Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, the Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate, otherwise known as Rome Lab, stands at the forefront of advanced cyber research and development projects within the Air Force and plays an integral role in ensuring that our military has the 21st century tools to dominate in cyberspace and on the battlefield.

The importance of Rome Lab in my district in New York State cannot be overstated. That is why I have continued to advocate and secure record level funding for Rome Lab.

I am grateful to have Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairwoman Kay Granger, who has advocated for increasing by another $10 million for our Federal funding to enhance current research and development into our small Unmanned Aerial Systems, an essential tool of modern warfare.

Additionally, our office secured over $200 million in funding, which represents a 10 percent increase over last year's level, and another $14.2 million in funding for a perimeter fence around Rome Lab to secure this vitally important and highly sensitive asset.

The high-tech ecosystem and hub of research and development built around Rome Lab has created a rich environment for entrepreneurs to start new ventures and to thrive in the Mohawk Valley.

It is estimated that Rome Lab's impact in 2017 was over $392 million in the surrounding five-county region.

It is an honor to represent the talented, dedicated, and hardworking workforce at Rome Lab. It is critically important that we protect this asset.

Mr. Speaker, remember the Miracurl on Ice, the stunning victory earlier this year when Team USA defeated Sweden to win the first-ever gold medal for the U.S. Olympic curling team? It was a milestone for the support of curling around the Nation.

I am a longtime fan of the sport of curling and a member of the team that won the 1975 Teenage Curling Championship held at the Utica Curling Club in Utica, New York.

I rise today to recognize the Utica Curling Club, which recently celebrated its 150th anniversary. Established in 1868, the Utica Curling Club is one of the oldest rinks in the country.

This ice sport was first played on open-air rinks on Ballou Creek near Rutger Street in Utica. In 1916, the indoor club was built on Francis Street in downtown Utica, where I was able to hold my title as the 1975 Teenage Curling Champion.

Tragically, the club was destroyed by fire in 1995. In 1996, a brand- new facility was built on Clark Mills Road in nearby Whitesboro.

Today, the club hosts novice and competitive curlers from across the country and the world. Members range from 7 years old to 90 years old. The official curling season runs from October through March.

This past winter, the Utica Curling Club held the Olympic Open House, which it has held every year for 4 years, and doubled its attendance to watch the U.S. curling team bring home their very first Olympic Gold Medal.

The sport of curling has experienced many changes in Utica over the last 150 years, but the spirit of curling remains strong.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in wishing a hearty congratulations to the Utica Curling Club for 150 years and many more Miracurls on Ice.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman for yielding so much time to me in favor of this legislation that I coauthored with my colleague, Ms. DelBene, on this bipartisan piece, H.R. 5723, the Expanding Oversight of Opioid Prescribing and Payment Act of 2018.

Mr. Speaker, in my district and across the Nation, the opioid epidemic has ravaged communities, torn apart families, and ended the lives of everyday Americans. Opioid abuse and drug-related deaths are rising at alarming rates. In my rural New York district, drug-related deaths rose over 350 percent in the short period from 2012 to 2016.

Each day, I continue to hear from families across the 22nd district that have been impacted by this epidemic. They share deeply moving and personal stories of loss and struggle, and they always urge me that more needs to be done.

Mr. Speaker, they are right. This is why the people's House has taken significant, bipartisan action to pass record funding for addiction treatment and prevention and to stop the flow of illicit drugs coming across the border. This is not the time to let up.

During an opioid roundtable that I held in my district, I heard from members of my community who told me that often an opioid prescription is the only option for pain management offered after a complicated surgery or a procedure as routine as a root canal.

This anecdotal evidence is backed up by the hard truth that, in 2016, there were 66.5 opioid prescriptions per 100 people. Mr. Speaker, that amounts to more than 214 million total opioid prescriptions.

The Expanding Oversight of Opioid Prescribing and Payment Act seeks to find out what is fueling these prescriptions. This bipartisan bill requires the Medicare Payment Advisory Committee, or MedPAC, to research and identify adverse incentives in the Medicare and Medicaid programs that lead to an overprescription of opioids versus readily available nonopioid alternatives.

Medicare and other insurance providers often do not cover nonopioid alternatives for pain, and this legislation seeks to understand why. Once we are able to understand the cause, we can change Medicare policy to reduce demand for opioids to address chronic pain and provide patients with safer, nonaddictive, nonopioid alternatives for pain.

Opioid overdose is now the leading cause of death for Americans under 50. We must take action.

Mr. Speaker, combating this epidemic starts by eliminating any incentives that cause our constituents to become addicted to opioids and other prescription drugs in the first place.

