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S000583

Lamar

Smith

Lamar Smith

M

1947-11-19

Republican

rep

TX

THE MEDIA COULD PLAY A POSITIVE ROLE

the national liberal media continue to promote a divided America. This is largely a result of their chosen candidate not winning the Presidential election. Since 91 percent of the media's coverage of President-elect was negative, it is no surprise that they still see America in a negative light. prgtoken But the media could play a much more constructive role. They could report the good news that Americans are more confident about the future than they have been in 20 years. They could report on President-elect 's ability to attract individuals of competence and experience to his administration. They could report on his fresh approach and new ideas for, yes, making America great again. prgtoken Let's hope the media will put aside their bias and give the American people the facts, untainted by personal animosity. If they do, our country will be better for it.

C001103

Earl

Carter

Earl L. "Buddy" Carter

M

1957-09-06

Republican

rep

GA

GAO ACCESS AND OVERSIGHT ACT OF 2017

I rise today in support of H.R. 72, the GAO Access and Oversight Act of 2017. prgtoken The GAO is one of the most important tools taxpayers and Congress have to keep the Federal Government accountable. Without complete information, GAO is limited in their ability to prevent waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement. prgtoken This bill clarifies that GAO has access to data, such as the National Directory of New Hires, which will better equip GAO to audit key Federal programs on behalf of taxpayers. Every day, GAO handles the government's most sensitive information in a responsible manner, and GAO provides trusted recommendations for improving the Federal Government's operations. prgtoken The Federal Government reported $137 billion in improper payments in fiscal year 2015, the largest ever reported. Total improper payments for the Federal Government over the past 10 years exceeds $1 trillion. This bill will increase the effectiveness of GAO to help reduce improper payments, dollars that could be used to better fund the programs that ultimately serve the people. This bill takes an important step forward by providing GAO with an additional tool to ensure GAO's effectiveness in preventing fraud, waste, and abuse. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation.

D000618

Steve

Daines

Steve Daines

M

1962-08-20

Republican

sen

MT

TRIBUTE TO ARLENE MATHEWS

I wish to recognize Arlene Mathews of Helena, MT, for her 63 years of volunteer service at St. Peter's Hospital. prgtoken In a basement in 1953, Arlene began the ``Sock Sew,'' which makes socks for newborn babies who are born in December at St. Peter's Hospital to take home. prgtoken This year, Arlene and volunteers sitting at 20 sewing machines cut, sewed, and glued 100 large stockings for the newborns and another 100 smaller stockings for patients at St. Peter's whose Christmas Eve is spent in the hospital. This is a wonderful gesture that made their Christmas in the hospital just a little bit better. Thank you, Arlene, for thinking of those in the hospital, especially during the Christmas season. prgtoken I am thrilled to honor our unsung hero, Arlene Mathews, for her 63- year service to her community.

E000285

Michael

Enzi

Michael B. Enzi

M

1944-02-01

Republican

sen

WY

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET, FISCAL YEAR 2017--Continued

I ask unanimous consent that for the duration of the Senate's consideration of S. Con. prgtoken Res. 3, the majority and ic managers of the concurrent resolution, while seated or standing at the managers' desks, be permitted to deliver floor remarks, retrieve, review, and edit documents, and send email and other data communications from text displayed on wireless personal digital assistant devices and tablet devices.

G000552

Louie

Gohmert

Louie Gohmert

M

1953-08-18

Republican

rep

TX

DOUBLE STANDARDS

it is an honor to get to come into this hallowed Hall and to have a chance to address our peers. prgtoken It was a rather enjoyable day yesterday, even with all the vitriol, but I was reminded and couldn't help but reminisce a bit and walk a bit down memory lane yesterday as we heard from Members of the House on the other side of the aisle expressing repeatedly a desire to have open debate and not shut off debate. prgtoken The reminiscing took me back to a time last year when, as far as we could find, the only time in American history one party in the United States Congress physically prevented another party from coming to the floor and going into session and trying to begin debate and trying to discuss the business of the day. We can't find that any party ever staged such a sit-in. prgtoken We know there are House rules about not eating on the House floor and about not having things to drink on the House floor other than water, and yet our friends across the aisle were eating and drinking. It is actually a violation of the House rules to sing on the House floor. Every now and then, people look the other way from the violation, but certainly not to take pictures and broadcast. prgtoken I approached the Sergeant at Arms and asked him why this wasn't stopped. prgtoken I was told: Well, they won't stop; we have told them repeatedly. prgtoken I said: Well, you won't let s get away with this kind of conduct. They are preventing debate. They are preventing a session from starting timely. This has been going on for hours. prgtoken I was told: Well, Congressman, when we tell you s that you are violating a rule, you stop and you follow the rules. We have told them repeatedly, and they will not stop violating the rules. They will not stop preventing you from going into session, so we don't know what else to do. prgtoken , I had issues like that when I was a felony judge, and they didn't last long because we had bailiffs who would drag people out to stop such inappropriate conduct. It just seemed that, in this potentially last bastion of civility where we can use words and debate issues, it is rather ironic, to say the least, to be preached to repeatedly about the desire for open debate and the desire to not be shut down from speaking when that is exactly what happened last year by the very people who were standing up, and some of them were reading a script pointing out how offended they were by being prevented by the rules under which we have been proceeding from going forward and debating. So it is rather ironic and rather incredible actually. prgtoken I also recall back when we were debating Care and some of us wanted to get amendments into Care. Of course, some of us remember the fact that John Dingell was chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce that had jurisdiction over the healthcare debate and the healthcare bill. He has been working for a healthcare bill, something like wha

I000056

Darrell

Issa

Darrell Issa

M

1953-11-01

Republican

rep

CA

MIDNIGHT RULES RELIEF ACT OF 2017

such time as I may consume. prgtoken The gentlewoman from Florida, I am sure, is well intended, but there is nothing more transparent than calling up to the floor of this House and debating the removal of regulations that have been found to be excessive or extreme or simply not consistent with the law. That is a transparent process. The term ``regular order,'' in fact, could not be more appropriate to that process. We passed a law nearly three Presidents ago, if you will, that simply called for this procedure. prgtoken All I am saying is we should not be mired down, if there are five or six or eight bad regulations, in not combining them together for purposes of getting them disposed of in a timely fashion. I might suggest to everyone that they remember that many of us did not support the regulation change yesterday as to the ethics oversight, because we do believe in transparency and will continue to believe in transparency. prgtoken Again, nothing is more transparent than bringing to the House floor the debate about something that is believed to have been wrong done by unelected bureaucrats. ``Bureaucrat'' is not a dirty word, but ``unelected'' fits this process. prgtoken , .

Y000063

Kevin

Yoder

Kevin Yoder

M

1976-01-08

Republican

rep

KS

CONGRESS SHOULD CONDEMN U.N. ANTI-ISRAEL RESOLUTION

I rise today in solidarity and support for one of America's greatest friends and allies, but one the administration has sadly abandoned in its last days in office: the State of Israel. prgtoken Since September of 2015 alone, in Israel, 42 people have been killed in terrorist attacks, and 602 people, including four Palestinians, have been injured. Yet, last month, the United Nations Security Council felt the need to condemn Israel with a misguided resolution the United States should have vetoed. prgtoken In fact, as long as Israel has been part of the U.N it has been treated with little respect and almost openly disdained. In 2016, there were more resolutions regarding Israel at the U.N. prgtoken than there were regarding Syria, North Korea, Iran, South Sudan, and Russia combined. That is simply an unacceptable way to treat the only peaceful democratic state in the region. prgtoken , I urge all of my colleagues to join together in sending a strong, bipartisan message this week to rebuke this misguided resolution so we can get back on a path to a peaceful solution to conflict in the Middle East.

D000533

John

Duncan

John J. Duncan, Jr.

M

1947-07-21

Republican

rep

TN

PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY DONATION REFORM ACT OF 2017

. I thank the chairman for yielding to me and for his support of this legislation. prgtoken , this is very simple, bipartisan legislation that would require organizers of Presidential libraries to disclose the identities of donors and the amounts they give. It wouldn't limit any donations; it would simply require disclosure. I introduced this legislation several Congresses ago because I felt then and feel now that the public should be made aware of possible conflicts of interest that sitting Presidents can have or may have while raising funds for their libraries. prgtoken First of all, I thank Ranking Member Cummings for again cosponsoring this very important legislation and making it bipartisan. The legislation is so bipartisan that, after the first time we passed the bill--and it passed 392-3--it was taken over, at my request and with my agreement, by then-Chairman Waxman, who made it his bill. We passed it once again, and we passed it in the last Congress by a simple voice vote, so there is a lot of support for this bill. In the Senate, it was introduced by Mr. Carper and Mr. Coburn, when he was in the Senate. We need to get some prgtoken more interest over there, and I think we are going to be able to do that in this Congress. prgtoken , we do not know who these donors to the Presidential libraries are or what interests they may have on any pending policy decisions that are to be made. I think that our government needs to operate in the open, not with secrecy. This legislation will apply to all future Presidential libraries and mandate, regardless of party, that the names of the donors and the amounts they contribute be disclosed. I would like to add that this legislation will apply to President 's future Presidential library. This will require him to disclose more than any other President has ever had to disclose before. This will be an unprecedented disclosure, and it falls in line with his stated desire to drain the swamp. Any sitting President has a great deal of power. Funds should not be raised for a Presidential library in his honor without some type of public disclosure. prgtoken I decided to introduce this bill after news reports surrounding a proposed Presidential library exposed that foreign governments from the Middle East were making very large donations. Then, in 2007, The Washington Post reported that President Clinton's Presidential library raised a substantial percentage of the cost of its facility with foreign contributions. However, this is not a partisan issue. I have introduced this and supported this legislation under both ic and Presidents. The Presidential Library Donation Reform Act of 2017 would bring clarity to the process of planning and building these Presidential libraries. prgtoken In 2013, Sunlight Foundation Policy Director Daniel Schuman endorsed an earlier version of this bill during a hearing in front of our House Oversight and Government Reform

A000374

Ralph

Abraham

Ralph Lee Abraham

M

1954-09-16

Republican

rep

LA

HONORING OUR NATION'S VIETNAM VETERANS

in honor of our Nation's and the State of Louisiana's Vietnam veterans, I introduce Louisiana House Concurrent Resolution 43. prgtoken This resolution recognizes November 13, 2013 through November 11, 2025, as the commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War. It is important that we recognize our Nation's heroes who served with valor and honor through this long war, which in many ways defined an entire generation of Americans. By the end of the Vietnam War, nearly 3 million American servicemen and servicewomen had served within the borders of Vietnam in some capacity. We would like to take this time to honor all Vietnam veterans and, especially, the more than 58,000 patriots who paid the ultimate sacrifice during this difficult and painful period of war. prgtoken Of the millions of Vietnam veterans who served our country, over 106,000 reside in my home State of Louisiana. Though we remain thankful for all of those who have served our great Nation, we would like to take this time to remember the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War. It is important that we honor our veterans while they are still alive so that they can take honor for the sacrifices and know that they do not go unnoticed.

