Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, today is Giving Tuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back.

Last week, we celebrated Thanksgiving, and families across the country gathered to celebrate and give thanks for all their blessings.

Today, on the National Day of Giving, many come together for a common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give.

Giving Tuesday kicks off the charitable season when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving to worthy causes. Charitable giving is a force for good, which is why the tax reform package, approved by the House, maintains this important deduction.

Charities, families, businesses, community centers, and people around the world will lend their time or their personal resources to philanthropic efforts across the Nation.

Giving Tuesday also brings together the collective power of a unique blend of partners--nonprofits, civic organizations, businesses and corporations, as well as families and individuals--to encourage and amplify small acts of kindness.

As a global movement, Giving Tuesday unites countries around the world by sharing our capacity to care for and empower one another. That is something we can all celebrate.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to encourage all of my colleagues to support H.R. 1, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

For the first time since 1986, this is a real opportunity to challenge the status quo and simplify the Tax Code.

For the nearly 82 percent of taxpayers in Pennsylvania's Fifth Congressional District who file jointly under the standard deduction, they are going to see that nearly doubled to $24,000, up from $12,700.

According to the IRS, 18 percent of taxpayers in the Fifth District of Pennsylvania choose to itemize their tax returns, averaging about $21,000 in deductions. Doubling the standard deduction means that low- and middle-income families, who have been struggling for a long time, will see their tax burden lowered.

This proposal truly strives to help families keep more of their hard- earned paychecks. Today we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity that we cannot afford to pass up: more jobs, fair taxes, bigger paychecks.

Mr. Speaker, the American people deserve no less, and I encourage my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, this is a pretty incredible week here in Washington, D.C., an incredible week for the American people. When you look at the things that we accomplished this week, we have had historic tax reform--long overdue. This is a break for hardworking middle class American families. I encourage folks to check out the facts for themselves on exactly what happens.

But it is not the only thing we have done. Already this week we have passed a conference report on the national defense authorization, the largest raise for our military in over 10 years, providing them the resources they need to be safe, to be effective, yes, to be lethal, and to be able to return home at the end of the day and to have their needs met.

We did something that was very important for a State like Pennsylvania, where we have almost 90,000 miles of streams. We did historic flood insurance reform, where we really separated and looked inland, the needs there, versus mixing things together, allowing local municipalities, as long as they comply with the FEMA processes, to be able to really determine where the actual flood risk is. We haven't had that. In the past, it has all been done from Washington. It has been done rather poorly.

But there is more than that. This week is also National Apprenticeship Week, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to highlight apprenticeships.

Apprenticeships are a part of career and technological education as a pathway to family-sustaining careers and wages. Apprenticeships provide an alternative path to a high-paying job by providing opportunities to gain real-world skills while earning a paycheck.

Mr. Speaker, as co-chair of the Career and Technical Education Caucus, I know that a huge skills gap exists in communities nationwide. There are good-paying jobs out there, but the unemployed are either ill prepared or lack the appropriate education to fill these vacancies.

That is why I am proud the House did pass my legislation, the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, earlier this year. It passed unanimously out of this body. The bill aims to close the skills gap by modernizing Federal investments in career and technical education programs by connecting educators with industry stakeholders. Career and technical education apprenticeship programs open the door for so many Americans.

Proudly, President Trump signed an executive order earlier this year to expand apprenticeships and skills-based education programs that put more Americans back to work in the trades.

We have seen too many students pushed down the college-for-all pathway that just doesn't work for some people. Obtaining an apprenticeship or career and technical education is a viable path that many high-achieving students can choose in pursuit of industry certifications and hands-on skills that they use right out of high school, in skills-based education programs, or should they choose, in college.

Mr. Speaker, we have all met young people who haven't been inspired in a traditional classroom setting. We all know people who have lost jobs who are underemployed, working multiple part-time jobs, and they are looking desperately for good-paying, family-sustaining jobs. We all know people who are aspiring for a promotion but keep falling short year after year.

Mr. Speaker, I think we all know families that have been trapped in poverty for generations. An apprenticeship can change that. A career and technical education can change that. Mr. Speaker, by the year 2020, it is estimated that more than 6 million jobs will go unfilled because of that skills gap of not having individuals who are qualified and trained to fill those positions.

Mr. Speaker, the legislation that will be passed off this floor tomorrow--and I speak of that optimistically, with confidence--is estimated to lead to creating a confidence that will result, it has been estimated, in a million jobs being created.

Through measures with career and technical education and measures such as apprenticeships, we can help Americans to be able to enter the workforce, to find that on-ramp to opportunity, to give everyone the opportunity to earn a good family-sustaining wage and have that security.

Mr. Speaker, Americans deserve no less.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight an exciting event at Penn State that raises awareness about veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.

The Freedom 5K for PTSD is the brainchild of some of Penn State's cadets. Nicholas Pisciotta organized the 2016 run, and Joshua Stein organized this year's event.

