Colville National Forest acre, have more than 1,000 trees grow- In fact, I was just handed a news arti- determines whether or not we have ing there today. cle, I would like to note, from the Vaagen Brothers Lumber, or 49 Degrees You see, we have stopped manage- Methow Valley News, which if you North Ski & Snowboard Resort, or the ment. In many cases, we have stopped have never been to the Methow Valley, biomass facility that Avista runs, con- fire. The forests continue to grow, and it is one of the most pristine, beautiful verting wood waste into electricity. die, and build, and get more dense, and places on the face of the Earth. They This is all providing jobs, energy, so when fire does strike, it is with dev- are talking about the quality of air in recreational opportunities, yet mills astating consequence. the Methow Valley in the community have been closed, and jobs have been My friend from Florida, and he is my of Twisp. lost. It is unacceptable. It is time to friend, when he gets thunderstorms in The air pollution in Twisp, Wash- pass the Resilient Federal Forests Act Florida in the summer, he gets a lot of ington, is considered among the worst legislation. rain with it, I bet. If we have thunder- in the State, if you can imagine that, storms in Oregon, we don’t get the in some of the most beautiful, clean, b 1315 rain. We went nearly 90 days without pristine areas that you can imagine. Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I any rain, but we still got lightning. The air quality, largely due to these thank the good gentlewoman from The lightning torches these forests and catastrophic fires year round, has been Washington State for her remarks. starts a lot of these blazes. impacted negatively. That is some- Mr. Speaker, how much time do I A 2014 study in California by the Na- thing that, thanks to the Methow Val- have remaining? ture Conservancy, Forest Service, and ley News, they are making very clear The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gen- others found that these types of to all of us that we need to do some- tleman from Washington has 31⁄4 min- projects can reduce the intensity of thing to address this particularly im- utes remaining. fires up to 70 percent. portant issue. Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I yield The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Poe I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the myself such time as I may consume. of Texas). The time of the gentleman gentlewoman from Washington (Mrs. Mr. Speaker, I just want to quickly has expired. MCMORRIS RODGERS), my neighbor to Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I yield show this is an example of some of the the east, the Congressperson from the fire damage. If you can see that, this is an additional 30 seconds to the gen- Fifth Congressional District of the tleman from Oregon. from the Carlton Complex Fire that State of Washington. happened 3 years ago in my district in Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mrs. MCMORRIS RODGERS. Mr. central Washington, taken just yester- the gentleman. My intensity of this Speaker, I thank the gentleman for day. issue is almost that of the fires we yielding and for his leadership on this The Carlton Complex burned through fight. very important issue. We can reduce the size and intensity I am pleased to see this legislation, State, private, and Federal lands. So of fires by 70 percent if we do the kinds the Resilient Federal Forests Act com- you can see that these dead, fire-dam- of projects that thin out the forest, ing to the floor today. I also want to aged trees have not been logged, they better manage, and be better stewards express appreciation to Representative have not been removed, and what they of our public Federal forests that are WESTERMAN for his leadership through do is provide the kindling for the next contemplated as a result of this legis- the years on this issue. In recent years, catastrophic fire. lation. in my home State, as has been men- So that is what we are talking about In Oregon, this bill would take away tioned, in Washington State, we have here, not disarming local communities an arbitrary prohibition on harvesting seen larger and larger devastating but actually arming them and giving trees over 21 inches in diameter that wildfires, breaking all of the records, them the ability and the tools that has tied the hands of our forest man- and it seems like every year they just they need in order to prevent these cat- agers. We would clarify timber produc- get larger and larger, and more dev- astrophic fires. tion mandates of the unique Oregon- astating. I would invite the good gentleman California lands in southern and west- They impact people’s health. It is not from Florida to come with me to wit- ern Oregon to live with the underlying unusual now for air quality warnings ness firsthand the devastation and the statute and actually have it enforced. to be in eastern Washington, not just potential devastation that we have and When fires do happen, we would ex- for days, but weeks at end, where it to really understand the nature of the change this for a new, healthy forest really does impact people’s health. It issue. I would reciprocate with a visit that would grow green trees that se- jeopardizes our safety—the stories of to his State to see the damage done by quester carbon and restore a landscape people who are caught in the midst of the devastating hurricanes as well. that we in the West so enjoy. these fires—and it is destroying our en- Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of It is long past time to fix our broken vironment. my time. forest policy. I commend the Rules We like to think of our forests as Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield Committee for bringing this bill for- being green and healthy stands of myself such time as I may consume. ward, and I commend Mr. WESTERMAN, trees, but, unfortunately, today, when Mr. Speaker, I advise my friend that Mr. BISHOP, and others who have you look at these forests, millions of I am prepared to close. I have no addi- worked on this on both sides of the acres, millions and millions of acres tional speakers, and I will go forward aisle to help us stop the fires that rav- within the U.S. Forest Service are ac- with your permission. age, and kill, and destroy, and to help tually diseased, dying, bug-infested In the wake of the worst wildfires, as us have healthy, green forests. trees. have been mentioned here by so many

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:54 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00018 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.031 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8315 of our colleagues, that the U.S. has ex- from the Washington Department of Ecol- cused on the home heating season because perienced in quite a while, House Re- ogy. this is when we can make behavioral changes publicans, however, have responded by Each season in the Methow Valley brings to improve our air quality. This is a control- bringing to the floor, really, a tired bill its own source of air pollution. In recent lable source of pollution, as contrasted with years, the all-too-familiar pall of wildfire pollution from wildfires.’’ passed last Congress that went no- smoke has hung over the valley for days or The Clean Air Project outlines measures where in the Senate, a bill that does weeks during summer. As wildfires are put residents can take to reduce pollution from not fix the true problem of chronically out by cooler, wet weather of fall, the valley wood stoves, including: Properly season underfunding wildfire prevention but, enters another phase of smoke produced by wood so that it is dry and burns cleaner; instead, doubles down in creating an prescribed burning in national forests, out- clean chimneys yearly; build small, hot fires unworkable system for wildfire sup- door burn piles and wood stoves for home and don’t damp them down; comply with pression funding, a bill that rolls back heating. burn bans; upgrade to certified stoves or a In spring, prescribed burning begins again, wood-burning alternative; weatherize homes. environmental protection and limits as well as more burn piles. ‘‘Maybe a respite The organization is also working to reduce access to the courts. in June and early July, and then wildfire outdoor burning of yard waste and provide It is dismaying to see the response to season will be upon us,’’ Walker said. alternatives, including ‘‘vegetation drives’’ natural disasters in this country hinge Although wildfire season can bring health- sponsored by the Clean Air Project, Walker on the same thing so many other im- threatening amounts of smoke to the valley, said. portant debates do: partisanship and like last summer’s Diamond Creek Fire, poor SUCCESSFUL DRIVES air quality is a real concern in winter as ignoring facts and science. Vgetation drives, supported by grants and well, Walker said. ‘‘We’re susceptible to in- Despite a year in which we have seen partnerships, were held in the fall of 2016 and versions and stagnation in the winter historic hurricanes and wildfires, my spring of 2017, and another drive is scheduled months’’ that trap wood stove smoke on the next spring. Past drives have collected about Republican colleagues have yet again valley floor, she said. 20 tons of vegetation, which prevented hun- resorted to continuing to push policies Smoke is the air pollutant of greatest con- dreds or thousands of hours of smoke, Walk- that repeal environmental regulations, cern in the Methow Valley, and is monitored er said. all the while denying the effects cli- by the Department of Ecology. It is known The yard waste was dropped off by resi- as PM2.5, which means particulate matter mate change is having on our commu- dents and hauled to the county landfill dur- that is 2.5 microns or smaller. These tiny nities and our country’s economy. ing the first drive, conducted over two days. particles are most frequently caused by in- My friend from Oregon, a moment During the second drive, conducted over complete combustion, and can stay airborne ago—and he is my friend—spoke about eight days in partnership with the Town of and can travel long distances, increasing the Twisp, residents delivered vegetation to a the thunderstorms that we receive in likelihood that humans and animals will in- site near the Twisp wastewater treatment Florida. In his version, it is accom- hale them. plant, where it was chipped and offered free panied by rain, and that is true a lot. Data collected by a Department of Ecology for landscaping and mulching. But we, too, have droughts in Florida, air monitor in Twisp ranked air quality at ‘‘The most unusual community participant that site among the eight most-polluted and Florida is known as the lightning brought his load strapped to the back of his places in the state in 2016, Walker said. ‘‘By capital of the world. Very occasionally, bicycle—now that’s commitment to clean several of the measures the Department of particularly in central Florida and in air!’’ Walker said. Ecology uses to look at PM2.5 pollution re- the Everglades, those lightning strikes The Clean Air Project also partnered this ported at air quality monitors across the year with the Pine Forest Homeowners Asso- produce wildfires in the congressional state, Twisp ranks among the worst in air ciation to provide support for chipping district that I serve and many others. pollution—worse than metro Seattle or Ta- branches and slash created when underbrush Our response to these events needs to coma. This is even after PM2.5 from wildfire and trees were thinned and limbed as part of smoke is subtracted out,’’ Walker said. improve, and it needs to happen quick- Pine Forest’s ongoing Firewise efforts. The There was insufficient data from the air ly. debris would otherwise have been burned. pollution monitor in Winthrop to assess air These disasters do not recognize con- Next spring’s vegetation drive will be con- quality there last year, ‘‘but it is typically gressional districts. These disasters do ducted in partnership with the Okanogan only slightly better than Twisp,’’ Walker not target one area of our country over Conservation District, Walker said. She sug- said. another and do not care about Repub- gested that residents who have been accumu- lican or Democratic partisan games- PUBLIC COST lating yard waste cover their piles this fall manship. If we are going to adequately ‘‘Our valley cares a lot about this, and instead of burning them, and haul them to respond to the needs of millions of we’re working together to improve it. the vegetation drive in the spring to be There’s a real public health cost to air pollu- chipped. American citizens in the wake of these tion. Anyone who has sat around a campfire, Walker acknowledged that it takes extra and future storms and future wildfires, or gone for a strenuous hike on a smoky day effort, and a different mindset, to participate we need to be advocating for sound has had a firsthand lesson in the toxicity of in a vegetation drive rather than burn yard policies based on science. This is the smoke,’’ Walker said. waste. ‘‘It’s hard. Our valley is long. It re- only way to protect future generations. Walker’s concern about health impacts quires a truck, loading it up and hauling it Mr. Speaker, I urge a ‘‘no’’ vote on come from her training as an environmental in,’’ she said. ‘‘People have been outdoor the rule and the underlying legislation, health toxicologist. Harmful effects range burning in the valley forever. It’s how you and I yield back the balance of my from the inability to exercise outdoors, to get rid of your stuff when you live out in the respiratory distress and infections, to in- country.’’ time. creased risk of cancer. However, Walker said, many valley resi- Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I yield ‘‘For vulnerable populations—babies, chil- dents have been supportive of the vegetation myself the remainder of my time. dren, pregnant women, elders, and anyone drives. ‘‘People really appreciate this as an Mr. Speaker, I include in the RECORD with heart or lung issues—bad air days can option. They don’t want to impact the the newspaper article from the Methow mean serious health repercussions. For ev- health of families and the community,’’ she Valley News, dated October 27. eryone, chronic exposure to high levels of said. [From the Methow Valley News, Oct. 27, 2017] PM2.5 can potentially trigger or exacerbate For people who want to continue the long- conditions such as headaches, asthma, bron- standing local tradition of burning yard SMOKE ISAYEAR-ROUND PROBLEM IN THE chitis and cardiovascular disease.’’ waste, the Clean Air Project suggests ‘‘best VALLEY There are economic costs of air pollution practices for burning outdoors in the most (By Ann McCreary) in the Methow Valley as well, she said. safe and clean way,’’ Walker said. Autumn in the Methow Valley brings cool, ‘‘We’re a tourist economy, dependent on the ‘‘Make sure the pile is as bone dry as pos- crisp weather, bright days and colorful foli- natural beauty of the valley,’’ Walker said. sible. Make sure you know what is a good age. And smoke. Just like every other season The Methow Valley Clean Air Project was day, with good ventilation, but not too much of the year. launched in 2015 by Raleigh Bowden, a local wind. We’ve interacted with Fire District 6 The Methow Valley’s clean, clear air—one physician, after she saw people suffering and smokejumpers. There are lots of folks of its key attractions—is anything but clean health effects of poor winter air quality, with tons of knowledge about how to build a and clear for extended periods of the year. In Walker said. A key goal of the project is im- hot, clean pile,’’ she said. fact, the Methow Valley has four seasons of proving air quality during the home heating The Clean Air Project is overseen by a vol- smoke, said Liz Walker, head of the Methow season, October through March. unteer advisory group. The Methow Valley Valley Clean Air Project. ‘‘Due to our valley’s frequent winter inver- Citizens’ Council is fiscal sponsor for the or- And it is not insignificant amounts of sions, smoke from woodstoves and outdoor ganization. More information is available on smoke, Walker said. Air pollution in Twisp is burning pollutes our air to frequently the Methow Valley Clean Air Project among the worst in the state, based on data unhealthy levels,’’ Walker said. ‘‘We’ve fo- Facebook page.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:54 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00019 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.033 H01NOPT1 H8316 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I want House on the state of the Union for consider- sult may be achieved by voting down the pre- to thank my friend from Florida for to- ation of the bill (H.R. 3440) to authorize the vious question on the rule.... When the day’s debate. cancellation of removal and adjustment of motion for the previous question is defeated, The issue of proactive management status of certain individuals who are long- control of the time passes to the Member term United States residents and who en- who led the opposition to ordering the pre- of our Nation’s Federal forests is criti- tered the United States as children and for vious question. That Member, because he cally important to the future and eco- other purposes. The first reading of the bill then controls the time, may offer an amend- nomic well-being of our whole country shall be dispensed with. All points of order ment to the rule, or yield for the purpose of as well as to the health of our Federal against consideration of the bill are waived. amendment.’’ lands and safety of our rural commu- General debate shall be confined to the bill In Deschler’s Procedure in the U.S. House nities. and shall not exceed one hour equally di- of Representatives, the subchapter titled Let me say that, if you have never vided and controlled by the chair and rank- ‘‘Amending Special Rules’’ states: ‘‘a refusal been through a rural community that ing minority member of the Committee on to order the previous question on such a rule the Judiciary. After general debate the bill [a special rule reported from the Committee has had to face the devastation of a shall be considered for amendment under the on Rules] opens the resolution to amend- catastrophic fire, you are welcome to five-minute rule. All points of order against ment and further debate.’’ (Chapter 21, sec- come to the State of Washington and provisions in the bill are waived. At the con- tion 21.2) Section 21.3 continues: ‘‘Upon re- see firsthand exactly the kind of dam- clusion of consideration of the bill for jection of the motion for the previous ques- age that these fires can do. amendment the Committee shall rise and re- tion on a resolution reported from the Com- This is of the highest priority, and I port the bill to the House with such amend- mittee on Rules, control shifts to the Mem- urge all my colleagues to support this ments as may have been adopted. The pre- ber leading the opposition to the previous rule as well as the underlying bill in vious question shall be considered as ordered question, who may offer a proper amendment on the bill and amendments thereto to final or motion and who controls the time for de- order to combat these catastrophic passage without intervening motion except bate thereon.’’ wildfires and reform the way in which one motion to recommit with or without in- Clearly, the vote on the previous question we manage our forests. structions. If the Committee of the Whole on a rule does have substantive policy impli- This rule provides for consideration rises and reports that it has come to no reso- cations. It is one of the only available tools of H.R. 2936, the Resilient Federal For- lution on the bill, then on the next legisla- for those who oppose the Republican major- ests Act of 2017. This is bipartisan, it is tive day the House shall, immediately after ity’s agenda and allows those with alter- comprehensive, and it aims at address- the third daily order of business under clause native views the opportunity to offer an al- ing the disastrous consequences of cat- 1 of rule XIV, resolve into the Committee of ternative plan. the Whole for further consideration of the astrophic wildfires by utilizing the bill. Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I yield tools the Forest Service and other SEC. 3. Clause 1(c) of rule XIX shall not back the balance of my time, and I agencies have to reduce the threats apply to the consideration of H.R. 3440. move the previous question on the res- posed by these fires, by insects, by dis- olution. ease infestation, and by dangerous old THE VOTE ON THE PREVIOUS QUESTION: WHAT The SPEAKER pro tempore. The forest overgrowth. IT REALLY MEANS question is on ordering the previous As I said, my district in central This vote, the vote on whether to order the question. Washington and millions of acres previous question on a special rule, is not The question was taken; and the across our great country continue to merely a procedural vote. A vote against or- Speaker pro tempore announced that face this threat. We must take steps to dering the previous question is a vote against the Republican majority agenda and the ayes appeared to have it. prevent and address these fires, which a vote to allow the Democratic minority to Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, on that this bill will do by reforming the way offer an alternative plan. It is a vote about I demand the yeas and nays. we prepare for, respond to, and fund what the House should be debating. The yeas and nays were ordered. wildfire response and mitigation ef- Mr. Clarence Cannon’s Precedents of the The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- forts. These threats will only continue House of Representatives (VI, 308–311), de- ant to clause 9 of rule XX, the Chair to worsen not only for my constitu- scribes the vote on the previous question on will reduce to 5 minutes the minimum the rule as ‘‘a motion to direct or control the ents, but for people all around the time for any electronic vote on the country. consideration of the subject before the House being made by the Member in charge.’’ To question of adoption of the resolution. We are recognizing sustained drought defeat the previous question is to give the The vote was taken by electronic de- conditions. Mismanagement and fail- opposition a chance to decide the subject be- vice, and there were—yeas 232, nays ure to conduct maintenance of our for- fore the House. Cannon cites the Speaker’s 184, not voting 16, as follows: ruling of January 13, 1920, to the effect that ests on Federal lands will continue to [Roll No. 592] plague this issue. The underlying legis- ‘‘the refusal of the House to sustain the de- lation is essential and desperately mand for the previous question passes the YEAS—232 needed to change the outdated, control of the resolution to the opposition’’ Abraham Chabot Flores Aderholt Cheney Fortenberry unsustainable, and untimely dangerous in order to offer an amendment. On March 15, 1909, a member of the majority party of- Allen Coffman Foxx system of Federal forest management fered a rule resolution. The House defeated Amash Cole Franks (AZ) on these lands. Amodei Collins (GA) Frelinghuysen the previous question and a member of the Arrington Collins (NY) Gaetz Mr. Speaker, this is a straight- opposition rose to a parliamentary inquiry, Babin Comer Gallagher forward rule allowing for consideration asking who was entitled to recognition. Bacon Comstock Garrett of a critical piece of legislation that Speaker Joseph G. Cannon (R-Illinois) said: Banks (IN) Conaway Gianforte will help protect our rural commu- ‘‘The previous question having been refused, Barletta Cook Gibbs Barr Costello (PA) Gohmert nities and ensure we are prepared to re- the gentleman from New York, Mr. Fitz- gerald, who had asked the gentleman to Barton Cramer Goodlatte spond to these devastating, cata- Bergman Crawford Gosar yield to him for an amendment, is entitled to strophic fires. Biggs Culberson Gowdy the first recognition.’’ Bilirakis Curbelo (FL) Granger I appreciate the discussion we have The Republican majority may say ‘‘the Bishop (MI) Davidson Graves (GA) had today. I believe that this is a crit- vote on the previous question is simply a Bishop (UT) Davis, Rodney Graves (LA) ical measure, and I urge my colleagues vote on whether to proceed to an immediate Black Denham Graves (MO) to support House Resolution 595 and vote on adopting the resolution . . . [and] Blackburn Dent Griffith has no substantive legislative or policy im- Blum DeSantis Grothman the underlying legislation. Bost Diaz-Balart Guthrie The material previously referred to plications whatsoever.’’ But that is not what Brady (TX) Donovan Handel they have always said. Listen to the Repub- by Mr. HASTINGS is as follows: Brat Duffy Harper lican Leadership Manual on the Legislative Brooks (IN) Duncan (SC) Harris AN AMENDMENT TO H. RES. 595 OFFERED BY Process in the United States House of Rep- Buchanan Duncan (TN) Hartzler MR. HASTINGS resentatives, (6th edition, page 135). Here’s Buck Dunn Hensarling At the end of the resolution, add the fol- how the Republicans describe the previous Bucshon Emmer Herrera Beutler lowing new sections: question vote in their own manual: ‘‘Al- Budd Estes (KS) Hice, Jody B. Burgess Farenthold Higgins (LA) SEC. 2. Immediately upon adoption of this though it is generally not possible to amend Byrne Faso Holding resolution the Speaker shall, pursuant to the rule because the majority Member con- Calvert Ferguson Hollingsworth clause 2(b) of rule XVIII, declare the House trolling the time will not yield for the pur- Carter (GA) Fitzpatrick Hudson resolved into the Committee of the Whole pose of offering an amendment, the same re- Carter (TX) Fleischmann Huizenga

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:54 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00020 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.034 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8317 Hultgren McSally Scott, Austin Schneider Soto Veasey Massie Renacci Stefanik Hunter Meadows Sensenbrenner Schrader Speier Vela Mast Rice (SC) Stewart Hurd Meehan Sessions Scott (VA) Suozzi Vela´ zquez McCarthy Roby Stivers Issa Messer Shimkus Scott, David Swalwell (CA) Visclosky McCaul Roe (TN) Taylor Jenkins (KS) Mitchell Shuster Serrano Takano Walz McClintock Rogers (AL) Tenney Jenkins (WV) Moolenaar Simpson Sewell (AL) Thompson (CA) Wasserman McHenry Rogers (KY) Thompson (PA) Johnson (LA) Mooney (WV) Smith (MO) Shea-Porter Thompson (MS) Schultz McKinley Rohrabacher Thornberry Johnson (OH) Mullin Smith (NJ) Sherman Titus Waters, Maxine McMorris Rokita Tiberi Sinema Tonko Watson Coleman Johnson, Sam Newhouse Smith (TX) Rodgers Rooney, Francis Tipton Jones Noem Sires Torres Welch Smucker McSally Rooney, Thomas Trott Jordan Norman Slaughter Tsongas Wilson (FL) Stefanik Meadows J. Turner Smith (WA) Vargas Yarmuth Joyce (OH) Nunes Meehan Ros-Lehtinen Upton Katko Olson Stewart Messer Roskam Valadao Kelly (MS) Palazzo Stivers NOT VOTING—16 Mitchell Ross Wagner Kelly (PA) Palmer Taylor ´ Barragan DesJarlais Perry Moolenaar Rothfus Walberg King (IA) Paulsen Tenney Bridenstine Garamendi Pocan Mooney (WV) Rouzer Walden King (NY) Pearce Thompson (PA) Brooks (AL) Gomez Polis Mullin Royce (CA) Walker Kinzinger Pittenger Thornberry Clyburn Hill Smith (NE) Newhouse Russell Walorski Knight Poe (TX) Tiberi Cummings Jackson Lee Noem Rutherford Walters, Mimi Kustoff (TN) Poliquin Tipton DeGette Nadler Labrador Posey Trott Norman Sanford Weber (TX) LaHood Ratcliffe Turner Nunes Scalise Webster (FL) b 1345 Olson Schrader Wenstrup LaMalfa Reed Upton Palazzo Schweikert Westerman Lamborn Reichert Valadao Messrs. BROWN of Maryland and Palmer Scott, Austin Williams Lance Renacci Wagner LARSON of Connecticut changed their Paulsen Sensenbrenner Wilson (SC) Latta Rice (SC) Walberg vote from ‘‘yea’’ to ‘‘nay.’’ Pearce Sessions Wittman Lewis (MN) Roby Walden LoBiondo Mr. JONES changed his vote from Pittenger Shimkus Womack Roe (TN) Walker Long Rogers (AL) Poe (TX) Shuster Woodall Walorski ‘‘nay’’ to ‘‘yea.’’ Loudermilk Rogers (KY) Poliquin Simpson Yoder Walters, Mimi So the previous question was ordered. Love Rohrabacher Posey Smith (MO) Yoho Lucas Rokita Weber (TX) The result of the vote was announced Ratcliffe Smith (NJ) Young (AK) Luetkemeyer Rooney, Francis Webster (FL) as above recorded. Reed Smith (TX) Young (IA) MacArthur Rooney, Thomas Wenstrup The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Reichert Smucker Zeldin Marchant J. Westerman Marino Ros-Lehtinen Williams question is on the resolution. NOES—184 Marshall Roskam Wilson (SC) The question was taken; and the Massie Ross Wittman Adams Gallego Nolan Speaker pro tempore announced that Aguilar Gonzalez (TX) Norcross Mast Rothfus Womack the ayes appeared to have it. McCarthy Rouzer Woodall Bass Gottheimer O’Halleran Beatty Green, Al O’Rourke McCaul Royce (CA) Yoder RECORDED VOTE Bera Green, Gene Pallone McClintock Russell Yoho Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I de- McHenry Rutherford Beyer Grijalva Panetta Young (AK) ´ McKinley Sanford mand a recorded vote. Bishop (GA) Gutierrez Pascrell Young (IA) Blumenauer Hanabusa Payne McMorris Scalise Zeldin A recorded vote was ordered. Rodgers Schweikert Blunt Rochester Hastings Pelosi The SPEAKER pro tempore. This is a Bonamici Heck Perlmutter 5-minute vote. NAYS—184 Boyle, Brendan Higgins (NY) Peters The vote was taken by electronic de- F. Himes Peterson Adams Doyle, Michael Loebsack vice, and there were—ayes 232, noes 184, Brady (PA) Hoyer Pingree Aguilar F. Lofgren Brown (MD) Huffman Price (NC) Bass Ellison Lowenthal not voting 16, as follows: Brownley (CA) Jackson Lee Quigley Beatty Engel Lowey [Roll No. 593] Bustos Jayapal Raskin Bera Eshoo Lujan Grisham, Butterfield Jeffries Rice (NY) Beyer Espaillat M. AYES—232 Capuano Johnson (GA) Richmond Bishop (GA) Esty (CT) Luja´ n, Ben Ray Abraham Culberson Hensarling Carbajal Johnson, E. B. Rosen Blumenauer Evans Lynch Aderholt Curbelo (FL) Herrera Beutler Ca´ rdenas Kaptur Roybal-Allard Blunt Rochester Foster Maloney, Allen Davidson Hice, Jody B. Carson (IN) Keating Ruiz Bonamici Frankel (FL) Carolyn B. Amash Davis, Rodney Higgins (LA) Cartwright Kelly (IL) Ruppersberger Boyle, Brendan Fudge Maloney, Sean Amodei Denham Holding Castor (FL) Kennedy Rush F. Gabbard Matsui Arrington Dent Hollingsworth Castro (TX) Khanna Ryan (OH) Brady (PA) Gallego McCollum Babin DeSantis Hudson Chu, Judy Kihuen Sa´ nchez Brown (MD) Gonzalez (TX) McEachin Bacon Diaz-Balart Huizenga Cicilline Kildee Sarbanes Brownley (CA) Gottheimer McGovern Banks (IN) Donovan Hultgren Clark (MA) Kilmer Schakowsky Bustos Green, Al McNerney Barletta Duffy Hunter Clarke (NY) Kind Schiff Butterfield Green, Gene Meeks Barr Duncan (SC) Hurd Clay Krishnamoorthi Schneider Capuano Grijalva Meng Barton Duncan (TN) Issa Cleaver Kuster (NH) Scott (VA) Carbajal Gutie´rrez Moore Bergman Dunn Jenkins (KS) Cohen Langevin Scott, David Ca´ rdenas Hanabusa Moulton Biggs Emmer Jenkins (WV) Connolly Larsen (WA) Serrano Carson (IN) Hastings Murphy (FL) Bilirakis Estes (KS) Johnson (LA) Conyers Larson (CT) Sewell (AL) Cartwright Heck Napolitano Bishop (MI) Farenthold Johnson (OH) Cooper Lawrence Shea-Porter Castor (FL) Higgins (NY) Neal Bishop (UT) Faso Johnson, Sam Correa Lawson (FL) Sherman Castro (TX) Himes Nolan Black Ferguson Jones Costa Lee Sinema Chu, Judy Hoyer Norcross Blackburn Fitzpatrick Jordan Courtney Levin Sires Cicilline Huffman O’Halleran Blum Fleischmann Joyce (OH) Crist Lewis (GA) Slaughter Clark (MA) Jayapal O’Rourke Bost Flores Katko Crowley Lieu, Ted Smith (WA) Clarke (NY) Jeffries Pallone Brady (TX) Fortenberry Kelly (MS) Cuellar Lipinski Soto Clay Johnson (GA) Panetta Brat Foxx Kelly (PA) Davis (CA) Loebsack Speier Cleaver Johnson, E. B. Pascrell Brooks (IN) Franks (AZ) King (IA) Davis, Danny Lofgren Suozzi Cohen Kaptur Payne Buchanan Frelinghuysen King (NY) DeFazio Lowenthal Swalwell (CA) Connolly Keating Pelosi Buck Gaetz Kinzinger Delaney Lowey Takano Conyers Kelly (IL) Perlmutter Bucshon Gallagher Knight DeLauro Lujan Grisham, Thompson (CA) Cooper Kennedy Peters Budd Garrett Kustoff (TN) DelBene M. Thompson (MS) Correa Khanna Peterson Burgess Gianforte Labrador Demings Luja´ n, Ben Ray Titus Costa Kihuen Pingree Byrne Gibbs LaHood DeSaulnier Lynch Tonko Courtney Kildee Price (NC) Calvert Gohmert LaMalfa Deutch Maloney, Torres Crist Kilmer Quigley Carter (GA) Goodlatte Lamborn Dingell Carolyn B. Tsongas Crowley Kind Raskin Carter (TX) Gosar Lance Doggett Maloney, Sean Vargas Cuellar Krishnamoorthi Rice (NY) Chabot Gowdy Latta Doyle, Michael Matsui Veasey Davis (CA) Kuster (NH) Richmond Cheney Granger Lewis (MN) F. McCollum Vela Davis, Danny Langevin Rosen Coffman Graves (GA) LoBiondo Ellison McEachin Vela´ zquez DeFazio Larsen (WA) Roybal-Allard Cole Graves (LA) Long Engel McGovern Visclosky Delaney Larson (CT) Ruiz Collins (GA) Graves (MO) Loudermilk Eshoo McNerney Walz DeLauro Lawrence Ruppersberger Comer Griffith Love Espaillat Meeks Wasserman DelBene Lawson (FL) Rush Comstock Grothman Lucas Esty (CT) Meng Schultz Demings Lee Ryan (OH) Conaway Guthrie Luetkemeyer Evans Moore Waters, Maxine DeSaulnier Levin Sa´ nchez Cook Handel MacArthur Foster Moulton Watson Coleman Deutch Lewis (GA) Sarbanes Costello (PA) Harper Marchant Frankel (FL) Murphy (FL) Welch Dingell Lieu, Ted Schakowsky Cramer Harris Marino Fudge Napolitano Wilson (FL) Doggett Lipinski Schiff Crawford Hartzler Marshall Gabbard Neal Yarmuth

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:54 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00021 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A01NO7.007 H01NOPT1 H8318 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 NOT VOTING—16 sage from the Secretary of the Senate on No- confidential nonpublic review by the staff of Barraga´ n DeGette Perry vember 1, 2017, at 11:44 a.m.: the Commission prior to public filing, pro- Bridenstine DesJarlais Pocan Appointments: vided that the initial confidential submis- Brooks (AL) Garamendi Polis Virgin Islands of the United States Centen- sion and all amendments thereto shall be Clyburn Gomez Smith (NE) nial Commission. publicly filed with the Commission not later Collins (NY) Hill With best wishes, I am than 15 days before the date on which the Cummings Nadler Sincerely, issuer conducts a road show (as defined ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE KAREN L. HAAS. under section 230.433(h)(4) of title 17, Code of The SPEAKER pro tempore (during f Federal Regulations) or, in the absence of a the vote). There are 2 minutes remain- road show, at least 15 days prior to the re- ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER quested effective date of the registration ing. PRO TEMPORE statement. b 1353 ‘‘(2) WITHIN ONE YEAR AFTER INITIAL PUBLIC The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. OFFERING OR EXCHANGE REGISTRATION.—Any So the resolution was agreed to. ROGERS of Kentucky). Pursuant to issuer, within the one-year period following The result of the vote was announced clause 8 of rule XX, the Chair will post- its initial public offering or its registration as above recorded. pone further proceedings today on mo- of a security under section 12(b) of the Secu- A motion to reconsider was laid on tions to suspend the rules on which a rities Exchange Act of 1934, may confiden- the table. recorded vote or the yeas and nays are tially submit to the Commission a draft reg- istration statement, for confidential non- PERSONAL EXPLANATION ordered, or votes objected to under clause 6 of rule XX. public review by the staff of the Commission Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably prior to public filing, provided that the ini- detained. Had I been present, I would have The House will resume proceedings tial confidential submission and all amend- voted ‘‘Yea’’ on rollcall No. 592, and ‘‘Yea’’ on on postponed questions at a later time. ments thereto shall be publicly filed with the rollcall No. 593. f Commission not later than 15 days before the date on which the issuer conducts a road f ENCOURAGING PUBLIC OFFERINGS show (as defined under section 230.433(h)(4) of MAKING IN ORDER ACT OF 2017 title 17, Code of Federal Regulations) or, in CONSIDERATION OF H. RES. 599 Mr. HUIZENGA. Mr. Speaker, I move the absence of a road show, at least 15 days to suspend the rules and pass the bill prior to the requested effective date of the Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I ask registration statement. (H.R. 3903) to amend the Securities Act unanimous consent that it be in order ‘‘(3) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.— at any time to consider H. Res. 599 in of 1933 to expand the ability to use ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Commission may the House, if called up by the chair of testing the waters and confidential issue regulations, subject to public notice the Committee on Foreign Affairs or draft registration submissions, and for and comment, to impose such other terms, his designee; that the resolution be other purposes, as amended. conditions, or requirements on the submis- sion of draft registration statements de- considered as read; that the previous The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: scribed under this subsection by an issuer question be considered as ordered on other than an emerging growth company as the resolution and preamble to adop- H.R. 3903 the Commission determines appropriate. tion without intervening motion or de- Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- ‘‘(B) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Prior to any mand for division of the question ex- resentatives of the United States of America in rulemaking described under subparagraph cept for 1 hour of debate equally di- Congress assembled, (A), the Commission shall issue a report to vided and controlled by Representative SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. the Congress containing a list of the findings supporting the basis of such rulemaking.’’. ROYCE of California and Representative This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Encouraging Public Offerings Act of 2017’’. KHANNA of California or their respec- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- tive designees; and that notwith- SEC. 2. EXPANDING TESTING THE WATERS AND ant to the rule, the gentleman from CONFIDENTIAL SUBMISSIONS. Michigan (Mr. HUIZENGA) and the gen- standing any previous order of the The Securities Act of 1933 (15 U.S.C. 77a et tleman from Illinois (Mr. FOSTER) each House, the provisions of section 7 of seq.) is amended— the War Powers Resolution, 50 U.S.C. (1) in section 5(d)— will control 20 minutes. 1546, shall not apply to H. Con. Res. 81. (A) by striking ‘‘Notwithstanding’’ and in- The Chair recognizes the gentleman The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there serting the following: from Michigan. objection to the request of the gen- ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding’’; b 1400 (B) by striking ‘‘an emerging growth com- tleman from Washington? GENERAL LEAVE There was no objection. pany or any person authorized to act on be- half of an emerging growth company’’ and Mr. HUIZENGA. Mr. Speaker, I ask f inserting ‘‘an issuer or any person author- unanimous consent that all Members ized to act on behalf of an issuer’’; and PERSONAL EXPLANATION may have 5 legislative days in which to (C) by adding at the end the following: revise and extend their remarks and to Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I ‘‘(2) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.— include extraneous material on this was unavoidably detained with con- ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Commission may issue regulations, subject to public notice bill. stituents when rollcall vote No. 592 was The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there cast on the floor of the House, the mo- and comment, to impose such other terms, conditions, or requirements on the engaging objection to the request of the gen- tion on ordering the previous question in oral or written communications described tleman from Michigan? on the rule. If I had been present, I under paragraph (1) by an issuer other than There was no objection. would have voted ‘‘no.’’ an emerging growth company as the Com- Mr. HUIZENGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield f mission determines appropriate. myself such time as I may consume. ‘‘(B) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Prior to any Mr. Speaker, over the last two dec- COMMUNICATION FROM THE rulemaking described under subparagraph ades, our Nation has experienced a 37 CLERK OF THE HOUSE (A), the Commission shall issue a report to percent decline in the number of U.S. the Congress containing a list of the findings The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- supporting the basis of such rulemaking.’’; listed companies—public companies. fore the House the following commu- and Equally troubling, we have seen the nication from the Clerk of the House of (2) in section 6(e)— number of publicly traded companies Representatives: (A) in the heading, by striking ‘‘EMERGING fall to around 5,700. These statistics are OFFICE OF THE CLERK, GROWTH COMPANIES’’ and inserting ‘‘DRAFT concerning because they are similar to HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, REGISTRATION STATEMENTS’’; the data we saw in the 1980s when our Washington, DC, November 1, 2017. (B) by redesignating paragraph (2) as para- economy was less than half its current Hon. PAUL D. RYAN, graph (4); and size. The Speaker, House of Representatives, (C) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting Mr. Speaker, since 2000, the average Washington, DC. the following: DEAR MR. SPEAKER: Pursuant to the per- ‘‘(1) PRIOR TO INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING.— number of initial public offerings, or mission granted in Clause 2(h) of Rule II of Any issuer, prior to its initial public offering IPOs, has fallen to approximately 135 the Rules of the U.S. House of Representa- date, may confidentially submit to the Com- per year, which pales in comparison to tives, the Clerk received the following mes- mission a draft registration statement, for the more than 450 IPOs filed per year in

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:49 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00022 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A01NO7.008 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8319 the early 1990s. Notably, there has not ability of companies to test the waters Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support been a corresponding downward trend prior to going public and to submit of the Encouraging Public Offerings in the creation of new companies over confidential filings for feedback from Act, a bill that the gentleman from that same period. This demonstrates the SEC staff prior to filing of an IPO. New York (Mr. MEEKS) and I have that the regulatory costs associated The JOBS Act of 2012 created these worked on together, and I thank him with going public is deterring new and mechanisms for emerging growth com- for that. emerging companies from making the panies. Emerging growth companies I also thank the Financial Services decision to go public. are those with less than $1 billion in Committee, in particular, the staff and Now, you may ask: Why is this im- revenue, $700 million in public float, the subcommittee chairman, Mr. portant? and $1 billion in nonconvertible debt. HUIZENGA. Well, first of all, it is preventing our The JOBS Act enabled these companies I also thank the chairman, the gen- capital markets from reaching their to speak to institutional investors tleman from Texas (Mr. HENSARLING). full potential, which sounds very aca- prior to an IPO without it being con- His leadership of this committee and demic and pie in the sky. sidered an unregistered offering for his devotion and fidelity to the con- What does that mean, though? sale of securities. servative principles are legendary. His What it really means is that it is not The definition of a securities offering retirement will be a great loss to this allowing Mr. and Mrs. 401(k) from par- is appropriately broad to protect inves- institution. The Hensarling legacy of ticipating in the economic successes tors and ensure transparency in our conservative leadership will not be for- that we have seen lately. markets by requiring registration and gotten, and I am certain that his next Federal securities regulations are significant disclosures. However, com- chapter will be as great as this one. He typically written for large public com- panies considering a public offering will be missed by all, especially by panies, and this one-size-fits-all frame- should be able to talk to the most so- those of us—myself among them—who work imposes a disproportionate bur- phisticated investors in the markets, share his vision and his limited govern- den on small and emerging companies large institutional investors, to gauge ment principles. looking to go public. the interest in the offering. Having Mr. Speaker, no other country has a The 2012 Jumpstart Our Business that ability will help encourage public better history of connecting money Startups Act, or JOBS Act, which was offerings because it enables companies with vision than the United States of a bipartisan bill signed into law by to realize efficiencies in assessing de- America. We rightfully celebrate our President Obama, created a new type of mand. legendary entrepreneurs: Steve Jobs, issue called an emerging growth com- Research-intensive firms are more Bill Gates, Andrew Carnegie, Tom pany, which allowed these so-called likely to test the waters because it Davis, John Rockefeller, and a whole EGCs with less than $1 billion in rev- lowers the cost of proprietary disclo- host of others who built the companies enue to be allowed to communicate sure. These are the firms that drive that drive our economy. None of those with potential investors before an ini- economic growth by bringing new ideas men could have done what they did tial public offering and file confidential to market. without capital. None of them could draft registration statements with the Research is obviously a passion of have done what they did without inter- Securities and Exchange Commission. mine, having founded a company that mediaries to connect that capital to On June 29, 2017, the SEC extended to was based on my intellectual property their vision. all companies the option of submitting and subsequently designing particle ac- So, Mr. Speaker, the depressing truth in advance draft registration state- celerators as a physicist at Fermi Na- is that our capital markets are the big- ments for IPOs and follow-on offerings tional Lab. It is the new ideas that gest, strongest, and most transparent within 1 year of an IPO. grow our GDP and improve the stand- connectors between money and vision, H.R. 3903, the Encouraging Public Of- ard of living for all Americans. and they are not where they once were. ferings Act, would ensure that all Moreover, new businesses with new We have the same number of public of- issues making an IPO would be allowed ideas do more to grow the economy ferings on our stock exchanges that we to communicate with potential inves- than incumbents with new ideas or just did in the 1980s, when the economy was tors before an offering and file con- acquisitions. The public market pre- much smaller. We have lost 50 percent fidential draft registration statements sents an opportunity for small busi- of our public companies since the 1990s, with the Securities and Exchange Com- nesses to become big businesses with- and more and more companies choose mission. In other words, we are going out being bought out. to go private, or they never even sell to codify what the Securities and Ex- Additionally, this bill would allow their shares to the public. change Commission has said we should companies of all sizes to file confiden- The hope is that, with this bill, we be doing. tially forms with the SEC. This allows will increase the desire of companies to H.R. 3903 simply codifies that prac- the firm to receive feedback without go public, getting our financial mar- tice into law and it will allow these making inappropriate or unrequired in- kets back to being the number one companies to finalize their registration formation public. Disclosing the cor- method for capital formation. To that documents without undue expectations rect information helps the markets un- end, our bill does three things: from outside influences, and it allows derstand risks and price an offering ap- First, it allows the companies to file companies to time their offering with propriately. their paperwork for going public with the market before making their Form The bill also includes a provision giv- the SEC confidentially. That way, if S–1s public and beginning an investor ing the SEC discretion to ensure that there is an error or a discrepancy in road show. these mechanisms are used in a way the documents, the company can work I commend the bipartisan work of that benefits markets and investors. it out with the agency without getting Representatives BUDD and MEEKS on The U.S. capital markets are the deep- embarrassed in public or exposing in- this important bill to ensure that H.R. est and most liquid in the world, and formation to competitors. 3903 applies to all companies, without this bill will help more companies tap Second, it allows all companies to losing valuable investor protections—a into that capital and grow our econ- confidentially file their paperwork for key element in this. omy. a second stock sale after an initial pub- This bill will also help encourage Mr. Speaker, I urge broad support for lic offering. Again, the point being to companies to go public, and I encour- this bill today, and I reserve the bal- allow for a dialogue between the com- age all of my colleagues to vote in ance of my time. pany and the regulator. favor of H.R. 3903. Mr. HUIZENGA. Mr. Speaker, I am Third, it also allows all companies Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of pleased to yield 5 minutes to the gen- considering an IPO to talk to sophisti- my time. tleman from North Carolina (Mr. cated investors and qualified institu- Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield BUDD), the sponsor of this very impor- tions and see if these investors might myself such time as I may consume. tant legislation. want to buy their stock before offering Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support Mr. BUDD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the it to the public, which is called ‘‘test- of H.R. 3903. This bill will expand the gentleman for yielding. ing the waters.’’ It is hard to know if

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:54 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00023 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.043 H01NOPT1 H8320 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 you should sell a product if you can’t Mr. DAVIDSON. Mr. Speaker, access broad view of how they are going to in- check and see if there is anyone out to capital is crucial to promoting a vest their hard-earned dollars that there who even wants to buy it. thriving U.S. economy. It allows com- they have worked so long and hard for. Mr. Speaker, these changes to the se- panies to invest in growth and to de- Mr. Speaker, this is also, I believe, an curities laws have received broad sup- velop new and innovative products and important aspect, because we know port. I want to quote the SEC chair- services. Historically, companies seek- that economic growth comes from man on this when he spoke at a hear- ing a considerable amount of capital small- and medium-sized businesses. ing in our committee. He said: ‘‘The have preferred to use an initial public That is where we are going to see real- initial data is positive. Not just people offering and have shares traded on a ly the engine of our economy rev up. using it, but people saying, Thank you, national securities exchange. It is maybe not as much of a headline we intend to use it. Both from an IPO However, the United States has expe- grabber as some of those big companies perspective, but also from the perspec- rienced a 37 percent decline in the adding 100 or 200 or even thousands of tive on follow-on offerings that occur number of U.S. listed public compa- jobs, but all of those smaller companies in the first year . . . if there is any ad- nies, which is considerably lower than adding people into the workforce add verse views, I’d like to hear them. We in the 1980s and 1990s. up to far larger numbers than those haven’t heard any.’’ Public company compliance costs numbers are. The Center for American Progress, have grown sufficiently large that Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my col- which has not traditionally been many smaller firms stay private rather leagues to join me in supporting H.R. friendly to relaxing financial regula- than spend their profit overcoming 3903, and I yield back the balance of my tions, has said that these reforms, these regulatory burdens. The Sar- time. which were made available to smaller banes-Oxley Act, the Dodd-Frank Act, The SPEAKER pro tempore. The companies in the JOBS Act, were some and other legislative and regulatory question is on the motion offered by of the most successful provisions in actions have contributed to these the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. that law. This bill applies them to all costs. HUIZENGA) that the House suspend the companies, not just those with a cer- b 1415 rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3903, as tain amount of revenue. amended. Finally, the Treasury Department Title I of the JOBS Act created a new The question was taken. gave favorable mention to these re- category of issuers known as emerging The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the forms in its report on the capital mar- growth companies, or EGCs. These opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being kets earlier this year. This bill passed issuers must have less than $1 billion out of the House Financial Services in the affirmative, the ayes have it. in annual revenue or $700,000 million in Mr. HUIZENGA. Mr. Speaker, on that Committee with unanimous support. public float when they register with Mr. Speaker, the numbers on public I demand the yeas and nays. the SEC. The yeas and nays were ordered. companies are clear. We have a prob- While the JOBS Act made it easier lem. The experts are clear that the The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- for companies to go public, it was not ant to clause 8 of rule XX, further pro- changes in the Budd-Meeks bill would enough to overcome capital formation be a positive step towards fixing the ceedings on this motion will be post- obstacles entrepreneurs and small busi- poned. problem. Similar bipartisan reforms nesses are facing. have seen great success in the past. H.R. 3903, the Encouraging Public Of- f Mr. Speaker, I urge support. ferings Act of 2017, would allow any FAIR INVESTMENT OPPORTUNI- Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I would TIES FOR PROFESSIONAL EX- like to, first off, reiterate my support company, regardless of size or EGC sta- PERTS ACT of this bill. It is the sort of common- tus, to take advantage of the popular sense, bipartisan fix that will make an provisions of title I of the 2012 JOBS Mr. HUIZENGA. Mr. Speaker, I move incremental improvement to our public Act. to suspend the rules and pass the bill markets. Title I of the JOBS Act has proven to (H.R. 1585) to amend the Securities Act However, I would also like to empha- be a real policy success, and Congress of 1933 to codify certain qualifications size what I believe is the real threat to and the SEC should continue to ad- of individuals as accredited investors the health of our public markets, vance policy that will reduce or elimi- for purposes of the securities laws, as which is the concentration of wealth at nate barriers to economic growth. amended. the very top. It is no secret that the Mr. Speaker, I applaud Mr. BUDD and The Clerk read the title of the bill. competition to our public markets are Mr. MEEKS for their work on this im- The text of the bill is as follows: private equity and venture capital, and portant piece of legislation. I appre- H.R. 1585 ciate our chairman, Mr. HUIZENGA, for these are investment instruments Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- largely, almost entirely, under the con- moving it expeditiously through our resentatives of the United States of America in trol of the very wealthy. committee; and our chairman, Mr. Congress assembled, We are, this week, going to begin de- HENSARLING, for presiding over it. SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. bate on a tax bill that will decide, to a Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Fair Investment large extent, whether we accelerate or vote ‘‘yes.’’ Opportunities for Professional Experts Act’’. decelerate the concentration of wealth Mr. HUIZENGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield- SEC. 2. DEFINITION OF ACCREDITED INVESTOR. at the very top. I just want to empha- ed myself the balance of my time. (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 2(a)(15) of the Secu- size that connection to make everyone Mr. Speaker, in closing, we know rities Act of 1933 (15 U.S.C. 77b(a)(15) is amend- understand that the continued health that trillions of dollars are invested in ed— of our public markets, which histori- our economy through IRAs, 401(k)s, (1) by redesignating clauses (i) and (ii) as sub- cally have been such an important con- and other investment tools. However, paragraphs (A) and (F), respectively; and (2) in subparagraph (A) (as so redesignated), tributor to middle class investment in these companies need to be publicly traded for Joe and Jane IRA or Mr. and by striking ‘‘; or’’ and inserting a semicolon, growing businesses. So I want people to and inserting after such subparagraph the fol- consider that as we debate this bill, Mrs. 401(k) to even be able to have the lowing: which I fully support, and, as well, the opportunity to invest in them. That is ‘‘(B) any natural person whose individual net variety of important issues that we de- what this bill is trying to do. worth, or joint net worth with that person’s bate that really affect the distribution This bill is trying to make sure that spouse, exceeds $1,000,000 (which amount, along of wealth in this country. those emerging companies, those small with the amounts set forth in subparagraph (C), Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance startup kind of companies, who may be shall be adjusted for inflation by the Commis- of my time. very innovative or, frankly, might be sion every 5 years to the nearest $10,000 to re- Mr. HUIZENGA. Mr. Speaker, I am even more mundane, but they are small flect the change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers published by the Bureau pleased to yield such time as he may and they are looking to grow, that they of Labor Statistics) where, for purposes of cal- consume to the gentleman from Ohio have an opportunity to do so. culating net worth under this subparagraph— (Mr. DAVIDSON), a member of the Fi- Who benefits? Everyone. Everyone is ‘‘(i) the person’s primary residence shall not nancial Services Committee. going to be able to take a much more be included as an asset;

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:54 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00024 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 6333 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.044 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8321 ‘‘(ii) indebtedness that is secured by the per- Their ability to raise capital in the Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield son’s primary residence, up to the estimated fair private markets is critical to the eco- myself such time as I may consume. market value of the primary residence at the nomic well-being of the United States. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support time of the sale of securities, shall not be in- So if our Nation is going to have an of H.R. 1585. This bill will expand the cluded as a liability (except that if the amount of such indebtedness outstanding at the time of economy that provides opportunities definition of accredited investor, a sta- sale of securities exceeds the amount out- for every American, then we must pro- tus reserved for investors who possess standing 60 days before such time, other than as mote and encourage the success and the sophistication and financial means a result of the acquisition of the primary resi- growth of our small businesses and our necessary to invest in private securi- dence, the amount of such excess shall be in- startups. It is this notion that brings ties offerings. cluded as a liability); and us to this legislation that we are dis- Currently, accredited investors are ‘‘(iii) indebtedness that is secured by the per- cussing today. limited to persons who have an annual son’s primary residence in excess of the esti- Under current law, accredited inves- income more than $200,000, or $300,000 mated fair market value of the primary resi- dence at the time of the sale of securities shall tors are allowed to purchase securities together with a spouse, or a net worth be included as a liability; that haven’t been registered with the in excess of $1 million, excluding a pri- ‘‘(C) any natural person who had an indi- Securities and Exchange Commission. mary residence. vidual income in excess of $200,000 in each of These types of offerings carry more Aside from the primary residence ex- the 2 most recent years or joint income with that risks than public offerings. The clusion added by the Dodd-Frank Act, person’s spouse in excess of $300,000 in each of thought is that individuals with the accredited investor definition has those years and has a reasonable expectation of enough financial sophistication or net not been updated since 1982. reaching the same income level in the current In light of the growth of private mar- year; worth can bear the potential losses ‘‘(D) any natural person who is currently li- that may be associated with these kets and increasing complexity, the censed or registered as a broker or investment types of securities. SEC’s Investor Advisory Committee adviser by the Commission, the Financial Indus- How the law works today is that this recommended that the SEC conduct ad- try Regulatory Authority, or an equivalent self- definition of an accredited investor is ditional study of adjusting the current regulatory organization (as defined in section solely based on wealth. thresholds for inflation and estab- 3(a)(26) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934), The ability to participate in a pri- lishing alternatives based on existing or the securities division of a State or the equiv- vate offering should not be limited to credentials, investment experience, alent State division responsible for licensing or registration of individuals in connection with individuals that pass some type of Fed- and limits of investments. securities activities; eral Government assets test. Instead, An updated definition is long over- ‘‘(E) any natural person the Commission de- the ability to participate should be ex- due. Current law speaks almost exclu- termines, by regulation, to have demonstrable panded to include all individuals who sively to the ability to bear a loss rath- education or job experience to qualify such per- demonstrate that they have sufficient er than the sophistication of the inves- son as having professional knowledge of a sub- understanding of the offering. That tor. ject related to a particular investment, and may be a doctor who has gone through The bill we consider today is the whose education or job experience is verified by product of bipartisan compromise. Last the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority or the training and has an idea that a new an equivalent self-regulatory organization (as piece of equipment might work for Congress, it was significantly narrowed defined in section 3(a)(26) of the Securities Ex- them; or a scientist who has done re- to include only persons who qualify change Act of 1934); or’’. search in the lab who says: You know based on current income and net worth (b) RULEMAKING.—The Commission shall re- what, this makes sense to me, and they tests: registered brokers, and invest- vise the definition of accredited investor under understand the risk that they are en- ment advisers, and those who have the Regulation D (17 C.F.R. 230.501 et seq.) to con- tering into. appropriate educational background form with the amendments made by subsection Well, H.R. 1585, the Fair Investment and job experience as determined by (a). Opportunities for Professional Experts the SEC and verified by FINRA. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- Act, introduced by Representative These categories are in line with the ant to the rule, the gentleman from SCHWEIKERT and Representative HILL, recommendations of the Investor Advi- Michigan (Mr. HUIZENGA) and the gen- will expand the definition of an accred- sory Committee and effective proxies tleman from Illinois (Mr. FOSTER) each ited investor in a way that will appro- for sophistication, access to informa- will control 20 minutes. tion, and ability to withstand losses. The Chair recognizes the gentleman priately increase the pool of potential There is an inherent tension between from Michigan. investors, thereby providing additional investment opportunities for more democratizing markets and protecting GENERAL LEAVE Americans and enabling the businesses investors on the basis of their ability Mr. HUIZENGA. Mr. Speaker, I ask they invest in to create more jobs. to bear financial losses. unanimous consent that all Members The expansion of the accredited in- This bill includes Ranking Member may have 5 legislative days in which to vestor definition will enhance the abil- WATERS’ bipartisan amendment to re- revise and extend their remarks and in- ity of many companies, particularly quire the SEC to adjust net worth and clude extraneous materials on this bill. income thresholds for inflation every 5 The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there small and emerging companies and objection to the request of the gen- businesses, to raise capital and grow by years. This will establish the economic tleman from Michigan? increasing the pool of potential inves- value of the thresholds in current law, There was no objection. tors. These are investors, again, that as the dollar amounts are increased, Mr. HUIZENGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield are very knowledgeable about that par- with growth in the overall economy myself such time as I may consume. ticular area. and changes in the value of the dollar. Mr. Speaker, small businesses, entre- This will both provide greater invest- Doing so will preserve access to pri- preneurs, and emerging companies are ment opportunities for more Ameri- vate markets for those currently in- what drive the American economy. We cans and will enable these businesses vesting in them. Private offerings can meet them in our districts and see to begin investing to create more jobs. offer some of the best returns in the firsthand the benefits that their H.R. 1585 is a bipartisan bill that will market, but they obviously carry dif- dreams, their innovations, and their help create jobs and a healthier econ- ferent risks, like illiquidity, than secu- hard work provide to our constituents omy. The bill provides Americans with rities in the public markets. and to our communities. more investment opportunities and en- While there can be investment oppor- These innovators, entrepreneurs, and hances small companies’ ability to tunities that significantly increase a risk takers are critical to our coun- raise capital. person’s net worth, they cannot be im- try’s economic growth and prosperity. This legislation overwhelmingly mediately sold if an investor’s finan- In fact, small businesses are respon- passed the Financial Services Com- cial circumstances change. sible for more than 60 percent of the mittee by a bipartisan vote of 58–2, and So this bill strikes a good com- Nation’s net new jobs over the past two I urge all of my colleagues to vote promise between giving access to in- decades. Sixty percent of all of the new ‘‘yes’’ on this particular bill today. vestments without exposing the retire- jobs over the past two decades come Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of ment accounts of working families to from these small emerging companies. my time. excessive risks.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:54 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00025 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A01NO7.012 H01NOPT1 H8322 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 Mr. Speaker, I urge broad support for tor class starts to become much more they are not yet publicly traded. There the bill today, and I reserve the bal- egalitarian across our society instead are opportunities all over to do this, ance of my time. of just being the hallmark of the but there are only a small number of Mr. HUIZENGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield ultrawealthy in our country. Americans who can make the invest- 5 minutes to the gentleman from Ari- Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. HUIZENGA ment. zona (Mr. SCHWEIKERT), the sponsor of for giving me a moment and for moving For many smaller companies, they this legislation. this bill forward. are faced with a dilemma. One option is Mr. SCHWEIKERT. Mr. Speaker, I Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I just no option. They may not have the net- thank Chairman HUIZENGA for yielding wanted to say that I appreciate my col- work of prospective high net worth, ac- me time. league’s heartfelt concern for the dif- credited investors who can take a look A little bit of history: this piece of ficulty of the wealth piling up in the at the kind of capital that would help legislation, the underlying idea, actu- top of our country. that company become a thriving larger ally was fostered a few years ago. One Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of company, that would help grow the of my closest friends in Arizona, my time. companies that drive the growth in our Lakshmi, is freaky smart, electrical Mr. HUIZENGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield economy. engineer, off the charts IQ. He and I 3 minutes to the gentleman from Cali- As investors, there are people who were having a conversation about a fornia (Mr. ROYCE), a member of the Fi- work in the investment industry who company that he was really interested nancial Services Committee and chair- are doing the underwriting—charter fi- in that had been started by a handful man of the Foreign Affairs Committee. nancial analysts, for example. Whether of his old friends. they are working for a private equity Well, it turns out his old friends had b 1430 group, they are doing the work but gone through all this process, and he Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speak- don’t yet have the high net worth. had just sort of been watching what er, today I rise in support of the Fair They have true domain expertise. they were doing. Investment Opportunities for Profes- Imagine the skilled labor who is ac- Now, Lakshmi is an absolute expert sional Experts Act. This is a bipartisan tually doing the technology implemen- on the technology that these gentle- bill. It expands economic opportunities tation, who knows exactly everything men are putting together, but because for many, many Americans because, to that it would take in a program to of a series of timing and other things, date, only an individual’s wealth has make a program be the winner in the he was walled off from investing in a been taken into consideration when de- marketplace but is also well informed company that was using a technology fining whether he meets the qualifica- on the rest of the risks, has been well he was an absolute expert in, because tions or she meets the qualifications of educated on the market, and he is pre- he didn’t meet the accredited investor an accredited investor under our secu- vented from participating. standards. He didn’t have the million rities laws. The simple fix proposed by This act is a step in the right direc- dollars in the bank. this bill will empower those with finan- tion. I hope we can accomplish more His argument to me was, should his cial expertise and those with experi- together. I am confident we will see knowledge on a company and its prod- ence to join the ranks of those who can great success if we can pass this and uct, their risk profile, its opportunity invest in private, high-growth compa- build on it by taking a bigger bite at to succeed and its potential failure in nies. the apple soon. the marketplace be based on his bank It was explained very eloquently here Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my col- account, or should it be based on his leagues Mr. SCHWEIKERT for offering by the bill’s author, and I think that knowledge? the bill, Mr. HILL for getting it this commonplace change is going to Now, the legislation has gone through, Mr. HENSARLING, and Mr. broaden the pool of startup capital. through a couple generations of com- HUIZENGA, but I also want to thank my That is going to help companies look- promise. I personally preferred the colleagues because it is really nice to ing to grow, companies looking to add original bill, a bit more expansive, but see something go through unanimously jobs. this is a good thing, because for our in our committee. brothers and sisters on both sides of At the same time, it provides an in- Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield the aisle here, I think we are embrac- vestment opportunity, one with great- back the balance of my time. ing this concept that we all care about er upside and more risk, to those pre- Mr. HUIZENGA. Mr. Speaker, very the curve where we are seeing the viously locked out of the private place- quickly, just to recap, 60 percent of all wealthy getting wealthier in the ment market. This includes many edu- job growth over the past two decades United States and much of our hard- cated young Americans who have not has come from small and emerging working middle holding sort of flat. yet had time to grow their pocket- companies. This bill today recognizes This is one of the reasons: we have books but do have the expertise in that and encourages more of that to created these definitions where accred- these areas. happen. It allows knowledgeable but ited investors, I think only, like, 600- Mr. Speaker, in closing, I have seen maybe not wealthy folks to invest in some-thousand people, have gone firsthand that the entrepreneurial spir- areas of their expertise. In an era of through the process to hold that des- it is certainly alive and well in Cali- crowdfunding and fund-me pages and ignation in our society, meaning it is a fornia and all across this country, and those types of capital raises and invest- tiny sliver of our society that is al- this bill before us today ensures that ing, this bill makes sense. As the gen- lowed to invest in these types of busi- more Americans can participate in tleman from Ohio, my friend Mr. DA- nesses. both the risk and reward of the startup VIDSON, pointed out, it came through We have a bureaucracy that for how economy. the committee unanimously. many years now the regulator has said: Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my col- Mr. Speaker, I think we all like to Your ability to invest in these types of leagues to support passage of H.R. 1585. point out that Congress can work to- organizations is based on your bank ac- Mr. HUIZENGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield gether across party lines and have count. 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio some common goals that can be Today, we take the sort of first step (Mr. DAVIDSON), a member of the Fi- achieved and recognized, and this is on a bipartisan basis to say: Yes, bank nancial Services Committee. one of those bills. I am very pleased to account is one, but how about your Mr. DAVIDSON. Mr. Speaker, H.R. have such broad support. risk tolerance, your knowledge, your 1585 does one of the things that most of Mr. Speaker, I encourage continued expertise, and your understanding that us came to Congress to do: solve prob- support for this bill, H.R. 1585, and I many of these fail, and many of these lems and change laws. yield back the balance of my time. businesses become amazing successes, The current law excludes most of The SPEAKER pro tempore. The but are you able to process both the America from participating in one of question is on the motion offered by technology, the risk, and the informa- the most dynamic parts of our econ- the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. tion? omy, which is private placement in- HUIZENGA) that the House suspend the For many of us, we are hoping that vestment into small startup companies rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1585, as the opportunity to be part of the inves- or, sometimes, very big companies but amended.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:54 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00026 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.049 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8323 The question was taken; and (two- MRI machines, semiconductors, and The question was taken; and (two- thirds being in the affirmative) the air-to-air missile guidance systems. thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as Unfortunately, the future of our do- rules were suspended and the bill was amended, was passed. mestic helium supply is uncertain. The passed. A motion to reconsider was laid on Helium Stewardship Act of 2013, which A motion to reconsider was laid on the table. details a commonsense privatization the table. process of the Federal helium reserve, f f also specifies that all helium in the HELIUM EXTRACTION ACT OF 2017 Federal reserve must be auctioned off b 1445 Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I move to by September 30, 2021, and the facility REPEALING THE ACT TO CONFER suspend the rules and pass the bill closed. JURISDICTION ON THE STATE OF (H.R. 3279) to amend the Mineral Leas- This crucial source of helium has IOWA OVER OFFENSES COM- ing Act to provide that extraction of been relied upon for almost half a cen- MITTED BY OR AGAINST INDI- helium from gas produced under a Fed- tury, but in a few short years, it will ANS ON THE SAC AND FOX IN- eral mineral lease shall maintain the no longer be available. Our country DIAN RESERVATION lease as if the helium were oil and gas. needs another way to access this crit- The Clerk read the title of the bill. ical natural resource; otherwise, we Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I move to The text of the bill is as follows: will be relying on hostile interests such suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 3279 as Qatar, Algeria, and Russia. Each of (H.R. 1074) to repeal the Act entitled Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- these countries presents security and ‘‘An Act to confer jurisdiction on the resentatives of the United States of America in geopolitical challenges made even State of Iowa over offenses committed Congress assembled, more apparent by recent unrest among by or against Indians on the Sac and SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. Qatar and its regional neighbors. Fox Indian Reservation’’. This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Helium Ex- Unless something changes, foreign fa- The Clerk read the title of the bill. traction Act of 2017’’. cilities are predicted to become our The text of the bill is as follows: SEC. 2. MAINTENANCE OF FEDERAL MINERAL chief source of helium by the end of the H.R. 1074 LEASES BASED ON EXTRACTION OF decade. This is why H.R. 3279 is such a Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- HELIUM. necessary piece of legislation. The first section of the Mineral Leasing resentatives of the United States of America in By authorizing the Bureau of Land Congress assembled, That the Act of June 30, Act (30 U.S.C. 181) is amended in the fifth Management to lease land for this val- paragraph by inserting after ‘‘purchaser 1948, entitled ‘‘An Act to confer jurisdiction thereof’’ the following: ‘‘, and that extrac- uable nonrenewable resource, this leg- on the State of Iowa over offenses committed tion of helium from gas produced from such islation will raise $9 million for the by or against Indians on the Sac and Fox In- lands shall maintain the lease as if the ex- American taxpayer and help secure our dian Reservation’’ (62 Stat. 1161, chapter 759) tracted helium were oil and gas’’. supply of helium for years to come. is repealed. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- ant to the rule, the gentleman from measure, and I reserve the balance of ant to the rule, the gentleman from California (Mr. COOK) and the gentle- my time. California (Mr. COOK) and the gentle- woman from California (Mrs. TORRES) Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Speaker, I yield woman from California (Mrs. TORRES) each will control 20 minutes. myself such time as I may consume. each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman H.R. 3279 would correct a problem in The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California. our Federal oil and gas leasing laws from California. that makes it more difficult for compa- GENERAL LEAVE GENERAL LEAVE nies to commercially produce helium Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unani- Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unani- from Federal lands. Helium is a critical mous consent that all Members may mous consent that all Members may element for high-tech research and have 5 legislative days to revise and ex- have 5 legislative days within which to modern medicine, and because of its tend their remarks and include extra- revise and extend their remarks and in- unique properties, there are simply no neous material on the bill under con- clude extraneous material on the bill substitutes. under consideration. On the Natural Resources Com- sideration. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there mittee, we have spent many years The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gen- overseeing the Federal Helium Pro- objection to the request of the gen- tleman from California? gram, culminating in the bipartisan tleman from California? There was no objection. Helium Stewardship Act signed into There was no objection. Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I yield my- law 4 years ago. Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I yield my- self such time as I may consume. While the Helium Stewardship Act self such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong improved the management and sale of Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. support of H.R. 3279, the Helium Ex- Federal helium, it didn’t do much to 1074. This bill would rescind criminal traction Act of 2017. This straight- promote the development of new jurisdiction from the State of Iowa forward piece of legislation will sources of helium, which are in high over crimes committed by or against incentivize helium production on Fed- demand. By allowing companies to hold members of the Sac and Fox Tribe on eral lands, help ensure the future of onto Federal oil and gas leases if they their lands. In doing so, the Tribe or America’s helium supply, and provide a are producing commercial quantities of the Federal Government would exer- fair return to the taxpayer. helium and only helium, then the prob- cise exclusive jurisdiction under the Under existing law, the Mineral Leas- lem that kept potentially valuable he- Major Crimes Act. This is the most ing Act only permits helium extraction lium resources under lock and key is common legal situation for most tribes as a by-product of an existing oil or resolved. This is only one small step, in America today. natural gas lease. As a result, if oil and but it is a very useful one. In 1948, Congress granted jurisdiction gas production on a Federal site is not Mr. Speaker, I thank the sponsor of over all crimes committed by or economically viable, the lease will ex- this legislation for introducing it. against Indians on the Sac and Fox pire, regardless of the revenue brought I urge my colleagues to support H.R. Reservation to the State of Iowa. In in by helium sales. The Helium Extrac- 3279, and I yield back the balance of my 1949, there was no mechanism in the tion Act of 2017 would correct this time. Federal Government concerning crimi- error and authorize helium production Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I yield back nal jurisdiction on the Tribe’s land, activities where economically viable. the balance of my time. and up until that point, the Tribe had Helium is used for much more than The SPEAKER pro tempore. The largely policed themselves. balloons. It is a rare and unique ele- question is on the motion offered by Today, the Federal Government has ment which has become an indispen- the gentleman from California (Mr. criminal statutory authority on Indian sable part of our medical, space, and COOK) that the House suspend the rules lands, the Tribe is again ready to po- defense industries, such as its use in and pass the bill, H.R. 3279. lice itself, and the State of Iowa has

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:49 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00027 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.051 H01NOPT1 H8324 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 agreed that its Federal grant of crimi- al communities is complex. Generally, PROVIDING FOR CONVEYANCE TO nal jurisdiction can be repealed. crimes committed by or against Indi- IOWA OF REVERSIONARY INTER- Accordingly, under H.R. 1074, the ans in Indian Country are under the ju- EST HELD BY UNITED STATES Federal Government will have criminal risdiction of the United States, pursu- IN CERTAIN LAND IN jurisdiction over crimes, especially ant to various Federal statutes. The POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY, IOWA major crimes, by or against Indians on 1948 Act was passed at a time when the Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I move to the Tribe’s lands. The Tribe would have Federal Government was attempting to suspend the rules and pass the bill jurisdiction over Indian offenders for shift its responsibility and obligations (H.R. 2600) to provide for the convey- crimes over which it exercises jurisdic- from tribes to the respective States. ance to the State of Iowa of the rever- tion, and the State of Iowa would re- In 1953, Congress passed a law, com- sionary interest held by the United tain exclusive jurisdiction over crimes monly called Public Law 280, transfer- States in certain land in where both offender and victim are Pottawattamie County, Iowa, and for non-Indians. ring criminal jurisdiction over all I thank the sponsor of H.R. 1074, the crimes, regardless of the Indian status other purposes, as amended. The Clerk read the title of the bill. gentleman from Iowa (Mr. BLUM), for of the offender or victim, in Indian The text of the bill is as follows: his work on this bill, and I urge adop- Country of six States from the Federal tion of the measure. Government to those States. Even H.R. 2600 Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of though Iowa was not one of those Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- my time. States, for years it has been treated as resentatives of the United States of America in Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Speaker, I yield if it were a Public Law 280 State. Congress assembled, SECTION 1. CONVEYANCE OF REVERSIONARY IN- myself such time as I may consume. With respect to the law enforcement TEREST REQUIRED. There are laws on the books that on the settlement today, a lot has (a) CONVEYANCE.—Not later than 90 days stand in the way of true tribal self-de- changed since 1948. Today, the Tribe after the date of the enactment of this Act, termination and self-governance. One has a fully-functional criminal justice the Secretary of the Interior shall convey, of those laws is Public Law 80–846, system, which includes a full-time po- without consideration, to the State of Iowa known commonly as the 1948 Act. The lice department whose officers are cer- the reversionary interest held by the United 1948 Act targeted only one tribe, the States and described in the quit claim deed tified by the State of Iowa. The Tribe dated April 13, 1998, instrument number Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in maintains and employs law-trained Iowa, also known as the Meskwaki Na- 19170, as recorded in book 98, page 55015, in judges and a prosecutor who, together Pottawattamie County, Iowa. tion, and gave the State of Iowa crimi- with a probation department, handle (b) COSTS.—As a condition of the convey- nal jurisdiction over their tribal lands. all criminal cases which arise on tribal ance under subsection (a), all costs associ- In 1948, the Nation did not have a for- lands. ated with such conveyance shall be paid by mal mechanism for law enforcement the State of Iowa. and was not in a financial position to H.R. 1074, and its Senate companion (c) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of create one. This was used as the ration- bill, have bipartisan support from the Congress that the State of Iowa should con- ale for the stripping of these jurisdic- entire Iowa delegation, as well as the tinue to provide information regarding the tional rights. But this has not been the support of the Iowa State Legislature, Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, the which passed legislation signed by California National Historic Trail, and the case for many years. The Tribe has a Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail. full-time police department as well as then-Governor Terry Branstad in April The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- a fully functioning court system. 2016, that began this process of confer- The continued existence of the 1948 ring jurisdiction to the Tribe and the ant to the rule, the gentleman from Act has resulted in an unfair system of Department of Justice. California (Mr. COOK) and the gentle- crimes committed on Meskwaki land, woman from California (Mrs. TORRES) As my friend from California pre- each will control 20 minutes. whereby a Native-American defendant viously mentioned, the entirety of the must face the possibility of two pros- The Chair recognizes the gentleman Meskwaki Settlement is located in from California. ecutions, State and Tribal, but a non- Tama County, Iowa, in my district. GENERAL LEAVE Native defendant faces only State pros- Since I have come to Washington, I Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unani- ecution. have gotten to know the Sac and Fox mous consent that all Members may That is why I join my colleagues in Tribal Council and their representa- have 5 legislative days to revise and ex- supporting H.R. 1074. By passing this tives, and I was happy to first intro- tend their remarks and include extra- bill and repealing the 1948 Act, we will duce this bill in 2016 after its approval neous material on the bill under con- remove the inequity it has created, and by then-Governor Branstad. bring the Meskwaki Nation in line with sideration. how criminal jurisdiction issues are ad- Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there dressed on other Native lands. this bill, and I hope it continues to objection to the request of the gen- Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to move through the legislative process so tleman from California? support the adoption of H.R. 1074, and I that the Tribe may once again have ju- There was no objection. reserve the balance of my time. risdiction over many of the crimes Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I yield my- Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 committed against their members on self such time as I may consume. minutes to the gentleman from Iowa their land, and restore another portion I rise today in support of H.R. 2600, (Mr. BLUM). of the Tribe’s sovereignty, which has sponsored by my colleague, Represent- Mr. BLUM. Mr. Speaker, I thank the been removed since 1948. ative DAVID YOUNG of Iowa. H.R. 2600 directs the Department of gentleman from California for yielding Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Speaker, I yield the Interior to convey to the State of and for his time managing today’s floor back the balance of my time. debate. Iowa the reversionary interest held by Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the United States in certain land in of H.R. 1074, a bill I first introduced in the balance of my time. Pottawattamie County. the 114th Congress, which would repeal The SPEAKER pro tempore. The By the way, there is going to be a a 1948 law that granted the State of question is on the motion offered by test afterwards on this pronunciation. Iowa criminal jurisdiction over of- the gentleman from California (Mr. In 1989, Congress authorized the Sec- fenses committed by or against mem- COOK) that the House suspend the rules retary of the Interior to provide for the bers of the Sac and Fox Tribe of the and pass the bill, H.R. 1074. development of a trails interpretive Mississippi in Iowa. center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Six Prior to this 1948 law, the Tribe had The question was taken; and (two- years later, in 1995, the National West- largely policed itself, and there was lit- thirds being in the affirmative) the ern Trails Center donated property to tle, if any, Federal law enforcement on rules were suspended and the bill was the Federal Government, and the Na- the Tribe’s land. passed. tional Park Service later constructed a Historically, determining who may A motion to reconsider was laid on trails center on the property to inter- exercise jurisdiction over crime in trib- the table. pret the history of the Lewis and Clark

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:54 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00028 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.055 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8325 National Historic Trail, the Mormon pretive services following the terms of SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. Pioneer National Historic Trail, and the original agreement, Congress This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Indiana the Oregon National Historic Trail. should be allowed to release the rever- Dunes National Park Act’’. In 1998, the Federal Government do- SEC. 2. INDIANA DUNES NATIONAL LAKESHORE sionary interest to this particular RETITLED AS INDIANA DUNES NA- nated the trails center and surrounding property. TIONAL PARK. property to the State Historical Soci- Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of (a) IN GENERAL.—Public Law 89–761 (16 ety of Iowa. Federal ownership was my time. U.S.C. 460u et seq.) is amended— (1) by striking ‘‘National Lakeshore’’ and transferred to the State subject to a b 1500 condition that if the trails center is ‘‘national lakeshore’’ each place it appears not being used for the purposes speci- Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 and inserting ‘‘National Park’’; and fied in the 1989 Act, the land and the minutes to the gentleman from Iowa (2) by striking ‘‘lakeshore’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘Park’’. center would revert to the United (Mr. YOUNG). Mr. YOUNG of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I (b) NONAPPLICATION.—The amendment States. made by subsection (a)(1) shall not apply to Since 1998, the State has owned and want to thank both of my colleagues from California. I want to thank the the title of the map referred to in the first operated the trails center. Presently, section of Public Law 89–761 (16 U.S.C. 460u), visitation at the center is very low, the chairman and ranking member of the or to the title of the maps referred to in sec- hours of operation are limited, and committee for their leadership and tion 4 of Public Law 89–761 (16 U.S.C. 460u–3). maintenance is falling behind. The working together with me, the Na- SEC. 3. PAUL H. DOUGLAS TRAIL. State of Iowa would like to remove the tional Park Service, the State of Iowa, The 1.6 mile trail within the Indiana Dunes trails center from its responsibility Pottawattamie County, and the city of National Park designated the ‘‘Miller-Woods and possibly transfer the property to Council Bluffs on this bill. Trail’’ is hereby redesignated as the ‘‘Paul H. Douglas Trail’’. the city of Council Bluffs. The National Park Service holds re- The National Park Service currently versionary rights to a small parcel of The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- does not own or directly manage any of land in Council Bluffs in ant to the rule, the gentleman from the land associated with the 1989 Act. Pottawattamie County which high- California (Mr. COOK) and the gentle- Moreover, it is the Committee’s under- lights Lewis and Clark’s travels with woman from California (Mrs. TORRES) standing that the National Park Serv- an interpretation center, as well as each will control 20 minutes. ice does not have any interest in tak- highlighting the California National The Chair recognizes the gentleman ing over operation of the trails center Historic Trail and the Mormon Pioneer from California. or ownership of the property. National Historic Trail. However, the GENERAL LEAVE I commend Representative YOUNG for National Park Service has limited re- Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unani- his outstanding work on behalf of his sources and a limited desire to effec- mous consent that all Members have 5 constituents. I would also like to tively operate this property with the legislative days to revise and extend thank the minority for their help and hundreds of properties it already main- their remarks and include extraneous cooperation moving this legislation tains across the country. material on the bill under consider- forward. So by listening to the Park Service, ation. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the the State of Iowa, Pottawattamie The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there measure, and I reserve the balance of County, the city of Council Bluffs, and objection to the request of the gen- my time. local leaders and residents, a consensus tleman from California? Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Speaker, I yield and commonsense solution evolved to There was no objection. myself such time as I may consume. allow the city of Council Bluffs to ac- Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I yield my- H.R. 2600 authorizes the conveyance cept responsibility for the property in self such time as I may consume. to the State of Iowa the reversionary determining its best use while still rec- Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1488 would redesig- interest on the Western Historic Trails ognizing and highlighting the spirit nate Indiana Dunes National Lake- Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. and history of these historic trails. shore as Indiana Dunes National Park. In 1989, Congress authorized the De- I thank my colleagues from Cali- Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore partment of the Interior to partner fornia, the ranking member, and the was established by Congress in 1966. with the State of Iowa to create a chairman of the committee. The designation of the national lake- trails interpretative center to support Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Speaker, I yield shore as a unit of the National Park three National Historic Trails that back the balance of my time. Service was the culmination of decades cross through the region. Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I yield back of work by conservationists, area resi- In 1988, the Secretary of the Interior the balance of my time. dents, and elected officials. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The transferred approximately 400 acres to The original law included 8,330 acres question is on the motion offered by the State of Iowa for use as a visitor of land and water. The National Park the gentleman from California (Mr. center. Ownership was then transferred Service conservation advocates contin- COOK) that the House suspend the rules to the State with a reversionary clause ued to seek expansion of the bound- and pass the bill, H.R. 2600, as amend- that limits the use of the property to a aries, and five subsequent laws in- ed. creased the size of the national lake- visitor center. The question was taken; and (two- The National Park Service does not shore to more than 15,000 acres. thirds being in the affirmative) the operate or maintain the current visitor In October 1916, shortly after the Na- rules were suspended and the bill, as center. However, under current law, if tional Park Service was established, amended, was passed. NPS Director Stephen Mather held the State stops using the site for its in- A motion to reconsider was laid on hearings in Chicago to gauge public tended purpose, ownership will revert the table. back to the Federal Government. sentiment on a Sand Dunes National Since its establishment, the trails in- f Park. In a Department of the Interior terpretative center has not lived up to INDIANA DUNES NATIONAL PARK report published after the hearings, Di- its expectations. Visitation is low and ACT rector Mather stated: ‘‘No national the facility is in need of significant Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I move to park or other Federal reservation of- maintenance. suspend the rules and pass the bill fers this phenomenon for the pleasure The National Park Service and the (H.R. 1488) to retitle Indiana Dunes Na- and edification of the people, and no State of Iowa have determined that tional Lakeshore as Indiana Dunes Na- national park is as accessible. Further- termination of the reversionary inter- tional Park, and for other purposes, as more, the dunes offer to the visitor ex- est makes both fiscal and operational amended. traordinary scenery, a large variety of sense. This will allow the State to sell The Clerk read the title of the bill. plant life, magnificent bathing beach- the property to the city of Council The text of the bill is as follows: es, and splendid opportunities to camp Bluffs, allowing the city to maintain H.R. 1488 and live in the wild close to nature.’’ the facility. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- Despite Director Mather’s support, As long as the State continues to resentatives of the United States of America in the national park proposal was aban- provide National Historic Trail inter- Congress assembled, doned at the onset of World War I, and

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:54 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00029 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.058 H01NOPT1 H8326 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 several years later, in 1925, Indiana As mentioned, located along the The Chair appoints the gentleman Dunes State Park was established. Re- southern shore of Lake Michigan, the from Iowa (Mr. YOUNG) to preside over designation of the national lakeside as Indiana Dunes are a natural wonder the Committee of the Whole. a national park would make Indiana and home of a vast array of rare plants. b 1513 Dunes the 60th national park in the According to the National Park Serv- United States. ice, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore IN THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of is the seventh most biologically di- Accordingly, the House resolved my time. verse National Park Service unit. itself into the Committee of the Whole Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Speaker, I yield I believe the chairman and Mrs. House on the state of the Union for the myself such time as I may consume. TORRES ably described the history of consideration of the bill (H.R. 2936) to Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on the dunes and its evolution. I thank expedite under the National Environ- H.R. 1488, the Indiana Dunes National them for that, and I would thank all of mental Policy Act of 1969 and improve Park Act. This act seeks to rename the the citizens over that half century and forest management activities on Na- Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore to more that petitioned for the creation tional Forest System lands, on public the Indiana Dunes National Park, one of this great park. lands under the jurisdiction of the Bu- of the over 400 units of the National The lakeshore currently does encom- reau of Land Management, and on Park System. pass about 15,000 acres of wetlands and Tribal lands to return resilience to Upon successful redesignation, the marshes, beaches, oak savannahs, and overgrown, fire-prone forested lands, Indiana Dunes National Park would be- sand dunes. It is clear that the title of and for other purposes, with Mr. YOUNG come the 60th national park, areas the Indiana Dunes National Park is fit- of Iowa in the chair. which are known for their variety of ting for such a unique natural re- The Clerk read the title of the bill. resources, for encompassing large land source. The CHAIR. Pursuant to the rule, the and water areas, and for providing pro- The American taxpayers, over a num- bill is considered read the first time. tection of resources within their ber of generations, have invested in the General debate shall not exceed 1 boundaries. preservation of the park. It is incum- hour equally divided among and con- Designated in 1966, Indiana Dunes bent that we do everything possible to trolled by the chair and ranking minor- protects over 15,000 acres, 50 miles of encourage citizens and travelers from ity member of the Committee on Agri- trails, and provides both summer and around the world to visit it, to learn culture and the chair and ranking mi- winter recreational activities for over 2 about it, to recreate, and to simply nority member of the Committee on million visitors who trek to the lake- enjoy the environment of northwest In- Natural Resources. shore each year. diana’s lakeshore. H.R. 1488 helps to The gentleman from Pennsylvania When the lakeshore was admitted achieve this goal. (Mr. THOMPSON), the gentleman from into the National Park System in 1966, Mr. Speaker, I am proud that the act Minnesota (Mr. PETERSON), the gen- it was through the hard work of Presi- is supported in a bipartisan fashion by tleman from Utah (Mr. BISHOP), and dent Kennedy in 1963–64 to create a the entire Indiana delegation. I would the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. GRI- compromise for the national lakeshore also like to thank Senators DONNELLY JALVA) will each control 15 minutes. and a port to promote the industrial and YOUNG, who have introduced a The Chair recognizes the gentleman needs of the area. companion measure in the Senate. from Pennsylvania. Sponsors of this bill, including our Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to b 1515 esteemed colleague Representative support passage. VISCLOSKY, believe that renaming the Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Speaker, I yield Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. lakeshore as the Indiana Dunes Na- back the balance of my time. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time tional Park will capture the spirit and Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I yield back as I may consume. intent of the first National Park Serv- the balance of my time. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support ice Director Stephen Mather. The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. of H.R. 2936, the Resilient Federal For- Director Mather visited the area in YOUNG of Iowa). The question is on the ests Act of 2017. 1916 and recommended the area be in- motion offered by the gentleman from As I stated last Congress, our na- cluded as a national park within the California (Mr. COOK) that the House tional forests are facing an epidemic of newly designated National Park Sys- suspend the rules and pass the bill, declining health, which is a direct re- tem. Sadly, the United States’ entry H.R. 1488, as amended. sult of policies which have led to a dra- into World War I precluded that addi- The question was taken; and (two- matic decrease in managed acres cre- tion. Now, 101 years later, this bill thirds being in the affirmative) the ating catastrophic wildfires that have seeks to redesignate 15,000 acres of the rules were suspended and the bill, as increased in size and frequency. Indiana Dunes National Park. amended, was passed. The past two fire seasons have been I reserve the balance of my time. A motion to reconsider was laid on some of the most expensive on record, Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I have no ad- the table. and this year appears to be no excep- ditional speakers, and I reserve the bal- f tion. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny ance of my time. Perdue recently announced that Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Speaker, I yield RESILIENT FEDERAL FORESTS wildland fire suppression costs for this such time as he may consume to the ACT OF 2017 fiscal year have exceeded $2 billion, gentleman from Indiana (Mr. VIS- GENERAL LEAVE making 2017 the most expensive year CLOSKY), the sponsor of this legislation. Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. on record. Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, I ap- Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent While the suppression costs are stag- preciate the gentlewoman for yielding. that all Members have 5 legislative gering, these fires come at a greater I want to begin by thanking Chair- days to revise and extend their re- cost to local communities, private man BISHOP and Ranking Member GRI- marks and include extraneous material property, and pristine landscapes. Most JALVA for all of their work on this leg- on the bill, H.R. 2936. importantly, they also result in the islation, as well as Chairman MCCLIN- The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. loss of life. TOCK and Ranking Member HANABUSA BERGMAN). Is there objection to the re- For too long, our good folks at the and Mrs. TORRES for their diligence. quest of the gentleman from Pennsyl- Forest Service have been unable to do Mr. Speaker, the legislation we are vania? the work needed to manage our forest considering today represents a very There was no objection. fuel loads. Over the years, the problem small change—one word—but it would The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- has compounded with more severe have an enormous benefit of rightly ant to House Resolution 595 and rule fires. Furthermore, these fires have placing the Indiana Dunes National XVIII, the Chair declares the House in consumed more and more of the Forest Lakeshore where it belongs as the Na- the Committee of the Whole House on Service budget that was intended for tion’s 60th national park and the first the state of the Union for the consider- management. This cycle has gone on national park in the State of Indiana. ation of the bill, H.R. 2936. for far too long.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:54 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00030 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.061 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8327 In the 2014 farm bill, we took mean- ingly, understand that the Committee on structure represented on the conference ingful steps to empower the Forest Education and the Workforce will forego ac- committee. Service to carry out its mission. With tion on the bill. I will insert copies of this exchange in the The Committee on Agriculture concurs in passage of this bill, we will provide the Congressional Record during Floor consider- the mutual understanding that by foregoing ation. I appreciate your cooperation regard- Forest Service another tool to carry consideration of the bill at this time, the ing this legislation and look forward to con- out their duties. Committee on Education and the Workforce tinuing to work the Committee on Transpor- This bill builds on the success of the does not waive any jurisdiction over the sub- tation and Infrastructure as this bill moves farm bill to allow the Forest Service ject matter contained in this bill or similar through the legislative process. and their partners to manage our for- legislation in the future. In addition, should Sincerely, ests using sound science and environ- a conference on this bill be necessary, I K. MICHAEL CONAWAY, mental protections without fear of friv- would support your request to have the Com- Chairman. mittee on Education and the Workforce rep- olous litigation. Further, it promotes resented on the conference committee. Mr. PETERSON. Mr. Chairman, I good stewardship through restoration I will insert copies of this exchange in the yield myself such time as I may con- projects that protect our watersheds Congressional Record during Floor consider- sume. after catastrophic fire. ation. I appreciate your cooperation regard- Mr. Chairman, H.R. 2936 addresses As fuel loads increase in our national ing this legislation and look forward to con- some valid concerns regarding forest forests, the cost of inaction increases tinuing to work the Committee on Education management. The bill would simplify and the Workforce as this bill moves through every day. This legislation allows the forest management activities while Forest Service to account for the envi- the legislative process. Sincerely, also tamping down on overzealous reg- ronmental consequences of inaction, K. MICHAEL CONAWAY, ulations and policy decisions made by hopefully expediting treatments where Chairman. activists and bureaucrats who have needed. adopted a sue and settle strategy to Finally, this issue extends beyond COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND pursue their agenda. This is one of the just fire. While they have not yet gone INFRASTRUCTURE, HOUSE OF REP- main reasons why I am a cosponsor of up in smoke, some of our national for- RESENTATIVES, H.R. 2936. ests continue to deteriorate as a result Washington, DC, October 25, 2017. Hon. MICHAEL CONAWAY, While this bill isn’t exactly what I of insect and disease infestations, leav- Chairman, Committee on Agriculture, would do if I was in charge of putting ing what was pristine and productive Washington, DC. the bill together, we need to do some- habitat so many in this Congress seek DEAR CHAIRMAN CONAWAY: I write con- thing to address forest management to protect. cerning H.R. 2936, the Resilient Federal For- concerns, and I believe that this bill Mr. Chairman, I ask my colleagues to ests Act of 2017. This legislation includes seeks to do that and moves us in the support this commonsense legislation, matters that fall within the Rule X jurisdic- right direction. So I am supportive of and I reserve the balance of my time. tion of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. moving the process along so that we COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND THE In order to expedite floor consideration of can negotiate with our Senate col- WORKFORCE, HOUSE OF REP- H.R. 2936, the Committee on Transportation leagues and find a workable solution to RESENTATIVES, and Infrastructure will forgo action on this address these issues. Washington, DC, October 25, 2017. bill. However, this is conditional on our mu- Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance Hon. K. MICHAEL CONAWAY, tual understanding that forgoing consider- of my time. Chairman, Committee on Agriculture, ation of the bill does not prejudice the Com- House of Representatives, mittee with respect to the appointment of Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Washington, DC. conferees or to any future jurisdictional Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: I write to confirm our claim over the subject matters contained in gentleman from California (Mr. mutual understanding with respect to H.R. the bill or similar legislation that fall within DENHAM). 2936, the Resilient Federal Forests Act of the Committee’s Rule X jurisdiction. Fi- Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Chairman, I rise 2017. Thank you for consulting with the nally, should a conference on the bill be nec- Committee on Education and the Workforce today in support of H.R. 2936, the Resil- essary, I ask that you support my request to ient Federal Forests Act. When we fail with regard to H.R. 2936 on those matters have the Committee represented on the con- within my committee’s jurisdiction. ference committee. to actively manage our forests and The Committee on Education and the Please place a copy of this letter and your Federal lands, we put ourselves and our Workforce will not delay further consider- response acknowledging our jurisdictional neighbors at risk. It is time to better ation of this bill. However, I do so only with interest in the Congressional Record during manage our fire-prone forests and fix the understanding this procedural route will House Floor consideration of the bill. I look how we pay for wildfire suppression. not be construed to prejudice my commit- forward to working with the Committee on tee’s jurisdictional interest and prerogatives California just experienced the dead- Agriculture as the bill moves through the liest wildfire in our history, and 2017 is on this bill or any other similar legislation legislative process. and will not be considered as precedent for Sincerely, on track to be the worst fire season on consideration of matters of jurisdictional in- BILL SHUSTER, record. We can’t wait until next sea- terest to my committee in the future. Chairman. son. We have got to put the right poli- I respectfully request your support for the cies in place now. appointment of outside conferees from the COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, The Resilient Federal Forests Act Committee on Education and the Workforce HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, should this bill or a similar bill be consid- gives us the tools to immediately re- Washington, DC, October 25, 2017. duce the threat of catastrophic ered in a conference with the Senate. I also Hon. BILL SHUSTER, request you include our exchange of letters Chairman, Committee on Transportation and wildfires. It allows us to expedite the on this matter in the Congressional Record Infrastructure, Washington, DC. removal of dead trees and rapidly miti- during consideration of this bill on the DEAR CHAIRMAN SHUSTER: Thank you for gate disease-infested areas. It enables House Floor. Thank you for your attention your letter regarding H.R. 2936, Resilient us to responsibly manage our forests to these matters. Federal Forests Act of 2017. I appreciate your and improve ecosystems, and it perma- Sincerely, support in bringing this legislation before nently solves the fire borrowing prob- VIRGINIA FOXX, the House of Representatives, and accord- lem. No longer will we deplete forest Chairwoman. ingly, understand that the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure will fore- restoration and management accounts COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, go action on the bill. to pay for wildfire suppression. This HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, The Committee on Agriculture concurs in will give our firefighters the resources Washington, DC, October 25, 2017. the mutual understanding that by foregoing they need without hindering preven- Hon. VIRGINIA FOXX, consideration of the bill at this time, the tion efforts. Chairman, Committee on Education and the Committee on Transportation and Infra- As California recovers from this Workforce, Washington, DC. structure does not waive any jurisdiction year’s fires, this bill will help us miti- DEAR CHAIRWOMAN FOXX: Thank you for over the subject matter contained in this bill your letter regarding H.R. 2936, Resilient or similar legislation in the future. In addi- gate future wildfires. I urge my col- Federal Forests Act of 2017. I appreciate your tion, should a conference on this bill be nec- leagues to pass this bill and help im- support in bringing this legislation before essary, I would support your request to have prove the health and resiliency of our the House of Representatives, and accord- the Committee on Transportation and Infra- Federal forests.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:46 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00031 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.063 H01NOPT1 H8328 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 Mr. Chairman, I include in the Now, there are other factors involved public recreation activities and a re- RECORD a letter from the Association as well to be sure, but for years what duction of timber output. of California Water Agencies in support we have done with densely overgrown In the counties surrounding the Apa- of H.R. 2936. forests that need managing is we have lachicola National Forest in Florida’s ASSOCIATION OF set ourselves up to allow these densely Second District—Franklin, Leon, Lib- CALIFORNIA WATER AGENCIES, overgrown forests to be the subject of erty, and Wakulla—the lack of timber October 31, 2017. very destructive fires if something management not only means fewer ACWA SUPPORT FOR H.R. 2936—RESILIENT should go wrong; and, of course, we jobs, but it also creates a smaller tax FEDERAL FORESTS ACT OF 2017 have lightning strikes and we have base which means fewer resources to The Association of California Water Agen- other natural conditions that cause provide basic services like law enforce- cies (ACWA) respectfully requests your sup- these fires. ment and good schools. port for H.R. 2936, The Resilient Federal For- This year alone, the United States Under the Resilient Federal Forests ests Act of 2017. ACWA’s 430 public water Forest Service has spent about $2.4 bil- Act of 2017, forest management will be agency members supply over 90 percent of lion on putting out fires and has trans- driven by forest health and not by fear the water delivered in California for residen- ferred nearly $576 million from man- of litigation. This improves steward- tial, agricultural, and industrial uses. ship and strengthens communities. I Recent severe drought and one of the most agement activities. These management destructive wildfire seasons on record have activities would go to thinning the for- encourage all of my colleagues to sup- focused renewed attention on the health of ests and to allow for better overall port this important legislation. California’s headwaters. That attention is growth. This would be a preventive Mr. PETERSON. Mr. Chairman, I well placed because the forests, meadows and means to decrease the ability of these yield 2 minutes to the distinguished source waters that play a critical role in our fires to grow. gentleman from Virginia (Mr. BEYER). water supply and water management system Mr. BEYER. Mr. Chairman, I don’t I have concerns with some of the pro- are threatened by factors ranging from cli- have any strong objections to the parts visions in this legislation and believe it mate change to incomplete management to a of this bill that deal with forest resil- can be improved with some modifica- lack of planning and coordination. ience, and I yield to people who know a tions, specifically to the way fire bor- H.R. 2936 addresses many of these factors. lot more about forests than I do. It incentivizes and rewards collaboration rowing is addressed and the size of cat- But I am concerned that H.R. 2936 is with local governments and stakeholders by egorical exemptions under public dis- harmful for all of the species that rely expediting environmental review for collabo- closure laws, but this is a work in rative projects up to 30,000 acres in size. It on forests for habitat and that the bill progress, and we can deal with that. specifically includes provisions that also includes important provisions that will Let me be clear. We must reform the increase the yield and protect the quality of specifically attack and undermine the our headwaters. way our Federal forests are managed, Endangered Species Act. Additionally, H.R. 2936 solves the perennial particularly the impacts as a result of The bill allows the Forest Service ‘‘fire borrowing’’ problem, in which federal the changing climate that we have and and the Bureau of Land Management land management agencies must raid non- as it becomes more pronounced, such to unilaterally determine if authorized fire suppression accounts in order to pay for as drought conditions. logging and forestry management ac- suppression activities. H.R. 2936 ends this The CHAIR. The time of the gen- practice by allowing FEMA to transfer funds tions would adversely affect listed spe- tleman has expired. cies or critical habitat without ever to the Forest Service/BLM when all fire sup- Mr. PETERSON. Mr. Chairman, I pression accounts have been exhausted. consulting experts at the U.S. Fish and As stated in ACWA’s headwaters frame- yield the gentleman from California an Wildlife Service as is required by the work, ACWA believes with more effective additional 30 seconds. Endangered Species Act. management ‘‘healthy headwaters’’ could Mr. COSTA. Mr. Chairman, the bene- Furthermore, the bill declares that, provide multiple benefits to California’s fits of improved management will not for purposes of the ESA, all logging water management system and the environ- only help with wildfire suppression, and other forestry activities carried ment. These benefits include: Increased putting out these fires, but it will ben- out pursuant to the bill are ‘‘nondis- Water Supply Reliability; Improved Water efit the environment. With more effec- cretionary’’ actions. Deeming these ac- Quality; Reduced Impacts from Catastrophic tive management, healthier head- Wildfires; Increased Renewable Energy Sup- tions to be nondiscretionary serves as a plies; Improved Response to Climate Change; waters will provide for an estimated in- direct waiver of the Endangered Spe- and Enhanced Habitat. creased water supply of 300,000 acre- cies Act regulations and protections ACWA encourages you to vote for H.R. feet of additional water—that is sig- and allows forest activities to violate 2936. nificant, certainly in a State like Cali- the ESA and jeopardize species. If you have any questions please contact fornia—and improved water quality Another provision exempts the For- David Reynold. downstream. est Service and BLM from imple- Mr. PETERSON. Mr. Chairman, I In closing, I urge my colleagues to menting regulations that require con- yield 2 minutes to the distinguished work together to improve this legisla- sultation on management plans when a gentleman from California (Mr. COSTA). tion before it is sent to the Senate for new species is listed as threatened or Mr. COSTA. Mr. Chairman, I thank consideration, because it is very clear endangered or there is a new critical my friend and colleague from Min- in recent weeks, in recent months, and habitat designation. nesota, Congressman PETERSON, for over the last 2 years that the status This, in particular, will have pro- yielding this time. quo is unsustainable. We must do a bet- found implications for species that It is clear, I think, for everybody in ter job in managing our forests. have been proposed or are candidates this Chamber to know how devastating Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. for listing under the ESA that rely on the fires have been, not only in Cali- Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the these lands for habitat, such as the fornia over the last recent weeks but gentleman from Florida (Mr. DUNN). North American wolverine. throughout the West, and it has been Mr. DUNN. Mr. Chairman, I thank In short, this bill dismantles inter- this way for several years. my friend from Pennsylvania for yield- agency consultation that is integral to It is long overdue for Congress to ad- ing me time. wildlife protection under the Endan- dress the many issues facing our for- Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the gered Species Act. ests under Federal management, and Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2017. America’s forests are home to over that is what this legislation attempts The National Forest System is gov- 400 threatened or endangered species, to do. erned by the principle of multiple use— including the Florida panther, native Years of mismanagement have con- conferring maximum sustainable bene- wild trout, and the black-footed ferret. tributed to the rise of catastrophic fits in the form of wildlife habitat, We cannot allow this bill to strip pro- wildfires, not only in my home State of recreation, clean air and water, and tections for these iconic species and California but throughout the West. timber harvests. eliminate environmental review proc- The heart of the problem is simple: Sadly, government red tape and the esses for our Nation’s forests. So on money that Congress has allocated to constant threat of litigation has this basis—the threat to the Endan- prevent wildfires has been used instead caused paralysis by analysis at the gered Species Act—I urge my col- to put them out. Forest Service leading to a decrease of leagues to vote ‘‘no.’’