C001095

Tom

Cotton

Tom Cotton

M

1977-05-13

Republican

sen

AR

TRIBUTE TO SHELBY GARDNER

I would like to recognize Shelby Gardner, of Warren, AK, as this week's Arkansan of the Week, for her work with the Arkansas Veterans Hospital posttraumatic stress disorder program in Little Rock. prgtoken Shelby is a senior at Warren High School in Bradley County and is proof that you are never too young to give back to your community. Shelby wanted to find a way to honor the men and women who put their lives on the line for our safety: our veterans. Specifically, she wanted to help those veterans who suffer from posttraumatic stress. prgtoken After learning about the Arkansas Veterans Hospital posttraumatic stress disorder program, Shelby began to talk with anyone who would listen about the program--friends and family, her church congregation, civic clubs, and other organizations across Warren and Bradley County. She told them about her passion for helping veterans, the good work this program does, and how much it would benefit from additional support. prgtoken Her hard work paid off. With the help of a local auctioneer, Shelby organized a community bake sale auction and managed to raise $8,000 for the Arkansas Veterans Hospital. But Shelby wasn't finished. She and a group of other volunteers spent hours preparing and selling sandwiches at the Bradley County fair and raised an additional $2,000, for a grand total of $10,000 for veterans suffering from posttraumatic stress. prgtoken A veteran in Shelby's community was struck by her commitment to such a noble cause and in his nomination of Shelby wrote: ``Her actions are proof that patriotism runs deep in small town America. She is an exceptional representative of many young people in our nation deeply committed to the men and women who serve protecting and defending our nation and our way of life. Shelby is a shining example of the caliber of young person this country requires to ensure the survival of our nation and our values. She is a focused, goal oriented young woman who is a credit to her family, her church, her community, her state and nation.'' prgtoken I am equally as inspired by Shelby's hard work and her commitment to our veterans. Patriotism does indeed run deep in a State like Arkansas. Now, because of her efforts, the Veterans Hospital in Little Rock can better serve Arkansans who suffer from PTSD. prgtoken It is an honor to recognize Shelby Gardner as Arkansan of the Week, and I am thankful for people like Shelby who, using the resources around them, work to make others' lives better.

P000603

Rand

Paul

Rand Paul

M

1963-01-07

Republican

sen

KY

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET, FISCAL YEAR 2017--Continued

the more things change, the more they seem to stay the same. s won the White House. s control the Senate. s control the House. What will the first order of business be for the new majority? To pass a budget that never balances, to pass a budget that will add $9.7 trillion of new debt over 10 years. prgtoken Is that really what we campaigned on? Is that really what the Party represents? prgtoken Our first order of business will be a budget that never balances, a budget that adds $9.7 trillion to the debt, and they tell us: Oh, but it is not a budget. If you listen, they will say: No, no, it is a vehicle to repeal Care. prgtoken Yet I have the title in front of me, which says a concurrent resolution for the budget of 2017. We have special rules when you pass the budget so that we may be able to repeal Care, and I am all for that. But why should we vote on a budget that doesn't represent our conservative view? Why would we vote on a budget that adds $9.7 trillion to the debt? Because we are in a hurry, we can't be bothered. prgtoken It is just numbers. I was told again and again: Swallow it. Take it. They are just numbers. Don't worry. It is not really a budget. prgtoken Yet the legislation says it is a budget. The numbers say we will add $9.7 trillion of new debt. prgtoken So I say: If they are only numbers, and if the numbers that are in the budget don't matter, why don't we put numbers in that balance? Why don't we put a vision into the budget that represents what s say they are for? prgtoken s say they are the conservative party. Are we? When was President for 8 years, the national debt went from $5 trillion to $10 trillion. The debt doubled under a President and a partially Congress. Yet the words were these: Well, he had to deal with, and if we could ever take all three branches of government, things would be different. prgtoken The s took over the House in 2010. They still didn't control the prgtoken Senate, but they said: If we only controlled the Senate, we could be the conservative party again. prgtoken We have had an election. The conservative party--the supposedly conservative party--won. s control the House, the Senate, and the Presidency, and the first item of business for the s will be to pass a budget that never balances--a budget that will add $9.7 trillion to the debt over 10 years. prgtoken This sign could have been put up for 's first budget. Every railed and said: $10 trillion--President will add $10 trillion. And he did. President doubled the debt again. prgtoken It went from $5 trillion to $10 trillion. The national debt went from $5 trillion to $10 trillion under , and then it doubled again under President . It went from $10 trillion to nearly $20 trillion. prgtoken What are we look

M000355

Mitch

McConnell

Mitch McConnell

M

1942-02-20

Republican

sen

KY

ORDERS FOR THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2017

I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m Thursday, January 5; further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; finally, that following leader remarks, the Senate resume consideration of S. Con. Res. 3.

M001158

Kenny

Marchant

Kenny Marchant

M

1951-02-23

Republican

rep

TX

CONGRATULATING ERIC STARNES ON HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE EULESS POLICE DEPARTMENT

I rise today to congratulate Lieutenant Eric Starnes on his well-earned retirement from the Euless Police Department in the city of Euless, Texas, after twenty-three years of dedicated service. prgtoken Starnes' distinguished career with the Euless Police Department began in 1993 after completing his Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice at Sam Houston State University and the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office Academy for his police certification. Additionally, while serving as an officer, Starnes was able to pursue a number of advanced degrees and certifications, including a Master's in Public Administration from the University of North Texas and a Juris Doctor degree from Texas Wesleyan School of Law. Starnes is also a member of the State Bar of Texas. prgtoken In his time as an officer, Starnes has served as a Field Training Officer, K-9 Officer, and a member of the Euless Police Tactical Unit. He has received over 2,500 hours of in-service police training which consisted of a variety of courses in patrol, criminal investigation, K- 9 criminal interdiction, police instructor training, and police supervision. He received his Basic Police Certification in 1993, Intermediate Police Certification in 1998, Advanced Police Certification in 1999, and his Masters Police Certification in 2001. In addition to these certifications, Starnes has received over forty commendations for professionalism and exemplary service to his community. prgtoken , it is a pleasure to recognize the tireless efforts that Lieutenant Eric Starnes has made in contribution to the safety and security of the City of Euless. I ask all of my distinguished colleagues to join me in congratulating Eric Starnes on his many years of service.

C001105

Barbara

Comstock

Barbara Comstock

F

1959-06-30

Republican

rep

VA

HONORING THE RETIREMENT OF CAPTAIN JOSEPH BAGGETT, JAG CORPS, U.S. NAVY (RET)

I rise today to honor Captain Joseph Baggett, JAGC, USN (ret), who is retiring after 46 years of combined active duty and civilian service to our nation with the United States Navy. prgtoken Captain Baggett was born into a military family. The son of a career enlisted Marine, Captain Baggett grew up in the presence of the United States Navy in such diverse locations as Naval Air Station Pensacola, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, and the United Kingdom. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Tulane University in May 1971. He later earned a J.D. from Tulane University School of Law, and an LL. M. in Ocean and Coastal Law from the University of Miami School of Law. A longtime resident of Herndon, Virginia is his home. prgtoken In 1971, Captain Baggett began his dedicated service to our nation as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy. During the next 30 years, Captain Baggett served on active duty in a wide variety of roles, traveling throughout the United States and overseas. His assignments included two tours as a Supply Corps prgtoken officer, including service onboard USS Rich (DD 820); Naval Legal Service Office, Jacksonville, Florida; Commander, Middle East Force; Commander, Iceland Defense Force; Commander, Sixth Fleet; Navy Office of Legislative Affairs; and the Joint Staff Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate. Later in his career he served as Deputy Assistant Judge Advocate General for International Law; as Counsel for National Security to the Deputy Attorney General of the United States; as Staff Judge Advocate for the Commander in Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet; as Commanding Officer, Naval Legal Service Office, Norfolk, Virginia; and as Director of the Legislation Division in the Office of Legislative Affairs. prgtoken Following his retirement from active duty in December 2000, Captain Baggett continued his superlative service to the Navy as a civilian, serving for another sixteen years as Deputy Director of the International and Operational Law Division in the Office of the Judge Advocate General in the Pentagon. In that role, he has been a constant champion of our national interests in the areas of law of the sea and freedom of navigation. prgtoken His support to our national security cannot be overstated. Captain Baggett's expertise and understanding of the complexities of the law of the sea and the law of armed conflict are without equal in the U.S. government. As the Armed Forces confronted myriad diverse challenges, he delivered sage counsel to the Department of the Navy, facilitating our ability to conduct naval operations. His profound knowledge and experience directly improved the ability to the sea services to fulfil their missions throughout the world. prgtoken For his outstanding service to our nation, Captain Baggett earned numerous awards, including the Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal, Navy Disti

F000444

Jeff

Flake

Jeff Flake

M

1962-12-31

Republican

sen

AZ

Introductory Statement on S. 28

I rise to speak today about legislation I am introducing, the Health Savings Account Expansion Act. prgtoken Earlier this month, individuals across this country were once again faced with fewer choices and increased costs when purchasing health insurance coverage. Unfortunately, this has been a common occurrence since the Affordable Care Act's inception, but no State, I can tell you, is feeling the pinch more than my State of Arizona. Prior to the flawed rollout of the exchanges in 2013, Arizona had 24 health insurance companies offering plans in the individual market. Just last year, residents in Arizona's most populous county Maricopa, where I live, had only 8 private providers to choose from on the exchange--so from 24 to 8. Then, if that wasn't bad enough, a few months ago, individuals all across Arizona received notification that their insurance plans were no longer being offered, despite the current administration's hollow promise that they could keep their plans. Now nearly stripped of their preferred health insurance, residents in 14 of 15 Arizona counties--14 out of 15 counties--logged into the Care exchanges to shop for new plans only to discover that instead of the vibrant marketplace they used to have, they were left with only one insurer to choose from--so from 24 to 8, to 1 for 14 of Arizona's 15 counties. prgtoken So today, when I hear my friends on the other side of the aisle talking about preserving this wonderful program, I am saying ``What State of denial do you live in?'' because it is certainly not working in Arizona. In fact, Pinal County in Arizona briefly held the unfortunate distinction as the only county in America without a single insurer willing to offer plans on its exchange, not a single one. Fortunately, a few months later, one stepped in--just one. Of the plans that were ultimately made available to Arizonans on the exchange, the average policy came with a premium hike of nearly 50 percent--an average of nearly 50 percent. With only one game in town, there was no shopping around for a better deal. prgtoken To help put this in perspective, I would like to compare the average cost of health care coverage in Arizona to one of the most important purchases a family will ever make, and that is a home. Throughout most counties in Arizona, it is now cheaper to put a roof over your family's head than it is to pay your monthly health insurance premium under Care. prgtoken Let me say that again. Throughout most counties in Arizona, it is now cheaper to put a roof over your family's head than it is to pay your monthly health insurance premium under Care. This is for Maricopa County. It is the county in which I live and includes Phoenix. Homeowners can expect to pay nearly $500 more per month on their health insurance than they do on their house--$500 more on their health insurance than they do on their house. This is for the Care silver plan premium.