Mr. Speaker, these dedicated cadets said they felt it was important to take care of the men and women who have fought for our country and are still fighting for the freedoms that we enjoy today.

The proceeds from the event support the Lone Survivor Foundation, which provides support for wounded servicemembers, their spouses and children, by empowering them with helpful information on how to address post-traumatic stress, mild traumatic brain injury, chronic pain, military sexual trauma, and care partner stress.

The Freedom 5K also honors the spirit of Navy SEAL Lieutenant Michael Murphy, a Penn State alumnus, who made the ultimate sacrifice as part of Operation Red Wings.

Mr. Speaker, I commend these current and future servicemembers for not only organizing this impactful event, but for caring about their fellow military men and women.

Mr. Speaker, this week is Rural Health Week in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is a time to promote awareness of the full range of issues that impact rural health throughout the State and the health status of rural Pennsylvanians.

Nationally, Pennsylvania ranks as one of the States with the highest number of rural residents, with 23 percent of Pennsylvanians residing in rural areas.

Rural communities also face unique healthcare concerns, a lack of providers, accessibility issues, particularly in terms of transportation and technology, and affordability issues as a result of larger percentages of uninsured and underinsured citizens and greater out-of-pocket health costs.

Mr. Speaker, before I was elected to serve in the House of Representatives, I spent nearly 30 years in the nonprofit healthcare field, assisting those with life-changing diseases and disabilities. I am acutely aware of the challenges many face when it comes to obtaining reasonably priced healthcare. It is especially critical for rural America, like much of the Fifth Congressional District of Pennsylvania.

We are facing a healthcare crisis in our Nation's rural areas. These often disadvantaged populations are still struggling to access affordable, quality care. Many remain uninsured. Most are underinsured; however, access to quality care remains the largest challenge.

Even when people gain access to health insurance, it doesn't equal access to care. Rural hospitals across the country are closing, leaving patients without access to their emergency rooms and long-term healthcare facilities.

Eighty rural hospitals in the United States have closed since 2010. One in three rural hospitals are financially vulnerable. At the current closure rate, more than 25 percent of rural hospitals will close in less than a decade.

In addition to hospital closures, a workforce shortage plagues rural America. Seventy-seven percent of more than 2,000 rural counties in the United States are designated as having a shortage of healthcare professionals. Recruitment and retention of experienced professionals, including primary care physicians, is an ongoing challenge.

Furthermore, the opioid crisis that is sweeping the Nation has ravaged our rural communities, leaving even more of the population in need of crucial health services. Adolescents and young adults living in rural areas are more vulnerable to opioid abuse than their urban counterparts.

The prevalence of fatal drug overdoses has skyrocketed in rural areas. High unemployment and a greater rate of the types of injuries that result in prescriptions for opioid medications have contributed to this. But there are ways to increase treatment options.

Just last week, the House approved a bill that I introduced that would expand healthcare access for our veterans through telemedicine. The bill allows VA-credentialed healthcare providers to practice telemedicine across State lines.

Mr. Speaker, our veterans should receive the best care possible, no matter where they are located. With advances in technology, we see new opportunities for veterans to obtain coverage through telemedicine, especially in some of our most rural areas.

As we celebrate National Rural Health Day this Thursday, it is my hope that we continue to strive for a 21st century healthcare system that works for everyone in America. With technology today, we have the opportunity to expand services, regardless of where one resides, particularly for those in rural regions where the need is great and the services are scarce.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Tracy Becker on being awarded the 2017 Keystone Award, which is the highest honor bestowed by the Pennsylvania Association of Chamber Professionals. Tracy Becker is executive director of the Clarion Area Chamber of Business & Industry.

The Keystone Award was established in 1963 to recognize outstanding service in and contributions to the profession of chamber management in Pennsylvania. The award is not presented annually but only when an individual has merited such recognition.

Tracy is just the 24th person to receive this award since its inception 54 years ago. She was nominated by her staff, the Clarion Chamber board members, and fellow members of the Pennsylvania Association of Chamber Professionals.

Tracy began her chamber career in 1987, and she has dedicated her life to the betterment of the community. She has been with the Clarion Area Chamber of Business & Industry for more than 30 years, 13 of those as executive director.

Mr. Speaker, I wholeheartedly congratulate Tracy Becker on this prestigious honor and thank her for making her community a better place to live and work.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Hank Yeagley on 20 years of service to the Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology.

Hank began his service as chairperson of CPI's Joint Operating Committee in December of 1997. Serving 20 consecutive years at the helm, he will retire next month. Friends and colleagues will gather this week to celebrate Hank's years of dedication.

Under Hank's leadership, enrollment in CPI's secondary career and technical education programs have grown significantly. CPI became an approved and accredited Associate in Specialized

Technology degree-granting institution.

CPI is recognized throughout Pennsylvania as a premier provider of postsecondary career and technical education programs. Scores of students in the Commonwealth have earned a career in technical education thanks to Hank's vision to grow CPI into the institution it is today.