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:54 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00032 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.064 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8329 Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. doesn’t become a disaster later. This is Forest Protection Act projects. This new au- Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to my not a partisan issue. This is a common- thority is needed because of the under- performance of the TFPA authority. Thir- colleague from Texas (Mr. GOHMERT). sense solution for our federally owned Mr. GOHMERT. Mr. Chairman, it is teen years after Congress passed the TFPA, forest land. only three projects have been fully imple- great to be able to speak on this. I am Mr. Chairman, I include in the mented, while others linger in years of pro- grateful to Mr. WESTERMAN. We share a RECORD a letter from the Forest Prod- cedural abyss. As a result, tribal forest lands great deal of interests, and Mr. THOMP- ucts Industry National Labor Manage- remain at high risk of wildfire coming from SON. ment Committee and a letter from the adjacent federal lands. This section would As far as the endangered species, I re- Intertribal Timber Council. give tribes the certainty to pursue TFPA projects with their federal neighbors and re- member hearing about how this little OCTOBER 31, 2017. spotted owl only could mate in virgin duce the risk of wildfire migrating from fed- Hon. ROB BISHOP, eral lands onto Indian trust land. forests, and then it turns out some pair House of Representatives, Section 702 would give the Forest Service were reported to have mated in a Washington, DC. and BLM a new ability to have tribes carry Kmart sign. But endangered species Subject: Support for HR 2936, The Resilient out forest restoration projects in their home- will do best in managed forests where Federal Forests Act of 2017. lands. Improvement of forest health and eco- we clear underbrush and where we DEAR CONGRESSMAN BISHOP: As chair of the logical functions are vital to maintain wa- make fire lanes—where we manage the Forest Products Industry National Labor tersheds and fish and wildlife habitat on Management Committee, I am writing in lands that may be subject to federally-re- forests. The forests do better, and you strong support of HR 2936, The Resilient Fed- stop the wildfires. served tribal rights. Acting through the Bu- eral Forests Act of 2017. I urge you to vote in reau of Indian Affairs, tribes would be able If you want to just leave it to nature, support of HR 2936 when it comes to the floor to restore lands using the federal regulatory nature will destroy massive numbers of of the House of Representatives for a vote on structure used on Indian trust lands. As the acres of land. So we have a responsi- Wednesday, November 1. Committee has noted on several occasions, bility. Even in the Garden of Eden The Forest Products Industry National tribal forest management is able to achieve when things were perfect, God said to Labor Management Committee is a non-prof- greater results faster and at lower costs than tend the garden. it trust formed to pursue the common public on federal land. This provision would help So I appreciate the time, and I also policy interests of the working men and bring that successful management approach women in the forest products industry. Col- appreciate the chairman’s willingness to federal lands sorely in need of restoration. lectively, the Committee represents more Section 703 authorizes pilot authority for to address the issue of the stewardship than two million workers across the nation, the Interior and Agriculture Departments to program so counties don’t get messed including lumber and sawmill workers, grant ‘‘638’’ contracting authority to tribes over. woodworkers, machinists, carpenters, and and tribal organizations for the administra- Mr. PETERSON. Mr. Chairman, I re- pulp and paper workers. tive and management functions of TFPA serve the balance of my time. The balanced and sustainable management projects. Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. of our federally-owned forests has been of The ITC is a forty-one year old association Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the significant interest to the Committee since of more than fifty Indian tribes and Alaska gentleman from Michigan (Mr. it was founded in 1990. Since that time, the Native organizations that collectively man- Committee has engaged on numerous pieces age more than 90% of the 18 million acres of BERGMAN). of federal forest and related legislation. forest land held in trust by the Bureau of In- Mr. BERGMAN. Mr. Chairman, I rise HR 2936 is a bipartisan measure that will dian Affairs. The ITC is dedicated to pur- today in support of H.R. 2936, the Resil- address the growing economic and environ- suing the best management and protection of ient Federal Forests Act. My district is mental threats posed by catastrophic tribal forests and other natural resources. home to three national forests, Ottawa, wildfires. HR 2936 provides a responsible We actively participated in the development Hiawatha, and Huron-Manistee. So budgetary solution and targeted forest man- of the National Indian Forest Resources when we use the term ‘‘in our neck of agement reforms to improve the health and Management Act (PL 101–630, 1990) and the the woods,’’ we mean it. resiliency of America’s forests. Adoption of Tribal Forest Protection Act (PL 108–278, these proposals will enhance federal forest 2004). It is our pleasure to now support H.R. We understand how vitally important 2936. proper management of forests is for our stewardship; protect forest ecosystems from catastrophic fire and disease; and preserve Sincerely, environment, our economy, and our rural, family wage jobs. PHIL RIGDON, special way of life in northern Michi- The Forest Products Industry National President. gan and the Upper Peninsula. I live Labor Management Committee urges you to Mr. BERGMAN. Mr. Chairman, I right in the middle of the Ottawa Na- vote in support of HR 2936, the Resilient Fed- strongly urge my colleagues to support tional Forest, so this issue really does eral Forests Act of 2017, when the measure H.R. 2936. hit close to home for me. comes to the floor of the House of Represent- Mr. PETERSON. Mr. Chairman, I Now as we have seen the devastation atives for a vote this week. yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Sincerely, from forest fires in the West, it is more California (Mr. THOMPSON). important than ever to have this de- MIKE DRAPER, Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Chairman, Forest bate. But it is impossible to talk about Products Industry Chairman, I thank the gentleman for the need for wildfire suppression with- National Labor yielding. out talking about proper forest man- Management Com- Mr. Chairman, many of my col- agement. These two go hand in hand— mittee. leagues have asked, because of the re- or at least they should go hand in cent fires in my district, how I will be hand. INTERTRIBAL TIMBER COUNCIL, voting on this measure today. Well, I Portland, OR, July 5, 2017. am a ‘‘no.’’ b 1530 Hon. ROB BISHOP, My district experienced the worst All too often, we hear rhetoric that Chairman, House Committee on Natural Re- wildfires in California history. Fires managing our forests and removing sources, Washington, DC. burned close to 300,000 acres, killed 43 dead or dying trees is a bad thing. This DEAR CHAIRMAN BISHOP: The Executive Board of the Intertribal Timber Council people, forced more than 100,000 people can’t be further from the truth. (ITC) supports H.R. 2936, the Resilient Fed- to evacuate, decimated some 7,000 When we leave these dried, rotting eral Forests Act of 2017, sponsored by Rep. homes, and left 10,000 people homeless trees laying on the forest floor, they Bruce Westerman. in the city of Santa Rosa alone. become an incendiary breeding ground We wish to particularly express our strong Our fires didn’t burn Forest Service for fires. Those fires cost the Forest support for Title VII, which will enhance lands and they didn’t start on public Service billions of dollars and count- tribal input and involvement in the restora- land, so nothing in this bill that we are less hours of manpower to extinguish. tion of federal forest lands. Such restoration discussing here today could have pre- Last year alone, we spent $2.9 billion projects are sorely needed to improve forest vented the devastation in my district. on suppression efforts. This leaves health and reduce threats to lands held in I agree that we should be doing more trust for Indians as well as non-trust federal to prepare for catastrophic fire events, barely any financial resources to allo- land upon which Indian tribes access for tra- cate towards actually managing our ditional, subsistence and treaty-guaranteed but this bill doesn’t achieve that goal. forests. purposes. Instead, it guts longstanding protec- H.R. 2936 seeks to end this cycle. Section 701 would provide timelines for re- tions and fails to fix the budgetary Let’s get at the problem now so it view, approval and implementation of Tribal issues that plague fire management. In

VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:46 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00033 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.066 H01NOPT1 H8330 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 fact, this bill could make things worse We have to address the underlying Federal Forests Act of 2017. The U.S. Forest by creating more red tape for agencies issues. We have to reform how we man- Service is currently reviewing this discus- when they are actively responding to age our forests. We have to make our sion draft, and the Administration does not have a position on it at this time. wildfires. forests healthier and our wildfires less We appreciate the significant work the That is why I joined Representative severe. We can begin that process Subcommittee put into this bill since it was HUFFMAN to introduce an amendment today. last introduced in the 114th Congress. We that would have more directly ad- The people of Montana need relief also appreciate your efforts to incorporate dressed the risk of wildfires. We incor- and a long-term solution. I encourage Forest Service comments and recommenda- porated provisions based on: my colleagues to support this bill. tions and are encouraged by many of the Representatives SIMPSON’s and The Acting CHAIR (Mr. ISSA). The goals outlined within this bill. We look for- SCHRADER’s Wildfire Disaster Funding time of the gentleman has expired. ward to continuing to work with you and Act that gives land management agen- Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. your staffs on the details to ensure this leg- islation results in meaningful improvements cies access to funding to fight wildfires Mr. Chairman, I yield an additional 30 to forest management work on the ground. without jeopardizing other agency pro- seconds to the gentleman. The Forest Service welcomes legislation grams; Mr. GIANFORTE. Mr. Chairman, I that expands the toolset we can use to re- Legislation that I dropped today that include in the RECORD a letter of sup- store our nation’s forests while staying with- is the companion bill to Senators port for the legislation from the Na- in the boundaries and intent of the National CANTWELL’s and RISCH’s Wildland Fires tional Lumber and Building Material Environmental Policy Act and the Endan- Act, which provides funding to help Dealers Association, and a statement gered Species Act. Forest restoration communities prepare for wildfires and of support from the former Chief of the projects provide rural jobs, mitigate the se- verity of wildfires, enhance watershed condi- target high-risk areas for prescribed Forest Service, Tom Tidwell. tions, and ensure a variety of other eco- burns. The gentleman from Nevada NLBMDA PRAISES REINTRODUCTION OF nomic, social and environmental benefits for (Mr. AMODEI) is the coauthor of that RESILIENT FEDERAL FORESTS ACT the American people. Provisions that expand legislation; WASHINGTON, DC.—The National Lumber categorical exclusions, incentivize collabora- We incorporated Representatives and Building Material Dealers Association tion, and streamline environmental analysis LAMALFA’s and SCHRADER’s Electricity (NLBMDA) praises the introduction yester- or consultation with other federal agencies Reliability and Forest Protection Act, day of the Resilient Federal Forests Act by are all important issues in the bill that we which passed the House earlier this (H.R. 2936) Rep. Bruce Westerman (R–AR). are reviewing. The legislation helps protect the national It is notable that the Resilient Federal year, and allows for hazardous vegeta- Forests Act does not contain provisions that tion management on Federal lands forest system by implementing best prac- tices intended to lessen the threat of would mandate harvest levels, require a new that abut electrical transmission lines; wildfires. Original cosponsors for the bipar- layer of zoning on the National Forests, or We also incorporated Representative tisan bill include Reps. Rau´ l Labrador (R– elevate one use over another on these mul- RUIZ’s Wildfire Prevention Act that al- ID), Tom McClintock (R–CA), Cathy McMor- tiple-use lands, as we have seen in other re- lows States to apply for hazard mitiga- ris Rodgers (R–WA), Rick Nolan (D–MN), cent forestry bills. tion grants for wildfire prevention Collin Peterson (D–MN), and Scott Tipton While we support efforts to provide new tools to improve forest management and res- projects. (R–CO). Rep. Westerman introduced the legislation toration, capacity constraints, including the Instead of considering controversial present approach to budgeting for wildfire, measures that will meet a dead end during the previous Congress in 2015, where it passed the House of Representatives by a continue to be impediments to increasing once it gets to the Senate, we should vote of 262–167 with support from 21 Demo- the pace and scale of this work. We look for- pass these bipartisan, practical, and ef- crats who crossed the aisle to support the ward to continuing to work with you on the fective solutions. bill. wildfire title to find a solution that address- The fires that tore across my State The U.S. Forest Service manages over 190 es the disproportionate growth of fire pro- must not be used as an excuse to un- million acres. Of this, 46 million acres is des- grams as a share of the agency’s overall dermine fundamental environmental ignated as allowable for timber harvest. budget. Timber harvests from federal forests de- Again, I thank you for the opportunity to laws that protect public lands. They provide this statement. The Forest Service should motivate us to work together to clined by 78 percent between 1987 and 2015, from 11.3 to 2.5 billion board feet. This is far stands ready to continue working with you protect communities from the devasta- below the long-term, sustainable capability on this important legislation. tion that my constituents are facing of these lands of 12.2 billion board feet per Mr. PETERSON. Mr. Chairman, I today. year. yield 4 minutes to the distinguished Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Poor land management during the past 30 gentleman from Oregon (Mr. SCHRA- Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the years has led to declining health of national DER). gentleman from Montana (Mr. forests. This has resulted in fewer jobs and Mr. SCHRADER. Mr. Chairman, this GIANFORTE). productivity in the forestry sector, fewer fire season has put the need for real Mr. GIANFORTE. Mr. Chairman, I board feet of domestically produced lumber entering the market, and a marked increase forest management in stark relief for thank the gentleman for yielding. I in acreage ravaged by insects, disease and those of us who live out West. also thank the gentleman from Arkan- fire. The current laissez-faire forest pol- sas, a trained forester, for his efforts to ‘‘The Resilient Federal Forests Act strikes icy, with random desperate measures reform how we manage our forests. a balanced approach in managing the na- to fight increasingly horrific fires that Montana faced a devastating wildfire tional forest system by making more land threaten and destroy rural and now—as season. Over 1 million acres have available for logging in an environmentally we have seen in California—suburban burned in our State. Lives were lost. sustainable way,’’ said Jonathan Paine, communities is completely inadequate Our livelihoods were threatened. Wild- NLBMDA President and CEO. ‘‘NLBMDA and increasingly costly to the tax- thanks Congressman Westerman for his lead- life habitats were destroyed. We ership on this important issue.’’ payer. breathed the smoke as the clouds hung NLBMDA supports greater sustainable har- This bill, contrary to what some have in the air. vesting of federal forests to meet long-term said, rewards communities that have Earlier this week, the gentleman demand for lumber as part of a comprehen- proactive, collaborative programs; from Arkansas and I met with con- sive plan that does not place U.S. private stewardship programs; rural advisory servationists, the Forest Service, local forests at a competitive disadvantage. committees; and wildfire protection leaders, and key stakeholders, includ- plans to manage their forests without ing the Rocky Mountain Elk Founda- STATEMENT OF TOM TIDWELL, CHIEF, U.S. DE- redundant NEPA processes. PARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, FOREST SERV- tion. They all affirmed that litigation A few thousand acres out of the mil- ICE and an inability to inappropriately lions acres of Federal forest land are SUBMITTED TO THE HOUSE NATURAL RESOURCES now going to be enabled to be managed manage our forests are the problem COMMITTEE, SUBCOMMITTEE ON FEDERAL that lead to severe wildfires. LANDS ON THE RESILIENT FEDERAL FORESTS for wildlife successional forest habitat; When catastrophic wildfires strike, ACT OF 2017 removal of dangerous roadside and in- we keep treating the symptoms—sup- Mr. Chairman and members of the Sub- frastructure threatening vegetation; pressing the fires—and somehow think committee, thank you for the opportunity to insect and disease infestations; reduc- that the next wildfire will be different. present a statement regarding the Resilient ing hazardous fuel in the forests; and,

VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00034 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.068 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8331 frankly, doing a little reforesting of third-generation logging families, Tim Policy Act (NEPA), rather they apply the salvage projects, which should have Christopherson from Idaho County and NEPA review to like or similar actions to ex- been allowed years ago. Tom Mahon from Adams County. pedite the process. These are administered We also pilot a few arbitration Mahon’s 16-year-old son, J.T., was under Council on Environmental Quality regulations and other guidance. Increased projects to stop the endless frivolous working under his father’s supervision use of CEs is one of the best opportunities we litigation of every single forest project, when a Forest Service employee sent have in the short term to increase the pace at least in Oregon, and I think else- him home. J.T. couldn’t work in the of active forest management. where. woods because logging doesn’t have an Funding the cost of fighting catastrophic SRS payments continue to rural exemption that has long been enjoyed wildfires outside of the agency budget is communities whose way of life has by family farms under the Fair Labor paramount to the agency’s ability to deliver been, basically, taken away from them Standards Act. on other aspects of their mission. We are by the endless frivolous litigation in supportive of a fix that will allow cata- The Acting CHAIR. The time of the strophic wildfires to be considered a disaster. our Federal forests. Counties, for the gentleman has expired. Until agencies are freed from the burden of first time, get some revenue from the Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. fighting catastrophic wildfires through their very stewardship contracts that we Mr. Chairman, I yield an additional 30 annual budgets we will be unable to make want to encourage, but not at the ex- seconds to the gentleman from Idaho. meaningful progress towards proactive forest pense of rural communities’ economic Mr. LABRADOR. With help from the management. We recommend capping the health. families and the Associated Logging firefighting budget at the current 10-year av- Many are still stuck in the recession, Contractors of Idaho, we crafted a solu- erage to protect further erosion of the U.S. and this bill is critical to their revival. tion that is good for families, good for Forest Service budget in other important Oregon counties in the Oregon and mission delivery areas. rural America, and good for the Amer- We support the bill’s provisions for large California railroad areas also get the ican economy. scale reforestation on fire-impacted lands. opportunity to be made whole again, I am grateful for the bipartisan effort While public input and review is essential to like the original statute said. on this legislation, and I urge my col- public lands management, currently it can I think it is important to note for a leagues to support the bill. result in delayed action and result in an in- lot of our friends out there that the Mr. Chairman, I include in the ability to accomplish the necessary objec- current regional forest plans still apply RECORD a letter from the National Wild tives. We believe the deadlines set for plan and are not undermined. We just give Turkey Federation and a letter from development and public input, as well as the flexibility to the Forest Service folks the National Association of Counties, prohibition on restraining orders and pre- within the regions to do what they Western Interstate Region, in support liminary injunctions strike a reasonable bal- think needs to be done to keep those ance. We recommend that this provision of of H.R. 2936. the bill clarify that proper ecological res- forests healthy. We empower good NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION, toration is allowed as a mechanism to sal- management. Edgefield, SC, June 26, 2017. vage forests post catastrophic events as re- For those of you who are interested Hon. ROB BISHOP, forestation may not always be the best ac- in innovation, this bill actually calls Chairman, Natural Resources Committee, tion for the ecological good. out cross-laminated timber and other House of Representatives, Washington, DC. The NWTF strongly supports arbitration thoughtful uses of forests and timber Hon. RAU´ L GRIJALVA, as an alternative to litigation. This will con- that can bring environmental and tim- Ranking Democrat, Natural Resources Com- serve valuable U.S. Forest Service resources ber groups together like it should be in mittee, House of Representatives, Wash- and expedite work getting done on the ington, DC. the 21st century. ground. Additionally, we support the provi- DEAR CHAIRMAN BISHOP AND REPRESENTA- sion that does not allow plaintiffs chal- Finally, most important of all for TIVE GRIJALVA: On behalf of the National lenging a forest management activity to re- some folks, we actually get wildfire Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) and its ceive any award or payment obligated from disaster funding included as a reason- 230,000 members, we urge you to take swift the Claims and Judgment Fund. able topic of conversation and get out Committee action on H.R. 2936 the Resilient We support the approach for allowing eval- of the current fire-borrowing policy Federal Forest Act of 2017. The NWTF is a uation of only action/no-action alternatives that is preventing the Forest Service leader in wildlife habitat conservation in for collaborative Forest Plans, Resource Ad- and BLM from doing good forest man- North America and is dedicated to the con- visory Committee and Community Wildfire servation of the wild turkey and preserva- agement to prevent those fires in the Protection Plan projects. Limiting the num- tion of our hunting heritage. We are cur- ber of alternatives will expedite the develop- first place. rently working towards our 10-year Save the ment of environmental assessments and On balance, frankly, this is a very Habitat. Save the Hunt initiative in which allow work to get done on the ground more good bill and it is much-needed at this we aim to conserve or enhance 4 million quickly. We also support the requirement to time. acres of critical habitat, recruit 1.5 million look at consequences of a no-action alter- Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. hunters and open 500,000 acres for outdoor native as a no-action decision would still Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the enjoyment have an impact on the resource. gentleman from Idaho (Mr. LABRADOR). Active forest management is crucial to es- We understand budget concerns counties Mr. LABRADOR. Mr. Chairman, the tablishing healthy and sustainable forests face and are supportive of a portion of re- Resilient Federal Forests Act contains and decisions for forest management should tained receipts from stewardship contracts be based on sound science. As such, the com- going to the counties. Stewardship Con- many provisions that will give the For- mon sense solutions offered in H.R. 2936 are tracting is an important tool for active for- est Service additional tools to better imperative to the health and future of our est management. Ultimately this change manage our national forests. nation’s forests and important to the NWTF will remove one impediment to utilizing To keep our forests healthy and pro- to help achieve our objectives. In total, H.R. Stewardship Contracting and help garner ductive, we must ensure we have 2936 has many reasonable solutions to the support from the counties. We recommend skilled loggers to safely work in those challenges that the managing agencies face modifying this section to reflect that pay- forests. I thank Representative to increase the pace and efficiency of active ment should come only from retained re- WESTERMAN for including my bill, the forest management on our nation’s federal ceipts on completed projects, versus strictly Future Logging Careers Act, in his bill lands. We take this opportunity to highlight from timber value within ongoing projects. those solutions that we believe will make This will maintain the ‘‘exchange of goods that is on the floor today. the most immediate difference and offer rec- for services’’ function of Stewardship Con- My bill will allow 16- and 17-year-olds ommendations as to how we believe the bill tracting while also preserving the balance of to learn the logging business by work- can be further improved. timber dollars and the investment of match- ing in family-owned mechanized log- We support increased availability for Cat- ing funds from organizations like the NWTF ging operations under the supervision egorical Exclusions (CE) in order to deal to expand the scope and scale of projects, of their parents. That will allow the more effectively and efficiently with threats thus accomplishing more active manage- next generation of loggers to learn val- like pests and disease and for addressing ur- ment and fire protection across the land- uable skills, prepare to take over fam- gent wildlife needs like critical habitat for scape and within counties. endangered species. We are especially sup- We appreciate the recognition of the im- ily businesses, and provide the wood portive of the CE that will allow for activi- portance of funding planning activities for products needed to support our econ- ties that enhance early successional forests forest management. We are concerned that omy. for wildlife habitat. Unlike some critics of the provision could potentially provide jus- I learned of the need for this bill CEs who will suggest, they do not exempt tification for the U.S. Forest Service staff to after meeting two Idaho loggers from the action from the National Environmental refrain from fully utilizing product value and

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00035 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.069 H01NOPT1 H8332 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 partner match dollars for on the ground consensus driven decision making. Counties in forest production and the loss of forest work. While we feel the 25% threshold is too across the United States have engaged in jobs and it will continue to be a critical pro- high, the provision of allowing some of the collaborative efforts to address their natural gram until the declines in forest production stewardship project revenues to cover the resources challenges. By bringing a broad can be fully addressed. H.R. 2936 reforms costs of planning additional projects could cross-section of local stakeholders into col- Title III of SRS that provide much needed be beneficial and incentivize project plan- laborative processes, counties, industry, out- flexibility for counties to use a portion of ning. doorsmen, conservationists and federal and SRS funding to support law enforcement pa- We also appreciate the common-sense state land managers have built consensus on trols and ensure county first-responders have amendments to the Endangered Species Act some of the most complex natural resource the equipment and training they need to pro- (ESA) that will improve the process of pro- management challenges. vide high-quality emergency services on for- tecting endangered and threatened species By authorizing limited and reasonable cat- est service land to county residents and the and their habitat. The bill overturns the egorical exclusions for projects that improve millions of public lands visitors each year. ‘‘Cottonwood’’ court decision, which directs forest health and have been developed DELEGATING THE AUTHORITY FOR RESOURCE that if additional critical habitat is des- through consensus based collaborative proc- ADVISORY COMMITTEE (RAC) APPOINTMENTS ignated under an approved Forest Plan or esses, H.R. 2936 builds upon these successes Finally, counties support legislation to en- Resource Management Plan, a section 7 pro- and provides additional tools to help ensure sure rural counties can actively coordinate grammatic re-consultation of the entire For- that collaborative efforts continue to work, with federal agencies through flexibility in est Plan needs to be done. The U.S. Fish and accelerate and expand. Streamlining the reg- RAC membership and appointments. NACo Wildlife Service and the Obama Administra- ulatory review of proposed forestry projects and WIR support allowing the U.S. Secretary tion argued that the section 7 consultation will increase project implementation and the of Agriculture and U.S. Secretary of the In- needs only to be done on the portion of the number of acres that are treated. terior to delegate the authority for appoint- project covering the additionally designated PROTECTING COMMUNITIES THROUGH WILDFIRE ing RAC members to agency leaders, such as acreage of critical habitat. The remedy in RISK REDUCTION Regional Foresters or Bureau of Land Man- this bill will greatly reduce the debilitating For the 26 percent of counties across the agement State Directors. Counties should be process that the federal court decision di- United States that are home to federal forest included in the development and implemen- rects. The bill also affirms current U.S. Fish lands, the health of our national forests has tation of public lands management plans, and Wildlife Service policy that no ESA sec- a direct impact on the health and safety of and RACs allow county leaders to actively tion 7 consultation is required if the U.S. county residents. Healthy forests are less participate in this process. Your legislation Forest Service or Bureau of Land Manage- prone to disease, insect infestation, and wild- would allow the Secretary to delegate RAC ment determines through informal consulta- fire. While the causes of catastrophic wild- appointment authority, and ensure locally- tion that the proposed action will not likely fire are complex, the status quo of inaction driven efforts to better manage federal lands have an adverse affect on species or critical has exacerbated present forest conditions, can begin in a timely manner. habitat. We further support the 90 day which now present a great risk to both com- NACo and WIR stand ready to work with threshold on a CE established by this bill be- munities and the environment. Your legisla- you to promote locally supported, consensus- cause it will conserve agency resources and tion would help to correct this by requiring driven solutions to address management expedite management activities on the the costs and benefits of a proposed forest challenges, reduce the risk of catastrophic ground. project be weighed against the costs and ben- wildfire, and increase economic activity on We commend Congressman Westerman, the efits of doing nothing to address wildfire our federal lands. NACo and WIR encourage co-sponsors, and Chairman Bishop for their threats, disease and insect infestation, and swift passage of the Resilient Federal For- dedication to restoring and maintaining our their impacts on local water supply and wild- ests Act of 2017. federal forests under management informed life habitat. Sincerely, by science, and offering the appropriate re- Provisions of the legislation expediting MATTHEW D. CHASE, forms to management practices. We respect- regulatory analysis for timber salvage after Executive Director, fully urge that you expeditiously report H.R. major wildfires are also crucial, and will pro- National Association 2936 out of Committee and to the House vide the Forest Service with the revenue it of Counties. floor. needs to execute critical and time-sensitive JOEL BOUSMAN, Sincerely, post-fire reforestation work. President, Western EBECCA UMPHRIES R A. H , PROVIDING FLEXIBILITY AND EQUITABLE Interstate Region. Chief Executive Officer. SHARING OF FOREST REVENUES Mr. PETERSON. Mr. Chairman, I re- In addition to improving forest health and JUNE 21, 2017. serve the balance of my time. reducing wildfire risk for forest commu- Hon. BRUCE WESTERMAN, Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. nities, increased active management will House of Representatives, Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the generate more revenue for the federal treas- Washington, DC. gentleman from California (Mr. ury and critical services provided by coun- DEAR CONGRESSMAN WESTERMAN: On behalf ties, and promote job creation and economic LAMALFA). of the National Association of Counties Mr. LAMALFA. Mr. Chairman, na- (NACo) the only organization representing growth in counties across the nation. Ac- cording to the American Forest and Paper tionwide, this year has been the most the nation’s 3,069 counties, parishes, and bor- expensive year on record, with over $2 oughs, and the Western Interstate Region Association, forest products industries ac- (WIR), we write to express support for H.R. count for 4% of U.S. manufacturing GDP and billion spent to combat fires that have 2936, the Resilient Federal Forests Act of over $50 billion annually in wages for ap- burned almost 9 million acres of land. 2017. Thank you for your leadership in intro- proximately 900,000 employees. These jobs As of October 29, State and Federal ducing legislation to promote the active provide a direct economic impact to many firefighters responded to 8,300-plus management of our nation’s federal lands rural and forest counties across the country. The growth in stewardship contracting in fires, covering over 1.1 million acres in and forests, reduce the risk of catastrophic recent years has shown that a market-driven California alone, nearly doubling the wildfire and promote collaborative ap- approach to forest management projects can amount of acres burned in 2016. proaches to address natural resource man- work to achieve both forest management A complete lack of forest manage- agement challenges. goals and increased forest production. Coun- ment in California has left our forests The legislation will improve the health and ties support and are active partners in stew- wellbeing of forest lands and forest commu- more combustible than ever, leading to ardship contracting initiatives across the nities by: promoting collaboration and one of the worst wildfire seasons in our United States. NACo and WIR support provi- streamlining regulations for forest health State’s history. That is why the bill of sions of H.R. 2936 that authorize the equi- projects, protecting communities through my colleague, Mr. WESTERMAN, H.R. table sharing of stewardship contracting rev- wildfire risk reduction, improving flexibility enues with counties consistent with historic 2936, is very important. and fairness in forest revenue sharing, and practices. Forest revenue sharing payments The Resilient Federal Forests Act in- delegating the authority for Resource Advi- support critical county services such as cludes what I believe to be critically sory Committees (RAC) appointments. transportation infrastructure and education. important reforms in forest manage- PROMOTING COLLABORATION AND STREAMLINING America’s counties look forward to working ment, such as expedited environmental REGULATIONS FOR FOREST HEALTH PROJECTS with Congress to further strengthen forest reviews and the availability of categor- Counties believe that active management revenue sharing between counties and the ical exclusions for forest management of federal lands and forests must be done in federal government. activities to help achieve these goals. a sustainable manner that ensures the Since 2000, due to sharp declines in forest Our Federal lands are hurting. They health of our federal lands for generations to revenues, the federal government has pro- come. One way to help ensure a balanced ap- vided payments to forest counties through are in desperate need to be managed in proach to address natural resource manage- the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program. order to not have these disasters each ment challenges is by promoting locally The SRS program provides a critical safety- and every year. We can either thin the driven collaborative processes that promote net for forest counties impacted by declines trees and the brush out, or watch them

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00036 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A01NO7.048 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8333 go up in smoke every year and become has the approval of local governments, commend my colleagues across the part of our brown skies, instead of the Tribes, sportsmen’s groups, and labor aisle for attempting to deal with the blue skies that we would normally unions. The last time we had this bill, biggest barrier to improved manage- enjoy. it had a good bipartisan vote on it, but ment of our national forests: the enor- We can’t afford this inaction any- these are issues that the Forest Service mous cost and impact of wildfire sup- more. We need to move this legislation needs and they can use on day one of pression on the Forest Service budget. and clean up California’s forests for all. their issue. Over 50 percent of the Forest Service Mr. PETERSON. Mr. Chairman, as I What the Forest Service needs are re- budget is eaten up by wildfire, and if said earlier, this bill is not perfect, but sources, obviously. We know that. But things don’t change, the agency pre- it has a lot of good provisions. they also need the tools that they need dicts that it will increase to two-thirds I urge support of this bill, and I yield to actually do their work. in just 5 years. Unfortunately, the back the balance of my time. Now, there are some on the fringe budget fix in this bill falls short. Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. who are going to say that everything is First, it requires Congress to appro- Mr. Chairman, I thank the ranking wrong here, but I would encourage priate an amount equal to the 10-year member of the Agriculture Committee them to get rid of the usual rhetoric average before emergency funding is for his support, and also Mr. and to pocket the dogma for a minute available. We know that climate WESTERMAN from Arkansas, the author and realize that what we need to do is change results in longer and more in- of this bill. come up with a system that affects the tense wildfire seasons, making the 10- The Resilient Federal Forests Act of planning process. year average irrelevant to the ever-in- 2017 is a bipartisan solution to address The Forest Service admits they have creasing need for funding. Because the the growing economic and environ- 50 to 60 million acres of forestland average is too low, the real number mental threats from catastrophic today that is ready to be a cata- will keep growing, meaning the wildfires. strophic catastrophe. They want to amount of funding that must be taken As we have heard already, 2017 has treat 25 percent of what they own a from the Forest Service accounts will had the costliest wildfires on record, year. They are only treating 2 to 3 per- continue to grow. Fighting fires will with the Forest Service spending over cent. That means, of the 50 to 60 mil- continue squeezing out money for the $2 billion. We have had the loss of com- lion acres they have that are in dire active management my Republican col- munities and lives lost. The greatest situations right now, they can only leagues are so eager to prioritize. Second, requiring the President to cause of this uptick in wildfires is the treat 3 a year. That would take them 20 declare each fire a national emergency severe lack of forest management. years to try and get through what needs to be treated unless we give them before releasing funds is unnecessarily b 1545 new tools to reform the system to bureaucratic and could delay emer- This legislation pairs a responsible make that process going in, and that is gency operations. We need a holistic fix for the wildfire budget fix with forest management re- exactly what this bill does: it rewards budget that makes money available in forms, improves the health and resil- collaboration; it tries to stop unneces- advance of a critical emergency, but iency of our Nation’s forests and range- sary litigation; it comes up with arbi- lands, and provides Federal Land Man- Republicans would rather play politics tration concepts that are in there; it with fire to undermine environmental agement agency tools to increase the expands the ability of streamlining the pay scale and cost efficiency of forest safeguards. process so they can get to work. This is not the first time we have management projects without sacri- Our people need the resources to do seen the bill, this piece of legislation. ficing environmental protections. their job. They need the tools. We House Republicans sent a version to The bill permanently solves the wild- should make it very clear that money the Senate in the 113th and the 114th fire borrowing problem by allowing alone is not going to solve the problem Congresses, where it languished on the FEMA to transfer limited funds to the of wildfire catastrophe. What we have shelf because our colleagues on the Forest Service or BLM when the rest of to do is solve the conditions that cre- other side of the Capitol found it too their wildfire suppression funding has ate the catastrophic wildfires in the extreme. been exhausted. first place, and that means that we Rather than view that experience as It prevents wildfires by authorizing need to make sure that we are doing an opportunity to seek compromise the tools for the Forest Service, tools things so we can prohibit what has hap- this time around, today we are consid- that they are looking for in the Bureau pened, which has been devastating to ering a bill that is even more extreme of Land Management that they can im- people and their property; which has and polarizing. They doubled the envi- plement immediately to mitigate in- destroyed habitat for species, endan- ronmental review waivers, added lan- sect and disease infestation, prevent gered and unendangered; and which has guage to undermine the Endangered damage to municipal watersheds and created conditions of pollution in our Species Act, and scaled back protec- critical infrastructure quickly, harvest atmosphere. tions for national monuments and wildfire, kill trees to pay for the refor- All that has to take place. Every- roadless areas. estation, and the bill encourages quick thing in this bill is what the experts in We are told that this is all in the reforestation that accelerates habitat the Forest Service said they can do on name of decreasing wildfire risk and improvement. day one after it is passed. It needs to protecting communities. The truth is This bill does incentivize collabora- take place. It needs to be in addition to that it is just more of the same from tion, supports local government, and the financial solving of the wildfire sit- House Republicans who will look for modernizes the Secure Rural Schools uation. You need to have these re- any excuse to advance their extraction- Act. forms, and that is what we are pushing above-all agenda. Mr. Chairman, I would just ask my in this bill. It is why it is so des- Wildfires are a huge problem in this colleagues for their support of H.R. perately needed and why it was worked country due, in large part, to climate 2936, the Resilient Federal Forests Act out with the experts in the field. change, something this bill ignores. By of 2017, and I yield back the balance of Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance the way, they are becoming more fre- my time. of my time. quent and more intense, and they pose Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Chairman, Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Chairman, I a growing threat to public safety and I yield myself such time as I may con- yield myself such time as I may con- local communities. sume. sume. This bill is not about forest health or As we make this transition, let me I rise in opposition to H.R. 2936, the wildfire mitigation. It is about increas- try and sum up where we are at this so-called Resilient Federal Forests Act ing the number of trees removed from particular time. of 2017. Perhaps a better name would be our forests. Republicans would rather This particular bill was done in co- the ‘‘Log America’s Forest Act of scare us into weakening environmental ordination with the U.S. Forest Service 2017.’’ safeguards than work on a possible bi- under both the Obama administration But before I address the many con- partisan solution to wildfire manage- and the Trump administration. This cerns with the underlying bill, I must ment.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00037 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.070 H01NOPT1 H8334 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 A serious proposal would recognize this goal, while also ensuring that state and American Forest Resource Council; the Forest Service and the Department local governments continue to have say in American Loggers Council; Arkansas of the Interior have ample authority the impact of federal undertakings on his- Forestry Association; Arkansas Timber toric resources. Producers Association; Associated within current law to conduct fire We look forward to working with you on California Loggers; Associated Logging treatment on our public lands. In fact, this important issue. Contractors of Idaho; Associated Or- the 2009 Collaborative Forest Land- Sincerely, egon Loggers; Association of Con- scape Restoration Program, estab- ERIK M. HEIN, sulting Foresters; Black Hills Forest lished the last time Democrats con- Executive Director. Resource Association; California For- trolled the House, has resulted in the estry Association; Carolina Loggers treatment of over 1.45 million acres of JUNE 27, 2017. Association; Colorado Timber Industry national forests to reduce the risk of Hon. ROB BISHOP, Association; Coos County (Oregon) Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources, Board of Commissioners; Deere & Co; catastrophic fire and the improvement House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Great Lakes Timber Professionals; of over 1.33 million acres of wildlife Hon. RAUL GRIJALVA, Hardwood Federations. habitat. Ranking Member, Committee on Natural Re- Intermountain Forest Association; Lou- In just 5 years, the program gen- sources, House of Representatives, Wash- isiana Forestry Association; Michigan erated more than $661 million in local ington, DC. Association of Timbermen; Michigan labor income and an average of 4,300 DEAR CHAIRMAN BISHOP & RANKING MEMBER Forest Products Council; Minnesota jobs per year. The projects have at- GRIJALVA: We write to you today in strong Forest Industries; Minnesota Timber tracted new partners and strengthened support of HR 2936, the bipartisan Resilient Producers Association; Mississippi Federal Forests Act of 2017. community relationships, leveraging Loggers Association; Missouri Forest Our federal forests are facing serious Products Association; Montana Log- over $76.1 million in partner matching threats from fires, insects, and diseases due ging Association; Montana Wood Prod- funds. Collaborative programs like this to lack of active forest management. The ucts Association; National Wildfire In- bring people to the table and result in poor health of our federal forests also threat- stitute; New Hampshire Timberland more acres treated, more local jobs, ens wildlife habitat, watersheds, and neigh- Owners Association; New Mexico Coali- and more successful projects. Again, all boring non-Federal lands, as well as the vi- tion of Conservation Districts; New of this has taken place within the tality of rural, forested communities across Mexico Forest Industry Association; the country. HR 2936 contains provisions in- framework of the current law. Northeastern Loggers Association; tended to both address the disruption caused Professional Logging Contractors of Increased funding for programs like by fire borrowing and to expedite needed for- Collaborative Forest Landscape Res- Maine; South Carolina Timber Pro- est management to improve the health and ducers Association; Southeastern Lum- toration should be a priority for Re- vitality of our federal forests. ber Manufacturers Association; Sus- publicans, but this program was zeroed The Resilient Federal Forests Act provides tainable Forest Action Coalition; out by the Trump administration budg- Categorical Exclusions (CE’s) under the Na- Treated Wood Council. tional Environmental Policy Act will allow et, and extreme proposals like this bill Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Chairman, chip away at the principal pillars of needed forest management projects to be more quickly prepared, analyzed, and imple- I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman law that make collaboration possible. mented. It will also allow forest recovery from Arizona (Mr. GOSAR). Our constituents and our forests de- projects to proceed more quickly, addressing Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chairman, I rise serve better. a dire need created by recent wildfire sea- today in strong support of H.R. 2936, Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance sons. The Forest Service has long experience the Resilient Federal Forests Act of of my time. with management techniques to reduce for- 2017, introduced by my friend and col- Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Chairman, est pests, thin hazardous fuels, create and league BRUCE WESTERMAN. I include in the RECORD a letter from maintain habitat for species, recover dam- Our forests and the communities that the National Conference of State His- aged timber and protect water quality. These live, work, and rely on them des- toric Preservation Officers and a letter projects mitigate risk and help create early perately need improved management sent from 40 forestry coalitions that successional forest habitat which is good for practice to reduce these forest fire dis- wildlife. are in support of this particular bill. The Forest Service does more complex asters and to increase resiliency. NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF STATE NEPA documentation than most other Fed- I was very pleased with the quick HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICERS, eral agencies, and even after years of col- work by my friend and former col- Washington, DC, October 24, 2017. laboration, frequently finds itself in court league OMB Director Mick Mulvaney Hon. ROB BISHOP, where judges scrutinize procedural issues, for addressing the wildfire funding cri- Chairman, House Committee on Natural Re- delaying needed management, sometimes for sis at the United States Forest Service, sources, Washington, DC. years. The Resilient Federal Forests Act ad- requesting $576.5 million for wildfire DEAR CHAIRMAN BISHOP: On behalf of the dresses the complex, court-imposed NEPA suppression and recommending active National Conference of State Historic Pres- burden that has been forced on the Forest management reforms. ervation Officers (NCSHPO), we would like Service, while preserving collaborative ef- Now, while the Trump administra- to thank you and Congressman Bruce forts and avoiding sensitive forest lands. Westerman for including language in the HR 2936 addresses both the excessive anal- tion came through in a big way for manager’s amendment to H.R. 2936, the Re- ysis requirements imposed on even modest Western communities that have been silient Federal Forests Act of 2017. The lan- forest management projects, as well as the ravaged by catastrophic wildfires, Con- guage, which calls for the establishment of a dysfunctional system of funding suppression gress must pass H.R. 2936 and get seri- Nationwide Programmatic Agreement to costs out of forest management program ac- ous about combating catastrophic pursue an efficient and effective solution to counts. Provisions in the bill limit the acre- wildfires before they get started. historic preservation review, ensures state age of Categorical Exclusions, and prohibits The Resilient Federal Forests Act is and local input on the impact of federal un- their use in sensitive areas. The legislation a bipartisan, comprehensive piece of dertakings on historic resources. provides access to the disaster relief fund for legislation that simplifies the cum- The establishment of the Nationwide Pro- wildfire suppression expenses in excess of the bersome planning process and reduces grammatic Agreement is consistent with the 10-year average. principal of states and communities having a The House acted on a similar, bipartisan the cost of implementing proactive for- lead role in evaluating the impact of federal bill in 2015. The need for action to address est management strategies. projects on historic resources. This principal forest health conditions on our national for- H.R. 2936 empowers local commu- was enshrined in law more than 50 years ago est system is even higher today. Wildfire nities by getting them involved in the with the passage of the National Historic suppression funding mechanisms developed decisionmaking process. It empowers Preservation Act and strengthened more in the past are no longer adequate to address Tribal communities to be part of the than 40 years ago by the creation of the His- the conditions we are experiencing. We urge solution and help reduce the risk of toric Preservation Fund. to take up and pass HR 2936 as quickly as wildfire. Wildfires pose a threat to historic re- possible. The bill removes incentives for ex- sources and NCSHPO supports your effort to We stand ready to work with both of you treme special interest groups to file reduce their risk. As the bill moves forward, advance responsible solutions to these seri- NCSHPO and its members remain ready and ous national problems. frivolous lawsuits. In fact, it requires willing to help find a solution to any chal- Alabama Loggers Council; Allegheny litigants opposing active management lenges faced in the management of our na- Hardwood Utilization Group, Inc.; projects to propose an alternative plan tion’s forests. Our members are committed American Farm Bureau Federation; as opposed to just saying ‘‘no.’’ Imag- to assisting federal agencies in achieving American Forest & Paper Association; ine that, solutions over lawsuits.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00038 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.072 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8335 Mismanagement has left our forests priated line-items (for example, wildfire pre- plans. We urge that your Committee expedi- vulnerable to insects and disease and vention, wildlife, recreation and water qual- tiously report HR 2936 from the Committee ripe for catastrophic wildfires. It is ity) to pay for the cost of catastrophic fire to the House floor. clear the system is broken. Western suppression, which cost consumes over 50% We look forward to continuing to work of the USFS budget. We respectfully urge the with you to move this bill quickly through communities are tired of being victims, Committee to further protect the USFS the legislative process. If you have any ques- and this bill allows us to be proactive budget by capping the 10-year average cost of tions, please contact AFWA Government af- and to prevent disasters before they be- catastrophic fire costs at its current level. fairs Director Jen Mock Schaeffer. come a risk. The 10-year average is used by the USFS in Sincerely, Mr. Chairman, I include in the building their budget request. The 10-year NICK WILEY, RECORD two letters, one from the Asso- average continues to rise and unless it is President, Association ciation of Fish and Wildlife Agencies capped it will continue to erode other impor- of Fish and Wildlife tant budget line items such as wildlife, water and the second from the National Asso- Agencies; quality, fire prevention and recreation in the Executive Director, ciation of Home Builders, in support of President’s budget. Florida Fish and H.R. 2936. The Association further appreciates the Wildlife Conserva- ASSOCIATION OF FISH & WILDLIFE process relief provided to National Forest tion Commission. AGENCIES, Plans (NFP) and (potentially) Resource Man- Washington, DC, June 26, 2017. agement Plans (RMP) developed by collabo- NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF Hon. ROB BISHOP, rative deliberation. It is appropriate that a HOME BUILDERS, Chairman, House Natural Resources Committee, collaborative-developed plan, which often Washington, DC, June 21, 2017. House of Representatives, Washington, DC. takes years to deliberate and conclude, be Hon. ROB BISHOP, ´ Hon. RAUL GRIJALVA, subject to only two options under NEPA, Chairman, House of Representatives, Committee Ranking Democrat, House Natural Resources proceed or not proceed. It is very reasonable on Natural Resources, Washington, DC. Committee, House of Representatives, Wash- to assume that the collaboratively delib- DEAR CHAIRMAN BISHOP: On behalf of the ington, DC. erated process has examined and rejected the more than 140,000 members of the National DEAR CHAIRMAN BISHOP AND RANKING DEM- other options, and only the action or no ac- Association of Home Builders (NAHB), I am OCRAT GRIJALVA: The Association of Fish and tion need be analyzed. writing to express NAHB’s strong support for Wildlife Agencies (Association) is pleased to The bill’s establishment of a pilot binding The Resilient National Forests Act of 2017 support H.R. 2936, the ‘‘Resilient Federal arbitration process as an alternative to liti- and express our appreciation to the House Forest Act of 2017’’ (RFFA). All 50 state gation in each FS Region is certainly wel- Committee on Natural Resources for con- agencies are members of the Association. comed by the Association. Not only is the tinuing this important discussion on the Founded in 1902, the Association’s mission is cost of defending the land management plan health of our nation’s forest. Better forest to protect the interests and authorities of a burden on the agencies, but the planned for management practices that are also mindful the states to manage fish and wildlife within management work on the ground is lost, per- of environmental considerations will help their borders, including on federal land. The haps never to be resurrected on that site. We strengthen the housing supply chain and pro- Association works closely with the federal commend Congressman Westerman and the mote affordable housing opportunities for all land management agencies to deliver on the Committee for settling on this significant Americans. ground conservation of fish, wildlife and improvement to litigation reform that was Significant concerns have been raised their habitats for our citizens. in HR 2647 from the last Congress. about the U.S. Forest Service’s current for- The Association is particularly appre- We also appreciate the increase in acreage est management efforts, both in terms of ad- ciative of changes made by the Committee ceilings for the statutorily endorsed Categor- ministrative obstacles and legal obstacles in staff at the request of the Association. These ical Exclusions (CEs) under NEPA. CEs must approving timber harvesting projects. Con- changes make more prominent in federal avoid sensitive areas and must be consistent sequently, less commercial harvesting of statute the states’ authority to manage fish with standards and guidelines in Forest timber has resulted in overgrown forests and and wildlife on U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Plans. Early forest successional stage habi- an increased risk of catastrophic wildfire and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) tat, for instance, cannot be just incidental to across the country. lands. Nothing in the amended language is be effective in providing habitat for deer, Additional commercial harvesting of tim- intended to change any existing federal, elk, wild turkey, neo-tropical migratory ber will promote the health of our nation’s state or tribal authority. It simply makes songbirds and other species which are de- forest system, but also positively impact more evident the state-federal jurisdictional pendent on this habitat type. While an acre- housing affordability. NAHB research shows relationship which Congress has affirmed. age ceiling is an easy metric to measure suc- lumber and wood products account for 15% of Federal-state cooperation in this arena is cess, the desired forest future condition the cost of construction for a single family compelled because the USFS and BLM own should really determine the size of the tim- house. Lumber prices are generally volatile, the land and thus the habitat, and the state ber harvest. and it is common for builders to encounter a fish and wildlife agencies manage the fish Additionally, the Association supports the large price swing in a short period of time. and wildlife. Robust cooperation will provide proposed common-sense amendments to the As additional supply is brought into the that both land/habitat objectives and fish Endangered Species Act. First, H.R. 2936 market, upward pressure on lumber prices and wildlife population objectives are met. overturns the Cottonwood decision, which di- The RFFA is vitally needed to restore the rects that if additional critical habitat is will soften. health of our Nation’s federal forests on designated under an approved FP or RMP, a NAHB urges the House Natural Resources USFS and BLM lands. Unfortunately, the section 7 programmatic re-consultation of Committee to support The Resilient Na- USFS and BLM have fallen significantly be- the entire FP needs to be done. The U.S. Fish tional Forests Act of 2017, which will encour- hind in meeting objectives for early succes- and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the age multi-use forest management practices sional stage forest habitat, for a number of Obama Administration argued that the sec- for national forests and provide increases in reasons. Significantly, federal court deci- tion 7 consultation needs only to be done on the supply of federal timber products. Thank you for considering our views. sions and increasing uninformed litigation the project covering the additionally des- Sincerely, has created ‘‘paralysis by analysis’’ to quote ignated acreage of critical habitat. This rem- JAMES W. TOBIN III. a former USFS Chief. Congress mandated edy will greatly reduce the debilitating proc- that the federal forests were to be managed ess that the federal court decision directs. Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chairman, we need for water quality, wildlife habitat, recre- Second, the bill affirms that no ESA section forest management reforms, we need ation, and timber harvest. Active forest 7 consultation is required if the USFS or them now. I thank Mr. WESTERMAN and management by the federal professional BLM determine during informal consulta- the committee for their work on this managers in cooperation with the state fish tion that the proposed action is ‘‘not likely bill, and I strongly urge my colleagues and wildlife agency professional managers to adversely affect a species or designated has been replaced by natural resource man- critical habitat’’, which is already USFWS to support it. agement decisions being made by the federal policy. And third, if any consultation on a Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Chairman, I courts. A return to active forest manage- categorical exclusion established by the bill yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from ment will facilitate realization of all of the is not concluded after 90 days, the action Oregon (Mr. DEFAZIO). public values of federal forests. shall be considered to have not violated sec- Mr. DEFAZIO. Mr. Chairman, I re- The Association much appreciates that the tion 7(a)(2) of the ESA. member, 13 years ago, after another fire-borrowing problem is addressed in HR The Association is committed to working spate of catastrophic fires in the West- 2936. While most catastrophic fires occur in with our partners in the USFS and BLM to ern United States, we came together in the western United States, this is a national manage our federal forests to fulfill their problem because the funds for every national public values as Congress mandated. HR 2936 a truly bipartisan fashion and passed forest and public land unit are affected. This makes significant improvements to and something called the Healthy Forests remedy will prevent the USFS and BLM would expedite the process that governs ap- Restoration Act. It authorized up to 20 from having to borrow from other appro- proval of the USFS and BLM management million acres to be treated to remove

VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:46 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00039 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.073 H01NOPT1 H8336 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 hazard fuels in what is called the WUI, Mr. Chairman, this bill desperately it burns out. When we carried it out, the wildland-urban interface, and in needs improvement, and I am dis- we had resilient, healthy forests and a threats to municipal water supplies. appointed that my commonsense thriving economy, as excess timber was We also authorized $760 million a year. amendment—offered both in com- sold and harvested before it could Well, it has been 13 years. We author- mittee and again to Rules, this time choke our forests to death. In the years ized 20 million acres of work. What has with my colleague, Mr. BEYER from since then, we have seen an 80 percent been done? 21⁄2 million. Virginia—is not being considered by decline in timber sales from our Fed- Is it because of litigation, lawsuits, the House. eral lands and a concomitant increase or, you know, obstruction? No. It is be- My amendment would have struck in acreage destroyed by forest fire. I cause of this body, the United States two sections of this bill that are de- would remind my friend from Oregon Congress, which is refusing to put up signed to allow approval of timber that timber sales used to generate us the money to do the work. projects without adequate consider- money, not cost us money. In my State alone, there are 1.8 mil- ation of the impacts to some of the The direct revenues and spin-off com- lion acres waiting for treatment. They most vulnerable living creatures on merce generated by these sales pro- have gone through all environmental Earth: those listed as threatened or en- vided a stream of revenues that we reviews. There is no potential for liti- dangered under the Endangered Species could then use to improve our national gation or any other blocking, but they Act. forests and share with the local com- don’t have the money. The first offending section would put munities affected. Does this bill fix that? No. We are ad- the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on a The Resilient Federal Forests Act be- dressing problems that don’t exist in 90-day shot clock to complete consulta- gins to move us back towards sound terms of addressing the wildfire prob- tions required under section 7 of the and scientific forest management prac- lem. ESA. Such a provision is both unneces- tices. It requires forest managers to This is really, you know, kind of a sary and deeply harmful. consider the cost of no action alter- lost opportunity, a missed opportunity. The second section my amendment natives; it streamlines fire and disease Yes, it does a partial fix of the wildfire would have struck is designed to pre- prevention programs and ensures that borrowing, which devastates the Forest vent ESA consultation from happening fire-killed timber can be quickly re- Service every year. I appreciate that. altogether when FWS lists a new spe- moved to create both revenues and But the fact is, we have got 44 million cies or designates critical habitat for a room to restore fire-damaged lands; it homes that are now at risk in terms of listed species. This simply defies logic. ends the practice of raiding prevention wildland-urban interface, and we have Getting ESA consultation right—and funds to fight fires; it streamlines on- only treated 21⁄2 million acres because ensuring that it happens in the first erous environmental review processes this Congress isn’t putting up the place—is a small price to pay for pre- without sacrificing environmental pro- money. serving irreplaceable parts of our nat- tection; and it provides our forest man- ural heritage. b 1600 agers with alternatives to resolve friv- Mr. Chairman, H.R. 2936 attacks re- olous lawsuits. And this year, yet again, they are sponsible forest management policy Provisions that streamline the envi- proposing like one-half of what we au- and promotes commercial logging at ronmental reviews were already signed thorized. What does one-half get you? the expense of sound environmental re- into law last year for the Tahoe Basin, It gets you half the acreage. view. and the Forest Service regional man- So if we had appropriated at the lev- Instead of giving gifts to special in- ager told me that is going to take their els we authorized over the last 13 terests, Congress should be addressing revenue processes from 800 pages down years, they would have treated 5 or 6 the effects of climate change, working to 40 pages and allow them to get their million acres. Again, they weren’t to reduce the risk of wildfire, and fix- forest there back to a sustainable level. blocked by litigation. They weren’t ing the wildfire budget. We made some very big mistakes 45 blocked by appeals. The HFRA Act be- Mr. Chairman, this bill takes us years ago, and our forests have paid came virtually noncontroversial be- many steps in the wrong direction, and the price. This bill starts the long proc- cause it didn’t do away with judicial I urge my colleagues to vote ‘‘no.’’ ess of correcting those mistakes and review, which this bill will do on a cer- Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Chairman, recovering our national forests, and I tain number of projects in each region I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman urge its adoption. every year. from California (Mr. MCCLINTOCK), who Mr. Chairman, I include in the I wish that this was a bipartisan ap- has sat through 2 years of discussions RECORD two letters, one from the proach, it isn’t, and I cannot support of the ideas from the Forest Service in South Tahoe Public Utility District, the legislation. creating this bill. and the second from the Public Lands Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Chairman, Mr. MCCLINTOCK. Mr. Chairman, 45 I reserve the balance of my time. years ago, Congress enacted laws, such Council and the National Cattlemen’s Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Chairman, I as the National Environmental Policy Beef Association, in support of H.R. yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Act, that promised to improve the 2936. JUNE 22, 2017. Virginia (Mr. MCEACHIN). health of our forests. They imposed Hon. ROB BISHOP, Mr. MCEACHIN. Mr. Chairman, I what have become endlessly time-con- Chairman, House Committee on Natural Re- thank the ranking member for yield- suming and, ultimately, cost-prohibi- sources, Washington, DC. ing. tive restrictions on our ability to prop- Hon. RAUL GRIJALVA, Mr. Chairman, the goal of forest erly manage our national forests so Ranking Member, House Committee on Energy management should be to make our that we can match the tree density and Natural Resources, Washington, DC. forests more resilient—more resilient with the ability of the land to support DEAR CHAIRMAN BISHOP AND RANKING MEM- to the impacts of climate change, it. BER GRIJALVA: As entities responsible for de- drought, and wildlife—but contrary to I think after 45 years of experience livering sustainable water supply and renew- able hydropower for millions of citizens its title, H.R. 2936, the so-called Resil- with these laws, we are entitled to ask: throughout the western U.S., we are writing ient Federal Forests Act of 2017, does How are our forests doing? The answer in support of H.R. 2936, the Resilient Federal not achieve these goals. is damning. Our forests are now cata- Forests Act of 2017. National Forest lands This bill includes exemptions from strophically overgrown, often carrying are the largest single source of water in the analyses required under the National four times the number of trees that the U.S. and in some regions of the west con- Environmental Policy Act, restricts ju- land can support. In this stressed and tribute nearly 50% of the overall water sup- dicial review of certain forest manage- weakened condition, our forests are ply that supports our farms and cities. The ment activities, amends the Equal Ac- easy prey for drought, disease, pes- current, unhealthy state of these forests, which contain some of the nation’s most val- cess to Justice Act to limit payment of tilence, and fire. uable watersheds, increases the threat of attorneys’ fees, and scales back the There is an old adage that excess catastrophic wildfires. These high intensity wildlife conservation efforts of the En- timber comes out of the forest one way wildfires jeopardize the reliability, volume dangered Species Act. or the other—it is either carried out or and quality of water for tens of millions of

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00040 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.074 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8337 Americans, along with the wildlife, rec- healthy forests and preventing catastrophic the problems with using the Stafford reational, and multi-purpose value of these wildfires. However, according to the BLM, Act approach still remain. lands. livestock grazing has been reduced on BLM The second point. This bill, essen- The H.R. 2936 supports collaborative forest lands by as much as 50 percent since 1971, tially, is a gutting of environmental management, streamlines the environmental while the timber industry has been all but protections and an attack on sustain- review process, addresses the unsustainable destroyed over the last 30 years, due almost practice of fire borrowing, and includes an entirely to federal laws and regulations and able forest management that threatens innovative arbitration process. We believe it predatory environmental groups. Restric- equal access to justice. We should just is critical that both forest management re- tions have allowed the accumulation of fuel, call it what it is. forms and resolution of the ‘‘fire borrowing’’ increasing risk of wildfires and leading to Title I of this bill allows intensive issue are addressed in any legislation to en- harm of forest ecosystems and western com- logging projects of 10,000 to 30,000 acres sure on-the-ground forest restoration activi- munities—the watershed, wildlife, air qual- each. That is as big as the entire city ties can proceed at the pace and scale of the ity, rural communities and the taxpayers are of San Francisco. Projects of that size problem. all negatively impacted. can proceed on Federal public lands We appreciate your leadership on this im- PLC and NCBA believe that H.R. 2936 is a portant issue and urge prompt passage of without any environmental review positive step forward to returning manage- under NEPA, without any compliance H.R. 2936, the Resilient Federal Forests Act ment flexibility and fiscal responsibility to of 2017. with the Endangered Species Act. the federal land management agencies. PLC Title II of the bill eliminates the re- Sincerely, and NCBA appreciate the opportunity to pro- NATIONAL WATER vide our input on behalf of our members—the quirement that the Forest Service con- RESOURCES ASSOCIATION. nation’s food and fiber producers. H.R. 2936 is sult with the Fish and Wildlife Service UTAH WATER USERS proactive, common sense legislation, and we and, essentially, let’s the Forest Serv- ASSOCIATION. would encourage the committee to pass the ice decide for itself if it wants to follow ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA bill out of committee without delay. the Endangered Species Act consulta- WATER AGENCIES. Sincerely, tion requirements regarding any of its PLACER COUNTY WATER DAVE ELIASON, projects on public lands. AGENCY. President, Public Title III further chokes judicial re- SOUTH TAHOE PUBLIC Lands Council. UTILITY DISTRICT. view by prohibiting the recovery of at- CRAIG UDEN, torneys’ fees for any challenges to for- President, National JUNE 27, 2017. Cattlemen’s Beef As- est management activity under the Hon. ROB BISHOP, sociation. Equal Access to Justice Act, including Chairman, House Natural Resources Committee, meritorious successful challenges. This Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Chairman, I Washington, DC. severely limits public review of logging Hon. RAUL GRIJALVA, yield such time as he may consume to projects on Federal public lands. Ranking Member, House Natural Resources the gentleman from California (Mr. How would any of these measures Committee, Washington, DC. HUFFMAN). promote forest health? It wouldn’t. So DEAR CHAIRMAN BISHOP AND RANKING MEM- Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Chairman, I let’s call this bill what it is. It is an en- BER GRIJALVA: The Public Lands Council thank the gentleman from Arizona for vironmental wrecking ball that weak- (PLC) and the National Cattlemen’s Beef As- yielding. sociation (NCBA) strongly support H.R. 2936, ens standards and protections, limits the Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2017, in- Mr. Chairman, this bill that we are public participation in the review of troduced by Rep. Bruce Westerman (R–Ark.). debating today has been touted as Con- Federal agency actions, and won’t PLC is the only national organization dedi- gress’ solution to the longstanding make our forests any healthier or cated solely to representing the roughly issue of fire borrowing that has plagued safer. 22,000 ranchers who operate on federal lands. the Forest Service. Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Chairman, NCBA is the beef industry’s largest and old- I represent a district that has experi- I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman est national marketing and trade associa- enced a lot of wildfire. Thankfully, the from California (Mr. LAMALFA) for the tion, representing American cattlemen and recent devastating fires in the North purpose of a colloquy. women who provide much of the nation’s supply of food and own or manage a large Bay were not caused by this fire-bor- Mr. LAMALFA. Mr. Chairman, I rise portion of America’s private property. rowing issue. They did not involve Fed- for the purpose of engaging in a col- The Resilient Federal Forests Act will ex- eral public lands. However, I have had loquy with the chairman to seek a clar- pedite environmental reviews and assess- a lot of wildfire in my district over the ification on the applicability of the ments for the removal of dead trees and set years, and fire borrowing is a top pri- provisions in title I and title II of this deadlines for reforestation projects to occur. ority for me. Unfortunately, as it is bill to national forest lands. Such changes ensure forests are no longer currently written, this bill introduces As my colleagues know, the State of neglected and establish a healthier manage- California has been on fire. We have all ment pattern. Further, this legislation dis- more problems than solutions on this issue. Let me explain. seen the devastation across the State, courages frivolous litigation by requiring ranging from the Sierra Nevada to the litigants who oppose a management project The title in the bill pertaining to fire to come to the table with an alternative, borrowing repurposes the Stafford Act, Bay area, and even the wine country. rather than just tying up agency time and which Congress enacted to provide as- Even today, CalFire and Forest Service resources in court. The bill provides an in- sistance to State and local govern- personnel remain deployed on fires centive for collaborative efforts between ments in case of emergencies. This re- across the State. Ensuring that the Forest Service re- local governments, local stakeholders and quires Congress to appropriate the 10- federal land management agencies. Finally, turns to active management of our for- year average for wildfire suppression the legislation prevents ‘‘fire borrowing’’ and ests is critical to promoting forest before the Forest Service can access stops federal agencies from raiding accounts health and helping reduce the risks and necessary for proper forest and range man- emergency funds. That is not the way likeliness of catastrophic wildfires that agement. to solve this problem. In fact, I saw we have seen already this year. The severe mismanagement of federally- that just yesterday the administration The Resilient Federal Forests Act in- owned forests and rangelands, due to out- issued a SAP because of this problem- dated environmental laws and regulations cludes what I believe to be critically atic provision. important reforms to forest manage- along with the abuse of the legal system by If Congress is serious about fixing the radical special interest groups, creates dev- ment, such as expedited environmental astating economic hardship and danger for budget issue, we should be making reviews and availability of categorical our members and rural communities across funds available ahead of an emergency exclusion for forest management ac- the west. The livestock industry and rural situation, and we should remove the tivities, to help achieve these needed economies will spend decades attempting to cost of fighting catastrophic fires from goals. recover from millions of dollars’ worth of in- the agency’s base budget. That will en- In California, there are six national frastructure damage and forage loss that able them to invest in proactive meas- monuments managed by the Forest have been the result of catastrophic wildfires ures to make our forests more resilient Service or jointly between the Forest in recent years, not to mention the loss of and healthy. valuable wildlife habitats. Service and BLM. Oftentimes, manage- It is scientifically proven that proper tim- Although the Rules Committee added ment activities in these areas are high- ber management and rangeland management title XI to this bill, which increased ly restricted, which only leads to haz- through grazing is the key to maintaining the overall cap for disaster spending, ardous fuels buildup and increased risk

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00041 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A01NO7.025 H01NOPT1 H8338 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 of catastrophic fires. We see the results a responsible, proactive management Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Chairman, every year in the West. forest to be able to make sure that we I am amazed at how critical people H.R. 2936 clearly identifies certain are creating healthy forests. have been about the experts of the For- national forest lands that these provi- Mr. Chairman, as I travel throughout est Service, as if people don’t realize sions do not apply to. This includes my district, I am now looking at for- that these provisions in Mr. wilderness areas, national or State ests that my great-grandchildren will WESTERMAN’s bill weren’t coming out inventoried roadless areas, or areas not see as I saw them as a young boy of thin air. Somebody told us the tools where timber harvesting is prohibited growing up. It is time that we actually they need to deal with this. by statute. have legislation that doesn’t just be re- Mr. Chair, may I also add, there are However, it is my belief that provi- active to the problem that we face still other issues which we will work sions of this bill, Mr. Chairman—based when it comes to forest management out when we get to the Senate on on the definition of National Forest but be proactive. This legislation will these, some that Mr. GOHMERT pre- System lands in the bill—apply to all achieve that goal. sented. We will still work on those other Forest Service lands not explic- And, again, I applaud Mr. issues. itly prohibited in the bill. WESTERMAN and the Committee on Mr. Chair, I yield the balance of my Respectfully, I would like to clarify Natural Resources for their hard work time to the gentleman from Arkansas with the chairman that it is his intent on this. (Mr. WESTERMAN), the author of this that provisions in title I and title II of b 1615 bill, the only Member on the floor who H.R. 2936 apply to all other Federal Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Chair, I yield has a degree in forestry. lands managed by the United States Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Chair, I myself such time as I may consume. Forest Service. This includes national As we have talked about H.R. 2936, thank Chairman BISHOP for his tireless monuments managed by the Forest this is something that has been before efforts to see our government do better Service. two previous Congresses and went no- on our Federal lands. Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman where; and as a consequence, we con- Mr. Chairman, I recently made a trip for his work on this critical bill. tinue to not confront the issue of ap- out to Montana to visit some of our Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Chairman, propriate and necessary funding for the National Forests and the rural commu- I thank my colleague from California Forest Service to conduct wildfire sup- nities they border. These forests, much for his work on forestry issues and un- pression. That is the gap in this. This like many areas across our country, derstand the importance this bill has flawed attempt to try to fix the fund- have been mismanaged for decades, and to forestry management in his state. ing issue does not. the ones that have not already been de- It is my intent, and I believe the in- In fact, Congress has provided appro- stroyed are ripe to be devastated by in- tent of my colleagues, that all provi- priate tools to conduct restoration, re- sects, disease, or catastrophic wildfire, sions of H.R. 2936, including title I and duce hazardous fuels, and restore eco- not because of some action taken by title II, unless explicitly excluded, logical balance on national forest and the Forest Service, but just the oppo- apply to national monuments and all public lands. site. Because of no actions, our forests other lands managed by the United Congress should fix the wildfire budg- are overstocked, underutilized, and States Forest Service. et—that is the issue—not use this as le- unhealthy. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance verage to subsidize the timber industry We have seen nearly 9 million acres of my time. and also overturn essential environ- of forest, an area larger than the State Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Chairman, may I mental laws. of Maryland, go up in flames just this inquire how much time is remaining on This legislation has an attack on year, spewing tens of millions of tons both sides. NEPA, has an attack on the Endan- of carbon and thick smoke into the at- The Acting CHAIR (Mr. WILLIAMS). gered Species Act, has an attack on ju- mosphere. The gentleman from Arizona has 3 min- dicial review and access to justice, has Don’t get me wrong. 32,000 full-time utes remaining. The gentleman from an attack on the Antiquities Act, and Forest Service personnel are busy and Utah has 5 minutes remaining. continues the process of fire borrowing. working hard trying to manage the 193 Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Chairman, I re- H.R. 2936 is not about forest health or million acres of timberland across our serve the balance of my time. reducing wildfire risk. It is intended to great country, but they are spinning Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Chairman, make it easier to advance commercial their wheels and making very little I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman logging and sales on our national for- progress. from Colorado (Mr. TIPTON). ests and public lands. Mr. Chairman, that is a forest the Mr. TIPTON. Mr. Chairman, I thank A flawed attempt to fix the wildfire size of Texas and South Carolina com- my colleague from Arkansas, Mr. funding problem, it does nothing to bined. According to scientists at the WESTERMAN, for his hard work on the change the anti-environmental provi- Forest Service, 80 million acres of that, Resilient Federal Forests Act. sions in the underlying bill. an area the size of the State of New I would like to be able to submit that We have a serious issue, validated be- Mexico, is in a condition that is subject if you actually care about helping our cause of all the studies that have been to catastrophic wildfire. forests, if you care about our water- done, including GAO, which found that These fires are not only creating a sheds, if you care about wildlife habi- climate change is a contributor, sci- forest health crisis, they are a public tat, if you care about outdoor recre- entists have found that climate change health crisis. They kill trees, they kill ation, if you care about responsible job is a contributor. That is not discussed wildlife and livestock. These fires not development, if you care about being because that is a hoax, my Republican only kill livelihoods, they create un- able to provide funding for our schools, colleagues say, created by the Chinese. bearable health concerns and living this is a piece of legislation to be able So we will not talk about climate conditions with their thick smoke and to try and achieve a win-win-win, lit- change as a major factor, which it is, ash. On top of all that, they are killing erally, for our communities. to the increasing intensity and length people. We have seen 7 million acres, Mr. of wildfires across our public lands and It shouldn’t be this way and it Chairman, burn in the West in 2017 across private and State lands as well. doesn’t have to be this way. alone. We have seen our forests dev- This legislation is about undermining This bill simply allows sound, sci- astated. We have seen over half of the environmental law. It does nothing entifically-based forestry practices, budget of the Forest Service being used about the funding necessary to fight like the ones I learned at Yale’s For- to fight forest fires. wildfires in this country. It does noth- estry School, to be implemented on our Is there a better way? ing about involving the stakeholders in Federal forests. It will result in cleaner The better way can be found in this proactive restoration and reducing the air, cleaner water, better wildlife habi- piece of legislation, to be able to not threat of wildfire in this country. tat, better recreational opportunities, only address what we must address, in Mr. Chair, I urge a ‘‘no’’ vote on H.R. more plant and animal biodiversity, terms of fighting forest fires when they 2936, and I yield back the balance of my stronger economies, and fewer fires, re- break out, but also to be able to have time. sulting in lower fire costs.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00042 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.076 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8339 As we traveled through the beautiful and insects. Through incentives and expe- dangered Species Act (ESA). First, the bill countryside of Montana, I saw the sym- dited process, consistent with informed overturns the Cottonwood decision, which di- bol of our Nation perched majestically science, the bill will help ensure that timber rects that if additional critical habitat is harvest and the creation of young forest designated under an approved forest plan or atop a tree by the bank of a clear and habitat for wildlife remains viable on US resource management plan, a section 7 pro- flowing stream. This bald eagle re- Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land grammatic re-consultation of the entire for- minded me of a fable by Aesop that de- Management (BLM) lands. Additionally, it est plan needs to be done. The US Fish and scribed our situation today. It goes remedies the budget fire-funding problem Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Obama like this: (borrowing from other line items) that our Administration argued that the section 7 An eagle was soaring through the country faces when fighting catastrophic consultation needs only to be done on the sky, when suddenly it heard the whiz of wildfires. portion of the project covering the addition- Our organizations much appreciate that ally designated acreage of critical habitat. an arrow and it felt itself wounded to the fire-funding problem is addressed in HR death. Slowly it fluttered down to the This remedy will greatly reduce the debili- 2936. While most catastrophic fires occur in tating process that the federal court decision Earth, with its lifeblood pouring out of the western United States, this is a national directs. Second, the bill affirms that no ESA it. Looking down upon the arrow with problem because the funds for every national section 7 consultation is required if the which it had been pierced, it found that forest and public land unit are affected. This USFS or BLM determine during informal remedy will prevent the USFS and BLM the haft of the arrow had been feath- consultation that the proposed action is from having to borrow from other appro- ‘‘not likely to adversely affect a species or ered with one of its own plumes. priated budget line-items (for example, wild- designated critical habitat’’, which is al- ‘‘Alas!’’ it cried, as it died, ‘‘We often give fire prevention, wildlife, recreation and ready USFWS policy. And third, if any con- our enemies the means for our own destruc- water quality) to pay for the cost of cata- sultation on a categorical exclusion estab- tion.’’ strophic fire suppression, which cost now lished by the bill is not concluded after 90 consumes over 50% of the USFS budget. We Mr. Chairman, our enemies aren’t days, the action shall be considered to have our colleagues across the aisle. Many respectfully urge the Committee to further protect the USFS budget by capping the 10- not violated section 7(a)(2) of the ESA. support this bill and some are cospon- We also support the bill’s provisions expe- year average of catastrophic fire costs at its diting large scale restoration after cata- sors. Our enemies are not environ- current level. The USFS uses this 10-year av- strophic wildfires. We likewise support the mental extremists that are impeding erage to build their budget request for the prohibition on restraining orders and pre- science and causing some people to President. The 10-year average continues to liminary injunctions. It is imperative that love our trees to death. Our enemy is rise and unless it is capped it will continue we work to restore wildfire-impacted lands to erode other important budget line items not even the United States Senate. for the ecological health of the immediate such as wildlife, water quality, fire preven- Mr. Chairman, our enemy is cata- area and surrounding landscape, protection strophic wildfire that destroys our for- tion and recreation as the USFS constructs its budget request. of the watershed, and economic vitality of ests. Our enemies are insects and dis- All forest management plans are conducted the local communities. eases that kill our trees, and we are with public input, and all projects undergo Our organizations further appreciate the feathering their arrows with inaction. National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process relief provided to National Forest We are feathering their arrows with bu- analysis. The bill’s use of the Categorical Ex- Plans and potentially Resources Manage- reaucratic red tape. We are feathering clusion (CE) under the NEPA rules from the ment Plans developed by collaborative delib- Council on Environmental Quality, will eration. It is appropriate that a collabo- their arrows with poor policy that are rative-developed plan, which often takes killing our forests, killing our commu- allow routine projects with known effects to be implemented more efficiently and cost-ef- years to deliberate and conclude, be subject nities, and killing us every day. fectively to achieve the forest’s desired fu- to only two options under NEPA, proceed or How much longer will we stand by ture condition, as outlined in the forest man- not proceed. It is very reasonable to assume and do nothing? agement plan. Certain forest management that the collaboratively deliberated process I urge my colleagues on both sides of treatments previously analyzed under NEPA has examined and rejected the other options, the aisle to get behind this bill, pass it in order to deal with issues such as pests and and only the action or no action alternatives out of the House, and join me in relent- disease, hazardous fuels, critical habitats for need be analyzed. The bill’s establishment of a pilot binding lessly encouraging the Senate to take threatened or endangered species, salvage fa- cilitation, and water quality, do not need re- arbitration process as an alternative to liti- action. gation in each Forest Service Region is cer- Our forests, our rural communities, analysis on each similar project. These projects are routine, reoccurring activities tainly welcomed. Not only is the cost of de- our environment, and all those areas, with known effects, already fully analyzed fending the land management plan a burden urban and rural alike, that are breath- and therefore qualify for CEs from repeated on the agencies, but the planned for manage- ing the smoke and ash of our once mag- analysis. ment work on the ground is lost, perhaps nificent forests need us to act. We also appreciate the increase in acreage never to be resurrected on that site. We find Every day that we delay, the problem ceilings for the statutorily endorsed CEs. much merit in this improved approach as an gets worse and the enemies of the for- Early successional stage forest habitat, for alternative to the proposal in H.R. 2647 from the last Congress, and commend Cong. est are gaining ground. Please join me instance, cannot be just incidental to be ef- fective in providing habitat for deer, ruffed Westerman and the Committee for settling in this fight and pass this bill. grouse, elk, wild turkey, neo-tropical migra- on this. Uninformed litigation has led to fed- Mr. Chair, I include in the RECORD tory songbirds and other species which are eral forest management by the federal two letters. The first is from eight dependent on this habitat type. While an courts; we need to return forest management groups, including the Archery Trade acreage ceiling is an easy metric to measure to the federal and state professionals with Association; the second is from the Na- success, the desired forest future condition public input as provided for by the estab- tional Association of State Foresters, should really determine the size of the man- lished processes. both in support of H.R. 2936. agement activity. Additionally, as stated in H.R. 2936 makes significant improvements the bill, all CEs must avoid sensitive areas to and would expedite the process that gov- JUNE 26, 2017. and must be consistent with standards and erns approval of the USFS and BLM manage- Hon. ROB BISHOP, guidelines in approved Forest Plans. ment plans. We urge that your Committee Chairman, House Natural Resources Committee, Our organizations appreciate changes made expeditiously report this bill from the Com- Washington, DC. to make more prominent in federal statute mittee to the House floor. We look forward Hon. RAUL GRIJALVA, the states’ authority to manage fish and to continuing to work with you to move this Ranking Democrat, House Natural Resources wildlife on USFS and BLM lands. Nothing in bill quickly through the legislative process. Committee, Washington, DC. the bill language is intended to change any Thank you for your consideration of our DEAR CHAIRMAN BISHOP AND CONG. GRI- existing federal, state or tribal authority. It community’s perspectives. JALVA: Our organizations which represent simply makes more evident the state-federal Archery Trade Association, Association of millions of hunters, anglers, recreational jurisdictional relationship which Congress Fish and Wildlife Agencies, (Boone and shooters and other conservationists express has affirmed. Federal-state cooperation in Crockett Club, Catch-a-Dream Foundation, our strong support for H.R. 2936, the Resil- this arena is compelled because the USFS Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Con- ient Federal Forests Act of 2017. We respect- and BLM own the land and thus the habitat, servation Force, Council to Advance Hunting fully urge you to take expeditious Com- and the state fish and wildlife agencies man- and the Shooting Sports, Delta Waterfowl, mittee action on H.R. 2936, which if enacted, age the fish and wildlife. Robust cooperation Houston Safari Club, Mule Deer Foundation, will improve the health of our federal forests will provide that both land/habitat objec- National Association of Forest Service Re- and reduce costly wildfires. Our nation’s fed- tives and fish and wildlife population objec- tirees, National Rifle Association. eral lands play a vital role in maintaining tives are met. National Shooting Sports Foundation, Na- healthy forests that are resilient to threats Additionally, our groups support the pro- tional Wild Turkey Federation, Professional at a landscape level from fire, pests, disease posed common-sense amendments to the En- Outfitters and Guides Association, Public

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00043 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.078 H01NOPT1 H8340 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 Lands Foundation, Quality Deer Manage- questions or provide any additional informa- acres to be treated to remove hazard fuels in ment Association, Rocky Mountain Elk tion that might be of assistance. the Wildland and Urban Interface, as well as Foundation, Ruffed Grouse Society, Safari Sincerely, protect municipal water supplies from cata- Club International, Whitetails Unlimited, BILL CRAPSER, Wild Sheep Foundation, Wildlife Forever, Wyoming State Forester, strophic wildfires. We authorized $760 million Wildlife Management Institute, Wildlife Mis- President of the National Association of State annually to perform the work. So far, thirteen sissippi. Foresters. years later, only 2.5 million acres have been Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Chair, I treated. NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF yield back the balance of my time. Why is that? We have never come close to STATE FORESTERS, Mr. DEFAZIO. Mr. Chair, I voted for last Con- appropriating enough funding to get the job Washington, DC, June 13, 2017. done. In Fiscal Year 2017, Congress appro- Chairman ROB BISHOP, gress’ version of this bill, one of 19 Democrats House Natural Resources Committee, House of to do so. It wasn’t perfect, but the bill was step priated $390 million for hazardous fuels reduc- Representatives, Washington, DC. in the right direction. I hoped the Senate tion. Ranking Member RAU´ L M. GRIJALVA, would improve it and we would finally make As always, I stand ready to work with my House Natural Resources Committee, House of needed changes forest management and fix colleagues on both sides of the aisle to im- Representatives, Washington, DC. ‘‘fire borrowing.’’ But the Senate never acted prove forest management and help our rural DEAR CHAIRMAN BISHOP AND RANKING MEM- on it, or on any other forest management bill. communities get back on their feet. But it must BER GRIJALVA: The National Association of In the 113th Congress, I worked with Reps. be balanced approach. Unfortunately, this bill State Foresters (NASF) is pleased to provide comments on the Resilient Federal Forests Schrader and Walden and crafted a bipartisan is not a balanced approach. Act of 2017. NASF represents the heads of bill to create a long-term solution to properly The Acting CHAIR. All time for gen- state forestry agencies in all fifty states, the manage statutorily unique forestlands in West- eral debate has expired. District of Columbia and the US Territories. ern Oregon. It would have devoted nearly 1.3 Pursuant to the rule, the bill shall be Through the development of comprehensive million acres for sustainable timber production considered for amendment under the 5- State Forest Action Plans our members for local mills, created thousands of private minute rule. maintain a broad view of the full set of for- sector jobs, and provided much-needed rev- In lieu of the amendments in the na- estry ownerships within their authority, in- ture of a substitute recommended by cluding federally owned forest lands. For enue for our rural counties. The legislation citizens of the United States to realize a full was included in a larger bill which passed the the Committee on Agriculture and the set of forest related benefits, federal lands House in September 2014. Again, the Senate Committee on Natural Resources, need to provide a complete and balanced set failed to act. printed in the bill, it shall be in order of environmental, economic and social val- Like last Congress, there are provisions in to consider as an original bill for the ues. this bill I support. However, there are provi- purpose of amendment under the 5- In February of 2016 our organization adopt- sions that I cannot support. For example, the minute rule an amendment in the na- ed a formal position on desired reforms to bill doubles the amount of acres exempt from ture of a substitute consisting of the federal land management policy. Sugges- tions are organized around: nearly all environmental analysis for projects text of Rules Committee Print 115–36. Reforms that would allow federal lands to up to 10,000 acres, and in some cases 30,000 That amendment in the nature of a develop a more balanced set of social, envi- acres, nearly 47 square miles. substitute shall be considered as read. ronmental and economic benefits; I agree there is a need to need to increase The text of the amendment in the na- Reforms that would lower the costs of the pace and size of forest restoration ture of a substitute is as follows: agency administration, planning, regulatory projects. But the Forest Service and BLM al- compliance and litigation, and H.R. 2936 Reforms that would enable vegetation ready have many tools to accomplish more Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- management to be carried out at a scope, management objectives. What they need is resentatives of the United States of America in scale and pace sufficient to create more sus- funding to complete projects. In fact, Forest Congress assembled, tainable and resilient landscape conditions. Service NEPA experts have initiated a com- SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. We feel this bill would indeed create the prehensive review to determine opportunities, (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as end results our members support as our already allowed under law, to increase effi- the ‘‘Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2017’’. members want to see more active manage- ciencies and management tools to expedite (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of con- ment of federal forest lands. Expedited plan- tents for this Act is as follows: ning and analysis, prompt response to cata- environmental review, including proposing new strophic events, alternative dispute resolu- categorical exclusions. Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. tion, greater collaboration and less costly It’s true that in some cases the Forest Serv- Sec. 2. Definitions. litigation are all outcomes that for which we ice and BLM don’t use authority they have be- Sec. 3. Rule of application for National Forest strongly advocate. In addition, we’re encour- cause of legitimate concerns about the threat System lands and public lands. aged to see some desired modification to of litigation and the accompanying expenses it TITLE I—EXPEDITED ENVIRONMENTAL Good Neighbor Authority allowing road re- incurs. But it is disingenuous for us to claim ANALYSIS AND AVAILABILITY OF CAT- pair to be part of cooperative projects, as EGORICAL EXCLUSIONS TO EXPEDITE well as support for giving the land manage- that this bill, or any forest management bill, is FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES a miraculous fix to harvest more timber, im- ment agencies the opportunity to make their Subtitle A—Analysis of Proposed Collaborative own determinations of endangered species prove forest restoration, or reduce fuels to re- Forest Management Activities jeopardy or adverse effects. Finally, NASF duce the threat of catastrophic wildfires, with- Sec. 101. Analysis of only two alternatives (ac- appreciates that this discussion draft recog- out Congress providing funding to do so. In tion versus no action) in proposed nizes the need to solve the wildfire suppres- fact, according to the Forest Service, in Or- collaborative forest management sion funding issue. We look forward to work- egon there are over 1.8 million acres of treat- ing with the House Natural Resources Sub- activities. committee on Federal Lands and Congress- ment projects that are ‘‘shovel ready,’’ mean- Subtitle B—Categorical Exclusions man Bruce Westerman to ensure that a solu- ing all environmental analysis has been com- Sec. 111. Categorical exclusion to expedite cer- tion addresses both fire borrowing and the pleted. But they stay on the shelf, because the tain critical response actions. erosion of the Forest Service’s budget over- Forest Service doesn’t have the funds to com- Sec. 112. Categorical exclusion to expedite sal- time due to increasing wildfire suppression plete them. vage operations in response to costs. We’ve all seen the destruction from this catastrophic events. We recently provided comments on federal year’s severe fire season. Homes and busi- Sec. 113. Categorical exclusion to meet forest land management reform to the House Nat- nesses were destroyed, and dozens of lives plan goals for early successional ural Resources Committee’s Subcommittee forests. on Oversight and Investigations. One addi- were lost in Northern California. In my district, over 300,000 acres burned. The Forest Serv- Sec. 114. Categorical exclusion for road side tional suggestion we made there and would projects. repeat here is to ‘‘Require that National For- ice says that nationally there are now more Sec. 115. Categorical exclusion to improve or re- est Management Plans specifically address than 44 million homes are within the Wildland store National Forest System how they support State Forest Action Plans. Urban Interface, at high risk of burning in a Lands or public land or reduce In addition, encourage regular consultation wildfire. the risk of wildfire. with State Foresters by National Forest Sys- In 2004, Congress passed, on a bipartisan tem leadership to ensure their annual pro- Subtitle C—General Provisions for Forest grams of work are dovetailed where appro- basis, the Healthy Forests Restoration Act, Management Activities priate.’’ which if properly implemented would go a long Sec. 121. Compliance with forest plans. Thank you for this opportunity to com- way to reduce the threat of wildfires in our Sec. 122. Consultation under the National His- ment. We would be happy to answer any communities. It authorized up to 20 million toric Preservation Act.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00044 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 6343 E:\CR\FM\A01NO7.032 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8341 Sec. 123. Consultation under the Endangered Sec. 812. Consultation under Federal Land Pol- or activity carried out by the Secretary con- Species Act. icy and Management Act of 1976. cerned on National Forest System lands or pub- Sec. 124. Forest management activities consid- TITLE IX—MISCELLANEOUS lic lands consistent with the forest plan covering ered non-discretionary actions. Subtitle A—Forest Management Provisions the lands. (6) FOREST PLAN.—The term ‘‘forest plan’’ TITLE II—SALVAGE AND REFORESTATION Sec. 901. Clarification of existing categorical ex- IN RESPONSE TO CATASTROPHIC EVENTS means— clusion authority related to insect (A) a land use plan prepared by the Bureau of Sec. 201. Expedited salvage operations and re- and disease infestation. Land Management for public lands pursuant to forestation activities following Sec. 902. Revision of alternate consultation section 202 of the Federal Land Policy and large-scale catastrophic events. agreement regulations. Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1712); or Sec. 202. Compliance with forest plan. Sec. 903. Revision of extraordinary cir- (B) a land and resource management plan Sec. 203. Prohibition on restraining orders, pre- cumstances regulations. prepared by the Forest Service for a unit of the liminary injunctions, and injunc- Sec. 904. Conditions on Forest Service road de- National Forest System pursuant to section 6 of tions pending appeal. commissioning. the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Sec. 905. Prohibition on application of Eastside TITLE III—FOREST MANAGEMENT Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1604). Screens requirements on National LITIGATION (7) LARGE-SCALE CATASTROPHIC EVENT.—The Forest System lands. term ‘‘large-scale catastrophic event’’ means a Subtitle A—General Litigation Provisions Sec. 906. Use of site-specific forest plan amend- catastrophic event that adversely impacts at Sec. 301. No attorney fees for forest manage- ments for certain projects and ac- least 5,000 acres of reasonably contiguous Na- ment activity challenges. tivities. Sec. 302. Injunctive relief. Sec. 907. Knutson-Vandenberg Act modifica- tional Forest System lands or public lands, as determined by the Secretary concerned. Subtitle B—Forest Management Activity tions. (8) NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM.—The term ‘‘Na- Arbitration Pilot Program Sec. 908. Application of Northwest Forest Plan tional Forest System’’ has the meaning given Sec. 311. Use of arbitration instead of litigation Survey and Manage Mitigation Measure Standard and Guide- that term in section 11(a) of the Forest and to address challenges to forest Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act management activities. lines. Sec. 909. Reconstruction and repair included in of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1609(a)). TITLE IV—SECURE RURAL SCHOOLS AND good neighbor agreements. (9) OREGON AND CALIFORNIA RAILROAD GRANT COMMUNITY SELF-DETERMINATION ACT Sec. 910. Logging and mechanized operations. LANDS.—The term ‘‘Oregon and California Rail- AMENDMENTS road Grant lands’’ means the following lands: Subtitle B—Oregon and California Railroad (A) All lands in the State of Oregon revested Sec. 401. Use of reserved funds for title II Grant Lands and Coos Bay Wagon Road in the United States under the Act of June 9, projects on Federal land and cer- Grant Lands tain non-Federal land. 1916 (39 Stat. 218), that are administered by the Sec. 911. Amendments to the Act of August 28, Sec. 402. Resource advisory committees. Secretary of the Interior, acting through the 1937. Sec. 403. Program for title II self-sustaining re- Bureau of Land Management, pursuant to the Sec. 912. Oregon and California Railroad Grant source advisory committee first section of the Act of August 28, 1937 (43 Lands and Coos Bay Wagon Road projects. U.S.C. 1181a). Grant lands permanent rights of Sec. 404. Additional authorized use of reserved (B) All lands in that State obtained by the access. funds for title III county projects. Secretary of the Interior pursuant to the land Sec. 913. Management of Bureau of Land Man- Sec. 405. Treatment as supplemental funding. exchanges authorized and directed by section 2 agement lands in Western Oregon. TITLE V—STEWARDSHIP END RESULT of the Act of June 24, 1954 (43 U.S.C. 1181h). Subtitle C—Timber Innovation CONTRACTING (C) All lands in that State acquired by the Sec. 921. Definitions. United States at any time and made subject to Sec. 501. Cancellation ceilings for stewardship Sec. 922. Clarification of research and develop- the provisions of title II of the Act of August 28, end result contracting projects. ment program for wood building 1937 (43 U.S.C. 1181f). Sec. 502. Excess offset value. construction. (10) PUBLIC LANDS.—The term ‘‘public lands’’ Sec. 503. Payment of portion of stewardship has the meaning given that term in section 103 project revenues to county in TITLE X—MAJOR DISASTER FOR WILDFIRE ON FEDERAL LAND of the Federal Land Policy and Management which stewardship project occurs. Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702), except that the term Sec. 504. Submission of existing annual report. Sec. 1001. Wildfire on Federal lands. Sec. 1002. Declaration of a major disaster for includes Coos Bay Wagon Road Grant lands Sec. 505. Fire liability provision. and Oregon and California Railroad Grant Sec. 506. Extension of stewardship contracting wildfire on Federal lands. Sec. 1003. Prohibition on transfers. lands. maximum term limits. (11) REFORESTATION ACTIVITY.—The term ‘‘re- TITLE VI—ADDITIONAL FUNDING TITLE XI—DISASTER RELIEF AND forestation activity’’ means a project or forest SOURCES FOR FOREST MANAGEMENT WILDFIRE ADJUSTMENT management activity carried out by the Sec- ACTIVITIES Sec. 1101. Increase in maximum adjustment to retary concerned whose primary purpose is the Sec. 601. Definitions. accommodate wildfire funding. reforestation of impacted lands following a Sec. 602. Availability of stewardship project SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. large-scale catastrophic event. The term in- revenues and Collaborative Forest In titles I through IX: cludes planting, evaluating and enhancing nat- Landscape Restoration Fund to (1) CATASTROPHIC EVENT.—The term ‘‘cata- ural regeneration, clearing competing vegeta- cover forest management activity strophic event’’ means any natural disaster tion, and other activities related to reestablish- planning costs. (such as hurricane, tornado, windstorm, snow ment of forest species on the impacted lands. Sec. 603. State-supported planning of forest or ice storm, rain storm, high water, wind-driv- (12) RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.—The management activities. en water, tidal wave, earthquake, volcanic term ‘‘resource advisory committee’’ has the TITLE VII—TRIBAL FORESTRY eruption, landslide, mudslide, drought, or insect meaning given that term in section 201 of the Se- PARTICIPATION AND PROTECTION or disease outbreak) or any fire, flood, or explo- cure Rural Schools and Community Self-Deter- sion, regardless of cause. mination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7121). Sec. 701. Protection of Tribal forest assets (2) COLLABORATIVE PROCESS.—The term ‘‘col- (13) SALVAGE OPERATION.—The term ‘‘salvage through use of stewardship end laborative process’’ refers to a process relating operation’’ means a forest management activity result contracting and other au- to the management of National Forest System and restoration activities carried out in response thorities. lands or public lands by which a project or for- to a catastrophic event where the primary pur- Sec. 702. Management of Indian forest land au- est management activity is developed and imple- pose is— thorized to include related Na- mented by the Secretary concerned through col- (A) to prevent wildfire as a result of the cata- tional Forest System lands and laboration with interested persons, as described strophic event, or, if the catastrophic event was public lands. in section 603(b)(1)(C) of the Healthy Forests wildfire, to prevent a re-burn of the fire-im- Sec. 703. Tribal forest management demonstra- Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. pacted area; tion project. 6591b(b)(1)(C)). (B) to provide an opportunity for utilization Sec. 704. Rule of application. (3) COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN.— of forest materials damaged as a result of the TITLE VIII— EXPEDITING INTERAGENCY The term ‘‘community wildfire protection plan’’ catastrophic event; or CONSULTATION has the meaning given that term in section 101 (C) to provide a funding source for reforest- Subtitle A—Forest Plans Not Considered Major of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 ation and other restoration activities for the Na- Federal Actions (16 U.S.C. 6511). tional Forest System lands or public lands im- (4) COOS BAY WAGON ROAD GRANT LANDS.—The Sec. 801. Forest plans not considered major pacted by the catastrophic event. term ‘‘Coos Bay Wagon Road Grant lands’’ (14) SECRETARY CONCERNED.—The term ‘‘Sec- Federal actions. means the lands reconveyed to the United States retary concerned’’ means— Subtitle B—Agency Consultation pursuant to the first section of the Act of Feb- (A) the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect Sec. 811. Consultation under Forest and Range- ruary 26, 1919 (40 Stat. 1179). to National Forest System lands; and land Renewable Resources Plan- (5) FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITY.—The term (B) the Secretary of the Interior, with respect ning Act of 1974. ‘‘forest management activity’’ means a project to public lands.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00045 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 6333 E:\CR\FM\A01NO7.035 H01NOPT1 H8342 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 SEC. 3. RULE OF APPLICATION FOR NATIONAL preparation of an environmental assessment or section (b) are a category of actions hereby des- FOREST SYSTEM LANDS AND PUBLIC an environmental impact statement under sec- ignated as being categorically excluded from the LANDS. tion 102 of the National Environmental Policy preparation of an environmental assessment or Unless specifically provided by a provision of Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332). an environmental impact statement under sec- titles I through IX, the authorities provided by (b) FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES DES- tion 102 of the National Environmental Policy such titles do not apply with respect to any Na- IGNATED FOR CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.—The Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332). tional Forest System lands or public lands— forest management activities designated under (b) FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES DES- (1) that are included in the National Wilder- this section for a categorical exclusion are forest IGNATED FOR CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.—The ness Preservation System; management activities carried out by the Sec- forest management activities designated under (2) that are located within a national or retary concerned on National Forest System this section for a categorical exclusion are forest State-specific inventoried roadless area estab- lands or public lands where the primary purpose management activities carried out by the Sec- lished by the Secretary of Agriculture through of such activity is— retary concerned on National Forest System regulation, unless— (1) to address an insect or disease infestation; lands or public lands where the primary purpose (A) the forest management activity to be car- (2) to reduce hazardous fuel loads; of such activity is to modify, improve, enhance, ried out under such authority is consistent with (3) to protect a municipal water source; or create early successional forests for wildlife the forest plan applicable to the area; or (4) to maintain, enhance, or modify critical habitat improvement and other purposes, con- (B) the Secretary concerned determines the habitat to protect it from catastrophic disturb- sistent with the applicable forest plan. activity is allowed under the applicable roadless ances; (c) AVAILABILITY OF CATEGORICAL EXCLU- rule governing such lands; or (5) to increase water yield; SION.—On and after the date of the enactment (3) on which timber harvesting for any pur- (6) produce timber; or of this Act, the Secretary concerned may use the pose is prohibited by Federal statute. (7) any combination of the purposes specified categorical exclusion established under sub- in paragraphs (1) through (6). TITLE I—EXPEDITED ENVIRONMENTAL section (a) in accordance with this section. (c) AVAILABILITY OF CATEGORICAL EXCLU- (d) PROJECT GOALS.—To the maximum extent ANALYSIS AND AVAILABILITY OF CAT- SION.—On and after the date of the enactment practicable, the Secretary concerned shall de- EGORICAL EXCLUSIONS TO EXPEDITE of this Act, the Secretary concerned may use the sign a forest management activity under this FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES categorical exclusion established under sub- section to meet early successional forest goals in Subtitle A—Analysis of Proposed section (a) in accordance with this section. such a manner so as to maximize production Collaborative Forest Management Activities (d) ACREAGE LIMITATIONS.— and regeneration of priority species, as identi- SEC. 101. ANALYSIS OF ONLY TWO ALTERNATIVES (1) IN GENERAL.—Except in the case of a forest fied in the forest plan and consistent with the (ACTION VERSUS NO ACTION) IN management activity described in paragraph (2), capability of the activity site. PROPOSED COLLABORATIVE FOREST a forest management activity covered by the cat- (e) ACREAGE LIMITATIONS.—A forest manage- MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES. egorical exclusion established under subsection ment activity covered by the categorical exclu- (a) APPLICATION TO CERTAIN ENVIRONMENTAL (a) may not contain treatment units exceeding a sion established under subsection (a) may not ASSESSMENTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT total of 10,000 acres. contain treatment units exceeding a total of STATEMENTS.—This section shall apply when- (2) LARGER AREAS AUTHORIZED.—A forest 10,000 acres. ever the Secretary concerned prepares an envi- management activity covered by the categorical SEC. 114. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION FOR ROAD ronmental assessment or an environmental im- exclusion established under subsection (a) may SIDE PROJECTS. pact statement pursuant to section 102 of the contain treatment units exceeding a total of (a) CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION ESTABLISHED.— National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 10,000 acres but not more than a total of 30,000 Projects carried out by the Secretary concerned U.S.C. 4332) for a forest management activity acres if the forest management activity— to remove hazard trees or to salvage timber for that— (A) is developed through a collaborative proc- purposes of the protection of public health or (1) is developed through a collaborative proc- ess; safety, water supply, or public infrastructure ess; (B) is proposed by a resource advisory com- are a category of actions hereby designated as (2) is proposed by a resource advisory com- mittee; or being categorically excluded from the prepara- mittee; (C) is covered by a community wildfire protec- tion of an environmental assessment or an envi- (3) will occur on lands identified by the Sec- tion plan. ronmental impact statement under section 102 of retary concerned as suitable for timber produc- SEC. 112. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION TO EXPE- the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 tion; DITE SALVAGE OPERATIONS IN RE- (42 U.S.C. 4332). SPONSE TO CATASTROPHIC EVENTS. (4) will occur on lands designated by the Sec- (b) AVAILABILITY OF CATEGORICAL EXCLU- retary (or designee thereof) pursuant to section (a) CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION ESTABLISHED.— SION.—On and after the date of the enactment 602(b) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of Salvage operations carried out by the Secretary of this Act, the Secretary concerned may use the 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591a(b)), notwithstanding concerned on National Forest System lands or categorical exclusion established under sub- whether such forest management activity is ini- public lands are a category of actions hereby section (a) in accordance with this section. tiated prior to September 30, 2018; or designated as being categorically excluded from (c) HEALTHY FORESTS RESTORATION ACT RE- (5) is covered by a community wildfire protec- the preparation of an environmental assessment QUIREMENTS.— tion plan. or an environmental impact statement under (1) ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW.—A project that is (b) CONSIDERATION OF ALTERNATIVES.—In an section 102 of the National Environmental Pol- categorically excluded under this section shall environmental assessment or environmental im- icy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332). be subject to the requirements of subsections (d), pact statement described in subsection (a), the (b) AVAILABILITY OF CATEGORICAL EXCLU- (e), and (f) of section 603 of the Healthy Forests Secretary concerned shall study, develop, and SION.—On and after the date of the enactment Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591). describe only the following two alternatives: of this Act, the Secretary concerned may use the (2) HAZARDOUS FUEL REDUCTION ON FEDERAL (1) The forest management activity. categorical exclusion established under sub- LAND.—A project that is categorically excluded (2) The alternative of no action. section (a) in accordance with this section. under this section shall be subject to the re- (c) ACREAGE LIMITATION.—A salvage oper- (c) ELEMENTS OF NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE.— quirements of sections 102, 104, 105, and 106 of In the case of the alternative of no action, the ation covered by the categorical exclusion estab- title I of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of Secretary concerned shall consider whether to lished under subsection (a) may not contain 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6511 et seq.). evaluate— treatment units exceeding a total of 10,000 acres. SEC. 115. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION TO IMPROVE (d) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.— (1) the effect of no action on— OR RESTORE NATIONAL FOREST (1) STREAM BUFFERS.—A salvage operation (A) forest health; SYSTEM LANDS OR PUBLIC LAND OR covered by the categorical exclusion established REDUCE THE RISK OF WILDFIRE. (B) habitat diversity; under subsection (a) shall comply with the (a) CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION ESTABLISHED.— (C) wildfire potential; standards and guidelines for stream buffers con- Forest management activities described in sub- (D) insect and disease potential; and tained in the applicable forest plan unless section (b) are a category of actions hereby des- (E) timber production; and waived by the Regional Forester, in the case of ignated as being categorically excluded from the (2) the implications of a resulting decline in National Forest System lands, or the State Di- preparation of an environmental assessment or forest health, loss of habitat diversity, wildfire, rector of the Bureau of Land Management, in an environmental impact statement under sec- or insect or disease infestation, given fire and the case of public lands. tion 102 of the National Environmental Policy insect and disease historic cycles, on— (2) REFORESTATION PLAN.—A reforestation Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332). (A) domestic water supply in the project area; plan shall be developed under section 3 of the (b) FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES DES- (B) wildlife habitat loss; and Act of June 9, 1930 (commonly known as the IGNATED FOR CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.— (C) other economic and social factors. Knutson-Vandenberg Act; 16 U.S.C. 576b), as (1) DESIGNATION.—The forest management ac- Subtitle B—Categorical Exclusions part of a salvage operation covered by the cat- tivities designated under this section for a cat- SEC. 111. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION TO EXPE- egorical exclusion established under subsection egorical exclusion are forest management activi- DITE CERTAIN CRITICAL RESPONSE (a). ties described in paragraph (2) that are carried ACTIONS. SEC. 113. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION TO MEET out by the Secretary concerned on National For- (a) CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION ESTABLISHED.— FOREST PLAN GOALS FOR EARLY est System Lands or public lands where the pri- Forest management activities described in sub- SUCCESSIONAL FORESTS. mary purpose of such activity is to improve or section (b) are a category of actions hereby des- (a) CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION ESTABLISHED.— restore such lands or reduce the risk of wildfire ignated as being categorically excluded from the Forest management activities described in sub- on those lands.

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(2) ACTIVITIES AUTHORIZED.—The follow ac- to a forest management activity carried out pur- SEC. 203. PROHIBITION ON RESTRAINING OR- tivities may be carried out pursuant to the cat- suant to this Act, consultation under section 7 DERS, PRELIMINARY INJUNCTIONS, egorical exclusion established under subsection of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. AND INJUNCTIONS PENDING AP- (a): 1536) shall not be required if the Secretary con- PEAL. No restraining order, preliminary injunction, (A) Removal of juniper trees, medusahead rye, cerned determines that the such forest manage- or injunction pending appeal shall be issued by conifer trees, pin˜ on pine trees, cheatgrass, and ment activity is not likely to adversely affect a any court of the United States with respect to other noxious or invasive weeds specified on listed species or designated critical habitat. any decision to prepare or conduct a salvage op- Federal or State noxious weeds lists through (b) EXPEDITED CONSULTATION.— eration or reforestation activity in response to a late-season livestock grazing, targeted livestock (1) IN GENERAL.—With respect to a forest man- large-scale catastrophic event. Section 705 of grazing, prescribed burns, and mechanical treat- agement activity carried out pursuant to this title 5, United States Code, shall not apply to ments. Act, consultation required under section 7 of the any challenge to the salvage operation or refor- (B) Performance of hazardous fuels manage- Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1536) estation activity. ment. shall be concluded within the 90-day period be- (C) Creation of fuel and fire breaks. ginning on the date on which such consultation TITLE III—FOREST MANAGEMENT (D) Modification of existing fences in order to was requested by the Secretary concerned. LITIGATION distribute livestock and help improve wildlife (2) NO CONCLUSION.—In the case of a con- Subtitle A—General Litigation Provisions habitat. sultation described in paragraph (1) that is not SEC. 301. NO ATTORNEY FEES FOR FOREST MAN- (E) Installation of erosion control devices. concluded within the 90-day period, the forest AGEMENT ACTIVITY CHALLENGES. (F) Construction of new and maintenance of management activity for which such consulta- Notwithstanding section 1304 of title 31, permanent infrastructure, including stock tion was initiated— United States Code, no award may be made ponds, water catchments, and water spring (A) shall be considered to have not violated under section 2412 of title 28, United States boxes used to benefit livestock and improve wild- section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 Code, and no amounts may be obligated or ex- life habitat. (16 U.S.C. 1536(a)(2)); and pended from the Claims and Judgment Fund of (G) Performance of soil treatments, native and (B) may be carried out. the United States Treasury to pay any fees or non-native seeding, and planting of and trans- other expenses under such sections to any plain- planting sagebrush, grass, forb, shrub, and SEC. 124. FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES CON- tiff related to an action challenging a forest other species. SIDERED NON-DISCRETIONARY AC- TIONS. management activity carried out pursuant to (H) Use of herbicides, so long as the Secretary For purposes of the Endangered Species Act of this Act. concerned determines that the activity is other- SEC. 302. INJUNCTIVE RELIEF. wise conducted consistently with agency proce- 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), a forest manage- ment activity carried out by the Secretary con- (a) BALANCING SHORT- AND LONG-TERM EF- dures, including any forest plan applicable to FECTS OF FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES IN the area covered by the activity. cerned pursuant to this Act shall be considered a non-discretionary action. CONSIDERING INJUNCTIVE RELIEF.—As part of its (c) AVAILABILITY OF CATEGORICAL EXCLU- weighing the equities while considering any re- SION.—On and after the date of the enactment TITLE II—SALVAGE AND REFORESTATION quest for an injunction that applies to any of this Act, the Secretary concerned may use the IN RESPONSE TO CATASTROPHIC EVENTS agency action as part of a forest management categorical exclusion established under sub- SEC. 201. EXPEDITED SALVAGE OPERATIONS AND activity under titles I through IX, the court re- section (a) in accordance with this section. REFORESTATION ACTIVITIES FOL- viewing the agency action shall balance the im- (d) ACREAGE LIMITATIONS.—A forest manage- LOWING LARGE-SCALE CATA- pact to the ecosystem likely affected by the for- ment activity covered by the categorical exclu- STROPHIC EVENTS. est management activity of— sion established under subsection (a) may not (a) EXPEDITED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESS- (1) the short- and long-term effects of under- exceed 10,000 acres. MENT.—Notwithstanding any other provision of taking the agency action; against (e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: law, an environmental assessment prepared by (2) the short- and long-term effects of not un- (1) HAZARDOUS FUELS MANAGEMENT.—The the Secretary concerned pursuant to section 102 dertaking the action. term ‘‘hazardous fuels management’’ means any of the National Environmental Policy Act of (b) TIME LIMITATIONS FOR INJUNCTIVE RE- vegetation management activities that reduce 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332) for a salvage operation or LIEF.— the risk of wildfire. reforestation activity proposed to be conducted (1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2) the (2) LATE-SEASON GRAZING.—The term ‘‘late- on National Forest System lands or public lands length of any preliminary injunctive relief and season grazing’’ means grazing activities that adversely impacted by a large-scale catastrophic stays pending appeal that applies to any agency occur after both the invasive species and native event shall be completed within 60 days after action as part of a forest management activity perennial species have completed their current- the conclusion of the catastrophic event. under titles I through IX, shall not exceed 60 year annual growth cycle until new plant (b) EXPEDITED IMPLEMENTATION AND COMPLE- days. growth begins to appear in the following year. TION.—In the case of reforestation activities (2) RENEWAL.— (3) TARGETED LIVESTOCK GRAZING.—The term conducted on National Forest System lands or (A) IN GENERAL.—A court of competent juris- ‘‘targeted livestock grazing’’ means grazing used public lands adversely impacted by a large-scale diction may issue one or more renewals of any for purposes of hazardous fuel reduction. catastrophic event, the Secretary concerned preliminary injunction, or stay pending appeal, Subtitle C—General Provisions for Forest shall, to the maximum extent practicable, granted under paragraph (1). Management Activities achieve reforestation of at least 75 percent of the (B) UPDATES.—In each renewal of an injunc- tion in an action, the parties to the action shall SEC. 121. COMPLIANCE WITH FOREST PLANS. impacted lands during the 5-year period fol- lowing the conclusion of the catastrophic event. present the court with updated information on A forest management activity carried out pur- the status of the authorized forest management (c) AVAILABILITY OF KNUTSON-VANDENBERG suant to this Act shall be conducted in a man- activity. ner consistent with the forest plan applicable to FUNDS.—Amounts in the special fund estab- Subtitle B—Forest Management Activity the National Forest System land or public lands lished pursuant to section 3 of the Act of June Arbitration Pilot Program covered by the forest management activity. 9, 1930 (commonly known as the Knutson-Van- denberg Act; 16 U.S.C. 576b) shall be available SEC. 311. USE OF ARBITRATION INSTEAD OF LITI- SEC. 122. CONSULTATION UNDER THE NATIONAL GATION TO ADDRESS CHALLENGES HISTORIC PRESERVATION ACT. to the Secretary of Agriculture for reforestation activities authorized by this title. TO FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVI- (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 12 months TIES. (d) TIMELINE FOR PUBLIC INPUT PROCESS.— after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec- (a) DISCRETIONARY ARBITRATION PROCESS retary concerned shall each develop, in con- Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in the case of a salvage operation or reforestation PILOT PROGRAM.— sultation with relevant consulting parties, a (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agri- activity proposed to be conducted on National programmatic agreement or other appropriate culture, with respect to National Forest System Forest System lands or public lands adversely program alternative pursuant to section 800.14 lands, and the Secretary of the Interior, with re- impacted by a large-scale catastrophic event, of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, or suc- spect to public lands, shall each establish a dis- the Secretary concerned shall allow 30 days for cessor regulation, for expediting reviews under cretionary arbitration pilot program as an alter- public scoping and comment, 15 days for filing section 306108 of title 54, United States Code, for native dispute resolution process in lieu of judi- an objection, and 15 days for the agency re- forest management activities carried out pursu- cial review for the activities described in para- sponse to the filing of an objection. Upon com- ant to this Act. graph (2). pletion of this process and expiration of the pe- (b) REQUIREMENT.—A programmatic agree- (2) ACTIVITIES DESCRIBED.—The Secretary ment or other program alternative developed riod specified in subsection (a), the Secretary concerned, at the sole discretion of the Sec- under subsection (a) shall incorporate the con- concerned shall implement the project imme- retary, may designate objections or protests to cepts of phased identification and evaluation set diately. forest management activities for arbitration forth in section 800.4(b)(2) of title 36, Code of SEC. 202. COMPLIANCE WITH FOREST PLAN. under the arbitration pilot program established Federal Regulations, or successor regulation. A salvage operation or reforestation activity under paragraph (1). SEC. 123. CONSULTATION UNDER THE ENDAN- authorized by this title shall be conducted in a (3) MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF ARBITRATIONS.— GERED SPECIES ACT. manner consistent with the forest plan applica- Under the arbitration pilot program, the Sec- (a) NO CONSULTATION IF ACTION NOT LIKELY ble to the National Forest System lands or pub- retary concerned may not arbitrate more than 10 TO ADVERSELY AFFECT A LISTED SPECIES OR lic lands covered by the salvage operation or re- objections or protests to forest management ac- DESIGNATED CRITICAL HABITAT.—With respect forestation activity. tivities in a fiscal year in—

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(A) each Forest Service Region; and (ii) habitat diversity; (d) APPOINTMENT OF RESOURCE ADVISORY (B) each State Region of the Bureau of Land (iii) wildfire potential; COMMITTEES BY APPLICABLE DESIGNEE.— Management. (iv) insect and disease potential; (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 205 of the Secure (4) DETERMINING AMOUNT OF ARBITRATIONS.— (v) timber production; and Rural Schools and Community Self-Determina- An objection or protest to a forest management (vi) the implications of a resulting decline in tion Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7125) is further activity shall not be counted towards the limita- forest health, loss of habitat diversity, wildfire, amended— tion on number of arbitrations under paragraph or insect or disease infestation, given fire and (A) in subsection (a)— (3) unless— insect and disease historic cycles, on— (i) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘(or applica- (A) on the date such objection or protest is (I) domestic water costs; ble designee)’’ after ‘‘The Secretary concerned’’; designated for arbitration, the forest manage- (II) wildlife habitat loss; and (ii) in paragraph (3), by inserting ‘‘(or appli- ment activity for which such objection or protest (III) other economic and social factors. cable designee)’’ after ‘‘the Secretary con- (e) EFFECT OF DECISION.—The decision of an is filed has not been the subject of arbitration cerned’’; and arbitrator with respect to the forest management proceedings under the pilot program; and (iii) in paragraph (4), by inserting ‘‘(or appli- activity— (B) the arbitration proceeding has commenced cable designee)’’ after ‘‘the Secretary con- (1) shall not be considered a major Federal ac- with respect to such objection or protest. cerned’’ both places it appears; tion; (5) TERMINATION.—The pilot programs estab- (B) in subsection (b)(6), by inserting ‘‘(or ap- lished pursuant to paragraph (1) shall terminate (2) shall be binding; and (3) shall not be subject to judicial review, ex- plicable designee)’’ after ‘‘the Secretary con- on the date that is 7 years after the date of the cerned’’; enactment of this Act. cept as provided in section 10(a) of title 9, United States Code. (C) in subsection (c)— (b) INTERVENING PARTIES.— (f) DEADLINE FOR COMPLETION.—Not later (i) in the subsection heading, by inserting ‘‘OR (1) REQUIREMENTS.—Any person that sub- APPLICABLE DESIGNEE’’ after ‘‘BY THE SEC- mitted a public comment on the forest manage- than 90 days after the date on which the arbi- tration is filed with respect to the forest man- RETARY’’; ment activity that is subject to arbitration may (ii) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘(or appli- intervene in the arbitration— agement activity, the arbitration process shall be completed. cable designee)’’ after ‘‘The Secretary con- (A) by endorsing— cerned’’ both places it appears; TITLE IV—SECURE RURAL SCHOOLS AND (i) the forest management activity; or (iii) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘(or appli- COMMUNITY SELF-DETERMINATION ACT (ii) the modification proposal submitted under cable designee)’’ after ‘‘The Secretary con- AMENDMENTS subparagraph (B); or cerned’’; (B) by submitting a proposal to further modify SEC. 401. USE OF RESERVED FUNDS FOR TITLE II (iv) in paragraph (4), by inserting ‘‘(or appli- the forest management activity. PROJECTS ON FEDERAL LAND AND cable designee)’’ after ‘‘The Secretary con- EADLINE FOR SUBMISSION.—With respect CERTAIN NON-FEDERAL LAND. (2) D cerned’’; and to an objection or protest that is designated for (a) REPEAL OF MERCHANTABLE TIMBER CON- (v) by adding at the end the following new arbitration under this subsection (a), a request TRACTING PILOT PROGRAM.—Section 204(e) of paragraph: to intervene in an arbitration must be submitted the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self- ‘‘(6) APPLICABLE DESIGNEE.—In this section, not later than the date that is 30 days after the Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7124(e)) is the term ‘applicable designee’ means— date on which such objection or protest was des- amended by striking paragraph (3). ‘‘(A) with respect to Federal land described in ignated for arbitration. (b) REQUIREMENTS FOR PROJECT FUNDS.—Sec- section 3(7)(A), the applicable Regional For- (3) MULTIPLE PARTIES.—Multiple intervening tion 204(f) of the Secure Rural Schools and Com- ester; and parties may submit a joint proposal so long as munity Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 ‘‘(B) with respect to Federal land described in each intervening party meets the eligibility re- U.S.C. 7124(f)) is amended to read as follows: section 3(7)(B), the applicable Bureau of Land quirements of paragraph (1). ‘‘(f) REQUIREMENTS FOR PROJECT FUNDS.— Management State Director.’’; (c) APPOINTMENT OF ARBITRATOR.— ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), (D) in subsection (d)(3), by inserting ‘‘(or ap- (1) APPOINTMENT.—The Secretary of Agri- the Secretary concerned shall ensure that at culture and the Secretary of the Interior shall least 50 percent of the project funds reserved by plicable designee)’’ after ‘‘the Secretary con- jointly develop and publish a list of not fewer a participating county under section 102(d) cerned’’; and than 20 individuals eligible to serve as arbitra- shall be available only for projects that— (E) in subsection (f)(1)— tors for the pilot programs under this section. ‘‘(A) include the sale of timber or other forest (i) by inserting ‘‘(or applicable designee)’’ (2) QUALIFICATIONS.—In order to be eligible to products, reduce fire risks, or improve water after ‘‘the Secretary concerned’’; and serve as an arbitrator under this subsection, an supplies; and (ii) by inserting ‘‘(or applicable designee)’’ individual shall be, on the date of the appoint- ‘‘(B) implement stewardship objectives that after ‘‘of the Secretary’’. ment of such arbitrator— enhance forest ecosystems or restore and im- (2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 201(3) (A) certified by the American Arbitration As- prove land health and water quality. of the Secure Rural Schools and Community sociation; and ‘‘(2) APPLICABILITY.—The requirement in Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. (B) not a registered lobbyist. paragraph (1) shall apply only to project funds 7121(3)) is amended by inserting ‘‘(or applicable (3) SELECTION OF ARBITRATOR.— reserved by a participating county whose designee (as defined in section 205(c)(6)))’’ after (A) IN GENERAL.—For each arbitration com- boundaries include Federal land that the Sec- ‘‘Secretary concerned’’ both places it appears. menced under this section, the Secretary con- retary concerned determines has been subject to SEC. 403. PROGRAM FOR TITLE II SELF-SUS- cerned and each applicable objector or protestor a timber or other forest products program within TAINING RESOURCE ADVISORY COM- shall agree, not later than 14 days after the 5 fiscal years before the fiscal year in which the MITTEE PROJECTS. agreement process is initiated, on a mutually ac- funds are reserved.’’. (a) SELF-SUSTAINING RESOURCE ADVISORY ceptable arbitrator from the list published under SEC. 402. RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMITTEES. COMMITTEE PROJECTS.—Title II of the Secure subsection. (a) RECOGNITION OF RESOURCE ADVISORY Rural Schools and Community Self-Determina- (B) APPOINTMENT AFTER 14-DAYS.—In the case COMMITTEES.—Section 205(a)(4) of the Secure tion Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7121 et seq.) is amend- of an agreement with respect to a mutually ac- Rural Schools and Community Self-Determina- ed by adding at the end the following new sec- ceptable arbitrator not being reached within the tion Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7125(a)(4)) is amend- tion: 14-day limit described in subparagraph (A), the ed by striking ‘‘2012’’ each place it appears and ‘‘SEC. 209. PROGRAM FOR SELF-SUSTAINING RE- Secretary concerned shall appoint an arbitrator inserting ‘‘2022’’. SOURCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE from the list published under this subsection. (b) REDUCTION IN COMPOSITION OF COMMIT- PROJECTS. (d) SELECTION OF PROPOSALS.— TEES.—Section 205(d) of the Secure Rural ‘‘(a) RAC PROGRAM.—The Chief of the Forest (1) IN GENERAL.—The arbitrator appointed Schools and Community Self-Determination Act Service shall conduct a program (to be known as under subsection (c)— of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7125(d)) is amended— the ‘self-sustaining resource advisory committee (A) may not modify any of the proposals sub- (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘15 members’’ program’ or ‘RAC program’) under which 10 re- mitted with the objection, protest, or request to and inserting ‘‘9 members’’; and source advisory committees will propose projects intervene; and (2) by striking ‘‘5 persons’’ each place it ap- authorized by subsection (c) to be carried out (B) shall select to be conducted— pears and inserting ‘‘3 persons’’. using project funds reserved by a participating (i) the forest management activity, as ap- (c) EXPANDING LOCAL PARTICIPATION ON COM- county under section 102(d). proved by the Secretary; or MITTEES.—Section 205(d) of the Secure Rural ‘‘(b) SELECTION OF PARTICIPATING RESOURCE (ii) a proposal submitted by an objector or an Schools and Community Self-Determination Act ADVISORY COMMITTEES.—The selection of re- intervening party. of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7125(d)) is amended— source advisory committees to participate in the (2) SELECTION CRITERIA.—An arbitrator shall, (1) in paragraph (3), by inserting before the RAC program is in the sole discretion of the when selecting a proposal, consider— period at the end the following: ‘‘, consistent Chief of the Forest Service. (A) whether the proposal is consistent with with the requirements of paragraph (4)’’; and ‘‘(c) AUTHORIZED PROJECTS.—Notwith- the applicable forest plan, laws, and regula- (2) by striking paragraph (4) and inserting the standing the project purposes specified in sec- tions; following new paragraph: tions 202(b), 203(c), and 204(a)(5), projects under (B) whether the proposal can be carried out ‘‘(4) GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION.—The members the RAC program are intended to— by the Secretary concerned; and of a resource advisory committee shall reside ‘‘(1) accomplish forest management objectives (C) the effect of each proposal on— within the county or counties in which the com- or support community development; and (i) forest health; mittee has jurisdiction or an adjacent county.’’. ‘‘(2) generate receipts.

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‘‘(d) DEPOSIT AND AVAILABILITY OF REVE- ‘‘(2) ADVANCE NOTICE TO CONGRESS OF CAN- SEC. 505. FIRE LIABILITY PROVISION. NUES.—Any revenue generated by a project con- CELLATION CEILING IN EXCESS OF $25 MILLION.— Section 604(d) of the Healthy Forests Restora- ducted under the RAC program, including any Not later than 30 days before entering into a tion Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591c(d)) is amended interest accrued from the revenues, shall be— multiyear agreement or contract under sub- by adding at the end the following new para- ‘‘(1) deposited in the special account in the section (b) that includes a cancellation ceiling graph: Treasury established under section 102(d)(2)(A); in excess of $25 million, but does not include ‘‘(8) MODIFICATION.—Upon the request of the and proposed funding for the costs of cancelling the contractor, a contract or agreement under this ‘‘(2) available, in such amounts as may be agreement or contract up to such cancellation section awarded before February 7, 2014, shall provided in advance in appropriation Acts, for ceiling, the Chief or the Director, as the case be modified by the Chief or Director to include additional projects under the RAC program. may be, shall submit to the Committee on En- the fire liability provisions described in para- ‘‘(e) TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.— ergy and Natural Resources and the Committee graph (7).’’. ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The authority to initiate a on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the SEC. 506. EXTENSION OF STEWARDSHIP CON- project under the RAC program shall terminate Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources TRACTING MAXIMUM TERM LIMITS. on September 30, 2022. and the Committee on Agriculture of the House (a) HEALTH FORESTS RESTORATION ACT.—Sec- ‘‘(2) DEPOSITS IN TREASURY.—Any funds of Representatives a written notice that in- tion 604(d)(3)(B) of the Healthy Forests Restora- available for projects under the RAC program cludes— tion Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591c(d)(3)(B)) is and not obligated by September 30, 2023, shall be ‘‘(A) the cancellation ceiling amounts pro- amended by striking ‘‘10 years’’ and inserting deposited in the Treasury of the United posed for each program year in the agreement or ‘‘20 years’’. States.’’. contract; (b) NATIONAL FOREST MANAGEMENT ACT.— (b) EXCEPTION TO GENERAL RULE REGARDING ‘‘(B) the reasons why such cancellation ceil- Section 14(c) of the National Forest Manage- TREATMENT OF RECEIPTS.—Section 403(b) of the ing amounts were selected; ment Act of 1976 (16 U.S.C. 472a(c)) is amended Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-De- ‘‘(C) the extent to which the costs of contract by striking ‘‘ten years’’ and inserting ‘‘20 termination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7153(b)) is cancellation are not included in the budget for years’’. the agreement or contract; and amended by striking ‘‘All revenues’’ and insert- TITLE VI—ADDITIONAL FUNDING ing ‘‘Except as provided in section 209, all reve- ‘‘(D) an assessment of the financial risk of not including budgeting for the costs of agreement SOURCES FOR FOREST MANAGEMENT nues’’. ACTIVITIES SEC. 404. ADDITIONAL AUTHORIZED USE OF RE- or contract cancellation. SEC. 601. DEFINITIONS. SERVED FUNDS FOR TITLE III COUN- ‘‘(3) TRANSMITTAL OF NOTICE TO OMB.—Not TY PROJECTS. later than 14 days after the date on which writ- In this title: Section 302(a) of the Secure Rural Schools and ten notice is provided under paragraph (2) with (1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti- Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 respect to an agreement or contract under sub- ty’’ means— U.S.C. 7142(a)) is amended— section (b), the Chief or the Director, as the case (A) a State or political subdivision of a State (1) in paragraph (2)— may be, shall transmit a copy of the notice to containing National Forest System lands or pub- (A) by inserting ‘‘and law enforcement pa- the Director of the Office of Management and lic lands; trols’’ after ‘‘including firefighting’’; and Budget.’’. (B) a publicly chartered utility serving one or (B) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; (b) RELATION TO OTHER LAWS.—Section more States or a political subdivision thereof; (2) in paragraph (3), by inserting ‘‘and carry 604(d)(5) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act (C) a rural electric company; and out’’ after ‘‘develop’’; of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591c(d)(5)) is amended— (D) any other entity determined by the Sec- (3) by redesignating paragraph (3) as para- (1) by striking ‘‘, the Chief may’’ and insert- retary concerned to be appropriate for partici- graph (4); and ing ‘‘and section 2(a)(1) of the Act of July 31, pation in the Fund. (4) by inserting after paragraph (2) the fol- 1947 (commonly known as the Materials Act of (2) FUND.—The term ‘‘Fund’’ means the State- lowing new paragraph (3): 1947; 30 U.S.C. 602(a)(1)), the Chief and the Di- Supported Forest Management Fund established ‘‘(3) to cover training costs and equipment rector may’’; and by section 603. purchases directly related to the emergency (2) by striking the last sentence. SEC. 602. AVAILABILITY OF STEWARDSHIP services described in paragraph (2); and’’. SEC. 502. EXCESS OFFSET VALUE. PROJECT REVENUES AND COLLABO- RATIVE FOREST LANDSCAPE RES- SEC. 405. TREATMENT AS SUPPLEMENTAL FUND- Section 604(g)(2) of the Healthy Forests Res- TORATION FUND TO COVER FOREST ING. toration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591c(g)(2)) is amended by striking subparagraphs (A) and (B) MANAGEMENT ACTIVITY PLANNING (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 102 of the Secure COSTS. and inserting the following new subparagraphs: Rural Schools and Community Self-Determina- (a) AVAILABILITY OF STEWARDSHIP PROJECT tion Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7112) is amended by ‘‘(A) use the excess to satisfy any outstanding liabilities for cancelled agreements or contracts; REVENUES.—Section 604(e)(2)(B) of the Healthy adding at the end the following new subsection: Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. ‘‘(f) TREATMENT AS SUPPLEMENTAL FUND- or ‘‘(B) if there are no outstanding liabilities 6591c(e)(2)(B)), as amended by section 503, is ING.—None of the funds made available to a further amended by striking ‘‘appropriation at beneficiary county or other political subdivision under subparagraph (A), apply the excess to other authorized stewardship projects.’’. the project site from which the monies are col- of a State under this Act shall be used in lieu of lected or at another project site.’’ and inserting SEC. 503. PAYMENT OF PORTION OF STEWARD- or to otherwise offset State funding sources for the following: ‘‘appropriation— local schools, facilities, or educational pur- SHIP PROJECT REVENUES TO COUN- TY IN WHICH STEWARDSHIP ‘‘(i) at the project site from which the monies poses.’’. PROJECT OCCURS. are collected or at another project site; and ONTINUATION OF DIRECT PAYMENTS.— (b) C Section 604(e) of the Healthy Forests Restora- ‘‘(ii) to cover not more than 25 percent of the Payments to States made under the Secure tion Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591c(e)) is amend- cost of planning additional stewardship con- Rural Schools and Community Self-Determina- ed— tracting projects.’’. tion Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.) and 25- (1) in paragraph (2)(B), by inserting ‘‘subject (b) AVAILABILITY OF COLLABORATIVE FOREST percent payments made to States and Territories to paragraph (3)(A),’’ before ‘‘shall’’; and LANDSCAPE RESTORATION FUND.—Section under the Acts of May 23, 1908, and March 1, (2) in paragraph (3)(A), by striking ‘‘services 4003(f)(1) of the Omnibus Public Land Manage- 1911 (16 U.S.C. 500), shall continue to be made received by the Chief or the Director’’ and all ment Act of 2009 (16 U.S.C. 7303(f)(1)) is amend- as direct payments. that follows through the period at the end and ed by striking ‘‘carrying out and’’ and inserting TITLE V—STEWARDSHIP END RESULT inserting the following: ‘‘services and in-kind ‘‘planning, carrying out, and’’. CONTRACTING resources received by the Chief or the Director SEC. 603. STATE-SUPPORTED PLANNING OF FOR- SEC. 501. CANCELLATION CEILINGS FOR STEW- under a stewardship contract project conducted EST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES. ARDSHIP END RESULT CON- under this section shall not be considered mon- (a) STATE-SUPPORTED FOREST MANAGEMENT TRACTING PROJECTS. ies received from the National Forest System or FUND.—There is established in the Treasury of (a) CANCELLATION CEILINGS.—Section 604 of the public lands, but any payments made by the the United States a fund, to be known as the the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 contractor to the Chief or Director under the ‘‘State-Supported Forest Management Fund’’, U.S.C. 6591c) is amended— project shall be considered monies received from to cover the cost of planning (especially related (1) by redesignating subsections (h) and (i) as the National Forest System or the public to compliance with section 102 of the National subsections (i) and (j), respectively; and lands.’’. Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. (2) by inserting after subsection (g) the fol- SEC. 504. SUBMISSION OF EXISTING ANNUAL RE- 4332)), carrying out, and monitoring certain for- lowing new subsection (h): PORT. est management activities on National Forest ‘‘(h) CANCELLATION CEILINGS.— Subsection (j) of section 604 of the Healthy System lands or public lands. ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding section Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591c), (b) CONTENTS.—The State-Supported Forest 3903(b)(1) of title 41, United States Code, the as redesignated by section 501(a)(1), is amended Management Fund shall consist of such Chief and the Director may obligate funds in by striking ‘‘report to the Committee on Agri- amounts as may be— stages that are economically or program- culture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate (1) contributed by an eligible entity for deposit matically viable to cover any potential cancella- and the Committee on Agriculture of the House in the Fund; tion or termination costs for an agreement or of Representatives’’ and inserting ‘‘submit to the (2) appropriated to the Fund; or contract under subsection (b) in stages that are congressional committees specified in subsection (3) generated by forest management activities economically or programmatically viable. (h)(2) a report’’. carried out using amounts in the Fund.

