Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I am going to ask the Speaker: How is it that the Republican majority, in really less than a month, could pass legislation that was the biggest transfer of wealth to the wealthiest people in America through this giant tax cut that costs every single American $7,000 or more, but the Republican majority cannot pass a budget that they have had a year to pass, that addresses our military, that addresses healthcare, that addresses pensions, that addresses the DREAMers, and that addresses a whole variety of things?

Why can't it get done?

Why is the only thing that the Republican majority has found the will to pass is giant tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans?

That is really the question that people should be asking. Here we are, we can't even pass a budget to keep the government open.

I ask my friends to continue to ask that question of the majority party.

Mr. Speaker, point of order.

The gentleman is referring to Members of the Senate, which I believe is out of decorum and out of order by name.

Yes, sir.

Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my point of order, and I withdraw my request that the gentleman from Texas' words be taken down.

Yes.

Mr. Speaker, point of order.

Mr. Speaker, the point of order is that poster that is being brought is disparaging of a Member of the Senate.

Mr. Speaker, I move to appeal the ruling of the Chair.

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the Maccabi USA men's soccer team for competing in the USA 2018 King Cup tournament in Las Vegas, Nevada to honor our great American hero Martin Luther King, Jr.

Twenty men from Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania achieved an undefeated record of 4 wins, no losses and 2 draws, scoring 15 goals and allowing 6 against to earn the silver medal in the 2018 King Cup. The team consisted of the following individuals: Scott Agran, David Alhadeff, Gary (Gazza) Bernstein (Cptn.), Bob Boone, Scott Cohen, Jeff Cohn, Ed Harris, Stuart Hochberger (Cptn.), Dan (Indy) Indech, Don Kent, Ken Kramer, Ramin Lalezari, Jess Mogul, David Parks, Keith Silverman, David Stone, Lawrence Swerner, Mark (Wiz) Wisnevitz, and was managed by Steve (Goldy) Goldenring and Dan Kurtz.

Maccabi USA is a 501c(3) not-for-profit organization with an extensive history of enriching Jewish lives through athletic, cultural and educational programs. Maccabi USA supports Jewish athletic endeavors enhanced by cultural and educational opportunities in the United States, Israel and throughout the world. These 20 men exemplify this great ideal.

I extend my deepest congratulations to the Maccabi USA men's soccer team for their dedication, hard work and competitive spirit.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dot Miller for being honored as a ``7Everyday Hero'' by KMGH Channel 7 for her outstanding service to the community.

Dot is the former President of the Arvada Chamber of Commerce. During her leadership the Chamber grew from 450 members to more than 700 members. During that time, she also helped educate Arvada businesses and develop future leaders by exposing students to the workforce.

In 2011, Dot created the Jefferson County Business Education Alliance (JCBEA) which partners business owners and students with educational opportunities such as internships and job shadowing opportunities. One of the signature programs of the JCBEA is the Career Readiness Program which brings together teachers, administrators and business leaders in the community to help students in the classroom. This program is a course made up of six modules where students learn various skills ranging from work ethic and customer service to financial responsibility. In addition, students learn interview skills and how to write resumes. The JCBEA also provides workforce-ready training by conducting mock interviews between students and business leaders in the community.

I extend my deepest congratulations to Dot Miller for receiving this well-deserved honor as a ``7Everyday Hero''. Her positive impact on the community will be felt for many years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life and missionary work of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (Mother Cabrini) and commemorate the 100th anniversary of her passing.

Mother Cabrini came to Denver, Colorado in 1902 to help Italian Immigrants who worked in the mines and on the railroad. She opened the Queen of Heaven Orphanage to care for girls ages 2 through 15 at 48th & Federal Blvd. which remained open from 1905 to 1967. Mother Cabrini believed the girls in the orphanage would benefit from trips out of the city so she purchased 900 acres of land in Mount Vernon Canyon to serve as a summer camp for the girls from the Queen of Heaven Orphanage. The summer camp in Mount Vernon Canyon was said to have no source of water on the property. Mother Cabrini told her Sisters who accompanied her to foothills, ``move that rock and you will find water clean enough to drink.'' The spring of water from that location still flows today. Many have given testimony to the water's impact in helping their suffering and ailments.

