Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1808) to amend and improve the Missing Children's Assistance Act, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 1808.

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

I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1808, the Improving Support for Missing and Exploited Children Act of 2017.

Mr. Speaker, as a father, I cannot imagine the horror moms and dads in this country experience when they discover one of their children has been taken, abused, or exploited. Sadly, that is a nightmare for hundreds of thousands of parents in this country. Last year alone, there were more than 465,000 reports of missing children, and those are just the cases that were reported.

The well-being of America's children has long been a national priority. In 1984, Congress established the Missing and Exploited Children's Program to help coordinate State and local efforts to recover children who are missing and better protect and support kids who are victims of abuse and exploitation. As part of that program, we provide a grant that is used to support the work of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, known as NCMEC.

For more than 30 years, NCMEC has worked to provide help to people across the country, partnering with parents, law enforcement, nonprofits, and other public and private entities in an effort to recover, protect, and support missing and exploited children and their families. We are here today to ensure this supportive work continues.

H.R. 1808 updates and streamlines the Missing Children's Assistance Act, making positive changes that will enable us to strengthen our efforts. This includes reforms that encourage and increase public awareness of new and innovative ways to recover and protect missing and exploited children.

The bill better protects the growing number of children who go missing from State care or are victims of sex trafficking, while also providing transparency surrounding recovery and prevention efforts. In recent years, some of the advances in technology have, unfortunately, made it easier for kids to be victimized and exploited. H.R. 1808 ensures the law aimed at recovering and protecting exploited children is able to effectively identify and locate today's abductors and criminal offenders, many of whom are turning to more modern techniques to commit their disturbing crimes.

The Improving Support for Missing and Exploited Children Act of 2017 delivers important reforms that will provide the tools needed to effectively serve vulnerable youth, help bring perpetrators to justice, and ensure taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1808.

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

Mr. Speaker, I echo my support, and I enjoy working with my friend, the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Courtney).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Walberg), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Roe), the chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, and a member of the Education and the Workforce Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Mitchell), my friend and a member of the Education and the Workforce Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx), the distinguished chairwoman of the Education and the Workforce Committee.

I yield the gentlewoman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Paulsen), a good friend of mine who, in his work on the Ways and Means Committee, has been focused on and dedicated to this issue.

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

I had the opportunity to visit the Center, and the building that I got to go visit was full of men and women who show up every day, who do exceptional work dealing with the disturbing issues, and so my hat is off to them. They deal with stuff that is just unimaginable to most of us, and they do it in a way that is dignified and in a way that is well worthy of the effort that we are giving them to give more transparency and empower them to help more.

I really appreciate working with my friend, Mr. Courtney. H.R. 1808 is a bipartisan proposal, and I urge my colleagues to support the Improving Support for Missing and Exploited Children Act of 2017.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support the American Health Care Act.

A constituent of mine from Kentucky personally reached out to share her story. Under ObamaCare, the cost of her family's monthly premium rose to over $1,000 with a deductible of over $12,000, in total, almost half her income. When she fell and broke three ribs, she couldn't afford to go to the emergency room because of the astronomical deductible. She suffered for weeks until as she could afford care; and as she said in her own words: ``I paid 50 percent of my income for something I am forced to buy and cannot use.''

In Kentucky, there are many counties with just one health insurer on the exchange. That is not right. Affordable health care means having real access to health care when you need it. ObamaCare reduces access. It is not there, when they need it, for many Americans.

I urge my colleagues to support the American Health Care Act.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, what I want to talk about is what is underlying in this bill in the traditional reform in Medicaid.

Medicaid currently costs State and Federal Governments $600 billion. It is estimated in 10 years--a decade--to cost a trillion dollars. It is a system that is set up to implode on itself.

So we want to fix the problem before we get to the critical point where it is going to implode. Let's fix it now, and let's make it right.

What we do is allow States to have the same money they had in 2016-- the exact same money--with growth. The growth would be the CPI, medical, and, in some categories, plus one. They also have growth in demographics. We have some people who retire to other States. They have a concern. What if I am from a State where somebody lives in an area and then they move to my State when they are older and typically cost more in the Medicaid system? We adjust for that. It is in the per capita allotment. As they move, they would transfer. It is not a traditional block grant, unless the State chooses to do so.