M001179

Tom

Marino

Tom Marino

M

1952-08-15

Republican

rep

PA

MIDNIGHT RULES RELIEF ACT OF 2017

I rise today in strong support of the Midnight Rules Relief Act. prgtoken Recently, impossible opportunities exist for this body to reassert its authority and work on behalf of the American people. The Midnight Rules Relief Act would provide Congress with an important tool to begin the process of dismantling the onerous regulatory burdens imposed over the past 8 years. prgtoken As the chairman of the Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law, I have dedicated considerable time over the past 2 years to closely monitoring the growth of the administrative state. The estimated regulatory costs across all years of the administration are staggering. However, the regulatory onslaught in its final year alone--disastrous--shows the damage already done and the greater impact that will fall on our economy. prgtoken In 2016, 401 regulations were finalized. The total compliance cost for this period exceeds $164 billion and amounts to nearly 121 million paperwork hours. That is 401 regulations and $164 billion. This is only during the final year of the administration. It is no wonder that the American people sought a new, more promising direction for our country. prgtoken Finally, the Congress has an opportunity to act to protect the American people and repeal many of these crushing regulations. For us in Congress, we cannot forget what these numbers represent. For my constituents and for Americans across the country, the billions in dollars of costs imposed on the economy represent jobs lost, routine bills that cannot be paid, and the American Dream slipping from their grasp. prgtoken The true story of this regulatory onslaught is told by workers at shuttered stores, factories, and power plants across the country. Their concerns and fears are ours. As this current administration exits, we must remain vigilant to last-ditch efforts at crippling our economy. prgtoken On top of those in recent months, a number of new regulations may still be finalized in a hurried, nontransparent fashion. The American people are concerned that our current regulatory process ignores the balancing of costs and benefits and the regulatory impact on their lives. From what we have seen over the past 8 years, it is clear that they should be. prgtoken Starting this week, Congress has an opportunity to reassert its constitutional authority and act for all Americans. The Midnight Rules Relief Act is a well-advised measure that gives Congress the ability to quickly examine and eliminate the mass of regulations promulgated in recent months. This has been done by both and administrations. prgtoken , I urge all my colleagues to support this bill.

C001056

John

Cornyn

John Cornyn

M

1952-02-02

Republican

sen

TX

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET, FISCAL YEAR 2017--Continued

there has been a flurry of activity this week with the beginning of the new year and the beginning of a new Congress--the 115th Congress--and we have a lot of work to do. prgtoken This election that we just went through on November 8 was surprising in many ways, gratifying in many ways. Personally, I think the best thing about it is that it gives us an opportunity to start anew, to deal with the problems that the American people were, frankly, not all that happy with either of the political parties about in terms of the solutions that we were to offer. I would hope that it would also give us an opportunity to hit the reset button when it comes to working together to try to find political consensus to solve some of these big problems. prgtoken I mentioned yesterday our friend, the chairman of the Budget Committee, and his 80-20 rule, which I told him I have used time and again to make the point that just because you disagree on some things doesn't mean you can't get prgtoken anything done. To the contrary, people of widely divergent ideological, philosophical, and political beliefs can work together by simply trying to find common ground. That is possible. That, in fact, is the way our Constitution created our government to force us to do that, because what we decide here impacts a lot of people--well over 300 million people in the United States alone. But if there was one consistent complaint that I heard from my constituents back in Texas and that we heard in the national media and beyond, it is about the failure of the promise of Care. We made a solemn commitment to the American people that if they provided us with the majority we needed to do it and if they provided us a President who would sign it, we would repeal Care and we would replace it with affordable health care that would be of their choosing, as opposed to a top-down mandate, a one- size-fits-all, which is the failure of Care. prgtoken In a previous life, I was attorney general of my State, the State of Texas. We had a huge division of trial lawyers called the consumer protection division. What we did is we sued people who committed consumer fraud--people who promised one thing but delivered another. I can't think of a bigger case of consumer fraud than Care, which was sold under false pretenses: If you like what you have, you can keep it. If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. If you are a family of four, your premiums will go down by an average of $2,500. prgtoken None of that has proven to be true. prgtoken The reason why Care is so unpopular is that people have seen their premiums skyrocket. People have seen their deductibles grow to the point where they are effectively self-insured, which is not having insurance at all. Many people have simply seen insurance companies pull out of the insurance market, leaving them with little or no choices in terms of where to buy their health care. prgtoken

B001261

John

Barrasso

John Barrasso

M

1952-07-21

Republican

sen

WY

ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

today I wish to honor and remember my good friend John Smith. prgtoken On Saturday, December 31, 2016, we lost one of Wyoming's best leaders and diplomats on the Wind River Reservation. John Smith was a member of the Northern Arapaho tribe. For 27 years, he served as the director of the department of transportation for the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribes of the Wind River Reservation. Mr. Smith played a major role passing transportation legislation that will save and improve lives on the Wind River Reservation and across tribal communities. prgtoken John was a wonderful friend and a wonderful man. I admired him greatly for his big heart, his warmth, and his larger than life personality. John cared deeply about the lives of people who lived and traveled through the Wind River Reservation. John's commitment to improving his community's roads can be seen today all over the Wind River Reservation. He was a hard worker, innovative and creative. He was always doing more with less. His jokes and sense of humor always made that hard work a little easier. Indian country did not have a better advocate or finer person to represent them in Washington, DC. prgtoken Since John's work ethic and personality were so big, he naturally lived up to his nickname ``Big John'' in every respect. As a former football and basketball player, you could see Big John coming from blocks away. prgtoken In 2014, John was in Washington, DC, to receive the White House Champions of Change award from the Secretary of Transportation, Anthony Foxx. Big John was being recognized for bringing tribal, State, and local leaders together to complete construction of the notorious 17 Mile Road. When he received the award, Big John took off his cowboy hat and placed it on the head of Secretary Foxx. The unforgettable smile on Big John lit up the room with laughter. This special man left a lasting impression on all those who had the privilege of working with him. prgtoken Last April, John testified before the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. He talked about dangerous roads that were costing lives in tribal communities. His testimony led to important legislation being passed to improve those roads. His efforts not only changed lives, it saved them, and we are all grateful. It has been an honor and privilege to work with Big John on highway bills. It has been a higher honor to be his friend. prgtoken John leaves big boots to fill, and I am confident the Wind River community will fill those boots and continue his hard work. prgtoken As we lift up our hearts and celebrate Big John's life, we also thank him for his selfless service on behalf of the people of Wyoming. Big John, thank you, and we will miss you.

W000813

Jackie

Walorski

Jackie Walorski

F

1963-08-17

Republican

rep

IN

OBAMACARE

I rise today to because we made a promise to the American people, and we are going to keep it. prgtoken Care is an unpopular and failed law collapsing under its own weight. Polls have shown it; rising premiums have proven it; and, in November, the voters said it loud and clear. It is time to repeal Care and replace it with more choices, lower costs, and real protections for patients. Already, we are working to end this damaging law and take control away from Federal bureaucrats and give it back to the people of this country. prgtoken One year ago, we sent an Care repeal bill to the President's desk; but, not surprisingly, he vetoed it. In a few weeks, this Congress will again send a repeal bill to the President's desk. This time, we will have a President who will sign it. prgtoken , healthcare decisions should be made by patients and their doctors. American families should have access to health insurance they can actually afford. That is why we will repeal Care and replace it with real reforms.

M000087

Carolyn

Maloney

Carolyn B. Maloney

F

1946-02-19

Democrat

rep

NY

SECOND AVENUE SUBWAY OPENING

residents in New York City had a special reason to celebrate as this new year began. The very first new subway in over 60 years and the largest subway in the country opened its doors and carried passengers at 12 noon on New Year's Day. This new line is expected to carry over 200,000 travelers a day, reducing commute time, reducing costs, operating with efficiency, and boosting small businesses. prgtoken It is a project that has been on the books for over a century and one that I fought for every single day that I have been in Congress. It is the gift that keeps on giving. It has already generated over 16,000 new jobs. It has spurred over $840 million in good wages. The regional plan says that it is responsible for over $2.5 billion in new economic activity. They just opened their doors. prgtoken Let's work together and support other good, important infrastructure projects in our country. It is good for Americans; it is good for America.

C000714

John

Conyers

John Conyers, Jr.

M

1929-05-16

Democrat

rep

MI

MIDNIGHT RULES RELIEF ACT OF 2017

such time as I may consume. prgtoken I want to thank the distinguished gentleman from California for pointing out how innocent this measure is, and I am astounded by his feeling that regulations shouldn't be examined one by one. Under this measure, 61 regulations could be considered en bloc. To me, just trying to put together two regulations to revoke them would be very, very hard to handle. prgtoken What we are talking about here is a bill that would provide special interests with yet another opportunity to block critical lifesaving regulations, and I want to say I have never had so much opposition to a bill brought to my attention before. 150 environmental organizations, consumer organizations, and labor organizations have urged the Members of this body to oppose H.R. 21. It is incredible. And then not only are workers and consumers against this measure as well as environmentalists, businesspeople are against it as well. prgtoken I feel like there is some missing part to this thing. The American Sustainable Business Council has over 200,000 businesses. So here is labor and commerce combined, urging Congress not to do this on the second day of a new Congress with all the challenges that are before us, and he says it wouldn't create any problems. It would be okay to put in 1 or 2 or 3 or 5 or 20 or 30 or 40 or 50 or 60. This is incredible. It is not that we are working so hard that we don't have time to examine each one on a particular basis. prgtoken Can you imagine this Congress trying to block regulations which would be offered in one bill that could be over 60 different regulations? I mean, it is unthinkable. It is not very practical at all. prgtoken When we talk about meat labeling regulations and then in another paragraph or another section there would be standards for school lunch nutrition, they would be combined. My friend from California would say, well, that is no problem. We will take them separately, but they will all come in the same package. prgtoken So if you wanted to examine all of these things individually, we could have an instance where the whole Congress could be consumed for weeks or for months trying to figure out why they should block all of these important and sensible safeguards. prgtoken Business and labor are joined with us, and, to me, it is beyond comprehension for us to be concerned about not taking them up one at a time. This is worse than a conservative point of view, which I haven't found myself often agreeing with. But just to say let's have unlimited numbers of these blocking provisions all into one is beyond my comprehension. prgtoken , I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen), a distinguished member of our committee.

