Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 449 I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Education and the Workforce Committee for bringing up H.R. 4984, the Empowering Students Through Enhanced Financial Counseling Act. I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill.

Within the past year, I have held two Paying for College Workshops in my district. These district events have attracted hundreds of parents and students. I have noticed that parents take more careful notes during these workshops, but all of them were eager--all who attended were eager to learn about how to finance college tuition, from the free application for Federal student aid, to understanding the multiple grant and loan programs. Many students and parents struggle to understand this very complicated process.

I think that that is why this bill is important, the Empowering Students Through Enhanced Financial Counseling Act. With total student debt now over $1 trillion, it is critical to equip students and parents with proper interactive counseling, so that they have the knowledge to make responsible and informed decisions when borrowing.

Understanding the terms and conditions for the Pell grants, understanding what an individual's financial obligations are after graduating, these are key to helping students and parents understand and manage financial health well beyond college.

I, again, would like to thank Representative Brett Guthrie and Representative Suzanne Bonamici for their joint work on this bill. I would like to express my support, not only for their bipartisan endeavor, but for the other higher education bills before the floor this week. These bills work to strengthen our education policy.

An education is one of the most important investments an individual can make. We must ensure that students and parents are able to make financially responsible choices. We must make sure they understand about Pell grants and other such programs available to them, along with the other higher education bills before this floor.

Let's improve the current system. I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4411) to prevent Hezbollah and associated entities from gaining access to international financial and other institutions, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include any extraneous material on this measure into the Record.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in very strong support of this measure.

I want to thank the gentleman from North Carolina, Mr. Mark Meadows, who is the author of this legislation, along with Mr. Schneider of Illinois and Ranking Member Eliot Engel of New York, for their bipartisan leadership on this critically important subject.

Today, Israel is at war with Hamas. Thousands of rockets--over 2,000 so far--including advanced Iranian-supplied rockets, have been fired indiscriminantly, aimed at civilians--from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and all across Israel--for the past 2 weeks. At the outset, Hamas was estimated to have 10,000 missiles. Hamas, which has been attacking Israeli civilians, is also using a sophisticated tunneling network, and it is a sophisticated terrorist organization--but, my friends, it pales in comparison with Hezbollah.

Hezbollah, the ``Party of God,'' has over 25,000 sophisticated missiles right now in southern Lebanon, nearly all of which were supplied by Iran. Hezbollah has carried out a number of terrorist attacks across the globe, from Bulgaria to Cyprus to India to Thailand, also here in the Western Hemisphere. Now, I saw firsthand in 2006 the work of Hezbollah. I was in Haifa as they were targeting civilian neighborhoods, and those Iranian-made and Syrian-made rockets were slamming into people's homes and were being targeted on the hospital, itself. Every one of these had 90,000 ball bearings. The only intent was to create mass casualties, and in that trauma hospital in Rambam, there were over 600 victims. That is the work of Hezbollah.

Hezbollah has actively targeted the United States now for 30 years, and I ask my colleagues to reflect on their history. Prior to the attacks of September 11, 2001, frankly, Hezbollah was responsible for the largest number of American deaths by terrorist organizations up until that point when al Qaeda carried out that attack. By the way, these include the 1983 bombing of the United States Embassy in Beirut and the bombing of the United States Marine Corps barracks there again in the same year. Hezbollah was behind the kidnappings of Beirut throughout the 1980s as well as international airline hijackings and efforts to target U.S. military personnel in Saudi Arabia. Hezbollah provided the funding and provided the weapons to Iraqi militias--to do what?--to target American personnel and kill them in Iraq. Lethal, yes, but Hezbollah is also vulnerable. It is vulnerable to steps we can take.

Severe international sanctions against its patron, Iran, have reportedly led to a decrease in the funding to Hezbollah, and as a result, this organization has been forced to turn increasingly to its transnational organized criminal enterprises in order to expand its operational capabilities. In 2011, we saw the tip of the iceberg when a massive drug and money laundering operation for Hezbollah's benefit in weapons, logistics, and training was uncovered.