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(c) GEOGRAPHICAL AND USE LIMITATIONS.—In under paragraph (1) shall be provided not later ning and conducting management activities pur- making a contribution under subsection (b)(1), than 1 year after the date on which the Sec- suant to paragraph (1) shall not be construed to an eligible entity may— retary received the request. designate the Federal forest land as Indian for- (1) specify the National Forest System lands ‘‘(C) COMPLETION.—Not later than 2 years est lands for any other purpose. or public lands for which the contribution may after the date on which the Secretary receives a ‘‘(4) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: be expended; and Tribal request under paragraph (1), other than ‘‘(A) FEDERAL FOREST LAND.—The term ‘Fed- (2) limit the types of forest management activi- a Tribal request denied under subsection (d), the eral forest land’ means— ties for which the contribution may be ex- Secretary shall— ‘‘(i) National Forest System lands; and pended. ‘‘(i) complete all environmental reviews nec- ‘‘(ii) public lands (as defined in section 103(e) (d) AUTHORIZED FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVI- essary in connection with the agreement or con- of the Federal Land Policy and Management TIES.—In such amounts as may be provided in tract and proposed activities under the agree- Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702(e))), including Coos advance in appropriation Acts, the Secretary ment or contract; and Bay Wagon Road Grant lands reconveyed to the concerned may use the Fund to plan, carry out, ‘‘(ii) enter into the agreement or contract with United States pursuant to the first section of the and monitor a forest management activity the Indian tribe under paragraph (2).’’. Act of February 26, 1919 (40 Stat. 1179), and Or- that— (b) CONFORMING AND TECHNICAL AMEND- egon and California Railroad Grant lands. (1) is developed through a collaborative proc- MENTS.—Section 2 of the Tribal Forest Protec- ‘‘(B) SECRETARY CONCERNED.—The term ‘Sec- ess; tion Act of 2004 (25 U.S.C. 3115a) is amended— retary concerned’ means— ‘‘(i) the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect (2) is proposed by a resource advisory com- (1) in subsections (b)(1) and (f)(1), by striking to the Federal forest land referred to in sub- mittee; ‘‘section 347 of the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 paragraph (A)(i); and (3) is covered by a community wildfire protec- ‘‘(ii) the Secretary of the Interior, with respect tion plan. (16 U.S.C. 2104 note; Public Law 105–277) (as amended by section 323 of the Department of the to the Federal forest land referred to in sub- (e) IMPLEMENTATION METHODS.—A forest paragraph (A)(ii).’’. management activity carried out using amounts Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations SEC. 703. TRIBAL FOREST MANAGEMENT DEM- in the Fund may be carried out using a contract Act, 2003 (117 Stat. 275))’’ and inserting ‘‘section 604 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of ONSTRATION PROJECT. or agreement under section 604 of the Healthy The Secretary of the Interior and the Sec- 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591c)’’; and Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591c), retary of Agriculture may carry out demonstra- (2) in subsection (d), by striking ‘‘subsection the good neighbor authority provided by section tion projects by which federally recognized In- (b)(1), the Secretary may’’ and inserting ‘‘para- 8206 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (16 U.S.C. dian Tribes or Tribal organizations may con- graphs (1) and (4)(B) of subsection (b), the Sec- 2113a), a contract under section 14 of the Na- tract to perform administrative, management, retary shall’’. tional Forest Management Act of 1976 (16 U.S.C. and other functions of programs of the Tribal 472a), or other authority available to the Sec- SEC. 702. MANAGEMENT OF INDIAN FOREST LAND Forest Protection Act of 2004 (25 U.S.C. 3115a et AUTHORIZED TO INCLUDE RELATED retary concerned, but revenues generated by the seq.) through contracts entered into under the forest management activity shall be used to re- NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM LANDS AND PUBLIC LANDS. Indian Self-Determination and Education As- imburse the Fund for planning costs covered sistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304 et seq.). using amounts in the Fund. Section 305 of the National Indian Forest Re- sources Management Act (25 U.S.C. 3104) is SEC. 704. RULE OF APPLICATION. (f) RELATION TO OTHER LAWS.— amended by adding at the end the following Nothing in this title, or the amendments made (1) REVENUE SHARING.—Subject to subsection by this title, shall be construed as interfering (e), revenues generated by a forest management new subsection: ‘‘(c) INCLUSION OF CERTAIN NATIONAL FOREST with, diminishing, or conflicting with the au- activity carried out using amounts from the SYSTEM LAND AND PUBLIC LAND.— thority, jurisdiction, or responsibility of any Fund shall be considered monies received from ‘‘(1) AUTHORITY.—At the request of an Indian State to exercise primary management, control, the National Forest System. Tribe, the Secretary concerned may agree to or regulation of fish and wildlife on land or (2) KNUTSON-VANDERBERG ACT.—The Act of treat Federal forest land as Indian forest land water within the State (including on public June 9, 1930 (commonly known as the Knutson- for purposes of planning and conducting forest land) under State law. Vanderberg Act; 16 U.S.C. 576 et seq.), shall land management activities under this section if apply to any forest management activity carried TITLE VIII— EXPEDITING INTERAGENCY the Federal forest land is located within, or out using amounts in the Fund. CONSULTATION mostly within, a geographic area that presents a (g) TERMINATION OF FUND.— Subtitle A—Forest Plans Not Considered feature or involves circumstances principally (1) TERMINATION.—The Fund shall terminate Major Federal Actions relevant to that Indian Tribe, such as Federal 10 years after the date of the enactment of this SEC. 801. FOREST PLANS NOT CONSIDERED forest land ceded to the United States by treaty, Act. MAJOR FEDERAL ACTIONS. Federal forest land within the boundaries of a (2) EFFECT OF TERMINATION.—Upon the termi- The development, maintenance, amendment, current or former reservation, or Federal forest nation of the Fund pursuant to paragraph (1) and revision of a forest plan shall not be consid- land adjudicated to be Tribal homelands. or pursuant to any other provision of law, un- ered a major Federal action for purposes of sec- ‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS.—As part of the agree- obligated contributions remaining in the Fund tion 102 of the National Environmental Policy ment to treat Federal forest land as Indian for- shall be returned to the eligible entity that made Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332). est land under paragraph (1), the Secretary con- the contribution. Subtitle B—Agency Consultation cerned and the Indian Tribe making the request TITLE VII—TRIBAL FORESTRY shall— SEC. 811. CONSULTATION UNDER FOREST AND PARTICIPATION AND PROTECTION ‘‘(A) provide for continued public access ap- RANGELAND RENEWABLE RE- SOURCES PLANNING ACT OF 1974. SEC. 701. PROTECTION OF TRIBAL FOREST AS- plicable to the Federal forest land prior to the (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 6(d) of the Forest SETS THROUGH USE OF STEWARD- agreement, except that the Secretary concerned and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning SHIP END RESULT CONTRACTING may limit or prohibit such access as needed; AND OTHER AUTHORITIES. Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1604(d)) is amended— ‘‘(B) continue sharing revenue generated by (1) by striking ‘‘(d) The Secretary’’ and insert- (a) PROMPT CONSIDERATION OF TRIBAL RE- the Federal forest land with State and local gov- ing the following: QUESTS.—Section 2(b) of the Tribal Forest Pro- ernments either— ‘‘(d) PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND CONSULTA- tection Act of 2004 (25 U.S.C. 3115a(b)) is amend- ‘‘(i) on the terms applicable to the Federal for- TION.— ed— est land prior to the agreement, including, ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary’’; and (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘Not later where applicable, 25-percent payments or 50- (2) by adding at the end the following: than 120 days after the date on which an Indian percent payments; or ‘‘(2) NO ADDITIONAL CONSULTATION REQUIRED tribe submits to the Secretary’’ and inserting ‘‘(ii) at the option of the Indian Tribe, on AFTER APPROVAL OF LAND MANAGEMENT ‘‘In response to the submission by an Indian terms agreed upon by the Indian Tribe, the Sec- PLANS.— Tribe of’’; and retary concerned, and State and county govern- ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other (2) by adding at the end the following new ments participating in a revenue sharing agree- provision of law, the Secretary shall not be re- paragraph: ment for the Federal forest land; quired to engage in consultation under this sub- ‘‘(4) TIME PERIODS FOR CONSIDERATION.— ‘‘(C) comply with applicable prohibitions on section or any other provision of law (including ‘‘(A) INITIAL RESPONSE.—Not later than 120 the export of unprocessed logs harvested from section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (16 days after the date on which the Secretary re- the Federal forest land; U.S.C. 1536) and section 402.16 of title 50, Code ceives a Tribal request under paragraph (1), the ‘‘(D) recognize all right-of-way agreements in of Federal Regulations (or a successor regula- Secretary shall provide an initial response to the place on Federal forest land prior to commence- tion)) with respect to— Indian Tribe regarding— ment of Tribal management activities; ‘‘(i) if a land management plan approved by ‘‘(i) whether the request may meet the selec- ‘‘(E) ensure that all commercial timber re- the Secretary— tion criteria described in subsection (c); and moved from the Federal forest land is sold on a ‘‘(I) the listing of a species as threatened or ‘‘(ii) the likelihood of the Secretary entering competitive bid basis; and endangered, or a designation of critical habitat into an agreement or contract with the Indian ‘‘(F) cooperate with the appropriate State fish pursuant to the Endangered Species Act (16 Tribe under paragraph (2) for activities de- and wildlife agency to achieve mutual agree- U.S.C. 1531 et seq.); scribed in paragraph (3). ment on the management of fish and wildlife. ‘‘(II) whether the amount or extent of taking ‘‘(B) NOTICE OF DENIAL.—Notice under sub- ‘‘(3) LIMITATION.—Treating Federal forest specified in the incidental take statement is ex- section (d) of the denial of a Tribal request land as Indian forest land for purposes of plan- ceeded;

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‘‘(III) whether new information reveals effects (Public Law 94–588; 90 Stat. 2949) shall be (c) ADDITIONAL REVISION.—As part of the pro- of the action that may affect listed species or deemed to be a reference to this Act. posed rulemaking described in subsection (b), critical habitat in a manner or to an extent not ‘‘(ii) EFFECT.—Nothing in this paragraph af- the Secretary of Agriculture shall revise section previously considered; or fects any applicable requirement of the Sec- 220.5(a)(2) of title 36, Code of Federal Regula- ‘‘(IV) whether the identified action is subse- retary to consult with the head of any other tions, to provide that the Forest Service shall quently modified in a manner that causes an ef- Federal department or agency— not be required to consider proposals that would fect to the listed species or critical habitat that ‘‘(I) regarding a project carried out, or pro- substantially alter a potential wilderness area was not considered in the biological opinion; or posed to be carried out, with respect to a species as a class of actions normally requiring environ- ‘‘(ii) any provision of a land management listed as threatened or endangered, or in an mental impact statements. plan adopted as described in clause (i). area designated as critical habitat, pursuant to (d) ADDITIONAL ACTIONS.—Not later than 120 ‘‘(B) EFFECT OF PARAGRAPH.—Nothing in this the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et days after the date of enactment of this Act, the paragraph affects any applicable requirement of seq.); or Secretary of Agriculture shall issue final regula- the Secretary to consult with the head of any ‘‘(II) with respect to the development of a new tions to carry out the revisions described in sub- other Federal department or agency— land use plan or the revision of or other signifi- sections (b) and (c). ‘‘(i) regarding any project, including a project cant change to an existing land use plan. SEC. 904. CONDITIONS ON FOREST SERVICE ROAD carried out, or proposed to be carried out, in an ‘‘(3) LAND USE PLAN CONSIDERED NON-DISCRE- DECOMMISSIONING. area designated as critical habitat pursuant to TIONARY ACTION.—For purposes of the Endan- (a) CONSULTATION WITH AFFECTED COUNTY.— the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et gered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), Whenever any Forest Service defined mainte- seq.); or a forest management activity carried out by the nance level one- or two-system road within a ‘‘(ii) with respect to the development of an Secretary concerned pursuant to this Act shall designated high-fire prone area of a unit of the amendment to a land management plan that be considered a non-discretionary action.’’. National Forest System is considered for decom- would result in a significant change in the land TITLE IX—MISCELLANEOUS missioning, the Forest Supervisor of that unit of management plan. Subtitle A—Forest Management Provisions the National Forest System shall— ‘‘(3) LAND MANAGEMENT PLAN CONSIDERED A SEC. 901. CLARIFICATION OF EXISTING CATEGOR- (1) consult with the government of the county NON-DISCRETIONARY ACTION.—For purposes of containing the road regarding the merits and the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. ICAL EXCLUSION AUTHORITY RE- LATED TO INSECT AND DISEASE IN- possible consequences of decommissioning the 1531 et seq.), a forest management activity car- FESTATION. road; and ried out by the Secretary concerned pursuant to Section 603(c)(2)(B) of the Healthy Forests (2) solicit possible alternatives to decommis- this Act shall be considered a non-discretionary Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591b(c)(2)(B)) sioning the road. action.’’. is amended by striking ‘‘Fire Regime Groups I, (b) PERIOD PRIOR TO DECOMMISSION.—A For- (b) DEFINITION OF SECRETARY; CONFORMING II, or III’’ and inserting ‘‘Fire Regime I, Fire est Service road described in subsection (a) may AMENDMENTS.— Regime II, Fire Regime III, Fire Regime IV, or not be decommissioned without the advance ap- (1) DEFINITION OF SECRETARY.—Section 3(a) of Fire Regime V’’. proval of the Regional Forester. the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1601(a)) is SEC. 902. REVISION OF ALTERNATE CONSULTA- SEC. 905. PROHIBITION ON APPLICATION OF TION AGREEMENT REGULATIONS. EASTSIDE SCREENS REQUIREMENTS amended, in the first sentence of the matter pre- Not later than 90 days after the date of the ON NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM ceding paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘(referred to enactment of this section, the Secretary of the LANDS. in this Act as the ‘Secretary’)’’ after ‘‘Secretary Interior and the Secretary of Commerce shall re- (a) REPEAL OF EASTSIDE SCREENS REQUIRE- of Agriculture’’. vise section 402.13 of title 50, Code of Federal MENTS.—Notwithstanding any other provision of (2) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—The Forest Regulations, to— law, the Secretary of Agriculture shall imme- and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning (1) authorize Federal agencies to enter into al- diately withdraw the Interim Management Di- Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1600 et seq.) is amended, ternative consultation agreements under which rection Establishing Riparian, Ecosystem, and in sections 4 through 9, 12, 13, and 15, by strik- the Federal agency may determine if an action Wildlife Standards for Timber Sales (commonly ing ‘‘Secretary of Agriculture’’ each place it ap- such agency authorizes is likely to adversely af- known as the Eastside Screens requirements), pears and inserting ‘‘Secretary’’. fect listed species or critical habitat; and including all preceding or associated versions of SEC. 812. CONSULTATION UNDER FEDERAL LAND (2) if an agency determines such action will these amendments. POLICY AND MANAGEMENT ACT OF not likely adversely affect listed species or crit- (b) EFFECT OF REPEAL.—On and after the 1976. ical habitat pursuant to paragraph (1), not re- date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary Section 202(f) of the Federal Land Policy and quire such agency to complete a formal con- of Agriculture may not apply to National Forest Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1712(f)) is sultation, informal consultation, or written con- System lands any of the amendments repealed amended— under subsection (a). (1) by striking ‘‘(f) The Secretary’’ and insert- currence of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or ing the following: the National Marine Fisheries Service with re- SEC. 906. USE OF SITE-SPECIFIC FOREST PLAN AMENDMENTS FOR CERTAIN UBLIC NVOLVEMENT spect to such action. ‘‘(f) P I .— PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES. ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary’’; and SEC. 903. REVISION OF EXTRAORDINARY CIR- (2) by adding at the end the following: CUMSTANCES REGULATIONS. If the Secretary concerned determines that, in ‘‘(2) NO ADDITIONAL CONSULTATION REQUIRED (a) DETERMINATIONS OF EXTRAORDINARY CIR- order to conduct a project or carry out an activ- AFTER APPROVAL OF LAND USE PLANS.— CUMSTANCES.—In determining whether extraor- ity implementing a forest plan, an amendment ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other dinary circumstances related to a proposed ac- to the forest plan is required, the Secretary con- provision of law, the Secretary shall not be re- tion preclude use of a categorical exclusion, the cerned shall execute such amendment as a non- quired to engage in consultation under this sub- Forest Service shall not be required to— significant plan amendment through the record section or any other provision of law (including (1) consider whether a proposed action is of decision or decision notice for the project or section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (16 within a potential wilderness area; activity. U.S.C. 1536) and section 402.16 of title 50, Code (2) consider whether a proposed action affects SEC. 907. KNUTSON-VANDENBERG ACT MODIFICA- of Federal Regulations (or a successor regula- a Forest Service sensitive species; TIONS. tion)), with respect to— (3) conduct an analysis under section 220.4(f) (a) DEPOSITS OF FUNDS FROM NATIONAL FOR- ‘‘(i) the listing of a species as threatened or of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, of the EST TIMBER PURCHASERS REQUIRED.—Section endangered, or a designation of critical habitat, proposed action’s cumulative impact (as the 3(a) of the Act of June 9, 1930 (commonly known pursuant to the Endangered Species Act (16 term is defined in section 1508.7 of title 40, Code as the Knutson-Vandenberg Act; 16 U.S.C. U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), if a land use plan has been of Federal Regulations); 576b(a)), is amended by striking ‘‘The Sec- adopted by the Secretary as of the date of listing (4) consider a determination under section 7 of retary’’ and all that follows through ‘‘any pur- or designation; or the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. chaser’’ and inserting the following: ‘‘The Sec- ‘‘(ii) any provision of a land use plan adopted 1536) that a proposed action may affect, but is retary of Agriculture shall require each pur- as described in clause (i). not likely to adversely affect, threatened, en- chaser’’. ‘‘(B) EFFECT OF PARAGRAPH.— dangered, or candidate species, or designated (b) CONDITIONS ON USE OF DEPOSITS.—Section ‘‘(i) DEFINITION OF SIGNIFICANT CHANGE.—In critical habitats; or 3 of the Act of June 9, 1930 (commonly known as this subparagraph, the term ‘significant change’ (5) consider a determination under section 7 of the Knutson-Vandenberg Act; 16 U.S.C. 576b), is means a significant change within the meaning the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. amended— of section 219.13(b)(3) of title 36, Code of Federal 1536) that a proposed action may affect, and is (1) by striking ‘‘Such deposits’’ and inserting Regulations (as in effect on the date of enact- likely to adversely affect threatened, endan- the following: ment of this subparagraph), except that— gered, candidate species, or designated critical ‘‘(b) Amounts deposited under subsection (a)’’; ‘‘(I) any reference contained in that section to habitat if the agency is in compliance with the (2) by redesignating subsection (c) as sub- a land management plan shall be deemed to be applicable provisions of the biological opinion. section (d); and a reference to a land use plan; (b) PROPOSED RULEMAKING.—Not later than (3) by inserting before subsection (d), as so re- ‘‘(II) any reference contained in that section 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, designated, the following new subsection (c): to the Forest Service shall be deemed to be a ref- the Secretary of Agriculture shall publish a no- ‘‘(c)(1) Amounts in the special fund estab- erence to the Bureau of Land Management; and tice of proposed rulemaking to revise section lished pursuant to this section— ‘‘(III) any reference contained in that section 220.6(b) of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations ‘‘(A) shall be used exclusively to implement to the National Forest Management Act of 1976 to conform such section with subsection (a). activities authorized by subsection (a); and

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00051 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 6333 E:\CR\FM\A01NO7.035 H01NOPT1 H8348 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 ‘‘(B) may be used anywhere within the Forest delimbers, wheeled and track forwarders, chip- panelized wood construction, including mass Service Region from which the original deposits pers, grinders, mechanical debarkers, wheeled timber. were collected. and track grapple skidders, yarders, bulldozers, (2) MASS TIMBER.—The term ‘‘mass timber’’ ‘‘(2) The Secretary of Agriculture may not de- excavators, and log loaders.’’; and includes— duct overhead costs from the funds collected (2) in section 13(c) (29 U.S.C. 211(c)), by add- (A) cross-laminated timber; under subsection (a), except as needed to fund ing at the end the following: (B) nail laminated timber; personnel of the responsible Ranger District for ‘‘(8) The provisions of section 12 relating to (C) glue laminated timber; the planning and implementation of the activi- child labor shall apply to an employee who is 16 (D) laminated strand lumber; and ties authorized by subsection (a).’’. or 17 years old employed in a logging or mecha- (E) laminated veneer lumber. (3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means SEC. 908. APPLICATION OF NORTHWEST FOREST nized operation in an occupation that the Sec- PLAN SURVEY AND MANAGE MITIGA- retary of Labor finds and declares to be particu- the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the TION MEASURE STANDARD AND larly hazardous for the employment of children Research and Development deputy area and the GUIDELINES. ages 16 or 17, except where such employee is em- State and Private Forestry deputy area of the The Northwest Forest Plan Survey and Man- ployed by his parent or by a person standing in Forest Service. age Mitigation Measure Standard and Guide- the place of his parent in a logging or mecha- (4) TALL WOOD BUILDING.—The term ‘‘tall lines shall not apply to any National Forest nized operation owned or operated by such par- wood building’’ means a building designed to System lands or public lands. ent or person.’’. be— SEC. 909. RECONSTRUCTION AND REPAIR IN- (A) constructed with mass timber; and Subtitle B—Oregon and California Railroad (B) more than 85 feet in height. CLUDED IN GOOD NEIGHBOR AGREE- Grant Lands and Coos Bay Wagon Road MENTS. SEC. 922. CLARIFICATION OF RESEARCH AND DE- Grant Lands Section 8206(a)(3) of the Agricultural Act of VELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR WOOD 2014 (16 U.S.C. 2113a(a)(3)) is amended— SEC. 911. AMENDMENTS TO THE ACT OF AUGUST BUILDING CONSTRUCTION. 28, 1937. (1) in subparagraph (A)— (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall conduct (A) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘and’’; The first section of the Act of August 28, 1937 performance-driven research and development, (B) by redesignating clause (iii) as clause (iv); (50 Stat. 874; 43 U.S.C. 2601 et seq.), is amend- education, and technical assistance for the pur- and ed— pose of facilitating the use of innovative wood (C) by inserting after clause (ii) the following (1) by striking ‘‘principal of sustained yield’’ products in wood building construction in the new clause: and inserting ‘‘principle of sustained yield’’; United States. ‘‘(iii) construction, reconstruction, repair or (2) by striking ‘‘facilties’’ and inserting ‘‘fa- (b) ACTIVITIES.—In carrying out subsection restoration of roads as necessary to achieve cilities’’; and (a), the Secretary shall— (3) by striking ‘‘That timber from said lands in project objectives; and’’; and (1) after receipt of input and guidance from, an amount’’ and inserting ‘‘That timber from (2) by amending subparagraph (B) to read as and collaboration with, the wood products in- said lands in the amount that is the greater follows: dustry, conservation organizations, and institu- of:’’. ‘‘(B) EXCLUSIONS.—The term ‘forest, range- tions of higher education, conduct research and land, and watershed restoration services’ does SEC. 912. OREGON AND CALIFORNIA RAILROAD development, education, and technical assist- not include construction, alteration, repair or GRANT LANDS AND COOS BAY ance at the Forest Products Laboratory or WAGON ROAD GRANT LANDS PERMA- replacement of public buildings or works.’’. through the State and Private Forestry deputy NENT RIGHTS OF ACCESS. area that meets measurable performance goals SEC. 910. LOGGING AND MECHANIZED OPER- (a) CREATION OF PERMANENT RIGHTS OF AC- ATIONS. for the achievement of the priorities described in CESS REQUIRED.—Notwithstanding any other The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 subsection (c); and provision of law, on the date of the enactment (2) after coordination and collaboration with U.S.C. 201 et seq.) is amended— of this section, reciprocal road right-of-way per- (1) in section 3 (29 U.S.C. 203)— the wood products industry and conservation mits, grants, and agreements issued to a private organizations, make competitive grants to insti- (A) in subsection (l), by striking ‘‘well-being.’’ landowner by the Secretary of the Interior pur- and inserting ‘‘well-being, and that employment tutions of higher education to conduct research suant to subpart 2812 of part 2810 of title 43, and development, education, and technical as- of employees ages sixteen or seventeen years in Code of Federal Regulations, or its predecessor a logging or mechanized operation in an occu- sistance that meets measurable performance regulation shall become permanent rights of ac- goals for the achievement of the priorities de- pation that the Secretary of Labor finds and de- cess that are recordable and that shall run with clares to be particularly hazardous for the em- scribed in subsection (c). the land. (c) PRIORITIES.—The research and develop- ployment of individuals of such ages shall not (b) RECORDS UPDATED.—Not later than 60 be deemed to constitute oppressive child labor if ment, education, and technical assistance con- days after the date of the enactment of this Act, ducted under subsection (a) shall give priority such employee is employed by his parent or by the reciprocal road right-of-way permits, grants, a person standing in the place of his parent in to— and agreements described in subsection (a) shall (1) ways to improve the commercialization of a logging or mechanized operation owned or op- be amended to reflect the permanent rights of erated by such parent or person.’’; and innovative wood products; access required under subsection (a) and re- (2) analyzing the safety of tall wood building (B) by adding at the end the following: corded by the Secretary of the Interior in each ‘‘(z)(1) ‘Logging’— materials; county where the lands are located. No other (3) calculations by the Forest Products Lab- ‘‘(A) means— amendments shall be made to such right-of-way oratory of the life cycle environmental footprint, ‘‘(i) the felling, skidding, yarding, loading permits, grants, and agreements. and processing of timber by equipment other from extraction of raw materials through the than manually operated chainsaws and cable SEC. 913. MANAGEMENT OF BUREAU OF LAND manufacturing process, of tall wood building MANAGEMENT LANDS IN WESTERN skidders; construction; OREGON. (4) analyzing methods to reduce the life cycle ‘‘(ii) the felling of timber in mechanized oper- (a) IN GENERAL.—All of the public land man- environmental footprint of tall wood building ations; aged by the Bureau of Land Management in the ‘‘(iii) the bucking or converting of timber into construction; Northwest District, Roseburg District, Coos Bay (5) analyzing the potential implications of the logs, poles, ties, bolts, pulpwood, chemical wood, District, Medford District, and the Klamath Re- use of innovative wood products in building excelsior wood, cordwood, fence posts, or similar source Area of the Lakeview District in the construction on wildlife; and products; State of Oregon shall hereafter be managed pur- (6) one or more other research areas identified ‘‘(iv) the collecting, skidding, yarding, load- suant to title I of the of the Act of August 28, by the Secretary, in consultation with conserva- ing, transporting and unloading of such prod- 1937 (43 U.S.C. 1181a through 1181e). Except as tion organizations, institutions of higher edu- ucts in connection with logging; provided in subsection (b), all of the revenue cation, and the wood products industry. ‘‘(v) the constructing, repairing and maintain- produced from such land shall be deposited in (d) TIMEFRAME.—To the maximum extent ing of roads or camps used in connection with the Treasury of the United States in the Oregon practicable, the measurable performance goals logging; the constructing, repairing, and main- and California land-grant fund and be subject for the research and development, education, tenance of machinery or equipment used in log- to the provisions of title II of the Act of August and technical assistance conducted under sub- ging; and 28, 1937 (43 U.S.C. 1181f). section (a) shall be achievable within a 5-year ‘‘(vi) other work performed in connection with (b) CERTAIN LANDS EXCLUDED.—Subsection timeframe. logging; and (a) does not apply to any revenue that is re- ‘‘(B) does not include the manual use of chain TITLE X—MAJOR DISASTER FOR WILDFIRE quired to be deposited in the Coos Bay Wagon saws to fell and process timber and the use of ON FEDERAL LAND Road grant fund pursuant to sections 1 through cable skidders to bring the timber to the landing. SEC. 1001. WILDFIRE ON FEDERAL LANDS. 4 of the Act of May 24, 1939 (43 U.S.C. 1181f et ‘‘(2) ‘Mechanized operation’— seq.). Section 102(2) of the Robert T. Stafford Dis- ‘‘(A) means the felling, skidding, yarding, aster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 loading and processing of timber by equipment Subtitle C—Timber Innovation U.S.C. 5122(2)) is amended— other than manually operated chainsaws and SEC. 921. DEFINITIONS. (1) by striking ‘‘(2)’’ and all that follows cable skidders; and In this subtitle: through ‘‘means’’ and inserting the following: ‘‘(B) includes whole tree processors, cut-to- (1) INNOVATIVE WOOD PRODUCT.—The term ‘‘(2) MAJOR DISASTER.— length processors, stroke boom delimbers, ‘‘innovative wood product’’ means a type of ‘‘(A) MAJOR DISASTER.—The term ‘major dis- wheeled and track feller-bunchers, pull thru building component or system that uses large aster’ means’’; and

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00052 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 6333 E:\CR\FM\A01NO7.035 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8349 (2) by adding at the end the following: anticipated wildfire suppression operations re- corrective actions, and such other factors as the ‘‘(B) MAJOR DISASTER FOR WILDFIRE ON FED- lated to the wildfire on which the request for respective Secretary considers appropriate. ERAL LANDS.—The term ‘major disaster for wild- the declaration of a major disaster for wildfire ‘‘(3) Total expenditures for wildfire suppres- fire on Federal lands’ means any wildfire or on Federal lands pursuant to this title is based; sion operations of the Federal land management wildfires, which in the determination of the and agencies under the jurisdiction of the respective President under section 802 warrants assistance ‘‘(4) specify the amount required in the cur- Secretary, broken out by fire sizes, cost, regional under section 803 to supplement the efforts and rent fiscal year to fund wildfire suppression op- location, and such other factors as the such Sec- resources of the Department of the Interior or erations related to the wildfire on which the re- retary considers appropriate. the Department of Agriculture— quest for the declaration of a major disaster for ‘‘(4) Lessons learned. ‘‘(i) on Federal lands; or wildfire on Federal lands pursuant to this title ‘‘(5) Such other matters as the respective Sec- ‘‘(ii) on non-Federal lands pursuant to a fire is based. retary considers appropriate. protection agreement or cooperative agree- ‘‘(c) DECLARATION.—Based on the request of ‘‘(g) SAVINGS PROVISION.—Nothing in this title ment.’’. the respective Secretary under this title, the shall limit the Secretary of the Interior, the Sec- SEC. 1002. DECLARATION OF A MAJOR DISASTER President may declare that a major disaster for retary of Agriculture, Indian Tribe, or a State FOR WILDFIRE ON FEDERAL LANDS. wildfire on Federal lands exists. from receiving assistance through a declaration The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and ‘‘SEC. 803. WILDFIRE ON FEDERAL LANDS ASSIST- made by the President under this Act when the Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170 et ANCE. criteria for such declaration have been met.’’. ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—In a major disaster for seq.) is amended by adding at the end the fol- SEC. 1003. PROHIBITION ON TRANSFERS. lowing: wildfire on Federal lands, the President may transfer funds, only from the account estab- No funds may be transferred to or from the ‘‘TITLE VIII—MAJOR DISASTER FOR Federal land management agencies’ wildfire WILDFIRE ON FEDERAL LAND lished pursuant to subsection (b), to the Sec- retary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agri- suppression operations accounts referred to in ‘‘SEC. 801. DEFINITIONS. culture to conduct wildfire suppression oper- section 801(3) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster ‘‘As used in this title— ations on Federal lands (and non-Federal lands Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to or from ‘‘(1) FEDERAL LAND.—The term ‘Federal land’ pursuant to a fire protection agreement or coop- any account or subactivity of the Federal land means— erative agreement). management agencies, as defined in section ‘‘(A) any land under the jurisdiction of the ‘‘(b) WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION OPERATIONS AC- 801(2) of such Act, that is not used to cover the Department of the Interior; and COUNT.—The President shall establish a specific cost of wildfire suppression operations. ‘‘(B) any land under the jurisdiction of the account for the assistance available pursuant to TITLE XI—DISASTER RELIEF AND United States Forest Service. a declaration under section 802. Such account WILDFIRE ADJUSTMENT ‘‘(2) FEDERAL LAND MANAGEMENT AGENCIES.— may only be used to fund assistance pursuant to The term ‘Federal land management agencies’ SEC. 1101. INCREASE IN MAXIMUM ADJUSTMENT this title. TO ACCOMMODATE WILDFIRE FUND- means— ‘‘(c) LIMITATION.— ING. ‘‘(A) the Bureau of Land Management; ‘‘(1) LIMITATION OF TRANSFER.—The assist- Section 251(b)(2)(D) of the Balanced Budget ‘‘(B) the National Park Service; ance available pursuant to a declaration under and Emergency Deficit Control of 1985 is amend- ‘‘(C) the Bureau of Indian Affairs; section 802 is limited to the transfer of the ‘‘(D) the United States Fish and Wildlife Serv- ed— amount requested pursuant to section 802(b)(4). (1) in clause (i), by striking subclause (I) and ice; and The assistance available for transfer shall not ‘‘(E) the United States Forest Service. inserting the following: exceed the amount contained in the wildfire ‘‘(I) the average over the previous 10 years ‘‘(3) WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION OPERATIONS.—The suppression operations account established pur- term ‘wildfire suppression operations’ means the (excluding the highest and lowest years) of the suant to subsection (b). sum of— emergency and unpredictable aspects of ‘‘(2) TRANSFER OF FUNDS.—Funds under this wildland firefighting, including support, re- ‘‘(aa) funding provided for disaster relief (as section shall be transferred from the wildfire that term is defined on the date immediately be- sponse, emergency stabilization activities, and suppression operations account to the wildfire other emergency management activities of fore the date of enactment of the Resilient Fed- suppression subactivity of the Wildland Fire eral Forests Act of 2017); wildland firefighting on Federal lands (or on Management Account. ‘‘(bb) non-emergency funding provided for non-Federal lands pursuant to a fire protection ‘‘(d) PROHIBITION OF OTHER TRANSFERS.—Ex- wildfire suppression and other wildfire related agreement or cooperative agreement) by the Fed- cept as provided in this section, no funds may activities under the ‘Wildland Fire Manage- eral land management agencies covered by the be transferred to or from the account established ment’ and ‘FLAME Wildfire Suppression Re- wildfire suppression subactivity of the Wildland pursuant to subsection (b) to or from any other serve Fund’ accounts of the Department of Agri- Fire Management account or the FLAME Wild- fund or account. culture and the Department of the Interior; and fire Suppression Reserve Fund account of the ‘‘(e) REIMBURSEMENT FOR WILDFIRE SUPPRES- ‘‘(cc) 10 percent of the funding for disaster re- Federal land management agencies. SION OPERATIONS ON NON-FEDERAL LAND.—If lief designated as an emergency under subpara- ‘‘SEC. 802. PROCEDURE FOR DECLARATION OF A amounts transferred under subsection (c) are MAJOR DISASTER FOR WILDFIRE ON used to conduct wildfire suppression operations graph (A)(i); and’’; FEDERAL LANDS. on non-Federal land, the respective Secretary (2) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘the Budget Con- ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Inte- shall— trol Act of 2011’’ and inserting ‘‘the Resilient rior or the Secretary of Agriculture may submit ‘‘(1) secure reimbursement for the cost of such Federal Forests Act of 2017’’; and a request to the President consistent with the re- wildfire suppression operations conducted on (3) by striking clause (iii) and inserting the quirements of this title for a declaration by the the non-Federal land; and following: President that a major disaster for wildfire on ‘‘(2) transfer the amounts received as reim- ‘‘(iii) For the purposes of this subparagraph, Federal lands exists. bursement to the wildfire suppression operations the term ‘disaster relief’ means— ‘‘(b) REQUIREMENTS.—A request for a declara- account established pursuant to subsection (b). ‘‘(I) activities carried out pursuant to a deter- tion by the President that a major disaster for ‘‘(f) ANNUAL ACCOUNTING AND REPORTING RE- mination under section 102(2) of the Robert T. wildfire on Federal lands exists shall— QUIREMENTS.—Not later than 90 days after the Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assist- ‘‘(1) be made in writing by the respective Sec- end of each fiscal year for which assistance is ance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122(2)); or retary; received pursuant to this section, the respective ‘‘(II) amounts made available, pursuant to a ‘‘(2) certify that the amount appropriated in Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Ag- declaration under section 802 of such Act that a the current fiscal year for wildfire suppression riculture, Appropriations, the Budget, Natural major disaster for wildfire on Federal lands ex- operations of the Federal land management Resources, and Transportation and Infrastruc- ists, to the wildfire suppression operations ac- agencies under the jurisdiction of the respective ture of the House of Representatives and the count established under section 803 of such Secretary, net of any concurrently enacted re- Committees on Agriculture, Nutrition, and For- Act.’’. scissions of wildfire suppression funds, increases estry, Appropriations, the Budget, Energy and The Acting CHAIR. No amendment the total unobligated balance of amounts avail- Natural Resources, Homeland Security and Gov- to that amendment in the nature of a able for wildfire suppression by an amount ernmental Affairs, and Indian Affairs of the substitute shall be in order except equal to or greater than the average total costs Senate, and make available to the public, a re- incurred by the Federal land management agen- port that includes the following: those printed in House Report 115–378. cies per year for wildfire suppression operations, ‘‘(1) The risk-based factors that influenced Each such amendment may be offered including the suppression costs in excess of ap- management decisions regarding wildfire sup- only in the order printed in the report, propriated amounts, over the previous ten fiscal pression operations of the Federal land manage- by a Member designated in the report, years; ment agencies under the jurisdiction of the Sec- shall be considered as read, shall be de- ‘‘(3) certify that the amount available for retary concerned. batable for the time specified in the re- wildfire suppression operations of the Federal ‘‘(2) Specific discussion of a statistically sig- port, equally divided and controlled by land management agencies under the jurisdic- nificant sample of large fires, in which each fire tion of the respective Secretary will be obligated is analyzed for cost drivers, effectiveness of risk the proponent and an opponent, shall not later than 30 days after such Secretary noti- management techniques, resulting positive or not be subject to amendment, and shall fies the President that wildfire suppression negative impacts of fire on the landscape, im- not be subject to a demand for division funds will be exhausted to fund ongoing and pact of investments in preparedness, suggested of the question.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00053 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A01NO7.035 H01NOPT1 H8350 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 AMENDMENT NO. 1 OFFERED BY MR. SCHRADER I also appreciate the comments he tant check on the executive branch. The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order made, as he is trying to get us past the Shielding an agency from review by to consider amendment No. 1 printed in rhetoric and the dogma, and to try and independent Federal courts could harm House Report 115–378. come up with a truly bipartisan effort access to justice. Mr. SCHRADER. Mr. Chairman, I to solve the problems that the Forest The Secretary of Agriculture can des- have an amendment at the desk. Service has clearly delineated, giving ignate any objection for binding arbi- The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will them the tools that they want to try tration up to ten times per year in designate the amendment. and solve these problems in the future. each of the nine Forest Service regions The text of the amendment is as fol- I think the gentleman is also correct and each of the 14 State regions. when he said that if you go through the lows: b 1630 Page 13, line 6, insert ‘‘or’’ after the semi- list of those that are going to use cat- colon. egorical exclusion, you can’t actually This allows the Secretary of Agri- Page 13, strike line 7 (and redesignate the do those functions without producing culture to effectively dismiss about 230 subsequent paragraph accordingly). timber. So, at worst, the language that cases every year. According to the De- Page 13, line 9, strike ‘‘through (6)’’ and in- was put in here is redundant. We are partment of Justice, in 2016, the total sert ‘‘through (5)’’. still after the same goal. We are still amount of civil matters and cases The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to after the same game. That is why I ac- brought against the United States with House Resolution 595, the gentleman tually will accept the amendment of- an environmental or land cause of ac- from Oregon (Mr. SCHRADER) and a fered by the gentleman from Oregon tion was only 350. This overly broad Member opposed each will control 5 and urge its adoption. power would allow the agency to dis- minutes. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of miss some of the most problematic The Chair recognizes the gentleman my time. cases every year. from Oregon. Mr. SCHRADER. Mr. Chair, I would The process also likely violates the Mr. SCHRADER. Mr. Chair, I yield like to thank the chairman and Mr. nondelegation doctrine. That doctrine myself as much time as I may con- WESTERMAN for the bill and being con- prohibits the exercise of constitutional sume. genial and good folks to work with for authority given to any branch of gov- Mr. Chair, I would like to thank my a bipartisan piece of legislation we des- ernment by another branch or non- colleagues, Representatives DEFAZIO perately need. governmental private party. and PANETTA, for offering this amend- Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of Under the arbitration program set up ment with me today. I think it is one my time. by this bill, a private party objecting of the important changes we can make Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Chair, I to a management proposal and forced that will help improve the Resilient yield back the balance of my time. into arbitration would be required to Federal Forests Act. The Acting CHAIR. The question is write their own proposal. The ap- Collaborative forest management ac- on the amendment offered by the gen- pointed arbitrator could then select tivities and categorical exclusions are tleman from Oregon (Mr. SCHRADER). that private party proposal as the final The amendment was agreed to. an important tool in forest manage- plan to be carried out by the agency. ment and are designed to help the For- AMENDMENT NO. 2 OFFERED BY MR. KHANNA The arbitrator is not permitted to est Service and BLM speed the ability The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order modify the proposal, and the decision of those agencies to get into areas to consider amendment No. 2 printed in would be binding. more quickly to improve forest health. House Report 115–378. I understand the need to streamline Mr. KHANNA. Mr. Chairman, I have I believe the use of categorical exclu- the process, but I think the forced arbi- an amendment at the desk. sion should be reserved for reducing The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will tration really deprives people of their hazardous fuel loads, addressing dis- designate the amendment. access to the courts, and that is why, ease and insect infestation, protecting The text of the amendment is as fol- Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to water resources or increasing water lows: support the amendment. yield, and maintaining or enhancing Page 27, beginning line 19, strike subtitle I reserve the balance of my time. critical habitat. That makes sense. All B. Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Chair, I these activities are very appropriate as The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to claim time in opposition. designated activities for categorical House Resolution 595, the gentleman The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes. exclusions. from California (Mr. KHANNA) and a Listing timber production as a des- Member opposed each will control 5 Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Chair, I ignated activity, I believe, does not minutes. have to strenuously oppose this par- work in this context. Timber is a by- The Chair recognizes the gentleman ticular amendment because it strikes product of all those activities. There- from California. one of the core provisions of this bill. fore, it is unnecessary to actually in- Mr. KHANNA. Mr. Chairman, my From 1989 to 2008, there were 1,125 clude it as a specific designated activ- amendment strikes section 311 from lawsuits filed against the Forest Serv- ity. the bill. This section would create a ice, and hundreds have been filed since Our amendment simply strikes tim- forced arbitration program for forestry that time. Half of the active manage- ber production from the list of des- management. This section of the bill, ment lawsuits of the Federal Forest ignated activities for categorical exclu- in my view, usurps judicial oversight. Service account are spent, and 40 per- sion under section 111. It is a pretty While many agencies conduct quasi-ju- cent of all Forest Service lawsuits are clear-cut issue, in my book. dicial proceedings, there are still agen- brought on this specific point. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to cy actions that are appealable to the In addition to that, the Forest Serv- support this commonsense amendment, courts. ice, in an effort to try and mitigate and I reserve the balance of my time. Judicial oversight and separation of against that, simply tries to delay the Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Chair, I powers is a core principle of our democ- processes, which creates a culture of claim the time in opposition to the racy. The arbitration would be binding, analysis paralysis going through there, amendment, although I am not totally effectively making the Secretary of and at the end they get sued anyway. opposed to the amendment. Agriculture the final judge and depriv- This provision is one of few creative The Acting CHAIR. Without objec- ing the courts of their oversight role. efforts we have had that does not im- tion, the gentleman is recognized for 5 While the bill terms this as discre- pact people’s access to justice, but hav- minutes. tionary arbitration, the discretion ulti- ing a binding arbitration pilot program There was no objection. mately lies only with the Secretary of allows us to try and give you the mer- Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Chair, I ap- Agriculture. The public has no discre- its of a lawsuit and move forward preciate the amendment that has been tion over whether to submit to binding quickly. This is creative. This is what presented by the gentleman from Or- arbitration or not. they need. egon. I think it is a well-thought-out The public’s right to challenge an ac- If we need to end endless litigation, amendment. tion or inaction in court is an impor- frivolous lawsuits that impede the

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00054 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.082 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8351 work of our land managers and cost The question was taken; and the Act- There is nobody who is cut out of the taxpayers millions of dollars, this is ing Chair announced that the noes ap- process. None of the public is cut out of the kind of thing that we need to start peared to have it. the process. What is cut out is redun- doing. The Forest Service recognizes Mr. KHANNA. Mr. Chairman, I de- dant, duplicative NEPA analysis, all of they need this. It is about time we rec- mand a recorded vote. which can result in litigation. It sim- ognize they need this, too. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to ply says you do the process the first Mr. Chairman, keep this creative ap- clause 6 of rule XVIII, further pro- time. You don’t have to redo it again proach in the bill. ceedings on the amendment offered by and again and again and admit the For- I reserve the balance of my time. the gentleman from California will be est Service to litigation again and Mr. KHANNA. Mr. Chairman, I think postponed. again. In fact, they admit 71 percent of the point is not that we need to AMENDMENT NO. 3 OFFERED BY MR. O’HALLERAN all their lawsuits mention these types streamline decisions, or if we have to The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order of provisions in there. streamline courts to get rid of frivo- to consider amendment No. 3 printed in As we said before, these provisions lous lawsuits, that would be fine, but House Report 115–378. were not coming out of thin air. They the problem is the power that is being Mr. O’HALLERAN. Mr. Chairman, I are coming from what the Forest Serv- vested in the Secretary of Agriculture have an amendment at the desk. ice tells us they need to do their job, where, if the Secretary of Agriculture The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will the tools they need so they can take shares a view that is not sympathetic designate the amendment. the resources they have and do it once to environmental concerns, they can The text of the amendment is as fol- the first time and get it over with and basically dismiss the lawsuits of nu- lows: do it right and not have to spend it on merous environmental plaintiffs. Page 59, beginning line 3, strike subtitle A frivolous litigation. I think this is really about the sepa- (and redesignate the subsequent subtitle and NEPA is not taken away. The anal- ration of powers. If there is reform sections accordingly). ysis is not taken away. The public is needed in the judiciary, those reforms Page 66, beginning line 19, strike section not taken out of the system. All you should be in our courts, but they 903. are simply doing is saying you don’t shouldn’t appropriate the power to the The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to have to do it repetitively, in other Secretary of Agriculture who may have House Resolution 595, the gentleman words, don’t have to do it redundantly. his own or her own views and not give from Arizona (Mr. O’HALLERAN) and a This is one to streamline it. This is a fair hearing to the environmental Member opposed each will control 5 what they need desperately. groups. minutes. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of The Chair recognizes the gentleman my time. my time. from Arizona. Mr. O’HALLERAN. Mr. Chairman, I Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Chair, I Mr. O’HALLERAN. Mr. Chairman, appreciate the fact that there are yield 1 minute to the gentleman from local communities that have the most many items within the bill that do Arkansas (Mr. WESTERMAN), the author at stake when it comes to the forest in allow for the issues to be addressed. of this bill. their backyards deserve their voices to But taking this part of the bill and un- Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Chairman, I be heard. As someone who lives in a na- derstanding that, when our national think what we have to realize is that tional forest and has worked to review forest plans are put forward, we are what is happening now is not working. and provide feedback on proposed for- part of it—I live in the national forest. Forest management plans are not est plans, I can assure you that these I have watched three fires outside my being implemented. Region 1, alone, of documents that guide the direction of front window. I have lived through the Forest Service spent $1.23 million individual national forests for years watching, time and time again, the on the Equal Access to Justice Act, are, in fact, a major Federal action. ramifications of not addressing these paying plaintiffs to sue the Forest My firsthand experience is why I pro- issues appropriately. Service. That is just since January of pose that we strike the language of sec- I was co-chair of the Arizona Forest 2016. tion 801 of the bill before us. Section Health Oversight Committee for 31⁄2 This is an attempt for the pilot pro- 801 proposes that forest plans not be years and have been addressing for- gram to do arbitration modeled after considered major Federal actions under estry issues for 20 years. Mr. Chair, I baseball arbitration that keeps the ball the National Environmental Policy Act just simply believe that, when it comes moving forward. This results in some of 1969. If this were to become law, to wilderness areas and other areas of kind of action taking place. It is not local input would be reduced. We major concern, we should not disregard the Secretary of Agriculture making should be looking for ways to increase it. the decision; it is one of a team of arbi- local buy-in, not undermine it. I yield back the balance of my time. trators who are professionals who come In addition, section 903 proposes to Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Chairman, together to work for solutions. That is modify the determination of extraor- I will say once again, the tools the For- what we need in our forests, and that is dinary circumstances so wilderness est Service needs to do their job are why we don’t need to include this protections and the protections of the harmed if these sections do not remain amendment in the bill. Endangered Species Act do not have to in the bill. It is not talking about pub- Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Chair, once be considered. This is a dangerous pro- lic input. It is talking about redun- again, I would ask our Members to re- vision and allows our bedrock environ- dant, unnecessary public review that ject this particular amendment. It is a mental laws to be ignored. goes through there that creates unnec- core provision, one of the few creative My commonsense amendment would essary and redundant litigation. There efforts, and only a pilot project to try simply remove these concerning sec- is a NEPA process that needs to go for- and find a solution. It has received bi- tions that allow bureaucrats to make ward. You just don’t have to do it four partisan support. It has received sup- major decisions without considering all and five and six times just because. We port from a broad coalition of outside the facts. Mr. Chairman, I encourage have an analysis paralysis. groups. Admittedly, some of those who all my colleagues to support my I remind you once again, we have 50 actively litigate and raise money and amendment, and I reserve the balance to 70 million acres that are in a des- profit by it don’t like this provision, of my time. perate, dire situation, ready to explode but most of the other people recognize Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Chairman, in catastrophic wildfire. The Forest this is something the Forest Service I claim time in opposition to the Service can only get to 3 million acres can use on day one. They need this amendment. a year, and part of it is the problems tool. The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman is they have that we are trying to remove Mr. Chairman, I yield back the bal- recognized for 5 minutes. with these specific provisions. They ance of my time. Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Chairman, need these tools. If we don’t give them The Acting CHAIR. The question is this is another one of the amendments these tools, we exacerbate our wildfire on the amendment offered by the gen- that basically guts the whole purpose problems. We don’t need to do that. We tleman from California (Mr. KHANNA). of this entire bill. shouldn’t do that.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00055 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.086 H01NOPT1 H8352 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 Mr. Chairman, we need to defeat this ash, and debris that pose long-lasting them with remote-sensing equipment amendment. It is essential to defeat risks to our health and to the environ- so that they can cover large areas at a this amendment. ment. large time and gather much more accu- I yield back the balance of my time. These wildfires continue to grow in rate data than you could actually do The Acting CHAIR. The question is frequency and ferocity. We must ensure on the ground. on the amendment offered by the gen- that we are using all of the available By ensuring that our land manage- tleman from Arizona (Mr. tools to prevent and contain these ment practices utilize the cutting edge O’HALLERAN). fires. That is why I ask that this of available technology, we can ensure The question was taken; and the Act- amendment, which promotes innova- the prolonged health of our managed ing Chair announced that the noes ap- tion in wildfire management, be adopt- forests, and we can actually use this as peared to have it. ed. a tool to cut down on the number of Mr. O’HALLERAN. Mr. Chairman, I The amendment would require the forest fires, and a better way to re- demand a recorded vote. Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a spond to those fires. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to study evaluating the feasibility, safety, I hope the gentleman will support the clause 6 of rule XVIII, further pro- and cost effectiveness of using un- full bill after we add this amendment ceedings on the amendment offered by manned aerial vehicles, otherwise to it so that he can actually see the the gentleman from Arizona will be known as drones, for the purposes of implementation of his amendment in postponed. fighting wildfires. It will also study the practice. AMENDMENT NO. 4 OFFERED BY MR. CA´ RDENAS use of drones for forest restoration and Mr. Chairman, again, I support this The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order management, which could be effective amendment, and I reserve the balance to consider amendment No. 4 printed in of my time. for replanting remote areas of forest. ´ House Report 115–378. The Secretary of Agriculture would Mr. CARDENAS. Mr. Chairman, I Mr. CA´ RDENAS. Mr. Chair, I have an have to work with several other agen- like the kind words that my colleagues amendment at the desk. cies that also deal with wildfire sup- have said about this amendment, and I The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will pression and aviation. This amendment hope that it goes forward. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the bal- designate the amendment. would require consultation with the ance of my time. The text of the amendment is as fol- Department of Transportation and the lows: Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Chairman, Federal Aviation Administration to en- again, this amendment is good for the At the end of subtitle A of title IX, add the sure safety for our aircraft and the pi- following new section: bill. I am glad that we can work in a lots flying in the same airspace. bipartisan way to include it in the bill. SEC. 9ll. STUDY ON USE OF UNMANNED AERIAL It would also assess the impact of VEHICLES TO SUPPORT WILDLAND Mr. Chairman, I urge support, and I FIRE RESPONSE AND MANAGEMENT. using drones on employment in the yield back the balance of my time. (a) STUDY REQUIRED.—The Secretary of Ag- U.S. Innovation will take us into the The Acting CHAIR. The question is riculture shall conduct a study to evaluate— future. on the amendment offered by the gen- (1) the feasibility, safety, and cost effec- b 1645 tleman from California (Mr. tiveness of using unmanned aerial vehicles CA´ RDENAS). But we need to know, eyes wide open, for the purposes of supporting wildland fire The amendment was agreed to. response and suppression and forest restora- how this affects the employment land- AMENDMENT NO. 5 OFFERED BY MR. DEFAZIO tion and management; and scape of our communities. And that is The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order (2) the effect that increased use of un- why these studies are also important. to consider amendment No. 5 printed in manned aerial vehicles for such purposes will The Department is required to report have on employment. House Report 115–378. to Congress within 2 years of enact- (b) CONSULTATION.—In conducting the Mr. DEFAZIO. Mr. Chairman, I have study, the Secretary of Agriculture shall ment. If implemented, I look forward an amendment at the desk. consult with the heads of other Federal to seeing the results of this study. I be- The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will agencies involved in wildfire suppression and lieve it will help add another tool to designate the amendment. aviation, including the Secretary of the Inte- the toolkit in protecting American The text of the amendment is as fol- rior, the Secretary of Homeland Security, lives, homes, property, businesses, lows: the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary wildlife, and forests from devastating Page 77, beginning line 4, strike subsection of Transportation. fires. (c) REPORTING REQUIREMENT.—Not later (b) and insert the following new subsection: than two years after the date of the enact- Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues (b) CERTAIN EXCLUSIONS.— ment of this Act, the Secretary of Agri- to adopt amendment No. 4, and I re- (1) CERTAIN LANDS EXCLUDED.—Subsection culture shall submit to Congress a report serve the balance of my time. (a) does not apply to— containing the results of the study. Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Chairman, I (A) the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural ask unanimous consent to claim the Area established under section 119 of Public The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to Law 96–199 (43 U.S.C. 1783); House Resolution 595, the gentleman time in opposition to the amendment, (B) lands managed under the Wild and Sce- from California (Mr. CA´ RDENAS) and a although I am not opposed. nic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1271 et seq.); Member opposed each will control 5 The Acting CHAIR. Is there objection (C) lands managed under the Wilderness minutes. to the request of the gentleman from Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.); and The Chair recognizes the gentleman Arkansas? (D) lands managed under the National from California. There was no objection. Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 1241 et seq.). Mr. CA´ RDENAS. Mr. Chair, this The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman (2) CERTAIN REVENUE EXCLUDED.—Sub- from Arkansas is recognized for 5 min- section (a) does not apply to any revenue year, wildfires have devastated the that is required to be deposited in the Coos American West. It has been particu- utes. Bay Wagon Road grant fund pursuant to sec- larly tragic in my home State of Cali- Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Chairman, I tions 1 through 4 of the Act of May 24, 1939 fornia. Entire neighborhoods are gone, rise in support of this amendment. As (43 U.S.C. 2621-2624.). and families have been left with noth- the gentleman explained, this amend- The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to ing. ment does direct the Secretary of Agri- House Resolution 595, the gentleman While we know that proper forest culture to study the use of unmanned from Oregon (Mr. DEFAZIO) and a Mem- management requires burning, we need vehicles, or drones, in the responsible ber opposed each will control 5 min- to be able to contain wildfires that forest management wildland fire- utes. threaten communities. fighting and fire suppression. The Chair recognizes the gentleman This month, wildfires killed 42 peo- Unmanned aerial vehicles are an from Oregon. ple, burned over 245,000 acres, and de- emerging technology that should be Mr. DEFAZIO. Mr. Chairman, this is stroyed an estimated 8,900 structures, harnessed to benefit our Nation’s for- a bipartisan amendment introduced by most of them people’s family homes, ests. As a matter of fact, these un- myself, GREG WALDEN, and KURT according to Cal Fire. manned vehicles are being used exten- SCHRADER. The fires aren’t just dangerous them- sively by the private sector to look at Section 913 of the bill requires all selves, they produce thick smoke, toxic their forests, to manage them, to equip public lands managed by the BLM and

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00056 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.088 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8353 five western Oregon districts to be similarly to other lands that are con- (1) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means managed under the O&C California templated in the bill. the Director of the Office of Personnel Man- Lands Act of 1937. These are statutorily Mr. Chairman, I support this amend- agement. ment, and I reserve the balance of my (2) EMPLOYEE.—The term ‘‘employee’’ has unique lands. They are all contained in the meaning given the term in section 2105 of the State of Oregon. There are 2.6 mil- time. title 5, United States Code. lion acres in 18 Oregon western coun- Mr. DEFAZIO. Mr. Chairman, I thank (3) FEDERAL LAND MANAGEMENT AGENCY.— ties. the gentleman for his support, and I do the term ‘‘Federal land management agen- The O&C Act directs the BLM to thank him for the conversation we had cy’’ means— manage those lands for multiple uses, about a number of concerns that I had (A) within the Department of the Inte- including sustainable timber harvest, with the bill, and this addresses one, rior— reforestation, protection of watersheds. and the Schrader amendment addressed (i) the Bureau of Land Management; (ii) the Bureau of Indian Affairs; As Federal lands, counties with O&C another. (iii) the National Park Service; and acres are unable to collect taxes. The There are still other concerns. I am (iv) the United States Fish and Wildlife Federal Government realized that put hopeful, we have twice passed manage- Service; and a tremendous burden on the counties, ment bills out of the House, and I did (B) within the Department of Agriculture, and the revenues are shared 50 percent support last Congress’ version intro- the Forest Service. with the counties and 50 percent with duced by the gentleman, 1 of 19 Demo- (4) WILDLAND FIRE.—The term ‘‘wildland the Federal Government. These are crats, I believe at that time, and I am fire’’ means any non-structure fire that oc- hopeful that, in discussions with the curs in vegetation or natural fuels, including critical revenues for my counties, and prescribed fire and wildfire. we have been trying to enhance man- Senate, we move back in the direction (5) WILDAND FIREFIGHTER.—The term agement on those lands to help both of the bill that we passed in the House ‘‘wildland firefighter’’ means— with employment and with those reve- 2 years ago. (A) an employee of a Federal land manage- nues. However, the Senate totally stiffed ment agency, the duties of whose position Without this provision, the bill would us on that legislation, and I fear that are primarily to perform work directly re- seem to open up wilderness, wild and moving the bill to a number of the pro- lated to the prevention, control, suppression, scenic rivers, the national trail system, visions in this bill, which go further management of wildland fires, or support of wildland fire activities; and and other statutorily protected areas. than in the last bill, will make it less (B) an employee of a Federal land manage- It will also protect the Yaquina Head likely that the Senate will negotiate. ment agency who is transferred to a super- Outstanding Natural Area on Oregon’s But, I mean, who knows what works visory or administrative position from a po- coast. with the Senate. So I wish the gen- sition described in subparagraph (A). So I would ask—I believe that was an tleman well in those discussions. SEC. 2. CLASSIFICATION OF WILDLAND FIRE- oversight in the drafting of the bill Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman FIGHTERS. since similar protections are provided for his support, and I yield back the (a) IN GENERAL.— balance of my time. (1) DEVELOPMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL SERIES on Forest Service lands for statutorily REQUIRED.—Not later than 30 days after the reserved areas, and I would urge Mem- Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Chairman, date of enactment of this Act, the Director, bers to support this amendment. again, I support this amendment. I, in cooperation with the Federal land man- Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance again, want to say how much I appre- agement agencies, shall carry out a distinct of my time. ciate the gentleman’s work and his wildland firefighter occupational series that Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Chairman, I passion for the forest, not only in his more accurately reflects the variety of du- ask unanimous consent to claim the home State of Oregon, but across our ties performed by wildland firefighters. time in opposition to the amendment, country. (2) DESIGNATION.—The official title as- although, again, I am not opposed to I also want to add that, as Ameri- signed to any occupational series established under paragraph (1) shall include the des- the amendment. cans, we are very passionate about our ignation of ‘‘Wildland Firefighter’’. The Acting CHAIR. Is there objection wilderness areas, about our wild and (3) POSITIONS DESCRIBED.—Paragraph (1) to the request of the gentleman from scenic rivers. I have some of those in shall apply with respect to any class or other Arkansas? my State. And the last thing we want category of positions that consists primarily There was no objection. to do is do anything to jeopardize or exclusively of forestry technician posi- The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman those. tions, range technician positions, or any from Arkansas is recognized for 5 min- I believe, overall, the bill is going to other positions the duties and responsibil- utes. be great for our forests, but I am glad ities of which include— Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Chairman, I the gentleman added this amendment. (A) significant prevention, preparedness, control, suppression, or management activi- rise in support of this amendment, and He has still got time to change his ties for wildland fires; or I appreciate the gentleman from Or- mind and support the full bill, which (B) activities necessary to meet any other egon catching this and pointing it out. will be great for Oregon and great for emergency incident to which assigned. It has never been the intent of this bill other States in the West. (4) CONSULTATION.—It is the sense of Con- to affect wilderness areas, wild and sce- Mr. Chairman, I encourage a ‘‘yes’’ gress that the Director should consult with nic rivers. I believe we do have protec- vote, and I yield back the balance of employee associations and any other groups tions in place in the bill, but this re- my time. that represent wildland firefighters in car- emphasizes that. The Acting CHAIR. The question is rying out this subsection. on the amendment offered by the gen- (5) IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than 2 I appreciate the gentleman’s willing- years after the date of enactment of this ness to work as we worked through the tleman from Oregon (Mr. DEFAZIO). Act— process on this bill. We had some good The amendment was agreed to. (A) the Director shall complete the devel- discussions on ideas, we were able to AMENDMENT NO. 6 OFFERED BY MR. LAMALFA opment of the wildland firefighter occupa- agree on some of those, and some of The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order tional series required under paragraph (1); them we didn’t agree on. But this is to consider amendment No. 6 printed in and definitely one that we agree on needs House Report 115–378. (B) the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture shall use the to be in there. Mr. LAMALFA. Mr. Chairman, I have wildland firefighter occupational series de- Although H.R. 2936 includes the im- an amendment made in order by the veloped under paragraph (1) in the adver- portant sideboards that ensure appro- rule. tising and hiring of a wildland firefighter. priate land management practices are The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will (b) HAZARDOUS DUTY DIFFERENTIAL NOT implemented on federally protected designate the amendment. AFFECTED.—Section 5545(d)(1) of title 5, and sensitive lands, this is just putting The text of the amendment is as fol- United States Code, is amended by striking some suspenders on with the belt. lows: ‘‘except in such circumstances as the Office may by regulation prescribe; and’’ and in- This amendment, offered by my col- Page 80, after line 9, insert the following serting the following: ‘‘except— new subtitle: league from Oregon, builds upon the ‘‘(A) with respect to an employee in an oc- sideboards already included in the bill, Subtitle D—Wildland Firefighter Recognition cupational series covering positions for and it ensures that special landscapes SEC. 931. DEFINITIONS. which the primary duties involve the preven- within Oregon’s O&C lands are treated In this subtitle: tion, control, suppression, or management of

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00057 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.093 H01NOPT1 H8354 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 wildland fires, as determined by the Office; Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Chairman, I have thinning projects which would restore and an amendment at the desk. them to health are delayed by lengthy ‘‘(B) in such other circumstances as the Of- The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will and costly regulations and litigations. fice may by regulation prescribe; and’’. designate the amendment. In New Mexico, it takes a look like (c) CURRENT EMPLOYEES.—Any individual employed as a wildland firefighter on the The text of the amendment is as fol- this: the top picture is a picture of one date on which the occupational series estab- lows: of our national forests, and the bottom lished pursuant to subsection (a) takes effect Page 75, after line 5, insert the following picture is a picture from an area that may elect to— new section: has been thinned. (1) remain in the occupational series in SEC. 910A. PILOT PROJECT FOR FOREST HEALTH, Now, take, for example, the Lincoln which the individual is working; or WATERSHED IMPROVEMENT, AND National Forest near Ruidoso, the Mes- (2) be included in the wildland firefighter HABITAT RESTORATION IN NEW calero Forest is butted right up against MEXICO. occupational series established pursuant to it, so we are able to get a good com- subsection (a). (a) PILOT PROJECT ESTABLISHED.—The Sec- parison. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to retary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, shall conduct a Now, typically, the forests in the House Resolution 595, the gentleman pilot project within the Lincoln National West look like this: widely spaced trees from California (Mr. LAMALFA) and a Forest, Cibola National Forest, and Gila Na- and mostly grass in between, so when Member opposed each will control 5 tional Forest in the State of New Mexico to the fires came, they were grass fires. minutes. analyze and demonstrate the effectiveness of The tree rings show us that every 8 The Chair recognizes the gentleman various tools and techniques to address the years a fire occurred, and it would keep following natural resource concerns: from California. the small underbrush and the small di- Mr. LAMALFA. Mr. Chairman, be- (1) Thinning for forest health. (2) Watershed improvement. ameter trees, the small, unhealthy lieve it or not, according to Federal ones, it would keep those burned out agencies, the wildland firefighter does (3) Habitat restoration. (b) AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.—The Secretary and our forests, again, looked like this. not exist. That is correct. There are of Agriculture in carrying out the pilot But because all of the thinning men and women around this Nation project established under subsection (a) may projects and all of the timber projects who work daily to protect our commu- conduct applied silvicultural investigations have been canceled for decades now, nities from the fires that devastate es- and treatments, including— our forests, instead, look like this. (1) silvicultural investigations conducted pecially the Western United States, but When wildfires happen, they burn cata- they are not allowed to call themselves for the purposes of information gathering and research relating to the natural resource strophically and burn everything in firefighters. their sight. Instead of ‘‘firefighter,’’ the Forest concerns described in subsection (a); and (2) mechanical thinning. So my amendment today simply al- Service, BLM, and other agencies use (c) OBJECTIONS TO SILVICULTURAL INVES- lows the Forest Service to move for- bureaucratic terms like ‘‘forestry tech- TIGATION OR TREATMENT.— The Secretary ward on balanced thinning programs in nician,’’ which fails to recognize the may not carry out a silvicultural investiga- large scale. Typically, they do all of dangers they face and the sacrifices tion or treatment under this section if a the paperwork, all of the studies for they make to protect others. county in which such investigation or treat- small acreage, maybe 30 acres or 50 ment would be conducted objects to such in- My amendment, which I am pleased acres. Since the forests are about a to offer with my colleague, Representa- vestigation or treatment. (d) ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT UNDER million acres, you would never get tive MARK DESAULNIER from Cali- THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT.— through and never get the forest re- fornia, represents a bill we have both Forest management activities carried out by stored to its health, and that is the sponsored, H.R. 3907, as well; which the Secretary of Agriculture under this sec- problem. seeks simply to designate these brave tion are a category of actions hereby des- The Forest Service has been working men and women the title they have ignated as being categorically excluded from with me on the language for this earned by directing the Office of Per- the preparation of an environmental assess- amendment and submitted almost sonnel Management to create employee ment or an environmental impact statement under section 102 of the National Environ- exact language that we have put here classes designated as ‘‘wildland fire- on the floor today. They agree with us fighters.’’ mental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332). (e) CONSULTATION UNDER THE ENDANGERED that they should restore the forest to Mr. Chairman, 15 ‘‘technicians’’ have SPECIES ACT.—Forest management activities its health, but the environmental passed away this last year fighting carried out by the Secretary of Agriculture groups and the outside litigation have wildfires. Several of them are from under this section shall be subject to section stopped the programs completely. California. It is unconscionable that, 123, including subsection (b) of such section. Now, in New Mexico, this means jobs, while they perished fighting fires, the (f) PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.—The Secretary but it also means the health of our en- agencies that employ them refuse to shall encourage meaningful public participa- tion during preparation of a silvicultural in- vironment, and it means the destruc- call them firefighters. We should take tion of endangered species, because action to rectify that failure, and I vestigation or treatment under this section. (g) ARBITRATION PILOT PROGRAM RESOLU- when the fires burn through, we get the urge Members to consider our bill, H.R. TION.— effect on the next page; again, this is 3907, to do so. (1) IN GENERAL.—An objection or protest to that same Lincoln National Forest However, Mr. Chairman, I know that a forest management activity carried out that we were looking at just a second there is additional work to be done pursuant to this section shall be addressed ago. This is after the Little Bear fire, with the very bureaucracies which through the arbitration program established which burned 255 homes and almost under section 311. refuse to use the term ‘‘firefighter’’ 40,000 acres. with last-minute concerns and clari- (2) LIMITATION ON NUMBER OF ARBITRA- TIONS.—An arbitration described in para- We almost lost the entire town of fications needed so that the firefighters Ruidoso. If the fire had just capped indeed don’t lose benefits, and I note graph (1) shall not be counted towards the limitation on number of arbitrations under over the mountain, it would have that we will be back. section 311(a)(3). burned straight down the side. The Mr. Chair, I ask unanimous consent (h) TERMINATION.—The authority to carry winds were exactly the direction which to withdraw my amendment from fur- out this section shall terminate on the date would have caused that. ther consideration at this time. that is 7 years after the date of the enact- So the Forest Service is agreeing ment of this section. The Acting CHAIR. Is there objection with us that we need to do some to the request of the gentleman from The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to thinning, and we are not going to be California? House Resolution 595, the gentleman able to do it without legislative lan- There was no objection. from New Mexico (Mr. PEARCE) and a guage, so this amendment is being of- The Acting CHAIR. The amendment Member opposed each will control 5 fered here today. is withdrawn. minutes. AMENDMENT NO. 7 OFFERED BY MR. PEARCE The Chair recognizes the gentleman b 1700 The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order from New Mexico. We used to have 123 mills working in to consider amendment No. 7 printed in Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Chairman, our na- New Mexico clearing timber, proc- House Report 115–378. tional forests are overgrown, and the essing it. We have got vast national

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00058 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A01NO7.045 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8355 forests, and all of those have been shut Forest Service meet their mandate of of Administrative Policy dated July 8, down. The spotted owl came along in protecting habitat, watersheds, and 2015, which is on the same legislation, 1993, and the findings from the Fish providing recreational opportunities. but by then-President Obama, which and Wildlife Service was that logging This amendment also exempts the mirrors and reflects the same concerns was the reason that the spotted owl Forest Service from the consultation brought up by the executive branch of was going extinct. requirements and the Endangered Spe- President Trump. Over 20 years later, Dan Ashe, the cies Act. Logging projects untethered STATEMENT OF ADMINISTRATION POLICY head of Fish and Wildlife Service, said: from the bedrock environmental pro- H.R. 293—RESILIENT FEDERAL FORESTS ACT OF Oops, we made a mistake and we tections could potentially impact sev- 2017—REP. WESTERMAN, R–AR, AND 18 COSPON- burned down the West, and we have ru- eral species which depend on these for- SORS ined our forests over a mistake. There ests for habitat, including the Mexican The Administration strongly believes that was actually another predator out spotted owl and the Gila trout. funding for wildland fire management must there. We still have the problem to go Active forest management is not a be addressed in order to enable the Forest in and clean up these forests before bad thing if it is done responsibly. If Service and the Department of the Interior they burn and before they look like NEPA and the Endangered Species Act to better manage the Nation’s forests and this. are followed, we get good projects, safe other public lands. The Administration’s sec- ond disaster funding request, submitted to Another real problem that exists is habitat restoration—not clear-cutting Congress on October 4, 2017, underscored this when we burn our national forests, and loss of critical habitat. Unfortu- belief. The request also noted the Adminis- then the watersheds are going to be nately, this amendment undermines tration’s belief that land management re- choked up with mud, with ash, and both of these fundamental laws and forms are critical to solving the problem of with everything else. should be rejected. ‘‘fire borrowing’’—taking funds from forest This is Bonita Lake there in that Mr. Chair, I urge a ‘‘no’’ vote on the management programs to cover fire costs same Lincoln National Forest near amendment, and I reserve the balance that exceed appropriations—in a comprehen- Ruidoso. It provides the drinking water of my time. sive manner, rather than through a funding- Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Chairman, the only approach. for several major communities in the The Administration appreciates the intent southern part of the State. That lake problem we are trying to solve—the of H.R. 2936, the Resilient Federal Forests was about 75 feet deep, pristine water, gentleman asked the question—is that Act of 2017, and is supportive of land man- had fish in there. It was a recreational we are burning our forests down. We agement reforms like those outlined in the area right in the middle of the national are burning up the habitat. We are legislation. The Administration, however, forest. burning up the endangered species. has concerns about the legislation’s revi- The Forest Service was alarmed at This was 40,000 acres. We had another sions to the Stafford Act, which would force how much damage was going to occur fire in the Second District of New Mex- competition for funding between wildfires on to this lake if they didn’t log above it, ico that was over 300,000 acres and they Federal land and other disasters already cov- ered by the Stafford Act, including hurri- so they put in a project. They were burned without regard. They burned canes. sued and work grounded to a halt. They human life. They burned animal life. Wildland Fire Management Funding did not get to thin that area above the They burned habitat and they contami- Last year, Federal wildfire suppression lake. A fire occurred, this fire that you nate our waterways. spending reached $2.9 billion, an amount that just saw in the previous slide. Now, Those are the problems that we are signals clearly the need for Congress to ad- that 75-feet-deep lake is filled with 50- trying to solve. The Forest Service dress the rising cost of fire suppression oper- feet of mud and ash. It killed all of the agrees with us that the restrictions are ations. The dependence on ‘‘fire borrowing’’ fish. It is not suitable for drinking. The too great, and they have worked with to cover funding shortfalls in times of severe community does not have the money in us on the language, understanding that wildfire impedes the missions of our land order to drain that lake and to refill it. they must go through the studies, they management agencies, including by taking So that is what we find in the West must do the work that is required, but critical funding from programs that help re- because of these forest management we can expedite those in order to do duce the risk of catastrophic fire, restore and maintain healthy functioning eco- processes. My amendment would sim- larger-scale thinning projects. Other- systems, and yield timber production. ply allow the Forest Service to move wise, we will never get the forests in The Administration, however, has concerns forward on large-scale projects. They the West cleared up. with re-purposing the Stafford Act to ad- would still have to do all of the studies, Mr. Chairman, this amendment is a dress wildfires. The purpose of the Stafford everything. They would just be expe- good amendment. I urge its passage, Act is to assist State, local, tribal, and terri- dited. and I yield back the balance of my torial (SLTT) governments that become Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance time. overwhelmed when responding to and recov- of my time. Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Chair, this ering from natural disasters affecting their jurisdictions. H.R. 2936 would modify the Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Chairman, I rise amendment would not resolve the issue Stafford Act by creating a new type of dis- in opposition to the amendment. that my friend from New Mexico has aster declaration to address the cost of wild- The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman just brought up. The Statement of Ad- fire suppression on Federal land, thereby from Arizona is recognized for 5 min- ministrative Policy from the executive changing long-standing principles governing utes. branch raises the concerns of H.R. 2936 Federal support to SLTT governments. As Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Chairman, this and of the land management reforms, we have seen in this year’s historic Atlantic amendment doubles down on the bad which are in the legislation. hurricane season, the Federal Emergency ideas that are in the underlying bill. It says: ‘‘The administration, how- Management Agency (FEMA) must continue The 150,000 acre categorical exclusion ever, has concerns about the legisla- to be focused on its existing mission, and the Stafford Act’s Disaster Relief Fund must re- to remove timber from Gila, Lincoln, tion’s revision to the Stafford Act, main dedicated solely to that mission. and Cibola National Forests has the po- which would force competition for Instead of the approach outlined in H.R. tential to do more harm than good, and funding between wildfires on Federal 2936, the Administration supports a separate, cuts the American public out of the de- land and other disasters already cov- annual cap adjustment for wildfire suppres- cisionmaking process. ered by the Stafford Act, including sion operations, which will resolve concerns The Forest Service doesn’t need this hurricanes.’’ about the sufficiency of funds for wildfire waiver to harvest trees in New Mexico. It also says that the legislation suppression and avoid unnecessary competi- Last year, the Cibola produced 12,000 doesn’t really address the issue of fire tion for Stafford Act funds. metric board feet, and Lincoln and Gila borrowing, which is central to dealing Improving Forest Management each between 5,000 and 6,000 metric effectively and proactively with The Administration appreciates H.R. 2936’s board feet. These are average produc- wildfires, both prevention, and suppres- recognition that fixing the funding compo- tion numbers across the region. nent of fire borrowing will not, on its own, sion, as the resource is needed. stop the worsening trend of catastrophic So I am not sure what problem this Mr. Chairman, I include in the wildfires. Meaningful forest management re- amendment is trying to address or how RECORD the Statement of Administra- forms to strengthen our ability to restore exempting 150,000-acre projects from tive Policy by the Trump administra- the Nation’s forests and improve their resil- the environmental review helps the tion. I also include another Statement ience to destructive wildfires must be a part

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00059 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.098 H01NOPT1 H8356 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 of any permanent solution. H.R. 2936’s provi- Additionally, the bill repurposes the Staf- ministration opposes restrictions in the bill sions that expedite environmental approval ford Act. The purpose of the Stafford Act is on the membership of RACs. for proactive forest management, including to provide Federal assistance to State, local, Furthermore, the Administration opposes hazardous fuel reduction and post-fire timber and tribal governments to alleviate disaster provisions in the bill that require litigants salvage and reforestation actions, are impor- suffering and facilitate recovery. This bill to post a bond when challenging forest res- tant steps forward. The Administration sup- would instead establish a sub-account within toration projects. As the Forest Service has ports and will continue to work with Con- the Department of Homeland Security’s Fed- demonstrated, the best way to address con- gress on the details of the forest manage- eral Emergency Management Agency’s Dis- cerns about litigation is to develop restora- ment reform proposals. aster Relief Fund (DRF) to provide funding tion projects in partnership with broad Although the Administration has concerns for USDA and DOI to perform wildland fire stakeholder interests through a transparent with H.R. 2936’s modifications to the Staf- suppression operations on Federal land when process informed by the best available ford Act, the Administration will continue suppression funding is exhausted and the science. Lastly, the bill should include working with Congress to enact a sustain- President has issued a disaster declaration stronger protections for ecologically sen- able solution to ‘‘fire borrowing’’ that does for such fires. A proposed sub-account under sitive areas, tribal sacred sites, and other not adversely affect FEMA’s critical disaster the DRF should not be used to redirect DRF important lands. For the reasons set forth above, the Ad- relief funding and that recognizes the need resources in support of non-Stafford respon- ministration strongly opposes H.R. 2647. The for a comprehensive solution to the problem sibilities or to circumvent existing major Administration looks forward to continued of wildfires. disaster declarations processes. engagement with Congress to address forest Undermining Fundamental Environmental Safe- management issues, which must begin by STATEMENT OF ADMINISTRATION POLICY guards providing the Forest Service and DOI with a H.R. 2647—RESILIENT FEDERAL FORESTS ACT OF The Administration takes seriously the comprehensive fix to the fire budget prob- 2015—REP. WESTERMAN, R–AR, AND 13 COSPON- management of Federal lands consistent lem. SORS with the principles of multiple-use and sus- Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Chair, I yield The Administration strongly opposes H.R. tained-yield that are fundamental to the Na- 2647. The most important step Congress can back the balance of my time. tional Forest Management Act and the Fed- The Acting CHAIR (Mr. ROTHFUS). take to increase the pace and scale of forest eral Land Management and Policy Act and restoration and management of the national The question is on the amendment of- in accordance with long-standing environ- fered by the gentleman from New Mex- forests and Department of the Interior (DOI) mental laws including the National Environ- lands is to fix fire suppression funding and mental Policy Act (NEPA), the Clean Water ico (Mr. PEARCE). provide additional capacity for the Forest Act, and the Endangered Species Act, among The question was taken; and the Act- Service and DOI to manage the Nation’s for- others. Application of these environmental ing Chair announced that the ayes ap- ests and other public lands. H.R. 2647 falls laws ensures that management activities peared to have it. short of fixing the fire budget problem and recognize the economic benefits of Federal Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Chair, I demand contains other provisions that will under- lands and the wide range of goods and serv- a recorded vote. mine collaborative forest restoration, envi- ices that these lands produce. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to ronmental safeguards, and public participa- At the President’s direction, Federal agen- clause 6 of rule XVIII, further pro- tion across the National Forest System and cies, like the Forest Service and the Bureau public lands. ceedings on the amendment offered by of Land Management, are working diligently the gentleman from New Mexico will Wildland Fire Management Funding to promote efficiencies in the permitting and land management process. For example, the be postponed. The Administration appreciates that there Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Chairman, I is bipartisan agreement that wildland fire Forest Service has established additional management funding needs a legislative fix. categorical exclusions for restoration work, move that the Committee do now rise. The reasons are clear: in fiscal year (FY) has expanded the use of focused environ- The motion was agreed to. 1995, the Forest Service in the Department of mental assessments, is using adaptive man- Accordingly, the Committee rose; Agriculture (USDA) spent 16 percent of its agement to allow decisions to last longer, and the Speaker pro tempore (Mr. WIL- budget on firefighting. Today the agency and is better training employees to take ad- LIAMS) having assumed the chair, Mr. spends more than half of its budget on fire vantage of new efficiencies. The Forest Serv- ROTHFUS, Acting Chair of the Com- management activities. This fundamentally ice is also developing new approaches in the mittee of the Whole House on the state impedes its missions, including taking crit- wake of catastrophic fires, such as the re- of the Union, reported that that Com- ical funding from programs that help reduce sponse to the Rim Fire, which burned 257,000 mittee, having had under consideration the risk of catastrophic fire, maintain acres in the summer of 2013, in which the the bill (H.R. 2936) to expedite under Stanislaus National Forest finalized its healthy functioning ecosystems, and yield the National Environmental Policy Act timber production. NEPA work for restoration and salvage in The wildland fire funding fix in the Presi- one year. The Forest Service is also devel- of 1969 and improve forest management dent’s FY 2016 Budget provides the necessary oping projects across larger areas, thereby activities on National Forest System resources for the Forest Service as well as utilizing efficiencies and providing a longer lands, on public lands under the juris- DOI to address wildland fire suppression and term and more certain timber supply for diction of the Bureau of Land Manage- rehabilitation needs without resorting to local mills. For example, the Black Hills Na- ment, and on Tribal lands to return re- detrimental transfers from other critical for- tional Forest is implementing a landscape silience to overgrown, fire-prone for- est landscape resilience priorities. Under scale approach across 200,000 acres for treat- ested lands, and for other purposes, had ing current and future pine beetle outbreaks. this fix, which includes a discretionary budg- come to no resolution thereon. et cap adjustment, the Forest Service and H.R. 2647 includes several provisions that DOI could tap disaster funds once they spend will undermine collaborative, landscape- f 70 percent of their 10-year average of sup- scale forest restoration by undermining pub- RECESS pression spending, which is the amount of lic trust in forest management projects and suppression funding requested within the dis- by limiting public participation in decision- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- cretionary budget caps. Providing this cer- making. The Administration has substantial ant to clause 12(a) of rule I, the Chair tainty would preserve critical resources for concerns with the design and scale of the declares the House in recess for a pe- hazardous fuel reduction and other essential categorical exclusions, provisions related to riod of less than 15 minutes. landscape restoration projects, allowing for post-fire salvage and restoration (including Accordingly (at 5 o’clock and 7 min- more acres to be treated, and thereby reduc- unrealistic timelines for environmental as- utes p.m.), the House stood in recess. ing the risk of fire, and the degree of fire de- sessments), and unrealistic targets for refor- f struction. estation given current budgetary resources. The Administration’s proposal would im- The Administration has serious concerns b 1716 mediately increase the Forest Service’s ca- with provisions in the bill related to the Re- pacity to plan and execute restoration sources Advisory Committees (RACs). The AFTER RECESS projects—including the FY 2016 Budget pro- Administration opposes provisions that limit The recess having expired, the House jection for timber volume sold from 2.9 bil- the discretion of RACs by requiring 50 per- was called to order by the Speaker pro lion board feet in FY 2014 to 3.2 billion board cent of Secure Rural Schools Act Title II tempore (Mr. WILLIAMS) at 5 o’clock feet. funding be spent on timber management and 16 minutes p.m. In contrast, the requirement in H.R. 2647 to projects. H.R. 2647 also assumes RACs can fully fund the ten-year average for wildland fulfill the role of local forest collaboratives f fire suppression would mean that less fund- in designing forest restoration projects, RESILIENT FEDERAL FORESTS ing is available each year in the agencies’ though the RACs were not specially set up to ACT OF 2017 budgets for restoration and risk reduction do this and in many cases may not have the programs as it is diverted to the ever-in- breadth of stakeholder interest and expertise The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- creasing ten-year average. to do so effectively. Additionally, the Ad- ant to House Resolution 595 and rule

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00060 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A01NO7.052 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8357 XVIII, the Chair declares the House in Clark (MA) Johnson (GA) Pelosi Lewis (MN) Pearce Smith (NJ) the Committee of the Whole House on Clarke (NY) Johnson, E. B. Perlmutter LoBiondo Perry Smith (TX) Clay Jones Peters Long Peterson Smucker the state of the Union for the further Cleaver Kaptur Pingree Loudermilk Pittenger Stefanik consideration of the bill, H.R. 2936. Clyburn Keating Polis Love Poe (TX) Stewart Will the gentleman from Pennsyl- Cohen Kelly (IL) Price (NC) Lucas Poliquin Stivers Connolly Kennedy Quigley Luetkemeyer Posey Taylor vania (Mr. ROTHFUS) kindly resume the Conyers Khanna Raskin MacArthur Ratcliffe Tenney chair. Cooper Kihuen Rice (NY) Marchant Reed Thompson (PA) Correa Kildee Richmond Marino Reichert Thornberry b 1717 Courtney Kilmer Rosen Marshall Renacci Tiberi Crist Kind Roybal-Allard Massie Rice (SC) Tipton IN THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE Crowley Krishnamoorthi Ruiz Mast Roby Trott Accordingly, the House resolved Davis (CA) Kuster (NH) Ruppersberger McCarthy Roe (TN) Turner Davis, Danny Lance Rush McCaul Rogers (AL) Upton itself into the Committee of the Whole McClintock Rogers (KY) DeFazio Langevin Ryan (OH) Valadao McHenry Rohrabacher House on the state of the Union for the DeGette Larsen (WA) Sa´ nchez Wagner Delaney Larson (CT) McKinley Rokita further consideration of the bill (H.R. Sarbanes Walberg DeLauro Lawrence McMorris Rooney, Francis Schakowsky Walden 2936) to expedite under the National DelBene Lawson (FL) Rodgers Ros-Lehtinen Schiff Walker Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and Demings Lee McSally Roskam Schneider Walorski DeSaulnier Levin Meadows Ross improve forest management activities Scott (VA) Walters, Mimi Deutch Lewis (GA) Meehan Rothfus on National Forest System lands, on Scott, David Dingell Lieu, Ted Messer Rouzer Weber (TX) public lands under the jurisdiction of Doggett Lipinski Serrano Mitchell Royce (CA) Webster (FL) the Bureau of Land Management, and Doyle, Michael Loebsack Sewell (AL) Moolenaar Russell Wenstrup Shea-Porter Westerman on Tribal lands to return resilience to F. Lofgren Mooney (WV) Rutherford Ellison Lowenthal Sherman Mullin Sanford Williams overgrown, fire-prone forested lands, Engel Lowey Sinema Newhouse Schrader Wilson (SC) and for other purposes, with Mr. Eshoo Lujan Grisham, Sires Noem Schweikert Wittman Slaughter ROTHFUS (Acting Chair) in the chair. Espaillat M. Nolan Scott, Austin Womack Smith (WA) Woodall The Clerk read the title of the bill. Esty (CT) Luja´ n, Ben Ray Norman Sensenbrenner Evans Lynch Soto Nunes Sessions Yoder The Acting CHAIR. When the Com- Fitzpatrick Maloney, Speier Olson Shimkus Yoho mittee of the Whole rose earlier today, Foster Carolyn B. Suozzi Palazzo Shuster Young (AK) a request for a recorded vote on amend- Frankel (FL) Maloney, Sean Swalwell (CA) Palmer Simpson Young (IA) Fudge Matsui Takano Paulsen Smith (MO) Zeldin ment No. 7 printed in House Report Gabbard McCollum Thompson (CA) 115–378 offered by the gentleman from Gaetz McEachin Thompson (MS) NOT VOTING—11 New Mexico (Mr. PEARCE) had been Gallego McGovern Titus Barraga´ n Garamendi Rooney, Thomas Tonko postponed. Gonzalez (TX) McNerney Bridenstine Gomez J. Gottheimer Meeks Torres Brooks (AL) Hill Scalise ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE ACTING CHAIR Green, Al Meng Tsongas Cummings Pocan Smith (NE) The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to Green, Gene Moore Vargas Grijalva Moulton Veasey 1745 clause 6 of rule XVIII, proceedings will Gutie´rrez Murphy (FL) Vela b now resume on those amendments Hanabusa Nadler Vela´ zquez Mr. POE of Texas, Mrs. MCMORRIS printed in House Report 115–378 on Hastings Napolitano Visclosky RODGERS, Messrs. WITTMAN, which further proceedings were post- Heck Neal Walz Higgins (NY) Norcross Wasserman MCCAUL, ALLEN, and FASO changed poned, in the following order: Himes O’Halleran Schultz their vote from ‘‘aye’’ to ‘‘no.’’ Amendment No. 2 by Mr. KHANNA of Hoyer O’Rourke Waters, Maxine Messrs. BISHOP of Georgia and California. Huffman Pallone Watson Coleman Jackson Lee Panetta Welch RYAN of Ohio changed their vote from Amendment No. 3 by Mr. O’HALLERAN Jayapal Pascrell Wilson (FL) ‘‘no’’ to ‘‘aye.’’ of Arizona. Jeffries Payne Yarmuth So the amendment was rejected. Amendment No. 7 by Mr. PEARCE of The result of the vote was announced NOES—232 New Mexico. as above recorded. Abraham Cook Graves (LA) The Chair will reduce to 2 minutes AMENDMENT NO. 3 OFFERED BY MR. O’HALLERAN the minimum time for any electronic Aderholt Costa Graves (MO) Allen Costello (PA) Griffith The Acting CHAIR. The unfinished vote after the first vote in this series. Amodei Cramer Grothman business is the demand for a recorded AMENDMENT NO. 2 OFFERED BY MR. KHANNA Arrington Crawford Guthrie Babin Cuellar Handel vote on the amendment offered by the The Acting CHAIR. The unfinished Bacon Culberson Harper gentleman from Arizona (Mr. business is the demand for a recorded Banks (IN) Curbelo (FL) Harris O’HALLERAN) on which further pro- vote on the amendment offered by the Barletta Davidson Hartzler ceedings were postponed and on which gentleman from California (Mr. Barr Davis, Rodney Hensarling Barton Denham Herrera Beutler the noes prevailed by voice vote. KHANNA) on which further proceedings Bergman Dent Hice, Jody B. The Clerk will redesignate the were postponed and on which the noes Biggs DeSantis Higgins (LA) amendment. prevailed by voice vote. Bilirakis DesJarlais Holding Bishop (MI) Diaz-Balart Hollingsworth The Clerk redesignated the amend- The Clerk will redesignate the Bishop (UT) Donovan Hudson ment. amendment. Black Duffy Huizenga RECORDED VOTE Blackburn Duncan (SC) Hultgren The Clerk redesignated the amend- The Acting CHAIR. A recorded vote ment. Blum Duncan (TN) Hunter Bost Dunn Hurd has been demanded. RECORDED VOTE Brady (TX) Emmer Issa A recorded vote was ordered. The Acting CHAIR. A recorded vote Brat Estes (KS) Jenkins (KS) Brooks (IN) Farenthold Jenkins (WV) The Acting CHAIR. This will be a 2- has been demanded. Buchanan Faso Johnson (LA) minute vote. A recorded vote was ordered. Buck Ferguson Johnson (OH) The vote was taken by electronic de- The vote was taken by electronic de- Bucshon Fleischmann Johnson, Sam vice, and there were—ayes 194, noes 226, vice, and there were—ayes 189, noes 232, Budd Flores Jordan Burgess Fortenberry Joyce (OH) not voting 12, as follows: not voting 11, as follows: Byrne Foxx Katko [Roll No. 595] [Roll No. 594] Calvert Franks (AZ) Kelly (MS) Carter (GA) Frelinghuysen Kelly (PA) AYES—194 AYES—189 Carter (TX) Gallagher King (IA) Adams Boyle, Brendan Carson (IN) Adams Blunt Rochester Capuano Chabot Garrett King (NY) Aguilar F. Cartwright Aguilar Bonamici Carbajal Cheney Gianforte Kinzinger Bass Brady (PA) Castor (FL) Amash Boyle, Brendan Ca´ rdenas Coffman Gibbs Knight Beatty Brown (MD) Castro (TX) Bass F. Carson (IN) Cole Gohmert Kustoff (TN) Bera Brownley (CA) Chu, Judy Beatty Brady (PA) Cartwright Collins (GA) Goodlatte Labrador Beyer Bustos Cicilline Bera Brown (MD) Castor (FL) Collins (NY) Gosar LaHood Bishop (GA) Butterfield Clark (MA) Beyer Brownley (CA) Castro (TX) Comer Gowdy LaMalfa Blumenauer Capuano Clarke (NY) Bishop (GA) Bustos Chu, Judy Comstock Granger Lamborn Blunt Rochester Carbajal Clay Blumenauer Butterfield Cicilline Conaway Graves (GA) Latta Bonamici Ca´ rdenas Cleaver

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00061 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.101 H01NOPT1 H8358 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 Clyburn Kaptur Peters Latta Pearce Smith (TX) Crawford Johnson, Sam Renacci Cohen Keating Peterson Lewis (MN) Perry Smucker Cuellar Jones Rice (SC) Connolly Kelly (IL) Pingree Long Pittenger Stefanik Culberson Jordan Roby Conyers Kennedy Polis Loudermilk Poe (TX) Stewart Curbelo (FL) Joyce (OH) Roe (TN) Cooper Khanna Price (NC) Love Poliquin Stivers Davidson Katko Rogers (AL) Correa Kihuen Quigley Lucas Posey Taylor Davis, Rodney Kelly (MS) Rogers (KY) Costa Kildee Raskin Luetkemeyer Ratcliffe Tenney Denham Kelly (PA) Rohrabacher Costello (PA) Kilmer Rice (NY) MacArthur Reed Thompson (PA) Dent King (IA) Rokita Courtney Kind Richmond Marchant Reichert Thornberry DeSantis King (NY) Rooney, Francis Crist Krishnamoorthi Rosen Marino Renacci Tiberi DesJarlais Kinzinger Ros-Lehtinen Crowley Kuster (NH) Roybal-Allard Marshall Rice (SC) Tipton Diaz-Balart Knight Roskam Massie Roby Cuellar Lance Ruiz Trott Donovan Kustoff (TN) Ross Davis (CA) Langevin Mast Roe (TN) Duffy Labrador Rothfus Ruppersberger Turner Davis, Danny Larsen (WA) McCarthy Rogers (AL) Duncan (SC) LaHood Rouzer Rush Upton DeFazio Larson (CT) McCaul Rogers (KY) Duncan (TN) LaMalfa Royce (CA) Ryan (OH) Valadao DeGette Lawrence McClintock Rohrabacher Dunn Lamborn Rush ´ Wagner Delaney Lawson (FL) Sanchez McHenry Rokita Emmer Latta Russell Walberg DeLauro Lee Sarbanes McKinley Rooney, Francis Estes (KS) Lewis (MN) Rutherford Walden DelBene Levin Schakowsky McMorris Ros-Lehtinen Farenthold LoBiondo Sanford Walker Demings Lewis (GA) Schiff Rodgers Roskam Faso Long Schrader Walorski Dent Lieu, Ted Schneider McSally Ross Ferguson Loudermilk Schweikert Walters, Mimi DeSaulnier Lipinski Scott (VA) Meadows Rothfus Fleischmann Love Scott, Austin Deutch LoBiondo Scott, David Meehan Rouzer Weber (TX) Flores Lucas Sensenbrenner Dingell Loebsack Serrano Messer Royce (CA) Webster (FL) Fortenberry Luetkemeyer Sessions Doggett Lofgren Sewell (AL) Mitchell Russell Wenstrup Foxx Lynch Shimkus Doyle, Michael Lowenthal Shea-Porter Moolenaar Rutherford Westerman Franks (AZ) MacArthur Shuster F. Lowey Sherman Mooney (WV) Sanford Williams Frelinghuysen Marchant Simpson Ellison Lujan Grisham, Sinema Mullin Schrader Wilson (SC) Gaetz Marino Smith (MO) Engel M. Sires Newhouse Schweikert Wittman Gallagher Marshall Smith (NJ) Eshoo Luja´ n, Ben Ray Slaughter Noem Scott, Austin Womack Garrett Massie Smith (TX) Espaillat Lynch Smith (NJ) Norman Sensenbrenner Woodall Gianforte Mast Smucker Esty (CT) Maloney, Smith (WA) Nunes Sessions Yoder Gibbs McCarthy Stefanik Evans Carolyn B. Soto Olson Shimkus Yoho Gohmert McCaul Stewart Fitzpatrick Maloney, Sean Speier Palazzo Shuster Young (AK) Gonzalez (TX) McClintock Stivers Young (IA) Foster Matsui Suozzi Palmer Simpson Goodlatte McHenry Taylor Paulsen Smith (MO) Zeldin Frankel (FL) McCollum Swalwell (CA) Gosar McKinley Tenney Fudge McEachin Gowdy McMorris Thompson (PA) Takano Gabbard McGovern NOT VOTING—12 Granger Rodgers Thornberry Thompson (CA) Gallego McNerney Barraga´ n Gomez Rooney, Thomas Graves (GA) McSally Tiberi Thompson (MS) Gonzalez (TX) Meeks Bridenstine Graves (LA) J. Graves (LA) Meadows Tipton Titus Gottheimer Meng Brooks (AL) Graves (MO) Meehan Trott Tonko Hill Scalise Green, Al Moore Cummings Griffith Messer Turner Torres Pocan Smith (NE) Green, Gene Moulton Garamendi Grothman Mitchell Upton Grijalva Murphy (FL) Tsongas Guthrie Moolenaar Valadao Gutie´rrez Nadler Vargas ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE ACTING CHAIR Handel Mooney (WV) Wagner Hanabusa Napolitano Veasey The Acting CHAIR (during the vote). Harper Mullin Walberg Vela Hastings Neal There is 1 minute remaining. Harris Newhouse Walden Heck Nolan Vela´ zquez Hartzler Noem Walker Visclosky Higgins (NY) Norcross 1750 Hensarling Norman Walorski Himes O’Halleran Walz b Herrera Beutler Nunes Walters, Mimi Hoyer O’Rourke Wasserman So the amendment was rejected. Hice, Jody B. Olson Weber (TX) Huffman Pallone Schultz The result of the vote was announced Higgins (LA) Palazzo Webster (FL) Jackson Lee Panetta Waters, Maxine Holding Palmer Wenstrup Jayapal Pascrell Watson Coleman as above recorded. Hollingsworth Paulsen Westerman Jeffries Payne Welch AMENDMENT NO. 7 OFFERED BY MR. PEARCE Hudson Pearce Williams Johnson (GA) Pelosi Wilson (FL) Huizenga Perry Wilson (SC) Johnson, E. B. Perlmutter Yarmuth The Acting CHAIR. The unfinished Hultgren Peterson Wittman business is the demand for a recorded Hunter Pittenger Womack NOES—226 vote on the amendment offered by the Hurd Poe (TX) Woodall gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Issa Poliquin Yoder Abraham Comstock Graves (MO) Jenkins (KS) Posey Yoho Aderholt Conaway Griffith PEARCE) on which further proceedings Jenkins (WV) Ratcliffe Young (AK) Allen Cook Grothman were postponed and on which the ayes Johnson (LA) Reed Young (IA) Amash Cramer Guthrie Johnson (OH) Reichert Zeldin Amodei Crawford Handel prevailed by voice vote. Arrington Culberson Harper The Clerk will redesignate the NOES—184 Babin Curbelo (FL) Harris amendment. Bacon Davidson Hartzler Adams Conyers Gottheimer Banks (IN) Davis, Rodney Hensarling The Clerk redesignated the amend- Aguilar Cooper Green, Al Barletta Denham Herrera Beutler ment. Amash Correa Green, Gene Barr DeSantis Hice, Jody B. RECORDED VOTE Bass Costa Grijalva Barton DesJarlais Higgins (LA) Beatty Courtney Gutie´rrez Bergman Diaz-Balart Holding The Acting CHAIR. A recorded vote Bera Crist Hanabusa Biggs Donovan Hollingsworth has been demanded. Beyer Crowley Hastings Bilirakis Duffy Hudson A recorded vote was ordered. Bishop (GA) Davis (CA) Heck Bishop (MI) Duncan (SC) Huizenga Blumenauer Davis, Danny Higgins (NY) Bishop (UT) Duncan (TN) Hultgren The Acting CHAIR. This will be a 2- Blunt Rochester DeFazio Himes Black Dunn Hunter minute vote. Bonamici DeGette Hoyer Blackburn Emmer Hurd The vote was taken by electronic de- Boyle, Brendan Delaney Huffman Blum Estes (KS) Issa vice, and there were—ayes 236, noes 184, F. DeLauro Jackson Lee Bost Farenthold Jenkins (KS) Brady (PA) DelBene Jayapal Brady (TX) Faso Jenkins (WV) not voting 12, as follows: Brownley (CA) Demings Jeffries Brat Ferguson Johnson (LA) [Roll No. 596] Bustos DeSaulnier Johnson (GA) Brooks (IN) Fleischmann Johnson (OH) Butterfield Deutch Johnson, E. B. Buchanan Flores Johnson, Sam AYES—236 Capuano Dingell Kaptur Buck Fortenberry Jones Abraham Bishop (UT) Calvert Carbajal Doggett Keating Bucshon Foxx Jordan Aderholt Black Carter (GA) Ca´ rdenas Doyle, Michael Kelly (IL) Budd Franks (AZ) Joyce (OH) Allen Blackburn Carter (TX) Carson (IN) F. Kennedy Burgess Frelinghuysen Katko Amodei Blum Chabot Cartwright Ellison Khanna Byrne Gaetz Kelly (MS) Arrington Bost Cheney Castor (FL) Engel Kihuen Calvert Gallagher Kelly (PA) Babin Brady (TX) Coffman Castro (TX) Eshoo Kildee Carter (GA) Garrett King (IA) Bacon Brat Cole Chu, Judy Espaillat Kilmer Carter (TX) Gianforte King (NY) Banks (IN) Brooks (IN) Collins (GA) Cicilline Esty (CT) Kind Chabot Gibbs Kinzinger Barletta Brown (MD) Collins (NY) Clark (MA) Evans Krishnamoorthi Cheney Gohmert Knight Barr Buchanan Comer Clarke (NY) Fitzpatrick Kuster (NH) Coffman Goodlatte Kustoff (TN) Barton Buck Comstock Clay Foster Lance Cole Gosar Labrador Bergman Bucshon Conaway Cleaver Frankel (FL) Langevin Collins (GA) Gowdy LaHood Biggs Budd Cook Clyburn Fudge Larsen (WA) Collins (NY) Granger LaMalfa Bilirakis Burgess Costello (PA) Cohen Gabbard Larson (CT) Comer Graves (GA) Lamborn Bishop (MI) Byrne Cramer Connolly Gallego Lawrence

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00062 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A01NO7.047 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8359 Lawson (FL) Norcross Sewell (AL) If not, the question is on the amend- Schools and counties across rural Lee O’Halleran Shea-Porter Levin O’Rourke Sinema ment in the nature of a substitute, as America are facing a funding and eco- Lewis (GA) Pallone Sires amended. nomic crisis, and the reauthorization Lieu, Ted Panetta Slaughter The amendment was agreed to. of the Secure Rural Schools and Com- Lipinski Pascrell Smith (WA) The SPEAKER pro tempore. The munity Self-Determination Act will go Loebsack Payne Soto Lofgren Pelosi Speier question is on the engrossment and a long way to helping ensure children Lowenthal Perlmutter Suozzi third reading of the bill. get the education they need to achieve Lowey Peters Swalwell (CA) The bill was ordered to be engrossed success in today’s economy. Lujan Grisham, Pingree Takano and read a third time, and was read the M. Polis Thompson (CA) Across my district, I have heard fam- Luja´ n, Ben Ray Price (NC) Thompson (MS) third time. ilies, teachers, and school administra- Maloney, Quigley Titus MOTION TO RECOMMIT tors in forest counties tell me about Carolyn B. Raskin Tonko Mr. O’HALLERAN. Mr. Speaker, I the dire straits schools will be in if Maloney, Sean Rice (NY) Torres Matsui Richmond Tsongas have a motion to recommit at the SRS is not reauthorized. McCollum Rosen Vargas desk. In Greenlee County, in eastern Ari- McEachin Roybal-Allard Veasey The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is the zona, the school superintendent shared McGovern Ruiz Vela gentleman opposed to the bill? McNerney Ruppersberger Vela´ zquez with me that if the county doesn’t see Meeks Ryan (OH) Visclosky Mr. O’HALLERAN. I am opposed in SRS dollars, they will have to close the Meng Sa´ nchez Walz its current form. school that provides special education Moore Sarbanes Wasserman The SPEAKER pro tempore. The services. This is after the school has al- Moulton Schakowsky Schultz Clerk will report the motion to recom- Murphy (FL) Schiff Waters, Maxine ready gone through major changes to Nadler Schneider Watson Coleman mit. save money. Napolitano Scott (VA) Welch The Clerk read as follows: Neal Scott, David Wilson (FL) Across rural Arizona, schools face Mr. O’HALLERAN moves to recommit the issues with access to technology and Nolan Serrano Yarmuth bill H.R. 2936 to the Committee on Natural the educational opportunities that NOT VOTING—12 Resources with instructions to report the came with them. Reauthorizing Secure Barraga´ n Gomez Scalise same back to the House forthwith, with the Bridenstine Hill Sherman following amendments: Rural Schools will allow more schools Brooks (AL) Pocan Smith (NE) Page 41 of the Rules Committee Print 115- to develop innovative educational op- Cummings Rooney, Thomas 36, after line 21, insert the following new sec- portunities. Garamendi J. tion: In Yavapai County, where they are ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE ACTING CHAIR SEC. 406. EXTENSION OF SECURE RURAL using distance learning, schools can SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY SELF- The Acting CHAIR (during the vote). DETERMINATION ACT OF 2000. share teachers. Making sure that stu- There is 1 minute remaining. (a) PAYMENTS EXTENDED.—Section 101 of dents don’t miss opportunities because b 1755 the Secure Rural Schools and Community they live in rural America is the right Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. thing to do, and reauthorizing SRS will Mr. CLEAVER changed his vote from 7111) is amended by striking ‘‘2015’’ both better enable coordination and support ‘‘aye’’ to ‘‘no.’’ places it appears and inserting ‘‘2020’’. for students. Mr. FERGUSON changed his vote (b) SOURCE OF PAYMENT AMOUNTS.—Section Mr. Speaker, the people of rural Ari- from ‘‘no’’ to ‘‘aye.’’ 102(b)(3) of the Secure Rural Schools and zona and America are tough and inno- So the amendment was agreed to. Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 vative, but the simple fact is that they The result of the vote was announced (16 U.S.C. 7112(b)(3)) is amended to read as need resources to keep schools open as above recorded. follows: ‘‘(3) SOURCE OF PAYMENT AMOUNTS.—The Stated against: and educate children. It is past time payment to an eligible State or eligible that we reauthorize SRS, and I call on Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Chair, on the Pearce county under this section for a fiscal year my colleagues to do so today. Amendment, had I been present, I would have shall be derived from any amounts that are Across rural America and rural Ari- voted ‘‘nay’’ on rollcall No. 596. hereafter appropriated to carry out this The Acting CHAIR. The question is Act.’’. zona, the need for infrastructure is on the amendment in the nature of a Page 21 of the Rules Committee Print 115- only growing. In Gila County, a bridge substitute, as amended. 36, line 17, insert ‘‘Any such plan shall in- is needed to make it safer for residents The amendment was agreed to. clude strategies for climate change mitiga- to cross a creek. SRS funding would The Acting CHAIR. Under the rule, tion and adaptation and any forest manage- make it possible for the county to ment activity must be carried out in a man- the Committee rises. make a greater contribution to get the ner that is consistent with such strategies.’’ project completed. Accordingly, the Committee rose; after the period. and the Speaker pro tempore (Mr. If we are serious about passing a bi- Mr. BISHOP of Utah (during the HULTGREN) having assumed the chair, partisan infrastructure plan, it is crit- reading). Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous Mr. ROTHFUS, Acting Chair of the Com- ical that we make sure that local com- consent to dispense with the reading of mittee of the Whole House on the state munities can begin planning. Reau- the motion. of the Union, reported that that Com- thorizing SRS would allow that to hap- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there pen. mittee, having had under consideration objection to the request of the gen- Nationally, there are 720 counties the bill (H.R. 2936) to expedite under tleman from Utah? and 4,400 school districts that depend the National Environmental Policy Act There was no objection. of 1969 and improve forest management The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gen- on Secure Rural Schools for education, activities on National Forest System tleman from Arizona is recognized for 5 as well as other critical services and lands, on public lands under the juris- minutes in support of his motion. programs, like law enforcement and in- diction of the Bureau of Land Manage- frastructure. ment, and on Tribal lands to return re- b 1800 Rural America is ready for a renais- silience to overgrown, fire-prone for- Mr. O’HALLERAN. Mr. Speaker, this sance, but for it to happen, we need to ested lands, and for other purposes, is the final amendment to the bill, make sure that folks have equal access and, pursuant to House Resolution 595, which will not kill it or send it back to to opportunities in school and in the he reported the bill back to the House committee. If adopted, the bill will im- workforce. That means that we need to with an amendment adopted in the mediately proceed to final passage, as guarantee that schools have the re- Committee of the Whole. amended. sources that they need to educate our The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under Mr. Speaker, schools and counties children and achieve their potential. the rule, the previous question is or- across rural America are facing a fund- That means we need to make sure that dered. ing and economic crisis. It has now communities have infrastructure that Is a separate vote demanded on any been over 2 years since Congress has supports local economies and keeps amendment to the amendment re- failed to reauthorize the Secure Rural people safe. That means we need to ported from the Committee of the Schools program. This is beyond unac- make sure that rural Americans have a Whole? ceptable. fair shot.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:46 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00063 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A01NO7.049 H01NOPT1 H8360 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 Mr. Speaker, I call on my colleagues DelBene Langevin Raskin McSally Rogers (AL) Tenney to support my commonsense amend- Demings Larsen (WA) Rice (NY) Meadows Rogers (KY) Thompson (PA) DeSaulnier Larson (CT) Richmond Meehan Rohrabacher Thornberry ment on behalf of kids across rural Deutch Lawrence Rosen Messer Rokita Tiberi America. Dingell Lawson (FL) Roybal-Allard Mitchell Rooney, Francis Tipton Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance Doggett Lee Ruiz Moolenaar Ros-Lehtinen Trott Doyle, Michael Levin Ruppersberger Mooney (WV) Roskam Turner of my time. F. Lewis (GA) Rush Mullin Ross Upton Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I Ellison Lieu, Ted Ryan (OH) Newhouse Rothfus Valadao claim the time in opposition to the mo- Engel Lipinski Sa´ nchez Noem Rouzer Wagner tion to recommit. Eshoo Loebsack Sarbanes Norman Royce (CA) Walberg Espaillat Lofgren Schakowsky Nunes Russell Walden The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gen- Esty (CT) Lowenthal Schiff Olson Rutherford Walker tleman is recognized for 5 minutes. Evans Lowey Schneider Palazzo Sanford Walorski Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I Foster Lujan Grisham, Schrader Palmer Schweikert Walters, Mimi Frankel (FL) M. Scott (VA) Paulsen Scott, Austin Weber (TX) appreciate the gentleman from Arizona ´ Pearce Sensenbrenner Webster (FL) Fudge Lujan, Ben Ray Scott, David Gabbard Lynch Perry Sessions Wenstrup presenting this issue about Secure Serrano Gallego Maloney, Pittenger Shimkus Westerman Rural Schools. I am an old school Sewell (AL) Gonzalez (TX) Carolyn B. Poe (TX) Shuster Williams Shea-Porter teacher. I understand how significant Gottheimer Maloney, Sean Poliquin Simpson Wilson (SC) Sherman and important it is. Green, Al Matsui Posey Smith (MO) Wittman Sinema Green, Gene McCollum Ratcliffe Smith (NJ) Womack The issue, though, for Secure Rural Sires Schools is not the reauthorization, it is Grijalva McEachin Reed Smith (TX) Woodall Gutie´rrez McGovern Slaughter Reichert Smucker Yoder finding a funding stream to keep it Hanabusa McNerney Smith (WA) Renacci Stefanik Yoho going. Unfortunately, this amendment Hastings Meeks Soto Rice (SC) Stewart Young (AK) Suozzi doesn’t solve the problem. It is not re- Heck Meng Roby Stivers Young (IA) Higgins (NY) Moore Swalwell (CA) Roe (TN) Taylor Zeldin authorization, it is the funding, and Himes Moulton Takano this provides no funding whatsoever. It Hoyer Murphy (FL) Thompson (CA) NOT VOTING—13 doesn’t do what we need to do. It sim- Huffman Nadler Thompson (MS) Barraga´ n Gomez Rooney, Thomas Titus ply is another delay tactic. Jackson Lee Napolitano Bridenstine Hill J. Jayapal Neal Tonko Brooks (AL) Pelosi Scalise Torres And let’s face it, we are dealing with Jeffries Nolan Cummings Pocan Smith (NE) more significant issues in this Nation, Johnson (GA) Norcross Tsongas Garamendi Speier like who is going to win game seven to- Johnson, E. B. O’Halleran Vargas Jones O’Rourke Veasey ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE night. That is important stuff. That is Kaptur Pallone Vela The SPEAKER pro tempore (during ´ what we should be talking about. And Keating Panetta Velazquez the vote). There are 2 minutes remain- if you don’t pass this forest resiliency Kelly (IL) Pascrell Visclosky Kennedy Payne Walz ing. act today, there won’t be enough trees Khanna Perlmutter Wasserman to make bats for next year’s season. Kihuen Peters Schultz b 1811 Please vote ‘‘no’’ on this amendment, Kildee Peterson Waters, Maxine vote ‘‘yes’’ on the underlying bill, and Kilmer Pingree Watson Coleman So the motion to recommit was re- Kind Polis Welch jected. let’s go home. Krishnamoorthi Price (NC) Wilson (FL) Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance Kuster (NH) Quigley Yarmuth The result of the vote was announced of my time. as above recorded. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without NOES—230 The SPEAKER pro tempore. The objection, the previous question is or- Abraham Davis, Rodney Hollingsworth question is on the passage of the bill. Aderholt Denham Hudson The question was taken; and the dered on the motion to recommit. Allen Dent Huizenga There was no objection. Amash DeSantis Hultgren Speaker pro tempore announced that The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Amodei DesJarlais Hunter the ayes appeared to have it. question is on the motion to recommit. Arrington Diaz-Balart Hurd RECORDED VOTE Babin Donovan Issa The question was taken; and the Bacon Duffy Jenkins (KS) Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I de- Speaker pro tempore announced that Banks (IN) Duncan (SC) Jenkins (WV) mand a recorded vote. the noes appeared to have it. Barletta Duncan (TN) Johnson (LA) A recorded vote was ordered. Barr Dunn Johnson (OH) RECORDED VOTE Barton Emmer Johnson, Sam The SPEAKER pro tempore. This is a Mr. O’HALLERAN. Mr. Speaker, I de- Bergman Estes (KS) Jordan 5-minute vote. mand a recorded vote. Biggs Farenthold Joyce (OH) The vote was taken by electronic de- Bilirakis Faso Katko vice, and there were—ayes 232, noes 188, A recorded vote was ordered. Bishop (MI) Ferguson Kelly (MS) The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- Bishop (UT) Fitzpatrick Kelly (PA) not voting 12, as follows: ant to clause 8 and clause 9 of rule XX, Black Fleischmann King (IA) [Roll No. 598] Blackburn Flores King (NY) this 5-minute vote on the motion to re- Bost Fortenberry Kinzinger AYES—232 commit will be followed by 5-minute Brady (TX) Foxx Knight Abraham Burgess Duffy votes on passage of the bill, if ordered, Brat Franks (AZ) Kustoff (TN) Aderholt Byrne Duncan (SC) and suspending the rules and passing Brooks (IN) Frelinghuysen Labrador Allen Calvert Duncan (TN) Buchanan Gaetz LaHood Amodei Carter (GA) Dunn H.R. 3903. Buck Gallagher LaMalfa Arrington Carter (TX) Emmer The vote was taken by electronic de- Bucshon Garrett Lamborn Babin Chabot Estes (KS) vice, and there were—ayes 189, noes 230, Budd Gianforte Lance Bacon Cheney Farenthold Burgess Gibbs Latta Banks (IN) Coffman Ferguson not voting 13, as follows: Byrne Gohmert Lewis (MN) Barletta Cole Fleischmann [Roll No. 597] Calvert Goodlatte LoBiondo Barr Collins (GA) Flores Carter (GA) Gosar Long Barton Collins (NY) Fortenberry AYES—189 Carter (TX) Gowdy Loudermilk Bergman Comstock Foxx Adams Bustos Cohen Chabot Granger Love Biggs Conaway Franks (AZ) Aguilar Butterfield Connolly Cheney Graves (GA) Lucas Bilirakis Cook Frelinghuysen Bass Capuano Conyers Coffman Graves (LA) Luetkemeyer Bishop (GA) Costa Gaetz Beatty Carbajal Cooper Cole Graves (MO) MacArthur Bishop (MI) Cramer Gallagher Bera Ca´ rdenas Correa Collins (GA) Griffith Marchant Bishop (UT) Crawford Gallego Beyer Carson (IN) Costa Collins (NY) Grothman Marino Black Cuellar Garrett Bishop (GA) Cartwright Courtney Comer Guthrie Marshall Blackburn Culberson Gianforte Blum Castor (FL) Crist Comstock Handel Massie Blum Curbelo (FL) Gibbs Blumenauer Castro (TX) Crowley Conaway Harper Mast Bost Davidson Gohmert Blunt Rochester Chu, Judy Cuellar Cook Harris McCarthy Brady (TX) Davis, Rodney Goodlatte Bonamici Cicilline Davis (CA) Costello (PA) Hartzler McCaul Brat Denham Gosar Boyle, Brendan Clark (MA) Davis, Danny Cramer Hensarling McClintock Brooks (IN) Dent Gowdy F. Clarke (NY) DeFazio Crawford Herrera Beutler McHenry Buchanan DeSantis Granger Brady (PA) Clay DeGette Culberson Hice, Jody B. McKinley Buck DesJarlais Graves (GA) Brown (MD) Cleaver Delaney Curbelo (FL) Higgins (LA) McMorris Bucshon Diaz-Balart Graves (LA) Brownley (CA) Clyburn DeLauro Davidson Holding Rodgers Budd Donovan Graves (MO)

