Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), my colleague, for his continued leadership on this very important topic, a moral one, I think, that reflects truly an important part of the fiber of our country.

Which way are we going to go on this? What are our values going to be?

The gentleman has been a consistent leader way before my time during Congress as well.

As we reflect on this week, landmark legislation again passed tonight, H.R. 7, that would prohibit funding for abortion in this country, on the heels of the Mexico City solution that President Trump just signed today as well.

We are seeing that hearts are turning in this country on this issue. And when you look at it in the categories of people across the country, about half and half, rough numbers. Half the country might label itself pro-life, and the other half that favors Roe v. Wade being the law of the land, that might label themselves as pro-choice or pro-abortion.

When we get down to H.R. 7, we find that the half that is pro-life can be joined by many additional people on the other side of that argument that don't think it is appropriate to have government funding, their taxpayer dollars, used for abortion as a birth control tool in a lot of cases.

So this shows that we do have the tide going in this direction on that, as people become more and more informed on this and understand and don't listen to the rhetoric and don't listen to misinformation on what this really is. This is a baby you are talking about. It doesn't form into something else. Each pregnancy will result in a human baby.

So when we fight this battle, we find it is those that would speak on this side of the issue come under a lot of persecution. Many, many people will be joining together in this town later this week in the March for Life. You will be persecuted to some extent or another. You will be called things. But, you know, we know from the Bible that those that speak the truth are often persecuted as well, and we all need to be strong and firm in that.

God is watching what we do here. God will be watching later this week and at all times on those that are marching for life. So be strong.

Also, put your arms around those folks that might be strongly opposed, because there are a lot of people hurting on that. We understand. People that have had to make a difficult abortion choice and chosen to do so, they need healing as well. They need understanding and compassion on that. If we can show them that, and if we can show that those that are contemplating abortion, there are alternatives out there. There are many alternatives. If we can just come alongside them and show them that there is more than one way to do this, and there are people willing to help and willing to counsel you in that, because that is really what it comes down to.

When you talk about a choice, show that woman in crisis, in that situation that she has many choices, informed choices to make; and, by and large, maybe she will make the right one. In a lot of cases I believe she will.

So God bless those that are going to come for this march later this week and stand for this, put up with the level of persecution that comes with any of these types of issues, including the one on being pro-life.

Again, God bless you, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, for being a consistent leader on this.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Trump administration's recently announced action of peeling back the many layers of the Affordable Care Act. For millions of hardworking Americans who have carried the burden of this law, relief is finally on the way. President Trump's first order of business was to issue an executive order to begin reversing the damages of the Affordable Care Act and start to minimize costs for consumers.

Under the ACA, premiums have skyrocketed while access to health care has dwindled for many Americans, including many of whom reside in my own California's First District. The American people have spoken. They want this disastrous law repealed. Grand claims of 20 to 30 million newly covered are obscured by the fact that over 6 million would rather pay the penalty because they can't afford the Affordable Care Act.

The quick action taken by President Trump will aid our efforts in Congress to both repeal and replace the ACA with something better. The American people have suffered through the nightmare that is ACA. Luckily, they won't have to do so for much longer.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 95th birthday of Clarence ``Bud'' Anderson. A Colonel in the United States Air Force, Bud is a veteran of both the Vietnam War and World War II, where he achieved the status of ``triple ace'' after shooting down a total of 16\1/4\ enemy planes and was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest honor bestowed by Congress.

Born in Oakland, California, Bud grew up on a farm near Newcastle, California and joined the United States Army as an aviation cadet in 1942, where he soon received his commission as second lieutenant in the United States Air Force. In the Second World War, Bud flew with the 363rd Fighter Squadron of the 357th Fighter Group and tallied 116 missions in his P-51D Mustang, nicknamed Old Crow.

In 1944 and at the young age of 22, Bud had already reached the rank of Major before returning home to the United States in 1945. He then became a fighter test pilot before serving as a Wing Commander on another tour of duty in Vietnam. Bud retired as a Colonel in 1972 and has been decorated 25 times for his service in the United States Air Force. In 2008, Bud Anderson was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame.