We must remember that any sanctions relief that we provide to Iran for a nuclear agreement will have an impact on Iran's ability to further support Hezbollah. In response to the Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Act of 2014, this bill, written by Mark Meadows, builds on the existing sanctions regime by placing Hezbollah's sources of financing under additional scrutiny, particularly those resources outside of Lebanon. In addition to targeting the terrorist organization's diverse financial network, the legislation also requires the U.S. Government to report on Hezbollah's global logistics network and its transnational organized criminal enterprises, including all of its drug smuggling operations.

The goal is to improve coordination and cooperation with allies and other responsible countries in confronting the increasing threat posed by Hezbollah, and I strongly urge my colleagues to support this critical measure.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from North Carolina, Mr. Mark Meadows. Although he is a new member to the committee, he is a very active member on Foreign Affairs and is the author of this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I am absolutely going to reserve the right to close, should there be anymore speakers that Mr. Engel has on his side.

Mr. Speaker, I will place into the Record the letters exchanged with the other committees with jurisdictional interests in this bill; Financial Services would be one, and Judiciary.

In closing, let me agree with Mr. Engel's observation that this is a critical time in the Middle East, and also, with our frustration that, during this time, Iran should continue to increase its support for its patron, Hezbollah, because for those of us with a longer memory, we remember how much they have increased their capability to do harm.

As a result of that funding that has come from Iran, Hezbollah- initiated killings and bombings have occurred, to the frustration of our European allies, to those in Asia and those in Latin America, today, on virtually every continent.

In 2012, Hezbollah carried out a bus bombing in Bulgaria--many of us remember that--and plotted an attack in Cyprus, leading to the European Union's designation of Hezbollah's military wing as a terrorist organization.

Furthermore, Hezbollah continues to fight on behalf of the Assad regime in Syria's brutal civil war. One of the things we have seen is missiles being brought over the border from Syria into southern Lebanon by Hezbollah.

We have seen the deaths in Syria at the hands of Hezbollah fighters. It has resulted in the deaths of thousands and thousands of people.

And most importantly, Hezbollah has been responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Americans, and that is a third reason why we are focused on this terrorist organization.

We must do everything in our power to target Hezbollah's lifeline, to target their financing, and I urge all Members to support this legislation.

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

House of Representatives,

Committee on the Judiciary,

Washington, DC, July 8, 2014.

Hon. Ed Royce,

Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,

Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Royce, I am writing concerning H.R. 4411, the

``Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Act of 2014,''

which your Committee ordered reported on June 26, 2014.

As a result of your having consulted with the Committee on

the provisions in our jurisdiction and in order to expedite

the House's consideration of H.R. 4411, the Committee on the

Judiciary will not assert is jurisdictional claim over this

bill by seeking a sequential referral. However, this is

conditional on our mutual understanding and agreement that

doing so will in no way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of

the Committee on the Judiciary with respect to the

appointment of conferees or to any future jurisdictional

claim over the subject matters contained in the bill or

similar legislation.

I would appreciate your response to this letter confirming

this understanding, and would request that you include a copy

of this letter and your response in the Committee Report and

in the Congressional Record during the floor consideration of

this bill.

Sincerely,

Bob Goodlatte,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Affairs be discharged from further consideration of House Resolution

657, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I have an amendment to the preamble at the desk.

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained and missed two votes on July 8. Had I been present, on rollcall No. 369, H.R. 4263, the Social Media Working Group Act of 2014 I would have voted ``aye.'' On rollcall No. 370, H.R. 4289, the Department of Homeland Security Interoperable Communications Act I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. Speaker, you have heard today about the devastating effects of the Democratic Republic of the Congo's decision to suspend exit permits for internationally adopted children. I've met with the American families who, as a result of this action, cannot welcome their adopted son or daughter into their home. I've seen their heartbreak.

One family, the Weavers, live in my district. In 2012, James and Olivia Weaver began the process of adopting little Wilfride, a gregarious five-year-old girl with a heartwarming smile. Her birth mother had abandoned her at a local orphanage.

The Weavers were overjoyed when, after nine long months, a Congolese court declared them Wilfride's legal parents. They quickly made preparations for their new daughter to join them and their two other daughters in Chino Hills, California.

But one month after the court's declaration, the Congolese Government suspended exit permits for children like Wilfride--meaning this little girl has had to continue living in an orphanage for the last 10 months. All this despite having a loving home in California that desperately wants to take her in.

