Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the remarkable work that the Honor Guard of Bloomington American Legion Post No. 56 and Normal American Legion Post No. 635 do for our community. The Bloomington-Normal Honor Guard is an integral organization for veterans and their families in Central Illinois.

The Bloomington and Normal Posts have worked together for decades to ensure the Honor Guard Units are there to provide irreplaceable services for the veterans in our community. Over the past twelve years, the Bloomington-Normal Honor Guard has conducted over 1,000 funerals and 500 Color Guard events.

Not only do Post No. 56 and Post No. 635 serve veterans and their families, but they also work to improve the well-being of our community. Over the past 25 years, both posts have presented the colors at the Illinois Special Olympics State Track and Field competition at Illinois State University. Also, Post No. 56 and Post No. 635 Honor Guard played a significant role at the dedication ceremony for the renaming of the Normal Post Office in honor of Sgt. Joshua Rodgers, which my office and I helped to facilitate.

I would like to thank the Bloomington American Legion Post No. 56 and Normal American Legion Post No. 635 for their commitment and service to our veteran community.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the good works of the Bloomington-Normal American Legion Post Honor Guard Members. I include in the Record the names of the Honor Guard members.

Bloomington-Normal American Legion Honor Guard Members and Support

Personnel

Jim Allen, Thomas Asis, Derek Bishop, David Brown, Roger

Cann, Tom Crawford, Brandon Cruz, Chuck Downs, Butch Ekstam,

Mike Ellsworth, Milt Emmerson, Tom Fatten, Howard Hallstein,

Mike Hammons, Bob Handley, Roy Hanks, Jill Henry, Clayton

James, Royden Jones, Gina Keller.

Kevin Keller, Ken Kemp, Ted Kerrn, Tom Laskowski, Bob

Littel, Dan Maffeo, Denny Meeks, Jack Menssen, Gus Miller,

Clarence Mitchell, Jerry Monical, Rich Moran, Carl Powell,

Kirby Reese, Steve Riesenberg, Chris Riley, Mike Rimshas,

Rick Ross, Thomas Rutherford, Bob Sable.

Denis Sackett, John Schroeder, Mike Scott, Larry Stokowski,

Greg Struve, Keith Throop, Roger Troxel, Steve Turbett, Jim

Ulbrich, Jerry Vogler, Bill Warren, Paul Whittmer, Roger

Wilke, Bill Zimmerman.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate Bloomington Public School District 87, in Bloomington, Illinois, on being named the 2019 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School District and receiving a District Sustainability Award.

Bloomington Public School District 87 is one of only 14 schools across the country to receive this award, which recognizes schools and districts for their innovative efforts to provide a healthy, safe, sustainable, and efficient learning environment.

This past February, I had the opportunity to speak with Bloomington Junior High School students and faculty, which is reflected in this poster, to see firsthand the innovative work District 87 schools are doing to facilitate more resource-efficient schools.

Bloomington Public School District 87 continues to lead the way in Illinois. Their resource-efficient practices let teachers and administrators dedicate more resources to student instruction rather than operational costs.

Students deserve the opportunity to achieve their full potential in the classroom, and Bloomington Public School District 87 continues to give McLean County students that opportunity. I am grateful for their continued leadership and want to, once again, congratulate them on this prestigious honor.

Madam Speaker, I missed votes on Friday May 17, 2019 due to a family commitment. I took my oldest son on a college visit. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 215; YEA on Roll Call No. 216; and NAY on Roll Call No. 217.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the 100th anniversary of the Pike County Farm Bureau.

On May 10, 1918, leaders in Pike County met with the goal of helping farmers and our strong agriculture community in west-central Illinois.

Exactly one hundred years later, the Pike County Farm Bureau continues to thrive supporting rural communities by educating our farmers and providing them with best practices to succeed.

It's a busy time of year for our farmers who are in the middle of planting season. As we have seen heavy rains and flooding, the Pike County Farm Bureau continues to generate awareness to support those in the agriculture community who are in need.

With over 2,000 active members, the Pike County Farm Bureau is engrained in our community and their commitment and dedication is clear to our farmers.

As we celebrate the last 100 years, I want to thank the Pike County Farm Bureau for their unwavering support of our farmers.

