Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, next week is the fifth anniversary of the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Just over 2 months ago, a mass shooter took the lives of 58 at a concert in Las Vegas; and 31 days ago, Sutherland Springs, Texas, was changed forever.

But just minutes ago, my Republican colleagues memorialized those deaths by passing a bill that would increase the risk of this happening in communities like yours and mine. To pass a bill written by the NRA at the expense of the safety and security of residents and law enforcement is an absolute disgrace.

To allow people, including those with dangerous histories, to carry hidden, loaded guns anywhere across the country is simply shameful.

First, by stripping healthcare and now this, it seems that the Republican agenda is fostering death over life.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Leslee Atiram who sadly passed away on November 10, 2017.

Leslee Atiram was a beloved teacher who was described by her students and peers to be inspiring and an optimist. Raised in Brooklyn, Ms. Atiram had a drive to one day be an educator. Ms. Atiram spent four decades teaching math and science for high school and elementary school in New York and New Jersey, of which she spent two of those decades teaching at Rutgers Preparatory School, Princeton Day School, and the Sunday school at Temple Shaari Emeth.

Her passion for education led her to study at Stroudsburg University and the University of London during her undergraduate years. She then earned her master's degree in education from Brooklyn College. Her style of teaching was like none other--she always brought warmth, kindness, and a good sense of humor to her classes. Her knowledge and skills as a math and science teacher earned her the ORT American Outstanding STEM Educator Award, which honors an educator in the New York, New Jersey, Connecticut tristate area who seeks to advance STEM education.

Outside of her educational career, Ms. Atiram organized a support group for other people in the school community who were touched by cancer.

Leslee is survived by her husband, Zam; her sons, Logan and Zak; Kristin, Zak's fiancee; her brother, Stan, and her loving nieces and nephew. A memorial service for Leslee will be held Sunday, December 10, 2017 at Rutgers Preparatory School in Somerset.

Our nation suffers in the loss of nurturing educators like Leslee Atiram, but I am honored that such a talented and dedicated individual has shared their gifts on behalf of our community.

I urge my colleagues to join me in remembering the amazing life of Leslee Atiram and sending our sincere condolences to her friends and family. May Ms. Atiram be blessed and rest in peace.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act, as amended, would establish a framework to support greater access and use of government data.

I want to thank Representatives Derek Kilmer and Blake Farenthold for their work on the OPEN Government Data Act, which is the basis for title II of this bill. I also want to thank Speaker Ryan, Senator Murray, and Chairman Gowdy for their bipartisan work on this issue.

This bill would require that agencies make data ``open by default'' and develop a plan for building evidence in their agencies.

The bill would require that the Office of Management and Budget develop a Federal catalog and inventory of agency data assets and that each agency designate chief evaluation officers and chief data officers who would work to ensure that agencies utilize data effectively.

The goal of this bill is to ensure that Congress and the executive branch are able to make important policy decisions based on evidence. This is not always the case. For example, take the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program. Funding for that program was recently cut even though there is significant evidence that it works well.

If we are going to demand more and higher quality evidence from these Federal agencies, it is imperative that Congress and the executive branch advance policies supported by that evidence.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Kilmer).

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues in consideration of H.R. 3369, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Post Office located at 225 North Main Street in Spring Lake, North Carolina, as the Howard B. Pate, Jr. Post Office.

Born in 1925, Howard Pate joined the Army in 1944, 2 years after his high school graduation. In early 1945, Howard deployed to Europe as part of the famed 101st Airborne Division.

Later serving in the 82nd Airborne Division, Howard was discharged from Active Duty in 1946, but he continued his service as a member of the North Carolina Guard and the U.S. Army Reserve. He retired in 1965, as a sergeant major in the 13th Special Forces Group.

Following his military service, Howard was appointed postmaster of Spring Lake, North Carolina, and served as both a State vice president and president of the National Association of Postmasters.

He was also an active member of his community, serving as a deacon at the First Presbyterian Church of Spring Lake, charter president of the Spring Lake Jaycees, and a member of the Greater Spring Lake Chamber of Commerce for over 50 years, where the Volunteer of the Year award is named in his honor.

Howard Pate passed away a year ago this week, as we heard, on November 14, 2016.

Mr. Speaker, we should pass this bill to honor Howard Pate's life of service to his community and to his country.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 3369, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues in consideration of H.R. 1207, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Post Office located at 306 River Street in Tilden, Texas, as the Tilden Veterans Post Office.

Military men and women sacrifice their time, energy, and lives for our country every day. Whether serving in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, or Coast Guard, these brave individuals risk their lives to protect others and demonstrate an unmatched level of selflessness, courage, and dedication.

While this bill will name the post office in Tilden, Texas, in honor of all veterans who have served, I would like to specifically recognize the service of Mr. Anselmo Villarreal.

Drafted into the Army in March of 1968, he served in Vietnam until 1970, and he continues to serve his fellow veterans through volunteer work at his local veterans service organization.

