Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in support of the Military SAVE Act.

Last year, the Department of Defense reported there were an estimated 20,300 military members who indicated they had experienced a sexual assault the year prior. Many of these military sexual trauma survivors expressed concerns that services available within the VA healthcare system did not meet their post-trauma needs.

This bill will now require the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish a 3-year pilot program to allow these survivors treatment related to their injuries from the provider of their choice. Then the VA will compare the care received from outside providers with the VA so that they can find ways to provide better care for MST survivors.

Mr. Speaker, anyone who is sexually assaulted should be able to receive the care that they need, and that stands true for the men and women protecting our Nation. Members of the military should be confident in the quality of care they receive from the VA, and this new bill, when it becomes law, would help the VA to improve the services that they offer.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share my support as a cosponsor of the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act, which gives Liberians in deferred enforced departure permanent status.

Thousands of Liberians came to the United States to escape civil war, seeking a better life and a safer environment to raise their families. For the last 25 years, many have sought and realized the American Dream through hard work, drive, and determination. They have become small- business owners and leaders in our community. Minnesota is home to one of the largest Liberian communities in the United States, many of whom live in the western suburbs of the Twin Cities.

Mr. Speaker, I have had the distinct pleasure and honor of getting to know many members of the Liberian community personally. I have heard their stories, and I have seen their love for America firsthand. However, they are facing uncertainty today because their temporary period of protection is about to expire, so it is imperative that action be taken to ensure they are able to live here, work here, and continue to offer their contributions as important members of our community.

Mr. Speaker, sex trafficking is a modern-day slavery that violates the human rights of nearly 21 million victims every year. It is a rampant crime, committed around the world, but what many don't realize is that human trafficking is unfortunately a big problem right here in the United States.

Online trafficking is booming because there are no serious legal consequences for the websites that exploit or profit from the exploitation of innocent and vulnerable young children. Websites like backpage.com are able to evade responsibility for their role in trafficking in this industry as they continue to profit from ads selling girls for sex.

That is why I am a cosponsor of H.R. 1865, the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act, bipartisan legislation that will give Federal, State, and local prosecutors the tools that they need to hold websites accountable for supporting this horrendous industry and help put an end to the online sale of trafficking victims.

Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize Fairview Southdale Hospital in Edina for recently receiving the 2018 Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence from Healthgrades.

Fairview Southdale was also named one of the country's top 100 best hospitals for cardiac care, coronary intervention, and pulmonary care. Distinguished hospitals are determined and measured by whether they achieve outstanding outcomes in at least 21 of 23 common conditions and procedures.

Patients who are treated in these hospitals, on average, face a lower risk of death than if they were treated in hospitals without this designation. These hospitals also achieve better clinical results than 95 percent of hospitals across the country.

Mr. Speaker, the doctors, the nurses, the staffs at Fairview do incredible work, and I know they deserve this recognition, and we also know their patients are in good hands.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Gregory Olsen from Chaska who was recently appointed to serve on the National Honey Board by the Secretary of Agriculture.

Greg will serve a 3-year term alongside 19 other members as the importer-handler representative. The National Honey Board is one of the 22 industry-funded boards authorized by Congress under USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service. Its purpose is to expand domestic markets for honey and honey products.

The National Honey Board is responsible for research and development, advertising and promotion, consumer education, and industry information of the honey industry.

Madam Speaker, Greg brings important industry experience to the table and will assist the National Honey Board in their mission of successful innovative research, education, and promotional work for honey products that many people rely on in Minnesota and across the world.

Congratulations again to Greg Olsen.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the service of

Carver County Sheriff Jim Olson, who recently announced his retirement.

Sheriff Olson began his career with the Carter County Sheriff's Office 31 years ago. He was elected to his first 4-year term in 2010 and was reelected in 2013.

Olson led law enforcement operations during a time when Carver County surpassed a population of 100,000 people, making it one of the fastest growing counties in Minnesota. He oversaw major public safety operations during the aftermath of Prince's death as well as the Ryder Cup in 2016.