Mr. Speaker, there has been no greater champion for CPI than Hank Yeagley for the past two decades, earning him the title of Mr. CPI among faculty, staff, administrators, as well as past and present students alike. I wholeheartedly congratulate Hank Yeagley on a well deserved retirement and wish him the best.

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow marks the 242nd birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps.

In today's own unpredictable world, the Marines are as important and essential now as ever before.

I am proud to have a member of the Marine Corps serving in my Washington office as a legislative fellow. Paul Camacho achieved the rank of staff sergeant during his service from 2000 to 2008. He is a native of Philadelphia and served as a field artillery cannoneer.

At one point, Paul was the youngest marine in the entire Marine Corps, an achievement that is celebrated each year during cake-cutting ceremonies.

To Paul and all those who are part of ``The Few. The Proud. The Marines,'' I say happy birthday and thank you for your service. Thank you to all who have served in one of the most respected fighting forces in the world.

Mr. Speaker, it was President Ronald Reagan who said ``some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem.''

Happy birthday.

Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, I had the opportunity to visit the Pregnancy Resource Clinic in State College, Pennsylvania, Centre County, Pennsylvania's Fifth Congressional District.

The Pregnancy Resource Center is the only community-funded medical clinic in State College that specifically addresses unplanned pregnancy in a Christ-centered atmosphere. Through education and encouragement, the Pregnancy Resource Center empowers both men and women to make informed life choices.

Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity to meet with Executive Director Jenny Summers and many members of the Pregnancy Resource Center staff to see, firsthand, the important services that it provides to the region.

The Pregnancy Resource Center, importantly, upholds the sanctity of life. It encourages clients to continue the pregnancy to full term rather than choosing abortion for their unborn child.

Mr. Speaker, this is always important, but even more so this month during National Adoption Month. Each year, loving families adopt thousands of children and provide them with the love and support of a family and their forever home.

I commend the Pregnancy Resource Center for the essential services it provides and celebrate the gift of adoption to both children and parents alike.

REBOOT Combat Recovery

Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, the Nation celebrates Veterans Day, a day where we honor all those who have served in the Armed Forces.

As we pay tribute with ceremonies and parades, we must remember that freedom is not free. Many of our veterans live with the effects of war long after they have been discharged.

Mr. Speaker, I recently had the opportunity to learn about a group that is helping combat veterans heal the wounds of war. REBOOT Combat Recovery is a Christian-based program structured in a 12-week course for veterans and their spouses to share their struggles and to begin the healing process.

Many of our vets suffer in the form of anger, anxiety, depression, social withdrawal, and, most tragically, too often, suicide.

The REBOOT Combat Recovery program is free. It has more than 50 locations in 23 States and more than 1,600 graduates. REBOOT communities are safe, private, and mostly led by veterans.

As we honor our veterans this weekend, let us remember that every veteran's story is different. Let us help them find the answers to heal and to recover from the effects of war.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Michael Firestine as he receives the prestigious Bruning Award from the American Bankers Association Center for Agricultural and Rural Banking.

Mike Firestine's leadership and outstanding dedication to providing credit and financial guidance to farmers, ranchers, and rural businesses is well known in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He has been an agricultural banker with the same bank for more than 35 years.

Mike began his ag banking career in 1978, with the Lebanon National Valley Bank, which later merged with Fulton Bank, where Mr. Firestine is currently a senior vice president.

Over the course of his career, Mike has helped scores of young farmers establish themselves in the industry. His counsel and advice propelled many to success.

In many ways, Mike has stayed true to his roots. He was born and raised in a small town in Pennsylvania, where his grandfather was a dairy farmer. He runs a family farm, where he produces pumpkins and other crops and raises Hereford cattle.

Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to recognize Mike Firestine on this tremendous achievement and an outstanding career in agriculture.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the topic of this Special Order.

Madam Speaker, I rise today as the vice chair of the House Agriculture Committee and chair of the House Agriculture Nutrition Subcommittee.

We are currently working on a farm bill, and the farm bill has legislative policy that really has multiple purposes. One is to make sure that Americans have food security, they have access to affordable, high-quality, and safe food. Also, though, it is just as much about making sure that we have a vibrant, rural economy, Madam Speaker.

Within the farm bill, there is the nutrition title. Tonight, I want to spend some time talking about the nutrition title and the importance of that nutrition title. Obviously, nutrition matters. We know the health benefits from getting access to nutritional food.

Madam Speaker, there is kind of a value I grew up with growing up in a rural community. Madam Speaker, I say that one of the worst parts about growing up in a small, rural community is, quite frankly, everybody knew your business. If you did something wrong, before you got home, Mom and Dad probably already heard about it. Now, I have to say that was the worst part.

The best part about growing up in a rural community is that everybody knew your business. And when a family had a need, whether there was a crisis of any type, an emergency, neighbors stepped forward. Neighbors helped neighbors. They stepped forward, whether it was support, love, financial support, food, physical assistance, whatever that might be.