M001160

Gwen

Moore

Gwen Moore

F

1951-04-18

Democrat

rep

WI

IN TRIBUTE TO THELMA SIAS

I rise today to recognize Thelma Sias, Vice President of Local Affairs for WE Energies, who is retiring on January 4, 2017. She has served the organization with distinction for over 31 years, beginning in 1986. prgtoken Thelma was born in rural Mayersville, Mississippi, growing up during the civil rights-era. Her father was a farmer. Her mother was a schoolteacher, farmer, and restauranteur. She is one of 11 children, all of whom graduated from college or technical college. Thelma Sias received an academic scholarship to Clark College in Atlanta where she ultimately received her degree. In 1976, Ms. Sias came to Wisconsin to work as the Supervisor of the Ethnic Heritage Recruitment Center for the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, making the Badger State her new home. prgtoken Ms. Sias spent most of her career making an extraordinary impact on people in Wisconsin by seeking common ground and finding prgtoken solutions. Over the years, she has sat on at least a dozen boards, including the Zoological Society of Milwaukee, Children's Hospital and Health System Foundation, Milwaukee Public Library Foundation, and the Milwaukee Area Workforce Investment Board. Thelma was paid to do what naturally was a part of her core: making connections and fostering relationships. It is also why she has been such an asset to WE Energies in serving their interests in a manner that supports the communities dear to my heart. In her position, she was able to help establish connections between people in need and those who can help through the corporation's separate, nonprofit arm, Wisconsin Energy Foundation, which has invested $130 million into Wisconsin and Michigan communities since 1982. prgtoken Ms. Sias has a natural gift for connecting people, which she has to move the powerful to invest both financially and emotionally in economically distressed communities in a way that fosters sustainable solutions to problems. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to know and work with her for so many years. Thelma is political, but, more importantly, she is knowledgeable and she cares. She has remained an integral part of the community, maintaining her residence and remaining deeply committed to the Johnsons Park neighborhood community in central city Milwaukee. In addition to all her work with the Foundation and the community, she has found time to be a fixture in every presidential campaign from Carter to . I join her friends and husband of over 30 years, Stephen Adams, in congratulating her on her well-earned retirement. I wish her much success as she transitions into a different phase of her life. prgtoken , I am proud to honor Thelma Sias and I am proud to call her friend. The citizens of the Fourth Congressional District and the State of Wisconsin are privileged to have someone of her ability and dedicated service working on their behalf for so many years. Thelma, I thank you for all that you have done. I am honored

D000563

Richard

Durbin

Richard J. Durbin

M

1944-11-21

Democrat

sen

IL

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET, FISCAL YEAR 2017--Continued

we are discussing the budget resolution. It is an interesting time to do it in the month of January. The fiscal year, the spending year for the Federal Government, starts October 1. We have tried, with no success, to pass appropriations bills--12 of them--that would meet our obligation to fund the government for the entire fiscal year. We have had two continuing resolutions, which are temporary spending bills. And here we are again discussing a budget resolution. prgtoken But it isn't really about the budget; it is about the Affordable Care Act, known as Care, a law passed 6 years ago with the goal of providing affordable health insurance for all Americans. I voted for that bill. It is one of the most important bills I have ever voted for, and I believe that, despite shortcomings, it has achieved its goal and it has done it in a way that most American families would agree they want to see. prgtoken As an example, there are very few families in America who have every member of the family in perfect health. In the old days before the Affordable Care Act, if you happened to have a child who had survived a cancer situation, a spouse with diabetes, and you went to buy a health insurance plan, you ran into a problem: They might not want to insure your family because of that sick child, or they might want to charge you a premium way beyond your reach. So in the Affordable Care Act, Care, we said: As a health insurance company, you cannot sell insurance in America and discriminate against a family or person because of a preexisting medical condition. prgtoken From where I am sitting, my own personal life experience and my family's experience, thank goodness. We had members of our family with serious health issues. I worried about that all the time as a husband, as a father. The Affordable Care Act gave me and every other American the peace of mind that health insurance companies could not discriminate against us or our families because of a preexisting condition. prgtoken There was also a practice where they would put a limit on how much coverage you could buy in a health insurance policy. So many people thought: I have a great health insurance policy. It has a $100,000 limit. I will never hit that number; I am a healthy person. prgtoken The next accident, the next diagnosis, and that healthy person realized that $100,000 in today's world of health care costs--you could eat that up in a minute and find yourself without any health insurance protection. What happens to you next? prgtoken You have been diagnosed with cancer. You start treatment. It is expensive, and now your health insurance policy has reached a point where it doesn't cover you anymore. What then are your options? Stop treatment? Exhaust your savings? Throw yourself on the mercy of a hospital and hope for the best? prgtoken We ended that. Care ended that. They can no longer put limits on health insurance policies because non

D000191

Peter

DeFazio

Peter A. DeFazio

M

1947-05-27

Democrat

rep

OR

FUNDING OUR PORTS

during this last Presidential election year, there was a tremendous amount of discussion about the Nation's infrastructure and the need for investment to make America more competitive and move goods and our citizens more efficiently. prgtoken There wasn't a lot of particular discussion about ports, but they are an incredibly important part of our infrastructure. More than $470 billion of exports went through America's ports. Three-quarters of our exports are waterborne through these ports around the United States. prgtoken Now, the Corps of Engineers says that, of our 59 busiest ports depicted here, they are fully available less than 35 percent of the time, and that is even before we begin to deal with the larger cargo ships that are going to be coming through the expanded Panama Canal to the Southeast and other ports in the United States, and that is because of a lack of funding. prgtoken Now, obviously, that is a very difficult problem. We are estimating about a $20 billion shortfall over the next 10 years in funding. Where, oh where, could Congress find that money? Actually, we already have it. prgtoken Now, Congress, in its wisdom in 1986, with the cooperation and consent of shipping interests, imposed a tax, an ad valorem tax, on the value of imports. It is a very small tax, but it adds slightly to the cost of any good that any American buys every day that is imported. prgtoken Now, Americans are paying the tax and Congress is stealing the money. Yep, that is true--for stupid purposes, no less. We are pretending to make the deficit smaller by collecting twice as much tax as we invest in our ports. prgtoken Meantime, we are forgoing the investment that is needed in those ports to become even more efficient and more competitive in the world economy. Congress is collecting the tax, yet the Budget Committee and the appropriators here in the House are saying: Let's hide that money over here. We will put it in the Treasury harbor maintenance trust fund. Don't worry. It's there. Some day we might spend it. prgtoken Nine billion dollars today--$9 billion--that would address half of the long-term shortfall in our ports. This could be an incredible boon for shippers, for American competitiveness, and for jobs in this country. We don't have to levy a new tax. All we have to do is spend the tax that is being collected from the American people by jacking up the price of imported goods for the purpose for which it is lawfully intended. prgtoken Now, the appropriators don't like it because, hey, they don't get to mess around with it, and the Budget Committee doesn't like it because that means they either have to look like they have another half a billion dollars a year of deficit or they would have to raise some funds somewhere else to spend somewhere else. prgtoken But the point is this money should be spent as intended. So today I am sending a letter to President-elect . He has said time and time again h

C001078

Gerald

Connolly

Gerald E. Connolly

M

1950-03-30

Democrat

rep

VA

THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATING RETALIATION AGAINST WHISTLEBLOWERS ACT

again, I thank my friend, Mr. Clay, for his leadership and for his kindness. prgtoken , I rise today in support of the Thoroughly Investigating Retaliation Against Whistleblowers Act--a mouthful, but it captures what we are trying to do. prgtoken I certainly appreciate Mr. Blum's efforts to advance legislation that authorizes the Office of Special Counsel and protects whistleblowers in the Federal Government, an effort the Oversight and Government Reform Committee strives to promote when we are at our best on a bipartisan basis, and I am proud to be an original cosponsor of the bill. prgtoken I welcome consideration of this bill which would reaffirm Congress' commitment to whistleblowers, upholding the Oversight and Government Reform Committee's obligation to protect those whistleblowers that help identify mismanagement, waste, and fraud at Federal agencies and to support the oversight work of Congress. That is Congress at its best. prgtoken With the enactment of the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989, OSC became an independent agency within the executive branch. Its mission is to safeguard the merit system of protecting Federal employees from prohibitive personnel practices, especially reprisal from whistleblowing. OSC provides employees a mechanism for disclosing wrongdoing in government agencies and provides advice on the Hatch Act, which restricts political activity by government employees generally. prgtoken OSC enforces employment rights under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 for Federal employees who serve or have served in the uniformed services. Congress last reauthorized OSC for the period 2003 to 2007. Due in part to Congress' emphasis on transparency in government, OSC has experienced significant growth in its caseload since its last reauthorization. In the past 5 years, that caseload has increased, , by 58 percent. prgtoken This bill reauthorizes the agency from 2016 through 2020 and makes several important changes to assist OSC in carrying out its vital mission. The bill codifies OSC's current practice of providing important performance metrics in its annual reports to the Congress and requires additional metrics to support congressional oversight of its effectiveness. prgtoken Last Congress, this bill was successfully passed out of our committee on, I believe, a unanimous basis. I urge my colleagues to continue Congress' longstanding tradition of support for oversight, accountability, whistleblower protection, and transparency, and vote in the affirmative for the Thoroughly Investigating Retaliation Against Whistleblowers Act.