I've been proud to call Bud a friend of mine for several years. He is a true patriot and someone who is more than deserving of the accolades he has received throughout his life and career. Our nation would be grateful to have more Americans like Bud Anderson.

Mr. Chairman, I thank Chairman Conaway for his leadership and the opportunity to speak today.

I rise today in strong support of H.R. 238, the Commodity End-User Relief Act. For the last 2 years, as a member of the Agriculture Committee, I have worked continuously to improve the operations of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Through a great deal of bipartisan hearings, members were able to hear from everyone at the table--the regulators, market participants, and end users alike. When discussing how to ensure robust markets, consumer protections, and relief for end users, H.R. 238 truly represents a true agreement. After all, the end users are our customers. They are the whole reason for this legislation and this entity to begin with.

Another important provision included in this bill is language I had previously introduced, the Public Power Risk Management Act, which ensures that 47 million Americans who rely on public power for electricity will not see their rates increase due to unintended consequences of Dodd-Frank.

There are 2,000 publicly owned utilities across this country, including one in my own district in the city of Redding, who have used swaps to manage their risk for years, and this bill safeguards their ability to do so while protecting taxpayers from high, unnecessary costs.

Our farmers, ranchers, manufacturers--again, the end users--and other businesses who pose no systemic risk to our financial system and did not cause the financial crisis should not have to face costly red tape from policies meant to protect them in the first place.

I want to thank, again, Chairman Conaway for leading on this issue and for the hard work in committee, all the conversations, all the background it takes to get this done and put the light on the practical effects of the unintended consequences on the actual customers, the end users.

This bill is about American producers and consumers. I am proud to be part of this work product we have on the floor today, and I urge my colleagues to support this measure.

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

Mr. Chairman, my amendment is a simple, straightforward one, bringing clarity to the law and relief, again, to the end users, such as farmers, ranchers, and manufacturers that use swaps to hedge commercial risks associated with their business, including volatile markets and price fluctuations on a day-to-day basis. This critical financial tool allows them to do their jobs and provide products in an affordable and accessible manner, keeping consumer costs low.

Discussing Dodd-Frank, Congress always intended that these end users should not have to clear the swaps entered to hedge these commercial risks and provide the end-user exemption to that end.

The Commodity Exchange Act defines as a financial entity a person predominantly engaged in certain financial activities. The Fed's rulemaking when defining financial activities repeatedly states the rule is for the purpose of title I; therefore, bringing it in to title VII was something they did not have in mind when issuing their definitions of predominantly engaged for financial entities. Therefore, financial entities cannot rely on this end-user exception.

However, because of a catchall in the definition of financial entities, end users who engage in successful hedging programs could be regarded as financial entities, thereby creating barriers and unnecessary restrictions to their business operations. This completely turns the concept of being an end user in title VII on its head.

My amendment today ensures end users will not lose their ability to rely on the end-user exception, which is a clearing requirement due simply to the position performance of a transaction entered into solely to mitigate commercial risk.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize National Human Trafficking Awareness Month.

In my home State of California, human trafficking is a notoriously large and dangerous industry, with over 300 reported cases of trafficking that involved children, teens, and young adults last year, including the very mysterious case that happened in November, that of Sherri Papini from Shasta County, who may or may not have been drawn into this. Fortunately, she was released on Thanksgiving Day. Indeed, the whole State is thankful for her release and that she didn't get caught in that horrible system.

We must do more to stop this human trafficking. That is why I am a proud supporter of H.R. 440, the SHAME Act, which was introduced by my colleague, Mr. Poe of Texas. The bill makes public the names and pictures of criminals who have been convicted of buying sex from a minor or from a sex trafficking victim--stripping their anonymity and sentencing them to the public humiliation they deserve for their despicable acts.

I believe the SHAME Act will help to discourage participation in further human trafficking and will lead to a safer environment for our children in America. We must combat this now--indeed, a very dangerous and immoral problem.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in sadness to honor the life of a friend, Paul Stewart Shaner, known as ``Stu'' around Oroville. He passed away just recently, December 13, at the age of 76.