Their support and guidance will lead the Pike County farming community into the next 100 years.

Madam Speaker, today, I would like to honor Peoria City Councilman,

Eric Turner, for his twenty-four years of service to Peoria, Illinois.

Councilman Turner will retire as the longest tenured member of the current Peoria City Council. In his service to the City Council, Eric Turner has truly worked to benefit all of Peoria as an At Large Councilman. His public service left a profound impact on our community.

Outside of Turner's public service to Peoria, he served our nation proudly in Vietnam from 1966 to 1967, and he still plays a key role in coordinating Peoria's Memorial Day events held at our riverfront each year. Councilman Turner has left his mark on the business world, as well. He had a forty-one year career at Caterpillar Inc., working in marketing and human resources.

I am grateful for Eric Turner's time and commitment to the City of Peoria. His work, as a public servant and private citizen, left a legacy in the Peoria community that will remain for generations to come.

Madam Speaker, I would like to recognize the Greenview Christian Church of Greenview, Illinois, for celebrating their 150th anniversary.

In 1869, the Greenview Christian Church was officially opened as a place of worship for the residents of the city. Since then, the church has grown immensely; it now provides the community with far more than a place to pray. This is where the residents of Greenview come to make strides towards improving their local area, as well as to help those less fortunate than themselves abroad, through their partner missionary program, Faith Promise Rally.

The Greenview Christian Church is known throughout the area for the services that it has provided for the community over the last 150 years. Today, we celebrate the church for their dedication to serving Greenview. I extend my sincere congratulations to the Greenview Christian Church for a successful 150 years, and I wish them even more success going forward.

Madam Speaker, I would like to recognize the Prairie Cities Soccer League (PCSL) of Normal, Illinois, for the celebration of their 40th anniversary.

In 1978, over a friendly cup of coffee, two men developed an idea that would take youth soccer in the Bloomington/Normal area to new heights. Founders, Jack Fowler and Joe Miller worked tirelessly to bring their dream of a fun and safe environment for children to play soccer in their community. Since then, the PCSL has grown immensely. The League now provides the area with far more than a place to play the great game of soccer. PCSL is also where the Bloomington/Normal area youth learn valuable skills, such as teamwork, tenacity, and vision, that will benefit them for the rest of their lives. As a Co-Chair of the Congressional Soccer Caucus, I am incredibly proud of everything that PCSL does for our district.

The Prairie Cities Soccer League is known throughout the area for the services that it has provided for the community over the last 40 years. Today, we celebrate the league for their dedication to serving Bloomington/Normal. I extend my sincere congratulations to the Prairie Cities Soccer League for a successful 40 years, and I wish them even more success going forward.

Madam Speaker, today, I along with Representative Bustos, would like to recognize the 50th anniversary of the American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management (AAHAM).

The AAHAM was founded in 1968 and incorporated on February 20, 1973. The organization is dedicated to educating and advocating for revenue cycle professionals who work with healthcare patient accounts across the country. It has grown to represent thirty-one chapters with over 3,000 members and is one of the best healthcare administrative management organizations serving patients throughout the United States. Over its 50 years, AAHAM has grown from serving hospital patient account managers to representing professionals who serve across the healthcare spectrum. They have made great contributions to the welfare of patients and have fostered a sense of fellowship and work to enhance the quality of life for all patients navigating healthcare financing.

Their strong and dedicated leaders and membership have made the long tenure of AAHAM possible and we are proud to congratulate them on their 50th anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mrs. Walorski for her hard work on this particular piece of legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1759, the BRIDGE for Workers Act, also known as the Building on Reemployment Improvements to Deliver Good Employment for Workers Act. I am also proud to join Congresswoman Murphy, Congresswoman Torres Small, and Congressman Davis, my colleague from Illinois, in being part of this bipartisan legislation.

Since becoming a member of the Ways and Means Committee, I have been focused on closing the JOBS Act, improving workforce development, and removing barriers to employment.

It is incumbent upon our Federal Government, in coordination with States and local governments, to ensure that those looking for a job have the necessary tools and skills they need to get back into the workforce.