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00064 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.109 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8361 Griffith Marshall Rouzer Polis Scott (VA) Tonko Brooks (IN) Fudge Long Grothman Massie Royce (CA) Price (NC) Scott, David Torres Brown (MD) Gabbard Loudermilk Guthrie Mast Russell Quigley Sensenbrenner Tsongas Brownley (CA) Gaetz Love Handel McCarthy Rutherford Raskin Serrano Vargas Buchanan Gallagher Lowenthal Harper McCaul Schrader Rice (NY) Shea-Porter Veasey Buck Gallego Lowey Harris McClintock Schweikert Richmond Sherman Vela Bucshon Garrett Lucas Hartzler McHenry Scott, Austin Rosen Sires Vela´ zquez Budd Gianforte Luetkemeyer Hensarling McKinley Sessions Roybal-Allard Slaughter Visclosky Burgess Gibbs Lujan Grisham, Ruiz Smith (NJ) Herrera Beutler McMorris Sewell (AL) Walz Bustos Gohmert M. Hice, Jody B. Rodgers Ruppersberger Smith (WA) ´ Shimkus Wasserman Butterfield Gonzalez (TX) Lujan, Ben Ray Higgins (LA) McSally Rush Soto Byrne Goodlatte Lynch Shuster Schultz Holding Meadows Ryan (OH) Speier Calvert Gosar MacArthur Simpson Waters, Maxine Hollingsworth Meehan Sa´ nchez Suozzi Capuano Gottheimer Maloney, Sinema Watson Coleman Hudson Messer Sanford Swalwell (CA) Carbajal Gowdy Carolyn B. Smith (MO) Welch Huizenga Mitchell Sarbanes Takano Ca´ rdenas Granger Maloney, Sean Smith (TX) Wilson (FL) Hultgren Moolenaar Smucker Schakowsky Thompson (CA) Carson (IN) Graves (GA) Marchant Schiff Thompson (MS) Yarmuth Hunter Mooney (WV) Stefanik Carter (GA) Graves (LA) Marino Hurd Mullin Schneider Titus Stewart Carter (TX) Graves (MO) Marshall Issa Newhouse Stivers Cartwright Green, Al Massie Jenkins (KS) Noem NOT VOTING—12 Taylor Castor (FL) Green, Gene Mast Jenkins (WV) Nolan Barraga´ n Garamendi Rooney, Thomas Tenney Castro (TX) Griffith Matsui Johnson (LA) Norman Bridenstine Thompson (PA) Gomez J. Chabot Grothman McCarthy Johnson (OH) Nunes Brooks (AL) Thornberry Hill Scalise Cheney Guthrie McCaul Johnson, Sam Olson Cummings ´ Tiberi Pocan Smith (NE) Chu, Judy Gutierrez McClintock Jones Palazzo Faso Tipton Cicilline Hanabusa McCollum Jordan Palmer Clark (MA) Handel McEachin Trott ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE Joyce (OH) Paulsen Clarke (NY) Harper McGovern Katko Pearce Turner The SPEAKER pro tempore (during Upton Clay Harris McHenry Kelly (MS) Perry the vote). There are 2 minutes remain- Cleaver Hartzler McKinley Kelly (PA) Peterson Valadao Wagner ing. Clyburn Hastings McMorris King (IA) Pittenger Coffman Heck Rodgers King (NY) Poe (TX) Walberg Walden Cohen Hensarling McNerney Kinzinger Poliquin b 1818 Cole Herrera Beutler McSally Knight Posey Walker Walorski So the bill was passed. Collins (GA) Hice, Jody B. Meadows Kuster (NH) Ratcliffe Collins (NY) Higgins (LA) Meehan Kustoff (TN) Reed Walters, Mimi The result of the vote was announced Comer Higgins (NY) Meeks Labrador Reichert Weber (TX) as above recorded. Comstock Himes Meng LaHood Renacci Webster (FL) A motion to reconsider was laid on Conaway Holding Messer LaMalfa Rice (SC) Wenstrup Connolly Hollingsworth Mitchell Lamborn Roby Westerman the table. Conyers Hoyer Moolenaar Latta Roe (TN) Williams Stated for: Cook Hudson Mooney (WV) Lewis (MN) Rogers (AL) Wilson (SC) Mr. FASO. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably Cooper Huffman Moulton Long Rogers (KY) Wittman Correa Huizenga Mullin Loudermilk Rohrabacher Womack detained. Had I been present, I would have Costa Hultgren Murphy (FL) Love Rokita Woodall voted ‘‘yea’’ on rollcall No. 598. Costello (PA) Hunter Nadler Lucas Rooney, Francis Yoder PERSONAL EXPLANATION Napolitano Luetkemeyer Ros-Lehtinen Yoho Courtney Hurd Neal MacArthur Roskam Young (AK) Mr. SCALISE. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoid- Cramer Issa Newhouse Marchant Ross Young (IA) ably detained. Had I been present, I would Crawford Jackson Lee Marino Rothfus Zeldin Crist Jayapal Noem have voted ‘‘nay’’ on rollcall No. 594, ‘‘nay’’ on Crowley Jeffries Nolan Norcross NOES—188 rollcall No. 595, ‘‘yea’’ on rollcall No. 596, Cuellar Jenkins (KS) ‘‘nay’’ on rollcall No. 597, and ‘‘yea’’ on rollcall Culberson Jenkins (WV) Norman Adams DelBene Lance Curbelo (FL) Johnson (GA) Nunes Aguilar Demings Langevin No. 598. Davidson Johnson (LA) O’Halleran Amash DeSaulnier Larsen (WA) f Davis (CA) Johnson (OH) O’Rourke Bass Deutch Larson (CT) Davis, Danny Johnson, E. B. Olson Beatty Dingell Lawrence Davis, Rodney Johnson, Sam Palazzo Bera Doggett Lawson (FL) ENCOURAGING PUBLIC OFFERINGS DeFazio Jones Pallone Beyer Doyle, Michael Lee ACT OF 2017 DeGette Jordan Palmer Blumenauer F. Levin Delaney Joyce (OH) Panetta Blunt Rochester Ellison Lewis (GA) The SPEAKER pro tempore. The un- DeLauro Kaptur Pascrell Bonamici Engel Lieu, Ted finished business is the vote on the mo- DelBene Katko Paulsen Boyle, Brendan Eshoo Lipinski tion to suspend the rules and pass the Demings Keating Payne F. Espaillat LoBiondo bill (H.R. 3903) to amend the Securities Denham Kelly (IL) Pearce Brady (PA) Esty (CT) Loebsack Dent Kelly (MS) Pelosi Brown (MD) Evans Lofgren Act of 1933 to expand the ability to use DeSantis Kelly (PA) Perlmutter Brownley (CA) Fitzpatrick Lowenthal testing the waters and confidential DeSaulnier Kennedy Perry Bustos Foster Lowey draft registration submissions, and for DesJarlais Khanna Peters Butterfield Frankel (FL) Lujan Grisham, Deutch Kihuen Peterson Capuano Fudge M. other purposes, as amended, on which Diaz-Balart Kildee Pingree Carbajal Gabbard Luja´ n, Ben Ray the yeas and nays were ordered. Dingell Kilmer Pittenger Ca´ rdenas Gonzalez (TX) Lynch The Clerk read the title of the bill. Doggett Kind Poe (TX) Carson (IN) Gottheimer Maloney, The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Donovan King (IA) Poliquin Cartwright Green, Al Carolyn B. Doyle, Michael King (NY) Polis Castor (FL) Green, Gene Maloney, Sean question is on the motion offered by F. Kinzinger Posey Castro (TX) Grijalva Matsui the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Duffy Knight Price (NC) Chu, Judy Gutie´rrez McCollum HUIZENGA) that the House suspend the Duncan (SC) Krishnamoorthi Quigley Cicilline Hanabusa McEachin Duncan (TN) Kuster (NH) Raskin Clark (MA) Hastings McGovern rules and pass the bill, as amended. Dunn Kustoff (TN) Ratcliffe Clarke (NY) Heck McNerney This is a 5-minute vote. Ellison Labrador Reed Clay Higgins (NY) Meeks The vote was taken by electronic de- Emmer LaHood Reichert Cleaver Himes Meng vice, and there were—yeas 419, nays 0, Engel LaMalfa Renacci Clyburn Hoyer Moore Eshoo Lamborn Rice (NY) Cohen Huffman Moulton not voting 13, as follows: Espaillat Lance Rice (SC) Comer Jackson Lee Murphy (FL) [Roll No. 599] Estes (KS) Langevin Richmond Connolly Jayapal Nadler Esty (CT) Larsen (WA) Roby Conyers Jeffries Napolitano YEAS—419 Evans Larson (CT) Roe (TN) Cooper Johnson (GA) Neal Abraham Barr Black Farenthold Latta Rogers (AL) Correa Johnson, E. B. Norcross Adams Barton Blackburn Faso Lawrence Rogers (KY) Costello (PA) Kaptur O’Halleran Aderholt Bass Blum Ferguson Lawson (FL) Rohrabacher Courtney Keating O’Rourke Aguilar Beatty Blumenauer Fitzpatrick Lee Rokita Crist Kelly (IL) Pallone Allen Bera Blunt Rochester Fleischmann Levin Rooney, Francis Crowley Kennedy Panetta Amash Bergman Bonamici Flores Lewis (GA) Ros-Lehtinen Davis (CA) Khanna Pascrell Amodei Beyer Bost Fortenberry Lewis (MN) Rosen Davis, Danny Kihuen Payne Arrington Biggs Boyle, Brendan Foster Lieu, Ted Roskam DeFazio Kildee Pelosi Babin Bilirakis F. Foxx Lipinski Ross DeGette Kilmer Perlmutter Bacon Bishop (GA) Brady (PA) Frankel (FL) LoBiondo Rothfus Delaney Kind Peters Banks (IN) Bishop (MI) Brady (TX) Franks (AZ) Loebsack Rouzer DeLauro Krishnamoorthi Pingree Barletta Bishop (UT) Brat Frelinghuysen Lofgren Roybal-Allard

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00065 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A01NO7.054 H01NOPT1 H8362 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 Royce (CA) Smith (NJ) Vela´ zquez for other purposes, which was referred The Clerk read the title of the con- Ruiz Smith (TX) Visclosky to the House Calendar and ordered to Ruppersberger Smith (WA) Wagner current resolution. Rush Smucker Walberg be printed. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there Russell Soto Walden f Rutherford Speier Walker objection to the request of the gen- Ryan (OH) Stefanik Walorski AUTHORIZING THE CLERK TO tleman from Georgia? Sa´ nchez Stewart Walters, Mimi MAKE CORRECTIONS IN EN- Sanford Stivers Walz There was no objection. Sarbanes Suozzi GROSSMENT OF H.R. 3903, EN- Wasserman The text of the concurrent resolution Schakowsky Swalwell (CA) Schultz COURAGING PUBLIC OFFERINGS Schiff Takano Waters, Maxine is as follows: Schneider Taylor ACT OF 2017 Watson Coleman Schrader Tenney Weber (TX) Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask H. CON. RES. 43 Schweikert Thompson (CA) Webster (FL) Scott (VA) Thompson (MS) unanimous consent that, in the en- Whereas, during the Battle of the Bulge in Scott, Austin Thompson (PA) Welch grossment of H.R. 3903, the Clerk be au- Belgium in December 1944, the 333rd Field Scott, David Thornberry Wenstrup thorized to make such technical and Artillery Battalion, an African-American Sensenbrenner Tiberi Westerman Williams conforming changes as may be nec- unit, was among the units of the United Serrano Tipton States Army overrun in the initial German Sessions Titus Wilson (FL) essary to reflect the actions of the Sewell (AL) Tonko Wilson (SC) House in amending the bill. attack; Shea-Porter Torres Wittman The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there Whereas eleven soldiers from different bat- Sherman Trott Womack teries of the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion Shimkus Tsongas Woodall objection to the request of the gentle- escaped capture and tried to return to the Shuster Turner Yarmuth woman from Missouri? American lines; Yoder Simpson Upton There was no objection. Whereas the eleven soldiers were Curtis Sinema Valadao Yoho Sires Vargas Young (AK) f Adams of South Carolina, Mager Bradley of Slaughter Veasey Young (IA) Mississippi, George Davis, Jr., of Alabama, Smith (MO) Vela Zeldin PERMISSION FOR MEMBER TO BE Thomas Forte of Mississippi, Robert Green CONSIDERED AS FIRST SPONSOR of Georgia, James Leatherwood of Mis- NOT VOTING—13 OF H.RES. 428 sissippi, Nathaniel Moss of Texas, George Barraga´ n Gomez Rooney, Thomas Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. Mr. Motten of Texas, William Pritchett of Ala- Bridenstine Grijalva J. bama, James Stewart of West Virginia, and Brooks (AL) Hill Scalise Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that Due Turner of Arkansas; Cummings Moore Smith (NE) I may hereafter be considered as the Garamendi Pocan Whereas, despite the bitter cold and snow, primary sponsor of H. Res. 428, a reso- the soldiers walked 10 miles to the town of ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE lution originally introduced by Rep- Wereth, Belgium, where they received shel- The SPEAKER pro tempore (during resentative Murphy of Pennsylvania, ter at the farmhouse of Mathias Langer, a the vote). There are 2 minutes remain- for the purpose of adding cosponsors resident of Wereth; ing. and requesting reprintings under Whereas the eleven soldiers were captured by a German patrol composed of SS soldiers, b 1824 clause 7 of rule XII. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there who, after dark, marched the unarmed Amer- So (two-thirds being in the affirma- objection to the request of the gen- icans to a nearby field and brutally mas- tive) the rules were suspended and the sacred them; tleman from Pennsylvania? bill, as amended, was passed. Whereas, in 1949, a subcommittee of the There was no objection. The result of the vote was announced Committee on Armed Services of the Senate as above recorded. f conducted an investigation in connection A motion to reconsider was laid on with massacres and other atrocities com- AUTHORIZING THE CLERK TO mitted by German troops during the Battle the table. MAKE CORRECTIONS IN EN- of the Bulge; Stated for: GROSSMENT OF H.R. 2936, RESIL- Whereas the report of the subcommittee Mr. SCALISE. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoid- IENT FEDERAL FORESTS ACT OF identified 12 locations at which American ably detained. Had I been present, I would 2017 Prisoners of War, Belgian civilians, or both have voted ‘‘yea’’ on rollcall No. 599. were murdered during the Battle of the Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. f Bulge; Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent Whereas the massacre of the 11 African- REPORT ON RESOLUTION PRO- that the Clerk be authorized to make American soldiers of the 333rd Field Artil- VIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF technical corrections in the engross- lery Battalion in Wereth was omitted from H.R. 849, PROTECTING SENIORS’ ment of H.R. 2936, to include correc- the report, and the occurrence of this mas- ACCESS TO MEDICARE ACT OF tions in spelling, punctuation, section sacre remains unknown to the vast majority 2017 numbering and cross-referencing, and of Americans; and Whereas, in 2004, a permanent monument Mr. BURGESS, from the Committee the insertion of appropriate headings. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there was dedicated in Wereth to the 11 African- on Rules, submitted a privileged report American soldiers of the 333rd Field Artil- (Rept. No. 115–381) on the resolution (H. objection to the request of the gen- lery Battalion who lost their lives in Wereth Res. 600) providing for consideration of tleman from Pennsylvania? during the Battle of the Bulge to defeat fas- the bill (H.R. 849) to repeal the provi- There was no objection. cism and defend freedom: Now, therefore, be sions of the Patient Protection and Af- f it fordable Care Act providing for the Resolved by the House of Representatives (the PROVIDING OFFICIAL RECOGNI- Independent Payment Advisory Board, Senate concurring), That Congress— TION OF THE MASSACRE OF 11 which was referred to the House Cal- (1) officially recognizes the dedicated serv- AFRICAN-AMERICAN SOLDIERS endar and ordered to be printed. ice and ultimate sacrifice on behalf of the OF THE 333RD FIELD ARTILLERY United States of the 11 African-American f BATTALION OF THE UNITED soldiers of the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion REPORT ON RESOLUTION PRO- STATES ARMY WHO HAD BEEN of the United States Army who were mas- VIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF CAPTURED IN WERETH, BEL- sacred in Wereth, Belgium, during the Battle H.R. 3922, COMMUNITY HEALTH GIUM, DURING THE BATTLE OF of the Bulge on December 17, 1944; and AND MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS THE BULGE ON DECEMBER 17, (2) calls on the Committee on Armed Serv- IMPROVE OUR NATION ACT OF 1944 ices of the Senate to correct the omission in the 1949 report of its subcommittee and ap- 2017 Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. propriately recognize the sacrifice and mas- Mr. BURGESS, from the Committee Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that sacre of the Wereth 11. on Rules, submitted a privileged report the Committee on Armed Services be The concurrent resolution was agreed (Rept. No. 115–382) on the resolution (H. discharged from further consideration to. Res. 601) providing for consideration of of House Concurrent Resolution 43, and the bill (H.R. 3922) to extend funding ask for its immediate consideration in A motion to reconsider was laid on for certain public health programs, and the House. the table.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:46 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00066 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A01NO7.057 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8363 FTO PASSPORT REVOCATION ACT The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there Law enforcement officials and ter- OF 2017 objection to the request of the gen- rorism experts have been warning of Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I tleman from Texas? this foreign fighter threat for years. move to suspend the rules and pass the There was no objection. This is a serious threat, and we must bill (H.R. 425) to authorize the revoca- Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I address it before it becomes worse. yield myself such time as I may con- tion or denial of passports to individ- Having betrayed our Nation, we must sume. uals affiliated with foreign terrorist or- revoke the privileges that come with Mr. Speaker, the terrorist attack last ganizations, and for other purposes, as an American passport. That is why my night in New York City comes as a dev- colleague, the gentleman from Massa- amended. astating reminder that the enemies of The Clerk read the title of the bill. chusetts (Mr. KEATING), and I intro- The text of the bill is as follows: liberty will not cease. duced H.R. 425, the Foreign Terrorist Eight people were killed and 11 more Organization Passport Revocation Act. H.R. 425 were injured in what law enforcement Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- It authorizes the Secretary of State to officials are now calling New York’s revoke passports of those who have resentatives of the United States of America in deadliest terror attack since 9/11. Congress assembled, joined foreign terrorist organizations. The perpetrator of this attack was I might add, Mr. Speaker, this is a SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. radicalized domestically by ISIS, high- This Act may be cited as the ‘‘FTO Pass- legal term, what a foreign terrorist or- port Revocation Act of 2017’’. lighting the grave threat posed by this ganization is. It is only those organiza- terrorist propaganda. SEC. 2. REVOCATION OR DENIAL OF PASSPORTS tions. Mr. Speaker, the terrorist last night TO INDIVIDUALS AFFILIATED WITH These individuals are U.S. citizens, FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZA- was an immigrant from Uzbekistan, but they betray our country. They TIONS. but we know that even within our should clearly not be allowed the privi- The Act entitled ‘‘An Act to regulate the midst, there are Americans who sym- issue and validity of passports, and for other lege of international travel with an pathize with those who seek to destroy purposes’’, approved July 3, 1926 (22 U.S.C. American passport, and they should our freedom. 211a et seq.), commonly known as the ‘‘Pass- definitely not be able to come back port Act of 1926’’, is amended by adding at b 1830 into the United States when they trav- the end the following new section: As many as 250 American citizens el overseas, such as in Syria. This bi- ‘‘SEC. 4. AUTHORITY TO DENY OR REVOKE PASS- PORT. have sought to travel to Syria, and partisan bill will also stop these Bene- ‘‘(a) INELIGIBILITY.— more than 100 have joined ISIS’ ranks. dict Arnolds from using their passports ‘‘(1) ISSUANCE.—Except as provided under Many of these individuals have re- to travel to other war zones or cross subsection (b), the Secretary of State may ceived terrorist training while over- borders to attack any of our allies. refuse to issue a passport to any individual seas. Some are under the command and Mr. Speaker, there is absolutely whom the Secretary has determined has control of terrorist leaders who have nothing in current regulations specifi- aided, assisted, abetted, or otherwise helped instructed them to attack the United cally to support foreign terrorist orga- an organization the Secretary has designated nizations. The Secretary of State does as a foreign terrorist organization pursuant States whenever. Others are inspired to section 219 of the Immigration and Na- by the perverted ideology of hate that not have the authority to revoke pass- tionality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189). the terrorists post on social media ports on a broad national security ‘‘(2) REVOCATION.—The Secretary of State sites. Many of these are American so- basis. may revoke a passport previously issued to cial media sites. It is time our laws change and catch any individual described in paragraph (1). These American citizens are a direct up with the modern world and the new ‘‘(b) RIGHT OF REVIEW.—Any individual threat to our homeland. Unfortunately, and real threats to our Nation. Let me who, in accordance with this section, is de- our current safeguards are insufficient be clear, Mr. Speaker. This bill would nied issuance of a passport by the Secretary not strip American of their citizenship. of State, or whose passport is revoked by the to protect us against such vulnerabil- Secretary, may request a hearing before the ity. It would deny those Americans who Secretary not later than 60 days after receiv- In 2014, a 22-year-old Florida native have sided with foreign terrorist orga- ing notice of such denial or revocation. became the first American to carry out nizations the privilege of travel inter- ‘‘(c) REPORT.— a suicide bombing in Syria. He had bat- nationally. ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—If the Secretary of State tled hard and been trained by al- The bill also would not impinge on refuses to issue or revokes a passport pursu- Qaida’s Syrian affiliate for some time. any American’s due process rights if ant to subsection (a), or if, subsequent to a they want to appeal the revocation of hearing pursuant to subsection (b), the Sec- This same American was waved retary issues or cancels a revocation of a through U.S. border inspections when their passport. Anyone whose passport passport that was the subject of such a hear- he traveled home to Florida a year ear- is revoked or denied is eligible for a ing, the Secretary shall, not later than 30 lier. due process hearing within 60 days. The days after such refusal or revocation, or such After spending some time in Florida, bill would actually increase oversight issuance or cancellation, submit to the Com- the man made his way back to Syria to on this process by requiring the State mittee on Foreign Affairs of the House of kill in the name of al-Qaida. When he Department to report directly to Con- Representatives and the Committee on For- ultimately blew himself up in May of gress whenever the Secretary moves to eign Relations of the Senate a report on such 2014, al-Qaida released a video of his revoke or deny an American’s passport refusal, revocation, issuance, or cancella- tion, as the case may be. last will and testament. He said: ‘‘You on these grounds. ‘‘(2) FORM.—The report submitted under think you are safe where you are in Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my col- paragraph (1) may be submitted in classified America. You are not safe.’’ league from Massachusetts (Mr. or unclassified form. Mr. Speaker, today we are at a dan- KEATING) for working with me on this ‘‘(d) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term gerous crossroad. As ISIS loses more bill. We both sit on the Committee on ‘passport’ includes a passport card.’’. territory in its so-called caliphate and Foreign Affairs’ Subcommittee on Ter- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- it collapses, the threat to our home- rorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade as ant to the rule, the gentleman from land will really grow. Americans who the chair and ranking member. We Texas (Mr. POE) and the gentleman have been fighting with ISIS will be have both been working on this issue of from New York (Mr. ENGEL) each will looking for ways to come home to foreign fighter threats for some time, control 20 minutes. stage deadly attacks. and we believe this is a good first step The Chair recognizes the gentleman In recent weeks, a man from Alexan- to protect our homeland. from Texas. dria, Virginia, was convicted on ter- I also want to thank Chairman ROYCE GENERAL LEAVE rorism charges for joining ISIS. He was for his help in getting this important Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask sentenced to 20 years in the peniten- bill passed in the committee, and also unanimous consent that all Members tiary. This terrorist traitor to our Na- Ranking Member ENGEL from New may have 5 legislative days to revise tion named four other Westerners who York, where this unfortunate tragic and extend their remarks and to in- had joined ISIS and who left Syria with event occurred last night. clude extraneous material on this intentions to do harm in their home Mr. Speaker, the point is this: the measure. countries. traitors among us who have chosen to

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00067 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.118 H01NOPT1 H8364 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 make their allegiance to a murderous tion to prevent this sort of We have to make it harder for any- ideology instead of the country that radicalization on American shores. one supporting terrorism to benefit gave them life, liberty, and the pursuit We won’t solve this problem by slam- from the increased ease of global move- of happiness must face the con- ming shut America’s front door and ment. That is why our legislation is sequences. If you take up arms with clamping down on immigration. In important. We must ensure that the our enemies, you deserve to be treated fact, doing so just contributes to the Secretary of State has the clear au- like one. terrorist’s ideological ammunition and thority to refuse a passport to anyone Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of recruitment efforts. There are proven affiliated with or supporting a des- my time. ways to combat terrorism, but demon- ignated foreign terrorist organization. Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield my- izing a religion or chipping away at This legislation provides that spe- self such time as I may consume, and I constitutional rights won’t work. cific statutory authority, as well as rise in strong support of this measure. Those approaches play right into the improved congressional oversight, are Mr. Speaker, as a New Yorker, my tactics terrorists use to radicalize vul- in place. It is also important that there heart aches today. The appalling loss nerable Americans, making us less safe are safeguards in place in order for any of life on the streets of Manhattan yes- and less free. law to be successful. That is why I am terday is a reminder that terrorism re- I want to thank Representatives POE pleased that H.R. 425 also includes a mains a threat that demands our focus. and KEATING, who lead our Committee right of review for anyone whose pass- Confronting violent extremism re- on Foreign Affairs’ Subcommittee on port has been refused or revoked. quires sound, reasoned policies; poli- Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and It is absolutely possible to fight ter- cies proportional to the threat, policies Trade. Mr. Speaker, this bipartisan bill rorism while still upholding protec- based on good intelligence, careful gets to the real concern in the fight tions for individuals’ rights and the analysis, and a clear understanding of against terrorism. I am pleased to sup- rule of law, and it is critical that we do what we are up against, not policies port it. both. In fighting to protect our com- based on hysterical reactions or biases With all due respect to Mr. POE, that munities and our democracy, we can- is just the way it is. against certain faiths or nationalities. not compromise these very things we Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the I support this bill because it will en- are fighting to protect. gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. sure that the State Department has the Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank tools to prevent American terrorists KEATING), the ranking member of the Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade Chairman POE for joining me in intro- from traveling abroad or returning to ducing H.R. 425, the Foreign Terrorist our country. Subcommittee. Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I thank Organization Passport Revocation Act. Under this legislation, the Secretary the gentleman for yielding time to me. I would like to also thank Chairman of State could refuse to issue a pass- Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support ROYCE and Ranking Member ENGEL for port or revoke a passport for any of H.R. 425, the Foreign Terrorist Orga- their support with this bill as well American who has provided assistance nization Passport Revocation Act. within the Foreign Affairs Committee. to foreign terrorist organizations. Im- Mr. Speaker, I can’t speak to the sub- Mr. Speaker, in closing, I urge that portantly, it also affords anyone af- ject of terrorism without condemning all of our colleagues join together in fected the right to an appeals process, the senseless and heinous attack that support of this important legislation. helping to ensure due process rights. took place yesterday in New York City. Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, let me This bill is just common sense. It is My prayers are with all the individuals thank Chairman ROYCE from Cali- also a vital aspect of the fight against and families that were affected. My ut- fornia, as well as Representatives POE terrorism. We don’t want known most respect goes to the New York and KEATING for their remarks. threats crossing our borders or slipping City community that, once again, This is a good bill. It is a common- from country to country anywhere in stands strong, stands together, sense bill. It is a good example of how the world. unintimidated. we need to legislate when it comes to The bill we are considering today Mr. Speaker, I introduced this impor- terrorism. We are acting out of innova- would not have, obviously, prevented tant piece of legislation, H.R. 425, to- tion, out of careful analysis, not out of yesterday’s attack, but this is impor- gether with Chairman POE of the For- fear. tant. This is just a piece of a larger eign Affairs’ Subcommittee on Ter- We all feel the sting today of an at- strategy. rorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade. tack on American soil yesterday. As The President yesterday called our As we have discussed, this legislation lawmakers, one of our most important judicial system, which would prosecute works to strengthen the tools we have jobs is to help keep Americans safe, the perpetrator of yesterday’s attack, a at our disposal for combating ter- and there is no worse heartbreak than joke and a laughing stock. I beg to dis- rorism. Put simply, the Secretary of when we see innocent lives lost. agree. That is our judicial system, State can refuse to issue or revoke the Mr. Speaker, I am glad we are mov- which successfully prosecuted shoe passport to any individual the Sec- ing this bipartisan measure today. I am bomber Richard Reid; Ramzi Yousef, retary determines is affiliated with or pleased to support it. I urge all Mem- the 1993 World Trade Center bomber; has aided, assisted, or abetted a des- bers to do the same. Faisal Shahzad, the Times Square ignated foreign terrorist organization. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance bomber; and Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, The terrorist treats that we face of my time. Osama Bin Laden’s son-in-law, in today are complex. Our Federal, State, March of 2014. and local agencies are fighting ter- b 1845 Mr. Speaker, the judicial branch has rorism at a time when ISIS and other Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I done quite a good job in prosecuting terrorist organizations are able to use yield myself such time as I may con- terrorists. Let’s show them a little new technologies and means of commu- sume. confidence and give credit where credit nication to connect with individuals I want to emphasize again our pray- is due. around the globe to fund, to direct, and ers for the folks in New York City and This is deadly serious. The man sus- inspire acts of terror. for the appreciation of our first re- pected in yesterday’s attack was re- Modes of international travel are sponders, who are always there, as you portedly radicalized after he arrived in more accessible and affordable than personally know, Mr. Speaker. And the the United States. We have seen this ever, and cross-border flows of people New York tragedy is an example of how before in San Bernardino and Orlando. and goods have increased as we have they respond and chase and go after ISIS inspires its adherents from thou- become more connected in the global terrorists rather than run from terror. sands of miles away. That is a problem. world. While these are very positive de- One other thing I want to mention is And just as this bill gets at a narrow, velopments for exchange, competitive- the Foreign Affairs Committee, we specific potential vulnerability, poli- ness, and quality of life, we also have work primarily bipartisan, Mr. Speak- cies to deal with homegrown extrem- to be sure we are managing the risks er. That shocks a lot of folks here in ists and terrorists should take a hard that go along with this increased Washington, D.C., and it sure shocks a look at causes and take appropriate ac- connectivity. lot of folks back home. But most of the

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00068 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.120 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8365 things that come before the House from Uzbekistan who won a diversity visa lot- URGING ADHERENCE TO THE ‘‘ONE floor have been bipartisan pieces of leg- tery to enter this country in 2010. He has lived COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS’’ POL- islation. here for seven years before going on the mur- ICY BETWEEN THE UNITED KING- We spend a lot of time on legislation derous rampage that killed 8 people and in- DOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND and almost always come to the House jured 12 others. Clearly, we need to look clos- THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF floor with unanimous votes, or mostly er at the background of those admitted CHINA ON THE QUESTION OF unanimous votes, on the committee through this lottery as they could eventually HONG KONG level. We work very well on these obtain a U.S. passport. That was the conclu- Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I move to issues because these are not partisan sion by the Government Accountability Office suspend the rules and agree to the reso- issues; these are American issues that ten years ago—three years before New York lution (H. Res. 422) urging adherence to we are talking about. terror suspect arrived in this country. the ‘‘one country, two systems’’ policy Mr. Speaker, there are about 61 des- as prescribed in the Joint Declaration The GAO report in 2007 called the diversity ignated foreign terrorist organizations between the Government of the United visa program ‘‘an open door’’ for terrorists. Ac- that our State Department has said are Kingdom of Great Britain and the Gov- cording to the report 9,800 people from coun- foreign terrorist organizations and, to ernment of the People’s Republic of prevent individuals in America who tries designated by the State Department as China on the Question of the Hong side with these organizations, who sup- State Sponsors of Terrorism had used the pro- Kong, as amended. port these organizations, who are part gram to enter the country. These people could The Clerk read the title of the resolu- of these organizations from traveling eventually qualify for a U.S. passport. tion. around the world and coming back We also must be more vigilant about people The text of the resolution is as fol- home, based upon their activities, this coming from countries not designated as State lows: legislation by Mr. KEATING is intro- Sponsors of Terrorism. The 9/11 Commission H. RES. 422 duced. Keep them from traveling, be- reported back in 2004 that as many as six of Whereas the People’s Republic of China as- cause we know who those people are, the hijackers of the three planes—who were sumed the exercise of sovereignty over the and keep them, especially, from com- from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emir- Hong Kong Special Administrative Region 20 ing back to the United States. years ago, on July 1, 1997; So what would happen if a passport is ates and Lebanon—had used fraudulent or Whereas the Joint Declaration between the revoked and some American is in Syria manipulated passports to enter the United Government of the United Kingdom of Great and is radicalized and he tries to get on States. In 2013, a Saudi citizen entering the Britain and the Government of the People’s a plane? Well, he is not allowed to get United States through the Detroit airport was Republic of China on the Question of the on the plane. He is stopped, and then detained because he couldn’t satisfactorily ex- Hong Kong (in this resolution referred to as the ‘‘Joint Declaration’’) required China’s he is turned over, eventually, to De- plain why he was carrying a pressure cooker like the one used in the Boston marathon National People’s Congress (NPC) to pass the partment of Homeland Security and ‘‘Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Ad- our Justice Department and handled bombing. However, upon inspection, his pass- ministrative Region of the People’s Republic that way. port suspiciously had a missing page. Would of China’’ (in this resolution referred to as Now, there are only a few places that have been caught without the presence of the ‘‘Basic Law’’) consistent with the obliga- under our law where a person’s pass- the pressure cooker? We are told that even tions contained in the Joint Declaration, port can be revoked. Not paying your the slightest tweak to a passport will be which was approved by the NPC on April 4, child support, drug trafficking, sex caught, but one failure could result in a ter- 1990; Whereas relations between the United tourism—those are three of the exam- rorist entering our country, and they could States and Hong Kong are fundamentally ples. So we are not talking about a lot eventually become terrorist sleepers who ac- based upon the continued maintenance of the of examples, but we are talking about quire a U.S. passport. ‘‘one country, two systems’’ policy stipu- this example. Finally, in order for the FTO designation to lated in the United States-Hong Kong Policy I am a former judge, and I know Mr. Act of 1992 (Public Law 102–383; 22 U.S.C. 5701 be effectively used to stop terrorists from get- KEATING is a former prosecutor. Due et seq.) and established by the Joint Declara- process for Americans is always impor- ting passports or having their passport re- tion; tant. The Supreme Court has already voked, our government must make that des- Whereas under the ‘‘one country, two sys- ruled on whether or not passports can ignation in the first place. I tried for two years tems’’ policy established by the Joint Dec- laration, Hong Kong ‘‘will enjoy a high de- be revoked under certain cir- to get the previous administration to designate Boko Haram as a terrorist organization. They gree of autonomy except in foreign and de- cumstances, and they have affirmed fense affairs’’ and ‘‘will be vested with execu- the authority of the State Department finally did so in 2013, but how many potential tive, legislative and independent judicial to revoke passports in specific cases terrorists may have gotten through before then power including that of final adjudication’’; based upon national security reasons. and acquire sufficient status to receive a U.S. Whereas Hong Kong’s autonomy under the This bill allows for due process of passport? We also need to use the FTO des- ‘‘one country, two systems’’ policy, as dem- those people who have their passports ignation to identify those giving support to ter- onstrated by its highly developed rule of law, revoked. This is a good step in pro- rorist organizations, especially in cases of independent judiciary, and respect for the rights of individuals, has continued to make tecting the United States. This is bi- such support coming from those living in the Hong Kong the preferred residence for over partisan legislation. I think it is very United States who could be or potentially 85,000 United States citizens, and at least important that we take this step. could be U.S. passport holders. 1,400 United States businesses operate in Once again, my prayers, our prayers, As I said earlier, I consider H.R. 425 a com- Hong Kong; are for those folks in New York. But, Whereas the Joint Declaration and the mon sense measure on which to build, but we Mr. Speaker, we are not going to allow Basic Law declare that the lifestyle and so- terrorists to have their day. We are not must take steps to make this bill as meaning- cial and economic systems in Hong Kong will going to allow them to have their way. ful as it must be for our security. I ask my col- remain unchanged for 50 years after the 1997 And that is just the way it is. leagues to approve this legislation. reversion; Whereas the Basic Law guarantees Hong I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. HIG- Kong residents the freedoms of speech, press, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I GINS of Louisiana). The question is on publication, association, assembly, dem- rise in support of H.R. 425—the FTO Passport the motion offered by the gentleman onstration, religious belief and activity, aca- Revocation Act of 2017—by my friend and col- from Texas (Mr. POE) that the House demic research, and the rights to form league Chairman TED POE. I cannot help but suspend the rules and pass the bill, unions and to strike, among others; see this measure as a common sense tactic to H.R. 425, as amended. Whereas the Basic Law also guarantees prevent terrorists from entering or re-entering Hong Kong residents the right to vote and to The question was taken; and (two- our country. However, more needs to be done stand for election; thirds being in the affirmative) the Whereas although the Basic Law states to build on this useful foundation for security rules were suspended and the bill, as that ‘‘the ultimate aim is the selection of from terrorists originating in this country or for- amended, was passed. the Chief Executive by universal suffrage eign-based terrorists. upon nomination by a broadly representative Just yesterday, the streets of New York A motion to reconsider was laid on nominating committee in accordance with were the scene of carnage caused by a man the table. democratic procedures’’, the actual process

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00069 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.123 H01NOPT1 H8366 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 for nominating eligible Chief Executive can- Whereas on November 15, 2016, the High Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I yield my- didates remains heavily influenced by the Court ruled that the oaths taken by Yau self such time as I may consume. Government of China; Wai-ching and Baggio Leung Chung-hang Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize Whereas widespread frustration with the were invalid, and barred the two from serv- Ranking Member ENGEL for author- lack of progress toward a democratic selec- ing as members of the Legislative Council; tion of candidates for Chief Executive pro- Whereas on December 16, 2016, then Chief izing this important measure on Hong voked large-scale public demonstrations in Executive Leung Chun-ying and Secretary of Kong, the city once known as the Pearl late 2014, popularly known as the ‘‘Umbrella Justice Rimsky Yuen Kwok-keung filed for of the Orient. Movement’’, that involved hundreds of thou- judicial review of the oaths taken by Lau I commend the gentleman for strong- sands of demonstrators and the occupation Sui-lai, Nathan Law, Leung Kwok-hung, and ly advocating for Hong Kong’s contin- of certain public spaces for as long as 79 Edward Yiu Chung-yim; ued adherence to the ‘‘one country, two days; Whereas on July 14, 2017, the High Court systems’’ policy that has allowed for Whereas, although Hong Kong continues to ruled that the oaths taken by Lau Sui-lai, Hong Kong’s autonomy and prosperity enjoy high levels of economic freedom and Nathan Law, Leung Kwok-hung, and Edward for so long. I was happy to join him as judicial independence, certain recent actions Yiu Chung-yim were invalid and barred the by the Government of China are inconsistent four of them from serving as members of the an original cosponsor of this important with its stated commitments to Hong Kong’s Legislative Council; measure. high degree of autonomy and the preserva- Whereas in August 2017, the Hong Kong During a recent trip that I led to tion of the rule of law; Government appealed the original sentences Hong Kong, I heard firsthand how Whereas international press reported that of three ‘‘Umbrella Movement’’ leaders, measures like this are helpful in keep- from October through December 2015, four Joshua Wong, Nathan Law, and Alex Chow ing the pressure on Beijing to keep its employees of Mighty Current publishing and asked for prison time after they had al- commitment to the Joint Declaration. house and its affiliated bookstore, Causeway ready completed their previous community Twenty years have now passed since Bay Books, a Hong Kong seller of publica- service sentences; tions critical of Chinese leadership, dis- Whereas the Hong Kong Court of Appeal the handover of Hong Kong from the appeared under suspicious circumstances subsequently imposed prison sentences on United Kingdom to the People’s Repub- from Hong Kong, Thailand, and mainland Joshua Wong, Nathan Law, and Alex Chow of lic of China. At the time, the U.S. Con- China, in potentially the most serious breach six, seven, and eight months respectively, gress played a vital role in the con- of the ‘‘one country, two systems’’ policy which effectively bars them from running for tinuity of the U.S. relationship with since 1997, which has had a chilling effect on political office for five years; and Hong Kong by passing the Hong Kong the freedoms of speech and publication in Whereas these developments have called Policy Act in 1992. This act established Hong Kong; into question Hong Kong’s highly developed that the U.S. would treat Hong Kong as Whereas international press reported rule of law, independent judiciary, and re- that— spect for individual rights, which are funda- a nonsovereign entity distinct from (1) Gui Minhai, a Swedish citizen and the mental to its way of life and economic pros- China on commercial, cultural, and law co-owner of Mighty Current, was last seen in perity: Now, therefore, be it enforcement matters so long as it re- Thailand in October 2015; Resolved, That the House of Representa- mained ‘‘sufficiently autonomous.’’ (2) The general manager of Mighty Cur- tives— Since the handover, Hong Kong has rent, Lui Bo, and the business manager, (1) recognizes, consistent with the United continued to be a global economic Cheung Jiping, disappeared while on a visit States-Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992, that— force and a financial hub. In recent to mainland China around October 2015; and (A) Hong Kong continues to play an impor- years, however, it has also begun to tant role in today’s regional and world econ- (3) Lee Bo, who holds British and Chinese face increased social, economic, and citizenship and is a permanent resident of omy, with strong economic, cultural, and other ties to the United States; political challenges, including external Hong Kong, disappeared from Hong Kong on pressures. December 30, 2015; (B) respect for civil liberties, open mar- Whereas Mr. Lui, Mr. Cheung, and Mr. Lee kets, rule of law, and judicial independence Mr. Speaker, we saw the Umbrella each briefly returned to Hong Kong in March are all integral aspects of Hong Kong’s life- Movement protest in 2014, which was 2016 to ask Hong Kong police to drop their style and social and economic systems; and led by youth seeking to liberalize the missing persons’ cases before immediately (C) the authority of the United States Gov- electoral system and introduce true returning to mainland China; ernment to treat Hong Kong as a non-sov- universal suffrage to Hong Kong in ac- Whereas Lam Wing Kee, another Causeway ereign entity distinct from China, for the cordance with the Joint Declaration Bay Books bookseller, testified before the purposes of United States laws relating to trade, finance, transportation, economic and between Great Britain and China. In Congressional-Executive Commission on the intervening years, we have wit- China that he was detained by officials in cultural exchange, travel, law enforcement Shenzhen, China on October 24, 2015, moved cooperation, export controls, and other mat- nessed booksellers kidnapped from to a detention facility more than 1,300 miles ters, depends on Hong Kong remaining suffi- Hong Kong, Thailand, and Mainland away, and held incommunicado and sub- ciently autonomous; and China; legislator oaths being invali- jected to ‘‘endless interrogation’’ for seven (2) urges adherence to the ‘‘one country, dated; and the jailing of protest lead- and half months, during which he was forced two systems’’ policy established by the Joint ers. to produce multiple, coerced confessions of Declaration and the Basic Law with respect For many of us here in Congress, to— ‘‘selling books illegally’’; there is growing concern about the ap- Whereas on November 7, 2016, while the (A) Hong Kong’s exercise of a high degree of autonomy; parent increased role of Beijing in the Hong Kong High Court was considering its affairs of Hong Kong. Therefore, Mr. final ruling to determine if the oaths sworn (B) its enjoyment of executive, legislative, by certain Legislative Council candidates and independent judicial power; and Speaker, it is important to reiterate were in accordance with Article 104 of the (C) the robust protection of the funda- here today that our special treatment Basic Law, the Standing Committee of the mental rights of Hong Kong residents guar- of Hong Kong is dependent upon it re- NPC issued its own interpretation of Article anteed by Chapter III of the Basic Law. maining sufficiently autonomous. We 104 of the Basic Law in an attempt to fore- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- want to see Hong Kong’s highly devel- close the opportunity for the legislators- ant to the rule, the gentleman from oped rule of law, independent judiciary, elect to retake their oaths and assume office; Florida (Mr. YOHO) and the gentleman and respect for individual freedoms re- Whereas that interpretation of Article 104 from New York (Mr. ENGEL) each will main as the lifeblood of Hong Kong and by the Standing Committee of the NPC rep- control 20 minutes. resented the first time it had issued such an its economic prosperity as guaranteed, interpretation while a Hong Kong judge was The Chair recognizes the gentleman again, by China and Great Britain in deliberating on the case in question and only from Florida. the Joint Declaration. the second time it had done so in the absence GENERAL LEAVE Passage of this resolution dem- of a request from Hong Kong authorities; Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unani- onstrates our support for the continu- Whereas according to the Hong Kong Bar mous consent that all Members may ation of the ‘‘one country, two sys- Association, that preemptive interpretation have 5 legislative days to revise and ex- tems’’ policy in Hong Kong, so I urge was ‘‘unnecessary and inappropriate’’ and tend their remarks and include extra- my colleagues to join me in support of ‘‘created the impression that the [Standing Committee] is effectively legislating for neous material on this measure. this measure. Hong Kong, thereby casting doubts on the The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there I reserve the balance of my time. commitment of the Central People’s Govern- objection to the request of the gen- Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield my- ment to abide by the principles of ‘one coun- tleman from Florida? self such time as I may consume. try, two systems’ ’’; There was no objection. I rise in support of this measure.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00070 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A01NO7.062 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8367 Let me start by thanking our chair- cance.’’ But the UK and the United country, two systems’’ approach. That man on the Foreign Affairs Committee, States believe in international law, and is also the reason why the United ED ROYCE of California, for his leader- we are committed to holding China to States shares such a strong strategic ship and for working with me to bring its word, again, a ‘‘one country, two relationship with Hong Kong. this measure forward. systems’’ form of government in Hong This resolution is a reminder of why I introduced this resolution with Kong. our ties with Hong Kong are so impor- Representatives CHABOT, YOHO, SHER- This approach was experimental tant, and a call for all parties to re- MAN, and SMITH, and I want to thank when the Chinese and British first de- spect the decades-old commitments them all for their partnership. vised it. You may remember that Hong that have underpinned Hong Kong’s au- I really listened intently to Mr. YOHO Kong was a British colony. The Chinese tonomy. At a time when China is grow- and also know that we make progress Government essentially said that Hong ing more and more aggressive in its on the Foreign Affairs Committee be- Kong would continue to have its own neighborhood, the United States can- cause, as Mr. POE of Texas said, we executive, legislative, and judicial not be seen as ceding ground. We need work in bipartisan measure, and we try rights, that the people of Hong Kong to stand up for our friends. We need to to agree on the language and we try to would continue to enjoy fundamental stand up for our values. We need to make sure that the U.S. Congress rights guaranteed in Hong Kong’s laws. stand up for our interests. We need to speaks with one voice so that both our But Beijing is now backing away from hold all countries to their commit- friends and adversaries around the its commitments, even declaring the ments, just as the United States lives world will understand that we put par- Joint Declaration a historical docu- up to our own. tisanship aside. We leave it at the ment with no relevance today. I ask for all Members to support this water’s edge, and I think that is very Meddling in Hong Kong’s elections by measure. I thank our chairman, ED important. China’s National People’s Congress led ROYCE, and Mr. YOHO for their re- I think the kind of people the For- to the Umbrella protests in 2014. Hong marks. eign Affairs Committee attracts to Kong residents critical of the People’s Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance serve on the committee, on both sides Republic of China have disappeared, of my time. of the aisle, are the kind who keep per- while the presence of the People’s Lib- Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I yield my- petuating this bipartisan spirit because eration Army has grown. self such time as I may consume. we have differences in policies, for The credibility of Hong Kong’s courts I, too, want to thank the ranking sure, but we are all Americans. We all has suffered following decisions to send member, Mr. ENGEL; Mr. ROYCE, the want to keep each other safe, and we Umbrella Movement student leaders to chairman of the committee; Doug An- all want to make sure that America prison after they had already served derson; and, of course, Hunter Strupp. I does the right thing and that others do their previous sentences. Academic chair the Asia and the Pacific Sub- the right thing to America as well. freedoms have eroded. Self-censorship committee of the Foreign Affairs Com- So when we have the incident like we has grown, and journalists face regular mittee. It has been a bipartisan com- had yesterday with the terrible ter- harassment. mittee, and to see everybody come to- rorist attack in Manhattan, it makes So we are worried, Mr. Speaker. We gether to work on these different situa- us pause, as a Congress, and think are worried about Chinese encroach- tions, and different bills and resolu- about what this all means. ment, about what is going to happen to tions, it is so important that we People in Hong Kong were made the people of Hong Kong, and about the project a unified body. promises as well. They were made way China’s newly aggressive posture I would think China, as they move promises years ago that China would is going to affect our relationship with forward, would look hard to honor be one country, including Hong Kong, Hong Kong in the future. their commitment that they made be- but two systems, that Hong Kong Twenty years after accepting the so- cause it is not just Hong Kong they are would be its independent system. And, called ‘‘one country, two systems’’ influencing. It is all of the other coun- of course, the Chinese officials and Bei- model, China’s objective now seems to tries in the world, and it will deter- jing regime have tried every which way be making Hong Kong and the main- mine future negotiations on how to go after student protesting, curbing land ‘‘one country, one system.’’ This China, Beijing, honors their commit- the rights and values of the people of is not what the government in Beijing, ment that they made with Hong Kong Hong Kong, so this resolution is really the international community, the that the other nations will look at. very, very important. United States, Great Britain, or the Hong Kong plays an important role I thank, again, Representatives people of Hong Kong signed up for. in today’s regional and world economy. SMITH, SHERMAN, YOHO, and CHABOT. So this issue raises bigger questions, Its open market and strong rule of law But I also want to recognize Doug An- Mr. Speaker: have served as an example to the re- derson and Sean O’Neill on the chair- To what degree will the Chinese Gov- gion of how freedom and a rules-based man’s staff for their contributions to ernment live up to its international society can foster a positive environ- this resolution, and Jennifer commitments as China continues to ex- ment for its people’s happiness and Hendrixson-White on my staff. It is a pand economically and grow in stature prosperity. great example, again, of bipartisanship on the global stage? The U.S. has benefited greatly from when it comes to foreign policy. We This measure says, ‘‘Enough.’’ It strong economic cultural ties to Hong work together and we produce what I sends a message to China that we in Kong, and I would venture to say, the regard as superior products. the United States Congress expect Bei- world has benefited from that. We want For decades, Mr. Speaker, the United jing to keep its word. That is not ask- to continue this relationship, but to do States has shared an important, unique ing too much. It reiterates that our so, Hong Kong must remain suffi- relationship with Hong Kong. That re- special bond with Hong Kong is based ciently autonomous. Our President is lationship has been based on Hong on our shared values, the values of de- headed on a 5-country, 12-day tour of Kong’s autonomy from Mainland mocracy, and that we want to see that the Asia area at the end of the week, China. This resolution underscores our relationship endure for years to come. and it will be his first time visiting national security interest in seeing So I am grateful to my colleagues for China as President. Hong Kong remain autonomous at a working on this measure with me, es- With this resolution, we send a time when we have seen some troubling pecially Mr. YOHO. I ask support from strong message from Congress about trends. all Members. our support for Hong Kong’s continued Twenty years ago, at the time of the prosperity and special status. Thus, we handover, China made a commitment b 1900 urge faithfulness to the ‘‘one country, that Hong Kong would continue to In closing, Mr. Speaker, let me again two systems’’ policy, as established by enjoy its special status. Today, China remind everyone that Hong Kong is the joint declaration and the basic law claims that the 1997 Joint Declaration special because of its judicial independ- with respect to Hong Kong’s autonomy is a so-called ‘‘historical document’’ ence and strong rule of law that is sup- and its enjoyment of the executive, that has, again, ‘‘no practical signifi- posed to be protected under the ‘‘one legislative, and judicial powers. Hong

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00071 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.125 H01NOPT1 H8368 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 Kong’s independent judiciary must be prisoners. Though Joshua Wong and Nathan northern California home as it was de- sacrosanct. Law are out on bail at the moment pending an stroyed by wildfire. What began as the In closing, I would like to thank appeal, they face other charges and may be faint smell of a distant fire quickly Ranking Member ENGEL again and the put back in prison in the future. They likely will turned to tragedy as the area sur- original cosponsors: Mr. SMITH, Mr. not be the last political prisoners in Hong rounding Stanley’s longtime home was CHABOT, Mr. SHERMAN, and CONNOLLY. Kong, as other Umbrella Movement leaders ignited rapidly by a fast-approaching Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance were convicted recently, including Professor fire. As Stan and Roseann attempted a of my time. Benny Tai. hurried evacuation, the house was en- Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I Senator MARCO RUBIO and I, with whom I gulfed by flames before they could es- commend Ranking Member, Mr. ENGEL, along cochair the CECC, have announced our inten- cape. with Chairman YOHO, Mr. CHABOT, and Mr. tion to nominate Hong Kong pro-democracy Stan was a retired attorney, born in SHERMAN, for introducing H. Res. 422. Umbrella Movement for the 2018 Nobel Peace San Francisco, but lived his last 50 I am an original cosponsor of this legisla- Prize. I hope all Members will consider signing years in the mountains of Loma Rica, tion. As the Cochair of the bipartisan and bi- on to that initiative. California. Roseann was a resident of cameral Congressional-Executive Commission I support this resolution, but it should not be Grass Valley, California. Both she and on China, I have been gravely concerned by our last word. In 1992, the U.S. Congress Stan were very valued members of the Chinese government’s efforts to curtail passed the Hong Kong Policy Act, saying that their communities. Our thoughts and prayers are with Hong Kong’s autonomy and crush pro-democ- U.S. policy toward Hong Kong was contingent racy voices in this city. the Coolidge and Hannah families as we on the preservation of Hong Kong’s autonomy Twenty years ago, China promised to guar- ask the Lord’s blessings for comfort and freedoms. With these fundamental ele- antee Hong Kong’s autonomy and freedoms and healing at this very tragic, very for 50 years through the Sino-British Joint ments being diminished by the Chinese gov- sad time, as well as the families of all Declaration. These promises have been need- ernment, we should consider amending a bill who we have lost as a result of the fires lessly strained in recent years, calling into passed 25 years ago to better protect U.S. in- in the West. question the viability of a ‘One Country, Two terests. Stan and Roseann, you will be Systems’ model that has provided great bene- That is why I introduced, along with Con- missed. gressman TIM WALZ (a fellow CECC Commis- fits to both China and the world. f The threats to Hong Kong’s autonomy and sioner), the Hong Kong Human Rights & De- TAX REFORM NEEDS TO BE its freedoms are progressing. At the recent mocracy Act (H.R. 3856)—a bill that I intro- NEGOTIATED OPENLY 19th Party Congress, Communist Party Gen- duced in the last Congress and which has eral Secretary and President Xi Jinping reiter- been introduced by Senator MARCO RUBIO and (Ms. KAPTUR asked and was given ated the fact that Hong Kong’s autonomy is Senator BEN CARDIN in the Senate. permission to address the House for 1 limited by Beijing’s ‘‘comprehensive jurisdic- If Hong Kong is to be just another Chinese minute and to revise and extend her re- tion’’—meaning that Beijing has the final say city, then we have the responsibility to reas- marks.) Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, let me on what freedoms are exercised in Hong Kong sess whether Hong Kong warrants special sta- begin by saying to my brother, Steve, and who gets to lead the city’s government. tus under U.S. law. On October 11, 2017, a British human rights We all have a stake in ensuring Hong Kong back in Ohio: I am so very proud of activist, Benedict Rogers, was denied access remains an open city, with the rule of law and you, your courage, your goodness, and your honor. to Hong Kong by the Chinese government. Mr. guaranteed rights currently unavailable in Mainland China. Mr. Speaker, meanwhile, President Rogers was also warned not to continue meet- Trump and the Republicans are doing ing with pro-democracy supporters in Hong I support passage of this bill and thank the gentleman from New York for his leadership everything to railroad tax breaks Kong by the Chinese Embassy in London. through this Congress to the top 1 per- Beijing is now telling foreigners with whom on this issue. cent with no open hearings, with deals they can meet in Hong Kong and barring entry The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by being cut in the Speaker’s office. So I to those who will not comply. say: Whoa. This is a chilling development that should be the gentleman from Florida (Mr. YOHO) that the House suspend the rules and It is worth taking a step back to talk a concern from all countries and corporations about what a good tax plan contains. A that have an interest in Hong Kong’s free- agree to the resolution, H. Res. 422, as amended. good tax plan puts money back in the doms. Maintaining these freedoms and the pockets of middle class working fami- rule of law are vital economic interests of the The question was taken; and (two- thirds being in the affirmative) the lies and small business owners. A good United States. tax plan spurs job creation right here rules were suspended and the resolu- The governments and legislatures of the UK in the U.S.A. Yet everything we have tion, as amended, was agreed to. and the United States should work together to seen and heard from the Republicans The title of the resolution was ensure that the Sino-Declaration Joint Dec- does exactly the opposite. laration remains in force to protect Hong amended so as to read: ‘‘A resolution The goal should be to create more Kong’s unique way of life. urging adherence to the ‘one country, stability in our economy, not raise the Xi Jinping also said recently about Hong two systems’ policy as prescribed in deficit. We have got to stop businesses Kong that he would ‘‘never allow anyone, any the Joint Declaration between the Gov- from shipping jobs overseas as compa- organization, or any political party, to separate ernment of the United Kingdom of nies hold their money offshore. They any part of Chinese territory from China . . . Great Britain and the Government of should bring it back home. and that attempts to endanger China’s sov- the People’s Republic of China on the Tax reform shouldn’t be negotiated ereignty and security, to challenge the power Question of Hong Kong.’’. in secret. Why should lobbyists know of the central government . . . [crosses] the A motion to reconsider was laid on more about the bill than Members of red line.’’ the table. Congress? A tax bill shouldn’t explode Given Beijing’s expansive view of its own f our deficit or threaten your 401(k) plan security to include anyone peacefully seeking HONORING THE PASSING OF STAN- or hurt Medicare and Medicaid. political reforms or rights protections, these LEY COOLIDGE AND ROSEANN It is time for Republicans to do their are ominous words indeed. jobs, put forward a budget-balancing HANNAH Beijing has ramped up efforts to destroy the tax plan that helps American families, pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong. This (Mr. LAMALFA asked and was given not just billionaires and multimillion- past year, six elected legislators were disquali- permission to address the House for 1 aires; and bring the plan forward in fied after the National People’s Congress in- minute and to revise and extend his re- sunlight, not backroom dealings. tervened in Hong Kong’s judiciary. Then, in marks.) f August, a Hong Kong court issued heavier Mr. LAMALFA. Mr. Speaker, it is sentences for Joshua Wong, Nathan Law, and with great sadness I rise tonight to STOP HABITUAL ILLEGAL BORDER Alex Chow, leaders of the peaceful Umbrella honor the passing of Stanley Coolidge CROSSERS Movement of 2014. and his fiancee, Roseann Hannah. (Mr. POE of Texas asked and was Mr. Wong, Mr. Law, and Mr. Chow should Their lives were tragically lost on given permission to address the House now be considered Hong Kong’s first political October 9, 2017, while trapped in their for 1 minute.)

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00072 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.127 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8369 Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Ser- GENERAL LEAVE through a college or a postsecondary gio Jose Martinez was trolling a park- Mr. MITCHELL. Mr. Speaker, I ask program. Think about how much ing garage in sanctuary city Portland, unanimous consent that all Members money goes into that. Yet we operate Oregon, armed with a knife. He set his have 5 legislative days to revise and ex- in a vacuum on information. sights on his prey, a defenseless 65- tend their remarks and include extra- When you shop online, you are able year-old woman, and he attacked her. neous material on the topic of my Spe- to compare products, you are able to But the woman fought back and cial Order. compare costs, you are able to compare pressed the panic button in her car. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there features, the value to the consumer. At Martinez, the coward, fled the scene, objection to the request of the gen- this point in time, try to do that about but he was caught. Get this, Mr. tleman from Michigan? programs at a college, university, or Speaker: Martinez, after serving sev- There was no objection. career school. Try to compare one uni- eral stints in U.S. penitentiaries, has Mr. MITCHELL. Mr. Speaker, today versity’s nursing program to another; been deported over 20 times. But the is the early action deadline for many or the architecture program, or history criminal does his time, gets deported, colleges in the United States. Thou- program, or the nursing program in a and just comes back into the United sands of students who are submitting college. Try to find that information. States. their applications are anxiously hoping You won’t find it online. Try to call Our border protectors do the best for entry into a college, community the university. Good luck on that. they can, but they are outmanned, college, or postsecondary school. It is not that they don’t try to pro- outgunned, and outfinanced by the As students try to determine what vide it. In fact, they provide reams of drug cartels, criminal gangs, and out- schools are right for them, it is clear data. The reality is that the current laws trying to enter the United States. they are missing some key informa- system simply doesn’t gather that data The Border Security for America Act tion—information we all wish we had in a manner that is useful to con- authorizes a border wall, both physical for our children: How likely are they to sumers, the people that ultimately pay and virtual, puts more boots on the graduate? How long will it take to earn the bill. ground, more boats in the water, and a degree or their certificate? How like- The College Transparency Act would gives more equipment to our law en- ly are they to find a job? How much enable students to answer crucial ques- forcement. money will they earn if they do find a tions, such as how likely they are to We must keep criminals like Mar- job? enter the workforce successfully, or tinez out of the United States. As a parent, I know this information what their chances are of transferring And that is just the way it is. will be helpful. That is why I intro- from a community college to a 4-year f duced the College Transparency Act. college and being able to graduate. My legislation would utilize and make Students past and present are owners DIVERSITY IMMIGRANT VISA of the $1.4 trillion outstanding Federal PROGRAM NEEDS TO END meaning out of the data we currently gather at the Federal level to enable debt, and the clock is ticking. It is (Mr. DONOVAN asked and was given students and parents to make informed time for students, families, and guid- permission to address the House for 1 decisions. ance counselors involved in the college minute.) decisionmaking process to be able to Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to I have over 35 years in workforce de- velopment and postsecondary edu- assist students and have access to in- mourn those lost and injured in yester- formation that will make this huge in- day’s terror attack in New York City. cation. I understand the difficulties that people have in making informed vestment make sense. Otherwise, we The New York City Police Department leave young people to make decisions decisions about what is best for their is truly the greatest police force in the based on: Well, those colors on the future career. I also understand the re- world, and they showed us why yester- band uniform are really cool; or they porting expectations for career colleges day. have a good football team; or it seems and universities. I understand which It is this body’s obligation to pursue like they have a really nice social life. policies that help prevent and recover institutions have the information But, ultimately, what we are making from terrorist attacks. It is a responsi- available and how they provide it. I is an investment into the future of our bility I am privileged to share as chair- also understand the burdens that occur children and the future of this country. man of the Homeland Security Com- in providing that information. They have massive money invested, Despite the incredible investment in- mittee’s Subcommittee on Emergency and let’s be honest, we all do as tax- volved and the risk in pursuing a post- Preparedness, Response, and Commu- payers as well. We have a huge invest- secondary education, we and students nications. ment in the preparation of young peo- are left with too little information to The alleged perpetrator came to our ple for the workforce. country legally using the Diversity Im- answer the most basic questions: What It is time to streamline and update migrant Visa program. As a matter of can students expect to pay out of pock- our higher education information sys- security and commonsense, an immi- et? Can you imagine that really they tem so that families and students can gration system that selects winners cannot determine how much it will make better decisions on their path to like a game of bingo should end. cost them to complete a postsecondary long-term success. It is time to utilize I also ask that Congress consider the program? How do students fare in the and make meaning out of the data we bipartisan STOP Act, legislation I pro- labor market after leaving college? currently collect to assist them in posed with Mr. ESPAILLAT from New How likely are they to fare in order to making the choice. York to help local jurisdictions install enter into the labor market? How do b 1915 protective bollards in areas with high students fare on other metrics of suc- pedestrian traffic. Vehicle attacks are cess we all consider important, like The question I am asked is: Why did tough to prevent, but the STOP Act earnings, and loan repayment? I submit the College Transparency will protect Americans and make them A prospective student doesn’t have Act? I spent 35 years operating a pri- safer. the information about which programs vate career school group and working Mr. Speaker, I send prayers for the at which institutions provide an ade- in workforce development. I worked at injured and the families of the lost. quate return on their investment, and Chrysler Corporation, moved to an- f on their parents’ investment. other company, and also retired out of As a consumer and a father, it is dif- that field. COLLEGES NEED TO BE MORE ficult for me to wrap my head around The point is, I have worked in the TRANSPARENT the idea that Americans have so little field for 35 years. I understand the data The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under information about potentially what that is reported. I understand the chal- the Speaker’s announced policy of Jan- may be the largest investment they lenges that people have in trying to uary 3, 2017, the gentleman from Michi- make in their lives, and certainly, the sort out what is the best career path gan (Mr. MITCHELL) is recognized for 60 second largest. I am the father of six for them, how likely are they to suc- minutes as the designee of the major- children. The reality is that we are in- ceed in that career path, and what is it ity leader. vesting and putting six children going to cost to go to school?

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00073 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.129 H01NOPT1 H8370 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 This information all exists—and we I ask you, Mr. Speaker, can you tion works best when consumers can will talk about that tonight—but it make any sense of that? I have worked actually find out information and isn’t made available in some coherent 35 years in that field. I will tell you make rational decisions. They can manner to students, and we need to fix that a student enrollment for one sys- compare complete information. They that. tem doesn’t match the definition of en- can compare the offerings, the costs, We also can’t tell students how long, rollment in another system, it doesn’t and the outcomes. on average, it takes them to complete match the definition in the State sys- With that competition, we can, in their program. It used to be the day tem, yet we all report that informa- fact, address one of the other concerns where they used to call them 4-year tion. Graduate information is all dif- we have, which is: What is the cost of colleges. The reality, as you well know, ferent depending on the system. None higher education? We can compare it Mr. Speaker, is 4-year colleges are now of the definitions match. not just on what you pay for tuition, a dream, 5 years is the norm, and 6 Now, if we can’t get definitions to room and board, but the return on in- years is not uncommon, yet we don’t match internally in a system between vestment. What do they get for their talk about the cost it takes to do that. State accrediting agencies and the time and money in a postsecondary Again, we don’t talk about the likeli- Federal Government, how is it we ex- education program? hood of completing even if you attend pect students and how are parents to More importantly, choices will be 6 years. The reality is we have to fix understand whether they are likely to made by consumers and not the Fed- that. complete the program? And, by the eral Government. We have seen how In my 35 years of dealing with the way, none of this information ade- that works in so many ways, and the system, what became clear to me is it quately reports student outcomes in Federal Government should not be is outdated, it is burdensome, it is terms of employment and doesn’t pro- making choices about the future of unhelpful, and it conflicts. It led me to vide them any information on what Americans. start working on the College Trans- they are likely to earn. And guess If we arm consumers with that infor- parency Act as soon as I came to Con- what? Earnings matter in terms of mation to make informed decisions, gress. It was the first bill that I their ability to pay their student loans then we can remove the Federal Gov- dropped and submitted in Congress. It back. News flash to everybody: it helps ernment from the business of deter- is the one I spent the most time on. if they know what they are going to mining quality in education and let Why? Because we have a huge invest- make. consumers and accrediting agencies ad- ment in postsecondary education, and, A 2015 study completed by Boston dress that. The bill also replaces a number of re- even more importantly, we have a huge Consulting Group indicated $11.1 bil- porting requirements that the Federal investment preparing a labor force. lion is spent by institutions to comply I have not gone to an employer since Government has, most notably what is with regulations specific to colleges I was sworn into office that has not called the IPED survey. I did them for and universities. We don’t need more said to me: We can’t find people with years. Routinely, we get questions that regulations. Good God, help us. We the skills to go to work. don’t match their definitions because have plenty—we have plenty of report- Yet we have people who have grad- their definitions made no sense for ing. uated from college who can’t find jobs many institutions. One of the most significant findings that relate to their degree. We have Thirdly, the bill aims to provide people who will go to college for an ex- of the study was that small and me- transparency to its students by requir- tended period of time or to a postsec- dium colleges are disproportionately ing they be posted in a searchable data- ondary program who don’t complete, impacted by those Federal regulations base, and the costs would be identified but they meander their way through. with compliance eating up a much there. They get lost. They don’t have the in- larger share of expenditures than the Let me go through real quickly in formation to make an informed deci- wealthier institutions. that chart the information that will be sion, and then somehow, sometimes, While we say we need more options available that is not currently avail- frankly, we blame the consumer. for continuing and postsecondary edu- able on a searchable basis. You can get It is our fault. It is our fault here. It cation, for career and technical edu- enrollment patterns, you can get is our fault at the Federal Government. cation at the postsecondary level, we progress to completion, and you can We are making a huge investment, and are killing those institutions with get completion rates. Do you graduate we expect everybody else to cure the rules and regulations of reporting that from a program? Imagine that. You can problem. Better information on out- give us that, that isn’t useful to the find that out, and it is the same defini- comes in student success will certainly public that has to make a decision. tion whether it is the University of assist in closing the skills gap that we Imagine that. Michigan or Michigan State where I at- talk about nearly every day here in We have an opportunity to fix that tended. Wouldn’t that be a great idea? Congress and certainly every day in with the Higher Education Act. We You can find out about their the Education and the Workforce Com- have an opportunity to fix that with postcollege earnings. It is really help- mittee when we meet. the College Transparency Act. We have ful. Most people go to college or a post- Senators HATCH, WARREN, CASSIDY, an opportunity now. secondary school to find a job, earn and WHITEHOUSE share my concern. On There are three main goals of the some money, and support their family. the Senate side, they have introduced a bill. This chart will show you what the Can they do that? What is likely to be similar bill—almost identical—to ad- bill will collect. First and most impor- the outcome? dress this critical issue. I believe on tantly, the goal is to provide accurate The cost of the program? I mentioned this issue we can get bipartisan sup- and complete information that is that a couple of times. It is not just port to move forward with an approach searchable for students and can be cus- tuition and room and board. The re- to inform the public and the consumers tomized. Think about it. How many ality is that, depending on the pro- about the decision they will make with people have shopped for an automobile? gram, your costs are significantly dif- their money and, to be honest with They have on the website a comparison ferent. My 18- almost 19-year-old step- you, our investment in their future. of whatever vehicle to other similar ve- daughter attends an art school. Well, The current system is massively bro- hicles sold by other manufacturers. beyond tuition and room and board, ken. This chart will show the current You can compare them dealer to deal- there are huge costs for art supplies. reporting system for higher education er. You can get an idea what features Now, we knew that. I have experience in the United States today. If you can are there. Shop for whatever you want, in education. There are a lot of people possibly read it from there—and we and then tell me if you can find that who start these programs who don’t will get it submitted for the RECORD— about any educational program offered understand there are other costs and these are all the groups that gather by postsecondary institutions. what those may be. This process re- data, all the places it goes, and all the This addresses that issue while re- quires reporting of that from the col- information that is exchanged about ducing reporting burdens on institu- leges. students going to postsecondary edu- tions. I believe, and I think most of our Also, information about financial aid cation in the United States. party believes, that market competi- that is available for those institutions

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00074 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.131 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8371 so they can compare program to pro- fact that right now our children attend Mr. GARRETT. Mr. Speaker, I would gram, institution to institution, and universities deprived of information note that institutions from the Univer- make a decision that is best for them that might help them make better sity of Virginia to the entire Virginia and their family. That is what we are choices. community college system have en- trying to achieve here. It is achievable. So this increases transparency. It dorsed this commonsense piece of legis- Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman creates informed consumers. It allows lation. It is a shame we haven’t done it from Virginia (Mr. GARRETT) who will individuals to decide for themselves sooner. Let us not miss the oppor- speak for a few moments on the bill which college or university might offer tunity to pass this now. and its advantages. a program that they are interested in, Mr. MITCHELL. Mr. Speaker, I ap- Mr. GARRETT. Mr. Speaker, I want is the best investment of their time, preciate my colleague noting both the to thank my colleague, Congressman and perhaps their or their parents’ or bipartisan nature of this legislation MITCHELL, for his leadership in this the government’s money. It informs both in the House and the United amazingly important area, and also to payers to that very end, whether that States Senate, which, as you well point out the bipartisan nature of this payer is the student, a family member, know, Mr. Speaker, some days around bill not only, Mr. Speaker, to you, but or the State of which they are a resi- here is hard to achieve. to those people who might be watching dent. It gives us a return on the invest- Let me note real quickly we have a at home at a time when it seems that ment. listing, which I will put up now, of the we can’t agree on anything, here we The fact that this data has been col- institutions and organizations that have an agreement in a College Trans- lected low these many years, and it support the College Transparency Act. parency Act in how to ensure a better took the leadership of Mr. MITCHELL We are now at over 90 groups that have investment for the futures of our chil- and good folks like JARED POLIS work- indicated their support for this legisla- dren. ing across the aisle to get us to this tion and the need for this legislation. Now, there are those who have op- point, is lamentable, but we have the I know it is difficult to read from posed this bill, and I can’t really wrap opportunity in the College Trans- there, but in a moment I will talk more parency Act to correct these wrongs, my brain around it, Mr. Speaker. about some of these institutions. not to reburden our universities with Someone suggested that this might Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman more data collection requirements, but grow government. But that is abso- from Ohio (Mr. STIVERS), who is my to take the data that is already being lutely not true. As a matter of fact, the colleague and good friend. Yes, he is collected and give it to the end users, data that would be made available in from Ohio and roots for Ohio State. I this act is already collected. But the the students. So it is with that that I again offer a went to Michigan State, but I will cer- problem is that that data is collected, hearty congratulations to Congress- tainly yield to Mr. STIVERS to talk fur- and then it is siloed and accessible only ther about the College Transparency man MITCHELL, a begrudging ‘‘I wish I to institutions or government entities had thought of that,’’ and I implore my Act. and not to the end user. That strikes colleagues on both sides of the aisle Mr. STIVERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise me as illogical, at best, and stupid, at that while we already collect this data, today to speak in support of H.R. 2434, worst. we do not disseminate it where it the College Transparency Act. I want Someone says it burdens colleges would be most useful, and that is to to thank my good friend from Michi- with data collection requirements, yet, the end users. I hope that all can find gan, Congressman MITCHELL, for his again, the data is already being col- a way to join us from both parties in leadership and bipartisan work on this lected. What about personal privacy? supporting this commonsense measure, very important bill. Does it disclose individuals’ private in- the College Transparency Act. This time of year, parents and stu- formation? Well, if it did, I wouldn’t be Mr. Speaker, I include in the RECORD dents are beginning to make important standing here today extolling the vir- a letter from the president of the Uni- decisions about higher education for tues of this bill which I cosponsored versity of Virginia in my district. the next school year. and Mr. MITCHELL sponsors that sup- UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA, 1930 port it again across the aisle to include b OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, the likes of the distinguished gen- Charlottesville, VA, June 1, 2017. Unfortunately, there is little infor- tleman, Mr. POLIS, from Colorado. Hon. TOM GARRETT, mation available about what can be ex- Instead of disclosing personal data of House of Representatives, pected from the large investment in a individuals, it discloses metadata of Washington, DC. college or a university. This legislation groups so what we would learn, for ex- DEAR REPRESENTATIVE GARRETT: On behalf will enable students and families to ample, is that individuals who majored of the University of Virginia (UVA), I thank make informed choices about their in X at college Y had an employment you for your co-sponsorship of the College education after high school. Transparency Act. I appreciate your support rate of Z, and that their earning poten- of transparency, good data, and enhanced The College Transparency Act will tial was A as opposed to another uni- consumer information in higher education, provide actionable, customizable infor- versity where it might be B. as well as the bipartisan efforts that led to mation for students and families as What more pertinent information, the creation of this bill. they consider college and universities Mr. Speaker, could there be to young The College Transparency Act is a step in by accurately reporting on student people as they seek to choose an area the right direction for improving federal outcomes, such as enrollment, comple- of study and a place to engage in that data, which is currently limited, and at tion, and postcollege success across times, inaccurate. Improving data helps stu- area of study than their likelihood of dents and families with the important deci- colleges and majors. success based on those who have done sions associated with choosing a college, and Most importantly, this information the same thing at the same college or also helps institutions of higher education will tell students how other prospec- university before them? improve student success. The Association of tive students have succeeded at an in- So we have addressed some of the Public and Land Grant Universities, for stitution and help point them toward things that this bill doesn’t do, but which I serve as the Chair of the Council of schools best suited for their unique let’s speak briefly about what it does Presidents, compiled case studies showing needs and desired outcomes. the importance of this type of data for im- do. Without any ability to articulately proving student outcomes. I look forward to The current college reporting system argue, this bill increases transparency. working with you, in your influential posi- is overly burdensome on institutions, When you step aside from the realm of tion as a member of the House Committee on yet it provides little practical informa- national security, I can think of no Education and the Workforce, on this issue tion for students and families due to reason that the Federal or State or and many others as Congress moves forward significant gaps in college data report- local government should be in the busi- with reauthorizing the Higher Education ing. ness of collecting data that they don’t Act. Additionally, the data collected only Once again, thank you for your dedicated share with the citizens who put them support of UVA. reports graduation rates for students in office or the people who fund their Very truly yours, who begin as full-time students and endeavors. Indeed, this isn’t national TERESA SULLIVAN, finish at the same institution, leaving security, unless you contemplate the President. out successes of part-time students and

VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:46 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00075 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.132 H01NOPT1 H8372 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 any student who transfers and com- which institutions and programs best cation Act represents a gross injustice pletes a degree at an institution other serve their unique needs and improve to students and families who require than where they started. With more their ability to make progress in the and deserve more accurate data on than half of bachelor’s degree recipi- workforce to be successful, something postsecondary institutional outcomes ents attending more than one school that, frankly, we owe them as part of in order to be adequately equipped to and nearly two-thirds of community their service to our country. make one of the most important deci- college students starting part-time, we As Chris Cate, vice president of re- sion in one’s life—whether and where have to ensure that these students search at Student Veterans of America, to attend college. By providing more count. said: ‘‘Based on recent research, the accurate information about institu- One example of this impact from my value of the Post-9/11 GI Bill is clear, tional graduation rates, salary levels, alma mater, The Ohio State Univer- as student veterans across the country and other employment outcomes, and sity, is a veteran named Tami. Tami succeed at rates higher than tradi- additional information on how stu- returned to school to complete her so- tional students. Yet, determining these dents fare at individual institutions cial work degree after her military outcomes is currently a significant ef- and in academic programs, the College service. She completed an associate of fort and not easily accomplished with- Transparency Act will enable the cre- arts degree at Columbus State, a com- out abundant resources. Basing policy ation of an essential resource for stu- munity college, and transferred and on research and data is imperative, and dent and consumer information.’’ eventually graduated with a social it shouldn’t take as much effort as it Mr. Speaker, I include in the RECORD work degree from The Ohio State Uni- does today, as we have the answer to a letter from the Michigan Association versity. She had a 3.9 grade point aver- this challenge staring us in the face.’’ of State Universities. age in the classroom and excelled in It is the College Transparency Act. MICHIGAN ASSOCIATION OF her two-semester field placement at We currently collect the data that STATE UNIVERSITIES, the university’s Office of Military and people are begging to get to make in- Lansing, MI, July 10, 2017. Veterans Services. formed decisions for themselves and, Re Endorsement of College Transparency Under this system, Tami’s success frankly, in this case, to assist veterans Act, H.R. 2434/S. 1121. story would not count toward Ohio in making wise decisions on their GI Hon. PAUL MITCHELL, State success. Under the new system, bill. House of Representatives, it will. Today, the system would not Let me talk a little more about some Washington, DC. count Tami because she started at one of the groups that support the bill, and DEAR CONGRESSMAN MITCHELL: On behalf of school and transferred to another then I will yield to another colleague the presidents and chancellors of the 15 pub- school. Under the legislation that Mr. of mine. lic universities of Michigan and the nearly Colleges, universities, and postsec- 300,000 students they collectively enroll, I MITCHELL is working on and that I am write to express strong support for the Col- talking about today, Tami would count ondary institutions support this bill, lege Transparency Act of 2017, H.R. 2434, again. which sometimes surprises me, given which you have sponsored, and its com- We need to make people count again. what we are trying to do, which is re- panion bill in the Senate, S. 1121. Tami served our country. Tami got out make a reporting system and make The College Transparency Act of 2017 rep- of the military, came back, went to transparent their performance. Think resents a much needed modernization of the school part-time, then transferred about it. They support the bill without federal government’s college reporting sys- schools, went to school full-time, and exception. These institutions want tem for postsecondary data. The current ban completed her practical experience. more comprehensive information on on student-level data in the Higher Edu- student progress, completion, and out- cation Act represents a gross injustice to Under the current reporting system, students and families who require and de- Tami doesn’t count. comes so they can better understand serve more accurate data on postsecondary Let’s fix that. That is what this bill and evaluate how well they are serving institutional outcomes in order to be ade- would do. Under the updated system, their students and identify areas for quately equipped to make one of the most institutions would securely report pri- improvement. important decision in one’s life—whether vacy-protected student level data to Institutions also know best student- and where to attend college. By providing the National Center for Education Sta- level data collection will decrease the more accurate information about institu- tistics, or NCES. NCES would be re- reporting burden and the financial and tional graduation rates, salary levels and sponsible for presenting summary in- human resources necessary to report other employment outcomes, and additional information on how students fare at indi- formation on a user-friendly website and complete the requirements of the vidual institutions and in academic pro- for students and families, while se- Federal Government, State govern- grams, the College Transparency Act will en- curely storing student information. ment, and accrediting agencies. able the creation of an essential resource for This legislation will help countless Associations representing institu- student and consumer information. students and families make better de- tions serving the majority of college Introduced in both Congressional cham- cisions about where to go for higher students support lifting the ban on bers, this bipartisan legislation will also education, where they should attend. connecting student-level data to help serve as an indispensable tool in helping in- I want to thank Congressman MITCH- build evidence and improve the quality stitutions assess and enhance their academic ELL and Congressman POLIS for intro- of the program. programs. Michigan public universities rely heavily on data to inform institutional pol- ducing this important, bipartisan legis- As my colleague Mr. STIVERS indi- icy and to better serve our students. lation that will help so many students cated, as well as others, this informa- We commend your leadership and those co- and families, students like Tami. tion is disseminated and developed sponsoring the College Transparency Act and I hope we can roll up our sleeves, only at the metadata level. It is not offer our support in advocating passage of work together, and get this bill passed. like we are going to send your Social the legislation. America’s students, families, I urge my colleagues to support this Security number out and post it on a taxpayers and postsecondary institutions bill. Facebook page with your employment will all benefit greatly from its enactment. Mr. MITCHELL. I appreciate the gen- status; although, in your case, Mr. Sincerely, tleman’s notation of the groups that Speaker, everyone knows well your em- DANIEL J. HURLEY, support this bill. I was surprised, ployment status. Chief Executive Officer. frankly, with the number of groups According to the Michigan Associa- Mr. MITCHELL. For similar reasons, that stepped forward—as I said, over tion of State Universities, which serves the Association of Public and Land- 90—to support the College Trans- as the coordinating board for Michi- grant Universities, the American Asso- parency Act. Some of the groups I gan’s 15 public universities in my home ciation of Community Colleges, the As- would like to stress today include vet- State: ‘‘The College Transparency Act sociation of Community College Trust- erans groups. of 2017 represents a much-needed mod- ees, the Dallas County Community Col- The Student Veterans of America ernization of the Federal Government’s lege District, State University of New and Veterans Education Success, college reporting system for postsec- York system, University of Virginia, among others, have endorsed the bill ondary data. The current ban on stu- Virginia Community College System, because it helps veterans determine dent-level data in the Higher Edu- Ohio State University, Louisiana State

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00076 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.135 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8373 University, St. Clair County Commu- House, and it is essential for trans- I would ask: How many more groups nity College, and many others support forming our higher education system do we need to gather before we decide the bill. to meet the needs of a 21st century to act here in Congress? Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman economy. So, again, I am happy to rise b 1945 from Pennsylvania (Mr. SMUCKER) to to speak in support of this act. talk further about his views on the Col- I would like to thank my friend from In the time I have left, I want to ad- lege Transparency Act. Michigan for hosting this Special Order dress some myths. And if my colleague, Mr. SMUCKER. I thank my friend this evening, and I urge my colleagues Mr. SMUCKER, who is still here, wants from Michigan (Mr. MITCHELL) for to consider supporting this important to weigh in on this, I invite him to join hosting this Special Order on the Col- piece of legislation. at any point in time he wants to weigh lege Transparency Act. Mr. MITCHELL. I thank my col- in, because we heard a number of Mr. Speaker, I have spoken on the league, Mr. SMUCKER, for taking time myths put forward about the terrible floor a number of times about the out of his busy schedule to come here things that the College Transparency House’s work to improve education in tonight to talk about the act and its Act may arise. the country. I have been proud to work importance nationally and in his dis- One that amazes me is that while the with my colleagues on both sides of the trict. bill requires institutions collect and aisle in the Education and the Work- He made reference to something I report tons of new information on stu- force Committee to improve career and wish to stress, Mr. Speaker, which is dents—well, can we bring that chart technical education, and I have also that, annually, at the Federal level, we back up of what we already collect? spoken about my own experience with spend $160 billion a year on student aid. Let’s look at that gem of what we col- higher education as a nontraditional We currently spend it into a vacuum, lect currently. We are doing this now. student taking classes at night while I into a giant black hole, in which we Institutions are doing this now. ran a construction company during the hope we get outcomes and which stu- So tell me, how are we going to col- day. dents hope they get outcomes. Cer- lect tons more? In fact, every student Tonight, I am happy to be here to tainly, parents hope they get outcomes who attends a postsecondary education talk about ensuring that students, par- so they don’t continue to live at home. institution in the United States has in- ents, guidance counselors, and legisla- We all hope that we can get success for formation reported on them now, tors like us have access to information our young people, and we don’t have whether they take student financial that can help students make informed the information to determine that. aid or not, because a 1098–T is filed by decisions about what college to attend Let me also stress that, beyond edu- that institution with the IRS so, in so that policymakers have access to re- cational groups, veterans, the U.S. fact, if they claim credit for going to search and data that will better inform Chamber of Commerce and Business school, tuition tax credit, they can our work on higher education policy. Roundtable have both endorsed this claim that. Today, colleges and universities re- bill as being critical to the success of There is no information that is not port data to the U.S. Department of our Nation going forward. currently with one agency or another. Education that has been collected by a I want to stress for you and everyone The astonishing thing is the discussion voluntary survey available only to a in this Chamber, when you get the that somehow there is some secret limited group of graduates. The survey level of support from such a broad about whether someone is attending a is not offered to any student who is at- range of people, we have to start ask- postsecondary institution. It is aston- tending college part-time, who is not ing ourselves: Why have we not already ishing. seeking a degree, who has transferred moved on this? Why has it not already College universities, also, because of from another college, or who doesn’t taken place? We need to move on this this reporting, hold the student-level have Federal loans. issue sooner rather than later. We data. They report much of it to the De- In today’s economy, we are trying to can’t afford not to. partment of Education, to NCES, and make higher education more available Let me talk about one other group to the State Department of Education and accessible to nontraditional stu- that supports this bill passionately. to accredit the agencies in a variety of dents, yet we omit a large group of Students want to know which schools formats. The number of formats, the nontraditional students from this data. are best fit for their needs. Deciding array of those, will totally amaze you. That is just one of the reasons why we where to spend their time, their pre- If you would like, I can get those re- need to pass the College Transparency cious dollars, and incur debt is criti- ports for you. You can spend the after- Act. cally important to them. noon looking through the joys of re- This bipartisan legislation seeks to Surprisingly enough, these folks porting on educational activities in a modernize higher education reporting want to do more than go to college, postsecondary institution, and none of so that students and families can make meet new friends, and have a little it makes any sense to anybody that responsible choices about what college party every now and then. The vast isn’t actually in the system, and I will or university to attend. It will help em- majority—85 percent—of college fresh- admit, that data doesn’t make any power students and families to deter- men rate getting a better job as very sense to me either. mine how much they need to take out important in their decision to go to Colleges and universities also don’t in student loans and which programs at college; yet the day-to-day need, as we know if their graduates actually get a different schools provide the best paths have talked about repeatedly tonight, job, unless half the students come back toward their dream job or a career. to discern which program’s institutions happily and say they went to work and Too many students today are grad- will best address that objective is lack- how much they are making. They don’t uating with massive amounts of debt. ing. get that information. They couldn’t as- Too many students graduate with ma- The ability to provide that informa- sist the student with that information jors offering too few opportunities. At tion is at our hands. We have the tech- if they tried in any accurate basis the very least, students need to have nology. We have the data. We just other than anecdotally. So they don’t this data available to them to make in- don’t provide it in a usable format. try. Why would you? You wouldn’t do formed decisions. Groups that support this bill include that. You wouldn’t make that mistake. This bill, as has been pointed out by the Big Ten Student Association, Cam- That information exists. Why? Be- Mr. MITCHELL, is endorsed by more paign for College Opportunity, Young cause the IRS has a 1098–T on everyone than 80 education and business organi- Invincibles, Institute for College Ac- who went to college or a postsecondary zations, including Advance CTE and cess and Success, the United Negro Col- institution. That data can be matched the Association for Career and Tech- lege Fund, Achieving the Dream, Stu- by the Treasury Department to wheth- nical Education, organizations that dent Affairs Administrators in Higher er that student is employed, what they represent great schools like Thaddeus Education, Institute for Higher Edu- are making, and they can report that, Stevens College of Technology in my cation Policy, and the National Asso- as was noted earlier, through metadata district. ciation for College Admission Coun- to the Department of Education for de- This bill has bipartisan support in seling. They support the College Trans- velopment of reports without reporting our committee, in the Senate, and the parency Act. one individual student’s information.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00077 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.137 H01NOPT1 H8374 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 So I am lost in understanding how it vides information on an accurate basis what, we can get it the following year. is we lose our minds around here about by a program institution of what your And the question I would ask is: How student information being dissemi- likelihood of success is. long are we going to wait while we are nated. It exists. It can be protected. Last but not least, I talked a little spending $160 billion in direct student Let me talk real briefly about an- bit about it, is keeping personal infor- aid alone hoping to get an outcome other myth that exists, that somehow mation private, the fears about pri- when we can do better and the ability tracking the student data will lead to a vacy, and that somehow we can’t to do that is at our fingertips? Federal rating system, the Federal rat- achieve that under the College Trans- Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance ing system of educational programs of parency Act. of my time. institutions. The College Transparency Act re- f Well, first, the Department of Edu- quires that data collection should be cation has tried a number of rating led by the National Center for Edu- CLIMATE SOLUTIONS CAUCUS systems over there, all with mixed suc- cation Statistics. I apologize. I have The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under cess, at best, and I am trying to be po- been using the abbreviation NCES be- the Speaker’s announced policy of Jan- lite. It is late in the evening. Let’s not cause it has been burned into my mem- uary 3, 2017, the gentleman from Illi- be too blunt. But they failed miserably ory over the years. It is a statistical nois (Mr. LIPINSKI) is recognized for 60 in doing so. They tried to rate institu- agency with strong protocols for secur- minutes as the designee of the minor- tions based on cohort default rates, and ing data and protecting student pri- ity leader. those are being repealed by many as vacy. It has an excellent track record GENERAL LEAVE being inaccurate. for doing so. Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I ask They tried to rate institutions on They have consulted with the private unanimous consent that all Members something called gainful employment, sector, pretty good folks, about how to have 5 legislative days to revise and ex- but they only do gainful employment continue to work on student privacy in tend their remarks and include extra- for career schools, because, hey, you that data. NCES is already required by neous material on the topic of this Spe- know, no one goes to a university for law to develop and enforce standards to cial Order. gainful employment. I assure you, my protect individual level data. As added The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there guess is the Speaker did as well, you protection, the act requires, the Col- objection to the request of the gen- went to the university hoping for gain- lege Transparency Act requires, an in- tleman from Illinois? ful employment. I doubt there is any- stitute utilize the latest Federal data There was no objection. one in the room who didn’t go to a col- security standards developed by the Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise lege or university in hopes of gainful National Institute of Standards and today as a member of the Climate So- employment. Technology. We require that they im- lutions Caucus to speak on the issue of The reality is the Department of plement those on an ongoing basis and climate change. The caucus is a bipar- Education, as they have implemented they maintain those. tisan group of members committed to this, has tried to create these Federal I have to tell you, Mr. Speaker, that implementing economically viable op- rating systems and failed miserably. So is not commonplace in the Federal tions to reduce climate risk. I tell you what, we did something Government at this point. We are going The caucus has a ‘‘Noah’s Ark’’ mem- unique. The College Transparency Act a step beyond what happens every day bership rule. Members can only join in explicitly prohibits the creation of a in many agencies. pairs, one from each party. Under the single database by the Department of Further, your personal information, leadership of co-chairs Mr. CURBELO Education and expressly prohibits Mr. SMUCKER’s or anybody else’s, will and Mr. DEUTCH, the caucus is helping using that database for a Federal rat- never be available to the Department to break the partisan gridlock on this ing system. of Education or to the public. Your em- issue and show that promoting climate I give up. I don’t want the Depart- ployment status will never be avail- solutions can be truly bipartisan. ment of Education telling us what a able. What will be available is whether The formation and rapid growth of good education system is because look all of us who took a program in Michi- the Climate Solutions Caucus rep- how well they have done so far. We will gan State University—come on up, you resents a recognition of both the chal- let consumers decide. We will give would love the school, some time— lenges and opportunities and has dem- them information so they can decide. whether or not you graduated, you got onstrated that there is bipartisan will They can make a wise decision rather a job, and whether you are gainfully to take action. than thinking that Big Brother can employed and making money. Now, In recognition of the fact that 60 make that decision for them. wouldn’t that be a great idea for the Members of Congress have come to- If the government were doing so well money you put into a college edu- gether to fight climate change in a bi- with it, why is it that every Member in cation? All the aggregate information partisan fashion, I organized this time this room has heard from their employ- is available on the programs and insti- for my colleagues to join me on the ers the terrible shortage we have of tutions we are talking about here. floor to let the American people know people in current technical education, The data developed by the Treasury what we, as their elected leaders, are of workers? If they were doing such a Department on income and employ- doing to address climate change. great job of ratings and informing peo- ment, once it is transmitted to NCES, We know, from scientific evidence, ple what their opportunities were, why is literally blown up. The file no longer that our climate is changing. The glob- are we currently struggling with the exists. You can’t hack what isn’t there. al average temperature has increased workforce we have? So I would ask, at this point in time, by about 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit over It is a disaster. Let’s stop thinking rather than continue to extol the vir- the last 100 years. Sea levels are rising, we can fix it, and let’s let consumers tues of the College Transparency Act, I the ocean is becoming more acidic, pre- have the information they need to fix would ask all the Members to look at cipitation patterns are changing, and it. the act. We have a number of cospon- heat waves are becoming more frequent The bill enables the NCES to aggre- sors at this point in time that I am and longer in duration. gate student information from relevant very proud of. It is a bipartisan bill. I Each of these changes produces a cas- agencies with the responsibility that would ask them to look at the act, cade of effects that impact our lives they had to protect that data, which look at what it is achieving, and if and livelihoods, including flooding, they have done for years. they have questions, let’s hear those changes in crop yields, power short- So now they are doing—not create questions, and let’s make an effort to ages, declines in fisheries, and in- some massive Federal database in move this forward. creases in cardiovascular disease. which everybody’s name, Social Secu- We are already well into the deci- Recent events in our own country, rity number, is accessible so we can de- sionmaking process for young people to such as devastating hurricanes in the termine whether or not you are a suc- go to a postsecondary education pro- Southeast and wildfires in the West cessful student. It doesn’t do that, not gram next year. It is too late for them have brought this issue to the forefront even close to that, never has. It pro- to get this information, but, you know of everyone’s minds. Now climate

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00078 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.138 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8375 change can’t be directly blamed for all American people will benefit as the that each and every one of us are called these problems, but the evidence world adapts to climate change and to do no matter who we are or where strongly suggests that it contributes to America grows good-paying jobs all we come from. each of them, and there are things that across our Nation. It is critical in order to preserve pub- we can do to limit its effects. But if we let this opportunity pass us lic health. The reality is climate Climate change also has a significant by, then profits and jobs will instead change is real and humans are a con- impact on public health. A flow to foreign countries that develop tributing factor. Congress must take groundbreaking study published just the technologies the world needs, and serious and reasonable steps to combat this week in a medical journal, The American cities and States will be it. Lancet, unequivocally showed that cli- forced to buy foreign products as they As an Eagle Scout and a conserva- mate change is a serious public health upgrade to climate-resilient infrastruc- tionist who grew up in Bucks County, threat. The study involved 24 institu- ture. Pennsylvania, I have always been cap- tions from around the world and in- b 2000 tivated by the natural beauty of our cluded staggering statistics, such as open spaces and wild places. We have it That is why I will soon be intro- the fact that air pollution caused 1.9 all in Bucks County: preserved farm- ducing a bill called Challenges and million premature deaths in Asia in land, amazing parks, expansive forests, Prizes for Climate Act. This bill will 2015, and that the range of common dis- and historic rivers. I believe that with establish five or more prize challenges ease-transmitting mosquitoes in- these natural treasures comes a special overseen by the Department of Energy creased 9.5 percent since 1950. responsibility to care for and protect to harness the ingenuity of the re- We know that high temperatures ex- our natural resources at the local, search community in the private sector asperate health problems and that State, and Federal level. to solve big, complex climate problems. burning fossil fuels creates pollution Climate change and the irresponsible Challenges have been used in the past that causes cardiovascular disease. The management of our resources put a by a wide range of organizations, in- National Academies estimate that air strain on the health of our commu- cluding the XPRIZE, who used the pollution causes around $120 billion per nities and our children. Clean air and challenge to jump-start the commer- year in health-related damages, includ- clean water are essential to the health, cial space transportation industry. ing healthcare costs, missed days of safety, and well-being of the next gen- This industry is now flourishing. work and school, and premature death. I was just recently at SpaceX in Cali- eration of Americans. Mr. Speaker, protecting our Nation’s We also know that changing climate fornia and saw their impressive manu- open spaces unites us as Americans. has altered the range, in some cases ac- facturing facility they have there. The That is why I joined 16 other House Re- celerated the spread of vector-borne U.S. is now relying on SpaceX in order publicans on House Resolution 195 to diseases likes Zika and the West Nile to bring supplies up to the Inter- encourage American innovation to im- virus. Responsibly transitioning to a national Space Station and their plans prove environmental policy and to pro- clean energy economy will not only re- to soon be flying astronauts. This com- tect, conserve, and be good stewards of duce the greenhouse gas emissions that mercial space transportation industry our environment. contribute to climate change, but it began with those who reached to try to I introduced the Udall-Eisenhower will also reduce air pollution and help meet this challenge and get the Arctic Wilderness Act, H.R. 1889, with all Americans breathe easier. XPRIZE. What I want to talk about for a few The Federal Trade Commission also Congressman JARED HUFFMAN from minutes, before I turn to some of my used the prize challenge to help bring a California. This bill designates the 1.5 colleagues, is a very common robocall blocking service to the mar- million-acre land of the Arctic Na- misperception about the relationship ket, something that we can all very tional Wildlife Refuge as a component between implementing climate solu- much appreciate. That is why I am of the National Wilderness Preserva- tions and growing jobs. going this direction. tion System to protect it from dam- Some people think that this is a zero- My bill will create challenges that aging activities like oil and gas drill- sum game. That is, they think if you fall under five themes: carbon capture ing. have more of one, you get less of the and reuse, energy efficiency, energy I have voted to protect the methane other. But that is simply not true. storage, climate adaptation and resil- rule for stream protections. Implementing climate solutions can iency, and data analytics for better cli- The Climate Solutions Caucus will grow jobs, especially new high-paying mate predictions. continue to be the group that shows jobs. The U.S. needs to take advantage Using authority from the America Washington how to forego the political of these economic opportunities. Re- COMPETES Act, the Department of gamesmanship and get to work on gardless of what we do here in the U.S., Energy will convene working groups ways we can improve our environment, the rest of the world has committed to from across agencies, universities, non- address the realities of climate change, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and profits and the private sector to help and increase innovation with an eye to- reaching the targets laid out in the plan the challenges, and even to con- wards sustainability. Paris Agreement, as have many cities, tribute to the prizes. Protecting our environment cannot States, and companies here at home. The goal of the challenge is not just be partisan, Mr. Speaker. We have to To achieve that goal, significant to reward the winner of the best solu- come together to get this done as technological development and innova- tion, but also to bring visibility to the Americans. tion will be needed, as well as infra- range of innovations competing for the Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I thank structure, markets, and distribution prize and to help society envision the Mr. FITZPATRICK for his leadership and channels to get that technology to the future. This bill will help us see what jumping in, in his firm term here in the people and places that need it. our clean energy future will look like, House leadership, on coming to solu- The national economies that produce and I urge all of my colleagues to sup- tions on climate change. this clean energy technology will ben- port it. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman efit greatly. The U.S. still leads the Mr. Speaker, I want to begin hearing from California (Mr. MCNERNEY), my world in technology and innovation. from the bipartisan group of climate colleague who I have been working Countries around the world try to leaders who have joined me here on the with for a number of years here in the recreate the innovation ethos that ex- floor this evening. House, a very dedicated Member, espe- ists in Silicon Valley and in other Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman cially when it comes to issues of places across our Nation. from Pennsylvania (Mr. FITZPATRICK), science and climate change. The United States also has the work- my Republican colleague. Mr. MCNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I ers who are needed to build these inno- Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. LIPINSKI for his leadership vations. So we have what it takes, and thank my colleague, Mr. LIPINSKI, for on this. if we seize the opportunity to invest in his leadership on this issue. Mr. Speaker, I want to talk a little clean and climate-resilient tech- Mr. Speaker, serving as good stew- bit about climate. We know that cli- nologies, then our economy and the ards of our environment is something mate is changing, and we have seen it.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00079 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.140 H01NOPT1 H8376 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 In California, we had horrific wildfires the waters and confuse people about riety of techniques that both mitigate that claimed 40 lives and destroyed climate change. I have three publica- impacts and support economic growth. thousands of structures. We have seen tions here I want to illustrate. One is I am currently working with my Ag- hurricanes more frequently, more dev- called ‘‘Clexit for a Brighter Future.’’ riculture Committee colleagues on con- astating, and more powerful than ever Now, the point of this is that we need servation legislation for the next farm before. So the effects are there. We see to exit the Paris and United States cli- bill that will provide important data it happening. mate treaties because fossil fuels are points on conservation programs and Now, the thing that we are faced with what we need to power the future. outcomes, allowing legislators and reg- is that there is a significant section of Another one is called ‘‘The Mad, ulators to most efficiently use tax- people that deny climate change. You Mad, Mad World of Climatism.’’ This payer dollars to achieve real conserva- can sort of see why they are denying it. one, if you look it up, is biased, and it tion results for our farms. These incen- I mean, if something is in your inter- seems to be paid for by oil interests. tive programs support farming prac- est, you are going to be able to talk The last one I want to show is a re- tices that, among other benefits, like yourself into just about anything. spected magazine that is called Na- increasing yield, lowering the amount The big benefit of denying climate tional Geographic. And the cover page of fertilizers that are employed, pull change is that we can continue to use shows ‘‘The War on Science.’’ carbon from the air and sequester it in fossil fuels. If you are a company that So I think we have a pretty good case the soil. uses fossil fuels or produces fossil fuels, to make for moving forward with ac- In addition to sequestering carbon in yeah, this is what you want. But there tion on climate change. the soil. We can also work to reduce emissions through greater efficiency in are costs of denial, and the costs of de- There will be significant costs if we the transportation sector. Indeed, the nial are clear. don’t. Renewable energy is more than transportation sector is one area where We are seeing weather. We just cost competitive these days. As I men- CO emissions have risen in the last 20 talked about that. We are seeing health tioned, I worked in the wind energy 2 years, unlike, for instance, the electric effects. We have seen that both in business. We see wind and solar being generation sector. terms of elevated temperatures, caus- more cost competitive—more than cost One easy fix would be to modernize ing people to have heat problems. We competitive, really—with coal and oil the air traffic control system to fly are seeing disease vectors moving to for energy production. planes on more direct satellite guided the temperate zones from the Equator. So we have the technology, we have routes because direct routes save fuel. We are also going to see significant in- the means, and we have the desire to When Canada switched to a modern air frastructure costs, like we see in Puer- do this, yet we are still hung up here in traffic control system, the national to Rico now. These are real costs that Washington in terms of following fleet was able to reduce emissions in we are going to pay for the denial of through with government support that that nation by millions of tons per climate change. is needed with the right sort of policies year. Now, what are the benefits of climate that will encourage us to reduce fossil These commonsense changes are change? fuel reduction. great steps forward in combating cli- Well, there are significant benefits, Now, one of the great bright spots we mate change, but our work is far from from my point of view. see—as Mr. LIPINSKI, my friend from Il- over. We must address the real impacts First of all, we have been spending linois, pointed out—is that there is a of man-made climate change and em- American taxpayer dollars to develop bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus phasize the need to develop and create technology to fight climate change, or that has been formed over the last two jobs with a goal of protecting our envi- to reduce carbon emissions. terms. In order to join, you have to ronment. It is critical that we work to- I will tell you a little story about my have a Member of the other party. If I gether to develop smart solutions that own career. I was working at a com- am a Democrat, I have a Member of the will conserve our natural resources and pany called U.S. Wind Power. With Republican Party join. protect our communities and infra- some amount of taxpayer dollars, we What we are doing in that caucus is structure for future generations. developed the leading technology for creating legislation that will help re- Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to be wind energy. Of course, what happened duce carbon emissions in an economic a member of the Climate Solutions was that the funding stopped, tax cred- and prosperous way. I think good Caucus, and I look forward to working its ended, and that technology that we things have a potential to happen. I en- with my colleagues. I, particularly, developed with taxpayer dollars went courage the caucus to continue, and I want to applaud our distinguished to Europe. They built thousands of hope it continues to grow. friend from Illinois, Mr. LIPINSKI, for windmills in Germany, and they made Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I thank organizing this Special Order tonight a lot of money based on that tech- Mr. MCNERNEY for all the work that he on a bipartisan basis so that we can ad- nology that we developed and paid for does on this issue and many other dress this issue and allow the folks at right in the United States of America. issues here in the House. home and all around the United States We also know that renewable energy Mr. Speaker, I am going to go back to better understand the work that is production creates more jobs than fos- to the other side of the aisle. I yield to being done here in Congress on a bipar- sil fuel production for the same the gentleman from New York (Mr. tisan basis to address climate change. amount of energy. We are talking FASO). Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I thank about a potential to create millions of Mr. FASO. Mr. Speaker, I thank Con- Mr. FASO for his work, understanding jobs in this country. Not only that, but gressman LIPINSKI, my friend from Illi- that we are only going to make renewable energy has a stable price nois, for holding this Special Order this progress on this through bipartisan ac- market feature. Unlike fossil fuels, evening, to highlight the important tion. I am very happy to join working which have highs and lows over a 10- work being done by the Climate Solu- with him on the Climate Solutions year cycle, fossil fuels are going to be tions Caucus, to develop economically Caucus to bring that action forward. nice and stable, will be predictable. viable solutions to address climate Mr. Speaker, my next speaker is a woman who I work with on the And businesses love predictability. So I change. Science, Space, and Technology Com- think this is also another very good ar- Mr. Speaker, changing weather pat- mittee, who has done some fantastic gument. terns and extreme weather events work on that committee, especially Lastly, if we reduce fossil fuels and threaten nearly every aspect of New when it comes to the issue of climate go to clean energy, we are going to York State’s economy, including our change and dealing with climate agricultural and outdoor recreational have cleaner air and cleaner water, a change. healthier environment, and we can sectors. The recreational economy Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentle- alone generates $42 billion in consumer reach sustainability. I think the bene- woman from Oregon (Ms. BONAMICI). fits are pretty clear. spending each year, while supporting So where are we now? over 300,000 Empire State jobs. As we b 2015 Well, there are still significant re- work to address climate change in a bi- Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I thank sources out there determined to muddy partisan manner, we must employ a va- Mr. LIPINSKI for yielding and also for

