Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to the motion to recommit.

Madam Speaker, I listened carefully to the motion to recommit. I suppose I have some good news for the gentleman who offered it, and that is there are numerous bad actor provisions already within our Federal securities law. So, with the possible exception of the unconstitutional power grab of our President in granting amnesty and possibly allowing new bad actors to enter our country, I think that the motion to recommit is probably largely irrelevant.

Let's get down to the substance of the matter, and that is, Madam Speaker, here is an idea that is worthy of the American people. That idea is: Why don't we work on a bipartisan basis to promote job creation and reduce small business burdens?

That is exactly what H.R. 37 does. We all know it is a rollup of 11 simple, modest bills, all of which have passed this body with huge, huge bipartisan support. H.R. 634 passed 411-12; H.R. 5471 passed by voice vote; H.R. 801 passed 417-4; H.R. 2274, 422-0, Madam Speaker.

So this passed in the last Congress. Unfortunately, Senator Reid didn't take it up. Maybe one of the reasons that his party lost the last election is because of the obstruction that the former Senate majority leader imposed on the American people.

Last week, it came within a dozen votes of passing. It would have passed, Madam Speaker, but so many of my friends on the other side of the aisle apparently were for it before they were against it, and they changed their vote. So why the change of heart? Madam Speaker, there was a change of heart because the left hand doesn't know what the far left hand is doing.

Three of these bills represent very modest clarifications or modifications of the 2,000-page Dodd-Frank Act. And to the ultraleft, the ultraliberal friends, Dodd-Frank is no longer policy. It is no longer philosophy. It is an article of religious faith. It is sacred text. It was chiseled in stone. It came down from Mount Sinai.

Meanwhile, the community banks and the Main Street businesses that

are trying to put America back to work are suffering under the sheer weight, load, volume, complexity, and cost of the regulatory burden that has been imposed by our friends on the left.

The left aims their rhetoric at Wall Street, but they vote against Main Street. The hardworking American families and those who want to work become collateral damage. Main Street doesn't want to occupy Wall Street; they just want to quit bailing it out. And that is what we need to do, Madam Speaker.

So it is time to get America back to work. It is time to work on a bipartisan basis. It is time to grow this economy from Main Street up, not Washington down. Reject the MTR. Vote in favor of promoting job creation and reducing small business burdens.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank him for his leadership on this critical piece of legislation.

Mr. Chairman, every President in the history of our Republic, from George Washington to Barack Obama, has raised their right hand and said:

I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the

office of the President of the United States, and will to the

best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the

Constitution of the United States.

Clause 4, section 8 of article I of the Constitution says the Congress--the Congress--``shall have power to establish an uniform rule of naturalization.'' When we as a body read the Constitution on the House floor last week, I had the honor of reading this very section for all to hear.

Section 3, article II of the Constitution says the President ``shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed,'' but never in the history of our Republic has a President so blatantly ignored his oath. We know our President has a pen; we know he has a phone. We just wonder when will he acquire a copy of the Constitution and read it.

His executive action on immigration is an unconstitutional power grab. It tramples on the authority that the Constitution gives Congress--the people's elected Representatives--over immigration. It ignores the separation of powers. We cannot let it stand.

Coequal branches of government, separation of powers, the rule of law--these must be preserved. In this bill, as amended, we do this by exercising the House's constitutional power of the purse. This DHS funding bill, as amended, will achieve this.

The debate is much bigger than immigration. It is much bigger than amnesty. It is about our Constitution. It is about the principle of separation of powers. It is the bedrock of our freedom and prosperity as Americans.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 27, I call up the bill (H.R. 37) to make technical corrections to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, to enhance the ability of small and emerging growth companies to access capital through public and private markets, to reduce regulatory burdens, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on H.R. 37, currently under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, for the sake of the American people, for the sake of all of those who are underemployed, who are unemployed still today in this economy, let us hope that the third time is the charm.

The bill that is before us today, substantially authored by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick), the Promoting Job Creation and Reducing Small Business Burdens Act, was on the floor in a substantially identical version in the 113th Congress.

This bill, to ease the burdens on small businesses, on job creators to help foster capital creation, so that people can be put back to work, so that people can have good careers, so that people can pay their mortgages and pay their health care premiums, substantially in the same form passed in the last Congress 320-102; regrettably then, the United States Senate, under Democrat control, took up no portion of the bill.