And, for me, that principle, that value of neighbor helping neighbor is really what the nutrition title of the farm bill is all about. And the most appropriate place for the nutrition title and our nutrition programs is in the farm bill because, after all, there is not a calorie that is consumed within the nutrition programs that is not raised by a farm family someplace.

So this evening, we really want to take some time and zero in on what we call D-SNAP within the nutrition title. SNAP stands for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Madam Speaker.

At one time, it was called food stamps. That was many years ago. That still gets tossed around. But it is really the SNAP benefits today. It is supplemental. It is assistance that comes after an individual or a family, whatever resources they put towards their own foods needs. Obviously, it is what their family can assist them with and it is what their community can assist them with, whether that is their church or another civic organization or, perhaps, a food bank.

We also have nutritional programs called TEFAP that provide food and food commodities to our food banks as well. That can be the subject of another evening to talk about.

Tonight, we want to talk about D-SNAP. Those are specific benefits that come at times of disaster.

We know that our country has been really overwhelmed with disasters. We have seen, obviously, hurricanes in the Texas and Louisiana area. We have seen hurricanes in the Florida and Georgia area. We have seen multiple hurricanes in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. We have seen wildfires that have taken homes and lives, dramatic wildfires, intense wildfires, burning entire neighborhoods and communities in both California and Oregon, specifically.

So, this evening, I want to spend a little bit of time talking about those D-SNAP disaster programs. I am very proud about the programs that are authorized through the House Agriculture Committee, through the farm bill, through our work.

We are working on a farm bill right now. This next one expires in October of next year, 2018. But because of the rural economy, we feel it is very important that we do that ahead of time, and we are hoping to accomplish that soon, in the months to come. We will see how that works out.

We have got a lot of work to continue to do on it, but that is our goal. The rural farm economy, farm income, has been down by 50 percent for a number of years, so this would be a really positive thing for rural America to be able to accomplish this farm bill.

So tonight we want to talk a little bit about, specifically, food assistance for disaster relief, otherwise referred to as D-SNAP.

Madam Speaker, there is nothing more important than providing food

when people find themselves suddenly and often critically in need following a storm, an earthquake, a flood, obviously, a hurricane, a wildfire, or any other disaster emergency. It is hard enough if you have lost your home or you have lost your place of employment. You shouldn't need to worry about where your next warm meal is coming from. That is what our D-SNAP, or our food assistance for disaster relief, does.

I am very proud, as I started to say, of the Agriculture Committee and our role within oversight authorizing these programs. But I am also very appreciative of the very dedicated individuals who work at the United States Department of Agriculture and, specifically, the Food and Nutrition Service, referred to as FNS, under the leadership of the Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue.

Over the past several months, we have had a number of natural disasters that everyone is well aware of. They have devastated parts of our Nation, from Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria to the wildfires on the West Coast. USDA's Food and Nutrition Service, FNS, has worked diligently to ensure that those impacted by these disasters have enough to eat.

Now, working in close coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA; our State partners; and volunteer organizations, FNS has not only ensured that individuals participating in our regular nutrition assistance programs continue to receive the nourishment that they need, but also that other populations affected by the disaster have access to the food.

Madam Speaker, under the authority that is provided through the farm bill, and specifically section 301 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, through USDA, we are able to provide administrative flexibilities, including waivers for program requirements in cases of Federal major disaster declarations, which we have seen so many of those in the past few months.

We were able to provide technical assistance to State leaders in impacted areas to assist them to determine what flexibilities or waivers are best suited for the stage of the disaster at hand. Requests for waivers and flexibilities are submitted to FNS by State agencies. That is where the need is determined by when those declarations are made. For example, waivers for school meal program operations are requested by the State department that oversees the school meal program. And waivers from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, as we have talked about, are requested by the SNAP State agency.

So these flexibilities and waivers in food aid programs are provided at different stages in the disaster.

In just a little bit, we are going to talk about some of the different disasters we have faced in the States and how these programs that are made available through our work in the Agriculture Committee have really been there to serve our neighbors in need.

When a disaster is anticipated, an FNS best practice is to work with the State agencies and potentially impacted areas to determine what flexibilities are most needed.

Madam Speaker, some of these waivers and flexibilities, they range from early issuance of SNAP benefits; to SNAP automatic mass replacement; and extension of time to report food loss, food loss that was purchased with SNAP benefits, food that was supplemental to assist families and individuals in need; a SNAP hot foods waiver.

Normally, the food under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that is purchased, taken home, is nutritional food and prepared to be able to serve, and normally hot food purchase is not allowed.

When people have lost their homes, when they have lost those types of critical assets, and in the middle of that, being able to have that waiver to be able to go to where there is food that has been cooked, whether it is a convenience store, whether it is a fast food restaurant, although normally not a place that is approved for SNAP benefits, we recognize that may be the only warm food available, given when you are in the middle or immediately following a disaster, and so those waivers are provided.