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00080 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.141 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8377 organizing this Special Order for the are well known, and our understanding Mr. Speaker, addressing climate Climate Solutions Caucus. I also want about how to address climate change change is going to save lives; it is to thank the founders of the Climate continues to improve. going to save property. I am so pleased Solutions Caucus, Congressman TED People in the United States and to be part of this bipartisan group that DEUTCH from Florida and Congressman around the world are facing threats is working together in equal number of CARLOS CURBELO also from Florida, from rising sea levels, from ocean Democrats and Republicans to call at- where they can see at their doorstep acidification, from more frequent and tention to this important issue, and I what issues like sea level rise mean to severe weather events from record will continue to work with the caucus their communities. droughts and flooding and rising global to emphasize the importance of con- Mr. Speaker, I am really pleased to temperatures. We can no longer sit gressional action. join with my colleagues from the bipar- back and debate whether we should Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues tisan Climate Solutions Caucus this take action. The time is now. It is crit- on the bipartisan Climate Solutions evening to highlight the importance of ical that we support scientific research Caucus for their dedication to this ef- taking action on climate change, some- about the climate and that we build on, fort. I know it is quite a relief to my thing that matters so much to my con- rather than break down, decades’ constituents back home in Oregon to stituents at home in Oregon, but also worth of progress on this issue. know that there are bipartisan Mem- to the country and to the planet. Now, one important area of research bers who are committed to addressing This is an important issue that really is the connection between extreme this critical issue. is a moral imperative. This is about weather events and climate change. Al- Again, Mr. Speaker, I thank my col- preserving our natural resources for though it is not possible to say that leagues for their dedication to this ef- our children, our grandchildren, and climate change causes one particular fort. I look forward to the progress for generations to come. Addressing extreme weather event, it is critical that we will make together on behalf of climate change is also vital to our Na- that we know more about climate our constituents, our communities, our tion’s economy, as we have had some change and how it increases the fre- country, and our planet. discussion about that this evening, and quency and the severity of these Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I thank also to national security, but, really, events. Learning more about this cor- Ms. BONAMICI for speaking tonight. the health of the planet. relation can help families, commu- Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman Now, the district I am honored to nities, and businesses make informed who really deserves a tremendous represent out in Oregon is breath- choices and adopt climate strategies. amount of credit for all of us being takingly beautiful, and it is really full Now, this year has seen poignant ex- here tonight. He is the co-chair of the of potential. The majestic Columbia ample after example with so many dev- Climate Solutions Caucus, the gen- astating extreme weather events. We River is the northern boundary of the tleman from Florida (Mr. DEUTCH). district, and the rugged Pacific Ocean need to do everything we can to make Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I thank sure our communities are prepared to is on the western boundary. It has a my friend, Mr. LIPINSKI, for yielding keep families safe. thriving outdoor recreation economy. and for his thoughtful and passionate We have had wildfires in the Western As my colleague from New York men- leadership in combating climate United States for a long time, but since change, and thanks to the strong bipar- tioned, that is an important sector the mid-1980s, they have been increas- tisan cross section of Members who that cares a lot about the changing cli- ing in frequency and in duration, have come to the floor tonight to talk mate. threatening lives, threatening public I also have in my district the heart of about the importance of tackling cli- health and property. It has been unusu- Oregon wine country. People in my dis- mate change. ally hot and very dry in the Northwest. trict fish. They fish in our rivers, our Fires and severe smoke create dan- Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call on lakes, and our ocean. They hike in our gerous conditions for all populations. my colleagues, all of them, to join the forests. They ski in our back country In Portland, Oregon, on Labor Day, the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus. I and on our mountains. We rely on sky was gray, full of smoke from wild- started this caucus with my fellow Flo- those natural resources in our back- fire. This is especially problematic for ridian, Congressman CARLOS CURBELO, yard to support a significant part of pregnant women, for seniors, for chil- to start a new dialogue around climate our economy, but we are very vulner- dren, for anyone with chronic health and Congress because we are already able to the effects of climate change. conditions like asthma. Residents and facing difficult challenges. We can’t ig- My constituents are already experi- communities miles away from the nore it. We can’t bury it in political encing challenges: Our wine and agri- wildfires saw ash falling on their fights. We need to have an open discus- cultural industries are concerned about homes, their cars, and throughout sion not only for our future, but for the drought as global temperatures con- their neighborhoods. impact of climate change that we are tinue to rise. Coastal communities are This year’s hurricanes have dev- facing today. worried about the vitality of the com- astated communities, of course, across It is no coincidence that this project mercial fishing and shellfish industries Texas, across the Southeast, and in the started with two Members from south as high levels of carbon dioxide in the U.S. islands. About 70 percent of our Florida. A 2015 study projected that atmosphere change ocean chemistry. fellow citizens in Puerto Rico are still some south Florida cities could be un- I was really thrilled that we had an without power. derwater within this century. The Oregonian from Oregon State Univer- These storms are increasing in fre- study’s author said some cities appear sity come to the Climate Solutions quency and severity, and lives are already to be lost. Caucus and talk about adapting to being lost every year. Climate change is already here for ocean acidification. Mr. Speaker, it is so important that Floridians. The effects have hit Florida Our region has faced higher spring we take action, and that is why I am so first. and summer temperatures and earlier pleased to be here today to help high- Scientists have warned of warming snowmelt, and, as a result, a light the importance of this issue. average global temperatures and the snowboard shop in my district is now As Representative LIPINSKI noted and changing climate for decades. Dr. An- selling more skateboards and fewer others have, Mr. MCNERNEY and others, drew Clarke of the British Antarctic snowboards. we can take action to address climate Survey has spent 40 years at the bot- Climate change is not a partisan change and grow the economy. It is not tom of the planet watching it dis- issue. Nationwide, fishers, farmers, an excuse to say this will be bad for the appear. Dr. Clarke said: ‘‘You can see small-business owners, and our service- economy, because we can grow those the entire environment changing in men and -women are changing the way renewable energy industries. There is front of your eyes.’’ they do their jobs because of climate so much potential in wind power, wave We now have climate change right change, regardless of political affili- energy, solar energy. Those are good, before our eyes in south Florida. We ation. high-paying, family-wage jobs. We can see the rate of sea level rise outpace The economic, health, and environ- grow those economies and address cli- the global rate tenfold. We see the mental consequences of climate change mate change at the same time. high-water mark jump 1 inch every

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00081 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.144 H01NOPT1 H8378 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 year. Just this week, we see the tides We are committed to understanding b 2030 flooding our neighborhoods. the impacts of climate change, the im- Americans rarely talk about it and The limestone that serves as the pact on our national security; to in- sometimes forget, but we supported foundation of our State is porous. Salt- vesting in clean, innovative energy Osama bin Laden against the Russians water pushes up through the limestone protection; to protecting our public in Afghanistan. We supported Saddam from below the surface. health; and to overcoming the political Hussein in Iraq after we lost the Shah Lower bridge heights will block boats obstacles that hold up public policy so- after the Iranian Revolution. We sup- from reaching open waters. With 165 lutions. ported the Assads in Syria. And we miles of canals, Fort Lauderdale faces It is time for Congress to come to- still maintain a close relationship with significant threats of rising seas. Who gether and admit the challenges that the Saudis, despite their support for in south Florida hasn’t driven around our constituents are already facing at Wahhabism. Why? Because our na- their neighborhood and noticed more home. It is time to build consensus. tional economic strategy and security puddles, more water accumulating on Through the bipartisan Climate Solu- has relied for decades on access to for- the sidewalks and streets? tions Caucus, we have brought together eign oil. While many Americans might be able Members from regions in every part of Our meddling in local affairs to en- to ignore climate change, ignore the the country who are experiencing their sure the oil spigot flowed freely has science, based on their own personal own climate change challenges. I invite sowed distrust across generations experience and your own personal expe- every Member of the House of Rep- throughout the Middle East. rience at home, we can’t. Looking out resentatives to join us. Lift up the By moving towards a green economy our windows, we see what is already voices of your constituents, your farm- and eliminating our dependence on for- there. eign oil, we can clearly say to the Mid- By the year 2100, almost 300 U.S. cit- ers, your city officials, your devel- dle East: We never wanted your land, ies would lose at least half of their opers, doctors, scientists, and, most we never wanted your money, and now homes, and 36 American cities could be importantly, the families whom you we don’t need your oil. All we want is completely destroyed. One in eight represent. for people of the region to stop trying Florida homes could be underwater. If you are watching at home, call to kill each other. It will take some Those Florida homes represent half of your Member of Congress and urge time, but moving towards an economy the total expected loss in housing value them to join the Climate Solutions independent of foreign oil is the best caused by climate change over the next Caucus and help us start the difficult way to get there. 84 years. These aren’t risks of a distant work of building truly bipartisan con- In addition to eliminating our de- future. These are the burdens we are sensus that will help us tackle climate pendence on foreign oil, we must try to placing on our children and on our change together and help us create re- stall the rapid rise in extreme weather grandchildren. silient American communities of the In response, and through the work of future. events, droughts, and desertification the South Florida Climate Compact, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my that is destabilizing huge swaths of the Middle East and Africa. The number of Miami Beach has initiated a sea level friend, Mr. LIPINSKI, again for orga- rise plan to lift roads, build up sea- nizing tonight’s discussion. refugees in the world has grown from 35 walls, and install pumps to clear water Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I thank million only 10 years ago to 65 million today. War and violence are exacer- in the streets. Fort Lauderdale is fix- Mr. DEUTCH for his leadership of the ing roads and drains and sending vacu- Climate Solutions Caucus. bated by the instability caused by cli- mate change. um trucks into the streets to prevent Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how saltwater damage, upgrading building One of the most violent regions in much time I have remaining. the world today is Syria. The insta- codes and flood elevation require- The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. ments, and requiring higher seawalls. bility in Syria began with droughts BUDD). The gentleman from Illinois has that destroyed the livelihoods of the In Florida, you can’t put climate 25 minutes remaining. change out of sight or out of mind, but Syrian people that rely upon an econ- Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, with omy which is 85 percent agrarian. it is not just hitting Florida and it is that, I yield to my colleague, the gen- not just the sea level rise or increasing When people lost their farms, they fled tleman from New York (Mr. SUOZZI). to the cities looking for work, but, of temperatures. Mr. SUOZZI. Mr. Speaker, I applaud The National Climate Assessment course, they could not find it. Then my colleague, Mr. LIPINSKI, for pulling they looked to the Assad government, has documented regional climate im- this effort together this evening. pacts hitting every area of the United but, of course, were ignored. Fomented Mr. Speaker, climate change is real, States: by the Arab Spring, they began to re- In the Northeast and Midwest, dra- and I applaud my colleagues on the Cli- volt. The result? The Syrian Govern- matic increases in heavy precipitation mate Solutions Caucus for working to- ment has killed almost a half million events overwhelm drains and levies, gether in a bipartisan effort to try and of its own people and millions more causing flooding and accelerating ero- find common ground and to seek to refugees. This story is being repeated sion; work together to pass legislation to ad- throughout the region. In the Great Plains and Southwest, dress this very real threat. Although the people suffering are drought and wildfires strain demands I believe the greatest opportunity we thousands of miles away from the for scarce water resources; have here is to include efforts to move United States, our national security is In Alaska, receding sea ice and melt- our Nation toward a greener economy threatened by these failing states. The ing glaciers are damaging infrastruc- as part of a comprehensive infrastruc- rise of ISIS in Syria and Iraq is a prime ture; ture bill. example of the impact of failed states On the coasts, increases in carbon di- We must address climate change for on Western security. Mass migrations oxide and warming seas lead to coral three reasons: first, the Earth is part of by those seeking to alleviate suffering, bleaching and ocean acidification that the divine creation, and we have an ob- millions seeking political and eco- is taking its toll on fisheries and the ligation to preserve and protect our nomic reforms place pressure on cor- ecosystems. precious gift; second, moving toward a rupt and incompetent governments The diverse and interconnected im- green economy that retrofits homes that are unable to respond to the needs pacts that we already see throughout and buildings and installs solar and of a population seeking opportunity our country explain why we already wind farms will create good jobs at and hope. have 60 Members who belong to this good wages that simply cannot be ex- Our enemies who wish to foment in- new dialogue, the Climate Solutions ported; and, third, the main topic I stability—Russia, Iran, North Korea, Caucus, 30 Democrats and 30 Repub- wish to address this evening, is moving and violent terrorist factions—are licans committed to changing the con- toward a green economy, reducing our aided by the effects of climate change versation and pushing solutions that dependency on foreign oil, and address- and the instability it causes. We must will create more resilient commu- ing climate change is essential to our do everything we can to stall the nities. national security. growth of this nefarious trend.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00082 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.145 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8379 The good news is that there is a Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues in Again, this is critical in my district. growing bipartisan consensus in the the House to join me and Mr. CURBELO I happen to represent Naval Air Sta- Climate Solutions Caucus and the in this effort. tion Key West, where the men and armed services community that we Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I thank women of the Navy work hard to train must act. The Armed Services Com- Mr. CARBAJAL for his work. That was a and prepare to defend our country mittee in the 2008 National Defense Au- great lead-in to our next speaker. We overseas. That is a facility that is ex- thorization Act acknowledged that just had, a couple of speakers ago, the posed to this threat. ‘‘climate change is a direct threat to Democratic co-chair of the Climate So- We came together and we defeated an the national security of the United lutions Caucus. Our next speaker is the amendment that would have prohibited States,’’ and that ‘‘the Department of Republican co-chair. I give him a lot of the Defense Department from assessing Defense must ensure that it is prepared credit and I thank him for the work these risks. to conduct operations both today and that he has done in putting this caucus I am really excited for the next phase in the future, and that it is prepared to together. of the caucus, which I hope we can address the effects of changing climate Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman reach during this Congress, which is to on threat assessments, resources, and from Florida (Mr. CURBELO). find legislation that we can all get be- readiness.’’ Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speak- hind and say that these are reasonable Secretary of Defense Mattis has said, er, I am grateful to my colleague from solutions that not only help the envi- ‘‘Climate change can be a driver of in- Illinois for leading this special discus- ronment and help guarantee that we stability, and the Department of De- sion tonight. I am grateful to have the are going to hand off to our children fense must pay attention to the poten- opportunity to come here for a few and grandchildren the same beautiful tial adverse impacts generated by this minutes. And more than anything, I Earth that we inherited, but also that phenomenon.’’ thank my colleagues on both sides of we are going to provide opportunities Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff the aisle, Republicans and Democrats, for American innovation and growth, General Joseph Dunford has said that who have stepped up and said: Enough and new good jobs, high-paying jobs, climate change and rising sea levels of the demagoguery, enough of the for young men and women from all pose serious long-term threats to the fact-less conversation. Let’s focus on over this country. That is going to be country. The number of natural disas- what is happening in the world, on how very exciting, and we are all working ters will increase in the coming years, human beings are contributing to it, together to get to that day where we along with ‘‘the requirement for hu- and let’s try to make the situation bet- can promote an agenda in this Con- manitarian assistance’’ and the re- ter. gress that will bring Republicans and sponse required for the military for ci- I oftentimes say that, on this climate Democrats together behind a pro-envi- vilian disasters. issue, neither the deniers nor the ronment, pro-growth policy that will Mr. Speaker, I want to thank again alarmists have much to offer. It is the save this planet and keep our country my colleagues for the work that they men and women who are willing to sit on the cutting edge of innovation, lead- have done to try and bring the issue of at the table and have a sober conversa- ing the world. climate change to the American peo- tion that can really help solve this This is a not an issue that we should ple, and to try and find solutions to problem. There are a lot of people who shy away from. We should rise to this this very real problem that is not only are counting on us to solve this prob- occasion. This is the country that has affecting us here at home, but our na- lem. led the entire world through a host of tional security throughout the world. Sea level rise is a reality. It is hap- Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I thank different challenges over the last cou- pening all over the world. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman for all of his work on ple centuries. We can also do it on this you might understand why this might this and other issues. climate issue, but I think we can only Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the gen- be important to me. I represent a com- do it if we do it together. tleman from California (Mr. munity where most people live near sea Mr. Speaker, I thank all of my col- level and near the sea. This is a real leagues, but especially my Democratic CARBAJAL), my colleague. Mr. CARBAJAL. Mr. Speaker, I concern, especially in the Florida Keys, colleagues tonight who have led this thank Mr. LIPINSKI for yielding to me. one of the most attractive and dynamic Special Order, organized this Special Mr. Speaker, we are out of time to parts of the country, an area that is re- Order. I think we all would like to in- debate the reality of climate change. covering. We hope our fellow Ameri- vite our colleagues from both sides of Its effects are already here. Recently, cans will help us continue recovering the aisle to join the caucus, especially each year has brought with it record- after Hurricane Irma. on my side. We are up to 30 Repub- breaking droughts, hurricanes, and The Florida Keys and most of south licans, 30 Democrats. That is very ex- natural disasters. Florida are significantly exposed to citing. When I arrived here a couple My home State of California just ex- this sea level rise challenge, and we years ago, I probably had only two or perienced our deadliest wildfire season know that human activity is at least, three Republican colleagues who were yet. This year alone, natural disasters in part, responsible for this dynamic. even willing to discuss this issue, and will cost more than $22 billion in recov- The Climate Solutions Caucus is not now there are 30 on the record. Let’s ery efforts. That is why I am proud to about blaming people. It is not about keep the caucus growing, let’s keep it work with my colleague and cofounder pointing the finger. It is about coming strong, let’s work together, and let’s of the Climate Solutions Caucus, Mr. up with solutions. change the world for the better. CURBELO, to introduce the bipartisan I think there are really three phases Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I thank Coastal State Climate Preparedness to our caucus and our work. The first Mr. CURBELO for his leadership and for Act, H.R. 3533, which will help coastal phase was to bring Republicans and pointing out some of the victories that States better plan for extreme weather Democrats together, sit at the table, we already have had here on this House events and implement climate change have a discussion about our different floor, the Climate Solutions Caucus. adaptation strategies. perspectives on this issue, invite in That is just the beginning. There will We can save lives, homes, and bil- some key witnesses to help inform us. be plenty more to come as we grow this lions of tax dollars by encouraging We have done that. We have done a caucus and do the work that we are these vulnerable communities to pre- good job. Caucus members have a very here to do. pare their infrastructure for the im- good relationship, a good rapport. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman pacts of climate change. The next phase has been to block from California (Mr. PANETTA), a fresh- After severe weather events like Hur- anti-climate legislation. We have done man Member who is already making a ricanes Maria and Harvey, it is impera- that successfully here with some ap- big splash here getting a lot done in tive that we invest in readying our in- propriations amendment where the Washington, working especially on a frastructure for the next extreme caucus has come together and said: No. bipartisan basis on a lot of these weather event. Moreover, we also need We are not going to prohibit the De- issues, getting some good things done. to invest in developing renewable en- fense Department from assessing the Mr. PANETTA. Mr. Speaker, I appre- ergy sources. risks associated with climate change. ciate Mr. LIPINSKI’s kind words, but I

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00083 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.147 H01NOPT1 H8380 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 think he and I know best that we had title of that editorial was, ‘‘We Used to decision that was compounded by its good teachers to help us understand Build Things.’’ And it was by David poor timing, as it was announced 2 what it takes to get things done here Brooks, and he talked about this big weeks before the hurricanes that in the United States Congress, and, fire called the Big Burn, back in the ripped apart Houston, Florida, and most importantly, that is the ability early 1900s, that started in Washington Puerto Rico. to work together. and Oregon and spread throughout the So last month, Congressman Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand upper West, all the way into Montana. CURBELO and I introduced the Federal here today with all of my colleagues, And from that devastating fire arose Infrastructure Flood Resiliency Act, a Republicans and Democrats, who are something, and that was the U.S. For- bipartisan bill that ensures that Fed- on the Climate Solutions Caucus. As est Service. eral agencies complete implementation you have heard tonight, and as we When I read that article, it reminded of a Federal Flood Risk Management know, the Climate Solutions Caucus is me that, throughout the history of this Standard; such a standard that will not a bipartisan caucus that gives Demo- Nation, we have always built things to just benefit our coastal communities, crats and Republicans the opportunity help people. We have engineered infra- it will help our government, and it will to sit down and to discuss ways not structure to energize our economy, and help our country, because we know only to protect our environment, but we have expanded agencies to em- that every dollar that is invested in to protect our homes, our Nation’s bolden and to empower our commu- flood mitigation efforts results in $4 in economy, and our Nation’s security. nities and the people who live there. saved flood recovery costs. This is Yes, this caucus consists of people So now, after the storms on the West something that Republicans and Demo- from separate political parties, but all Coast, after the flooding in the Mid- crats understand. of us are united in our belief that we west, and after the hurricanes on the After Hurricane Harvey, the Gov- must have this dialogue to defend our East Coast, it is our turn. It is time for ernor of Texas, Mr. Abbott, stated: ‘‘As future. this generation, our generation, to we go through the build-out phase, and Being from the central coast of Cali- build things in a smart and resilient rebuilding Texas, part of our focus fornia, where we have over 120 miles of fashion, so that future generations are must be on rebuilding in a way that stunning coastline in my district, we secure and safe in their homes and in will prevent a disaster like this from understand the vulnerability that their communities. And we need to happening again.’’ comes with rising sea levels, something start by focusing on and building infra- Mr. Speaker, by investing in more re- that can impact our economy, our se- structure that is strong and stable to silient project designs, our commu- curity, and, of course, our daily lives. sustain the inevitable intense storms nities will be able to recover quickly, The co-chairs of the Climate Solu- of the future. and they will be protected against any tions Caucus, Florida Representatives Now, we know, and what has been future flooding. Taking these prudent CARLOS CURBELO and TED DEUTCH, they confirmed by the nonpartisan Federal steps will save taxpayer dollars and understand and they appreciate that Government Accountability Office, prevent future loss of life and property. threat, for earlier this year Florida was that extreme weather events are al- It is a commonsense step that we can pummeled by Hurricane Irma and the ready costing U.S. taxpayers billions take toward responsible, bipartisanship subsequent severe flooding, a storm and billions of dollars each year. Ac- governing; and it is this type of gov- that affected the lives of millions of cording to that GAO report, the Fed- erning that needs to happen all the Americans and cost billions in recovery eral Government spent more than $350 time. billion over the last decade on losses to and cleanup efforts. Now, when I stood on that bridge, private property and disaster assist- We have seen that at times of crisis and I was there celebrating the reopen- like that, despite the damage and de- ance programs from natural disasters. Now, that amount doesn’t even in- ing of that bridge, the reopening to Big spite our differences, our government Sur, I also thought that this was gov- and even this Congress can come to- clude the massive price tag on the re- covery effort from this year’s hurri- ernment at its best, where the govern- gether and put back together those ment came together, it responded, it communities. That is our government canes and fires that are expected to be amongst the costliest in our Nation’s reacted in record fashion, and it recon- during an emergency, and at times structed a major bridge. where there are storms, where there is history. And we know that it is going So yes, it made me proud, but it also damage, we are motivated to come to- to get worse as storms are more in- made me realize that we need to stop gether and govern. tense, and recovery efforts are going to just governing by crisis. We need to This year, my district saw this type cost more. So we need to recognize and start governing with leadership. We of governing due to damage it suffered we need to realize the need for smart need to come together to get things during the major winter storms earlier rebuilding. done, not just in emergency situations, in 2017. Now, after the 2012 hurricane up in New York, Hurricane Sandy, there was not just for natural disasters of today, b 2045 a Rebuilding Task Force that was put but we need to start governing for to- Every county in my district saw dev- together, and it recommended that morrow. astation. One county in particular, Federal flood protection measures The Climate Solutions Caucus under- Monterey County, suffered an extreme should entail that projects receiving stands and believes that we, in Con- amount of damage—the town of Big Federal dollars, they should comply gress, need to lead. We need to do that Sur, along the coast of California, in with elevation and flood-proofing by coming together. We do that by particular. The northern route of High- measures to avoid rebuilding them talking about the effects of climate way 1, going into Big Sur, suffered a after future storms. The report wanted change. We do that with Flood Risk knockout of a major bridge. The south- to ensure that we do not need to pay Management Standard legislation, and ern route had a major landslide, leav- multiple times to repair for flooding we don’t necessarily do it for us. We do ing that community isolated. damages in flood-impacted areas. it for our children. But I can tell you, 2 weeks ago, I In 2015, the administration put for- That is leadership, and that is why I stood on the brand-new bridge that was ward the Federal Flood Risk Manage- am proud to be on the Climate Solu- built. And as I was standing there, to ment Standard. That was a standard tions Caucus. me, it was a story of the people of Big that set out that federally financed in- Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, at this Sur, very resilient, always coming frastructure projects must be built to time, I just want to thank all my col- back from these types of situations. withstand future storms and flooding. leagues for their leadership on this But it was also the story of govern- That standard was meant to ensure issue. The time to take action on cli- ment working, people and government that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely mate is now. We can’t leave this prob- coming together, getting things done and communities are protected. lem to future generations to solve for to help people. However, in August, this administra- us. As we heard this evening, there is Now, just prior to that, I had read a tion decided to roll back the Federal no shortage of good ideas for how to do New York Times editorial, where the Flood Risk Management Standard, a so.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00084 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.149 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8381 I want to close by reading the mis- left—I repeat that, no further options nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, sion statement of the Climate Solu- left—the opportunity to try experi- causing those with ALS to lose control tions Caucus, which reminds us of the mental drugs that could save their own of their muscles. many reasons why our bipartisan group lives. Although this disease stopped Matt’s has come together to take action: Yes, there are also provisions in our career as a U.S. Navy aviator in its ‘‘The members of the Climate Solu- bill to protect both the patients, as tracks, he persisted and actively in- tions Caucus acknowledge the fact well as the pharmaceutical companies volved himself in the ALS community that, if left unaddressed, the con- who want to participate, but those pro- as a strong advocate for Right to Try sequences of a changing climate have visions are secondary to the primary legislation. the potential to adversely affect the purpose of this legislation. The pri- While the Food and Drug Administra- health of all Americans and the mary purpose of the Right to Try Act tion carries out its three-phase ap- strength of our economy, consequently is to give brave patients across this proval process, which can take years imposing substantial costs on both country some choice over their own and cost billions of dollars, many pa- State and Federal budgets. destinies, when all other avenues are tients simply want the chance to try ‘‘By seeking to reduce climate risk, gone. treatments that have already been we will, in turn, ensure the protection We want to give hope to these Ameri- demonstrated to be safe. of our economy, infrastructure, and cans, and we should all share that same A bill that was unanimously passed public safety, all while attaining en- goal of doing everything we can for pa- by the Senate will offer them a chance ergy independence from the world’s tients fighting to save their lives. This to extend their lives. The Right to Try most volatile regions. Therefore, it is policy has significant bipartisan sup- Act, S. 204, would ensure that termi- our goal to take a market-based ap- port. The Trump administration nally ill patients, together with their proach to substantially reduce green- strongly supports Right to Try, and physicians and pharmaceutical manu- house gas emissions in the United President Trump has indicated he facturers, can administer investiga- States in order to leave a better planet would likely sign this bill into law. tional treatments where no alternative and stronger economy for future gen- Time is of the essence, for time is one exists. In fact, this bipartisan idea is erations.’’ thing a terminally ill patient does not already the law in 37 States. Mr. Speaker, this is something that have. And the status quo is not the an- A Federal Right to Try law would all Americans can endorse and support. swer. The FDA and other agency offi- prevent the government from blocking It is a better world and a better coun- cials claim that their own expanded ac- access to potentially lifesaving medica- try. cess program is working and continues So I thank, again, all my colleagues tions. It would require patients to first to improve. There may be some truth for joining me here tonight, and for try all other available treatments and to that, but the program is simply not their work, all of the 60 members—30 be unable to participate in clinical enough; and I know that because I have Democrats, 30 Republicans—for their trials. work on the Climate Solutions Caucus. talked to dozens and dozens of pa- I want to note that these provisions Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance tients, family members, and advocates only apply to terminally ill patients. It of my time. who tell me it is not enough. They does not undo the FDA approval proc- come to my office, they call me on the ess but provides a potential lifeline for f phone, they write me impassioned let- those who cannot wait. Moreover, it re- ADVOCATING FOR PATIENTS’ ters. quires a physician to certify that other RIGHT TO TRY These same advocates have ensured options are either exhausted or un- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under that Right to Try has become law in 38 available. the Speaker’s announced policy of Jan- States. Think about that for a mo- This bill requires that a product uary 3, 2017, the Chair recognizes the ment. With one more State, you could meet a demonstrated level of safety by gentleman from Arizona (Mr. BIGGS) actually ratify a Constitutional attaining FDA phase I approval. We for 30 minutes. amendment. And in half of those 38 have worked with the drug companies GENERAL LEAVE States, Right to Try laws passed with to ensure adverse outcomes are not Mr. BIGGS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unani- unanimous support. In my home State used against the ongoing application mous consent that all Members have 5 of Arizona, voters approved that initia- for approval. Additionally, patients, legislative days in which to revise and tive by 80 percent of the popular vote. doctors, and manufacturers do not as- extend their remarks and include ex- At a time when pundits are claiming sume any additional liability under traneous material on the topic of this that our politics are broken, and Re- this act. Special Order. publicans and Democrats can’t come For those patients caught in between The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there together on anything, here is a cause the traditional drug approval delays, a objection to the request of the gen- that Americans of all political stripes clinical trial process for which they do tleman from Arizona? can unite in. not qualify, and limited time, the There was no objection. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman Right to Try simply establishes the Mr. BIGGS. Mr. Speaker, I am here from Pennsylvania (Mr. FITZPATRICK). freedom for patients and their doctors this evening, along with my friend and Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I to try therapies where the benefits far colleague, Representative BRIAN want to thank my friend and colleague, outweigh the risks. It gives them the FITZPATRICK, as we advocate for the ANDY BIGGS, for him joining all of us in option of trying to save their life. passage of the Right to Try Act. This this fight to stand up for terminally ill Mr. Speaker, whether it is a father bill, which we introduced together, has patients across this country. like Matt courageously battling ALS, dozens of bipartisan cosponsors, includ- Mr. Speaker, each year, more Ameri- or a brave child living with Duchenne ing Members here tonight. cans receive the devastating news of a muscular dystrophy, they deserve the We are both supportive of Senator terminal diagnosis. Even with the right to try. RON JOHNSON’s efforts to champion amazing work done in American med- Right to Try in the Senate. He has ical research and development, for too b 2100 been a tireless advocate of Right to many families, access to these poten- Mr. BIGGS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Try for years, and his bill has already tially lifesaving treatments will come FITZPATRICK; I appreciate all that he passed the Senate with unanimous con- too late or not at all. has done and continues to do in this sent. If you are watching the Senate Thousands of terminally ill patients, cause, this important cause. He is a very closely, you will know that noth- like my constituent, Matt Bellina, suf- great leader in this, and I am grateful ing comes out of there, and certainly fer needlessly while awaiting final ap- for all of his effort here. nothing with unanimous consent; so proval for drug therapies and other At this point, Mr. Speaker, I am that tells how strong the sentiment is medical technologies. pleased to yield to the gentleman from in favor of this bill. In April 2014, at age 30, Matt was di- Florida (Mr. GAETZ). Our legislation allows terminally ill agnosed with ALS, otherwise known as Mr. GAETZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the patients who have no further options Lou Gehrig’s disease. ALS attacks gentleman for yielding. I thank him for

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00085 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.151 H01NOPT1 H8382 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 his leadership on this issue on behalf of their way. Let’s let the decisions that Mr. BIGGS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. the terminally ill. I would also like to impact the healthcare of patients be SMUCKER; I appreciate his comments thank Senator JOHNSON for marshaling made by those patients and their fam- and his willingness to participate this together the resources of the Senate to ily members and their doctors, not a evening. bring this legislation to a head. bunch of politicians and bureaucrats in Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield to I ran for public office because I was Washington. the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. tired of the government playing too As people fall ill, it is my position GOSAR). large a role in the decisions people that this Right to Try Act can help Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I thank my make in their private lives, in their them, and certainly the inclusion of friend from Arizona for yielding. homes, and in their businesses. We live medical cannabis into this legislation What a great issue. As a conserv- in a world today where the government would make it a great deal more useful ative, I am an outspoken defender of wants to tell you where you have got and a great deal better for those in one’s right to life. But being pro-life to send your kids to school, what kind pain. doesn’t mean that I am just anti- of healthcare plan you have got to buy, I thank the gentleman from Arizona abortion. It also means that I support what regulations you have to comply for yielding. the right to try, because life at all with, and how much money they are Mr. BIGGS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the stages is worth fighting for. going to take out of your paycheck gentleman from Florida for his impas- Every year, over 1 million Americans die from terminal illnesses, many of each and every month. sioned speech, his position, his com- I certainly don’t think the govern- ments regarding the bill, and his desire whom pass away while waiting for the ment ought to play a role in deciding to see it altered, but I do appreciate his FDA to approve a drug that could dra- how someone deals with treatment at support of the bill. matically change their prognosis, the end of life. That is why I am a Mr. Speaker, I am certainly grateful while others die in the hopeless cycle to have this opportunity to yield to the of trying and trying again to gain ac- proud cosponsor of the Right to Try gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. ceptance into a medical trial. Act with Representative BIGGS, Rep- SMUCKER). Think about that: we are losing mil- resentative FITZPATRICK, and so many Mr. SMUCKER. Mr. Speaker, I would lions of Americans at the hands of gov- others. My frustration lies with any re- like to thank my colleague from Ari- ernment red tape. gime, regulatory or otherwise, that zona (Mr. BIGGS) for hosting tonight’s Now, as a healthcare provider for 25 would impair a patient’s decision to Special Order. I also thank Mr. years, I know firsthand how important use any medication to be able to allevi- FITZPATRICK, as well, for his leadership innovation is to the medical commu- ate their symptoms or improve their in this bill. I am really glad to be part nity. The Right to Try Act, if made quality of life in their final days. of this effort. into law, will give hope to the child It is absolutely ludicrous to me that, We could stand here tonight and talk with leukemia whose doctors have ex- in today’s world, we don’t allow termi- about the FDA’s process for approving hausted all other treatment options. It nally ill people in every corner of this drugs. We could talk about the count- opens previously locked doors by allow- great country to be able to use medical less patients across the country who ing healthcare providers to try experi- cannabis to alleviate their pain and struggle to get accepted into a clinical mental drugs as a last-ditch effort for suffering, particularly at the end of trial for a drug that could save their survival. life. life. We could even stand up here to- The experiments that the Right to It is so frustrating to me that the night and share with you one of the up- Try Act will allow for have the poten- Federal Government has lied to this lifting stories of a patient who received tial to lead to many more birthdays, country for a generation about medical a lifesaving drug because of a State’s more piano recitals, and more camping cannabis, saying that it has no medical right-to-try law. But we have heard trips, and offer hope for our future, value. Well, I can tell you, Mr. Speak- this, and we know all of this. hope for years to come. er, that is absolutely not true. I have We know the FDA’s approval process But don’t take my word for it. Emily met with patients in my district who takes years. We know there are too few Whitehead was merely 5 years old when have received terminal diagnoses, who spots in clinical trials for patients in she was diagnosed with acute have been told by their doctors not to dire need of help. We know that right- lymphoblastic leukemia, and her doc- buy green bananas, and yet those folks to-try laws give families hope and can tors quickly realized that she was courageously move forward trying to save lives. What I would like to talk among a small percentage of patients be a part of their own treatment and to about tonight is the moral imperative whose disease was seemingly untouch- be a part of their own clinical plan we face on this right-to-try legislation. able by chemotherapy. The Whiteheads moving forward. America is home to the world’s were at the end of their rope. The little Too often, doctors, whether it is at greatest doctors and medical experts. girl’s body was resisting chemo- the VA or in private practice, aren’t It is home to the world’s greatest med- therapy, and the window for many able to counsel their patients and give ical schools and hospitals. We have more birthdays, more piano recitals, them advice and comfort that there is cured diseases that were once a death and more camping trips was wearing a substance in medical cannabis which sentence. We have directed our na- thin. Their only option was to join a has proven in some circumstances to tional resources to fight epidemics that clinical trial that experimented with have medical value. have saved lives here at home and over- T-cell therapy, where Emily could be Stage IV of terminal cancer includes seas. We don’t give up. the first pediatric patient to undergo symptoms like loss of appetite, which What we do here in this Chamber, this treatment. can be helped by cannabis, chronic Mr. Speaker, speaks volumes. What we And do you know what? It worked. pain, shortness of breath, difficulty do here shows the Nation and the world Three years later, a groundbreaking breathing, chemotherapy-induced nau- where our priorities are. study was conducted where 63 patients sea. All of these things can be helped Is our priority the bureaucracy of received T-cell therapy for 1 year, and by medical cannabis. this city that too often misses opportu- 52 of them became cancer free, an abso- Those who are in stage III of AIDS nities simply because of its inability to lutely unheard-of statistic with this have sleeplessness and weight loss that act, or is our priority the patients and deadly strain of leukemia. can be helped by medical cannabis. families whom we represent to consult Think about that: 52 lives were Cannabis has shown great promise in with a doctor and decide for themselves saved; 52 families were given another the treatment of Alzheimer’s, Crohn’s how they choose to fight against ill- birthday, another piano recital, and Disease, multiple sclerosis, and epi- nesses for which we continue to search another camping trip. What a waste it lepsy, where there are refractory sei- for a cure? would have been had they not had the zures, at times, 30 or 40 seizures a day. For me, the choice is clear, Mr. right to try. Mr. Speaker, in this great country, Speaker. I choose my constituents. I Mr. BIGGS. Mr. Speaker, I thank all we will have people who will receive choose life, and I urge every single of my colleagues who have joined us to- terminal diagnoses each and every day. Member of this body to do the same. night to champion the cause and in- I say let’s get the government out of We cannot afford the cost of inaction. quire how much time I have remaining.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00086 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.153 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8383 The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gen- At 24, Mikaela was diagnosed with a 3031. A letter from the Director, Regu- tleman from Arizona has 15 minutes re- deadly form of kidney cancer that had latory Management Division, Environmental maining. already migrated into her bones before Protection Agency, transmitting the Agen- Mr. BIGGS. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I she even knew she was sick. She went cy’s withdrawal of direct final rule—Na- tional Emission Standards for Hazardous Air want to mention how I came to really through every known treatment in a Pollutants for Wool Fiberglass Manufac- be converted to the cause of right to matter of months and nothing worked. turing; Flame Attenuation Lines [EPA-HQ- try. Her high school sweetheart, Keith, OAR-2010-1042; FRL-9770-08-OAR] (RIN: 2060- I served in the Arizona State Legisla- heard about a drug under development AT58) received October 20, 2017, pursuant to 5 ture with Laura Knaperek, who was that was successfully treating people U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. also serving in the legislature when I with this same cancer, but Mikaela was 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on En- first met her. By 2014, she was no not allowed to enroll in the clinical ergy and Commerce. longer serving in the State legislature. trial. Mikaela and Keith launched a so- 3032. A letter from the Director, Regu- latory Management Division, Environmental She was an advocate. That year, Laura cial media campaign to try to get ac- Protection Agency, transmitting the Agen- was in the fight of her life against cess to the drug, but it wasn’t enough. cy’s direct final rule—Voluntary Consensus ovarian cancer, and her mission was to The FDA didn’t help. Standards Update; Formaldehyde Emission see right-to-try legislation passed into Mikaela died on April 24, 2014. Five Standards for Composite Wood Products law. months later, on September 4, the FDA [EPA-HQ-OPPT-2017-0245; FRL-9962-84] (RIN: In the end, her efforts for this cause gave final approval to the drug that 2070-AK36) received October 20, 2017, pursuant succeeded beyond everyone’s wildest might have saved her. to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, expectations when 80 percent of the I fight for Diego Morris. When he was Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on 10 years old, Diego woke up with a sore Energy and Commerce. electorate in Arizona voted to enact 3033. A letter from the Director, Regu- right to try. But, unfortunately, Laura leg that his mom thought was just an- latory Management Division, Environmental is not with us because she lost her other sports injury, but the pain didn’t Protection Agency, transmitting the Agen- brave battle with cancer last year. Her go away. They knew something was cy’s direct final rule—Approval and Promul- legacy as a tireless patient advocate wrong, but they never expected gation of State Air Quality Plans for Des- lives on. osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone can- ignated Facilities and Pollutants; City of I will continue to carry on the fight cer. Philadelphia; Control of Emissions from Ex- not just for Laura Knaperek, but for all After exhausting all treatments isting Sewage Sludge Incineration Units available, Diego’s doctors rec- [EPA-R03-OAR-2017-0509; FRL-9969-92-Region those patients across this country who 3] received October 20, 2017, pursuant to 5 are battling against the odds every ommended he try mifamurtide, which wasn’t available in the United States U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. day. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on En- I am joined by those who are here to- but was being safely used and had been ergy and Commerce. night, those who have cosponsored this given the Prix Galien Award, the gold 3034. A letter from the Director, Regu- bill, and many other advocacy groups, medal for pharmaceutical development latory Management Division, Environmental such as the Goldwater Institute in Ari- in England. The Morris family wasted Protection Agency, transmitting the Agen- cy’s direct final rule—Approval and Promul- zona that continues to fight for this. no time and made the move abroad to try to save Diego’s life. The treatments gation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; I fight for Bertrand Might. Bertrand Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania’s Adoption of is a very special little boy. He was the worked. Now Diego is back home in Phoenix and back to playing his favor- Control Techniques Guidelines for Auto- first person ever to be diagnosed with a mobile and Light-Duty Truck Assembly rare, fatal genetic disorder called ite sports. Coatings [EPA-R03-OAR-2017-0342; FRL-9969- NGLY1 that has left this 7-year-old We fight unitedly for the countless 83-Region 3] received October 20, 2017, pursu- paralyzed. Because the disease was other patients who deserve a right to ant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104- only identified by scientists in 2012 and try. We must act without further 121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee only a few people worldwide have been delay. Again, I thank those who have on Energy and Commerce. been here to testify tonight. 3035. A letter from the Director, Regu- diagnosed with it, there is no cure and Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance latory Management Division, Environmental no treatment available. Because the of my time. Protection Agency, transmitting the Agen- disorder is so rare, a drug may never be cy’s direct final rule—Air Plan Approval; developed to treat it. f Wisconsin; 2017 revisions to NR 400 and 406 But scientists have found that ENROLLED BILL SIGNED [EPA-R05-OAR-2017-0280; FRL-9969-89-Region 5] received October 20, 2017, pursuant to 5 Bertrand responds to certain investiga- Karen L. Haas, Clerk of the House, tional therapies. So Bertrand’s family U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. reported and found truly enrolled a bill 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on En- will have to rely on trying those new of the House of the following title, ergy and Commerce. investigational medications as long as which was thereupon signed by the 3036. A letter from the Director, Regu- they have access to them. That is why Speaker: latory Management Division, Environmental we need this right-to-try legislation. H.R. 1329. An act to increase, effective as of Protection Agency, transmitting the Agen- I fight for Jordan McLinn. Seven- December 1, 2017, the rates of compensation cy’s direct final rule—Air Plan Approval; Il- year-old Jordan says he wants to grow for veterans with service-connected disabil- linois; Volatile Organic Compounds Defini- up to be a firefighter so he can save ities and the rates of dependency and indem- tion [EPA-R05-OAR-2017-0323; FRL-9970-17- lives. He has Duchenne muscular dys- nity compensation for the survivors of cer- Region 5] received October 25, 2017, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, trophy, which could leave him para- tain disabled veterans, and for other pur- poses. Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on lyzed within 5 years and shortens his Energy and Commerce. life expectancy to only 20 years. There f 3037. A letter from the Director, Regu- is a drug now being used in clinical ADJOURNMENT latory Management Division, Environmental trials that is helping young people like Protection Agency, transmitting the Agen- Mr. BIGGS. Mr. Speaker, I move that cy’s final rule—National Emission Standards Jordan, but it could take another 7 the House do now adjourn. years for that drug to be available on for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Publicly The motion was agreed to; accord- Owned Treatment Works Residual Risk and the market. His parents cannot afford ingly (at 9 o’clock and 14 minutes Technology Review [EPA-HQ-OAR-2016-0490; to wait for the FDA to give that drug p.m.), under its previous order, the FRL-9969-95-OAR] (RIN: 2060-AS85) received its final approval. He could be in a House adjourned until tomorrow, October 20, 2017, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. wheelchair by then. This investiga- Thursday, November 2, 2017, at 10 a.m. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 tional drug could add years to Jordan’s for morning-hour debate. Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. life, which would give him the chance f to save others. 3038. A letter from the Director, Regu- We have already heard, when Rep- EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS, latory Management Division, Environmental ETC. Protection Agency, transmitting the Agen- resentative FITZPATRICK discussed cy’s final rule—Determination of Attain- Matt Bellina, his needs and his advo- Under clause 2 of rule XIV, executive ment by the Attainment Date for the 2008 cacy. We fight for him, and we fight for communications were taken from the Ozone Standard; Philadelphia-Wilmington- Mikaela Knapp. Speaker’s table and referred as follows: Atlantic City, PA-NJ-MD-DE Nonattainment

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00087 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO7.154 H01NOPT1 H8384 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 1, 2017 Area [EPA-R03-OAR-2016-0638; FRL-9969-93- Fund Federal Wage System Wage Areas quirements of such Act, and for other pur- Region 3] received October 20, 2017, pursuant (RIN: 3206-AN50) received October 25, 2017, poses (Rept. 115–383). Referred to the Com- to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law mittee of the Whole House on the state of Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Com- the Union. Energy and Commerce. mittee on Oversight and Government Re- f 3039. A letter from the Director, Regu- form. latory Management Division, Environmental 3049. A letter from the Deputy Chief Coun- PUBLIC BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS Protection Agency, transmitting the Agen- sel, Economic Development Administration, Under clause 2 of rule XII, public cy’s final rule—Hexythiazox; Pesticide Tol- Department of Commerce, transmitting the bills and resolutions of the following erances [EPA-HQ-OPP-2017-0155; FRL-9968-12] Department’s final rule—Elimination of Reg- titles were introduced and severally re- received October 25, 2017, pursuant to 5 ulations Implementing Community Trade U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. Adjustment Assistance Program [Docket ferred, as follows: 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on En- No.: 170828819-7819-01] (RIN: 0610-AA70) re- By Mr. BRADY of Texas: ergy and Commerce. ceived October 25, 2017, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. H.R. 4200. A bill to provide for temporary 3040. A letter from the Director, Regu- 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 funding for health insurance cost-sharing re- latory Management Division, Environmental Stat. 868); to the Committee on Ways and duction payments and provide targeted tax Protection Agency, transmitting the Agen- Means. relief, and for other purposes; to the Com- cy’s final rule—Bacillus amyloliquefaciens 3050. A letter from the Chief, Trade and mittee on Ways and Means, and in addition strain F727; Exemption from the Require- Commercial Regulations Branch, U.S. Cus- to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, ment of a Tolerance [EPA-HQ-OPP-2016-0348; toms and Border Protection, Department of for a period to be subsequently determined FRL-9968-40] received October 25, 2017, pursu- Homeland Security, transmitting the De- by the Speaker, in each case for consider- ant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104- partment’s final rule—Removing the Prohi- ation of such provisions as fall within the ju- 121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee bition on the Importation of Jadeite or Ru- risdiction of the committee concerned. on Energy and Commerce. bies Mined or Extracted from Burma, and By Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of 3041. A letter from the Director, Regu- Articles of Jewelry Containing Jadeite or New York (for himself and Mr. COS- latory Management Division, Environmental Rubies Mined or Extracted from Burma [CBP TELLO of Pennsylvania): Protection Agency, transmitting the Agen- Dec. 17-15] (RIN: 1515-AE27) received October H.R. 4201. A bill to improve the ability of cy’s final rule—Air Plan Approval; Min- 25, 2017, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); beginning farmers in the United States to nesota; State Board Requirements [EPA-R05- Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to acquire farms and participate in agricultural OAR-2016-0327; FRL-9970-14-Region 5] re- the Committee on Ways and Means. production, and for other purposes; to the ceived October 25, 2017, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 3051. A letter from the Assistant Secretary Committee on Agriculture, and in addition 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 for Insular Areas, Department of the Inte- to the Committee on Oversight and Govern- Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and rior, transmitting the report ‘‘Second Five- ment Reform, for a period to be subsequently Commerce. Year Review of the Compact of Free Associa- determined by the Speaker, in each case for 3042. A letter from the Assistant Legal Ad- tion, as Amended, Between the Governments consideration of such provisions as fall with- viser, Office of Treaty Affairs, Department of of the United States and the Federated in the jurisdiction of the committee con- State, transmitting reports concerning States of Micronesia’’ and the report ‘‘Sec- cerned. international agreements other than treaties ond Five-Year Review of the Compact of By Mr. ROSKAM (for himself, Mr. BLU- entered into by the United States to be Free Association, as Amended, Between the MENAUER, Mr. NOLAN, Mr. SHERMAN, transmitted to the Congress within the Governments of the United States and the Mr. CA´ RDENAS, Mr. YODER, Mr. sixty-day period specified in the Case-Za- Republic of the Marshall Islands’’, pursuant KNIGHT, Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois, blocki Act, pursuant to 1 U.S.C. 112b(a); Pub- to 48 U.S.C. 1921c(h)(2); Public Law 108-188, and Mr. BUCHANAN): lic Law 92-403, Sec. 1(a) (as amended by Pub- Sec. 104(h)(2); (117 Stat. 2737); jointly to the H.R. 4202. A bill to amend the Animal Wel- lic Law 108-458, Sec. 7121(b)); (118 Stat. 3807); Committees on Natural Resources and For- fare Act to prohibit animal fighting in to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. eign Affairs. United States territories; to the Committee 3043. A letter from the Deputy Assistant on Agriculture. Secretary, Bureau of Legislative Affairs, De- f By Mr. FITZPATRICK (for himself and partment of State, transmitting Transmittal REPORTS OF COMMITTEES ON Mrs. MURPHY of Florida): H.R. 4203. A bill to amend title 18, United No. DDTC 17-051, pursuant to Section 36(d) of PUBLIC BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS the Arms Export Control Act; to the Com- States Code, with regard to stalking; to the mittee on Foreign Affairs. Under clause 2 of rule XIII, reports of Committee on the Judiciary. 3044. A letter from the Associate General committees were delivered to the Clerk By Mr. MARCHANT: Counsel for General Law, Department of for printing and reference to the proper H.R. 4204. A bill to amend the Internal Rev- Homeland Security, transmitting a notifica- calendar, as follows: enue Code of 1986 to provide for International tion of a nomination, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. Regulated Investment Companies; to the 3349(a); Public Law 105-277, 151(b); (112 Stat. Ms. FOXX: Committee on Education and Committee on Ways and Means. 2681-614); to the Committee on Oversight and the Workforce. H.R. 3441. A bill to clarify the By Mr. ROTHFUS (for himself, Mr. Government Reform. treatment of two or more employers as joint LUETKEMEYER, and Mr. PERLMUTTER): 3045. A letter from the Associate General employers under the National Labor Rela- H.R. 4205. A bill to amend the Federal Fi- Counsel for General Law, Department of tions Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act nancial Institutions Examination Council Homeland Security, transmitting a notifica- of 1938; with an amendment (Rept. 115–379). Act of 1978 to establish a three-judge inde- tion of an action on nomination and a notifi- Referred to the Committee of the Whole pendent examination review panel; to the cation of a discontinuation of service in act- House on the state of the Union. Committee on Financial Services. ing role, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 3349(a); Public Mr. WALDEN: Committee on Energy and By Mr. BUCSHON (for himself, Mr. Law 105-277, 151(b); (112 Stat. 2681-614); to the Commerce. H.R. 3387. A bill to amend the RUIZ, Mr. MARCHANT, and Mr. KIND): Committee on Oversight and Government Safe Drinking Water Act to improve public H.R. 4206. A bill to amend title XVIII of the Reform. water systems and enhance compliance with Social Security Act to modernize the physi- 3046. A letter from the Acting Director, Of- such Act, and for other purposes; with an cian self-referral prohibitions to promote fice of Personnel Management, transmitting amendment (Rept. 115–380). Referred to the care coordination in the merit-based incen- the Office’s Federal Equal Opportunity Re- Committee of the Whole House on the state tive payment system and to facilitate physi- cruitment Program Report for Fiscal Year of the Union. cian practice participation in alternative 2015, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 7201; to the Com- Mr. BURGESS: Committee on Rules. House payment models under the Medicare pro- mittee on Oversight and Government Re- Resolution 600. Resolution providing for con- gram, and for other purposes; to the Com- form. sideration of the bill (H.R. 849) to repeal the mittee on Energy and Commerce, and in ad- 3047. A letter from the Acting Director, Of- provisions of the Patient Protection and Af- dition to the Committee on Ways and Means, fice of Personnel Management, transmitting fordable Care Act providing for the Inde- for a period to be subsequently determined the Office’s final rule—Federal Employees’ pendent Payment Advisory Board (Rept. 115– by the Speaker, in each case for consider- Retirement System; Government Costs (RIN: 381). Referred to the House Calendar. ation of such provisions as fall within the ju- 3206-AN22) received October 25, 2017, pursuant Mr. BURGESS: Committee on Rules. House risdiction of the committee concerned. to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Resolution 601. Resolution providing for con- By Mr. BERGMAN (for himself and Mr. Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on sideration of the bill (H.R. 3922) to extend KEATING): Oversight and Government Reform. funding for certain public health programs, H.R. 4207. A bill to amend the Immigration 3048. A letter from the Acting Director, Of- and for other purposes (Rept. 115–382). Re- and Nationality Act to reinstate the return- fice of Personnel Management, transmitting ferred to the House Calendar. ing worker exemption for H-2B visas, and for the Office’s final rule—Prevailing Rate Sys- Mr. HENSARLING: Committee on Finan- other purposes; to the Committee on the Ju- tems; Definition of Brown County, Wis- cial Services. H.R. 2201. A bill to amend the diciary. consin, and Forsyth and Mecklenburg Coun- Securities Act of 1933 to exempt certain By Mr. THOMPSON of California (for ties, North Carolina, to Nonappropriated micro-offerings from the registration re- himself and Mr. AMODEI):

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00088 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\L01NO7.000 H01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8385 H.R. 4208. A bill to reduce the risk posed by By Ms. TENNEY: Congress has the power to enact this legis- wildfires to communities and the most at- H.R. 4218. A bill to amend section 201 of lation pursuant to the following: risk federally owned forests; to the Com- title 18, United States Code, to redefine the Article I, Section 8 mittee on Natural Resources, and in addition term official act in bribery cases involving By Mr. ROSKAM: to the Committee on Agriculture, for a pe- public officials to strengthen accountability H.R. 4202. riod to be subsequently determined by the and oversight; to the Committee on the Judi- Congress has the power to enact this legis- Speaker, in each case for consideration of ciary. lation pursuant to the following: such provisions as fall within the jurisdic- By Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN (for herself, Article I, Section 1, to exercise the legisla- tion of the committee concerned. Mr. ENGEL, Mr. YOHO, and Mr. SHER- tive powers vested in Congress as granted in By Mr. LARSON of Connecticut (for MAN): the Constitution; and Article I, Section 8, himself, Ms. BARRAGA´ N, Mr. BLU- H. Con. Res. 89. Concurrent resolution ex- Clause 18, which gives Congress the author- MENAUER, Mr. CAPUANO, Mr. pressing the sense of Congress with respect ity ‘‘To make all Laws which shall be nec- CARBAJAL, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, to United States policy toward Tibet and essary and proper for carrying into Execu- Mr. COHEN, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mrs. that the treatment of the Tibetan people tion the foregoing Powers, and all other DEMINGS, Mr. MICHAEL F. DOYLE of should be an important factor in the conduct Powers vested by this Constitution in the Pennsylvania, Mr. GALLEGO, Mr. HAS- of United States relations with the People’s Government of the United States, or in any TINGS, Mr. HUFFMAN, Ms. NORTON, Mr. Republic of China; to the Committee on For- Department or Officer thereof’’; and (c) Arti- PAYNE, Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER, and eign Affairs, and in addition to the Com- cle I, Section 9, Clause 7, which states that Ms. WILSON of Florida): mittee on the Judiciary, for a period to be ‘‘No Money shall be drawn from the Treas- H.R. 4209. A bill to rebuild the Nation’s in- subsequently determined by the Speaker, in ury, but in Consequence of Appropriations frastructure, provide a consumer rebate to each case for consideration of such provi- made by Law; and a regular Statement and the American people, assist coal country, re- sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the Account of the Receipts and Expenditures of duce harmful pollution, and for other pur- committee concerned. all public Money shall be published from poses; to the Committee on Ways and Means, By Mr. KHANNA (for himself and Mr. time to time.’’; and Article 1, Section 8, and in addition to the Committees on Trans- MCGOVERN): Clause 3 To regulate Commerce with foreign portation and Infrastructure, Energy and H. Res. 599. A resolution expressing the Nations, and among the several States, and Commerce, Agriculture, Education and the sense of the House of Representatives with with the Indian Tribes; and Article 4, Sec- Workforce, Natural Resources, and Science, respect to United States policy towards tion 3, Clause 2, The Congress shall have Space, and Technology, for a period to be Yemen, and for other purposes; to the Com- Power to dispose of and make all needful subsequently determined by the Speaker, in mittee on Foreign Affairs. Rules and Regulations respecting the Terri- each case for consideration of such provi- By Mr. FRANKS of Arizona (for him- tory or other Property belonging to the sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the self, Mrs. LAWRENCE, Mr. ADERHOLT, United States; and nothing in this Constitu- committee concerned. Ms. BASS, Mr. BIGGS, Mr. BISHOP of tion shall be so construed as to Prejudice By Mr. MARSHALL: Utah, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mrs. any Claims of the United States, or of any H.R. 4210. A bill to increase the maximum BLACK, Ms. BORDALLO, Ms. BROWNLEY particular State. amount of assistance authorized under sup- of California, Mr. CALVERT, Mr. By Mr. FITZPATRICK: plemental agricultural disaster assistance CLEAVER, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. COMER, H.R. 4203. programs for livestock indemnity payments, Mrs. COMSTOCK, Mr. COOPER, Mr. Congress has the power to enact this legis- livestock forage disaster assistance, and CRAMER, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illi- lation pursuant to the following: emergency assistance for livestock, honey nois, Mr. EVANS, Ms. FUDGE, Mr. GAL- Article I, Section 8 bee, and farm-raised fish losses; to the Com- LAGHER, Ms. GRANGER, Mr. By Mr. MARCHANT: mittee on Agriculture. GROTHMAN, Ms. NORTON, Mrs. H.R. 4204. By Mr. MARSHALL: HARTZLER, Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana, Congress has the power to enact this legis- H.R. 4211. A bill to amend the Agricultural Mr. HUIZENGA, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. lation pursuant to the following: Act of 2014 to provide to producers partial JOHNSON of Louisiana, Mr. JONES, Mr. U.S. Constitution Art. I Sec. 8 cl. 1, under payments under the livestock indemnity pro- KIND, Mr. KING of New York, Mr. the ‘‘Power To lay and collect Taxes’’; gram for livestock sold for salvage; to the LAMBORN, Mr. LANGEVIN, Mr. LIPIN- Amd. 16, under the ‘‘power to lay and col- Committee on Agriculture. SKI, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. LONG, Mr. lect taxes on incomes, from whatever source By Mr. MARSHALL: LOWENTHAL, Mr. LUETKEMEYER, Mr. derived, without apportionment among the H.R. 4212. A bill to amend the Agricultural SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York, several States, and without regard to any Credit Act of 1978 to increase support for Mr. MARINO, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. census or enumeration’’; and conservation practices under the emergency MOOLENAAR, Mr. MULLIN, Mr. PAUL- Art. I Sec. 8 cl. 18, under the power ‘‘To conservation program, and for other pur- SEN, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. PEARCE, Mr. make all Laws which shall be necessary and poses; to the Committee on Agriculture. POLIQUIN, Mr. POSEY, Mr. ROTHFUS, proper for carrying into Execution the fore- By Mr. MARSHALL: Mr. RUSH, Mr. STIVERS, Mr. VALADAO, going Powers, and all other Powers vested by H.R. 4213. A bill to amend the Agricultural Mr. WALBERG, Mr. WENSTRUP, and this Constitution in the Government of the Credit Act of 1978 to establish a program to Mr. WITTMAN): United States, or in any Department or Offi- provide advance payments under the Emer- H. Res. 602. A resolution expressing support cer thereof.’’ gency Conservation Program for the repair for the goals of National Adoption Day and By Mr. ROTHFUS: or replacement of fencing; to the Committee National Adoption Month by promoting na- H.R. 4205. on Agriculture. tional awareness of adoption and the chil- Congress has the power to enact this legis- By Mr. MCCLINTOCK: dren awaiting families, celebrating children lation pursuant to the following: H.R. 4214. A bill to repeal the Western Area and families involved in adoption, and en- The Commerce Clause, Article I, Section 8, Power Administration borrowing authority, couraging the people of the United States to Clause 3 of the Constitution states that Con- and for other purposes; to the Committee on secure safety, permanency, and well-being gress shall have the power to regulate Com- Natural Resources. for all children; to the Committee on Edu- merce with foreign Nations, and among the By Mr. PAULSEN (for himself, Mr. cation and the Workforce. several States, and with the Indian Tribes. KIND, Ms. MATSUI, and Mr. BILI- By Mr. BUCSHON: RAKIS): f H.R. 4206. H.R. 4215. A bill to amend title XVIII of the CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY Congress has the power to enact this legis- Social Security Act to ensure that providers STATEMENT lation pursuant to the following: of services receive adequate payments for Article 1, Section 8, Clause 3 of the United the acquisition of hematopoietic stem cells Pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII of States Constitution. under the Medicare program, and for other the Rules of the House of Representa- By Mr. BERGMAN: purposes; to the Committee on Ways and tives, the following statements are sub- H.R. 4207. Means. mitted regarding the specific powers Congress has the power to enact this legis- By Mr. SABLAN: granted to Congress in the Constitu- lation pursuant to the following: H.R. 4216. A bill to amend the Agricultural Article One, Section 8, Clause 18 Act of 2014 to make available additional tion to enact the accompanying bill or By Mr. THOMPSON of California: funds for the Commonwealth of the Northern joint resolution. H.R. 4208. Mariana Islands pilot project; to the Com- By Mr. BRADY of Texas: Congress has the power to enact this legis- mittee on Agriculture. H.R. 4200. lation pursuant to the following: By Mr. SCHWEIKERT (for himself and Congress has the power to enact this legis- U.S. CONST. art. I, § 1 Mr. WALKER): lation pursuant to the following: By Mr. LARSON of Connecticut: H.R. 4217. A bill to amend the Internal Rev- United States Constitution Article I Sec- H.R. 4209. enue Code of 1986 to eliminate the deduction tion 8 Congress has the power to enact this legis- for living expenses incurred by members of By Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of lation pursuant to the following: Congress; to the Committee on Ways and New York: Clause 1 of Section 8 of Article 1 of the Means. H.R. 4201. United States Constitution

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By Mr. MARSHALL: H.R. 394: Mr. GONZALEZ of Texas. H.R. 2851: Mr. JENKINS of West Virginia, H.R. 4210. H.R. 398: Mr. SARBANES. Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia, Ms. TENNEY, Congress has the power to enact this legis- H.R. 535: Mr. PITTENGER, Mr. OLSON, Ms. Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana, and Mr. KNIGHT. lation pursuant to the following: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, and Mr. H.R. 2856: Mr. LONG. The ability to regulate interstate com- SAM JOHNSON of Texas. H.R. 2862: Mr. DENHAM and Mr. SABLAN. merce pursuant to Article 1, Section 8, H.R. 548: Mr. FARENTHOLD. H.R. 2865: Ms. NORTON. Clause 3. H.R. 719: Ms. MCSALLY. H.R. 2926: Mr. STIVERS. By Mr. MARSHALL: H.R. 721: Mr. YARMUTH. H.R. 2967: Mrs. NAPOLITANO. H.R. 4211. H.R. 741: Mr. PITTENGER. H.R. 2999: Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Congress has the power to enact this legis- H.R. 750: Mr. HIGGINS of New York. H.R. 3034: Mr. COLLINS of Georgia and Ms. lation pursuant to the following: H.R. 754: Mr. NORCROSS, Mr. DUNCAN of SLAUGHTER. The ability to regulate interstate com- South Carolina, and Mr. POSEY. H.R. 3077: Mr. DUNN and Mr. WILSON of merce pursuant to Article 1, Section 8, H.R. 785: Mr. BUDD and Mr. YOUNG of Iowa. South Carolina. Clause 3. H.R. 810: Mr. EVANS. H.R. 3117: Mr. LUCAS and Mr. ROUZER. By Mr. MARSHALL: H.R. 811: Mr. PALAZZO. H.R. 3132: Mr. CUMMINGS. H.R. 4212. H.R. 846: Mr. PANETTA and Ms. ADAMS. H.R. 3222: Mr. RASKIN and Ms. KELLY of Il- Congress has the power to enact this legis- H.R. 959: Mr. NOLAN. linois. lation pursuant to the following: H.R. 968: Mr. CA´ RDENAS. H.R. 3274: Mrs. ROBY, Mr. VISCLOSKY, and The ability to regulate interstate com- H.R. 1090: Mr. HURD. Mr. SMUCKER. merce pursuant to Article 1, Section 8, H.R. 1133: Miss GONZA´ LEZ-COLO´ N of Puerto H.R. 3282: Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Clause 3. Rico and Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. H.R. 3324: Mr. SCHWEIKERT. By Mr. MARSHALL: H.R. 1155: Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. H.R. 3330: Mr. WEBER of Texas and Mr. H.R. 4213. H.R. 1156: Mr. LOWENTHAL. NORMAN. Congress has the power to enact this legis- H.R. 1187: Mr. KIND. H.R. 3350: Mr. SCHRADER, Mr. DUNN, and lation pursuant to the following: H.R. 1192: Mr. LAMBORN, Mr. HENSARLING, Mr. FASO. The ability to regulate interstate com- Mr. HARRIS, Mr. BIGGS, Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY H.R. 3423: Mr. FASO. merce pursuant to Article 1, Section 8, of Florida, Mr. KELLY of Mississippi, and Mr. H.R. 3441: Mr. HILL. Clause 3. NORMAN. H.R. 3443: Mr. PANETTA. By Mr. MCCLINTOCK: H.R. 1243: Mr. LOEBSACK and Mr. EVANS. H.R. 3513: Mr. NOLAN. H.R. 4214. H.R. 1267: Mr. ALLEN. H.R. 3528: Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Congress has the power to enact this legis- H.R. 1295: Ms. PINGREE. H.R. 3533: Mr. CARTWRIGHT. lation pursuant to the following: H.R. 1406: Mr. CARTWRIGHT and Miss H.R. 3548: Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida. ´ ´ ´ Article I, Section 8, Clause 2 of the United GONZALEZ-COLON of Puerto Rico. H.R. 3590: Ms. BARRAGAN. States Constitution, ‘‘The Borrowing H.R. 1421: Mr. FOSTER. H.R. 3632: Mr. VALADAO and Mr. CARBAJAL. ´ ´ Clause,’’ which confers on Congress the H.R. 1444: Mr. DELANEY, Mr. LATTA, and H.R. 3634: Miss GONZALEZ-COLON of Puerto power to borrow money on the credit of the Mr. COSTA. Rico. United States. H.R. 1494: Mr. GOMEZ and Mr. MARSHALL. H.R. 3635: Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Penn- By Mr. PAULSEN: H.R. 1563: Mr. COHEN. sylvania. H.R. 4215. H.R. 1592: Mr. SESSIONS, Mrs. WAGNER, Mr. H.R. 3642: Mr. BYRNE, Mr. CHABOT, Mr. Congress has the power to enact this legis- WEBER of Texas, Mr. COLLINS of Georgia, and LIPINSKI, and Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. lation pursuant to the following: Mr. BUDD. H.R. 3666: Ms. SHEA-PORTER. Article I, Section 8 H.R. 1646: Mr. ALLEN. H.R. 3705: Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire. ´ To make all Laws which shall be necessary H.R. 1676: Ms. SANCHEZ, Mr. ROGERS of Ken- H.R. 3712: Ms. ESTY of Connecticut. and proper for carrying into Execution the tucky, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, and Mr. KELLY H.R. 3755: Ms. LEE. foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vest- of Mississippi. H.R. 3759: Mr. YOUNG of Alaska, Mr. ed by this Constitution in the Government of H.R. 1691: Mr. LAMALFA and Mrs. TORRES. MARCHANT, Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas, and the United States, or in any Department or H.R. 1730: Mr. CICILLINE and Mr. SCHNEI- Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Officer thereof. DER. H.R. 3784: Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. ISCLOSKY H.R. 3798: Mr. HOLDING. By Mr. SABLAN: H.R. 1776: Mr. V . H.R. 1811: Ms. SHEA-PORTER. H.R. 3814: Mr. DELANEY. H.R. 4216. H.R. 1815: Mr. CASTRO of Texas. H.R. 3822: Mr. GAETZ and Mr. PALMER. Congress has the power to enact this legis- H.R. 1825: Mr. KENNEDY and Mr. LABRADOR. H.R. 3848: Ms. ESHOO and Ms. DELAURO. lation pursuant to the following: H.R. 1847: Mr. HILL. H.R. 3875: Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER. Under Article I, Section 8, Clause 3 and Ar- H.R. 1849: Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia. H.R. 3878: Ms. JAYAPAL. ticle IV, Section 3, Clause 2 of the Constitu- H.R. 1876: Mr. DESJARLAIS. H.R. 3887: Mr. STIVERS. tion of the United States. H.R. 2073: Mr. DESAULNIER. H.R. 3889: Mr. ALLEN. By Mr. SCHWEIKERT: H.R. 2095: Mr. DESAULNIER. H.R. 3892: Mr. BUCSHON. H .R. 4217. H.R. 2101: Mr. OLSON and Ms. JENKINS of H.R. 3897: Mr. PITTENGER, Mr. ABRAHAM, Congress has the power to enact this legis- Kansas. Mr. LAMALFA, Mr. DIAZ-BALART, Mr. JOYCE lation pursuant to the following: H.R. 2123: Miss GONZA´ LEZ-COLO´ N of Puerto of Ohio, Mr. DONOVAN, Mr. DUFFY, Mr. COL- Article 1, section 8, clauses 1 and 18 of the Rico. LINS of Georgia, Mr. ROGERS of Alabama, Ms. United States Constitution, and Amendment H.R. 2225: Mr. HUDSON, Mr. CARBAJAL, Mr. GABBARD, Mr. BYRNE, Mr. GROTHMAN, and XVI of the United States Constitution. SWALWELL of California, Mr. ZELDIN, Mr. Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. By Ms. TENNEY: KHANNA, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Mr. POCAN, H.R. 3906: Mr. PETERS. H.R. 4218. and Mr. MEEHAN. H.R. 3913: Mr. LOBIONDO. Congress has the power to enact this legis- H.R. 2267: Ms. DEGETTE. H.R. 3928: Mr. HARRIS. lation pursuant to the following: H.R. 2310: Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia, H.R. 3937: Mr. MCGOVERN. Under Article I, Section 8 of the Constitu- Mr. ROE of Tennessee, and Mr. KINZINGER. H.R. 3970: Mrs. LOWEY. tion, Congress has the power ‘‘to make all H.R. 2318: Mr. KIND. H.R. 3985: Mr. DONOVAN. Laws which shall be necessary and proper for H.R. 2319: Mr. ARRINGTON. H.R. 4007: Mr. COLE. carrying into Execution the foregoing Pow- H.R. 2321: Mr. BARR. H.R. 4025: Mr. NADLER. ers, and all other Powers vested by this Con- H.R. 2421: Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. H.R. 4036: Mr. JONES and Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT stitution in the Government of the United H.R. 2472: Mr. SARBANES and Mr. HIGGINS of of Georgia. States, or any Department of Officer there- New York. H.R. 4049: Mr. DESAULNIER. of’’ H.R. 2495: Mr. RUSH and Mr. SCHNEIDER. H.R. 4059: Ms. PINGREE and Mr. JODY B. f H.R. 2501: Mrs. HANDEL. HICE of Georgia. H.R. 2506: Ms. STEFANIK. H.R. 4072: Mr. THOMPSON of California, Mr. ADDITIONAL SPONSORS H.R. 2584: Mr. VALADAO and Ms. DELBENE. HUFFMAN, Ms. SPEIER, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. Under clause 7 of rule XII, sponsors H.R. 2601: Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida. MCNERNEY, and Mrs. NAPOLITANO. H.R. 2651: Mr. MCHENRY, Mr. CRIST, and H.R. 4082: Ms. ESTY of Connecticut, Mr. were added to public bills and resolu- Mr. BUDD. CORREA, and Mr. AGUILAR. tions, as follows: H.R. 2670: Ms. VELA´ ZQUEZ. H.R. 4090: Mrs. ROBY. H.R. 116: Mr. PITTENGER. H.R. 2712: Mr. DESANTIS. H.R. 4093: Mr. GOMEZ. H.R. 173: Mr. GRAVES of Georgia, Mr. H.R. 2723: Ms. MCSALLY. H.R. 4101: Mr. GALLAGHER, Mr. COMER, Mr. LOUDERMILK, and Mr. WALKER. H.R. 2740: Mr. PERLMUTTER, Mr. PETERSON, GIBBS, Ms. SHEA-PORTER, and Mr. GUTHRIE. H.R. 215: Mr. COLE. and Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. H.R. 4127: Mr. LONG. H.R. 285: Mr. MESSER. H.R. 2817: Mr. CHABOT. H.R. 4131: Mr. ALLEN, Ms. FOXX, Mr. H.R. 392: Ms. ROSEN and Mr. AGUILAR. H.R. 2832: Mr. EMMER. CHABOT, Mr. GROTHMAN, Mr. RATCLIFFE, Mr.

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LONG, Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana, Mr. MEAD- H.R. 4198: Mr. RYAN of Ohio, Mr. GRIJALVA, H. Res. 313: Mr. CULBERSON. OWS, and Mr. KELLY of Mississippi. Mr. PALLONE, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. H. Res. 443: Mr. KELLY of Mississippi and H.R. 4143: Mr. MULLIN, Mr. PAULSEN, Ms. CICILLINE, Ms. LOFGREN, and Mr. RICHMOND. Mrs. COMSTOCK. SINEMA, and Mr. CLAY. H.J. Res. 32: Mr. PETERSON. H. Res. 466: Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Penn- H.R. 4145: Mr. PETERS and Mr. AGUILAR. H.J. Res. 118: Mr. BYRNE. sylvania and Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. H.R. 4155: Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. COSTA, Ms. H.J. Res. 120: Ms. MAXINE WATERS of Cali- ESTY of Connecticut, Miss GONZA´ LEZ-COLO´ N fornia. H. Res. 495: Mr. CONYERS. H. Con. Res. 10: Mr. NOLAN. of Puerto Rico, Mr. LOEBSACK, Ms. CASTOR of H. Res. 529: Mr. POCAN and Ms. BLUNT H. Con. Res. 40: Mr. WILSON of South Caro- Florida, Mr. COOPER, Mr. CRIST, Mrs. BUSTOS, ROCHESTER. lina. and Mr. CORREA. H. Con. Res. 59: Miss GONZA´ LEZ-COLO´ N of H. Res. 570: Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia H.R. 4168: Ms. ROSEN and Mr. KIHUEN. and Mr. LAMBORN. ´ ´ Puerto Rico. H.R. 4173: Miss GONZALEZ-COLON of Puerto H. Con. Res. 81: Mr. BEYER. H. Res. 576: Mr. HURD and Mr. OLSON. Rico. H. Res. 220: Mr. HUIZENGA. H. Res. 588: Miss GONZA´ LEZ-COLO´ N of Puer- H.R. 4180: Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD and Mr. H. Res. 279: Mr. VALADAO and Mr. WILSON to Rico. CARSON of Indiana. of South Carolina. H.R. 4182: Mr. LOUDERMILK. H. Res. 282: Mr. GALLEGO. H. Res. 593: Mr. TAKANO and Mr. DENT. H.R. 4184: Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. H. Res. 307: Mr. WEBER of Texas, Mr. WIL- H. Res. 597: Mr. SMUCKER, Mr. NORCROSS, H.R. 4195: Ms. SPEIER. LIAMS, Mr. FARENTHOLD, and Mr. BABIN. and Mr. PETERS.

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Vol. 163 WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2017 No. 177 Senate The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was NEW YORK CITY TERROR ATTACK The President will sign another CRA called to order by the President pro Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, yes- resolution today, one that will over- tempore (Mr. HATCH). terday’s attack in Manhattan was sick- turn a regulation that threatened to drive up costs for millions of Ameri- f ening, twisted, and heartbreaking. The suspect appears to have been inspired cans who carry a credit card. It is a PRAYER by ISIL. We know that in the days regulation dreamed up by a govern- ahead, our intelligence community will ment agency, the CFPB, that claims to The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- make every effort to learn more about protect consumers but seems to have fered the following prayer: him and whether he had any connec- found a way to actually harm them. Let us pray. tion to this terror group and its hateful The Treasury Department released a Eternal and ever-blessed God, thank ideology. But today we are thinking of study showing how this regulation has You for waking us to see the light of everyone affected by this tragedy. We little to do with consumer protection this new day. Lord, on this All Saints’ are praying for the victims and their and everything to do with lining the Day, we remember the unseen cloud of families. We are thinking of our fellow pockets of trial lawyers. This unac- witnesses that surrounds us. We are Americans in New York. We are ex- countable agency ignored that study grateful for all the saints who from pressing our gratitude for the critical and issued its regulation anyway. their labors rest but whose works fol- work of our first responders. To them We passed this Congressional Review low them. we say: Thank you for your courage. Act resolution to protect consumers We thank You for the many law- Thank you for all you do, especially in from wrongdoing while avoiding frivo- makers in our history whose integrity, the face of such a terrible tragedy like lous lawsuits that will only drive up creativity, and diligence have helped to we witnessed yesterday. costs for the millions of Americans keep us free. f who have a credit card. The CFPB con- Lord, we praise You for all of Your tinues to be one of the most unac- gifts, the glimpses of beauty, the CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW ACT countable bureaucracies in Wash- echoes of truth, and the kindness of RESOLUTION ington, and this Congress will continue friends. Thank You for all those who Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, to stand up for consumers even when lived and died for freedom. Grant us in after 8 years of sluggish growth and the CFPB will not. our day and generation to live to honor missed opportunities for the middle f our noble heritage. class under 8 years of the Obama ad- And Lord, please remember all of ministration, the American people NOMINATION OF JOAN LARSEN those affected by the violence in New elected a new President and Congress Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, yes- York. Bring a speedy recovery to the dedicated to getting our country mov- terday, when the Senate confirmed the injured. ing again after so many years of failed nomination of Professor Amy Barrett We pray in Your merciful Name. leftwing policies. We are working hard to the Seventh Circuit Court of Ap- Amen. on joint legislative initiatives on tax peals, we took another important step to ensure that the Federal judiciary f reform. We have also undertaken what has fulfills its role in our constitutional PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE been described as ‘‘the most ambitious system. Now we have an opportunity to regulatory rollback since Reagan.’’ The confirm another well-qualified woman The President pro tempore led the administration has the ability to take to the bench, Michigan Supreme Court Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: serious action on its own, and it has. Justice Joan Larsen. President Trump I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the The Congress has taken important ac- nominated her to serve on the Sixth United States of America, and to the Repub- tion many times as well. We have used Circuit, and she will be a strong addi- lic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. the tools contained in the Congres- tion to that court and a benefit to our sional Review Act, which allows us to Nation. f overturn certain regulations with a After graduating first in her class majority vote in Congress and the from Northwestern’s law school, Jus- RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY President’s signature. The President tice Larsen served as a law clerk for LEADER signed all of the many CRA resolutions Judge David Sentelle of the DC Circuit The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. COT- we passed already, which overturned Court and then for Justice Antonin TON). The majority leader is recog- regulations that threatened everything Scalia. These clerkships honed Justice nized. from job creation to economic growth. Larsen’s legal abilities and respect for

∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor.

S6937

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VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:49 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A01NO6.000 S01NOPT1 S6938 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 1, 2017 the rule of law, preparing her for a dis- mittee, tirelessly working to bring the York doesn’t scare easily. New Yorkers tinguished career. President’s nominees to the floor. are resilient. We always bounce back. Joan Larsen also served as the Dep- I look forward to voting to confirm We won’t let these terrorists get their uty Assistant Attorney General in the Joan Larsen today, and I urge all of my way or affect our way of life. We will Justice Department’s Office of Legal colleagues to join me. never let terror prevail. Counsel. Former government officials f True to form—something that made from both Republican and Democratic my heart swell with pride—the New administrations wrote in strong sup- RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME York City Halloween parade marched port of her nomination, each of them The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under on last night. Thousands of school kids holding her in the highest regard. the previous order, the leadership time went right into Stuyvesant today. The Joan Larsen later joined the law fac- is reserved. terrorists cannot stop us. They cannot ulty at the University of Michigan, change our way of life. We love New f teaching there for many years. She ex- York. We love America. That bond celled in academia, earning the praise CONCLUSION OF MORNING holds us together. of her students and the esteem of her BUSINESS ANTITERRORISM FUNDING colleagues. In fact, more than 30 of The PRESIDING OFFICER. Morning Now, I have seen the tweets from Michigan’s deans and law professors business is closed. President Trump. After September 11, wrote to support her nomination. They f the first thing President Bush did was wrote that Justice Larsen’s ‘‘commit- to invite Senator Clinton and me to ment to the rule of law and her capac- EXECUTIVE SESSION the White House, where he pledged to ity for top-flight legal analysis are do whatever was in his power to help both of the first order, and her personal our city. President Bush, in a moment integrity and decency are exceptional.’’ EXECUTIVE CALENDAR of national tragedy, understood the Even when they disagreed, her col- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under meaning of his high office and sought leagues praised Justice Larsen’s gen- the previous order, the Senate will pro- to bring our country together. erous manner, her personal integrity, ceed to executive session and resume President Trump, where is your lead- as well as her legal acumen. consideration of the Larsen nomina- ership? In 2015, Larsen was appointed to the tion, which the clerk will report. The contrast between President Michigan Supreme Court. The next The senior assistant legislative clerk Bush’s actions after 9/11 and President year, she won election to a full term, read the nomination of Joan Louise Trump’s actions this morning could winning every single county in the Larsen, of Michigan, to be United not be starker. State. Her fellow justices—even those States Circuit Judge for the Sixth Cir- Again, President Trump, where is with different ideologies—praised her cuit. your leadership? intellect and her commitment to apply I would say in closing that I have al- RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY LEADER the law as it is written to every case ways believed that immigration is good The PRESIDING OFFICER. The before them. for America. I believe it today. Joan Larsen’s time on the Michigan Democratic leader is recognized. President Trump, instead of politi- high court has shown a record of inde- NEW YORK CITY TERROR ATTACK cizing and dividing America, which he pendence and of fairness. Here is how Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I rise always seems to do at times of national one practitioner put it in a letter to this morning with a heavy heart. My tragedy, should be bringing us together the Judiciary Committee: ‘‘I am not a city, my dear city of New York, no and focusing on the real solution—anti- Republican,’’ he wrote. ‘‘Justice Larsen stranger to terrorism, was once again terrorism funding, which he proposed approaches cases with an open mind its victim yesterday. to cut in his most recent budget. So I and an independence from party affili- Yesterday afternoon, a man delib- am calling on President Trump to re- ation. . . . I believe that . . . Justice erately drove a rented truck into scind his proposed cuts to this vital Larsen has had a very positive influ- groups of pedestrians and cyclists, kill- antiterrorism funding immediately. ence on the Michigan Supreme Court. ing eight and injuring about a dozen Our city relies on this funding to track In my view, she would be a deserving more. Some of the injured were school- potential terrorists and to snuff out at- addition to the Sixth Circuit Court of children. These people were biking or tacks. The NYPD, which bravely and Appeals.’’ walking home, enjoying a brisk and quickly responded to the scene yester- Another lawyer wrote the com- beautiful New York autumn day. It is day and brought the mayhem to an mittee, advising that he ‘‘has practiced tragic. It leaves a hole in your stom- end, depends on this antiterrorism law in Michigan for 39 years’’ and is ‘‘a ach. funding to keep our city safe day in past president of the Michigan Associa- Our hearts go out to the victims and and day out. So, again, I am calling on tion for Justice (formerly the Michigan their families, and we wish all of the the President to rescind his proposed Trial Lawyers Association).’’ He goes injured a full and speedy recovery. We cuts to this vital antiterrorism funding on to say that Justice Larsen ‘‘has are also grateful—deeply grateful—to immediately. demonstrated on the bench that she is the New York Police Department and Instead of dividing, instead of politi- precisely who she is in person, a gen- the first responders, especially Officer cizing, do something real, Mr. Presi- uine, thoughtful individual who re- Ryan Nash, 28 years old, who was the dent. Restore these funds now. spects precedent, the common law and first on the scene. He reacted quickly I yield the floor. the role that lawyers and judges play and decisively to bring down the The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- in society. . . . I have no hesitation in attacker and bring him into custody. ator from Wyoming. telling you that Justice Larsen will Who knows how much worse the trag- Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, this make an excellent judge on the Sixth edy would have been without his ac- week the Senate is moving through a Circuit Court of Appeals.’’ tions. series of votes to fill vacancies in the In conclusion, President Trump con- As one of thousands of New Yorkers Federal appeals court. President tinues to nominate smart, well-quali- who regularly ride on the path where Trump has nominated highly qualified, fied, and impartial individuals to our this attack took place—in the last mainstream judges and legal scholars Nation’s Federal courts. Justice Lar- month, I have ridden on it twice—it to do these jobs. Now, Democrats have sen, like each of the other nominees be- hits close to home. My daughter went responded once again with delay and fore her, was nominated on the basis of to the school near the scene, with obstruction. It is clear to me that her belief in the rule of law and her Stuyvesant High School, and she used we need to change the rules in the Sen- commitment to apply the law fairly to the bike path I don’t know how many ate that govern how we debate nomina- everyone who enters her courtroom. times. This is our territory, our home. tions in this body. All year Democrats Once again, I would also like to The attacks are meant to confuse have been putting up roadblocks to thank Chairman CHUCK GRASSLEY for and terrorize, but, as the world learned nominations. They have forced the ma- his leadership on the Judiciary Com- after 9/11 and will learn again, New jority leader to file cloture so that

VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:49 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G01NO6.002 S01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6939 then we can confirm nominees like They are only interested in slowing We need a fair debate on every nomi- these four judges. down the work of the Senate. So we nation. The procedure from 2013 and As of last Friday, Democrats have had a cloture vote on the nominee. It 2014, with fair debate on nominations, forced the Senate to file cloture 47 dif- was 1 of the 47 cloture votes that we is one that was fair. The way the ferent times when we have had to have talked about. We had to have a cloture Democrats are wasting time today to cloture votes on President Trump’s vote. Every Republican and 27 Demo- keep us from doing our work is not nominees. There were only six cloture crats voted for him. So he had bipar- fair. I believe it is time to return to the votes at this point for the previous four tisan support. We still had to allow all rules for debating nominees that the Presidents—five for Obama, none for of this wasted time for the debate. We Senate used 3 years ago. There will George W. Bush, one for Bill Clinton, couldn’t conduct any of the other busi- still be plenty of time for Senators to and none under the Presidency of ness of the Senate during the time be- debate the nominees, to raise objec- George Herbert Walker Bush. These are cause the Democrats insisted that we tions if there are any. Every Senator the kind of hoops that the Democrats use all of the debate time. Now, they could be on the record. There are just have been making the Senate jump could have very easily agreed to waive a lot of hours that we could avoid that through in an effort to confirm Presi- the rules, as we do, and go straight to are being wasted today that could be dent Trump’s nominees. a vote. We wanted to do that. The used to do the people’s business of this The procedure has been set in place Democrats refused. country. A President’s nominations of to allow for debate. Well, debate is a So how much of that time—those 30 qualified people to important jobs was good thing in the Senate, as long as de- hours—did the Democrats actually never meant to be a tool for delay in bate is actually occurring. It is a spend on the floor debating this per- the Senate or to be an obstruction the chance for Senators to stand up, to say son’s qualifications to be a Federal way the Democrats have been using it. what they like or what they don’t like judge? How many of those 30 hours did Now, these rules that we used in 2013 about a nominee. Now, if no one wants the Democrats use? None. How many and 2014 were the result of a com- to debate, we should just move things minutes did they use? None. Not one promise. Democrats controlled the along and have the vote. There is one Democrat came to the floor of the Sen- Senate at the time. A Democrat, Senate rule that allows for as much as ate to talk about that judge. Not a sin- Barack Obama, was in the White House 30 hours of debate time on Presidential gle Democrat even bothered to say a making the nominations, and Repub- nominations after we have actually word against his nomination. There licans agreed to make these changes to had the cloture vote. Now, in reality, were fewer than 20 minutes of total the rules. It was part of a bipartisan very little of that time that is spent on talk on the floor of the Senate. group, and I was part of that group. the Senate floor is actually being used Through hour after hour after hour of There were eight Senators. They for the debate. In the past, both sides ongoing time, there were fewer than 20 worked on this compromise—four Re- would agree to waive the time require- minutes spent actually talking about publicans and four Democrats. Senator ments and to move on to other Senate the judge, and it was all spent in praise MCCAIN and Senator ALEXANDER were business, which is what we need to do by the Republicans. We still had to run part of this group. Senator SCHUMER, to get the country continuing to move out the clock because that is the delay who is now the Democrat leader, was forward. But what is happening now is game the Democrats are playing in the part of this group. There was over- that Democrats are insisting on clo- Senate. The Senate had to waste hours whelming support for these changes on ture votes, and then they are insisting and hours when we could have finished both sides of the aisle. that we use hour after hour after hour, debating in less than 20 minutes. The It is time to do it again. Let’s change even when there is no one here to de- Democrats have done this same thing the Senate rules and go back to the bate what is the issue or the person in time after time after time, day after process that Senator SCHUMER sup- front of us. day, wasting day after day. ported in 2013 and 2014. Today, the It is time to end this pointless spec- Things take time in the Senate. We schedule allows us to do one or two tacle. The Senate used to be called the understand that. That is what the nominations in a typical week. If we go world’s greatest deliberative body. Founding Fathers had in mind when back to the 2014 standard, we could Democrats have turned it into the they formed the two bodies of Con- clear multiple nominations in a day. world’s most paralyzed deliberative gress, the House and the Senate. There The Republican Senate has been busy body. is no excuse, though, for Democrats this year, and we have made progress We have more than 125 nominees for abusing the process to make things on behalf of the American people. We various jobs who have had hearings in take even longer. Democrats aren’t have passed 15 resolutions rolling back committee, who have testified in com- using the rules for debate. They are not destructive, Obama-era regulations mittee, who have been voted on in com- using the rules for deliberation. It is using the Congressional Review Act mittee, who have cleared through the only for delay. It hasn’t always been and signed into law by the President. entire committee-vetting process and this way, and there is no reason it We passed a budget that will help give are now waiting for a vote on the Sen- should continue to be this way. Americans at home a raise by cutting ate floor—125 of them. Most of these The Senate had a different standard their taxes and giving us an oppor- people have bipartisan support. They for nominations a few years ago, and tunity to do the kind of tax relief, tax will be confirmed easily and eventu- that was in the 113th Congress. In years reform, tax reductions, tax cuts that ally. They should be confirmed imme- 2013 and 2014, the Senate allowed just 2 the American people are looking for. diately. There should be no reason for hours of debate after cloture was in- We need to do more. It is time for Democrats’ stalling tactics except, voked on nominations for district Democrats to stop abusing the rules once again, to slow down the pace of court judges. That is 2 hours more than just to delay the process. It is time to other progress in the Senate on legisla- the Democrats actually spent debating go back to the previous standard of de- tive issues. this judge’s nomination last week. The bating nominations. It is time to pick Mr. President, look at what happened rules said that we would have up to 8 up the pace and do the job the Amer- with one judge last week. It is a case hours to debate executive branch nomi- ican people expect us to do. you are very familiar with. Scott Palk nations below the Cabinet level. Then, Now, if Democrats have a different was nominated by President Trump to for Cabinet Secretaries, for Justices on approach and don’t want to accept the serve on the U.S. district court. He had the Supreme Court, and for circuit standard of debate that was set in the bipartisan support in the Judiciary courts, it was the full 30 hours of de- previous Congress, then I believe it is Committee. He went to the committee, bate. Thirty hours now is what we time for us to force that change. If had a hearing in the committee, and allow every nomination today, and Democrats maintain their lockstep op- with bipartisan support was voted out Democrats have shown that in most position to real progress on judicial va- of the committee. That was in June— cases it is far too much time because cancies and other nominees, we should more than 4 months ago. even though we have to spend all the give them a chance to vote on their Now, apparently that is not good time, they use very little of it talking continued obstruction. We can vote on enough for the Democrats—not at all. about the nominees. these nominees in a straightforward

VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:49 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G01NO6.003 S01NOPT1 S6940 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 1, 2017 and efficient way or we can vote to re- Party stripped language from their dent, the rule of law may be meaning- turn to the precedent of the 113th Con- platform that would have called for less, a facade or a fiction, but that is gress. That is the choice. Either way, it arming Ukraine against Russian ag- exactly why Congress must give the ju- is time to vote. gression. Ahead of the convention, dicial branch specific, enforceable Thank you. Manafort also offered to brief a Rus- power to stop the President from firing I yield the floor. sian billionaire on the state of the 2016 the special counsel. I suggest the absence of a quorum. race. The convention he helped orga- That is the purpose of legislation I The PRESIDING OFFICER. The nize became a venue for a meeting be- have introduced, along with colleagues. clerk will call the roll. tween Attorney General Sessions and I am here to call upon this body to sup- The senior assistant legislative clerk the Russian ambassador, after which port and pass the Special Counsel Inde- proceeded to call the roll. the Attorney General misled Congress, pendence Protection Act. Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I implying—indeed stating—that it I called for the special counsel to be ask unanimous consent that the order never took place. established in February of this year for the quorum call be rescinded. The Trump campaign also worked ex- and was joined by 10 of my colleagues The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without tensively with George Papadopoulos, a in that call. It was based on credible al- objection, it is so ordered. foreign adviser whose actions con- legations that the Trump team had RUSSIA INVESTIGATION stitute the most significant indication colluded with the Russian Government. Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, of possible collusion—so far the most The Special Counsel Independence Pro- the magnitude of this moment should significant—between the Trump cam- tection Act, which I have cosponsored be apparent to all. A sitting U.S. Presi- paign and Russian officials. along with colleagues, seeks to fore- dent’s campaign chief and his protege Papadopoulos was named a foreign stall the kind of potential constitu- have been indicted for conspiring policy adviser in March 2016 and began tional crisis raised by the President’s against the United States. Another communicating with Russian nationals threats not so long ago and his labeling campaign adviser has pleaded guilty the next month. He met with a pro- the investigation a hoax and a witch for lying to the FBI about meetings fessor for breakfast in London. They hunt. with Russians. At those meetings, he discussed stolen emails from Hillary The Washington Post reported today illegally discussed obtaining dirt on Clinton and subsequently shuttled mes- that advisers close to the President are the President’s political opponent and sages to the Kremlin and back for the urging that, in fact, he take more ag- emails that had been stolen. Trump campaign. gressive action against the special Two points need to be underscored He worked with officials at the high- counsel. The specter of Presidential ac- for the American people. First, these est level of the Trump campaign. His tion against Robert Mueller, designed indictments and conviction are a sober, direct boss, in fact, was Jeff Sessions, to stop or stymie a virtually unavoid- shattering moment in American his- who was then the head of Trump’s na- able and necessary criminal investiga- tory. Second, all of us on both sides of tional security advisory committee, tion of the President himself, makes the aisle should come together to sup- and he is now, of course, the Attorney safeguarding the special counsel more port the work of the special counsel General. He communicated extensively urgent and necessary now than ever be- and assure that he is able to follow the with the campaign manager and mem- fore. facts and the law and all of the evi- bers of the national security team. Rather than encouraging Presi- dence, wherever they may lead. President Trump tweeted today that dential abuse of power by inaction, the This moment will stand as a land- he was a ‘‘young, low level volunteer,’’ Congress must move forward right mark in American history, just as but the President sang his praises at a away to check potential malfeasance many of the moments in Watergate meeting with the Washington Post edi- and abuse before it occurs. Even the did. This investigation has proceeded torial board in March 2016, calling him threat of such political interference more quickly than Watergate did. John an ‘‘energy and oil consultant, excel- constituting potential obstruction of Mitchell was indicted in 1974 for con- lent guy.’’ These revelations are stun- justice undermines the special coun- spiracy, perjury, and obstruction of ning. sel’s investigation. It makes witnesses justice. He was convicted a year later. Now the President is at a critical less likely to cooperate. It discourages That indictment took a year and a half juncture. He can choose the course of the agents and investigators working of investigation. These indictments cooperation or confrontation. He is lit- for the special counsel. It creates un- have occurred just 11 months after the erally teetering on the brink of a deci- necessary confusion in the American election and barely 6 months after the sion that could prove disastrous for public. Only judicial review can pro- beginning of the investigation. himself and for America if he chooses a vide the check against such abuse and We know that the President’s cam- constitutional confrontation. ensure confidence that the special paign hired two alleged criminals and We are at a moment very much like counsel will proceed methodically and one admitted criminal. Two of them the one that occurred in Watergate. It systematically to uphold the rule of were foreign agents, and the campaign is still memorable to many of us in this law and follow the facts in evidence, was run by a Russian agent, unregis- Chamber, although we were not here at wherever they may lead. That is what tered, now charged with conspiring the time. Our Nation could be careen- the American people want him to do. against the United States. He was sup- ing toward a constitutional crisis. That is what we should guarantee that ported by another Russian foreign Some of the actions the President has he will do. Make no mistake, this in- agent who was also charged with the already taken, such as firing Jim vestigation will continue and conclude same 12 criminal counts. These two in- Comey as FBI Director, may be evi- fairly and fully. The only question is dividuals, Paul Manafort and Rick dence of obstruction of justice in the how much turmoil and how much dam- Gates, were significant people in the investigation by the special counsel. As age is done in the course of that inves- Trump campaign. part of our oversight responsibility, tigation. In the case of Gates, his influence the Judiciary Committee must con- Clearly, like any investigation and continued through the early months of tinue its work in investigating that fir- prosecution, this one is a mosaic, con- the new administration. Manafort ran ing and other actions that may con- sisting of many different diverse pieces Trump’s campaign at its most critical stitute obstruction of justice. and already it is coming together on point, and he organized and directed Firing the special counsel himself is the Trump campaign’s contacts with the 2016 Republican National Com- something only the President could try Russian officials. They include, for ex- mittee convention, including the crit- to do. It would be the ultimate act of ample, campaign adviser ical delegate-corralling effort against a contempt for the rule of law that is Papadopoulos’s contacts with a Rus- potential ‘‘Never Trump’’ insurrection, rightly seen as the actions of someone sian agent who claimed he had ‘‘dirt’’ securing the Republican nomination who has something to hide. on Hillary Clinton; Donald Trump, Jr., for Donald Trump. At stake is more than just this Presi- and the campaign aides’ Trump Tower Under Manafort’s leadership of the dent or this special counsel. It is lit- meeting with Russian agents to obtain Trump campaign, the Republican erally the rule of law. To this Presi- information on Clinton; Jared

VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:49 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G01NO6.005 S01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6941 Kushner’s meetings with sanctioned way to do so. I expect we will have a I yield the floor. VEB Russian bank CEO Sergey single bill in the very near future. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- Gorkov; Sessions’ meetings with the We should stand with one voice ator from Washington. Russian Ambassador; the Cambridge against obstruction of this investiga- Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask Analytica CEO’s outreach to tion. I ask that my colleagues go on unanimous consent to speak as in WikiLeaks to obtain Hillary Clinton’s the record now to state that they will morning business. missing emails; and former National absolutely resist and oppose any inter- The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. SUL- Security Adviser Michael Flynn’s din- ference by the executive branch into LIVAN). Without objection, it is so or- ing with President Putin in Moscow. this investigation or investigations dered. Those pieces of the mosaic are only the that are underway by our congres- HEALTHCARE sional committees—on the House side, beginning. We are at a critical stage— Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, since the Intelligence Committee and, in the the end of the beginning, not the begin- day one, the President of the United Senate, the Judiciary Committee along ning of the end. States has made it clear that his top As a former prosecutor, I know inves- with our Intelligence Committee. The priority, when it comes to healthcare tigations take time. The best inves- congressional committees have sepa- in our country, is to score political tigations are done without deadlines. rate purposes. In the Judiciary Com- points by attacking ObamaCare. He has In an important case like this one, and mittee, we have the unique responsi- even said repeatedly that healthcare in in a complex and challenging one, we bility of oversight over the Department our country will ‘‘implode,’’ but this must allow all the time necessary to of Justice and the FBI. We have the was not just a prediction that Presi- assemble that full mosaic and put to- unique responsibility to prevent the dent Trump made, it was his goal, and gether the pieces of this puzzle. obstruction of justice and to uncover he has tried virtually everything he The Watergate scandal took 2 years it, as is indicated by the firing of Jim can do to make that implosion a re- to unravel, from Bob Woodward and Comey. My hope is that investigation ality. Carl Bernstein’s first piece in the will proceed and that it will be bipar- In January, he abruptly pulled fund- Washington Post in June of 1972 to Nix- tisan, so we will have hearings and sub- ing for outreach days before the end of on’s resignation in August of 1974. We poena witnesses with public testimony the 2017 open enrollment period with- are less than a year into the Trump under oath and eventually some report out any analysis of how that might af- Presidency and fewer than 10 months to the American people. That is my fect patients and families, and he into this investigation. hope, and that will be our decision signed executive orders specifically de- The first individuals to be indicted in here. the Watergate scandal were considered The decision we cannot and should signed to inject uncertainty and in- to be generally outside the President’s not make is what the outcome will be creased costs into the healthcare sys- inner circle. They were E. Howard of the special counsel investigation. We tem. Hunt, G. Gordon Liddy, and the Water- must guarantee—and we have this re- President Trump then dedicated the gate burglars in September of 1972. No sponsibility in the Congress—that spring and summer to attempting to one knew—and many denied—the con- there is adequate funding and author- jam partisan, extraordinarily destruc- spiracy that involved the President and ity for the special counsel, that there tive legislation through the House and his top lieutenants at the time of those is no effort to either cut resources or Senate to repeal the Affordable Care first indictments. In these cases, too— limit the purview of the special counsel Act, despite one independent analysis in these first indictments and convic- or place constraints on the time it may after another showing that each tion—a lot more is to come. take for this probe to conclude. There version of TrumpCare would cause pre- We cannot wait until the President should be no firing and no pardons, and miums to spike, take coverage away potentially shuts down his special we should speak out and stand up to as- from millions of people, rip protections counsel to come to his defense. Al- sure that message reaches the White away from patients with preexisting ready, the rule of law is under threat. House loud and clear. conditions, and gut Medicaid. On Sunday—the day before the indict- This moment is one of historic mag- This fall—after TrumpCare failed an- ments were handed down—the Presi- nitude. I cannot emphasize how strong- other time in the Senate—he slashed dent tweeted: ‘‘DO SOMETHING!’’ with ly I feel but also how deeply my col- by 90 percent the investments that help regard to the Russia investigation. Al- leagues have expressed to me their own inform families about their coverage though his reference was unclear ex- feelings about our responsibility in this options and followed through on his actly what he meant and whom the moment. year-long threat to discontinue pay- message was targeting, it certainly was The grand jury that is bringing these ments designed to lower out-of-pocket an indication that some kind of action indictments is an arm of the courts, costs for low-income enrollees. might be taken to thwart the inves- which should be independent of both This is a scenario that healthcare ex- tigation. the executive and legislative branches. perts said would cause mass consumer Any interference in this investiga- That independence gives the special confusion and anxiety, one that insur- tion will be a red line for me and for counsel some new measure of perma- ance companies planned for by shifting others in this Chamber. Let the Presi- nence and protection, but the Presi- that burden of uncertainty to patients dent hear that message loud and clear. dent can still try to fire the special and taxpayers in the form of higher There is a red line that cannot be counsel. He cannot fire the grand jury premiums and fewer options in State crossed. It is political interference or or the U.S. District Court judge who marketplaces. intrusion in the special counsel’s inves- impaneled the grand jury. Judicial re- Now, this is by no means the full list tigation, and it will be met with a view of any firing of the special coun- of ways President Trump has at- firestorm, I hope, on both sides of the sel, which is the core principle of our tempted his healthcare sabotage, but it aisle. My conversations with our col- measure—the Special Counsel Inde- does explain why we are here now. leagues on the other side of the aisle pendence Protection Act—would add a Today is the first day of the open en- indicate they would share our outrage highly significant protection to not rollment period for 2018, and as a direct and outcry if there is an effort to stop just deter misguided and deeply mis- result of this President’s actions, fami- and stymie this investigation or if taken actions, throwing our Nation lies are going to see higher premiums, there is any other kind of political in- into turmoil, but also assuring that more out-of-pocket costs, and fewer terference in it. confidence and trust remains with the coverage options. Many families will Senators GRAHAM, BOOKER, WHITE- special counsel, and he can follow facts have to change their coverage if they HOUSE, COONS, and I have cosponsored and the law with the full support of the want to avoid paying hundreds of dol- measures that will help protect the American people. The American people lars more in premiums. special counsel. There are two meas- can put their trust and faith in him At a time when we need to continue ures now, but they are so closely simi- and in our courts. We should assure to do more to bend the healthcare cost lar that they should be brought to- that we uphold that faith and trust. curve in the right direction, taxpayers gether, and conversations are under- Thank you. are being burdened with higher

VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:49 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G01NO6.007 S01NOPT1 S6942 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 1, 2017 healthcare costs to the Federal Gov- am going to continue doing everything tage of the health insurance open en- ernment—not because of any improve- I can to make that clear until Repub- rollment period, which begins today ment in quality or comprehensiveness, lican leaders finally listen to the pa- and runs through December 15. just because of the chaos this adminis- tients and families they serve. Every citizen deserves quality, af- tration has caused. Mr. President, while I am here today, fordable health insurance coverage to In fact, just last week, the Trump ad- I also want to take a few minutes to help them live healthy and productive ministration proposed a rule to double speak on another way that I believe lives. Access to healthcare is critical down on the sabotage in 2019 that President Trump and Republicans are to the freedom, dignity, and well-being would let insurers cover fewer services taking our country in a direction that of our citizens, and it also contributes in addition to raising costs. I have to is deeply harmful; that is, by stacking to a productive workforce and a thriv- say, I just truly never imagined that a our courts with extreme conservative ing economy. President of the United States would judges. I still remember meeting with a con- so openly and uncaringly root for the The Senate this week is going to vote stituent named Jo, about a year or two people of this country to be worse off. on four judicial nominees who each ago, who has a chronic health condi- But that is exactly what President have the far-rightwing seal of approval. tion. When she lost her job in 2009 and Trump is doing. It needs to be said, and Two are on President Trump’s short lost her health insurance with it, her it needs to be stopped. list for Supreme Court Justices, mean- condition deteriorated to the point What makes this even more frus- ing they would automatically vote to where she couldn’t work, and a down- trating is that a lot of it could have overturn Roe v. Wade. Unfortunately, ward spiral ensued. She lost her home. been stopped months ago if Republican their views on many things—LGBTQ She couldn’t get healthcare because leaders hadn’t insisted on trying to rights, sexual assault, criminal justice, she had no resources. Because of the help this administration carry out its and corporate interests—are just as Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expan- partisan, wrecking-ball healthcare deeply troubling. One of the nominees sion, she was eventually able to get strategy. we are considering this week advocated healthcare, to get the surgery and Back in September, Chairman ALEX- for using electric shocks for criminal therapy she needed, and now she is ANDER and I were very near agreement punishment, and two—Amy Barrett working again. So healthcare is not on a bipartisan bill to stabilize and Stephanos Bibas—were nominated only for the benefit of the individual healthcare markets and protect fami- only after Republicans blocked the who receives it; it helps that individual lies from higher premiums and out-of- nominations of Myra Selby and Re- become a productive member of our pocket costs through regular order, becca Haywood—both who happen to be workforce. through a process that actually en- African-American women—to the re- Affordable, quality care is also criti- gaged over half the Senate. We were on spective benches. cally important to those who are work- the verge of reaching an agreement It is clear that as Republican leaders’ ing but may not otherwise be able to when Republican leaders froze our ne- list of legislative failures grows longer, afford health insurance even if em- gotiations. Why? In order to jam their effort to enact their agenda by ployed. It is something I have heard TrumpCare through the Senate one administrative action and by stacking often this year from citizens of my more time. the courts is only going to accelerate. State, as my Republican colleagues at- Let me repeat that. Republican lead- That might appeal to extreme conserv- tempted to pass TrumpCare legislation ers hit the pause button on a bipartisan atives—in fact, I am pretty sure it that would have led to higher process that could have lowered pre- does—but the truth is that whether it miums and stabilized markets, expos- healthcare costs for less care. is healthcare or infrastructure or At an emergency field hearing in ing our patients and families to the full taxes, most people across the country June that I held with Senator SHA- impact of President Trump’s sabotage. That is the bad news, but the good really want to see Congress working HEEN, we heard from a woman named news is that the legislation Chairman together. Enna from Exeter, NH. Enna, who is I am going to continue doing every- self-employed, said that prior to the ALEXANDER and I ultimately agreed on can and will still have an impact—not thing I can to speak out and fight back Affordable Care Act, her family was just a few years from now but in 2018— against extreme, harmful steps that unable to maintain insurance consist- if Republican leaders don’t stand in the are being taken by this administration ently. Even when she did have it, her way again. Our bill would, among other and allowed by Republican leaders here previous policy didn’t cover critical priorities, continue out-of-pocket cost in Congress and also to show there is a preventive care that she needed. As a reduction payments and make sure better way to get things done—by result of the ACA, Enna has been able that patients and families, not insur- working under regular order, across to purchase affordable health insurance ance companies, see the benefit of that the aisle, and putting people, not poli- through the marketplace in New certainty in the form of rebates next tics, first. That is what families right- Hampshire for herself and her family of year. The legislation Chairman ALEX- fully expect, and that is what we all four, giving them the peace of mind ANDER and I have proposed, with 12 should be focused on. that comes with having health insur- Democratic and 12 Republican cospon- Mr. President, I yield the floor. ance, while continuing to grow her own The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- sors, would do a lot to help us get business. ator from New Hampshire. things back on track. It would tie Enna’s story is the story of so many President Trump’s hands on sabotage, NEW YORK CITY TERROR ATTACK people in New Hampshire, and it rep- and it would send a very powerful mes- Ms. HASSAN. Mr. President, I would resents why it is essential for people sage that elected officials in Congress like to start my remarks this morning across the country to take advantage can work together to get things done by offering my thoughts to the victims of this open enrollment period. when we focus on common ground rath- of yesterday’s horrendous act of terror From today through December 15, er than scoring political points. in New York City, my thanks to the Granite Staters and all Americans I would once again urge the majority first responders, and I would note the have an opportunity to sign up for a leader to allow our legislation to get a resiliency of the people of New York. healthcare plan at vote. It has the support of 60-plus Sen- Once again, they are going forward www.coveringnewhampshire.org or ators, and it is growing. The non- with their lives today, showing the www.healthcare.gov. It is also impor- partisan Congressional Budget Office world and anyone who would do us tant for people to take this oppor- has said that it provides billions in sav- harm that Americans stand together tunity to see what other plans are ings and would stabilize the markets and that we move forward regardless of available, to shop around and see this year and lower premiums in 2019. what our foes may try to do. whether other plans offer more savings And the President told Chairman HEALTHCARE than their current one does, and it is ALEXANDER that he supports this proc- Mr. President, I also rise today to en- critical to educate our friends and ess moving forward. courage Granite Staters—as my col- neighbors about these options, given There is no reason to wait. There is league from Washington did—and peo- the Trump administration’s attempts absolutely no excuse for inaction, and I ple across the country to take advan- to sabotage our Nation’s healthcare

VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:49 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G01NO6.008 S01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6943 system. These sabotage attempts in- We are voting on lifetime appoint- firms in the United States. Justice clude the Department of Health and ments that require a commitment to Larsen spent 2 years as Deputy Assist- Human Services slashing the Afford- equal justice, objectivity, and sound ant Attorney General for the Office of able Care Act’s outreach and adver- judgment. I will continue to oppose ju- Legal Counsel, where she provided tising budgets ahead of open enroll- dicial nominees who do not live up to legal advice to the President and exec- ment, which provide key information those standards, and I urge my col- utive agencies on difficult issues of and resources for those who need to leagues to do the same. constitutional and statutory interpre- sign up for care. It is clear that the Mr. President, I yield the floor. tation. Trump administration doesn’t want The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under Justice Larsen has taught constitu- people to know they can enroll, but the previous order, there is now 30 min- tional law and criminal law at the Uni- that doesn’t change the fact that the utes of postcloture time remaining, versity of Michigan Law School since Affordable Care Act is the law of the equally divided between the two lead- 1998, where she has earned the respect land, people can still get covered, and ers or their designees, prior to a vote of faculty members and students alike. financial assistance is available for on confirmation of the Larsen nomina- She won the L. Hart Wright Award for many on the healthcare exchange. tion. Excellence in Teaching early in her We must end this sabotage and con- The Senator from Iowa. teaching career. In addition to her tinue to work together on efforts to Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, it is teaching responsibilities, Justice Lar- lower costs and build on and improve my understanding that I have 25 min- sen ran Michigan’s clerkship program, the Affordable Care Act, and that is ex- utes. helping hundreds of students and alum- actly what I am focused on. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- ni pursue clerkships at the Federal and I was proud to join HELP Committee ator from Iowa is recognized. State levels. As an adjunct professor, leaders, Senators Alexander and Mur- Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I she continues to run the law school’s ray, to cosponsor bipartisan legislation would like to address the issue we are Moot Court Program. that would stabilize health insurance voting on in a few minutes. The Senate Her colleagues at the University of markets and lower costs for hard-work- will vote on the nomination of Michi- Michigan praised Justice Larsen and ing Americans. This bill includes a pro- gan Supreme Court Justice Joan Lar- wrote: vision that the New Hampshire Insur- sen to serve on the Sixth Circuit Court Even among the talented and ambitious ance Department could use to support of Appeals. lawyers at an elite law school, Joan stands its proposal to create a reinsurance Though she currently lives in Michi- out for her ability to make the penetrating pool to help reduce premiums in our gan, Justice Larsen was born in and insight that untangles some knotty problem of statutory interpretation or judiciary doc- State’s individual health insurance hails from my State of Iowa. In fact, market. This legislation proves it is trine. Especially distinctive, moreover, is she and I share the same alma mater, the rigor and even-handedness she brings to possible to work across party lines to the University of Northern Iowa, for her analysis. make progress in our healthcare sys- our bachelor’s degrees. I have also I will share one more example from tem. It is clear that it has the votes to learned, since meeting Justice Larsen, that letter because I think it addresses pass. We need Republican leadership to that her father was the longtime CEO some of my colleagues’ concerns, who bring it up for a vote. of the Lutheran Services in Iowa. He is It is up to all of us to come together are on the other side of the aisle, as to now retired, but during the time he and make sure that healthcare is truly her approach to the law. was the CEO, he was the very same per- Her colleagues wrote: available and affordable to all of our son with whom I often met for break- people and to encourage our fellow citi- For those of us who have found ourselves fast when he would come to Wash- on the opposite side of a debate with Joan zens to sign up for the care they need ington to tell us about the concerns of about a case, a statute, or some broader to help their families thrive. issue of constitutional history, she has dem- The enrollment period is a critical the Lutheran Services in Iowa. At that time, I never knew I might be speaking onstrated time and again that she is both a time for the health and well-being of gracious and intellectually honest partner in our citizens and for our productivity, in favor of his daughter. I didn’t even the collaborative project of figuring things as well, as a country. I encourage know of his daughter at that time. So out. What matters for Joan is not winning Granite Staters to take advantage of I am proud to see a fellow Iowan and but working out the right answer. this opportunity and receive the bene- such an eminently qualified nominee Now I bring emphasis to this last fits that come with affordable be nominated to the Sixth Circuit sentence. healthcare. Court of Appeals. Even when you disagree with her, it is im- Mr. President, I also want to take a For those who may not be familiar possible not to respect her and to take pleas- moment to address the continued ef- with her career and accomplishments, ure in the process of refining the issues actu- forts this week from President Trump a few minutes will give me an oppor- ally in dispute. and my Republican colleagues to push tunity to share them with you. I think In other words, as I see it, Justice through nominees who will truly re- you will find, as I have, that Justice Larsen is and will be a jurist who seeks shape our Federal judiciary. Larsen is particularly well suited to to find the right answer, never simply An independent and impartial judici- serve as a Federal appellate judge. one she prefers as a matter of policy. ary is critical to democracy and to our Justice Larsen has an outstanding We can already see from her time on march toward progress. Our Founders academic record, having received nu- the Michigan Supreme Court that Jus- established our court system to serve merous awards during her under- tice Larsen is a principled jurist with as an independent arbiter that would graduate and law school careers. Jus- an impressive legal acumen. She has protect the rights of all Americans and tice Larsen was a Presidential Scholar served with distinction on that court ensure equal justice under our laws. at the University of Northern Iowa and since she was appointed in 2015. It hap- Unfortunately, the nominees who have graduated with the highest honors. She pens that she was elected to the posi- been selected by the President and who graduated first in her class at the tion in 2016, in her own right, by a re- have been voted on throughout this Northwestern University Pritzker sounding majority, winning every year have been handpicked by far-right School of Law, where she won the Jus- county in Michigan. Colleagues on the groups to serve a conservative agenda. tice John Paul Stevens Award for Aca- court have praised her sharp legal anal- We have seen judicial nominees who demic Excellence and served as editor ysis, her clear and crisp writing, and, have not committed to upholding the of the Northwestern University Law most importantly, her work ethic. precedent of Roe v. Wade and pro- Review. Outside the courtroom, Justice Lar- tecting a woman’s right to make her She began her legal career as a clerk sen is actively involved in volunteer ef- own healthcare decisions and control for Judge Sentelle on the DC Circuit forts to serve disadvantaged children, her own destiny in doing so, nominees Court of Appeals and then clerked for and she works with Michigan’s vet- who have stood against basic rights Justice Scalia on the U.S. Supreme erans, drugs, sobriety, and mental and freedoms for LGBTQ Americans Court. Following her clerkships, Jus- health court programs. and who have opposed protections for tice Larsen joined the DC firm of Some of my colleagues have said workers’ rights. This is unacceptable. Sidley Austin, one of the largest law they will not support the nomination

VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:49 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G01NO6.010 S01NOPT1 S6944 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 1, 2017 because Justice Larsen was included on aisle complain about all of the money Carper Hatch Peters Cassidy Heitkamp Portman President Trump’s short list for the those groups were spending at that Cochran Heller Risch Supreme Court. Is there anything time. Collins Hoeven Roberts wrong with the President suggesting As I have said before, I expect that Corker Inhofe Rounds whom he is going to put on the Su- outside groups on the left and on the Cornyn Isakson Rubio Cotton Johnson Sasse preme Court if he is elected President? right want to have their voices heard Crapo Kennedy Scott If you look at her background, it in the nomination process. Isn’t that Cruz Lankford Shelby should be no surprise that she was in- something to do with what we call de- Daines Lee Stabenow Donnelly Manchin Strange cluded on that list. She is an accom- mocracy, representative government, Enzi McCain Sullivan plished legal academic, a mainstream freedom of speech, freedom of associa- Ernst McConnell Thune jurist, and is well respected on a bipar- tion? There is nothing wrong with that, Fischer Moran Tillis tisan basis throughout the legal com- whether it is done by the right or the Flake Murkowski Toomey Gardner Nelson Warner munity. left, but I take issue with complaints Graham Paul Wicker Because my colleagues have been from the other side that do not ac- Grassley Perdue Young concerned about everyone on that list, knowledge that all sides have interest NAYS—38 at her hearing, I asked Justice Larsen groups that are spending and engaging Baldwin Franken Murray when she learned that her name was on in the judicial nomination process. It Bennet Gillibrand Reed that list. She replied: ‘‘The date it was was completely appropriate for Justice Blumenthal Harris Sanders announced . . . it was a complete sur- Larsen not to wade in on the political Booker Hassan Schatz Brown Heinrich Schumer prise to me.’’ debate regarding those political ads. Cantwell Hirono I also asked her about judicial inde- Shaheen Her answers to those questions were Cardin Kaine Tester pendence and whether she could rule exactly what I would expect an inde- Casey King Udall Coons Klobuchar against the President who nominated Van Hollen pendent nominee to say, particularly if Cortez Masto Leahy Warren her. she wants to be independent of any Duckworth Markey Whitehouse She replied: President who appoints her when she is Durbin Merkley Wyden I would have no trouble ruling against the appointed to the bench. Feinstein Murphy President who appointed me or any successor Justice Larsen’s nomination is sup- NOT VOTING—2 President as well. Judicial independence ported by a broad and diverse coalition McCaskill Menendez means one thing, one very simple thing— of lawyers, judges, and academic col- The nomination was confirmed. At this point I want to emphasize— leagues. It is easy to see why, for she is The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under and that is putting the law above everything an accomplished and well-respected the previous order, the motion to re- else, the statutes passed by this body, and academic. She is a brilliant and inde- consider is considered made and laid the Constitution of the United States. So I pendent jurist. Her careful and well- upon the table and the President will would have absolutely no trouble, and, in- deed, that would be my duty. reasoned legal analysis puts her be immediately notified of the Senate’s squarely within the mainstream of action. Here is the most outrageous reason I legal thought. I urge my colleagues, in f have heard for voting against Justice a few minutes, to vote for her nomina- Larsen. This should surprise a lot of tion. CLOTURE MOTION people. Some in the minority have sug- I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Pursuant gested that she is somehow responsible I suggest the absence of a quorum. to rule XXII, the Chair lays before the for outside groups running ads that The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senate the pending cloture motion, support her nomination in Michigan. clerk will call the roll. which the clerk will state. The claim that she is responsible for The bill clerk proceeded to call the The senior assistant legislative clerk the action of an outside group is ridicu- read as follows: roll. lous, and the allegation that these ads Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I ask CLOTURE MOTION are in some way a guarantee of how she unanimous consent that the order for We, the undersigned Senators, in accord- will rule in the future is the most ab- ance with the provisions of rule XXII of the the quorum call be rescinded. surd thing I have heard based upon her Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without answers to my questions. move to bring to a close debate on the nomi- I find it interesting that my col- objection, it is so ordered. nation of Allison H. Eid, of Colorado, to be Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I United States Circuit Judge for the Tenth leagues who are complaining about Circuit. conservative groups do not seem to yield back all time. The PRESIDING OFFICER. All time Mitch McConnell, Steve Daines, Tom have the same concern for groups on Cotton, Pat Roberts, John Boozman, the left that are spending money in op- is yielded back. Mike Rounds, Patrick J. Toomey, John position to these nominees. One such The question is, Will the Senate ad- Barrasso, Cory Gardner, Richard Burr, group, Alliance for Justice, routinely vise and consent to the Larsen nomina- Thom Tillis, Roger F. Wicker, James issues reports and press releases on ju- tion? E. Risch, John Cornyn, Lamar Alex- dicial nominees. Oftentimes, these so- Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I ask ander, Dan Sullivan, Chuck Grassley. called reports put forward incendiary for the yeas and nays. The PRESIDING OFFICER. By unan- and false criticisms of these nominees. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a imous consent, the mandatory quorum My colleagues even make the same in- sufficient second? call has been waived. cendiary attacks against the nominees There appears to be a sufficient sec- The question is, Is it the sense of the Senate that debate on the nomination as these outside groups do. In other ond. of Allison H. Eid, of Colorado, to be words, they use the same talking The clerk will call the roll. United States Circuit Judge for the points. I do not hear that my col- The bill clerk called the roll. Tenth Circuit, shall be brought to a leagues on the other side are up in Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Missouri (Mrs. MCCAS- close? arms about their spending millions of The yeas and nays are mandatory KILL) and the Senator from New Jersey dollars to oppose nominees. under the rule. (Mr. MENENDEZ) are necessarily absent. Of course, some may remember that The clerk will call the roll. last year groups on the left coordinated The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. The senior assistant legislative clerk attacks on this Senator. I was followed LANKFORD). Are there any other Sen- called the roll. all over Iowa by these groups and their ators in the Chamber desiring to vote? Mr. DURBIN. I annouce that the Sen- members. They ran ads against me and The result was announced—yeas 60, ator from Missouri (Mrs. MCCASKILL) put up billboards that opposed my elec- nays 38, as follows: and the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. tion, and that had something to do [Rollcall Vote No. 257 Ex.] MENENDEZ) are necessarily absent. with the Supreme Court, as one might YEAS—60 The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. SUL- recall. I don’t remember hearing any of Alexander Blunt Burr LIVAN). Are there any other Senators in my colleagues on the other side of the Barrasso Boozman Capito the Chamber desiring to vote?