Mother Cabrini was canonized America's first citizen saint in 1946 and was also named the Patroness of Immigrants. In total, she opened 67 schools, orphanages and hospitals in her relatively short lifetime. The Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the religious order founded by Mother Cabrini, have served and ministered to the people of Colorado since 1902.

Mother Cabrini died 100 years ago on December 22, 1917. Throughout her life she cared for the poorest of the poor and immigrants in need. Her life and legacy have been celebrated during this centenary year throughout the world.

I extend my deepest gratitude in recognition of all that Mother Cabrini accomplished in her time in Colorado. I am grateful for the continuous dedication the Mother Cabrini Shrine offers the community in her memory.

Mr. Speaker, recently there has been a real flurry by the Republicans here in Congress to disparage and call names to the FBI and to the Justice Department, but it is right after Michael Flynn pled guilty, right after George Papadopoulos pled guilty in the investigation into Russia and potential collusion with the administration.

Now my question is: What are you afraid of? Why are you getting in such a big rush to complain about these folks now? What are you hiding? What is it that is bothering you? Let the detectives do their work to figure out what happened between Russia and this administration.

I mean, it is like we have been asking for the President's tax returns for ages. What is he hiding? We won't even know how much money he gets to save under this terrible tax bill that was passed today by the Republican Congress.

So I just want to know: Why are you so worried? What are you afraid of? What are you hiding?

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, Mr. Garamendi, for allowing me the opportunity to speak about this.

You have FDR on the poster. He also said December 7 was a day that would live in infamy. This is a day that will live in infamy because of the tax bill that was passed today.

I don't like to speak in this hyperbolic way, but what was passed by the Republican House, and soon by the Republican Senate, is something none of us has ever seen before.

Let's just do some easy math so that people understand how unbelievable the numbers are on this.

Let's take Speaker Ryan's numbers. He said an average family of four making some $60,000 are going to save about $1,183. Okay. Of the four, that is about $275 per person. That is nice. I like it.

What he doesn't tell you, and what the Republicans refuse to talk about, is how much money is put on the credit card of the Nation for the current generation and future generations to have to pay. At best, it is $1.5 trillion.

That is a number that none of us can really understand how big it is. But let's say there are 300 million Americans. Divide 300 million into $1.5 trillion and that is $5,000. Let's do the math. You get to save $270, but you put $5,000 on the credit card.

Wait a second. That doesn't sound quite right. Where does that $4,730 go?

Well, it goes straight up to the wealthiest among us.

So all of us, as a country, as a nation, and as a people, have the obligation to pay this back.

And who gets it?

Just a very slim few. We get $270, but we have $5,000 on a credit card.

Mr. DeFazio talked about some of the opportunity costs that are lost from this $1.5 trillion. If the $1.5 trillion were out there to benefit all of us and just put in infrastructure, we would basically fix every road, every water work, every electric grid issue that we have; we would put broadband across the country, and all of us would benefit and make this country competitive for the next 50 years.

Instead, we say: We don't need that money. Let's just give it back to the wealthiest people in America.

Wrong. Terrible.

I serve on the Science Committee. We did some numbers in the Science Committee.

The entire budget for solar energy for our laboratories, in any given year, is about $207 million. We were having this testimony and the Republicans were picking on the managers of the solar budget line and said: You have really got to shrink this. This is costing too much money.

Well, do you know how many times 207 million goes into $1.5 trillion? Do you know how many years worth of budgets that is?

It is 7,480 years worth of solar energy budgets.

I have really been working on getting our astronauts to Mars. We have been advised that that is going to cost about $200 billion over the course of the next 16 years, to 2033, which is when the orbits of Mars and the Earth come close together and saves us a lot of space time, travel time, and is safer for our astronauts.

We could send our astronauts to Mars and back and start from scratch eight times for this tax cut that is going to be received by the rich.

It is not right. It is not American. It is the opposite of what FDR said when he said: ``The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.''

There has been some talk about how real estate developers and others are really going to benefit by this tax cut that nobody has seen until the last day or two. This is a giant piece of legislation.

One of the things the Democrats have asked for for a year now is that we want to see the President's tax returns. He has refused to disclose his tax returns. So we know he was a real estate developer, we know he is a very wealthy guy, and we know he is going to benefit in a large way--or, he might say in a huge way--by this tax cut. But we don't know how much it is going to be because he will never disclose his tax returns.