A resident of Oroville, California, since age 5, Stu was a prominent member of the community known for his civic engagement and a true passion for his small town, the one I grew up in as well.

While poor eyesight prevented Stu from joining the military, he went out of his way to serve in many other ways, serving veterans, serving his community, and making veterans feel treasured. He served his community in so many different ways, it is not hard to think of Stu as the main fiber of our town of Oroville.

One of Stu's life goals was to erect a memorial park for veterans in Oroville. He worked very hard to accomplish this, serving as co-chair for the Veterans Memorial Park for over a decade.

When you heard from Stu, you heard from him. He was going to get this done, and we were all determined to be helpful for him. He was relentless. The new park is under construction this very moment.

In the words of everyone who knew Stu, he was one of the good guys who loved his family, his town, and the veterans who served his country.

God bless Stu Shaner's family. We will miss him.

I really want to thank Chairman Walker of the RSC, the Republican Study Committee. I greatly appreciate the gentleman's leadership on this event here tonight as well as the great job the gentleman is doing on the Committee.

Mr. Speaker, we have had alternatives to the Affordable Care Act ever since I have been here. The American Health Care Reform Act, as put forward by the Republican Study Committee, has many of the elements we have all been talking about for several years: with the Affordable Care Act being forced upon Americans not in a bipartisan effort but strictly by the votes of one party when they had the majority--the ability--to force it

through. We are suffering the effects of that now.

One of my colleagues earlier was talking about: Why isn't this being reported? Why isn't this being talked about in the broad sense of how it is really affecting the Americans who are paying for it?

People in my district, ever since I have been a Member of this House, have been pleading with us to do something about these high premiums, about the high deductibles, about the lack of access they have, especially in rural areas. Why are the proponents continuing to prop this up? It is clear that it doesn't work: higher costs, fewer options, unworkable plans. The exchanges--we have watched in several States-- most of them, after billions in investment, are shuttering; they are closing up shop. Where do those billions go that we have invested as a country into these exchanges?

But on a patient level, it is putting even more of our most vulnerable patients on a system already known to be unsustainable without even ensuring access to quality care. In some cases, no care at all.

How are people defining that as a success?

We know that the main reason why so many people are uninsured is the high cost of coverage. But instead of investing vast amounts of money to bring more people into a broken system, let's take this opportunity to start fixing the root of the problem.

One, this is done by increasing competition, giving patients more options, choices. Mr. Speaker, give them a menu of options they can pick themselves, tailor the plan to what they need. A 20-year-old young man has a completely different need than a 30-year-old mom and her family. Let them have the choices.

Also, let's get rid of the costly mandates, the taxes. There are taxes on everything, it seems, to help prop up ObamaCare, the Affordable Care Act, including the cost for students for college. They are paying for some of that.

Then let's build off successes that we have seen in the past and that are part of the proposal of the Republican Study Committee and the American Healthcare Reform Act. That could help fill our gaps in the healthcare delivery system.

Community health centers, for example, is a model that is both cost effective and efficient in expanding access to care services in underserved areas, very rural ones, such as my own district at home.

Healthcare reform affects the lives of every single person in this country, which is why it is high time that we put the health and well- being of the American people ahead of partisan politics and legacies.

Let's get to work and deliver actual solutions that empower patients, drive down the costs, and increase access to care in every part of the country. Let's give back to Americans: ``Keep your plan that you like, keep your doctor that you like.''

So it is time to stop the partisan squabbling over it and the deception that has gone on for what is indeed for some a bad legacy of the American people.

Mr. Speaker, today is National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, and I think it is very appropriate in this body to stand up and show that appreciation, especially in these confused times where signals come out of this place that don't show appreciation but, instead, depict our law enforcement in very unflattering terms.

To our friends in law enforcement, we want you to know that the vast majority of us believe in what you do and that we value you and what you do every day out there to keep us safe, to keep us secure in our homes and our communities. We also honor those--too many--whom we have lost tragically in the line of duty.