We are here reforming an entitlement program for the first time since the 1990s. It is a very sound, solid way, and a way that preserves and protects the program and prevents the program from imploding on itself within a decade.

Mr. Speaker, I am surprised that my friends on the other side are defending the ObamaCare age tax, which is a tax on young people. I am the right demographic for it.

This is how it works: people from age 26 to 34 pay more so people from age 50 to 64 pay less.

Think about this: I am 53. In 3 years, I will be 56, my daughter will be 26. What I am asking her to do and what we are asking her to do if we don't repeal this is, as you are wanting to buy a house, get married--she got married--buy a house, start a family, get her family moving forward, we are going to say: But we want you to pay more for your health care so I can pay less.

That is what they are doing. They are having parents have their children pay more so they can pay less. With all of us, I think we want our children, as they start their families, start their life, to have more breaks, not put another burden on them.

I defend the fact that we are giving tax relief to young people, for people from age 26 to 34, who can least afford the premiums that we are putting on them.

Mr. Speaker, about 7 years ago, I was on the floor talking on the Affordable Care Act. And I remember talking about, I had just left the State Senate, and bringing up that my colleagues are in Frankfort and they are doing work on the budget; and, in the future, it is going to make it more difficult for them to pass budgets because of the expansion in Medicaid, and that is coming to pass. It will be in the next budget session they have to deal with moving forward, if we don't address this situation.

So people keep talking about a rush process. Over a year ago, we put together a Medicaid task force, met with groups of people, met with Governors, we took a lot of information, and put together a plan that addresses the needs of Medicaid. Medicaid is growing. It will be over a $1 trillion program within 10 years if we don't deal with it. It is going to implode. So we actually worked to put it on a sustainable budget. It is growing. People talk about cuts to Medicaid. Only in Washington, D.C., is slowing the growth of a program looked at as a cut. So we have worked hard to move that forward.

The other thing I want to talk about is, last year, small businesses were going to be hit by the minimum essential benefits. Small businesses were saying: We like our plans, and we want to keep it. We are going to have our prices go up, and we are not going to be able to afford to provide coverage.

So we all came together, bipartisan, to address that to exempt the small-business plans for those programs. It passed by voice vote in the House, unanimous consent in the Senate, and signed by then-President Obama.

So the question is, if small businesses can design and keep their own plans, I think individuals can, too.

I agree with my friend from California that the American people are smart. I disagree with my other colleague who says: They will buy things, and they won't even know what is in it.

They are smart, and I urge support for this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a constituent of mine who was recently awarded one of the highest honors in his industry. Mr. Carl Swope, owner of Swope Toyota located in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, in my Congressional District, was named the 2017 TIME Dealer of the Year. The TIME Dealer of the Year award is one of the automobile industry's most prestigious and highly coveted honors.

After graduating from Indiana University, Mr. Swope began working at his father's car dealerships. In 1986, Mr. Swope purchased his first dealership, a single store with 50 employees. Today, Mr. Swope oversees six dealerships representing nine brands in Elizabethtown and Radcliff, Kentucky, and employing over 300 associates.

Mr. Swope is an active participant in the Elizabethtown community. He currently serves as a member of the Hardin County Chamber of Commerce, the Knox Regional Development Board, the Lincoln Heritage Council for the Boy Scouts of America, the Elizabethtown Tourism Commission, the Elizabethtown Airport Board, and the Hardin Memorial Health Foundation Board. He also established a local affiliate for Habitat for Humanity and remains an active part of the organization.

On behalf of all the constituents of Kentucky's 2nd Congressional District, I congratulate Mr. Carl Swope on being named the 2017 TIME Dealer of the Year. I wish him and the Swope family all the best.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 91, I call up the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 58) providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Education relating to teacher preparation issues, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.J. Res. 58.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.J. Res. 58. The purpose of the resolution under consideration is simple: reining in the Federal role in education and protecting State and local control promised to students, parents, and education leaders.

Under the Higher Education Act, teacher preparation programs are required to provide certain information to State leaders to help determine the effectiveness of those programs. The State then submits an annual report card to the Department of Education that highlights the quality of their teacher preparation programs. Additionally, the Higher Education Act provides TEACH Grants to high-achieving students who commit to teaching math, science, reading, or a foreign language at high-needs schools. To ensure taxpayer dollars are being used responsibly, the law requires that grant recipients attend an institution that provides high-quality teacher preparation and professional development services.

