Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, to my colleagues, I rise in support of them and the incredible work they have done for disaster relief, and I also rise today to speak about my district, the Fifth District of Virginia, which borders North Carolina, which was devastated last year by two hurricanes, first Florence and then Michael. The damage was immense, and the impact on families was tragic, including the loss of lives.

This is not an issue I take lightly. In fact, I pledged to make a donation to Drakes Branch Volunteer Fire Department in Charlotte County, which was an area the hurricanes hit particularly hard, actually, with the collapse of the volunteer fire station back into the river--and the fact is they had nowhere to actually do fire emergency work.

Applications for FEMA aid were filed in Charlotte County, Danville City, Franklin County, Halifax County, Lunenburg County, Mecklenburg County, and Prince Edward County. And many additional counties in my district were affected by these hurricanes.

Unfortunately, the effects were not limited to my district, and the lasting damage done by these storms lingers in these communities today. Yes, they are rebuilding and recovering, but we cannot ignore the opportunity to prevent this from happening again.

There are other things we can do not only with disaster relief and supplementals, but also working on issues like I am in the Financial Services Committee by addressing issues in the National Flood Insurance Program.

The NFIP is a necessary Federal backstop for flood insurance, but substantially increasing private participation will help Americans better prepare for potential future flood emergencies.

I would also like to take this time to commend the great work done by so many emergency responders and volunteers who helped the communities of the Fifth District and throughout the other States and in my colleagues' districts, helped them dig out and move forward after these hurricanes.

I have visited with many of these brave men and women who put themselves at risk to help their communities. I commend the strong folks who make up all of these communities, linked not only by hurricanes but by their ability to move on with great resilience.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the University of Virginia Cavaliers, who advanced to the Final Four of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament last Saturday night.

Down three points with less than 6 seconds left, the Cavaliers, with what was one of the most exciting plays I have seen--because I am an alum--scored to tie the game and force overtime. This gave them an extra 5 minutes of life, an opportunity they seized, on the way to a historic victory.

It is as a proud alum that I congratulate Coach Tony Bennett and the team on reaching the program's first Final Four since 1984. A tremendous accomplishment for sure, but there is still business to attend to on the court.

I also wish the Cavaliers the best of luck this weekend. For sure, I will be here again in short order after they beat Auburn and win the National Championship game.

Go Hoos, and Wahoowa.

Mr. Speaker, today, I am proud to rise in support as the lead Republican sponsor of H.R. 1414, the FinCEN Improvement Act of 2019.

I thank my colleague and fellow Member from the Commonwealth of Virginia, Representative Jennifer Wexton, for her work on this legislation. This bill is a tangible example of what Congress can accomplish when we put aside our differences and work together.

FinCEN, or the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, is a critical component of law enforcement, as the agency is charged with promoting national security by safeguarding our financial system.

Terrorists, drug smugglers, human traffickers, and other criminal actors are constantly innovating and creating new ways to exploit the system. Bad actors know the current limitations of law enforcement and how to profit immensely from our weaknesses as they are constantly developing their tactics, techniques, and procedures, or TTPs, based on our security posture.

It is FinCEN's mission to cut the head off the snake and combat illicit financing of these activities. This bill will strengthen FinCEN in three key areas.

First, it strengthens FinCEN by codifying the domestic responsibilities of combating illicit finance. We know all too well the danger international terrorists pose, but it is equally important that we police criminal financial activity domestically as well. By reinforcing FinCEN's domestic mandate, we are sending a message to all Americans that we will not tolerate criminal activity either at home or abroad.

Second, this bill adds Tribal law enforcement to the list of FinCEN partners. By ensuring robust and comprehensive law enforcement partners, we are equipping the agencies charged with safeguarding our financial system with the necessary tools and information to execute their mission. Partnering with Tribal law enforcement closes a potential loophole that terrorists can use to inject illicit money into the system.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, this bill clearly incorporates cryptocurrencies and other emerging technologies that substitute for currency.