F000062

Dianne

Feinstein

Dianne Feinstein

F

1933-06-22

Democrat

sen

CA

STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

I rise to introduce the Extending Justice for Sex Crime Victims Act, a bill to extend the time for minors to seek justice against their perpetrators. prgtoken Sex crimes committed against children tragically remain a vile and dangerous reality in communities across this country. prgtoken Just this past summer, as the world tuned into the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the Indianapolis Star reported that USA Gymnastics had failed to report to law enforcement allegations of child sexual abuse committed by some of its coaches. prgtoken Due to these purported failures, athletes as young as 7 years old were reported to have been abused for years, without any action taken to prevent the abuse. prgtoken Since the initial Indianapolis Star report, more and more young gymnasts have come forward about their abuse. prgtoken All over the world, and all over this country, sex abuse victims are bravely coming forward to tell their stories of abuse when they were children. prgtoken In my home state of California, numerous victims have contacted my office. They have shared the amount of courage and strength it took to finally come forward with their experiences. prgtoken These stories represent an untold amount of pain and suffering. They also represent how difficult it is to come forward until later, in adulthood. prgtoken It has been estimated that 90 percent of child sex crime victims never go to the authorities concerning their abuse. prgtoken To put this into context, studies indicate that at least one in four girls and about one in five boys is sexually abused. 90 percent of those victims never go to the authorities. prgtoken A great number of victims don't ever disclose their abuse. If they do, they do not come forward until many years later, after reaching adulthood. prgtoken This bill extends the civil statute of limitations in two ways for minor victims of Federal sex crimes to seek justice against their perpetrators. prgtoken For one, the bill extends the statute of limitations for minor victims until the age of 28, from age 21, for injuries stemming from sex crimes such as sexual abuse and child pornography. prgtoken Second, for the two laws that provide civil remedies for sex abuse and sex trafficking victims, the bill clarifies that the statute of limitations does not begin to run until after the victim actually discovers the injury or the violation. prgtoken This is significant because victims of sex crimes are sometimes abused even before they can remember the abuse, some as young as 3 years old. Some victims are unable to connect their abuse to the injurious symptoms they exhibit throughout their lives. prgtoken The bill therefore clarifies that the limitations period begins when the victim first discovers the injury or the violation. prgtoken Through these provisions, the bill ensures that minor victims have an extended period to seek justice against their perpetrators after discovering their injury o

W000802

Sheldon

Whitehouse

Sheldon Whitehouse

M

1955-10-20

Democrat

sen

RI

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET, FISCAL YEAR 2017--Continued

I want to comment and say a few words about the use of the budget reconciliation process to facilitate an effort to repeal but not replace Care, the Affordable Care Act. I serve on the Budget Committee. During the course of multiple hearings during the previous year before the election, we heard the most adamant stories from the side about how dire our Nation's debt situation was, how dire our Nation's deficit was. prgtoken Member after Member on the side spoke as if the end of the Republic was at hand. Yet the policies from the administration that kept driving that debt and that deficit they protect. They blamed President for the effect of policies that took place during President 's years, while defending those policies the President had actually tried to correct. In many respects, their concern about the budget was a little ironic since they were defending the policies that created this debt and deficit explosion in the first place. prgtoken Nevertheless, be that as it may, you had this phalanx of Senators in a state of very high animation about our debt and deficit. You would think that in this Congress, with control both over the House and the Senate and a President-elect looming, they might use the budget reconciliation process to do something about the debt and the deficit. prgtoken After all, there was a lot of big talk last year, and here is the budget reconciliation process. As we see, it is not being used to do anything about the debt or the deficit, it is being used to open an effort to repeal but not replace Care. The problem is, when you do that, you do some pretty bad things to the debt and to the deficit. prgtoken Before the Affordable Care Act was passed, Medicare officials projected out-year costs for Medicare in 10-year increments. After the experience of the Affordable Care Act, they went back and they redid those projections, and they dropped the cost of Medicare dramatically. Those outyear costs, dramatically reduced, are an important, valuable step toward lower debt, balanced budgets, and less of a national annual deficit. Repealing Care will undo that. prgtoken It was pretty clear from Budget Committee hearings that that reduction in anticipated Medicare costs in the outyears was related to the work that had been done in the Affordable Care Act as well as the changes in experience that we are seeing. That is one budget buster which shows that this reconciliation effort is going in the wrong direction. prgtoken In Rhode Island, I watched this issue pretty closely because I want Rhode Island to be a leader in delivery system reform. I want ours to be one of the most efficient health care systems in the country, and I worked very hard over many years to put the pieces in place in Rhode Island to help make that come to pass. So I talked to people like Dr. Kurose, who runs one of our la

S001175

Jackie

Speier

Jackie Speier

F

1950-05-14

Democrat

rep

CA

HONORING JOHN MULLER

I rise to honor John Muller, better known as Farmer John, for his 10 years of public service on the Half Moon Bay City Council, including one year as mayor. As a farmer, John has deep roots in the community and always strives to nurture the quality of life of all residents of the coastside. I am very grateful to have worked with him for more than three decades and to call him a dear friend. prgtoken While on the council, Councilman Muller served on the Chamber Government Affairs Committee, the Sewer Authority Mid-Coastside, the League of California Cities Coastal Cities Issue Group, the San Mateo County Airport Land Use Committee, the Association of Bay Area Governments, and the City County Association of Governments. prgtoken John was instrumental in restoring Half Moon Bay's fiscal health. The Great Recession combined with a multi-million dollar land use settlement put the city at the brink of bankruptcy. Through strategic decisions, collaboration and meticulous work, John and his fellow councilmembers managed to balance the budget and placed the city on solid financial footing. Today, Half Moon Bay is a thriving prgtoken community and destination for people from all over the Bay Area and the country. Main Street is a colorful collection of artisan stores, sustainable restaurants and small hotels. Signature events, such as the Pumpkin Festival, Farm Day, Nights of Light, the Seafood Festival, and Pacific Coast Dream Machines, show off the best that Half Moon Bay has to offer. prgtoken In addition to his duties on the council, John served on the Regional Water Quality Control Board for 21 years, 13 of them as chair, having been appointed by four California governors. He is also a former member and chair of the Coastside County Water District Board, former chair of the Society of American Florists Government Relations Committee, former member of the Secretary of Agriculture's Special Committee to streamline management of the USDA, and a past president and current member of the San Mateo County Farm Bureau. He still serves on the U.S. EPA's Local Government Advisory Committee, the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Fruits and Vegetables, and the California Agricultural Education Foundation. prgtoken With his council duties and the additional volunteer work, it is somewhat of a miracle that Farmer John still manages to do his day job. He is the owner of Daylight Farms and John's Pumpkin Farm in Half Moon Bay. He and his wife of 47 years, Eda, are also fixtures at the Half Moon Bay Farmers Market every week. I've had the pleasure of seeing John's connection to the land when he is tending to his pumpkins, produce and chickens in his fields. Not only does he grow beautiful decorative pumpkins that my office purchases for my annual senior conference, he also grows monster pumpkins that he enters into the World Champion Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay. prgtoken John and Eda are true stewards of our

Q000023

Mike

Quigley

Mike Quigley

M

1958-10-17

Democrat

rep

IL

DON'T ABANDON AMERICANS IN NEED OF HEALTH CARE

I rise today to share the story of Mary and her son, two of my constituents from the Lakeview community of Chicago. Mary wrote to me on her son's behalf, expressing their deep appreciation for the Affordable Care Act and what the law has meant for their family. prgtoken In 2001, Mary's son was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease called Addison's disease. It occurs when your body produces insufficient amounts of certain hormones produced by your adrenal glands. When left untreated, Addison's disease can be life-threatening. prgtoken At the time of his diagnosis, Mary's son was fully insured through his employer. Then, in 2011, Mary's son left his employer to pursue the American Dream of entrepreneurship and start a small business on his own. Leaving his employer to bravely chase the American Dream meant leaving behind his insurance coverage, too. He did not anticipate being denied coverage due to a preexisting condition. prgtoken Up to this point, because of treatment covered by his insurance plan, he had been able to work to provide for himself and to live independently. As he got his new business off the ground, he went uninsured and, as a result, encountered several crises with his health. He avoided going to the doctor due to high costs and eventually ended up in the emergency room. As we all know, preventable emergency visits are a major contributor to the overall high healthcare costs that harm the entire system. prgtoken Thanks to the President and Congress passing the Affordable Care Act, Mary's son was finally able to obtain affordable care when the health insurance marketplace first opened in October 2013. prgtoken Mary wrote me to share her son's story. He is one of tens of millions of Americans who have directly benefited from the ACA's improvements to coverage, consumer protections, costs, and quality. Today, Mary is fearful of what the repeal of ACA will mean for her son. prgtoken Unfortunately, despite having 7 years to produce an alternative, the majority has failed to offer a true replacement. And what about the parts of the ACA that share bipartisan popularity? prgtoken My colleagues on the other side of the aisle and the President-elect insist they will craft a plan that maintains popular parts of the law, while rejecting the less popular components. Of course, that sounds great, but there is one real problem: they have offered absolutely no way to pay for any of it. prgtoken In reality, repeal and replace is more simply repeal and go back to before--tearing down a much-needed house before a new one is built, back to a time when 47 million Americans--nearly 18 percent of the population--were uninsured. Mary's son and countless others like him cannot afford to go back in time. Repealing ACA will leave 20 million Americans, including her son, without affordable health insurance, effectively disrupting their care and potentially putting their lives at risk. prgtoken To remind us all of the

S000148

Charles

Schumer

Charles E. Schumer

M

1950-11-23

Democrat

sen

NY

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET, FISCAL YEAR 2017--MOTION TO PROCEED

I apologize to my good friend the leader. I couldn't be here for his remarks. I intended to be, but our President stayed longer and then I was meeting with the Vice President-elect. I apologize for that. prgtoken I also wish to recognize the distinguished majority leader and reiterate what I said yesterday: I sincerely hope, just as I heard he hopes, that we can find common ground in the Senate. While we at all times inevitably disagree on the right way forward for our country, I know he is a patriot who cares deeply about this institution. That matters a lot to me. I learned that through a meeting set up by my friend from Tennessee. We had a dinner, and I walked away convinced that Leader McConnell cares a lot about making the institution function. That matters, and that can maybe help us through some of the rougher times. We know it has grand principles, grand practices, and a grand tradition in our national life, something we both want to preserve. prgtoken Yesterday, in my opening remarks as a Senate leader, I did remind our majority and the President-elect that there would indeed be places where we can work together, and I named a few of them, but let me be perfectly clear, kicking millions of Americans off their health care and throwing the entire health care system into chaos is not one of them. prgtoken I am deeply troubled that the majority and seemingly the President-elect are plotting, as one of their first campaigns in the new Congress, a full-scale assault on the American health care system, not just the Affordable Care Act but Medicare and Medicaid as well because they are inextricably bound. Those are the pillars that support the American health care system, but as its first order of legislative business, the majority has decided to put forward a budget resolution to repeal health care reform. Although he promised not to cut Medicare in the campaign, the President-elect has nominated a man who spent his career strategizing health care's demise, and he chose him to be Secretary of HHS. I don't think that is something a vast majority of Americans or even s believe in. prgtoken It is too clear that President-Elect and the Congress are intent on making America sick again. s seem determined to create chaos, not affordable care, for the American people. prgtoken Today, I would like to focus on the budget resolution on the Affordable Care Act. I understand why the majority thinks they have to do it. Over the past 8 years, they promised every group--conservative group and audience in the country, they would repeal the law, ``root and branch.'' prgtoken For a long time, it has been only a conservative fever dream. s knew they could make extreme promises about replacing it with something better without ever having to consider the consequences or even come up with a reasonable plan to replace it beca

B000944

Sherrod

Brown

Sherrod Brown

M

1952-11-09

Democrat

sen

OH

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET, FISCAL YEAR 2017--Continued