In 2012, the Obama administration began a rulemaking process to develop Federal criteria for State teacher preparation report cards. For the first time, and without congressional authorization, the rule that came out of that process tied eligibility for TEACH Grants to the State's teacher preparation report card. That flawed and controversial rule is the reason we are here today.

We all agree that accountability is important, particularly when it comes to ensuring our students receive the high-quality education they deserve. However, it is also important that State and local leaders have the flexibility they need to make decisions that affect the schools and programs in their local communities.

Teacher preparation should be addressed through reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, not unilaterally by executive fiat. That is exactly what the Obama administration did by forcing its one-size-fits- all approach to education on teacher preparation programs. The rule requires States to track new teachers across three performance levels: student learning outcomes, employment outcomes, and employer surveys. In doing so, it essentially creates a Federal mandate for teacher evaluations that Congress explicitly rejected with the Every Student Succeeds Act. The regulation assumes the Federal Government knows better than local education leaders when it comes to what makes an effective teacher. And to make matters worse, it will also result in fewer teachers opting to teach students in low-income neighborhoods and schools.

Teachers play an important role in helping students learn and succeed both in and out of the classroom. Unfortunately, as it did so often, the Obama administration overreached and took a flawed approach to preparing teachers to meet the needs of their students. The teacher preparation rule blatantly ignores the principles guiding recent bipartisan education reforms and will make it more difficult for State and local leaders to help ensure teachers are ready to succeed.

The resolution under consideration, H.J. Res. 58, will block the implementation of this misguided policy and protect State and local control over decisions affecting their teachers and students. The Federal Government has played too large a role in education for far too long. I urge my colleagues to vote in support of this resolution and help rein in the Federal Government's role in education.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Roe.)

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Mitchell), my friend.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes.

I need to explain what we are doing here. We are not changing the report card that schools have that teacher preparation programs have to provide.

This rule says that if a school doesn't score well on its report card then students in that program can't get TEACH grants, which tries to focus on getting teachers from teacher programs into challenging schools. So what happens is, if you are an outstanding student and you are trapped in a school, let's say, because where you can afford to go is not performing well, then based on your school not performing well, not on the merit of that future teacher, they are not allowed to get a TEACH grant. That is what we are trying to prevent here.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Budd).

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

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

Republicans and Democrats on both sides of the aisle have worked hard in recent years, particularly in the ESSA that we passed to make sure that we have local control of education, the idea that reforms that State and education local leaders know best. I think the same is true for teachers.

It is vitally important that we have teachers that are prepared to succeed. We want the best and brightest in the classroom that help ensure our students receive the quality education they deserve.

This resolution will put an end to this rule that will have negative consequences, I believe, for teachers and students; but it will allow us to address teacher preparation responsibly. Article I of the Constitution gives the legislative powers to Congress. So we don't just need to say: There's a new administration in town, let them fix it.

What we need to say is that it is Congress' job, through working together, to pass the law and reauthorize higher education that will ensure that we have quality teachers in the classroom teaching our children.

So I urge my colleagues to put a stop to this rule and vote ``yes'' on H.J. Res. 58.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Tonight, millions of Americans, including myself, will tune in to the College Football Playoff National Championship between the University of Alabama and Clemson University. As with any college or professional competition, both teams will have healthcare practitioners traveling with them to the game.

Unfortunately, many States do not provide legal protection for sports medicine practitioners who travel with these athletes since they are not licensed to practice medicine in the secondary State. The Sports Medicine Licensure Clarity Act, which I introduced with Mr. Richmond of Louisiana, would ensure that sports medicine professionals can provide high-quality and timely health care to athletes without having to worry about potential liability when traveling across State lines with their teams.

The nature of sports medicine professionals' jobs require them to frequently travel between States so that athletes can receive proper care the moment they are injured. However, providers are at great personal and professional risk because medical liability insurance does not cover costs for lawsuits related to care provided in States in which they are not licensed. It is not a reasonable solution to require practitioners to become licensed in every State where their teams will play during a given season.