It was last week that a slightly different version of the bill was brought to this House floor under what we know as our suspension calendar, which is reserved for bills that typically enjoy broad bipartisan support; regrettably, it proved to be about a dozen votes short because a number of my friends from the other side of the aisle apparently decided that they were for the bill before they were against the bill. They changed their minds in approximately 7 days.

Now, Mr. Speaker, this is a very simple bill. There were 11 different modest provisions, all of which enjoyed broad bipartisan support, again which were modest, modest attempts to ensure that small businesses could still survive in an otherwise onerous Washington regulatory climate.

Mr. Speaker, we had a bill that, even combined--and it is quite common for us to roll up bills for the sake of efficiency, bills that are quite similar in nature--was 30 pages long. Not 300, not 3,000--it wasn't the 2,000 pages of ObamaCare, not the 2,000 pages of Dodd- Frank--it was merely 30 pages.

Now, what is included in this bill? Well, included in this bill is H.R. 634, which passed this body 411-12. It includes H.R. 5471, which passed the House by voice vote, not a dissenting vote that I recall. It includes H.R. 801 that passed the House 417-4. It includes H.R. 2274, the bill that passed the House 422-0.

I could go on and on, but of the bills that are rolled up to ensure greater capital formation and regulatory relief for our smaller business enterprises, all of these passed either the committee or the House with overwhelming bipartisan support, and now--now--the minority is coming to this floor and somehow crying foul. Again, many were for it before they were against it.

I don't know how we can look our constituents in the eyes and know that, even today, they continue to suffer in this economy and not do something to help them.

What this is really all about, Mr. Speaker, is there is a division. There is a division within the Democrat Party. According to press reports, some Democrats have reportedly told their fellow Democrats that if they dare to vote for a bill that makes a clarification or modification to Dodd-Frank, they aren't real Democrats.

It is interesting that yesterday, President Obama signed into law a modification of Dodd-Frank. I know the President is not a Republican, but according to some Democrats, apparently by signing a modification to Dodd-Frank, he is not apparently a Democrat, either, so I am not really sure what he is.

It is fascinating that a former chairman, Barney Frank, of the House Financial Services Committee, one of my predecessors, in previous testimony before our committee, indicated a number of changes to Dodd- Frank that he thought would be proper, so according to some Democrats, apparently Barney Frank is no longer a Democrat, either.

What this is really getting at, Mr. Speaker, is of the 11 bills that are rolled up into this 30-page document, some of them either clarify or modify provisions of Dodd-Frank, and for some Members of the Democratic Party, apparently, Dodd-Frank has now been elevated beyond ideology to religion, and there can be no changes in a 2,000-page bill that we know is fraught with unintended consequences.

Yet there are some on the other side of the aisle that say, ``no changes, no changes,'' yet President Obama signed a change into law. Former Chairman Frank has indicated a number of changes he would consider.

It is time to get beyond the religion. It is time to get beyond the ideology. It is time to get America back to work. It is time to start growing this economy

from Main Street up, not Washington down, because that is not working, Mr. Speaker.

It is time to do what everybody claims they want to do, and that is work on a bipartisan basis. All of these bills passed with overwhelming bipartisan majorities, and now, because of this almost religious zeal for the Dodd-Frank brand, again, some of my Democratic colleagues have decided that they were for it before they were against it.

It is time to put America back to work. It is time to enact H.R. 37, Promoting Job Creation and Reducing Small Business Burdens Act. Let's make sure the third time is the charm.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 20 seconds to say that this highly controversial bill that the ranking member alludes to passed on the House floor by voice vote, and this particular financing helps companies like Dunkin' Donuts, American Airlines, Burger King, and Goodyear Tire put people to work in America--hardly Wall Street. The head of the Independent Community Bankers has said it is necessary to protect community banks, and that is why we are here today.

Mr. Speaker, I am now happy to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Austin Scott) on behalf of the Agriculture Committee, which shares jurisdiction on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 10 seconds.

I continue to be fascinated by my Democratic colleagues whose rhetoric is against Wall Street, yet they vote in Dodd-Frank to codify a taxpayer bailout fund for Wall Street into that legislation. They designate firms too big to fail so their rhetoric is aimed at Wall Street but they hurt Main Street, who we are trying to help now.

I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Barr), who is the author of the title that helps so many of our small businesses grow.

