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, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016 No. 138 House of Representatives The House met at 10 a.m. and was Just a few weeks before the dev- before disasters strike is the only way called to order by the Speaker pro tem- astating floods in the South, in to reduce the strain on local, State, pore (Mr. WEBSTER of Florida). Ellicott City, Maryland, not too far and Federal emergency response sys- f away from here, nearly 6 inches of rain tems, especially as they gear up to fell in less than 2 hours, resulting in a handle the predictable and unpredict- DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO torrential flood, the likes of which able changes that climate change will TEMPORE NOAA has told us happens just once bring. The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- every 1,000 years. Officials say that 90 I am proud to say that my hometown fore the House the following commu- businesses and 107 homes were damaged of Chicago is among the 20 percent of nication from the Speaker: and that infrastructure repairs are es- global cities that have an adaptation WASHINGTON, DC, timated to cost at least $22 million. plan to deal with the increased heat, September 13, 2016. These statistics are devastating, and, urban flooding, and severe storms that I hereby appoint the Honorable DANIEL if we fail to better prepare ourselves climate change will bring. But it is WEBSTER to act as Speaker pro tempore on for the severe impacts of manmade cli- vital that cities and towns across this day. mate change, we will only see more dis- America also prepare. Responding to PAUL D. RYAN, Speaker of the House of Representatives. asters like this. climate change demands urgent and de- First responders and emergency pro- cisive action. f fessionals deserve our utmost praise This is not a coastal issue, and it is MORNING-HOUR DEBATE and admiration, as do the kind citizens not a partisan issue. Rising seas and The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- on the streets who help their neighbors severe storms don’t care if you are a ant to the order of the House of Janu- escape the rushing waters, and the peo- Democrat or a Republican. All Ameri- ary 5, 2016, the Chair will now recog- ple all over the country who contribute cans are in this together, and all Amer- nize Members from lists submitted by what they can to help put broken cities icans—including Members of Con- the majority and minority leaders for back together. But we must stop put- gress—must be prepared to deal with morning-hour debate. ting our heroes in harm’s way. climate impacts such as severe flood- The Chair will alternate recognition The science is clear, it is conclusive, ing. Together we must act to hasten between the parties, with each party and it is settled: these natural disas- the transition to a low-carbon future limited to 1 hour and each Member ters aren’t all natural. It is imperative that protects our communities from other than the majority and minority that we work to limit our impact on the impacts of climate change. The leaders and the minority whip limited the climate, but we must also prepare costs of not doing so, in lives, in tril- to 5 minutes, but in no event shall de- for the climate impacts that are now lions of dollars, and in changes to our bate continue beyond 11:50 a.m. inevitable. Prioritizing disaster pre- way of life, are too great. f paredness by being thoughtful about f where and how we construct homes, THE STATISTICS ARE businesses, and other vital infrastruc- IRAN HAS NOT CHANGED ITS DEVASTATING ture will save lives, will save homes, STRIPES The SPEAKER pro tempore. The and will save money. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Devastating weather events are oc- Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mr. QUIGLEY) for 5 minutes. curring with greater frequency than Florida (Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN) for 5 min- Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Speaker, last ever before. Today, the Northeast, Mid- utes. month the Nation watched as our west, and upper Great Plains regions Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, friends in Louisiana were inundated by see 30 percent more heavy rainfall than since July 14, 2015, the Iranian regime record rainfall and unprecedented they did in the first half of the 20th has conducted four ballistic missile flooding. More than 7 trillion gallons of century, and manmade climate change tests with not-so-subtle warnings to water fell in Louisiana and Mississippi is already impacting the lives of every our ally and our best friend, the demo- over 8 days. Thirteen lives have been single American. cratic Jewish state of Israel, which its lost. More than 7,000 people were forced Even if you are not one of the mil- goal was to wipe Israel off the map. into 37 shelters across Louisiana. There lions who have suffered from extreme Also, since that date, we have has been an estimated $110 million in heat, widespread drought, or cata- learned that there have been side agricultural losses, and 40,000 homes strophic flooding, your tax dollars have agreements between Iran and the Inter- have been damaged. gone to help those who have. Acting national Atomic Energy Agency, the 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. H5341 . VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:33 Sep 13, 2016 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A13SE7.000 H13SEPT1 smartinez on DSK3GLQ082PROD with HOUSE H5342 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE September 13, 2016 IAEA, that were not submitted to Con- real ramifications are yet to come. else would be the prudent use of Fed- gress for our review. The IAEA released Congress must take action. First, we eral funds if our goal is to prevent the a report on the possible military di- must hold the administration account- spread of disease and prevent—that is mensions, known as PMD, of Iran’s nu- able, and we must get the full truth be- prevent, not terminate—unwanted clear program that proved that Iran hind the details of this JCPOA—the pregnancies during this crisis. Politics lied about its nuclear program in the Iran nuclear deal—and the administra- and elections always seem to trump past and continued to stonewall inves- tion’s Iran policy. good, sensible policies. tigations into outstanding questions The supposed most transparent ad- So nothing yet from Congress, de- that remain; yet, the Iranian nuclear ministration in history has been any- spite the pleas from the Obama admin- deal, the JCPOA, was allowed to move thing but, going out of its way to istration, the CDC, and the American forward in spite of that. stonewall and misdirect Congress and people. But Congress is not the only Also, the Obama administration pur- our oversight responsibilities on this place in denial about Zika. chased 32 metric tons of heavy water flawed and dangerous nuclear deal. Having spent time talking to people from Iran. What makes this so egre- Second, Mr. Speaker, we must hold on the island of Puerto Rico, the people gious, Mr. Speaker, is that this pur- Iran accountable, and that means ex- are also complacent about this disease chase was arranged in order to prevent tending sanctions, expanding sanc- and the impact it will have. Many sus- Iran from violating the very terms of tions, renewing sanctions, and pre- pect that it is all hype from Wash- ington and yet another crisis to give the Iranian nuclear deal, the JCPOA. venting Iran from being able to con- the United States more control over As if that were not bad enough, with tinue down this dangerous path. the island of Puerto Rico. the administration reselling the pur- These are the actions that we must Given the island’s history, the point chased heavy water to domestic and take in Congress, Mr. Speaker, and I commercial buyers, well, that makes of view is not unreasonable that Con- stand ready to work with my col- gress just appointed an unelected con- the U.S. a proliferator of Iran nuclear leagues in a bipartisan manner to find materials, all while legitimizing Iran trol board, or junta, to take control of the right way forward because Iran has the island’s government and finances. as a nuclear supplier. Outrageous. not changed its stripes. Also, Iran has renewed its interest For decades, the United States used and increased its presence in Latin f Puerto Rico, and especially the island America and throughout the Western ZIKA IS A REAL THREAT of Vieques, for target practice for our military. And for more than a decade, Hemisphere. Iran’s Rouhani will be vis- The SPEAKER pro tempore. The iting Cuba and Venezuela in the up- the United States has been denying the Chair recognizes the gentleman from health and environmental impact of coming week. Illinois (Mr. GUTIE´ RREZ) for 5 minutes. We learned that the administration ´ that bombing, including cancer and Mr. GUTIERREZ. Mr. Speaker, it is other diseases that people on the island allowed the Iran, North Korea, and almost as if the majority would prefer Syria Nonproliferation Act sanctions know are real because their relatives to go into the final stretch of the elec- are dying.