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:30 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G01NO6.012 S01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6945 The yeas and nays resulted—yeas 56, ics such as constitutional federalism popular wind, regardless of personal nays 42, as follows: and tort law, in addition to being a opinion. Whether considering the plain [Rollcall Vote No. 258 Ex.] clerk on the Supreme Court. She also meaning of a statute, discerning the YEA S—56 practiced commercial and appellate proper role of the courts, the legisla- Alexander Fischer Murkowski litigation at the Denver office of the tive branch, or the executive and its Barrasso Flake Paul national law firm Arnold and Porter. agencies, or evaluating the relation- Bennet Gardner Perdue She began her legal career as a clerk ships between the Federal Government Blunt Graham Portman to Judge Jerry E. Smith on the U.S. and the States, Justice Eid will side Boozman Grassley Risch Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. with what the law says, and she will do Burr Hatch Roberts Capito Heitkamp Rounds Her law experience took her to the U.S. it in that commonsense, western way Cassidy Heller Rubio Supreme Court under Clarence Thom- that clearly and articulately tells the Cochran Hoeven Sasse as. Prior to attending law school, Jus- Collins Inhofe American people what the law is. Scott Corker Isakson tice Eid was a special assistant and I am privileged to know Justice Eid. Shelby Cornyn Johnson speechwriter for the U.S. Secretary of I have known her for a number of years Strange Cotton Kennedy Education, Bill Bennett. She received now from my days as a student at the Crapo Lankford Sullivan Cruz Lee Thune her law degree from the University of University of Colorado School of Law Daines Manchin Tillis Chicago Law School, where she was the and through her work in the State of Donnelly McCain Toomey articles editor of the Law Review. She Colorado at the time that I served in Enzi McConnell Wicker graduated with high honors and as a Ernst Moran Young the State legislature. She is an incred- member of the Order of the Coif. She ible human being with a delightful de- NAY S—42 received her degree in American stud- meanor that will suit the court well. Baldwin Gillibrand Peters ies from Stanford University, grad- Mr. President, I ask unanimous con- Blumenthal Harris Reed uating with distinction as a member of sent to have printed in the RECORD sev- Booker Hassan Sanders Brown Heinrich Schatz Phi Beta Kappa. eral letters in support of Justice Eid’s Cantwell Hirono Schumer What her resume clearly shows is nomination: a letter to Chairman Cardin Kaine Shaheen that whatever Justice Eid does, she GRASSLEY and Ranking Member FEIN- Carper King Stabenow does it at the highest level, with the Casey Klobuchar Tester STEIN from former law clerks of Justice Coons Leahy Udall best results. She has specialized knowl- Eid’s, as well as a letter from various Cortez Masto Markey Van Hollen edge of federalism, water law, and In- supporters in Colorado and one letter Duckworth Merkley Warner dian law, among other important areas from the Southern Ute Indian Tribe. Durbin Murphy Warren Feinstein Murray Whitehouse of the law. Indeed, the National Native There being no objection, the mate- Franken Nelson Wyden American Bar Association has even rial was ordered to be printed in the NOT VOTING—2 noted that she has ‘‘significantly more RECORD, as follows: experience with Indian law cases than McCaskill Menendez JULY 13, 2017. any other recent Circuit Court nomi- DEAR CHAIRMAN GRASSLEY AND RANKING The PRESIDING OFFICER. On this nee.’’ MEMBER FEINSTEIN: We are all of Justice vote, the yeas are 56, the nays are 42. We have had some pretty doggone Eid’s former law clerks (except those cur- The motion is agreed to. good circuit court nominees in the rently clerking for a federal judge and not f past, including Justice Neil Gorsuch, permitted to sign) since she began her tenure whose seat she will be filling on the on the Colorado Supreme Court in 2006, and EXECUTIVE CALENDAR we write to give our fullest support to her Tenth Circuit Court. These are con- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The nomination to be a judge on the United cepts that are critical to my home States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Cir- clerk will report the nomination. State of Colorado, and her expertise cuit. We come from a diverse set of geo- The senior assistant legislative clerk will prove to be invaluable to the graphic, economic, cultural, and political read the nomination of Allison H. Eid, Tenth Circuit Court, as well as to the backgrounds, yet we are united in our belief of Colorado, to be United States Cir- Nation and the people of this country. that Justice Eid is a jurist and a person of cuit Judge for the Tenth Circuit. But as impressive as her credentials the highest caliber and character. We have The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- are, it is her demeanor and her ap- each learned so much from her. ator from Colorado. proach to the law that make her ideal- Justice Eid was raised by a single mother Mr. GARDNER. Mr. President, I rise in Spokane, Washington under challenging ly suited for the court. Justice Eid has circumstances, after her father abandoned today to add my voice and my strong been called a ‘‘mainstream, common- her family. Justice Eid began college at the support for the confirmation of Colo- sense Westerner.’’ She is also, as her University of Idaho, but with the support rado Supreme Court Justice Allison former law clerks have noted, ‘‘fiercely and encouragement of her mother and a pro- Eid as the next U.S. court of appeals independent,’’ and she will decide cases fessor there, Justice Eid transferred to Stan- judge for the Tenth Circuit Court, ‘‘as she believes the law requires.’’ At ford University where she graduated with which, of course, is housed in Denver, the same time, she seeks out different distinction and was a member of the Phi CO. viewpoints and wants to understand all Beta Kappa honor society. After Stanford, There is no doubt that Justice Eid is she served as a speechwriter to President sides of the issue she addresses. Ronald Reagan’s Secretary of Education, superbly qualified for this position. For That is the law professor I know from William Bennett, and then went on to attend the past decade, she has served Colo- my days at the University of Colorado the University of Chicago Law School, where rado as a justice on the supreme court. School of Law. I can say from that ex- she served as Articles Editor on the Law Re- In 2008, Justice Eid was overwhelm- perience that while Justice Eid has her view, graduated with High Honors, and was ingly retained by the people of Colo- perspectives on the law, she cares very elected Order of the Coif. Justice Eid began rado. We have a system where every deeply about robust debate and hearing her legal career as a law clerk for Judge decade the voters of Colorado vote to the views of others. And I know from Jerry Smith on the United States Court of retain or dismiss a judge, and every Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. She then my classmates who had Justice Eid as served as a law clerk to Justice Clarence time that has come before the people of their professor—those classmates Thomas on the United States Supreme Colorado, she has been overwhelmingly didn’t always agree with her perspec- Court. retained by the people of Colorado. tives, but Justice Eid was open to their In private practice at Arnold and Porter Prior to her appointment, Justice debate and hearing their views. She en- following her clerkships, Justice Eid prac- Eid represented the State of Colorado gaged them, and she was never biased ticed both commercial and appellate litiga- before the State federal courts as our against differing perspectives but al- tion for a variety of clients. She departed State solicitor general. She served as a ways applying the law as the law re- private practice and joined academia where tenured member of the faculty at the she became a tenured professor at the Uni- quired, not as opinions suited. versity of Colorado Law School, teaching University of Colorado Law School, I also know that ‘‘fiercely inde- Legislation, Constitutional Law, and Torts, where she taught courses in constitu- pendent’’ jurist whom her former and serving as the faculty clerkship advisor. tional law, legislation, torts, and she clerks spoke so highly of. Justice Eid During her time at the University of Colo- has published scholarly articles on top- will follow the law regardless of the rado, Justice Eid continued her service in

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:08 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A01NO6.002 S01NOPT1 S6946 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 1, 2017 the Colorado legal community as President We close by reflecting on our fond memo- breadth of experience. We also know her to of the Colorado Association of Corporate ries of our experiences as law clerks under be a compassionate and caring person, deeply Counsel. In 2005 she was appointed by Colo- Justice Eid, whether it was a lunch to cele- involved in the broader community and rado Attorney General John Suthers to serve brate a birthday, officiating numerous of our called to service, not only in her day job, but as the Solicitor General of Colorado. One weddings, or the annual holiday and summer through her extensive volunteerism toward year later, Governor Bill Owens appointed parties that she hosts. We all remember the the betterment of the profession. Through- Justice Eid to the Colorado Supreme Court genuine interest and support Justice Eid pro- out her tenure on the bench, she has hired where she has served for 11 years and was vided to us as people and new lawyers. We numerous diverse law clerks and continu- successfully retained by the voters of Colo- will never forget her heartfelt appreciation ously sought to ensure that the diverse rado on a statewide ballot. for our hard work and the care and time she voices of Coloradoans are heard, evincing a As law clerks we had the distinct privilege has taken to guide us through our clerkships very strong commitment to diversity and in- and opportunity to learn by observing Jus- and beyond. She has been an important and clusion. We are excited to see her bring her tice Eid throughout her decision making steady mentor in each of our lives. We urge spirit and skill set to the Tenth Circuit. process. We learned that she never fails to the Senate to take swift action on her nomi- We ask that Colorado’s Senators join to- provide her full attention and dedication to nation and are available to speak to any gether and support this very highly qualified each individual case, mastering the relevant member or their staff about Justice Eid and nominee from Colorado. We believe it is an facts and carefully analyzing the law, wheth- her qualifications to serve on the United exceptional moment to confirm Justice Eid er the text of a statute or the words of a con- States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Cir- as the first Colorado woman to serve on the tract. As Justice Eid is so fond of saying, she cuit. Tenth Circuit. ‘‘goes where the law takes her.’’ In other Sincerely, Respectfully, words, she treats each case individually Marie Williams, Clerk for Justice Eid, Sarah J. Auchterlonie, Franklin Azar, without any preconceived notion of desired 2006–07; Holly E. Sterrett, Clerk for Justice Naomi Beer, Michael Bender, Heath Briggs, outcome. Eid, 2006–07; Jared Butcher, Clerk for Justice Geraldine Brimmer, Scott Campbell, Richard As young lawyers, we took particular note Eid, 2007–08; Clark Smith, Clerk for Justice Cunningham, Stanton Dodge, Caleb Durling, of the respect that Justice Eid shows the Eid, 2008–09; Kate Field, Clerk for Justice Jacob Durling, John Echohawk, David Fine, parties and their attorneys both in her writ- Eid, 2009–10; Tim Zimmerman, Clerk for Jus- Jeremy Graves, Melissa Hart, Ellen Herzog, ten work product and during oral argument. tice Eid, 2010–11; Lee Fanyo, Clerk for Jus- Neal Katyal, Martin Katz, Robert Kaufman, We also observed her belief in the impor- tice Eid, 2011–12; Jon Gillam, Clerk for Jus- Kenzo Kawanabe, Kevin Kuhn. Liz Krupa, Bradley A. Levin, Cedric D. tance of respect and collegiality with her tice Eid, 2011–12; Jake Durling, Clerk for Jus- Logan, Monica Loseman, Victoria E. Lovato, colleagues, particularly during times of dis- tice Eid, 2012–13; Doug Marsh, Clerk for Jus- Rebecca Love Kourlis, Cynthia Mares, Mi- agreement. Her chambers are always open, tice Eid, 2013–14; Jamen Tyler, Clerk for Jus- chael E. McLachlan, Mary Mullarkey, Marc and she wants to hear different viewpoints tice Eid, 2014–15; Ben Fischer, Clerk for Jus- Musyl, Habib Nasrullah, Chris Neumann, (even ours), but she remains fiercely inde- tice Eid, 2014–15; Chris Chrisman, Clerk for Neil Oberfeld, Angelica Ochoa, Michael pendent, ultimately deciding cases as she be- Justice Eid, 2006–07; Catherine Bazile, Clerk O’Donnell, Michele On-ja Choe, Peter Ortego, lieves the law requires. And her opinions do for Justice Eid, 2007–08. David Palmer, Joseph A. Peters, Richard just that—in clean and succinct prose, time Katie Yarger, Clerk for Justice Eid, 2008– Petkun, John Posthumus. and again, Justice Eid resolves the dispute 09; Sara Rundell, Clerk for Justice Eid, 2009– James Prochnow, Lee Reichert, Harriet between the parties and announces a clear 10; Maranda Compton, Clerk for Justice Eid, McConnell Retford, Tom Sansonetti, Cliff rule of law that can be readily discerned by 2010–11; Trina Ruhland, Clerk for Justice Eid, Stricklin, Trent D. Tanner, Robert S. future litigants. Her majority opinions in 2010–11; Victoria Cisneros, Clerk for Justice Thompson, III, Lorenzo Trujillo, John Voor- particular are a testament to the care, dedi- Eid, 2011–12/2012–13; Kate Cahoy, Clerk for hees, John Wahl, Rebecca Watson, Dee cation, and consensus-building attitude she Justice Eid, 2012–13; Lidiana Rios, Clerk for Wisor, Jennifer Weddle, Kristin White, brings to her role as a Judge. Justice Eid, 2013–14; Ayesha Lewis, Clerk for Heather Whiteman Runs Him, Evan Wil- While serving as a Justice on the Colorado Justice Eid, 2013–14; Matt Mellema, Clerk for liams, David B. Wilson, Maureen Witt, David Supreme Court, Justice Eid has continued to Justice Eid, 2014–15; Emma Kaplan, Clerk for Yun, John Zakhem. teach at the University of Colorado. She also Justice Eid, 2015–16; Julie Hamilton, Clerk serves as the Chair of the Supreme Court for Justice Eid, 2016–17; Rob Rankin, Clerk SOUTHERN UTE INDIAN TRIBE, Water Court Committee, which works to for Justice Eid, 2016–17; Mairead Dolan, Clerk Ignacio, CO, July 21, 2017. identify rule and statutory changes to for Justice Eid, 2016–17. Re Support for Confirmation of Colorado Su- achieve efficiencies in water court cases, preme Court Justice Allison Eid to the while maintaining quality outcomes for all. JULY 27, 2017. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. Justice Eid was appointed by Chief Justice Re Support for the Confirmation of Justice DEAR CHAIRMAN GRASSLEY AND RANKING John Roberts to serve on the Federal Advi- Allison Eid to the Tenth Circuit Court of MEMBER FEINSTEIN: The Southern Ute Indian sory Committee on Appellate Rules—a pres- Appeals. Tribe is writing in support of the confirma- tigious appointment where she has served DEAR SENATORS BENNET AND GARDNER: As tion of Colorado Supreme Court Justice Alli- alongside federal judges, law professors, and members of the Colorado legal community, son Eid to the United States Court of Ap- lawyers to craft revisions to the Federal we are proud to support the nomination of peals for the Tenth Circuit. Justice Eid’s Rules of Appellate Procedure—and by Presi- Justice Allison Eid to serve as a Judge on considerable qualifications for this pres- dent George W. Bush to the Permanent Com- the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. We hold tigious appointment are not in question. As mittee for the Oliver Wendell Holmes Devise a diverse set of political views as Democrats, a Colorado Supreme Court Justice, Justice (an organization that writes the history of Republicans, and Independents. Our prac- Eid has demonstrated expertise in a broad the United States Supreme Court and spon- tices range from litigation, including both spectrum of legal matters including the field sors the Oliver Wendell Holmes Lecture). plaintiffs’ and defense work, to transactional of federal Indian law. Justice Eid’s judicial Justice Eid is active in her community and work to administrative law to child welfare record evidences her understanding of tribal church, and as the mother of two children, advocacy and from employment law to water sovereignty and other matters that are Justice Eid has also been involved in her rights and from government affairs to min- acutely important to the Tribe. Because children’s school over the years. In addition erals development, immigration, healthcare, these matters are often resolved in the Su- to her service on the Colorado Supreme law enforcement, environmental justice, fed- preme Court following a decision in a federal Court, these other responsibilities connect eral Indian law and civil rights. This incred- appellate circuit in the West, it is critical her to the Colorado community, specifically ibly diverse group of attorneys agrees on one that the judges on those circuit courts pos- the challenges and issues facing citizens of thing: we all agree that Justice Eid is excep- sess a working understanding of Indian law this State and will allow her to bring an im- tionally well qualified and should be con- issues. Because she is well-versed in the es- portant perspective and diverse set of experi- firmed. tablished principles of federal Indian law, as ences to the United States Court of Appeals We know Justice Eid to be a person of in- well as many other areas of the law, the for the Tenth Circuit. tegrity, professional competence, and judi- Tribe supports the nomination of Justice Her qualifications to serve are unparal- cial temperament. She has received the high- Eid. leled and speak for themselves. At each stage est possible ‘Well Qualified’ rating from the Sincerely, of her education and career Justice Eid has American Bar Association. Her private prac- CLEMENT J. FROST, excelled at the highest levels and has re- tice work, scholarship, law teaching, and Chairman. ceived praise, awards, and the utmost re- service as Colorado’s Solicitor General have Mr. GARDNER. Mr. President, I wish spect of her colleagues and those who have all demonstrated her superb abilities over to spend some time talking about a let- worked for her. This is in no small part due many years. Her service on the Colorado Su- ter dated July 27, 2017. This letter was to her incredible work ethic and her leader- preme Court has earned her a reputation as ship by example. And we as law clerks have an excellent jurist. Her strong work ethic is sent to me and my colleague, Senator carefully observed and learned from her si- renowned. She is a preeminent member of BENNET from Colorado. This letter was multaneous and unfaltering commitment to the legal profession, not only in Colorado, titled ‘‘Support for the Confirmation of both her family and her position on the Colo- but in the United States more broadly, with Justice Allison Eid to the Tenth Cir- rado Supreme Court. outstanding legal ability and exceptional cuit Court of Appeals,’’ which I have

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:08 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A01NO6.022 S01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6947 submitted for the RECORD, but I want ocean acidification and ocean melting In 2015, the United States settled on to highlight some of the people who and sea level rise and all of that. a 3-percent discount rate to estimate have signed this letter because when it For the generations who will look the out-year costs of carbon pollution comes to the courts and nominations, I back at this, I have tried in these to society. Scott Pruitt jacked that up think it is very important that we lis- speeches to chronicle the political to a 7-percent discount rate so out-year ten to the voices of those people who tricks and bullying that have put Con- harms, injuries, and losses would count are closest to the court over which the gress—the Congress of the United for less. Mind you, our children and nominee may be presiding. It is also States—in tow to a massively con- grandchildren will still suffer the exact important that those who are closest flicted special interest, such that we same costs at 3 percent or at 7 percent. to a practicing lawyer provide their are incapacitated on this vital subject. It is just that present-day polluters— opinions of a lawyer who has been nom- The shamelessness of the fossil fuel in- Scott Pruitt’s masters—get a way-big inated for the bench who is not already dustry and the spinelessness of Con- discount. on the bench. gress under its sway will provide a long Pruitt’s second trick is only to count In the case of Justice Eid’s sup- lesson in modern-day corruption and the carbon pollution harm within our porters, there is an incredible list of political failure. borders. You might say: That is OK; we people from across the political spec- The Trump administration has been are Americans, after all. But it is trum—both sides of the aisle—sup- particularly loathsome, threatening worth taking a look at what this rule porting Justice Eid. Let me talk about the emissions standards for cars and does if all countries were to use it be- a few of Justice Eid’s supporters, be- trucks, pressing for the Keystone XL cause there is a trick hidden in the cause we will hear a lot of debate about tar sands pipeline, disbanding science middle of it. The fact is that we are groups who support or oppose Justice advisory committees, lifting the mora- harmed by other countries’ carbon Eid, but the people who know her the torium on Federal coal leasing, trying emissions, and they in turn are harmed best, the people who have practiced be- to expand offshore drilling, and open by our carbon emissions. On the flip fore her court, the people who have national marine monuments and sanc- side, we harm other countries with our worked with her over the many years tuaries to energy companies. The Envi- emissions, and they harm us with of public service that she has provided ronmental Protection Agency is work- theirs. don’t just fall on the Republican side of ing to eliminate rules on the leaking There is a total amount of global the aisle or the Democratic side of the and flaring of methane and has re- emissions, and there is a total amount aisle, the support she has gathered is scinded requirements for reporting of global harm. If you call the total from across the political spectrum. methane emissions. The President has global emissions X and the total global There is Michael Bender, former Col- announced his intention to withdraw harm Y, what happens when every orado Supreme Court justice; Justice the U.S. from the Paris climate agree- country follows the Pruitt method of Rebecca Love Kourlis, one of the most ment. only pricing local emissions and local respected jurists in Colorado, who One particular target of this cor- harms? served on the State supreme court and rupted administration is the Clean For purposes of illustration, let’s say is one of the most highly regarded jus- Power Plan, the 2015 EPA rule to re- there are three countries in the world, tices not only in Colorado but across duce carbon dioxide emissions from and each emits one-third of the total the country, quite frankly; Justice American powerplants—a rule that carbon pollution and suffers one-third Mary Mullarkey. Justice Mullarkey is many utilities and States supported. of the global harm from the collective no longer on the Colorado Supreme But it is the industry’s bottom-dwell- global emissions. If each country only Court, but she served as the chief jus- ers who have the President’s ear, and counts its own emissions and the tice of the Colorado Supreme Court. they want to undo even this flexible harms only to its own country, guess She was appointed by a Democratic framework for meeting emissions-re- what happens. All that cross-border Governor. She is someone who believes duction targets. harm never gets counted. It never gets Justice Eid would be an incredible ad- When EPA balanced the costs and counted. It disappears off the balance dition to the court. There is Neal benefits of the Clean Power Plan origi- sheet. It vanishes into this trick of cal- Katyal, a former Department of Jus- nally, it offset things, like between $14 culation. If you are the tool of the fos- tice civil servant for the Obama admin- billion and $34 billion in health bene- sil fuel industry, how rewarding it istration—a U.S. Solicitor General, in fits in the form of preventive illnesses must be to implement a trick that just fact. If we look at the other supporters and deaths, against the costs of indus- vanishes so much of the fossil fuel in- she has, we see that Melissa Hart, who try compliance. dustry’s harm to the world. has run for office as a Democratic can- The net benefits of the Clean Power In this hypothetical, how much harm didate, supports the nomination and Plan came out to between $26 billion simply vanishes? Two-thirds of it does. confirmation of Justice Allison Eid. and $45 billion every year. Two thirds of the harm simply van- As you can see, the Tenth Circuit has So with its official proposal to re- ishes, never to be accounted for—not in an incredible nominee before it whom I scind the Clean Power Plan, EPA ad- the real world. Nothing has changed in hope this body will soon confirm. I ministrator and fossil fuel operative the real world. In this three-country urge my colleagues to move quickly Scott Pruitt had to cook the books to hypothetical, the total emissions is during this cloture time so that we can wipe out this public benefit. Here is still X and the total harm is still Y. actually approve somebody who I know how he did it. There were two tricks. None of that has changed. This Pruitt will do an outstanding job. I urge their One derives from the fact that harms, trick of accounting just wiped two- support. I hope we will do our duty injuries, and losses caused by carbon thirds of the harm off the books. A under our Constitution to select those pollution can take place many years happy day for polluters, and a happy, people who will be guarding the Con- after the pollution is emitted. In finan- happy day for the polluters’ tool, for stitution and do it in a way that we cial matters, future costs and benefits there will no doubt be rewards for im- can all be proud of. That is why I sup- are balanced against present costs and plementing this trick. port Allison Eid. benefits, using what is called a dis- Those fossil fuel industry bottom- I yield the floor. count rate. It is more valuable to re- dwellers no doubt think that this is The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- ceive $1 million now than $1 million 20 pretty cute and that this is pretty clev- ator from Rhode Island. years from now. That is the theory. er stuff, indeed. There are high-fives in CLIMATE CHANGE But even the George W. Bush admin- the corporate boardrooms that they Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I istration recognized for healthcare have a tool in office who will pull such come to the floor today for the 184th rulemaking that ‘‘[s]pecial ethical con- a trick of magical, vanishing carbon time to ask us to at least wake up to siderations arise when comparing bene- pollution harms. But the problem with our duty as a Congress to enact pru- fits and costs across generations,’’ and these crooked little schemes is that the dent policies to address the effects of they urged care about using a discount whole world is actually watching. Any- climate change. The Presiding Officer rate when a rule is expected to harm body can do the analysis that I just did is well aware of what Alaska faces from future generations. and show that this is nothing more

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:08 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G01NO6.018 S01NOPT1 S6948 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 1, 2017 than a trick, and sooner or later, con- field. You cannot just cook the books Stern, who has labored in these vine- sequences do come home to roost. and reduce the social cost of carbon. yards so many years, and ocean advo- Out in the real world, the Pacific Is- For one thing, the social cost of car- cate and Oceana board member Sam land nation of Kiribati is buying up bon analysis is too well established in Waterston. They were all great, but land in Fiji so it can evacuate its peo- the honest world. Courts have in- one phrase stood out. ple there when rising seas engulf its is- structed Federal agencies to factor the Sam Waterston called on us to tackle lands and eliminate the nation. It is on social cost of carbon into their regula- today’s ocean and environmental prob- its way to becoming a modern-day tions. States are using the social cost lems with what he called a ‘‘battle- Atlantis, lost forever to the waves. You of carbon in their policymaking. Most ready kind of optimism’’—a ‘‘battle- can replicate that risk along the shores major corporations, even ExxonMobil, ready kind of optimism.’’ of Bangladesh, Burma, Malaysia and factor a social cost of carbon into their So let us go forward with a ‘‘battle- the Maldives. own planning and accounting. ready kind of optimism’’ to clean the You can add in the risk of lost fish- The social cost of carbon pollution is polluter swamp at EPA, to clean our eries that left a country’s EEZ for cool- at the heart of the International Mone- Earth’s atmosphere and oceans of un- er waters. If you think that is just a tary Fund calculation, for which the bridled carbon emissions, and to clear hypothetical, ask Connecticut and fossil fuel industry gets an annual sub- the reputation of our beloved country Rhode Island lobstermen about their sidy in the United States of $700 billion of the obloquy it is rapidly earning at catch. Add in the expansion of the a year. Even to protect a multihun- the hands of a corrupting industry. world’s desert areas in the Sahel and dred-billion-dollar annual subsidy, I yield the floor. elsewhere that forces farmers’ crops Scott Pruitt can’t just wish the social The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. and shepherds’ flocks away from their cost of carbon away and just can’t stop BURR). The Senator from Virginia. historic homes. counting it. Courts will take notice. HEALTHCARE Add unprecedented storms powered They may take notice that these Mr. KAINE. Mr. President, I rise to up over warming seas. As bad as things stunts are arbitrary and capricious talk about the Children’s Health Insur- have been in Houston, Florida, and under the Administrative Procedure ance Program. We all know that Puerto Rico, we are rich enough to re- Act. They may take note that Pruitt healthcare is the most important thing build, to throw billions of dollars at has massive conflicts of interest with in any person’s life and in their fam- the problem, and we are. Other places his fossil fuel funders. They will surely ily’s life, and there is probably no do not have those resources. Without note that the Supreme Court has said healthcare issue that is more intense the help, imagine that suffering. greenhouse gases are pollutants under than a parents’ concern about the To those who will suffer in the fu- the Clean Air Act, and that EPA is le- health of their children. I think all of ture, what do we say? On that day of gally obligated to regulate them. They the offices in this building have heard reckoning, on that judgment day, what will surely note that the EPA itself has from parents about the health of their do we tell all those people who suf- determined that greenhouse gas emis- kids over the course of the number of fered? Ha-ha-ha, do we say? We came sions endanger the public health and months we have been debating what to up with this little trick that wiped welfare of current and future genera- do about the Affordable Care Act. most of your suffering off our books. tions, a determination that the DC Cir- I rise today to talk about another We used a discount rate that dis- cuit resoundingly upheld. critical program, which I hope we will counted your suffering to virtually But we are not in an ordinary situa- act in a bipartisan way to reauthorize: zero. Is that the kind of America we tion. Pruitt has a long history of doing the Children’s Health Program, or want to be? Remember the saying: The the bidding of the fossil fuel industry. CHIP. CHIP builds on Medicaid, and it power of America’s example is more In the recent Frontline documentary, gives families who earn too much to be important than any example of our ‘‘War on the EPA,’’ Bob Murray of eligible for Medicaid an insurance op- power. Some example we would be, Murray Energy, a strong Pruitt sup- tion for their kids. In talking to fami- some city on a hill, if that was the way porter, bragged about giving this ad- lies who avail themselves of this op- we behaved. ministration a three-page action plan tion—in Virginia, years ago we didn’t The natural world does not care on environmental regulations and do a very good job of enrolling kids in about self-serving or ideological argu- bragged that the first page was already CHIP, and we have become an awful lot ments. The natural world is governed done. That is the world we live in now, better at it. It is interesting to hear by immutable laws of physics, chem- where the regulated industry brags the way parents talk about it. They istry, biology, and mathematics. Scott that it controls its regulator, gives it will often talk about how important Pruitt’s polluter-friendly mathematics direction, and that its work is already CHIP is to them when their child is just doesn’t add up. As Michael being done. sick or when their child is injured, but Greenstone, an economist at the Uni- Courts that look at any rule proposed what is interesting to me is how impor- versity of Chicago who helped develop by Scott Pruitt must recognize that tant it is to them when their child is the social cost of carbon, put it, Pru- there is a near zero chance that he is perfectly fine—not sick, not injured. itt’s plan was not evidence-based pol- operating in good faith. Our Nation’s But if you are a parent, you are going icymaking. This was policy-based evi- environmental regulator went in cap- to have anxiety when you go to bed dence making. tured and has stayed captured by our every night if your child doesn’t have There is enormous pressure in the Nation’s biggest polluters. Scott Pruitt insurance or coverage: What if some- Trump administration to get rid of the is not their regulator; he is their in- thing happens tomorrow? This is a pro- social cost of carbon. What is bizarre strument. That is a conflict of interest. gram that provides not just healthcare about the Trump administration is I recently hosted my eighth annual but peace of mind for parents and their that they don’t try to get rid of the so- Rhode Island Energy Environment and kids. cial cost of carbon by getting rid of its Oceans Day, bringing together mem- Between Virginia’s separate CHIP social costs, by lowering carbon emis- bers of our business community from program and the Family Access to sions, by addressing the harms that it the public sector, from government, Medical Insurance Security and CHIP- causes. They try to get rid of the social and academia, to hear directly from ex- funded Medicaid, the State provides cost of carbon by getting rid of the perts about the latest environmental coverage to nearly 193,000 children. scoring mechanism that counts all of news and initiatives. I was very excited CHIP alone—the specific CHIP pro- that. It is like saying: My team is win- to be joined by excellent keynote gram—covers 66,000 kids in Virginia ning because I tore down the score- speakers, including former Secretary and also pregnant moms; 1,100 pregnant board. of State John Kerry, who has done such moms are covered right now. The cov- Well, no, the world is getting clob- magnificent work on oceans particu- erage is important. It includes doctor bered out there by carbon pollution larly but on climate change generally, visits, hospital care, prescription medi- and the climate change that causes it, leading us into the Paris climate agree- cines, eyeglasses—which are critical to and tearing down the scoreboard ment. Also, there was former U.S. Spe- being successful in school—immuniza- doesn’t help change the game on the cial Envoy for Climate Change Todd tions, and checkups for kids up to age

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:08 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G01NO6.019 S01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6949 19, with minimal cost sharing and important way by families. The Shen- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without without premiums. andoah Valley, an agricultural area in objection, it is so ordered. In Virginia, since 2009, when I was western Virginia, has about 6,400 kids Mr. BLUNT. Mr. President, this week Governor, we extended CHIP to also who rely on CHIP. There is not a coun- we are moving to confirm four Federal allow dental coverage. That has been ty, there is not a city in Virginia where circuit judges. Because of that, it is a really important to children and their there isn’t a child and a pregnant good week to talk about the critical families. The program is one of the suc- woman who rely on this program. role the judiciary plays and actually cess stories in this body because it has On September 18—now to the good about the unique power our Constitu- been strongly bipartisan in support part of my talk, the positive words tion gave the courts to do the job they since its creation in 1997. But as the from my colleagues—Senators HATCH are supposed to do. President knows, this program expired and WYDEN introduced the bipartisan They are to provide a check and bal- on September 30. Despite bipartisan Keeping Kids’ Insurance Dependable ance on the other two coequal branches work on the Finance Committee, we and Secure Act, which is a bipartisan of government—the executive branch still have not seen a reauthorization compromise in the best traditions of and the legislative branch. Most impor- bill come to the Senate floor. this body, to extend the CHIP program tantly, the Federal judiciary provides The uncertainty surrounding CHIP for 5 years to give States sufficient Americans with an avenue with which has already started to have an influ- time to plan their budgets and make to seek the rule of law, an avenue to ence on my constituents and the con- sure that families don’t face the uncer- know that one is going to be impacted stituents of every Member of this body. tainty related to getting notice letters by what the law says and what the According to our Virginia Department saying that the program may termi- Constitution says. It is a fundamental of Medical Assistance Services, the nate. right of how we conduct ourselves, how State will be forced to send letters on I rise today to urge my colleagues to we seek justice, how people should be December 1, 2017, notifying families strongly support bringing this bill to able to make decisions about their that there is an impending loss of cov- the floor and providing certainty to the families and about their businesses and erage. If there is not a reauthorization families and children who rely on about their financial futures as well as bill done by that time, imagine the CHIP. The possibility of all these fami- their personal futures. anxiety of all these families in the lies getting letters on December 1 say- That is why judges who believe in the weeks before Christmas getting a letter ing that the program is possibly going rule of law and what the law says and in the mailbox saying that this CHIP to expire is just a needless uncertainty, what the Constitution says are so im- program, which covers 66,000 kids and and we should try to avoid that if we portant and why it is important to 1,100 pregnant women, is about to ex- can, not just in Virginia but in every have qualified and well-grounded pire. This will, at a minimum, cause a State. judges—not just people who are really great deal of anxiety and confusion, My senior Senator, Mr. WARNER, is good lawyers but people who have an even if we then come back and fix it. also a strong supporter of the program. appreciation for how important it is But if we don’t fix it, obviously, the I will give him some props. When he that others can absolutely rely on the anxiety and confusion becomes much was Governor of Virginia—he preceded law and the Constitution. Those can be more catastrophic for the families. me as Governor—he was the one who changed. There is a way to change After we send out letters on Decem- focused on doing a better job of enroll- them, but the way to change them is ber 1 telling families that they have to ing kids in the program. I give him seldom on the Federal bench. prepare for the elimination of this pro- credit for that, and I will take credit According to the Administrative Of- gram, enrollment will freeze on Janu- for my teamwork and for adding dental fice of the U.S. Courts, as of this morn- ary 1. No new children can come into coverage to CHIP. But he was a great ing, there are 148 vacancies on the Fed- the program. By the end of January— leader. He and I have together sent a eral judiciary. That includes two va- and this differs in different States— letter to the Senate leader, Mr. MCCON- cancies on the Eighth Circuit Court of Virginia will have insufficient funds to NELL, asking if he would bring a bipar- Appeals. It includes the circuit judges continue the program. There are some tisan bill to the floor quickly on behalf of whose nominations we have not yet States that are already experiencing of Virginia’s children. fully complied and approved this week, running out of the funds they have for This bill was bipartisan in its intro- but there are 148 vacancies—jobs that the program. Virginia has a little cush- duction, and with the number of co- are to be filled for as long as the people ion, but that will take us only through sponsors and the historic, bipartisan are able to serve. That is why healthy the end of January if we don’t reau- nature of support for this program, if judges, younger judges, and judges who thorize. we can get a floor vote on this bill, I are well grounded can have such an im- Here is something that makes mat- think we can pass it today and send it pact for so long. The first major judi- ters worse in Virginia, and I think it is to the House and do so in a way that cial accomplishment this year, in the case in most States. Our legisla- we would avoid the need to start send- terms of the nominating process, was ture is a part-time legislature. The leg- ing out termination letters to families, Judge Gorsuch, who 29 years from now islature is not in session. The legisla- needlessly increasing their anxiety. will be younger than three of the ture does not come back in until Janu- I will conclude by saying that if we judges with whom he is currently serv- ary, and that will make it really dif- can bring this to the floor, I think we ing. These are decisions that will last ficult. We can’t find time for solutions can get it passed. It is an urgent issue well beyond a Presidency and well be- before then because the legislature is for children across the country—and yond the tenure of the Senators who not in session. When the legislature even more than children in some ways. will vote to confirm, and we have a comes back, that would be a lot to face The children aren’t wandering around chance to do that. in 2 weeks, which is when this program every day thinking about their Of these judicial circuits, the Eighth is going to expire. healthcare, but their parents are won- Circuit is one my State of Missouri is Needless to say, the kids who use dering every day, worrying desperately in. As a matter of fact, the most recent CHIP in Virginia are in all parts of the about their healthcare. This would be a data shows that while there are a hand- State. Just to give you some examples, bill that would help both children and ful of States in that circuit, one-third the Hampton Roads area, the second parents. of all the cases that had been filed in largest metropolitan area in the I yield the floor. the Eighth Circuit from September 2015 State—Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and I suggest the absence of a quorum. to September 2016 had come from our the Northern Neck—has over 5,000 kids The PRESIDING OFFICER. The State, and I imagine that number will who rely on CHIP. In far southwest clerk will call the roll. be about the same again this year. Re- Virginia, where my wife’s family is The legislative clerk proceeded to shaping the judiciary, generally, as from—Appalachia—nearly 6,000 kids call the roll. well as what happens in the Eighth Cir- rely on CHIP. It is a high poverty area, Mr. BLUNT. Mr. President, I ask cuit are important. and in those parts of the State where unanimous consent that the order for At the start of President Trump’s poverty is high, CHIP is used in a very the quorum call be rescinded. term, 12 percent of all of the positions

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:08 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00013 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G01NO6.021 S01NOPT1 S6950 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 1, 2017 in the Federal judiciary were vacant. are going to insist on 30 hours of de- law degree from the University of Kan- The Congressional Research Service bate because the rules allow for 30 sas. He clerked on the U.S. Supreme found that not since President Clinton hours of debate. Well, the rules allow Court before practicing law and teach- took office has a President had the for 30 hours of debate for contentious ing at the University of Minnesota. Not constitutional obligation to fill more nominees. The rules allow for 30 hours only was he appointed to fill a vacancy judicial vacancies at the start of his of debate when there is really going to on the Supreme Court in Minnesota, term than President Trump. I, cer- be a debate. Last week, we had 30 hours but he was elected. In fact, he was tainly, believe he made the right of debate on a judge, but 20 minutes elected and received more votes than choice when he selected Judge Gorsuch were spent talking in support of him the person who is holding his nomina- to serve on the Court, and I have been while zero minutes were spent in op- tion received when he was elected to enthusiastic about the other judges posing him. The 30 hours that could that job. whom he has nominated, including the have been used for other purposes was I urge my colleagues to not only sup- four we have had a chance to talk gone. port his nomination but to do what we about and will continue to have a Frankly, I think that was the reason need to do to get these nominees to the chance to talk about this week. the 30 hours was demanded—so the floor and let everybody express their I think President Trump will con- other work of the Senate had to be set opinion and be given the time needed tinue to nominate judges who will, aside so we could do the equally impor- to do that, not to continue to abuse the first of all, pay attention to the Con- tant work of letting the President put rules, not to continue to hold these im- stitution and what it says, who will people in vacant positions that needed portant vacancies hostage to getting apply the rule of law, and will not leg- to be filled. That 30 hours will be anything else done because we have 30 islate from the bench. Those three hall- changed if the minority continues to hours of debate in which nobody de- marks of how this Senate should de- abuse it. It has happened in the entire cides to come and debate. fine, and how this President has so far history of the Senate, but that is what By the way, if we want to continue to defined, what a judge is supposed to do happens when you abuse these rules allow Senators to hold nominations in not only can happen but can happen at that protect you and give you rights. It circuits that their States happen to be this moment for—or at least as of Jan- will happen again here if this does not a part of, in the Eighth Circuit, most of uary 20—12 percent of the judicial posi- change. the work before that court comes from tions, and that number will continue to We see the same thing happening this Missouri more than any other State. grow as judges, for whatever reason, week. We have had lots of time this We would be glad to have an additional leave the bench as judges decide to week—30 hours of debate, a final vote, judge, and there is nothing that would take early retirement. If at the end of and Democrats and Republicans vote. prevent that. the 4 years of this administration we In fact, regarding the judge I men- The right thing to do here is to let have filled all of the vacancies that tioned a minute ago, 28 Democrats the nomination of a well-qualified per- will have occurred, we will have filled voted for that judge. There were 30 son come to the Senate floor and be de- more than 12 percent of those lifetime hours of debate, and not a single crit- bated, if there is debate to be had, and be voted on and to take one of those appointments. So it is really important ical word was spoken in debate about significant 140-plus vacancies on the that the Senate act to confirm these the judge. A majority of the Democrats Federal judiciary and fill it with a per- nominees and fill as many vacancies as and virtually all of the Republicans son who is well qualified, just like this are there to be filled. voted for that judge. That is not an ac- Last month, the Federalist reported: ceptable way to stop the Senate from week. In four other circuits, we intend ‘‘Democrats are forcing more cloture getting to the other work the Senate to put three women and one man on votes than any early Presidency and needs to do. This is not basketball those courts who will hopefully be able demanding the full 30 hours of floor without a clock, where they used to ef- to serve long and well and will take their important philosophies to the time per nominee that the Senate rules fectively play the delay game. The courts with them when they go. allow.’’ delay game got abused, and the clock I yield the floor. Yesterday, at the press stakeout that became part of the system. The clock The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- will run faster here, too, if our col- we had outside of this room, I said that ator from West Virginia. the Senate was designed to protect the leagues do not begin to see the impor- Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. President, thank rights of the minority, and that is a tance of what we do here. you. good thing. Just the fact that it would NOMINATION OF DAVID STRAS As we heard my colleague from Mis- take 6 years to replace the entire Sen- Mr. President, while these nominees souri saying, we have a great oppor- ate means that the country has to stay have had cloture votes—again, Presi- tunity this week to confirm four out- focused on one set of ideas if all of the dent Obama, I think, only had one on a standing individuals to the Federal cir- Senators are going to reflect that one judge in his first year—there is one cuit courts. These nominees are well- set of ideas much longer than the 2- nominee, Minnesota Supreme Court qualified individuals who have dem- year opportunity to change everybody Justice David Stras, in the Eighth Dis- onstrated a strong understanding of in the House. Also, the understanding trict, which is the district again that the proper role that a judge plays in that the Senate provides that protec- Missouri is in, who has had his nomina- our constitutional system. tion for minorities to be heard in a big tion held up. There is a rule sometimes I am especially pleased that we are and diverse democracy like we have is that has been used in the Senate—al- considering three exceptionally tal- a good thing. In the points that we most always if a judge is being replaced ented women for the Federal bench. were making yesterday, I also said that that only affects your State—whereby Federal circuit court nominations are the protections for the minority are al- a Senator can say: I am really opposed extremely important. Circuit courts sit ways held onto, appreciated, and pro- to that. In most of the history of the directly below the Supreme Court in tected until the minority decides to Senate, that kind of hold has been hon- our judicial system. Because the Su- abuse those protections. When that ored. It has not been honored on judges preme Court reviews relatively few or a happens, the minority always loses the who represent another State, many smaller number of cases, many times protection. States, or will be a judge in the circuit the circuit courts have the last word in What we have had over and over for many States just because they hap- the majority of those cases, so it is es- again—47 times this year as compared pen to come from your State. sential that we have judges on the cir- to 1 time with President Obama for The American Bar Association has cuit court who will treat all litigants nonjudicial appointments, 5 times in said that Justice Stras is ‘‘well quali- fairly. the entire first Obama year up until fied.’’ It is its very highest rating. He When I think about what I want in a this time in October, I believe, no received his bachelor’s degree, with the judge, I think fairness is the first thing times for either President Bush, and 1 highest distinction, from the Univer- that comes to mind. We want someone time for President Clinton—is that the sity of Kansas, which is another State who treats litigants fairly, who shows minority has taken a judicial nomina- in this circuit. He received his MBA respect for our Constitution, our stat- tion or another nomination and said we from the University of Kansas and his utes, and the controlling precedents.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:08 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G01NO6.022 S01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6951 We need somebody knowledgeable in given praise to these nominees in ear- appellate litigation at Arnold and Por- the law. That sort of goes without say- nest and honest discussion, which very ter. At the beginning of her legal ca- ing but certainly is a top attribute of a much lends itself to my support. With- reer, Justice Eid served as a clerk for judge. Every party before our Federal out question, their fitness for the Fed- Judge Jerry Smith on the Fifth Circuit courts has the right to expect even- eral bench is evident. and as a law clerk for Supreme Court handed, fair judges and fair justice The fact that Democrats have been Justice Clarence Thomas. from those judges who are handling holding up these qualified individuals Justice Eid was raised by a single their case. is totally misguided. We heard from mother, whom Eid credits for her sig- Each of the four nominees being con- Senator BLUNT in his remarks about nificant personal and professional firmed this week have a strong record the numbers. There are currently 21 achievements. She earned a scholar- and impeccable qualifications. They re- circuit court vacancies and 120 district ship to Stanford and graduated with spect the rule of law. All were given a court vacancies in the Federal judici- distinction and is a member of Phi high rating by the nonpartisan Amer- ary. While the Senate has an important Beta Kappa. Justice Eid received her ican Bar Association. role in examining nominees to fill law degree from the University of Chi- Yesterday I was very pleased to sup- these vacancies, Democrats have re- cago, where she graduated with high port Amy Barrett’s confirmation to the quired virtually every potential judge honors and Order of the Coif. She has Court of Appeals for the Seventh Cir- to go through a time-consuming floor had an impressive legal career, and she cuit. Despite obstruction by my col- process that is simply not sustainable, has an impressive life story. leagues on the other side, I am pleased even when there are no objections In her long and celebrated tenure on that yesterday we confirmed Ms. Bar- raised against the individuals. In fact, the Colorado Supreme Court, Justice rett, but I still have deep concerns Democrats have used political tactics Eid has heard roughly 900 cases and about some of the debate and some of to delay virtually every one of Presi- written approximately 100 opinions. In the questions that were raised about dent Trump’s judicial nominees, con- 2008, 75 percent of Colorado voters re- her religious beliefs throughout the troversial or not. tained Justice Eid to the Colorado Su- confirmation process. Every Senator has the right to vote preme Court. The Constitution clearly states that against a judicial nominee if they be- Her nomination has also received there can be no religious test for any lieve that person to be unfit or un- wide, bipartisan support. As an exam- Federal office. The Senate has a re- qualified—we all have that right—but ple, Justice Eid’s former clerks, who sponsibility to consider qualifications engaging in a de facto filibuster noted that they ‘‘come from a diverse and fitness for office of individuals against virtually every judicial nomi- set of geographic, economic, cultural nominated by the President, but that nee is an abuse of the rules, I believe, and political backgrounds,’’ wrote a does not include an evaluation of a especially when the nominee has over- letter to the Judiciary Committee sup- nominee’s religious beliefs. Our Con- whelming bipartisan support. porting her nomination. Judges work stitution fundamentally protects reli- The American people expect the Sen- closely with their law clerks every day. gious liberty for all Americans. That ate to confirm well-qualified nominees. Law clerks understand a judge’s delib- principle is deeply rooted in our Na- They also expect us to advance a legis- erative process and approach to the law tion’s history and allows individuals of lative agenda that will improve our better than anyone. How did these all faiths the freedom to exercise their economy and our security. By filibus- clerks describe Justice Eid? They said: religious beliefs. tering against qualified nominees, ‘‘She never fails to provide her full at- Ms. Barrett’s credentials clearly Democrats are keeping the Senate tention and dedication to each indi- demonstrate her ability to serve on the from tackling our important legisla- vidual case, mastering the relevant Federal bench, which she will be doing, tive work. facts and carefully analyzing the law, and I hope future nominees are ques- Starting with Justice Neil Gorsuch whether the text of a statute or the tioned by this body on their record, to the nominees being considered this word of a contract.’’ Her law clerks their qualifications, and their jurispru- week, President Trump has nominated also wrote that she goes ‘‘where the dence, not on their faith. mainstream judges who will serve our law takes her’’ and that in their decade Today we confirmed the nomination country for years in the judiciary. I of collective experience in over 900 of Michigan Supreme Court Justice commend the President, the chairman, cases, Justice Eid ‘‘treats each case in- Joan Larsen for the Sixth Circuit, a su- Senator GRASSLEY, and the members of dividually without any preconceived premely qualified individual. A former the Judiciary Committee for their notion of desired outcome.’’ clerk for Supreme Court Justice work in advancing these talented indi- The National Native American Bar Antonin Scalia, she served as a Deputy viduals. We should confirm these Association also endorsed Justice Eid. Assistant Attorney General and as a judges and act promptly to fill other In their letter to the committee, they law professor at the University of judicial vacancies. noted that she ‘‘has demonstrated deep Michigan before joining her State’s I thank the Presiding Officer. understanding of Federal Indian law highest court, the supreme court. I yield the floor. and policy matters, as well as signifi- We are now considering the nomina- The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. COT- cant respect for the tribes as govern- tion of Colorado Supreme Court Jus- TON). The Senator from Iowa. ments. Such qualities and experiences tice Allison Eid for the Tenth Circuit. Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, to- are rare among nominees to the federal Justice Eid served as Colorado’s solic- morrow morning the Senate will vote bench.’’ They went on to note that itor general and is a law professor at on the nomination of Colorado Su- ‘‘while we do not expect that Justice the University of Colorado. She clerked preme Court Justice Allison Eid. She is Eid will agree with tribal interests on for Supreme Court Justice Clarence going to be voted on to serve on the every issue, we also believe that she is Thomas and was appointed by Chief Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. She is immensely well qualified and we are Justice John Roberts to serve as a an eminently qualified and exceptional confident that Justice Eid is a main- member of the advisory committee on nominee who has received widespread, stream, commonsense Westerner who Federal appellate rules. bipartisan praise and support. will rule fairly on Indian Country mat- Finally, we will consider the nomina- Justice Eid has spent over a decade ters.’’ That is from the National Native tion of Stephanos Bibas to the Third on the Colorado Supreme Court. Before American Bar Association. I think Circuit. Mr. Bibas is a law professor at her appointment, she served as the Col- ‘‘mainstream, commonsense West- the University of Pennsylvania and orado State solicitor general. In that erner’’ is the perfect way to describe clerked for Justice Anthony Kennedy role, she represented the State before Justice Eid. after earning degrees from Columbia, both Federal and State courts. She also Despite this bipartisan support and Oxford, and Yale. served as a tenured faculty member at her professional achievements, all the This is a supremely qualified slate of the University of Colorado School of Democratic members of the Judiciary nominees, as their impressive creden- Law, where she taught courses in con- Committee voted against her nomina- tials make clear. My colleagues who stitutional law, legislation, and torts. tion in committee, and I suspect most are familiar with these nominees have Justice Eid practiced commercial and of the minority will vote against her

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:08 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00015 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G01NO6.024 S01NOPT1 S6952 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 1, 2017 confirmation when it comes up. That I am very proud to support the nomi- the desire of the senior Senator from surprised me. Justice Eid received a nation of Justice Allison Eid. She is Vermont to ‘‘confirm women prac- majority ‘‘well qualified’’ rating from the third in a series of distinguished fe- ticing at the pinnacle of the legal pro- the American Bar Association, an out- male circuit court nominees we have fession.’’ side group who evaluates judicial had the opportunity to vote on this That is certainly where Joan Larsen nominees. My colleagues on the other week. Her impressive experience and works. She has been a justice on the side claim that this group’s ratings numerous accomplishments speak to Michigan Supreme Court and was nom- weigh very heavily in their decision to her qualifications for this role. I com- inated to the Sixth Circuit, which han- support or oppose a judicial nominee. mend the President for nominating dles Federal appeals from Michigan, In fact, my Democratic colleagues these outstanding and accomplished Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee. Jus- claim that these ratings should carry a women to our circuit courts. Justice tice Larsen graduated first in her class great deal of weight with Senators, and Eid is an exceptional nominee, and her from Northwestern University’s law they argue that the Judiciary Com- record overwhelmingly supports her school. She then clerked for the pres- mittee shouldn’t hold hearings on nomination. As a result, I will support tigious DC Circuit Court of Appeals, nominees who have not yet received her confirmation tomorrow, and I urge right here in Washington, DC. She then ABA ratings. all of my colleagues to do the same. went on to serve as a law clerk to Jus- This week, we are voting on four cir- I yield the floor and suggest the ab- tice Antonin Scalia of the U.S. Su- cuit court nominees—including three sence of a quorum. preme Court. women—who received ‘‘well qualified’’ The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Since then, she has worked in public ratings from the ABA. The American clerk will call the roll. service at the Office of Legal Counsel Bar Association rated two of these in- The senior assistant legislative clerk at the Department of Justice during dividuals unanimously ‘‘well quali- proceeded to call the roll. the George W. Bush administration and Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask fied.’’ Yet the vast majority of my has taught at the University of Michi- unanimous consent that the order for Democratic colleagues voted against gan Law School. the two nominees on whom we have al- the quorum call be rescinded. Both of our Democratic colleagues The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without ready voted, and I am willing to bet from Michigan have returned their blue objection, it is so ordered. that the other two nominees will see slips, which is the piece of paper which similar opposition from my Demo- Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, this week we have been talking about some says they are OK with the nomination cratic colleagues. going forward, signaling their ap- Why do my Democratic friends pro- sterling nominees for our Nation’s cir- proval. Given her credentials, my ques- fess such admiration for the American cuit courts of appeals. These are our tion would be, How could they not? Bar Association’s evaluation process intermediate appellate courts in the Ms. Larsen will make an excellent and then vote against nominees who country, one step above the trial judge. She already has been, but she received the American Bar Associa- courts where cases are tried and one will make an excellent addition to the tion’s ‘‘well qualified’’ rating? I would step below the Supreme Court of the circuit court of appeals, and I am glad like to see them put their money where United States. we have now confirmed her. their mouth is or maybe, better yet, What most people don’t realize is Another nominee is on the way. Jus- their vote where their mouth is. If my that the Supreme Court only decides tice Allison Eid of the Colorado Su- colleagues believe so strongly in the roughly 80 cases a year. In other words, preme Court has been nominated to the ABA evaluations, they should start there is no guarantee that if your case Tenth Circuit post formerly held by voting for nominees who receive ‘‘well is tried in the trial court, it will go be- Justice Neil Gorsuch, who was recently qualified’’ ratings, but I suspect they yond the circuit court of appeals. So in confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court. will not. many instances, our circuit courts are When the Judiciary Committee voted the ‘‘supreme court,’’ or the court of The Tenth Circuit sits in Denver and on Justice Eid’s nomination, my Demo- last resort. These sterling nominees includes Colorado, New Mexico, Kan- cratic colleagues really stretched to that the President has nominated in- sas, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wyoming. find reasons to oppose that nomina- clude Professor Amy Barrett, who yes- As in the case of Professor Barrett tion. One of the chief reasons given for terday was confirmed to the Seventh and Justice Larsen, Allison Eid is ex- opposition to her nomination centered Circuit Court of Appeals by a bipar- ceptional in every respect. She at- on a quote in a Denver Post article tisan vote of 55 to 43. For some reason, tended Stanford University and the that said Justice Eid has ‘‘earned a our friends across the aisle have de- University of Chicago Law School, reputation of one of [the Colorado Su- cided it is to their advantage to where she was elected to the Order of preme Court’s] most conservative inexplicably drag out the clock against the Coif and graduated with high hon- members.’’ I find that statement to be a really accomplished scholar—and to ors. She clerked for the Fifth Circuit misleading. Of the seven justices on the boot, a mother of seven—but, of course, Court of Appeals in New Orleans and Colorado Supreme Court, Justice Eid is to no avail. then went on to clerk for Justice Clar- one of only two justices appointed by a What is worse is our colleagues ence Thomas on the U.S. Supreme Republican Governor. To argue that across the aisle have seemed to have Court. she is somehow extreme just because forgotten some of their own priorities As with Justice Larsen, Justice Eid she was not appointed by a Democratic when it comes to judges. For example, has received the blue slips from both of Governor is very unfair. the senior Senator from Minnesota has her home State Senators, which means Furthermore, the Denver Post pub- said in the past: ‘‘It is time to get they are willing to let this confirma- lished a subsequent article that dis- women on the bench.’’ Well, we just did tion go forward. So I look forward to agreed with this characterization. By that yesterday, and we are going to do her quick confirmation. contrast, the more recent article stat- it again. ‘‘They should get an up-or- Finally, the fourth judge who will be ed that ‘‘appointment by a Republican down vote . . . that is what women de- confirmed this week is professor or Democrat does not always dictate serve.’’ I would say that is what the Stephanos Bibas, who teaches at the the ideology of the justice. . . . Even President’s nominees—whether they be University of Pennsylvania Law categorizing justices as either conserv- women or men—deserve, but, unfortu- School. He has been nominated for the ative or liberal is generally an error.’’ nately, that hasn’t always been the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, which I would agree with the Denver Post on case. covers Delaware, New Jersey, and this point. There is still time, however, for our Pennsylvania. Stephanos Bibas was Justice Eid should not be evaluated Democratic colleagues to honor their educated at Columbia, Oxford, and Yale by her ideological reputation but, rath- previous statements and to put more Law School. He, likewise, clerked for er, by how she approaches issues before women on the circuit courts without the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and her judiciary. That is how I have evalu- needlessly stringing them along with then went on to clerk for Justice An- ated Justice Eid and other judicial unnecessary delays. thony Kennedy on the U.S. Supreme nominees, and that is why I strongly Joan Larsen was the first. She was Court. He has worked both in private support her confirmation today. confirmed earlier today. She fulfills practice and as a prosecutor. Now he

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:08 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00016 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G01NO6.025 S01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6953 has distinguished himself as an aca- return, thus, making compliance with he was right—that this was hurting our demic, teaching and publishing in the the Tax Code much simpler and cheap- global competitiveness in a global realm of criminal law and procedure. er. We agreed that we would signifi- economy and that companies, out of In their ringing endorsement of his cantly increase the child tax credit and sheer self-interest, were keeping the nomination, a diverse group of more reduce taxes on businesses and job cre- profits they had earned overseas rather than 100 law professors noted Professor ators. than bringing them back and suffering Bibas’s ‘‘fair-mindedness, conscien- This last objective—reducing taxes from double taxation, meaning that tiousness, and personal integrity.’’ on businesses and job creators—de- workers here in the United States Those are the sort of qualities we serves a little bit more discussion. didn’t get the benefit of that infusion should all want in a circuit court Ireland represents an interesting of extra cash in their paycheck, and judge. point of comparison for the United the investment that should occur here We are going to confirm Stephanos States. We have the highest tax rate in in the United States was occurring Bibas and the other nominees I men- the world—35 percent for businesses overseas strictly because of our Tax tioned, no matter how long it takes, that do business all around the globe. Code. this week. The majority leader has put Ireland has a corporate rate of 12.5 per- My colleague, the senior Senator our friends across the aisle on notice, cent. That is 35 percent to 12.5 percent. from Oregon, described corporate in- and there is nothing they can do to Because of that, it has become a haven versions. That is what happens when an stop those confirmation votes before for large American companies, espe- American company shifts its legal ad- we call it a week. cially in the high-tech sector. dress to a foreign country, such as Ire- Once again, the administration has Ireland has since ended its so-called land, for tax purposes. He called it a demonstrated its skill at picking ‘‘double Irish’’ tax scheme, which al- ‘‘contagion’’ that has affected the Tax bright nominees for the right reasons. lowed it to benefit from taxes on in- Code with ‘‘the chronic diseases of This week’s nominees will read the law come that should have been taxed in loopholes and inefficiency.’’ He went on faithfully. They will honestly interpret the United States. In other words, to call the Tax Code an ‘‘anti-competi- its text, and they will apply it to cases there is some rivalry and competition tive mess.’’ He is right. with a sense of humility no matter when businesses do business worldwide The senior Senators from Maryland what their preferred outcome might be. as to where their profits will be taxed. and Ohio have also made similar state- I appreciate President Trump, Leader We want to make sure that those prof- ments in past years. MCCONNELL, and the chairman of the its are taxed in the United States and We all realize that simplifying our Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator not in countries abroad, where we Tax Code will reduce tax compliance CHUCK GRASSLEY, for the hard work in would enjoy no benefit from. costs, which currently run for small bringing these nominees to the floor. This example illustrates what hap- business owners at around $19 billion a Now let’s get them on the Federal pens when we keep our tax rate so year. Our Tax Code has simply gotten bench. high. Sadly, companies leave. They go to be too complex and too convoluted TAX REFORM elsewhere, because they know that the for honest, law-abiding small business Mr. President, the other issue I wish difference between a 35-percent tax owners to do it on their own. So they to bring up in my remarks today is tax rate and a 12.5-percent tax rate in Ire- have to hire somebody else to help reform, because we all know that the land may be the difference between them sort it out. House of Representatives will release making a profit for your shareholders— The less money that a small business the Ways and Means Committee’s be- whether it is the teachers retirement pays in tax compliance is the more ginning bill for tax reform—something system or the firefighters pension they can spend on their employees or we have promised for a long time and fund—or ending up in the red and not on expanding their business or on in- that the country is anxiously awaiting. making a profit at all. Savvy compa- vesting in new equipment or simply This will be the culmination of nies will leave, and they will go else- giving their workers a pay raise. Let’s months—if not years—of hard work, of where. They know to create new enti- give them the relief that they need. meetings, white papers, listening ses- ties and search the globe for better Let’s reduce the corporate rate, as sions, and the like so that we can de- rates. It is really a matter of their President Obama and our colleagues on liver on our shared goal of a simpler, competitiveness in a global economy. the other side used to argue for. With fairer tax system that boosts jobs and Of course, when they do this, it is our proposals, we can also get moving puts more money in the pockets of legal. It is rational because they want on fixing the rest of the Tax Code to let every American. Those are our goals. the best deal they can get for their the hard-working people of Texas and We know that many hard-working shareholders. They also want to make American families keep more of what Americans have had a rough time in re- sure they can achieve a profit for their they earn, improve their standard of cent years. Sending their kids to col- shareholders and not a loss, frankly, living in the process, and to make our lege and securing retirement seems to due to the differential in tax rates. Tax Code more competitive in a global be harder and increasingly out of reach When companies dodge U.S. taxes, it economy so that businesses that oper- for some of my constituents back in means we here in the United States ate internationally will be incentivized Texas and people around the country. I miss out on revenue that we would oth- to bring that money back here to the hear about their concerns and their erwise reap. One thing is for sure. With United States to make and manufac- anxieties—economic anxieties—every $20 trillion in debt, we want to make ture products that are stamped ‘‘Made time I go home. It is not acceptable sure that our Tax Code is fair and sim- in America’’ and to improve the wages that 50 percent of Americans are find- ple and is competitive and will help us and quality of life and income of Amer- ing themselves living from paycheck to grow our economy in a way that will ican workers. It just strikes me as a paycheck and that a third of voters are help us pay down those deficits and no-brainer, and that is exactly what we one trip to the mechanic shop away that debt. are going to set out to accomplish to. from a household financial crisis. Now, our Democratic friends have I suggest the absence of a quorum. Last week, several of my colleagues been known to demagogue this issue a The PRESIDING OFFICER. The and I sat down with the President—we little bit, saying: Who wants to cut clerk will call the roll. were members of a bipartisan group of these corporate tax rates overseas? The senior assistant legislative clerk the Senate Finance Committee—and Corporations shouldn’t get a tax cut, proceeded to call the roll. discussed our objectives in achieving even though they know what the facts Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask meaningful and lasting changes to our are. unanimous consent that the order for Tax Code. The President agreed that Well, they should simply listen to the quorum call be rescinded. we should cut taxes for hard-working people like Barack Obama. In 2011 he The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Americans and that we should nearly was speaking to a joint session of Con- TOOMEY). Without objection, it is so or- double the standard deduction, which gress and called on Republicans and dered. reduces the number of people who will Democrats alike to lower the U.S. cor- Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, thank have to itemize deductions on their tax porate tax rate because he knew—and you.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:08 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G01NO6.026 S01NOPT1 S6954 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 1, 2017 FREEDOM TO NEGOTIATE a shameful capstone on that already have no accountability, now cleaning Labor unions and strong labor laws disgraceful record. those toilets is a minimum wage job. have helped build the middle class in I would say to all of those wealthy Over the last 4 years, though, I have America and protect the rights of people who have plenty of money and seen Shareeka and her coworkers start workers for generations. to all of those corporate executives to rebuild their dreams. She said to In the 1970s, union participation was who get paid in the tens of millions, me: Senator, if I only could get min- around 30 percent, and it was a golden who are desperate to take money away imum wage, I might be able to take my era for the American middle class. from middle-class people whose in- kids out to a restaurant—I never Wages went up. Families had benefits comes are declining, that you are cre- could—or buy them toys for Christmas. and vacations. Parents could pay for ating an anger and a sourness in Amer- I never could do that. college. They could put food on the ica that is hurting our country in so Shareeka joined the union, and they table and have money left over. The many different ways. fought for a $15 minimum wage. In vast, thriving middle class was built on American workers deserve a better some parts of the country, that may the blood and sweat of labor unions and deal, and Democrats are going to offer seem like a lot of money. In New York those who organized the labor unions, it. We are calling it freedom to nego- City, I can tell you that it does not go often at their physical peril, back in tiate. We are offering the middle class, that far. Costs are higher. Shareeka the thirties. and those who are struggling to get was able to quit her second job and Unfortunately, over the last few dec- there, a better deal by taking on com- spend time with her daughters, like all ades, union membership has declined panies that undermine unions and un- parents want to do. Shareeka and her and, along with it, middle-class wages derpay their workers, and beginning to coworkers won a union contract, and and opportunities. In the seventies, unwind a rigged system that threatens now they are able to gain the tools union membership was near 30 percent, every worker’s freedom to negotiate they needed to protect themselves and but it had fallen to just 11 percent of with their employer. do their work in a safer environment. all workers by 2014. That decline is Our plan would, among other things, Shareeka is a metaphor for ‘‘Amer- mostly because the union movement strengthen penalties on predatory cor- ican workers,’’ so many of whom have and, concurrently, the middle class, porations that violate workers’ rights; lost good-paying jobs that have gone with which it is allied, have been under ban State right-to-work laws that un- overseas or that have been closed due attack from big corporate special in- dermine worker freedoms to join to- to automation. When they organize in terests and the conservative movement gether and negotiate; strengthen a these new types of jobs, they can get for the better part of the last three worker’s right to strike for essential the kinds of wages people used to get in decades. It is well funded by a small workplace improvements; and provide the jobs that have gone away. group of very rich and, I might say, millions of public employees—State, It is pretty simple: When workers greedy people, and it is patient. local, and Federal—with the freedom to have the freedom to negotiate with Their goal is to, by any means nec- join a union and collectively bargain their employers, they have safer work- essary—Congress, the courts, what- with their employers. ing conditions, better wages, and fairer ever—break up existing unions and pre- Over the past century, labor unions overtime and leave policies. Shareeka’s vent new unions from forming. They have fought to stitch into the fabric of story is a testament to that fact. will pursue any avenue in order to dis- our economy a basic sense of fairness Our better deal, the freedom to nego- rupt the ability of workers to organize for workers. Each worker left on his or tiate, will do for so many Americans and collectively bargain for a fair her own has no power against the big what Shareeka’s union did for her in share of the profits they create so that corporate interests that employ them, New York. It will turn things around they can make an extra buck. but together unions and workers who for our country. Maybe middle-class These forces will do whatever it unite in unions can have some say. wages will start going up, and maybe takes to keep rigging the system in No one taught me better about the people will start having faith in the fu- their favor, like asking the Supreme lack of fairness than a 32BJ worker I ture again. We Democrats—hopefully, Court to rule on Janus v. AFSCME, a met several years ago at the JFK maybe, joined by a few courageous Re- case backed by the Koch brothers—$40 International Airport, who was named publicans—are going to fight to get it billion each, maybe more; plenty of Shareeka Elliot. When I first met done. money—but they hate giving any Shareeka, she was a mother of two I yield the floor. money to workers. And there is no children who was struggling to make I suggest the absence of a quorum. record evidence of a single lower court ends meet. She was working the grave- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ruling in its favor. yard shift cleaning the terminals at clerk will call the roll. If anyone doubts the politicization of JFK and serving hamburgers at The bill clerk proceeded to call the the Supreme Court, just look at their McDonald’s during the day. She was roll. being willing to hear this case twice, forced to rely on public assistance Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask which comes with a crazy legal theory since she had gotten so little in wages unanimous consent that the order for that a First Amendment basis should from those jobs. She lived in a house the quorum call be rescinded. be used to destroy collective bar- with six other family members to be The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. gaining. It is merely designed to elimi- able to pay the rent. She was not a GARDNER). Without objection, it is so nate the freedom of people to come to- freeloader. She was working two jobs, ordered. gether in unions. If the Supreme Court but she got minimum wage and could Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask endorses the arguments of Janus, it hardly support herself. She barely saw unanimous consent to speak as in will be a dark day for the American her children and spent most of her free morning business. worker. time in getting to this job—this poorly The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without Chief Justice Roberts, who said he paid, minimum wage job. She had to objection, it is so ordered. would be fair and call balls and strikes, take a bus for 2 hours from East New Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I want in my view, has lost all pretence of York to the JFK International Airport. to thank my colleague Senator BROWN fairness. He wants to keep the Court She was not angry, by the way, as for leading the effort on the floor to nonpolitical, but he keeps pushing she was a churchgoing lady. She had speak out against the latest attacks on cases like this. Since his confirmation, faith in God to provide, but she suf- union rights that are in front of the under Chief Justice Roberts, the Court fered so. Supreme Court right now. I am very has methodically moved in a pro-cor- By the way, 30 years ago, if you had proud to join him to highlight the con- porate direction in its constantly and cleaned bathrooms at an airport, you tributions unions have made to our consistently siding with the big cor- would have been employed by the air- middle class, to the economy, and to porate interests over the interests of lines or by the terminal. But because our country. I want to express my com- workers. Already, it has been the most these companies have learned to farm mitment to stand up against any at- pro-corporate Court since World War out the labor to subsidiaries, to fran- tempts to undermine workers’ rights to II. A decision in favor of Janus will be chises, and to other corporations that join a union and bargain collectively.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:08 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00018 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G01NO6.028 S01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6955 Since day one, President Trump has the rights of working people and why I ing to pay dues that made those efforts broken his campaign promise, which stand shoulder to shoulder with orga- possible. Make no mistake, a decision was to put our workers first, by rolling nized labor. sanctioning this practice would strip back worker protections and putting We must work together to combat away freedom from millions of Ameri- corporations and billionaires ahead of the assault on the protections that cans. It would steal their freedom to our working families, and now we are workers have fought so hard to secure. join together to bargain for better seeing corporate special interests dou- It is more important than ever that we wages, it would steal their freedom to bling down on their attempts to under- here in Washington work to expand join together to insist on worker pro- mine the rights of workers to band to- economic opportunity for hard-working tections, and, ultimately, it would be- gether. So it is critical now more than Americans, many of whom come from a tray middle-class America, which re- ever that we are committed to pro- union home. That means passing labor lies on organizing to effectively nego- tecting our workers and their ability law reform to make it easier, not hard- tiate with powerful corporations. to advocate for safe working condi- er to join a union. That also means ex- Another way we can support our tions, better wages, and a secure retire- panding the use of project labor agree- union workers is by making a serious ment. ments for major construction projects investment in our Nation’s infrastruc- Unions helped create the middle class and opposing efforts to repeal pre- ture, which leads to more good-paying in this country and helped a lot of our vailing wage laws. It also means de- jobs and greater economic opportunity families in the last century become fi- fending the Davis-Bacon Act. The Fed- for working families. Improving our nancially secure. But over the last few eral Government can and should be a Nation’s infrastructure is really just decades, as workers’ bargaining power model employer that encourages com- common sense. That is why I intro- and union density have declined, we as panies to pay fair wages. duced a bill, which was passed into law, a country have seen a decline in the It is important to note the great to cut redtape and reduce delays on middle class and a rise in income in- progress that collective bargaining is construction projects in Illinois and equality in this country. As we all making for all people. More families our surrounding States. Upgrading our know, too many families today are today have two working parents than transportation systems will help Illi- struggling to make ends meet. Mean- ever before, and women’s growing role noisans and all Americans who depend while, corporations’ profits are at an in our unions have increased to nearly on our roads and transit systems to get alltime high. half of the labor workforce. In Illinois to work every day, as well as busi- I will continue to fight back against alone, 44 percent of union workers are nesses that need our airports, high- any attempts by this administration women. The labor movement, which ways, and our freight network to ship and by special interests to rig the rules had a pivotal role in creating national their products. against the people who go to work minimum wage, the 40-hour workweek, I am working each day to support our every day. I will keep fighting for poli- overtime pay, and standards for work- hard-working, middle-class families. cies that will help families save just a place health and safety, is now also im- Through organizing, unions have be- little more in their bank account, pacting women workers and their fami- come champions for working families whether it includes raising the min- lies in a significant way. both in and out of the Federal Govern- imum wage or fighting for equal pay The collective voice that working ment. for equal work or strengthening our Americans have is responsible for im- I thank our union representatives for workers’ rights to seek out and join a proving sick leave and paid family all the work they do for our families, union and bargain collectively. I urge leave policies at the State and local our communities, and our Nation. all of our colleagues who want to help levels. These efforts can also lead to re- Thank you. working families to get ahead to join ducing our Nation’s long-lasting wage The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- me in that effort. gaps between gender and race. Labor ator from Massachusetts. Thank you, Mr. President. unions tend to raise wages and improve Ms. WARREN. Mr. President, last I yield the floor. benefits for all represented workers, es- year, powerful corporate interest I suggest the absence of a quorum. pecially for women, and women of all groups actually stole a Supreme Court The PRESIDING OFFICER. The major racial and ethnic groups experi- seat and handed it over to their hand- clerk will call the roll. ence a wage advantage when they are picked choice, Neil Gorsuch. Now those The bill clerk proceeded to call the in a union. There is still a long way to powerful corporate groups are about to roll. go in the wage gap fight, but unions use that seat to deal a devastating Ms. DUCKWORTH. Mr. President, I are leading the way to make those gaps blow to hard-working teachers, fire- ask unanimous consent that the order smaller. fighters, nurses, and police all across for the quorum call be rescinded. Unfortunately, organized labor is this country. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without under attack. In Illinois, the anti- On September 28, the Supreme Court objection, it is so ordered. union surge is on the rise. Nationwide, announced that it would hear a case Ms. DUCKWORTH. Mr. President, I so-called right-to-work efforts are called Janus v. AFSCME Council 31. am here to speak out in favor of work- growing. We need to be clear on one AFSCME 31 is a union representing ing families and how we can empower thing: These laws do absolutely noth- public sector workers in Illinois. This American workers to obtain good jobs, ing to strengthen workers’ rights, de- case will determine whether the public to secure a safe retirement after a life- spite their misleading names and rhet- sector unions that represent teachers, time of hard work, and to give them oric. nurses, firefighters, and police officers the freedom to join together to nego- Make no mistake, opponents of orga- in States and cities across the country tiate for better pay and safer working nized labor are well funded and relent- can collect fees from all the employees conditions. less in advancing union-busting cam- in the workplaces they represent. Unions in the United States are im- paigns. We must work together and Many expect that Justice Gorsuch portant for our families and for our Na- challenge these growing dangers to will deliver the deciding vote in that tion’s economy. Organized labor is one America’s middle class. case, that he will force unions to rep- of the greatest forces driving the mid- The U.S. Supreme Court will soon de- resent employees who do not pay dues dle class, which is especially important cide a case that could determine the fu- and, in doing so, cut off sustainable for our veterans and members of the ture of American unions. A slim major- funding for public union organizing. military. Union jobs help provide our ity of conservative Justices may hand Judges are supposed to be impartial, servicemembers and veterans with the down an anti-worker decision that but there is no reason to expect that economic opportunities that they have would dramatically undo existing Justice Gorsuch will be impartial in earned. Union jobs help working moms precedent and sabotage the ability of this case. On the afternoon of Sep- and dads put food on the table, and unions to effectively represent hard- tember 28—the very same day that the union jobs help power the engine of our working, everyday Americans. Workers Supreme Court announced that it economy—our middle class. That is should not be able to reap all the bene- would hear the Janus case—Justice why I am working every day to protect fits of union negotiations while refus- Gorsuch attended a luncheon at the

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:08 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00019 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G01NO6.029 S01NOPT1 S6956 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 1, 2017 Trump International Hotel. And he Powerful interests invested vast Workers already have the right to de- didn’t just attend an event at a hotel sums of money in electing President cide whether to join a union. They that makes money for the President. Trump, and with each of his anti-work- have the right to decide. It is common Nope. He gave the keynote speech for a er actions, their investments are pay- sense that if these workers benefit rightwing group funded by one of the ing off. Powerful interests also spent from the higher wages and better work- Koch brothers and by the Bradley vast sums of money to push Federal ing conditions that result from con- Foundation—billionaires and wealthy judges who will tilt our courts even tract negotiations undertaken by the donors who are pumping money into further in favor of billionaires and big union, that those workers should have the people behind the Janus case. businesses. to chip in for the cost of these negotia- It is no surprise that these rich guys They did it when they spent millions tions. That is just fair. These negotia- want to break the backs of unions. of dollars to hold open a Supreme tions get results and they benefit After all, unions speak up, unions fight Court seat for over a year. They did it workers. They benefit workers who are back, and unions call out billionaires when they spent millions more to pro- in the union and benefit workers who who rig the system to favor themselves mote Neil Gorsuch to fill that seat. are not in the union. and to leave everyone else in the dirt. Now that the Court is poised to deliver The right to bargain collectively has What is at stake in the Janus case is a massive blow to public sector unions been an integral part of raising income basic freedom—the freedom to build and workers, their investment is pay- and growing the middle class over the something strong and valuable, the ing off big time. course of the last century. Being able freedom to have a real voice to speak The stakes here couldn’t be higher. to organize and bargain collectively al- out, the freedom to build a future that Millions of teachers, nurses, fire- lows workers to demand higher wages doesn’t hang by a thread at the whim fighters, and police officers are looking and salaries and of course boost their of a billionaire. And just as the Su- to the Court for a fair hearing of the incomes. These workers have more preme Court decides to take up a deci- case. They are holding out hope that money to provide for their families, to sion that puts the freedom of millions their freedom to come together and to increase consumption, which in turn of working people in jeopardy, Justice stand up for themselves in the work- increases both production and employ- Gorsuch shows up as the star attrac- place, their freedom to fight for higher ment. Putting more money in the tion for a billionaire-sponsored outing wages, their freedom to fight for more hands of workers is good for workers to celebrate an organization that is generous benefits, and their freedom to and for the country. sponsoring an operation to put work- fight for a better future for themselves Over the last several decades, we ers’ freedom on the chopping block. and their children will be preserved. have seen the balance of power across With this kind of brazen disregard for Unless we make real change, working our Nation tilt more and more in favor fairness and impartiality, it is no won- people are just going to get kicked der that Gallup Polls have found that of the wealthy and the largest cor- again and again, and we can make porate interests at the expense of fewer than half of all Americans ap- change. We can make the change right prove of the way the Supreme Court is working Americans. here in Washington. We can stand up The Supreme Court has not been im- now handling its job. In a shameless and fight for our democracy, and we mune from this trend. Under Chief Jus- decision to abandon even the appear- can start by demanding that everyone tice Roberts, the Court has become an ance of neutrality, Justice Gorsuch in our government is accountable, in- makes it clear that he is on the attack ever more reliable ally for big corpora- cluding the President of the United tions. A major study published in the against American unions and American States and the Supreme Court of the workers. Minnesota Law Review in 2013 found United States. that the four conservative Justices In the Trump administration, work- Thank you, Mr. President. ers have been under repeated attack. currently sitting on the Court—Jus- I yield the floor. tices Alito, Roberts, Thomas, and Ken- Since taking office, President Trump I suggest the absence of a quorum. has signed several laws sent to him by The PRESIDING OFFICER. The nedy—are among the six most busi- the Republican Congress, laws that di- clerk will call the roll. ness-friendly Supreme Court Justices rectly undermine the wages, benefits, The bill clerk proceeded to call the since 1946. So four of the six most busi- health and safety of American workers. roll. ness-friendly are serving on the Court In just 10 months, they have rolled Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I ask at the same time. back rules designed to make sure that unanimous consent that the order for A review by the Constitutional Ac- Federal contractors don’t cheat their the quorum call be rescinded. countability Center—which is an ongo- workers out of hard-earned wages. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without ing review and is updated with every They have delayed safety standards objection, it is so ordered. case the Supreme Court decides—shows that keep workers from being exposed Mr. CASEY. I also ask unanimous the consequences of the Court’s cor- to lethal, carcinogenic materials. They consent to speak as in morning busi- porate tilt, finding that the chamber of have given shady financial advisers ness. commerce has had a success rate of 70 more time to cheat hard-working The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without percent in cases before the Roberts’ Americans out of billions of dollars in objection, it is so ordered. Court—a significant increase over pre- retirement savings, and the list goes Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, 40 years vious courts. on. ago, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that These are all critical cases. These are This is a democracy, and in a democ- nonunion public workers who benefit cases of critical importance to every- racy, the government in Washington is from the work conducted by a union to day Americans. These are cases involv- supposed to work for the people who negotiate contracts that they benefit ing, for example, rules for consumer sent us here. So why is it that the Fed- from should have to pay a fee to cover contracts, challenges to regulations en- eral Government seems to be working costs associated with this work. If all suring fair pay and labor standards, at- against the interests of 150 million workers benefit, it is only right that tempts by consumers to hold compa- Americans who work for a living? Well, everyone contributes a fair-share fee. nies accountable for product safety, there is one reason—money. However, in recent years, there has and much more. Money slithers through Washington been a well-funded effort by special in- Well-funded corporate special inter- like a snake. Its influence is every- terest groups backed by corporate bil- ests do not have the best interests of where. There are obvious ways that we lionaires to dismantle unions and si- working families at heart. They are know about—the campaign contribu- lence the voice of workers. There have pushing these efforts to reduce their tions from giant corporations and their been a number of attempts to overturn bottom line by reducing the incomes of armies of lawyers and lobbyists—but it the 1977 decision in Abood v. Detroit working families. is also the think tanks and the bought- Board of Education. Other efforts have That is why we are standing today to and-paid-for experts who are funded by targeted State legislatures where they make sure that the voice of working shadowy money, whose point of view have had success in many States. In Pennsylvanians and Americans are seems always to help the rich and pow- other States like Pennsylvania, these heard. To increase incomes and erful get richer and more powerful. efforts were blocked. strengthen the middle class, we need to

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:08 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00020 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G01NO6.031 S01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6957 stop the assault on workers and labor son for this rule was fairly straight- I suggest the absence of a quorum. unions, whether it happens in Congress forward: We should not be sending tax- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The or in State legislatures or, indeed, in payer dollars to employers that can’t clerk will call the roll. the U.S. Supreme Court. keep their employees safe or that cheat The senior assistant legislative clerk I yield the floor. them out of their hard-earned dollars. proceeded to call the roll. I suggest the absence of a quorum. Yet Republicans repealed the rule. Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I ask The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Now, across the country, we are see- unanimous consent that the order for clerk will call the roll. ing a wave of so-called right-to-work the quorum call be rescinded. The senior assistant legislative clerk legislation, which in practice means The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. LEE). proceeded to call the roll. you can work more hours for less pay. Without objection, it is so ordered. Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, I ask In Michigan we are seeing the impact Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I wish to unanimous consent that the order for of this misguided legislation. thank my colleagues for joining me on the quorum call be rescinded. Supporters of these policies told us the floor today to stand with American The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without that wages and job growth would in- workers. We organized a group of close objection, it is so ordered. crease if Michigan just passed laws to to a dozen Senators who have heartfelt Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, I rise crack down on union membership. and strong views about the dignity of today to speak in proud support of Well, Michigan has the law, but work- work, who understand so well that America’s workers—the men and ers and their families aren’t seeing any workers are working harder and smart- women who build our cars and our of the promised benefits. er but earn less and less money, in homes, who move American-made In the years since passage of the law, spite of their hard work, in spite of products across oceans, lakes, and the economic data clearly shows that, their commitment. highways, who teach our children yes, corporate profits are up but not I have been joined on the floor al- every school day, who take care of our wages. In fact, when comparing Michi- ready by Senator SCHUMER from New families when they get sick, and who gan to States that haven’t attacked York, Senator MURRAY from Wash- keep us safe in our communities. I have union membership, studies suggest ington State, Senator DUCKWORTH from seen firsthand the importance of that we have fallen behind pro-union Illinois, Senator WARREN of Massachu- unions, both in my home State, where States when it comes to worker pay. setts, Senator CASEY from Pennsyl- I grew up, and across the country. I am deeply concerned by the ongoing vania, and Senator PETERS from Michi- This is deeply personal for me. My fa- efforts to implement national anti- gan, and speaking after I speak will be ther Herb was a public school teacher union laws, including the Janus v. Senator WHITEHOUSE of Rhode Island and an active member of the Michigan AFSCME case that the U.S. Supreme and Senator MERKLEY of Oregon and Education Association. My father-in- Court will rule on in the very near fu- Senator DURBIN of Illinois. I thank law Raul was a proud member—and ture. A negative ruling in this case them for standing up for American continues to be a proud member—of would be a huge loss for American workers. the United Auto Workers. workers and would undermine the right People in Ohio and around the coun- My mother Madeleine found eco- to collectively bargain. try, as I said, work harder, and they nomic opportunity as a nurse’s aide. As We should be doing everything we work longer than ever, but they have part of providing the best care possible can to support American workers and less and less to show for it. Over the to patients, she fought for a better their right to fight for better working last 40 years, GDP has gone up, cor- workplace for her colleagues, and then conditions, fair pay, and the ability to porate profits have gone up, executives’ she went on to help organize her work- care for their families. Instead of at- salaries have gone up all because of the place. She later served as a union stew- tacking our Nation’s labor unions, we productivity of American workers. ard with the SEIU. should be celebrating them. Again, GDP goes up, corporate profits My parents raised me in a middle- For generations, unions have helped go up, executive salaries explode up- class, union household. They instilled America build the world’s most robust ward. Workers are more productive, in me the need, both, to stand up for middle class and a powerful economy, but workers have not shared in the eco- rights and to never take those rights second to no other nation. Unions have nomic growth they have created. Hard for granted. not only helped workers to take home work just doesn’t pay off like it did a Standing together for fair wages, more pay and have a safe place to generation ago. safer workplaces, and better hours, work, but they have also built commu- It is no coincidence that over that Michigan’s strong labor movement nities. Unions teach their members val- same timeframe, we have seen attack built the American manufacturing sec- uable skills and help them earn a se- after attack after attack on the labor tor and a middle class that made the cure retirement and have quality movement. Corporate special interests United States a global economic pow- healthcare. have spent decades stripping workers erhouse. Big corporations are not trying to of their freedom to organize for fair My parents and their fellow union undermine unions because they are wages and for benefits. The case the members embraced the union values looking out for newly hired employees. Supreme Court just agreed to take up, that built Michigan: the ability to earn They are fighting against unions be- Janus v. AFSCME, is yet another at- a good life where you grow up, hard cause of what unions stand for—the tempt to chip away at workers’ power work, fairness, and looking out for right to collectively bargain for better in the workplace. your neighbor—whether it is your pay, increased workplace safety, hard- These are public service workers. neighbor on the assembly line or in earned retirement benefits, and quality These are public schoolteachers, librar- your neighborhood. These are not just healthcare. ians, police officers, school nurses, fire- union values. These are American val- I ask my colleagues to take a mo- fighters, and postal workers. They are ues, and I learned to cherish them at a ment to consider our history and the not looking to get rich in these jobs. very young age. Now, I am sorry to hard-working men and women who They are just looking to be paid what say, these values are under attack, and built this great Nation of ours. Union they earn, the same as any other work- I can’t help but to take it personally. members are our neighbors, our fire- er in this country. This year we have seen new and un- fighters, our police officers, our teach- Make no mistake, an attack on pub- precedented attempts to undermine our ers, our nurses, our brothers and sis- lic sector unions is an attack on all Nation’s workers and their ability to ters, our moms, and our dads. They unions. An attack on unions is an at- collectively bargain. Earlier this year, build our cars, our homes, and our in- tack on all workers, whether they be- my Republican colleagues passed legis- frastructure. long to a union or not, and I mean all lation to repeal Federal rules that sim- I urge all of my colleagues to honor workers, whether you punch a time- ply required businesses to disclose pre- these men and women by opposing any clock or whether you fill out a time- vious workplace safety and fair pay and all efforts to expand harmful poli- sheet or swipe a badge, whether you violations before they could contract cies designed to undermine American make a salary or earn tips, whether with the Federal Government. The rea- workers. you are on payroll, a contract worker,

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:08 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00021 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G01NO6.032 S01NOPT1 S6958 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 1, 2017 a temp, working behind a desk, cutting My legislation, the Patriot Corpora- leagues think: Well, you know, people hair, working on a factory floor, or tion Act, says if corporations do the have paid vacations and people have working behind a restaurant counter. I right thing—if they pay their workers paid sick leave. Well, much of the mean all workers. well, if they pay benefits, if they do the country doesn’t, No. 1; and No. 2, those The fact is, all workers across this kinds of things American corporations who do often have that because they country—as profits go up, as GDP goes should do—then they get a lower tax had a strong union—a union that nego- up, as executive compensation goes up, rate because they have earned it. tiated sick leave pay for them, a union as workers get more productive, all We seem to have forgotten that all that negotiated vacation days for workers across this country are feeling work has dignity. We have forgotten, them, a union that negotiated family squeezed. Work doesn’t pay off the way as the Pope said, that ‘‘the person leave for them, and then, when those it used to. thrives in work. Labour is the most workers at a company get it, the other We have seen what happens when common form of cooperation that hu- nonunionized workers and companies workers have no power in the work- manity has generated in its history.’’ get it, and then those companies com- place. Increasingly, corporations view Think about that. ‘‘Labour is the most pete with other companies. American workers as a cost to be mini- common form of cooperation that hu- So the fact is—there is a bumper mized instead of a valuable asset in manity has generated in its history.’’ sticker that says: ‘‘If you enjoy your which to invest. What Washington and Wall Street weekend, thank a labor union.’’ Look at the news we got last month. don’t seem to understand is that work- Labor unions brought to this country This piece of news, when I mention this ers drive our economy, not corpora- things like weekends and more leisure to some of my colleagues, when I men- tions. You focus on the middle class, time and decent pay and all that. That tion it around the State of Ohio, peo- you grow the economy from the middle is why unions matter. That is why this ples’ mouths drop. The Bank of Amer- out, not cut taxes on the richest people decision in the Supreme Court matters. ica, Merrill Lynch downgraded the fast and expect the money to trickle down If the Supreme Court rules against food restaurant Chipotle because the into more money in workers’ pockets AFSCME, it will starve the union for company pays its workers too much. and more people are hired. You grow resources they use to organize and Remember what happened with the economy by treating workers well, grow and advocate for more workers. American Airlines a few months ago. by investing in workers. That is why At the risk of being disrespectful, it American Airlines announced it was we need unions to ensure that we would be nice if those nine members of doing a companywide pay increase, and spread economic growth to the people the Supreme Court would follow the the stock market punished them by creating it, to the people working too admonishment of Pope Francis, the knocking their stock down. Imagine many hours for too little pay. words of Pope Francis, who admon- that. So when a company wants to do I think about workers like Stephanie ished his parish priests to go out and the right thing, Wall Street says: No, in Columbus. She has worked for 25 smell like the flock. Find out where you are not going to do the right thing. years as a childcare attendant for stu- people live and work. Find out what Wall Street is saying: We want all the dents with special needs. She wrote, people do. money. Don’t give any of this money to saying: ‘‘Every day I wake up before Find out the living conditions of peo- workers—workers making $10 or $12 or the sun rises to prepare for three daily ple. $15 an hour. Think about that. Wall shifts aiding students with special Abraham Lincoln in the White House Street and Merrill Lynch didn’t say needs on their way to and from one day was talking to his staff. His they paid their workers too little, they school.’’ staff said: You have to stay here in the paid their workers too much. That is That is the person whom—because White House. You have to win the war. why the labor movement matters. she belongs to a union, that is the per- You have to free the slaves. You have Pope Francis spoke about how unions son whom corporate America, that the to preserve the Union. perform ‘‘an essential role for the com- rightwing of the Republican Party Lincoln said: No, I have to go out and mon good.’’ He said that the labor wants to attack? That is the kind of get my public opinion baths. movement ‘‘gives voice to those who person—Stephanie in Columbus—they It could be important if the Chief have none . . . unmasks the powerful want to attack? who trample on the rights of the most She worries that cases like this that Justice of the Supreme Court—who has vulnerable workers, defends the cause undermine her union ‘‘could severely an Ivy league education, went to the of the foreigner, the least, the dis- limit our voice on the job and hurt our best colleges and the best law schools, carded.’’ ability to best serve the children we grew up in a wealthy family, has done I just had the pleasure, for the last care so much about.’’ She said: very well as a professional, and is a few minutes in my office, to speak with ‘‘Unions provide a pathway to the mid- very smart man—if he would go out Bishop Murry of Youngstown, OH, and dle class for all people.’’ and smell like the flock, if he would go we were talking about the Pope and Think about a janitor I met in Cin- out and get his public opinion bath, about steelworkers in Youngstown and cinnati. I was speaking at a dinner. maybe he would hear some stories, as I about the struggles of workers and There was a table down front with have heard in my time in the Senate. wages and layoffs and all the things seven middle-age women—a pretty di- He would hear stories from people that have happened to—where the verse group. There was one empty seat who talk about how important it is winds of globalization have buffeted at the table. It was told to me by some that Stephanie has union protection. the workers in that community. Bishop others that this group of women were He probably has never really thought Murry, as does Pope Francis, under- janitors, custodians in downtown Cin- much about the fact that janitors, who stands what too many in this town cinnati, southwest Ohio, and these have worked 30 years as janitors—35 don’t; that workers feel invisible, en- women had signed their first union years for some of those women—but tire communities feel invisible. They contract with downtown Cincinnati never had a paid day off, never had a feel like they are getting used and business owners. So there were 1,200 paid vacation. He might learn some- abused and some other words I can’t janitors working in these downtown thing from them and think a little dif- say on the Senate floor. businesses—in these big buildings ferently about this. What, exactly, is the point of cre- downtown—and they had signed their If the Supreme Court rules against ating economic growth if workers don’t first union contract. AFSCME, it is the opposite of what we share in it, if ordinary families still I asked if I could sit at their table, need. We should be making it easier, can’t get ahead? and they said yes. I said to the woman not harder, for workers to come to- Everybody here loves to talk about next to me: What is it like to have a gether and negotiate. That is why, this tax reform and bring the corporate rate union? week, I am introducing legislation to down, but nobody is talking about pay- She said: I am 51 years old, and this strengthen the National Labor Rela- ing workers more or giving workers is the first time I will have a 1-week tions Act, to make it harder for em- more job security or what we should be paid vacation in my life. ployers to deny workers the freedom to doing—in working with companies and Think about that. We don’t think—I collectively bargain by playing games creating good jobs. am guessing that most of my col- with their job titles and classifications.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:08 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00022 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G01NO6.034 S01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6959 Instead of stacking the deck even fur- ground States. This was not an easy But in the meantime, you have had ther in favor of corporate CEOs, we plan because, in some cases, they had election after election in which the ef- need to make it easier for workers to to spend millions of dollars to win one fect at the polls was had. organize. That is how we make hard or two State legislative seats, so they They couldn’t have been more wrong work pay off. could then control the State legisla- about the notion that if you lifted the I suggest the absence of a quorum. ture, so they could then change the dis- preclearance requirement, everybody The PRESIDING OFFICER. The tricts consistent with the bulk gerry- was going to be fine. Those were just clerk will call the roll. mandering scheme. the bad old days; it was a whole new The senior assistant legislative clerk The result is what happened in America; racism didn’t exist; efforts by proceeded to call the roll. States like Senator BROWN’s, where, one party to keep the other parties Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I when he was reelected, he was on the away from the polls weren’t anything ask unanimous consent that the order ballot with President Obama, who was to worry about. Move along, move for the quorum call be rescinded. also reelected, and the majority of the along; nothing to see here, folks. They The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without votes cast in his State for Members of were just plain dead wrong. They had objection, it is so ordered. Congress were cast for Democrats, but absolutely no clue, and they have been Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, against that background, many more proven dead wrong since. But, again, the Janus decision coming up in the Republicans than Democrats actually both of those cases were 5 to 4, all Re- U.S. Supreme Court, which Senator went to Congress in that election. publicans together. BROWN has just spoken about, is one A similar thing happened in Pennsyl- Then, of course, the big whammy that merits the attention of people who vania. My recollection is that on the came when the big special interests are concerned about the country and same set of facts, Senator CASEY, a that so often are the core backers of the Court. Democrat, was reelected; President the Republican Party decided that they I wish to make two points in my re- Obama, a Democrat, was reelected; a felt really constrained by having to marks. The first has to do with the majority of Pennsylvania votes were live under campaign finance limits. very difficult to explain—or at least cast for Democratic Members of Con- They wanted to be able to spend unlim- very difficult to comfortably explain— gress; the delegation was 13 Repub- ited money in elections. Well, that is pattern of 5-to-4 decisions of the U.S. licans and 5 Democrats. Somebody is fine. It reminds me a little bit of the Supreme Court, in which the five con- messing around, and it was a 5-to-4 Re- story of the French philosopher who sist entirely of Republican appointees. publican Supreme Court that opened touted the majesty and equality of the The Supreme Court makes a lot of that can of worms and unleashed French law, which forbid both rich and poor alike from sleeping under bridges decisions, of course. But there is some- REDMAP on the political landscape. thing that is particularly interesting They have a chance to review that and begging for bread. Well, guess who actually sleeps under bridges and begs about the 5-to-4 decisions, where the now. Senator MCCAIN has written a bi- five Republican appointees line up and partisan brief asking them to wake up for bread. It is not rich and poor. And roll the other appointees. When we and smell the coffee about what has guess who can take advantage of a rule start looking at those decisions, there gone wrong here. We will see if they do that you can spend unlimited money in are some really significant patterns or not, but, clearly, that was a decision politics. Only those who meet two con- ditions: One, they have unlimited that emerge. The first pattern goes to that benefited the Republican Party’s money to spend, and, two, they have a issues in which the court is treading polls, and, clearly, it was 5 to 4. into the world of politics. Then you go to the Voting Rights good reason to spend it. In other words, Bear in mind that when Sandra Day Act cases. There were two of them. In really big special interests. The Court’s decision, presuming that O’Connor left the Court, it lost its only the first one, Bartlett v. Strickland, this spending was going to be either member who had ever run for office. the five Republican members teed up a independent or transparent, has been What Justice O’Connor left behind was new standard, which they mentioned, turned into a mockery by events since. the first Court in the history of the but they didn’t really act on it. Then, They obviously did not know what they United States that had exactly zero ex- when it came to the home run pitch, were talking about. Facts have borne perience with elections and politics. Shelby County v. Holder, they created out that they did not know what they There has never been as ignorant and this new theory about which very con- were talking about. They were com- green a Court in the history of the servative judges, like Posner, said that, pletely dead wrong. United States when it comes to poli- basically, it stands on thin air. It has Interestingly, since then, despite the tics; yet there has rarely been a Court no basis whatsoever in any real legal presumption of their decision having so flagrantly eager to jump into poli- theory. They knocked out the part of been cut completely out from under- tics and make very consequential deci- the Voting Rights Act that requires neath it, the Court has shown no inter- sions. States with a wretched history of est in a correction. They have shown When we look at the 5-to-4 deci- abuse of minorities and Democratic no interest in correcting their error. sions—which I think are probably the voters at the polls to get preclearance They seem completely happy, the 5 to bulk of those—each one aligns with the from the Department of Justice or 4—the five Republican appointees— political interests of the Republican from a court before they can change completely happy to have the land- Party—each one. It is not one or two or their State laws to scare people or keep scape of American politics polluted even three. It goes on and on and on. people away from the polls. with this money. The oldest one in the series is prob- With that knocked out, guess what. There again, it wasn’t just one deci- ably Vieth v. Jubelirer, which was the All these legislatures across the South sion. It was a bunch of them. Citizens decision in which the five Republicans went straight to work. They passed law United was the big one; Tradition Part- said: This whole gerrymandering thing after law after law to deny people ac- nership, Inc. v. Bullock another; is just too difficult for us. We are going cess to the polls, and over and over McCutcheon v. FEC yet another; Davis to declare open season. There is going again, the courts that reviewed those v. FEC yet another; Arizona Free En- to be no judicial remedy. We can’t fig- and the appellate courts that reviewed terprise Club’s FreedomClub PAC v. ure out one, so we don’t have one. the district court decisions found that Bennett yet another—all 5 to 4, all the It is not just me who is saying that. the laws had been intentionally dis- Republicans lining up, all throwing out The ABA section on election law said criminatory, that the legislature had precedent or laws that had stood for 100 in its volume: Look, basically, it is intended to keep people away from the years. game over for court review of gerry- polls, that they had intended to dis- So Janus fits right into this pattern mandering. What immediately hap- criminate against Democrat and mi- of 5-to-4 decisions. Indeed, it is actu- pened after that was the Republican nority voters, and that they had chosen ally a little bit worse because some- Party went to work with that green- to do that deliberately. thing weird happened early on when light signal and did the REDMAP Of course, you can go back after all one of those 5 to 4—the Republican five project, which created massive, bulk that litigation and clean it up and try Justices on the Supreme Court—sig- gerrymandering through the battle- to get the laws stricken and all of that. naled to the corporate supporters of

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:08 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00023 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G01NO6.037 S01NOPT1 S6960 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 1, 2017 this ideology that he was interested in into court with the belief that the called Janus v. AFSCME. It is the very taking a whack at unions in a par- judges you are going to argue before epitome of the principle of a nation so ticular way. are prejudged against you. The con- corrupted that it honors the opposite There is a pet peeve of the union- fidence that Carvin must have had to of what our Constitution stands for. busting rightwing and the corporate want to lose a case deliberately below The sole purpose of this case, Janus sector, which was a decision from 1977 so that he could hightail it at high v. AFSCME, is to undercut the ability called Abood v. Detroit Board of Edu- speed up to a court that he knew was of workers to organize. This is an as- cation. That decision allows unions to going to rule his way because they told sault on the freedom of working Ameri- collect some dues from nonmembers on him they would—that is not American cans to associate with their coworkers. the grounds that their work for their justice in the way it should be deliv- It is an assault on the freedom of work- members has benefit to other members. ered. ing Americans to negotiate a fair wage. So you break out their wages work, As it turned out, they took up the It is an assault on the freedom of which helps everybody, from their po- case. It was called Friedrichs. It was Americans to fight for fairer benefits litical work, which you can going to be 5 to 4, just as expected, and and a safe workplace. Bottom line: It is disaggregate from, and it allows you to then Justice Scalia unexpectedly an assault on the freedom of workers collect certain dues—not complete passed away. If you read about how the to participate in the wealth they work dues, but certain dues—from nonunion press took that, it was very clear that so hard to create. members. What Abood did was to help the fix had been in on this case. unions keep revenues from the service In short, this is the right to exploit ‘‘Corporate America had high hopes,’’ the that our Supreme Court—majority of that they give to nonmembers who Journal said, because ‘‘the Supreme Court benefit from their work. Without that five—is so determined to elevate. I appeared poised to deliver long-sought con- have read the Constitution, and I have rule, employees would be encouraged to servative victories.’’ be free riders and just get the benefit of never seen embedded in it a right to ex- Since when should a court be poised ploit, a right to cheat, a right to take what the union is doing without mak- to deliver long-sought conservative ing any contribution to support it advantage of. Yet here is the majority victories, not fair, dispassionate adju- of the Court prepared to fight for ex- whatsoever. Of course, if that were to dication? But that is the reporting of happen, the balance of power between ploitation on behalf of the 1 percent of the friendly Wall Street Journal. And Americans at the very top. corporations and unions would shift those long-sought conservative vic- The key strategy in this case is to at- further toward corporations. tories were going to take the form of tack the finances of workers when they The story is told quite well in the ‘‘ ‘body blow[s] that business had organize. Former President Jimmy New York Times by a reporter named sought against consumer and worker Carter once said: ‘‘Every advance in Adam Liptak, who is a Supreme Court plaintiffs.’ The cases ‘had been care- this half-century—Social Security, reporter. I will read his story. fully developed by activists to cap- civil rights, Medicare, aid to education, In making a minor adjustment to how pub- italize on the court’s rightward tilt.’ ’’ lic unions must issue notifications about one after another—came with the sup- Come on. This is not adjudication their political spending, Justice Alito di- port and leadership of American any longer; it is just the exercise of po- gressed to raise questions about the con- labor.’’ It has been workers banding to- litical power. And these 5-to-4 partisan stitutionality of requiring workers who are gether to say: We can create a better not members of public unions to pay fees for decisions by the Supreme Court are de- foundation for families to thrive. And the unions’ work on their behalf. . . . Justice grading the reputation of the Supreme that hasn’t just created a better foun- Sonia Sotomayor saw what was going on. Court, they are degrading the integrity dation for those who belong to unions; ‘‘To cast serious doubt on longstanding prec- of the Supreme Court, and they are de- edence,’’ she wrote in a concurrence, ‘‘is a it has created a better foundation for grading the role of the judiciary in our step we historically take only with the all workers. We saw them successfully vaunted scheme of constitutional gov- greatest caution and reticence. To do so, as band together and fight for a 40-hour ernment in the United States of Amer- the majority does, on our own invitation and workweek, fight for minimum wage, without adversarial presentation is both un- ica. fair and unwise.’’ With that, I yield to my distin- fight for sick leave, and fight for Michael A. Carvin, a leading conservative guished colleague from Oregon. healthy and safe working conditions— lawyer, also saw what was going on. He and The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- again, benefits that every worker en- the Center for Individual Rights, a liber- ator from Oregon. joys because workers were able to orga- tarian group, promptly filed the challenge nize and fight to receive and win these Justice Alito had sketched out. Mr. MERKLEY. Mr. President, our Nation was founded on a powerful prin- provisions. I would say that he had invited. ciple encapsulated by the first three What is really going in the Janus Indeed, Mr. Carvin asked the lower courts words of our Constitution: ‘‘We the case? Any organization, in order to to rule against his clients, a Christian edu- function, has rights and responsibil- cation group and 10 California teachers, so People.’’ We are meant to be a nation, they could high-tail it to the Supreme Court. in the words of Abraham Lincoln, ‘‘of ities. Rights are the rewards you get for participating, and responsibilities Let me interrupt my reading of the the people, by the people, and for the are the requirement that you be part of story for a second and make the point people,’’ not a nation by and for the the team and you contribute to the ef- that this lawyer wanted to lose his most powerful, not a nation by and for fort. case in the lower courts. It is rare for the most privileged. Yet time and time lawyers to go into a court wanting to again, we are seeing a complete and When I was small, probably just 2 or lose. You have to have kind of a weird total corruption of the vision of our 3 years old, my mother had a book she motive to take a case into court that Constitution. would read to me that involved the ani- you want to lose. The obvious motive We saw this earlier this year with mals in the barnyard. Animal after ani- here is that Mr. Carvin had heard the one TrumpCare bill after another de- mal was asked to participate in mak- signal from Justice Alito that he was signed to rip healthcare away from 20 ing the bread, and animal after animal willing to rule his way if he would just to 30 million Americans to deliver tax turned it down, but when the bread was bring the right case. So it didn’t mat- giveaways to the richest in America. baked, they wanted a full share even ter whether he won or lost. Losing is We have seen it just recently in the though they had refused to participate actually quicker. It gets you right up consideration of a budget that reversed in the effort to create it. This is what to the Supreme Court. He is not inter- that and said that in order to give $4.5 Janus is all about. It is about the right ested in litigating the matter truly on trillion of tax giveaways almost en- to the rewards, divided from any re- the merits; he is only interested in get- tirely to the richest Americans, we will sponsibility to get the work done. ting as quickly as possible to the Su- take $1 trillion out of Medicaid and When workers organize, they say: We preme Court. Why? Because he knew half a trillion out of Medicare. We have are going to have to be able to have the that 5 to 4, he would get the right deci- seen this powerful conversion of stand- finances to drive this organization, and sion. ing our Constitution on its head, and to do that, we need to have every work- When you are a lawyer, the most now we have the Supreme Court fully er contribute a fair share. Those fair sickening feeling you can have is to go participating in this effort in a case share fees mean that all the workers