His story is not unlike other servicemembers who give their time at home and abroad to protect and improve their communities in so many ways. In recognizing his contributions, we recognize the contributions of veterans throughout Texas and the United States, and we thank them for their work.

Mr. Speaker, we should pass this bill to celebrate the lives of American veterans and commemorate the sacrifices that each have made for the good of our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of H.R. 1207, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cuellar).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues in consideration of H.R. 2873, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Post Office located at 207 Glenside Avenue in Wyncote, Pennsylvania, as the Staff Sergeant Peter Taub Post Office Building.

A native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Mr. Taub was inspired by his grandfather's World War II military service to join the Air Force in 2007. He loaded missiles for F-15 fighter jets in Japan before transferring to Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota, where he specialized in arming B-1 bombers.

In 2013, after earning his bachelor's degree in cybersecurity, Peter became a special agent in the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and participated in over a dozen combat missions through hostile areas.

On December 21, 2015, while in Afghanistan, Staff Sergeant Taub gave his life, along with four of his fellow airmen, when his unit was ambushed in a suicide attack. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Air Force Commendation Medal, and Air Force Combat Action Medal, and he leaves behind a beloved wife and two children.

Mr. Speaker, we should pass this bill to honor Staff Sergeant Peter Taub's bravery and remember the ultimate sacrifice he made to protect our Nation.

I urge the passage of H.R. 2873.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Brendan F. Boyle).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues in consideration of H.R. 3109, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Post Office located at 1114 North 2nd Street in Chillicothe, Illinois, as the Sr. Chief Ryan Owens Post Office Building.

A native of Edelstein, Illinois, Ryan Owens graduated from Illinois Valley Central High School and joined the Navy in 1998.

Ryan served at the Office of Naval Intelligence before completing SEAL training and was selected as a chief petty officer in 2009.

While on his fifth tour of duty with the elite SEAL Team Six, Ryan sustained wounds in a firefight and succumbed to his injuries on January 29, 2017.

Ryan's dedicated service has been recognized through a number of awards

and medals, including the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, a Bronze Star and Bronze Stars with Combat V, a Joint Service Achievement Medal, and three Presidential Unit Citations.

Mr. Speaker, we should pass this bill to honor the heroism of Sr. Chief Ryan Owens and recognize the ultimate sacrifice he made for our country.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of H.R. 3109, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues in consideration of H.R. 3893, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Post Office located at 100 Mathe Avenue in Interlachen, Florida, as the Robert H. Jenkins Post Office.

Robert Jenkins joined the United States Marine Corps in Jacksonville, Florida, in February of 1968.

After completing training at Camp Lejeune, Robert was assigned to the 3rd Marine Division in Vietnam. There he served as a scout, driver, machine gunner for Company C in an area south of the demilitarized zone.

In the early morning of March 5, 1969, Private First Class Jenkins' team was suddenly attacked by the North Vietnamese Army. While Private First Class Jenkins and a fellow marine returned machine gun fire, a hand grenade was thrown at their location.

In an act of pure selflessness, Private First Class Jenkins threw himself on top of his fellow marine, shielding him from the explosion, while absorbing the full force himself. Tragically, Private First Class was gravely wounded and died soon after.

Private First Class Jenkins was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his valiant actions in April 1970.

Mr. Speaker, we should pass this bill to honor the valiant actions of Private First Class Jenkins and to remember his courage and selflessness devotion to his fellow marines.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 3893. I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues in consideration of H.R. 2672, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Post Office located at 520 Carter Street in Fairview, Illinois, as the Sgt. Douglas J. Riney Post Office.

Born in Georgia in 1990, Douglas Riney graduated from Spoon River Valley High School in Illinois, and married his wife, Kylie, in 2012. The two of them lived in Fairview with children Elea and James, where Douglas proudly volunteered as a firefighter, cheered for the Green Bay Packers, and loved spending time outdoors riding his motorcycle, hunting, and fishing.

Douglas served on Active Duty in the U.S. Army, deploying in support of Operation Enduring Freedom from July 2014 to February 2015, and again as a part of Operation Freedom's Sentinel beginning in June 2016.

He was assigned to the 3rd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division.

Tragically, on October 19, 2016, Sergeant Douglas Riney was killed in action at the hands of hostile enemy forces in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Sergeant Douglas Riney was awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, and Army Commendation Medal, among other honors, for his valiant service.

Mr. Speaker, we should pass this bill to remember the courage and the sacrifice of Sergeant Douglas Riney and honor his memory for years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of H.R. 2672, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Bustos), my colleague.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues in consideration of H.R. 3821, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Post Office located at 430 Main Street in Clermont, Georgia, as the Zachary Addington Post Office.

Born in Gainesville, Georgia, in 1948, Zachary Addington graduated from North Hall High School in 1967. He chose to enlist in the Marine Corps that year, becoming a private in the 3rd Marine Division of the Fleet Marine Force. He deployed to Vietnam that December as a private first class.

On May 16, 1968, then-Lance Corporal Addington was participating in Operation Scotland II with his company when he was tragically killed in action.

