Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, I thank Mr. Luetkemeyer.

I supported the original intent of Operation Choke Point, which sought to restrict online payday lenders, usually operating from overseas, from lending in States that prohibit payday lending, but the program expanded and is now being pushed well beyond its stated objective.

Eliminating fraud and illegal transactions from our Nation's payment system should continue to be a priority for the Department of Justice and other Federal regulators, but employing a ``dragnet'' on companies engaged in legitimate business activities is wrong.

State banking commissioners have also expressed concerns the Federal agencies are attempting to deny essential banking services to lawful State-licensed firms.

Operation Choke Point pressures banks to close accounts and stop processing payments for those businesses that pose a reputational risk.

What is happening here is this approach, this dragnet approach, causes a chilling effect on legitimate businesses and legitimate banking services. As a consequence, going after bad guys, the Department of Justice needs to do that, but not in such a broad, all- inclusive way to chill legitimate business.

That is why I support this amendment, and ask for an ``aye'' vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Captain Kynnie Martin for her service to our country.

Captain Martin served in the United States Army from December 2002 to December 2010. She was assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division Artillery at Ft. Stewart, Georgia, as the Assistant Intelligence Officer. She was subsequently deployed in support of Iraqi Freedom as the 3rd Infantry Division's first Shadow Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Company Executive Officer and Platoon Leader, Camp Taji, Iraq, and as Battalion Intelligence Officer for 703rd Forward Support Battalion, 4th Brigade.

Captain Martin continues her work on behalf of veterans in her civilian career as Senior Recruiter for Veterans and Diversity for Xcel Energy and as Treasurer on the Board of Directors for Women Veterans of Colorado.

Through her courageous service, Captain Martin charted the path for future generations of women to serve in the military. I extend my deepest appreciation to Captain Kynnie Martin for her dedication, integrity and outstanding service to the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Chief Master Sergeant Dorothy Holmes for her service to our country.

Chief Holmes served in the United States Air Force from May 1949 to May 1979. During her distinguished career, she was assigned to numerous locations worldwide, including Europe, Puerto Rico, two tours in Asia and several posts throughout the United States. Chief Holmes was assigned to the United States Air Force Academy in 1976, specifically to serve as a role model and mentor for the first class of female cadets. She distinguished herself by being the first female Chief Master Sergeant assigned to the Air Force Academy.

Chief Holmes was the first African American woman in the United States Air Force to achieve the rank of Chief Master Sergeant, and she was the first woman to retire with 30 years continuous service.

Through her courageous service, Chief Holmes charted the path for future generations of women to serve in the military. I extend my deepest appreciation to Chief Master Sergeant Dorothy Holmes for her dedication, integrity and outstanding service to the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Colonel Mary Miller for her service to our country.

Colonel Miller served in the United States Army from June 1981-June 2011, for a total of 30 years--10 of which were on active duty and 20 years in the Army Reserve. She retired at the rank of colonel. During her distinguished career, Colonel Miller served in a variety of military intelligence assignments worldwide. She was deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom at the Multi National Forces Headquarters in Baghdad where she served as the commander of the 208th Army Liaison Team, 96th Regional Readiness Command.

Colonel Miller continues to serve our nation as a civilian employee at the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Battle Lab in Colorado Springs, Colorado, as the Chief of Operations Division.

Through her courageous service, Colonel Miller charted the path for future generations of women to serve in the military. I extend my deepest appreciation to Colonel Mary Miller for her dedication, integrity and outstanding service to the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Commander Kathleen Noll for her service to our country.

Commander Kathleen Noll served in the United States Navy Nurse Corps and Navy Reserve from 1972 to 1993 for a total of 21 years. Commander Noll served at Subic Bay, Philippines, when South Vietnam surrendered to North Vietnam, effectively ending the Vietnam War. During her tour in the Philippines, she was part of the Grand Island clinic caring for the civilian Vietnamese refugees and active duty military personnel.

Commander Noll later activated and deployed to the Persian Gulf in Bahrain in support of Operation Desert Storm where they built a fully functioning, fully staffed field hospital in three days. Commander Noll continues her nursing career as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner for Kaiser Permanente.

Through her courageous service, Commander Noll charted the path for future generations of women to serve in the military. I extend my deepest appreciation to Commander Kathleen Noll for her dedication, integrity and outstanding service to the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor First Lieutenant Dianne Wolf for her service to our country.

Lieutenant Wolf served in the United States Army Nurse Corps from September 1969 to August 1971. During her service as an Army Nurse, she served a year of duty in Vietnam with the 91st Evacuation Hospital, Republic of Vietnam. She is most proud of having had the opportunity to serve as a nurse while on active duty, including her tour in Vietnam.

After her service, Lieutenant Wolf was hired by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs where she continued to serve for over 30 years, caring for veterans from various wars and conflicts.