I want to thank my colleagues, Ms. DelBene, Mr. McKinley, and Mr. Sanford, for joining me in this bipartisan effort, and I appreciate the work of Chairman Brady and every member of the Ways and Means Committee who worked to help us get this far. I want to say a special thank you to Representative Roskam from Illinois for providing me this opportunity to speak on behalf of this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Hank Leo and Amanda Larson, members of the Oneida Rotary Club. Hank and Amanda both recently received the Roses to the Living Award at the Kallet Civic Center. This award is given to Rotarians who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to the community through good works and involvement in needy and worthy causes. This dedication and devotion to community embodies the spirit of the Rotary motto: Service Above Self.

In 2002, Ms. Larson was nominated as president and chief executive officer of what is now The Gorman Foundation, an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for present and future generations in central New York and around the world. Amanda has worked diligently to ensure that access to healthcare for uninsured and underserved citizens is obtained. Many of these people had not had the opportunity to even meet with a doctor or medical professional for many years.

In addition to his tireless work at the YMCA, Hank Leo has lent his helping hand to all of the Oneida community and throughout the region for many years. He has served as a member of the Oneida City School District Board of Education for 5 years and as a member of the Oneida Healthcare Foundation Board of Directors for several years.

In June of 2013, when many Oneida residences suffered devastating losses due to flooding, it was Hank who immediately offered the YMCA's Oneida facility as a place to stay for those who needed shelter.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in extending sincere thanks and gratitude to Amanda Larson and Hank Leo for their unparalleled contributions to our community. They truly embody the Rotary motto of Service Above Self.

Mr. Chairman, I rise to state my strong support of the Transitional Housing for Recovery in Viable Environments Act, or the THRIVE Act.

In my district and across the Nation, the opioid epidemic has ravaged communities, torn apart families, and destroyed the lives of everyday Americans.

Opioid abuse and drug-related deaths are rising at alarming rates. In my rural New York district, drug-related deaths rose over 350 percent in the short period between 2012 and 2016.

Each day, I continue to hear from families across the 22nd District affected by this epidemic. They share their stories of loss and triumph and always urge me that more needs to be done. It is very difficult to find anyone in our communities who hasn't been affected by addiction, with either a family member or a friend. This week, we are delivering on the promises we have made to those struggling with the pain of addiction.

During a recent opioid roundtable that I hosted in Binghamton, New York, a young woman named Jessica shared her story of opioid addiction and recovery. Jessica's story is a story of loss, recovery, resilience, and survival. At the end, Jessica stressed the importance of post- treatment programs to help those who are addicted to remain in recovery programs and to avoid potential relapses.

The THRIVE Act begins the process of delivering on this important element of addiction recovery by expanding transitional housing options to those most in need.

Furthermore, the THRIVE Act focuses on evidence-based programs, ensuring that those in recovery are given access to proven, high- quality transitional housing options.

I thank my colleague, the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Barr), for his hard work in crafting this legislation to provide a better future for those suffering from addiction.

Mr. Chairman, H.R. 5735 fills a critical void and will empower countless individuals in my district to break free from the grips of drug addiction.

I thank the chairman for providing me an opportunity to speak in support of this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the teaching brewery at Morrisville State College, which, despite opening just last fall, has won the title as Grand National Champion brewing school in North America at the 2018 U.S. Open College Beer Championship. The contest, open to any college or university offering brewing courses, is held to determine the best future brewers in North America.

Morrisville State College currently offers the courses as electives but hopes to have a full curriculum for the fall of 2019, making Morrisville the first State university of New York with a 4-year brewing program. Morrisville's program fits right in with upstate New York, which has several well-known breweries that bring jobs, creativity, and originality to the region, including the F.X. Matt Brewing Company, the fourth oldest family brewery in the United States; the Empire Brewing Factory in Cazenovia; and also the Cortland Farm Distillery and Brewery in Cortland, New York.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating Morrisville State College on becoming the number one brewing school in North America their first time out. It took a lot of dedication from the students from Morrisville. I look forward to tasting some of their products as we move into the next semester.

Mr. Speaker, it is vitally important to remember the sacrifices of America's fallen servicemembers and their families every day. Today I rise to recognize a special tribute to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

This weekend, the New York Run for the Fallen will travel across the 22nd District to pay homage to our Nation's fallen heroes. The run seeks to honor the families and the sacrifices of those who answered the call to serve our great Nation.

Leading the charge in our community is Kristi Mangine, an advocate for our veterans and member of the

Colgate University community. She is also a core runner for the New York chapter and has recruited a number of members of our community to participate in this great tribute.