Special Supplemental Nutrition Programs for Women, Infants, and Children, or the WIC program. FNS has the ability to grant flexibilities and substitutions in WIC to disaster-stricken States on items such as fluid milk, bread, juice, cheese, eggs, basic staples, for example, when regional demand and the supply chain disruptions are present.

Child nutrition programs. FNS allows for a number of flexibilities during disasters, such as allowing disaster-affected schools and institutions to provide meals to all children at no cost and to be reimbursed at the free reimbursement rate for a limited period of time when a geographic area is heavily devastated by a declared disaster emergency and where the normal processes of food provided in the home has been disrupted. All these things and so much more, Madam Speaker, are part of this.

We also have a disaster household distribution which is a part of the program. That is high quality, nutritious, 100 percent American-grown- and-produced food. USDA foods are distributed to food banks and other partner organizations.

In times of disaster, especially when disaster-affected populations do not have access to congregate feeding, in other words, coming together to be able to get their food, they are in isolated communities and/or grocery stores are not operating because of the disasters, a State agency may request to operate a disaster household distribution program, in which food banks and voluntary organizations utilize the household-size USDA foods, such as those offered in The Emergency Food Assistance Program, what we refer to as TEFAP, to build and distribute food boxes to families. And, of course, the Disaster SNAP that I made reference to. D-SNAP is one of many types of food assistance for disaster relief.

The D-SNAP is a streamlined version of SNAP that provides temporary-- and that is important to understand--food assistance for households not currently receiving SNAP who are affected by a natural disaster. Areas with a Presidential designation of a major disaster with individual assistance are eligible to operate a D-SNAP. States have to request approval from FNS to operate a D-SNAP in such an area.

The timing of the D-SNAP varies with the unique circumstances of each disaster, but always begins after the commercial channels of food distribution have been restored so eligible families can purchase and prepare food at home.

D-SNAP programs are often paired with supplements for the ongoing caseload to bring their benefits up to a maximum amount.

Finally, of the food assistance disaster programs, the final one, just briefly, and the eighth one, is infant formula and food. USDA, through FNS, can make emergency procurements of infant formula and foods for 96 hours after a Presidential declaration and upon request by FEMA or a State agency. With these State agencies, local supplies of these products and similar items provided in FEMA's infant and toddler kits are typically utilized first before FNS receives a request for these products.

These are all examples of great programs. When American families are hit by these natural disasters to a significant level where Presidential declarations of natural disasters are declared, through the Agriculture Committee and mobilized through the United States Department of Agriculture, and the programs that we authorize under that agency, this is how neighbors help neighbors in need.

Madam Speaker, I thought I would just touch briefly on a few of the programs, some of the experiences of how American families have been assisted through these programs, starting with August 25, 2017, with Hurricane Harvey, where it struck Texas.

Madam Speaker, we are all familiar with the scenes as we watched the unparalleled, just Biblical proportions of rain, 5 feet of rain in just a number of days.

Texas was provided through this program, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, a Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in 39 counties that were impacted by Hurricane Harvey. FNS also approved the State request to issue automatic supplements to ongoing SNAP households in 39 counties that

received a Presidential declaration of disaster for individual assistance. FNS approved the automatic issuance of 2 months of disaster supplement benefits.

On September 1, FNS, USDA, approved a policy to provide States with flexibility to serve Hurricane Harvey evacuees, States that had chosen to either serve evacuees through expedited SNAP rule or through the simplified program rules in the evacuee policy, people who have relocated from their homes.

Additionally, on September 1, they issued an automatic mass replacement of August SNAP benefits in 29 declared counties. These mass replacement benefits were issued to replace food that was purchased with August 2017 SNAP benefits but was all destroyed by the hurricanes, the rain, the flooding as a part of that natural disaster. That is just an example.

Additionally, Texas received a hot foods extension notice. That allowed the State's hot foods waiver request to allow recipients to purchase hot foods and hot food products prepared for immediate consumption with their benefits at authorized SNAP retailers. As I mentioned before, that is normally not a part of the SNAP program, but, given the recognition, an incredibly important part of that.

Another example of application with Hurricane Harvey in Texas, USDA, through FNS, approved Texas to operate a disaster household distribution program really to address immediate food needs. Packages containing USDA foods were distributed by local feeding organizations to over 23,000 households, beginning September 8, for up to 4 weeks.

Then there was a partnership as well, Madam Speaker, where Texas and the Salvation Army used USDA foods to prepare and serve 100,000 meals to those in need.

FNS informed Texas that it could use The Emergency Food Assistance Program, or TEFAP, USDA foods to provide meals at food pantries and food kitchens to people in need who couldn't reach larger disaster feeding organizations but who were able to gather at small local organizations. Those are just a few examples in Texas.