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:30 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00024 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G01NO6.038 S01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6961 are in it together, they are all contrib- what? Let’s undercut the American for workers, and she called a spade a uting, and they all benefit from the re- worker by making our goods overseas spade. The right to exploit is not a wards. in China and importing them. That right that any Member of this body Forever, the courts have said: Yes, way, we will demolish the jobs here in should pursue, and it certainly should with the reward goes the responsi- America, and we, the company, will not be pursued by the Supreme Court. bility. That is true of any organization. have made things at the lowest price in We know that there is a chapter 2 to It is fundamental in how organizations the world, have sold them at the world this strategy. The first is to get the work. If you don’t show up here on the market price, and have made a lot Supreme Court so that you can divide floor, you don’t get to vote. Every or- more money. This strategy worked for the rights from the responsibilities; ganization has its responsibilities that the multinational companies. They therefore, you as a worker do not have go with its rewards. But the 1 percent made vast sums of money for their to contribute to the cost, but you will have chosen a strategy that says: We stockholders and for their executives. benefit from the rewards. Pretty soon, will take one organization in Amer- This application of different rules for very few people will be contributing; ica—and that is workers organiza- foreign workers and domestic workers therefore, it will undermine the finan- tions—and we will drive an absolute really gave a huge advantage to our cial ability of the union to negotiate. wedge between the responsibility and competitor overseas and to a company Then they have a second strategy. the reward. that spanned both shores and could This fundraising letter was sent out These fees that we are talking about, move its production overseas. So we last year by the State Policy Network. these fair share fees, are not fees that saw the loss of 50,000 factories; we saw By the way, the State Policy Network go to political purposes. They don’t go the loss of 5 million factory jobs; we is an alliance of 66 State-based think to donations to candidates. They don’t saw the loss of an enormous number of tanks that are designed and funded by go to organizing campaigns walking supply chain jobs; and we saw, without the Koch brothers and their friends to door-to-door for candidates. They don’t those payrolls being spent in the com- undercut the ability of workers to get go to advertising on the television or munity, an enormous loss of retail jobs a fair share of the wealth that they the web. They are simply the cost of in the community, but it made the create. They said: Here is our plan to having a team that works to negotiate defund and defang our opponent, the an agreement with a company. wealthy wealthier, and that was the I find it absolutely evil that a major- goal of the strategy. unions—to deal a blow to the left’s ity of the Supreme Court is excited So here we are, facing this case that ability to control government. about embracing this right to exploit will come before the Court later this Ah, they are fancy words, but what other workers by saying in this one year, but the members of the Court they really meant was our goal is to case in America, you get the rewards have, essentially, already declared take and undo the ability of workers to without the responsibilities. If the their positions. Four members of the organize so as to get a fair share of the Court was applying that to a stock- Court were on the previous version of wealth they create. It is one evil act holder in a company, the equivalent this when the Court tied 4 to 4, and after another that is funded by the would be to say that the stockholder Neil Gorsuch, who was added to the Koch cartel. doesn’t have to contribute to the costs Court, has been very clear on which In our Nation, we have stood up to of the management of the corporation, side of this he stands. this type of abuse time and again. The so they can demand back their share of Should we put an asterisk by Neil American historian who created the what the management spends on their Gorsuch’s name? Should a 5-to-4 deci- phrase the ‘‘American dream’’ said, in salaries, on their office spaces, on their sion, with Gorsuch being in the major- each generation, there is a group of private jets, and on their trips to do ity, even carry weight here in our soci- Americans who rises up to take on the whatever they do, of the time they ety? This is the seat that for the first forces that appear to be overwhelming spend negotiating acquisitions to build time in U.S. history was stolen from us. We need to call on the people of the the size of the company or striking one President and delivered to another. United States who believe in the vision deals to sell their products. That would The majority of this body right here of our Constitution, to be that group to be the equivalent, that a stockholder stole the seat, undermining the integ- rise up and take on this effort to turn gets the rewards of all of that negotia- rity, dishonoring the oath, the respon- our Constitution on its head—to strip tion without having to participate in sibility for advice and consent, and ‘‘we the people’’ out of our Constitu- the cost. But this is not a situation in damaging the legitimacy of the Su- tion and replace it with ‘‘we the power- which five Justices want to apply con- preme Court. It was done because it ful’’—and to stand up against this type sistent principle because their goal was a strategy to enable the 1 percent of right to exploit, whether it is a bill isn’t to honor the Constitution, and to rip off ordinary working Americans. here on the floor of the U.S. Senate or their goal is not fairness; their single The prize for that was a position on it is a begotten majority of the Su- goal is to demolish the ability of work- Citizens United that now allows the preme Court. ers to organize, to get a fair share of wealthiest Americans to continue to The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- the wealth they work to create. fund campaigns across this country to ator from Oklahoma. We can see that already our Nation is drown out the voices of ordinary people Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, I am not in trouble on this principle. For the and a position on this case, the Janus the first guy to stand up here and make three decades after World War II, we case, that says that we will take one this observation, but I have serious had workers who had the strong ability organization in America, that of the concerns with how the nominee con- to organize and demand a fair share, workers, and divide the rewards from firmation process has been going in and we saw a revolution in the pros- the rights. this Congress. perity of workers in those three dec- We know who is behind this strategy. There is a blatant lack of respect for ades from 1945 through 1975. Individuals It is the Koch brothers through their the Senate nomination process and an who had lived in shacks, individuals organizations, the National Right to unprecedented level of obstructionism. who had been wiped out by the Great Work Foundation and the Liberty Jus- I have been here for a number of years, Depression suddenly were able to buy, tice Center. They were behind the so I know what to compare it with. I on a single worker’s income—it didn’t strategy for the theft of the Supreme have never seen so many people being even take two incomes—a three-bed- Court seat. They were behind the mas- delayed in their confirmations, know- room ranch house with a basement and sive increase in third-party spending ing that they are, ultimately, going to a single-car garage and were still able that polluted the campaigns across this be confirmed and that they are well- to save money for an annual camping country. They are behind this strategy qualified civil servants. trip and perhaps to save some to help to destroy the vision that is embedded The Democrats are forcing cloture their children launch themselves into in our Constitution. votes on nominees who have well over life. That is what we had when workers Eleanor Roosevelt once said: I am op- 60 votes in support. Last week, we held got a fair share. posed to this legislation because it a cloture vote on Scott Palk. Scott Yet, in the midseventies, the multi- gives employers the right to exploit. Palk is from Oklahoma. He is a guy national companies said: Do you know Eleanor Roosevelt was a real champion who everybody likes. He doesn’t have

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:54 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00025 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G01NO6.049 S01NOPT1 S6962 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 1, 2017 any enemies out there. In fact, he was There is a lot of work still to do. The profit has developed risk assessments actually nominated by President Agency needs its Assistant Administra- that did not support the industry spon- Obama. He was not even nominated by tors, who will work to implement sor and were the same or lower than this President. He ended up getting 79 many of the initiatives I have worked the safe levels set by government. Fur- votes. Still, the stall was there, and we toward for years. The Environment and thermore, he has provided expert testi- had to wait and wait and wait. Mean- Public Works Committee has now mony against industry on several occa- while, things are not getting done that voted out five Assistant Administra- sions. Unfortunately, the coordinated should be getting done. Furthermore, tors and General Counsel nominees, attack on Dr. Dourson will persist and the agency positions that we have and I hope we can move swiftly to get a good man’s reputation will continue hardly ever held rollcall votes on are these well qualified nominees over to to be put at risk. being forced to occupy floor time. the EPA to bring their expertise to an I ask that the leader find floor time There is no reason for these votes ex- Agency that desperately needs them. for Dr. Dourson as soon as possible so cept to delay the work of the courts Unfortunately, Democrats have tar- he can get back to work at an agency and our agencies. geted two of these nominees and have that he served commendably for many I am very supportive of the leader’s disparaged them, their work, and their years and ensure that those who seek commitment to our courts and how he backgrounds. to tear him down do not win. has prioritized judicial nominees. NOMINATION OF DR. MICHAEL DOURSON NOMINATION OF BILL WEHRUM These nominations are extremely im- Dr. Michael Dourson will be an excel- I also ask that the leader prioritize portant and will ensure that the rule of lent Assistant Administrator for the another nominee that has also faced law is upheld for, possibly, decades to Office of Chemical Safety and Pollu- unfair and false attacks. I have known come, benefiting all Americans. tion Prevention and will bring much Bill Wehrum for years, and I have no ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY needed expertise and experience to the doubt that he is the best choice to head However, there is an Agency that is office in charge of the TSCA reauthor- the Office of Air and Radiation. I re- doing work that is also important to ization law. The TSCA bill was a huge gret that his first nomination to the all Americans and needs appointments, success last year. It was done on a bi- EPA back during the George W. Bush and that Agency is the Environmental partisan basis. It is the first major re- administration was blocked by Senate Protection Agency. If there has been form bill in 40 years, and we were able Democrats. It is my hope that we can one Agency over the last 8 years that to get that through. Yet we need to correct that wrong and confirm him as has run around and expanded its au- have a person as the Assistant Admin- one of the Assistant Administrators. thority beyond congressional intent, it istrator to make sure it is done right. He has served the public and is widely is the EPA. Putting confirmed ap- Dr. Dourson has endured a coordi- recognized for his knowledge of the pointees in place at the EPA will allow nated campaign against him that mis- Clean Air Act. represents who he is and his record. The Clean Air Act has been very suc- the President and Scott Pruitt to be There are groups working to paint Dr. cessful. In fact, I was one of the origi- successful in their efforts to rightsize Dourson as an ‘‘industry scientist.’’ nal cosponsors of the Clean Air Act that Agency. He has talked about that What you will not hear from these Amendments. It has performed very quite a bit. It is a bloated Agency that groups is that much of his career expe- well. He was very much involved in needs to be rightsized, and he needs rience comes from the EPA itself, that also. So there is no one more help to do that. where he worked for 15 years. During Last week, I highlighted the great qualified to head that Office of Air and his years at the EPA, Dr. Dourson things that Scott Pruitt is doing as Ad- Radiation than Mr. Wehrum, and I am helped establish the Integrated Risk sure of that. He has been consistently ministrator. I was able to visit with Information System, which helps iden- recognized as a leader and top lawyer him yesterday at the EPA and witness tify and document the potential dan- in environmental law by such groups firsthand the implementation of new gers of chemicals found in the environ- and publications as Chambers USA, the policies that will bring about positive ment. He also has the honor of having Legal 500 United States, and Washing- changes in an Agency that has run received four bronze medals from the tonian magazine. roughshod over the American people. EPA for this commendable work. Dr. He, too, has worked at the EPA in With the repeal of WOTUS and the Dourson also served on EPA’s Sci- the past and will once again serve the Clean Power Plan, with the implemen- entific Advisory Board for 6 years and Agency and the American people with tation of TSCA, in reforming the Agen- has held leadership roles with a num- integrity. Mr. Wehrum is also under at- cy by ending sue-and-settle processes, ber of relevant toxicology organiza- tack for working on behalf of industry. and by creating greater transparency tions, receiving several awards from The environmental industry—and it is on the EPA’s Science Advisory Com- his peers. an industry, as they, too, are working mittee, he is really doing a great job. Since his time at EPA, Dr. Dourson to secure money for themselves by pur- By the way, yesterday, we had this has devoted his career to protecting suing an agenda of their sponsors—is event over there which had to do with public health by founding his own non- lobbying against Mr. Wehrum because the scientists. There are three Sci- profit that works to develop, review, he wants to make regulations workable entific Advisory Boards in the EPA. and share risk assessments on various within the scope of the statute for the These are supposed to be made up of chemicals. His nonprofit work is most- regulated community. scientists who advise the policymakers ly on behalf of government, with a mi- This is very curious to me because we as to what they are supposed to be nority of the work done at the request want environmental regulations to im- doing. During the last administration, of various industries—many of these prove our air quality without putting we discovered in just one of these that industries are very pro-environmental entire industries out of business—a bal- six out of seven of the appointees were industries—as well as providing pro ance that is a part of the Clean Air actually recipients of grants from the bono assistance to those in need of Act. Those words are used in the Clean EPA. In fact, I was over there, and I help. In other words, he used his exper- Air Act: The rules need to be workable gave a little talk about those six. They tise to help people who needed help and and implementable without undue actually received $119 million, and they were not able to get it in any other harm to our economy. are supposed to be unbiased in making way. It is time that we returned some policy. Obviously, this is one of the Naturally, the industry work is the common sense and rule of law to the many things that he is going to make part that environmental activists have Environmental Protection Agency. We sure will no longer exist. focused on to prove their claims that have taken the first and only step with He is making it impossible for any- his research is a rubberstamp for dan- the confirmation of Scott Pruitt, and one who serves on a scientific advisory gerous chemicals. They hold the per- Bill Wehrum is the next step toward board to receive any grants from the spective—which is a myth—that work- that goal. Right now there has only EPA. How reasonable is that? Yet that ing at the request of industry must been one confirmation, and that is for is still a practice they use and one of mean that you are evil. Scott Pruitt. the many things he is cleaning up As always, the reality is much dif- With the repeal of the Clean Power there. ferent. On many occasions the non- Plan sitting before the EPA, I ask that

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:54 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00026 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G01NO6.051 S01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6963 the leader prioritize Mr. Wehrum’s con- REGULATORY REFORM Wouldn’t it be nice to have the peo- firmation vote so that we can give the Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, last ple who are affected by those regula- Office of Air and Radiation the leader- month the Environmental Protection tions involved in the process in an open ship it needs to make the important Agency—EPA—Administrator, Scott way—the way the Administrative Pro- policy objectives of the President and a Pruitt, issued a directive to all Agency cedure Act is designed? majority of our colleagues and States a employees that prohibits the so-called Oddly enough, the same day the law- reality. sue-and-settle process. This is good suit was filed, the plaintiff interest Again, we have five EPA nominees news for good government. group submitted a consent decree al- that have been voted out of committee, Most of us here are familiar with the ready signed by the EPA, which com- and we are now into November and term ‘‘sue and settle.’’ mitted the agency to take prompt reg- only have one EPA appointee con- These are tactics whereby the EPA ulatory action. Such a scenario should firmed. We need to do better than that, has, in the past, resolved certain law- raise serious questions about how truly and I think this is going to happen. suits against it through agreements ne- adversarial these lawsuits and negotia- Let me just repeat some of the things gotiated behind closed doors with po- tions are. that are going on in the Environmental litically favored interest groups. As we To add insult to injury, regulations Protection Agency. Scott Pruitt in his saw under the Obama administration, that have resulted from sue-and-settle meeting yesterday called this to the some of these agreements committed tactics impose tremendous costs on the attention of the American people. We the EPA to take far-reaching regu- American economy. According to the knew it all the time, but people on the latory action, all without an adequate American Action Forum, from 2005 to outside didn’t know it and they were opportunity for those people most im- 2016, 23 sue-and-settle regulations re- shocked. They found out that in the pacted to have a seat at the table, as sulted in a cost burden of $67.9 billion, Scientific Advisory Board of the would normally be done through the with $26.5 billion in actual costs. Six- Obama administration, six of the seven regulatory process. teen of the rules imposed paperwork on the board were direct recipients of Today, I come to the floor to applaud burdens on American job creators of grants from the EPA and they were Administrator Pruitt’s leadership in more than 8 million hours. Think making policy decisions for the EPA. working to end these tactics, which about that. Nearly $70 billion in regu- Now, how bad is that? In fact, we added make a mockery of laws that Congress latory costs were imposed on American it up. I would state to the Chair that it has put in place to ensure a trans- business owners, manufacturers, farm- came to $119 million going to six people parent and accountable regulatory ers, and probably taxpayers, all with- who are on the board making decisions process. The commonsense reforms out due regard for transparency and that affected the grants to go out. That outlined in Administrator Pruitt’s di- the normal rulemaking process re- is the type of thing that he is cleaning rective will, no doubt, help restore quired by the Administrative Proce- up. He has the guts to do it, and he is transparency and accountability, and dure Act. doing it. these reforms should stand as a prime Decades ago, Congress enacted the I am anxious to get these two con- example for all Federal agencies to fol- Administrative Procedure Act for the firmed, and I am hopeful that will take low. sole purpose of ensuring transparency, place. Accordingly, I call upon President accountability, and, more importantly, With that, I yield the floor. Trump to use his full authority public participation in Federal rule- I suggest the absence of a quorum. through Executive order to ensure that making. The EPA has been described as The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. SUL- similar reforms are adopted across the the citizens’ ‘‘regulatory bill of LIVAN). The clerk will call the roll. entire bureaucracy. Regulatory deci- rights.’’ A pillar of the Administrative The legislative clerk proceeded to sions that affect key parts of our econ- Procedure Act is the notice-and-com- call the roll. omy should be made in an open, trans- ment process, which requires agencies Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I parent, and, consequently, accountable to notify the public of proposed regula- ask unanimous consent that the order manner. But as we have seen with sue tions and respond to comments sub- for the quorum call be rescinded. and settle, Washington bureaucrats mitted—in other words, transparency. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without and their interest group pals would objection, it is so ordered. prefer to do things their own way. Rulemaking driven by sue-and-settle Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I It works like this. First, an interest tactics frequently results in ask unanimous consent that notwith- group sues a Federal agency, claiming reprioritized agency agendas and standing rule XXII, that at 11:30 a.m. the agency has failed to take regu- rushed deadlines for regulatory action. on Thursday, November 2, there be 30 latory action required by law. Through This renders the EPA’s notice-and- minutes of postcloture time remaining the lawsuit, the interest group seeks to comment process a mere formality. It on the Eid nomination, equally divided compel the agency to take action by a deprives regulated entities, it deprives between the leaders or their designees; new, often rushed, deadline. These the States, and most importantly, it that following the use or yielding back plaintiff interest groups often share a deprives the American public of suffi- of that time, the Senate vote on the common regulatory agenda with the cient time to have any meaningful confirmation of the Eid nomination; agency they sue, such as when an envi- input on final rules. The resulting reg- that if confirmed, the motion to recon- ronmental group sues the EPA or the ulatory action is driven not by the pub- sider be considered made and laid upon Fish and Wildlife Service. lic interest but by the special interest the table and the President be imme- Instead of challenging the lawsuit, priorities. diately notified of the Senate’s action. the agency and the interest group Sue-and-settle tactics also help agen- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without enter into negotiations behind closed cies avoid accountability for their ac- objection, it is so ordered. doors to produce either a ‘‘settlement tions. Instead of having to answer to f agreement’’ or a ‘‘consent decree’’ com- the public for controversial regulatory mitting the agency to take regulatory decisions, agency officials will simply LEGISLATIVE SESSION action. There is no transparency, no point to a court order and say that accountability, which you would get their hands are tied, when really they through normal regulation writing. welcomed that process. MORNING BUSINESS Noticeably absent from these nego- The American people deserve better, Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I tiations are the very parties who will but don’t just take my word for it. The ask unanimous consent that the Sen- be most impacted, such as farmers, Environmental Council of the States, a ate proceed to legislative session for a manufacturers, and even the 50 States national nonprofit, nonpartisan asso- period of morning business, with Sen- themselves, which will be charged with ciation of State and territorial envi- ators permitted to speak therein for up enforcing some of these regulations. In ronmental agency leaders, adopted a to 10 minutes each. 2010, for example, an environmental in- resolution in 2013 entitled ‘‘The Need The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without terest group sued the Obama adminis- for Reform and State Participation in objection, it is so ordered. tration EPA to force the agency to re- EPA’s Consent Decrees which Settle The Senator from Iowa. vise certain wastewater regulations. Citizen Suits.’’ The rationale behind it

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:52 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00027 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G01NO6.052 S01NOPT1 S6964 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 1, 2017 provides that ‘‘state environmental But, today, I urge President Trump He later achieved the rating of master agencies are not always notified of cit- to move forward with the example set navigator, having completed more than izen suits that allege U.S. EPA’s fail- by Administrator Pruitt because Ad- 5,500 flight hours on various aircraft. ure to perform its nondiscretionary du- ministrator Pruitt is draining the Over the years, Brigadier General ties, are often not parties to these cit- swamp through this process. The Presi- Bullard flew missions in 75 countries, izen suits, and are usually not provided dent loves to sign Executive orders. He including a deployment to Afghanistan with an opportunity to participate in would probably do more good in drain- during Operation Enduring Freedom. the negotiation of agreements to settle ing the swamp by producing an Execu- One might think that, with such avia- citizen suits.’’ tive order like this than almost any tion skill, he would have more luck The Environmental Council of the other Executive order he could do. traveling as a passenger on commercial States further resolved that ‘‘greater There is simply no reason these re- air, but his colleagues report that transparency of citizen suit settlement forms should be limited to just the throughout his career, a number of agreements is needed for the public to EPA. Transparency and public partici- commercial flights he has traveled on understand the impact of these agree- pation are core elements of a more ac- have experienced weather or mainte- ments on the administration of envi- countable government. Simply stated, nance delays resulting in numerous ronmental programs.’’ they are part of the process of rep- nights in the airport for the trained Obviously, I agree. We need more resentative government, where people airman. transparency, more accountability, and make the laws and where administra- Brigadier General Bullard has earned more voices at the table. In other tors carry out the laws, not where and been awarded numerous military words, the public’s business ought to be something is done behind closed doors awards and decorations for his selfless public, not some new regulation agreed because some special interest wants service to the Commonwealth and his to behind closed doors. I am happy to something or because the agency is Nation. These honors include the say that this administration is work- begging to do something—which maybe Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious ing to accomplish that, thanks to Ad- someone doesn’t want them to do—to Service Medal with two bronze oakleaf ministrator Pruitt. In his own words: get it done and to do it behind closed clusters, the Air Medal with one bronze ‘‘The days of this regulation through doors, just to work it out the way they oakleaf cluster, and the Kentucky Dis- litigation . . . are terminated.’’ His directive puts a swift end to sue- want it and not necessarily the way it tinguished Service Medal. These and-settle tactics by this one agency, would be done if people were partici- awards are recognition of Brigadier the EPA. It does so by adopting com- pating. General Bullard’s distinguished actions monsense reforms to promote trans- I applaud Administrator Pruitt’s di- on behalf of our Nation and Kentucky. The men and women of Kentucky’s parency and public participation in the rective. I urge the President to prompt- National Guard serve a unique mission regulatory process. It requires the pub- ly see to it that similar reforms are im- lication online of notices of lawsuits plemented across the administration. in our Armed Forces. Their efforts to filed against the EPA. It requires the So for a third time today, President help fight our Nation’s wars, defend EPA to reach out and notify any States Trump, issue an Executive order to all our homeland, provide relief from nat- or regulated entities that will be af- departments to do what Administrator ural disasters, and maintain critical fected by the lawsuit. It requires the Pruitt has done at the EPA. State, Federal, and international part- EPA to seek the agreement of any af- f nerships in support of our Nation’s safety and security have demonstrated fected State or regulatory entities be- TRIBUTE TO BRIGADIER GENERAL the vital nature of the National fore the agency can enter into a con- STEVEN P. BULLARD sent decree or settlement agreement. Guard’s service. I am proud to rep- Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, Further, it prohibits the EPA from en- resent them in the U.S. Senate, and I today I wish to congratulate Brig. Gen. tering into any consent decree or set- am grateful for their sacrifice on be- Steven P. Bullard of the Kentucky Air tlement that converts a discretionary half of our Commonwealth and our Na- National Guard as he begins his retire- duty of the agency into a mandatory tion. ment after more than three decades of duty to issue, revise, or amend a regu- As we celebrate Brigadier General lation. Most importantly, it requires achievement, service, and sacrifice. Bullard’s retirement, we are also sad- the EPA to post online for public com- This Nation and the Commonwealth of dened to lose such a capable and dedi- ment any proposed consent decrees or Kentucky thank him for his diligence cated public servant. In addition to his settlement agreements before they are in defending our safety and security. responsibilities at headquarters, Briga- entered into by the court. Brigadier General Bullard has served dier General Bullard has also worked These and other reforms in Adminis- as the chief of staff, Headquarters, for as the chairman of the Louisville trator Pruitt’s directive mark a very the Kentucky Air National Guard and Armed Forces Committee, two terms strong step toward ensuring that the deputy chief of the Joint Staff, as the president of the National Guard States, American job creators, and the Joint Force Headquarters-Kentucky Association of Kentucky, and as the public at large have a seat at the table National Guard since 2012. In these volunteer executive director of the when regulatory decisions are made, roles, he has been responsible for the Kentucky Committee for Employer which is exactly why Congress passed guidance and direction of more than Support of the Guard and Reserve. On the Administrative Procedure Act. 8,500 Army and Air Guardsman in my behalf of the people of Kentucky, I Before I close, I will add one more home State. Brigadier General Bullard would like to thank him for his 32 thing. Earlier this year, I introduced has skillfully carried out his respon- years of achievement and service. He the Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees sibilities in these positions, as well as has earned a relaxing retirement, and Settlements Act. This bill would the duties of his civilian role as direc- spending time with his family and make permanent the very types of re- tor of the division of administrative friends. Finally, I would ask my col- forms outlined in Administrator Pru- services within the Kentucky Depart- leagues in the Senate to join me in itt’s directive. If it becomes law, it ment of Military Affairs. paying tribute to Brigadier General can’t be changed at some later date. In On numerous projects, he was the Bullard, a brave American, a selfless other words, it would ensure that fu- critical link between my office and the public servant, and a proud Ken- ture administrations can’t simply roll Kentucky Guard. I know that many on tuckian. back the great work Administrator my staff who have had the privilege of f Pruitt is doing through this directive. interacting with him have appreciated I am pleased to hear that the House Brigadier General Bullard’s depend- TRIBUTE TO DR. GLENN POSHARD of Representatives just passed the com- ability and talent, which I am told also Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, Dr. panion bill introduced by Congressman extends to the golf course. Glenn Poshard has served the United DOUG COLLINS. We will continue our Entering officer training school at States in many ways. He served in the work to build bipartisan support here Lackland Air Force Base in 1985, Briga- military and taught in high school. He in the Senate for this commonsense de- dier General Bullard took the first represented rural southern Illinois in cree. steps of his decorated military career. the Illinois State Senate from 1984 to

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:54 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00028 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G01NO6.046 S01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6965 1988 and in Congress from 1989 to 1998. our forefathers thought they had been denied to the Senate Judiciary Committee in I served with him for 8 years in the these rights long enough by the King of Eng- 2004 about the flag of the United House of Representatives. land, they fought a Revolutionary War to States. This is a man who carried the Glenn was a strong proponent of gain them. And they fought a Civil War to flag into space as an astronaut. He extend those rights to slaves. Over the next campaign finance reform so much so 100 years, they fought all over the world to served in the Marine Corps. When pre- that he limited individual donations secure these rights for other people. sented with a flag-burning amendment, and refused contributions from polit- President Kennedy spoke of this in his in- he said, ‘‘It would be a hollow victory ical action committees when he ran for augural address. He said, ‘‘These same revo- indeed if we preserved the symbol of Governor in 1998. lutionary beliefs for which our forefathers our freedoms by chipping away at Following his tenure in Congress, fought are still at issue around the globe those fundamental freedoms them- Glenn and his wife, Jo, founded the today. The belief that the rights of man selves.’’ Poshard Foundation for Abused Chil- come not from the generosity of the State, but from the hand of God. We dare not forget Free speech is the bedrock of our de- dren. The foundation has helped the that we are the heirs of that first Revolu- mocracy. As millions of Americans are abused, abandoned, and neglected chil- tion.’’ The Declaration goes on to say that participating in the freedoms guaran- dren of southern Illinois for 18 years. when any form of government becomes de- teed by our Constitution today, we Glenn’s service to the community structive of these rights then it is the right should remember Glenn Porshard’s also continued through his role as of the people to protest and alter that form point that they do so not to destroy president of Southern Illinois Univer- of government so that those rights are se- our Republic, but to celebrate the sity where he was the second longest cured to the people. And in the 1960s and ’70s, strength of our Constitution. serving president in the history of the people protested against what they believed was an unjust war which imperiled their Thank you. Southern Illinois University system. lives, their freedoms, and their pursuit of (At the request of Mr. SCHUMER, the Earlier this month, Glenn reminded happiness. They believed that nearly 60,000 following statement was ordered to be us what service to our country and deaths were enough in a war our government printed in the RECORD.) what the American flag means for us in either could not or would not win. f an op-ed in the Southern Illinoisan, When hundreds of thousands of mostly which I have included here. white young men in the ’60s and thousands of VOTE EXPLANATION Dr. Poshard wrote: mostly black young men today protest ∑ against their government, it is because they Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I In 1962, I joined the U.S. Army on my 17th feel their God-given rights are threatened. was unavailable for rollcall vote No. birthday. I had just graduated from high But why involve the flag? In a Supreme 257, on the nomination of Joan Larsen, school and was following in the tradition of Court decision, Board of Education v. of Michigan, to be U.S. circuit judge my family’s military service. They had Barnett in 1943, Justice Jackson wrote words served in the Civil War and fought their way for the Sixth Circuit. Had I been especially relevant to this issue. He said, across Europe and the Pacific in two World present, I would have voted nay. ‘‘Freedom to differ is not limited to things Wars. Some were POWs and one, my first Mr. President, I was unavailable for that do not matter much. That would be a cousin and closest friend, Dennis, awarded mere shadow of freedom. The test of free- rollcall vote No. 258, on the motion to the Bronze Star for bravery in Vietnam, was dom’s substance is the right to differ as to invoke cloture on Allison Eid, of Colo- the first young man from our county to be things that touch the heart of the existing rado, to be U.S. circuit judge for the killed in that war. order’’—i.e. our flag. Tenth Circuit. Had I been present, I During my three years of enlistment, I For many, it is not enough to write a let- ∑ served a tour of duty with the First Cav Di- would have voted nay. ter to their congressman, attend a meeting vision in Korea. When my active duty was or participate in a march. They must take f finished in December 1965, I immediately en- the most important thing symbolizing our tered SIU Carbondale on the GI Bill. Pro- TRIBUTE TO GEORGE STEVENS, freedom—the flag—and cast it at the feet of tests against the Vietnam War were already JR. their government to show how emphatically gripping the campus. They were abhorrent to they disagree with government allowing the Mr. MARKEY. Mr. President, today me, particularly when the American flag was infringement of their rights. Millions of peo- we honor an icon of the film industry used to symbolize anger toward the govern- ple of color in our country today feel threat- ment. But I was busy, carrying a full load of and a distinguished public servant, ened. They just want to enjoy the same secu- classes, working three part-time jobs, and George Stevens, Jr. For five decades, rity and freedom we all enjoy and the flag trying to support a new family. By the time George Stevens, Jr., served as the has become central to their protest precisely Old Main burned and the campus closed in because it matters, as it did in the ’60s to an founding director of the American the spring of 1970, I was beyond anger for the earlier generation. Film Institute, AFI, an organization thousands of protesters desecrating our flag When I protested as a young man in my that led the clarion call to preserve and destroying my beloved university. church that it was not necessary for God to and celebrate America’s film heritage. I made no attempt to understand the dif- send His only Son to be sacrificed for my ference between the symbolism of the flag In honoring him, I would like to freedom, that He could have provided an- and the substance of the Bill of Rights as it state the following in the RECORD: other way, the pastor said, ‘‘Oh yes it was, pertained to freedom to speak against per- Whereas, George Stevens, Jr., stood in the because He could not win your freedom from ceived wrongs of our government. Rose Garden of the White House in 1967 when sin by sacrificing that which didn’t matter Years later, as a member of Congress, I was President Lyndon Johnson announced there much, He had to sacrifice the most impor- forced to grapple with this volatile issue would be an American Film Institute in tant thing He loved, His Son.’’ again. In my first term, a bill was submitted order to address the crisis of America’s dis- The Supreme Court has said that the use of to amend the Constitution prohibiting the appearing motion picture heritage. the flag in dissent against the government desecration of the American flag as a means Whereas, through the extraordinary vision does not diminish it or the contribution of of protest against our government. Now, I of the Library of Congress and the American the men and women who fought for our free- had to understand this issue in its deepest, Film Institute, more than 37,000 motion pic- dom, but instead stands as a powerful sym- broadest context. My family and I went to tures are now safely preserved in the AFI bol to illustrate the substance of our Con- Philadelphia where I sat in Independence Collection at the Library of Congress. stitution’s Bill of Rights. Hall, contemplating those early debates of I listened carefully to the debate in 1990 on Whereas, George Stevens, Jr., led the effort our forefathers on issues of equality, justice the flag desecration amendment which for at the AFI to create a rescue list of movies and freedom. Moved to tears, I was about to the first time in 200 years would have amend- with the Museum of Modern Art, Eastman cast a vote of which the historical signifi- ed our Bill of Rights. These words from House, and the Library of Congress and lo- cance reached back to arguments which President Reagan’s solicitor general, Charles cate and preserve missing films. formed the founding documents of our coun- Fried, express my beliefs entirely. ‘‘The flag, Whereas, the collection includes classic try, the Declaration of Independence and the as all in this debate agree, symbolizes our American films, including ‘‘It’s A Wonderful Constitution. nation, its history, its values. We love the Life,’’ ‘‘Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,’’ We drove to Gettysburg and I stood where flag because it symbolizes the United States; ‘‘The Ten Commandment,’’ ‘‘Puss in Boots,’’ our greatest President, Abraham Lincoln, but we must love the Constitution even and George Stevens, Sr.’s ‘‘Gunga Din.’’ delivered his address, taking us back to our more, because the Constitution is not a sym- Whereas, George Stevens, Jr., expanded the Declaration of Independence, which stated, bol. It is the thing itself.’’ horizons of the next generation of ‘‘All men are created equal and endowed by filmmakers and visionaries with the creation their Creator with certain unalienable Reading Glenn’s op-ed, I was re- an AFI Center for Advanced Film Studies. rights, and that among these are life, lib- minded of the late John Glenn, col- Whereas, George Stevens, Jr., unleashed erty, and the pursuit of happiness.’’ When league, friend, and legend. He testified the power of filmmaking in service to the

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:54 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00029 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A01NO6.027 S01NOPT1 S6966 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 1, 2017 American people, leading the United States tial, College Wood students are and other data as they discuss how to Information Agency Motion Picture Service equipped to succeed and graduate. better meet the needs of their students. and producing award-winning films about College Wood strives to provide a The school’s investment in students the fabric of American life. quality, well-rounded education and is reflected in the diverse opportunities Therefore, today in the U.S. Senate, I honor the 50th anniversary of the American teach students the traits of successful it offers. Whether it is through the Film Institute and the extraordinary legacy leaders and communicators. To that ‘‘Step-a-thon,’’ where students partici- of George Stevens, Jr., director, producer, end, the school includes social and pate in a physical challenge to help playwright, and public servant without emotional learning in its curriculum. raise funds for various school programs equal. Thomas Edison may be given credit Social Thinking and Superflex lessons or the numerous afterschool clubs, for inventing the film industry, but it is instill social awareness, emotional White Lick has excelled in offering re- George Stevens, Jr., and the American Film management skills, and perspective-en- sources and programs beyond the class- Institute who have preserved it for future hancing experiences. room. generations to come. The school also seeks to help teach I am proud to recognize White Lick f students about the importance of serv- Elementary School principal Susan 35TH ANNIVERSARY OF UNKER’S ice and helping others. Through several Wise, the entire staff, the student THERAPEUTIC PRODUCTS philanthropic endeavors, College Wood body, the parents, and the entire students, parents, and staff work close- Brownsburg community. The effort, Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, I wish to ly together to give back to the commu- dedication, and value you put into edu- congratulate Unker’s Therapeutic nity. Several donation drives through- cation has led not only to this pres- Products for its 35th year in business. out the year lead up to the school’s tigious recognition but will benefit This is an impressive milestone for biggest annual event to benefit the your students and Indiana well into the their organization. Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. future. Unker’s Therapeutic Products’ story I am proud to recognize College Wood On behalf of the citizens of Indiana, I of starting out with Patrick Henry’s Elementary School principal Kathryn congratulate White Lick Elementary hard work in his garage to being a sta- Olssen, the entire staff, the student School, and I wish the students and ple in Wyoming and even sponsoring body, and their families. The effort, staff continued success in the future. racecars is the embodiment of the dedication, and value you put into edu- f American dream. I am pleased to hear cation has led not only to this pres- 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE of the company’s success and of the tigious recognition, but will benefit MAINE COALITION TO END DO- plans to continue this business for you and the Carmel community well MESTIC VIOLENCE years to come. Unker’s Therapeutic into the future. Products provides both good jobs and On behalf of the citizens of Indiana, I Mr. KING. Mr. President, today I much-needed services to the people of congratulate College Wood Elementary wish to honor the 40th anniversary of our towns and communities. It is School, and I wish the students and the Maine Coalition to End Domestic greatly appreciated. Good businesses staff continued success in the future. Violence, MCEDV, and its nine member make for strongly knit communities, f organizations and resource centers: and that helps us all. Hope and Justice Project, Partners for President and CEO Patricia RECOGNIZING WHITE LICK Peace, Next Step, New Hope for Pendelton and all the folks at Unker’s ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Women, Family Violence Project, Safe Therapeutic Products can be very Mr. DONNELLY. Mr. President, Voices, Family Crisis Services, Caring proud they have served Weston County today I wish to recognize White Lick Unlimited, and Immigrant Resource and the State of Wyoming for so long. Elementary School of Brownsburg, IN, Center of Maine. I am humbled and Their hard work and determined effort for being named a 2017 National Blue thankful for their tireless service to have played a part in its current and Ribbon School by the U.S. Department end the cycle of abuse existing in too continued success. of Education. many homes across Maine, our Nation, I extend my best wishes and con- Established in 1982, the National Blue and the world. gratulations to Patricia and to every- Ribbon Schools Program recognizes Originally formed in 1977 as the one who is a part of this company. schools that have demonstrated a vi- Maine Coalition for Family Crisis Thank you. sion of educational excellence for all Services, and renamed the Maine Coali- f students, regardless of their social or tion to End Domestic Violence in 2001, economic background. Since its incep- the MCEDV has spent four decades RECOGNIZING COLLEGE WOOD tion, this program has allowed schools being advocates for victims of domestic ELEMENTARY SCHOOL in every State to gain recognition for violence and have never lost their Mr. DONNELLY. Mr. President, educational accomplishments, particu- focus. Their efforts have helped count- today I wish to recognize College Wood larly in closing the achievement gaps less people find their own voices and Elementary School of Carmel, IN, for among students. regain their strength to live a violence- being named a 2017 National Blue Rib- White Lick Elementary School cur- free life. The MCEDV has helped ensure bon School by the U.S. Department of rently serves over 600 students and of- there are direct service programs, shel- Education. fers a variety of education and extra- ters, transitional housing, and court Established in 1982, the National Blue curricular opportunities for its stu- advocacy available to everyone Ribbon Schools Program recognizes dents. throughout our State. Not only do they schools that have demonstrated a vi- White Lick Elementary School has partner with the nine member-projects sion of educational excellence for all been effective in tailoring its cur- mentioned above, but they also coordi- students, regardless of their social or riculum to the educational needs of nate efforts and give voice to the edu- economic background. Since its incep- each individual student. As part of its cation of the public, lawmakers, law tion, this program has allowed schools commitment to students, the school enforcement, friends, and neighbors to in every State to gain recognition for provides programs like Learning Lab, make domestic violence a community- educational accomplishments, particu- which offers students struggling aca- State-national and global issue that larly in closing the achievement gaps demically extra support in reading and each of us has a responsibility to con- among students. math in a small-group setting every front. College Wood’s mission is to provide day for 30 minutes. It is not possible to put words to the opportunities for all students to realize The school also prides itself on the significant impact the MCEDV has had, their potential. College Wood students professional development of its staff. the lives that have been saved, and ter- have consistently ranked among the Teachers are given the chance to learn rifying existences turned into futures top 10 percent in annual standardized and grow through weekly meetings of peace. However, it would not be fair testing. By encouraging every student with their professional learning com- to their work to not acknowledge the to strive for excellence, explore oppor- munities. In these meetings, teachers lives that have been lost to domestic tunities, and realize their full poten- come together to analyze test scores violence. All genders, all ages, all

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:54 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00030 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A01NO6.029 S01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6967 races, all socio-economics categories, We are so happy for and proud of from the President of the United domestic violence knows no bound- Susan for reaching this milestone. I States submitting sundry nominations aries, and fear continues to be a strong congratulate her for the many years of which were referred to the appropriate silencer. However, with the support service she has rendered to the U.S. committees. and services provided by the MCEDV Congress and to our country. (The messages received today are and its membership, many victims f printed at the end of the Senate pro- have found exceptional strength to tell ceedings.) their story, found their courage to ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS name the abuse and the abuser and f support others to shine a light on this TRIBUTE TO DIANA TOLSTEDT MESSAGES FROM THE HOUSE pandemic of violence. ∑ I cannot overstate how awe-inspiring Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, during At 11:50 a.m., a message from the National Adoption Awareness Month, I the exceptional staying power and de- House of Representatives, delivered by have the distinct honor of recognizing termination of this coalition of advo- Mr. Novotny, one of its reading clerks, Diana Tolstedt of Billings. For nearly cates is and how impactful their efforts announced that the House has passed three decades, she has been helping are. They have not only mobilized a the following bills, in which it requests state-wide interest in the topic of do- people navigate all aspects of the adop- tion process. She has made a positive the concurrence of the Senate: mestic violence but have also inspired H.R. 2521. An act to amend the Farm Secu- people to work with them to even fur- and lasting impact in the lives of many Montanans. rity and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to in- ther strengthen the message that there Through her work with Lutheran So- clude South Carolina as a part of the Vir- is no excuse for domestic abuse. It has ginia/Carolina peanut producing region for cial Services of Montana, Diana has purposes of appointment to the Peanut been said that peace in the world starts gently guided and counseled adoptees, with peace in the home. Thank you to Standards Board. birth parents, and adoptive families. H.R. 2921. An act to establish a vegetation the MCEDV for living those words and For a dozen years, she has been a re- helping to change the world for the management pilot program on National For- cruiter with Wendy’s Wonderful Kids, est System land to better protect utility in- better. leading a program dedicated to finding frastructure from passing wildfire, and for f adoptive families for the longest wait- other purposes. TRIBUTE TO SUSAN OLSON ing children in foster care from eastern H.R. 2941. An act to provide for the convey- ance of certain National Forest System land Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, today Montana. Throughout the United States, there within Kisatchie National Forest in the I wish to recognize a member of my State of Louisiana. are over 100,000 children in foster care staff who has been in public service on H.R. 3567. An act to authorize the purchase who are waiting for adoption, each Capitol Hill for 30 years. Susan Olson is of a small parcel of Natural Resources Con- needing a loving home and stable envi- servation Service property in Riverside, my deputy chief of staff and general ronment to allow them to thrive and counsel. She has served Members of California, by the Riverside Corona Resource reach their potential. In the midst of Conservation District, and for other pur- Congress, the Senate, and congres- this adoption challenge, folks like poses. sional committees for decades and is a Diana are a guiding light to help others ENROLLED BILL SIGNED well-known, beloved public servant traverse adoption obstacles. I would around the Hill. At 2:09 p.m., a message from the like to thank Diana for having a heart House of Representatives, delivered by Susan joined my staff when I came to as big as Yellowstone County and a the Senate in 2011, but she already had Mrs. Cole, one of its reading clerks, an- commitment to brightening the hopes nounced that the Speaker has signed a long track record of distinguished of children one life at a time.∑ service and respect from her peers. I the following enrolled bill: got to know Susan when she served as f H.R. 1329. An act to increase, effective as of secretary of the House NATO Par- 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF AMRO December 1, 2017, the rates of compensation liamentary Assembly Delegation, of FABRICATING CORPORATION for veterans with service-connected disabil- which I was a member during my years ities and the rates of dependency and indem- ∑ Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, nity compensation for the survivors of cer- in the House of Representatives. Su- today I would like to recognize AMRO tain disabled veterans, and for other pur- san’s knowledge, determination, and Fabricating Corporation for 40 years of poses. warm personality helped her earn the business in our State. AMRO, a small respect and admiration of Members and family-owned business based in El f staff alike. She also served as a valued Monte and Riverside, CA, employs staff member on the House Ethics Com- more than 250 people. The company has MEASURES REFERRED mittee where she was a legal counsel made important contributions to The following bills were read the first from 2004 to 2011. NASA rocket programs, including and the second times by unanimous Prior to working on the Ethics Com- building the large aluminum panels for consent, and referred as indicated: mittee, Susan served in the office of the space launch system rocket and the H.R. 2521. An act to amend the Farm Secu- former Congressman Doug Bereuter of Orion crew capsule. AMRO has used rity and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to in- Nebraska for 17 years as legislative as- State and Federal grants to train high clude South Carolina as a part of the Vir- sistant, legislative director, and chief school and college students on how to ginia/Carolina peanut producing region for of staff. During her tenure with Con- develop critical job skills, such as aero- purposes of appointment to the Peanut gressman Bereuter, she also served as space welding and engineering, pre- Standards Board; to the Committee on Agri- culture, Nutrition, and Forestry. the secretary of the House Delegation paring them for good-paying jobs in the to the British American Parliamentary H.R. 2921. An act to establish a vegetation future. Founded in 1977, AMRO marks management pilot program on National For- Group from 1998 to 2000. its 40th anniversary this year. I extend Susan’s time on my staff has been est System land to better protect utility in- my warmest congratulations to AMRO frastructure from passing wildfire, and for marked by her wealth of knowledge for achieving this milestone.∑ other purposes; to the Committee on Agri- and expertise on so many things. She is f culture, Nutrition, and Forestry. a trusted adviser, but more impor- H.R. 2941. An act to provide for the convey- tantly, a dear friend to me and to ev- MESSAGES FROM THE PRESIDENT ance of certain National Forest System land eryone on my staff in Washington and Messages from the President of the within Kisatchie National Forest in the Arkansas. We love Susan very much United States were communicated to State of Louisiana; to the Committee on Ag- and appreciate all her hard work. She the Senate by Mr. Pate, one of his sec- riculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. takes a personal interest in everyone H.R. 3567. An act to authorize the purchase retaries. of a small parcel of Natural Resources Con- she meets, from the many interns who f servation Service property in Riverside, cycle in and out of my office, to those EXECUTIVE MESSAGES REFERRED California, by the Riverside Corona Resource on my staff and the countless men and Conservation District, and for other pur- women she has worked with over the In executive session the Presiding Of- poses; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nu- years during her time on the Hill. ficer laid before the Senate messages trition, and Forestry.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:54 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00031 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A01NO6.030 S01NOPT1 S6968 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 1, 2017 EXECUTIVE AND OTHER Control Act, the certification of a proposed EC–3334. A communication from the Man- COMMUNICATIONS license for the export of defense articles, in- agement and Program Analyst, Federal cluding technical data, and defense services Aviation Administration, Department of The following communications were to Canada for the manufacture of F404 and Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to laid before the Senate, together with F414 aircraft engine components in Canada law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Amend- accompanying papers, reports, and doc- to supply General Electric Aviation’s pro- ment of Class D and Class E Airspace; uments, and were referred as indicated: duction lines in the United States in the Redmond, OR’’ ((RIN2120–AA66) (Docket No. EC–3318. A communication from the Sec- amount of $100,000,000 or more (Transmittal FAA–2017–0390)) received in the Office of the retary of Defense, transmitting a report on No. DDTC 17–061); to the Committee on For- President of the Senate on October 31, 2017; eign Relations. the approved retirement of Lieutenant Gen- to the Committee on Commerce, Science, EC–3326. A communication from the Dep- eral Darryl L. Roberson, United States Air and Transportation. uty Assistant Secretary, Legislative Affairs, Force, and his advancement to the grade of EC–3335. A communication from the Man- Department of State, transmitting, pursuant agement and Program Analyst, Federal lieutenant general on the retired list; to the to section 36(c) of the Arms Export Control Committee on Armed Services. Aviation Administration, Department of Act, the certification of a proposed license Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to EC–3319. A communication from the Direc- for the export of firearms and accessories tor of Legislative Affairs, Federal Deposit law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Amend- abroad controlled under Category I of the ment of Class D and E Airspace; Battle Insurance Corporation, transmitting, pursu- United States Munitions List of M60 and ant to law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Re- Creek, MI’’ ((RIN2120–AA66) (Docket No. M2HB machine guns, MK19 grenade machine FAA–2017–0232)) received in the Office of the strictions on Qualified Financial Contracts guns, and associated components to Tunisia of Certain FDIC–Supervised Institutions; Re- President of the Senate on October 31, 2017; in the amount of $1,000,000 or more (Trans- to the Committee on Commerce, Science, visions to the Definition of Qualifying Mas- mittal No. DDTC 17–038); to the Committee ter Netting Agreement and Related Defini- and Transportation. on Foreign Relations. EC–3336. A communication from the Man- tions’’ (RIN3064–AE46) received in the Office EC–3327. A communication from the Dep- agement and Program Analyst, Federal of the President of the Senate on October 31, uty Assistant Secretary, Legislative Affairs, Aviation Administration, Department of 2017; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, Department of State, transmitting, pursuant Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to and Urban Affairs. to section 36(c) and 36(d) of the Arms Export law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Amend- EC–3320. A communication from the Attor- Control Act, the certification of a proposed ment of Class D and E Airspace; Battle ney-Advisor, Office of General Counsel, De- license for the export of defense articles, in- Creek, MI’’ ((RIN2120–AA66) (Docket No. partment of Transportation, transmitting, cluding technical data, and defense services FAA–2017–0232)) received in the Office of the pursuant to law, a report relative to a va- to Japan to support the manufacture, inte- President of the Senate on October 31, 2017; cancy for the position of Administrator, Fed- gration, installation, and assembly of the to the Committee on Commerce, Science, eral Transit Administration, Department of Japanese Patriot PAC–3 missile program in and Transportation. Transportation, received during adjourn- the amount of $100,000,000 or more (Trans- EC–3337. A communication from the Man- ment of the Senate in the Office of the Presi- mittal No. DDTC 17–048); to the Committee agement and Program Analyst, Federal dent of the Senate on October 27, 2017; to the on Foreign Relations. Aviation Administration, Department of Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban EC–3328. A communication from the Chair- Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to Affairs. man of the Council of the District of Colum- law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Amend- bia, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report EC–3321. A communication from the Chief ment of Class E Airspace; Evansville, IN’’ on D.C. Act 22–130, ‘‘Fiscal Year 2018 Budget of the Trade and Commercial Regulations ((RIN2120–AA66) (Docket No. FAA–2016–9540)) Support Act of 2017’’; to the Committee on Branch, Bureau of Customs and Border Pro- received in the Office of the President of the Homeland Security and Governmental Af- tection, Department of Homeland Security, Senate on October 31, 2017; to the Committee transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of fairs. EC–3329. A communication from the Chair- on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. a rule entitled ‘‘Procedures to Adjust Cus- EC–3338. A communication from the Man- man of the Council of the District of Colum- toms COBRA User Fees to Reflect Inflation’’ agement and Program Analyst, Federal bia, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report ((RIN1515–AE25) (CBP Dec. 17–16)) received in Aviation Administration, Department of on D.C. Act 22–152, ‘‘General Obligation the Office of the President of the Senate on Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to Bonds and Bond Anticipation Notes for Fis- October 30, 2017; to the Committee on Fi- law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Amend- cal Years 2018–2023 Authorization Temporary nance. ment of Class E Airspace; Sunriver, OR’’ EC–3322. A communication from the Chief Act of 2017’’; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. ((RIN2120–AA66) (Docket No. FAA–2017–0617)) of the Publications and Regulations Branch, received in the Office of the President of the Internal Revenue Service, Department of the EC–3330. A communication from the Chair- man of the Council of the District of Colum- Senate on October 31, 2017; to the Committee Treasury, transmitting, pursuant to law, the on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. report of a rule entitled ‘‘2018 Limitations bia, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report on D.C. Act 22–153, ‘‘Capitol Riverfront Busi- EC–3339. A communication from the Man- Adjusted As Provided in Section 415(d), etc.’’ agement and Program Analyst, Federal (Notice 2017–64) received in the Office of the ness Improvement District Amendment Act of 2017’’; to the Committee on Homeland Se- Aviation Administration, Department of President of the Senate on October 16, 2017; Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to to the Committee on Finance. curity and Governmental Affairs. EC–3331. A communication from the Chair- law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Amend- EC–3323. A communication from the Dep- man of the Council of the District of Colum- ment of Class E Airspace; Canadian, TX; and uty Assistant Secretary, Legislative Affairs, bia, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report Wheeler, TX’’ ((RIN2120–AA66) (Docket No. Department of State, transmitting, pursuant on D.C. Act 22–169, ‘‘DC HealthCare Alliance FAA–2017–0458)) received in the Office of the to section 36(d) of the Arms Export Control Recertification Simplification Amendment President of the Senate on October 31, 2017; Act, the certification of a proposed license Act of 2017’’; to the Committee on Homeland to the Committee on Commerce, Science, for the export of defense articles, including Security and Governmental Affairs. and Transportation. technical data, and defense services to the EC–3332. A communication from the Dep- EC–3340. A communication from the Man- Republic of Korea to support the manufac- uty Assistant Secretary, Legislative Affairs, agement and Program Analyst, Federal ture, integration, installation, and testing of Department of State, transmitting, pursuant Aviation Administration, Department of the Electro-Optical Tracking System II in to section 36(c) of the Arms Export Control Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to the amount of $3,200,000 or more (Trans- Act, the certification of a proposed license law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Amend- mittal No. DDTC 17–072); to the Committee for the export of defense articles, including ment of Class E Airspace; Medford, WI and on Foreign Relations. technical data, and defense services to Japan Waupaca, WI’’ ((RIN2120–AA66) (Docket No. EC–3324. A communication from the Dep- for the manufacture of PAC–3 Missile Seg- FAA–2017–0388)) received in the Office of the uty Assistant Secretary, Legislative Affairs, ment Command and Launch System for the President of the Senate on October 31, 2017; Department of State, transmitting, pursuant Japanese PATRIOT Growth Program in the to the Committee on Commerce, Science, to section 36(c) of the Arms Export Control amount of $100,000,000 or more (Transmittal and Transportation. Act, the certification of a proposed license No. DDTC 17–059); to the Committee on For- EC–3341. A communication from the Man- for the export of defense articles, including eign Relations. agement and Program Analyst, Federal technical data, and defense services to Japan EC–3333. A communication from the Man- Aviation Administration, Department of to support the integration, installation, op- agement and Program Analyst, Federal Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to eration, training, testing, maintenance, and Aviation Administration, Department of law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Amend- repair of the KC–767 tanker in the amount of Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to ment of Class E Airspace; Hebron, NE’’ $100,000,000 or more (Transmittal No. DDTC law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Amend- ((RIN2120–AA66) (Docket No. FAA–2017–0175)) 17–069); to the Committee on Foreign Rela- ment of Class D and Class E Airspace; Eliza- received in the Office of the President of the tions. beth City, NC’’ ((RIN2120–AA66) (Docket No. Senate on October 31, 2017; to the Committee EC–3325. A communication from the Dep- FAA–2016–0384)) received in the Office of the on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. uty Assistant Secretary, Legislative Affairs, President of the Senate on October 31, 2017; EC–3342. A communication from the Man- Department of State, transmitting, pursuant to the Committee on Commerce, Science, agement and Program Analyst, Federal to section 36(c) and 36(d) of the Arms Export and Transportation. Aviation Administration, Department of

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:54 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00032 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A01NO6.006 S01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6969 Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to 8927)) received in the Office of the President EC–3359. A communication from the Man- law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Amend- of the Senate on October 31, 2017; to the Com- agement and Program Analyst, Federal ment of Class E Airspace; Clarinda, IA’’ mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor- Aviation Administration, Department of ((RIN2120–AA66) (Docket No. FAA–2017–0536)) tation. Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to received in the Office of the President of the EC–3351. A communication from the Man- law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Airworthi- Senate on October 31, 2017; to the Committee agement and Program Analyst, Federal ness Directives; The Boeing Company Air- on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Aviation Administration, Department of planes’’ ((RIN2120–AA64) (Docket No. FAA– EC–3343. A communication from the Man- Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to 2017–0244)) received in the Office of the Presi- agement and Program Analyst, Federal law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Airworthi- dent of the Senate on October 31, 2017; to the Aviation Administration, Department of ness Directives; Airbus Airplanes’’ ((RIN2120– Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to AA64) (Docket No. FAA–2017–0498)) received Transportation. law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Establish- in the Office of the President of the Senate EC–3360. A communication from the Man- ment of Class E Airspace; Augusta, AR’’ on October 31, 2017; to the Committee on agement and Program Analyst, Federal ((RIN2120–AA66) (Docket No. FAA–2016–9274)) Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Aviation Administration, Department of received in the Office of the President of the EC–3352. A communication from the Man- Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to Senate on October 31, 2017; to the Committee agement and Program Analyst, Federal law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Airworthi- on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Aviation Administration, Department of ness Directives; Bombardier, Inc., Airplanes’’ EC–3344. A communication from the Man- Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to ((RIN2120–AA64) (Docket No. FAA–2015–8434)) agement and Program Analyst, Federal law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Airworthi- received in the Office of the President of the Aviation Administration, Department of ness Directives; Airbus Airplanes’’ ((RIN2120– Senate on October 31, 2017; to the Committee Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to AA64) (Docket No. FAA–2017–0813)) received on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Establish- in the Office of the President of the Senate EC–3361. A communication from the Man- ment of Class E Airspace; Picayune, MS’’ on October 31, 2017; to the Committee on agement and Program Analyst, Federal ((RIN2120–AA66) (Docket No. FAA–2017–0320)) Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Aviation Administration, Department of received in the Office of the President of the EC–3353. A communication from the Man- Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to Senate on October 31, 2017; to the Committee agement and Program Analyst, Federal law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Airworthi- on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Aviation Administration, Department of ness Directives; Bombardier, Inc., Airplanes’’ EC–3345. A communication from the Man- Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to ((RIN2120–AA64) (Docket No. FAA–2017–0691)) agement and Program Analyst, Federal law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Airworthi- received in the Office of the President of the Aviation Administration, Department of ness Directives; Airbus Airplanes’’ ((RIN2120– Senate on October 31, 2017; to the Committee Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to AA64) (Docket No. FAA–2017–0248)) received on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Establish- in the Office of the President of the Senate EC–3362. A communication from the Man- ment of Class E Airspace, Big Timber, MT’’ on October 31, 2017; to the Committee on agement and Program Analyst, Federal ((RIN2120–AA66) (Docket No. FAA–2017–0392)) Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Aviation Administration, Department of received in the Office of the President of the EC–3354. A communication from the Man- Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to Senate on October 31, 2017; to the Committee agement and Program Analyst, Federal law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Airworthi- on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Aviation Administration, Department of ness Directives; General Electric Company EC–3346. A communication from the Man- Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to Turbofan Engines’’ ((RIN2120–AA64) (Docket agement and Program Analyst, Federal law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Airworthi- No. FAA–2017–0254)) received in the Office of Aviation Administration, Department of ness Directives; Airbus Airplanes’’ ((RIN2120– the President of the Senate on October 31, Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to AA64) (Docket No. FAA–2017–0515)) received 2017; to the Committee on Commerce, law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Establish- in the Office of the President of the Senate Science, and Transportation. ment of Class E Airspace; Hattiesburg, MS’’ on October 31, 2017; to the Committee on EC–3363. A communication from the Man- ((RIN2120–AA66) (Docket No. FAA–2017–0321)) Commerce, Science, and Transportation. agement and Program Analyst, Federal received in the Office of the President of the EC–3355. A communication from the Man- Aviation Administration, Department of Senate on October 31, 2017; to the Committee agement and Program Analyst, Federal Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Aviation Administration, Department of law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Airworthi- EC–3347. A communication from the Man- Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to ness Directives; Honeywell International Inc. agement and Program Analyst, Federal law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Airworthi- Turbofan Engines’’ ((RIN2120–AA64) (Docket Aviation Administration, Department of ness Directives; Airbus Airplanes’’ ((RIN2120– No. FAA–2016–9451)) received in the Office of Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to AA64) (Docket No. FAA–2017–0624)) received the President of the Senate on October 31, law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Establish- in the Office of the President of the Senate 2017; to the Committee on Commerce, ment of Class E Airspace; Onida, SD’’ on October 31, 2017; to the Committee on Science, and Transportation. ((RIN2120–AA66) (Docket No. FAA–2016–9546)) Commerce, Science, and Transportation. EC–3364. A communication from the Man- received in the Office of the President of the EC–3356. A communication from the Man- agement and Program Analyst, Federal Senate on October 31, 2017; to the Committee agement and Program Analyst, Federal Aviation Administration, Department of on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to EC–3348. A communication from the Man- Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Airworthi- agement and Program Analyst, Federal law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Airworthi- ness Directives; Honeywell International Inc. Aviation Administration, Department of ness Directives; Airbus Defense and Space S. Turbofan Engines’’ ((RIN2120–AA64) (Docket Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to A. (Formerly Known as Construcciones No. FAA–2017–0034)) received in the Office of law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Establish- Aeronauticas, S.A.) Airplanes’’ ((RIN2120– the President of the Senate on October 31, ment of Class E Airspace and Amendment of AA64) (Docket No. FAA–2016–9386)) received 2017; to the Committee on Commerce, Class D and Class E Airspace; Kaunakakai, in the Office of the President of the Senate Science, and Transportation. HI’’ ((RIN2120–AA66) (Docket No. FAA–2017– on October 31, 2017; to the Committee on EC–3365. A communication from the Man- 0295)) received in the Office of the President Commerce, Science, and Transportation. agement and Program Analyst, Federal of the Senate on October 31, 2017; to the Com- EC–3357. A communication from the Man- Aviation Administration, Department of mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor- agement and Program Analyst, Federal Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to tation. Aviation Administration, Department of law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Airworthi- EC–3349. A communication from the Man- Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to ness Directives; PIAGGIO AERO INDUS- agement and Program Analyst, Federal law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Airworthi- TRIES S.p.A. Airplanes’’ ((RIN2120–AA64) Aviation Administration, Department of ness Directives; The Boeing Company Air- (Docket No. FAA–2017–0648)) received in the Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to planes’’ ((RIN2120–AA64) (Docket No. FAA– Office of the President of the Senate on Oc- law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Amend- 2016–9183)) received in the Office of the Presi- tober 31, 2017; to the Committee on Com- ment of Restricted Areas R–3004A and R– dent of the Senate on October 31, 2017; to the merce, Science, and Transportation. 3004B and Establishment of R–3004C; Fort Committee on Commerce, Science, and EC–3366. A communication from the Man- Gordon, GA’’ ((RIN2120–AA66) (Docket No. Transportation. agement and Program Analyst, Federal FAA–2017–0886)) received in the Office of the EC–3358. A communication from the Man- Aviation Administration, Department of President of the Senate on October 31, 2017; agement and Program Analyst, Federal Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to to the Committee on Commerce, Science, Aviation Administration, Department of law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Airworthi- and Transportation. Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to ness Directives; Rolls-Royce plc Turbofan EC–3350. A communication from the Man- law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Airworthi- Engines’’ ((RIN2120–AA64) (Docket No. FAA– agement and Program Analyst, Federal ness Directives; The Boeing Company Air- 2017–0753)) received in the Office of the Presi- Aviation Administration, Department of planes’’ ((RIN2120–AA64) (Docket No. FAA– dent of the Senate on October 31, 2017; to the Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to 2017–0243)) received in the Office of the Presi- Committee on Commerce, Science, and law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Establish- dent of the Senate on October 31, 2017; to the Transportation. ment of Restricted Area R–2603; Fort Carson, Committee on Commerce, Science, and EC–3367. A communication from the Man- CO’’ ((RIN2120–AA66) (Docket No. FAA–2016– Transportation. agement and Program Analyst, Federal

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:54 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00033 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A01NO6.008 S01NOPT1 S6970 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 1, 2017 Aviation Administration, Department of S. Res. 279. A resolution reaffirming the and substance use disorders among young Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to commitment of the United States to pro- people; to the Committee on Health, Edu- law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Standard mote democracy, human rights, and the rule cation, Labor, and Pensions. Instrument Approach Procedures, and Take- of law in Cambodia. By Mrs. GILLIBRAND: off Minimums and Obstacle Departure Proce- f S. 2056. A bill to direct the Secretary of dures; Miscellaneous Amendments (57); Transportation to establish a traffic barrier Amdt. No. 3765’’ (RIN2120–AA65) received in EXECUTIVE REPORTS OF installation grant program, and for other the Office of the President of the Senate on COMMITTEE purposes; to the Committee on Environment October 31, 2017; to the Committee on Com- and Public Works. merce, Science, and Transportation. The following executive reports of By Ms. BALDWIN (for herself, Mrs. EC–3368. A communication from the Man- nominations were submitted: FEINSTEIN, Ms. HARRIS, Ms. HASSAN, agement and Program Analyst, Federal By Mr. CRAPO for the Committee on Mr. MARKEY, Mrs. SHAHEEN, and Mr. Aviation Administration, Department of Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. UDALL): Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to *Hester Maria Peirce, of Ohio, to be a S. 2057. A bill to prevent conflicts of inter- law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Standard Member of the Securities and Exchange est that stem from the revolving door that Instrument Approach Procedures, and Take- Commission for a term expiring June 5, 2020. raises concerns about the independence of off Minimums and Obstacle Departure Proce- *Robert J. Jackson, Jr., of New York, to be pharmaceutical regulators; to the Com- dures; Miscellaneous Amendments (23); a Member of the Securities and Exchange mittee on Homeland Security and Govern- Amdt. No. 3766’’ (RIN2120–AA65) received in Commission for the remainder of the term mental Affairs. the Office of the President of the Senate on expiring June 5, 2019. By Mr. WYDEN (for himself and Mr. October 31, 2017; to the Committee on Com- *David J. Ryder, of New Jersey, to be Di- MERKLEY): merce, Science, and Transportation. rector of the Mint for a term of five years. S. 2058. A bill to amend title 38, United EC–3369. A communication from the Man- *Nomination was reported with rec- States Code, to increase the thresholds by agement and Program Analyst, Federal ommendation that it be confirmed sub- which medical facility projects and medical Aviation Administration, Department of facility leases of the Department of Veterans Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to ject to the nominee’s commitment to Affairs are considered major medical facility law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Stage 5 respond to requests to appear and tes- projects and major medical facility leases, Airplane Noise Standards’’ ((RIN2120–AK52) tify before any duly constituted com- respectively, and for other purposes; to the (Docket No. FAA–2015–3782)) received in the mittee of the Senate. Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Office of the President of the Senate on Oc- f f tober 31, 2017; to the Committee on Com- merce, Science, and Transportation. INTRODUCTION OF BILLS AND SUBMISSION OF CONCURRENT AND EC–3370. A communication from the Man- JOINT RESOLUTIONS SENATE RESOLUTIONS agement and Program Analyst, Federal The following concurrent resolutions Aviation Administration, Department of The following bills and joint resolu- Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to tions were introduced, read the first and Senate resolutions were read, and law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Airspace and second times by unanimous con- referred (or acted upon), as indicated: Designations; Incorporation by Reference sent, and referred as indicated: By Mr. BROWN (for himself and Mr. Amendments’’ ((RIN2120–AA66) (Docket No. By Mr. MORAN: ISAKSON): FAA–2017–0798)) received in the Office of the S. 2049. A bill to amend the Agricultural S. Res. 319. A resolution supporting the President of the Senate on October 31, 2017; Credit Act of 1978 to increase support for goals, activities, and ideals of Prematurity to the Committee on Commerce, Science, conservation practices under the emergency Awareness Month; to the Committee on and Transportation. conservation program, and for other pur- Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. EC–3371. A communication from the Pro- poses; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nu- By Mr. GRASSLEY (for himself, Mrs. gram Analyst, National Highway Traffic trition, and Forestry. FEINSTEIN, Mr. CORNYN, and Ms. KLO- Safety Administration, Department of By Mr. MORAN: BUCHAR): Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to S. 2050. A bill to amend the Agricultural S. Res. 320. A resolution supporting the law, the report of a rule entitled ‘‘Motor Ve- Act of 2014 to provide to producers partial goals and ideals of National Domestic Vio- hicle Safety Standards; Electronic Stability payments under the livestock indemnity pro- lence Awareness Month, commending domes- Control Systems for Heavy Vehicles’’ gram for livestock sold for salvage; to the tic violence victim advocates, domestic vio- (RIN2127–AL78) received in the Office of the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and lence victim service providers, crisis hotline President of the Senate on October 31, 2017; Forestry. staff, and first responders serving victims of to the Committee on Commerce, Science, By Mr. PORTMAN (for himself and Mr. domestic violence for their compassionate and Transportation. BENNET): support of survivors of domestic violence, EC–3372. A communication from the Attor- S. 2051. A bill to amend title XVIII of the and expressing the sense of the Senate that ney-Advisor, Office of General Counsel, De- Social Security Act to modernize the physi- Congress should continue to support efforts partment of Transportation, transmitting, cian self-referral prohibitions to promote to end domestic violence, provide safety for pursuant to law, a report relative to a va- care coordination in the merit-based incen- victims of domestic violence and their fami- cancy for the position of Administrator, Na- tive payment system and to facilitate physi- lies, and hold perpetrators of domestic vio- tional Highway Traffic Safety Administra- cian practice participation in alternative lence accountable; considered and agreed to. tion, Department of Transportation, received payment models under the Medicare pro- f during adjournment of the Senate in the Of- gram, and for other purposes; to the Com- fice of the President of the Senate on Octo- mittee on Finance. ADDITIONAL COSPONSORS ber 27, 2017; to the Committee on Commerce, By Mr. HATCH: S. 66 Science, and Transportation. S. 2052. A bill to provide for temporary At the request of Mr. HELLER, the f funding for health insurance cost-sharing re- name of the Senator from Minnesota duction payments and provide targeted tax PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS relief, and for other purposes; to the Com- (Ms. KLOBUCHAR) was added as a co- mittee on Finance. sponsor of S. 66, a bill to amend title The following petition or memorial 10, United States Code, to permit cer- was laid before the Senate and was re- By Mr. MORAN: S. 2053. A bill to amend the Agricultural tain retired members of the uniformed ferred or ordered to lie on the table as Act of 2014 to increase the maximum amount services who have a service-connected indicated: of assistance authorized under supplemental disability to receive both disability POM–132. A petition from a citizen of the agricultural disaster assistance programs; to compensation from the Department of State of Texas relative to an amendment to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, Veterans Affairs for their disability the United States Constitution; to the Com- and Forestry. mittee on the Judiciary. By Mr. MORAN: and either retired pay by reason of S. 2054. A bill to amend the Agricultural their years of military service or Com- f Credit Act of 1978 to establish a program to bat-Related Special Compensation, and REPORTS OF COMMITTEES provide advance payments under the Emer- for other purposes. gency Conservation Program for the repair S. 109 The following reports of committees or replacement of fencing; to the Committee At the request of Mr. GRASSLEY, the were submitted: on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. By Mr. CORKER, from the Committee on By Mr. PETERS (for himself and Mrs. name of the Senator from Massachu- Foreign Relations, with an amendment in CAPITO): setts (Ms. WARREN) was added as a co- the nature of a substitute and with an S. 2055. A bill to amend the Public Health sponsor of S. 109, a bill to amend title amended preamble: Service Act to better address substance use XVIII of the Social Security Act to

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:54 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00034 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A01NO6.010 S01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6971 provide for coverage under the Medi- S. 1333 selor services under part B of the Medi- care program of pharmacist services. At the request of Mr. TESTER, the care program, and for other purposes. S. 382 name of the Senator from Alaska (Ms. S. 1967 At the request of Mrs. FEINSTEIN, her MURKOWSKI) was added as a cosponsor At the request of Mr. COTTON, the name was added as a cosponsor of S. of S. 1333, a bill to provide for rental name of the Senator from Mississippi 382, a bill to require the Secretary of assistance for homeless or at-risk In- (Mr. COCHRAN) was added as a cospon- Health and Human Services to develop dian veterans. sor of S. 1967, a bill to amend the Inter- a voluntary registry to collect data on S. 1400 nal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide ad- cancer incidence among firefighters. At the request of Mr. HEINRICH, the ditional exemptions to the individual S. 428 name of the Senator from Oklahoma mandate, and for other purposes. At the request of Mr. GRASSLEY, the (Mr. LANKFORD) was added as a cospon- S. 2016 name of the Senator from Georgia (Mr. sor of S. 1400, a bill to amend title 18, At the request of Mr. MARKEY, the PERDUE) was added as a cosponsor of S. United States Code, to enhance protec- name of the Senator from Vermont 428, a bill to amend titles XIX and XXI tions of Native American tangible cul- (Mr. SANDERS) was added as a cospon- of the Social Security Act to authorize tural heritage, and for other purposes. sor of S. 2016, a bill to prevent an un- States to provide coordinated care to S. 1480 constitutional strike against North children with complex medical condi- At the request of Mr. KING, the name Korea. tions through enhanced pediatric of the Senator from Wisconsin (Ms. S. RES. 310 health homes, and for other purposes. BALDWIN) was added as a cosponsor of At the request of Mr. CASEY, the S. 527 S. 1480, a bill to amend the Internal name of the Senator from New Jersey At the request of Mr. BLUNT, the Revenue Code of 1986 to include bio- (Mr. BOOKER) was added as a cosponsor name of the Senator from Nevada (Mr. mass heating appliances for tax credits of S. Res. 310, a resolution recognizing HELLER) was added as a cosponsor of S. available for energy-efficient building the importance of a continued commit- 527, a bill to improve access to emer- property and energy property. ment to ending pediatric AIDS world- gency medical services, and for other S. 1498 wide. purposes. At the request of Ms. COLLINS, the f S. 591 name of the Senator from Virginia (Mr. SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS At the request of Mrs. MURRAY, the KAINE) was added as a cosponsor of S. name of the Senator from Virginia (Mr. 1498, a bill to establish in the Smithso- KAINE) was added as a cosponsor of S. nian Institution a comprehensive SENATE RESOLUTION 319—SUP- 591, a bill to expand eligibility for the American women’s history museum, PORTING THE GOALS, ACTIVI- program of comprehensive assistance and for other purposes. TIES, AND IDEALS OF PRE- for family caregivers of the Depart- S. 1700 MATURITY AWARENESS MONTH ment of Veterans Affairs, to expand At the request of Mr. UDALL, the Mr. BROWN (for himself and Mr. benefits available to participants under name of the Senator from Oregon (Mr. ISAKSON) submitted the following reso- such program, to enhance special com- MERKLEY) was added as a cosponsor of lution; which was referred to the Com- pensation for members of the uni- S. 1700, a bill to amend the Energy Pol- mittee on Health, Education, Labor, formed services who require assistance icy and Conservation Act to establish a and Pensions: in everyday life, and for other pur- WaterSense program within the Envi- S. RES. 319 poses. ronmental Protection Agency, and for Whereas, according to the World Health S. 708 other purposes. Organization, complications of preterm birth At the request of Mr. MARKEY, the S. 1720 is now the number one killer of children name of the Senator from Delaware At the request of Mr. COTTON, the under 5 years of age worldwide; Whereas 1,100,000 children die every year (Mr. COONS) was added as a cosponsor name of the Senator from Mississippi due to complications of preterm birth; of S. 708, a bill to improve the ability (Mr. WICKER) was added as a cosponsor Whereas preterm birth is a global problem of U.S. Customs and Border Protection of S. 1720, a bill to amend the Immigra- that exacts a harsh toll on families from all to interdict fentanyl, other synthetic tion and Nationality Act to establish a parts of society in every country; opioids, and other narcotics and skills-based immigration points sys- Whereas there are stark inequalities in the psychoactive substances that are ille- tem, to focus family-sponsored immi- survival rates of preterm babies born around gally imported into the United States, gration on spouses and minor children, the world; and for other purposes. to eliminate the Diversity Visa Pro- Whereas complications from preterm birth gram, to set a limit on the number of have lifelong consequences for the health, S. 1112 growth, and development of infants; At the request of Ms. HEITKAMP, the refugees admitted annually to the Whereas up to 75 percent of deaths result- name of the Senator from Ohio (Mr. United States, and for other purposes. ing from preterm birth worldwide can be pre- BROWN) was added as a cosponsor of S. S. 1838 vented through proven low-cost interven- 1112, a bill to support States in their At the request of Ms. WARREN, the tions; work to save and sustain the health of names of the Senator from Vermont Whereas countries can improve maternal health and the survival rate of babies born mothers during pregnancy, childbirth, (Mr. SANDERS) and the Senator from prematurely by making strategic invest- and in the postpartum period, to elimi- Hawaii (Ms. HIRONO) were added as co- ments in health care systems to ensure ac- nate disparities in maternal health sponsors of S. 1838, a bill to repeal the cess to high-quality adolescent and pre-preg- outcomes for pregnancy-related and authority under the National Labor nancy care, prenatal care, childbirth serv- pregnancy-associated deaths, to iden- Relations Act for States to enact laws ices, emergency obstetric care, postnatal tify solutions to improve health care prohibiting agreements requiring mem- care, and comprehensive care for affected quality and health outcomes for moth- bership in a labor organization as a newborns; ers, and for other purposes. condition of employment, and for other Whereas according to data collected by the purposes. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, S. 1191 preterm-related causes are the leading con- At the request of Mr. GRASSLEY, the S. 1879 tributors to infant death in the United name of the Senator from Maryland At the request of Mr. BARRASSO, the States, accounting for more than 1⁄3 of infant (Mr. CARDIN) was added as a cosponsor names of the Senator from Maine (Mr. deaths; of S. 1191, a bill to amend title XVIII of KING), the Senator from Delaware (Mr. Whereas while the preterm birth rate in the Social Security Act to refine how COONS) and the Senator from Ohio (Mr. the United States decreased from a peak of 12.8 percent in 2006, the preterm birth rate of Medicare pays for orthotics and pros- BROWN) were added as cosponsors of S. 9.8 percent in 2016 is still too high; thetics and to improve beneficiary ex- 1879, a bill to amend title XVIII of the Whereas there are significant racial and perience and outcomes with orthotic Social Security Act to provide for the ethnic disparities in preterm birth rates and prosthetic care, and for other pur- coverage of marriage and family thera- among many communities in the United poses. pist services and mental health coun- States;

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:54 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00035 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A01NO6.015 S01NOPT1 S6972 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 1, 2017 Whereas the Institute of Medicine of the Whereas domestic violence is cited as a As noted by the National Network to National Academies estimated in 2006 that significant factor in homelessness among End Domestic Violence, domestic vio- the annual societal economic cost associated families; lence is a crime that thrives when we with preterm birth in the United States was Whereas millions of children are exposed remain silent. That’s why the Senate $26,200,000,000; to domestic violence each year; Whereas many preterm births can be pre- Whereas research shows that boys who are today passed the resolution that I re- vented through evidence-based public health exposed to domestic violence in their house- cently introduced with Senator FEIN- programs focused on reducing risk factors holds are more likely to become perpetrators STEIN to commemorate National Do- such as tobacco use, inadequate birth spac- of intimate partner violence; mestic Violence Awareness Month. ing, and early elective deliveries; and Whereas victims of domestic violence expe- As stated in our resolution, Congress Whereas, in the United States and around rience immediate and long-term negative should continue to raise awareness of the world, November is recognized as Pre- outcomes, including detrimental effects on domestic violence in the United States. maturity Awareness Month: Now, therefore, mental and physical health; be it Whereas victims of domestic violence may We also should pledge our continued Resolved, That the Senate— lose several days of paid work each year and support for programs designed to assist (1) supports the recognition of Prematurity may lose their jobs due to reasons stemming survivors, hold perpetrators account- Awareness Month; from domestic violence; able, and bring an end to domestic vio- (2) supports efforts at home and abroad— Whereas crisis hotlines serving domestic lence. (A) to reduce the impact of preterm births violence victims operate 24 hours per day, 365 Congress has made support to sur- by improving maternal health during and days per year, and offer important crisis vivors a national priority for over after pregnancy; and intervention services, support services, in- (B) to advance the care and treatment of formation, and referrals for victims; three decades, through the enactment infants born preterm; Whereas staff and volunteers of domestic of the Violence Against Women Act, (3) honors individuals working domesti- violence shelters and programs in the United the Victims of Crime Act, and other cally and internationally to reduce preterm States, in cooperation with 56 State and ter- Federal laws. Through the enactment births; and ritorial coalitions against domestic violence, of laws criminalizing domestic violence (4) expresses the intent of the Senate to serve— at the State and local level, we’ve also promote evidence-based prevention interven- (1) thousands of adults and children each sent a strong signal to abusers that do- day; and tions to prevent preterm birth and improve mestic violence is not a ‘‘private’’ mat- outcomes for affected infants. (2) 1,000,000 adults and children each year; Whereas, according to a 2016 survey con- ter. f ducted by the National Network to End Do- We’ve come a long way, but we still SENATE RESOLUTION 320—SUP- mestic Violence, 72,959 domestic violence have much work to do on this front. PORTING THE GOALS AND victims were served by domestic violence Even now, domestic violence affects IDEALS OF NATIONAL DOMESTIC shelters and programs around the United millions in the United States, includ- States in a single day; VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH, Whereas law enforcement officers in the ing women, men, and children of every COMMENDING DOMESTIC VIO- United States put their lives at risk each age and socio-economic status. About LENCE VICTIM ADVOCATES, DO- day by responding to incidents of domestic one in five women will at some point in MESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIM SERV- violence, which can be among the most vola- their lifetime become a victim of this ICE PROVIDERS, CRISIS HOTLINE tile and deadly calls; crime, according to the Centers for Dis- STAFF, AND FIRST RESPONDERS Whereas Congress first demonstrated a sig- ease Control. SERVING VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC nificant commitment to supporting victims I applaud the many individuals and VIOLENCE FOR THEIR COMPAS- of domestic violence with the enactment of the landmark Family Violence Prevention organizations in Iowa and elsewhere SIONATE SUPPORT OF SUR- and Services Act (42 U.S.C. 10401 et seq.); around the Nation that work around VIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, Whereas Congress has remained committed the clock to respond to victims in cri- AND EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF to protecting survivors of all forms of domes- sis. They include the hotline personnel THE SENATE THAT CONGRESS tic violence and sexual abuse by making who provide support 365 days a year. SHOULD CONTINUE TO SUPPORT Federal funding available to support the ac- They include the staff and volunteers EFFORTS TO END DOMESTIC VIO- tivities that are authorized under— at shelters, who provide safe havens for LENCE, PROVIDE SAFETY FOR (1) the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (42 U.S.C. 10401 et seq.); and those escaping abuse. They include the VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIO- (2) the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 advocates who champion survivors’ in- LENCE AND THEIR FAMILIES, (34 U.S.C. 12291 et seq.); terests at the State and Federal levels. AND HOLD PERPETRATORS OF Whereas there is a need to continue to sup- Last, but certainly not least, they in- DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ACCOUNT- port programs and activities aimed at do- clude the first responders who compas- ABLE mestic violence intervention and domestic sionately respond to victims in crisis. violence prevention in the United States; We applaud their continued service Mr. GRASSLEY (for himself, Mrs. and FEINSTEIN, Mr. CORNYN, and Ms. KLO- Whereas individuals and organizations that and we continue to support the goals BUCHAR) submitted the following reso- are dedicated to preventing and ending do- and ideals of National Domestic Vio- lution; which was considered and mestic violence should be recognized: Now, lence Awareness Month. agreed to: therefore, be it Resolved, That— f S. RES. 320 (1) the Senate supports the goals and ideals Whereas, according to the National Inti- of ‘‘National Domestic Violence Awareness mate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey— Month’’; and AUTHORITY FOR COMMITTEES TO (1) up to 12,000,000 individuals in the United (2) it is the sense of the Senate that Con- MEET States report experiencing intimate partner gress should— violence, including physical violence, rape, (A) continue to raise awareness of domes- Mr. GARDNER. Mr. President, I have or stalking; and tic violence in the United States and the cor- 8 requests for committees to meet dur- (2) approximately 1 in 5 women in the responding devastating effects of domestic ing today’s session of the Senate. They United States and up to 1 in 7 men in the violence on survivors, families, and commu- have the approval of the Majority and United States have experienced severe phys- nities; and Minority leaders. ical violence by an intimate partner at some (B) pledge continued support for programs Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph point in their lifetimes; designed— 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Sen- Whereas, on average, 3 women in the (i) to assist survivors; United States are killed each day by a cur- (ii) to hold perpetrators accountable; and ate, the following committees are au- rent or former intimate partner, according (iii) to bring an end to domestic violence. thorized to meet during today’s session to the Bureau of Justice Statistics; Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I of the Senate: Whereas domestic violence can affect any- want to remind my colleagues that we COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND one, but women aged 18 to 34 typically expe- TRANSPORTATION rience the highest rates of intimate partner annually commemorate National Do- violence; mestic Violence Awareness Month in The Committee on Commerce, Whereas most female victims of intimate November. This is a time when we’re Science, and Transportation is author- partner violence have been victimized by the called to increase public awareness and ized to meet during the session of the same offender previously; understanding of domestic violence. Senate on Wednesday, November 1,

VerDate Sep 11 2014 07:14 Feb 13, 2018 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00036 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD17\NOVEMBER\S01NO7.REC S01NO7 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6973 2017, at 10 a.m., in room SR–253 to con- COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS (The resolution, with its preamble, is duct a hearing on the following nomi- The Committee on Indian Affairs is printed in today’s RECORD under ‘‘Sub- nations: James Bridenstine, of Okla- authorized to meet during the session mitted Resolutions.’’) homa, to be Administrator of the Na- of the Senate on Wednesday, November f tional Aeronautics and Space Adminis- 1, 2017, at 9:30 a.m., in room SD–628 to tration, Dana Baiocco, of Ohio, to be a conduct a hearing entitled ‘‘Building ORDERS FOR THURSDAY, Commissioner of the Consumer Prod- Tribal economies: Modernizing tax NOVEMBER 2, 2017 uct Safety Commission, and Nazakhtar policies that work for Indian country.’’ Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I Nikakhtar, of Maryland, and Neil Ja- SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE ask unanimous consent that when the cobs, of North Carolina, both to be an The Select Committee on Intel- Senate completes its business today, it Assistant Secretary of Commerce. ligence is authorized to meet during adjourn until 9:30 a.m., Thursday, No- COMMITTEE ON BANKING, HOUSING, AND URBAN the session of the Senate on Wednes- vember 2; further, that following the AFFAIRS day, November 1, 2017, at 9:30 a.m., in prayer and pledge, the morning hour be The Committee on Banking, Housing, room SH–216 to conduct a hearing enti- deemed expired, the Journal of pro- and Urban Affairs is authorized to tled ‘‘Social Media Influence in the 2016 ceedings be approved to date, the time meet during the session of the Senate U.S. Elections.’’ for the two leaders be reserved for their on Wednesday, November 1, 2017, at 10 SUBCOMMITTEE ON MULTILATERAL INTER- use later in the day, and morning busi- a.m., to vote on the following nomina- NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, MULTILATERAL IN- ness be closed; finally, that following tions: David J. Ryder, of New Jersey, STITUTIONS, AND INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC, leader remarks, the Senate proceed to to be Director of the Mint, Department ENERGY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY executive session and resume consider- of the Treasury, and Hester Maria The Subcommittee on Multilateral ation of the Eid nomination under the Peirce, of Ohio, and Robert J. Jackson, International Development, Multilat- previous order. Jr., of New York, both to be a Member eral Institutions, and International The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without of the Securities and Exchange Com- Economic, Energy, and Environmental objection, it is so ordered. mission. Policy of the Committee on Foreign f COMMITTEE ON BANKING, HOUSING, AND URBAN Relations is authorized to meet during AFFAIRS the session of the Senate Wednesday, ADJOURNMENT UNTIL 9:30 A.M. The Committee on Banking, Housing, November 1, 2017, at 2:30 p.m. to con- TOMORROW and Urban Affairs is authorized to duct a hearing. meet during the session of the Senate Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, if on Wednesday, November 1, 2017, at 10 f there is no further business to come be- a.m., to conduct a hearing on the fol- PRIVILEGES OF THE FLOOR fore the Senate, I ask unanimous con- sent that it stand adjourned under the lowing nominations: Scott Garrett, of Mr. MERKLEY. Mr. President, I ask New Jersey, to be President, Kimberly previous order. unanimous consent that my intern, There being no objection, the Senate, A. Reed, of West Virginia, to be First Isamar Chavez, be granted privileges of Vice President, Mark L. Greenblatt, of at 6:37 p.m., adjourned until Thursday, the floor for the remainder of the day. November 2, 2017, at 9:30 a.m. Maryland, to be Inspector General, and The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without Spencer Bachus III, of Alabama, Judith objection, it is so ordered. f Delzoppo Pryor, of Ohio, and Claudia NOMINATIONS Slacik, of New York, each to be a Mem- f ber of the Board of Directors, all of the SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND Executive nominations received by Export-Import Bank. IDEALS OF NATIONAL DOMESTIC the Senate: COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE The Committee on Foreign Relations Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I MICHAEL D. GRIFFIN, OF ALABAMA, TO BE A PRIN- is authorized to meet during the ses- CIPAL DEPUTY UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, VICE ask unanimous consent that the Sen- ALAN F. ESTEVEZ. sion of the Senate on Wednesday, No- ate proceed to the consideration of S. RANDALL G. SCHRIVER, OF VIRGINIA, TO BE AN AS- vember 1, 2017, at 10 a.m., to conduct a SISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, VICE DAVID B. Res. 320, submitted earlier today. SHEAR. hearing on the following nominations: The PRESIDING OFFICER. The DEPARTMENT OF STATE Irwin Steven Goldstein, of New York, clerk will report the resolution by JOEL DANIES, OF MARYLAND, A CAREER MEMBER OF to be Under Secretary for Public Diplo- title. THE SENIOR FOREIGN SERVICE, CLASS OF COUNSELOR, macy, Rebecca Eliza Gonzales, of The legislative clerk read as follows: TO BE AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY AND PLENI- POTENTIARY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO Texas, to be Ambassador to the King- A resolution (S. Res. 320) supporting the THE GABONESE REPUBLIC, AND TO SERVE CONCUR- dom of Lesotho, Lisa A. Johnson, of goals and ideals of National Domestic Vio- RENTLY AND WITHOUT ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION AS AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY AND PLENIPOTENTIARY Washington, to be Ambassador to the lence Awareness Month, commending domes- OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO THE DEMO- Republic of Namibia, James Randolph tic violence victim advocates, domestic vio- CRATIC REPUBLIC OF SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE. Evans, of Georgia, to be Ambassador to lence victim service providers, crisis hotline DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION staff, and first responders serving victims of Luxembourg, and Sean P. Lawler, of DOUGLAS WEBSTER, OF VIRGINIA, TO BE CHIEF FINAN- Maryland, to be Chief of Protocol, and domestic violence for their compassionate CIAL OFFICER, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, VICE LAW- to have the rank of Ambassador during support of survivors of domestic violence, RENCE A. WARDER, RESIGNED. and expressing the sense of the Senate that DEPARTMENT OF LABOR his tenure of service, all of the Depart- Congress should continue to support efforts ment of State. SCOTT A. MUGNO, OF PENNSYLVANIA, TO BE AN AS- to end domestic violence, provide safety for SISTANT SECRETARY OF LABOR, VICE DAVID MORRIS MI- COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY victims of domestic violence and their fami- CHAELS. The Committee on the Judiciary is lies, and hold perpetrators of domestic vio- THE JUDICIARY lence accountable. authorized to meet during the session JAMES R. SWEENEY II, OF INDIANA, TO BE UNITED of the Senate on Wednesday, November There being no objection, the Senate STATES DISTRICT JUDGE FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT 1, 2017, at 10 a.m., in room SD–226 to proceeded to consider the resolution. OF INDIANA, VICE SARAH EVANS BARKER, RETIRED. FOREIGN SERVICE conduct a hearing on the following Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I nominations: Leonard Steven Grasz, of ask unanimous consent that the reso- THE FOLLOWING–NAMED MEMBERS OF THE FOREIGN SERVICE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE TO BE A CON- Nebraska, to be United States Circuit lution be agreed to, the preamble be SULAR OFFICER AND A SECRETARY IN THE DIPLOMATIC Judge for the Eighth Circuit, Terry A. agreed to, and the motions to recon- SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Doughty, to be United States District LISA–FELICIA AFI AKORLI, OF ARIZONA sider be considered made and laid upon JAMES STEVEN ALVARADO, OF VIRGINIA Judge for the Western District of Lou- the table with no intervening action or BRITTANY NICOLE ANKERMAN, OF VIRGINIA isiana, Terry Fitzgerald Moorer, to be JUAN JOSE APARICIO, OF CALIFORNIA debate. ASHLE MARIE AROSTEGUI, OF FLORIDA United States District Judge for the The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without MARC N. BACHARACH, OF VIRGINIA Southern District of Alabama, and WILLIAM HUTCHESON BAKSI, OF THE DISTRICT OF CO- objection, it is so ordered. LUMBIA Mark Saalfield Norris, Sr., to be United The resolution (S. Res. 320) was DANIELLE PAULINE BARCHETTI, OF VIRGINIA States District Judge for the Western GEORGIOS BARDIS, OF MARYLAND agreed to. ERIC TOWNSHEND BARKER, OF VIRGINIA District of Tennessee. The preamble was agreed to. KATHLEEN V. BARRAMEDA, OF VIRGINIA

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:54 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00037 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 9801 E:\CR\FM\A01NO6.026 S01NOPT1 S6974 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 1, 2017

WILLIAM ABELLO BASKERVILLE III, OF COLORADO DEJE JURIE HOLMES, OF ILLINOIS WILLARD SCOTT ROSENER, OF VIRGINIA BYRON J. BEAN, OF VIRGINIA ROSS R. HOLTAN, OF VIRGINIA ERIC SALGADO, OF CONNECTICUT JESSICA ANN BECK, OF VIRGINIA ALISON PAIGE HOPKINS, OF VIRGINIA SPENCER ASHLEY SALIBUR, OF NEW YORK HEATHER NICOLE BLAIR, OF VIRGINIA CHARLES WILLIAM HOUGH, OF VIRGINIA CHARLES J. SCHILDECKER, OF VIRGINIA THOMAS BOYLE, OF VIRGINIA JONATHAN PATRICK HULTINE, OF VIRGINIA MICHAEL RAY SEIFERT, OF VIRGINIA GREGORY W. BRONSON, OF VIRGINIA NIA THERESA JACKSON, OF FLORIDA TALIA E. SHABAT, OF VIRGINIA SHANE ERIC BROOKS, OF VIRGINIA MAURICE EZEKIEL JACKSON, OF FLORIDA TARA ALINE SHAUGHNESSY, OF THE DISTRICT OF CO- JONATHAN R. BUFFALOE, OF VIRGINIA NATAZIA RACHELE JOHNSON, OF VIRGINIA LUMBIA TAREN KATRICE BURKETT–SORLIE, OF VIRGINIA STACEY LEAH JOHNSON, OF VIRGINIA FELICIA LAVITA SHERROD, OF VIRGINIA JASON BURKHOLDER, OF VIRGINIA JEFFREY CHINEDU JOSEPH, OF ILLINOIS GURJAS SINGH, OF VIRGINIA DANIELLE NICOLE BURLEY, OF VIRGINIA SUSAN ALEXANDRA KAHRS, OF VIRGINIA JAGMANPREET SINGH, OF VIRGINIA DANIEL JACOB BURNETT, OF COLORADO AJA SIERRA KENNEDY, OF NORTH CAROLINA MEAGAN NICOLE SKILLAS, OF VIRGINIA SHAWN CHRISTOPHER BUSH, JR., OF NEW YORK JEAN E. KHALIFE, OF VIRGINIA LAURA VALERIA SOLANO, OF FLORIDA JUNY GUADALUPE CANENGUEZ, OF VIRGINIA JOY ALEXANDREA KING, OF FLORIDA JARRETT BLAKE SOUTER–KLINE, OF CALIFORNIA PHILIP MUIR CHAMBERLAIN, OF ARIZONA JOHN ANTHONY KRISTENSEN, OF VIRGINIA KATRINA LACEY SPRINGER, OF NEW YORK MARCUS ALAN CHANEY, OF CALIFORNIA MARCI LUEDTKE LACY, OF VIRGINIA JONATHAN GORDON SPRINGER, OF THE DISTRICT OF CO- MICHAEL LOUIS CONNELLY, OF VIRGINIA DAVID A. LAHTI, OF VIRGINIA LUMBIA JONATHAN F. COOK, OF VIRGINIA DAVID W. LAUDENBACK, OF VIRGINIA MELANIE KATHLEEN ST. CLAIR, OF COLORADO HAILEY MCCALL COOK, OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CATHERINE LEMERY, OF VIRGINIA MICHAEL C. STEWART, OF VIRGINIA ANDREW MICHAEL COSTA, OF VIRGINIA DANIEL THOMAS LEONARD, OF VIRGINIA NICHOLAS RYAN STONE, OF VIRGINIA MICHAEL CRAWFORD, OF VIRGINIA THOMAS J. LEONETTE, OF VIRGINIA BRENDAN SETH TAUBMAN, OF VIRGINIA JONATHAN BRIDGER CRONBERGER, OF VIRGINIA JASON ERIC LESSER, OF VIRGINIA LAURA ELIZABETH THOMAS, OF THE DISTRICT OF CO- MICHAEL EUGENE CROWLEY, OF VIRGINIA GRACE EUNHAE LIM, OF VIRGINIA LUMBIA NICOLLE ANN CUMBERLAND, OF VIRGINIA CATHERINE MARIE LIPPER, OF VIRGINIA MATTHEW HUTTON TONKIN, OF VIRGINIA LINDA MARIE DOMINICK, OF VIRGINIA CHAD MICHAEL MADDOX, OF GEORGIA DANTE RENATO TOPPO, OF OREGON TIFFANY LAUREN DOZIER, OF VIRGINIA MARIA TERESA MALAGARI, OF MARYLAND DOUGLAS ANTHONY TRABANDT, OF VIRGINIA DANIEL L. DUVAL, OF VIRGINIA MASOOD MANASIA, OF MARYLAND JOSHUA JACOB TRINIDAD, OF NEW YORK CAITLIN MCKENNA EMBREY, OF PENNSYLVANIA DAVID STEVEN MANNAN, OF VIRGINIA INDIA R. TURNER, OF VIRGINIA DAVID MCNEILL FAUST, OF CALIFORNIA VIRNA MANUEL MANUEL, OF VIRGINIA COLLINS PATRICK TYNAN, OF VIRGINIA ANDREW ROBERT FEITT, OF VIRGINIA ERIKA ELIZABETH MARIANO, OF VIRGINIA ANDY VO, OF MASSACHUSETTS LYNDSAY FORD, OF VIRGINIA MARIA KORYO MATE–KODJO, OF IOWA JILL MARIE WAGNER, OF VIRGINIA JASON RICHARD FROST, OF VIRGINIA JOHN DEREK MATEUS, OF VIRGINIA RUSSELL C. WATERS, OF VIRGINIA JONATHAN D. FROST, OF VIRGINIA NOBUKO ANIKA KAI KENYATTA MAYBIN, OF ALASKA KATHERINE VIRGINIA WALCZAK, OF VIRGINIA ANDREA LYNN GARBE, OF VIRGINIA ROBIN ELIZABETH MCKAY, OF VIRGINIA ADAM CHARLES WALESIEWICZ, OF VIRGINIA RENEE ANN GARCIA, OF COLORADO SARAH R. MCLAIN, OF VIRGINIA LYNDSEY REBECCA WEBB, OF VIRGINIA JONATHAN MCDONOUGH GEARING, OF KANSAS JOHN AUGUSTUS MCLAUGHLIN, OF VIRGINIA JOSEPH RAY WEBSTER, OF VIRGINIA VALERIE LYNNE GECOWETS, OF VIRGINIA YOLANDA W. MCLEOD, OF VIRGINIA ANNELIESE WELSH, OF VIRGINIA MATTHEW S. GERSHWIN, OF VIRGINIA JOHN A. K. MILLER, OF VIRGINIA ANTHONY SCOTT WHITE, OF VIRGINIA MEAGAN ELIZABETH GILTNER, OF THE DISTRICT OF CO- JESSIE LYNN MILSTEAD, OF VIRGINIA GENA MARIE WIGGINS, OF VIRGINIA LUMBIA ANDREW JOSEPH MINOSKI, OF VIRGINIA STEPHANIE P. WILSON, OF VIRGINIA JEFFREY JAMES GOERSS, OF VIRGINIA JALITA AYANA FATIMA MOORE, OF CALIFORNIA THE FOLLOWING–NAMED CAREER MEMBERS OF THE MICHAEL DAVID GOLLEM, OF VIRGINIA SHAIESHA LATISHA MOORE, OF ILLINOIS SENIOR FOREIGN SERVICE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF JOSHUA GUILO GONZALEZ, OF OHIO JONATHAN MOYSEN, OF VIRGINIA STATE FOR PROMOTION WITHIN THE SENIOR FOREIGN REBECCA JOY GOULD, OF VIRGINIA ANNE MARIE NEWBORG, OF VIRGINIA SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, CLASS OF NICHOLAS ALEXANDER GRANDCHAMPS, OF FLORIDA ALEXIS LENI NIEVES, OF NEW YORK CAREER MINISTER: JOHN COOPER GREEN, OF VIRGINIA EMILY ELIZABETH NISSLEY, OF VIRGINIA JOANNE DANELLE GREENBERG, OF VIRGINIA CHUMA OBINNA NNAWULEZI, OF NEBRASKA JOHN R. BASS II, OF VIRGINIA KAMOLRAT S. GRIMES, OF VIRGINIA TEMIDAYO OLUWO, OF VIRGINIA JOHN D. FEELEY, OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA LEE D GROENEVELD, OF TEXAS WILLIAM ROLAND PATTERSON, OF VIRGINIA JUDITH G. GARBER, OF VIRGINIA STEPHEN RAY GROVE, OF VIRGINIA ANGELA D. PATTERSON, OF VIRGINIA SUNG Y. KIM, OF VIRGINIA TARA CHRISTINE HAASE, OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUM- MICAELA LYNN PAWLAK, OF VIRGINIA BIA JEREME PAUL PEDERSEN, OF VIRGINIA f JENNIFER A HAM, OF TEXAS C. JAMES PERANTEAU, OF NEVADA DANIEL JOHN HARPER, OF ARIZONA CAITLIN LEIGH PERKS, OF VIRGINIA CONFIRMATION LARRY ORNEZ HARRIS, JR., OF ILLINOIS STANISLAS PHANORD, OF MASSACHUSETTS RIJEN B. HENDRICK, OF VIRGINIA ALEKSANDAR POPOV, OF VIRGINIA Executive nomination confirmed by TESSA HENRY, OF PENNSYLVANIA SHELLEY M. PRICE, OF VIRGINIA NATHANAEL GUSTAV HINS, OF VIRGINIA ERIN LYNN RAYL, OF VIRGINIA the Senate November 1, 2017: MACY LYNNE HINTZMAN, OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUM- ANDREW P. REEL, OF VIRGINIA THE JUDICIARY BIA HIRAM JAVIER RIOS HERNANDEZ, OF FLORIDA TANNY HO, OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA VERONICA LYNNE RISNER, OF VIRGINIA JOAN LOUISE LARSEN, OF MICHIGAN, TO BE UNITED ERIC HOFFMAN, OF FLORIDA MARION DEBERNIERE ROBERTSON III, OF VIRGINIA STATES CIRCUIT JUDGE FOR THE SIXTH CIRCUIT.