The ink is just barely dry as to how this is all going to work out. What has transpired today is really a shame. I really am disappointed in my Republican colleagues in how this matter has been rushed through.

Mr. Speaker, I can't think of a more breathtaking display of nerve or brass than what the Republican majority is doing with this bill.

After the tragedies we have suffered in Las Vegas and in Orlando, in Aurora, Colorado, that I represent, to race to the bottom to have the easiest laws--and no offense to Georgia, but Georgia has no business and no right to tell Colorado what its laws concerning the health, safety, and welfare of Coloradans should be under the 10th Amendment.

Instead of taking up real legislation on assault weapons or bump stocks that make those assault weapons machine guns that mowed down all those people in Las Vegas, we are saying: No. Whatever State has the weakest, most lax gun laws, then that State is going to control all the other States. That is wrong, that is unconstitutional, and this bill should be rejected right here and right now.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Commerce City Councilman Andrew Amador for his years of service to the City of Commerce City, Colorado. Since 2013 Councilman Amador has been active within the City, serving on the Council and also numerous boards and commissions.

Councilman Amador has been a tireless advocate for Commerce City during his tenure as a Councilman. He has served on the Board of Adjustments, Education Commission and the Adams 14 Foundation among many others. Additionally, he along with members of the Commerce City Council identified more than $1 billion in capital improvements ranging from parks to roads that would be necessary over the next 25 years to meet the needs of a growing community. The work that Councilman Amador and other members of the Council put into this project was tremendous. The adoption of a five-year plan, which is a sustainable way to implement needed investments and provide budget certainty and predictability was thoughtful and will help improve the City of Commerce City for years to come. I admire the dedication and tireless efforts that Councilman Amador has put into his City during his tenure as a Councilman.

I extend my deepest thanks to Andrew Amador for his service to the community. Thank you for your continuous dedication to serving the constituents of Commerce City, Colorado.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Commerce City Councilman and Mayor Pro Tem Rene Bullock for his years of service to the City of Commerce City, Colorado. Since 1998 Councilman Bullock has been active within the City, serving on the Council and also numerous boards and commissions.

Councilman Bullock has been a tireless advocate for Commerce City during his tenure as a Councilman and Mayor Pro Tem. He has served on the Youth Commission, Housing Authority, Friends of the Front Range Wildlife Refuges and the Sand Creek Regional Greenway Steering Committee among many others. Additionally, he along with members of the Commerce City Council identified more than $1 billion in capital improvements ranging from parks to roads that would be necessary over the next 25 years to meet the needs of a growing community. The work that Councilman Bullock and other members of the Council put into this project was tremendous. The adoption of a five-year plan, which is a sustainable way to implement needed investments and provide budget certainty and predictability was thoughtful and will help improve the City of Commerce City for years to come. I admire the dedication and tireless efforts that Councilman Bullock has put into his City during his tenure as a Councilman and Mayor Pro Tem.

I extend my deepest thanks to Rene Bullock for his service to the community. Thank you for your continuous dedication to serving the constituents of Commerce City, Colorado.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Commerce City Councilwoman Jadie Carson for her years of service to the City of Commerce City, Colorado. Since 2009 Councilwoman Carson has been active within the City, serving on the Council and also numerous boards and commissions.

Councilwoman Carson has been a tireless advocate for Commerce City during her tenure

as a Councilwoman. She has served on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, Commerce City Youth Commission, the Commerce City Cultural Council and the Northern Community Coalition among many others. Additionally she along with members of the Commerce City Council identified more than $1 billion in capital improvements ranging from parks to roads that would be necessary over the next 25 years to meet the needs of a growing community. The work that Councilwoman Carson and other members of the Council put into this project was tremendous. The adoption of a five-year plan, which is a sustainable way to implement needed investments and provide budget certainty and predictability was thoughtful and will help improve the City of Commerce City for years to come. I admire the dedication and tireless efforts that Councilwoman Carson has put into her City during her tenure as a Councilwoman.

I extend my deepest thanks to Jadie Carson for her service to the community. Thank you for your continuous dedication to serving the constituents of Commerce City, Colorado.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Commerce City Councilman Jason McEldowney for his years of service to the City of Commerce City, Colorado. Since 2007 Councilman McEldowney has been active within the City, serving on the Council and also numerous boards and commissions.