70 years ago United Mine Workers president John L. Lewis, a lifelong , sat down with the ic Secretary of the Interior, Julius Krug. They struck a deal to end a national strike. They promised health and pension benefits for miners in exchange for a lifetime of hard work. It is a promise that the Federal Government has kept ever since. prgtoken For 70 years, no matter the President, no matter the party in control of the Senate, we have kept that promise. That changed, unfortunately, in December. This body left for vacation. It left tens of thousands of mine workers to face an uncertain future, not knowing if the pensions and health care they had earned for themselves--and in many cases for their widows--over a lifetime of hard work would be there for them in the future. This is shameful. prgtoken Senator Portman, my colleague from Ohio, and I and Senator Manchin and Senator Capito, a and a from West Virginia, and Senator Casey--a number of us--said: We should not leave Washington to go home to our families until we take care of mine worker families. prgtoken Congress has the power to stop these cuts and to live up to this pledge. We had a bipartisan solution that would have passed if it had been brought to the floor. But instead, Congress broke its promise to these miners and their families. Congress stole the health care they had earned by passing a continuing resolution that failed to address the pension problem, and it stole the funds that were still left in their health care plan to pay for a 4-month fix--4 months, 4 months. Who can make health care decisions when you don't know if you will have health care coverage 4 months from now? prgtoken These working people don't deserve to live with this kind of uncertainty. I have heard my colleagues, particularly on the side of the aisle, always talk about predictability. Government should never inject more uncertainty into the lives of individuals, never should inject uncertainty into the lives of business people as they make investment decisions. prgtoken But that is what we have done with these mine workers. We have made their lives less certain, less predictable, and their health care so unpredictable. This is the health care these workers fought for, the health care they sacrificed raises for. Keep in mind that at the bargaining table, workers will be willing to accept less wages today in exchange for health care and pensions in the future. That is what collective bargaining is often about. That is what is so important. prgtoken This is health care they sacrificed raises for. It was the health care we promised them. My colleagues know their stories of hard work and sacrifice. We know these stories because over the past year, these miners traveled here by the busload. They rode long distances. They gathered in the heat and in the cold for hours outside this building to make their voic

H001068

Jared

Huffman

Jared Huffman

M

1964-02-18

Democrat

rep

CA

HONORING STEVEN KINSEY

I rise today in recognition of Steven (Steve) Kinsey as he retires from the Marin County Board of Supervisors after serving the people residing in the Fourth District, and Marin County, with exceptional distinction for nearly 20 years. Throughout his tenure, Supervisor Kinsey has been steadfast and passionate in his pursuit of social equity, protection of the agricultural landscape and historic ranching community in West Marin, and improved transportation infrastructure and services, among many other noble causes. Most importantly, he has been productive through the decades, accomplishing many victories for the people and places of Marin. prgtoken Born in Wilmington, Delaware in 1952, Supervisor Kinsey earned his B.A. in Architecture from Arizona State University. He moved to Forest Knolls in 1978 where he raised a family, owned and operated his own design/build business for 18 years, and volunteered in the community. As a member of the Marin Conservation League Board of Directors, he was recognized for promoting water conservation strategies and advocating for a Bayland Corridor to increase protections for bayside wetlands. A stalwart public school advocate, he secured for the Lagunitas School District funds for facilities improvements and school-based health and support services for its students and families. prgtoken Elected to the Board of Supervisors in 1996, Supervisor Kinsey took office on January 7, 1997, and served for five terms, representing all of the coastal areas of Marin County as well as several bay side communities. As an elected official, including five times as Board President, he focused on watershed and fishery restoration, sustainable agriculture, the integration of transportation and land use planning, and sound fiscal management. He championed the needs of children and families, and has worked closely with communities of color to reduce the barriers to equal opportunity. prgtoken He served on the boards of numerous organizations including the Board of the Marin Agricultural Land Trust, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, Marin Transit, and the Transportation Authority of Marin, which he chaired from 1998 to 2011. He joined the California Coastal Commission in 2011, was its chairman three times, and served on the board of the California State Coastal Conservancy. prgtoken Under his leadership, Marin has become a national leader in biking and walking, including Safe Routes to School, and established the Bay Area Ridge Trail. During thirteen years as Chair of Marin's Transportation Authority and Congestion Management Agency, Supervisor Kinsey led Marin's efforts to improve mobility along the 101 corridor and throughout his district. Drawing on his consensus-building skills, he secured community support and funding for voter-highway improvements in the Twin Cities area, and extending the Sonoma Marin Area Rapid Transit (SMART) train to the ferry. prgtoken It has been my honor a

U000039

Tom

Udall

Tom Udall

M

1948-05-18

Democrat

sen

NM

CHANGING SENATE RULES

today I wish to continue what has become a tradition. At the beginning of the 112th Congress, I took to the Senate floor and called for this body to adopt its rules with a simple majority vote and to amend them so they actually allowed the body to function as our Founders intended. prgtoken I did the same at the beginning of the 112th, 113th, and 114th Congresses. Today, at the start of the 115th Congress, I again call for reform. This is something I have done as a member of the majority and the minority. Senator Merkley has worked closely with me on this issue and spoke briefly yesterday about our efforts. prgtoken But we did not start this tradition. It dates back decades. My predecessor, Clinton Anderson, was a leading proponent of what has become known as the ``constitutional option'' in the 1950s and 1960s. Vice President Walter Mondale--then a Senator from Minnesota--carried on the tradition in the 1970s. When Senator Merkley and I first joined the Senate, Senator Tom Harkin worked closely with us to help us carry on the tradition. prgtoken The proposals we have offered to change the rules at the start of a new Congress have never been radical. They were changes we were willing to live with whether we were in the majority or minority. We have offered the same proposals as Members of the majority and minority. We believe the Senate is broken, and even the minority party should want to fix it. prgtoken Congress had made some progress in recent years, but unfortunately, it took unprecedented obstruction to bring it about. s blocked nominees to all sorts of positions submitted by President , so we took action to change the rules to break through the gridlock. It was unfortunate that s precipitated that situation, but the result was for the best. prgtoken New rules allow for a lower cloture threshold for all nominees except those to the Supreme Court now, and the new President can take advantage of them, just as President was able to do for the final years of his term. prgtoken But no one would argue that Congress or the nomination process has been fixed. Further debate and reform is needed on many aspects of Senate function. prgtoken We believe the Senate should openly debate and consider its rules at the start of each Congress, to consider changes that can provide commonsense reforms. This ongoing process is the ideal way to restore the best traditions of the Senate and allow it to conduct the business that the American people expect. prgtoken We have one goal whether we are in the majority or in the minority: to give the American people the government they expect and deserve--a government that works. prgtoken This is not just about rules. It is about the norms and traditions of the Senate. prgtoken Neither side is 100 percent pure. Both sides have used the rules for obstruction. No doubt they had their reasons. prgtoken But I don't think the Ame

C001068

Steve

Cohen

Steve Cohen

M

1949-05-24

Democrat

rep

TN

MIDNIGHT RULES RELIEF ACT OF 2017

I thank the ranking member and chairman in the past, my chairman. prgtoken This bill has come up over many years when I served on this subcommittee and was the ranking member and the chair at one time. Mr. Issa suggested it might only be six or seven regulations. If that was the case, they could take them individually. prgtoken There is a process where regulations can be brought before the House, in the Congressional Review Act, and each one studied individually, and the House could overrule them. I can't fathom that they are bringing this bill for just six regulations which they could do individually. But even then, that is wrong to put them all together. We know what is going to happen is they are going to pass. They are going to pass the House. Whether they pass the Senate is another issue. prgtoken These are not midnight regulations. These are regulations that go back to last June. So the term ``midnight regulations'' is a misnomer. To say that these are just decisions made by bureaucrats, you would think bureaucrats were something out of a medical dictionary that was highly contagious. Bureaucrats could also be called experts, specialists, dedicated government officials. prgtoken There are people who study these issues that, to be implemented, need to be fine-tuned to fit into society, sometimes to protect consumers, sometimes to protect commerce, and it takes years and years and years, often, for these regulations to take effect. Some of them protect animals--the soring industry. prgtoken A great majority of this House was in favor of a bill to protect walking horses, but it didn't get a vote because there were some people in this House that were against it and against it so much that they worked to get one of the finest Members I have served with, Ed Whitfield, out of this House. That was despicable. I suspect that same power that might have had that effect could bring that type of regulation up to be nullified. I would fear that, and I would find it wrong in the spirit of Ed Whitfield and fairness.

S000770

Debbie

Stabenow

Debbie Stabenow

F

1950-04-29

Democrat

sen

MI

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET, FISCAL YEAR 2017--Continued

first let me comment on what my friend, the distinguished Senator from Texas, said. If my car goes into a ditch, the first thing I don't do is dismantle the car. That doesn't help me get anywhere in terms of transportation. prgtoken First of all, let me speak on process before talking about the substance of what we are really talking about and how it affects people. We have a bill in front of us that creates a process for the majority to be able to unravel and repeal essentially our whole health care system. You pull a thread and it goes through not only employer- based care, patient protections, people who have insurance, Medicare, Medicaid. All of it begins to unravel. Interestingly, also in this bill, in the text it adds $1 trillion to the deficit--$1 trillion to the deficit in the bill that our colleagues just voted to proceed to pass. prgtoken We need to be very clear on this: If colleagues want to work with us to fix problems and improve health care, we can start this afternoon. It is almost 3:30. By 4 o'clock we could put together a group of people. I am sure our distinguished ic leader on the Budget Committee would be happy to sit down and work together on ways to make health care reform better and make health care more affordable and make it more available to people. If that is what we want to do, count us in, but that is not what we are talking about here. We are talking about this crazy idea that no one in their real life would do. prgtoken It is like deciding you want a new house, so you tear down the old house. That is the easy part. Then your family is homeless. Then you say: Well, gosh, you know, maybe I better have a plan to get a new house for my family and figure out a way to pay for it, to be able to afford it. prgtoken Nobody would do that. Nobody would start by saying: We are going to rip apart the entire health care system and create chaos. We are going to undermine Medicare. We are going to undermine Medicaid. We are going to take away patient protections for everybody who has insurance through their employer, and then we will figure out later what we are going to do to replace it, if anything. prgtoken I know there is a division on the side. Certainly Members in the House don't think it should even be replaced at all. prgtoken It is interesting. We are talking about one-sixth of the economy that would be destabilized. There is no question that if you do a repeal and insurance companies don't know what is coming--I have talked to hospitals, and they don't know what is coming--behavior will begin to change. Rates will begin to go up. Different decisions will be made because, as businesses, they will not know how to plan. Their investors will not know how to plan. prgtoken There is no question about it. When you repeal without creating certainty in the marketplace, you begin a process that results in chaos. prgtoken We have an interesting example, one that I

C001049

Wm.