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RECOGNIZING THE AMERICAN MU- for his induction into the Wisconsin Military Coaches: Jessman Smith, Jeff Evans, Jake SEUM OF TORT LAW’S SECOND Academy Hall of Fame. LTC McGrath’s long Helvey, Jesse Smith, Eric Morrow, Pat Wilson, ANNIVERSARY and distinguished career is highlighted by the Tom Koch, Jeremy Dove, Grant Schmidt numerous accolades and successes he Mr. Speaker, by winning two championships HON. JOHN B. LARSON achieved during his service in the United at this year’s state tournament, this team and OF CONNECTICUT States Army and Wisconsin Army National their coaches demonstrates the rewards of Guard. hard work, commitment, and determination. I IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES LTC McGrath has been an integral factor in am honored to represent each of them in the Wednesday, November 1, 2017 protecting America’s security interests here at United States Congress and it is with great Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I home, while also spreading peace around the pride that I recognize them today. I ask that rise today in recognition of the American Mu- world. Following the tragic events of Sep- my colleagues in the United States House of seum of Tort Law, located in Winsted, CT, tember 11, 2001, LTC McGrath deployed to Representatives join me in congratulating which celebrated its second anniversary on Nicaragua to help ensure the security of the them for competing in this rigorous competi- September 25, 2017. In honor of its history Nicaraguan President and establish the future tion and wishing them all nothing but contin- and continued importance as a national edu- success of the joint Wisconsin-Nicaragua part- ued success. cational institution, I would like to commemo- nership. f rate the museum and celebrate this milestone. In 2004, LTC McGrath was deployed to Af- Since its founding by Ralph Nader, the ghanistan to direct operations in support of the 2017 WOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD American Museum of Tort Law has attracted Kandak ETT comprised of American and Coa- WINNER—BARBARA BECKWORTH national acclaim from media outlets including lition partners. LTC McGrath was also instru- Politico, the New Yorker, the Boston Globe mental in providing direct liaison with the UN HON. JOHN GARAMENDI and the Washington Post. Its vital importance Ballot Counting teams, while also coordinating OF CALIFORNIA to our citizenry has been recognized by former physical security for the provincial ballot col- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. lection compound during the Afghan Presi- Wednesday, November 1, 2017 Thousands of people have attended the mu- dential election. seum and have come away educated, enter- Upon his return to the United States, LTC Mr. GARAMENDI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today tained, and impressed by its presentation. McGrath’s leadership led to the creation of the to recognize Barbara Beckworth, a community The mission of this unique institution is to Warrant Officer Candidate School at the 426th activist in Dixon, California, and small busi- educate, inform, and inspire Americans about Regiment, a fiscally responsible move that ness owner with a heart of service and a their legal system, with a focus on the right of brought greater strength and security to Wis- strong desire to help others. She has been in- trial by jury and the benefits of tort law. consin. volved in nearly every organization and club in Through school group visits, self-guided tours, LTC McGrath received the Bronze Star, the Dixon area and has served in many lead- quality curated programing, and its website, among many other awards, for his honorable ership roles. the museum has shown true dedication to- service and dedication to our country. LTC Barbara’s commitment and love for her wards the fostering of greater civic knowledge McGrath’s commitment and courage have left community as a leader is reflected by her in- and awareness. a profound impact on the men and women he volvement in several committees and organi- Moving forward, the museum has an ambi- led and served with across the world, as well zations. She was past Chair and Member of tious plan to expand, including not just on-site as continued security of our great nation. the Governmental Affairs Committee where operations, but broadening its reach by trav- Mr. Speaker, I urge all members of this she continues to moderate the candidate’s fo- eling across the country and becoming a re- body to join me in commending LTC Joseph rums, she sits on several scholarship commit- source for practitioners, judges, and legal McGrath for his dedicated military service and tees for the students at Dixon High School, scholars. congratulate his induction into the Wisconsin and she’s also served as past president for I have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to Military Academy Hall of Fame. the Dixon Chamber of Commerce and Dixon personally visit the American Museum of Tort f Downtown Business Association. Her desire to Law. As a former history teacher, I can attest make Dixon a better place didn’t stop there. to the tremendous value this museum pro- TRIBUTE TO THE SOUTHEAST She also is past president of Lambtown USA vides through the details and historical context POLK WRESTLING TEAM and is involved every year in the annual Dixon that brings to life the law and justice. Tort law May Fair Parade. has improved the lives of so many and this HON. DAVID YOUNG Barbara is a true civic leader. There are museum tells that story. OF IOWA many words to describe Barbara: graceful, el- I am proud to have such an exciting and im- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES egant, beautiful, but most of all she is simply portant institution located in my district. Con- the nicest person one would ever meet. She Wednesday, November 1, 2017 gratulations to the American Museum of Tort was honored with the Dixon Citizen of the Law on celebrating its second anniversary. Mr. YOUNG of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I rise Year in 1989 and is considered an icon in May it continue to educate and inspire for gen- today to recognize and congratulate the Dixon who is loved by all who know her. Bar- erations to come. Southeast Polk Wrestling team for winning the bara is also known for her beloved dress shop f Iowa High School 3A State Wrestling Team that was in Downtown Dixon for many years. Championship and the Class 3A State Wres- f IN RECOGNITION OF LTC JOSEPH tling Dual Championship. MCGRATH AND HIS INDUCTION I would like to congratulate each member of TRIBUTE TO RDG PLANNING & INTO THE WISCONSIN MILITARY the team: DESIGN ACADEMY HALL OF FAME Wrestlers: Mark Ames, Cam Baarda, Gavin Babcock, Zach Barnes, Josh Barron, Levi HON. DAVID YOUNG HON. MIKE GALLAGHER Brand, Thaddeus Breitsprecker, Adam Brown, OF IOWA OF WISCONSIN Gabe Christenson, Cade DeVos, Grant IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Dishinger, Devin Harmison, Nate Lendt, Gauge Perrien, Nathan Robillard, Joe Row- Wednesday, November 1, 2017 Wednesday, November 1, 2017 land, Sawyer Shaw, Ryan Strickland, Brady Mr. YOUNG of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I rise Mr. GALLAGHER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today Wenner, Cody Wonderlich today to recognize and congratulate RDG to honor and recognize LTC Joseph McGrath Head Coach: Jason Christenson Planning & Design of Des Moines, Iowa for

∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 9920 E:\CR\FM\K01NO8.001 E01NOPT1 E1476 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks November 1, 2017 being named one of the 2016 Businesses of Roll Call vote 591 on Tuesday, October 31, training of Department of Defense CI/HUMINT the Year at the Des Moines East and South 2017. Had I been present, I would have voted professionals prior to their deployments into Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner and Yea on Roll Call vote 591. Iraq and Afghanistan. In the fall of 2008, Mas- Awards Ceremony earlier this year. f ter Sergeant Contreras returned to the CI/ The Business of the Year award celebrates HUMINT school to provide support to the a local business that is dedicated to serving IN RECOGNITION OF MASTER training staff. His next assignment in March their community. RDG Planning and Design SERGEANT PAUL CONTRERAS 2009 was with Marine Forces Command G2X has helped to design numerous buildings, office. Due to his excellent reputation, MSgt landscapes and interiors across the Midwest, HON. BARBARA COMSTOCK Contreras was requested by name to mobilize but the company’s dedication extends beyond OF VIRGINIA with Marine Forces Europe from November their office walls. Their employees help em- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2011 until August 2013 where he served as body one of the company’s core principles of Wednesday, November 1, 2017 Counterintelligence Operations Chief. He re- giving back to the community. From schools to turned to the United States for assignment to churches, neighborhood associations to char- Mrs. COMSTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I, along Intelligence Support Battalion, Marine Forces ities and non-profits, you’ll find RDG employ- with my colleague Representative ROBERT Reserve in Quantico, VA. In his civilian career, ees devoting their time to making their com- WITTMAN, rise today to recognize the twenty- MSgt Contreras also joined the Defense Intel- munities a better place to live. five years that Master Sergeant Paul ligence Agency’s Counterespionage Division. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to represent Contreras has served in the United States Ma- He remained on Marine Reserve duty with Iowa businesses like RDG Planning and De- rine Corps. MSgt Contreras is a true patriot Bravo Company until November 2014, upon sign in the United States Congress and it is who has significantly contributed to the de- which time he transferred to Individual Ready with great pride that I recognize them today. I fense of our Nation. He enlisted in the Marine Reserve Status intending to retire. Recog- ask that my colleagues in the United States Corps in April, 1992 and was assigned to Re- nizing the immeasurable contribution that House of Representatives join me in congratu- cruit Training Center, San Diego, CA. He sub- MSgt Contreras had made to the CI/HUMINT lating them for this outstanding recognition sequently attended Marine Combat Training profession, the senior leadership of Intel- and in wishing them all nothing but continued before being transferred to Marine Corps Lo- ligence Support Battalion compelled MSgt success. gistics Base, Albany, GA where he trained as Contreras to consider withdrawing his retire- a Packaging Specialist. Lance Corporal f ment request in order to serve one final tour Contreras’ first assignment was to Supply with the Battalion and in February 2016 MSgt 2017 WOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD Company, 1st Supply Battalion, 1st Service Contreras returned to Bravo Company. He WINNER—BARBARA COTTER Support Group, Camp Pendleton, CA. Within subsequently participated in a US Army exer- his first month of this assignment, LCpl cise at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and served HON. JOHN GARAMENDI Contreras volunteered to deploy in support of as both Company CI/HUMINT Chief and Sen- OPERATION RESTORE HOPE in Mogadishu, OF CALIFORNIA ior Enlisted Advisor until his retirement in No- Somalia. Upon completion of this deployment, vember of 2017. During this same time, MSgt IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES he was selected to attend Marine Security Contreras was hired by the Marine Corps In- Wednesday, November 1, 2017 Guard training, transferring to Marine Security telligence Activity in the Office of the Counter- Mr. GARAMENDI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today Guard Battalion, Quantico, VA. Upon gradua- intelligence Coordinating Authority where he is to recognize Barbara (Babs) Cotter of Yuba tion from this rigorous course, LCpl Contreras’ able to continue to support his beloved Corps City, California, who exemplifies the qualities first assignment was to U.S. Embassy Abidjan, by influencing the development and direction of selfless service and possesses a deep de- Ivory Coast. In July 1995 Cpl Contreras was of counterintelligence activities for the Marine sire to help others in the community. transferred to U.S. Embassy Santiago, Chile Corps into the future. Barbara Cotter, a retired educator dedicated for his second post. Mr. Speaker, few can match the dedication her entire career doing what she loved best; Upon departure from Chile, Sergeant and Esprit de Corps that Paul Contreras has making a difference in the lives of elementary Contreras served with 1st Supply Battalion displayed over his twenty-five years of service school children. Her career spanned over a until early 1998 when he began the process of to Corps and country. We wish Paul continued period of 38 years; 33 in the Yuba City Unified applying for the Marine Corps’ Counterintel- success in his future endeavors. Many thanks School District. As an elementary school ligence/Human Intelligence (CI/HUMINT) occu- to Master Sergeant Contreras. Our Nation has teacher, she was inspiring, beloved, and re- pational specialty. Staff Sergeant Contreras benefited from his outstanding leadership. vered by her students and fellow teachers was competitively selected to train as a CI/ f alike. HUMINT Marine, attending school from Janu- 2017 WOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD In 1986, after surviving a life threatening ary to June, 1999. SSgt Contreras’ first as- WINNER—BALJINDER DHILLON medical diagnosis, she had an overwhelming signment was with 1st CI/HUMINT Company desire to give back to a community that where he served until being selected to deploy with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit. Dur- HON. JOHN GARAMENDI helped her through her recovery. She became OF CALIFORNIA ing this deployment, SSgt Contreras partici- a Reach to Recover coordinator, and eventu- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ally a board member for the American Cancer pated in recovery efforts following the bombing Society. Barbara’s heart of service didn’t stop of the USS Cole in Aden, Yemen. In 2000, Wednesday, November 1, 2017 there, she also volunteered for the Community SSgt Contreras returned to 1st CI/HUMINT Mr. GARAMENDI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today Memorial Museum of Sutter County, the State Company where he served until June, 2001 to recognize Dr. Baljinder Dhillon of Yuba City, Convention Planning Board for Philanthropic before being reassigned to 2nd CI/HUMINT California, who has dedicated her life to edu- Educational Organization, Middle Mountain Company, Camp Lejeune, NC. During this as- cation. She currently serves as the Sutter Foundation, and Girls on the Run. signment, SSgt Contreras supported various County Superintendent of Schools. Her career In 2009, Barbara Cotter was honored with exercises including BATTLE GRIFFIN in 2002, began as a fifth-grade teacher at Tierra Buena the Caroline S. Ringler Perpetual Service and deployed in support of combat operations Elementary School in the Yuba City Unified Award for outstanding service to the Museum to Kabul, Afghanistan in 2002 and Babil, Iraq School District. After earning her master’s de- and has been appointed to a lifetime position in 2004. gree she moved into administration, serving as on the Museum Commission. In 2006, Gunnery Sergeant Contreras com- the assistant principal at Tierra Buena and f pleted his active service to pursue a civilian Barry elementary schools. She later became career but remained committed to the Marine the principal at Rio Del Oro Elementary in the PERSONAL EXPLANATION Corps, joining the Select Marine Corps Re- Plumas Lake Elementary School District. serve later that year. His first reserve assign- Dr. Dhillon is dedicated to finding ways to HON. LUIS V. GUTIE´RREZ ment was with the Marine Forces Pacific G2X fund programs that benefit teachers, staff and OF ILLINOIS office. From 2006 to 2008 Master Sergeant students. She is credited with authorizing cost- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Contreras supported exercises and operational saving measures for the Sutter County Super- requirements for Marine Forces Pacific. During intendent of Schools office by becoming more Wednesday, November 1, 2017 this same time, MSgt Contreras was a part energy efficient, she’s authored proposals to Mr. GUTIE´ RREZ. Mr. Speaker, I was un- owner of a small defense contracting company fund the California Classified School Em- avoidably absent in the House chamber for dedicated to the further development and ployee Teacher Credentialing Grant and

VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 9920 E:\CR\FM\A01NO8.002 E01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E1477 partnered with the four county offices for the tegic groups within Vacaville Unified School HONORING STAFF SERGEANT California Collaborative for Educational Excel- District to address future programs and cur- RUFUS HONEYCUTT, USMC lence Early Adopter Grant application. riculum, as well as be the catalyst for three Dr. Dhillon received her Bachelor of Arts de- youth summits for teens in the Will C. Wood HON. JOHN R. CARTER gree, Masters of Education degree in Edu- Interact Club. Anna also serves on the Board OF TEXAS cation leadership and a Doctorate of Edu- of Directors for the Vacaville Rotary Club as IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES cation from California State University, Sac- the Youth Services Director and advisor to the ramento. She was recognized by the Cali- Will C. Wood High School Interact Club. Wednesday, November 1, 2017 fornia Superintendents Educational Services Anna was born in Vietnam and came to Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise Association as Spotlight Leader for November America as a young child with her family as today to honor Staff Sergeant Rufus 2016. Dr. Dhillon was also honored for her they escaped from Saigon as the United Honeycutt, USMC, for his dedication and com- dedication and commitment by the Sikh Tem- States Forces withdrew. She is a proud moth- mitment to our country. SSG Honeycutt’s ex- ple Gurdwara of Yuba City at their 37th An- er of four and proud American who dedicates traordinary devotion to community and service nual Nagar Kirtan Sikh Parade. her life to giving back to the country that has reflects the best values of Central Texas. He f afforded her so many opportunities. ‘‘Life is is a fitting and worthy recipient of a Congres- more meaningful when we evolve into a pur- sional Veteran Commendation. TRIBUTE TO WILMA HUGHES pose greater than ourselves.’’ SSG Honeycutt enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1960, and spent six years HON. DAVID YOUNG f proudly defending his country. His military ca- OF IOWA reer included wartime deployment with the first IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PERSONAL EXPLANATION combat unit to see action in Vietnam and earned him numerous awards and medals in- Wednesday, November 1, 2017 HON. BRUCE WESTERMAN cluding the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Mr. YOUNG of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I rise for Vietnam Service. today to recognize and congratulate Wilma OF ARKANSAS Following his military career, Rufus has Hughes of Bedford, Iowa for being named the IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES served those around him with boundless altru- Lioness of the Year by the Bedford Iowa Lion- Wednesday, November 1, 2017 ism and exemplary leadership. A profoundly ess Club. respected pillar of the Round Rock commu- Wilma has been an active member of her Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I was un- nity, SSG Honeycutt has dedicated his time to community for many years. She is a dedicated avoidable detained and had to miss the vote numerous community organizations, including church member, helping with bereavement on H.R. 2521, South Carolina Peanut Parity six years of service on the Round Rock City dinners, folding newsletters, Friday night din- Act. Had I been present, I would have voted Council. He continues to support fellow vet- ner preparations, playing for Sunday services Yea on Roll Call No. 591. erans by providing transportation to the VA, and she’s active on church committees. On working as the Blood Drive Coordinator at Ft. top of that, she also bakes pies for the Amer- f Hood, and much more. He has volunteered ican Legion bingo night and volunteers with countless hours in his community, and has 2017 WOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD the Taylor County Fair Booth each year. She consistently placed his neighbors’ needs be- WINNER—BARBARA GRAHAM worked alongside her husband, Glen, for 48 fore his own. For these reasons and many years at their family farm and raised three chil- more, his community carne together in 2002 to dren. HON. JOHN GARAMENDI honor Rufus Honeycutt as Round Rock Citizen Mr. Speaker, I am honored to represent OF CALIFORNIA of the Year. community leaders like Wilma in the United SSG Honeycutt is a hero who has devoted IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES States Congress and it is with great pride that his life to defending our freedoms abroad and I recognize her today. I ask that my col- Wednesday, November 1, 2017 serving his community at home. Dedicated leagues in the United States House of Rep- public servants like him make Central Texas a Mr. GARAMENDI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today resentatives join me in congratulating her for great place to live. I join his family and friends to recognize Mrs. Barbara Graham of this outstanding recognition and in wishing her in saluting his honored work and commitment Vacaville, California, who exemplifies the nothing but the best. to our country. qualities of selfless service and boundless giv- f ing of herself to the betterment of others. A f 2017 WOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD woman of great faith, Barbara has been a pil- 2017 WOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNER—ANNA EATON lar of the Vacaville community for many years. WINNER—BECKY MARIGO In the late 80’s, she with husband and co-pas- HON. JOHN GARAMENDI tor, Willie Graham, founded the Christian Body HON. JOHN GARAMENDI Life Church in Vacaville where she serves and OF CALIFORNIA OF CALIFORNIA has served as Sunday School Teacher, IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Preacher, Choir member, Head of the Wom- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Wednesday, November 1, 2017 en’s Department, and servant to any needy Wednesday, November 1, 2017 Mr. GARAMENDI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today family of the congregation. Mr. GARAMENDI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Ms. Anna Eaton of Vacaville, CA, In 1999, Mrs. Graham answered the call to to recognize Ms. Becky Marigo of Davis, Cali- who exemplifies the qualities of selfless serv- assist the Vacaville Police Department in es- fornia, who is committed to serving her com- ice and possesses a passion for serving our tablishing resource for victims of domestic vio- munity and has a clear passion for helping youth. Since 2013, Anna has distinguished lence. This program provides food, clothing, those who are truly in need. Through her work herself as the Executive Director of the counseling, and many other free referral serv- as a program supervisor and case manager at Vacaville Neighborhood Boys & Girls Club ices in collaboration with city and county serv- Davis Community Meals and Housing, Ms. where she helps provide a safe and caring ices. Since 2013, Barbara has also served as Marigo helps homeless individuals find perma- place for youth to learn and grow. During her the Chapel Coordinator for David Grant Med- nent housing. She coordinates with govern- tenure, she has expanded the program to five ical Center at Travis Air Force Base where ment agencies, private businesses, and chari- sites and significantly enhanced the club’s she oversees hospitality and all aspects of table organizations in order to provide re- focus on support and mentorship of the mem- daily operation and church services. sources and opportunities to homeless individ- bers as they are prepared for future life suc- Barbara is a Board Member of Safe Quest uals in her community. Her work has helped cess. Solano, a domestic violence shelter for women many individuals to move beyond homeless- Ms. Eaton was also founder of Starbound and their children, and was also integral to es- ness and find work providing for themselves. Theatre, a recreation based youth program, tablishing the Supervised Visiting Care Pro- In Ms. Marigo’s work with Davis Community helping to bring the joyful experience of the- gram in collaboration with the Solano County Meals and Housing, she not only addresses atre to the at-risk and diverse youth of Fair- Courts to provide safe spaces for troubled the need of a whole community, she also field, Vacaville, American Canyon, Dixon, and families to have visitations and promote posi- works to ensure that she meets the needs of Napa. Ms. Eaton also serves in shaping stra- tive joint custody child exchanges. the individual. With every person she serves,

VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 9920 E:\CR\FM\K01NO8.005 E01NOPT1 E1478 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks November 1, 2017 Ms. Marigo treats them with dignity, compas- His talents for engineering were well recog- John and Andy have been climbing and hik- sion, and respect. She has a talent for con- nized and his responsibilities increased. Early ing for over 10 years. When they decided to necting with isolated individuals and helping in his career, he found himself traveling to well tackle the largest mountain in the world over them find comfort in their community. Once over fifty countries briefing Commanding Gen- a year ago, they began their training between Ms. Marigo makes a connection with some- erals and U.S Embassy Ambassadors on heavy work schedules, preparing their bodies one, she sees them through to success, en- communicative data and command post instal- and minds for the physical and mental chal- suring that they have support every step of the lation projects on behalf of the United States lenges such a climb presents. On the after- way. Ms. Marigo’s work helping those in need Military. His missions took him to Europe, the noon of May 21, all of their preparation paid is a great inspiration and exemplifies what it Philippines, Indo-China and to countries in Af- off when they announced on their Facebook means to serve your community. rica and South America, just to name a few. page that they had reached an elevation of f Mr. Orta also worked on military aircraft as 29,052 feet, the summit of Mt. Everest. Along- a radar engineer and found himself assisting side the goal of just conquering the tallest HONORING DEE BRADEN on the improvements and installation of radar mountain in the world, the cousins also used systems in the early B series military aircraft: the opportunity to help raise awareness for HON. JOHN SHIMKUS B29, B36, B47 and B52. Mr. Orta’s work was veterans with PTSD. They plan to use the net- so noted as a leader and accomplished engi- work they built in promoting this climb to help OF ILLINOIS neer that he was assigned to equipping and veterans and their families learn to use out- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES testing radar systems in the early F series door activities to help manage stress. Wednesday, November 1, 2017 military aircraft: F84, F86A, F89, F102 and Mr. Speaker, I am immensely proud of John Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to F106. His proud accomplishment was his role and his cousin Andy for conquering the largest recognize Dee Braden for her service to the as the lead engineer in the development and mountain in the world. I am honored to rep- senior citizens of Coles County, Illinois. installation of new radar technology for the resent them in the United States Congress On December 31, 2017, Dee will be retiring United States Air Force’s F102 Delta Dagger, and it is with great pride that I recognize them from the Coles County Council on Aging a $6 million project at the time of his assign- today. I ask that my colleagues in the United (CCCA) after 41 years of service. Dee began ment. States House of Representatives join me in her career at the CCCA as a Volunteer Re- Mr. Orta’s outstanding accomplishments and congratulating John and Andy for this out- cruiter and was soon promoted to the organi- his willingness to serve our nation faithfully standing accomplishment and in wishing them zation’s Executive Director. Under Dee’s lead- and to the best of his abilities in all positions both nothing but continued success. ership the (CCA was awarded three Illinois was recognized by President Jimmy Carter Governor Awards for Unique Distinction, one and a host of Generals and Ambassadors ac- f of which came after ten years of research, de- knowledging his incredible service to our na- 2017 WOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD velopment, and fundraising that led to the con- tion through his work with the U.S. Depart- WINNER—BRYNDA STRANIX struction of the 25,000 square foot LifeSpan ment of Defense. Center in Charleston, Illinois. Albert Orta and Mary Louise Guerrero mar- I have worked with Dee and the LifeSpan ried in June of 1949 and are blessed with 12 HON. JOHN GARAMENDI Center staff on several occasions to provide children, 31 grandchildren, and 29 great- grandchildren. Throughout his career and trav- OF CALIFORNIA information to my constituents. Dee has al- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ways been most helpful and professional. It is els he recognized that sharing stories of his clear she loves those she serves at LifeSpan travels were important life lessons. There is no Wednesday, November 1, 2017 and loves her community. greater devotion of a father who returned home from a mission to share the experiences Mr. GARAMENDI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today While serving as the CCCA’s Executive Di- he encountered of a different life, different cul- to recognize Brynda Stranix of Yuba City, Cali- rector, Dee simultaneously served her commu- ture and hardships to emphasize the impor- fornia, a pillar of the community who exempli- nity and its seniors in many other capacities tance of hard work, the importance of quality fies the qualities of a true public servant. She by serving on multiple advisory boards and education, to learn to be resilient and to ap- is a proven leader who embodies a passion to committees. Dee has been a true champion in preciate the freedoms we enjoy today. He help others. Brynda currently serves as Presi- her efforts to enhance the quality of life for stands proud that his children and grand- dent and Chief Operating Officer of the Yuba- older adults in her community. children are successful in their own profes- Sutter Economic Development Corporation. Mr. Speaker, I wish Dee nothing but the sional careers; some educators, leaders in the Brynda’s passion to help the community best in her retirement and thank her for her private industries, medical field, financial advi- thrive is reflected in her present and previous many years of dedicated service. sors, some with a heart for public service and work experience in the field of economics. She f some who proudly served our country in the joined the Yuba-Sutter Economic Development military. Corporation (YSEDC) in 2001 with 22 years of A LIFE WELL-LOVED IS A LIFE experience in administrative management, ac- WELL LIVED Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to counting and public relations. Since joining join me in honoring Albert O. Orta for his dis- YSEDC, Brynda has worked tirelessly with HON. JOHN GARAMENDI tinguished career and his proud service to our local businesses as well as public and private OF CALIFORNIA country; and to Mary Louise Orta for her serv- community leaders to identify ways to improve IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ice in standing alongside her husband, sup- and expand business in the area. Brynda takes great pride in her community; Wednesday, November 1, 2017 porting him and their family throughout his missions. she currently serves in eleven officer roles on Mr. GARAMENDI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today boards and commissions for economic devel- f to recognize Mr. Albert O. Orta for his selfless opment, and is a member of twenty-nine var- service to our nation. TRIBUTE TO JOHN ANDERSON ious advisory committees who deal with critical Albert Orta’s extensive career began in issues from healthcare to homelessness and 1947 after completion of his entry level train- HON. DAVID YOUNG women’s issues. When Brynda is not busy at- ing at Lackland Air Force Base as a member OF IOWA tending a meeting, you will always find her at- tending a community event. of the United States Air Force. There, he IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES tracked and noted weather cycles. Soon there- Brynda was presented with the 2016 Athena after, he was promoted to work on the base’s Wednesday, November 1, 2017 Leadership Award for achieving the highest radar and communication equipment as an Mr. YOUNG of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I rise level of professional excellence for her con- electronics technician. today to recognize and congratulate John An- tributions in improving the quality of life for After his service with the United States Air derson of Minburn, Iowa, who, along with his others, especially women, in realizing their full Force, Mr. Orta continued to serve his country cousin, Andy Anderson of Cedar Falls, Iowa, potential. Brynda was born and raised in Yuba as an engineer with the United States Depart- became the first Iowans to climb to the summit City and takes pride in raising three delightful ment of Defense at Lackland Air Force Base. of Mount Everest on the North Face. grandsons.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO8.008 E01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E1479 HONORING IOANNIS hard work and perseverance. It’s now the tary Officers Association of America and the IOANNOPOULOS main attraction of the historical precinct in St. Association of the United States Army. George Street, Saint Augustine, Florida. John After retiring from the U.S. Army in 1992, HON. GUS M. BILIRAKIS Giannopoulos left a deep imprint in the edu- LTC Christ continued to dedicate his time to cational history of St. Augustine by estab- OF FLORIDA worthy causes. He has served as a city coun- lishing a school in his house. Now restored, it cil member in the city of Harker Heights, on IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES stands as one of the oldest school buildings in the Board of Directors for Hill Country Transit, Wednesday, November 1, 2017 the United States. and the Chamber of Commerce. LTC Christ Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to f lives a life dedicated to other veterans in his commemorate the important mark that Ioannis area by working closely with the Area Vet- 2017 WOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD Ioannopoulos had on American society, as the erans Advisory Committee and by founding WINNER—AMANDA WALSH original founder of one of the oldest known the Harker Heights Veterans’ Council. LTC wooden school houses in the country. In order Christ is thoroughly involved in many sports to fully understand the cultural motivation to HON. JOHN GARAMENDI organizations in his area, namely the Tri- establish this historic treasure, one must ex- OF CALIFORNIA County Soccer Club and the T.J. Zimmerman amine Ioannopoulos’s early life. A carpenter IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Soccer Tournament which he holds leadership by trade, Ioannis Ioannopoulos was the son of positions in, as well as many other soccer as- Wednesday, November 1, 2017 George and Maria-Canelas and hailed from sociations. LTC Christ has logged hundreds of the Petalidi area in Messinia that was then Mr. GARAMENDI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today volunteer hours in many organizations, includ- known as ‘‘Koroni’’ (the village of Skoutari, to recognize Ms. Amanda Walsh of Davis, ing as Admiral of the Texas Navy for Governor Mani). He was known by the Spanish as Juan California, who embodies the values of a great Rick Perry. Community activists like him make Genopoly. Ioannopoulos—at the age of 13— teacher, educator, and mentor, and displays Central Texas a great place to live and work. was one of a group of indentured laborers unparalleled dedication to her work. For Ms. I commend LTC Christ for his service to his brought to the New World by Andrew Turnbull Walsh, teaching is not just a job, but a calling. community and country. I join his family and to work an indigo plantation at New Smyrna. As an educator at Pioneer Elementary school, friends in saluting his dedication to our coun- This group of 1,403 Minorcans, Greeks and she has a positive and lasting impact on the try, and being an embodiment of Central Italians suffered mistreatment, starvation and children she teaches every day. Ms. Walsh is Texas values. overextended servitudes at Turnbull’s planta- dedicated to the overall wellbeing of all stu- tion. The people were reduced to slavery, and dents, ensuring that they are safe, fed, and f treated with great cruelty by Trumbull, whose taken care of. She can frequently be found TRIBUTE TO NEWARK BETH partner in the enterprise was the English Gov- working late to keep parents up to date and ISRAEL MEDICAL CENTER FOR ernor of the territory, who kept the colonists in involved in their children’s education. PERFORMING ITS 1,000TH HEART subjection with English troops. This slavery Beyond her work in the classroom, Ms. TRANSPLANT lasted nine years, during which time nearly Walsh finds many ways to serve her commu- two-thirds of these colonists perished; but nity. Over the years, she has been actively in- large crops of indigo were raised for the com- volved with the Parent Teacher Association HON. DONALD M. PAYNE, JR. pany—one year 30,000 lbs. it is stated. and coordinated fundraising efforts for local OF NEW JERSEY In 1776, a new Governor having arrived, the schools. Ms. Walsh has volunteered her time IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES petitions of these people for relief were lis- for the Davis Little League and Davis Legacy Wednesday, November 1, 2017 tened to, and they were released from the tyr- Soccer Club. anny of their master. One year later six hun- A mother of three boys, Amanda is always Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I ask my col- dred refugees, led by Ioannis Ioannopoulos, busy, staying involved in her sons’ education, leagues to join me as I rise to pay tribute to Francisco Pellicer and Antonio Llambias, music, and sports activities. Between her roles the Heart Failure Treatment and Transplant walked to St Augustine and were granted asy- as a mother and a teacher, Amanda is dedi- program at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center lum by Governor Tonyn. They became the cated to the wellbeing and success of chil- for performing its 1,000th heart transplant. largest group of immigrants to settle in Amer- dren. Founded in 1901, Newark Beth Israel Med- ica in one group at one time. Collectively f ical Center is a regional care, teaching hos- called ‘‘Minorcans’’, they were an important pital that provides comprehensive health care part of the fabric of St. Augustine history. It HONORING LIEUTENANT COLONEL services to local communities. Beth Israel is was on Saint George Street where the sur- PATRICK J. CHRIST, U.S. ARMY an important referral and treatment center for vivors of the New Smyrna Colony first settled (RETIRED) patients throughout northern New Jersey, and after their escape. Since that time, this area of it is one of only two hospitals certified to per- Old St. Augustine has been called ‘‘the Greek HON. JOHN R. CARTER form heart transplants in the state. Staffed Quarter’’ and alternately ‘‘the Minorcan Quar- OF TEXAS with more than 800 physicians, 3,200 employ- ter.’’ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ees, and 150 volunteers, the hospital serves Ioannis Giannopoulos built a little house out over 3 million patients each year. of red cedar and cypress and put it together Wednesday, November 1, 2017 Newark Beth Israel Medical Center has long with wooden pegs and handmade nails, some- Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise been a leader in cardiac care. It performed the time around 1800. This building was a home today to honor Lieutenant Colonel Patrick J. first heart transplant in New Jersey in 1986. It first but, as early as 1811, members of the Christ, U.S. Army, Retired, from Harker was the first New Jersey hospital to use Genopoly family taught the children of other Heights, Texas, for his dedication to our coun- extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for ba- Minorcan families in the first floor ‘‘school- try while serving over two decades in the bies awaiting transplants, and it pioneered the room’’ of this building. As the story goes, Army. LTC Christ exemplifies what it means to use of Left Ventricular Assist Devices for Genopoly, in typical Greek fashion, was wor- commit his life to his country and community; heart-transplant patients. ried his children would grow up without an he is a deserving recipient of a Congressional In August, Beth Israel’s Heart Failure Treat- education. Genopoly and his daughter Maria Veteran Commendation. ment and Transplant Program performed its Manuela Barbara ‘‘Mary’’ Genopoly Darling LTC Christ has shown sincere dedication 1,000th heart transplant. Only eleven other were the first teachers. Then Genopoly hired throughout his 23 years in the Army. His com- centers in the United States have reached this a school teacher, and generations of children mitment to serving his country can be seen milestone. Newark Beth Israel Medical Center from St. Augustine went to school in this build- through his extensive list of medals, including deserves to be recognized for its achievement. ing. Juan Genopoly died in 1820. the Southwest Asia Service Medal and the I am proud and honored to have this medical Today, this preserved building is recognized Vietnam Service Medal. In addition to his su- center investing in the health care of my con- as one of the oldest schoolhouses in North perb work defending our nation, LTC Christ stituents and the citizens of the State of New America. It has become the symbol of their held important leadership positions in the Mili- Jersey.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A01NO8.010 E01NOPT1 E1480 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks November 1, 2017 HONORING THE RECIPIENTS OF Hospice and Palliative Care Month and to rec- provide rides to medical appointments. Meals THE 2017 ASIAN-AMERICAN ognize a passionate steward of a non-profit on Wheels volunteers deliver meals every CHAMBER OF COMMERCE EXCEL- hospice—West Virginia Caring. weekday to elderly residents who cannot fend LENCE AWARDS Under the leadership of Ms. Malene Davis, for themselves. ACCA volunteers also spend a West Virginia Caring’s hospice and palliative Saturday in April repairing houses—more than HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY care has helped citizens in 12 counties re- 110 homes have been repaired or rehabili- OF VIRGINIA ceive attentive and respectful care. As we tated since 1990. With the exception of the IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES consider the importance of compassionate and CDC, all of these services are provided by vol- Wednesday, November 1, 2017 dignified care during one’s end of life, we must unteers. protect the fair and adequate compensation Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to rec- for non-profit hospice and palliative care pro- in thanking the staff and volunteers of ACCA ognize the Asian-American Chamber of Com- vider organizations. I continue to be vigilant of and in congratulating them on this incredible merce and the recipients of the 2017 Excel- the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Serv- milestone. Civic engagement is the foundation lence Awards. ices as well as the intermediary contractors of a healthy community, and Fairfax County The Asian-American Chamber of Commerce who review and recommend reimbursement residents enjoy an exceptional quality of life (AACC) is dedicated to improving economic rates on a case-by-case basis. For our fami- due in part to the efforts of these individuals. development opportunities for Asian Pacific lies, friends and the American people, this is Their contributions have been a great benefit American-owned businesses in the Wash- an important aspect of our healthcare respon- to our community and truly merit our highest ington, DC, region. Northern Virginia has a ro- sibility. praise. bust international business community and is During this month, I call particular attention f home to the largest concentration of minority- to the many physicians, nurses, caregivers owned technology firms in the nation. and volunteers who offer invaluable patient PERSONAL EXPLANATION The AACC and its members contribute service under the Medicare Hospice Benefit. I greatly to our regional culture as well as to our thank them for their skills and for their com- economic strength and stability. In fact, Asian- HON. MAC THORNBERRY passionate care. American businesses generate more than 52 OF TEXAS percent of total revenues generated by all mi- f IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES nority owned businesses in this region. In Fair- RECOGNIZING THE 50TH ANNIVER- Wednesday, November 1, 2017 fax County, approximately 25,000 businesses SARY OF ANNANDALE CHRIS- Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, on Tues- are Asian-owned and generate approximately TIAN COMMUNITY FOR ACTION day, October 31, I was unable to be in Wash- $9 billion in annual revenue, creating 54,000 ington and missed Roll Call vote No. 591, To jobs. amend the Farm Security and Rural Invest- Each year, the AACC recognizes individ- HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY OF VIRGINIA ment Act of 2002 to include South Carolina as uals, businesses and non-profit organizations IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES a part of the Virginia/Carolina peanut pro- that have made extraordinary contributions to ducing region for purposes of appointment to Wednesday, November 1, 2017 the Metropolitan Washington community and the Peanut Standards Board. Had I been economy. I am pleased to include in the Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to rec- present, I would have voted yes. RECORD the names of the following recipients ognize the Annandale Christian Community for f of the 2017 Excellence Awards: Action (ACCA) on the occasion of its 50th an- Member of the Year: Stephanie Shei. niversary. In 1967, Fred and Emily Ruffing re- RECOGNIZING MARY BETH COYA Business of the Year: University of North alized that there was a great need for America, State Farm. childcare services for low-income and working Young Professional of the Year: Jhenileen HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY poor families who did not qualify for sub- Libongco. OF VIRGINIA Citizen/Company of the Year: Jon Peterson, sidized daycare. They decided that they need- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ed to take action to address this problem so The Peterson Company. Wednesday, November 1, 2017 Non-Profit of the Year: AAPIVote. they organized a meeting with representatives Asian-American Business Leader: Dr. from eight local churches to set up a day care Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to rec- James S.C. Chao, The Foremost Group. center and ACCA was born. ognize someone who has had a profound im- New Business of the Year: Logos Since 1967, ACCA has continued to grow pact on the Northern Virginia community, Ms. Briosystems. not only in size but in the number of services Mary Beth Coya. I have been proud to partner Chamber Partner: Central Intelligence Agen- provided. What began as a group of eight with Mary Beth on many issues of importance cy, Corner Media, MGM. churches 50 years ago has grown to 26 mem- to the residents of Northern Virginia and the Mentorship Award: Dr. Gary Jones, Youth ber congregations. ACCA has also partnered quality of life we enjoy, and I consider her a for Tomorrow. with the Fairfax County Department of Neigh- good friend. This year marks 30 years since Community Leader: Christina Chang, Chiling borhood and Community Services (NCS) and Mary Beth Coya began her career with the Tong. its services and programs as well as the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors Entrepreneurship of the Year: Terry Hsaio, model of faith community and government (NVAR), beginning in 1987 as a Legislative Hook Mobile, Inc. partnership begun by ACCA has been rep- Assistant. During her career, she has steadily Chairman and President’s Award: Haiwen licated all throughout Fairfax County. advanced and currently serves as the Senior Mackleer, Capital Bank. ACCA gives back to the community in a va- Vice President of Government and Public Af- Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join riety of ways. The Child Development Center fairs for NVAR. me in congratulating the recipients of the 2017 (CDC) provides both developmental childcare Prior to joining NVAR, Mary Beth began her Excellence Awards and in commending the and early childhood education to over 200 tod- career as a staff member with the Virginia AACC for its work to support all Asian-Amer- dlers, preschoolers and infants. The ACCA House of Delegates Appropriations Committee ican owned businesses throughout our region. Pantry collects from churches, schools, com- in Richmond. From there she took her passion f munity groups and local businesses and deliv- for advocacy to the private sector, where she IN RECOGNITION OF NATIONAL ers food and other necessities on an emer- lobbied at both the state and federal levels for HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE CARE gency basis to area households. ACCA’s a variety of associations and companies. MONTH AND WEST VIRGINIA Emergency Assistance program handles finan- Throughout her career, Mary Beth has used CARING cial emergencies such as payment for rent, her knowledge and experience to advocate for utilities, prescription drugs, and minor car re- policies that would improve the lives of the HON. DAVID B. McKINLEY pairs for low-income families who have few re- members of her community. This has perhaps sources to fall back on in a time of crisis. most been felt in the area of transportation, OF WEST VIRGINIA The 26 partner ministries provide a safety where she serves as a member of the Board IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES net while the families recover stability. Fur- of Directors for the Northern Virginia Transpor- Wednesday, November 1, 2017 niture ministry volunteers collect and distribute tation Alliance (NVTA), a business-citizen coa- Mr. MCKINLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to gently used furniture to needy recipients, while lition focused on advancing highway and tran- call attention to November as being National volunteers from the Transportation ministry sit projects of major importance to the region.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 9920 E:\CR\FM\K01NO8.013 E01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E1481 I have worked with Mary Beth and the RECOGNIZING EILEEN CURTIS HONORING THE MEMORY OF FIRE- NVTA on efforts to construct the Silver Line FIGHTER ROBERT ‘‘SKIPPY’’ Metrorail extension and the establishment of TILEARCIO the Virginia Railway Express commuter rail HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY system. In fact, NVTA was the first private OF VIRGINIA HON. PETER T. KING sector organization to call for a dedicated OF NEW YORK IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES funding source for Metro, which is a goal that IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES I share. Wednesday, November 1, 2017 Mary Beth’s career with NVAR and her role Wednesday, November 1, 2017 as a Board Member for the Northern Virginia Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise Transportation Alliance are inextricably inter- to recognize an individual who has had a tre- today to honor the memory of longtime New twined. At NVAR, she has been an experi- York City Firefighter Robert ‘‘Skippy’’ Tilearcio, mendous impact on Northern Virginia. Eileen enced and expert advocate for the advance- who passed away last Wednesday from a ma- ment of major legislation in the Common- Curtis, President and CEO of the Dulles Re- lignant tumor resulting from his months of re- wealth of Virginia. She was instrumental in ob- gional Chamber of Commerce, is retiring after covery efforts at Ground Zero. taining dedicated regional and statewide trans- leading the Chamber since 1994. Skip was a tireless advocate for the portation funding and has a passion for pro- During her tenure, the Dulles Chamber has Zadroga 9/11 Healthcare Act. He came to tecting the real estate industry. Due to her established itself as one of the leading busi- Washington about six times to fight for its ex- strong relationships with elected leaders at all ness advocacy groups in the region, adding to tension in 2014 and 2015, even before he was levels of government and her extensive histor- the quality of life for our residents in the Dulles diagnosed with a fatal tumor. I had the privi- ical knowledge of the region, she has been an lege of meeting Skip Tilearcio when he would Corridor and beyond. I have been proud to effective voice in ensuring that Northern Vir- make these painful trips to Congress. On his work with the Chamber on a host of issues, ginia remains one of the best places in the final visit Skip was confined to a wheelchair country in which to live, work, play, and raise perhaps most significant being Rail to Dulles. but his spirit was as strong as ever. Skip truly a family. The Chamber was instrumental in the founda- personified the courage of New York’s Brav- Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me tion of the Dulles Corridor Rail Association, est. in congratulating Mary Beth Coya on the occa- which helped lobby for federal funding which Skip Tilearcio was the 15th firefighter to die sion of her 30th Anniversary with the Northern was eventually secured to help construct the this year alone from a 9/11 related illness. Virginia Association of Realtors and in com- Silver Line. The 23-mile long Silver Line has Many more are sick and suffering from these mending her for her dedication to the better- spurred major economic development along dreaded 9/11 illnesses. But because of Skip ment of our region. I am pleased to have had the Dulles Corridor and has been singled out Tilearcio’s heroic and successful effort to ex- tend the Zadroga Act, these brave first re- the opportunity to partner with her and NVAR by Fairfax County executives as one of the sponders will receive the very best medical on numerous issues and I look forward to con- main reasons behind Fairfax County’s contin- tinuing to work with her going forward. care and treatment. My sincerest condolences ued economic success. go out to his wife Tina and his two children f In addition to Rail to Dulles, Eileen has Tatiana and Robert. R.I.P. Firefighter Robert ‘‘Skip’’ Tilearcio. TRIBUTE TO DEIDRE DEJEAR worked with the Chamber to enhance the re- gion in other ways including advocating for f HON. DAVID YOUNG STEM education in our schools, forging part- RECOGNIZING DANIEL DUNCAN nerships with the business and education OF IOWA communities, creating greater opportunities for IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY our immigrant community, and establishing OF VIRGINIA Wednesday, November 1, 2017 new local festivals and events to bring the IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Mr. YOUNG of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I rise community together. These efforts are among today to recognize and congratulate Deidre the many reasons why Northern Virginia is Wednesday, November 1, 2017 DeJear on being named the Iowa Small Busi- routinely recognized as one of the best places Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to rec- ness Administration Minority Business Cham- in the United States in which to live, work, ognize my good friend Daniel (Dan) Duncan pion of the Year. raise a family, and start a business. as he steps down after serving for 10 years as Each year, during National Small Business President of the Northern Virginia Labor Fed- Week, the Iowa Small Business Administration Eileen’s efforts have been drawn recognition eration, AFL–CIO (NoVA Labor.) As President announces winners of the Iowa Small Busi- from across the region. The Chamber’s efforts of NoVA Labor, Dan led the largest labor ness Week Awards. Deidre is the president of in education have been honored by Fairfax council in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the business marketing company Caleo Enter- County Public Schools on multiple occasions which represents nearly 70 unions and locals. prises. She’s also a passionate advocate for and the Washington Business Journal rou- In this role, he has been responsible for con- low- to moderate-income individuals and fami- tinely lists the Dulles Chamber as being one of solidating the missions and concerns of the lies, helping to strengthen their financial op- the largest in membership. Eileen herself has various unions and their members into one portunities and knowledge. She led the United been recognized as Woman of the Year by unified voice while ensuring that all opinions Way of Central Iowa’s Financial Capability the Herndon Business & Professional Women are heard and respected. project, where since 2012 over 20,000 people Dan has dedicated his life to improving the and as Executive of the Year by the Virginia have gained access to financial systems and lives of working families. He is committed to improved their financial management skills. Association of Chambers of Commerce Ex- the mission of NoVA Labor which is to bring Deidre has created several programs to pro- ecutives. These accolades speak to the economic justice to the workplace and social vide financial and business education in Cen- strength of Eileen as a leader and the dedica- justice to our communities. He learned these tral Iowa, among which three ‘‘boot camps’’ tion that she has shown to our community. values from an early age—his grandfather was have seen 1,300 people come and learn about There can be no doubt of the positive impact a shop steward at a shipyard in Cleveland, finances, business and non-profits. that she has had on our community and our Ohio and his father was a rank and file Ma- Mr. Speaker, strong communities are built region is better for her efforts. chinist. Dan joined his first union, the Retail upon people like Deidre, who go above and Clerks Union, in 1973 at the age of 17 while Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me beyond their own self-interests and devote working for a grocery store in Tennessee. their time and energy to helping others. It is in congratulating Eileen Curtis on her retire- After graduating from the University of Chat- an honor to represent leaders like her in the ment and in thanking her for her outstanding tanooga in 1978, Dan worked as a newspaper United States Congress and it is with great service to Fairfax County and Northern Vir- reporter. He later became director of the Fort pride that I recognize her today. I ask that all ginia. While she may be retiring, I am con- Lauderdale senior employment program with of my colleagues in the United States House fident that she will remain engaged on the the National Council of Senior Citizens of Representatives join me in congratulating issues that are close to her heart. I wish her (NCSC) which was formed in 1961 and Deidre on this outstanding recognition and in great success in all her future endeavors. evolved from the Senior Citizens for Kennedy wishing her nothing but continued success. organization. Working with the administration

VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 9920 E:\CR\FM\K01NO8.015 E01NOPT1 E1482 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks November 1, 2017 of President John F. Kennedy, the NCSC was vents mortar droppings from clogging Fairfax County is directly tied to the strength instrumental in rallying support for comprehen- weepholes designed to allow water to exit a of our education system. This is especially sive health insurance for senior citizens. building wall. Mortar Net Solutions is a tre- true when it comes to higher education. Pro- These efforts bore fruit when President Lyn- mendously successful company, and the prod- viding the gateways for students to succeed is don B. Johnson signed Medicare into law in uct is currently used on cavity wall construc- essential and I commend the staff of Ellucian 1965. NCSC’s efforts were instrumental in tion throughout North America. In addition to for working to create and maintain those op- passing this landmark legislation and the orga- his remarkable career, Tom dedicates much of portunities. nization, now known as the Alliance for Re- his time and support to charitable endeavors Mr. Speaker, to prepare the leaders of to- tired Americans continues its fight to protect throughout Northwest Indiana including morrow, institutions of higher education must and preserve Medicare and Social Security. Tradewinds, the Crisis Center, Parents as have the services, tools, and technologies to Dan then accepted a position with the Sea- Teachers, and the Porter County Community engage and foster student success. For nearly farers International Union where he has Foundation. For his outstanding devotion to fifty years, Ellucian has provided support to served for 30 years in various positions. For such causes, Tom is worthy of this great these institutions in order for them to achieve the last six years, Dan has held the position honor. their goals. It is critical that our nation focus of Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Mari- Susan Eleuterio is currently a faculty mem- our sight on improving student outcomes to time Trades Department. ber of Goucher College’s Master’s in Cultural better compete in the world economy and I In his roles with individual unions as well as Sustainability program in Baltimore, Maryland. thank Ellucian and its dedicated staff for their with the Northeast Florida Central Labor She has established an extensive and impres- efforts in this area. I ask my colleagues to join Council, the Northern Virginia Central Labor sive background that consists of many titles me in congratulating Ellucian on the grand Council, and the NoVA Labor Federation, Dan including independent folklorist, author, educa- opening of its new headquarters and in wish- has worked tirelessly to advocate for working tor, activist, and consultant to non-profit orga- ing it great success in all future endeavors. families and support state and federal legisla- nizations. Sue’s extraordinary contributions to tion that would even the playing field for the her community, however, are not limited to f backbone of our society—the middle and academia. She is active in her support for lower class who deserve a fair wage for hon- causes that improve the quality of life for oth- HONORING LIEUTENANT COLONEL est work and other employer related benefits. ers and encourage the protection of human GERY BRENT TRUITT, U.S. ARMY I have personally known Dan Duncan and rights, lending her time and talents to the (RETIRED) his wife Karen for many years and have thor- Crossroads Fund. This organization, which is oughly enjoyed our countless conversations focused on the ideal that fundamental change and discussions on issues of importance. occurs from humble, grassroots beginnings HON. JOHN R. CARTER While we have on occasion disagreed, mainly and supports efforts throughout Chicagoland OF TEXAS on their terrible taste in baseball teams, but and Northwest Indiana, benefits from the pas- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES also occasionally on the best way to achieve sion for justice, equality, and the academic a certain objective, we both know and under- knowledge Sue offers as a member of the Wednesday, November 1, 2017 stand that we share the same goals. These Board of Directors, as the arts and the human Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise exchanges of ideas and opinions have been condition are often intertwined. For these rea- today to honor Lieutenant Colonel Gery Brent invaluable to both of us as we continue to rep- sons, Sue is worthy of the commendation be- Truitt, U.S. Army Retired, of Harker Heights, resent and serve our constituencies. stowed upon her. Texas, for his dedication to our country while Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and my other serving 25 years in the Army. LTC Truitt ex- me in commending Dan Duncan for his efforts distinguished colleagues join me in honoring emplifies what it means to commit his life to on behalf of the working men and women of the Boy Scouts of America Calumet Council his country and has more than earned our ad- our country and in thanking him for his serv- and its 2017 Distinguished Citizen Award re- miration and respect. He is a deserving recipi- ice. Although he is stepping down from his po- cipients, Tom Sourlis and Susan Eleuterio. For ent of a Congressional Veteran Commenda- sition of President of NoVA Labor, I am con- their lifetime of leadership and tireless dedica- tion. fident that he will continue his efforts to tion to their communities, Tom and Susan are Upon his commissioning as a Second Lieu- strengthen and protect the rights and benefits worthy of the highest praise. tenant from Sam Houston State University in of all and I wish him success in all of his fu- f 1979, LTC Truitt began his military career as ture endeavors. RECOGNIZING ELLUCIAN OF RES- an Infantry Officer with the Texas National f TON, VIRGINIA ON ITS GRAND Guard and then entered the United States 2017 DISTINGUISHED CITIZEN OPENING Army. As Lieutenant, he conducted more com- AWARD RECIPIENTS bat patrols inside the Korean demilitarized zone than any other officer in the 2nd Infantry HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY Division, and as Major, he served in a variety HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY OF VIRGINIA of 5th Special Forces Group assignments. OF INDIANA IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Just prior to being promoted to Lieutenant IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Wednesday, November 1, 2017 Colonel, he was diagnosed with terminal colon Wednesday, November 1, 2017 Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today cancer, which he successfully overcame in the Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, it is with to recognize Ellucian on the occasion of the next year. LTC Truitt used that time to revive great respect that I take this time to recognize grand opening of its new office space in Res- the Columbus State University ROTC Program the 2017 Distinguished Citizen Award recipi- ton, Virginia. Based in Fairfax County since as a professor in Military Science. ents, presented annually by the Boy Scouts of 1987, the opening of this new headquarters lo- This brave soldier is also a committed cit- America Calumet Council. To commemorate cation speaks to the growing presence of izen. Following his military career, he contin- this special occasion, the organization hosted technology companies in not only Fairfax ued to support the military in the Central a celebratory event on Thursday, November 2, County, but the Dulles Corridor as a whole. Texas Special Forces Association. As Presi- 2017, at Gamba Ristorante in Merrillville, Indi- We are continually reminded of why this area dent, he is responsible for an annual raffle that ana. is rapidly developing a reputation as the Sil- raises thousands of dollars annually to support Since 1992, the Boy Scouts of America Cal- icon Valley of the East. homeless veterans’ programs and local non- umet Council has presented the Distinguished Established in 2012 by the merger of profit organizations to meet immediate com- Citizen Award to individuals whose efforts Datatel and SunGard Higher Education, munity needs. His work to make his commu- have had significant positive impacts on their Ellucian and its parent companies have been nity a great place to live and work have made communities in Northwest Indiana and across serving the higher education community since lasting and positive impacts on the region. the state. This year, the Boy Scouts of Amer- 1968. What began as a single office has ex- I commend LTC Truitt’s selfless service to ica Calumet Council honored Tom Sourlis and panded into 20 regional offices employing over his community and nation. His dedication to Susan Eleuterio. 2,900 individuals all over the world. our country and community reflects the best Tom Sourlis is the founder and chairman of As a former member and Chairman of the values of central Texas. I join his family and Mortar Net Solutions, located in Burns Harbor. Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, I know friends in saluting his great work and dedica- Mortar Net, a product invented by Tom, pre- firsthand that the quality of life we enjoy in tion to our country.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01NO8.017 E01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E1483 RECOGNIZING THE 60TH ANNIVER- PERSONAL EXPLANATION leagues on the Board to secure and pass the SARY OF FAIRFAX WATER necessary bond referendums and with the HON. KEVIN YODER community to raise awareness and support for OF KANSAS this necessary addition. These efforts bore HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY fruit and in 2007 we celebrated the dedication IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF VIRGINIA of the new Oakton Library. Ten years later, Wednesday, November 1, 2017 the library stands as a pillar of the Oakton IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, on Roll Call No. community and I am confident that it will con- Wednesday, November 1, 2017 591 on the motion to suspend the rules and tinue to serve that role for many more dec- pass H.R. 2521—the South Carolina Peanut ades to come. Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to rec- Parity Act of 2017, I am not recorded because I wish to give special recognition to the ognize Fairfax Water on the occasion of its I was home in my district. Had I been present, members of the Friends of Oakton Library, 60th anniversary. There are few human needs I would have voted aye. who worked with myself and others side by side on every step of this project. Together, more precious and more critical than access f to fresh and safe drinking water. Indeed, we we guided what was once just a concept into have seen what can happen when those TRIBUTE TO CAPITAL CHIRO- a brick-and-mortar reality. needs are neglected, as the tragedy in Flint, PRACTIC AND REHABILITATION We are incredibly fortunate in Fairfax Coun- Michigan reminds us. Prior to the creation of CENTER ty to have such dedicated citizens, who go out the Fairfax County Water Authority (now of their way for the betterment of the lives of known as Fairfax Water), water was supplied HON. DAVID YOUNG others. I have often said that local government to Fairfax County through many small, mostly is where the rubber meets the road. The level OF IOWA of accountability is absolute. You either solved private water systems, and a limited number IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES of public systems. There was no standardiza- the problem or you didn’t . . . and everyone tion between systems and each system main- Wednesday, November 1, 2017 knows where you live and has your phone number! My colleagues on the Board of Su- tained its own rate schedule and level of serv- Mr. YOUNG of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I rise pervisors and I accomplished a lot together ice. In order to improve service reliability, es- today to recognize and congratulate Capital during my time in Fairfax County government, tablish equitable rates, and provide effective Chiropractic & Rehabilitation Center of Des but the completion of the Oakton Library re- fire protection throughout Fairfax County, the Moines, Iowa for being named one of the mains one of my proudest moments in local Board of Supervisors created Fairfax Water in 2016 Businesses of the Year at the Des government. A testament to what can happen September 1957 for the purpose of ‘‘acquiring, Moines East and South Chamber of Com- when like-minded individuals are willing to constructing, operating and maintaining an in- merce Annual Dinner and Awards Ceremony back up their words and desires with concrete, tegrated water system for supplying and dis- earlier this year. often unglamorous actions. The Oakton com- tributing water.’’ The Business of the Year award celebrates munity and indeed all of Fairfax County is bet- The acquisition of water systems began in a local business that is dedicated to serving ter off today because people were willing to 1959 with the purchase of the Annandale their community. Since Dr. Chris LoRang put in the work. Water Company. Over the next eight years, launched Capital Chiropractic & Rehabilitation Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me Fairfax Water acquired an additional 17 sys- Center in 2013, it has won numerous awards in congratulating the Friends of Oakton Library tems and began to build a comprehensive for the service they provide in family and and the entire Oakton community on this im- water-supply system. By the end of 1967, sports medicine to people of all ages. The portant anniversary. I commend them for their Fairfax Water had 832 miles of mains, 3,354 clinic encourages employees to be active in contributions to Fairfax County and wish them fire hydrants, and 54,000 metered accounts the community, and you can find them in- great success in all their future endeavors. I serving more than 425,000 people. By 1982, volved in organizations around the area, in- am confident that we will be observing many that number had grown to more than 1,800 cluding neighborhood associations, school more anniversaries of this library still to come. miles of mains, more than 10,300 fire hydrants foundations, chamber of commerce council’s f and nearly 126,000 metered accounts serving and chiropractic societies. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to represent RETIREMENT OF MAYOR more than 650,000 people. By 1994, it would RAYMOND BODNAR reach more than 2,700 miles of water mains, local businesses like Capital Chiropractic & more than 17,300 fire hydrants and more than Rehabilitation Center in the United States 197,300 meters. Congress and it is with great pride that I rec- HON. MICHAEL F. DOYLE ognize them today. I ask that my colleagues in OF PENNSYLVANIA Those numbers show a county undergoing the United States House of Representatives IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES tremendous growth in both population and ur- join me in congratulating them for this out- Wednesday, November 1, 2017 banization. The challenges associated with standing recognition and in wishing them all that are numerous and the temptation of pro- Mr. MICHAEL F. DOYLE of Pennsylvania. nothing but continued success. viding service while overlooking the quality of Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a re- that service is real. However, Fairfax Water f markable public servant from my district, has never allowed itself to fall into that trap. RECOGNIZING THE 10TH ANNIVER- Mayor Raymond G. Bodnar of Munhall, Penn- Instead, it has approached every new chal- SARY OF THE OAKTON LIBRARY sylvania, who is retiring after 53 years of serv- lenge with its mission in mind: providing safe, ice to his community. Mr. Bodnar has been the Mayor of Munhall clean drinking water to Fairfax County resi- HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY dents and ensuring that the County’s water Borough for the last 30 years, but his service OF VIRGINIA to his nation and community began long be- supply is maintained. There have certainly fore that. As a young man, he served in the been no shortage of challenges—from supply IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Army during the Korean Conflict and was hon- issues stemming from the use of a single Wednesday, November 1, 2017 orably discharged in 1955. In addition to work- source (the Occoquan River) to natural disas- Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to rec- ing for 40 years for the U.S. Steel Corporation, ters to the threat of terrorism, Fairfax Water ognize the Oakton Library on the occasion of he served eight years as auditor of Munhall has risen to meet those challenges. Its work its 10th anniversary. This project represents and another fifteen as a member and then stands as testament to the strength and char- the fulfillment of a promise I made to this com- President of the Munhall Borough Council. In acter of the ethos of public service in our com- munity more than a decade ago, during my 1987, he was elected mayor, a position which munity. time as both Providence District Supervisor he has honorably filled for the last three dec- Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me and Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of ades, and in which he has worked tirelessly to in congratulating Phillip Allin, Charles Murray, Supervisors. improve the Munhall community. the members of the Board of Directors and the Working with engaged citizens, we identified During his career, Mayor Bodnar has sup- entire staff of Fairfax Water. I thank them for a need for new meeting space as well as a ported and secured funding for such important their service to our community and for main- new library in the Oakton community. But we projects as developing the Munhall waterfront, taining the proud legacy of this organization didn’t stop there. We rolled up our sleeves revitalizing the town’s Main Street, modern- while adapting it to meet the challenges of the and went to work. We worked with developers izing the police department, and introducing future. to secure the necessary land, with my col- public safety and crime prevention programs.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 9920 E:\CR\FM\K01NO8.019 E01NOPT1 E1484 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks November 1, 2017 Beyond his duties as a civil servant, he has Corporate/Business Leader: CAPT Blancett joined the Navy at age 29 also given back to his community in countless Odin, Feldman and Pittleman, PC and was stationed in Guam, where he helped ways, including managing the youth Munhall Small Business Leader: fulfill the spiritual needs of others. CAPT Baseball League, organizing summer athletic CST Group Blancett went on to serve his country in eight programs, working with Boy Scouts, Girl Volunteerism Through Nonprofit Service: other stations around the world, with duties Scouts, and church groups, and teaching local Women Giving Back ranging from Public Affairs Officer, to teaching government to youth groups and schools. He Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing a course in the Naval War College, to fur- is also a member of a number of community Arts thering the spiritual state of his fellow sailors service organizations, including Knights of Co- Community Leader: through various tactics with the Chaplain lumbus No. 2201, the Catholic War Veterans Bill Keefe Corps. Association, the Homestead Elks, and the Gillian and Vincent Seskoe CAPT Blancett’s love of country is matched Vade Bolton-Ann Rodriguez Legacy Award: Steel Valley Salvation Army Board ofDirectors. only by his commitment to his community. Herb Williams-Bafoe For more than 50 years, Raymond Bodnar Upon retirement, the call to serve continued to Robert E. Simon Community Service Award: burn inside. CAPT Blancett has gracefully has demonstrated wholehearted dedication to Vicky Wingert public service and community involvement, Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join served as Mayor of Salado since 2014 where and I think that we can all learn something me in congratulating the 2017 Best of Reston he has been a champion of the Village’s grow- from his example. I wish to congratulate the honorees for their tremendous contributions. I ing economy and its hard-working citizens. He mayor on his retirement and commend him for thank Cornerstones and the Greater Reston is beloved by the Village of Salado for his his lifetime of devotion to the Munhall commu- Chamber of Commerce for continuing this leadership, commitment to faith, and passion nity. wonderful tradition, and I express my sincere for his community. f gratitude to these individuals, businesses, and CAPT Blancett serves the people of Salado with the same dedication, honor, and humility PERSONAL EXPLANATION organizations for lending their time and energy to the betterment of our community. with which he served his country. He is an ex- emplary man who shows the utmost commit- HON. TODD ROKITA f ment to his family, community, and above all, OF INDIANA TRIBUTE TO JENNIE BARANCZYK his faith. May we all follow the example of IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES great men such as CAPT Blancett, and live a life of hard work, loyalty and service to others. Wednesday, November 1, 2017 HON. DAVID YOUNG OF IOWA f Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to vote on October 31, 2017 as my flight to IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES RECOGNIZING DR. CHERIF SADKI Washington D.C. was delayed and prevented Wednesday, November 1, 2017 AS THE 2017 OUTSTANDING HIGH me from being on the House floor in time. Mr. YOUNG of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I rise SCHOOL PRINCIPAL OF VIRGINIA Had I been present, I would have voted today to recognize and congratulate Drake YEA on Roll Call No. 591. Women’s Basketball Coach Jennie Baranczyk HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY f on being awarded the 2017 Madelyn Levitt OF VIRGINIA RECOGNIZING THE 26TH ANNUAL Community Service Award. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES The Madelyn Levitt Community Service BEST OF RESTON AWARDS FOR Wednesday, November 1, 2017 Award is annually presented to Drake Univer- COMMUNITY SERVICE RECIPI- sity faculty or staff members who have ‘‘dem- Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today ENTS onstrated personal commitment to vol- to recognize Dr. Cherif Sadki, principal of Gar- unteerism and community service.’’ Jennie just Field Senior High School, as the 2017 Out- HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY completed her fifth season at the helm of the standing High School Principal of Virginia. OF VIRGINIA women’s basketball team for the Drake Bull- Each year, the Virginia Association of Sec- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES dogs, where not only she, but a number of her ondary School Principals, which is the seventh largest school administrators’ organization in Wednesday, November 1, 2017 players, has won numerous awards and rec- ognitions. Off the court, she leads her team in the National Association of Secondary School Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to rec- giving back to the community, reaching their Principals, selects a principal to represent the ognize the recipients of the 26th Annual Best annual 1,000 hour goal of community service state as the nominee for the National Principal of Reston Awards for Community Service. for four straight years. Organizations through- of the Year Program. These awards are the result of collaboration out the Des Moines area, and the people they As the 2017 nominee, Dr. Sadki is com- between Cornerstones and the Greater Res- serve, have benefited from the team’s gen- mended for his ‘‘creativity and imagination in ton Chamber of Commerce and are presented erous efforts. bringing about positive change, improving the to individuals, organizations, and businesses Mr. Speaker, I am honored to represent educational program and student achieve- whose extraordinary efforts make our commu- community leaders like Jennie in the United ment; ensuring a school climate that reflects nity a better place. States Congress and it is with great pride that high staff and student morale; and for involv- I have been proud to represent this commu- I recognize her today. I ask that my col- ing the community in the life of the school.’’ nity since my days as Chairman of the Fairfax leagues in the United States House of Rep- At the helm of Gar-Field Senior High School County Board of Supervisors. The level of resentatives join me in congratulating Jennie for the past five years, Dr. Sadki has imple- civic engagement celebrated by these awards for this outstanding recognition and in wishing mented countless policy changes and program is a testament to the community spirit of Res- her nothing but continued success. adjustments to address the needs of the in- ton. I have often said that civic engagement is creasingly diverse student population. Of the f a key indicator of a healthy community and to- roughly 2,500 students enrolled in Gar-Field night’s event proves that Reston is one of the HONORING CAPTAIN SKIP Senior High School last year, approximately healthiest communities in all of Northern Vir- BLANCETT, USN (RETIRED) half spoke a language other than English at ginia! That is due in no small part to the ac- home. One to never shy away from a chal- tions of those honored here this evening and HON. JOHN R. CARTER lenge, Dr. Sadki rolled up his sleeves, trans- I extend my congratulations to all of tonight’s OF TEXAS formed the teaching model, and embedded honorees. I also wish to thank Kerrie Wilson of IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES English instruction into the core curriculum to Cornerstones and Mark Ingrao of the Greater meet the needs of the diverse student body. Reston Chamber of Commerce for their tire- Wednesday, November 1, 2017 For his foresight, engagement of the com- less efforts on behalf of others and in making Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise munity, and commitment to ensuring that all our community one of the best places in the today to honor Captain Skip Blancett, USN, students receive a world-class education, it is country in which to live, work and raise a fam- Retired of Salado, Texas. With a career span- my honor to include in the Record, Dr. Cherif ily. ning over two decades, CAPT Blancett is a Sadki. It is my honor to include in the RECORD the true patriot, a faith-filled citizen, and unques- Dr. Sadki is the standard-bearer at the re- following recipients of the 2017 Best of Reston tionably a deserving recipient of a Congres- gional and national level for educating English Awards: sional Veteran Commendation. learners. He attributes much of his success in

VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 9920 E:\CR\FM\A01NO8.020 E01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E1485 reshaping the mission of Gar-Field Senior RECOGNIZING RED CREEK HIGH 1978. In 1990 when his father retired, Mr. High School to the efforts of a supportive com- SCHOOL’S BLUE RIBBON AWARD Schrage took over the family business and is munity, a focused group of educators, and a still operating it today. Throughout his life, Mr. dedicated administrative staff. Instead of see- HON. JOHN KATKO Schrage has served the Festus, Jefferson R– ing students who embraced a failing attitude, OF NEW YORK 7, and Crystal City Fire Departments. Since he saw children who had not been given an IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2009, Mr. Schrage has served as the commis- opportunity to succeed. Dr. Sadki saw teach- sioner for the Festus Special Road District. ers who needed encouragement, training and Wednesday, November 1, 2017 Additionally, he serves his community as a support and a community that could be con- Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to member of the Twin city Area Chamber of vinced that success was possible. recognize the outstanding students, faculty, Commerce and Elks Lodge 1721. He also at- I ask my colleagues to join me in recog- and staff at Red Creek High School. The mis- tends Good News Community Church. nizing Dr. Cherif Sadki, principal of Gar-Field sion statement of the Red Creek Central Throughout Mr. Schrage’s service, he has Senior High School on his selection as the School District is to educate students with eq- held the position of Fire Fighter, Captain, and 2017 Outstanding High School Principal for uity, and help them master fundamental skills. Assistant Chief. Mr. Schrage is currently the Virginia. His leadership and dedication to the I would like to commend the hard work of the Assistant Chief at the Crystal City Fire Depart- students, teachers, and faculty as he works to Red Creek Central School District for making ment. In 2013, he was given the award of Fire ensure a bright future for all who pass through Red Creek High School a safe and welcoming Chief of the Year in Jefferson County. In 2016, the doors of Gar-Field Senior High School is place to learn. he was the Grand Marshall at the Jefferson truly commendable and worthy of our highest The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program County Fire Engine Rally and the Crystal City praise. recognizes public and private schools based Homecoming. on overall academic excellence or ability in Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join me in recog- f closing achievement gaps among students. nizing Assistant Chief Michael Schrage on 50 HONORING THE ENTREPRE- Every year the United States Department of dedicated years of service to his community. NEURIAL SPIRIT OF MEREDITH Education seeks out, and honors, schools that The commitment he has shown to the Crystal COREY-DISCH, OWNER OF COM- tirelessly work to help students grow academi- City Fire Department has been greatly appre- MUNITY LOAVES cally. Red Creek High School is one of just 19 ciated. New York State schools to receive the pres- f tigious ‘‘Exemplary High Performing Schools’’ HON. JOHN H. RUTHERFORD award from the United States Department of PERSONAL EXPLANATION OF FLORIDA Education this year. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Since the Blue Ribbon Award was first cre- HON. VICENTE GONZALEZ Wednesday, November 1, 2017 ated in 1982, only four other schools in OF TEXAS Wayne-Finger Lakes region have garnered IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker, I rise Blue Ribbon status. Red Creek High School Wednesday, November 1, 2017 today to ask the United States House of Rep- was awarded its Blue Ribbon Award this year resentatives to join me in recognizing Meredith for the strong academic performance of its Mr. GONZALEZ of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I Corey-Disch, a leader and business owner in student body. The teachers and administrators was unable to cast my vote on October 31, my district, who was a recipient of a spot at at Red Creek High School work hard each day 2017 for Roll Call Vote 591. Had I been the James Beard Foundation’s Inaugural to make learning exciting, and encourage their present, my vote would have been the fol- Class of the Women’s Entrepreneurial Leader- students that they can achieve their goals both lowing: Aye on Roll Call Vote 591. ship Fellowship program. This program, inside and outside of the classroom. I’m proud f hosted at the prestigious Babson College, to recognize this stellar high school in my dis- aims to help female chefs and owners grow trict, and applaud the students, parents, ad- PERSONAL EXPLANATION their businesses by cultivating women’s lead- ministrators and teachers for their efforts. ership in the culinary industry. f HON. GWEN MOORE Meredith Corey-Disch and her business OF WISCONSIN partner, Sarah Bogdanovitch, are exceptional HONORING ASSISTANT CHIEF MI- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES entrepreneurs. Their business was founded on CHAEL SCHRAGE OF THE CRYS- the belief that it should be local, community fo- TAL CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT Wednesday, November 1, 2017 cused space that provides organic, traditional Ms. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, on October 31, foods with shared work and fair pay. ‘‘Commu- HON. BLAINE LUETKEMEYER I was absent for recorded vote No. 591. Had nity Loaves’’ began in 2011 in Jacksonville, as OF MISSOURI I been present, I would have voted YEA. an organic bike-delivered subscription bakery. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES f The pair then opened a bread shop in 2014, where they served all-organic bread and pas- Wednesday, November 1, 2017 TRIBUTE TO MICHELLE DECLERCK tries for breakfast and lunch. They kept the Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise business community focused by holding spe- today to honor Assistant Chief Michael HON. DAVID YOUNG cial pizza nights and farm to table dinners in Schrage on his 50 years of service as a volun- OF IOWA their garden and invited surrounding neighbors teer firefighter with the Crystal City Fire De- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES to these events. partment in Crystal City, Missouri. A celebra- Meredith began her love of bread making tion will be held on November 13, 2017 to Wednesday, November 1, 2017 through an apprenticeship in a bakery, while honor Assistant Chief Schrage and commemo- Mr. YOUNG of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I rise brainstorming ways she could start a business rate his more than 50 years of service starting today to recognize and congratulate Michelle people would enjoy back in her hometown of in 1967. DeClerck on being awarded the Women in Jacksonville. She can be described as Born to Robert and Wanda Schrage on Business Champion of the Year by the Iowa thoughtful, kind, generous, and creative. With September 7, 1953, Mr. Schrage was one of Small Business Administration. these skills, along with her passion of bread five children. On August 11, 1976, Mr. Every year, during National Small Business making, Meredith will continue to spread her Schrage married his beloved wife of 39 years, Week, the Iowa Small Business Administration passion throughout Northeast Florida. We Janet Sue. Janet and Michael had one daugh- announces winners of the Iowa Small Busi- need more creative small business owners like ter, Brandi, and have also welcomed into the ness Week Awards. Michelle is the founder Meredith. She has been a true example of family Brandi’s husband, Daniel and their and president of Conference Event Manage- leadership for women in Northeast Florida and granddaughter, Audri. In 1975, Mr. Schrage ment in West Des Moines. In its 13 years, I look forward to seeing her future culinary joined the Joachim Plattin Ambulance District. Michelle has grown the company across Iowa successes. During that same year, he began working with and around the globe. One of her passions in Mr. Speaker, I applaud Meredith Corey- his father, Mr. Robert (Bob) Schrage, at the life is promoting women in business and fos- Disch for her leadership in not only the cul- family business, Schrage Electric. Mr. Schrage tering the growth of women business owners. inary community, but in Northeast Florida as earned his certificate in Fire Science Tech- She devotes her time and energy to several well. nology from Jefferson College on May 23, organizations that advocate for, mentors, and

VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 9920 E:\CR\FM\K01NO8.022 E01NOPT1 E1486 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks November 1, 2017 supports women business owners, encour- five targets for the city: economic develop- HONORING FIRST SERGEANT WILL aging them to enter the world of business ment, community outreach, public image, de- WILLIAMS, U.S. ARMY (RETIRED) ownership. She also serves with organizations veloping and improving strong city manage- that focus on aiding the hungry and homeless ment, and fiscal sustainability. HON. JOHN R. CARTER in Central Iowa. Currently, the City of Bell is mostly com- OF TEXAS Mr. Speaker, strong communities are built posed of a large Latino population and a IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES upon people like Michelle, who go above and growing Lebanese American community. Bell’s beyond their own self-interests and devote Wednesday, November 1, 2017 commitment to community engagement can their time and energy to helping others. I am Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise be seen through the various programs it offers honored to represent leaders like her in the today to honor First Sergeant Will Williams, to youth, adults, and seniors. United States Congress and I ask that my col- U.S. Army, Retired, of Round Rock, Texas, for leagues in the United States House of Rep- Over 700 children are participating in the his selfless dedication and service to our na- resentatives join me in congratulating Michele city’s soccer program and parents turn out in tion and his continued, unparalleled contribu- for receiving this outstanding recognition and large numbers to support their kids. Some par- tions to his community. I am honored to award in wishing her nothing but continued success. ents even become team coaches. The city has him a Congressional Veteran Commendation. f also developed new adult sports programs, Following his enlistment in 1976, SGT Wil- and has been renovating parks by establishing liams contributed 24 years of service that in- CELEBRATING THE CITY OF maintenance procedures for the synthetic cluded deployments from Panama and Soma- BELL’S 90TH ANNIVERSARY fields. lia, to Desert Shield and Desert Storm as an HON. LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD Ernest Debs Park, which is home to the Army Ranger, Small Weapons Specialist with youth soccer program, includes a synthetic the 2nd Division. His commitment to keeping OF CALIFORNIA our nation safe is in his blood. Three genera- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES soccer field with covered bleachers and a cov- ered fitness zone that are available to resi- tions of his family served in combat roles in Wednesday, November 1, 2017 dents every day of the week. The largest park the United States Army, and among the three Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, I rise in the city is Veterans Memorial Park, which they share 4 Bronze Star Medals. to congratulate the City of Bell on its 90th an- commemorates the contributions of war vet- SGT Williams’ service and sense of duty did niversary. I am deeply honored to represent erans to our country and our freedom. Vet- not culminate with his military service. Upon this city as part of California’s 40th Congres- erans Memorial Park includes a veterans returning to Round Rock, SGT Williams dedi- sional District, and I ask my colleagues to join monument, a rose garden, a baseball field cated his civilian life to the uplifting and better- me in paying tribute to Bell and its residents with stadium seating, two large park pavilions, ment of his community. In 2013, he helped on the city’s anniversary. and batting cages. raise $50,000 for Dell’s Children’s Hospital The foundation of the City of Bell can be and over $10,000 for the Ronald McDonald traced back to the arrival of the first group of Family events such as the city’s annual House. In Round Rock, SGT Williams orga- settlers in the mid-1870s. Among the settlers street festival, the Summer Concert Series, nized a food drive, sent out a care package to were the city founder James George Bell and and the Bell 5K Run/Walk have also been de- deployed soldiers, and provided clothing and his wife and children. They moved to a prop- veloped to promote community, health, and fit- supplies to 300 foster kids through Project erty on Gage Avenue that is now known as ness in the city. The city’s smartphone appli- Care. the Bell House. The house is now a historic cation has made it possible for its residents to His service has been recognized and appre- landmark filled with antique furnishings, vin- report street improvements, pickup of bulky ciated throughout the community. SGT Wil- tage clothing, and photographs, and is open items, and graffiti removals through the touch liams was recognized with the Service to Man- for the public to visit. of a button. kind Award by the Round Rock Sertoma Club, In 1898, the town’s name was officially The new City of Bell Technology Center has received the Leadership Award from the changed from Rancho San Antonio to Bell, in provided a safe learning environment where ‘‘Heart of Texas Award’’ organization, and was honor of its pioneer founders. The City of Bell both adults and youth can access computers. honored with the Governor’s Lone Star was incorporated in 1927 and is a small, vi- This Technology Center provides free after- Achievement Award from Texas Governor brant community composed of young families, school computer skills training classes, which Greg Abbott. small businesses, and an industrial district. include introductions to computer equipment I commend First Sergeant Will Williams’ Between 1920 and 1935, Bell experienced a and operation, word processing techniques, e- selfless service to his community and nation. growth spurt where schools, businesses, and mail correspondence, and fundamental skills His commitment to excellence and citizenship community organizations were established, required for safe web access. reflect the best values we hold as Americans. such as the Bell Chamber of Commerce and I join his family, friends, and colleagues in sa- Bell High School. As the City of Bell celebrates its 90th anni- luting his great work and dedication to our Since its incorporation, the city has ex- versary this month, the community will also be country. panded its facilities, obtained land for public celebrating some of the following achieve- f parks and recreational areas, and acquired ments: a ‘‘Certificate of Achievement for Ex- basic amenities such as a city hall, parks, a cellence in Financial Reporting’’ by the Gov- H.R. 732, STOP SETTLEMENT fire department building, and a police depart- ernment Finance Officers Association of the SLUSH FUNDS ACT OF 2017 ment. United States and Canada; the establishment The city has recently enhanced trans- of a Planning Commission; the initiation of a HON. BETTY McCOLLUM parency and accountability within the city gov- ‘‘Business of the Month’’ effort to highlight OF MINNESOTA ernment. In 2013, the city’s website earned an local businesses; a partnership with the Bell IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES A¥ from a non-profit organization that exam- Chamber of Commerce to establish the Bell Wednesday, November 1, 2017 ines state and local government transparency. Family Food Truck Night; and adoption of the Through the city website, the public can now city’s Strategic Plan and the new city logo. Ms. MCCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise to today in opposition to the so-called Stop Set- watch live streaming council meetings, look up That new logo is shaped by a bell design, tlement Slush Funds Act of 2017 (H.R. 732). city contracts, view warrant payments and and includes the city’s motto: ‘‘Home . . . in The Department of Justice has long had the public officials’ salaries and compensations, the center of it all’’ to inspire civic pride and authority to enter into and enforce settlement and review budget information. civic engagement in the community. Over the years, Bell has become a vibrant agreements on behalf of the United States city with an innovative approach to enhancing The City of Bell has made huge strides in government. This includes payments to third its services and infrastructure in order to sup- the past couple of years and does not show parties that help right the wrongs caused by port its growing community. Bell encourages any sign of slowing down. I ask my colleagues an entity that has broken the law. programs that provide recreational activities to join me in sending our best wishes and For instance, the government can negotiate and community services, preserve and im- congratulations to Bell on its 90th anniversary. a settlement that allows payments to groups prove the environment, and protect the safety This small, diverse, vibrant community makes like nonprofits that help aid in the recovery of of Bell residents. residents proud and visitors feel at home. I ex- the individuals and communities hurt by un- In 2016, the Bell City Council adopted a pect more great things to come in Bell’s fu- lawful conduct. These third-party payments five-year strategic plan, which outlines the top ture. are particularly important when it is impossible

VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 9920 E:\CR\FM\A01NO8.026 E01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E1487 to quantify all of the harm done, as is often He has devoted his entire career to working RECOGNIZING COLONEL MARK true of environmental cases. in the steel industry, including twenty years at SHADE When a corporation responsible for dumping Bethlehem Steel Corporation, six years as waste into a waterway or emitting pollutants President and CEO of Johnstown Wire Tech- HON. JOE WILSON into the air agrees to this type of settlements, nologies, and nineteen years as President and OF SOUTH CAROLINA the non-profits they pay restore coastlines, re- CEO of Gautier Steel Ltd. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES build ecosystems, and often coordinate clean- Under Mr. DiOrio’s leadership, Gautier Steel up activities. This legislation threatens that recovered from a near shutdown to a multi- Wednesday, November 1, 2017 critical remediation and recovery work. million-dollar operation. Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speak- The Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act of Furthermore, Mr. DiOrio saved thousands of er, I recognize and congratulate Colonel Mark 2017 ends this common-sense practice by family-sustaining jobs by helping keep both Shade on his recent retirement after years of prohibiting the U.S. government from entering service as Deputy Commanding Officer of the into or enforcing settlement agreements that Johnstown Wire and Gautier Steel in the United States Army Training Center and Fort require payments to third parties. It also Johnstown area. Jackson. Colonel Shade was commissioned makes it much more difficult to provide relief Mr. DiOrio’s leadership and great care for after graduating from The Citadel in 1989 and for damage that is more generalized and non- the community will leave an impact on Johns- his first duty assignment was at Fort Hood quantifiable. When a power plant dirties the air town for years to come. Texas, as a Platoon Leader in support of the of a community, the number of visits to the I would like to congratulate Mr. DiOrio on 1st Calvary Division during Operations Desert doctor or new cases of asthma cannot be pre- his recent retirement and wish him the best of Shield and Desert Storm. After attending the cisely measured. That does not mean that luck in his future endeavors. Combined Logistics Officer Advanced Course they should not be held responsible for the and the Petroleum Officers Course at Fort harm they caused. f House Republicans have used the first 10 Lee, Colonel Shade reported to the 10th months of this Congress to do little more than TRIBUTE TO CAPTAIN DENNIS Mountain Division and served as the Assistant push policies that reduce corporate account- DEWINE, U.S. ARMY Support Operations Officer for 1st Brigade. He ability and line the pockets of corporate bad was then selected to Command Headquarters actors. I oppose the Stop Settlement Slush HON. JOHN R. CARTER and Headquarters Company and Alpha Com- Funds Act of 2017. pany of the 10th Forward Support Battalion. OF TEXAS After attending the Tactical Officer’s Edu- f IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES cation Program at the United States Military TRIBUTE TO ANIMAL RESCUE Academy at West Point, and receiving his Wednesday, November 1, 2017 LEAGUE OF IOWA Masters in Education (Counseling and Leader Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise Development) in 1999, Colonel Shade was the HON. DAVID YOUNG today to celebrate the service and achieve- Tactical Officer for company A3. He then at- OF IOWA ments of an esteemed and valued citizen, tended the United States Army Command and IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Captain Dennis DeWine, U.S. Army. He has General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Wednesday, November 1, 2017 dedicated himself to his community and nation Kansas. Colonel Shade served in a multitude and is an embodiment of the Army values of of leadership and staff positions within the Mr. YOUNG of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I rise honor, loyalty, and selfless service. CPT 25th Infantry Division, and was the G4 for today to recognize and congratulate the Ani- DeWine is a fitting and worthy recipient of a United States Army Cadet Command at Fort mal Rescue League of Iowa for being named Congressional Veteran Commendation. Knox prior to assuming his final position at the 2016 501(c) of the Year at the Des Moines Fort Jackson. East and South Chamber of Commerce An- CPT DeWine joined the Army in 1967, grad- Colonel Shade has multiple combat deploy- nual Dinner and Awards Ceremony earlier this uated Helicopter Flight School in 1968, and ments to Operations Desert Shield/Desert year. spent the next seven years as a helicopter The Animal Rescue League (ARL) of Iowa pilot; twenty months of which were two tours Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation is the largest nonprofit animal shelter in Iowa. of duty in Vietnam. As a testament to his val- Enduring Freedom, and Operation New Dawn. ARL cares for thousands of animals every orous service in Vietnam, the President of the He has been awarded two legions of Merit, year, and offers a wide range of services to United States presented CPT DeWine with the four Bronze Star Medals, the Defense Meri- the public. From adoption, behavior training, Distinguished Flying Cross award for his ac- torious Medal, three Army Meritorious Service spay/neuter services, and education, ARL tions above and beyond the call of duty. After Medals, two Army Commendation Medals, two aims to help people become responsible pet being Honorably Discharged CPT DeWine Army Achievement Medals, the Combat Action owners, as well as to help prevent animals was inducted into the Ohio Military Hall of Badge, and the Airborne Badge. I am grateful from ultimately ending up in shelters. Fame for Valor. for the service of Colonel Mark Shade and his Mr. Speaker, I am honored to represent CPT DeWine’s leadership skills have been family to the Midlands community and to the non-profit organizations like the Animal Res- invaluable throughout his post-military career. United States of America. cue League of Iowa in the United States Con- After rejoining civilian life, he became the f gress and it is with great pride that I recognize founder, broker, and president of ERA Colo- them today. I ask that my colleagues in the nial Real Estate and Colonial Residential TRIBUTE TO THE WAUKEE HIGH United States House of Representatives join Properties, Inc. Despite his busy schedule, SCHOOL BOY’S SWIMMING TEAM me in congratulating them for this outstanding CPT DeWine remains dedicated to serving his recognition and in wishing them all nothing but community. He can often be found in jeans HON. DAVID YOUNG continued success. and boots working alongside his friends and OF IOWA neighbors. CPT DeWine’s passion to serve is f IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES evident through his participation and leader- RECOGNITION OF MR. DARRYL ship in numerous organizations, such as Cen- Wednesday, November 1, 2017 DIORIO tral Texas Voices for Life, where he serves as Mr. YOUNG of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I rise Chairman. CPT DeWine has also proven his today to recognize and congratulate the HON. KEITH J. ROTHFUS commitment to serving others through his Waukee High School Boy’s Swimming Team OF PENNSYLVANIA company’s efforts to successfully raise for winning their second consecutive team IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES $100,000 for Muscular Dystrophy. state championship on February 11, 2017. Wednesday, November 1, 2017 Despite his business and charitable commit- In winning their consecutive title, the Mr. ROTHFUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in ments, CPT DeWine has found time to raise Waukee High School Boys Swimming Team recognition of Mr. Darryl DiOrio for his forty- a closeknit family, volunteer in community or- doubled their team points from their first seven years of service and leadership in the ganizations, and remain active in his church. championship last year. During the meet, they Johnstown community. With admiration and deep respect, I pay trib- were able to grab state championships in Mr. DiOrio holds degrees from Saint Vincent ute to Dennis DeWine for his sacrifices and three individual events, and all three of their College, the Pennsylvania State University the lasting impact he has had on his commu- relay events finished runner up. I would like to and Saint Francis University. nity and country. congratulate each member of the Team:

VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:28 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00013 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 9920 E:\CR\FM\A01NO8.029 E01NOPT1 E1488 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks November 1, 2017 Swimmers: Cameron Briggs, AJ Gainer, MEETINGS SCHEDULED Raymond Martinez, of New Jersey, to Davis Kuhlers, Jackson Kuhlers, Cameron Lin- NOVEMBER 7 be Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and der, Zach Linder, Augie Muenzenmay, Gus 9:30 a.m. Diana Furchtgott-Roth, of Maryland, Muenzenmay, Mitchell Pollitt, Grady Rogers Committee on Homeland Security and to be an Assistant Secretary, both of Governmental Affairs Manager: Zach Bogaczyk the Department of Transportation, and To hold hearings to examine the nomina- Leon A. Westmoreland, of Georgia, to Coaches: Daniel Briggs and Cass Zorn. tions of Ernest W. Dubester, of Vir- be a Director of the Amtrak Board of Mr. Speaker, the example set by these stu- ginia, Colleen Kiko, of North Dakota, Directors; to be immediately followed dents and their coaches demonstrates the re- and James Thomas Abbott, of Virginia, by a hearing to examine protecting wards of hard work, dedication, and persever- each to be a Member of the Federal Labor Relations Authority. consumers in the era of major data ance. I am honored to represent them in the breaches. United States Congress and it is with great SD–342 10 a.m. SD–106 pride that I recognize them today. I ask that Committee on Banking, Housing, and 10 a.m. my colleagues in the United States House of Urban Affairs Committee on Environment and Public Representatives join me in congratulating Business meeting to consider S. 1591, to Works these young men for competing in this rig- impose sanctions with respect to the To hold hearings to examine the nomina- orous competition and in wishing them all Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. tions of Kathleen Hartnett White, of Texas, to be a Member of the Council nothing but continued success. SD–538 Committee on Commerce, Science, and on Environmental Quality, and Andrew Transportation Wheeler, of Virginia, to be Deputy Ad- f Subcommittee on Communications, Tech- ministrator of the Environmental Pro- nology, Innovation, and the Internet tection Agency. SENATE COMMITTEE MEETINGS To hold hearings to examine advancing SD–406 the Internet of Things in rural Amer- Committee on Homeland Security and Title IV of Senate Resolution 4, ica. Governmental Affairs agreed to by the Senate of February 4, SR–253 To hold hearings to examine the nomina- tion of Kirstjen Nielsen, of Virginia, to 1977, calls for establishment of a sys- NOVEMBER 8 tem for a computerized schedule of all be Secretary of Homeland Security. 9:45 a.m. SD–342 meetings and hearings of Senate com- Committee on Commerce, Science, and Committee on the Judiciary mittees, subcommittees, joint commit- Transportation To hold hearings to examine the impact tees, and committees of conference. Business meeting to consider S. 1693, to of lawsuit abuse on American small This title requires all such committees amend the Communications Act of 1934 businesses and job creators. to notify the Office of the Senate Daily to clarify that section 230 of that Act SD–226 does not prohibit the enforcement Digest—designated by the Rules Com- 2:30 p.m. against providers and users of inter- Committee on Indian Affairs mittee—of the time, place and purpose active computer services of Federal of the meetings, when scheduled and To hold hearings to examine S. 1400, to and State criminal and civil law relat- amend title 18, United States Code, to any cancellations or changes in the ing to sex trafficking, S. 1668, to re- enhance protections of Native Amer- name a waterway in the State of New meetings as they occur. ican tangible cultural heritage, and S. York as the ‘‘Joseph Sanford Jr. Chan- As an additional procedure along 465, to provide for an independent out- nel’’, and the nominations of Dana side audit of the Indian Health Service. with the computerization of this infor- Baiocco, of Ohio, to be a Commissioner SD–628 mation, the Office of the Senate Daily of the Consumer Product Safety Com- Digest will prepare this information for mission, James Bridenstine, of Okla- NOVEMBER 14 printing in the Extensions of Remarks homa, to be Administrator of the Na- 9:30 a.m. section of the CONGRESSIONAL RECORD tional Aeronautics and Space Adminis- Committee on Energy and Natural Re- on Monday and Wednesday of each tration, Neil Jacobs, of North Carolina, sources week. and Nazakhtar Nikakhtar, of Mary- To hold an oversight hearing to examine land, both to be an Assistant Secretary hurricane recovery efforts in Puerto Meetings scheduled for Thursday, No- of Commerce, Bruce Landsberg, of Rico and the United States Virgin Is- vember 2, 2017 may be found in the South Carolina, to be a Member of the lands. Daily Digest of today’s RECORD. National Transportation Safety Board, SD–366

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HIGHLIGHTS See Re´sume´ of Congressional Activity. Senate nomination, equally divided between the Leaders, or Chamber Action their designees, and that following the use or yield- Routine Proceedings, pages S6937–S6974 ing back of that time, Senate vote on confirmation Measures Introduced: Ten bills and two resolu- of the nomination. Page S6963 tions were introduced, as follows: S. 2049–2058, and A unanimous-consent agreement was reached pro- S. Res. 319–320. Page S6970 viding for further consideration of the nomination, post-cloture, at approximately 9:30 a.m., on Thurs- Measures Reported: day, November 2, 2017. Page S6973 S. Res. 279, reaffirming the commitment of the United States to promote democracy, human rights, Nomination Confirmed: Senate confirmed the fol- and the rule of law in Cambodia, with an amend- lowing nomination: ment in the nature of a substitute and with an By 60 yeas to 38 nays (Vote No. EX. 257), Joan amended preamble. Page S6970 Louise Larsen, of Michigan, to be United States Cir- cuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit. Measures Passed: Pages S6938–44, S6974 National Domestic Violence Awareness Month: Nominations Received: Senate received the fol- Senate agreed to S. Res. 320, supporting the goals lowing nominations: and ideals of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, commending domestic violence victim advo- Michael D. Griffin, of Alabama, to be a Principal cates, domestic violence victim service providers, cri- Deputy Under Secretary of Defense. sis hotline staff, and first responders serving victims Randall G. Schriver, of Virginia, to be an Assist- of domestic violence for their compassionate support ant Secretary of Defense. of survivors of domestic violence, and expressing the Joel Danies, of Maryland, to be Ambassador to the sense of the Senate that Congress should continue to Gabonese Republic, and to serve concurrently and support efforts to end domestic violence, provide without additional compensation as Ambassador to safety for victims of domestic violence and their fam- the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe. ilies, and hold perpetrators of domestic violence ac- Douglas Webster, of Virginia, to be Chief Finan- countable. Page S6973 cial Officer, Department of Education. Scott A. Mugno, of Pennsylvania, to be an Assist- Eid Nomination—Agreement: Senate resumed ant Secretary of Labor. consideration of the nomination of Allison H. Eid, James R. Sweeney II, of Indiana, to be United of Colorado, to be United States Circuit Judge for States District Judge for the Southern District of In- the Tenth Circuit. Pages S6944–63 diana. During consideration of this nomination today, Routine lists in the Foreign Service. Senate also took the following action: Pages S6973–74 By 56 yeas to 42 nays (Vote No. 258), Senate agreed to the motion to close further debate on the Messages from the House: Page S6967 nomination. Pages S6944–45 Measures Referred: Page S6967 A unanimous-consent-time agreement was reached Executive Communications: Pages S6968–70 providing that notwithstanding Rule XXII, that at 11:30 a.m., on Thursday, November 2, 2017, there Petitions and Memorials: Page S6970 be 30 minutes of post-cloture time remaining on the Executive Reports of Committees: Page S6970 D1152

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Additional Cosponsors: Pages S6970–71 NOMINATIONS Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions: Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded Pages S6971–72 a hearing to examine the nominations of Irwin Ste- Additional Statements: Page S6967 ven Goldstein, of New York, to be Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy, Rebecca Eliza Gonzales, of Authorities for Committees to Meet: Texas, to be Ambassador to the Kingdom of Leso- Pages S6972–73 tho, Lisa A. Johnson, of Washington, to be Ambas- Privileges of the Floor: Page S6973 sador to the Republic of Namibia, James Randolph Record Votes: Two record votes were taken today. Evans, of Georgia, to be Ambassador to Luxem- (Total—258) Pages S6944, S6945 bourg, who was introduced by Senator Isakson, and Sean P. Lawler, of Maryland, to be Chief of Protocol, Adjournment: Senate convened at 10 a.m. and ad- and to have the rank of Ambassador during his ten- journed at 6:37 p.m., until 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, ure of service, all of the Department of State, after November 2, 2017. (For Senate’s program, see the the nominees testified and answered questions in remarks of the Majority Leader in today’s Record on their own behalf. page S6973.) ENERGY AND INTERNATIONAL Committee Meetings DEVELOPMENT Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on Mul- (Committees not listed did not meet) tilateral International Development, Multilateral In- stitutions, and International Economic, Energy, and BUSINESS MEETING Environmental Policy concluded a hearing to exam- Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: ine energy and international development, after re- Committee ordered favorably reported the nomina- ceiving testimony from Rachel Kyte, Sustainable En- tions of David J. Ryder, of New Jersey, to be Direc- ergy for All, Washington, D.C.; Todd J. Moss, Cen- tor of the Mint, Department of the Treasury, and ter for Global Development, Bethesda, Maryland; Hester Maria Peirce, of Ohio, and Robert J. Jackson, Joao Talocchi, Purpose Climate Lab, New York, Jr., of New York, both to be a Member of the Secu- New York; and Paul J. Mitchell, Energy Systems rities and Exchange Commission. Network, Indianapolis, Indiana. NOMINATIONS MODERNIZING TAX POLICIES Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded an Committee concluded a hearing to examine the oversight hearing to examine building tribal econo- nominations of Scott Garrett, of New Jersey, to be mies, focusing on modernizing tax policies that work President, Kimberly A. Reed, of West Virginia, to for Indian country, after receiving testimony from be First Vice President, Mark L. Greenblatt, of Carl Marrs, Old Harbor Native Corporation, Anchor- Maryland, to be Inspector General, and Spencer age, Alaska; Liana Onnen, Prairie Band Potawatomi Bachus III, of Alabama, Judith Delzoppo Pryor, of Nation, Mayetta, Kansas; and Dante Desiderio, Ohio, and Claudia Slacik, of New York, each to be Nafoa, Washington, D.C. a Member of the Board of Directors, all of the Ex- port-Import Bank, after the nominees testified and NOMINATIONS answered questions in their own behalf. Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the nominations of Leonard Ste- NOMINATIONS ven Grasz, of Nebraska, to be United States Circuit Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Judge for the Eighth Circuit, who was introduced by Committee concluded a hearing to examine the Senator Fischer, Terry A. Doughty, to be United nominations of James Bridenstine, of Oklahoma, to States District Judge for the Western District of be Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Louisiana, who was introduced by Senator Cassidy, Space Administration, who was introduced by Sen- Terry Fitzgerald Moorer, to be United States District ator Inhofe, Dana Baiocco, of Ohio, to be a Commis- Judge for the Southern District of Alabama, who was sioner of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, introduced by Senator Shelby, and Mark Saalfield and Nazakhtar Nikakhtar, of Maryland, who was in- Norris, Sr., to be United States District Judge for troduced by Senator Wicker, and Neil Jacobs, of the Western District of Tennessee, who was intro- North Carolina, both to be an Assistant Secretary of duced by Senators Alexander and Corker, after the Commerce, after the nominees testified and answered nominees testified and answered questions in their questions in their own behalf. own behalf.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 07:27 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 0627 Sfmt 0627 E:\CR\FM\D01NO7.REC D01NOPT1 D1154 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — DAILY DIGEST November 1, 2017 SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCE IN 2016 2016 United States elections, after receiving testi- ELECTIONS mony from Colin Stretch, Facebook, Menlo Park, Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee concluded a California; Sean J. Edgett, Twitter, Inc., San Fran- hearing to examine social media influence in the cisco, California; and Kent Walker, Google, Moun- tain View, California. h House of Representatives or his designee; that the resolution be considered as Chamber Action read; that the previous question be considered as or- Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced: 19 pub- dered on the resolution and preamble to adoption lic bills, H.R. 4200–4218; and 3 resolutions, H. without intervening motion or demand for division Con. Res. 89; and H. Res. 599, 602, were intro- of the question except for one hour of debate equally duced. Pages H8384–85 divided and controlled by Representative Royce and Additional Cosponsors: Pages H8386–87 Representative Khanna or their respective designees; and that notwithstanding any previous order of the Reports Filed: Reports were filed today as follows: House, the provisions of section 7 of the War Pow- H.R. 3441, to clarify the treatment of two or ers Resolution shall not apply to House Concurrent more employers as joint employers under the Na- Resolution 81. Page H8318 tional Labor Relations Act and the Fair Labor Stand- ards Act of 1938, with an amendment (H. Rept. Suspensions: The House agreed to suspend the rules 115–379); and pass the following measures: H.R. 3387, to amend the Safe Drinking Water Encouraging Public Offerings Act of 2017: H.R. Act to improve public water systems and enhance 3903, amended, to amend the Securities Act of 1933 compliance with such Act, and for other purposes, to expand the ability to use testing the waters and with an amendment (H. Rept. 115–380); confidential draft registration submissions, by a 2⁄3 H. Res. 600, providing for consideration of the yea-and-nay vote of 419 yeas with none voting bill (H.R. 849) to repeal the provisions of the Pa- ‘‘nay’’, Roll No. 599; Pages H8318–20, H8361–62 tient Protection and Affordable Care Act providing Amending the Securities Act of 1933 to codify for the Independent Payment Advisory Board (H. certain qualifications of individuals as accredited Rept. 115–381); investors for purposes of the securities laws: H.R. H. Res. 601, providing for consideration of the 1585, amended, to amend the Securities Act of 1933 bill (H.R. 3922) to extend funding for certain public to codify certain qualifications of individuals as ac- health programs, and for other purposes (H. Rept. credited investors for purposes of the securities laws; 115–382); and Pages H8320–23 H.R. 2201, to amend the Securities Act of 1933 to exempt certain micro-offerings from the registra- Helium Extraction Act of 2017: H.R. 3279, to tion requirements of such Act, and for other pur- amend the Mineral Leasing Act to provide that ex- traction of helium from gas produced under a Fed- poses (H. Rept. 115–383). Page H8384 eral mineral lease shall maintain the lease as if the Speaker: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein he helium were oil and gas; Page H8323 appointed Representative Marshall to act as Speaker Repealing the Act entitled ‘‘An Act to confer ju- pro tempore for today. Page H8297 risdiction on the State of Iowa over offenses com- Recess: The House recessed at 11:16 a.m. and re- mitted by or against Indians on the Sac and Fox convened at 12 noon. Page H8306 Indian Reservation’’: H.R. 1074, to repeal the Act Guest Chaplain: The prayer was offered by the entitled ‘‘An Act to confer jurisdiction on the State Guest Chaplain, Rev. Dr. Michael W. Waters, Joy of Iowa over offenses committed by or against Indi- Tabernacle AME Church, Dallas, TX. Page H8306 ans on the Sac and Fox Indian Reservation’’; Unanimous Consent Agreement: Agreed by unan- Pages H8323–24 imous consent that it be in order at any time to con- Providing for the conveyance to the State of sider House Resolution 599 in the House, if called Iowa of the reversionary interest held by the up by the chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs United States in certain land in Pottawattamie

VerDate Sep 11 2014 07:27 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 0627 Sfmt 0627 E:\CR\FM\D01NO7.REC D01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — DAILY DIGEST D1155 County, Iowa: H.R. 2600, amended, to provide for ommended by the Committees on Agriculture and the conveyance to the State of Iowa of the rever- Natural Resources now printed in the bill. sionary interest held by the United States in certain Page H8340 land in Pottawattamie County, Iowa; Pages H8324–25 Agreed to: Indiana Dunes National Park Act: H.R. 1488, Schrader amendment (No. 1 printed in H. Rept. amended, to retitle Indiana Dunes National Lake- 115–378) that strikes ‘‘produce timber’’ as a forest shore as Indiana Dunes National Park; management activity designated for Categorical Ex- clusion; Page H8350 Pages H8325–26 Ca´rdenas amendment (No. 4 printed in H. Rept. Foreign Terrorist Organizations Passport Rev- 115–378) that requires the Secretary of Agriculture, ocation Act of 2017: H.R. 425, amended, to author- in consultation with other relevant Departments, to ize the revocation or denial of passports to individ- conduct a study to evaluate the feasibility, safety and uals affiliated with foreign terrorist organizations; cost effectiveness of using unmanned aerial vehicles and Pages H8363–65 for the purposes of supporting wildfire response and Urging adherence to the ‘‘one country, two sys- suppression as well as forest restoration and manage- tems’’ policy as prescribed in the Joint Declaration ment; Page H8352 between the Government of the United Kingdom of DeFazio amendment (No. 5 printed in H. Rept. Great Britain and the Government of the People’s 115–378) that adds land exclusions to Sec. 913, in- Republic of China on the Question of the Hong cluding Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, Kong: H. Res. 422, amended, urging adherence to Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, Wilderness Act, lands the ‘‘one country, two systems’’ policy as prescribed managed under the National Trails System; and in the Joint Declaration between the Government of Pages H8352–53 the United Kingdom of Great Britain and the Gov- Pearce amendment (No. 7 printed in H. Rept. ernment of the People’s Republic of China on the 115–378) that establishes a pilot program to dem- onstrate effective tools and techniques for safe- Question of the Hong Kong; Pages H8365–68 guarding natural resources (by a recorded vote of Agreed to amend the title so as to read: ‘‘Urging 236 ayes to 184 noes, Roll No. 596). adherence to the ‘one country, two systems’ policy as Pages H8354–56, H8358–59 prescribed in the Joint Declaration between the Gov- Rejected: ernment of the United Kingdom of Great Britain Khanna amendment (No. 2 printed in H. Rept. and the Government of the People’s Republic of 115–378) that sought to strike Subtitle B of Title China on the Question of Hong Kong.’’. Page H8368 III, the Forest Management Activity Arbitration Recess: The House recessed at 5:07 p.m. and recon- Pilot Program, from the bill (by a recorded vote of vened at 5:16 p.m. Page H8356 189 ayes to 232 noes, Roll No. 594); and Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2017: The House Pages H8350–51, H8357 passed H.R. 2936, to expedite under the National O’Halleran amendment (No. 3 printed in H. Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and improve for- Rept. 115–378) that sought to strike sections 801 est management activities on National Forest System and 903 (by a recorded vote of 194 ayes to 226 noes, lands, on public lands under the jurisdiction of the Roll No. 595). Pages H8351–52, H8357–58 Bureau of Land Management, and on Tribal lands to Withdrawn: return resilience to overgrown, fire-prone forested LaMalfa amendment (No. 6 printed in H. Rept. lands, by a recorded vote of 232 ayes to 188 noes, 115–378) that was offered and subsequently with- drawn that would have directed OPM to create a Roll No. 598. Pages H8326–56, H8356 Rejected the O’Halleran motion to recommit the ‘‘wildland firefighter’’ occupational series. bill to the Committee on Natural Resources with in- Pages H8353–54 structions to report the same back to the House H. Res. 595, the rule providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2936) was agreed to by a recorded forthwith with amendments, by a recorded vote of vote of 232 ayes to 184 noes, Roll No. 593, after 189 ayes to 230 noes, Roll No. 597. Pages H8359–60 the previous question was ordered by a yea-and-nay Pursuant to the Rule, it shall be in order to con- vote of 232 yeas to 184 nays, Roll No. 592. sider as an original bill for the purpose of amend- Pages H8309–18 ment under the five-minute rule an amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of Clerk to Correct Engrossment: Agreed by unani- Rules Committee Print 115–36, in lieu of the mous consent that, in the engrossment of H.R. amendments in the nature of a substitute rec- 3903, the Clerk be authorized to make such tech- nical and conforming changes as may be necessary to

VerDate Sep 11 2014 07:27 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 0627 Sfmt 0627 E:\CR\FM\D01NO7.REC D01NOPT1 D1156 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — DAILY DIGEST November 1, 2017 reflect the actions of the House in amending the titled ‘‘Oversight of FirstNet: State Perspectives’’. bill. Page H8362 Testimony was heard from Brian Moran, Secretary of Clerk to Correct Engrossment: Agreed by unani- Public Safety and Homeland Security, Virginia; Mi- mous consent that the Clerk be authorized to make chael Poth, CEO, First Responder Network Author- technical corrections in the engrossment of H.R. ity; John Stevens, Statewide Interoperability Coordi- 2936, to include corrections in spelling, punctua- nator, New Hampshire; and public witnesses. tion, section numbering and cross-referencing, and EXAMINING THE COMMUNITY the insertion of appropriate headings. Page H8362 DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT-DISASTER Providing official recognition of the massacre of RECOVERY PROGRAM 11 African-American soldiers of the 333rd Field Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Artillery Battalion of the United States Army Oversight and Investigations held a hearing entitled who had been captured in Wereth, Belgium, ‘‘Examining the Community Development Block during the Battle of the Bulge on December 17, Grant-Disaster Recovery Program’’. Testimony was 1944: The House agreed to discharge from com- heard from Helen Albert, Acting Inspector General, mittee and agree to H. Con. Res. 43, providing offi- Office of the Inspector General, Department of cial recognition of the massacre of 11 African-Amer- Housing and Urban Development. ican soldiers of the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion of the United States Army who had been captured DATA SECURITY: VULNERABILITIES AND in Wereth, Belgium, during the Battle of the Bulge OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT on December 17, 1944. Page H8362 Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Fi- Senate Message: Message received from the Senate nancial Institutions and Consumer Credit held a by the Clerk and subsequently presented to the hearing entitled ‘‘Data Security: Vulnerabilities and House today appears on page H8318. Opportunities for Improvement’’. Testimony was heard from public witnesses. Quorum Calls—Votes: Two yea-and-nay votes and six recorded votes developed during the proceedings AN INSIDER’S LOOK AT THE NORTH of today and appear on pages H8316–17, KOREAN REGIME H8317–18, H8357, H8357–58, H8358–59, H8360, Committee on Foreign Affairs: Full Committee held a H8360–61, and H8361–62. There were no quorum hearing entitled ‘‘An Insider’s Look at the North calls. Korean Regime’’. Testimony was heard from a pub- Adjournment: The House met at 10 a.m. and ad- lic witness. journed at 9:14 p.m. NET NEUTRALITY AND THE ROLE OF ANTITRUST Committee Meetings Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Regu- ACCOUNTABLE SOFT POWER IN THE latory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law held NATIONAL INTEREST a hearing entitled ‘‘Net Neutrality and the Role of Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on State, Antitrust’’. Testimony was heard from Maureen Foreign Operations, and Related Programs held an Ohlhausen, Acting Chairman, Federal Trade Com- oversight hearing entitled ‘‘Accountable Soft Power mission; Terrell McSweeny, Commissioner, Federal in the National Interest’’. Testimony was heard from Trade Commission; and public witnesses. Mark Green, Administrator, U.S. Agency for Inter- LEGISLATIVE MEASURE national Development. Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Con- SECURING CONSUMERS’ CREDIT DATA IN stitution and Civil Justice held a hearing on H.R. THE AGE OF DIGITAL COMMERCE 490, the ‘‘Heartbeat Protection Act of 2017’’. Testi- Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on mony was heard from public witnesses. Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection held a OVERSIGHT OF THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE hearing entitled ‘‘Securing Consumers’ Credit Data FOR IMMIGRATION REVIEW in the Age of Digital Commerce’’. Testimony was heard from public witnesses. Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immi- gration and Border Security held a hearing entitled OVERSIGHT OF FIRSTNET: STATE ‘‘Oversight of the Executive Office for Immigration PERSPECTIVES Review’’. Testimony was heard from James Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on McHenry, Acting Director, Executive Office for Im- Communications and Technology held a hearing en- migration Review, Department of Justice.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 07:27 Nov 02, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 0627 Sfmt 0627 E:\CR\FM\D01NO7.REC D01NOPT1 November 1, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — DAILY DIGEST D1157 OVERVIEW OF 16 YEARS OF INVOLVEMENT Future of Low Dose Radiation Research’’. Testimony IN AFGHANISTAN was heard from John Neumann, Director, Science Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Sub- and Technology Issues, Government Accountability committee on National Security held a hearing enti- Office; and public witnesses. tled ‘‘Overview of 16 Years of Involvement in Af- IMPACT OF RUSSIAN ADVERTISEMENTS ghanistan’’. Testimony was heard from John Sopko, ON SOCIAL MEDIA Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Recon- Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Russia Inves- struction. tigative Task Force held a hearing entitled ‘‘Impact PROTECTING SENIORS’ ACCESS TO of Russian Advertisements on Social Media’’. Testi- MEDICARE ACT OF 2017; COMMUNITY mony was heard from public witnesses. HEALTH AND MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS IMPROVE OUR NATION ACT OF 2017 Joint Meetings Committee on Rules: Full Committee held a hearing on No joint committee meetings were held. H.R. 849, the ‘‘Protecting Seniors’ Access to Medi- f care Act of 2017’’; and H.R. 3922, the ‘‘Community Health and Medical Professionals Improve Our Na- COMMITTEE MEETINGS FOR THURSDAY, tion Act of 2017’’. The Committee granted, by NOVEMBER 2, 2017 record vote of 7–3, a closed rule for H.R. 849. The (Committee meetings are open unless otherwise indicated) rule provides one hour of debate equally divided among and controlled by the chair and ranking mi- Senate nority member of the Committee on Energy and Committee on Armed Services: to hold hearings to examine Commerce and chair and ranking minority member the nominations of Mark T. Esper, of Virginia, to be Sec- of the Committee on Ways and Means. The rule retary of the Army, Robert L. Wilkie, of North Carolina, waives all points of order against consideration of the to be Under Secretary for Personnel and Readiness, Jo- seph Kernan, of Florida, to be Under Secretary for Intel- bill. The rule provides that the amendment in the ligence, and Guy B. Roberts, of Virginia, to be an Assist- nature of a substitute recommended by the Com- ant Secretary, all of the Department of Defense, 9:30 mittee on Ways and Means now printed in the bill a.m., SD–G50. shall be considered as adopted and the bill, as Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: to hold hear- amended, shall be considered as read. The rule ings to examine the potential for oil and gas exploration waives all points of order against provisions in the and development in the non-wilderness portion of the bill, as amended. The rule provides one motion to Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, known as the ‘‘1002 recommit with or without instructions. The Com- Area’’ or Coastal Plain, to raise sufficient revenue pursu- mittee granted, by record vote of 7–3, a closed rule ant to the Senate reconciliation instructions included in for H.R. 3922. The rule provides one hour of debate H. Con Res. 71, 9:30 a.m., SD–366. equally divided and controlled by the chair and Committee on the Judiciary: business meeting to consider S. 807, to provide anti-retaliation protections for antitrust ranking minority member of the Committee on En- whistleblowers, and the nominations of Gregory G. ergy and Commerce. The rule waives all points of Katsas, of Virginia, to be United States Circuit Judge for order against consideration of the bill. The rule pro- the District of Columbia Circuit, Jeffrey Uhlman vides that the amendment printed in part A of the Beaverstock, to be United States District Judge for the Rules Committee report, modified by the amend- Southern District of Alabama, Emily Coody Marks, and ment printed in part B of the Rules Committee re- Brett Joseph Talley, both to be a United States District port, shall be considered as adopted and the bill, as Judge for the Middle District of Alabama, Holly Lou amended, shall be considered as read. The rule Teeter, to be United States District Judge for the District waives all points of order against provisions in the of Kansas, and Matthew G. T. Martin, to be United bill, as amended. The rule provides one motion to States Attorney for the Middle District of North Caro- recommit with or without instructions. Testimony lina, and Christina E. Nolan, to be United States Attor- ney for the District of Vermont, both of the Department was heard from Chairman Walden and Representa- of Justice, 10 a.m., SD–226. tives Guthrie, Thompson of California, Paulsen, Pal- Select Committee on Intelligence: to receive a closed brief- lone, Duncan of Tennessee, and Gonza´lez-Colo´n of ing on certain intelligence matters, 2 p.m., SH–219. Puerto Rico. House THE FUTURE OF LOW DOSE RADIATION RESEARCH Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on En- ergy, hearing entitled ‘‘The 2017 Hurricane Season: A Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Sub- Review of Emergency Response and Energy Infrastructure committee on Energy held a hearing entitled ‘‘The Recovery Efforts’’, 10:30 a.m., 2123 Rayburn.

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Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, hearing Street in Fairview, Illinois, as the ‘‘Sgt. Douglas J. Riney entitled ‘‘Concerns Over Federal Select Agent Program Post Office’’; H.R. 2673, to designate the facility of the Oversight of Dangerous Pathogens’’, 10:45 a.m., 2322 United States Postal Service located at 514 Broadway Rayburn. Street in Pekin, Illinois, as the ‘‘Lance Corporal Jordan S. Committee on Financial Services, Subcommittee on Hous- Bastean Post Office’’; H.R. 3821, to designate the facility ing and Insurance, hearing entitled ‘‘Sustainable Housing of the United States Postal Service located at 430 Main Finance: Private Sector Perspectives on Housing Finance Street in Clermont, Georgia, as the ‘‘Zachary Addington Reform, Part II’’, 2 p.m., 2128 Rayburn. Post Office’’; and H.R. 3893, to designate the facility of Committee on the Judiciary, Full Committee, markup on the United States Postal Service located at 100 Mathe H.R. 3249, the ‘‘Project Safe Neighborhoods Grant Pro- Avenue in Interlachen, Florida, as the ‘‘Robert H. Jenkins gram Authorization Act of 2017’’; H.R. 1730, the ‘‘Com- Post Office’’, 10 a.m., 2154 Rayburn. bating Anti-Semitism Act of 2017’’; H.R. 3317, the Subcommittee on the Interior, Energy, and Environ- ‘‘Stopping Abusive Female Exploitation Act’’; and H.R. ment, hearing entitled ‘‘Examining the Regulation of 4203, the ‘‘Combat Online Predators Act’’, 10:30 a.m., Shark Finning in the United States’’, 2 p.m., 2154 Ray- 2141 Rayburn. burn. Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Water, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Subcommittee Power and Oceans, hearing on H.R. 221, the ‘‘Hydro- on Research and Technology, hearing entitled ‘‘Putting graphic Services Improvement Amendments Act’’; H.R. Food on the Table—A Review of the Importance of Agri- 1176, the ‘‘Keep America’s Waterfronts Working Act’’; culture Research’’, 10:30 a.m., 2318 Rayburn. and S. 140, to amend the White Mountain Apache Tribe Committee on Small Business, Subcommittee on Investiga- Water Rights Quantification Act of 2010 to clarify the tions, Oversight, and Regulations, hearing entitled ‘‘Op- use of amounts in the WMAT Settlement Fund, 10 a.m., erating or Rulemaking? A Review of SBA’s Opaque 1324 Longworth. Standard Operating Procedures Process’’, 10:30 a.m., Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Full Com- 2360 Rayburn. mittee, markup on legislation on the Foundations for Evi- Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Full Com- dence-Based Policymaking Act of 2017; legislation on the mittee, hearing entitled ‘‘Emergency Response and Re- Ensuring a Qualified Civil Service Act of 2017; H.R. covery: Central Takeaways from the Unprecedented 2017 1132, the ‘‘Political Appointee Burrowing Prevention Hurricane Season’’, 10 a.m., 2167 Rayburn. Act’’; H.R. 3076, the ‘‘Creating Advanced Streamlined Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Full Committee, markup Electronic Services for Constituents Act of 2017’’; H.R. on H.R. 299, the ‘‘Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans 4043, the ‘‘Whistleblower Protection Extension Act of Act of 2017’’; H.R. 1133, the ‘‘Veterans Transplant Cov- 2017’’; legislation to amend title 5, United States Code, erage Act of 2017’’; H.R. 1900, the ‘‘National Veterans to extend the authority to conduct telework travel ex- Memorial and Museum Act’’; H.R. 2123, the ‘‘VETS Act penses test programs, and for other purposes; legislation of 2017’’; H.R. 2601, the ‘‘VICTOR Act of 2017’’; H.R. on the Settlement Agreement Information Database Act; 3634, the ‘‘SERVE Act of 2017’’; H.R. 3705, the ‘‘Vet- H.R. 3121, the ‘‘All-American Flag Act’’; legislation on erans Fair Debt Notice Act of 2017’’; H.R. 3949, the the Preparedness and Risk Management for Extreme ‘‘VALOR Act’’; and H.R. 4173, to direct the Secretary Weather Patterns Assuring Resilience and Effectiveness of Veterans Affairs to conduct a study on the Veterans Act of 2017; H.R. 1850, to designate the facility of the Crisis Line, 10:30 a.m., 334 Cannon. United States Postal Service located at 907 Fourth Ave- Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Full Com- nue in Lake Odessa, Michigan, as the ‘‘Donna Sauers mittee, hearing entitled ‘‘Appearance of Carter W. Page’’, Besko Post Office’’; H.R. 2672, to designate the facility 9 a.m., HVC–304. This is an open hearing in a closed of the United States Postal Service located at 520 Carter space.

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Re´sume´ of Congressional Activity

FIRST SESSION OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS The first table gives a comprehensive re´sume´ of all legislative business transacted by the Senate and House. The second table accounts for all nominations submitted to the Senate by the President for Senate confirmation.

DATA ON LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITY DISPOSITION OF EXECUTIVE NOMINATIONS January 3 through October 31, 2017 January 3 through October 31, 2017 Senate House Total Civilian nominations, totaling 524, disposed of as follows: Days in session ...... 160 155 . . Confirmed ...... 190 ′ ′ Time in session ...... 966 hrs., 13 692 hrs., 57 .. Unconfirmed ...... 299 Congressional Record: Withdrawn ...... 35 Pages of proceedings ...... 6,935 8,296 . . Extensions of Remarks ...... 1,473 . . Public bills enacted into law ...... 24 49 73 Other Civilian nominations, totaling 785, disposed of as follows: Private bills enacted into law ...... Confirmed ...... 760 Bills in conference ...... 1 1 . . Unconfirmed ...... 25 Measures passed, total ...... 345 536 881 Senate bills ...... 84 24 . . House bills ...... 40 349 . . Air Force nominations, totaling 5,617, disposed of as follows: Senate joint resolutions ...... 8 6 . . House joint resolutions ...... 16 19 . . Confirmed ...... 5,594 Senate concurrent resolutions ...... 9 7 . . Unconfirmed ...... 23 House concurrent resolutions ...... 8 12 . . Simple resolutions ...... 180 119 . . Army nominations, totaling 6,570, disposed of as follows: Measures reported, total ...... * 242 * 373 615 Senate bills ...... 187 1 . . Confirmed ...... 6,552 House bills ...... 26 283 . . Unconfirmed ...... 18 Senate joint resolutions ...... 1 . . . . House joint resolutions ...... 2 . . Senate concurrent resolutions ...... 2 . . . . Navy nominations, totaling 4,222, disposed of as follows: House concurrent resolutions ...... 4 . . Confirmed ...... 4,218 Simple resolutions ...... 26 83 . . Unconfirmed ...... 4 Special reports ...... 13 5 . . Conference reports ...... Measures pending on calendar ...... 177 98 . . Marine Corps nominations, totaling 1,314, disposed of as follows: Measures introduced, total ...... 2,433 5,005 7,438 Confirmed ...... 1,314 Bills ...... 2,038 4,199 .. Joint resolutions ...... 49 120 . . Concurrent resolutions ...... 28 88 . . Summary Simple resolutions ...... 318 598 . . Quorum calls ...... 3 1 . . Total nominations carried over from the First Session ...... 0 Yea-and-nay votes ...... 256 258 . . Total nominations received this Session ...... 19,032 Recorded votes ...... 332 . . Total confirmed ...... 18,628 Bills vetoed ...... Total unconfirmed ...... 369 Vetoes overridden ...... Total withdrawn ...... 35 Total returned to the White House ...... 0

* These figures include all measures reported, even if there was no accom- panying report. A total of 180 written reports have been filed in the Senate, 378 reports have been filed in the House.

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Next Meeting of the SENATE Next Meeting of the HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 9:30 a.m., Thursday, November 2 10 a.m., Thursday, November 2

Senate Chamber House Chamber Program for Thursday: Senate will continue consider- Program for Thursday: Consideration of H.R. 849— ation of the nomination of Allison H. Eid, of Colorado, Protecting Seniors’ Access to Medicare Act of 2017 (Sub- to be United States Circuit Judge for the Tenth Circuit, ject to a Rule). Begin consideration of H.R. 3922—Com- post-cloture, and vote on confirmation of the nomination munity Health And Medical Professionals Improve Our at approximately 12 noon. Nation Act of 2017 (Subject to a Rule). Following disposition of the nomination of Allison H. Eid, Senate will vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Stephanos Bibas, of Pennsylvania, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit.

Extensions of Remarks, as inserted in this issue

HOUSE Gonzalez, Vicente, Tex., E1485 Roybal-Allard, Lucille, Calif., E1486 Gutie´rrez, Luis V., Ill., E1476 Rutherford, John H., Fla., E1485 Bilirakis, Gus M., Fla., E1479 Katko, John, N.Y., E1485 Shimkus, John, Ill., E1478 Carter, John R., Tex., E1477, E1479, E1482, E1484, King, Peter T., N.Y., E1481 Thornberry, Mac, Tex., E1480 E1486, E1487 Larson, John B., Conn., E1475 Visclosky, Peter J., Ind., E1482 Comstock, Barbara, Va., E1476 Luetkemeyer, Blaine, Mo., E1485 Connolly, Gerald E., Va., E1480, E1480, E1480, E1481, McCollum, Betty, Minn., E1486 Westerman, Bruce, Ark., E1477 E1481, E1482, E1483, E1483, E1484, E1484 McKinley, David B., W.Va., E1480 Wilson, Joe, S.C., E1487 Doyle, Michael F., Pa., E1483 Moore, Gwen, Wisc., E1485 Yoder, Kevin, Kans., E1483 Gallagher, Mike, Wisc., E1475 Payne, Donald M., Jr., N.J., E1479 Young, David, Iowa, E1475, E1475, E1477, E1478, E1481, Garamendi, John, Calif., E1475, E1476, E1476, E1477, Rokita, Todd, Ind., E1484 E1483, E1484, E1485, E1487, E1487 E1477, E1477, E1478, E1478, E1479 Rothfus, Keith J., Pa., E1487

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