E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 114 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 162 WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 No. 134 House of Representatives The House met at 10 a.m. and was nance essential services, from Social There is absolutely no evidence that called to order by the Speaker pro tem- Security to medical research, our na- he did anything wrong. The Republican pore (Mr. VALADAO). tional defense, national parks, vet- inspector general, a former Republican f erans’ services, and so much more. Ev- staff member, found nothing wrong. erything that matters to Americans This impeachment action is going no- DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO depends on the ability to finance gov- where in the Senate. It has got to be an TEMPORE ernment efficiently and fairly. embarrassment for the Speaker, com- The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- Look, Americans from the dawn of mittee chairmen, and Republicans ev- fore the House the following commu- the Republic have chafed at paying erywhere. It only serves to highlight nication from the Speaker: taxes, continuing a tradition that ideological divisions, lack of respect dates back to Biblical times, and al- for due process, and the exaggerated WASHINGTON, DC, most everybody says they hate the September 7, 2016. power of the Republican echo chamber I hereby appoint the Honorable DAVID G. IRS, which is the cheapest, quickest of rightwing talk radio. VALADAO to act as Speaker pro tempore on political applause line for any politi- But it does more than add to disdain this day. cian. Yet, over the years, we have man- for the political process. It is a cloud PAUL D. RYAN, aged to collect money that allows us to over public service. While people claim Speaker of the House of Representatives. win wars, struggle through depressions, we don’t need the IRS or that our tax f and provide what used to be some of filing can be reduced to a postcard and the finest public services on the face of that we can generate all the money we MORNING-HOUR DEBATE the planet. need with reduced tax rates and more The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- Yes, the Internal Revenue Service ad- ministers a hopelessly complex, con- exemptions, it is a fantasy that any re- ant to the order of the House of Janu- sponsible Republican businessperson or ary 5, 2016, the Chair will now recog- voluted, and unfair Tax Code because that is what the American Congress independent economist will verify. nize Members from lists submitted by Going down this impeachment path the majority and minority leaders for has given them to work with. Congress created this mess and then blames the will make it harder to recruit some- morning-hour debate. body for the hardest job in government The Chair will alternate recognition people who try to administer it. If we are ever to make the IRS bet- and will only deepen the divides at a between the parties, with each party ter, more efficient, and fairer, it is time when we need clear thinking and limited to 1 hour, and each Member going to require a degree of coopera- nonpartisan cooperation to fix a bro- other than the majority and minority tion, candor, and hard work. The cur- ken IRS, establish the trust and hard leaders and the minority whip limited rent spectacle of destroying the reputa- work to make the mechanics of rev- to 5 minutes, but in no event shall de- tion of a distinguished public servant, enue collection work, and avoid the bate continue beyond 11:50 a.m. an accomplished businessman, is going breakdown of the system. f to make that task even harder. This is playing with fire and should be beneath America’s elected officials. THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE Make no mistake. The treatment of John Koskinen, with the possibility of Tarnishing the stellar reputation of an The SPEAKER pro tempore. The being the first Cabinet official im- outstanding citizen who is doing his Chair recognizes the gentleman from peached in nearly 140 years, is not just country a favor by volunteering to Oregon (Mr. BLUMENAUER) for 5 min- embarrassing for the people who are take this thankless task is simply utes. perpetrating it; it represents a threat something that should not be toler- Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, to to the ability to administer the IRS. ated. understand what is wrong with Amer- John Koskinen came to this position f ican politics, especially the dysfunc- after a lifetime of success in business tional Republican House of Representa- as a turnaround expert at the highest THE TIME FOR WAITING IS OVER tives, look no further than the spec- levels as well as in public service, hold- The SPEAKER pro tempore. The tacle surrounding the IRS and the im- ing senior positions in both Republican Chair recognizes the gentleman from peachment of its Commissioner. and Democratic administrations. The Pennsylvania (Mr. MURPHY) for 5 min- The Internal Revenue Service im- Bush administration turned to him to utes. pacts 150 million American taxpayers prevent the implosion of the housing fi- Mr. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Mr. every year, virtually every family and nance giant, Freddie Mac, and he spent Speaker, this is Suicide Prevention all legal businesses. This is how we fi- 3 years guiding and rebuilding it. Month, and we have a lot of work to do. 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. H5099 . VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:55 Sep 07, 2016 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A07SE7.000 H07SEPT1 smartinez on DSK3GLQ082PROD with HOUSE H5100 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE September 7, 2016 In July the House passed H.R. 2646, our mean, after all, why campaign and say still assume, until proven otherwise, mental health reform act called the we could have done something but we that most everyone on the Control Helping Families in Mental Health Cri- didn’t? Board or who lobbies and influences or sis Act; but since September 1, the be- What we ought to be doing is looking helps the Control Board is doing the ginning of Suicide Prevention Month, at the passage in the Senate of H.R. bidding of the bondholders who profit 826 people have died by suicide. Since 2646, which provides more psychiatric from Puerto Rico’s debt and economic we passed the bill, 7,434 have died from crisis hospital beds, more psychia- hard times. suicide. trists, more psychologists. It revises The fact that four of the seven mem- Let me tell you one quick story the HIPAA law that allows the compas- bers are Puerto Rican doesn’t make me about a young man, a constituent by sionate communication between a doc- feel any more optimistic. If you look at the name of Chuck Mahoney, who, tor and a family member at very select recent history in Puerto Rico, just hav- while in college, suffered from depres- times when someone is at high risk for ing a majority of Puerto Ricans sion. Despite his fraternity brothers their health or safety. It reauthorizes shouldn’t give you much comfort. going to the administrators and to his the Suicide Prevention Act. It does a Wasn’t it Puerto Ricans who beat and counselor, and despite Chuck telling host of other things, and all these pepper-sprayed demonstrators at the his counselor that he thought he was things can happen only if it gets to the university and at the legislature, who going to die and there was no reason to President’s desk for a signature. But have gone after journalists and unions live, no one spoke up. No one told the very little can happen if we maintain and lawyers in politically motivated parents. the status quo where people are left to attacks, who have put the needs of in- Sadly, young Chuck, who had been a die while Congress sits. vestors, big Wall Street fat cats, and student, who had been captain of his We did our job in the House. It took political insiders ahead of the people, high school football team, a decorated years, but when we passed this bill 422– the environment, and the future of the student with great grades, took his 2, Members of Congress, Members of island? own life, hanging himself with his dog’s the House of Representatives knew The Control Board and its members, leash, a suicide that could have been that they had passed a bill that could no matter who they are, start with a prevented if he had seen people who save lives, but only if we take action. If deep ocean of mistrust from the Puerto really could treat suicide. no action is taken, what do we do? Rican people who question why a new But so often what happens in this Na- What comfort is there to the families layer of opaque, undemocratic, colonial tion, when someone cries out for sui- who are dying, who are suffering, say- oversight and control is being imposed cide risk, there is no one there to help. ing we could have done something but in secrecy. Actually, as it turns out, mental ill- we decided to wait? That is why I challenged the ap- ness is a contributing factor in 90 per- The time for waiting is over.