Through your courageous service, Lieutenant Wolf charted the path for future generations of women to serve in the military. I extend my deepest appreciation to First Lieutenant Dianne Wolf for her dedication, integrity and outstanding service to the United States of America and the Veterans she has served.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Women Airforce Service Pilot (WASP) Lucile Wise for her service to our country.

Lucile served in the Women Air Service Pilots (WASP) from May 1943- December 1944. She joined the military because she loved to fly and wanted to help the war effort. After an intense six months' training, Lucile received her flying wings and was assigned to the Air Force Weather Regional Office where she carried weather officers on inspection trips and to meetings. Lucile felt her WASP experience was important, because it gave the opportunity to show women could fly military aircraft just as well as men.

Lucile became a strong advocate for the WASP organization, and in 1988 she was elected their president. She was instrumental in the organization's efforts to obtain Congressional military recognition and veterans' benefits for the WASP. In 2010, along with the other remaining WASP women, Lucile was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.

Through her courageous service, Lucile charted the path for future generations of women to serve in the military. I extend my deepest appreciation to Women Airforce Service Pilot Lucile Wise for her dedication, integrity and outstanding service to the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Private Shirley Brown for her service to our country.

Private Brown heard the call to join the military after President Roosevelt's speech to the country in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor. She was only 18 at the time and had to wait until she turned 20 to join the service. On her 20th birthday, Shirley and her mother took the bus to the recruiting station where she joined the United States Marine Corps and served from March 1944 to December 1945.

Private Brown's most memorable times during her military service was learning to drive in a convoy and repairing military trucks.

Private Brown served courageously, and she charted the path for future generations of women to serve in the military. I extend my deepest appreciation to Private Shirley Brown for her dedication, integrity and outstanding service to the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Sergeant Jennifer Latini for her service to our country.

Sergeant Latini served in the United States Army and Army National Guard from 1989 to 1995. She was assigned to the Defense Intelligence Agency where she used her Arabic language and knowledge of Arabic culture during her deployment to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. She continues to use her skills and passion for veterans' issues by serving as the Secretary for the United Veterans Committee of Colorado.

Through her courageous service, Sergeant Latini charted the path for future generations of women to serve in the military. I extend my deepest appreciation to Sergeant Jennifer Latini for her dedication, integrity and outstanding service to the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Sergeant Nora Mund for her service to our country.

Sergeant Mund served in the United States Marine Corps from August 2006 to November 2012. She was the first female assigned to serve as the senior armor-small arms repair technician for the Marine Corps Infantry Officer's Course, Quantico, Virginia.

Sergeant Mund volunteered to deploy to Iraq with Operation Enduring Freedom and was selected to serve on the Marine Corps' first Female Engagement Team. She worked directly with the Afghan population and on foot patrol. During her deployment she was assigned to the 1st Battalion 6th Marines, Charlie Company, and 2nd Battalion 6th Marines, Golf Company. She was medically retired due to injuries sustained during her tour in Afghanistan, and she is currently a full time student at the University of Colorado--Denver. She is participating in a research internship with ``Canines Providing Assistance to Wounded Warriors.''

Through her courageous service, Sergeant Mund charted the path for future generations of women to serve in the military. I extend my deepest appreciation to Sergeant Nora Mund for her dedication, integrity and outstanding service to the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, today, I stand in support of our National Teachers Week.

As the husband of a teacher, the brother of a teacher, and the lucky student of great teachers in the Jefferson County Public School system and the University of Colorado, I hold this profession in very hard regard.

Our Nation's teachers work tirelessly to provide education, resources, and a bright future for all of American students.

Colorado is blessed with a dedicated community of teachers in both K- 12 and higher education. Teachers provide an invaluable service to our country, while earning salaries that do not reflect the importance of their jobs.

Every day, I hear about teachers striving to improve their schools and outcomes for their students. America's students now face one of the most competitive economies in our history.

Strong teachers are the key to the successful education of our children, and those same children are key to a prosperous, healthy, and successful future for our country and for the planet.

Thank you to all the teachers in my life, the Seventh Congressional District, and the State of Colorado.

Madam Speaker, I thank my friend, Mr. Royce of California, for his remarks, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. As I say: ``Two Eds are better than one.'' So we will start with that.

This bill is designed to create parity between certain accounts held at credit unions and those held at FDIC insured banks.

As a preliminary matter, I introduce into the Record six letters.

The first is a letter dated September 17, 1996, signed by Richard Schulman, the associate general counsel of the National Credit Union Administration.

Second is a letter dated October 8, 2008. That is from Sheila A. Albin, associate general counsel.

A letter dated May 6, 2014, from the American Bar Association, signed by the president, James R. Silkenat.