The event is a 175-mile run across the State of New York, each mile representing one hero killed who served during the war on terror, including Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation New Dawn.

I would like to thank Kristi Mangine and those involved in this year's run for inviting me to participate in this important event to honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in our Nation's longest running overseas conflict.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to also join us, as well as any community members who have a moment to pick up a time slot for one of our fallen heroes and give them a special tribute to their sacrifice.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, once again, I stand on the floor of this great body to urge my colleagues to support American manufacturing and American workers.

The first shovel was struck into the ground in Rome, New York, to build the Erie Canal, which started the Industrial Revolution in America on July 4, 1817. We were booming. Paul Revere started his company there. Remington Arms was founded just down the road in Ilion, New York, which supplied our military with firearms. These two iconic companies remain, but many more have left.

Throughout our Nation and the region that I represent, factories that once boomed with activity and production are now shuttered and empty. Meanwhile, an entire segment of the population has been pushed out of the workforce.

President Trump described the America we know in central New York in his first inaugural speech: Our manufacturing plants are now ``rusted out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape.''

In the 22nd District, the Rust Belt of New York, and in many other regions across this Nation, economic activity has been on a consistent downturn. Well-paying manufacturing jobs have become increasingly hard to come by, leaving former industrial communities like ours empty as families and businesses flee in droves. In my home State of New York, we have lost 1 million residents since 2010 alone.

Here in Washington and in State capitals across the country, special interests have been placed before the American worker. It is time to put our citizens and our workforce first.

Mr. Chairman, the amendment that I have introduced will level the playing field for American companies, and it will show our American workforce that they have not been forgotten. And importantly, it will reduce our military's dependence on foreign goods.

For 30 years, the Berry amendment included a domestic sourcing for stainless steel flatware. However, in 2006, the provision was removed when Oneida Limited, once in our region, the sole Berry-compliant manufacturer in the U.S., closed its U.S.-based factories and moved its operations to China, where almost all flatware is now manufactured.

In a true American comeback story worthy of a Hollywood Cinderella story, two former Oneida Limited employees opened a new company, Sherrill Manufacturing.

Greg Owens and Matt Roberts purchased Oneida's closed factory and old equipment. They refurbished the old equipment and opened Sherrill Manufacturing. They hired many former Oneida Limited employees and now have a workforce of nearly 80. The product line Sherrill employees create is appropriately known as Liberty Tabletop.

This former factory ``tombstone'' on our landscape is now a symbol of American ingenuity, craftsmanship, hard work, and freedom.

The story of rebirth has given hope to my district. Sherrill Manufacturing has a strong and proven record of selling high-quality products at market prices. Since 2008, Sherrill has been among the top providers of flatware to the Department of Defense and the General Services Administration, fulfilling more than $6.8 million in Federal contracts over the subsequent 8 years.

While I understand that there may be some concerns that this domestic sourcing provision will increase costs, GSA has already found Sherrill's flatware to be offered at ``fair and reasonable'' prices, which is a major reason why the agency already purchases flatware from Sherrill.

Most importantly, my amendment retains all existing waivers under the Berry amendment, unlike some other Berry amendments. In the case of negative changes to price or quality, the Department of Defense can use other sources of flatware, including in other countries. Under this amendment, it doesn't cost the Department of Defense anything to use Sherrill.

Mr. Chairman, at this time, it is true that the only current Berry- compliant flatware manufacturer is located in my district. It is Sherrill. However, that does not mean that others who support domestic manufacturing cannot begin production and comply with this amendment.

Opening a door for American manufacturers can encourage entrepreneurs across the country to start an operation of their own. My amendment encourages the American, free market principles of competition and ingenuity. Again, this amendment does not cost the Department of Defense.

Passing this amendment will prove to American entrepreneurs and visionaries that Congress' stated support for American jobs and American manufacturing is not merely just lip service. It shows Congress is committed to putting our Nation back on the path to prosperity.

I would like to thank my colleagues who had cosponsored this bipartisan amendment: My fellow New Yorker, Representative John Katko, who has 15

businesses in the neighboring New York district he represents that are a part of the Sherrill Manufacturing supply chain; Representatives Poliquin and Lipinski, both great supporters of domestic sourcing and Buy America; Representative Walter B. Jones, a dedicated member of the House Armed Services Committee; and Representative Tim Ryan, an outspoken advocate for American manufacturing.

Mr. Chairman, again, I want to emphasize that this amendment supports American manufacturing, helps a domestic supply chain that spans 40 congressional districts from New York to California, and decreases the Department of Defense's dependence on foreign producers and goods.

