To facilitate the addition of park administration at the Coltsville National Historical Park, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 2(a)(1) of rule IX, I rise to give notice of my intent to raise a question of the privileges of the House.

The form of the resolution is as follows:

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the President shall immediately disclose his tax return information to Congress and the American people.

Whereas, in the United States' system of checks and balances, Congress has a responsibility to hold the executive branch of government to the highest standard of transparency to ensure the public interest is placed first;

Whereas, according to the Tax History Project, every President since Gerald Ford has disclosed their tax return information to the public;

Whereas, tax returns provide an important baseline disclosure because they contain highly instructive information including whether the candidate paid taxes, what they own, what they have borrowed and from whom, whether they have made any charitable donations, and whether they have taken advantage of tax loopholes;

Whereas, disclosure of the President's tax returns could help those investigating Russian influence in the 2016 election understand the President's financial ties to the Russian Federation and Russian citizens, including debts owed and whether he shares any partnership interests, equity interests, joint ventures or licensing agreements with Russia or Russians;

Whereas, The New York Times has reported that President Trump's close senior advisers, including Carter Page, Paul Manafort, Roger Stone, and General Michael Flynn, have been under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their ties to the Russian Federation;

Whereas, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Interfax, a Russian media outlet, on November 10, 2016 that ``there were contacts'' with Donald Trump's 2016 campaign, and it has been reported that members of President Trump's inner circle were in contact with senior Russian officials throughout the 2016 campaign;

Whereas, according to his 2016 candidate filing with the Federal Election Commission, the President has 564 financial positions in companies located in the United States and around the world;

Whereas, against the advice of ethics attorneys and the Office of Government Ethics, the President has refused to divest his ownership stake in his businesses;

Whereas, the director of the nonpartisan Office of Government Ethics said that the President's plan to transfer his business holdings to a trust managed by family members is ``meaningless'' and ``does not meet the standards that . . . every president in the past four decades has met'';

Whereas, the Emoluments Clause was included in the U.S. Constitution for the express purpose of preventing federal officials from accepting any ``present, Emolument, Office, or Title . . . from any King, Prince, or foreign state'';

Whereas, according to The Washington Post, the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., has hired a ``director of diplomatic sales'' to generate high-priced business among foreign leaders and diplomatic delegations;

Whereas, according to The New York Times, the President used a legally dubious tax maneuver in 1995 that could have allowed him to avoid paying federal taxes for 18 years;

Whereas, the most signed petition on the White House website calls for the release of the President's tax return information to verify compliance with the Emoluments Clause, with 1,074,000 signatures as of date of this resolution;

Whereas, the chairmen of the Ways and Means Committee, Joint Committee on Taxation, and Senate Finance Committee have the authority to request the President's tax returns under,Section 6103 of the tax code;

Whereas, the Joint Committee on Taxation reviewed the tax returns of President Richard Nixon in 1974 and made the information public;

Whereas, the Ways and Means Committee used IRC 6103 authority in 2014 to make public the confidential tax information of 51 taxpayers;

Whereas, the American people have the right to know whether or not their President is operating under conflicts of interest related to international affairs, tax reform, government contracts, or otherwise:

Now, therefore, be it resolved, that the House of Representatives shall, one, immediately request the tax return information of Donald J. Trump for tax years 2006 through 2015 for review in closed executive session by the Committee on Ways and Means, as provided under section 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code, and vote to report the information therein to the full House of Representatives; two, support transparency in government and the longstanding tradition of Presidents and Presidential candidates disclosing their tax returns.

Yes, Mr. Speaker, I offer my resolution.

Yes, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, under rule IX, clause 1, questions of the privileges of the House are ``those affecting the rights of the House collectively, its safety, dignity, and the integrity of its proceedings.''

There is nothing more of a threat to the integrity of this House than ignoring our duty to provide a check and balance to the executive branch. To restore the dignity of the House, we must use our authority to request President Trump's tax returns and give the American people the transparency they deserve.

The American people demand, Mr. Speaker, to know the full scope of the President's financial background. Article I, Section 9 of the Constitution includes a clause prohibiting foreign emoluments to the President.

The Office of Government Ethics--I can't stress this enough--has warned us about the President's decision not to divest or set up a blind trust. And there is a need to fully understand the President's ties to Russia.

The resolution I am offering can provide the transparency to help ease the concerns of Americans across the Nation. The Internal Revenue Code includes language laying out a path for the Ways and Means Committee to obtain the tax returns and review them in a respectful manner, and there is the precedent of that provision being used.

Mr. Speaker, that decision to put this into the code in 1924 was a result of the very famous scandal of 1923, the Teapot Dome, from Teapot Rock, Wyoming, under President Harding. He died, unfortunately, and never saw the end of this scandal.

People committed murder in this scandal. People sold off American reserves in this scandal. So, they put it into the IRS Code for a very, very specific reason, so the people have a right to know.

A growing number of Members and Senators from both parties have been saying we should have the President's tax returns. The House must demonstrate--and this is my deep feeling here, not as a Democrat, but as an American citizen, Mr. Speaker--we must demonstrate that its Members are listening to our constituents' concerns. The House must demonstrate that it cares about protecting the integrity of our government, of our Constitution, of our system of checks and balances.

Let's shine a bright light on the President's conflicts together, together, as we, as a Congress, and the broader American public can judge whether his decisions are being made for himself, his business interests, or for the greater good of the American people.

Mr. Speaker, I thank you for your indulgences, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I appeal the ruling of the Chair.

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Torres, Representative McClintock, Chairman Bishop, and Ranking Member Grijalva for all of their hard work on this.

As the chairman indicated, this bill did pass on a voice vote last year. Unfortunately, our colleagues in the Senate did not take it up last year. This year they have, and I am glad that it is before us again. This is truly a collaborative effort.