I know their families pray every night that they will return home safely. Too often, just in 2016, many of these families' worst fears were realized, as 135 fathers, sons, mothers, and

daughters never returned home from the line of duty. In my home State of California, 11 officers lost, one even from my own district, Deputy Jack Hopkins of the Modoc County Sheriff's Department. We recognize him, and we recognize all the brave men and women around this country who sacrifice, who stand as a thin blue line between us and a lot of mayhem. We are truly grateful and want to take time this day to recognize what you do for us. God bless you all. Amen.

``. . . a quorum for the purpose shall consist of two- thirds of the whole number of Senators, and a majority of the whole number shall be necessary to a choice. But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States.''

Amendment XXIII, section 1:

``The District constituting the seat of government of the United States shall appoint in such manner as Congress may direct:

``A number of electors of President and Vice President equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives in Congress to which the District would be entitled if it were a State, but in no event more than the least populous State; they shall be in addition to those appointed by the States, but they shall be considered, for the purposes of the election of President and Vice President, to be electors appointed by a State; and they shall meet in the District and perform such duties as provided by the twelfth article of amendment.''

Section 2:

``The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.''

Amendment XXIV, section 1:

``The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay poll tax or other tax.''

Section 2:

``The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.''

Mr. Speaker, I just want to point out the pride of Chico, California, and the First District. The Pleasant Valley High School Vikings became State champions of football just a few weeks ago.

It was a very exciting game. They traveled south to Long Beach for it, to beat St. Anthony. The resiliency of the Vikings was amazing. I didn't get to go to the game myself, but I was texting back and forth with a good friend down there. After a 17-13 halftime score, it ended up 50-49.

The Vikings were back and forth, up and down. With just 1\1/2\ minutes left in the game, after a late interception by the other team, they were down by 8 points. But with about 1\1/2\ minutes to go, they drove the field, scored a touchdown, got the 2-pointer and tied. They went into overtime. After giving up a touchdown to the other team in overtime, they came back, drove the field once again, scored a touchdown, and went for two and became division champions for the State of California by a score of 50-49.

Congratulations, Pleasant Valley Vikings. Well done. You showed a lot of heart.

I was listening to the gentleman's remarks on a couple of these topics here that are very important.

He led off with the situation that occurred with the sit-in that occurred here on this House floor last year, some months ago, and I found that to be very appalling for the decorum, for

the honor, for the history, for all the things that are important about conducting ourselves in a society where order is needed in order to conduct business.

This House floor was not treated with that respect that is necessary to have order, to have an honest debate, and a debate that is constructive when you have a sit-in like that where basically the folks on the other side of the aisle--some of them--decided to take over the entire building outside of session, outside of the rules. As Mr. Gohmert mentioned, many rules were violated.

I had the appalling experience of walking on the floor just a few minutes after they concluded their sit-in and, honestly, the garbage that was laying on the floor. I saw food crumbs, old newspapers, magazines, a couple of blankets. They didn't even pick up after themselves. They expected the staff of the building to pick it up and haul it off for them because their Occupy Wall Street moment was over with. This is not the sixties. This is not the hippy era. This is the United States House of Representatives.

This week, rules were proposed that say, when you violate rules in such a fashion where videotaping or Periscoping, as they call it, is occurring--sending these speeches during a nonofficial, non-session time, basically bootlegging them to the American public via C-SPAN; and I am a little annoyed with C-SPAN actually playing along with the violation of House rules of piping this out the way they did.

If you want to have a protest out on the front lawn, fine. That is within the rights of free speech, the First Amendment, and all that. You don't do it in violation of the rules of a fairly, some might say, sacred place--this House floor--the way that happened then. For them to be piping it out live that way, I found it to be completely wrong.

There are those folks that might say: Well, this is all First Amendment rights, not in violation of the decorum of the House rules. So I am glad Mr. Gohmert brought that up. Rules are put in place this week to address people that are going to violate the very House rules that help us keep order and do business of the American public. We lost part of, I think, three session days that we could have been grinding out the important business that the people expect of this country.

We lost that session time and, indeed, had to come in here and the Speaker or whoever was introducing legislation that day had to yell over the process here to do things in order for the House. I find that appalling. It isn't very mature. I think with some of the penalties that are put in place by the rules this week, there will be a little more accountability for that.