A letter dated May 5, 2014, signed by Brad Thaler of the National Association of Federal Credit Unions.

A letter dated May 5, 2014, signed by Bill Cheney, president of the Credit Union National Association.

And finally, a letter signed by Scott Earl from Mountain West Credit Union Association.

September 17, 1996.

Re Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts (``IOLTA''), (Your

August 22, 1996, Letter)

Elyse E. Rogers, Esq.,

Mette, Evans & Woodside,

Harrisburg, PA.

Dear Ms. Rogers: In your letter, you requested our opinion

as to whether Pennsylvania attorneys can maintain client

trust funds, in association with Pennsylvania's IOLTA

Program, in share draft accounts at credit unions regulated

by the National Credit Union Administration. As discussed

below, the answer depends upon the credit union membership

status of the clients whose funds are contained in the IOLTA

account.

Specifically, the bill extends insurance coverage to Interest on Lawyer Trust Accounts, as Mr. Royce said, and I will call those ``trust accounts or similar escrow accounts,'' those that are held at credit unions that are otherwise fully insured at FDIC-insured banks up to $250,000.

As a practicing lawyer for 25 years, I know Lawyer Trust Accounts in Colorado as COLTAs, or Colorado Lawyer Trust Accounts, which we established for our clients so that interest can be earned for various charities that might exist. For instance, legal aid which provides assistance to veterans or people involved in domestic violence situations.

Under our bill, if a credit union were ever to fail and needed to be resolved, then the client funds held in an escrow account would be insured and thus protected, regardless if the beneficiary is a member of the credit union or not. In my instance, if I had a trust account which had a number of different clients, some clients might be members of the credit union, others are not. Only those under current law that are members of the credit union are covered by share insurance. Those that are not members of the credit union are not covered. So we are trying to stop this differentiation between banks and credit unions.

Currently, the NCUA's regulations and legal opinions as established in 1996, which is one the letters we are introducing today, do not allow Federal deposit insurance equal to the coverage provided by the FDIC for accounts held by credit union members that contain funds owned by one or more nonmembers.

IOLTA accounts often contain funds from many clients, some of whom may not be members of the particular credit union where the attorney or the escrow agent has opened the account.

With an IOLTA account or other escrow accounts held in trust, under current law, the membership status of the client/beneficiary, and not of the agent or the attorney, is determinative as to whether an IOLTA account can be properly maintained. In order for a law firm or a real estate escrow company to maintain an IOLTA account at a credit union, either all of the clients whose funds would be deposited must be members of that credit union or the credit union must be designated as a low-income, which would allow it to accept nonmember funds.

Many States or bar associations require the funds in an IOLTA to be fully insured, meaning a lawyer may not be able to use a credit union for these accounts if they can't be fully covered.

It is important to note that this legislation should not be seen as an authorization to take nonmember deposits beyond the current regulatory limits, nor should it be seen as an authorization for the NCUA to increase those thresholds.

What we have before us today is a negotiated compromise. The language as introduced in the manager's amendment narrowly defines which accounts will be extended Credit Union Share Insurance Fund coverage. This includes IOLTA/COLTAFs and other escrow accounts held in trust.

I thank my friend from California for bringing this legislation. It is time that there be parity and that all of the clients be covered by the Share Insurance Fund.

I urge quick passage of H.R. 3468, the Credit Union Share Insurance Fund Parity Act.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

To my friends from Texas and Oregon, I would say to the gentleman from Texas: you are absolutely right, it is against Federal law, and that is something that we as a legislature need to look at very closely.

We are dealing with issues right now in Colorado where we have legalized the use of marijuana. In respect to certain banking laws, there may be a question of whether banks can provide financial services to marijuana businesses, and as a consequence, cash is building up.

So you may be absolutely right, I say to my friend from Texas; but the gentleman from Oregon does, as does the gentleman from California, state a valid case from a medical point of view. I would just say that I had a brother-in-law who had melanoma, and the only thing that gave him any relief was marijuana.

Now, subsequently, he has passed away, but from a medical standpoint, there ought to be an opportunity for a doctor to consult with a patient to prescribe something that gives that kind of relief.

So you are correct, Mr. Chairman, but I think we need to really take a good look at this. In Colorado, we see a lot of people coming to Colorado to help treat epilepsy because marijuana may have some positive effects on epilepsy. We need to take a look at that in a whole variety of ways.

I yield to the gentleman from Texas.

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

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to talk about two issues of great importance to veterans in Colorado and throughout the Rocky Mountain West.