Last Congress, we worked in a bipartisan fashion to codify into law the Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessments program, bolstering its funding and improving the effectiveness. These reemployment services include career counseling, resume support, individualized reemployment plans, and access to trainings for those receiving unemployment insurance.

The goal of this program is to promote rapid reemployment and, ultimately, shorten benefit durations for all unemployment insurance claimants, not just those most likely to exhaust all benefits.

This bill makes a technical correction to ensure that States have the flexibility to provide reemployment services to all insurance claimants from a variety of backgrounds and help them return to work more quickly. This legislation builds on the recent law that improved the reemployment service program and will ensure that those in need of these services will be able to access them.

With over 7 million unfilled jobs in this country, it is crucial we work with our States, including my home State of Illinois, to provide the necessary resources to fill these jobs. Finding skilled workers is one of the number one issues in my district and many districts across the country: finding enough relief welders, truck drivers, construction workers, machinists, nurses, technicians, just to name a few.

Empowering individuals to get off the sideline and back into the workforce is something this body should always strive to achieve. Every week that a person is out of work, through no fault of their own, is a week too long. This bipartisan fix to reemployment will help these individuals get back to receiving what they want most: a job and a paycheck.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues on the Ways and Means Committee for their support on this legislation, and I urge its passage in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1957, the Taxpayer First Act. I thank Chairman Lewis and Ranking Member Kelly for their hard work on the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight and for introducing this important piece of legislation to modernize and improve the Internal Revenue Service.

Since last Congress, our committee has focused on finding legislative solutions to make needed changes at the IRS. Dealing with the IRS can be frustrating, and ensuring an efficient and transparent IRS is key to restoring the relationship between taxpayers and the agency, as well as effective implementation of our Tax Code.

I am pleased that a bill I introduced with a Democratic colleague, Congressman Tom Suozzi, H.R. 1825, the Improving Assistance for Taxpayers Act, is included in this bill. Currently, the Office of the Taxpayer Advocate located within the IRS represents taxpayer interests and helps address both individual and systemic issues at the agency. When it comes to addressing systemic issues, the taxpayer advocate can issue what is called a taxpayer advocate directive. Unfortunately, these orders are not always responded to in a detailed or timely manner.

Our bill aims to improve the process. Specifically, the IRS would be required to respond to taxpayer advocate directives within 90 days. We also establish an appeals process, when the advocate deems necessary. If detailed and timely responses are not provided, then the taxpayer advocate must report such instances to Congress.

This bill empowers taxpayers across the country by improving transparency and ensuring substantive and timely answers for taxpayers dealing with an issue at the IRS while improving congressional oversight.

Our constituents sent us to Washington to make government more effective, efficient, and accountable. These reforms included in my bill and the Taxpayer First Act will do exactly that. This package passed the House last Congress, and I hope to receive the same support from my colleagues today.

Madam Speaker, I would like to recognize the Greenview Christian Church of Greenview, Illinois, for celebrating their 150th anniversary.

In 1869, the Greenview Christian Church was officially opened as a place of worship for the residents of the city. Since then, the church has grown immensely; it now provides the community with far more than a place to pray. This is where the residents of Greenview come to make strides towards improving their local area, as well as to help those less fortunate than themselves abroad, through their partner missionary program, Faith Promise Rally.

The Greenview Community Church is known throughout the area for the services that it has provided for the community over the last 150 years. Today, we celebrate the church for their dedication to serving Greenview. I extend my sincere congratulations to the Greenview Christian Church for a successful 150 years, and I wish them even more success going forward.

Madam Speaker, today, I would like to recognize Morton, Illinois' Morton High School girls basketball team on winning the 2019 Class 3A state title.

Returning yet again to the state championship finals, the Lady Potters capped off the 33-3 season with a 35-21 win over Glen Ellyn Glenbard South. In a game where Morton took a dominating stance early on, the Potters began the tilt with a 15-0 run. Over the course of the game, the Morton Lady Potters had an amazing team effort on both offense and defense.

The Morton girls basketball team has now brought home their fourth Class 3A state title in five years. Morton's continued success on the hardwood is a testament to the leadership of Coach Bob Becker and the determination of the young women he coaches.