It wouldn't be inappropriate since OCE is a hot topic this week.

The accountability goes both directions. So we have heard our colleagues talk about unjust charges that can be brought from anywhere, out of the blue, against a Member of the House without justification, without even a due process for that Member to have a chance to address directly what that charge is, and then have their name run through the newspaper, giant headlines, and maybe a year's worth of investigation.

When you see it, Congressman being investigated, well, that is an ugly headline. It can be used to manipulate it for political purpose when it might be a trumped-up charge, something that has no merit, and many times talking to my colleagues that have faced this, hundreds of thousands of dollars of cost to them for attorney's fees, their reputation besmirched by this, when, really, there is an investigative process that is open, with oversight.

Now we didn't have the perfect piece of legislation in the rule this week. No. We probably need a little more time for it to be aired out and a little more widely. It was withdrawn after at least getting the idea out on the table.

So I am proud of my colleagues who are going to take this up and work in a bipartisan fashion and get the input to make some needed reforms to the OCE so that we have an ethics process that is fair to the Members, but obviously enforces ethics for this House that are needed and clearly demanded by the public and us.

We are talking here tonight about a decorum, a code, a process that our House is to be conducted by. So that sit-in is one extreme. The other one is charges that are, in many cases, absolved months later without giant headlines but are not even sometimes an oops or I am sorry for trumped-up charges being brought up against somebody that would affect them negatively in their ability to serve their districts or to fend off the huge costs of legal matters that they have to go through.

So many of my colleagues here strongly care and want to have a strong ethical process in this place, but there needs to be accountability and balance to it. That is what we are all looking forward to, is accountability with OCE and our Ethics Committee who, in a bipartisan fashion, can weed through all these processes.

I think we will get to that. For those that are concerned around this country that some here want to get rid of that ethics process, that absolutely couldn't be further from the truth. We all demand that with the code of conduct of this House, on the floor and off, of our Members.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. Speaker, the ongoing slowdown occurring at our west coast ports is causing devastating economic conditions for our agricultural industry and an alarming ripple effect to supply chains across the Nation. Recent estimates have predicted retailers could lose as much as $7 billion this year and that it will cost the overall economy $2.1 billion every day if this shutdown continues.

In California, our citrus shippers are reporting delays as long as 4 weeks versus the typical 3 to 4 days for cargo to leave ports, causing their products to spoil and rot on the docks and increasing the already sizable backlog. One California almond company reported they already had to lay off 50 employees due to the slowdown at the port. Without action, these numbers are only going to worsen as long-term or permanent damage is even done to our export markets.

We cannot afford to sit back as our producers and growers and workers bear the brunt of this labor dispute. I strongly urge both parties and, if necessary, this administration to get involved--to get back to the negotiating table and enact a swift resolution--to prevent serious long-term harm being done to our local and national economy and to our export markets.

Mr. Speaker, as California enters what looks like its fourth year of a severe drought, we need to take action so that when we do finally get rain once again, we will be able to store it.

Sites Reservoir is a project that has been talked about for many, many years in northern California that would store nearly 2 million acre-feet of water in its best possible configuration. So we need to take that action. A little bit later on in this session, we will be introducing legislation to authorize that.

We also need help from the Bureau of Reclamation in putting the funding forward to finish the feasibility studies that are necessary to go from talk, from dream, to getting construction going and having the water reservoirs that we need for California to stave off drought in the future years.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service brought up a possible concern on salmon habitat on a water storage project in California. This would be above Shasta Dam. There is a proposal to possibly raise the dam.

But what really gets me is that the concern more is about a fictional problem with salmon habitat that really doesn't exist above a possible raise of the dam, and not much more attention focused on what the effects would be on the people that live around the lake and the need they would have for infrastructure, their resorts, marinas, the things that they do there.

So it is really disconcerting that U.S. Fish & Wildlife is creating a fictional problem on an environmental side and not looking at the human impact of what a possible raise--it may be a good thing; it may be not a good thing--the raise of Shasta Dam could be. I implore them to take a look at what the needs are of the people around that lake.