As financial technology, or fintech, evolves, so do the opportunities for criminals to take advantage of the financial system. We must ensure that our law enforcement agencies have a clear directive from Congress to take on all challenges and risks facing our financial system.

Mr. Speaker, today, I ask all my colleagues in the people's House to join me and Ms. Wexton by voting in favor of this legislation.

Madam Speaker, my esteemed colleague, Representative Rooney, has introduced a bill, H.J. Res. 20, to limit the number of terms that a Member of Congress may serve to three terms. I signed on to cosponsor this bill right away.

Term limits would take power away from special interests and lobbyists and give it back to the people. When Members stay in Congress for too long, they lose touch with the people back home and allow special interests to hold sway more than regular people.

A Congress out of touch with its constituents cannot do a good job representing the American people. This bill would make sure our constituents will have a representative body that they recognize.

The power of incumbency is a counterbalance to the will of the people. Term limits would encourage independent congressional judgment and reduce election-related incentives for wasteful government spending.

This bill would create a much better political system by inspiring political leaders with a desire to serve their constituents, not themselves; political leaders who respond to voters' concerns, not a career path in special interests.

Madam Speaker, I call on my fellow Members to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak for Kannon Koser, a constituent and friend of mine who is with his family in the gallery this afternoon.

Mr. Speaker, 3-year-old Kannon is one of 4 percent of children in the United States who is born with a congenital anomaly--in his case, hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia.

Most health plans provide coverage for congenital anomalies, and many States require insurers to provide coverage of any health services related to congenital anomalies.

Despite this, health plans systematically and routinely deny claims and appeals for any oral or dental related procedures under the pretense that such service is merely cosmetic.

That is why Representative Collin Peterson and I have joined together to introduce the Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act, a bipartisan bill that would directly address this issue and ensure that we don't have to tell children like Kannon that their health condition isn't valued by insurance companies.

As the original sponsor on the Republican side, I am proud to put my name on this bill and ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support it.

ELSA would ensure all health plans cover medically necessary services, including reconstructive surgeries that are a result of congenital anomalies or birth defects.

If enacted, this life-changing bill will allow the Koser family the opportunity to save for Kannon's college rather than spend money on reconstructive surgery.

Commonsense reforms like this will help children like Kannon grow up healthier and have a better quality of life.

Hi, Kannon. We will see you later, Buddy.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to speak about a great man, a man who was a proud son of my home, Nelson County, Virginia, Edward Embrey, former Faber Volunteer fire chief and Nelson County Rescue Squad captain, after a courageous battle with cancer. His courage reflects how he lived his life.

Raised in my home county of Nelson, Eddie dedicated his life to helping friends and neighbors who found themselves in harm's way. He fought countless wildfires across the Commonwealth and Nation, leading to his commendation as Forest Warden of the Year in Virginia. He was asked to serve as captain of the Nelson County Rescue Squad and chief of the Faber Volunteer Fire Department.

His dedication to public safety and to helping all the men and women of Nelson County should be recognized and commended. He put his life at risk time after time to save people he didn't even know across the entirety of the Commonwealth. Eddie lived a life of selflessness, and for that, we are all thankful.

From me and all those who have served: Rest easy, Chief.

Mr. Speaker, today I am proud to speak in support of H.R. 502, the Fight Illicit Networks and Detect Trafficking Act, or the FIND Trafficking Act.

First, I would like to commend Representative Vargas for sponsoring this bipartisan legislation, and I would also like to thank my colleague from Missouri (Mrs. Wagner), for her important work on this bill.

As the father of three daughters, including one at James Madison University, who is currently working on a project utilizing technology to combat human trafficking, it is deeply concerning to me that sex traffickers and drug smugglers have seamless access to the financial system through the use of virtual currencies.

Virtual currencies were created to meet legitimate market demand, but have increasingly become the preferred method of payment for illicit goods and services facilitated by the dark web. Virtual currencies appeal to criminals because of their versatility and ability to provide anonymity during transactions.