I have been to the Congo many times. I understand the exceptional deprivation of orphans there. The Congolese Government should be helping, and not hindering, their transition to a good home.

I should add that, parents with completed adoptions in the DRC are legally responsible for their child's wellbeing--and are reportedly paying on average $500 a month in child support, in addition to healthcare expenses. I have serious concerns that the DRC Government may have perverse financial incentives to postpone resolving this issue.

I sincerely hope that this is not contributing to the Congo's delay. The government must allow these children to make their way to the homes that are anxiously awaiting their arrival. I want to thank Rep. Peterson and Chairman Smith for their hard work on this difficult issue, and I urge Members to support this important resolution to encourage the Congolese government to do the right thing.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to condemn in the strongest terms the ongoing violence against the minority Muslim population in Sri Lanka.

Last week, Buddhist mobs rampaged their way through three towns, attacking Muslim homes and businesses, burning many to the ground. As one victim said:

The house I own was burned down. My family has nowhere to

go.

Another victim describes every night following another attack as being a ``nightmare,'' with her family cowering in fear of the next attack.

The Sri Lankan government has not done enough to deal with the threat of the so-called Buddhist Power Force, the group responsible for this violence. When the Sri Lankan police were called in to stop the violence, reportedly, many just stood on the sidelines doing nothing.

Madam Speaker, the Sri Lankan government must take a stronger stance against this violence and protect its minority Muslim population. While promises have been made to rebuild houses and shops, it is unacceptable that this minority continues to live in fear.

Remembering Sue Kint

Madam Speaker, today, we pay our respects to Sue Kint, a longtime friend of many in the community of Buena Park, California, who recently passed away after battling what began as lung cancer.

Sue Kint's remarkable story has humble beginnings. Born to Korean parents in Japan, Sue later moved to South Korea as a young girl, where she attended Ewha Womans University in Seoul, Korea. She later moved to the United States to complete her bachelor's degree at California State University of Los Angeles, majoring in finance and law.

Ms. Kint was the founder and CEO of Kint & Associates, a successful international consulting and trading company. Through her exceptional work and dedication, she was recognized as one of 2,000 notable American women.

Among her other notable accomplishments, Sue served on the Chapman University board of governors and was recently awarded an honorary doctor of the university degree. She also served on the Orange County chapter of the National Unification Advisory Council as an appointee of former South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and current President Park Geun-hye. She was a valuable asset on my Asia Pacific Community Advisory Council, and was known as an exemplary woman who cared deeply about excellence in education and what could be done in education and opportunities for the next generation.

In her fight with cancer, she maintained a spirit of courage, dignity, and grace. Her strong will and desire to live a fulfilling life has encouraged others to do the same. She will be truly missed by her brother, Kevin, all of her friends, and all the lives she has touched. She will be remembered as her spirit lives on.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Federal Credit Union Act and to use this occasion to honor the contributions that the credit union movement has made to the United States. The Act, which was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1934, permits credit unions to be formed anywhere in the United States. The legislation bolstered the development of credit unions as a way to promote thrift among the American people while setting in place federal oversight of these financial institutions.

Eighty years later, credit unions in the United States claim nearly 100 million members. If the credit unions those members own were a single financial institution, it would be the fifth largest bank in America.

But thankfully, those credit unions are more than 6,600 independent, consumer-owned, volunteer-led, democratically controlled financial institutions, vital to the well-being of their members.

Credit unions are part of the great fabric that makes our country strong.

They are cooperatives--bound together by a common set of business principles and values: voluntary membership; democratic control; economic participation; autonomy and independence; member education; cooperation among cooperatives; and concern for community.

A Canadian, Alphonse Desjardins, brought the idea for credit unions west from Europe in 1900 and by 1909 he had successfully organized the first American credit union in New Hampshire. Two Americans, Pierre Jay, the Massachusetts banking commissioner and Edward Filene, a Boston merchant, took up the cause of promoting credit unions in those early years.

In 1908 a national conference on credit unions was held in Boston that brought together Desjardins, Filene, Jay and others interested in the formative stages of the movement. That conference led to the 1909 draft of legislation in Massachusetts that became the nation's first state credit union act.