Madam Speaker, I want to fast forward to probably a month or so later, October maybe, because disaster comes in all shapes and sizes, and some of the devastating wildfires that we had, specifically in California, also reaching into Oregon.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. LaMalfa). I am really pleased to be joined this evening by my good friend and colleague.

Madam Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman's leadership on the Agriculture Committee.

Really, I think sometimes we take for granted basic essentials, such as food. Normally, these programs are for people who are, for temporary reasons or economic reasons, unemployed, underemployed. We are trying to help give people a pathway to greater opportunity through job training and those types of things.

But when disaster occurs, your life changes overnight. So I am very proud of the work that we do, of the fact that we are there for all of our neighbors in both rural and urban America; when they find themselves in a situation where they are dealing with loss of a home, or the loss of a place of employment, or delays of going to work, or schools being closed, that we really are in a position to be able--they shouldn't have to worry about that next warm meal.

Natural disasters do come in all--we just talked a little bit about the wildfires. Certainly, Oregon also is a State that has been the scene of wildfires and, specifically, received FNS, disaster and nutrition assistance in the form of child nutrition programs, not just from the flames, but from the smoke, with advisories due to smoke advisories, qualifying air quality alerts, allowing for what we call non-congregate meal service, normally, through a summer food program, basically getting food out to those families, to those kids so that they are--you don't want to be traveling through that heavy smoke.

We are all too familiar with another form of natural disaster, and that is hurricanes. We have citizens on a wonderful island, Puerto Rico, that was hit by not just one but two hurricanes in a short period of time, Hurricane Maria and Hurricane Irma.

I am joined this evening by a friend and a colleague who represents all those many United States citizens living on the island of Puerto Rico, Miss

Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon. I thank the gentlewoman for joining us this evening.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Puerto Rico (Miss Gonzalez-Colon).

Madam Speaker, I have to say it has been very impressive. In the middle of that hurricane, I know that I communicated with the gentlewoman by text, and she was what we call where I am from ``hunkered down.'' But she has been there for the people she represents every moment since. I mean, the gentlewoman was in the middle of that, and has been there, and has been reaching out and building relationships with individuals like Secretary Perdue and the staff from the Food and Nutrition Service, with USDA.

I know we were just in a hearing--the gentlewoman and I serve together on the Natural Resources Committee--and talked a lot about the power disruption and how that certainly impacts nutrition, but it impacts quality of life and everything. We take it for granted. We take it for granted.

So the gentlewoman's leadership to her constituents is just very impressive. They are fortunate to have her, and I am fortunate to be able to call her my friend.

I think we do have a friend in terms of Secretary Sonny Perdue--a mutual friend. He and the staff at the Department of Agriculture are really committed to serving our citizens, serving our families. They have been so proactive in these overwhelming natural disasters that have gone from coast to coast, and in the Caribbean, and just everywhere we turned around, and they were absolutely devastating.

So as someone who does serve on the Agriculture Committee, I take a lot of pride in the fact of seeing what we work on each and every day in terms of authorizing programs, to watch those get implemented and watch those really make a difference.

The gentlewoman had mentioned the hot food waiver, the first one being approved through October, November. With the power being out, I certainly would support the gentlewoman's request made to the Department of Agriculture to continue that. That is not something we normally do.

As I explained, we all know that normally, under SNAP, in particular, it is food that we purchase, and then take it home and prepare it. But if you are without electricity, that is pretty tough to do.

Madam Speaker, can I inquire as to how much time remains?

Madam Speaker, I just want to mention-- because I think we have talked

about the wildfires in California and Oregon. We have heard about the terrible--the one-two punch, actually, in Puerto Rico with Hurricanes Maria and Irma, and how these programs are stepped up.

I want to certainly touch on the other parts of our country where American citizens have been impacted as well.

While we are talking about Hurricane Maria, I think it is very important to talk about our U.S. citizens who live on the United States Virgin Islands.

This is an area as well where we have been able to mobilize under the authority of the work that we do, and in the Agriculture Committee through USDA. For the Virgin Islands Department of Human Services, we are able to receive a Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program as well, in the districts of St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas.

This is obviously an island that has been devastated by Hurricane Maria. It makes it very difficult to deploy resources, especially in the interior of islands, but I really appreciate how the administration proactively anticipated the disaster was going to occur and staged resources.

As a former EMT, firefighter, and rescue technician, really to be able to pre-deploy, to be able to serve those American families--they were in a very difficult situation, and including the work of the tremendous staff at the Department of Agriculture, and the food and nutrition service, and Under Secretary Perdue's leadership, to be able to serve these citizens, that is an ongoing effort.

There is no doubt about that. Numerous aspects of our food assistance for disaster relief were deployed there, and we just really appreciate the efforts.

In the southeastern United States, actually in addition to Texas and in southwestern Louisiana as well, families and individuals in Louisiana felt the impact of Hurricane Harvey. They received a waiver to allow distribution in August of the Commodity Supplemental Food Program which are food packages that were distributed in 2017, and they were provided in an August food package, and a September food package. So there was assistance under Disaster SNAP as well there. That was Hurricane Harvey.