The Morton girls basketball team serves as a reminder to the people of our community that when we believe in ourselves and dedicate our time and effort to the goals that we set, we can achieve even the most daring outcomes. These young women exemplify the strong work ethic rooted in Central Illinois and we could not be prouder. Again, Congratulations to Coach Bob Becker and the Morton girls basketball team for their remarkable state championship win.

Madam Speaker, I would like to recognize the Carthage Public Library of Carthage, Illinois, for celebrating their 125th anniversary.

In 1894, the Carthage Public Library was officially opened as a circulating library for the residents of the city. Since then, the library has grown immensely; it now provides the community with far more than great reads. The library has taken on its own role in the area. This is where the residents of Carthage go to stay current on local affairs, and where the youth go to learn life skills that strengthen both their mind and body.

The Carthage Public Library is known throughout west-central Illinois for the services that it has provided for the community over the last 125 years. Today, we celebrate the library and staff for their dedication to serving Carthage. I extend my sincere congratulations to the Carthage Public Library for a successful 125 years, and I wish them even more success going forward.

Mr. Chairman, I want to thank my colleague, Congressman Rodney Davis, my good friend, for his strong leadership on this bill and his strong leadership on the Committee on House Administration for leading the way on this.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today strongly opposed to H.R. 1. Among the numerous, egregious provisions of H.R. 1, I am here to shed light on one proposal that has increased vulnerabilities in our election system in our home State of Illinois.

Under H.R. 1, Democrats are proposing a blanket, nationwide mandate for States to adopt same-day registration practices with no safeguards. Once again, my colleagues across the aisle are advocating a Big Government solution, but, in fact, they are threatening the integrity of our elections at every level of government.

Coming from Illinois where same-day registration and other lax election laws have been passed by our Democrat-controlled legislature, uncertainty has followed. The practice of same-day registration has caused confusion for our election administrators and has opened the door to fraud.

Under same-day registration in Illinois, an individual can arrive at their polling place with a copy of their utility bill and cast a full ballot without being fully verified thanks to same-day registration.

Election officials are having difficulty verifying residents in a timely manner, particularly on college campuses where students have been told that they can use a receipt from Jimmy John's sub shop to confirm their voting domicile.

Under H.R. 1, these vulnerabilities and problems will be seen across the country and exacerbated by provisions that will allow individuals to use sworn statements in place of government IDs when registering to vote.

H.R. 1 fails to address issues our States and others have seen with same-day registration. We need stricter standards for same-day registration, but H.R. 1 fails to provide any sufficient enforcement mechanisms to verify voter registration.

Mr. Chairman, furthermore, H.R. 1 fails to deter bad actors from taking advantage of the system by not criminalizing fraudulent registrations.

Mr. Chairman, Republicans want more registered voters. We want more Americans to fulfill their civic duty, but we can't simply push legislation that jeopardizes the integrity of our election process and potentially undermines our democracy.

H.R. 1 unconstitutionally mandates a one-size-fits-all Federal approach to voter registration, fails to adequately address vulnerabilities in our registration system, weaponizes the Federal Election Commission, and, as the left-leaning ACLU says, infringes on Americans' free speech right.

I strongly urge a ``no'' vote.

Madam Speaker, today I would like to recognize the International Day of Awareness for Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome (CVS).

CVS is a rare condition that impacts both children and adults, causing severe nausea attacks that can last between several hours and several days. The cause of CVS is still unknown. Through research and education in the United States and in over thirty other countries, the Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome Association (CVSA) is working to develop a cure for those affected by CVS. Founded in 1993, CVSA started modestly with eighteen families and a few medical professionals. All those involved were dedicated to working towards a cure for the debilitating condition and through their hard work the organization has grown into an international coalition fostering research and providing resources and support for families suffering with CVS.

The Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome Association advocates tirelessly to make others aware of how challenging CVS can be, and how important it is to find a cure. With assistance from the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition and the American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society, the CVSA produced the necessary guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of both pediatric and adult CVS and in 2012, supported a breakthrough in treating CVS with the establishment of the first emergency room protocol model.

As we recognize the International Day of Awareness for CVS, I know they will continue to advocate for the advancement of medical procedures, continued research and public awareness for this disease and the patient community.