The movement developed slowly during the following decade and by 1921 Filene become convinced that federal legislation was needed in addition to existing state legislation. He hired Massachusetts attorney Roy Bergengren to help. The Credit Union National Extension Bureau was formed. Four years later, 15 states had passed credit union enabling laws and 419 credit unions were serving 108,000 consumers.

After the 1934 passage of the Federal Credit Union Act, credit unions recognized their need for stronger national representation and unity. The Credit Union National Association was formed--replacing the Credit Union National Extension Bureau.

Robust credit union growth continued until World War II. Wartime slowed the expansion of the movement considerably. Interest picked up again once the conflict ended and by 1955 there were more than 16,000 credit unions across the United States. By 1969, that number had swelled to nearly 24,000.

The 1970s brought about great change to credit unions as they broadened their services to meet the expanding needs of their members. Legislation permitting mortgage lending by credit unions was passed and the total number of credit union members more than doubled during the decade.

As consumer needs evolved and became more complex, many credit unions merged to increase their ability to pool resources and improve member services. While the total number of actual credit unions decreased with mergers, the number of consumer members of credit unions soared, and is now on the cusp of 100 million across the nation.

Credit unions continue to innovate with new services and tools to help their members build economic security.

The work Congress did 80 years ago in passing the Federal Credit Union Act continues to serve the country well.

In fact, the influence credit unions have on the entire financial system saves all consumers money with generally lower rates for loans and higher rates for savings--no matter where they bank. An impressive $8 billion dollars in savings in 2013 alone is attributed to credit unions.

Today, credit unions are utilized by their members for the convenience, prices, product choice, and financial education they offer.

Credit unions are living up to the promise outlined in their principles. They are institutions that their members and all Americans can choose to be their best financial partner.

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

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Chairman, I want to compliment the chairman and the ranking member for the work that they have done to bring this bill to the floor, but this bill can be improved.

There is growing bipartisan support for improving our international food assistance to ensure that more people are helped for less money. Unfortunately, this bill fails to advance international food aid reform, and it actually reverses progress achieved in the 2014 farm bill, legislation enacted by this body just a few months ago.

It fails to provide flexibility, so that up to 25 percent of the Food for Peace title II budget would be exempt from U.S. purchase requirements. If enacted, this proposal would have generated over $100 million in efficiency savings and enabled the United States to reach an additional 2 million people in dire need of food aid. An effective international food aid program helps those in need, and it strengthens our international security.

Finally, the bill fails to fund a congressionally authorized, broadly supported Local and Regional Procurement program. Following upon a successful pilot, the 2014 farm bill authorized $80 million per year for the Local and Regional Procurement program.

That means we can buy food closer to the area in crisis, reducing transit time by more than 10 weeks, reducing the cost per food aid recipient by 20 to 30 percent. This was considered an important reform that won, again, broad bipartisan support.

This amendment contains a modest shift in funding that will have a major impact, $10 million, while reducing funds for the administration of marketing and promotion programs that benefit major corporations. We can save lives. It is an easy choice.

Mr. Chairman, our food aid takes too long to arrive and costs too much to get there. A former top aid official told our committee that:

In fast onset famines, such as Somalia in 1991-1992, and

wars involving mass population displacement, such as in

Darfur in 2003 and 2004, I watched people die waiting for

food arrive.

Obviously, he strongly backs this reform.

Lastly, I recently traveled to the Philippines and witnessed firsthand the impact that LRP can have. Devastated by a powerful typhoon and left with virtually nothing, the people of Tacloban did not have the luxury of time to wait for U.S. food aid to arrive from warehouses in Sri Lanka.

In fact, it took more than 3 weeks for those shipments to arrive, but with local and regional procurement, we were able to start helping people right away, and we saved lives.

I would say, in Syria, where the delivery of U.S. food is nearly impossible, the combination of vouchers with local and regional purchase is the only viable option.

It is time to make a change. This requires $10 million. Vote ``yes,'' please, on the Royce amendment.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield my remaining 1 minute to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer).

Will the gentleman yield?

In closing, I would just say that I am open to working with the chairman and ranking member to find an appropriate offset in conference. However, it is essential to adopt this amendment now so that this matter can be set, we can put a marker down, and get this in place. I thank the gentleman for the support for the amendment.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Chairman, I rise, yet again, to raise the alarm over taxpayer-funded housing policy.