As we have heard already about Hurricane Irma, the tremendous damage that was done impacted individuals and families in both Florida and Georgia where we saw the supplemental assistance program, or D-SNAP, that was provided to eligible households. Some of the affected counties were able to receive 2 months of benefits to meet their food needs while they settled back home following the disaster.

FNS also approved an extension of the States' hot foods waiver, as you heard about earlier. Those waivers are an important part of what we can do to help people's lives be better immediately following and during the transition time for a temporary period of time following disasters. On September 14, FNS approved a request to begin disaster household distribution of 25 to 30 pounds of USDA food packages in those Presidentially declared disaster areas in Florida for a period of up to 4 weeks.

On September 22, several flexibilities requested by the Florida Department of Health were approved to assist schools and childcare centers, and sponsor organizations that were operating the Child Care Food Program, or CCFP, and those approvals applied to all 67 counties.

Of course, as we mentioned, that same disaster incident in the State of Georgia that was impacted has served families there, and individuals have been served by these programs. FNS approved the State's request to issue an automatic mass replacement of 45 percent of the September 2017 SNAP benefits because of food that was damaged, lost, contaminated, and needed to be replaced in 71 counties in Georgia that were destroyed due to the disaster.

FNS approved the State's request to extend the time period households had to report food losses through individual affidavits, giving that flexibility as a part of the process as well, as well as waivers applied to schools and residential care institutions that operated under the nutritional assistance programs.

Madam Speaker, these are just a few of the examples. We have heard a lot about disasters. We continue to hear about them. We have great first responders. We have resources, our military, our National Guard. All kinds of contractual resources have been deployed by the Federal Government, State governments, and territorial governments. Among those are these nutrition programs.

As we prepare to reauthorize the farm bill and to do that here, hopefully, by the end of this year, or the very beginning of next year, I think it is important to take the time to really understand what a difference these nutritional programs can make in the lives of average- day Americans who are facing extraordinary challenges and events in their life.

Again, the nutrition programs are normally about serving those who find themselves temporarily in economically challenging situations with the loss of employment, or underemployment, frequently because of no fault of their own. And this supplemental nutrition assistance is to help them get by. We are also trying to work to make sure we provide some pathways to greater opportunity for those who perhaps would benefit from what I like to call skills-based education to help them get a better job and more resources for the family, to be able to take care of these needs independently on their own.

But there are individuals who find themselves chronically in need, perhaps, because of a significant disability, who need to be able to know that those programs are there, and to rely on them. Then there is another group that we have talked about this evening, those who wake up one morning or in the middle of the night and find that their lives have changed dramatically, at least for the time being, because of national disasters.

Madam Chair, I really appreciate the opportunity to be able to speak on these issues, and I was very pleased to be joined by a couple of my colleagues this evening.

Once again, under general leave, I am going to be submitting some comments by the chairman of the Agriculture Committee, Mike Conaway, who has done a great job of leading the Agriculture Committee, as well as Jim McGovern, who is a good friend and very passionate about nutrition programs.

He has a long record of service in this area, and he and I lead--he is the ranking member--the Nutrition Subcommittee.

Madam Chair, I am grateful for the opportunity to be here and to raise these issues this evening, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, this week, Penn State University recognizes Military Appreciation Week, which is in conjunction with its homecoming celebration.

The Penn State Homecoming and Military Appreciation game will take place, and appropriately so, on Veterans Day, Saturday, November 11, against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in Beaver Stadium. This game will celebrate both Penn State and its commitment to alumni and others in the community who have served in our military.

I am so pleased to see the Penn State community honoring servicemembers, veterans, and their families, expressing appreciation to them and recognizing the sacrifices of Gold Star families.

Faculty, staff, and students from around the university and within the community are engaging in planning and recognizing Active-Duty and veteran military personnel and their families.

Mr. Speaker, the State College Borough and Centre County have also joined with University Park to present numerous events for veterans and their families during Military Appreciation Month. Events began on October 2 with the Penn State Veterans Career Fair and will continue through the end of this week.

The Vietnam Veterans Traveling Memorial Wall came to University Park during the month's events. I had the opportunity to participate in both the opening and closing ceremonies for the wall, and it was a moving tribute to all those who served during the Vietnam war.

The theme for the Centre County event was ``Welcome Home.'' We all know that, in many instances, our Vietnam veterans did not receive a warm welcome home when they actually returned home from war. This is a scar on our history and one that we are working to heal. The Traveling Wall served as a reminder of the efforts to promote liberty and freedom that our Vietnam veterans put forth.

Military Appreciation events continue this week in conjunction with homecoming. There will be a Veterans Day ceremony in front of Old Main on Friday, a tailgate before the Military Appreciation football game Saturday, and a Freedom 5K for post-traumatic stress disorder, to benefit those suffering with it, on Sunday.