I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, at this time, I am very happy to yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick), who is the sponsor of this job-creating legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I am very happy now to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Pittenger), a member of the committee.

Mr. Speaker, I now yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Duffy), the chairman of our Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee.

I yield the gentleman an additional 10 seconds.

Mr. Speaker, I am now happy to yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Huizenga), chairman of the Monetary Policy Trade Subcommittee.

Mr. Speaker, I am now very happy to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from the ``Live Free or Die'' State of New Hampshire (Mr. Guinta), a member of the committee.

Mr. Speaker, I am now happy to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Schweikert), a member of the committee.

Mr. Speaker, how much time do I have remaining?

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

Mr. Speaker, what we have really witnessed here is a debate between the left and the far left, and the far left doesn't want the left to work on a bipartisan basis. That is sad. I think that is what the American people want us to do. The American people, by and large, don't want to occupy Wall Street. They just want to quit bailing it out, and bailing it out is exactly what the Dodd-Frank Act does. It is time to grow this economy from Main Street up, not Washington down, and that is what the big debate is.

Almost every bill here, Mr. Speaker, is a modest bill to help small businesses, to help capital formation to put America back to work. They passed on an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis.

Let's show the American people that we can do it. Don't let the far left torpedo America's hopes and dreams. I encourage all the House Members to support this legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

``. . . to borrow money on the credit of the United States;

``To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;

``To establish an uniform rule of naturalization, and uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcies throughout the United States; . . .''

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 775, I call up the bill (S. 2244) to extend the termination date of the Terrorism Insurance Program established under the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material in the Record on S. 2244, currently under consideration.

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

We have an incredible opportunity before us in the House today, and that is to move significant bipartisan legislation that can accomplish a number of purposes and that will bring greater stability and certainty to the construction markets, to our insurance companies in dealing with the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act. We can also bring greater certainty and stability to our small factories, to our farmers, and to our ranchers--those who are still suffering in this economy. We can bring them certainty and stability by taking care of an unintended consequence of the Dodd-Frank Act, something called the ``end user exception'' in the derivative title, which may just be, as interpreted, one of the most damaging regulations that many in this body, perhaps, have not heard of.

Again, Mr. Speaker, this is legislation that has been worked on in a bipartisan manner, sometimes a little contentiously, but we have ended up in a place where, I believe, both Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate should be able to come together.

I think it is important to remember, Mr. Speaker, that, particularly as we go into the holiday season--as we go into Christmas--how many working men and women are still lying awake at night, wondering how they are going to be able to fund Christmas for their children at this time. Although we have seen some modest improvements in this economy, there are still over 9 million of our fellow countrymen who are unemployed. Of the number of underemployed--those who wish to have full-time work but who cannot find it--it is almost twice the number, at 18 million. We have 46 million of our fellow countrymen still on food stamps and 45 million at the poverty rate.

One of the most important things we can do here, Mr. Speaker, is to be able to make a positive contribution for financial stability on our household

economies, to give greater economic opportunity, particularly at this time, and that is one of the aspects of S. 2244.

We have had a debate about the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act in this body. I was authorized on behalf of the House to negotiate this particular part of this bill, along with Senator Schumer, the gentleman from New York, on the Senate side. Over the course of several weeks and several meetings, we have negotiated language on this. Certainly, it doesn't give everything the House wants, and it doesn't give everything the Senate wants. Such is the nature of negotiations in a free society with divided government. For those who care passionately about the reauthorization, this is a long-term reauthorization bill, which most Members have asked for. It is a 6-year reauthorization.

For those who care about taxpayer protections, as I do, there were improvements for taxpayer protection. The trigger level has been doubled before TRIA kicks in, meaning there is greater coverage by the insurance companies, a little less for the taxpayers. As for an artificial ceiling on what the industry will contribute, that artificial ceiling now ceases to be in S. 2244. For the first time, taxpayers will actually get some modest rate of return should they be called upon under TRIA to backstop. These are important improvements, and I think conservative and liberal and Republican and Democrat, hopefully, will see something worthy here.

I will point out it is disconcerting--it is disturbing--that those who have backed so many other provisions in this bill now want to say ``no'' to being able to have a long-term TRIA reauthorization passed. This bill before us includes this end user exemption, which is so important. This isn't for Wall Street. This is for Main Street. It is for a cattle producer in Kansas, named Tracy Brunner, who said:

This mistaken language in Dodd-Frank may very well force me

out of the market, subjecting me to even greater risk. My

operation is family run. We are not responsible for the

failures that led to the passage of Dodd-Frank.