He is well respected in our community and is involved in community outreach, raising public awareness of mental health resources, educating the public about the role of the sheriff's office, and supporting the Hope House, a youth homeless shelter in Chanhassen.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Sheriff Olson for his many years of service and dedication to keeping the residents of Carver County safe. We wish him the best of luck in the future. He will be missed.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share my strong support for the Medicare Advantage program. I recently led a bipartisan letter with 298 Members of the House to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, urging them to preserve and strengthen Medicare Advantage. Millions of seniors rely on Medicare Advantage, and they need access to the high-quality healthcare plan choices that Medicare Advantage plans provide.

CMS will soon be issuing final policy and payment updates. These changes will have widespread implications on Medicare beneficiaries throughout the country. Our letter calls on CMS to preserve the program's integrity and existing incentives for MA plans that will offer high-quality, efficient, and patient-centered coverage options for consumers.

Mr. Speaker, the Medicare Advantage program covers nearly 19 million seniors across the country and provides care coordination, disease management programs, out-of-pocket spending limits, access to community-based programs, and additional supplemental benefits like vision, dental, and even prescription drug coverage.

We need CMS to continue to strengthen and enhance Medicare Advantage for our seniors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize four athletes from Minnesota's Third District who will be competing in the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Three are representing the United States on the women's ice hockey team: forward Kelly Pannek, from Plymouth, graduated from Benilde-St. Margaret's and is a senior now at the University of Minnesota; forward Dani Cameranesi, also from Plymouth, graduated from Blake and is also from the U of M; defender Sidney Morin, from Minnetonka, graduated from Minnetonka High School and also the University of Minnesota Duluth.

On the men's side, forward Ryan Stoa is representing the United States on the men's ice hockey team. He graduated from Bloomington Kennedy and, also, the University of Minnesota.

These four athletes join 16 other Minnesotans and the 238 other United States athletes as they compete in Pyeongchang, South Korea, later this week. Mr. Speaker, these athletes go day in and day out with dedication, hard work, and commitment to achieve their dreams of competing in the Olympics and bringing home a medal.

So, to Kelly, Dani, Sidney, Ryan, and all of our Olympians, we wish you good luck, and we are cheering you on.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank the gentleman for his leadership as well as the author, Mrs. Brooks, for her leadership on this issue.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act. In the wake of the horrendous revelations of sexual abuse brought to the forefront by the recent USA Gymnastics case, it is clear that measures do need to be put in place to protect young athletes and keep them safe.

No child should ever be put in the position of having their innocence robbed from them, which is why we need to have the highest protections of the law from those looking to exploit them and take advantage of their vulnerability.

I would encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this bipartisan bill which will require amateur athletic-governing bodies to immediately report sex abuse allegations to local or Federal law enforcement and also to make it safe and easy for victims to report that abuse.

As the Olympics approach, there is no doubt, we will all be reminded, unfortunately, of the recent sexual abuse case that took place with the gymnastics team. But this is our opportunity to take action, to do everything in our power to make sure that this does not happen again, and to protect all of our young and future athletes, giving them the confidence that they will never be put in a situation where an adult or someone who may have inappropriate intentions does not have the ability to do so.

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate Beau Allen, a Minnetonka High School graduate and defensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles, who is now on his way to play in the Super Bowl after a strong performance in the NFC Championship Game just a week ago.

Beau graduated from Minnetonka High School in 2010, and he is the only Minnetonka student in history to start all 4 years. After graduating, he went on to play for Wisconsin and didn't miss a game in his 4 years on that team. And then, in 2014, Beau was a seventh-round NFL pick and joined the Philadelphia Eagles.

He is a key member of the team's defensive line rotation. The Eagles' defense is now ranked first against the run, the fourth in the points allowed, and fourth overall.

As a Vikings fan, I was crushed that our season ended the way that it did, but it is exciting to see someone from our community now being able to play in the Super Bowl. I look forward to seeing Minnetonka represented on the field this Sunday.

Good luck, Beau.