According to the International Labour Organization, in 2016, 4.8 million people in this world were victims of forced sexual exploitation. In 2014, the global profit from commercial sexual exploitation was $99 billion. Additionally, a 2015 Treasury Department report estimated that $64 billion is generated annually just from the United States in drug trafficking sales.

This bill calls for the Comptroller General to conduct a study on how virtual currencies and online marketplaces are being used to facilitate sex and drug trafficking, and how these funds are repatriated into the banking system.

By enacting this legislation, Congress will be taking a much-needed step to better understand the methods and tactics used by criminals. This information will be critical to law enforcement efforts to thwart sex traffickers, drug dealers, terrorists, and other bad actors. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, special thanks to the chair and to the ranking member for their leadership on this. I would also like to thank Representative Budd for sponsoring this bipartisan legislation and thank my colleagues across the aisle, Representatives Lynch and Soto, for their important work on this bill as well.

While I may be new to Congress, I am all too familiar with terrorist threats and the danger they pose to the safety and security of our Nation. I served my country in the Air Force as an intelligence officer and worked to track down terrorists after 9/11. I also supported ``follow the money'' analysis and operations related to terrorist financing.

One of the key components that allows terrorists to organize and execute their missions is financing. As financial technology, or fintech, evolves, so do the opportunities for criminals to take advantage of the financial system.

H.R. 56 calls for financial regulators, law enforcement, and private- sector experts to come together to create the Fintech Task Force to Combat Terrorism and Illicit Finance. This task force is charged with developing innovative methods to track, prevent, and prosecute terrorists that use digital currencies and other financial technologies to advance their agenda.

Technology is integral to everyday life for consumers, businesses, and governments, which is why it is critical that experts from law enforcement and the private sector come together to protect our financial system from terrorists and other bad actors.

Mr. Speaker, for these reasons and many others, I strongly support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to commend the work of our hardworking FEMA employees and the fantastic job they do with disaster relief.

In October, my district, and many on the East Coast, were hit by Hurricane Florence and Tropical Storm Michael. I visited the town of Drakes Branch in Charlotte County to offer support after those storms. The damage was devastating, and there was work to be done all over the East Coast.

In my district alone, FEMA applications were filed in Charlotte County, Danville city, Franklin County, Halifax County, Lunenburg County, Mecklenburg County, Prince Edward County, and many others.

I commend the hard work done by FEMA in helping these areas recover, because we are recovering and are continuing to work to rebuild these areas.

I also commend the brave fire and rescue workers in all these areas, especially Meherrin Volunteer Fire and Rescue and the Drakes Branch

Madam Speaker, today, I rise to speak about a pressing local safety concern in my home county of Nelson. Wintergreen Resort is facing major fire safety issues.

Last week, I spoke with the local fire chief, who pointed out that having only one exit from the Wintergreen Resort creates the potential for a major public safety crisis. In the case of an emergency, such as a fire blocking the main exit, there would be no way to leave the resort.

I have called the National Park Service and asked that they help me mitigate this situation by allowing a secondary exit that will allow people to go from the resort, through the national park, and to the Blue Ridge Parkway in the case of a fire or emergency. This simple step, 450 feet, would safeguard the community against a potential disaster.

Government, when necessary, should be here to assist, not interfere. Guidelines that don't make sense need to be changed so that common sense prevails.

Madam Speaker, we have talked a lot about border security this week, but I rise today to talk about a lot more than what goes on at the border.

Tens of thousands of people die from opioid addiction every year, including hundreds in the Fifth District alone.

Yesterday, on Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, I was reminded of the many heroes I have met in law enforcement who try to prevent some of these tragedies; heroes who help people at the end of their ropes, people who see no way out; heroes like Sheriffs Bob Mosier of Fauquier County and Mike Taylor of Pittsylvania County.

This issue is important for my district and close to my heart. My immediate family has been affected by opioids and its awful and persistent hold. Localities across my district have been ravaged by the crisis, from Fauquier County in the north, to Pittsylvania County in the south.

They need our help. Our law enforcement needs our help. Our communities need our help. I call on Congress to act.