Especially from a small State like Connecticut, I want to thank the larger States. We just heard two Members from Oregon talking about Mount Hood. In most of the national parks in the West, you could fit the entire State of Connecticut.

I especially thank the committee for understanding the historic significance of Coltsville itself, and also the work not only of Samuel Colt, who gets most of the credit for a gun that was aptly named the gun that won the West, but of who it actually was brought to market by, Elizabeth Colt.

Samuel Colt died in 1862 at the beginning of the Civil War. Of course, that gun and those weapons that they produced also played a critical role in the North's victory.

Elizabeth Colt, however, continued the company. While she could not vote, she was part of what back then would have been a top 10 manufacturing company in the entire Nation. They ended up being the first American manufacturer to establish a plant abroad because their production scheme was that great.

She also established the concept of firewalls, which was important to a then-budding insurance industry in the State of Connecticut.

She also came up with the concept of housing workers. A large number of immigrants who poured into the country, who were skilled workers from all around the globe, but mostly from Europe, who came to Hartford at that time, were able to settle in housing.

The Park Service has been magnificent in setting up and reviewing this. I thank James Woolsey, who is the park's superintendent, but also the people in the area: Larry Dooley of Colt Gateway; the Church of the Good Shepherd; the Sheldon Charter Oak neighborhood groups; and, of course, the current mayor, Mayor Bronin; and Governor Malloy. Three other mayors have come before Congress and before the committee to testify on this bill, its importance, its significance, and its heritage. We are extraordinarily proud of this.

I would be remiss if I didn't point out the extra effort that Chairman Bishop put into this, especially his understanding in grappling with a very small State like Connecticut and what one would consider, by National Park Service standards, a very small piece of history with an enormous impact.

Henry Ford came there to take a look at the assembly line techniques that were developed there. Pratt and Whitney were both interns there, which led to, in my hometown of East Hartford, the most incredible aerospace engines, the arsenal for democracy in the State of Connecticut, a company that went on to produce 70 percent of all the engines utilized in the Second World War.

All this from Samuel Colt and, of course, Elizabeth Colt, who took over and became such an incredible philanthropist.

Hartford, at that time--because of all the manufacturing, including typewriters, bicycles, and even the automobile--got its start there. It also led this incredible sage from Missouri to locate there, write, and publish books, named Mark Twain.

So there is quite a story that comes, and it just demonstrates the value of manufacturing. We all know here and we talk frequently about value added, a four-to-one enterprise today.

Beyond that, everything else--the ideas that it spun, the innovation that it spun, and the creativity--is something that is very much worth celebrating and remembering. I thank the committee in general for all of their hard work. I am thrilled with this.

I know, having worked with Speaker Ryan on a number of important issues, that he would be happy to know that AmeriCorps is also involved in the area as well.

I thank the committee for sticking with this. It took over 14 years to get this passed. Now, with the passage of this legislation, it will officially open this spring.

I hope the committee will come out, and we will plan a great celebration and welcome you there as well.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 863) to facilitate the addition of park administration at the Coltsville National Historical Park, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include any extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 863 was introduced by Representative John Larson of Connecticut. Originally, the National Park Service was required to acquire 10,000 square feet of space in East Armory of Coltsville. This measure would allow the National Park Service to acquire that space within any part of the Colt Armory Complex in Hartford, Connecticut.

Coltsville was the home of Samuel Colt's industrial enterprise, Colt's Manufacturing Company. In Hartford, Samuel Colt developed the use of the assembly line and highly mechanized techniques. Colt's Manufacturing Company not only transformed the firearms industry, but it was a major contributor to the industrial revolution by pioneering the use of interchangeable parts and precision manufacturing.

Colt's success brought him fame and wealth. He became one of the 10 wealthiest businessmen in the United States, a pillar of the Hartford community, and was given the honorary title of colonel by the Governor of Connecticut.

This small modification to current law would provide the Park Service flexibility in selecting a location for park administrative offices and visitor services at the Coltsville site. A nearly identical bill passed the House last Congress by voice vote.

I commend Representative Larson for his work on this legislation. I urge passage of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, certainly none that could match the detailed knowledge and eloquence of the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson).

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the measure and look forward to taking Representative Larson up on his kind invitation for the great opening.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson), the bill's sponsor.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Congress established the Coltsville National Historical Park at the end of 2014. The law that established the park also authorized the National Park Service to utilize a 10,000-square-foot building, known as the East Armory for the purpose of park administration.

However, during the planning phase for establishing this new park, local stakeholders and the Park Service have determined that the Colt Armory Complex is better suited for this purpose. This bill simply makes that change and authorizes use of the Colt Armory Complex.

I support this simple fix to the enabling legislation that responds to the on-the-ground dynamics of this particular park. I want to thank the majority and my colleagues on the Natural Resources Committee for expediting review of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson) for his hard work on moving this bill forward. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 863.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Energy and Natural Resources Committee be discharged from further consideration of the following bills: S. 1438 and H.R. 1927; and that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of those bills and the following bills en bloc: Calendar No. 49, S. 35; Calendar No. 54, S. 432; Calendar No. 55, S. 466; Calendar No. 62, H.R. 267; Calendar No. 64, H.R. 560; Calendar No. 72, H.R. 699; Calendar No. 88, H.R. 863; Calendar No. 125, S. 167; Calendar No. 148, H.R. 381; Calendar No. 170, H.R. 954; H.R. 1242, received from the House; H.R. 1306, received from the House; and H.R. 2611, received from the House.

I further ask unanimous consent that, where applicable, the committee-reported amendments be agreed to, and the bills, as amended, if amended, be considered read a third time.