He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, National Defense Service Medal, and Vietnam Service Medal for his honorable service. His captain deemed Lance Corporal Addington one of the finest marines he had ever known.

Mr. Speaker, we should pass this bill to commemorate the ultimate sacrifice Lance Corporal Zachary Addington made for our Nation, and I urge the passage of H.R. 3821.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, each day the President and congressional Republicans are trying to sell the American people a dream that will not become a reality.

In addition to running up the deficit, lining the pockets of the very wealthy, and eliminating critical deductions that New Jerseyans rely on, this tax scheme dismantles the ladder of opportunity that allows Americans to grow and thrive.

Eliminating the medical expense deduction will devastate households nationwide struggling to recover from high healthcare costs. Removing the student loan interest deduction will cost recent college graduates hundreds of dollars a year, significant to young Americans trying to get on their feet.

Our tax system works best when it is fair, responsible, and supportive of the true drivers of our economy: families, workers, and small businesses.

I refuse to let congressional Republicans try to sell America a dream that never will be reality, and definitely not on the backs of the most vulnerable.

Mr. Speaker, day after day, the President and congressional Republicans have sought to frame their tax proposal as a tax cut for hardworking middle class families and not a tax cut for the wealthiest Americans, even going so far as to say it will not add to the deficit. Quite simply, they are trying to sell the American people a dream that will not become a reality.

In New Jersey alone, 25 percent of the residents will see their taxes increase by $2,400, annually. That means one in four New Jerseyans are affected by this failed strategy of trickle-down economics.

These aren't the very rich. I am talking about New Jersey's regular working families. These New Jerseyans are a part of the 47 million Americans that will see a tax increase.

This horrific tax reform plan and the rhetoric my Republican colleagues are using to garner support is simply fake news. It is a tax break for the wealthiest Americans.

I refuse to participate in the crippling of the middle class and the working class and the halting of continued growth of the American economy by rubberstamping this billionaires-first tax scheme.

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

Mr. Speaker, I do rise to urge support for my bill, H.R. 2302, which would designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 259 Nassau Street in Princeton, New Jersey, as the Dr. John F. Nash, Jr. Post Office.

As a legendary figure of Princeton University's mathematics department, Dr. Nash was famous both for his genius and his life story. Born in Bluefield, West Virginia, in 1928, Dr. John Nash was a child prodigy who graduated from the Carnegie Institute of Technology at age 19, with both a bachelor's and a master's degree in mathematics.

Dr. Nash subsequently received his doctorate in 1950 from Princeton University and published a groundbreaking theory of noncooperative games later that year, which is now known as the Nash equilibrium.

His monumental work in mathematics, game theory, economics, and evolutionary biology has influenced generations of experts in these fields.

In addition to his academic contributions, Dr. Nash gained worldwide acclaim from the 2001 film ``A Beautiful Mind,'' which portrayed his vast accomplishments while living with schizophrenia and throughout his recovery from mental illness.

In recognition of his lifelong work, Dr. Nash was awarded a Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 1994, and the 2015 Abel Prize from the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters.

Tragically, he and his wife, Alicia, were killed in an automobile accident in 2015 on their return from receiving the award in Norway.

Finally, I want to end my remarks by congratulating Ms. Lyla Malloy, the student in my district whose essay submission to our post office naming competition was chosen out of 84 entries.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of H.R. 2302 in recognition of Dr. Nash's important contributions to our country, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, today, instead of working to protect DREAMers, enacting commonsense gun safety legislation, or reforming our tax system to benefit hardworking Americans and not just the wealthy, I have to stand here and speak out against H.R. 36, another radical assault against women's health and reproductive rights, a bill that would deny care to women in the most desperate of circumstances, a bill designed to restrict a woman's access to a full range of healthcare services, and a blatant attempt to chip away at a woman's right to choose.

Congressional Republicans failed in their numerous attempts to strip healthcare away from everyone, so they will settle for just taking health decisions away from women.

We settled this issue 40 years ago. Women have the constitutionally protected right to manage their own bodies. I will continue to defend the woman's right to choose and vigorously oppose any and all attacks against that.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from New York for yielding to me.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise for Kerri from New Jersey. This is her story.

With the help of a fertility specialist, Kerri and her husband were thrilled to be expecting their first baby in January of 2016. All of Kerri's tests and scans were looking great until the 20-week ultrasound.

Kerri recounts: Our ultrasound tech spent a lot of time looking at her heart, and, finally, the doctor from maternal fetal medicine came in.

As she scanned, she told Kerri and her husband that there were some severe brain and heart abnormalities. The doctor also told them the chest cavity was small and that the lungs were not developing properly. A few days later, a geneticist told Kerri and her husband that the baby had three copies of every chromosome, a very rare condition. The doctor informed them that infants born with this condition very rarely survive more than a few days after delivery.

According to Kerri: We both calmly made the decision to have an abortion. We did not want our little girl to suffer. We would much rather take on that suffering for her.

On behalf of Kerri, New Jerseyans, and women everywhere, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this rule and vote ``no'' on H.R. 36.