Yet his family-owned farm in Kansas--1,500 miles away from Wall Street--suffers.

Even the ranking member has acknowledged that there have been some unintended consequences to Dodd-Frank. Recently, she was one of 412 Members of this House to vote in favor of the end user exception, which she, herself, called a ``clarification''--not an amendment, not a change, but a clarification.

Mr. Speaker, even Mr. Dodd and Mr. Frank of Dodd-Frank, over 4 years ago in colloquy on the House floor and on the Senate floor, said that these provisions were never meant to harm Main Street America; never meant to apply to end users; never meant to apply to the farmers, the ranchers, and the small factory workers.

We have an opportunity to do something very positive. Now, all of a sudden, some across the aisle have said: We can't do this. We believe this is unrelated to TRIA.

Why did the United States Senate, Mr. Speaker, put in a provision that makes a radical change in the requirements to serve on the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve? What did that have to do with TRIA? The Senate put that in. NARAB, the National Association of Registered Agents and Brokers--the Senate put that in. Two-thirds of this bill is about NARAB. The Senate put it in.

Mr. Speaker, I am not debating the underlying policy issues, but it is, at best, a little bit disconcerting, if not disingenuous, to say, my Lord, the House shouldn't put in an unrelated provision when the Senate just did it twice.

Then we heard the Senate will not open up Dodd-Frank. What is the Collins amendment? The Collins amendment was sent over by the Senate, not as part of this legislation. They opened up Dodd-Frank. Then again, to quote the ranking member, this is a ``clarification.''

We have an opportunity to pass a bipartisan bill not only to bring some stability and certainty to our insurance markets and to our builders, but to farmers and ranchers and small businesses and hurting families at this holiday season. Without any further delay, we should enact S. 2244, as amended.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 20 seconds to thank the ranking member for her fascinating, elongated narrative that proves just how reasonable House Republicans were in this negotiation.

I have to correct her yet again, though, and say that I have never said publicly or privately that we should allow the Federal backstop of terrorism to lapse. She is entitled to her own opinions. She is not entitled to her own facts.

I yield myself an additional 10 seconds.

And previously she has said that she has been in favor of this provision. She has been in favor of the end user exemption and has said the bill would clarify the intent of the Wall Street Reform Act. I urge the committee to adopt the bill.

So she was for it before she was against it. But whether it be Biggert-Waters, whether it be Export-Import, whether it be end user, she has changed her mind frequently.

I now yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. McHenry), the chief deputy majority whip.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlelady from New York, the ranking member of the Capital Markets Subcommittee, for her support.

I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Neugebauer), the chairman of the Financial Services Housing and Insurance Subcommittee, the champion and author of the House TRIA bill, and the author of the amendment here. I thank him for his work.

Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 10 seconds just to say I heard so many kind words from my friend from Georgia that maybe I need to go back and reexamine the bill; but, indeed, compromise is not a vice, as long as you are advancing your principles, and both sides can advance their principles in this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I now yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. King), a valued member of the Financial Services Committee, a tireless advocate--and occasionally tiring advocate--for TRIA reauthorization.

I yield myself 10 seconds for, Mr. Speaker, those who may be listening could be confused, as are those in the Chamber. I am very curious whether the ranking member is opposed or supporting this bill as amended. I yield to the gentlewoman.

Does the gentlewoman oppose or support?

It is obvious the gentlelady refuses to answer the question.

Mr. Speaker, I now yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas), the chairman of the Agriculture Committee and a distinguished member of the House Financial Services Committee as well.

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared a yield a small amount of time to any Democrat Member on the floor who intends to vote ``no'' on S. 2244, as amended, because I have not heard one say that yet.

Mr. Speaker, I have no takers.

I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Luetkemeyer), who is the incoming chairman of our Housing and Insurance Subcommittee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Duffy), the incoming chairman of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Stivers), a valued member of our committee.

Mr. Chairman, how much time remains?

Mr. Speaker, in that case, I now yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hultgren), a member of the Financial Services Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Pittenger), a member of the Financial Services Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Grimm), who for months has played a leading role in bringing both the TRIA title and the end user exemption title to S. 2244.

Will the gentlewoman yield?