Clay

Wm. Lacy Clay

M

1956-07-27

Democrat

rep

MO

FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ACT AMENDMENTS OF 2017

such time as I may consume. prgtoken Let me begin by thanking the chairman for his understanding and his support of this legislation. I certainly appreciate it, and I am sure it will make the Federal Government run more efficiently. prgtoken I rise in strong support of the Federal Advisory Committee Act Amendments. I have introduced this bill in previous Congresses, and it passed the House last year without opposition. prgtoken The FACA was originally enacted in 1972. It is intended to ensure that committees that provide advice to Federal agencies and the President operate with transparency. prgtoken Advisory committees provide the government with recommendations on a wide range of issues. For example, the EPA relies on the expertise of the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee to provide technical advice on setting national air quality standards. prgtoken The bill we are considering today would strengthen FACA to make Federal advisory committees more transparent and to make agencies more accountable in how they select and use these committees. Agencies currently can avoid the requirements of FACA by conducting advisory committee business through subcommittees. This bill makes it clear that FACA applies to subcommittees as well as parent committees. prgtoken The bill also clarifies that a committee set up by a contractor is subject to FACA if it is formed under direction of the President or an agency. prgtoken Under FACA, agencies would be required to disclose how advisory members are chosen, whether they have financial conflicts of interest if they are appointed to provide their own expertise, and who they work for if they are representing a specific interest. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to support this bill. I hope the Senate will take it up quickly and send it to the President. prgtoken .

T000465

Niki

Tsongas

Niki Tsongas

F

1946-04-26

Democrat

rep

MA

APPROVING LOCATION OF MEMORIAL TO COMMEMORATE MEMBERS OF ARMED FORCES WHO SERVED IN SUPPORT OF OPERATION DESERT STORM OR OPERATION DESERT SHIELD

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , following the invasion and occupation of Kuwait by Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, the United States and the international community demanded the immediate withdrawal of Iraqi forces under the threat of military action. After Saddam Hussein defied calls to withdraw from Kuwait, the United States, along with a broad coalition of European, regional, and global allies, began Operation Desert Shield, followed by Operation Desert Storm, a 100-hour land war which expelled the Iraqi forces from Kuwait. prgtoken Approximately 700,000 members of the American Armed Forces served as part of Operation Desert Storm and Operation Desert Shield. Of those, 293 died in theater and 148 were killed in action. prgtoken The 2015 National Defense Authorization Act authorized the National Desert Storm and Desert Shield War Memorial Association to establish a memorial as a commemorative work on Federal land in the District of Columbia. This honors the members of the American Armed Forces who served and those who made the ultimate sacrifice in support of our country. prgtoken The joint resolution before us today approves the general location of the memorial so that it is in close proximity to the National Mall and other nationally significant war memorials, as determined by the Secretary of the Interior. prgtoken This resolution is an opportunity for the country to come together and thank the servicemembers who fought in the Gulf, those whose lives have been forever changed by their experience in this war, and those who did not return. prgtoken I support this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.'' prgtoken , .

C000141

Benjamin

Cardin

Benjamin L. Cardin

M

1943-10-05

Democrat

sen

MD

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 4--CLARIFYING ANY POTENTIAL MISUNDERSTANDING AS TO WHETHER ACTIONS TAKEN BY PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE EMOLUMENTS CLAUSE, AND CALLING ON...

it is with a renewed sense of purpose that I reintroduce my resolution on the Emoluments Clause. It is a resolution intended to uphold the values and strictures of one of our most sacred documents. I am referring, of course, to the Constitution, the instrument that, in but a short time, President-elect will take an oath to preserve, protect, and defend. prgtoken Our Founding Fathers could not have been clearer that any Federal office holder of the United States must never be put in a position where he or she could be influenced by a foreign governmental actor. It was a concern made explicit by Alexander Hamilton's writings in Federalist No. 22, in which he noted examples of republics that had been ruthlessly dismembered by their hostile neighbors who had paralyzed the victim republic by bribing its officers and officials. prgtoken The Founding Fathers addressed this grave concern by placing the Emoluments Clause within the Constitution as an explicit bar on foreign corruption and interference. Article I, section 9, clause 8 of the United States Constitution declares that: No title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State. prgtoken Longstanding precedent has made it plain that the President of the United States, as the head of the executive branch of the government, clearly occupies an ``office of profit or trust''. As such, the Emoluments Clause clearly applies to and constrains whomever holds the office of the Presidency. prgtoken Past American presidents have recognized the danger of foreign corruption and interference, or merely the perception of corruption and interference, and have accordingly taken great pains to avoid even the appearance of impropriety with regard to their personal wealth and investments, ensuring that such investments never interfere with performing their duties as President of the United States. Presidents Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George Herbert Walker , Bill Clinton, and all had their assets placed into blind trust while they were President. To fulfill his promises of greater government transparency, President went even further and invested the vast majority of his funds in U.S. Treasury bonds. prgtoken The President-elect has claimed he will ``absolutely sever'' his ties to the Organization, which has financial interests around the world and negotiates and concludes transactions with foreign states, as well as entities that are extensions of foreign states. We have a constitutional duty to ensure that he does. It is easy to imagine circumstances in which a foreign government will want to give President a personal gift through his businesses with the intent t

G000580

Thomas

Garrett

Thomas A. Garrett, Jr.

M

1972-03-27

Republican

rep

VA

REGULATIONS FROM THE EXECUTIVE IN NEED OF SCRUTINY ACT OF 2017

I rise today in support of the REINS Act, H.R. 26, for any number of reasons. prgtoken I can't help but point out that I have heard my esteemed colleagues in opposition to this bill refer on multiple occasions to the Federal bureaucracy as a well-oiled machine there are, indeed, well-oiled machines that undergird this institution, but I would submit the Federal bureaucracy is not one of those. prgtoken We have heard that the regulatory burden, as it relates to the loss of jobs, is equal to a listeria outbreak. What I would submit is that if we could avoid a listeria outbreak, would we not choose to do just that? prgtoken While looking at the loss of jobs as related to Federal regulation, we overstep the argument by avoiding the jobs not created as a result of Federal regulations. Should these things also not be amongst the items that we consider? prgtoken A wise man once said that the bureaucracy will continue to expand to meet the expanding needs of the bureaucracy. In 2017, in the United States, indeed, it seems we find ourselves in that very situation. prgtoken Arguments that the REINS Act is contrary to the Constitution, I would submit, are actually 180 degrees from the truth. In fact, Article I of the Constitution gives the power to make law to this legislative branch of our government and gives the power to generate revenue, here, as well as spend. prgtoken The definition of ``law,'' according to the Oxford Dictionary, is: ``The system of rules which a particular country or community recognizes as regulating the actions of its members and which it may enforce by the imposition of penalties.'' prgtoken I will submit that the very regulatory overreach that we consider here today is, in fact, tantamount to law and extraconstitutional in and of itself. prgtoken My esteemed colleague from Pennsylvania suggested, and I agree, that the REINS Act is but a good start. The power to spend is Article I. The power to make laws is Article I. prgtoken REINS is a rudder on the ship of constitutionality that will right that ship and move it only in the correct direction. Regulations that have the power to take liberty or property rights or the wealth of those earned by their own labor are tantamount to law and, indeed, extraordinary constitutionally as it relates to an executive branch entity, and they should not be exercised. prgtoken , we hear that the people's House is responsible for this and the people's House is responsible for that. Well, the people's House is to ensure that the people have a voice in the matters of spending and lawmaking that our Founders who laid out Article I of the Constitution envisioned, and currently, that is simply not the case. H.R. 26 is simply a step back towards that right direction of constitutionality. prgtoken With that in mind, I strongly support the legislation.

C001056

John

Cornyn

John Cornyn

M

1952-02-02

Republican

sen

TX

TRIBUTE TO SARAH R. SALDANA

today I would like to pay tribute to a dedicated public servant and Texan, Sarah R. Saldana. Ms. Saldana is stepping down as Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE, and retiring after many years of Federal service. prgtoken Born as the youngest of seven children to working-class parents in Corpus Christi, TX, Director Saldana learned the importance of hard work and education at a young age. After she graduated from W.B. Ray High School in 1970, Director Saldana attended Del Mar Junior College and graduated summa cum laude from Texas A&M, formerly Texas A&I, University in 1973. Shortly thereafter, she began her career as an 8th grade language arts teacher at D.A. Hulcy Middle School in Dallas. Later, she worked as a technician for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, EEOC, and as an investigator and management intern for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD. Additionally, she worked as a Federal Representative for the Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration until 1981. prgtoken Ms. Saldana then decided to pursue a legal education at Southern Methodist University, SMU, in Dallas, TX, where she earned her J.D. in 1984. Following graduation, she clerked for the Honorable U.S. District Judge Barefoot Sanders. As a trial attorney, Director Saldana was an associate for the law firms of Haynes and Boone, and then Baker Botts, where she became partner in their trial department. prgtoken In 2004, she returned to public service and became an assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas, where she prosecuted a variety of criminal cases. She also served as the deputy criminal chief in charge of the district's major fraud and public corruption section. prgtoken In 2011, Ms. Saldana was nominated and confirmed to become the first Latina United States attorney in the history of Texas and only the second woman to hold that position in the 135-year history of Texas' Northern District--a region that includes the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and spans 100 counties and stretches across 95,000 square miles. prgtoken In 2014, Ms. Saldana was confirmed to lead the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. As ICE's Director, she helped to oversee the largest investigative agency within the Department of Homeland Security and to protect the safety and security of the United States. prgtoken Throughout her career, she has served with integrity and character. Ms. Saldana has served the people of Texas and the United States with honor--fighting illegal immigration, public corruption, organized crime, sexual predators, and other dangerous criminals. prgtoken Her legacy will continue to benefit the American people and I join with her family, friends, and coworkers in saying that her experience and dedication to public service will be missed. prgtoken I offer my appreciation to Sarah R. Saldana for her service to our Nation and send my best wishes for the

V000129

David

Valadao

David G. Valadao

M

1977-04-14

Republican

rep

CA

IN RECOGNITION OF MRS. ERICA SARGENT

I rise today to thank Mrs. Erica Sargent for her service to my office and the people of California's 21st Congressional District. prgtoken Mrs. Sargent was born on May 30, 1990 in Los Banos, California, where she grew up on her family's dairy farm with her parents, Joey and Charlotte Mello, her sister Trisha, and her brother Michael. As a child, Erica took part in Future Farmers of America, where she showed dairy cows, Holsteins, Jerseys, and swine. prgtoken After graduating from Los Banos High School, Mrs. Sargent went on to receive her Bachelor's Degree in Agriculture Business at California State University, Fresno in 2013. While in college, Erica was a member of Delta Gamma Sorority and worked as a nanny part-time. On September 3, 2016, Erica married her husband Brandon Sargent. prgtoken Mrs. Sargent has held several positions with my office, in both Washington, D.C. and California over the past 4 years. She first joined my team as Staff Assistant in my Washington, D.C. office in July 2013. As Staff Assistant, she was instrumental in supporting others in daily tasks and helping the office run smoothly. In December 2013, she was promoted to Scheduler. Mrs. Sargent relocated from Washington, D.C. back to California's Central Valley, where she remained on my team as a Field Representative in Fresno County. Mrs. Sargent was known for her hard work and excellent community outreach. She was respected by her peers and was able to create and foster connections with constituents, business leaders, and public officials, all of which are integral skills of congressional staffers. prgtoken Outside of work, Erica enjoys spending time with her family, especially her husband, sister, and niece, Sofia. She is currently pursuing a Master's Degree from National University and hopes to become a school counselor. prgtoken Mrs. Sargent's time with my office will come to a close today, January 5, 2017, when she leaves to begin an internship in Laton, California, as a school counselor. Knowing Mrs. Sargent, her character, and her work ethic, I have no doubt that she will achieve many great things in her future. prgtoken , I ask my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to join me in commending Mrs. Erica Sargent for her public service to the people of the Central Valley and wishing her well as she embarks on the next chapter of her life.