This came to my attention, and I talked to a friend of mine who is an emergency room physician in Auburn, Alabama. He travels with Auburn University. At the time, a few years ago, they were playing in what was then the BCS game. So here is a friend of mine, a physician, traveling with Auburn to the Rose Bowl in California. Fortunately, it didn't happen, but what if he had to take care of Cam Newton, who was the quarterback at the time? First of all, the players want physicians that know them taking care of them, but think of the liability because he was in California when he is licensed to practice in Alabama and if something had gone wrong to as valuable an athlete as Cam Newton.

It is important that we do this. It is just pure common sense. It is very bipartisan. My friend Mr. Richmond and I have worked on this together.

I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this commonsense, bipartisan bill to provide clarity for sports professionals performing their duties when caring for athletes. We passed this bill quickly last session. We are going to do it quickly again this Congress and give time for the other body to address this.

I would personally like to thank my longtime legislative director, who just took another job. She worked tirelessly on this. As simple and as commonsense as this bill is, there are a lot of details when you are trying to define details about going across jurisdictions and State lines. I wish Megan Jackson well in her new endeavor.

I urge my colleagues to support this measure.

Section 7:

``All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with amendments as on other bills.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in memory of Wendell Hampton Ford. A dedicated public servant, Senator Ford held many roles in state and federal politics, including Governor of the Commonwealth and U.S. Senator.

A Daviess County native, Senator Ford always held his hometown close to his heart. It was his starting point in government and his final resting place. Holding elected office for more than three decades, Senator Ford is the only Kentuckian to seek and win election to consecutive terms as lieutenant governor, governor and U.S. senator.

Throughout his long tenure in state and federal government, Senator Ford was known and will be remembered for being an advocate for his fellow Kentuckians. A friend of the farmers, Senator Ford has been recognized for his work on agricultural issues, particularly tobacco. Senator Ford understood the vital role tobacco played--and still plays--in Kentucky's economy.

In tackling these big issues, Senator Ford quickly rose through the ranks. He was elected the whip of his party in 1990, a position he held until he left the U.S. Senate. He once described himself to the New York Times as ``being a workhorse and not a show horse.'' It's that same attitude that led him to be a behind-the-scenes dealmaker, who strived to achieve solutions to our policy woes.

That desire to better his community and country did not stop when Senator Ford left public service. After serving four terms in the U.S. Senate, Senator Ford created the Wendell H. Ford Government Education Center, located in Owensboro, KY. Designed to educate young people about civics and public policy, Senator Ford continued teaching those lessons until the end of his life. It is a fantastic facility with a wonderful mission, and the center is just one of the many lasting legacies his leadership has left on the region.

I join with Kentucky's Second District in sending prayers to Senator Ford's family. We will miss him and are grateful for his service to the Commonwealth and our nation.

``Every bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a law, be presented to the President of the United States: if he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his objections to that House in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the objections at large on their Journal, and proceed to reconsider it.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Judge Davie Greer. After serving 12 years as the Barren County Judge-Executive, Judge Greer will retire at the end of the year. First elected in 2002, Judge Greer was the first woman to serve as the Judge-Executive for Barren County.

Among Judge Greer's many accomplishments in office is the construction of the Barren County Detention Center, the creation of the Barren County Drug Task Force and her work with the Industrial Development Economic Authority of Glasgow-Barren County. Under Judge Greer's leadership, the Barren County Drug Task Force has expanded to cover Edmonson and Allen counties.

Judge Greer has also lead several measures to improve the emergency response resources of Barren County. Likewise, her efforts to enhance and grow the parks and recreation system have improved the quality of life for Barren County's residents.

While Judge Greer may be passing the torch for her elected duties, she vows to remain active in the community. Presently, Judge Greer is the Treasurer of the Salvation Army, a member of the Glasgow Business and Professional Women's Club and a member of the Glasgow-Barren County Chamber of Commerce.

I am grateful for Judge Greer's hard work and dedication to the people of Barren County. I wish her well on her retirement and look forward to continuing to work with her in the community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of N.E. Reed. After serving more than 20 years as the Edmonson County Judge- Executive, N.E. will retire at the end of the year.

Prior to taking elected office in 1994, N.E. taught at Kyrock Elementary School, was an employee at Cutler Hammer and worked in the dairy industry doing quality assurance.

Throughout each of these jobs, N.E. has always been a fixture in the Edmonson County community. His list of accomplishments is long; from purchasing buildings to serve as the home of key local offices, to rebuilding others, N.E. has left his mark on Edmonson County. During his time as Chair of the Regional Development Board, N.E. expanded the county's buildings--all while leaving Edmonson County debt free. Basketball courts, playgrounds and walking trails are among the many additions he made by investing in local parks for the community.