I would point out to the gentlewoman, as I think she knows, it was the Democrat Senate who I believe is putting this in the bill, so perhaps she could negotiate that with Senator Schumer.

Will the gentlewoman yield on that one point?

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of the time.

I am glad that the ranking member has had yet another change of heart from her opposition to S. 2244, as amended, that she articulated last evening. It is fascinating to me that as she characterizes other Members of Congress as unpredictable, I guess it is somewhat predictable now that she will change her opinion. I am glad she did.

Rarely have I seen in my congressional career a Member of the House come to the floor quite so vociferous and quite so grumpy about a bill that they have previously supported and now ultimately choose to support. Regrettably, frequently when the ranking member comes to the floor, we enter into a fact-free zone.

I have not been involved in any of the negotiations on the omnibus. If I were involved, we would have far more Dodd-Frank relief in there, since it is a bill that was aimed at Wall Street, hits Main Street, and working men and women across our country are collateral damage. Our economy has slowed down, families can't find work, they have no financial security because of what Dodd-Frank is doing--the sheer weight, volume, complexity load of the regulatory burden. As unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats try to run this economy, they have run it into the ground.

Be that as it may, I look forward to working with the ranking member so that we can get more Dodd-Frank relief to Americans and get this country back to work.

Finally, I once again wish to thank and offer my gratitude to the gentleman from Texas, Chairman Neugebauer, whose leadership in bringing this bill to the floor was indispensable. He has been a rock throughout these proceedings. Every Member who supports the end user exemption, who supports the TRIA compromise, owes an incredible debt of gratitude to Chairman Neugebauer of Lubbock, Texas. I am proud to serve with him on the House Financial Services Committee.

I urge an ``aye'' vote for all Members of Congress on S. 2244, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I rise to honor my dear friend and this great patriot from Texas, next door to me in Dallas, Ralph Hall. I tell you, Mr. Speaker, I feel most inadequate to the task.

There are a number of Members who come to the House floor and some provide humor. Few have provided more humor than Ralph Hall at times when this body critically needs it.

Some Members come to this body and they become well respected. Certainly that is Ralph Hall.

Some are well liked. That is also Ralph Hall.

Some distinguish themselves for their accomplishments. Ralph Hall will take second place to no one on what he has been able to accomplish in his House career.

Then there is a handful, Mr. Speaker, of true American heroes. Ralph Hall served our Nation with courage and distinction in World War II.

My point, Mr. Speaker, is that I am not sure I know any Member who combines them all: respectability, likability, humor, effectiveness, and being a true American hero.

We will miss Ralph Hall. We will miss his wit. But, do you know, Mr. Speaker, even more so I think I will miss his wisdom because there are many times that we have debated various issues either among, perhaps, the Texas delegation or the House as a whole, and occasionally the voices may get a little loud, perhaps the debate gets a little bit confused, and then almost out of nowhere Ralph Hall comes in and imparts his wisdom, and it is like a ray of sunshine piercing the darkness, and I will say, ``Yes, that makes sense,'' and we come together as Members of Congress for the good of America.

I heard the previous speaker speak about it. There is so much we could say about Ralph and his accomplishments. But how ironic in some respects that the oldest Member of the House was so much on the cutting edge of science and technology and has helped this institution lead America into this century. When Ralph Hall has spoken, when he has led, so many have followed.

There are many reasons that it is a privilege to serve in the United States House of Representatives. But one of the great privileges is the people that you meet. There have been none nicer, none wiser, and more accomplished than Ralph Hall.

Mr. Speaker, I will miss, Texas will miss, America will miss Ralph Hall when he leaves this body.

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to recognize veterans of the 485th Bomb Group as they celebrate their 50th and final reunion this week in Dallas, Texas.

The 485th Bomb Group was one of four heavy bomb groups assigned to the 55th Bomb Wing during World War II. The 485th began conducting combat operations on May 10, 1944 with a mission to bomb the marshalling yard at what is now Knin, Croatia (formerly Yugoslavia). Their final mission was flown to the Linz, Austria marshalling yard on April 25, 1945. The group received a Distinguished Unit Citation for the June 26, 1944 mission to the Florisdorf Oil Refinery in Vienna, Austria. Despite encountering heavy flak and intense fighter opposition, the Group was able to inflict considerable damage to the refinery, crippling the enemy's vital fuel production during a crucial period of the war.