Removing the variability and uncertainty that comes with foreign sourcing of necessary materials for our military is the smart thing to do, considering almost all our goods of this type are now made in China.

Mr. Chairman, today we have the opportunity to give American manufacturing the boost it deserves, while adding a measure of certainty to DOD procurement, and I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the bipartisan Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act.

This groundbreaking legislation is vital to rural communities like mine, where my constituents are actually struggling every day to make ends meet. This bill allows greater access to capital for consumers and small businesses that will unleash more opportunities for Main Street to flourish, finally. However, in order for Main Street to truly produce, we must ensure our community financial institutions are healthy, safe, and not overburdened to the point of closure.

In my district in New York, small banks and credit unions are the lifeline for consumers who seek access to capital. Whether it is a family buying their first home or a young adult purchasing a new car, consumers in New York rely heavily on our Nation's community financial institutions.

I am grateful to have two pieces of bipartisan legislation that promote relationship banking and regulatory relief that are included in this bill package today. Two of my bipartisan bills included in this package are the Small Bank Exam Cycle Improvement Act and the Community Institution Mortgage Relief Act which offer small, local communities and financial institutions a little much-needed assistance to help better serve their communities.

I am proud of the hard work my colleagues have done to craft this important, bipartisan legislation, and I am very thankful to Chairman Hensarling for making sure that this bill becomes a reality for Americans.

Mr. Speaker, S. 2155 will help families in my district achieve financial independence, and I urge all of my colleagues to support this, including my cosponsors, Mr. Sherman and Mr. Crist, who I hope will be joining us in support of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my bipartisan bill, the Expanding Oversight of Opioid Prescribing and Payment Act of 2018, which passed unanimously in the House Ways and Means Committee last week.

As a member of the bipartisan Heroin Task Force, I am committed to finding a comprehensive and compassionate solution to reverse the tide of the growing opioid addiction plaguing our communities and families.

With 115 people dying each day--and 635 in my own district in 2016 alone--from an opioid overdose, we must find ways to prevent this abuse from happening in the first place.

My bipartisan bill requires the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission to evaluate and report on adverse incentives that lead to the overprescription of opioids and underutilization of nonopioid alternatives for postsurgery recovery and the treatment of chronic pain.

This is commonsense legislation that will enable Congress to identify and eliminate perverse incentives that are fueling the opioid epidemic, the epidemic that is destroying our families and our communities.

I have personally known individuals in the 22nd District whose lives were taken too early because of this scourge.

This bipartisan bill is a step in the right direction to helping our families and communities combat this crisis that is tearing families apart.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my bipartisan cosponsors, Representative

Suzan DelBene and Representative David McKinley, for joining me in this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Rick Mansfield, an airman in the U.S. Air Force and Vietnam veteran from the town of Vienna in Oneida County. He recently gave me a World War II artifact belonging to Sergeant Joseph J. Benenati. It is called a Heart Shield Bible, and I have it in my hand.

These are now fading from use, and this particular one is very faded. It has a gold-leaf steel cover with the words ``God's Weapon'' engraved on the front.

Sergeant Benenati was a New York State police officer and U.S. marine who served in the Pacific theater, and he was the Chenango County sheriff in my district for 21 years. Sadly, in 2011, at the age of 97, Sergeant Benenati passed away.

Sergeant Benenati's Heart Shield Bible is one that was given to World War II soldiers by their loved ones to protect them in battle. These Bibles were designed to fit securely in the chest pocket of a soldier's uniform. The metal plates were securely attached to the front cover of the Bible to stop a bullet from reaching the soldier's heart.

I would like to thank Rick Mansfield for giving me this truly invaluable piece of history. I would also like to extend my sincere appreciation to former airman Rick Mansfield as well as Sergeant Joseph Benenati for their honorable service to our great Nation.

Mr. Speaker, this week is Teacher Appreciation Week.

Teachers inspire millions every day by instilling knowledge, evoking creativity, and motivating students of all ages in the quest for lifelong learning.

Those who have answered this special call to serve in this wonderful profession are among the hardest working and most innovative in our communities. Teachers are special people who lay the foundation for developing critical thinking skills in our children that will serve them throughout their lifetime.

Many of us remember well the teachers who made a big difference in our lives and even encouraged us to take our chosen career path.

I am forever grateful to the teachers who have changed my life, from my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. LePage, to my third grade teacher, Mrs. Huerling. These people have inspired me every day as I think about those wonderful days in elementary school.