This straightforward amendment that you have before you would prohibit Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from using funds to pay housing advocacy groups or others through the housing trust fund at a time when they continue to owe money to the American people.

Beginning in 2008, the U.S. taxpayers bailed out the GSEs to the tune of $189 billion. That number is expected to grow to over $200 billion by 2015; but as the housing market has begun to recover, so, too, have Fannie's and Freddie's profits.

At the first sign of money rolling in, some housing advocates are pressuring the Federal Housing Finance Agency to get a piece of the taxpayer-funded pie. They have gone to extraordinary lengths, even filing a lawsuit last summer to try to force contributions to the trust fund.

Originally slated to receive funds siphoned off from the GSEs, the trust fund was never capitalized due, of course, to the fact that the GSEs went into conservatorship. Without passage of this amendment, the director of the FHFA could turn on that spigot at any moment.

Contrary to what Fannie and Freddie apologists may claim, the GSEs have yet to repay any of the taxpayer-funded bailout. The cash injection into the GSEs was made in the form of a draw from the U.S. Treasury, not a loan to be repaid. No so-called repayment can be made as long as American taxpayers are on the hook for future losses.

Let us also not overlook the fact that the failure of this public- private housing scheme was at the center of the financial crisis, a collapse that destroyed trillions of dollars in household wealth and left millions unemployed. How much money would it take to repay those losses?

It is clear to any observer that the money that is now coming in from the GSEs is a small pittance for what they have cost the American economy. Any profits remain directly attributable to extensive and continued taxpayer support. That is the point, hence the need for this amendment.

I would urge an ``aye'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Offered By: Mr. Royce

Amendment No. 7: Page 16, line 14, after the dollar amount,

insert ``(reduced by $15,500,000)''.

Page 48, line 18, after the dollar amount, insert

``(increased by $10,000,000)''.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 600) urging the Government of Afghanistan, following a successful first round of the presidential election on April 5, 2014, to pursue a transparent, credible, and inclusive run-off presidential election on June 14, 2014, while ensuring the safety of voters, candidates, poll workers, and election observers.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, this coming Saturday, the Afghan people will exercise their right to vote and their right to determine their country's future, choosing between two candidates to complete the first democratic transfer of power in Afghanistan's long, violent history.

This vote holds out the promise of helping to solidify the achievements of U.S. international forces there. That is why this bipartisan resolution, which I am pleased to cosponsor, urges the Government of Afghanistan to pursue a secure, transparent, and credible runoff Presidential election.

Make no mistake--the Taliban would love nothing more than to disrupt this democratic process and see the Government of Afghanistan fail. During the past month, Taliban fighters have ramped up their attacks, of course, while threatening polling centers and election officials.

Indeed, on Friday, the Taliban attempted to assassinate the leading Afghan Presidential candidate, Abdul Abdullah, in a suicide car bombing. After emerging unharmed, Abdullah said:

Threats can't stop us and our people. We are still

dedicated to what we have promised for a better future.

For those of you who followed his campaign later that day, he was undeterred and went from event to event.

Well, this election offers the chance for Afghanistan to embark on that better future by taking the final steps towards a legitimate transition of power.

Just over 2 months ago, Afghans overwhelmingly flocked to the polls to vote in Presidential and in provisional elections. More than 7 million Afghan citizens cast a blot during the first round of voting. To put that in perspective, for those of you who remember, that was about 4.5 million who voted in 2009. This dwarfed that number--7 million.

That first round election also saw a prominent female politician selected as a running mate, a choice that likely helped inspire some 2.5 million Afghan women to come out to the polls and to vote. While she and her running mate came in third, no aspiring leader can afford to ignore the interests of half of Afghanistan's population, who want better education, health, and other basic services.

Although the April elections were a significant improvement over 2009, there is plenty of room for progress. Numerous electoral complaints led to the invalidation of votes, and in May, Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission fired poll workers, some of whom were accused of voter fraud. This is exactly why it is so critical for the Government of Afghanistan to take these proactive steps to champion a secure and fair runoff election. A successful election will help emphasize Afghanistan's commitment to good governance, and it will provide much-needed legitimacy to the incoming President of that country.