As we honor these heroes today, I am reminded of what President Calvin Coolidge once said, ``A nation which forgets its defenders, will itself soon be forgotten.'' I for one am committed to ensuring this nation never forgets the sacrifices that so many endured in order that we may enjoy the freedoms that have made our country so great.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5461, the Insurance Capital Standards Clarification Act of 2014, sponsored by our colleague Mr. Barr of Kentucky.

This bill is a common sense fix to several problems that have arisen from the implementation of the Dodd-Frank Act--problems that are detrimental to our economy and needlessly limit opportunities for our fellow Americans to live better lives.

Mr. Speaker, we all know that today 19 million Americans are unemployed or underemployed. No matter how hard many of them try to find work, the jobs just aren't there in this economy because the President's economic policies have failed them. Clearly, job number one for Congress continues to be job creation and economic growth. That's why the House has passed more than 40 bills aimed at creating jobs, many of them I am proud to say originated in the Financial Services Committee, which I chair. These are common sense ideas, many of them bipartisan, aimed at supporting wage earners, strengthening small businesses, and removing Washington's onerous red tape road blocks that stifle growth and kill opportunity.

Yet Senate leaders have failed to bring a single one of these jobs bills up for a vote, even though they are supported by both Republicans and Democrats. Before time during this Congress runs out, I once again call on the Senate's leaders to get to work. They can start with H.R. 5461. Both Democrats and Republicans strongly support this bill. Even the Ranking Member of the Financial Services Committee--who has announced she will be voting against H.R. 5461--acknowledges in a ``Dear Colleague'' letter circulated to all our offices that the bill offers ``bipartisan, sensible regulatory relief;'' yet still for some reason she will vote against it.

Let me briefly describe this bill and why it's needed to help the American people.

H.R. 5461 provides the Federal Reserve with the flexibility to set capital standards for insurance companies under its supervision. Because of the onerous Dodd-Frank Act, Washington regulators are imposing one-size-fits-all capital standards designed for banks onto firms that are not banks but insurance companies. Research has shown that applying capital standards that are meant for banks to insurance companies could massively increase costs between $5 billion to $8 billion. This increase in costs will result in higher premiums and reduced benefits for policyholders. Many policies could simply become unavailable to consumers as companies stop offering certain insurance products. H.R. 5461 ensures proper capital standards are applied to insurers under the purview of the Fed and that

these institutions can continue serving American consumers.

In addition, H.R. 5461 incorporates three other bills that originated in the Financial Services Committee and previously received overwhelming bipartisan support: H.R. 634, the Business Mitigation and Price Stabilization Act; H.R. 3211, the Mortgage Choice Act; and H.R. 4167, the Restoring Proven Financing for American Employees Act.

In this time when there seems to be so little that Republicans and Democrats in Washington agree on, I think it's important to note just how much bipartisan support all of these bills earned.

H.R. 634 passed the Financial Services Committee 59-0 on May 7, 2013 and then passed the House 411-22 on June 12, 2013. This bipartisan bill exempts manufacturers, ranchers and small companies that buy and sell derivatives to hedge against business risk from burdensome margin and capital requirements of the Dodd-Frank Act.

H.R. 3211 passed the committee unanimously by voice vote on May 22 of this year and then passed the House by voice vote on June 9. This bipartisan bill increases access to mortgage credit for low- and middle-income Americans by modifying the definition of ``points and fees'' for the purposes of determining whether a mortgage is eligible for treatment as a ``Qualified Mortgage'' under Dodd-Frank.

H.R. 4167 passed the committee 53-3 on March 14, 2014 and then passed the House by voice vote on April 29. This bipartisan bill addresses unintended, harmful economic consequences for collateralized loan obligations caused by the final version of Dodd-Frank's Volcker rule.

Mr. Speaker, not a single one of these ideas is divisive. All are bipartisan, and each one offers common sense regulatory relief to our struggling economy. Anyone who tries to claim otherwise is simply misstating the facts because the record is absolutely clear.

I urge House passage of this bipartisan bill, including its provisions that were previously and overwhelmingly approved by the House with support from Republicans and Democrats, and I call on Senate leaders to put partisanship aside and to stop their dilatory tactics. The House once again is offering bipartisan solutions to help our economy and create jobs. There's no excuse why the Senate should not do the same.

I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his leadership on this bill.