Mr. Speaker, January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

With as many as 25 million people enslaved worldwide, human trafficking is an abhorrent practice that has become one of the most important human rights issues of our time.

Here in the United States, there are an estimated 100,000 minors at risk of being trafficked. We have taken positive, bipartisan action on a number of bills--18 this past year, Mr. Speaker--to combat trafficking, fight child abuse and exploitation, support and protect victims, and strengthen law enforcement's ability to go after the traffickers.

While we can be proud of the progress we have made, clearly there is more that needs to be done, including cracking down on the demand side of the equation and holding websites accountable for advertising sex with juveniles.

Mr. Speaker, I will continue to make this effort a priority and work with law enforcement, victims service groups, and other stakeholders to end human trafficking.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Wayzata High School on being named Minnesota's best public school by USA Today.

Strong public schools are the foundation of our community, and while Minnesota has many great public and private schools, Wayzata does stand out among them. The schools are evaluated on standardized test scores, student-teacher ratios, graduation rates, Advanced Placement enrollment, and more. Wayzata High School has over 3,200 students, a student ratio of 17 to 1, and an average SAT score of 1420.

Across the Nation, 80 percent of students graduate from high school. In Minnesota, 88 percent graduate, and in Wayzata, 93 percent of their students graduate. Their Advanced Placement enrollment is high, Mr. Speaker. Over 25 percent of 10th graders, 36 percent of 11th graders, and 34 percent of seniors are enrolled in AP classes at Wayzata.

Mr. Speaker, Principal Scott Gengler, all of the teachers and staff, students and parents, and the Spartan community deserve this recognition. Congratulations to Wayzata High School.

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow, January 9, is National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. It is a time to celebrate everything that our law enforcement men and women do for our communities. While it is important to appreciate their courage and bravery, it is also a time to honor them and thank them for their service.

Every single day, police officers go to work not knowing what dangers may lie ahead of them while on the job. They put their lives on the line with a mission to both serve and protect. By the way, these law enforcement personnel are our friends, our neighbors, and even family members.

Last year, 128 police officers lost their lives defending the thin blue line. One of them was Officer Bill Mathews of Wayzata, Minnesota. He was certainly well known and part of the fabric of the community. He is missed not only by a loving family--his wife, Shawn, and son, Wyatt--but also by those he worked with and the residents he served while on patrol in neighborhoods.

Mr. Speaker, those who serve in law enforcement will often say it is a calling, and we honor that calling of service on National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

One of my predecessors--a good friend and mentor--was Bill Frenzel. He was the last Minnesotan to serve on the Ways and Means Committee when tax reform was passed. It was 1986.

In the 31 years since then, our Tax Code has been one of the most complicated, unfair, and most uncompetitive in the world. It has led to a stagnant economy with sluggish growth, with America losing our manufacturing, our jobs, our innovation, and our headquarters overseas.

But today, that all changes. Today, we will pass and give Minnesota employers the confidence and the capital that they need to grow their businesses, to hire more workers, and to give their employees a raise.

This provides middle-income families with tax cuts they need to save for their future and improve their standard of living. This helps real people with real needs.

Mr. Speaker, tax reform for me is about one thing and one thing only: it is about restoring the hope for a prosperous future for ourselves, our parents, and, most importantly, our children.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the report.

Mr. Speaker, 50 years ago, the National Park Foundation was established by Congress and President Johnson.

The National Park Foundation is the official charity of America's national parks and the nonprofit partner to the National Park Service. For 50 years, they have raised funds, private funds, to help protect more than 84 million acres of national parks through critical conservation and preservation efforts.

The National Park Foundation has helped safeguard our heritage and engage that next generation of national park enthusiasts by connecting us to the parks right in our own backyard. Although they haven't been around as long as the National Park Service, they have played an important role in strengthening and enhancing our parks.

So, Mr. Speaker, I would just like to thank the National Park Foundation for its work to help protect and preserve the crown jewels of America, our national parks, monuments, and battlefields. Our country looks forward to another 50 years of your great work.