The 6-week regional celebration culminates Sunday afternoon with Military Appreciation basketball games for both the Penn State men's and women's teams at Bryce Jordan Center.

Mr. Speaker, caring for our veterans and military has been one of my top priorities since beginning my congressional service. It has a special place in my heart, not just because of all our veterans have done, but because I have seen firsthand the magnitude of their sacrifice.

As a military father, I know that wearing the uniform is about service and sacrifice.

I thank all those who serve and have served this great Nation, and I look forward to honoring their service this week at Penn State and in every corner of our country.

May God bless our veterans, the United States of America, and the Nittany Lions for a homecoming win.

Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, the Nation celebrates Veterans Day. Originally called Armistice Day, November 11, 1919, marked the end of World War I.

In 1926, Congress passed a resolution for an annual observance, and November 11 became a national holiday in 1938. In 1954, the holiday was renamed Veterans Day.

Mr. Speaker, we all want to thank our veterans for their service to this Nation, and there is no better way to do so than to care for them when they return home. That is why I encourage my colleagues to support the Veterans E-Health and Telemedicine Support Act, or the VETS Act.

This bill will be on the floor this afternoon, and it will allow VA health professionals to practice telemedicine across State borders to care for more of America's veterans. This Nation has the technology available today to provide care for our veterans, no matter where they reside. This bill upholds our promise to be there for our veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the VETS Act and work to give our veterans access to the best care possible, no matter where they are or where they live.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and ranking member for their support and their kind words.

Mr. Speaker, I do rise today in support of H.R. 2123, the Veterans E- Health and Telemedicine Support Act, also known as the VETS Act.

Years ago, a constituent approached me to discuss the barriers to care that his fellow veterans were experiencing through the VA system. As an Active-Duty soldier, he told me stories of his friends coming home from deployment and falling through the cracks of the system. Some were suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, TBIs, and depression and required the care of specialists. Others had difficulty traveling from their rural communities to VA medical centers because of injuries sustained during combat. Too many of those wound up taking their own lives.

It broke my heart to hear the stories of this soldier's friends and comrades not receiving the care that they deserve. What made it more difficult was the fact that this constituent soldier was my son.

After numerous conversations trying to figure out how we can help our servicemembers when they return home, we determined that expanding access to telehealth would be a great start. Many of our veterans live in rural areas and are unable to travel far distances. Allowing them to see their healthcare provider in the comfort of their home would increase their access to care. This is why Representative Julia Brownley and I introduced the VETS Act.

The VETS Act will allow VA-employed healthcare providers to practice telehealth across State lines, no matter where the doctor or the patient is located. It also commissions a report to study the effectiveness of telemedicine programs utilized by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

While the VA has made major strides and is a leader in advancing telehealth access, outdated barriers limit its

growth. Currently, each State has its own licensing requirements for healthcare providers to practice medicine within its borders. For example, if a doctor practices in Pennsylvania and Ohio, they must hold a license from each State.

VA-provider licensing requirements are different. As long as a doctor is licensed and in good standing with a single State, they can practice in-person care within the VA system in any State. This reciprocity, however, is not afforded to the practice of telehealth. VA providers seeking to provide telehealthcare to patients must also be licensed in the State where the patient is located. These outdated regulations are hurting our Nation's veterans.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has successfully been using telemedicine for quite some time. Since 2002, more than 2 million veterans have received telehealthcare through the VA. In 2016 alone, more than 12 percent of veterans receiving VA care utilized telehealth in some aspect. Forty-five percent of these veterans live in rural areas.

Veterans who have accessed telehealth are overwhelmingly pleased with the quality of care and access they received. Those receiving at-home care, for example, through telehealth cite an 88 percent satisfaction rate.

While the VA has done a great job of expanding telehealth access to veterans across the country, more needs to be done. Our veterans deserve the best care available to them, and this starts with the passage of the VETS Act.

I thank Representative Brownley, Committee Chairman Dr. Phil Roe, Ranking Member Tim Walz, and Chairman Bilirakis for bringing this bill to the floor today.

I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of the bill to give our Nation's veterans access to quality, proven healthcare.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about a cornerstone of a student school lunch: milk.

Milk is the number one source of nine essential nutrients in the diet of many young Americans, and it provides significant health benefits. But over the past few years, milk consumption has been on the decline in school lunch programs. That is why, together with Representative Joe Courtney, I introduced the School Milk Nutrition Act of 2017.

Our bill would ease unnecessary regulations preventing milk consumption

in school lunch programs. The bipartisan bill recognizes the importance of milk to the health and well-being of school children. It also works to improve the variety and availability of milk offered in schools, which was supported by U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Purdue earlier this year. In May, Secretary Purdue directed USDA to begin the process of allowing schools to serve 1 percent flavored milk through the school meals program.

When schoolchildren don't drink milk, they are missing out on essential nutrients. I urge my colleagues to support this bill so another generation of children can fall in love with milk.