Mr. Chairman, regrettably, our Nation is still faced with the weakest, slowest, nonrecovery recovery since the Great Depression. Tens of millions of our fellow countrymen remain unemployed and underemployed. And if you speak to practically any business--large, small, medium--they will tell you that the sheer weight in volume and complexity of regulation--especially Federal regulation--is perhaps the primary reason that they can't expand their business and that they can't create more jobs for those who need them.

As one small businessman in my district put it: ``The complexity of all the different rules and regulations that the government imposes is just incomprehensible confusion.''

Mr. Chairman, that is not the way we create jobs in America. Yet Washington continues to drown our small businesses and our job creators in so many regulations and red tape. We have got to change that.

The legislation before us, H.R. 4413, contains a number of measures that originated in the Financial Services Committee and have already passed the House with bipartisan support. For example, section 395 of the bill was originally introduced as H.R. 1256, bipartisan legislation sponsored by Mr. Garrett of New Jersey and Mr. Carney of Delaware. It will simplify and rationalize the regulation of derivatives activity that occurs across U.S. and foreign markets today.

American companies obviously use derivatives to manage risk and to provide products and services to consumers at competitive prices, yet today they face the troubling prospect of having to comply with conflicting cross-border requirements from two Washington regulators, the CFTC and the SEC.

On the one hand, the Securities and Exchange Commission has issued a proposed rule that recognizes equivalent derivatives requirements in foreign countries as valid substitutes for U.S. regulation. On the other hand, the CFTC staff outside the formal rulemaking process has issued guidance that treats countries with well-established regulatory systems, including Canada, the U.K., Germany, and Japan, as rogue nations. The CFTC decided all on its own to inappropriately extend U.S. derivatives rules into foreign markets. It is no wonder that the CFTC's irresponsible guidance has been challenged in Federal court and routinely criticized by a number of our U.S. and European regulators.

This unapproved guidance will harm U.S. markets. It will harm consumers. It will harm job-seekers. It will harm our economy. It will result in higher costs on everything, from a John Deere tractor for a farmer in east Texas who wants to buy one to a cold six-pack for a worker in a mesquite factory who wants to finally rest after the day's end. It will even impact the price of an airline ticket for a grandmother in Garland as she tries to afford a trip to go visit the grandkids.

Mr. Chairman, farmers, workers, grandmothers, and, indeed, all Americans are already paying more for food, for gas, and for everything. Let's not let the CFTC add to their burden. The bill before us today, H.R. 4413, would help solve this case of government overreach by requiring U.S. regulators to issue one--one--clear rule to govern cross-border derivatives activities.

Let's bring some common sense back. Let's protect our consumers. Let's get America back to work. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4413.

Mr. Speaker, it is my honor today to recognize Battalion Sgt. Major Robert J. Blatnik for his exceptional service to our country. He joined the US Army's 1st Battalion, 26th Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, on October 19, 1938, and would remain in this unit for the entirety of his time in the service. He saw combat during WWII in North Africa, Tunisia, Sicily, Germany, and France. On June 6, 1944 he took part in the first wave of the invasion of Normandy at Omaha Beach--Fox Red 1. Mr. Blatnik earned 4 Purple Hearts, the Silver Star, 5 Bronze Stars, and several other medals.

Mr. Blatnik remains a true patriot, and last summer, he was among six Normandy vets from Texas selected to go back to the beachhead where so many gave the ultimate sacrifice for the cause of freedom. Humbly, I echo the words of President Ronald Reagan, ``We will always remember. We will always be proud. We will always be prepared, so we will always be free.'' And humbly, I offer my sincere gratitude to Battalion Sgt. Major Robert J. Blatnik for his service and acts of bravery that allow us the freedoms we enjoy today.

Mr. Speaker, it is my honor today to recognize Yeoman 1st Class Andrea Jean Small for her exceptional service to our country. In April of 1943, at the age of 23, she joined the Navy in lieu of nursing school. Mrs. Small completed her basic training in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Upon completion, she moved to Washington, DC to begin her service.

As one of the first WAVES--Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service--Mrs. Small left her childhood home of Peoria, Illinois, was among the first women to serve our country in a military capacity during WWII. Due to the scarcity of manpower and the urgency of protecting our nation, nearly 400,000 women took on new roles in all military branches during the war.