Mr. Speaker, the United States has been heavily involved in Afghanistan for years. We have made great sacrifice. While the Obama administration has U.S. involvement in Afghanistan coming to a close, U.S. interest in a stable and secure Afghanistan will continue. The United States maintains an enduring national security interest in an Afghanistan that prevents itself from becoming a safe haven for terrorism. That goal becomes much harder if the Taliban is rejuvenated and successful in wrecking this weekend's elected government.

But one way we can demonstrate our commitment to Afghanistan's success is by supporting the country's first-ever democratic transition of executive power. This resolution does exactly that, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Messer).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume and will just take a moment and recognize the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Grayson) for his initiative in introducing this bill and for his commitment to the success of democratic governance in Afghanistan.

The international community has previously pledged aid support to Afghanistan on the condition that the country hold transparent, credible, and inclusive elections this year and next year. This resolution encourages the Government of Afghanistan to uphold that commitment when Afghans finally select a successor to President Karzai on June 14.

This new government will have a chance to start anew, tackling corruption--the kind of corruption that has jeopardized the success of international aid efforts there. This resolution urges the Government of Afghanistan to lessen the risk of fraud, to improve electoral transparency, enhance security efforts, and increase voter participation during the upcoming runoff.

Importantly, it has also been the case that we need to recognize the sacrifices of members of the Armed Forces, and this resolution does that. It recognizes those in our Armed Forces and underscores that this election will contribute to the security and stability interests of both Afghanistan and the United States.

This is an historic opportunity to bolster the Afghan-led electoral process, and I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan resolution, which demonstrates our commitment to a legitimate and democratic transition to power in Afghanistan.

Also, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert) has reminded me that, as Afghanistan walks down this road, it might behoove the new government there to look at local elections as part of the solution, rather than to have people perennially appointed from the center of the country, empower people locally to elect their own local mayors, their own local leaders.

They will certainly have that opportunity next year in the parliamentary elections.

With that said, again, I thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Grayson) for this resolution.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to express my strong support for the Mortgage Choice Act. I thank the gentleman from Michigan for his leadership on this important bill.

Owning a home has long been the cornerstone of the American Dream, but regulations are currently restricting consumer access to mortgage credit for low and moderate income homebuyers. The Mortgage Choice Act will ensure that potential homeowners can borrow funds for their home in a responsible manner while keeping intact consumer protections established by Dodd-Frank's ability to pay provisions.

I urge passage of this bill today. This is a legislative initiative that merits strong bipartisan support.

Offered By: Mr. Royce

Amendment No. 5: At the end of the bill (before the short

title), insert the following:

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of my neighbor and friend, Rabbi Haim Asa, who passed away at the age of 83 on May 28, 2014. His presence in the Jewish community of Orange County and beyond will be greatly missed.

Rabbi Asa's contributions as a spiritual leader since the mid 1960s and as Rabbi Emeritus of Temple Beth Tikvah in Fullerton have had a strong and positive impact on the community. His life story is full of remarkable accomplishments.

As a Holocaust refugee from Bulgaria, he fought in Israel's War of Independence. Rabbi Asa was also known for cofounding the Congregation Emanu-El in Buenos Aires, rescuing a Romanian refugee from Turkish authorities, and saving a Jewish university student from Argentine authorities.

His involvement in every local, regional, and national cause concerning the welfare of the State of Israel and its people is well known. He was instrumental in the development of many of the Jewish organizations, including Jewish Federation & Family Services, that serve the Jewish community today.

Additionally, Rabbi Asa contributed to building the Holocaust memorial called Garden of the Righteous. It stands to educate people on the Holocaust in order to prevent a historic tragedy from repeating itself.

I know that Rabbi Asa has touched thousands of lives over the years. Many in the community share my appreciation for his work to bring people together, always done with humor and insight. We feel a sense of deep loss. His achievements have left a permanent mark on the community and will inspire the lives of countless others for years to come.

My thoughts go out to the friends and family of this remarkable community leader, Rabbi Haim Asa. I join the Jewish community and everyone who had the pleasure of knowing Rabbi Asa in honoring and remembering him. My condolences go out to his family.

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