F000463

Deb

Fischer

Deb Fischer

F

1951-03-01

Republican

sen

NE

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET, FISCAL YEAR 2017

I rise today to offer my warmest wishes to my legislative director, Stephen Higgins, as he begins the next chapter of his truly remarkable professional career. It is a career that is characterized by unshakable dedication to the common good and supreme attention to detail. These qualities make Stephen Higgins a true professional. His service is a labor of love for our country and this institution in particular. prgtoken Stephen has worked in the Senate longer than all but nine of its current Members, serving this Chamber for 23 years. Stephen still remembers his first day on payroll: March 21, 1994. He began with Senator William Cohen of Maine as a counsel on the Juvenile Justice Subcommittee of the Judiciary Committee. There he began what would become a decades-long mission: to advance crime victims' rights. prgtoken A year later, Stephen joined the office of Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona, where he would distinguish himself as a committed, talented lawyer over the next 18 years, serving as chief counsel in Senator Kyl's personal office and for 14 years as chief counsel on his Judiciary Committee staff. During that time, Stephen played the lead role, supporting efforts to pass a bipartisan crime victims' rights constitutional amendment. The end result: After 8 years of hard work, a landmark statute was passed by a vote of 96 to 1. This is one of Stephen's proudest accomplishments. ``We did something significant to help crime victims,'' he said. ``We enshrined into law the rights of crime victims to be informed, present, and heard.'' prgtoken To put it simply, Stephen Higgins helped humanize America's criminal justice system. This work reflects his sincere beliefs about that system. ``The criminal justice system is about seeking the truth,'' he said. ``The truth matters.'' prgtoken For Stephen Higgins, the truth has always mattered. He is a man of high character and great personal integrity. These attributes made him exceptionally well-suited for work in another critical realm of the Senate: judicial nominations. ``Judges hold people's lives in their hands,'' Stephen said. ``Their decisions have life-altering consequences.'' prgtoken Most recently, Stephen played a key role in the nomination of Omaha attorney Bob Rossiter to serve as U.S. district court judge for the District of Nebraska, and last year, the Senate confirmed Judge Rossiter unanimously. This was a beautiful capstone to Stephen's Senate career. prgtoken He leaves the Senate now for a new position: managing director of the prgtoken Human Ecology Institute at the Catholic University of America. This is an interdisciplinary research institute that will apply the rich intellectual tradition of the Catholic Church to contemporary problems in our society. As Stephen said, ``I love the Senate. The only institution I love more is the Catholic Church.'' Sounds like a match made in Heaven. As he takes his new post, I know Stephen will work like

W000798

Tim

Walberg

Tim Walberg

M

1951-04-12

Republican

rep

MI

READING OF THE CONSTITUTION

. Amendment XXII, section 1: ``No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of President more than once. But this article shall not apply to any person holding the office of President when this article was proposed by Congress, and shall not prevent any person who may be holding the office of President, or acting as President, during the term within which this article becomes operative from holding the office of President or acting as President during the remainder of such term.'' prgtoken Section 2: ``This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years from the date of its submission to the States by the Congress.''

B001289

Bradley

Byrne

Bradley Byrne

M

1955-02-16

Republican

rep

AL

I rise to share my strong support for this rule and the underlying legislation. prgtoken , there is no greater friend to the United States than Israel. Israel is a beacon of hope in a very dangerous part of the world. They are an important economic and military partner of the United States, and they play a critical role when it comes to fighting radical Islamic terrorism. prgtoken Given the importance of the U.S.-Israel relationship, I was deeply disappointed to see the United States recently passed a flawed anti- Israel resolution that will only make it more difficult to achieve peace in the Middle East. Even more disappointing was the fact that the United States just stood by and did nothing as it happened. Instead of vetoing the resolution, the United States Ambassador abstained from voting at all. prgtoken In other words, the United States turned its back and looked the other way as the U.N. passed a flawed resolution attacking Israel. This represents a prgtoken dangerous break in a longstanding and bipartisan policy to protect our sole democratic ally in the region from one-sided resolutions at the U.N. prgtoken Let's be clear, this resolution does absolutely nothing to make peace more likely in the region. Instead, it muddies the water and only further complicates what is already a very complex issue. prgtoken No solution to the ongoing problems with Israel and the Palestinian Authority is going to come from an international body like the United Nations telling them what to do. Any real solution must come through negotiations between the involved parties. prgtoken Honestly, given the many blunders of the administration on the world stage, I guess this most recent action shouldn't be all that surprising. But this action is one of the most irresponsible acts ever by an outgoing President. It will be a dark stain on an already disastrous legacy. prgtoken By abstaining and allowing this resolution to pass, the administration has upset decades of bipartisan policy as it relates to Israel and put a pathway to peace even further out of reach. Now is the time to be standing up for Israel, not turning away from them. prgtoken It is my hope and my belief that under President-elect the United States will once again stand arm in arm with Israel, and this resolution is an important step in that direction. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this rule and the underlying legislation.

M001179

Tom

Marino

Tom Marino

M

1952-08-15

Republican

rep

PA

REGULATIONS FROM THE EXECUTIVE IN NEED OF SCRUTINY ACT OF 2017

I rise today in strong support of the REINS Act. I would like to thank my colleague from Georgia (Mr. Collins) for taking charge of this bill in the 115th Congress and Judiciary Chairman Goodlatte for quickly bringing it to the floor. prgtoken This week and next, the primary focus of debate here in the House is the stranglehold of regulation on the economy and its intrusion into the everyday lives of Americans. These onerous burdens are well-known to Members of Congress on both sides. prgtoken Over the past several years, I have spent countless hours traveling across the nearly 6,600 square miles of my district. I have met with my constituents in their homes, in their workplaces and social halls. They have pleaded with me for release from the regulations that limit their ability to prosper, innovate, and grow. prgtoken Unlike the nameless, faceless, ever-growing bureaucracy here in Washington, we have listened to the people's concerns. We have made regulatory reform a priority and the focal point for jump-starting our economy. By placing final approval of major regulations in the hands of Congress, the REINS Act is an important launch point in our efforts to dismantle the administrative state and make government more accountable to the American people. prgtoken Our Founders vested in Congress--and Congress alone--the power to write the laws. Unfortunately, over our history, we have delegated much of that power away. The Founders could not have imagined our current scenario where the complaints of many fall on the deaf ears of an unelected few in Washington. prgtoken Thinking over the past 8 years, the REINS Act could have prevented numerous regulations that the American people knew were threats to their very way of life. Perhaps a trillion dollars in costs could have been avoided. I cannot even imagine how many jobs might have been saved or created if we avoided the regulatory barrage brought on by the administration. prgtoken For example, we could have prevented the waters of the United States regulation that impacts the farmers near my home in rural Pennsylvania. The FCC's net neutrality rule might have been overturned, a classic rulemaking bait and switch where the FCC ignored the mountains of public comment to achieve its own political ends. An unaccountable sum of environmental regulations might have been avoided before destroying large swaths of our industry and imposing huge costs on taxpayers. prgtoken Our prime takeaway from these instances and others is that the runaway regulators issued wide-ranging and economy-destroying regulations with complete disregard for the hardworking American citizens whose livelihoods were at stake. prgtoken Today we take an important step to reassert the voice of the American people in our government. The REINS Act reestablishes the Congress as the final judge of whether or not any particular regulation actually does what the Congress meant it to do. <|

M001151

Tim

Murphy

Tim Murphy

M

1952-09-11

Republican

rep

PA

PERVERSE TORTURE PERPETRATED BY HEARTLESS YOUNG ADULTS

today, four people were charged with a violent crime after a Facebook showed 30 minutes of horror. The criminal charges barely scratch the surface in describing the terror experienced by an 18-year-old boy who suffers from mental disabilities. prgtoken He was forced for 5 hours to cower in a corner scared, stunned, and powerless by people he thought were his friends. His mouth was duct taped shut. His hands and feet were tied. They cut his clothes, his hair, and scalp with a knife. He was burned, punched, and beaten. He was humiliated and berated. This was not just bullying, this was violent, perverse torture perpetrated by heartless young adults. His psychological trauma will haunt him for years. prgtoken He is not alone because children with disabilities are four times more likely to be assaulted than the general population. prgtoken We enacted major mental health reforms just a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, we cannot litigate compassion, mandate morality, nor legislate common decency for perpetrators who have no sense of shame. But today, as a Nation, we should all be ashamed and recommit to teach our children there is never any excuse to harm a disabled person. Never. I pray for the victim and his family.

M000934

Jerry

Moran

Jerry Moran

M

1954-05-29

Republican

sen

KS

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET, FISCAL YEAR 2017

. from Delaware, and I appreciate his comments. He did walk in just as I was talking about that particular issue of a series of things that I believe would improve the cost and affordability of health care. for sharing his experience in Delaware and elsewhere and use that as an opportunity to indicate that the cost savings that comes from that kind of reform is a positive, but we also want to make sure those who, through no fault of their own, are actually harmed are made whole to the best of our ability that this can be accomplished. prgtoken Finally, I would use this as an opportunity to point out that this Senate ought to work in a way in which the ideas of all 100 Members are considered in a respectful way as we try to find solutions to the access and affordability of health care. prgtoken Again, I thank you for the time on the floor.

R000583

Thomas

Rooney

Thomas J. Rooney

M

1970-11-21

Republican

rep