At the age of 95, Mrs. Small can still remember many of the experiences she had prior to and during her service in Washington. She can recall hearing about the attack on Pearl Harbor just as she was leaving church on that cold December morning, and the funeral procession of Franklin Delano Roosevelt on April 14, 1945. Perhaps the fondest memory was the night she met the man who would later become her husband of 29 years, Yeoman 1st Class Joe Breithaupt, at a Navy USO party. The two were married on July 13, 1945, just three months after they had met. After completion of their service, the two made their home in the Corsicana area, where they raised three sons. Following Joe's death from cancer, Jean later remarried to Mr. Marlyn Small, and they were married for nine years until his passing.

Humbly, I echo the words of President Ronald Reagan, ``We will always remember. We will always be proud. We will always be prepared, so we will always be free.'' And humbly, I offer my sincere gratitude to Yeoman 1st Class Andrea Jean Small for her service and acts of bravery that allow us the freedoms we enjoy today.

Mr. Speaker, Gwen Moffeit has served Henderson County for over thirty-five years--twenty-four of them as County Clerk. She was elected to the position in 1990 as the first Republican candidate to win a county-wide election. During her tenure, she converted the process of recording documents from the traditional hardback books to the new technology of digital imaging. Gwen has had the pleasure of working with many elected officials during her tenure, including five County Judges: Winston Reagan, Tommy Smith, Aubrey Jones, David Holstein, and Richard Sanders.

Gwen has been very active in the community and has recently served on the I.T. committee, the Henderson County Elections Committee, the Bail Bond Board, as well as many other county committees throughout the years. She has also been a member of the Athens Kiwanis for over twenty years--serving as secretary for almost ten of those years. She is a member of Lone Star Republican women, Henderson County Republican Women's Club and the Cedar Creek Republican Club.

Ms. Moffeit has been married to her high school sweetheart 43 years. They have two daughters: Misty Wilmeth and Amy Cooper, with four grandchildren: grandson Bailey and granddaughters, Allie, Bradie, and Gracelyn. Ms. Moffeit and her husband are longtime members of Leagueville Baptist Church.

Mr. Speaker, on May 17, 2014 the citizens of Henderson County, Texas will observe the 100th year anniversary of the current county courthouse in Athens, Texas. While Henderson County has had three previous Courthouse buildings, the one that stands today has passed the century mark.

Henderson County, established in 1846 by the Texas Legislature, was carved from Nacogdoches and Houston Counties and named for Texas' first Governor, J. Pinckney Henderson.

The Henderson County Commissioners Court approved the building of the current courthouse on June 12, 1913. They authorized L.R. Wright & Company to erect the structure for the cost of $113,500. The L.L. Thurmon Architectural firm of Dallas designed the courthouse in the ``Classical Revival'' style, the dominant type of architecture for Texas courthouses in the early 1900s. A marble cornerstone and time capsule on the northeast corner commemorates the structure's construction. In early 1914 the new courthouse opened for operations.

The courthouse today stands in the square of Athens, Texas. Its entrances face the four cardinal points of the compass at the intersections of State Highway 19 and 31 and US Highway 175. In the beginning, this building housed county and district offices, auto and property tax offices, and courtrooms. Throughout the years, many improvements were made to the building. Major renovations were completed during the year of 1965 with the addition of an elevator, new windows, and improvements to the stairs. Other renovations were made in 1986. The courthouse today still serves as the heartbeat to the county operations and community events.

Mr. Speaker, it is my honor today to recognize Dwayne Garner of Henderson County for his exceptional service to our country. Beginning his service with the Air Force in 1954, Mr. Garner served with distinction, finally earning the rank of Senior Master Sergeant in 1971. Upon completion of twenty years of service with the Air Force, while serving in the Philippines, Mr. Garner was honorably discharged. Soon after, he decided it was time to move back home to Texas with his wife and two young daughters, where he worked as an adult probation officer in Henderson County until his retirement.

Coming from a distinguished family of veterans that ``bleeds red, white, and blue,'' Mr. Garner was no exception. During his time with the Air Force, he was awarded several medals, including the Bronze Star, two Commendation medals, and the Presidential Unit Citation. He remains a true patriot, volunteering his time with different military service organizations in East Texas.

Humbly, I echo the words of President Ronald Reagan, ``We will always remember. We will always be proud. We will always be prepared, so we will always be free.'' And humbly, I offer my sincere gratitude to Mr. Dwayne Garner for his service and acts of bravery that allow us the freedoms we enjoy today.