Mammoth Cave, which covers a large part of Edmonson County, didn't become what it is today overnight. N.E. ensured that families who sold land to create the park were protected and that the land would be preserved for future generations to enjoy.

N.E.'s commitment and selflessness is clear to everyone in Edmonson County. But it is even more evident that by putting the people first, he has established a strong community that will benefit the entire region for years to come.

I am grateful for all of N.E.'s hard work and dedication to the people of Edmonson County. I wish him well on his retirement and look forward to continuing to work with him in the community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Dr. Mike McCall. After more than 15 years serving as the President of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS), Dr. McCall will retire in January 2015.

KCTCS, a network of 16 colleges located throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky, currently educates more than 92,000 students. Kentucky's Second District is fortunate to be the home of three of those campuses--Owensboro Community and Technical College, Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College and Elizabethtown Community and Technical College.

During Dr. McCall's tenure, KCTCS has grown to be the largest provider of post-secondary education in the Commonwealth. Today, KCTCS represents nearly 50 percent of all undergraduate college students, serving more than 5,000 businesses and training more than 52,000 employees on an annual basis.

Dr. McCall has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors, but it is Kentucky that is the real winner. Dr. McCall's career dedicated to better serving community and technical colleges has been one that will create a lasting impact on the Commonwealth. I wish Dr. McCall well during this new phase of his life and know that KCTCS will continue to grow and prosper.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Bill Evans. Considered to have pioneered FM radio in Hardin County, Bill is set to retire as Owner and President of Skytower Communications.

Bill previously served as president of the Kentucky Broadcasters Association, even receiving the Kentucky Mic Award. He was also active with the National Association of Broadcasters, serving as a board member for the Kentucky and West Virginia region. Bill also served as President of the Hardin County Chamber of Commerce, in addition to receiving the Big E award and being named the Small Business Person of the Year.

Anyone who knows Bill knows that he's only one-half of a team. That other half is his wife, Marilyn. Together, they have served as chair of the United Way Committee and are very active at Severns Valley Baptist Church, where Bill has served three terms as a deacon and is currently chairman of the deacons. Marilyn has also been instrumental with her work on the Hardin County Fair Board and in leading the creation of a free children's fair for the community. Marilyn has also served as President of the Junior Women's Club. A real fixture in the community, Bill and Marilyn make quite the team.

I wish Bill well in his retirement, but know he will continue to be a driving force in Hardin County.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in memory of Clarence Roberts Johnson. The New Haven, KY, native was elected mayor in 2010 and held that post until he passed away on August 28, 2014.

A fixture in his community, ``Bobby'' wore many hats throughout his career. He was a licensed barber and a small business owner in the community. Bobby was committed to providing quality emergency services in Nelson County, both by establishing the Rolling Fork Fire Department and working to provide ambulance services. In addition, Bobby also served 18 years as the Police Chief in New Haven and was elected City Commissioner, serving two terms before becoming mayor.

It is easy to see that Bobby had an eye for public safety. When concerns of flood waters arose in New Haven, Bobby walked the banks of the river and ultimately saw that the river course had changed. This discovery, which he ultimately shared with my office and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will lead to a safer community.

Bobby was always proud of living in New Haven and I know the city's residents were proud to call him their mayor. We will miss him and are thankful for his service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in memory of Jonathan French of Glendale, KY. Only 25 years old, Jonathan was killed in a tragic accident while doing his job as a volunteer firefighter.

Jonathan's death represents the first on-duty firefighter to be killed in the line of duty there since July 1970. The entire Hardin County community is grieving the loss--a young man who was a son, a brother, a mentor and a fiance.

His interests included hunting and rooting for the University of Kentucky's basketball team, but his passion was firefighting. A fellow Glendale volunteer firefighter reiterated that in an interview with the local paper, The News-Enterprise. ``He loved keeping the fire trucks clean. He took his firefighting seriously. He was one heck of a good man.''

A dedicated public servant, Jonathan was taken too soon. But his legacy and strong desire to serve his community will surely continue. I join with Kentucky's Second District in sending prayers to Jonathan's family. We will miss him and are thankful for his service.