First, I want to talk about the new stand-alone hospital, the U.S. Department of VA's replacement medical center in Aurora, Colorado. This hospital has been one of my top priorities for 7 years, which is when I arrived in Congress. This hospital has been promised to our veterans for nearly 15 to almost 20 years. The project has gone through a number of iterations over the years under two Presidents and four Secretaries of the VA. Once completed, this medical facility will serve hundreds of thousands of veterans across the Rocky Mountain West. The 182-bed facility will include a full range of medical, laboratory, research, and counseling services, a 30-bed spinal cord injury unit, a 30-bed community living center, and a PTSD rehabilitation clinic.

The hospital is well underway, but, unfortunately, the VA is involved in an ongoing contract dispute with the prime contractor, putting the cost and schedule for completing this project in jeopardy. At the heart of the dispute is the cost of the final design, which is leading to hundreds of change orders submitted to the VA by the contractor with very few approved and paid. The original design called for an approximately $1.1 billion state-of-the-art medical center, but Congress authorized and appropriated $800 million for the acquisition of approximately 40 acres of land and several buildings as well as design and construction. The original design appears not to have significantly changed and, consequently, a funding gap exists between the authorized amount for the contract and

the overall cost of the project. This contract dispute will be heard next month by the U.S. Civilian Board of Contract Appeals.

I am working constantly with the VA and with other members of the Colorado congressional delegation to find solutions to improve the construction process of this medical center and finish the project. Unfortunately, it is becoming clear to me that the VA and Congress have underestimated the cost to build this facility, and in the coming months, our delegation will be asking for additional appropriations. I am not happy about this, but we have promised this hospital to our veterans for more than a decade, and we must finish the facility.

I want to thank Chairman Culberson and Ranking Member Bishop for continuing a dialogue with our delegation and the VA to ensure we will have the resources necessary to finish this hospital as quickly as possible.

I also want to talk today about an important issue about our veterans who are returning home. During the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, we saw a dramatic increase in traumatic brain injuries among our veterans. One of the common neurological disorders due to TBI is the development of epilepsy. Data from prior wars indicate that as many as 50 percent of individuals experiencing penetrating brain trauma will develop epilepsy.

Because of this increase, I worked with Senator Patty Murray and the Bush administration in 2008 to establish Epilepsy Centers of Excellence within the VA Health Administration. These centers have done an excellent job in dealing with people in our veterans' community who have developed seizure disorders. The VA currently has 16 centers across the country, creating a national network of facilities prepared to diagnose and treat veterans with epilepsy.

These centers need to be fully funded. I ask that the committee continue to work with the VA to make sure that the funding for those 16 centers continues unabated.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Bob's Atomic Burgers (BABS), for receiving the Golden Rotary Ethics in Business Award.

The Ethics in Business award was established by the Golden Rotary to honor for profit and non-profit businesses. The recipients of this award must maintain integrity, conviction and demonstrate high ethical standards, demonstrated by treatment of customers, employees, community, and the environment.

Bob's Atomic Burgers' treatment of their employees, customers, the environment, and the greater community is exemplary. BABS believes paying employees a livable wage helps them lead healthy and stable lives, which results in no turnover and their ability to deliver a consistent product and service to their customers.

Environmental sensitivity is a core value at Bob's Atomic Burgers. Recycling, composting, and creating as little waste as possible is a constant effort. You can even see the upcycling in the deecor of the shop where local relics are on display from the Colorado School of Mines Science department. Bob's Atomic Burgers is very active in the community, fundraising for several schools, the Golden and West Metro Fire Departments, the Golden VFW, the Golden rescue fund, and the Golden backpacks program. Additionally, Bob's participates in numerous community events.

Bob's Atomic Burgers is a model for outstanding ethics in business. It is an example for all businesses in America to emulate. Congratulations on receiving the Golden Rotary Ethics in Business Award, and thank you to all the individuals who make Bob's Atomic Burgers the success it is today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of my colleague, neighbor, and above all else my friend . . . Dave Wattenberg. Dave passed away on Monday, January 20, 2014 with his wife Mary Sharon by his side.

Dave and I served together for 6 years in Colorado's State Senate.

He was a cowboy whose wit was unmatched but he was a serious legislator and public servant. During the years of Dave's service he passed over 250 bills. These laws encompassed mining, banking, air quality standards for public lands, and even bringing horse racing back to the State of Colorado.

He cared deeply about rural Colorado and his home and the people of northwest Colorado in Jackson County.

He understood better than most the issues that effected ranchers and farmers and he brought those issues to light at the Statehouse. The Colorado Brand Association legislation sponsored by Dave was most important to his love of western heritage.

Dave knew what it took to bring people together, to compromise and strike a deal to make good public policy for the people of Colorado.

I was honored to be the beneficiary of Dave and Mary Sharon's help and support over the years.

Whenever I talked to Dave he wanted to know how he could help me.

I will always remember the events in his backyard and treasure the times we just sat and talked and joked about our time at the Statehouse as well as about family and politics.

I know how much his wife, Mary Sharon will miss him. I and so many others will miss him too.