Councilman McEldowney has been a tireless advocate for Commerce City during his tenure as a Councilman. He has served on the Water Commission, Education Commission and the SD27J Facilities Foundation among many others. Additionally, he along with members of the Commerce City Council identified more than $1 billion in capital improvements ranging from parks to roads that would be necessary over the next 25 years to meet the needs of a growing community. The work that Councilman McEldowney and other members of the Council put into this project was tremendous. The adoption of a five-year plan, which is a sustainable way to implement needed investments and provide budget certainty and predictability was thoughtful and will help improve the City of Commerce City for years to come. I admire the dedication and tireless efforts that Councilman McEldowney has put into his City during his tenure as a Councilman.

I extend my deepest thanks to Jason McEldowney for his service to the community. Thank you for your continuous dedication to serving the constituents of Commerce City, Colorado.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mary Ann Barwick for being honored by the West Chamber of Commerce.

As the Healthcare Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator at the Rocky Mountain Down Syndrome Association, Mary Ann Barwick works with hospitals and doctors to help assure inclusion and enhance the independence of people with Down syndrome.

After many years in the financial industry, Mary Ann stayed home to raise her two boys. While staying home she held several volunteer positions, including President and Treasurer of the PTO, Treasurer of Foothills Swim Team, Destination Imagination Coach, and religious education teacher and board member of the Denver Ballet Guild and Bear Creek Swim and Tennis.

She re-entered the workforce when her oldest son went to college, and began her stint in the nonprofit world. She believes in mission-driven work and loves to recruit volunteers. Mary Ann continues her volunteer work and currently serves as an Affiliate Challenge Master for Destination Imagination Colorado. And she and her husband have been running the Lunch Bunch program at their church which makes lunches for the homeless in Denver for the last 24 years.

I extend my deepest congratulations to Mary Ann Barwick for this well-deserved honor from the West Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mary Anne Fleet for being honored by the West Chamber of Commerce.

Mary Anne Fleet received her bachelor's degree in music education from Temple University where she studied bassoon with members of the Philadelphia Orchestra. After moving to Colorado, she worked as a freelance musician with the Central City Opera Company and other professional musical ensembles while teaching woodwinds privately.

Mary Anne later moved to the nonprofit sector and earned her Master's degree in nonprofit management from Regis University. She

worked as Development Director for Hear Now and as Executive Director for Caring Connection. For the last 21 years, she has been a member of the bassoon section of the Lakewood Symphony. In 2010, she became the symphony's first Executive Director and has helped the symphony become a major force within Lakewood's performing arts community.

Mary Anne maintains an active woodwind teaching studio at Music & Arts in Littleton, and has served as president of the South Lakewood Business Association, past president of the Rotary Club of Lakewood, and is currently a member of All Comforting Things, which provides hand-crafted items to people in need. She is also a proud mother of three and the grandmother of four. She and her husband recently celebrated their 51st wedding anniversary.

I extend my deepest congratulations to Mary Anne Fleet for this well- deserved honor from the West Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Julia Hill- Nichols for being honored by the West Chamber of Commerce.

With over 30 years of experience, Julia Hill-Nichols is your go-to gal for all things human resources and operations locally and internationally. She has held numerous executive roles as the chief human resource officer at a NASDAQ start-up and a Fortune 50 company. These positions have provided her the opportunity to act as an internal consultant to CEOs, Board of Directors and executive teams in the U.S. and all the way to Great Britain and Ireland.

In particular, she is recognized for her work with CEOs and companies as they execute complex organizational change and development. In February 2010, she launched LeadersCove LLC, a human resource and management consulting firm dedicated to revitalizing leadership.

Julia is particularly passionate about optimizing the potential of staff to build truly amazing, dynamic and healthy organizations through individual and collective contributions. She is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, and a member of HR People and Strategy and Society for Human Resources Management. She is a past member of the Board of Directors of the Jefferson County Library Foundation and the Chair of the Jefferson County Public Library Board of Trustees.

Currently, Julia is Secretary of the Colorado Companies to Watch Board of Directors and an advisor with the Entrepreneurs Consortium of Colorado as well as Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network, Colorado.

I extend my deepest congratulations to Julia Hill-Nichols for this well-deserved honor from the West Chamber of Commerce.