Interesting, my son is also a graduate of the same high school and elementary and junior high as I, the New Hartford High School, and graduated some 30 years after I did.

During this week, let's take time to remember teachers and their selfless work and dedication. Mr. Speaker, please join me in recognizing and honoring the thousands of teachers across the 22nd District and the Nation for their love and dedication to this noble profession and this calling that will never be forgotten.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Hensarling for yielding, and a special thank you to my colleague from New York, Lee Zeldin, for his support of S.J. Res. 57.

Mr. Speaker, it has been 5 years since the Consumer Financial Protection Board circumvented the formal rulemaking process by unfairly denying consumers and small businesses the right to comment on guidance that will directly affect them.

By executing this wrongful end run around the proper rulemaking process, the CFPB created much uncertainty in the $1.1 trillion auto lending market. In fact, in testimony before our committee, the former Director, Mr. Richard Cordray, admitted to me in testimony that he had to circumvent the rules to target auto lenders.

More than half of car buyers finance their purchases when acquiring an automobile. These consumers have the ability to obtain great auto rates through their dealer-assisted finance, otherwise known as indirect lending.

I have personally met many highly credible auto dealers in my district who are strongly committed to their communities and the consumers who they serve. In fact, one auto dealer that I met with specifically does not even take any form of picture ID when determining lending just to avoid any kind of scrutiny that would actually suggest that they were doing any kind of discrimination.

These auto dealers--and they are mostly small businesses--comply with fair lending policies and practices while meeting the needs of their consumers who desperately need to buy a car and often finance through their auto dealer.

However, this flawed, unstudied guidance, through the statistics we have heard from the other side, threatens to eliminate the flexibility these small businesses, these small auto dealers need to offer discounted interest rates to consumers who need to purchase a car on credit with a very limited budget, especially in my community.

Last Congress, multiple bipartisan letters and bills called for the CFPB to correct and reissue their guidance, which would bring clarity to the market, and study the impact this digression would have on lower income consumers. However, the CFPB refused to provide help on multiple occasions.

It is indeed ironic that the very agency which is supposed to protect consumers is, in fact, harming them with its flawed guidance rules. Congress created the Consumer Financial Protection Board to protect consumers, not hurt them.

Mr. Speaker, I just want to emphasize that these small businesses should be protected by the Consumer Financial Protection Board, not targeted by them.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues and everyone join us in supporting S.J. Res. 57 and finally rescind this flawed guidance by the

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a constituent from the 22nd District of New York, Cooper Busch, better known as Super Cooper.

Cooper Busch of Chenango Bridge, a spunky, fearless, and loving 4- year-old, an incredible fighter, born with Down syndrome, Cooper was diagnosed in November of 2016 with acute myeloid leukemia.

On Sunday, May 6, sadly, sweet Cooper passed away. Cooper is survived by his parents, Tara and Steve; his brother, Cole; and his sister, Hope.

In Cooper's last month, he received a surprise total bedroom makeover, he threw out the first pitch for the Rumble Ponies, and he dropped the puck for the Binghamton Devils.

Volunteers organized fundraisers, sent in meals for the Busch family, and sold Super Cooper t-shirts. A local artist even wrote and illustrated a special book called, ``Super Cooper Saves the Day.''

Our condolences are with the entire Busch family during this very difficult time. Cooper's enduring spirit and bravery are an inspiration to all of us. Super Cooper's smile, lovable personality, and his zeal to live each day to the fullest, no matter how challenging, no matter how much time we may be allotted on this very dear Earth, will be his eternal legacy to all of us.

May Super Cooper rest in peace.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Jessie Patrick, who currently resides in South Carolina but spent most of her very long life in Oneida County, New York, in the 22nd District.

On May 12, Jessie will turn 100 years old. Jessie grew up in nearby Yorkville with her sister, Bertha, and her two brothers, Matthew and Edward, both of whom served in World War II. She then moved to Whitesboro, New York, where she worked for General Electric, which was once located in Utica, New York, for nearly 30 years.

Jessie became an active leader in the Whitesboro community, joining the Whitesboro Fire Department's Women Auxiliary, St. Paul's Church, and even owned a restaurant in nearby Marcy, New York, with her husband.

Jessie has one daughter, Judy; two granddaughters; three great- grandchildren, with whom she loves to spend time. Her family loves to travel and used to spend many weekends traveling to Boston to go deep- sea fishing. When Jessie isn't deep-sea fishing, she enjoys cooking, cross-stitching, and gardening.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in wishing Jessie a wonderful, happy, and healthy 100 years, and many, many more years to come.